Some finished projects

I haven't been so good about taking pictures of all my projects lately, but here are some from the past few months that I did.



Purse
First is a knit purse. I based it on a pattern called Twitterpated, but changed it using my retro knit dictionary and picked out a basket stitch to use instead of garter. The yarn I used was Berroco Jasper in the red and blue color that my friend was ogling when we were in a yarn store one time. So I got it at a later date to make something for her and decided on this purse. I lined it with some fabric that brought out the blue in the yarn and then beaded a strap using hemp twine, turquoise-like beads, and purse rings. I added a couple inside pockets- lipstick and cell phone sized. And gave it to my friend for her birthday.


Micro Quilt Lovey
I made a little soft lovey for my niece in a simple pinwheel block pattern and used some soft baby fabrics to make it cuddly - the purple minky fur that has swirled rose shape (until I prewashed it and the swirls came out), the green print is cotton and a silky purple and white polk a dot satin for the binding and back. I used a scrap of cotton batting in the middle and stiched in the ditch for the quilting along the pinwheel seams. This was a very quick and satisfying project. I may have coined the word micro quilt, I don't know.

Retro Quilt
This was a collaborative project. My mother in law started this quilt in 1973 and I finished it in March 0f 2010. She wanted to make a quilt, so her grandmother helped her lay out the design and she bought some stylish fabric (it is perma press) and hand cut out (with a little cardboard template) all the squares. She pieced the squares into 9 piece blocks and then lost a little momentum. But she saved the project all this time. So I pieced the blocks together added cotton batting, got a quilting cotton for the back (in goldenrod color) and binding (in navy blue). I quilted it with my new walking foot I got just for the occasion in a diagonal pattern with golden rod and red alternating every other line. Then stiched the binding on by hand. She was thrilled to see her project completed after all these years.



Earring Holder
Using a lace weight undyed wool/silk blend from knit picks I knit this from a pattern that I cannot find now. But I got it free online. I then mounted it on a garage sale find frame over the goldenrod quilting fabric from last project. The earrings were made from some stashed jewelry supplies and served the purpose of showing what the heck the thing was. :)




Reusable snack bags
Little cotton snack bags lined with nylon (so they clean up easy) that close with velcro. For packing snacks to go or in lunches instead of using ziplocks. I made them for my 2 year old's birthday party favors. And they are for sale in my Etsy shop at the right if you happen to want one...

Staycation

Life has been too busy to check email on a regular basis, much less write a blog entry. But today has been the slowest, most enjoyable day I have had in a very long time. My dear husband and his parents have the kids and I am home alone to do whatever the heck I want. So since a facebook status just can't contain all the bliss I have experienced today I will recap here briefly.

I came home from being gone four weeks to my vegetable garden in full production. A beautiful site to my eyes. I even have figs growing on my volunteer fig tree that really shouldn't be growing right at the water heater, but I can't bear to part with it. I have wanted a fig tree desperately for the last couple years and this one CAME TO ME, how can I get rid of it? We won't discuss the tragedy of it being hacked back last year just before the couple figs on it were ripe. But the tree grew back strong from a tiny stump and now towers as high as the house. We really are going to have to do something. I'm hoping we can somehow dig it out and salvage it, but not until after this fall.

The first thing I did when I got home was to take a shower. Then I sat in silence for 30 minutes just thinking and praying, then I laid down for 30 minutes. It was so blissful. When I got up I was raring to get out in the garden.

I picked an eggplant, yellow squash, lettuce, strawberries, sungold tomatoes, broccoli, colorful carrots, basil, green onions, mint, lavender, and a bouquet of roses. The food was so beautiful I had to take a picture-unfortunately I don't have the camera - daddy does - so it was on my phone and will not be posted here. The picture is of the brandywine tomatoes that I was very sad to leave 4 weeks ago because they would ripen without me. But another little miracle gift is that they never did! They waited for me. One of them is just starting to turn pink now and I hope to enjoy it in the next couple days. I made for lunch my improvised version of ratatouille adding only olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little cooking sherry to my eggplant, tomatoes, squash, onion & basil. I ate it over a bed of lettuce with a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Strawberries were dessert. It was amazingly wonderful to eat a meal I grew from seed. One of the most gratifying experiences I've had in a while.

