The Winter Vest

Rachel has her winter vest outfit with matching Science Fair story pages.

Georgie is off to work experience day in her smart conservative outfit. I didn’t make black trousers but used the black jeans that came with the doll but you can use any straight leg pattern to get the same no nonsense look. (The wide leg trousers are more of a fashion statement).

The winter vest pattern pieces are designed especially for thick fabric like fleece and wool. This variation isn’t suitable to use with normal quilters cotton fabric.

The main thick fabric is a bit bigger all around than the lining so you need to stretch and smoosh the edges to make it all go together as you sew. It’s not hard but does require a bit of confidence at the sewing machine because your fingers are always close to the needle.

This is my Science Fair girl Rachel.

This is my Library Work Experience Day girl Georgie. Her story will be up soon. She is wearing the black jeans that came with the doll.

I have to smudge out the face because Mattel say the face shape is copyright.

The pattern club

If you are looking for great patterns and great outfits for your 18” dolls then consider going paid. You get new patterns to download every month.

Below are the first 9 patterns I added to the archive and there are more than 20 other patterns in the archive now. The best value is to join for 1 year.

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I love using AI to do things that I don’t have time to do. I don’t have time to learn how to write nice stories for the dolls so I upload some ideas and specific details and ask AI to make it a story.

It is formatted for A5 printing but it works for A4, US Letter or B5. Just select your paper size. When I print it on A5 it ants to print at 95% so I increase it to 100%. For all the other paper sizes you need to use the suggested print %.

There are 5 story pages. It is OK to manually print them two sided because the holes will fit on either side of the text area.

I also did a version where you can add your own doll’s name throughout the story. There is a space left to write it in.

There are also some blank journal pages.

All the journal pages are available for Paid subscribers to download and print from the Doll Stories and Journal Pages folder.

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Paid Subscribers

I have made some new folders in the Substack Pattern Club folder.

Doll Stories and Journal Pages

&

Outfit Ideas

It’s easy for paid subscribers to click the link to the Substack Pattern Club folder and browse the sub folders. Also, I usually put a link directly to the new pattern if you just want to download it.

If you don’t want to go paid you can see lots of my designs in my Etsy shop. I don’t always have the chance to add the Substack patterns to the Etsy shop so you won’t find all my designs there.

My Etsy

If you know someone who likes sewing 18” doll clothes and might be interested in subscribing to the Pattern Club why not forward this email to them.

If you are on Substack and think others may be interested you should restack with a note.

Cheers,
Val

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I hardly ever get a cold. When I do it is like an insult to my whole being.

This week I could feel tiny symptoms on Wednesday afternoon. My throat felt a bit tender and I was starting to sniffle.

Thursday morning I was pretty sure it was going to be a virus attack not just some pesky pollen.

First I prioritise sleep

Thursday and Friday I was sneezing occasionally and blowing my nose every 20 mins or so as well as a bit of coughing. I was also very tired in the afternoons. My instinct was to improve my chances of a good sleep. I felt a bit flushed as though I had a fever. The only tablets I had were paracetamol so I took 2 on Thursday night and 2 on Friday night. I slept fairly deeply even though I woke up a few times and had to blow my nose and cough a bit.

Try to let the fever run unchecked for a while

Saturday I felt OK in the morning but as the day wore on I was still a bit feverish and sniffly and coughing. I decided that I would let the fever do its thing and not take any more paracetamol. Viruses aren’t as affective in higher temperatures so our immune system increases the body temperature.

I slept badly until about midnight then finally slept until about 5am. My face was sore making me feel quite uncomfortable and restless.

Take cold tablets only if you have to

Sunday I was good in the morning and my symptoms were not as bad. I think Saturday was my worst day. I went up to the chemist and got some Day/Night Nyal tablets (for mild symptoms) because I had to be acceptable for going out in public on Monday. I took a night time tablet on Sunday night and a daytime tablet at 7am and 10 am on Monday. I didn’t have to cough or blow my nose until close to 10am when I took the second tablet.

Give yourself time to heal after the virus is destroyed

Monday afternoon and I haven’t had to blow my nose more than twice and I am not coughing. If I was going to work I probably could have gone back on Monday. The danger of early return to work is a relapse. You may think you are over it but there is still a week or two of convalescing. I’m grateful that I can spend my days doing easy tasks or no tasks at all. I am going to be very mindful or needing a week of recovery time even though my symptoms are gone.

So how do I deal with head colds?

1. I take an immune tablet like Swisse zinc+ every second day.

2. When I get symptoms I take the immune tablet every day for 2 weeks.

3. I wash my hands every time I blow my nose.

4. I wash my pillowslip every few days.

5. I prioritise sleep for the first few bad days and don’t take anything during the day.

6. I also make sure I rest most of the day in the beginning.

7. I then let the fever do its thing for the next few days and I don’t take any tablets.

8. If I didn’t have to go out on Monday I may not have taken any cold tablets but if I need a break from the symptoms I don’t hesitate to take something for congestion and cough and headache.

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I am certain that keeping up a regular dose of the Immune tablets, all year round every second day, reduces the symptoms of any virus I catch.

Rest is the most important factor in speeding recovery.

Avoiding cold and flu tablets as many days as possible helps the body fight the virus.

I was very hungry for a few days too but I made sure I ate plenty of protein and good carbs. I did have a couple of sandwiches because I felt like I needed comfort food.

Instead of 7 to 10 days of bad symptoms and a lasting cough I am pretty much back to normal after 7 days of mild symptoms. After 10 days I am back to normal but I am not forgetting that there are now at least another 10 days of repair and healing.

Our body fights off the virus but it pays a price. To prevent a relapse it makes sense to give your body time to repair the damage. Stay on light duties for a few weeks. Wear a mask when you go out. Get plenty of quality sleep. Keep drinking plenty of water.

Do you have a particular way to get through a head cold? I hate that you can’t completely avoid catching one every now and then and you just have to get through it. But I feel like I am giving my body a fighting chance to get through it as easily as possible.

Cheers,
Val

This is Georgie. She likes to dress more like a boy. This is part of the outfit she wore to the “Work for a day” activity that her class participated in. She spent the day working at the local library.

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This is a raglan sleeve turtleneck pattern for 18” dolls. You need to use a stretch fabric like t-shirt knit or other not too heavy knit. I used Ponty for the smooth one and a very stretch rib for the one at the top.

It helps to lay out all the pieces right side up in the way they go together.

I folded each back onto ta sleeve and stitched those seams. I always stitch my knit seams with 1mm narrow zig zag stitch. This greatly reduces the needle snagging on the knit.

Put your sewn pieces back into place right side up then pin the front to the sleeves and sew.

It helps to press the seams open asbestos you can.

Something I noticed while sewing with this very stretch rib knit was that I had to custom fit the sleeve bands. I had to just stretch tham as much as I could while pinning them to the wrist edge. The band ended up being much shorter than the pattern band.

When I used the length of band I cut from the pattern piece and sewed it to the sleeve, the wrist and band were much to big. The band and wrist edge ended up quite floppy.

The ponte knit is really firm so using the pattern length band worked out just right.

Knits can vary a lot and can be a bit unpredictable. Ribbing is the hardest to sew with. That’s why I often use the regular knit fabric to make neck bands, sleeve bands or waist bands.

Paid subscribers can download this pattern file.

Cheers,

Val

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Best intentions are just that. The best we can do. Sometimes I have to settle for less than perfect. In the big picture that is not a bad thing. Most times it is the only way I can maintain my sanity.

I intended to publish these trousers at the end of July.

I intended to sew several garments while visiting mum.

I intended to not spend anything for a month.

You guessed it. I didn’t achieve any of these things.

However, I did

• Publish the trousers pattern the following week.

• Buy a new sewing machine and have it delivered to mum’s house for next time.

• Buy a wonderful hand held clothes steamer so I can look my best at any time :)

Life would be a drag if there wasn’t a little bit of stress.

The pattern

Today’s pattern is part of an outfit that I have put together.

The outfit consists of:

• Trousers

• Turtleneck

• Vest

Today I am including the link to the wide leg trousers pattern for paid subscribers. They have a flat front and a gathered back.

You have to tape the pattern pieces together for each leg piece.

It’s best to crease the folds for the casing and the front waist first thing. I usually finger press them down using the lines on the pattern pieces and press them after.

