The Quick Reference Guide

Psychic phenomenon: Watch out it is all around you.

Psychic phenomenon happens all the time and the more you expect it then you will experience lots of psychic events.

How do you open yourself up to experiencing a psychic phenomenon.

1. Make a point in predicting who is about to call you on the telephone.

2. Try and feel who is at your door before you answer it.

3. You will meet many people in pain; see if you can determine where their discomfort is. If you make a point to practice this you will know instinctively how to heal them.

4. Many people have problems see if you can psychically predict what their problems are.

5. Look at the news and see if you can accurately predict the future events.

6. When watching sport predict which team will win and what the score will be.

7. See if you can accurately predict what a friend will talk about today.

8. Predict who will be the first friend you will you will meet today.

9. Read as much about psychic development as you can, this will open up your mind to what is possible.

10. Learn to move negative energy out of your body. This is the secret to raising your vibration high enough to becoming psychic.

If you wish to work on your psychic development then take that extra few minutes to experience psychic events it will occur if you expect it.

It is all about taking those few moments to tune in and taking the time to practice each day until you do it without even being aware of it.

International psychic medium and founder of the American Association of psychics and healers.

Teacher of psychic development classes, law of attraction spiritual retreat and hands on healing classes. Also availiable for psychic mediumship and healing in person and by telephone. Call 970 586 9231 for details.

Cisco Quick Product Reference Guides

Advice or good references for creating sewing patterns, rather than buying them? Please help!?

I am learning how to sew, and I wanted to learn how to create sewing patterns rather than buy them or alter ready-made ones. I was hoping to find a good book or website to show me the step-by-step process. Also, some tips or advice would be nice. Thank you!
Also, please keep in mind that I have a pretty tight budget, and am not willing to buy the most expensive books out there. Thanks. =D

I’d suggest you start with a similar commercial pattern and learn to revise that into a different design if you’re just beginning to sew. There are some subtleties to the way patterns go together that are difficult to understand if you haven’t sewn a number of garments already… things like how a set in sleeve cap is shaped, or how to get a collar to roll so that it sits comfortably and looks right. It is amazingly easy to alter a good sleeve pattern for a new design — it’s also amazingly difficult to draft a refined, beautifully fitting sleeve from scratch. Even the pros use basic patterns — called “blocks” — to develop a new design, rather than starting from scratch each time.

I’d send you to the library to start your education… two of the easiest pattern drafting books for home are Rene Bergh’s and Don McCunn’s.

If you have kids, I’d send you to two of Kwik Sew’s books — Sewing for Toddlers and Sewing for Children, because these are really three books for the price of one — 1) some basic blocks for kids, ready to use as is or be restyled; 2) instructions on sewing up the garments properly; 3) instructions on restyling the blocks into new designs. Having those basic blocks as the basis of your work definitely improves the fit of your final design.

If you’re working with adult males, I’d use a couple of the most basic KwikSew patterns as your basic blocks. Something like KS 3422 can be used as a block to further develop the jacket and coat blocks from, and 3267 is a good pants block.

For adult women, I’d send you to Butterick B5300 for a two dart blouse block (which can be revised to most of the other bodice blocks) and B5215, which is the fitted, semi-fitted, and t-shirt knit bodice blocks, which can be restyled to the other knit blocks. The pants from B5192 are a good pants block (from which you can derive the straight skirt block, the foundation of all other skirt blocks).

The best standard text in the US market for my money is Connie Crawford’s Patternmaking Made Easy — but at just under $100, it’s expensive (and worth it!). She teaches (among other things) balancing the pattern (no other does that) and making the basic custom bodice block by draping, as well as the usual block manipulations to produce new designs. See if your library can get it for you on interlibrary loan for examination. Trying to redesign an unbalanced pattern is an exercise in frustration.

If you’re in the UK or want to work in metric, Winifred Aldrich’s books are my picks… though she doesn’t teach balance.

Flat Felled Seam

Of all the items I carry in my wallet, my Chicago public library card is the second most valuable — next to my driver’s license. Not only is the little green and white card the key to a world of possibilities; it is totally priceless. Let me tell you why.

1.Library cards are FREE. There are no fees, charges or taxes for owning the card. Just complete an application and provide proof of identity, a current address and Chicago residency.

2.Obtain a FREE education via books, periodicals, movies, museum passes, and other special perks offered by individual libraries. There is one main library, 76 neighborhood branches, and three regional facilities in the Chicago library system. Books can also be borrowed from suburban libraries according to the reciprocity policy. Therefore, this free education is very easy to obtain.

3.Accounts can be accessed online 24/7 with a valid library card for FREE. Records will show how many books that are checked out; when they are due; and any other information that is relevant to individual accounts.

4.Conduct research from home for FREE. Periodicals and other reference materials used for research can be found on the library’s website 24/7. There are only a couple resources that can only be found on the library databases; otherwise, all other research can be conducted remotely.

5.FREE Internet and WiFi are available at all libraries. Library cards are required for internet access; WiFi can be accessed through individual computers.

6.Gain FREE entry into most of Chicago museums with museum passes. Passes can be checked out for up to seven days. Although they do not allow entry into the extra attractions at museums, patrons can walk in for no charge.

7.After searching for books online, patrons can request to have books sent to the ANY library of their choice for FREE. Books can be delivered to a branch close to home or not.

8.Other benefits include FREE author discussions, exhibits and programs for individuals of all ages.

Although the library system offers lots of free stuff, patrons do have to pay late fees and any charges accrued for items checked out if a library card is lost or stolen. Fines range from $.20 a day for books and music up to $2 a day for movies and museum passes. Fortunately, there are maximum fines per item. Patrons won’t go broke unless they have a lot of items borrowed.

Essentially, getting a FREE library card; access to a FREE education via books, movies, and museum passes; and FREE computer access, WiFI and online research are totally priceless.

Marcie Hill is a published journalist, business writer and blogger with an entrepreneurial spirit. She is the owner of The Write Design Company http://www.thewritedesignco.com, and has been writing, editing and publishing her monthly inspirational newsletter, “Shorty In Da House”, for over eight years.

Ms. Hill’s works can be be read in her newsletter or one of her many blogs including ‘As NOT Seen on TV’, http://asnotseenontv.info.

A Prairie Home Companion: “Ruth Harrison, Reference Librarian” February 21, 2009