red work is finished, well the embroidery part!

Last night I completed the embroidery on the red work crib quilt. My Mom wants to put it together and I'm happy to turn it over to her capable hands! There are 22 different stitches in it. It was almost like a sampler for me, only I'm not going to keep it...

It is said that the Amish, when making a quilt will purposely mess up if the quilt has no mistakes in it because only God is perfect. I've not had that problem... there are many mistakes in this embroidery!   I'm not perfect and I enjoyed making it. 

...yep probably shouldn't have used a blanket stitch for the bunny's ears...

...loved satin stitching the ball...

...it's funny how I remember what was gong on as I stitched, Husband and I were watching a PBS program about the history of whaling in America as I stitched this one. I gave the cat on the right curly hair!...

...so here is where the biggest "oops" is most evident - unless you see these up close. Half way through this project I ran out of the red I was using. It was from an economy bag of 6 stranded cotton floss. I forgot to take some of the floss to A.C.Moore (the craft store that I use) so of course I chose a red that was much darker than the red I started with. I'm planning to tea dye the entire quilt when it's finished to help mellow them both out. The first red is bright with yellow/orange undertones. The second is darker with blue undertones. Such is life...

I don't yet know who will end up with the quilt. But I prayed for the receiver a lot while I stitched. Here are the rest of the panels they are pretty self explanatory. I hope you enjoy looking at them.

My next project is a pre-printed set of pillowcases with a matching dresser scarf. I thought the colors were bland. After all the red I'm ready for some pastels. I'm going out on a limb with this one, it will be fantasy colored. After all they are pillow cases, they should be dreamy! Have a great safe weekend. Walk with God.

books, books, books

Our county (public) library had a book sale last weekend. 450,000 books for sale. Some were withdrawn library books others were donated from private citizens others yet were donated by used book stores. We came out with a total of 8 boxes (I think!). We are just now cataloging them on Library Thing. So far we have found many first editions and even 2 signed first editions, and 2 birthday card tucked inside. It may take us till the rapture to catalog them all and some we will give away to friends and loved ones but no matter what we will enjoy them!

Exercise With God

When it seems like a subject seems to keep popping up in my life, banging me on the head, I know it's time to grab ahold and  take a good look. Recently I have repeatedly come across 2 things...The idea of exercise as compared to refraining from sin. And an aching longing for a deeper relationship with My Lord. I realize that these are 2 huge topics and in a way they are related, I could apply easily the idea of exercise to spiritual discipline and thus grow spiritually. Furthermore when I say I long for a deeper relationship with the Lord I mean that I long to be able to see and understand things the way that the old ones did. Jonathan Edwards, William Perkins, Matthew Henry, C H Macintosh, they had a much deeper understanding of Gods word and knew Him better for it. That's what I want. We are far less Bible literate today than those who traveled the  road before us. Why? How can this be when we have so much information at our very finger tips! It is simply because we don't read it. We don't take the time to read, study and learn God's word. Even in Christian circles we talk of godliness, modesty, child discipline, frugality...I want to talk about GOD! About what His word says about Him. He Himself. What did you speak of yesterday with your friends at church?  Did you sit quietly before the service and meditate on Why you were there? Did you seek your friends and discuss the things of the world? Do you want more of Him? I do, and I'm excited about it!

   Now for the part about exercising... the principle of this is; exercise, be it physical, mental or spiritual is difficult and painful at first. But it does get easier over time the more we do it. I know this is so simple it sounds ridiculous. But even though it is simple we don't practice it! It hurts to say "no, I'm not gonna eat that (fill in the blank)." I outright panic and get cranky sometimes if I deny myself something I want. This is the painful part of exercising wisdom in food choices. But over time it does get easier (doesn't it dieters?). Depending on your situation this is also an exercise of your deny-sin muscle. OUCH!  *alert, bunny trail dead ahead* I have often said "you wouldn't go into a church and empty a garbage can all over the place, so why if your body is the temple of the Living God would you do it to your body with junk food? (assuming you are a Christian as described in the Bible then,  Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. 1Corinthians 3:16,17 ) *alert,  bunny trail abruptly ends here*

How often do we whine saying "I'd do anything to lose weight" when what we really mean is - "I'd go through the drama of surgery to lose weight quickly". The truth is we won't do anything because anything would include eating a reasonable amount of healthy food and exercising daily, and that is very thing we won't do. The same is true of spiritual exercise. We will be on any committee, bake any amount of brownies, do any number of shallow "bible" studies *EEK, another bunny trail* why is it that in so many 'bible studies" ladies open up a book other than the Bible? *okay, back to our topic* but we are not wiling to open God's word and learn it. Prayerfully, diligently, giving God our time, effort, patience, love and worship? The answer: because it's as hard as eating a reasonable amount of healthy food and exercising daily! I heard a wonderful speaker once who wisely opened up the verse Hebrews 5:12.   "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food."  He said "not to be gross but, milk is food that someone has already digested for you." Milk is easy for us to take in and digest the work has already been done. Meat has to be chewed swallowed and digested. It takes a lot more work on our part! Oh, but dear sister in Christ, what reward we have as we work, and especially at the end!

I am thankful that you read my blog, but please close it now and open God's word.  

  

Hand embroidery - redwork

I've started a redwork lapquilt or crib quilt. It's called sunbonnet girls by Jack Dempsey needle art. I think I got it about 10 years ago at BenFranklin Crafts for $5. You don't have to buy a pattern though, that's part of the beauty of hand embroidery. I hope to get into that more later. Hand embroidery is something that I love, love, love to do. Being a true crafter I float from one project to another but I always come back to embroidery. I love trying to make my stitches small and even. I get excited to try new stitches. I like that it doesn't have to take a lot of fancy, expensive tools. It's not especially messy, and you can embroider anything on anything - well almost anything! So far I have used the following stitches: split stitch, chain, backstitch, lazy daisy, french knots and stem stitches. Let me know if you want tutorials on any of the stitches you see, I'd be happy to post them.

The hard stuff of Hypotonia

   I sometimes become bogged down in the hard stuff of life. Don't we all? I spent the weekend feeling like an awful mother because of Sparrow’s needs. You see, I get these obscure explanations about her needs. The "why's" and "how much's" are never explained to me in a way that I can still agree with them after the person who is here to help, leaves. Don't all babies walk on their toes? Aren't all babies flat footed? Why does she need a Developmental Therapist? How far behind is she? What happens after she turns 3 and we are out of the program? How horrible of a mother am I when she needs a therapist to help her with every part of her life? Oh, the accusations. Are they pushing her to hard? Would I be selfish and cruel to her if I refuse the care that trained professionals tell me she needs? Can you hear my heart breaking?
   There are no answers to some of my questions. Even her diagnosis is vague. Even though I can see the results of it for myself. But this I have - I have a God who knows no puzzle or mystery. He knows no confusion or vagueness. He knows all of Adelaide. He knows her smile and her DNA. He loves her! He loves me. In Him I will place my trust. In His careful hands I will place my precious daughter. I ask Him to confound their efforts if they have alterior motives. I ask Him to heal her pain. I ask Him to bless her life, to make her His own. I ask Him for wisdom in raising her to be the woman He wants her to be. Ya know what? He answers me. He answers me because He loves us. Because of His love for us I know I can trust Him. His love which He proved over 2000 years ago.