For the pants hems I have allowed for a 1/4” double fold hem. I have found that pressing over the first fold only then folding the second fold as I sew works best. It’s easier to get an even second fold if you turn as you sew rather than trying to get it even under the iron.

On the green trousers I used my pinking shears for all the edges, even the casing edge. On the red trousers I left my pinking shears at mum’s by mistake so I didn’t do any seam neatening. In the past I would overlock everything but generally I give away my samples so a few with rough seams doesn’t bother me. I don’t recommend leaving them rough if the garment gets a lot of use.

The photos and notes above are additional to the detailed instructions and diagrams in the pattern file.

Coming in August

As soon as I complete the instruction files for the rest of the outfit I will schedule the posts. If all goes to plan they will go out in August. I have different garments for September’s outfit so I am trying to keep on track.

A cute story

I developed a story for the ruffle cuffs and bow neck tie outfit and now I have one for the trousers, turtleneck and vest outfit. I put some details into Chat GPT and ask it to create a story in a particular style. The latest one is Rachel going to the Science Fair at her school. She did her presentation on earth worms.

I am still playing with the formatting and format for the stories but I hope to get the science fair one out in August to complete the August outfit.

On Etsy

I am easily filling my time with sewing and writing so I don’t always put these patterns in the Etsy shop. You may find versions of them. By upgrading to a paid subscription either yearly or monthly you can get access to lots of patterns published only in the pattern club.

If you would like to browse my Etsy shop you can find it HERE

Cheers,

Val

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Last night I read before sleeping. I had the light on and I was using my phone kindle app. Usually I read my kindle with the light off and the screen darkened.

I was worried the change might make it harder for me to sleep.

I was really enjoying this book. Hence the phone app. (Where I am staying doesn't have wifi and I can’t update my kindle.)

I stopped at about 9.30pm and got up to put out the light and ready my bed.

Even after that disturbance I settled into the dark and comfortable bed with a huge sense of relief and comfort. I felt safe and happy. I was surprised by how much the feeling seemed to overwhelm me. I know I drifted off to sleep quickly.

I have to analyse everything and I have come to the conclusion that something in my subconscious has shifted. I can’t think of any particular situation that could bring on this feeling. My day wasn’t any different and I thought I was just the same. But something has changed. The feeling was worth noting.

Unfortunately, today’s usual stressors are still here to be dealt with but I feel like I have plenty of capacity to deal with them.

My credit card had a suspicious transaction and now I need a new card and the annoying updating that goes with it.

My Essentrics app was playing up so I couldn’t stream today’s stretching. I thought about just making something up but the momentum was gone. I made a cup of tea and some toast with marmalade and read my book.

I have one more chance to seize the day. Yesterday I decided I would go for a walk this afternoon. Hopefully I can get myself up and going. I may just end up being too darn comfortable and curl up on the lounge.

I have been looking for that comfortable feeling

I have been looking for that comfortable feeling of knowing that I have smoothed the way for the days ahead. Lately I have been looking for greater capacity to notice all the awesome things around me. The more I use my daily journal to record my thoughts and ideas and feelings, the less I need my carefully curated collection of specific journals.

I used to worry about not being able to analyse and handle all the inputs in my life. I always want to “know”. But since I have thrown away and given away so many physical items I have noticed a gradual awareness of being more comfortable with new inputs.

It has all come on gradually but also only become noticeable over the last 6 months or so. So what do I think is causing this change in me?

• I have come to an understanding that I love everything about journals

  • buying them

  • writing in them

  • collecting them on my shelf

  • dividing them into topics

  • reviewing my writings

  • looking at them

• I have an easy habit of writing my morning thoughts every day.

• I use my planner to think about what I need to do and check it off as I do it.

• I aggressively decluttered -

  • novels that filled my shelves and boxes, that I knew wouldn’t read again

  • Clothes that I knew I would never wear again or ever

  • Christmas decorations that were old (I kept the important ones)

  • papers and fabric scraps

  • all those things that get pushed into cupboards and drawers to deal with later

  • I made spaces where there was once stuff such as my glass top coffee table drawer, my bedside table, my bathroom counter, my kitchen counter

  • I dusted in all the corners

• Because we have the house on the market we closed our market stall and boxed up all the jewellery making items

• I am more accepting that I have sensitive emotions and an imagination that can build whole worlds around me. I am more able to expose these parts of me so I don’t have to try as hard to put up an “adult” mask.

• I have enough income from various sources to feel comfortable collecting “things”.

• I have spent months creating clothes capsules so I can effortlessly dress in a way that aligns with my values. I find that thoughtfully choosing the way I dress is a form of self care. I feel happy and confident.

The biggest impact

All the things in the list above have had an impact on my life but perhaps the two that surprised me the most were the decluttering and the clothes capsules.

I know, I know, every self help book suggests decluttering to improve your life but I thought I would miss my things.

I don’t even remember all the things I got rid of!

I feel so good about the spaces I have created by putting away little things.

I can highly recommend decluttering.

It has taken me a long time to get my clothes under control. I hated the thought of having 7 t-shirts all the one colour for convenience so I resisted any major capsule arrangements.

I suddenly realised that I needed a set of clothes (a capsule) for stepping out in public and a set for wearing around the house. I’m pretty hard on clothes regarding stains. Have you ever tried to get mango juice or passionfruit juice out of a white top? Or have you tried to get garden mud stains out of the cuffs of long trousers.

I needed to divide my home clothes from my outing clothes. I don’t know why it took me so long to work this out. I’ll probably do a whole post about my clothes capsules but generally here are my winter clothes capsules.

At home:

• Polo shirts with short sleeves

• A sweater or fleecy jacket

• Fleecy track pants or some of my older trousers

For going out:

• Button down shirt with a collar in various colours and styles

• Nice cardigan

• Neat trousers like new jeans or some nicer fabrics

• A scarf to match

I usually get dressed for round the house. If I have to go out later I get changed, then change back when I get home. That way my outing clothes stay newer longer. Whatever I am doing, I just feel right when I dress right, and having the curated capsules makes it effortless to feel good about myself.

When it comes down to it, I am always looking for ways to do things differently or better. Isn’t that what being alive is all about? Adapting and growing?

Cheers,

Val

Do you think you will have a go at the design for the Faux Blouse Accessories?

I think I will be making the bow neck tie lots of times. Maybe not the wrist ruffles so much because they are a bit tricky to put on the doll.

The Bow neck tie just closes in the back with the velcro and I think I will be adding it to all sorts of tops and blouses.

It might be more robust if I add a few stitches to the bow to make sure it doesn’t come undone.

The sweater I made to fit the wrist ruffles is so quick and easy to make. My original thought was to make faux blouse shirt tails that are made up of shirt tails and elastic around the waist. It fits under the sweater and adds to the illusion of wearing a blouse. I already have the shirt tails from the sweater shirt pattern. I just need to make them a bit longer and make the waist casing for the elastic.

When make a sweater for the faux blouse accessories I chose the uneven hem sweater that I already had a pattern for in my Bulky Knits collection. (I haven’t actually published the Bulky Knits collection yet.) I made some variations to the pattern by:

• keeping it the length of the front piece for the back as well,

• widening the sleeve at the wrist to make it easier to put the wrist ruffles underneath, and

• raising the neckline so I could just do a hem instead of ribbing.

I do a lot of variations on existing patterns and sometimes variations on variations.

I hope you have a go at adding this simple sweater design to your doll’s garments. If you haven’t done much with knits, bulky double knits like track suit knits and fleecy knits are pretty easy to work with.

I worked out years ago that I could sew knits with a normal needle and a narrow zig zag stitch with hardly any problems.

To sew knits:

• Use a regular machine needle

• Dial down to a 1mm zig zag

• Use your zig zag machine foot

• Use the zig zag for any seams that go across the stretch like sleeve hems

• You can use a straight stitch to sew parallel to the stretch such as down the back facings

• It is possible to do the hems with hardly any pins. Especially the tight curves like the neck or sleeve heads

• The cute factor of knits can hide a lot of mistakes

I consider myself to be skilled and confident at sewing doll clothes but that doesn’t mean I get it perfect every time. I can also be a bit slapdash but I don’t let it hold me back. I made a real mess of the neck and hem turnings on this pink top so I made sure I took more care with the grey top. It doesn’t mean I won’t keep this top and use it for outfits. I hadn’t sewn any knits for a while so it just took a few goes to get back in the swing.

I’ve been having fun sewing a few things lately. You will see the patterns over the next weeks.

