Problem: Article: Take the width of your elastic and double it, and then add ½” (1.3 cm) for a seam allowance. For example, if your elastic is ½” (1.3 cm) wide, then your measurement would be 1.5 inches (3.8 cm). Mark your dress and shoulder fabric pieces this distance from the top edge. Next, fold the top of each piece of fabric over so that the top edge is lined up with the area you marked. Place pins along the bottom edge of the fabric to secure it in place.  Make sure that you are folding the edge of the fabric over towards the wrong side. Make sure to fold over and pin the dress piece and the shoulder piece. Use your sewing machine to straight stitch along the bottom edge of the folded fabric. Make sure to sew about ¼” from the edge to ensure that the seam will be secure. Remove the pins as you sew. Make sure to sew the dress piece and the shoulder piece. After you have sewn up the edge, you will need to insert your elastic pieces through the opening in the side of each piece. First, attach a safety pin to the end of one of the elastic pieces, and then begin working the elastic through the opening in the seam on the edge of the fabric.  The fabric will bunch up as you go, but you can adjust it after you are finished to ensure that it is evenly spaced along the elastic. Make sure to insert the correct elastic pieces into their corresponding pieces of fabric. For example, your shoulder elastic piece will need to go into the seam of the shoulder fabric piece.
Summary: Mark the fabric. Fold over the fabric and pin in place. Sew along the bottom edges of your folded fabric. Insert the elastic using a safety pin.

Problem: Article: If most of the original bluing is still in place, you may be able to touch up the bluing yourself with a cold bluing kit. If most of the original bluing has worn away, you may want to consider removing the rest of the old bluing and hot bluing the gun metal. Vintage guns dating back to the 19th century were blued using either the rust bluing or fume bluing process. These processes are not used commercially today because of the amount of time involved. There are products commercially available that will let you perform the rust bluing process yourself, or you can find someone who will perform this process for you. Vintage guns that feature silver soldering or brazing cannot be hot-blued, because the caustic salts used in this process will eat the silver. Double-barreled shotguns commonly used this kind of soldering or brazing to keep the barrels aligned properly. Hot bluing costs significantly more than cold bluing does, so you need to consider the cost of the re-bluing process you plan to use against what you spent to acquire the gun in the first place and its resale value if you were to sell it. You should also consider the intrinsic value of the gun, or what it means to you, as well as its actual monetary value. If the gun is a family heirloom, you may want to consider spending more money on re-bluing the gun, even if its monetary value is the same that of a gun purchased at a sporting goods store. In addition to the monetary and intrinsic value of the gun that needs re-bluing, you should also take into account the costs of the bluing process you are considering using.  Cold bluing, described in Part Two of this article, is the simplest of the processes, and therefore the cheapest, but it is also the least durable. If you plan to handle the gun a lot after cold bluing it, you can expect the cold bluing to wear off fairly quickly. Hot bluing, described in Part Three of this article, is more durable than cold bluing and lasts longer than either cold bluing or rust bluing, but it requires more work and more equipment to perform. If you feel the gun deserves to be hot blued, but you find the work involved too daunting to do yourself, you may want to hire it done. Rust bluing, described in Part Four of this article, is somewhat less materials-intensive than hot bluing, but more materials-intensive than cold bluing. It is also the most time-intensive of the bluing processes, as you have to let the gun metal rest for a time to achieve the level of coloring you want. Again, you may want to hire someone to rust-blue your gun if you find the process too daunting to do yourself.
Summary: Consider how much of the old bluing has worn away. Consider the age of the gun. Consider the value of the gun. Consider the potential cost of the bluing process.

Problem: Article: This also helps keep them from getting spoiled too fast in the refrigerator. It’s frustrating to buy a carton of strawberries and to find them covered in white fuzz two days later.  You should discard strawberries that are moldy or squished. Again, keep the stem on until you are ready to use the berries in your recipe or to eat. You will need white vinegar and a basin or sink.  Fill up half a clean basin or sink with cold water. Make sure the water is not warm. Add 1 cup vinegar for every 3 cups of water.  Mix the solution well with your hand. You will clean a few strawberries at the time. This ensures you are cleaning each one properly.  Run strawberries vigorously for about 30 seconds through the vinegar solution. Rinse those strawberries well under cold water. You don’t want any of the vinegar flavor to remain on the fruit. Pat the fruit dry with paper towels, or dry it gently with a kitchen towel.
Summary: Clean the strawberries more thoroughly with a vinegar solution. Prepare the vinegar solution. Grab two or three strawberries.

Problem: Article: Daily journaling can allow you to consider your deepest desires, darkest secrets, and outlook on life. Get to know yourself better by writing your thoughts down every day. Set a timer for 15 minutes, and make sure that you write throughout the entire period. Your journal will be a valuable tool to allow you to develop insight into your current self as well as how you develop over the course of many years. If you find that you have writer's block, consider using a journaling prompt such as:  What is the most interesting thing that happened to me today? What did I daydream about? What topics make me uncomfortable to write about? Who are the 10 people I care about the most? Our memories often take the shape of a narrative or story, in much the same way that memoirs and autobiographies do. Articulating this life story can allow you to process these memories and make sense out of a great deal of chaotic information. Take a few minutes to think about how you might tell the story of your own life. What memories are the most significant? What life events have shaped the person you are today? What arc has your life taken? Simply thinking about your life story or talking about it with friends is beneficial. However, you might also consider more formal ways to communicate your life story, such as through:   A memoir or autobiography A photo album A short film A graphic novel Your appearance is one of the first ways that you communicate yourself to others. At the same time, your appearance also allows you to gain a better handle on yourself. Indeed, many introspective, reflective people take some time to consider how their self-presentation is related to their values, likes, and tastes. Consider experimenting with how you look in order to understand your own tastes and, by extension, your own life. You can:  Wear a color you've never worn before Experiment with a new hairstyle  Consider getting a tattoo or piercing Try to find a fashion or accessory designer you admire Remember to take standards of professionalism into account when you experiment. Some workplaces forbid visible tattoos and facial piercings for example. Many people are able to learn about themselves by engaging in some kind of creative activity. By making beautiful works of art, you come to know your own preferences. At the same time, you are honing a skill that might allow you to tell your own story more effectively. Consider taking a class at a local arts studio if you are a novice. If you already practice a craft, be sure to take time to work on it every day. Some arts and crafts you might consider are:  Sculpting Painting Creative writing (poetry, fiction, or non-fiction) Blogging Photography Dance Woodworking Pottery-throwing Gardening
Summary:
Keep a journal. Tell your life story. Experiment with your appearance. Learn an art form.