Don't let the difficulties of the present moments overshadow the reality of God's promises. God's promises still stand. And God's promises are stronger than our failures.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

You Don't Want To Miss This!

This is going to be a fun blog hop ya'll - red, white, and blue quilt blocks made by nearly 100 bloggers.  I know there will be all kinds of blocks: paper piecing, machine and hand applique, both, pieced - modern and traditional.  Some will add a tutorial and others will be having a giveaway.  Check it out!






July 1st

July 2nd

July 3rd
July 4th

July 5th

July 6th

July 7th

July 9th

July 11th
Nancy R

July 12th
July 13th
July 14th
July 15th
July 16th
PolkaDotClassic

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

#7

I'm still working on UFOs, slowly but surely.  This finish is my seventh one this year - it's another top I pieced here at the mission last summer and quilted this summer.  Can you guess who it might be going to?





What little boy wouldn't love trucks and big machines and detour signs?  I have a grandson who's gonna' love this!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Some Blocks Just Need...

To be stitched by hand!



My quilt guild makes a raffle quilt every year...this is one of the two blocks I made for the next quilt. It has lots of diamonds which means lots of bias edges. I knew hand piecing was the only way to go with this one, and I'm so glad I did.

This is a picture of the pattern we're using. Isn't it gorgeous?



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, June 22, 2012

Please Identify Yourself!

Earlier this week I had a little time on my hands so I read a blog or two, or twenty seven.  I'm not sure.  But on one of the blogs I saw a cute lingerie bag that the blogger had added binding to - very cute idea.  I told myself to remember who posted this so I could come back to it.  I wasn't on my computer so I couldn't save it or pin it but I figured I'd remember.

I remember she bought her bags at Target - a 2 for $something bargain.  I was going to WalMart that day so I bought 4.  Why buy 2 when you can buy 4, right?  They were less than a dollar by the way.  I would tell you how many cents they were if I could find a cents sign on this computer but I can't and I refuse to write $.99.  Oops, I just wrote it.

I remember she said bias binding would have been better but she used straight binding and it worked for her. If it worked for her it would work for me, right?  It didn't.  Well, it did, but not so good.

Here's the thing I don't remember....the one thing I thought I WOULD remember.  Who the heck was it who posted that?  I've looked back at my reader, which had to be where it was, but either the title isn't what I thought it might be or I'm misremembering the whole thing.  In light of what I know about my memory I'd bet I'm misremembering.  Anyway, whoever you are, please identify yourself!  I have questions and a sad story.

Edit:  Thanks to those who had better memories than me! the blog post I saw was by Lori Holt at Bee In My Bonnet.  You can find it here.

First I had no blue thread here to go with my blue fabric.  I used gray, which wasn't so bad.  Or so good.

Then I broke a needle.  No worries, I had two left.

Then, this happened.


Wrinkled and pleated.  Just like parts of  my body.  I didn't just say that.  Oh, by the way, if you make this and you're thinking of taking pictures on your desk which has a glass top, don't.


A bit blurry, but I bet you get the picture.  Trust me, you'd rather this wasn't clear.  Ugly isn't it?

Now, if you stand back a ways and, as my mother might have said, ride by it on a galloping horse, it might not look bad.


And if you wash your dirty underwear in it the binding is going to shrink and wrinkle more because I forgot I hadn't prewashed, and it might even end up looking good.  I'm dreaming, right?



Wednesday, June 20, 2012

How To Be Happy

Renee over at Sewn With Grace posted this today, added a couple of things to it, and suggested we do the same.

She added:  Read a Psalm
                   Pick Strawberries

I'm adding:  Play with a child
                   Listen to your favorite music

What will you add?

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Grandma's Rain Lily

When I was a little girl my Grandma had this Lily on her screened in porch - she lived in Sanger, California.  When she died my cousin, Carole, got the plant and three years ago she shared it with me.  Isn't it gorgeous?  And don't you just love the connection of having something of your grandmother's?  Pieces of the past remind us of the ones we love and miss and who hold a special place in our hearts.  Whether it's a treadle sewing machine, a glass sugar bowl, a piece of jewelry, or a Rain Lily....sometimes in the seeing or the touching we are reminded of how important are the memories we make with our family.  That's a good lesson for us, don't you think?

Monday, June 11, 2012

It's June so This Must Be UFO #6!

I started this Schnibbles pattern last summer while I was here at the mission and finished it this summer. One year....that's not bad! And it's the first time I've ever done a scalloped border. :)








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPadn

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Have You Seen This Post?

Be still my heart!  :)  I love this quilt by Helen Stubbings at Hugs from Helen!
Home sweet home BOM

Just look at this detail!
home sweet home embroidered block

home sweet home

Is this not just too gorgeous for words?  Sigh.

And Helen is having a giveaway of the pattern.  Please don't go there.  I really, really, really want to win this quilt and if you go there you will really want to win it too.  Okay, I'm kidding.  Sort of.  I'm signing up and you should too.  It's okay.  I'll still love you if you win.  Just not as much.  :)

Monday, June 4, 2012

I Have Arrived!

I have arrived at my second home...UMCOR (United Methodist Commottee on Relief) at Sager Brown in Baldwin, Louisiana.





As some of you may remember I was just here for five weeks at the end of January, but my husband and I are normally here for June and July. I know, the hottest months of the year, right? Wrong! Actually it's cooler here than at home in Arkansas sometimes.

As we drive onto the campus we travel a long driveway




where we see our dorm/apartment straight ahead, the dorm/apartment where I stayed this winter on the left,




And this peaceful spot on the right.




We began our volunteer work on Sunday, Checking in 27 weekly volunteers who came from Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma to work in the depot or in the local community. Normally we have about 50 folks each week but for some reason the numbers are a little down right now.

We have a great two room apartment that, over the last couple of years, I have helped decorate.














This is a pretty old concrete block building but they keep it in great shape.

Lots of remodeling took place this winter in the office area where I work and look at what I ended up with!



A great place to sew. :)

Sager Brown has a very interesting history. In another post I'll tell you a bit of that but now I must try out that sewing area!




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