“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” – Helen Keller

“If I see anything vital around me, it is precisely that spirit of adventure, which seems indestructible and is akin to curiosity.” – Marie Curie

“The secret to so many artists living so long is that every painting is a new adventure. So, you see, they’re always looking ahead to something new and exciting. The secret is not to look back.” – Norman Rockwell

“It is better for us to see the destination we wish to reach, than the point of departure.” – Jules Verne

“Here’s to freedom, cheers to art. Here’s to having an excellent adventure and may the stopping never start.” -Jason Mraz

“Adventure, yeah. I guess that’s what you call it when everybody comes back alive.” – Mercedes Lackey

He that can have patience can have what he will.”

― Benjamin Franklin

“I do not wish to avoid the walk. The distance is nothing when one has a motive.”

― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.” – The Dalai Lama

“You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it’s important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages.”- Michelle Obama

“Our shared values define us more than our differences. And acknowledging those shared values can see us through our challenges today if we have the wisdom to trust in them again.”-John McCain

“There is a standing joke in my family that I was born with a ladle in my hand.” -Maneet Chauhan

“I’m a fan of the hand-me-down recipes – friends, family, bake sales, community cookbooks – those are the recipes that have withstood the test of time and fed many hungry fans.” – Christina Tosi

“I feel like a princess with a knife. I’ve wanted to be an Iron Chef forever.” – Alex Guarnaschelli

“So many of the recipes that I come up with have a story. I’m a blogger. It flowed very naturally out of me, but I also knew this was a way to set my recipes apart. A, they are always using interesting ingredients but B, there is always a story behind it.” – Aarti Sequeira

“You don’t have to do everything from scratch. Nobody wants to make puff pastry!” – Ina Garten

“There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.” -William Barclay

“The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” – Madeleine L’Engle

“There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents, and only one for birthday presents, you know.” – Lewis Carroll

“Storytelling is a very old human skill that gives us an evolutionary advantage. If you can tell young people how you kill an emu, acted out in song or dance, or that Uncle George was eaten by a croc over there, don’t go there to swim, then those young people don’t have to find out by trial and error.” – Margaret Atwood

“Of course, fairy tales are transmissible. You can catch them, or be infected by them. They are currency that we share with those who walked the world before ever we were here. (Telling stories to my children that I was, in my turn, told by my parents and grandparents makes me feel part of something special and odd, part of the continuous stream of life itself.)”

― Neil Gaiman, Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders

“This was not a fairy-tale castle and there was no such thing as a fairy-tale ending, but sometimes you could threaten to kick the handsome prince in the ham-and-eggs.”― Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment

“This time it had been magic. And it didn’t stop being magic just because you found out how it was done.”

― Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” -Kurt Vonnegut

“Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly.” -Neil Gaiman

“You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down,” –Charlie Chaplin

I realized that I have been sewing primarily with PDF patterns lately and thought you all might be interested in hearing why. Lately, they have seemed like the sizes are fitting me better. I also do enjoy supporting independent designers.

Most of them are knit patterns, which has made a difference too, as knits are more forgiving. Wovens, while easier to work with, are less forgiving with fit.

Here’s some examples.

Woven dress with a regular pattern. I think a Butterick pattern.

This fits me, but the neckline sits funny. It has a zip along the side. It wrinkles easily because it’s cotton. I had to make some adjustments to the pattern, removed a few darts, but probably should have sized up and darted. It’s not lined, although it was suggested. The pattern came in an envelope printed on pattern tissue. It was a pain to cut out and very thin. I normally cut out the biggest size and just fold down the parts of it that I need.

This dress is knit from a PDF pattern company called CKC patterns. CKC is an independently run company.

This dress is named “Amy,” per the pattern. It has a lined bodice and a pleated skirt. I hadn’t figured out the gathering stitch on my machine yet. It fits very nicely and is something I go to a lot for intakes.

I printed the pattern for this on computer paper after buying and downloading it. Then I had to match the lines and taped all the pieces together. That is my least favorite part! I have a whole stash of printed patterns that still need to be taped. After taping them, I then have to trace my size and then roll up the patterns for storage.

In both cases, I can use the pattern pieces again. The traced ones are a little easier.

Shirts are working out better in knits. Even my slightly wonky ones seem to work. I have made a couple with a woven front and a knit back and they seem to work well.

I do use more regular paper patterns for the costume pieces I make though. The harem pants and my vests are some examples.

The costumes seem to fit pretty well. I think I need to make some more woven items for practice.

Knits are surprisingly easy. I was scared of them for a while and although they have brought some challenges.

Another benefit of the PDF patterns is that they typically all offer at least a couple of freebies so you can test them out. The pegs pattern from Patterns for Pirates was one of them and I have used it a ridiculous amount of times.

A bunch of the doll clothes patterns have been freebies too. These are from the sister company, Made for Mermaids, the Dolly Paige pattern.

So that’s a quick overview of my pattern exploration. Hopefully some of it makes a little more sense now. Have a lovely night!