I have made these wide leg trousers.

And a fuzzy vest.

And a raglan sleeve skivvy top.

They quickly came together. Can’t wait to get them into the pattern collection.

This week paid subscribers can download the simple sweater that works well with the Faux Blouse Accessories.

Cheers,

Val

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Is aging well a chore?

Do you find aging well is a chore? Do you feel like you are being told that you have to do all sorts of annoying things to stay healthy?

But wait a minute. Aren’t we just keeping on doing all those things we did as young adults?

Between 20 and 40 I used to go to the gym, do yoga, do weights at home, try to eat healthy, do puzzles and problems for brain strength, journaling, hobbies and work full time and look after a young family.

Sure I’m older now and very glad that I don’t have to work full time or look after my family (very much) anymore. Aging has meant that I don’t have enough energy to successfully do it all. I just do the self care stuff.

I still journal and exercise and work my brain and eat as healthy as possible and do some great hobbies. Why would I think these things are being imposed on me? I see them as the things a human needs to do to live a good life.

Take exercise for example

I do my Essentrics routines because they

• Stretch and strengthen my muscles

• Strengthen my feet and ankles

• Result in good posture

• Result in good balance

I do my dumbbell weights routines because they

• Slow muscle wasting

• Help to build muscle

• Help to maintain muscle use

• Possibly maintain mitochondria numbers

• Keep my bones strong

I now do step routines on my step bench because they

• Strengthen my core

• Strengthen my leg muscles

• Maintain rapid twitch muscle response

• Help with balance

• Improve cardio health

I have lots of time now I am retired, so I have the opportunity to work at reducing the affects of aging.

Why do I bother?

At my age it takes effort to stay strong, flexible and energetic.

I do it because every now and then I want to be able to

• Put my carry on bag in the overhead locker

• Carry my shopping home from the city

• Step on and off trains and buses without losing my balance

• Carry my luggage up the steps when the lift or escalators are out of order

• Go on walking tours

• Sit up on the stool at the cafe counter ( I like to people watch from this higher level)

• Run for the boarding gate

• Sit on the floor

• Lift a heavy frying pan

• Get in and out of my car or a taxi without hurting my back

• Get up and down off the floor

• Twist a lid off a jar

• and whatever else you can think of.

So when you read those publications that say you should be journaling or exercising or doing hobbies or eating certain foods it’s a good idea to do it rather than complain that you have too much to keep up with.

After all, why are we still here if not to work at enjoying life more?

Getting old is a gift

Trying to reduce the affects of aging works for me because I really want to keep doing all those things in the list above for as long as possible. I want to do them for 10 more years not just 5 more years. Sure, maybe after 10 years I will have to make some adjustments because no-one can defy the affects of aging, but I am not just going to sit back and accept it sooner than I have to.

I also like to do nothing sometimes. But something I have discovered is that being strong and flexible makes it easier to do nothing for long periods of time.

So do you really think staying strong and healthy and smart is a chore?

Cheers,

Val

Please pretend this is still June. The time just gets away. I am spending more time at mum’s to help her out from now on, but it shouldn’t affect my newsletter publications. I just got a bit behind this time.

For the month of June I was playing with the faux blouse accessories. That is two wrist ruffles and a removable bow tie neck band.

Introducing the Faux Blouse Accessories pattern for 18” dolls, a thoughtfully designed addition to my growing collection of doll clothes patterns. Whether you’re sewing for a treasured doll in your own collection or creating something special for a child or grandchild, the Faux Blouse Accessories have been designed to be both enjoyable to make and fun to play at styling.

As with all of my patterns, Faux Blouse Accessories has been carefully developed with attention to design, construction, and presentation. The pattern includes clear instructions, professionally prepared pattern pieces, and detailed illustrations to help you create a beautiful finished garment with confidence. I love exploring creative design ideas while keeping the sewing process practical and enjoyable for home dressmakers.

A Story using Chat GPT

Since pattern making is my main skill I feel like I can use Chat GPT to create some fun stories around the doll clothes. I asked it to use the points I came up with to create this fun story. ( I have always hated wearing too many layers under a coat.)

Rachel loved autumn, but she did not love wearing layers. As she stood in her bedroom getting ready for the annual hay ride at Miller’s Farm, she frowned at the outfit laid out on her bed.

“A blouse, a sweater, and a coat?” she sighed. “I’ll be much too hot and lumpy!”

Mum looked up from her sewing basket and smiled. “Perhaps we can find another way.”

Rachel watched as Mum rummaged through her fabric scraps and ribbon box. Before long, she had stitched a pair of crisp white ruffle wrist cuffs and tied a pretty bow at the neck. When Jenny slipped them on with her favorite red sweater, it looked exactly as though she were wearing a lovely blouse underneath.

“Oh, Mum!” Rachel exclaimed, twirling in front of the mirror. “It looks perfect!”

“And you’ll still have room to wear your coat comfortably,” Mum said with a wink.

Just as the autumn sun was setting and the air turned cool, a car horn sounded outside. Rachel’s friends had arrived.

Rachel buttoned up her coat, snuggled into her scarf, and hurried out the door. On the hay ride, everyone admired her smart autumn outfit.

“I don’t know how you can wear so many layers!” one friend laughed.

Rachel smiled and touched the little white ruffles peeking from her sleeves. “That’s a secret between Mum and me.”

As the wagon rolled through the golden fields beneath the evening sky, Rachel stayed warm, comfortable, and happy all night long.

Once again, Mum had saved the day.

I have some plans to make more stories like this and to include them in a journal page format to collect. I was inspired by the MapleLea dolls that come with journal pages. I thought that the story, then some lined pages, might encourage children to write about their dolls or their own experiences.

As I always do, I am working at creating a more positive mindset around making doll clothes patterns. I have felt a bit flat about making patterns for the newsletter. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think I need to see my designing more as a happy way to let my creativity flow. I know I like to design and sew, I just have to focus on the joy it gives me. Sometimes we just need a reminder that life should be fun.

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If you enjoy receiving new doll clothes designs, sewing inspiration, and behind-the-scenes insights into my design process, I invite you to join my paid Doll Clothes Pattern Club newsletter, where members receive exclusive patterns and related digital resources.

This time paid subscribers can download the Faux Blouse Accessories pattern.

Later this month I will be launching the story and journal pages and adding the sweaters you see the doll wearing with the accessories.

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The last few days my hips have been stiff. I am pretty aware that I hold a lot of stress in my hips. They get tight and stiff and my bursitis plays up.

I have spent a week or so getting the post build inspection done on our alfresco glazing project. We had no idea making the alfresco weather proof with glass required a final inspection from a certified building inspector. All we did was get a builder to put a window and two sliding doors between the pillars of the alfresco.

An alfresco is a patio that is part of the house slab and is also covered by the roof of the house. Apparently if you enclose an area to make a room it requires council approval, even if it is just glazing and no wall construction.

After dropping off all the documents and plans (I actually had everything I needed) I felt so much better.

This morning I woke up feeling full of energy and had no stiffness in my hips. I had to go for an early morning walk to work off some energy. The sun had just come up over the ocean horizon and everything looked so peaceful and pretty.

I could even see the moon.

It was fascinating how the high tide had shaped the beach.

It’s nice to know that my stress and anxiety is only temporary. I’ve been making an effort to reduce my cortisol spikes. I still have times of high stress but I am also recovering back to a relaxed state instead of always being stressed out. Being retired makes that transition to relaxed possible.

Here’s to another great day.

Cheers,

Val

I don’t know about you, but I keep seeing things on Substack or Youtube and I forget to book mark them.

It’s like they never existed when I try to find them again, even a few minutes later!

Somewhere I saw a post about spice tea. I got Google to tell me what to do because I lost the post.

I was a bit put off because it said to filter the tea to get rid of the powdery spice remnants after steeping but they would be too fine for a tea strainer.

What can I do? Fabric might work but I couldn’t be bothered getting some out. Then suddenly I remembered that I had planned to make my own herbal teas at some point and bought myself a pack of empty tea bags.

Now, I have been putting everything away because we are selling the house and I had to sit and think for a few minutes. Where would I have put those tea bags? I was so pleased with myself when I remembered putting some tea things away in an old T2 box in the kitchen draw.

The little Delft Blue cat jug I bought on a trip to Amsterdam

The little timber dish I got in Tasmania.

