Word Art Wednesday #240-241 making dreams come true

I knew it would happen, I would wake up and want to make cards again!  I woke up today in the midst of a Benadryl fog and thought, I need to make some cards!  I love the blog Word Art Wednesday and it's mission, so that was the first place I went;  This weeks verse is

You can use this for your card making:

It will be in tomorrows mail.

I also made a card with a calendar page from Mary Englembrite's desk  calendar from 2015

Yes, that is okay to do, Mary encourages people to craft with her things - just don't resell them.

This card I thought had a very profound sentiment:

 When I read that last year It made me chuckle, like yeah right!  

But then not too long ago I realized I was having some issues with having to many irons in the fire and not enjoying anything and getting grumpy. I'm sharing this because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one in that boat.  I have a lot of interests and I have a lot of energy.  But I am not 25 anymore and I realized this year I really needed to get a grip on my activity level.  Almost everything I was doing was outgoing and helping others accomplish their vision.  I realized I needed to slow down and  work on some of my dreams coming true. I've raised my kids, worked my whole life both in a job and in the  chruch.  For right now there is nothing wrong with me sitting down enjoying a book or needlepoint or a swim. For a season someone else can teach Sunday school, I've put in 35 years.  for those of you in active churches, I am sure you understand exactly what I am talking about. 

The bible says :

( and you can use this  for your crafting if you would like)

I'm in  a new season

and I am going to accept it as a gift!

 So I really do feel like that cute gal in the picture!

I'd probably have a basket of needlework and my bible and a new cookbook on my lap- 

I did say slow down and enjoy the blessings the Lord has given me  - 

not stall!!

I hope you are having a lovely Sunday,

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

Ginny M 

Happy World Embroidery Day!!

Beautiful Pansy by Jessica Grimm

Have a great Day!

Ginny M

Pleasant riches

I've spent the last few days getting some things done, I love finishing projects , I also love starting them!  For the last couple of weeks, I have been thinking about the Bible verse from Proverbs 24:4

King James Bible

And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

I think there are a lot of bible studies to be written from this verse, but I'm not writing a bible study.  I am writing about a deep seeded feeling of contentment  The kind that comes from Trusting God and about being who he created you to be or at least the process of getting to that place of contentment.  

One thing about life here in Texas, I am learning how to relax, I made a decision to stop doing the things in my life that  make me crazy (like overworking and feeling over-responsible in at least a dozen areas of my life).  An enjoying the blessing that God has enriched my life with.  

It's big things and small things, the space of our own contemplation can be one of peace or one of the storms.  We can trust God or we can worry and fret over everything.

I'm choosing trust.  

I started the TAST challenge at the beginning of the week and did 11 stitches out of the 50 I need to catch up with:

This was so fun to just sit and stitch and not have to worry about marketing or selling.  

I did this for myself

.  This little exercise is part of a bigger plan

I want to become really good at embroidery for myself and because I'd like to teach this gentle art and someday.  I'd like to sit with my little granddaughter and  share  this part of my life with her. 

I have this 5x5 needlepoint I did when I as around 20, somehow it has made it through multiple moves,  a house fire and a flood!

Now I want to create a series of 5x5 and frame them to go with these pieces that I have collected

my first in a series will be a hummingbird:

I don't think I have ever seen a kit with fibers this long!!

Uh Oh!

Love the colors!

Back to the Bible verse, I have spent my life working and now I have the time to enjoy the fruit of our labor and make our house filled with precious and pleasant riches.

             When I was in my 20's I looked forward to this day, it came much quicker than                                     I could have imagined. It is also happier than I hoped (thank you Steve)

It's not about wealth and cars and houses, It is about love  and sharing the good things in your life.

Using the gifts you have been given and acquiring peace and not stuff.  

Fill your home with pleasant riches, but first fill it with the thing that lasts forever: Love.

Thanks for stopping by and if you do needlework, try TAST!!

Ginny M

Challenging myself

On my birthday I decided I really want to push myself to do something I've had in the back of my mind for years.  Make my clothes and advance my skills as an embroider.  So far I've made a jacket and it came out nice (I think) Nothing fancy but perfect for where I am living and the newer me (relaxed).  The embroidery thing happens by practice and by education and by practicing the education. I've had a hoop near me since I was 12 and I took out my first embroidery book  at the library.  Anyone remember this book?

