Hottie Muslim

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acceptance, clothes, daria, God, haute muslim, marriage, modest, muslim, Muslimah, relationships, responsiblity, sad, sick, spiritual, world

Bismillah!

So the other day I was picking up my husband from the airport.  He had gone somewhere that was very difficult for me to deal with  and stayed for a number of days…so you can imagine that I was super happy that he made it back home.

On this particular day,  I decided to pick him up more as “Hottie” Muslim than “Haute” Muslim. Side note: Don’t judge me! Allah saw me way before your judgmental eyes read this post…

Anyway, as I rode to the airport on this beautiful summer day dressed other than myself, I began to think about how absolutely fine I felt and looked.  I noticed the stares from the men and women…and shamed to admit I liked the attention!  I had the window down, the sun was shining and I was singing my favorite songs!  As my eyes looked up to the rear view mirror and I caught a glance at myself, I thought…MILF!

Please make no mistake,  do not misunderstand this post! It is not a celebration of my Islamically inappropriate behavior.  Nor is it some “Hey, look at me” self esteem post…that’s for tomorrow (;  The entire point to this post is what my next thoughts were.  My very next thought as my eyes left the rear view mirror still celebrating my ample glittery cleavage was that Allah is not pleased.

My second thought was how easy it was for me to do it.  Yeah, I felt mad uncomfortable and even thought about putting on a jacket.  But, it was like that cartoon angel and devil on your shoulder.  That day the devil won…This is the thought I want to talk about, because I really don’t need to expound of God’s thoughts regarding immodesty.  Striving… Anyway, I thought about how I could just as easily dress this way if  I wanted to…everyday.  I thought about how we all know what we are supposed to do and in different matters choose to do the exact opposite.  Whether it’s an agreement between two people, whether you feel it’s what God wants you to do, or whether it’s something you promised yourself…It could be something small to something big…but, the point is, we make these kind of decisions every single day.  It lead me to the thought that we should applaud folks for the small things.  Applaud folks that do what they say they are supposed to do.  I’m not saying that we should have some sort of parade or whatever, but damn this is a sick sad world…(Daria Flashbacks abound…) So, someone striving deserves some applause! Even if that someone is you!

Cuz I gotta tell you don’t nobody gotta do nothing, so when they do, when we do… make our word bond, support them/yourself.  I went out of the house with dressed as the Anti-Hijab, no lie, and it was easy, by comparison. I don’t have a problem dressing Islamically…not really my uphill road, got other issues…( Now I know, there’s some deep rooted spiritual illness that I need to deal with and trust, Allah is not done with me….He got it… Normally, though, I don’t go out the house dressed immodestly.) The point is we live in a world that is built on selling that we should be the exact opposite of the spiritual guidelines provided for us. Spouses aren’t supposed to cheat  and we know it…but, at the end of the day…we could do it if that’s what we wanted to.  So, even though someone isn’t supposed to…look at the world we live in.  Some people do not care…so when you have someone trying…If you are someone striving…focus on that and applaud the struggle.  Cuz, it is ordained and there isn’t one single reason why we can’t applaud when someone makes the right decision.

The Time, Sewing and Me

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and, be, children, clothes, daughter, done, Farrakhan, God, haute muslim, life, marriage, modest, Muslimah, must, relationships, sewing, spiritual, student, the, time, what

Bismillah!

My husband is doing a performance in New York in support of our freedom fighters locked down.  Sometimes I am concerned for him.  Sometimes I miss him.  Sometimes I am selfish and do not wish to share my husband with the world.  Other times, I am understanding. I am thankful. I am proud. While other times, I am fearful.  Sometimes, I want to sing all his hooks.  Record all his videos. Go to every performance…  But I can’t.

I am most often prayerful, cognizant that when God has given you a mission.  You must submit.  When God has revealed to you how you are to use your gifts and talents.  You must submit.   I used to think that my mission was to help my husband.  That was it.  That was all.  I no longer feel that way. Don’t misunderstand me, part of my mission is to help my husband.  I am his help meet.  Don’t get it twisted, I AM THAT PROVERBS 31 CHICK! (I intend to put that on a t-shirt…copyright 2013) But, I am me.  I too have a mission.  But, everything in its own time.

THMLF has got me thinking about the time.  How am I supposed to utilize my time here on Earth…specifically.  He tweeted earlier today, “We have to accept responsibility to rectify the condition that prevails in our communities because no one else can do it for us. Rise up and accept your responsibility!” We all have a different role to play and different responsibilities.  At different times in our lives we may have to fall back and figure out just what that role is. The thing is we have to keep moving while trying to figure out where we fit in.