You can just see the corner of a white plate in the bottom. That is a lemon dish I picked up in a town on Lake Como.

Anyway, I made my tea with an added teabag of chamomile tea because I thought it might need a bit more body. I was surprised at how easy it was to drink. I might try having a cup of spice tea after lunch some days.

I wanted to know if steeping was ok instead of simmering so I asked Google again.

For spice tea, simmering is better if you are using whole, hard spices like cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom pods, or cloves. The gentle, continuous heat extracts up to 30% more flavour and active compounds, allowing these dense ingredients to properly soften and release their oils.

However, the best method depends entirely on what is in your cup:

• Simmering (Whole, Hard Spices & Roots): Place your fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, and cloves in a saucepan with water and boil for 10-20 minutes. This builds a rich, robust base. (If using traditional tea leaves like black or green, add them only in the final 3-5 minutes so they don’t turn bitter).

• Steeping (Ground Spices & Floral Teas): If your spice tea uses pre-ground spices (like nutmeg, powdered cinnamon, or turmeric) or delicate ingredients (like dried petals), boiling will cause bitterness and evaporate delicate flavors. Pour boiling water over them and steep covered for 5-7 minutes.

So, it seems steeping is good for my powdered spices.

Anyway, that’s another week down. I managed to exercise, eat healthy, journal every day, read my cosy mysteries, relax with herbal tea, follow my sleep routine, go for a walk, watch you tube and listen to some podcasts, talk with my family, play wordle, and reminisce about my travels. All in all a good week.

Cheers,

Val

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After getting more info on the 10 spice list I asked for a few more good options. I’m not a fan of garlic but everything else I am willing to try. I do have 12 tins to fill in my spice box.

I really enjoy trying to be better, healthier, more productive, stronger. I can’t even imagine getting up each morning and just accepting who I am.

Yesterday I didn’t eat spices or know anything about cooking with them.

Today I am trying new recipes, pulling out my unused spices, creating a spice box and learning a bit about the benefits of spices and herbs. All this because I read a newsletter urging me to change. I love growing and changing. Our brains are built for creativity, innovation and problem solving. I love trying to be better.

Cheers,

Val

Here is the second list of herbs and spices from Chat GPT. If your AI knows something about you, you can get examples that suit your tastes.

Me:

Are there a few more common ones I could add?

ChatGPT:

Yes — there are a few very common herbs and spices that pair naturally with the ones you already like and would greatly expand your combinations without making cooking more complicated.

Core additions that fit your style

Garlic

Garlic connects almost all your savoury herbs and spices.
Works with:

• Turmeric

• Rosemary

• Oregano

• Chili

• Ginger

• Black pepper

Easy uses:

• Eggs

• Rice

• Roast vegetables

• Chicken

• Soup

Cumin

Warm, earthy, grounding. Excellent with turmeric and chili.

Great combinations:

• Cumin + turmeric + ginger

• Cumin + oregano + chili

• Cumin + cinnamon in mince dishes

Works especially well in:

• Lentils

• Beef

• Rice

• Pumpkin

• Beans

Paprika (sweet or smoked)

Probably the easiest “make everything better” spice.
Adds warmth without much heat.

Perfect with:

• Rosemary

• Oregano

• Garlic

• Chili

• Black pepper

Best uses:

• Potatoes

• Eggs

• Chicken

• Roasted vegetables

Smoked paprika especially makes simple food taste richer.

Thyme

If you like rosemary and oregano, thyme fits naturally between them.
Gentler and softer.

Excellent in:

• Soups

• Chicken

• Potatoes

• Beans

• Tomato dishes

Great combinations:

• Thyme + rosemary

• Thyme + garlic + black pepper

• Thyme + oregano

Parsley

Adds freshness and balance to all the warm spices.
Very useful if meals start feeling too heavy.

Works with almost everything:

• Eggs

• Rice

• Soups

• Chicken

• Potatoes

Especially good with:

• Lemon

• Garlic

• Oregano

A few optional “next level” additions

Nutmeg

Tiny amounts in:

• Oats

• Pumpkin

• White sauces

• Spinach

• Coffee

Pairs beautifully with cinnamon and cloves.

Bay leaves

Very useful in:

• Soups

• Rice

• Slow cooked dishes

• Lentils

Adds subtle depth without effort.

Coriander (ground or fresh)

Ground coriander is warm and citrusy.
Fresh coriander brightens chili and ginger dishes.

Dill

Excellent with:

• Yogurt

• Potatoes

• Fish

• Cucumber

Very calming and fresh tasting.

If you wanted the “most useful” additions

I’d probably choose:

1. Garlic

2. Cumin

3. Paprika

4. Thyme

5. Parsley

Those five would multiply the usefulness of the spices you already love and make it easy to create:

• Mediterranean flavours

• Indian-inspired flavours

• Middle Eastern flavours

• Comfort food flavours

• Fresh herb flavours

without needing dozens of ingredients.

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I found myself looking through some Substack notes and posts. I find that I like it when there is a note that leads to a post.

Today I was shown 10 great spices and herbs by Doctor Poonam Desai

Longevity Newsletter by Dr. Poonam Desai

The 10 Spices That Quietly Add Years to Your Life

Let me say something controversial. The most underused longevity tool in your kitchen is not your blender, your air fryer, or that $400 cold plunge you guilt-bought on Black Friday. It is the dusty little jars sitting three feet from where you cook every single day…

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3 months ago · 148 likes · 6 comments · Dr Poonam Desai

I subscribed for free after reading a few more posts in the hope of having more come up in my feed.

I listed the 10 spices and herbs in my journal.

I had to get more about how to use them by turning to Chat GPT.

I love all the suggestions and I will be trying some out over the next few days.

The second thing I asked was for some more healthy herbs and spices that would fit my diet. It even supplied nice images.

I can’t wait to try some of the spice combinations in different meals. I will be trying rosemary fried eggs with potatoes for breakfast tomorrow. I’m going to boil some small half potatoes then flatten them a bit with a fork and fry them in butter and olive oil and rosemary. I saw the smashed potato idea on Substack too.

Here is my breakfast.

Since reading the Wizard’s Butler I have been using a tray to bring my breakfast to the table. A visitor joined me today.

I will definitely be printing out this information to keep it handy. I have an A5 journal for recipes. I will print the answers on A5 and slip them in my journal.

The image of the masala dabba spice box in the Doctor Poonam post has inspired me to use my tea box for spices instead of teas. It’s a lovely wooden box with 12 round tins inside. 8 are empty already so it is practically ready to go.

Isn’t life exciting!

Even if I don’t make up a masala dabba I have already made lots of plans for how I can use herbs and spices more often.

I started adding spices to my tea box. There is still some tea in there but I will use that up soon.

There is turmeric on the right, then ginger and cinnamon.

These three along with black pepper are what I put in my porridge.

Cheers,

Val

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Below is the first answer I got from Chat GPT. Just copy and paste it if you want to keep it.

Me:

I’m excited about these herbs and spices turmeric, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, saffron, cardamom, oregano, rosemary, chili pepper. Suggest ideas for adding these to my common meals on a regular basis, separately or in combination.

I was really happy with the reply:

ChatGPT:

These herbs and spices work well because many of them overlap in warmth, depth, circulation support, digestion, and blood sugar balance. You can build “default flavour combinations” so using them becomes automatic rather than something you have to think about each meal.

Warm breakfast combinations

Oats or porridge

A very easy daily base:

• Cinnamon + ginger + cloves

• Cinnamon + cardamom + saffron

• Turmeric + ginger + black pepper + cinnamon

Ideas:

• Stir saffron into warm milk before adding to oats

• Add cardamom to baked oats

• Use cloves very lightly — a pinch changes the whole flavour

• Chili works surprisingly well in chocolate oats

Yogurt or cottage cheese

• Cinnamon + cardamom + saffron

• Ginger + cinnamon

• Chili + oregano for savoury cottage cheese

Eggs

• Turmeric + black pepper scrambled eggs

• Chili + oregano omelette

• Rosemary fried eggs with potatoes

• Ginger and chili in an Asian-style omelette

Lunch and dinner defaults

Easy “golden” savoury mix

Works in:

• Rice

• Soup

• Chicken

• Lentils

• Roasted vegetables

Use:

• Turmeric

• Black pepper

• Ginger

• Garlic

• Optional chili

This becomes almost invisible once habitual.

