Saturday's Song. Slow Stitching. Sunday Stats.

Saturday's Song.
This video of God Only Knows by King and Country is shocking, but so true.  I just read that a suicide attempt is made every 28 seconds!  Dear one, God knows you, He never leaves you.  People will let us down, but not God.  Try Him.

Let us all look around us and who kindness.  A smile, a prayer, a gentle touch of encouragement to a stranger/friend/loved one could change their lives.  
Take good care!

Slow Stitching.
My slow stitching project continues to be my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.  I'll also be choosing color placement for my Stitchers' Garden BOM.  

I mentioned that I reorganized the kids' toy room - and have realized that I have a huge blank wall.  I've made a simple - definitely not beautiful - design wall for my GFG and called it my Slow Stitching Design Wall.  LOL!  

 Here's how I hung up the pieces!  For those of you who might not have a sewing room or a wall you can dedicate to a design wall, this one works for me.  The pins make tiny holes and your project can easily be taken down at a moment's notice.  

Here's some other ways to make a temporary/portable design wall.  I bet some of you have other ideas as well!  Please share them in the comments section!

Sunday Stats
I finished two dishcloths for my daughter and was so eager to give them to her, I forgot to take pictures of them!  LOL!  My BOMs are going well, yet I only count fabric usage for finished quilt tops and backings, so no changes there either.  
Donna, who hosts the Sunday Stash link up at Quilt, Paint, Create gave me an idea on how to track my fabric usage for BOMs, so I'll see how that works.  I'm eager to learn how you all track your fabric usage for these projects!

fabric usage - 3.45/100 yards  (same as last week)
yarn usage - 6/100 ounces 

I'm linking up to:
A Spirit of Simplicity

Spiritual Sundays

Sunday Scripture Blessings 

Sunday Slow Stitching @ Kathy’s Quilts

Sunday Stash@ Quilt, Paint, Create

Philippians 4:1 Part 2/2. I Like! Studio Tour Part 6: Increasing Crafting Productivity and Storage Tip Mini Tutorial

Philippians 4:1 Part 2/2
Scripture

Observation
In Part 1, we discussed Paul's love for the Philippians and how this verse could be a prayer. I would now like to look at Paul's instructions to stand firm in the LORD "in this way".  
Application
In what way?  By keeping in mind that our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20)? Yes and no.  I believe Paul is refering to the entire letter.  He gave so much instruction on living out our faith in this letter!  We could go in chronological and focus on applying one aspect a week and be challenged!  Yes, I believe he is focusing on the entire letter.  

What do you think?

Prayer
Thank You, LORD, for this wonderful letter and insight....I wonder if that is the new path You have for us?  

You have been so generous with Your insights and guidance.  My heart is filled with gratitude and humbleness.

Thank You, my dear Abba!

I Like!
Have you participated in Leann's of Not Afraid of Color I Like Thursdays?  I encourage you to give it a try!
Here's my likes from this week!  
My theme is 
rescuing plants 
and gardens that not only survive, 
but thrive!

These four plants were dying at my local hardware store!  In fact, the Devil's Ivy had black leaves!  But, with a bit of TLC, they came back stronger and better than ever.....sort of like people......

 
 This little garden always struggled, even though it had a drip system in it.  But now look at it!  It needed a bit more TLC in the form of more water (more nozzles) and better soil.  Sometimes we have to provide a bit of extra for those who are hurting.....

 Consequently, the tree in the same garden took off and is now providing much needed shade from our 100+ degree temperatures to the garden below!

Amazing what a bit of 

TLC can accomplish!

Studio Tour Part 6: Increasing Crafting Productivity and Storage Tip
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
This is they side of my sewing studio where the magic happens!  Or the frustration - depending on the circumstances!  :)

By the way, this is an unedited picture!  

This little project board keeps me on task with current project and wish list projects.  Due to it's small size, 

I don't get overwhelmed!

It's made from a left over 4'X8' foam board 

we picked up 

from our local hardware store.

I just covered it with flannel.

My granddaughter decorated the edges and my projects, materials, patterns 

and such went in the middle.  

I usually print out my To Do Tuesday (from Stitching All Things)

and pin that up there as well.

That helps me stay focused,

organized and productive!

And yes, 

I do go off on rabbit trails once in a while - depending on the rabbit of course!

I store all those little bits and bobs we use in these little containers.  It's easy to do:

Materials:

Several Dollar Tree cookie sheets and packages of storage containers

(I uses squarish ones because more fit on the cookie sheet.)

magnets

glue gun and glue

1.  Glue the magnets on the lids of your containers.

2.  Gather all your bits and bobs that are floating around your sewing space.

3.  cover your containers and place them lid down on the cookie sheets.

4.  You can now see all your stuff and it's attached to one place.  I simply stack my cookie sheets when not in use!  

Cool, huh?

