Back to Basics: Sewing tips

So I have my first serger on the way and I am so excited to start working with it. I am no longer afraid to work with Rayon and linens because now I can properly overlock the edge and reduce fraying. In the meantime, I wanted to talk about some things I have learned over the last year of sewing. I want to preface by saying I have been sewing a year and I am self-taught so it's been a lot of trials and error. Any corrections or suggestions please leave below.

As a general overview for someone who says they want to home sew, I would suggest the following (I may break up into blogs for length);

The first thing I would tell a beginner is to relax. When you decide to sew you can get very excited as well as overwhelmed. Slow down and don't' take on more than you can handle. Find the beginner tutorials on YouTube and get a good book.

I reference "The Sewtionary" by Tasia St. Germaine from Sewaholic. The link will take you to Sewaholics page. It's an a-z guild of sewing terminology and how-tos with color photos and easy to understand explanations.

Another good book is "Dressmaking, a complete guide to making your own clothes" by Alison Smith. The link will take you to an amazon retailer. This covers everything from equipment to materials, techniques for fitting and some follow along patterns. Again, it has color photos and easy to understand explanations. These are great references for any newbie, but even after a year I still use them.

The next thing I would tell a beginner is to make sure the projects they want to do are appropriate for their skill level. I didn't know for the longest time that patterns usually have a difficulty rating on them. Some are more obvious than others. If you look through a Vogue pattern catalog they even have a whole section dedicated to "Vogue Easy" without sacrificing style, and there are also Vogue Very Easy patterns. Love it! So make sure you are sticking to something within your skill range.

The third thing I would mention is to get those coupons!!! I live near a JoAnns, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby who take each other's coupons, so get those apps, get on that mailing list. They have 50% off items, 60% off items, 20% off total orders and so on. You can use those for craft supplies, notions, fabric, and equipment. Coupons can't be used on Patterns, but those babies go on sale all the time. When simplicity has their $0.99 each pattern I stock up! Butterrick and McCalls also have something like $1.99 each, or 3 for $5 and Vogue will go on sale for $4.99 each. May vary by area. Also use the internet to hunt down cute patterns.

There is so much more I want to tell you but I am going to break this up. Next, I'll talk about the must have equipment, understanding patterns, choosing sizing and making mock-ups.

Hope you enjoy,

Jessi Harm aka Evil Regal

Muscle vs. Fat:

Hello Bloggers,

     If you have been to my Pinterest page and looked at my Health and Fitness board, you probably knew that this entry was coming. Even though there have been many articles posted about not relying on the scale, and focusing more on measurements, and inches, people still flock to the scale to track their fitness progress. This is a huge mistake. The reason why is because muscle takes up substantially less space, but weighs more, and I wanted to take this opportunity to put this in perspective.

***I would like to note, that there are some cases where using the scale is appropriate and can be a wonderful tool, but its shouldn't be your only tool.***

     This is a photo taken from Pinterest, (as are all of mine) that puts the space difference that each takes up into perspective. You can see that the Tangerines representing muscle, takes up less space than the grapefruit representing fat, and both are supposed to weight about 5 pounds.
You can see how this could be misleading if you used the scale to track progress. Especially if you are trying to track subtle changes. Let me put it into a prospective scenario for you...

Your pants feel more comfortable, and you think your belly is a little flatter, or maybe your thighs aren't scraping together (like mine do), so out of excitement you jump on the scale to see where you're at, and it hasn't moved, or you have gained weight. Now you are confused, upset or discouraged. However, if you had used a tape measure and tracked inches, you would have had a better, more accurate, and encouraging result.


     This second picture I like quite a bit because you can see how the body changes as it builds muscle in comparison to the scale. The girl was not big to start off with, in fact, before her mission to tone up and build some muscle, her weight was at its lowest. When she was at her smallest and most athletic, her weight was at its highest. Again, this gives more perspective as to how much space fat takes up, and how dense muscle is.

