Over Avocados and Oatmeal

An abridged conversation with my 14 year old this morning at breakfast:

Prayer is confusing.

I know.  Our prayers matter, but God doesn't need our prayers to help us or others.

And people who are baptized still are sinners.

And those who aren't baptized can be really good people.

What's the point?

Sometimes I think the life of a Christian is to figure out 'What is the point?'  When you've felt the hand of God, you know there is a point and you want to spend your life figuring it out.

:::walking out the door::

I think the point is the relationship. Our following Him, delights Him, and our being known by Him brings us joy. And, you're pretty sure you need to evangelize.

What's does evangelize mean?

It means to let others know that this gift of joy is for them too.

It's Heart Season

For the last number of years I have made hand made Valentine's for my family.  I think I've only posted about them once here.  (Still get excited about fish and puns!)

This year I'm jumping the gun and posting photos of some of them now. 

I've posted a few process shots and videos on Instagram.  I used Pellon wash away stabilizer to layer scraps and tidbits and threads into a "scrap sandwich".  Then using invisible thread and the free motion embroidery foot on my machine, I stitched and stitched and stitched.  I then washed away the stabilizer, dried the new piece of "fabric" and cut out the heart shapes.

I used heat and bond to fuse two heart together; then I added little bits of stitching and beads here and there.

As you know, I'm a fan of scrappy and this little project satisfies that need to use all the little bits!

Of course there are scraps left of my scrap fabric...may actually toss them!  We'll see. :)

The back sides are actually fronts (because I fused two hearts, wrong sides together) just without any embellishments.

I still have more to stitch and hopefully will complete those yet tomorrow.

Here are few links from past Valentine's Day posts, perhaps you'll find some project to inspire you to cut, paste, or sew!!

Paper hearts

Paper Bag Valentines

Kid's Stitching Valentine

Shabby Chic Heart Wreath

Simple Newspaper Heart Garland

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Completely unrelated to Valentine's and Hearts:  I started listening to this podcast, Out of the Ordinary last week.  It is so good.  SO VERY GOOD.  It's a conversation between friends about the ordinary holiness of life.  Their stories are simple, relatable, and true to how God moves in their lives.  Maybe you would enjoy it too.

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Two Sweet Little Needle Books

Happy New Year!!

It's been awhile since I've been able to stop here and post.  I hope you all had a blessed Christmas.  We did...so much gratitude for the season. ♥

Yesterday I got the bug to make Ann Wood's "World's Sweetest Needle Book".  And since I had all the materials out, I decided to make two.

One for the drawer at my sewing machine to hold sewing machine needles and

one to 'travel'.  Travel where?  Upstairs? Maybe the car?  

The traveling needle book has a little pocket for thread.  I took a piece of vintage crocheted trim and hemmed it in fabric so as to stop the raveling and then stitched it on.

On this page I stitched a piece of braided trim to hold a leather thimble.  If you do hand stitching at all, I would really recommend this type of thimble even though appearances are lacking compared to a lovely vintage hard thimble!

I sewed in a length of recycled sari ribbon to hold a teeny pair of scissors.

Basking in all the vintage scraps, picking and choosing was so satisfying, just like when I made the tissue covers.

I pinned those little vintage lace trims in just to look pretty. :) ♥

Now you may think I hand stitch often to put all the time in to making this.  Well, really not all that often.  But I have taken some projects on the go (that link is one of my favorite projects) and I hope to have some ready to go for when I do just want to stitch.  

This little needle book will be the one to keep my sewing machine needles in.  I had been keeping them in one of my daughter's felt 4h project needle books or just throwing them in the drawer.  Then I have to squint with a magnifying glass to see the size after I rifle through the drawer just to find one.

I took a piece of old linen, ironed a piece of freezer paper to it to stabilize it, then put in one of my typewriters to type out the labels.  

That worked so well!

I use any old needle for when I sew on paper so I think I should keep those separate.

I have never actually used a leather needle, but I have some so now if I ever use one, I'll have a place to keep it.

I am thinking maybe this sweetness will keep me organized?!?!

It's been soooooo cold here this past week that it was perfect weather to spend quite a bit of time organizing and sorting all my supplies.  My sewing room/studio is getting spiffed up and ready for more projects.  Up next I believe will be some Valentines!

Have a great week!