Mediterranean combination

Very versatile for vegetables and meats:

• Oregano

• Rosemary

• Black pepper

• Chili flakes

Use on:

• Roast potatoes

• Chicken thighs

• Tomato dishes

• Beans

• Zucchini and eggplant

Warm spiced tomato flavour

Excellent in:

• Mince

• Lentils

• Soup

• Pasta sauce

Use:

• Cinnamon

• Chili

• Oregano

• Black pepper

A tiny amount of cinnamon in tomato dishes gives richness without tasting “sweet.”

Rice ideas

Saffron rice

Add:

• Saffron

• Cardamom

• Black pepper

Turmeric rice

Add:

• Turmeric

• Ginger

• Black pepper

Spiced rice

Add:

• Cloves

• Cardamom

• Cinnamon stick

• Chili

Even plain rice feels special this way.

Roasted vegetables

Earthy roast vegetables

• Rosemary

• Oregano

• Black pepper

Warm spiced vegetables

• Turmeric

• Ginger

• Chili

Sweet-spiced pumpkin or carrots

• Cinnamon

• Cloves

• Cardamom

Tea and drink ideas

Evening calming tea

• Cinnamon

• Cardamom

• Clove

Morning warming tea

• Ginger

• Chili

• Cinnamon

Golden milk

• Turmeric

• Ginger

• Black pepper

• Cinnamon

Saffron milk

• Saffron

• Cardamom

• Cinnamon

Easy “habit stacking” strategy

Instead of trying to use all of them every day, create categories:

Meal TypeDefault Spice PatternBreakfastCinnamon + gingerEggsTurmeric + pepperRoast vegetablesRosemary + oreganoRiceTurmeric or saffronSoupGinger + chiliTomato dishesOregano + cinnamonEvening drinkCardamom + clove

That way the flavour combinations become part of your identity and routine rather than a health project.

Some unexpectedly good combinations

• Cinnamon + chili

• Rosemary + cinnamon on roasted carrots

• Cardamom + black pepper in tea

• Oregano + chili on eggs

• Saffron + ginger in rice

• Cloves + chili in slow-cooked beef

• Turmeric + oregano on roasted cauliflower

Weekly rhythm idea

You could naturally rotate them:

• Monday: turmeric/ginger meals

• Tuesday: rosemary/oregano meals

• Wednesday: saffron/cardamom meals

• Thursday: chili/oregano meals

• Friday: cinnamon/clove comfort foods

This keeps variety high without needing lots of planning.

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One of my favourite things about summer doll clothes is creating designs that are pretty, practical and enjoyable to sew — and this little Summer Strappy Dress is exactly that.

It’s a pull-on design with elastic straps and an elastic back, so there are no buttons or velcro to fuss with. That makes it a lovely relaxed sewing project and an easy dress for little hands to use too.

The pattern includes:
• Full size printable pattern pieces
• Step-by-step pictorial instructions
• A comfortable summer fit for 18” dolls
• Printable storage extras including a divider page and envelope

I designed this as part of my Summer Capsule collection. It looks good with a cardigan over it or a t-shirt under it.

It fits the 18” American Girl doll and Our Generation doll, the 20” Australian Girl doll and the 17” Baby Born doll.

I’m thinking of using a light batiste or lawn to make a nightie or shorter to make a camisole. I might try making the straps with 1/8” elastic and cutting the straps a bit narrower to make it look more like underwear.

If you feel like sewing something light, cheerful and satisfying, this might be the perfect weekend project.

Paid subscribers can download this pattern as part of their subscription.

This pattern is also for sale in my Etsy shop.

Summer strappy dress for sale

Happy sewing,
Val

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I love sharing my efforts to live well but I think I have to finally accept that I don’t have a book in me and I don’t even have a normal organised pattern to my thoughts.

It’s time that I just write about whatever I am working on.

My wants and needs are very similar to lots of older women. I want to thrive. I want to enjoy life. I need to set some routines. I need to stop thinking that someone else does it better.

So, this week’s newsletter is about my desire to stabilise cortisol and insulin.

I happened upon Victor. It is obviously a newsletter written by AI but I like the style. It is all about the affects of not stabilising your hormones, how you can stabilise them and the results you can expect.

I have quite an extensive knowledge about hormones and how they work. I wasn’t worried about the AI being misleading or just plain wrong. I could tell what I was reading was pretty accurate and worth taking notice of.

I particularly liked the model it used about cascading affects to explain how one step in our day can result in continual overload and burnout.

I immediately asked my Chat GPT to come up with some good ideas to get my cortisol and insulin under control. There is always room for fine tuning.

Me:

I’m looking for some good ideas for getting my cortisol and insulin under control. What I have read is that they need to be tackled together but I should concentrate on the cortisol to start with. Make suggestions for morning and evening routines to help control cortisol.

Chat GPT:

You’re on the right track—cortisol and insulin are tightly linked. Chronically high cortisol can push blood sugar up, which then drives insulin higher. So starting with cortisol regulation is a practical, effective entry point. Rather than extreme changes, what works best is predictable daily signals to your body: light, food timing, movement, and wind-down cues.

Morning routine (set your cortisol rhythm properly)

Cortisol is supposed to rise in the morning. The goal isn’t to suppress it—but to make it rise at the right time, then fall naturally later.

1. Get light in your eyes within 30–60 minutes

• Go outside for 5–15 minutes (even if cloudy)

• This anchors your circadian rhythm and regulates cortisol timing

• Indoor light is too weak to have the same effect

Why it matters: Proper morning light helps prevent that “wired at night” feeling later.

2. Eat a protein-focused breakfast

• Aim for ~20–30g protein (you’re already tracking this well)

• Examples: eggs, Greek yogurt, leftover chicken, protein oats

Avoid: Starting the day with only carbs (e.g. toast alone)
→ This can spike insulin and keep cortisol elevated

3. Gentle, not intense, movement

• Walking, stretching, or light strength work

• Avoid fasted high-intensity workouts first thing if you’re stressed

Why: Hard training + already high morning cortisol = overload

4. Delay caffeine slightly (optional but powerful)

• Wait 60–90 minutes after waking before coffee

Why: Caffeine stacks on top of your natural cortisol spike

5. Create a “predictable start”

• Same wake time (±30 mins)

• Same basic sequence each day

Why: Your body thrives on rhythm → lowers baseline cortisol over time

I already do steps 1 to 5.

What I’m doing now is tightening up the routine. No matter where I am I get up about 6:30 and have glass of water with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of sea salt then walk outside to get light in my eyes.

I am getting enough protein most days but now I am more strict about staring with a few bites of protein from my plate first. I am also more strict about including some healthy carbs towards the end of every meal. I am also much more determined to avoid carb only snacks. A banana or apple is not a healthy snack for me.

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Evening routine (this is where most people fail)

If cortisol stays high at night, insulin regulation never stabilizes properly.

1. Dim lights 1–2 hours before bed

• Reduce overhead lighting

• Use lamps, warm light

Why: Light suppresses melatonin, which helps bring cortisol down

2. Eat dinner earlier and keep it balanced

• Finish eating ~2–3 hours before bed

• Include protein + carbs (yes, carbs help here)

Why: A small carb presence can help reduce nighttime cortisol

3. Low-stimulation wind-down (non-negotiable)

Pick 1–2:

• Reading

• Sewing (this actually fits your lifestyle perfectly)

• Journaling

• Gentle stretching

Avoid:

• Intense problem-solving

• Doomscrolling

• High-stakes decisions

4. “Close the stress loops”

This is underrated but extremely effective:

• Write down:

  • what you did today

  • what matters tomorrow (3 items max)

Why: Reduces mental load → lowers cortisol before sleep

5. Consistent sleep time

• Aim for the same bedtime window nightly

Why: Irregular sleep = dysregulated cortisol = insulin instability

I already do the evening wind down steps but I am more determined not to snack after my evening meal and I have been trying some relaxation exercises. I have a wind down alarm on my phone for 8:30. I don’t look at screens or do puzzles after this. I get ready for bed and read until about 9:30 - 10. I read my kindle on dark mode as dim as possible in the dark bedroom)

A simple version (if you want something realistic)

If you only did this, you’d likely see results:

Morning

• Go outside for 10 minutes

• Eat protein within 1 hour

• No phone for first 15 minutes

Evening

• Dim lights after dinner

• Do one calm activity (sewing is ideal for you)

• Write tomorrow’s top 3 tasks

One important pushback (because it matters)

You mentioned focusing on cortisol first. That’s useful—but don’t ignore insulin completely.

