July's Theme - Snippets of JOY !
This month started out with alot of stress and challenges seeping over from the past year, but was packed full of snippets of JOY ! I've been thanking God for the moments of reminder of His constant love and faithfulness....there were so many chances to thank Him for answering prayer! It started with one beautiful word spoken to me by the specialist - BENIGN ! The cysts on my liver are large and still there but he is not concerned because they are benign! The challenge of direction was answered thus far and provision provided . Dear friends sending emails and phone calls of love and thoughts. Precious time with my husband and children. Meeting new friends who have immigrated to Canada, who are allowing us into their lives- sharing their joys and struggles. My husband and I spent time discussing, as he was preparing for a sermon message from Philippians 1;3-11, about the secret to Paul's joy and we were both so encouraged and refreshed! What perfect timing for some eternal reality !
The snippets kept coming....
Tea + Great friendships = great fire starter ! ....I have had a real spark lit under me as I asked for help with my french knot issue over shared tea at a friends house - she is a great problem solver and I had confidence that if I asked her she would FIND me the answer to my problem ( I tried to spell 'dilemma ' but can't even get the spell check right - my husband got out the old dictionary!)) lol SEW - out she pulled her trusty iPod and Googled a tutorial (dah- why didn't i think of that !) and within 4 min. we were making french knots ! sew -That set me off to creating again ! YEAHHHH... fire ! I have been working on my felt thimble and it looks good ! I will post the old pics as soon as I get the script writing done along the bottom edge!
I spent a whole 2 days pouring out some ideas and drawing and snipping pattern pieces for some upcoming pillow tops after the bug bit me...my dear neighbor had a birthday and she is so fantastic a friend and neighbor that I have wanted to make something special just for her - so I took the wool in hand and stitched up 2 appliqued pillows for her living room.
I purchased 2 linen -look pillow covers ( with zippers)
dug through my very ,very small stash of wool fabrics to choose something for her colour scheme
cut out pieces...and decided placement...
the pillows looked more amazing up against her chocolate brown sofa ...SHE loved them !
I had so much fun - I went out and purchased more pillow tops !
* note - I love to make pretty much everything I can of the piece I'm working on but these pillow tops were constructed well and with zippers -and I was able to get them so inexpensively that I jumped at the deal ! That means more time to play ! What joy !
In the Works....
Well I have been saving tea bags to make something for the challenge....I haven't forgotten, it's just slow because hubbie thru out the first couple I had drying in the cupboard !
I have the palm leaf bathmat almost completed but will hold pics till it's done....
I am working on making a guitar strap for my son's guitar...from a discarded pair of camel coloured twill pants
I will be starting to quilt a Christmas quilt top donated to my friend's 'up-cycle store' (proceeds going to orphans and widows in Asia )I am hoping to start basting after I get back from driving my hubbie to the airport this week.(he needs the attention first )
Rescued two of hubbie's dress shirts before the went to garbage for future project to make a couple little girl "dress shirt dresses"...*note my friend came to church today with her daughter's "apron' to show me...she cut down an old dress to make the cutest little bib apron for her daughter-only took her couple hours of fun !
Groan-er of the month !!! I don't wish to bring anyone down after sharing snippets of joy but as friends we must jounney together through thick and thin.....Today I picked up two Merino wool blankets from a local thrift shop - one blue and the other cream....but did a FOOLISH thing- in my distraction and hurry I put BOTH in the washer together! now I have one dark and one light blue blanket to cut up for projects !!!!! wow did I ever kick myself over that error !the cream one was $14 ! Oh these are the mistakes that 'take' ! I will have to over -dye that puppie for sure !
I am hoping to purchase online the recipe booklet and dyes from _The Woolen Willow... I was at a class years ago learning to dye wool and the teacher recommended this book....all these years I've been wanting to order it..hope it's still available !The wool used in the pillows shown above were dyed at that very class using the Willow's recipe booklet! (great article in Quilt Sampler 2007 about the Woolen Willow shop)
Thanks for journeying with me through this month of July. I pray you have an amazing time finishing your projects in your journey through July and a fresh creativity to start August.
Praying for you blessings and joy !
Jody