What I am learning  is that everything must be in its own time.  When you try to rush things, they are compromised.  You can’t take the cake out before its done. I am learning to trust that Allah is Sufficient and the Best Knower.  I am learning that this world and the mission is so much bigger than just me, but that I still play a part in it.

My part today was not as grand as what some might think their mission would be. It did not involve speaking before congress.  Nor did it envolve removing a brain tumor.  To me, it was just as important.  I helped my sister begin to learn how to sew.  It’s funny how the God can teach you lessons, if you just shut up and listen for Him.

I’m really busy.  My husband is frequently out of town. We have three small children (the youngest is one) who all have extra curricular activities and I am in school full time. But, I agreed to help my sister start her sewing journey.  I am grateful that she came by.  She too is busy.  She is newly married.  She is pregnant and has a daughter who has extra curricular activities.  But, it was important to her to learn how to sew, for herself and for her daughter. Nation building starts with individuals and families first.

We met for about 4 hours and by the end we were both exhausted.  Her spirit of tenacity is always inspiring.  I love how you can look at her face and see her mind working. She was in the orientation class when I was the instructress and she was always the most studious and the most quiet.  You had to be prepared, because she was there to find  truth. She takes her spirituality seriously. She is the epitome of humility.  Her grace is admirable.  I love and admire this sister.

I have to tell you.  I only intended on spending 2 hours max….ok one hour… on the class.  But, she was so determined to get her head around a certain concept that we had to keep going.  She taught me that I do have more time to dedicate to helping others.  She taught me that I do have the patience and knowledge to teach people how to sew.  I am not the best seamstress, no not by a long shot, but I know how to sew.  Just teaching the basics of pattern reading, measuring, and fabric selection will give someone the basics of sewing.  She can take these principles and teach herself how to make anything she wants to make …and she will.  I am inspired.

The Skirt

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clothes, g, haute muslim, long, mimi, modest, Muslimah, sewing, skirt, spiritual, virtuous, wear, woman

Bismillah,

I often get questions about where to get long skirts…there are a plethora of stores that sell them, but your best bet is making your own. Online resources like Shukr sale really cute long skirts…but they start at $70. Unless you can catch one on sale. If you can you’re looking at spending $35 and they may or may not have your size. Actually they are having a sale now…

You can make this skirt with between 1 7/8 yards (size 6) of fabric to 2 1/2 (size 22).  And you too can have the perfect long skirt…which I like to call The Skirt.  I have made this skirt in red, brown, white, and multi-tan. Seriously, it’s that usable of a pattern…

I  saw another really great skirt on Mimi G. Style  made of  tie dyed denim and was inspired to make this skirt again out of the same fabric.  (Mimi posted a link to purchase it with a 10% discount! God Bless her!)  I’m going to makeV1038 out of the tie dyed fabric too, when I find the time.  Keep in mind, Mimi’s skirt  is a Burda pattern that she had to lengthen from knee to ankle and the one I’m recommending is a Vogue and you don’t have to lengthen. (You’ll have to google the other one (;)

This ankle length skirt, V1038, can be dressed up or down, depending on your fabric selection.  If you look at the drawing you’ll notice the great detail at the hips and bottom. It is an extremely easy sew. The pattern is a DKNY pattern.

If you have any questions about this pattern comment below and I will try to help.

Dressing Jr. Haute Pt. II

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children, clothes, daughter, modest, muslim, Muslimah, sewing

Bismillah!

I thought I would continue this posting along the same vein as yesterday…sewing for Jr. Haute.  As I stated yesterday, if I find a modest pattern that works I buy the pattern in numerous sizes so that I can have a go to pattern as she grows.  You would be surprised at how different a piece can look with diverse colors, fabrics and styling.

The pattern I’m highlighting today is Simplicity 2576, view A.  This is a great quick simple skirt pattern.  It is also a good pattern to teach your child how to sew with.  The pattern has one piece…cut 2….sew the seam….sew your waist…hem and you’re done!  POW!  So easy!

I think I will make her a few next year in khaki for her school uniform. Below you will see a couple of styling variation of this pattern.  On the picture where she is dressed with the red skirt, with a star and crescent, the only thing I made was the skirt and tam.    The all fuchsia garment that was featured yesterday, I made in its entirety. It is a mixture between two patterns. Please see yesterday’s blog post.

I really like this play on the National, using the stereotypic colors of red, white, and blue.  She is is modest, covered, and haute!

I LOVE the use of color on the fuchsia garment.  It also has a little applique on the bottom of the skirt, that Jr. Haute selected.  The garment is made of crepe back satin and is rather dressy.  I probably wouldn’t have made it in the fabric in hindsight…only because it stains easily.  But, I think she looks absolutely beautiful in it!