If meals are:

• very low protein

• highly processed

• or irregular

…you’ll keep triggering the same cycle no matter how perfect your routine is.

The sweet spot is:

• stable meals + stable rhythm

A final word from me

If you missed my comments in the middle -

I already do the above morning routine.

What I’m doing now is tightening up the routine. No matter where I am I get up about 6:30 and have glass of water with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of sea salt then walk outside to get light in my eyes.

I am getting enough protein most days but now I am more strict about staring with a few bites of protein from my plate first. I am also more strict about including some healthy carbs towards the end of every meal. I am also much more determined to avoid carb only snacks. A banana or apple is not a healthy snack for me.

I already do the evening wind down steps but I am more determined not to snack after my evening meal and I have been trying some relaxation exercises. I have a wind down alarm on my phone for 8:30. I don’t look at screens or do puzzles after this. I get ready for bed and read until about 9:30 - 10. I read my kindle on dark mode as dim as possible in the dark bedroom)

The take-away

• Set up a routine that stabilises your cortisol and insulin.

• Routine is good. Our life is made up of our habits. That is the way it is meant to be.

• Rising at 6:30, having a drink, getting outside and having a protein rich breakfast are the non-negotiable parts of my morning routine.

• 8:30 wind down is the non-negotiable part of my evening routine.

• Journaling, planning, exercising and being productive are habitual parts of my daily routine.

• Relaxing, doing nothing and being totally unproductive are also parts of my daily life.

• Being completely spontaneous or not having a plan does not help us thrive.

Cheers,

Val

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Everything was going just fine. However, the last month has been difficult. I had the coat all ready except for some of the instructions and I just couldn’t get my act together.

This is the coat I will publish later this year. The problem is I was just getting used to the extra mental and emotional capacity that I was creating by adjusting my life systems. But life is unpredictable and I now have a few other things that have popped up and are demanding that extra capacity plus a bit more.

I am working around this by deciding that I have to publish some of my past patterns into the Pattern Club over the next few months. I’m hoping I will get a chance to sew up some variations of them but I’ll see how that goes.

The important thing is that I feel more capable of recognising that I need to make mental and emotional space for the new situation. Apart from putting new designs on hold I am also reducing:

• My journaling routine

• My 1000 weeks newsletter frequency

• My business planning time

• My reflection time

• My jewellery production

These things take up a lot of my mental space and there is room to cut back and open up time and capacity.

I am doing my best to maintain my routines for morning and evening as well as making sure I keep up my healthy eating and exercise. So often these routines are the first to go when something goes awry.

I am committed to adding designs to the Pattern Club each month and this month I am adding the cute outfit I made a few years ago. I saw a nice human blouse and made adjustments to a dress bodice to recreate the design for the doll.

You will also find the pattern for the play shorts that have a slightly shaped hem that gives them a nice look and the bow headband from my free pattern collection.

Since one of the models wore the paper bag shorts that I designed a while back I have also included that pattern.

The blouse and the paper bag shorts come with photo tutorials as instructions. You can download the PDFs or access the tutorials on my sewing blog.

So this month paid subscribers will be able to download:

• The ruffled button down blouse

• The play shorts

• The paper bag shorts

• The bow headband

These designs come together to make a very cute summer outfit for 18” dolls.

My publishing schedule will be reduce a bit over the next several months. The Pattern Club Edition will go out as usual.

Cheers,

Val

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For years I only read fiction. Then one day I decided to add non-fiction books to my reading list.

Around the end of 2021 I finally decided that it was time to learn new things and find out about the real world. I started buying non-fiction books every few weeks or so. Because I was heavily involved with my doll clothes pattern business I sought out books about business, productivity and planning.

As I began to learn more I developed a craving for books about how we think. Why do we do what we do? Why are some people very successful and others not so much? Was it possible for me to change? Did I need to change?

An enlightening book was Grit. A motivating book was Essentialism. A galvanising book was Badass Boss. A fascinating book was Thinking Fast and Slow. A mind altering book was Thinking in Systems.

These books and many others have lead me on a journey of discovery that has brought me to where I am now. Re-reading them has made the messages stick.

Grit: Why passion and resilience are the secrets to success by Angela Duckwoth

From Grit I got the idea that consistent practice gets you to great heights. Effort is the key to success. Why is effort not sexy? Remember all those children’s stories. Who would you really rather be deep down. The flashy hare or the dorky tortoise. The big shiny diesel engine or the wimpy little steam engine. The lesson is supposed to be that anyone can win if they try hard enough. I think the message that got into our heads was that the hare and the big diesel were successful without trying, and they were cool. So trying hard and succeeding is not seen as impressive as being successful without trying.

However, I trying hard will get you a lot further than talent or genes.

After reading Grit I felt justified in my continued efforts to improve and achieve new goals. I was heading the right way.

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

From Essentialsim I learnt that even if everything seems important it is better to pick one thing to work on. I am still trying to truly believe that. I feel overwhelmed and stuck sometimes but I remember to let go of some things. It’s hard, but I end up moving forward. Seeing the proof that focusing on one thing works is helping me do it more often.

Likeable Badass: How Women get the Success they Deserve by Alison Fragale

From Likeable Badass I learnt that to be successful you have to tell people what you have achieved because no-one else is going to. I practice that a lot more now. I also learnt that earning respect requires you to make a plan to act warm and assertive. I am getting better at being a bit less warm and a bit more assertive in order to have people listen to my ideas.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

From Thinking, Fast and Slow I discovered that we have almost zero conscious control over what we think and do. It reinforced my efforts to learn better habits and teach myself better thought loops.

Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella H. Meadows

Thinking in Systems is a new book for me. I bought it last year and I am still reading it for the first time. I have gained a good knowledge of the jargon and I ended up setting up life systems. These have helped me realise that what I thought were weaknesses and faults are the result of faulty systems. There is a very clear path of improvement to follow. Understand the inputs, optimise the processes and evaluate the outputs.

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I am not an untidy person. What I was missing was the connection between:

• the input of the state of my physical space,

• the process of tidying and clearing my space (or not), and

• the output of stress as an undesirable output or increased capacity for thought and creativity as a desirable output.

I have put into action a study of my physical space. Then an improvement of the tidying and decluttering process. And finally I am feeling more calm and more energised to be creative. I have created a greater capacity for creativity by reducing the stress cause by my clutter.

Part of clearing my physical space included setting up a cupboard to keep all my journals neat and easily accessible. They tended to get spread all over my breakfast table but now I take out what I need at the time then put them away when I finish.

This has made it easier for me to plan and reflect. At the end of Q1 I rewrote my goals in the new Q2 goals journal I created. (In Q1 I used an expensive Kikki-K goals journal).

Creating a new goals sheet

I have had time, energy and brain capacity to continue thinking about my goals for this year. This resulted in me designing a different way to look at my goals. I like boxes and visual charts, so my latest goals sheet is more structured than a page of writing.

I have just started writing my goals on this new sheet. I am finding it perfect for getting a better understanding of why I am pursuing these goals.

I will be writing out my goals twice each quarter this year. Once with the headings I got from the Kikki-K journal and once on my own goals sheet. The more effort I put into analysing and rewriting my goals the more likely I am to get what I want.

Applying what I am learning

• I continue to make the best effort I can in all that I do.

• When I feel overwhelmed I stop and choose one thing.

• I deliberately tell people about my achievements without sounding like I am boasting.

• I use mindset work to create the thoughts and the reality that is best for me, because I have a good understanding of how the brain works.

• I am approaching every change I want to make in my life through systems and systems thinking.

I thought I was happy reading my cosy mysteries. Now my life is twice as good because I am educated and happy

For paid subscribers

Any resources I use to improve my life are available for paid subscribers.

This week I have included the new Goals Sheet that I am using.

Cheers,

Val

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What

Why does reaching a healthy weight always seem to be out of reach?

Have you ever watched Stargate SG1 or Stargate Universe or Stargate Atlantis?

I love shows that require you to just believe the impossible. These shows have lots of storylines that explore alternate realities and mind altering technology. I have been rewatching them on Prime MGM so maybe I am just primed to dealing with my own mental models.

Mental Model is a term used in systems thinking. What I am talking about can be described as a series of Thought Loops. We tell ourselves that ‘this thing will lead to this other thing. This is a problem when they are Negative Thought Loops.

