Today was a day of quilting.  

It all started at 9:00 a.m.   Six of us were able to work and we enjoyed the time we had together working on the love quilts.   We got a good start and I feel better about reaching our goal in August.

I want to thank Debbie, Joanne, Shirley, Susan and Patsy for participating today.   Charlotte was able to drop by for a few minutes on her way out of town.  She took some fabric to make a love quilt with her.   Thank you Charlotte.  :)

Here are some pics...

Joanne has already turned in two love quilts, so she worked on a bigger quilt she will be giving as a wedding gift.   I thought it turned out pretty cool!

We had all types of fabrics and here's a pic of some Nascar fabric, Patsy brought in.







Here is Debbie sewing away on strips of fabric that put me in the Fall frame of mind.  :)




Here is Shirley getting her fabrics lined out and Joanne is at the machine.  I told Shirley I got her in an action shot.  lol







Debbie got my camera, and got me measuring out fabric for borders on a little quilt top I was piecing together.





Here's Susan.  She just finished cutting her fabric as I snapped the shot.  She worked on a "quilt as you go" quilt.   I asked her how it was done and she shared the helpful info with me.  I think I will try that method on  my next small quilt.


I got in a hurry at one point and decided to do a cheater quilt.  That's where you take a printed panel and use it as the front of a quilt instead of piecing it together.  I was going to sew the front fabric, backing and batting in a pillow-case style to where when I flip it inside out it is bound and ready for tying.     Well, like I said, I got in a hurry.

I sewed all the way around, leaving an opening to turn it through, and when I go to turn it inside out, I see that I had placed one of the fabrics wrong.   When you do a quilt this way, you always place the front and backing fabrics with right sides facing.  This will allow the right sides to show when the piece is turned inside out.   My two fabrics were not right sides facing.

Woe is me....

I think I was saying, as Debbie snapped this shot, "when you get in a hurry you pay, and you pay big for it", all the while shaking my head at my mistake. 

Yes, I'm ripping out seams.  I finally gave up and just trimmed the sewn seams off and decided to cut the center out of the cheater panel and put borders on it, for a quilt.




Even though, I had tiny bit of bad luck, I did manage to get a quilt top done. 

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Strawberry Ice Cream, as I finish off a bowl, I think it is my favorite.

YUMMY!!

Ice cream is a good way to cool down on a hot day.  

What is your favorite type of ice cream?  

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Being off work today, has thrown me off.  This evening, I keep thinking this is Saturday.  I guess I'm wishing my Friday at work to be done and over with. :) 

While we were working on the quilts today, I kept catching myself humming or whistling a gospel song titled "Jesus Paid It All".    I was worshiping from within.

That's the great thing about worship.  You can worship anywhere you are.  It doesn't have to be done only in a church building or a church meeting and it doesn't have be done in only one certain way.  So if a song or a prayer bubbles up from within, let it out!  :)

I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.  ~Psalm 7:17


God bless and keep you,
Sonia
 

Blessings

As I sit here, sipping my raspberry tea with the sound of a baseball game in the background, I reflect on what a good day it has been.

I finished my Homemade Gift Exchange items and they are ready to be mailed out tomorrow.  I would like to post pics of them but I'm going to wait until my Homemade Gift Exchange partner receives them.  I don't want to spoil the surprise. :)  

I have met one goal for this week.  Now, I need to make a crocheted coaster set and have it done by the end of the week.  

"the voice" was quiet today.   Thank you Lord!   That, in itself, was a blessing most appreciated.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise Him.   ~Psalm 28:7


The other day, I noticed the sunset, as I sat on the couch looking out the front window.  I ran out several times to get pictures of it.   These pictures don't do it justice, but the colors were awesome. :)

 

 I guess that's it for this evening.

Hope your Monday was a good one!

God bless and keep you,
Sonia

Being Focused on the Right Priority

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The sound of a certain voice, hit her nerve like a knife.  It went on, over and over throughout the day.   

 

“How much longer will I have to listen to that?” she thought.

She knew it was a matter of time and “the voice” would be gone, but the wait was getting to her.  She was on edge, ready for that day to arrive.

 

She looked forward to times late in the day, or anytime “the voice” was out of the office.  Then she could relax, with only the hum of the overhead lights, the noise of the air conditioning blowing through the vents, and a quiet radio playing over the speakers.

“The voice” was one of those volatile combinations of arrogance, chauvinist, back stabbing, sewing discord, double edged tongues.

 

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The words above are what I wrote this past week.  As you can tell, it came from within.

Just because I don't verbalize them, does that make my thoughts okay?

This week I have been studying the book of Jeremiah.  He followed God all the way through, speaking to the people of Israel, the words God had given him.   He followed so closely to what the Lord wanted him to do, that his life was threatened.  That's when Jeremiah got frustrated and started complaining, and even at one point, basically asked God to take out the ones threatening him.

