My Own "Standard" of Men to Date

September 17, 2020

 





Hello all!

I was inspired to do this post when I read this post by Grace Marie at The Worthy Beloved. I admit though, that I was hesitant about even putting this secret list on the internet. I felt that I was "dictating" what the perfect husband was and not giving guys a chance. 

However, if I don't define any sort of standard, then any courtship would be a mess. Now that I have had a little dating experience, I'm going to reexamine that old list from when I was 22 and rework it to reflect my mid-twenties expectations. 

My standard of acceptable to date would be....


- Being a Catholic

            Having been a child of a mixed marriage, I know what pain and suffering that comes with that. I know how important it is for a spouse and I to be united in religion. And I would love if he was fervent in his faith and allow it to be the center of his life (everything from food to politics). The last thing I want for my children is to grow up with a double standard and be divided on what should knit us together. The world has enough splintered families - I don't want mine to be one of them. 


- Be willing to have as much children as God wishes us to have. 

Being truly Catholic means that we must be open to conception of children.....after all, that is the primary goal of marriage!

As a fifteen-year-old, I always said that I was going to have at least 10 children. Almost ten years later, I still wish for several children. But, I cannot demand gifts, and so I shall be happy if I have one or ten.


-  People-oriented, but not a total sanguine

Since I'm a melancholy-choleric, I believe that my best match is with a man with some traits of either phlegmatic or sanguine temperament. And since I'm so task-oriented, I believe that a more people-oriented person will balance me out better. Also, a playful sense of humor is always attractive. 


- Be a good conversationalist and discussion partner. 

            I'm still learning how to break out of my shell socially, so I think a good mark would be a guy that could draw me out. Plus, I love a good discussion.  


- Calm and patient

            Since I suffer from anxiety and a Celtic temper, I really need someone to be able to keep me calm (which will help with the children). 


- Honest and appreciative

            I prefer that, even if it hurts, to be told honestly about things. Because hiding things hurts. And being appreciative really makes me feel better (semi-fluent in Words of Affirmation). 


- Frugal and wise 

            Not to be personal, but I know the struggles of earning a good salary and having it disappear. And, I can't stand clutter either. I know one-income households are ridiculously difficult to maintain especially with the student debt that I (or we will) have, but if we are wise then I won't have to work for very long if at all. 


- Being interested and involved with me and the children

           One of the things that hurt me a little during my first "dating fling" was how distant and shallow our relationship was. This second one, however, has made much more an effort to see and get to know me. I am a big proponent of the husband participating in the domestic life, especially since my own father was not as involved as he could be.  


- Being a leader, pro-active

          It's a mark of a Biblical masculine man, and I would feel so much better if he would lead. Not that I couldn't, but that I probably....shouldn't. I really like it when men are decisive, and they make the effort to interact and follow up. Also, seeing my own father struggle with taking authority when he should (both to me and my mother), has really affected how I view the role of the father. That, and if he stands on his own two feet and and acts as the breadwinner, that would be wonderful. 


- Be willing to engage in agricultural activities

            Even if this is just on a farmette or homestead level basis. I feel "called" to participate in these activities, plus...let's be honest, it's the most perfect lifestyle to teach children about food, responsibility and work ethic. I don't know, but a log-splitting, animal-wrangling, farmer is one of the most attractive male species out there. 


- Be willing to support my interests

            Okay, call me really crazy, but do you remember that scene in the 1994 Little Women when Professor Bauer brings Jo the cup of tea and helps her with her novel?? I want that. I also wouldn't mind a guy that will help me train physically or with firearms, or be willing to go along on outdoor adventures. 

This support, I admit, is rather controversial among my rad-traddie friends. There is a traditional sentiment that a wife and mother should only be concerned with her husband and her children and nothing else, almost like a domestic cloister. However, this attitude potentially excludes supporting the church and the community - which is wrong! What if a wife was called to put together a podcast on Catholic topics or a Youtube channel? What if a wife is called to write novels? If we have to support our husband's interests and respect them, then I think it should go two ways, don't you?


And that is the end of my list! At least, all that I'm willing to share. There may be one or two secret things that I'll keep close to my heart. 

Now I'd love to hear from you! Do you have a "husband list"? What is the "hallmark" of a good man to you girls? 

Old-fashionably yours, 

Catherine                



Catholic

The Rough Road to Tradition (My Journey to the Catholic Church)

August 15, 2020





Hey everyone!

So today (August 15) is an extremely special day. Not just because it is the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But this year marks the 10th anniversary of my First Communion! 

In posts past, I have promised to tell the full story of my conversion/reversion/reception into the Catholic Faith (see, even ten years later, I still can't describe what it actually is....). And I cannot find any other time more be-fitting than right now to do so. 

Disclaimer of Charity: I'm going to be talking bluntly about Protestantism, the Episcopalian church and the Norvus Ordo rite of the Catholic Church. I affirm that the Norvus Ordo is a legitimate rite and can be done reverently and it is not my intention to cause division. Nor do I intend any hard feelings towards any of my Protestant friends, all of whom I love dearly and pray for. Also beware, there is a lot of pain and angst in the following post. 

I suppose I shall start at the beginning, then! 

My parents met in college and got married a year into their graduate studies. At the time, my father was a Norvus Ordo Catholic and my mother was an Episcopalian. As such, they were required to have a dispensation by the Church in order to marry. You see, the Catholic Church rather frowns on mixed marriages, and as my story will show, there are very good reasons for this. 

They were granted the dispensation and were married in a joint marriage ceremony in the Episcopalian church that my mother attended - I believe the actual marriage vows and a nuptial blessing were given by the Catholic priest while the rest of the ceremony was in the Episcopalian liturgy. In Catholic eyes, this is a rather....unusual procedure. Normally, there would be a Nuptial Mass in a Catholic Church, which then confers many graces to the couple and strengthens them in their marriage. While my parent's marriage has been declared valid by the Church, I believe that the full benefits of the sacrament were not obtained. 

I was born nearly two years later, and my parents both agreed that I needed to be baptized. The question was, which church? 
I was told that the decision was for me (and my subsequent siblings) were to be baptized into the Catholic Church. My parents recognized that being baptized in a Protestant rite created a potential impediment to conversion later. And indeed, it would have been - Catholics have a certain form for baptism and if all the conditions are not met, then the baptism is invalid. Since baptism can only be adminstered once, it creates a whole theological scrutiny that, in my parents eyes, could very easily be avoided. I learned later that part of the conditions of a dispensation for mixed marriage include baptizing and raising the children Catholic as well. 

Anyway, I was baptized in a Norvus Ordo baptism ceremony when I was about 5 months old. It is rather unusual for the baptism ceremony to be so delayed, but my father was finishing his graduate studies at the time. 