     So the final point I would like to make to my amazing readers, and I pray you pass this message along, is that fat takes up more room than muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. Putting a number on skinny is counter productive and ironic. So as you go through your fitness journey, and have discouraging days where you "Only lost one pound", remember that one pound of fat, is about the size of a medium apple, and you should be ecstatic. The best, most accurate way to track your progress is by following your BMI, taking measurements, and being realistic about your goals, and progress.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY... listen to your body. If you feel better, healthier, and notice subtle changes in some areas, do you really need a machine that spits out a number to verify that for you? You know your body better than anyone. Pay attention to it, and if you must use the scale, make sure you are tracking your body mass index, and measuring too, so you have a good solid idea of where you're at.

I hope this helped,
Yours truly,
Jessi Harm

Inner Thigh Gap, The Unrealistic Expectation

Hello Everyone,

     I am seeing lots of people obsessed with, and repining how to guides on the inner thigh gap. I don't get the obsession. But I also find a lot of the repins very misleading. So I am going to talk to you about realistic expectations, and why things like the thigh gap, or tiny waist goals may just lead to disappointment.

     In the last blog, we talked about your body being unique, and you should set goals for yourself, and not base them around others. This is very true. The shape of your body is determined by many factors, including bone density, height, and genetics. That is why if you took two people and put them on the exact same diet and workout plan, they would achieve different results. To say that you want to work out to look like someone else is going to set you up for failure. You need to understand this. There is no set definition of what a beautiful body is, except for what you say it is. You need to have confidence and know your body well. You may not have an hourglass shape, you may not have wide hips, you may not have the v cut in your abs. All bodies are unique. Look at the difference in bodies from Jessica Biel, Pink, Gwen Stefanie, and Salma Hayek. All are beautiful, but no two are alike.

     The inner thigh gap is one of those things that is not realistic for everyone. Let's play with this logically for a second. If you were to look at lots of the inner thigh gap photos, most of these women are very skinny (like in the photo taken from Pinterest. I don't think it looks good at all), and or have wide hips. In some photos, you can even see that the model doesn't have the inner thigh gap at all, it's just the way she posed. So what happens when you set something like the gap as your goal and don't achieve it. Well you think it's your fault, you train and diet harder, stress out, get upset, or your get discouraged and quit. There are beautiful women out there who are toned and healthy without a thigh gap, like Jessica Biel, she is a female fitness inspiration to many women, and she has no gap.

Now that's not to say that you shouldn't try and work out all areas of your body, but it has been proven you can not just spot treat areas of your body, to lose weight. To tone evenly you need to work your body all over. Try adding one or a few Squat Jumps, alternating lunge jumps, side squats, Bulgarian squats, calf raises, or burpees, to your current routine.

Remember you results and experience may vary, and that is okay.

Yours Truly,
Jessi Harm

Fitspiration, Good or bad?

Hello All,

     So a topic of discussion that has been making waves is whether or not fitspiration is more damaging than good. For those who don't know, or maybe know it by a different term, its when there is a picture of someone athletic or healthy (sometimes just skinny) often followed by a motivational quote. Such as "It took more than a day to gain it, it will take more than a day to lose it."

     The argument is that it can be misleading, or even discouraging. I personally find them motivating, and love them. I feel the people who first started to complain about fitspiration are the lazy people who have excuses, or are looking for the easy ways to get fit, and not getting results by sitting on the couch. However, I can understand how they can be damaging too. I am seeing more photos of skinny models, then toned, Normal,  healthy bodies. 

So, I would like to talk about how to use fitspiration... 

• Fitspiration is positive
• Fitspiration should be motivating
• Fitspiration should encourage you. 
• Fitspiration models should be healthy 
• Fitspiration is NOT super skinny, or unhealthy
• Fitspiration should help you achieve your goals, not MOLD your goals
• Fitspiration is a tool to use, NOT a standard or expectation

     You need to understand that every body is unique. It is unique in how you gain weight, and will be unique in how you lose weight. Your body is also unique in how you tone and build muscle. Your body is unique in its needs and wants and you need to fully understand this. If you choose to set goals and expectations off of another success, you WILL be sadly disappointed. Every body is unique. I can't stress this enough. 

