The Quebe Sisters

That Guy

A Note from the Pleasant Times Etiquette Lady Miss Rose

Today, the 5th of November, marked the anniversary of the day that Guy Fawkes was supposed to have blown up the English King and Parliment. He was found out, fortunately, as well as the group he was part of, before such a horrible plan could be put into action.

Because of the relief he felt in being spared from such a fate, King James I of England (IV of Scotland) declared the 5th of November a day of joy; and it has been a tradition that around this time of year, bonfires are lit in that country and Guy Fawkes is burnt in effigy.

In the 19th century, "GUY" came to be a term used for an oddly dressed man. In our own times, "GUY" came to be any man. In the part of the world I live in, the horrid term has come to mean "ANYONE," Whether a group of men, a group of women, or a mixed group of both! I find this just as horrible as I find Guy Fawkes.

"The discovery of the Gunpowder Plot" by Henry Perronet Briggs circa 1823, courtesy Wikipedia

It is hard, when it becomes so frequent in the culture that surrounds us, to change a term such as this. I find it especially strange that ladies do not object when they are called "GUYS" by someone. I find it sad that many women use this term when with other ladies, not by design but because they have come into the habit of it.

Therefore, I would like to plead, that we remember this day as a day when we NO LONGER use the term "GUY" to refer to anybody (unless that is their proper name) and start using
"Sir"
and "Ma'am"
or "Miss"
or "Fellow"
or "Lad"
or "Lass"
and when addressing groups, "LADIES" or "GENTLEMEN."
or "Friends" or (when in Rome) "Romans," or "Fellow Countrymen."

If one finds that too difficult to do, at least replace "Hi guys" with "Hi, You All" and if you must, you can take the Southern way and say "Y'all" for it sounds a lot nicer, and is very easy to say if you open your mouth just right. 

If it helps, remember who "GUY" was and disassociate yourself and your friends from him!

Here are some home-making and house-keeping tips for the upcoming holiday season:

'Tis the season to pull out your extra-large pots and pans for preparing great feasts! A discovery recently made in my house was that a dollar-store pizza pan was just the right size to serve as a lid for our over-sized frying pan. Lids are expensive to buy in large sizes, and as long as we remember to use a potholder to lift this "lid" it works just fine!

Tired of the space that numerous boxes of tea were taking up, I emptied all the boxes of individually-wrapped tea bags, and "filed" them in a cereal box that has one side cut off. This slides into the cupboard   quite nicely. Tea bags are "filed" according to flavor and type.

Some Cleaning Tips:
Keep a "Goodwill" bag or box by the front door, and "cull" as you clean.

When the bedroom is in an absolute horribly disorganized mess, make the bed first and then pile everything on it. This is a good tip for older children who should be able to clean their room by now. The rule is, you can't go to sleep until it is all cleaned off and put in its proper place. Not only is the idea of a good night's rest motivating, but the rest of the room, wiped clean of all the clutter (that is temporarily on the bed), looks so good that it is encouraging to keep it that way.

Tips for Tired Mothers:
Make a mental note of what time you wear out each evening; try to put the children to bed an hour before that time. If it seems too early, they can have a quiet reading time in bed for a while.

If you have many children, and one wants something, the want can become infectious. For instance, if the sister asks for apple juice, you know that any other child within hearing will be wandering into the kitchen asking for what lil' sis  has. May as well pour out enough juice or serve enough snacks at one time , according  how many children you have. It will prevent you from having to go back to the kitchen five times. Also, it will keep you from getting annoyed by having to answer the "May I have some juice, too?" question multiple times.

If you have many children, ideas can be infectious. "Why, look at this interesting thing," mother might say. Suddenly here comes one child to see. Then, two more. Then, others. "May I see? Let me see! May I see too? Mom! Joey is blocking my way! I want to see!!!" Each one seems to come at a different time wanting to see what it is. Instead of showing it ten times (or according to how many children you have), make sure everyone is all assembled before you tell everyone to look. Or, if it is simply a casual remark said to self and unimportant, try not to say "Why, look at this...." out loud!

These last two tips may seem rather silly to place here, for certainly mothers already know them! Yet mothers can be tired sometimes, and forget things, and not know why they are suddenly annoyed at the children asking them questions all day.

Quick and Easy Recycled Low-Sew Girl's Dress

By The Pleasant Times Sewing Lady, Miss Thread 

Since Christmas is not far off, and being a last-minute person who likes quick-and-easy projects, I am on the look-out for fun gifts I can sew up this month. 

A project I made a couple months ago was a simple sun-dress, elsewhere called a pillowcase dress, that would take a minimal amount of cutting and sewing. This could be made into a quick dress for a little girl's Christmas gift, for a play dress or her dress-up box, or you could even make a small one for a fast doll dress!

 Below is how I made mine without a pattern; and there are numerous other sites online where you can find instructions for these types of dresses. One place I came across used elastic instead of a ribbon drawstring, for safety reasons (to prevent a choking hazard), which is something to consider. The material I used was recycled from a dress' skirt. I had a woman's dress I was using, but a thrifty mother could cut down an older girl's dress for the next sister in line:) 

I first saw a dress like this in a magazine. The dress shown was selling for over a hundred dollars and wasn't even hemmed! 

(Though that is the style, I have never been able to bring myself to that point in sewing... or non-sewing...)

 First, cut out a wide rectangle, as long as you want the dress to be. This one is very slightly tapered to the top (the camera angle makes it look more so). I used the hem of the old dress at the bottom, so I wouldn't have to take time hem the new dress. I did not use the old side seams, which you could do if you wanted that much material gathered in the dress.

 Sew the seam up to a few inches (4 or more) within the top. Then hem each side of the seam allowance down nicely. If you are using the skirt's old side seams that are already sewn, you will need to un-pick the seam down aways, and then hem it on each side.

 Make a casing at the top of the dress. Fold the top raw edge down 1/4 inch and press, and then fold down again what you will need for your drawstring (it will depend on the width of your ribbon), and sew.

Using a safety pin at one end of your drawstring, feed it through the casings.  I used grosgrain ribbon in mine, but using braided ribbon is a good idea, or cord, or elastic with ribbon sewn to the edges, etc. You can use two ribbons and tie them at each shoulder, or use one and tie at one shoulder. Adjust as needed on the child and then tie in a bow.

Above is the back of the dress It makes a sweet floaty comfy dress. Since here in our hemisphere winter is coming on, you could make this out of corduroy and pair it with a little turtleneck for warmth.