As a little girl, I remember my father coming to Episcopal services a couple of times, and my mother to Catholic services. But that soon stopped as my father was beginning to re-engage with his Faith. 

What emerged was a compromise, and the beginning of what seemed like a "spiritual divorce". My siblings and I would go the Norvus Ordo Catholic Mass the one week, and the Episcopalian liturgy the next week. Back and forth, we were shunted. In the Episcopal church, we were in Sunday School and learned about stories in the Bible. I remember only one Catholic 'kids session', and I remember very little of it. In the Norvus Ordo parishes, there is very little opportunity for catechesis for children - a fact that I heartily wish to be remedied as soon as possible. 

This pattern continued this way for several years. And then when I was around the age of six or seven, I was exposed to my first Traditional Latin Mass. 
I hated it. 
You see, Norvus Ordo Masses were very easy for me to understand. It was upbeat, it was rather fun. I still remember taking the Gifts up occasionally. 
In the Latin Mass, I couldn't understand what was going on, and I was bored. And a bored Catherine was a very dangerous thing. 
The second reason why is that I always equated the Traditional Latin Mass with my paternal grandfather. He and I had a very rocky relationship for many many years. He was a hard man in those days, stubborn too. 
Every time we would visit my grandparents and it was my week to go with Dad to church, there was a battle royale. My stubborn temper put up a good fight, though Daddy made me go anyway. 

Fast forward now to when I was about 11. 

My father had been watching my local NO parish really go left-field for several years. What I mean by that was having goofy music, and a lot more liturgical abuses (making up prayers, possible heresy being taught, etc.). My mother remembers him coming home mad as a hornet every single week. 
Then my father saw an announcement in his church bulletin about a Latin Mass up in a major city an hour away. The Fraternity of St Peter had just been welcomed to the Diocese, and they had been given use of the Cathedral's wedding chapel. He was unsure for a couple of months, but strangely, my mother encouraged him to to try it. 

He went by himself for a few weeks before he started taking my brother and I. 
I....still hated it. Remember, I was still dealing with all those unresolved issues from earlier years. Back then, our current parish didn't exist - it was just a small group of people that started attending Mass regularly every week. 

My father began to make friends and soon was engaging much more in his Faith. It was then he began to take on my long-neglected catechesis, starting with the Baltimore Catechism. 
I'm sorry to say that young Miss Catherine was not a very good student for him. In order to make me to engage, Daddy made me read the questions aloud and then he would read the answers. This was NOT how Catherine wished to be taught. Especially when she was in her pre-teens and about to enter the period known in my family as The Two Years from Hell (which in reality was more like four, but who's counting!).
Take in mind, I was still attending the Episcopal services and the Sunday school twice a month. And in my early teens, it was a bit more involved. I became part of a bell choir, which I loved, and.....I even served on the Episcopal altar as a torch-bearer! 

This last action is a source of regret to me now. Had I really realized what I was doing was an extremely heretical action, I would never have done it. To his credit, my father threw a hairy canary and made me stop doing it after a few times. My rebellious teenage self really resented him then, but now that I know the mystical understanding behind altar serving and how it is a preparation for the priesthood.....I get it now. 

So now at the age of 13, we're at odds. My father knew he was playing a dangerous game - my sentiments were lying with my mother's church at this point. So he made one last ditch effort to save my soul. 

He gave me another Catechism to read. It was My Catholic Faith, a large book meant for adults. And, more importantly, he left me alone to read it. 

Now at this point, I'm in middle school. I love to study - I was an academic by passion, even if I hated tests and grammar. And so....this book suited me a lot. 

Suddenly, things clicked! I suddenly had something to DO during Mass, rather than just sit there. I learned, truly, who God was, and all about the Church and the doctrines and dogmas. I even picked up the Baltimore Catechism again with a clearer understanding. In fact, I became known by this habit of reading my catechism during the Homilies and Canon of the Mass. I never approached the altar rail except for Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday and even then it felt weird. 

Now begins a really tumultuous time for my soul. Because with my studies, I was beginning to understand about heresy. I was beginning to understand why certain beliefs could not be true. I did indeed struggle with the traditional belief of "no salvation outside the Catholic Church" for several months. 

But, to highlight just how much influence that this studying had....there was one instance in my mother's Sunday School that we played Bible Baseball. It was a game in which the teachers asked questions and if we answered them right, we'd move onto a base (it was on paper, not in reality); it was my favorite game. One question asked what did St. Paul write or something along those lines. I shocked my teacher by saying the Catholic term - Epistles - instead of the more modern term Letters. It's stuck in my mind even to this day. 

Not too long afterwards, (I'm not sure what prompted it exactly anymore, probably to compare notes more than anything,) I started asking about the doctrines of the Episcopal church from my mother. At the time, she didn't have a copy of the 39 Articles, so I had to be contented with pamphlets and talking to the priests of that church. 

But then....someone started to use Her influence. 

I had become aware of Our Blessed Mother during a homily by my grandfather's priest, the good Monseigneur Moss (may he rest in peace). I don't remember the context of what he said, but I remember him pointing to a statue of Our Lady of Fatima that he kept near the pulpit and saying.....

"Her." 

Again, I don't remember the context. It was probably it was something along the lines of Her intercessory role and mediatrix of all graces, etc. But that action sent a shock wave of recognition to my soul. There was my Mother and She was to be respected and loved. 

From there, the relationship began to be personal. My father had also given me some Miraculous Medals around that time, all of which I still have. I never had any trouble believing in Mary, or Her role, or how the Church treated Her. I began to pick up the Rosary - my father was now saying it in the car with us and taught us how to say it. 

By now, I'm 14, and seriously considering entering the Catholic Church. I started off by announcing to my parents that I wished to go to the Catholic Church three weeks out of the four. I had been going to Latin Mass now for nearly 4 years and my attitude towards it was changing drastically. I was also given the grace to recognize Jesus in the Eucharist and His Presence. I was already veiling - I remember when I got my first veil when I was about 12, but don't remember when exactly I started wearing it. All I know is that I was seeing the good example of the women around me and wished to imitate them. 

But still, there were some doctrinal issues to work through. I remember having a few sessions in Father's office talking about some of them. 

Then, one day, I was forced to go to an Episcopalian service when I was visiting my maternal grandparents. I don't remember exactly why, I think my grandfather couldn't pick me up for Mass for some reason. 
One thing stuck out though. In one of the prayers that the Episcopalian priest said, he called Mary the God-bearer. 
Now, I know now that a Protestant service acknowledging Mary at all is a rare thing. But for some reason, this title given to Our Lady made me mad. 