Remember that motivation and encouragement is good, but pulling it from bad sources or for wrong reasons can be damaging to your success.

Yours Truly, 

Jessi Harm

"The Honest Life" by Jessica Alba review.

     I am so excited to do this review for you. I have done several books and DVD reviews, but this one I am most excited about because it’s a product that promotes something I believe in. The book is beautiful. There are several lovely colored family photos, beautiful text, and graphic designs. The book is 250 pages long and as graceful as its writer.

Here is my review of the book. At the bottom are links to where you can by the book, as well as Jessica Alba's company web page and more.

     "In The honest Life, actress, activist, and entrepreneur Jessica Alba inspires readers to make affordable healthy, nontoxic choices for themselves and their family- from the food they eat to the products they put on their skin, and the materials they use in their home- without sacrificing style."

     "The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True To You" by Jessica Alba is an extremely informative collection of tips, tricks, facts and life lessons. She promotes the idea of living a healthy and natural lifestyle, without feeling like a lecture. She brings her own past and experiences to the table, as well as several hours of research, working with some of the best in the fields of natural health.

     Jessica Alba asks why anyone should have to choose between nontoxic, eco-friendly, and pure products, or affordability and style. That is why she got inspired to get informed, and start her own company, where healthy natural decisions didn't have to be boring anymore. Where natural and pure products didn't have to be expensive and lack performance.

     Jessica Alba talks about everything. It covers hygiene products, beauty products, cleaning products, food, hobbies, affordability of organic living, (or at times, the lack thereof) and so much more. She talks about key harmful agents in many household items, such as but not limited too, Formaldehyde, Mercury, Parabens, Petrochemicals, and Lead. Products that we use every day could be causing hormonal or even  minor nerve damage over long term exposure. She talks about where the chemicals are found, why they are bad, and how to work around them. There is even an easy to understand reference guide in the back of the book.

     The book is filled with many uplifting stories, tons of inspiration for beauty, fashion, dinner parties and hobbies. It has lots of natural recipes for product alternatives, plus some of her personal food recipes.

It truly is a fun read, a very informative read, and an inspiring read.

     There are even a few chapters for parents or expecting parents. However, you do not need to have children to get the benefit of this book, the majority of the information is based on a clean, healthy, day to day lifestyle. She was inspired to write, and start her journey during her pregnancy, but she primarily promotes keeping harmful things out of your life and bringing in safe effective alternatives.

     Jessica Alba "The Honest Life" is truly something that everyone needs to read. It’s an eye opener. However, there is no judgment in the book. She doesn't beat into the reader how 'horrible our current lifestyle is, and if you continue to use it you are a bad person'. Jessica simply shares her experiences, what she has learned, and how she avoids or works around these issues. She lays the information out for you to take it or leave it. Her true desires and passions are simply to get the information out there so everyone at least has the chance to be informed. PLUS, it’s written in a way that is extremely easy to understand. It's not over-saturated in science or medical terminology like other books I have read on similar subjects.

     This book is backed by her personal experiences and tons of research conducted by her and countless professionals in the specific fields. She didn't write a book on opinions, Jessica really did lots of research of the issues she talks about in the book and worked with many different specialists to make sure she is bringing you the most accurate and current information possible.

     I truly love and stand behind this book 100%. Please check is out. Again it’s called "The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True To You" by Jessica Alba. I have linked it several different times throughout this blog. I Love www.rodalebook.com, and that is where I purchased mine, so that is where I linked all of you, However, I am not paid or endorsed to do so, but I love so many of their products, I hope you take a look around and find other inspiring works.

     Here is a link to Jessica Alba’s company website. She has started a company that sales and promotes, affordable, safe, CLEAN formula products for everyday living. They have sample packs, so you can try sets of multiple products, all you have to pay is shipping and handling. It is only ($5.95) which I highly suggest.

https://www.honest.com/.