I read a cooking magazine in the sun. Made mint sun tea. Made an appointment for a facial tomorrow to use a gift certificate I have. Then I read a book (Eat Pray Love) and took a nap.

I went to the store to pick up some milk and eggs and am now listening to the whir of the ice cream maker freezing lavender ice cream and straining my homemade ricotta cheese. Not sure what I'm making for dinner, but I need to use my carrots, broccoli and ricotta somehow... Eating local doesn't get any better than this. And I am not buying another food item till the family comes home.

I'm not sure how I will spend the rest of the time. But I am thinking about watching a movie and doing some hand quilting tonight.

Thank you honey! I needed this!

Projects since Christmas

I'm catching up on posting all the projects that I completed and have pictures of to date. I may take a couple posts to do this. I'll start with knitting.

I knit this "Who?" owl hat for my mother in law who has great horned owls that come visit her trees at home. I used Berroco Vintage Wool and knit this hat in two days - on Thanksgiving day and the day after while I was very sick in bed. This was my fastest knitting project ever.


Followed by my slowest project to date. This scarf was knit for my brother in law and took way longer and way more yarn than I anticipated (I had to go back to the store twice). I pray for each person as I knit their gifts so he ended up getting the most prayers of all my Christmas giftees. I used Berroco Jasper and I loved the yarn. It is 100% Fine Merino Wool and feels very soft. I was very happy with how it came out although it did not photograph well. The pattern is "Extra Warm Men's Scarf".



Then for my husband's sanity I gave up crafting for the month of January. My first project in February was this pair of socks for my younger daughter. It was my first attempt at socks and it was really fun. I got the pattern from the book Vintage Baby Knits- the Frankie Striped sock pattern. Although I left out the stripes since my yarn did its own pattern. My daughter picked out the color she wanted- it's Heart and Sole sock yarn in Green Envy. I'm working on my second pair of socks now-adult anklet socks.

Will catch up on more later, aforementioned daughter is crying for my attention.

Bloomin

I've been enjoying the little pops of color showing up at my house. These plants that have been sitting by my doors looking like dead sticks for months are starting to bloom. I have been tempted a few times to pull them and throw them away, but with a little time, water (and some occasional coffee grounds) they've developed beautiful flowers. They made me think how God has patience with us, waters us from His word and His people, and even though we look or feel like dead sticks sometimes, He is faithful to produce blooms in our lives. My idea of what these blooms can be include compassion for others, little glimpses of His perspective on the world or people, the idea and ability to show acts of love or beauty.

Bring on the new wine

Often I think the Jews get a bad rap in the Christian Church. As God's chosen people they were expected to uphold His laws. Not just 10 of them, but 613. A complete list can be found here along with the scripture references. If you read Deuteronomy 5 & 6 where the top 10 are given those were proclaimed by the LORD in a loud voice and the people were scared they would die if He kept talking. So the LORD heard them and told the rest of the laws to Moses to relay to them. But they didn't have any less validity, and God wanted them taken seriously. As it is written in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframse of your houses and on your gates." The learned Jews had the entire Torah (first 5 books of old testament) memorized. We are proud of ourselves if we memorize one verse, let alone 5 books of scripture! They knew what God said and tried to live faithfully by it. This was not an easy task. So while they may have also added beyond the 613, details that God didn't specify, God did give them a mighty big pill to swallow. And aren't I thankful to no longer be under the law! But I can sympathise with the Jews when Jesus came along and had a whole new way of living to present to them. I can see why they would be skeptical when Jesus' message and way of doing things was different from the revelations they had received from God in the past. Which is why in Mark 2:22 Jesus says, "No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins." The new wine was the new way Jesus was bringing about to live by the spirit. God's law being in our minds and written on our hearts(See Jeremiah 31:32 & Hebrews 10:16), by the power of the spirit. This wouldn't fit into the old wineskin of the law. The new wine required a new wineskin, which is the new covenant. The Jews needed a complete paradigm shift to accept Jesus'teaching. They were no longer held to the first laws God gave them and commanded them to live by. It would have been hard to see that Jesus' message was also from the God they knew. And although I'm certainly glad to be living under the new covenant, that can be hard to live up to as well. Because we need to be constantly listening for the Spirit's guidance, and responding to what God has impressed upon our hearts and minds. So, anyways, that's all I have to say about that. Descending from soapbox, now.