I felt that Our Lady was disrespected. And maybe She was, maybe She wasn't. But whatever the case, I was fed up with Episcopalians right then and there. Besides the horrible catechesis I received from them, and not giving me good answers to my questions, they disrespect my Mother Mary too? Oh boy, that was the proverbial last straw! 

I made the decision soon after to start going to the Catholic Church exclusively. I remember my last day at the Episcopal church pretty vividly still. We played bible baseball during Sunday School, and everyone cried when I told them I was leaving them for good. It was the last time I would wear pants at a church service. I had begun my journey to modesty, and had made myself a rule that I would only wear skirts to Mass, following the example of the women there once again. 

From there, I began to be formally catechized by my future Confirmation sponsor, so I could pass the tests required before First Holy Communion. 

Little did I know that one of the worst times of my conversion was about to take place. 

My mother had become aware that I was leaning Catholic and it caused a slight rift between us. My father was also starting to slowly introduce Catholic practices, including Friday abstinence, into the home. There was a lot of pain, a lot of angst, and a lot of self-doubt. I considered whether I would apostatize after I received the Sacraments if I discovered that I didn't like being a Catholic. I actually delayed fully committing to the Catholic Church twice - I'm sure that I caused my poor priest a lot of pain and worry because of it. 

But something else came into my life. And that was the Junior Sodality. 

It had been formed the January of my 15th year and I became involved with it pretty soon afterwards. This provided to be a Godsend. Not only did I make friends (and consider them the sisters I never had), but I deepened my relationship with Our Lady. 
My biggest struggle at that time was the fact that my mother couldn't be there for me spiritually. She couldn't come to my First Communion and because she was Protestant, I couldn't really follow her example in the spiritual sense. What saved me though, was a bunch of church ladies that took me under their wings, and a couple of them became almost like second mothers to me. 

Now, we're at the time when I was about ready for First Sacraments. I had passed the tests which had been required, and now it was time to set a date. 

Father told me that the first date that it could be done was August 15. I knew that was a feast of Our Lady and so I jumped at it. And while I had initially demurred getting Confirmation so soon, Father ended up scheduling me to have Confirmation a month later. It was September 12, which turns out is a minor feast of Our Lady as well! (So yeah, couple that with the fact that I was baptized in May....and later when I graduated college on May 13....and had my first ever date three years to the date after that....yeah, no, there's no coincidence here. Not at all. I'm already planning on my future wedding to be on October 11, which is the feast of the Motherhood of Mary) 

I remember being really mad that I couldn't wear a fully white dress for my First Communion. My mother was making me one, but it couldn't be finished in time, though it could be ready for my Confirmation. So, I ended wearing a white sleeveless dress with blue flowers all over it, and a light blue bolero. In the end, it was much more befitting - blue for Our Lady and white for purity! 

On the morning of August 15, I made my First Confession before Mass began. I was given a pass to go ahead of everyone else, it was weird. 
What was also weird was seeing my paternal grandmother enter into the church with my grandfather. My grandmother had stopped going to Mass years ago and I had never seen her attend Mass. It sent chills. 

I was the only First Communicant that day, and so there was of course the usual fuss along with it (annoucements, etc.). Mass went on, and then came the fateful moment. 

Satan, however, made one more last ditch to stop me. Throughout this whole journey, I had been experiencing spiritual attacks, mostly in the guise of doubts and fears. 

This attack was much worse. I was scared, not gonna lie. I could hear Satan whispering nasty stuff. 

I stepped out of the pew and approached the middle of the altar rail, while Father was giving the servers Communion. I kept my eyes to the floor to and prayed for strength. 

Then my eye caught the white hem of a surplice and the gold fringe of Father's vestment approaching and I knew it was time. 

I shut my eyes and stuck out my tongue. 
(ahem, I should explain that in the Latin Mass, we receive Jesus on our tongues, not in our hands. The reasons why would take up an entire post, so I'll leave that explanation for later). 

For one awful second as Father was saying the "Corpus Domini" I sensed an agonized devilish scream of terror. 

Then Jesus came to me. 

And my soul experienced the most overwhelming sense of peace. A peace that never has been repeated ever since. 

From there, I knew there was no going back. I was to be His for life. And only through the Church could I receive Him. 

I wish I could say that my spiritual troubles were over after this. But that would be a lie. There was a very dangerous period soon afterwards in which I developed vices of impurity, pride, and anger. It took me years to break them and some of them I'm still breaking to this day. 

But I know that my salvation has been given to me in baptism, and my salvation is being attained through my prayers, works and reception of the sacraments, and my salvation will be attained when I pass through purgatory to the gates of Heaven. Thank the Lord that my life has been preserved thus far so that I may have the chance to save my soul before I die! 

I have learned much about my soul in these past 10 years. I've learned that I'm not invincible, that I'm not as strong in my faith as I should be. I know that I have much work to do on myself before I can ever achieve any level of sainthood. 

But even steeped in the worst sins....I knew I could never leave Jesus or His Church. Even if the Church's leaders betrayed her principles, I could never leave it. 

When I said my personal Fiat, I meant it. May God give me the strength to keep that Fiat until I die, and may my Mother help me to keep that resolution! 

Old-fashionably yours, 

Catherine

Catholic

Catholic Liturgy Tag!

July 20, 2020








View the Linkup HERE

Hey everyone! 

So, I'm super excited to participate in this blog party! I won't be giving a huge introduction today because this first post is a very very large tag and I don't want to keep you. So lets' get started! 


Personal/Family 

How did you get your name? Is there a special story?

 My real first name is not a saint name, but a favorite of my parents. Megan is my "baptismal" name, which also doubles as my middle name. Catherine is my confirmation name, for St. Catherine Laboure.


Who are your patron saint(s)?

St. Catherine Laboure, and St. Michael are my main two :)


Does your family do any devotions together?

Considering my family is mostly Catholic with a few Protestant members, 'together' is a relative term. Daily, we Catholics do the Rosary together, and all of us do Night Prayers together. Occasionally, we do the Divine Mercy chaplet, a novena or three, and other things.


Have you or anyone in your family dressed up as a saint? What was the best costume?

Yes, I have. I dressed up once as a Benedictine saint (at least that's what the habit was. It was super pretty and I wish I had a picture of it somewhere).

Have you been to the Easter Vigil? What is your favorite part? What about your favorite line of the Exultet?

YESSSSSSS. My favorite part is when the Pascal Candle leads into the church with the Lumen Christi antiphon.
(and I love all of the Exultet, obviously)


How many sacraments have you received? Are there any good stories about them?

I've received....four sacraments (Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Confession and Confirmation). Ehh, unless you count my conversion story, not really.

What are your family traditions around...
Advent and Christmas?

Advent calendar, and Midnight Mass.

Lent, Holy Week and Easter?

Not really?