Questions or Comments please leave them below!

Jessi Harm

A Collection of Beauty Tips and Tricks!

     So I have come across many different health and beauty tips over the years. I didn't start caring about hair, makeup, and nails until a few years ago and I am 24 now. Prob when I was nineteen or twenty I started getting curious and experimented with fashion and beauty. Even now at 24, I am still discovering my own style. (Most recently I have added red lips to my frequent regime.)

     Being undecided in my look I need unbiased and general beauty tips. It's taken years but I am going to share some of my favorite ones with you here. I hope you enjoy and please leave some of your own in the comments below.

     First and foremost LOTS OF WATER and PLENTY OF SLEEP! You don't have to restrict yourself to only water, but keeping a decent flow during the day helps flush toxins, clean out kidneys  and helps with bloating. When I drank more water and cut down on soda and other drinks my skin cleared up some and my skin wasn't as dry.
Being well rested helps with overall energy and metabolism levels, mood, eye bags, dark circles, digestive systems, stress levels, etc. Being well rested really affects your overall body, and you as a whole. Those two are the most important. If you lack any of these in your daily routine, changing this will have a HUGE impact. I really can't stress this enough.

Now on to the fun stuff. . .

BEAUTY and MAKE UP!

-When applying lipstick, make sure you message a lip balm on the lips for a few seconds to increase the blood flow and moisturize. After that, if your lips are chapped or dry, take a toothbrush and massage the lips in a circular motion gently to remove any flakes. From there follow you regular lipstick application and it will be more even, softer, and last longer.

-In a Shape Magazine interview with Molly Sims, I read that she does a technique called dry brushing. It's a way to exfoliate the skin. Here is a link you a blog I found when looking up the interview, Dry Brushing Your Skin that explains in great understandable detail. Do this before a shower to help get smooth, even, healthier skin. Molly says "...It can hurt a bit at first but before I get in the shower, I use a loofah or brush to exfoliate. There's nothing better for getting your circulation going and helping with cellulite."

-EXPERIMENT! Most people have a set style. Unfortunately, most of us don't have the hair, makeup or outfit coordination skills seen in magazines and movies. We resort to the same hair or makeup, and always have a piece of clothing we fall back to. CHANGE IT UP! If you like wearing your hair up all the time, find simple different dos that are in your comfort zone but still a switch. Check out the Sock Bun, and its many variations. Also, check out my Pinterest Hair Board for other cute up-do style or funky hair ideas.

-When it comes to foundation, people tend to have one color all year round. The fact is, during seasons your skin will lighten or darker due to sun exposure etc, you should have a shade that matches and one a little darker. (ALWAYS MATCH YOUR FOUNDATION TO YOUR NECK or CHEST!!!)This allows you to keep consistent with your color fluctuations. It also can assist with contouring  and highlighting for more experienced makeup lovers. There is nothing tackier than seeing someone whose foundation is not blended and noticeably the wrong shade. Be conscience of this.

-When washing your hair, focus the shampoo at the roots mainly, and not the ends. This will help keep the ends from drying out and splitting, they will get shampoo as it washes down the stands, and then focus conditioner at the ends and avoid going to high toward the scalp. This will help keep your roots and scalp from getting oily.

-When painting your nails (resort to my prior blog) Use a base coat, at least two color coats and for longevity and protection use a fast acting top coat. It makes a huge difference. I suggest Essie products. I swear by them.


-There are so many awesome blogs and sites out there with DIY facial masks and peels, homemade soaps, lotions, and scrubs. These are wonderful especially because you make them yourself, you know exactly what's in them and it's so much cheaper than store bought. So look them up. There are numerous DIY beauty secrets out there, so dig them out. Here is a site for awesome DIY Facial Blackhead Peel, and that is just one of many.

This is just a short blog, but I hope it helps. These are unbiased to style.
I hope you enjoy and post you feedback below.

Jessica

Here is a link to my Pinterest Boards That have DIY, fashion, and more.