Our brains don’t store data, they store connections and relationships as a result of all our past and present experiences.

• Two people can sense the same thing and interpret it completely differently.

• Each person believes their interpretation to be the truth.

• They each construct their own series of thought loops.

• Each series of thought loops becomes a mental model.

• Each person’s reality is made up of unique mental models.

• The mental model I have been challenging is to do with reaching a healthy weight.

I have worked through the reality I was stuck in and started to construct a reality that is closer to the truth.

So What

In the past I have explored some reasons for my resistance to losing weight. At the beginning of March (2026) I was ready to explore my resistance as a mental model or a series of thought loops.

Seeing my resistance as a mental model opened up the possibility of change. Understanding this was a real breakthrough for me.

Here is the old model.

If I do ‘this’, ‘this’ will happen.

If I lose weight or get to a healthy weight:

• I will look more powerful than I am comfortable with.

• I will become more visible than I am comfortable with.

• I will have to change the way I eat to maintain my healthy weight and that is hard.

• I will visibly become more healthy as others around me become less healthy causing some guilt.

• I might get ugly flabby bits around my tummy and arms.

• I might have to throw out some perfectly good clothes and that feels wasteful.

Some of these thought loops seem ridiculous to me as I re-write them here. I have already moved towards more positive thought loops. I can see that what I was thinking before was an extremely unhelpful constructed reality.

I am not saying that constructed realities don’t seem real. The problem is that they seem very real and inviolate.

Now What

On the opposite page in my journal I challenged each thought loop.

• I am strong enough now to handle any change in my identity brought about by losing weight.

• I am growing in confidence fast enough to deal with increased visibility as I lose weight.

• As I eat like a healthy person in order to lose weight it becomes easier to continue eating healthy. The process becomes a habit and requires less mental effort.

• Choosing to become more healthy is my choice. Others make their own choices. I have to accept that.

• I can’t believe that I considered flabby was worse than fatty.

• As an experienced dressmaker I can easily make adjustments to my clothes as I lose weight so they will last through my weight loss transition.

Since thinking this through I have gained a determination to fight the resistance. I have re-written my mental model. I believe it is a better more truthful model.

I am still becoming the person living in this new reality. It is challenging. Sometimes people around me can’t understand what I am trying to achieve and make it harder for me to leave the old me behind. If I am behaving differently then they need to relate to me differently. I can only imagine that they miss the old me and require time to get used to the new me.

I still have a long way to go but I believe that I can lose weight by consistently following my meal plan. I now believe it is possible but I will have to keep reminding myself.

Take aways

The life we are living is constructed by mental models.

Everyone’s mental models can be different.

Mental models can be deconstructed and reconstructed to change reality in our minds.

This opens the door to huge potential for change.

You may have to adjust your mental model about reality in order to accept this as possible.

This topic is related to The Imposter Experience because it is about how our minds work to keep us safe.

Is there something that you think is an absolute truth?

Can you bring yourself to test your thinking?

Is there something bothering you that could be cleared up or accepted by analysing your mental model?

Let me know in the comments.

Next week I will be applying more of what I learnt in the book Essentialism.

Cheers,

Val

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Those of you in the Northern Hemisphere should still have enough time to dress your dolls in coats. I am excited to present my first design with a hood. I have been dancing around the idea of a hood for a while but could not decide on a style for the hood.

I have gone with the simplest hood style to start with - a seam across the top part.

I did a quick look around the internet for hooded jacket patterns. I was surprised there were only a few.

I am eager to develop hood designs that can accommodate ears and zips for more variety. I have created some videos to help with the sewing of the coat.

I will be putting them on the blog and YouTube soon. I will provide links once I get them published.

I had to look for some clothes for my doll to wear under this month’s coat coat. I have been making so many designs lately that my collection has become a bit of an exploded bomb. I couldn’t find just the right classy garments that I wanted so I have gone with jeans and a knit top. I wish I could have found a nice turtleneck top. I think that would look great with this coat.

I will be offering the collar jacket and different shapes and lengths. I will also be designing a variety of pocket styles and I really want to play with putting seams and gathering in the back for some fun fashion looks. I won’t be withholding these extra design features as new month designs. I will be working on them over the next few months and I will upload them to the Pattern Club folder as I make them.

I have just received a gift of Christmas fabric scraps from a market friend who makes totes and bags. I am excited to try some on a reversible jacket with binding around the edges.

The reversible idea will work with any simple jacket style. I already have a short jacket in my shop. It would make a good basic shape for some variations. I’ll probably offer it in the Pattern Club in the next few months along with that cute v-neck dress design.

The bodice comes from this dress…

…and I made it v-neck. Then I put a gathered skirt on it. The v-neck pattern piece is floating around somewhere on the internet from years ago but I will be making the jacket and v-neck dress with the gathered skirt as a set for the Pattern Club. The challenge will be to make it with the Christmas scraps.

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The Pattern Shop

The hooded coat is not on Etsy yet but I have the same coat with a collar. You can also find the reversible jacket on Etsy. Club members will be able to download both of these designs over the next few months.

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Members of the Pattern Club can download the coat pattern below.

Cheers,

Val

Read more

Niching down is a bunch of nonsense. I can do it all.

I never took much notice of trying to niche down until I re-read Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

It makes sense to identify all the actions needed to run my pattern business and work through them one by one. Eeeek! I couldn’t have been more wrong according to my new best friend, Greg.

There are two big points I can now see while reading this book for the second time. It’s probably about 3 years since I first read it and I am a different person now. Also, this year, my specific plan was to re-read and apply what I read.

Point 1:

• It is important to distinguish the vital few from the trivial many. By investing in fewer things “we have the satisfying experience of making significant progress in the things that mater most”.

Point 2:

• It is important to identify the obstacles standing between me and my goal. But there is a second part. I have to ask, “What is the obstacle that, if removed, would make the majority of other obstacles disappear?”.

The only way to learn it and apply it is to take notes. Then journal every day to integrate it into present knowledge. The next step is to gain insights. The final step is to act on those insights.

Acting on point 1

I could see the sense in the essentialist approach to living. However, I always thought that I could do it all. I have read quite a lot about how our brain thinks and I couldn’t ignore that fact that working on one project is a better way to use my brain.

I had big plans to build my newsletter into a significant income stream. I was ready to treat my newsletter as a business and follow all those steps spruiked by other successful substackers. (It didn’t escape my notice that these substackers were successful because they chose to tell others how to be successful on substack.)

But I had to keep up the pattern business at the same time. After reading Essentialism and listening to my favourite tradie podcast, I sat down and finally saw that it was my pattern business that was the most profitable thing to work on. This was an important insight. Everything was in place for the pattern business, I had proof it could be very profitable, I enjoyed most of the work involved and I knew what I was doing.

I had to let go of the idea of making any useful income from my newsletter for now. It was better use of my time and effort to build up the pattern business again and just let the newsletter grow organically.

The plan is:

• make the Etsy pattern shop growth my priority.

• continue to publish newsletters about my life rather than to support my life.

Acting on point 2

I pulled out my notice board and I bought some sticky notes.

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I had a good think about what I wanted from my Etsy pattern shop and came to the conclusion that I enjoyed designing doll clothes. However, the reason for the shop was to create an income. A lot of the things I want have to be paid for. Such as, travel, nice clothes, morning tea with friends.

I was at that crossroads where I had to separate my creative passion from my business needs in order to make progress on my goals. My pattern sales had dropped off because I wasn’t paying attention to the business needs of the Etsy shop. It was so clear to me that my creative skills had nothing to do with sales. I already had proof that my patterns are popular if people get to see them. My big insight was seeing my pattern business as the best way to achieve my goals.

So, I had to identify the problem with sales.

• I had quite a lot of visitors to the shop

• I had a good number of listings

• I didn’t have social media driving people to the site

• My customer conversion was low

• I didn’t have a full set of photos for all the patterns

Since sales was my issue I settled on customer conversion as a good place to start. It was no good finding more traffic if I couldn’t convert them to sales.

This is part of what I have on my sticky notes. Ways that I can increase customer conversion.

My first action was to offer the preset coupons to abandoned carts, people who favourited my shop and people who bought. Those coupons have brought in a good income in the last few weeks and my conversion rate from Feb to Mar has gone up 2 percentage points. I can see that this one action has improved customer conversion.

My second action is still ongoing and that is to improve my listing images and titles.

