June 8: Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 9:18, Fiber Fun, Literary Living, Finding Joy

Hello There,

Thank you for stopping in!  This week was wonderfully filled visits from my grandkids, a merging of redo of mine and Daddy's non-fiction libraries with brand new wall-to-wall bookshelves!  And, yes, these book are organized using the Dewey Decimal system.  Last summer my granddaughter labeled all of Daddy's 400+ books and I did my own some time ago.  Both Daddy and I had different books, but now the "holes" of information are mostly filled in.  I'm happy when I see them as it has become a beautiful collaboration between father and daughter.  

My husband and 15-year-old grandson built the shelves together.  By the time they were on the fifth and sixth shelves, my grandson could make them by himself! Later that night, my husband took these pictures.  The baseball caps on top represent a few of the military veterans in our family.

Stash Report. Sunday Slow Stitching. One Year of Stitches. Saturday Song.

Stash Report

This week was a crafting bust due to pain...but I'm learning to stop and take care of myself.  Funny - pain seems to be my companion more after chemotherapy....I wonder if I will ever have a week - heck - even a day without pain?  I wonder if other survivors who had fibromyalgia pre-chemotherapy also experience increased pain?  

I finished an Abbey Bag which used a bit of yardage.  You'll be seeing it this week.  I also finished Prayer Shawl #7!  Yea! My yarn numbers are starting to go in the right direction!  

Fabric used this week	1.57
Previous total	36.00
To Date used	37.57
Fabric in this week	0
Previous total	38.50
To Date in	38.50
Net in the red (more bought than used!)	-0.93
Yarn used this week	18.10
Previous total	0
To Date used	18.10
Yarn in this week	0
Previous total	166.80
To Date in	166.80
Net in the red (more bought than used!)	-148.70

Sunday Slow Stitching
My hopes for Sunday are to finally complete the Felt Advent Calendar.  All that's needed is the stitch the numbers on and sew the fronts to the backs!  Yea!  

If that gets done, I'll also be pulling stitches from the #1 Year of Stitches (see below).  

Then, if there's time, I'd love to bind this CIL square turned potholder/hot pad.  I squared it too small, so now it has a new life!

One Year of Stitches.
I've been completely unmotivated to stitch on this project and today I realized why:  the red words in the stem stitch.  simply look messy to me.  I prefer the clarity of the back stitch.  So, I'll be redoing them.  

Can you see me smiling?  I love when I can figure out what's bothering me about a project!

Saturday's Song
As you know, this week we will probably be wrapping up our almost two year study of the book of Philippians.  My first post on Philippians was on July 20, 2016!  Wow!  

Lately I've been seeking God for a new direction for this blog.  He is faithful and has clearly led me to begin a study for those of us who have loved ones in our lives who are struggling with alcoholism, addiction and other life issues. It ties in with my Scripture for 2018:  

 My #1 Year of Stitches also began with this verse.  A dear friend and I were talking and I told her how my #1 Year of Stitches calms me as I focus on God's Word.  As the storm swirls about me, I'm learning to sit still and stitch, reminding myself that all I can do is be still and know He is God.  She came up with the title for this new series:

Still Stitching

For now, let's remember 

that He is the God 

of the hills and valleys, 

dear reader.

  

Linking up to

Spiritual Sundays

Sunday Stash @ Quilt, Paint, Create

Sunday Slow Stitching 
@ Kathy’s Quilts

update:  a new link up- 

Sunday Scripture Blessings
@ Peabea's Scribles

You make my day with your comments!  

I love reading and responding to them!

Philipppians 4:21. To Do Tuesday on a Friday!

Philippians 4:21
Scripture

Observation
To greet all of God's people...so loving to let them know Paul is thinking of them.  Also, can you imagine the brothers and sisters who are with Paul, perhaps even listening as he may have dictated his letter?

I wonder if many of these had family who heard the greetings?  Greetings filled with love sent via the pages of a letter.  Beautiful.