Treasures

It's been a while since I've been on here. I am giving a devotional to my bible study group tomorrow and thought I'd share it here since it was something I put into print. We are studying the book of Luke and chapter 12 spoke to me, so it inspired this devotion. Along with a song that I will post if I can figure out how. I just realized that there is also a reference in the devotion to my last post - the gift Boutique (at which I sold not a single thing). It was quite a disappointment, but I guess there was a good reason. When I get around to it I'll post some of my crafts I gave as Christmas gifts. For now here is my devotion... The Lord has been speaking to me about treasures in heaven so I would like to share with you some of my thoughts and scriptures I found. To me the thought of “treasures in heaven” is uplifting, hopeful, and inspiring. It reminds me that this life is temporary, and shifts my focus upward and to a glorious future with my maker and master. But as I really began to ponder, “What exactly are treasures in heaven?” I turned to the scriptures. Matthew 6:19-21 says “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy where thieves do not break in and steal. Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” We have been given many treasures on earth and we should thankfully accept what God has provided us with. We should also realize their temporary and perishable nature, and we should not grasp them tightly or spend our time and energy storing them up. The treasures we have on earth should be held onto with an open palm. And we should be willing to let them go when required. So what are treasures in heaven? We learn from Matthew that they are not perishable. And that we have to choose which kind of treasure we want to store. We cannot be storing up treasures in heaven if our time is spent storing up treasures on earth. Then if we turn to Luke 12:33 we see Jesus saying, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide for yourselves purses that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.” So it appears that treasures in heaven can be gained by our generosity. Each day I wrote the memory verse,(Luke 12:33) again and again I wrote “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” I was prompted to action. Jesus isn’t speaking in parables here, he is giving a direct command, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” Ok, God, I’m listening what can I do? I remembered a blog post I saw about an organization that was selling handmade goods online with all of the profit going to Haiti. I also thought of the children’s outfits I had sitting in the garage that I sewn before Christmas for a gift boutique, which didn’t sell. I got up and emailed the pictures and info to donate them. That was a no brainer. But what else can I do, Lord? What does it look like to have the kind of generosity that Jesus is talking about, one that stores up heavenly treasures? From verse 33“Sell your possessions” tells me that generosity should be a little painful – it should cost us something and should mean that we have less than we might want because of it. I was also challenged by the Spirit to not just do good when it comes my way and makes sense, but I need to actively seek out ways to be generous. When I began thinking of what else I could practically do to be generous I thought of how much money we spend each month in comparison to the rest of the world. I shudder to think of the woes that Jesus would speak to Americans if He were to show up here today. Our very lifestyles cause oppression worldwide. It is almost paralyzing when I start to think about it. Not only can I give to the poor but I can be a compassionate consumer as well. I can try to make better decisions about the goods and services I buy for myself and my family. Instead of buying cheap goods that are frivolous, I can buy less overall and when spending my money on the basics I can support individuals and organizations with higher principles that put humanity as a priority. In Luke 12:48 Jesus tells the disciples, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” God has given us a tremendous responsibility with our wealth; we need to be mindful of how we use it. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 also reminds us to keep our focus on God regardless of how much we have. It says, “command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” From this Paul tells us, to gain treasures in heaven is to be rich in good deeds. After reading in Timothy I immediately thought of Micah 6:8 “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” We can use our earthly treasures (as well as our time and our attitudes towards others) to gain heavenly treasure. But it is not only our acts of goodness and generosity that God desires, He looks upon the heart and wants us to give cheerfully. He has also provided us with everything we need to be generous. 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times; having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” This reminds us that even though our cheerful generosity will result in our storing up of treasures in heaven, our motivation should not be for ourselves, but be that God would receive the glory and thanksgiving. For everything comes from Him and it is all to him we owe. Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.