Godfamilies/confirmation sponsors?

Nope!


What is your...
Favorite hymn?

Sicut Cervus by Palestrina.

Favorite saint quote?

"Pray, Hope and Don't Worry" by Padre Pio.

Favorite Bible verse?



Favorite sacrament?

Matrimony! I just went to my first Nuptial Mass the other day and it's so beautiful!

Favorite work of Catholic Fiction?

Paint Everything Blue by Lena Donellan. A tearjerker for sure, but it's SO GOOD.


Favorite work of Catholic nonfiction?

Modern Saints, Vol. 1 and Vol II by Ann Ball.


Favorite feast day(s)?

August 15, Feast of the Assumption. First Communion anniversary!


Favorite Marian Devotion?

Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Among others.


Favorite funny Catholic story?

Sooo, Lia and I went to a Fatima conference a few years ago, and there was this priest that was leading the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary.

We had reached the 4th mystery - the Assumption of Mary - and the priest was giving a little mediation at the beginning.

The one line that will stick in my mind forever was "There's no trace of the Blessed Virgin on earth...not even Her baby teeth."

*cue mental record scratch*

Immediately, Lia, her sister and I just all looked at each other like....


It just struck us so WEIRDLY, and we were all struggling not to laugh. It was great.


Parish 

What order (or otherwise) runs your parish?

We're run by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), which is a Traditional confraternity of priests. Originally founded in Switzerland, they have a strong foothold in North America, especially in the United States. The US seminary is in Denton, NE.

What makes that order special?

They're an off-shoot of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), so they have a strong reverence for tradition. But they are in full communion with Rome, which settles a lot of scruples. I've noticed that the FSSP, at least when it comes to these controversial topics in the Church, is not vocally bashing the reforms. Instead, they concentrate on what should be done - virtue building, reverence, and other things like that. As much as I disagree very much with many of the reforms done by Vatican II, the constant battle does fatigue a person.


Tell us about your priests!

We have two priests at our parish.

Fr. E is our main chaplain, and he has been a priest for 8 years. He's cautious, hospitable, and is very highly competitive in sports events (really!). He's originally from Indiana and got three brothers who are in seminary right now. Has the unique talent of being sarcastic with a complete straight face. Also, he says Mass really fast, which is great for when you have other obligations on Sunday but terrible when you're trying to set up for a picnic afterwards.

Fr. K is our assistant chaplain, and he's been a priest for 1 year. He's got a detail-orientated mind, is enthusiastic, and also loves sports. He's originally from New Jersey. Is musically talented - has played Mozart's Ave Maria on the violin for a Mass. Has the makings of an excellent priest.


What is your favorite funny priest story?

After St. Joseph's Mass 2019, Fr. E. approached the pulpit to make an announcement about the St Joseph Table downstairs. Our choir director hadn't started his postlude yet - he was a little distracted congratulating his Children Choir members who sung for the Mass.

Fr. E was able to squeeze out "Excussss....." before the blasting notes of Widor's Toccata burst forth from the organ.
Father gave one contemptuous look (as the rest of us are struggling not to laugh) and then went to the back to waylay people and send them down to the basement.

For the record, when ribbed about it, our choir director was horrified and immediately apologized profusely.


Do you do any volunteering with your parish?

Oh yes! I actually do a lot (#OGtyrannyoftheinvolved)

Currently, I am secretary to the Young Adults Group (which is a huge blast), a member of the Immaculate Heart Sodality (which doesn't do that much, to my sorrow), and an unofficial member of the Picnic Committee (which, for some reason, is completely separate from the Hospitality Group).

I used to be a member of the church choir (which alas, I had to leave due to job concerns), and a member of the Junior Sodality.


What kind of music does your parish tend to do?

Being a traditional parish, we go for more of the classics, leaning towards English and French pieces. We do a lot of Anglican-style hymns, like "Oh God of Loveliness".

And of course, we have CHANT. And polyphony. Lots of polyphony. Palestrina, Victoria, etc.


What is the best homily you've ever heard at your parish?

Oh boy, there are too many to name!


What makes your parish special?

Our parish (community, actually) is made up of people that come from all over the Diocese, with all different backgrounds. We started from scratch about 15 years ago when the FSSP was invited in, and since then, it's been a sort of home base for traditional Catholicism in the diocese. We've hosted the TFP, a traditonal Carmelite ordination, and it's now big enough that we're on track to becoming a quasi-parish!


Does your parish have any special traditions?

We do try to have at least one picnic a year. I'm blanking on other traditions though.


Does your parish or order have any "rites within rites" (i.e. Dominicans have the Dominican rite)?

My home parish does not. Though, I do go to a Carmelite convent for Mass right now and sometimes there is a Traditional Carmelite Rite Mass said.


Diocese
Does your diocese have any quirks?

Apparently our bishop has a Stump the Bishop contest for Theology on Tap?? I just found out about this a couple of months ago and I really like the idea! 


How many bishops have you had in your lifetime?

I know of three bishops, the first of which welcomed the FSSP to my diocese. Though, if we are to be strictly accurate, there was one more bishop in my lifetime before that one.

Have you ever met any of them?

I have greeted two of them, yes. The second one went a little better than the first, LOL.

Rite
What rite are you a part of?

Traditional Rite, 1962.

What makes that rite different/special?

Umm, I call it the rite that kinda straddles the tradition of antiquity but allows some of the innovations of the modern age. For example, some of the prayers were truncated and the rubrics were simplified...if I have my history correct. As I have not gone to a pre-1955 Mass, it's difficult for me to explain.

But, this rite draws many people to tradition, and it's the most common Traditional Rite that is around.

What is your favorite part of that rite?

The extra blessings that are in that rite. They use the old exorcisms on holy water and other objects, which are proving to be much more powerful than the New Rite exorcisms.

I tag:

Any of my Catholic followers!


Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine

farmlassie

A Cringey Medieval Dress Tutorial (with Sarcastic Commentary)

June 22, 2020





A wonderful day to you all!!

In today's workbasket post, I'm going to bring a dusty mothball filled post that dates back to....a long time ago.

Back when I was playing around with blogging, I wanted to make a lot of tutorial like posts. Especially for things that I wanted to learn how to do but could never find instructions for. No one could really give a tutorial on how to make a medieval dress in a cheap manner, and so I was left to figure it out on my own. I kept a record of how I did it and proceeded to write a post for it. That never saw the light of the internet until now...more for the lack of pictures.

Now, I have realized that there is a lot of things wrong with this post. I warn you now, this post is much more arrogant than you're used to seeing from me (I mean, I know I have a streak of pride a mile long and this post will prove it without a doubt). But I have decided to publish it in it's raw form just for the pleasure of shredding it to pieces.

So without further ado, let's get started!



I'm sure that every girl wants at least one medieval dress in their closet to wear to Ren Faire, right? *bold of you to assume that Catherine* I know I did. *really? wouldn't have guessed* However, one look at some of the prices that ready-made dresses were going for convinced me that there was a cheaper alternative (break out the sewing machine!)
The question was: how to make one?
My pattern search quickly became a source of frustration. I couldn't find any that I like *lies, you were cheap!* , (with the exception of Laura Marsh, but those come from overseas…). I knew there had to be a way to create my own SOMEHOW!
Turns out, Pintrest saved my head from blowing off.
No, I did not find a how to guide (I wish). Instead, I discovered from (looking at my collection of medieval costume pins) that a particular style dress looked an awful lot like a princess dress. I managed to get a hold of pictures of one such dress of front and back, and, with a princess dress pattern I already had, decided to draft my own medieval dress. *otherwise known as knockoff* 

The proved a little daunting, since I had NEVER drafted anything in my entire sewing career, at least not to the extent that I ended up doing.
The material I used was a medium heavy cotton blend. I was pleasantly surprised with how well it draped, but for your sake, I would go for a medium cotton. *rolls eyes really Catherine your naive arrogance is endearing* 



You will need: at least 6 yards of main fabric, 1 yard of accent fabric, ¼ yard heavy cloth or leather, thread, eyelets and cording. Follow the patterns instructions with the following exceptions:
1. Cut the dress a size bigger than 'your' size.

EDIT: Don't do that for the entire dress. Only do that for cutting out the BACK SEAM. Otherwise, the dress won't fit, especially at the shoulders. 

2. Instead of adding a zipper, simply sew the entire back together.
3. For the eyelet tape: measure from the middle of your bust to 1” below your waist. Add an inch, and then cut two lengths of that measurement of the heavy cloth. Roll over the cut edges, and hem them. Add eyelets at each end and then every 1-1 ½” on both sections of tape (think shoelace holes). Baste the finished tape to the back (remember to put the top at where the middle of the bust will be, and the bottom at the waist) *gee thanks Young Catherine I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me*  with the eyelets facing out. Sew the sides on as normal.
NOTE: I used single-biased tape originally, and it didn't hold the eyelets very well.

EDIT: I actually used grommets originally, (NOT eyelets) and not only were they a pain to put in, the tape didn't hold them. I've since made actual eyelets and they hold a lot better. And, I would actually recommend a medium-heavy fabric for the tape because leather would be hard to sew in. And, for future projects, I mayyyy stick the tape a smidge higher...actually more like a whole inch higher.



4. Before sewing the hem, check the fullness of the skirt. The princess pattern may not have the really wide skirt circumference that is characteristic of a medieval gown. *MAY NOT?? GIRL IT DOESN'T* Add gores for additional fullness. I was able to do that with the extra fabric left over from the dress. *what, no tutorials for the gores??*  Finish dress accordingly, using cording as the 'laces' to tighten up the dress. *slaps head. Did I seriously not leave instructions for this??*




On my dress, I created the sleeve band, bottom of the sleeve and sleeve flaps from scraps. Because of the difficulty that I had with that, I would recommend that you find a dress pattern with a long sleeve, and add the band and sleeve flaps yourself. That whole sleeve pattern was me flying by the seat of my pants....er skirt.  However, if you are adventurous, I can give you some tips on how to make your own version of these sleeves. The sleeve flaps are quite easy. It's just a trapezoid of main on a slightly bigger trapezoid of accent fabric, and hemmed accordingly. If you wish a lower sleeve that look similar to mine, look for a bracer pattern "Look for a bracer pattern"? Come on, I literally just wrapped a scrap of fabric around my arm. and customize it yourself. Take in mind, bracers are not meant to go past the elbow, so having at least ¾ sleeves is essential if you wish to go this route. Use the sleeve band of accent fabric to hide seams.


EDIT: *sigh* where to start??? There is literally hardly any information worth saving out of this step, except for making the sleeve flaps.  And leaving out half the instructions for finishing the dress? Obviously, Young Catherine must have thought she was writing to a group of old lady seamstresses who knew what they were doing...


As for colors, it is up to you. If you wish to be historically accurate, go for natural colors or colors that are achieved with natural dyes. If (like me) you just want a costume, go for colors that suit you. Jewelled belts and circlets are the most common accessories with a medieval costume, followed by French hoods, snoods and circular medieval veils.

EDIT: I had originally intended to make a belt and a veil to go with this dress, but as you can see, I have not done so yet. Probably just as well. Though it does seem to be missing something, doesn't it?  

*shifts eyes*

Are we done?

*breathes sigh of relief*

Man, was that a mess. Thank heavens I didn't start blogging in those early days. I don't know if anyone could actually stand me.

I do hope that there at least was some entertainment value in all of this, if not actual valuable information. All I can say is that when I actually DO draft a pattern, I hope to find people much more knowledgeable than myself.

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine 

bread

Types of Bread to Try Making on your Own

June 10, 2020





Hello all!

I finally bring you a new food-related post! And this one is about a topic near and dear to my heart: breadmaking.

My breadmaking journey started when I was in high school. As I explored old-fashioned feminity and cooking in the kitchen, I came across some bread recipes. At the time, my mom was making bread by machine, but I wanted to try it by hand. I remember the first recipe that I tried was a French Bread recipe that I had gotten from a high school club.  It grew to the point when I was making bread almost every week for the family. I did fall out of the habit when I went to college, but now that I'm home I do make it sometimes.

With this nearly decade journey, I've tried many different types of bread. And since quarantine has allowed me to make bread more often, I decided to make a post about it!

Let's get started, shall we?


White Bread

This is the most common type of bread, and the one that I would recommend starting with. There are a million recipes out there for this bread. Some use less than 5 ingredients, and others use upwards to 10. I frankly like the recipes that use milk and oil - it makes for a moister bread and a softer one!

I like to use Fannie Farmer and Good Housekeeping for my bread recipes. HERE's a white bread recipe from Fannie Farmer for you to try!


Whole Wheat Bread

The classic brown bread of ages past, it's one of the healthiest breads that is known to mankind. Straight whole wheat bread can be on the stiff side, so you'll often see white flour cut in. Trust me, you'll want to do that! It will make the bread rise better.

HERE is a Whole Wheat bread recipe that is similar to ones that I've made before.



Pumpernickel/Rye Bread

Rye is not in common use in most of America, because of the strong nutty flavor that it presents.

Be careful though - like whole wheat, straight rye loaves are really tough to knead and they're even tougher to rise! Recipes will often combine wheat flour to soften them - in fact, most recipes will use very little rye flour in them.

BUT I have found one that has a majority of rye flour in it! It is HERE.