Application
In this age of technology, we seem to be losing the art of letter writing.  Perhaps I need to pick it up again....

Also, I've noticed that whenever I'm on the phone with loved ones, especially my parents, we end our conversations sending greetings to everyone in our two homes - as well as saying, "I love you."  In fact, during my daily calls to Dad, "I love you," are the last words we say to each other.  Greetings filled with love.

Prayer
Father God, thank you for the word "greetings"!  I love envisioning Paul sending his greetings as well of those of the brothers and sisters who are with him.  I'm so grateful that I can still share greetings of love with my parents.  Thank you, Abba, for that gift.  Amen.

To Do Tuesday
Last Week's List 

1) Even though I'm working more this week, I think I'll be able to finish the second Tumbling Blocks prototype. This one is going much better!  Done!

2) Finish crocheting five blue and yellow flowers of the Maria's Blue Crayon Spring Granny Afghan Crochet ! I wonder if adding starting to join them is too much for my hands?  We'll see......  Done!

3) Use up the rest of the strings for the CIL blocks. Done!

4) Make progress on Prayer Shawl #7. This week our Cancer Care Group meets, so I'll be able to work on this one.  I usually reserve this project for this meeting night.  Done!

5) Pray my prayer and memorize Genesis 50:20a  A friend at church recommended using Post-It notes all around the house to memorize Scripture.  I'm going to try that.  LORD knows I have enough of them! Done!

This Week's List
Being that my last To Do Tuesday was 2 1/2 weeks ago - of course it got finished - thankfully!
Here's my new list which will be short because Tuesday is just around the corner!

1) Do a fabric pull for the new Y-seams Tumbling Blocks prototype with my new Accuquilt Die. 

2)  Finish joining Row 2 of the Maria's Blue Crayon Spring Granny Afghan Crochet.


3) Do a fabric pull for the new CIL block drive.  

4) Finish the Felt Nativity Calendar.

  I only need 3 more ornaments!

 I hope you check out these fun link ups!  

To Do Tuesday 

@ Stitch All Things

Can I Get a Whoop! Whoop!

@Confessions of a 

Fabric Addict 

Finished or Not Friday 

@ Busy Hands Quilts

Finish It Up Friday 

@ Crazy Mom Quilts

Crystal Twaddell’s

Fresh Market Friday 

Saturday's Song. Slow Stitching. Stash Report - More in the Red with Yarn,

Saturday's Song

I've shared this week's song, Reckless Love by Cory Asbury, recently, but I felt led to share it again because it is on my heart this morning.  Additionally, I felt led to do a bit of research on the background of this week's song and learned that his use of the word "reckless" to describe God's love caused a bit of a stir in the Christian community.  After listening to his response on this video after he sings, I can only humbly praise God for being so reckless in His love for me - for all of us.  


May we all learn to love recklessly.   Here is the link to the song's lyrics as well as another video with the lyrics showing.  Some have mentioned that they like to read the lyrics.  :)



Sunday Slow Stitching

Maria's Spring Flower Granny Square CAL from Maria's Blue Crayon) is moving along.  I have decided to work up a "bouquet" of flowers  first and then join them.  I love how they look all together!  I picked up a green and blue by Caron to finish this project.  

I cut out the final pieces of my grandbabies Felt Advent Calendar and made a bit of stitching progress!  I'm so excited as I know I have been working on it at least for a little more than a year!


One Year of Stitches.

Progress continues on my  #1yearofstitches.  Increasingly, I'm finding that it's a great way to begin my prayer and Bible study time.  You can follow my daily progress on my Instagram account.


Stash Report
I have gone deeper in the red with my yarn stash.  However, I may yet get in the black - as a good friend said, "Where there's life, there's hope!"  

Sadly, another brick and mortar locally owned shop is going out of business and has reduced their prices.  So, I paid them a visit - and here's my finds.  

This beautiful yarn by Uneek will go nicely with my bit of bling yarn!