I'm linking up to

Leann's of Not Afraid of Color I Like Thursdays

Needle and Thread Thursday 

@ My Quilt Infatuation

Finish It Up Fridays 
@Crazy Mom Quilts 

Philippians 3:3. Studio Tour Part 1: Fabric Storage

Philippians 3:3.
Scripture






Observation
What a powerful Scripture with such clarification in the Amplified version!  Paul is saying we don't need physical marks on our body to serve God.  We serve Him spiritually with joy and praise to Him, not putting confidence on any part of our flesh!  
Application
This Scripture has ministered deeply to me today!  In spite of the fatigue and pain of fibromyalgia (the physical), I can still praise God and serve Him in my Spirit via His Holy Spirit!  I was up to the wee hours of this morning Netflix binging and crocheting.  But, in reality, I was spending time with my Abba Father trying to understand and truly make peace with my situation.  

I've been offered and accepted a nearly full-time position with our local university and am moving forward with the Spanish speaking Cancer Care Support Group - in spite of my physical challenges.  

God has confirmed that both of these opportunities are ministerial opportunities. I am relearning to 
focus on Him and not the challenges, serve Him in and via His Spirit, not in the physical,
have faith in my God dream situation.

http://dotz-art.deviantart.com/
http://www.alexetmarine.fr/

He will 
provide the physical strength I need 
or 
teach me to ask for help.   
A lesson in itself.
Either way, 
my spirit has been comforted and strengthened by His Holy Spirit today!


Prayer
Abba Father, how I love and appreciate You and Your everlasting presence in my life.  I realize that my physical body is what reaches out to minister, but my spiritual body is stengethened by Your Holy Spirit.  

I guess sometimes I have to rest.
Perhaps during these times of resting 
beside the still waters, 
You are strengthening by spirit
that my physical body may go forth
and serve Your people.

Thank you for helping me to see this.
Help me to maintain a positive attitude (Philippians 4:8)!

I love You and I trust You, Abba Father!
Amen!

Studio Tour Part 1:

Fabric Storage

We all have various ways 

to store our fabric and 

I've tried many of them.

For now, this works for me!

I have a rather large cutting table 

that measures roughly 

5 1/2 feet X 4 feet with 

adjustable storage shelves underneath.

It faces my west window,

so it gets a lot of natural light.

Not to worry though, 

I share a solution below.

On right side I store my 

30's, 

Drunkard's Path, 

upcoming projects, 

children's

and other miscellaneous fabric.

Batiks, flannels and

 other miscellaneus fabrics

 are stored on the left side.

There is more "fabric-in-waiting" 

behind the stacks on both sides!

My Accuquilt, dies and

 scrapbooking punches

 are all on the bottom shelf.

Oh, and the Brown Bag?

It's filled with scraps too large to toss!

These scraps are becoming 

part of the Crazy Quilt

I'm making for my son.

He's amazing!

He took care of me 

for almost 2 years - 

when I was 

going through and recovering 

from chemotherapy.  

I posted about this solution before, however, these mini design boards

now serve a different purpose.

Remember when I said that in preparation for the 

RSC 2017, 

I cut strips of fabric 

from each bolt?

This is how I store them!

It really helps me to keep up with the monthly blocks!

I've always wanted to make a Strip Quilt

as well as to participate 

in the RSC Challenge.

I know it's a bit of a cheat......

but I'm having so much fun 

with this project

that I can't feel too guilty!

I place them in front of my fabric shelves.

So that my fabric strips don't fade, 

I simply turn them around when 

not in use!

Win, Win!

I'm linking up to

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Becoming Press

Wow! WIPs On Wednesdays 

@ Esther's Blog

Philippians 1:20 (Part 2). Quilty News. Leaders and Enders.

Philippians 1:20 (Part 2)

SCRIPTURE:

Yesterday we covered Philippians 1:20a, so today, I’m focusing on the second part of this verse:

…but will have sufficient courage

Philippians 1:20b

OBSERVATION

I’m struck by the word “sufficient”.  It reminds me of this verse.  You see, Paul will be given sufficient courage. 

Sufficient:  enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end <sufficient provisions for a month>

Paul knows his need for courage will be met.

Application

And, my dear friend, so will mine – and yours.  What do you need today?

Comfort?

Courage?

Encouragement?

Or Someone to celebrate with?

He’s there, for you, just waiting for you to come to Him. 

Try it.

You might be pleasantly surprised!

His resources are infinite – as is Christ’s love for you!

Hugs to you!

Quilty News
I've got 72 half square triangles sewn and ready for pressing!  Yea!

And I finished Block 6 of the $7.50 Club at my local Bernina Sewing and Design shop! Yea!

I'm so excited a had a "sew in my pj's" day!  

Leaders and Enders
I have been reading about leaders and enders from you wonderful ladies!  At first I was confused so I researched what they were.  I found a great site here.  

I still wasn't convinced that they would work for me because I simply hold my thread to keep it from snarling at me as I begin to sew.