Oatmeal Bread

Oatmeal is one of my favorite breads to make. Beside the fact that I love oats, it produces a wonderfully textured bread.

My favorite recipe comes from the Fanny Farmer cookbook. An adapted recipe can be founded HERE. Just sub the tablespoon for a third of a cup of honey.


Italian/French Breads

Often called artisan breads, these are the crusty and soft breads that you'll see in a bakery. They include bagettes, foccacia, and other French and Italian breads. My personal favorite is ciabatta, which is an Italian "slipper" bread! You can view a recipe for it HERE, though I use a recipe from the book "How to Make Bread" by Emmanuel Hadjiandreou.



Soft Pretzels

A very distinctive bread of German origin (I think). I do know that they were created by a monk, symbolizing praying hands, at least! My favorite recipe to use is this one HERE. I make a whole-wheat version of this for Lent, and they're really popular with my family!


Sourdough Bread

This is the one type of bread that I have NOT attempted, simply for the reason of the starter. But, for those bakers who want a challenge, I would recommend giving this recipe HERE a try!


Bagels

I mean, a breakfast is not complete without them, right? I'm going to be honest, I had NO IDEA that you could make your own bagels! That is, until I got the book "How to Make Bread" by Emmanuel Hadjiandreou. It included a bagel recipe, which I have made twice now. It is an involved process, but well worth it. HERE is another version of it.


Dessert Breads

Banana bread, cranberry orange bread, blueberry bread, zucchini bread, cinnamon bread....these are the really sweet breads that are often found with tea. We often serve these sorts of breads at Bob Evans, the favorite being the banana bread. I'll include a recipe HERE.


And that concludes the post! As you can see, even an ordinary thing like bread can have lots of varieties!

And now, I'd love to hear from you! Have you tried any of these breads or bread-making in general? What are your favorite bread recipes, or favorite type of bread? 

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine



alcohol

How to Drink like a Lady (or at least like Catherine)

May 21, 2020






Yes, I do mean the alcohol drinking.

As many of you know, I'm a lot older than many bloggers that I associate with. I'm actually in my mid-twenties (shocking, I know. I started blogging late, what can I say?).

Some people may be surprised that I drink alcohol. I know some of my waitress co-workers did at first.

I grew up in a family that had alcohol in the house, but were never huge drinkers. And underage drinking was strictly frowned upon - even with pleading eyes. In college, the question of drinking didn't really come up until I was 21. Being rather anti-social (or was it prudent?) I stayed well away from frat parties, clubs and other drinking establishments even after I turned 21. My junior and senior roommates drank, and I even drank with them occasionally in the room.

But isn't drinking bad? Doesn't the Bible condemn it?

The answer is no. The Bible forbids drunkenness, NOT alcohol. If Jesus used WINE for His Last Supper and provided WINE for a wedding, I think the point is moot. The point is that we should use the virtue of temperance in order to curb in our intake. Because, like everything else, too much of it will have some really negative effects on a person.

Unfortunately, in recent times, women have been taking to drinking in a non-responsible and non-feminine manner. Examples in pop culture include figures like Marion Ravenwood (from Indiana Jones) drinking down the guys, and memes that compare young girls drinking like their dads instead of looking up to their moms. It's just another way that society attempts to masculinize women, and it's sickening.

So....how do we ladies drink in a temperate and responsible manner?

In this post, I'll be sharing some of the rules that I've made for myself for drinking alcohol, as well as my own opinions and experiences in connection to drinking. Let's get started!



1. Where Should You Drink?

For the first couple of times, I would recommend only drinking at home or in the presence of family. At least until you know what your limits are. Then I would move up to small parties hosted by good friends. Many business conferences will offer drinks at banquets and it's perfectly acceptable to have a drink or two in that setting. Also, wine and beer tasting events are also good places to try new alcohols in a safe environment.

Stay away from large or stranger's parties, college drinking parties (especially at frat houses), bars (especially late at night), and clubs. All of these places are ripe places for either drugs being dropped in drinks, or purity being harmed. Besides, you could be exposing yourself to debauchery, swearing and other non-Christian behaviors. Keturah has a super good post HERE about her first club experience that really opens the eyes to what that scene is really like.



2. What Should You Drink?

As a new lady drinker, I would start out with a Seagrams wine cooler first. These are sweet and there is very little of the bitter alcohol taste that you'll find in other drinks.

From there, the floor is open to try anything!

At first, I stuck to wine - trying fruit wines first and then moving onto white wines and blush wines before trying the stronger red types. From there, I moved on to beer and hard alcohols.

Wine and cocktails are the stereotypical "women's drinks". This is because wine is sweeter than many alcohols and doesn't have as high of an alcohol content.

Cocktails are especially fun because of all the combinations you could have - most do have at least one hard alcohol in them like whiskey or liquor that is cut by either fruit juice or a lighter alcohol. I warn you though - a lot of cocktails are known by VERY crass names! Seriously, who comes up with names like Sex on the Beach or Fuzzy Navel? *rolls eyes*
(also, pro tip: always ask the mixer which cocktails they would recommend. You get a great variety of answers!).

However, women can drink pretty much any alcohol without many problems. The harder alcohols will affect women much faster than they do men, so do watch the quantities of things like vodka, moonshine, whiskey, bourbon, hard cider, schnapps, rum and other things like that. There is also a possibility of certain alcohols giving headaches or nausea - red wines are notorious for it.

In my own household, I drink beer, whiskey, and light wine. But I have also had bourbon, rum, and blueberry schnapps before. One of my guy friends just gifted me with a bottle of homemade hard cider, which is going to be interesting to try!



3. How Much Should You Drink?

"Less is More" is going to be your best philosophy, especially when you're drinking in public. Each situation calls for a different answer, but knowing your "limit" is going to be super important regardless.

This is why I mentioned drinking at home for the first couple of times. You WILL act differently when you're under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol can affect you in one of three ways - make you a happy drunk, make you an angry drunk, or make you a sleepy drunk. Alcohol can also give you headaches, and affect your balance and dexterity.

There are two different stages of alcohol influence: buzzed and drunk. As a lady, you should stop drinking when you start feeling buzzed. You drink beyond that, and you'll be guilty of intemperance which is a sin.

That being said, it may be wise to push yourself ONCE (but do it at home!) just so you know how your body reacts to alcohol. My grandfather inadvertently did this to me as a teenager when he gave me a small bathroom cup of a dark wine to try. I did have some difficulty sitting and got a bad headache soon afterwards and so I was sent to bed. Remembering that sensation and recognizing it when I drank later really helped me to determine just how much alcohol I could take.