My third action is to increase the number of listings. By looking at quite a few Etsy pattern shops I noticed there was a definite correlation between number of listings and number of sales.

My plan is:

• Identify the one thing that will move me forward.

• Clear the path so that one thing can improve.

• List all the obstacles to converting visits to sales.

• Move on to dealing with traffic after getting conversion on track.

How does all this fit with my Creative Business Paradox?

I can finally see the difference between my creative passion and my business project. It took me a while but I believe I have changed my mental model around keeping creativity and business skills separate both physically and mentally.

I am still working on both the business needs and the design needs but I have physically separated them. I design at a set time using my design journal. I work on the shop set up at a sdifferent time or work on the design I decided on.

I have also mentally separated them. After designing I sit and have a cup of tea and read or watch TV. I stop thinking in design mode. Afterwards I will work on the design for the pattern club or work on my Etsy shop.

Passion and consistency

I try to write about one or two main points each newsletter but my success and my progress is not achieved with just one or two steps. I didn’t wake up this morning and suddenly find I was aligned with the universe!

Creating the life I want is not just a straight line. To make progress after reading Essentialism I have integrated information and insights from:

• The Tradie podcast over several months.

• Re-reading Essentialism over a month.

• Podcasts about mindset and niching down.

• The work I am doing on my life systems.

• Examining my mental models (part of my systems thinking).

• Starting to treat my newsletter as a business and realising it wasn’t going to achieve my goals (cutting my losses).

• Weeks of journaling and repeating my goals every day.

• Researching for my Creative Business Paradox topics.

The conclusions I have come to and the actions I have taken:

• Niching down in business is a version of choosing the one vital thing as an essentialist.

• Achieving my goals required me to concentrate on my pattern business.

• Examining my mental model about niching down. That is, comparing what I was thinking to the facts. I could then shift my mental model closer to reality.

• Examining the obstacles inside my Etsy shop and discovering which obstacle, if removed, would unstick the bottleneck.

• Realising I need boundaries for my creativity to thrive.

• Setting up distinct boundaries between designing and the pattern business.

The results I have achieved:

• Increased my customer conversion.

• Matched my goals to my efforts and actions.

• Made my designing time more joyful.

• Realised the benefits of exploring my mental models and applied the mental model approach to eating healthy and lost 1kg.

• Recorded a slight increase in my Etsy revenue. (over 2 weeks).

As you can see I am passionate about thinking and analysing everything. I have found my daily journal invaluable for laying out my life as I have done above for March so far.

So how did I apply the mental model approach to eating healthy? Find out in the next instalment of 1000 Weeks.

Cheers,

Val

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Introduction

I just wanted to clarify my present position.

When I started researching and planning to write this series about the Creative Business Paradox I thought I would be calling on past experiences. Surprisingly, I have made some really big leaps in understanding in the last three months.

1. My need to research all the time was a kind of creative block. I am working on that.

2. I would still doubt myself whenever my expertise was called into question. I have worked out that I can find the truth and remove my doubt.

3. I have re-read Essentialsm by Greg McKeown. I am discovering the benefits of finding one thing to focus on. I have a single destination and all roads must lead there. This is like a big boundary.

4. I couldn’t see that I was I was trying to create without boundaries. I was lacking focus because everything blended together. I have a small boundary now that seems to be working well. I feel calmer with less noise in my brain.

This week :

• I investigate the benefits of creating a ‘container’ for creative time

Many creatives resist structure because it feels like a cage.

An insightful inner dialogue

The creative business paradox.

Mira:
I’ve always resisted structure. It felt like a cage. Creativity should be free… shouldn’t it?

Inner Voice:
Structure is effort. You don’t need it.

Mira:
But I can’t see where my creative thoughts end and my business production starts. I can’t focus on anything.

Inner Voice:
It happens to everyone.

Mira:
But it’s not good.

Inner Voice:
All the half-formed ideas, the business worries, the “What should I make this month?” questions. They rush in at the same time as your creativity. You just have to put up with that when you monetise your craft.

Mira:
That’s harsh.

Inner Voice:
You don’t have time to explore. Your CEO side wants a finished product on schedule.

Mira:
But I love being the artist and I love running the business.

Inner Voice:
Then you are back to the boundaries.

Mira:
Yes boundaries.

Inner Voice:
So now you want to schedule creativity?

Mira:
I want to protect it. The problem isn’t that I have a business.

Inner Voice:
No. Obviously the business is more important. Creating is a waste of time.

Mira:
Yes! The business question—What will I publish this month?—is driving everything.

Inner Voice:
Exactly.

Mira:
No. I think the ideas should come first.

Inner Voice:
Maybe it is OK to let the artist roam freely, within a time boundary. Maybe create freely and don’t ask whether it will sell.

Mira:
OOh! I’m excited now.

Inner Voice:
Don’t get too excited. Where will you find the time to create just for fun?

Mira:
But that would help add order to my thoughts and quiet the chatter. Isn’t that good?

Inner Voice:
Maybe.

Mira:
Structure as a safe space… not a cage.

Inner Voice:
That could work.

Mira:
So my business project can guide my creativity—but the processes stay separate.

Inner Voice:
Yes. The artist generates ideas. The CEO decides what the business needs.

Mira:
That might finally solve the feeling I’ve had for months—doing a lot, but never finishing the creative part. I was asking the artist to make business decisions.

Inner Voice:
I think we have discovered an important insight! But are you sure it will work?

Mira:
We will just have to try it and see.

Inner Voice:
OK. Let’s give it a go. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Acting on my insights

I love being the business CEO and I love being the artist. What I have noticed is that the boundary between my business thinking and my creativity is blurred. How can I create with confidence if I have no idea what the rules are? I need to control the flow of ideas to prevent overwhelm. I have discovered that my business project can guide my creativity but I have to keep the processes completely separate.

Turning my creative ideas into doll clothes patterns to sell, is my business.

I never saw that “creative ideas’ and “publishing patterns” required two distinct ways of thinking.

I would think to myself “What pattern will I publish this month?” Then sit and look for inspirations and draw some design ideas for a coat or dress or blouse. My business was driving the ideas rather than the other way around. I wondered why I always felt a bit flat about designing.

I struggled deciding what design to do that month. It was like I was doing a lot but wasn’t making any final decisions to focus my energy. Creating never stopped. It was always chattering away while I was trying to make a pattern to publish.

There were no boundaries.

The very first day that I tried out my ‘boundary’ for designing, I had a few moments afterward where my mind suddenly went quiet. It was almost scary. I wasn’t thinking ahead to what is next. I wasn’t judging what I had just accomplished. I felt like I was in the space between. I had the same feeling a few days later.

Is this what living in the moment can be like?

So what had I done.

I made a plan to spend 30 mins designing freely in my pattern design book. I could draw anything I thought would be fun to make for the doll. I call it my Discovery session. At the end of about 30 mins I close my book and go and have a cup of tea. After that cup of tea I start a business task.

My mind has transitioned from free flow creating to structured producing. I deliberately added the cup of tea so I had some time to transition completely.

It never occurred to me that something so simple could have such a profound affect on the chatter in my mind.

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It seems I have been practicing some boundaries without calling it that. Did I need these routines before I could find my creative boundary? I don’t know. But I imagine solving the creative business paradox is not a straight line.

Practical “Walls” to Introduce

• The Morning Ritual: Protecting the first hour of the day so you create before you consume.

I never look at my phone first thing when I get up, except to check the time.

I like to wander around a bit and do some simple setting up for later. Maybe take the sewing out of its box. Maybe put my journals out on the table. Maybe put my iPad on the charger.

I then make a drink with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt.

Then I journal. I love to start slow with lots of thinking.

• The Evening Shutdown: “Winning the night” by closing open loops so you don’t lie awake worrying.

As with my morning routine, I have had an evening routine in place for several years. My phone goes into sleep mode at 8:30 and chimes to let me know it is time to go off screens.

I have a reflection habit where I answer some questions and I record some gratitude.

I then read a novel before sleeping.

The path to being a successful and well-balanced creative business person is messy.

Some steps to take to create boundaries:

• Set up a morning routine

• Set up an evening routine

• Schedule a block of time to just create

• Schedule a block of time to just make products to sell

Next week:

I describe how I have used essentialism and niching down to guide me.

Share your experiences in the comments. Is what I am experiencing the usual thing? Have you tried something just to give it a go, even though you didn’t believe it would work?

Cheers,

Val