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Jeremiah 15:15(NIV) You understand, O LORD; remember me and care for me, avenge me on my persecutors.  You are long-suffering - do not take me away; think of how I suffer reproach for Your sake. 

Okay, so you see Jeremiah felt what we feel sometimes.  

"Lord, can't You just remove that thorn (the voice) from my side?   How much longer do I have abide this situation?"  "Why Lord, why?"

Ever been there?

The Lord responds to Jeremiah's words.

Jeremiah 15:19-20  Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve Me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman.  Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.  I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you," declares the LORD.

God does not want us to lower ourselves to the level of our enemies or in my case, the thorn in my side.   He wants us to stay focused on His will in our lives and to remember He is ever present with us and will rescue and save us.

This study came to me at the right time.  

I have been struggling with a situation at work, so much so that I start each day before I walk in, asking God to give me the strength and grace to face what ever comes my way.  I also ask Him to keep my mouth shut and when it does open, to put words of wisdom and grace there.

Father, forgive me for getting frustrated with the work situation I'm in at this time.  I know You have me where you want me,  for a reason.   Help me to keep focused on You and not on "the voice"  that hits my nerve.  I give it all to You Father, to take care of in Your way.    Amen.

God bless and keep you,

Sonia

A Lot Goin' On

Today was the Annual Butterfly Festival, here in Paris, AR.    Thought I'd share pics of the quilt show and the art show.  Starting with the Quilt show first.     Enjoy!

Now for the Art show.

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GIVEAWAYS

Leona's Quilting Adventure:  700 Follower Giveaway

http://oneygirl-myquiltingadventure.blogspot.com/2011/06/700-follower-giveaway.html

1 Year Blogiversary Giveaway 

 http://sylvsquilting.blogspot.com/2011/06/1-year-blogiversary-giveaway.html

READY! SET! GO BABY CONTEST STARTS NOW

http://vickibquilts.blogspot.com/2011/06/ready-set-go-baby-contest-starts-now.html

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IN CLOSING...

It has been a good day.  

I was able to see several sweet friends, I haven't seen in several weeks.  

Then, there was beautiful quilts and art work to view.  

And even though it was a scorchin' hot day, at the time I was sitting on the East side of the town square selling quilt tickets, the Lord blessed us with a cooling breeze.     THANK YOU FATHER!!

Amos 4:13 He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth--the LORD God Almighty is his name.

I trust and hope your day went well too.   

God bless and keep you,

Sonia

Hoffman Challenge, False Teeth, & Positive Thinking

Hi all!

QUILT #1

Tonight was the Logan County PieceMakers Quilt Guild's monthly meeting and we had the Hoffman Challenge.  This was a challenge where guild members used the chosen Hoffman fabric for this year to create a quilted item to show.

We had six entries this year and they were all beautiful. 

Here are the Hoffman challenge entries with their corresponding numbers and note of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

QUILT #2

QUILT #3 - SECOND PLACE

 

QUILT #4

QUILT #5 - THIRD PLACE

QUILT #6 - FIRST PLACE

  Didn't they all turn out awesome?

It was cool to see them all.   They were more beautiful then the pics show.   To round the evening off nicely, I found out I was one of the door prize winners.   Check it out...  it's a Dritz light and set of fusible butterflies.  I thought it was a pretty cool door prize.

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HMMM...

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According to www.ducoclam.com/uselessknowledge; before all-porcelain teeth were perfected in the mid nineteenth century, dentures were commonly made with teeth pulled from the mouths of dead soldiers following a battle.  Teeth extracted from the cadavers of U.S. Civil War soldiers were shipped to English dentists by the barrel.

Now, if you know me, you know that I can't read something like this and just walk away.

Walk away, indeed.

We know the Civil War was from April 12, 1861 to April 18, 1865.

So...I did some research, and what I found was the first false teeth used in Europe was around the 1400's and yes, sometimes they were made from teeth provided by grave robbers or from people who pulled their own teeth and sold them. (Eeewwww!)

However, by the 1700s, the production of false teeth made out of porcelain began and a patent was taken out by Nicholas Dubois de Chemant in 1791 in England.     So, I'm hoping that the harvesting of cadaver teeth had stopped by the time of the Civil War, but who knows... maybe it was still a thriving practice here in the States... hmmm.  

You can visit the following link for this research info I have shared.

http://www.dental-implants-guide.com/history-of-dentures.html

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IN CLOSING...

It is important to stay positive and not let negative thoughts bring you down.   Remember, no one nor nothing can have any more power over you than what you allow.   So if that negative thought starts creeping in, get rid of it.   I know this is hard to do sometimes, but if you can, it will make a positive difference in your life.

A scripture comes to mind.   A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. ~ Proverbs 17:22

So until next time, keep your chin up and remember good memories and thoughts to keep you out of the funk!

God bless and keep you,

Sonia