Also, different alcohols will affect you in different ways, especially when food enters the equation. I can drink multiple glasses of wine without too much a problem, but I cannot drink more than 12 oz of beer without feeling buzzed (as I found out the first time when I had beer...how I made it back to my hotel room that night can be attested to my guardian angel, LOL).

Also, your body type and weight is a factor. As a 5'3 woman who weighs only about 115 lbs, alcohol affects me rather quickly. I tend to have a one drink rule - one bottle of beer, one shot of whiskey, one glass of wine, etc. More than that, and then I become really sleepy and get a headache. But again, it's about determining your limit.




4. When/With Whom Should I Drink?

As to time, it really doesn't matter. Obviously, it's best not to drink all day every day, but there's nothing wrong with starting the day out with a Mimosa cocktail or ending the workday with a beer. Most drinking in America takes place in the evening, but I would avoid drinking really late at night, especially in a party setting.

I will drink with some girlfriends in a private setting, and of course with my family. But when it comes to parties, I make a couple of strict rules for myself.

One is that if I drive myself to a party, I don't partake of any alcohol. Also, if I go to adult parties with my brother, he will be the only one drinking and I will be the DD (Designated Driver).

The second rule is that I refuse to drink in the company of the opposite sex (i.e. young men), especially if they are drinking themselves. This is not because I don't trust my guy friends (far from it!) but it is a safeguard for me. Also, I refuse to drink with any boyfriend on a date.

That being said, you don't have to follow my rules to the letter - the point is to use discretion. I'm just super strict because I wish to keep myself safe and not do anything stupid, if that makes any sense.




5. What Specific Drinks Do You Recommend?

Alcohol, like so many food related things, is totally a matter of personal preference and trying all sorts of different stuff. That being said, I do have some go-tos.

Wine coolers, you can't get any better than Seagrams. My personal favorite flavors are Strawberry Daiquari, Calypso Colada, and Wild Berries.

In terms of regular wine, I like the sweeter white/blush ones like Riesling, Liebfraumilch, White Zinfindel, Moscato, and Rosé. Fruit wines are also really good - try to get local varieties!

My favorite cocktail is an Amaretto Sour, which in defiance of it's name is a very sweet and nutty cocktail primarily based in almond liqueur. I think I've had a Sea Breeze cocktail too, but don't quote me on that.

For regular beer, I like lagers the best, though IPAs aren't that bad either. Yuengling Traditional as well as Black and Tan are among my favorites, though I have had Sam Adams Summer Ale and that's not too bad. I'm breaking into craft beers and I've learned that I like citrus and flower flavors but not hoppy beers, or Pilsners or deep heavy aromatics like pine (gross).

For hard liqueurs, I've discovered that I'm a whiskey girl like the rest of my family. My absolute favorite is Drambuie, which is a Scotch based honey liqueur. Of course, being descended from the MacKinnons of Skye, I suppose that was a sort of gimme?
That being said, I do like the 1792 Barton Distillery's Chocolate Bourbon Liqueur as my second favorite.

Variety is always good, right?



And that, my dears, concludes the post!

Any fellow drinkers in the house, what alcoholic beverages do you enjoy? Any additional drinking tips that I missed? Chat with me in the comments below! 

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine


sew: a needle pulling thread

Workbasket Post: The Scrappy Patchwork Quilt (Part 2)

April 15, 2020






Hey y'all!

If you missed part 1, it is HERE!

When I last left you, I was in the middle of creating the "Crossing Blocks" which would be in the corners of the Ohio Stars.

I decided to finish all the blocks first before assembling them in their motifs. If anything, it was to get this picture:


All Laid Out!
March 31, 2020
Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn

Now came the tedious task of "squaring" everything up. This is when all the uneven edges are cut down to increase the tidiness.
Now, this absolutely requires a rotary cutter and a cutting mat. Scissors are not nearly narrow enough to do the precise cutting that is required and trying to straighten things out by eye is about impossible. Trust me, I've tried.

This also required more ironing. Wheeeee. Long theological discussions on YouTube are such a blessing in these times.

I tackled it one Ohio Star after another, since they were supposed to be on the edges so to speak. The stripe for the middle would then be next.

Ohio Stars were stitched first
April 1, 2020
Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn

As I'm constructing these things, I notice that I had to do some more piecing. I mean, it was either that or lose over a half an inch of two other blocks and I couldn't afford that.

As I kept constructing this thing, I kept falling more and more in love with it :).

Stars and Stripe Assembled!
April 2, 2020
Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn

So you may notice that the stripe in this picture looks different from the previous pictures. Again, Catherine made yet another math error. As I was sewing some the squares together, I noticed that I had forgotten to calculate in the seam allowances. With a little extra taking, I was able to squeeze in one more block at the bottom. 
Which caused another agonizing redesign with some of the discarded blocks. Of course, nearly all the blocks were the wrong pattern - I needed an "O" block and most of all the other blocks were "X" blocks. Go figure right? 
Checking through my stash, I found one "X" block with fabric already used in earlier squares, which I could easily convert to an "O" block. After that was done, I changed out one of the "X" blocks for a different colored one to help keep the pattern better. 


Once these colored block were assembled, it was time to determine the sashing that would go in between them. I had two choices of fabric: a cream fabric with tiny light salmon dots, or the blue and white willow fabric that I had used for the quilt blocks earlier. 

Upon examination though, I found that the latter fabric was just too busy. With all that vibrant color, the quilt needed some stark contrast with the plainer cream. So using the back fabric as my guide, I cut the sashing strips to size and set to work. 

Quilt Top Complete!!
April 3, 2020
Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn

Right after I finished the top, I dug out some polyester batting that my mom had stashed in the basement. Normally, I hate using synthetic fibers such as polyester in my sewing. But, natural battings are three times the price of regular and the craft stores are closed anyway. Besides, when is my mother ever going to use batting?
I experimented with one, two and three layers of batting. I finally decided on two to give me some thickness but not be duvet-thick, if that makes sense.  

Now, the hard part....the quilting process. 
First was the design. I went back and forth between doing a cross-hatch or an Orange Leaf pattern. But something about the beauty of the squares told me that I should not quilt over them. Second was the backing fabric itself: 


Remember how I said it was weird?
Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn

In the end, I decided to just outline the sashing, so that it sort of resembled a sort of Jacob's Ladder on the back. I eliminated hand quilting almost immediately because of the timing concerns. So that left me with my machine, which I was okay with.

I then pinned the quilt sandwich together with safety pins. This was a trick that I was taught by my sewing instructor when you didn't have the really long pins that you were supposed to use for these things. 