Dressing Jr. Haute

Tags

children's, clothes, long, modest, Muslimah, sewing, skirts

Bismillah!

I posted a few things on Facebook about dressing modest young girls.  I thought I’d share them here. One of the first things that I do, when styling Jr. Haute, is seek her opinion.  She has her own style and opinion.  I never want her to feel like she’s being made to dress this way.  I let her express her Islam as only she knows how. The other key to styling your Jr. Haute is to re-imagine what we call a dress, pajamas, or a costume.  Some of both her and my best pieces have been fashioned from a costume pattern.

This pattern is one that I have used for years.  It is a simple dress pattern coupled with a simple pants/skirt pattern. Very easy sew.  I think it may have taken me 4 hours to sew the whole garment.  The top is made from Simplicity 5827. The skirt is made from Simplicity 2576. Also, I use a general tam pattern and leave off the 3rd piece (the bottom band) and put a really thin piece of elastic in it to make sure it fits and will stay on. (Note: Simplicity 5827 could be lengthened to make a really princessy dress…which the younger girls really like.)

Normally, when I find a pattern that works or even tops at the store, I buy several in several different sizes/colors to last her through the years. The top you see in this 2nd picture > was brought as a long dress four years ago.  Now she wears it as a top of appropriate length.  If you’re reading this blog you already know that modest clothes are hard to find, for both women and children.

I’m including several variations of this pattern so that you can get an idea of how you can go about sewing one pattern with different fabrics to change the entire look of  each garment.  Hope this is helpful to someone.

 

Jr. Haute

Tags

children, clothes, girls, images, jr. haute, media, modest, self esteem

When I was a little girl my mother would not let me wear Gloria Vanderbilt jeans.  Even though my favorite Grandmother had brought both my older sister and I a pair…in different colors too…so we could both look like we had two pairs each… My mother had to mess it all up and not allow me to wear them…well actually neither one of us…but, this story is about me.  LOL..

So, anyway mine were burgundy velvet and my sisters were teal.  They had the signature right across the butt pocket in gold so everyone would know. Oh yes these were Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans! I was so excited!  I planned out my little outfit and was about to stunt on ’em…till she said no.  I swear I mighta cussed my momma out about 70 different ways (in my mind…) How could she do that to me?????

So, what did I do in all my grade school cleverness?  I wore a  ginormous pair of whatever off brand jeans my parents had brought me from Sears Warehouse over my Gloria Vanderbilt’s and headed out the door feeling myself. Got on the back of that bus and took them big ole pants off. They wasn’t ready!  I wanna say that same day, I stole a tube of her lipstick to wear too…thus starting my love affair with red lips…which is another blog in itself…My mother found those jeans a lil to sexy for her young daughters…which, now as I look at them, I could see why.  But all that child’s mind saw all those years ago was that my mother was a hater…Did we say hater back then…was it wack or weak???? I can’t remember…

I don’t know if my mother ever found out to this day about that…but, it is one of those memories and life lessons that kind of stuck with me.  I think about that day more and more now that I have a daughter of my own.  Our daughter is seven right now and beginning to feel her self and her femininity.  Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing…but, I’m trying to encourage her towards modesty.  I want her to know know so much, but for the sake of this post suffice it to say that she should love her God, herself, and the God in herself. I want her to know that her body is sacred.  I want her to stay Jr. Haute forever.

I pray that she stays true to who she is and isn’t negatively effected by the bombardment of media images that tell her she’s not pretty enough or that her hair isn’t straight/long enough or that being a mother isn’t enough… if that is what she should choose to be.

So, I try to provide her with ways to express herself and her own personal style so that she will never, ever ever ever change her clothes on the back of the school bus.  Or play strip poker with Cherwanna T., Craig R., Craig B., Jennifer C. and Courtney M. on the back of that same school bus…oh wait, that was me… The picture you see right here is from a photo shoot we did.  I made her key pieces but she helped pick fabrics, decals, images and colors.  She is a natural.  She is my model and my muse. When I look at her expression in this picture, its the same expression I had when I walked in the school with my Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans on.  It is the expression of an individual that knows her worth! She is s child of God.  She is in the process of learning herself and has the right to claim who she is.  All we can do as parents is give children the tools, monitor and pray they are equipped when the time comes.  But, at the end of the day she is herself.  She is responsible for her actions.  Yes, even at seven. Like Jada said of Willow, “It’s…a statement that claims that even little girls have the RIGHT to own themselves and should not be a slave to even their mother’s deepest insecurities, hopes, and desires.”