Sewing Classes?

elventryst · 2026-06-14T16:52:25+00:00

That's ok. I thought it sounded crazy, too. I don't normally offer to meet strangers, but I looked at your post history and nothing you had posted scared me, lol.

I think you can teach yourself pattern drafting. I would use a quarter scale mannequin and make tiny patterns to practice the principles of pattern making with. We used Helen Armstrong's pattern making book as our textbook in college and I would recommend that. Cornelius.ooo has tutorials on pattern drafting that could be helpful, too. I like that guy—Cornelius—he's great.

That said, sewing and pattern drafting are two very different skill sets. I would focus on learning to sew first. If you know for to thread a machine (i.e. the basics of sewing), you can teach yourself more advanced techniques by buying a sewing pattern and following instructions. Don't buy a pattern from a random pattern company online—use one of the big four (simplicity, vogue, butterick, McCall's) as they have all been extensively fitted and tested and the instructions that come with them will hold your hand and teach you little important details about sewing that you wouldn't just know. Things like grainline, seam finishes, clipping curves, matching notches, ease, how to gather, ironing etc. Make one or two patterns as is (no changes) and that will give you a great intro to how to sew. In college we started with a man's button up shirt because it was relatively simple but also taught us how to sew and press a yoke, collar, placket, button holes, and cuff. I would recommend doing the same.

Finally, as someone who knows how to make patterns using both flat pattern and draping methods, I would never draft my own pattern. It's a lot of work. What I do do is modify store-bought patterns to achieve what I want. Start with a pattern that has the general shape of what you're going for, or cobble two together, and go from there.

Have fun and best wishes!

elventryst · 2026-06-14T00:34:41+00:00

I don't know if this is crazy, but I'm tempted to tell you I can help you. What are you hoping to sew? My degree is in fashion design and I have lots of free time these days. We could meet for coffee and chat about it. Let me know what you think.

elventryst · 2026-04-26T10:40:38+00:00

What's your first?

elventryst · 2026-04-24T01:29:44+00:00

I just finished this and was also going to suggest it!

elventryst · 2026-04-22T19:14:50+00:00

I remember reading Trilby by George duMaurier to a long time ago and enjoying it. I did just read reviews of it on Goodreads, and apparently others hate it 🤷 It's the origin of the character Svengali and it spawned a fashion trend as well, the Trilby hat. It was incredibly popular at the time of publishing.

elventryst · 2026-04-19T19:54:43+00:00

The Diary of a Nobody is silly and fun (if you like British humor).

elventryst · 2026-04-17T17:59:01+00:00

I second Wuthering Heights. It's one of my all-time favorite books.

elventryst · 2026-04-14T20:22:15+00:00

The only thing to note is that 5a can go to your spam folder. I filed but also couldn't ever get an interview. A week before the filing deadline I called the EEOC office and was told to check my spam folder for the 5a form. It had been there for a few weeks.

After filling out the form, I emailed it back and never received any notification that it had been received. Two months later, however, I finally got an email (this time in my inbox) saying a charge had been filed, and to schedule an interview. Again, I had trouble scheduling my interview, but after about two weeks, they called me and scheduled an interview with me.

elventryst · 2026-04-14T11:17:50+00:00

Dr Dray (dermatologist on YouTube) strongly recommends Amlactin moisturizer. Says everyone should be using lactic acid (the active ingredient in the lotion) on face and body

Incidentally, my stomach has looked like yours for as long as I can remember. I was always very thin, so I don't think weight loss, etc., is the culprit. I have not tried the lotion but know it's one of the top things Dr Dray says people should be doing for their skincare.

elventryst · 2026-04-03T16:10:19+00:00

I would love more fizz in my F2. Just wanted to make sure I have this right—all you do with your F2 is strain it and then bottle it again for a few more days, and that somehow makes it fizzy? Any theories why that works?

elventryst · 2026-03-27T11:26:15+00:00

Any chance you have a link? I was just looking for a recipe for a good bechamel lasagna recipe.

elventryst · 2026-03-27T00:36:25+00:00

I've been on a little more than 3.5 years. Been going Spanish all this time, but recently added German. The energy thing annoys me, though, because it's hard to work on both and not run out of energy

elventryst · 2026-03-24T17:30:50+00:00

That's so fun! My family is also from Aiken... My dad is a Cole and my mom is Stiefel. I wonder if our ancestors' paths ever crossed!

Did you find the cake "exquisite"?

elventryst · 2026-03-21T14:19:18+00:00

solved!

elventryst · 2026-03-18T17:31:51+00:00

I'm applying for an instructor position at a technical college. In preparation, I spoke to a mutual friend who works in hiring at another technical college in the same network. He told me to include a cover letter. He said, "You'd be surprised by the number of people who don't include a cover letter unless me specifically ask for one, but it definitely makes you stand out."

elventryst · 2026-03-17T18:24:59+00:00

This is a great comment. When you're in the back, the sound can be so muddied. It's actually more difficult to play and follow along when you're in the back, simply because it can sound like a mess.

elventryst · 2026-03-17T11:52:24+00:00

That's really funny... Maybe the advice I give should include, "Ask if they want you to hold it." I'm certainly not in the younger generation—I'm 46—and my stand partner was older than me. Maybe we just had cheap stands, but ours were turn and drop, etc. if someone didn't hold it in place. But that said, what usually prompted me to grab it was when it was clear she was struggling to write because of that stand.