I took this out from the library so many times they told me I had to let someone else use it for a month before they let me renew!!

I loved Erica Wilson's patterns!

1972 at it's best!!  I still like these!!

40+ years later I'd like to perfect my skills so for the Second time in the last 5 years I am joining "TAST"  Take  a stitch Tuesday.  This is a wonderful; program put together by Sharon Boggin.  Sharon lives down under and is a world renown author and teacher of embroidery and quilting

She writes a wonderful blog and keeps a website 'Pintangle'

On the Pintagle site, there is a page called TAST  It is here where you can read the particulars on the 100 stitches in a year challenge!

I started this 5 years ago and made it for two weeks.  It just wasn't the right time for me.

Many of these stitches I know, many I have forgotten. My point is getting better at something I love doing.  Getting it organized and having an index.

Another wonderful resource on Sharon pintangle is the Stitch Dictionary  This dictionary will give you instructions and pictures of Hundreds of stitches - this is an amazing resource and there is no charge!!

One of the problems I had the last time I started this was making an index for my stitches, you don't have to do this , but since I am stitching anyway I'd like to have this in an attractive format . So this is what I have done to help myself be successful fir this challenge which will take at least a year.

I cut my gound cloth in strips  6" x 4'.  When I am done with the bands of stitching I will do a pillow case binding on them with a pretty fabric backing 

This fabric served as a drape in its first life.  It has a beautiful hand and I think will be great to stitch on

 I am hooping this with a 6" Q-snap hoop which I can hold or put on a frame

Nice and tight and easy to rehoop when I have stiched the space.  This frame gives me a margin and there is no hoop burn

I also have a practice hoop on hand - this is where I stalled last time .  my new stitches were so messy I spent more time frogging than stitching!!  So now I will have a practice  hoop to learn new stitches before I stitch on the sampler band!

I have tons of fibers, a pack of needles, everything ready to go and everything can be put away or traveled with.

Becoming good at anything requires a plan and effort.  I am thankful I picked embroidery and not skiing!!

What area of your life have you challenged yourself??

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be posting my progress!

Ginny M

Second Yellow Block

I finished my second Yellow Block and have it ready for the morning mail.  This was the block I was working on the butterfly and decided I needed to go back to the drawing board.  I am happy with the way the second butterfly came out well enough and it restored confidence on my hand embroidery.   I was feeling a bit bad about not having my Singer Futura Embroidery machine.  I could have done up a butterfly in 30 minutes.  Instead, this one took my 6 hours. But I enjoyed it and embroidery is like any other Craft, practice makes perfect and I need practice!!  Here is the process and the block:

Stamped my image:  Note, the Adia cloth really wasn't the best fabric for this.

I hooped it - the fabric was too small, the tension was not tight enough.  I made it work

Here it is all stitched out.  This needed to be predominantly yellow

I couched the gold thread down to the edge. 

I cut the butterfly from the fabric and added a layer of PVC glue to the back.  This sealed the thread and created a handmade "patch"

On my block section, I stitched down this pretty yellow lace and added beads, placed the butterfly and created a gold "flight" pattern out of gold cord and also used that in a seam treatment.

The rest of the embroidery

This is such a pleasant skill and hobby.  In our screaming hi-tech world, this is a pleasant and low-cost hobby.

Thanks for stopping by and Have a great day!!

Ginny M

Rant

I just clicked off  Facebook.  I was a late-comer to  the Facebook world and sometimes I wonder if I should just delete myself altogether.  I found more hogwash today that ever before.  Facebook has become a  judge trial and jury forum fueled by propaganda.  I also came across an article about the new internet plane , now there will be no region on earth that cannot connect to the internet and facebook - if this is true and not just more propaganda.  The amazing aircraft is brought to you by Facebook to promote Facebook "now everyone can be connected".  Hello, Big Brother!  We live in crazy times and our culture embraces this crazy and fuels it.   There are wonderful things about the internet and I have enjoyed many of them.  This resource has enriched my life, but I wonder is this the pot that boils the frog?

