from Let the Nations Be Glad-by Piper

"Missions exists because worship doesn't."

Just started reading this book today. I haven't been much of one for finishing the books I start, but I hope I stick with this one.

from the corner sewing table

I've been crazy about my sewing corner recently! most of them have been refashions or re-purposing of fabric. so many finished projects i need to post....

listing them here, hopefully will remind me to add all of the photos from them soon

1. ribbon socks and bows, from ribbon jenbug got for her birthday

2. breezy tank top turned baby dress
(i did not make the flower clip on her headband...did make the headband, though!)

3. "Bali Bliss" outfit from online free pattern...made in a weekend from fabric purchased on sale about 8 years ago for a project i never did. will probably make this again with some tweaking..the top is a little too small and the pants were way too baggy...but since jenbug is adorable, she can pull off any look :)

4. jeans turned skirt....a project i've done a couple of other times. great fix to favorite jeans which have gotten a hole worn in the seat, or to a pair with too low of a rise. This time i added a little flare to the shape...love it! but hope to lose some weight soon so it can be converted to a maternity one for next pregnancy. (i have two more pairs of jeans that dont fit, which i am considering making into skirts to sell...i think they are size 13 or 15...anyone want to give input as to the length they'd like?)

(no photo yet)

5. long sleeved white cotton nightgown turned short sleeved. (saving the sleeves to maybe make some bloomerish pants for jenbug

(project not complete...photo after!)

i credit most of my inspiration for these projects to following grosgrain. you should follow her blog too!

The Toddler Days

since my last entry, my child has become a toddler, much of life has become a series of following and cleaning up after her. Since she is now only a few days fro thirteen months old, I would apologize for the delay in updates, but since she hasn't even had her twelve month doctor visit yet, i don't feel too far behind.
Photos may not come soon, but not today because i am posting this from my parent's computer (internet at our house is kinda of in and out recently...working on that)

Jenbug turned one on April 22nd, Good Friday. I'd already decided to postpone her party till the following weekend, because i know uncle Nick wasn't going to be able to make it during Easter weekend, due to his own church obligations in Columbia. After invitations had been ordered and mailed, we found out that Grandma Linda was going to be able to come to town from MS for the weekend, since its a school holdiay! So, though the official party wasn't till a week later, plenty of celebration occurred during bug's birthday weekend! Friday night jen got to open gifts from her mississippi family, and practice smashing up some cake, which was a huge hit (great video from that can be found on my facebook!) That Saturday we spent the morning at the Riverbanks Zoo and had a picnic lunch in the wooded picnic area afterward.

The official birthday party almost had to be canceled, because jenbug caught something mid-week which had her fever up for a couple of days, whatever it was seemed to have mostly worked itself out by Party-day, so celebration continued- Ladybug birthday cakes and all! i was a little disappointed that the "real" smash cake wasn't as big of a hit as the previous weekend, but overall, it was a great party with good family time had by all.

at one year and one week old, jenbug took her first observed steps! 2 or 3 at a time, then a few more the next day during her party. Now she is able to cross whole rooms, though much of the time she chooses to crawl instead. It is lots of fun watching her develop and cheering her on in her successes, even when she falls at the end.

only the start of this role of encouragement as a parent...growing up is so full of mostly-successful attempts which may end in a little failure....Lord, help me continue to cheer my children on as they grow. Even if they eventually fall, let me encourage the good attempted!

12 month pediatrician appointment is tomorrow morning, so we'll find out how our eager eater is growing. According to wi-fit, she has caught up well to a healthy weight! 19lbs yesterday, which for a 13 month old, charts about 10%! way up from where she was at 9 and 10 months!

belated 9 month pedatrician appointment stats

so, jennifer turned 9 months january 22nd, but got her 9 month checkup on february 14th (happy valentines! have some shots!)
i was hoping the delay might make her chart a little higher, cheat the system a bit, you know? but instead, she came in soooo tiny!

my child weighs 14lb, 15 oz, (3%)
she is 25.5" long (3%)
and her head is still big for her size, at 50% (didnt get the inches for that)
which means her proportions are still the same, she just hasn't grown much overall. i had suspected that she was a little bit small, but i thought she was in the 16lb range...she wasnt even to 15 yet?

otherwise, she is a very healthy and active little girl. due to her teeniness, we're adding a 4th meal to her day (Taco Bell advertises 4th meal, right?) and making sure she gets lots of good healthy stuff in that tummy! though she has always eaten breakfast and dinner very well, lunch has been sometimes hearty and sometimes sparse. so we're working on a fuller lunch, plus a full snacktime too.

she got caught up on her hep and flu shots and goes back in may for more stat checks :)

Valentines from the Corner sewing Table

I have been spending a lot of time at my other corner table recently. Last week i set up a designated craft space for my sewing machine and all of my artsy supplies to be at arms-reach rather than in a closet or under a bed. This has been dreamed of for years!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Being a teacher this Valentines Day, I thought I should get something little to give to my class of 3yr-olds, but since we are tight on finances, i decided to make something for them. After a couple of days trying to think of something which would be fairly simple, made from materials i already have, and look cute...here's what I came up with!
first i cut out the felt. two squares of one color and a heart in a contrasting color. the hearts are 2", the squares were about 2.5"-3" each
next, with the sewing machine loaded with a contrast color as the main thread, and blend in color of bobbin thread (white, in this case) I zigzag stitched the heart to one of the squares. be careful as you make turns...with the needle DOWN, lift the presser foot and slightly turn the fabric, stitch a few, repeat as needed. make sure the needle is down when you lift so it doesn't lose your place. go slowly and it will turn out great.
(photos to show what settings i used...zigzag width and stitch length)
then I trimmed the edges of this square with pinking sheers. I originally waited to trim both layers after finishing, but i thought they looked kind of like ravioli with both edges trimmed, plus it was harder to cut through both evenly...these sheers are not new, and also kind of small. 12 students had me choose to spare my hands the agony.
next i reset the machine to a narrower zag and a slightly longer stitch to finish (totally your choice, but these are what i used.)
sew both squares together on 3 sides, stop with the needle in the DOWN position, but don't remove your work from the sewing machine.
Add a little bit of stuffing (they are tiny, so a little really will do fine)
then continue stitching the 4th side.
trim up any uneven edges.
lastly, with a yarn needle i stretched the felt and poked a hole in a corner and slipped a piece of ribbon through and attached the card. (I've found it difficult to use a hole punch on felt.)
these would also make cute pincushions! This last photo shows what i meant when i said my first ones looked kind of like ravioli! anyone looking to make some toy pasta? that would be an interesting play set....