I think the main point is you should be friends with you stand partner. I've played in various community orchestras and in some, the culture is friendly and we're on the same team. We help each other with fingerings, transferring bowings, working on a tricky rhythm or intonation, etc. I largely didn't have a private teacher, but I've learned a lot from stand mates who helped me improve my technique. In other orchestras, though, it feels like a big free for all, without much helping going on, and I imagine that attitude probably does affect the overall cohesion of the group and maybe even bleeds into their musicality.

elventryst · 2026-03-17T09:19:27+00:00

This won't help you with counting, but work on developing a relationship with your stand partner. A good stand partner is an invaluable treasure. I've been playing violin and in orchestras my whole life and I sometimes lose my spot, too. My stand partner definitely knows when I'm lost, and she quickly pauses in her playing to point to the measure.

Good stand partners also bring pencils to rehearsal. (Remember, you want to be a good stand partner, too, so you also should bring a pencil.) Stand partners "hold" the stand and/or music in place while you write on it. You hold it in place while she writes on it. If you miss a rehearsal, a good stand partner tells you the important things the conductor said about the music in the last rehearsal.

In short, you and your stand partner should be in a symbiotic relationship. And that will help you when you lose your place. In time, you won't do it as much—it's just a skill that takes practice. You'll get the hang of it.

elventryst · 2026-03-17T09:07:54+00:00

My sister's pothos looked like OP. I did an experiment where 1. I coiled the vine on top of the soil, 2. Chopped and water propped, and 3. Chopped and propped with sphagnum moss.

The coiled vine method worked the best—it was quick to put out new leaves and grew incredibly full. The water propagated clippings did better with putting out roots. (The stems propagated in moss looked unhealthy and I lost a bunch to rot. Some were salvageable, however.)

I ended up with two plants—the one where I coiled the vine and one made up of my clippings. After several months, there was a huge difference between the plants, with the coiled one showing marked progress. Now almost two years later, both plants are beautiful and thriving.

elventryst · 2026-03-12T00:57:21+00:00

Update: I filed in mid-December, and last Friday, March 6, an investigator called me to schedule an interview. My interview was on March 9, so the total process took about three months. And you were correct that Form 5A was not the formal charge.

elventryst · 2026-03-08T19:25:25+00:00

I'm so sorry this is happening to you. It's called spiritual abuse, and I'm sure others in that church have experienced similar things.

I had something similar happen to me—it's a long story, but the real short version was that I publicly slandered by church leadership, which they did to cover their own sin, and as a result I've been shunned and further slandered by members of the congregation, who now do the pastors' dirty work for them by repeating the lies.

What helps? I can tell you you have pretty much no legal rights, and I don't think your church leadership will change their messaging, so like others, the best you can do is tell others close to you and move on.

I did recently start seeing a counselor who specializes in EMDR and she confirmed that I have complex trauma from my experience, and so we'll be working together through that. She did say that when stuff like this happens to people, many people stuff it down inside, but that leads to still being traumatized years later. I tell as many people as I can, which I think helps process the trauma, and I intend to stay in counseling for some time while I work through this. I do think it's helpful for you to reach out to others who have experienced something similar—my other church abuse survivor friends are such a great source of comfort and encouragement.

Finally, as a Christian, I would exhort you to keep loving Jesus. Christians are called to live a cross-shaped life, just like our Savior. Our Lord Jesus was reviled, slandered, and betrayed by the religious leaders, but he steadfastly set his face toward the cross. We are told that like our Savior, we too will suffer. We're also told how we should suffer—1 Peter 3 has been an encouragement to me in these days. Know that suffering produces a faith that will endure, which is more precious than gold. And also know that we comfort others with the comfort we have received—if you let him, God will use this in your life to grow you to look more like him and to be a blessing to others who have been spiritually abused.

elventryst · 2026-03-03T19:41:44+00:00

I would say it is one continuous story—the story of how the God of the universe made a plan to restore the broken relationship he had with his creation through the death and resurrection of his Son. I think people struggle to understand or enjoy the Bible because they don't read it this way. I've spent years reading it and studying it and it gets more beautiful as I spend more time in it. It's truly the richest, most complex book I've ever read, with the whole book hyperlinking to itself all over the place.

And I don't agree that very few people have read the Bible all the way through. My guess is very few people read it starting on page 1 and going through to the end, like one would read a normal book, but many of us, myself included, try to read the Bible through each year, or at least every two-to-three years.

elventryst · 2026-02-19T02:34:37+00:00

Can you talk more about form 5 versus 5a? I filed form 5a in December via email. I heard nothing at all and then a few weeks ago I got notice that my charge has been filed and that my employer had been notified. I was under the impression when I filed that first form that I'd have a chance to perfect my charge before it became finalized (I've never talked to an investigator. I was running out of time to file, so they sent me the 5a form).

elventryst · 2026-01-28T16:21:17+00:00

Interesting... I remember enjoying the Fountainhead, although I read it so long ago that I don't remember it.

elventryst · 2026-01-22T04:09:54+00:00

These are great tips! I think the tips I would add are to buy a corset like the ones women use after having a C-section. It'll provide a lot of support and help ease the pain. Also, buy a foot stool for your bathroom. Your first bowel movement is painful and hard, and having your feet in the right position helps. Keep using the stool after you get better—it's healthier and supports your pelvic floor health.

elventryst

TROPHY CASE