Well, I have been really wanting to use my 3 1/2" Christmas square scraps from several years ago.  

They've been stealing space from me as they sadly cried to be turned into something warm and cozy.

So I set them up next to my sewing machine!  I am now a Leader Ender sewist! 

I'm linking up to Show Off Saturday @ Sew Can She!

http://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/2016/10/21/show-off-saturday-my-polka-dot-dress

Sewing Room Changes

Hello There!
Life has been so active lately.  
Spending time with my kiddos
and grandbabies.
Doctor appointments.
Having a couple of lovely mornings with friends.
A trip to Quillin's Fiber Arts!

Finding Halloween fabric at 40% off at my local Bernina shop!

Yes.  
Life has been active and fun - and good.

Sewing Room Changes
You know, I love getting together with my Quilting Bee, Will Work for Fabric.  These ladies have been quilting for much longer than I.  It's such a blessing that they are so generous with their advice and help!

My sewing room window get the full afternoon sunshine.  I have metal blinds as well as sun-blocking tint on all our windows.  My fabric is stored in shelves under my cutting table.

 But, I was pretty sure that despite the shades and the tint, the sun would still fade it.  One of the ladies also thought it could still get damaged, so I came up with this idea - and I love it!

 I decided to cover my fabric with two mini design walls from foam core insulation boards that you can get from any home improvement store!  Now, this idea is not a unique one.  The Internet if filled with ideas to make these types of design walls! 
My minis measure 32" X 34", so I had some left over....another design board is in my future!  Anyway, here they are!

My husband cut the the foam boards for me (thank you, Sweetie), I used what felt I had on hand, Elmer's Spray Glue (thank you, Daughter!) and wala!   
UPDATE:  7-24-18  After a question on my blog recently, I realized that on this post I should have shared that these design boards are based on Lori Holt's from Bee in My Bonnet design.  I used her process, but changed the sizes, of course.  I'm sorry, newbie (at the time of publication) mistake.  I'm so glad that Christine from Stitch All Things asked me how I made them!  Thank you, Christine!  :)  You should check out her To Do Tuesday link up!  :)

My fabric is protected,  I have new design boards, and now my BOMs have a new home!

Do you see that bit of sunshine trying to fade my blocks?  Never fear!

When I'm not using them I turn them around to protect the projects.  

I'm linking up to Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication 

Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts, 

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, 

Can I Get a Whoop! Whoop! at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and 

Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts.

Happy Sewing Everybody!



I'll be continuing our Philippians Bible Study in the next post!

Philippians 1:9 (Part 3). Have you tried Sewing Stations?

Philippians 1:9 (Part 3)

⁹ And this is my prayer:      

that your love may abound more and more

in knowledge

and depth of insight, 

¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern

what is best

and may be pure and blameless

for the day of Christ, 

¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness

that comes through Jesus Christ—

to the glory and praise of God.

So, on my last post regarding these scriptures, I ended by saying Paul prayed for the Philippians' obvious love to abound more and more in depth and insight.  

But, what is insight?  Again, according to Webster's online dictionary, it's 

·     : the ability to understand people and situations in a very clear way

·     : an understanding of the true nature of something

So, if I'm understanding this, he wanted their love to be based on understanding the true nature of Christ.  So that their love would be more Christ like.  

What do you think?  Am I getting this? 

Application:

As I have matured – and keep maturing in Christ – I find my love for others more gentle, more accepting, more…..Christ like.

But it has taken a lot of work, and, as I am beginning to see, a lot of faith, trust and courage.

I have chosen to walk down memory lane on many painful experiences in my life with a different perspective – 
viewing them through the eyes of Christ.
That has been tough – 
grueling in fact.

However, I am beginning to understand
how these painful experiences 
have led me 
to love with an abounding love 
based on knowledge and insight, 
rather than simply emotion.  

The result was amazing:
I learned to forgive – 
those who hurt me – 
but more importantly to forgive myself
for the times I inflicted pain on others.
The street runs both ways.

Remember:

http://quotesgram.com/people-hurting-others-quotes/

Prayer:

So, my dear reader, here is my prayer for you – and me:  

Sewing Stations

Melanie from 1000 Needles shared this method on her blog:  Sewing stations!  Naturally it called to my teacher's heart because of the centers I used in class so it made perfect sense!  Maybe it will work for you as well!

She has a cutting station, a sewing station, and a pressing station.  She rotates between all of these as she sews.  

https://1000needles.com/2015/09/21/monday-madness-09212015/#comments

I really liked this idea!  I'm sure many of us have stations of some sort, but for myself, I've simply set up an area as I need it and pretty soon I have an extremely messy work environment.  Now, I'm managing to stay a bit neater!

I also liked her Project Rotation sidebar.  It's a clear visual on current WIPs.  

Nice job, Melanie!  Thank you for sharing!