She be pinned and ready to go!
April 7, 2020
Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn
Quilting this thing turned out to be a CHALLENGE. First, the feed dogs were having a devil of a time working that pilled fleece through. If I hadn't had to follow the quilt top, I would have flipped it over to work on it. 
Second....somehow or other, the back fabric kept puckering. So much so that it would require me to take out some whole seams, which was frustrating). So, after doing almost half of the seams, I had to repin it in order for the back to lay flat once again. Once that was accomplished, things got easier. 
Third - two layers of batting was actually really thick! Which didn't help the feed dogs any. Trying to pull that quilt through was a workout for sure... 


All Quilted!
April 8, 2020
Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn
The last step (besides trimming off the excess overlay) was to get some binding and finish off those raw edges. Upon consultation with Lia, I decided to go with a really light blue binding. But, of course, I had no binding in stock, and would have to buy some. 

Which was much more of a difficulty than normal because as I mentioned...the craft stores are still closed. And Amazon has a high volume of traffic due to this whole mess, so I didn't bother looking into it.  

But Walmart saved the day! Our Walmart still has a craft section, in spite of the fact that many Walmarts were getting rid of theirs. And in that half empty shelve of binding, there was indeed a full spot of light blue binding :) 

Can't get much more providential than that, no? 

Sewing the binding on
April 11, 2020
Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn

By this time, it is Holy Week - Good Friday to be exact. Pinning and sewing the binding should have probably taken a day at most, but due to problems, I didn't finish the binding until late afternoon on Holy Saturday. Just in time before Lent ended! 


All finished!
April 11, 2020
Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn

I could do nothing but stare at the beauty of it for several minutes. Even though the quilt has a lot of "character" as my dear friend Grace Avender says (i.e. mistakes), I'm really really happy at how it turned out!! Not only does it get a long-term project done, it makes use of fabric that was just lying around in my cabinet. 

Now that I've babbled on enough, I'd love to hear from you! What sort of projects have you been up to during this quarantine? 

Old-fashionably yours, 

Catherine

sew: a needle pulling thread

Workbasket Post: The Scrappy Patchwork Quilt (Part 1)

April 03, 2020





Hey y'all!!

Today, I'm going to share with you the story of my Lenten sewing project: a scrappy quilt!

So this project started out as one of those "experiments" that I'm famous for. What I'll do is I'll find out some craft and then attempt to create it. Usually I won't get much further than the first steps.

This particular quilt got it's start a couple of years ago, when I found a book that taught quilting in our craft stash. I decided to raid my mom's scrap bin for some suitable calicos. I simply just grabbed, big ones and little ones. Yellows, reds, purples, blues, greens, and pinks, mostly. I did stick mostly with flowers, but there was one stripey print in there.

I cut out several nine-patch blocks, and even put a couple together. I had a design, made up mostly of nine-patch blocks broken up by triangles. But then I, mysteriously, stopped working on it.

Fast forward to late 2019, when I found the bag of scraps once more when renovating my room. Rather than hiding it again, it got put in a rather prominent place, where I could remember to pick it up again - in my big sewing cabinet.

And it worked, because then I decided to pick it up as a Lenten project this year!

The first was the re-design process. I found a piece of fabric among my own stash, a purple fleece that had a strange texture to it. It was the perfect size for a throw, and I'm sure that it was cut to that purpose (though not by me).

In the blocks that I had assembled earlier, I had a favorite combination - an apple pattern paired with a blue and white flower calico. And so, I decided to feature these. Research into quilt patterns soon brought forth a favorite - the Ohio Star.

With those in mind, I took some measurements and re-created my PatternJam account (which is a quilt design website) to create this design:



Initial Design - with all the horrid colors - Feb 2020
Looks like a mess, doesn't it? 

I admit, the fabric section of the design website was not working at that point. But also, I had no idea my scraps would stretch and what the final colors would look like. 

In the first week of Lent, I started work on more of the nine-patch blocks. Which, in hindsight, may or may not have been a wise decision. 

Following the original design, I came up with this: 


Progress - Feb 29, 2020

Now, take a look at how close those bottom those two nine-patches for the Ohio Stars are. I should have taken better note of that.

Anyway, it remained like this for well over two weeks. At that point, I went on vacation and came back to quarantine, so I had a few things to settle before I picked it up again.

By that point, I was starting to realize my mistake in going ahead with the nine patches. It was then also that I started looking hard on design, as I was prepping to make the "Hourglass" blocks that would make up the Ohio Star design.

I took as inspiration the colors of the apple print and make plans for the Hourglasses to be made up of red and yellow fabric. Alas, I was short on the red and so only had enough to make three sets of red and yellow. I had to find another combination and fast.

I decided to go with green as one of the colors, since there was a nice mint green in the original print but what to match it with? Blue didn't seem to be a good option, and to be frank, there wasn't that much blue to offer.

So I decided to go with purple. From here on out, a lot of decisions had to be made on what kind of fabric I had available to me. It turned out, like in the red, that I was short on purple too - more so, actually. And so after much mental agonizing, I had to piece-meal some triangles together to scrape enough out to make the Hourglasses.


March 27

After the Hourglasses were made and set out, I realized with horror that I had miscalculated the number of rows that I would have needed. All of a sudden, about a dozen of those nine-patches became unnecessary. More on that later.

The last thing then that had to be figured out was what to put in the corners of the Ohio Star. I knew that I didn't have enough fabric to have solid blocks like in the original design. And so, it was back to the drawing board.

I found a "crossing" pattern paired with Ohio Stars that I found that I liked, and it would be simple enough to make a nine-patch design of that.

Taking inspiration from the original blocks again, I decided to go with opposite colors to bring out the hidden colors better. For example, on the Stars with the green and purple Hourglasses, I created red and yellow Crossing blocks. Which, ironically, was the other set of blocks that needed a piecemeal occasionally.

The trickier turned out to be the ones for the red and yellow Ohio Stars. Ideally, I would have had blue or purple for all three, but supplies ran short. I tried looking for more scraps but was rather unsuccessful (except in finding more yellow....). 

So I went then with a blue for one, a pink and blue for another, and to really mix things up, a green and purple one for the third.

It was at this time too that I finalized the middle stripe. This had caused me a lot of anxiety as I original had an X0X0X0X0X pattern going, and the colors were not blending well. I spent a couple of hours one night just playing with designs.

Finally, on the morning of the 29th, I made my final decision. A couple of the discarded blocks were taken apart, and their pieces used for the "Crossing" blocks - which is why I wanted the design to be finished anyway. Three of the discarded blocks were saved with some of the pieces that I didn't use and will be used for another quilt....eventually.


March 30


I decided then that I would update my design on my Pattern Jam to reflect the changes that had taken place. I must say, even with the rather unorthodox colorations, it doesn't look half bad....



Final Design - March 31



But good heavens, I have written enough for one night. I shall save the rest of my tale for another time! 

Old-fashionably yours, 

Catherine 


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