 These will also go nicely together!  I love how this superwash by Elysian works up!

UPDATED:  2/11/18 to include new fabric purchases.

Here's my new fabric purchases this week.  I needed the off-white Bella solid for a project.  The other two?  I just liked - a lot!  :)

Fabric used this week	1.875
Previous total	22.525
To Date used	24.400
Fabric in this week	4.000
Previous total	14.500
To Date in	18.500
Net in the black or red?	5.900
Yarn used this week	0
Previous total	0
To Date used	0
Yarn in this week	(corrected) 38.00
Previous total	0
To Date in	13.00
Net in the black or red?	(corrected)-51 oz

Linking up to

Spiritual Sundays

SundayStash @ Quilt, Paint, Create

Sunday SlowStitching @ Kathy’s Quilts

You make my day with your comments!  

I love reading and responding to them!

Saturday's Song. Sunday Slow Stitching. Stash Report.

Saturday's Song

Here's the lyrics.  

So many times we think our mistakes are "too bad", "too big", "too nasty", "too frequent" to merit God's forgiveness.  

Oh my dear reader!
Such lies from the defeated one keep us chained up in defeat.  

Read these lyrics from All You Ever Wanted by Casting Crowns:

"I was chasing healing

when I'd been made well

I was fighting battles

when You conquered hell
Living free but from a prison cell
Lord, I lay it down today

So I'll stop living off of how I feel 

and start standing on Your truth revealed
Jesus is my strength, my shield
And He will never fail me"

The battle, the war is over.

We won through Christ Jesus.

Remember, Loved One, 

Nothing.  

Nothing. 

Can. 

Separate. 

Us. 

From. 

The. 

Love. 

Of. 

God.

NOTHING.

Sunday Slow Stitching

Have you ever read a cute and fun blog by Maria at Maria's Blue Crayon?  In her first post, she writes about her rather cool blog name.  

I found her while pursuing the internet for crochet patterns.  Her Spring Granny Afghan CAL was too pretty to pass up plus I happen to have most of the colors needed!  Yea!  Double win!

I'm really trying to keep up.  One link up that is helping me is Christine's To Do Tuesdays at Stitch All Things.  This is a great link up that helps me keep my focus!  Thank you Christine!  

Here are my first set of flowers!  

I just need to add two more flowers and the borders.  Maria suggests using the join as you go technique to make the first row!  Hopefully, I can meet my To Do Tuesday goal!  

I also finished Days 19-21 of the Felt Advent Calendar!  

  Almost finished!

#1yearofstitches

I joined Sarah's of Brown Paper Bag #1yearofstitches project.  She started it in 2017.  I started in on November 26, 2017 - ten days after our world fell apart.  It required very little effort, helped me focus on getting through life's challenges with victory and to have a "written record" of lessons learned.  I post progress almost daily on my Instagram account.  

Kathy's (Sunday Slow Stitching) photo challenge this week was to share our hoops!  Mine is a plastic hoop in a cheerful peach color!  

Stash Report

Fiber Stash Report: 1/21/18
Fabric used/donated this week	8.525
Fabric used to date	8.525 yds
Fabric Added this week	0  yds
Fabric Added this year	6 yds
Net Fabric	5.875 yds
Yarn used this week	0 oz
Yarn used to date	0 oz
Yarn Added this week	13 oz
Yarn Added to date	0 oz
Net Yarn	-13 oz

The Covered In Love blocks sure helped with stash control!  Also I gave my daughter 2 yards of fabric.  As soon as she finishes her project, I'll share what she made with it!

I didn't have enough green yarn for Maria's Spring Granny Afghan CAL, so I chose to switch it out.  I also purchased the some blue yarn.  Looking at last year's numbers, I used 171 ounces of yarn in six months!  I bet I can do 200 ounces in 2018!  

Linking up to:

SundayStash @ Quilt, Paint, Create

Sunday Slow Stitching @ Kathy’s Quilts

Spiritual Sundays