I am glad in all the turmoil I can say, 'As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord'.  I am glad I have His eternal hand to walk through this life with.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite psalms:

All Within Me, Praise His Holy Name! 1{A Psalm of David.} Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. 7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. 8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. 19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. 20Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul Enjoy this free for your card making and art projects, Digitized by Karen Murray Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend. Ginny M

Good Ideas don't always Stitch out

I had this great idea and I spent 25 minutes in a hot room trying to work it and it was a craft fail.  You might wonder why I am taking up blog space to relate this to you?  Because you have to try things and just because it doesn't work out the way you hope doesn't mean it is a fail.  It just means try it a different way.  My goal is to create a really beautiful 3D Butterfly to go on my Yellow round robin.

My idea was to use my singer to couch down gold and then embroider in the details of a butterfly.  what I ended up with an opportunity to try something different to achieve my goal.

finding the right or semi-right foot

you never want to see this!

the spool picked up the thread from the cone holder

Got the machine couching down

After:  Nope not going to work, wrong fabric, wrong gold braid

Back to the drawing board!

Thanks for stopping by!

Ginny M

A Finish!

I finished my "Summer" block this morning and it will be in the afternoon mail.  I can't wait to see what I get in the swap!!  I belong to a Yahoo group called 'Crazy Quilt for Newbies'  It is fun and no pressure. I joined this group 8 years ago.  after a hand injury, I took a break due to the fact I couldn't even hold a pen for a year ;et alone a needle!  So I'm back at it and enjoying the stitching and the friendships.

Here is the block:


 bare block

 Gathering the "stash"

Fist bits

Half way

Finishes

I used the colors that are in my immediate inviornment.  we have lots of flowers right now because of the spring rains.  In another month things will fade a bit due to the lack of water - but there will still be thing blooming until January!!  I love the deserts landscape palette.  To me, it feels so open and free. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Ginny M

Yummy

Who doesn't love fresh bread?? This recipe and a bread maker make it super easy and economical!

I purchased this bread maker on Ebay for 35.00  when we moved here in November.

I have used every cycle except jam making and it's pretty much foolproof.  Every loaf of bread has come out perfect.  This is by far the best out of  six or seven that I have owned and used over the last 30 years.

This humble raisin bread loaf is a favorite around here, 

I use this recipe with a few modifications.  I add raisins and or cranberries , pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and Honey instead of sugar.  I also substitute one cup of Kamut bread flour for  one cup of the bread flour.  I will also mix home ground whole wheat  or oats and use that as a substitution for the bread flour. One slice of this and an egg for breakfast we keepS you going for hours. This loaf take 65 minutes from start to finish!!  Try it you'll like it!!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!!

Ginny M

This verse is provided by Word Art Wednesday!

Keeping things committed

Here is the Day Job:

I sew Parts!  This will be a zipper bag, today's work: 180 of them .  I won't be able to do them all in one day but they will be done by the end of the week.  I am a contract sewer and this is one of my jobs.

In the world of contract sewing this is one of the best jobs I have had:  clean, not too hard, lightweight and easy on my machines, plus I have a wonderful boss.  The owner of the company I work for designs her own patterns and is the best pattern maker I have ever worked for!  It makes a huge difference when a pattern is designed by a sewer!

Then by Night I do the fun stuff:

This is a Swap block with the theme Summer:

You do one bit at a time.    I have only been doing CQ for a few years and I am really working on good clean stitches (one of my goals is to become an expert and teacher of surface embroidery)

Lots of fun and wonderful things to play with

My husband posted this on his Facebook Page today and I thought this is so important I wanted to share it here.

"Commit thy works unto the LORD and thy thoughts shall be established" Proverbs 16:3 

When you sit and sew, whether it is at a machine or at a hoop you have a wonderful amount of time to think and to pray.  That is what I do, I pray for all the people I am blessed to have in my life, I pray for this blog that it would be an outreach of the Gospel and of encouragement.  I pray that the stories and vignettes of my simple life make you smile and point to The Way.   

My Works  are committed to the Lord, and my thoughts are filled with peace.  In a crazy world, that is a precious gift. One The Lord wants all to have. 

it's not hard, you just give the Lord what you have and what you do, and He will bless the works of your hands and the thought of your mind.  Ask Him he will tell you how!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great Day!

Ginny M