Sun Shine Skies

An Overhead style jilbab

sunshineskies — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:56:44 +0000

I recently got a 2 piece overhead French style jilbab from allzons.com, run by the sister at http://muhajabat.wordpress.com/ it’s slightly darker than the picture but that’s ok because I love this shade of blue. The quality is nice and it’s super modest! I tried it on with a light pink underscarf and a navy blue jacket and I love it, really I’m quite happy with it. I plan to wear it to the mosque for Friday prayers. I’ll share a picture when I wear it, maybe next Friday, since the kids are home sick from school today. As long as it’s not too warm next week…seriously, where has the winter gone? Winter, please come back, we need some rain and cold weather, I need to wear my winter coats a few more times…

Anyways, I’ve always wanted one of these overhead French jilbabs, I remember as a new Muslimah I saw some pictures of sisters in France wearing them and I thought they looked so beautiful and serene in them. But one, I didn’t know where to get one, and two I was always so worried about what other people will think. But I realize that I will never be happy if I sit here and worry about what everyone else is thinking and I’m tired of doing things or wearing things for other people. I want to wear things I like, things that will please Allah, I want to do things I want to do, not what other people expect or want me to do. Even my husband said, regarding something else, ‘Do you like it? Then wear it.’

Today I wore my…

sunshineskies — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:19:25 +0000

Today I wore my black shirtdress jilbab from Shukr, it’s my favorite piece I’ve bought from them. I hope they make it again, the fabric, tencel, is perfect for all seasons where I live, especially spring and summer.

I haven’t worn it in at least a year and a half. So wearing it again was like wearing something new. And I’m glad I started wearing it again. I used to cover so much better. But it can be easy to be sidetracked and give in to the waswas of the shaytan to wear something a little tighter, a little shorter, some of my friends do it, wear some make up, it looks natural so what’s the harm, look a little prettier…etc…but it’s not right and I doubt I was fulfilling the obligation of hijab properly.

I’m so glad me and my husband had a talk, and no, it wasn’t about my clothes. I always knew in my heart I wasn’t dressing properly for a Muslimah. But there were bigger issues and they were affecting everything else.

Shaytan tries to take you away from doing things little by little until you’re barely doing what you should be doing.

But inshallah things are going to be different now.

sunshineskies — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:26:57 +0000

In keeping with my goals for the new year, I will be sharing my blog here with my husband. Maybe it’s not really a big deal, but I was always embarrassed to show people (close to me) my writing, so it’s kind of a big deal for me. I hope he doesn’t think this is stupid or silly…lol

New Year…

sunshineskies — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:19:33 +0000

So 2012 is almost here and I don’t really do new year resolutions, but right now after some things that have been going on in my life, I feel like I want to make some for this year, sort of like a fresh start. So here they are:

Spend less time online, I’ve wasted so much time online the last couple years and it really hasn’t been of benefit to me or my family.
Spend less money…
Start reading the Quran again, in Arabic.
Continue reading the Quran in English.
Get closer to my husband and kids.
Get into a workout routine and eat healthier.
Read some Islamic books.

So these are my goals, basically to better myself as a wife, mother and Muslim and to manage my time and health better. I hope to be able to follow through with them all and be a better person for it. I’ve really felt miserable about myself the last half of this year and have really struggled with some things. I’m hoping that I can get back on track. Inshallah 2012 will be a better year.

So frustrating…

sunshineskies — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:26:24 +0000

I’m really frustrated with major pattern companies…I don’t understand why they add 5 or more inches of ease into a pattern. Especially on things that are supposed to be form fitting! Seriously, it’s unnecessary. Do they think people won’t take their measurements and just guess so they add extra inches to the pattern? I don’t know why they do it. But I think I’m just never going to use their patterns again because nothing I have made from them is anything I can wear.

It’s so frustrating because know my measurements, and then I have to look at the finished measurements given on the pattern, and also try to find where they tell how much ease is added and go down 3 sizes (at least) and it still isn’t fitting right and sags and gapes and just looks like a potato sack.

I haven’t had this problem with children’s patterns (yet, but maybe I will as they get older) but for adult patterns, yeah, I’m done wasting my time and money on them. Maybe they work for others, but not for me.

This week I’m going to try for the first time a pattern from Colette, the Crepe dress. I’m hoping, inshallah, I get better results with it! I have some black cotton broadcloth I got from my mom. It may be a poly/cotton blend. I don’t care, it was free (for me!) and I’ll use it as my muslin. If it works, I’d like to make a pink one with a yellow waist tie. I think that would look really cute.

sunshineskies — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:11 +0000

Today I spent some time in the yard. We got a few plants yesterday. The kids each picked out a flower and I got some herbs, lettuce and strawberries.

sunshineskies — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:05:57 +0000

At my daughter’s elementary school they have cultural day where the children (and teachers, too!) can dress up in traditional clothing from their culture.
As my children are half Turkish, my daughter wore a Turkish outfit last year. But she’s outgrown it and I didn’t really like it too much. So I’ve been looking at some pictures of traditional Ottoman dress and have found several outfits that I am considering to re-create. Of course I need to pick just one.
My husband’s family came from Bulgaria, they were/are Turkish though, they are not Bulgarian, not that there is anything wrong with being Bulgarian, but one of my friends insists that he is Bulgarian, not Turk, which isn’t true and it’s just rather annoying. Anyways, I found an image of a Bulgarian Ottoman girl, the first one, the second is from Romania:

I’m thinking to try to make the first one, but the second one might be easier so I’m not sure. I’ve never made anything without a pattern before, so we’ll see how it goes! I’ll be keeping track of my progress on this project, and will post about it as it moves along.

Oops

sunshineskies — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:25:11 +0000

Ok, so I bought a dress. It was only $4.95 on clearance though. Hopefully that will be my only oops. I will still try to go to June without buying anything else.

I shouln’t even be on here though, I have so much work to get done!

The Seamless Pledge

sunshineskies — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:27:08 +0000

I pledge not to buy any mass produced clothing (with ths exception of underwear and bras) until June 1st. I hope I can make it! I’m trying to cut back on spending and cut back on clutter and stuff I really don’t need.
So, let’s see how I do!

I’ve been busy

sunshineskies — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:42:08 +0000

The last several weeks have been keeping me quite busy. I participated in this years GISHWHES contest and LOVED it. I had so much fun! Now we’re waiting to find out what team won. I would like to do it again next year but if they hold it at the same time, I don’t think I will.

I’m still working on my story, slowly but surely. I’m just happy to be writing something, even if I can’t work on it as much as I would like.

Also, yesterday the mailman delivered a few new patterns. I found this blog, http://www.makethislook.com/ and love it. I love ModCloth, but honestly a lot of their stuff is just too expensive for me. So I’ve been looking into making some of my own versions of their dresses. Right now I’m working on this, http://www.makethislook.com/post/6590999619/via-make-this-look-night-and-day-dress-the-sew in completely different fabric right now for the first one, to see how it turns out and to use up some of the fabric I already have before I buy more. Then I want to make a copy of the dress on Make this Look.

And now I must get back to what I was doing before I took a little break to write a post. I’ll try to post progress pictures of my dress when I get the chance!