This is the technique you can use to make skinny kids pants fit. It also allows you to make them a little big to last longer, but still fit now.
Start by adding a small piece of fusible interfacing to each side of the top of the back waist band before it is folded over. I centered it about 1 1/4" from each edge to allow room for the 5/8" seam allowance and enough space to finish the rest of the waist band.
Waist band with interfacing applied
Then sewed a 1" buttonhole on top of the interfacing (the waist band is 1 1/2" wide). This will allow the 3/4" elastic to move through easily. Make sure you cut the buttonholes open before the next step.
Buttonholes in waistband
Then fold the waist band over and sew close to each edge to form the casing as usual.
Waist band after it is folded over and sewn
Then sew the side seams as usual to the pattern. Do not yet add the elastic, since it will not be sewn in and it is easier to sew everything together without it.
After side seams are sewn
Then fold the front waist bands down and slip stitch them in place. Then sew a 1/2" or 5/8" button (usually a couple from the leftover button stash), to the edge of each front waist band piece.
Buttons on front waist band edges
Then cut a piece of 3/4" buttonhole elastic to the length specified by the pattern plus enough to fold over the ends and sew to form finished ends. Buttonhole elastic is available by the yard from Fabric.com and their shipping is crazy fast!
Elastic with finished ends
Then using a large safety pin, Thread the elastic into one buttonhole, securing the end on the button and out the other buttonhole, finally securing that end to the other button.
Final result!
That's it! Now you have an easily adjusted waist band that looks no different from the outside.
Overcoming Passivity
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it roams through waterless places in search [of a place] of rest (release, refreshment, ease); and finding none it says, I will go back to my house from which I came. And when it arrives, it finds [the place] swept and put in order and furnished and decorated. And it goes and brings other spirits, seven [of them], more evil than itself, and they enter in, settle down, and dwell there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.
—Luke 11:24-26
—Luke 11:24-26
This word from Jesus can be frightening. His purpose for the warning is not to cause us to cringe and worry about unclean spirits coming back. It’s a warning to tell us that it’s not enough to get rid of wrong thoughts—we must keep the door locked so our enemy can’t return. Not only does evil come back, but it comes back worse than before.
I once read an article about diets, and the author said that most people who diet actually lose weight—until they stop dieting. Then they regain the weight they lost and about 5 percent more. When they stop working at the problem, they not only stop losing, but they’re worse than before they started. The author went on to say that the only way to win the battle of being overweight is to make a lifestyle change—by becoming aware of the danger areas and guarding ourselves against making wrong choices.
It works that way spiritually, as well. One way to keep wrong thoughts out of your mind is to keep the mind active and alert and full of right things. You can cast out the devil, but then you must remain alert, always aware of his tricks.
As I point out in my book Battlefield of the Mind, there are aggressive sins (or sins of commission) and there are passive sins (sins of omission).4 That is, there are things we do that hurt a relationship, such as speaking careless words. But it is just as true that we hurt relationships by the omission of kind words, those thoughtful words that express appreciation, affection, or awareness of kind deeds others have done.
When confronted, passive individuals yell, “But I didn’t do anything!” That’s exactly the point. It’s what they don’t do. Their lack of action actually invites the devil back into their lives.
That’s a strong statement, so I will say it a different way. You can win any time you take action and push away the thoughts and desires that don’t come from God. You may do this on your own through prayer, reading the Bible, or even by resisting the passivity that may be natural for you. But once you’ve been set free, that’s only the beginning. It’s not just one victory that lasts forever. It’s an ongoing battle—it’s constantly rebuking the devil.
The best, easiest, and most effective way to rebuke the devil is to fill your mind and your heart with praises to God. When you worship and praise God, you’ve slammed the door in the enemy’s face and put up a “No Trespassing” sign.
I don’t want to make it sound as if you have to fight demons every second of your life. That’s a trick of the devil himself to make you think like that. But when you fill your life with praise and positive, healthy thoughts, you can live in victory.
Please read this verse again—aloud—and hear the message of the Holy Spirit: “Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8 CEV).
Victory over passivity is just that simple: Focus your mind on the good and you will have no space left for the passive or the bad.
Pray this...
God, thank You for showing me the way to win over passivity and live in victory every day. In the name of Jesus, I ask You to remind me each day so that I can fill my mind and heart with only worthy thoughts.
From the book Battlefield of the Mind: 100 Insights That Will Change the Way You Think by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2005 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment