I just happened on this Bible verse, and it struck me because of the umbrellas. God continually blesses and refreshes my soul. Even when worldly troubles make me weary, He lifts me up and showers me with His love. Do you have a relationship with Him?

Our monthly ASG Gainesville Neighborhood Group met July 27th. We had read an article in our ASG newsletter about making umbrellas, and thought it would be a fun class. Our group leader Jill Werschin contacted Jan Squires from another group and asked her to come share her class with us. We had a lot of fun making umbrellas!

About a month before the class we were each sent a panel of fabric to decorate. Most of the girls embroidered theirs, one hand stitched flowers on hers, and I painted mine. I don’t have an embroidery machine, so I used fabric paints and stencils, along with sponges, brushes, and fabric crayons.

ASG Gainesville Neighborhood Group -  pictures here!

We cut out the panels, then sewed all 8 of them together. Then we made sure of the fit on our purchased umbrella frames. We serged the seams for a clean finish and checked the fit again. Then we hemmed on the serger. The seams were attached at the ribs, the top was finished and decorated. They are beautiful!

I find that when I am being creative, I like to have music playing. If you are my Facebook friend you will notice that “I am stuck in the 60′s”. That being said, I like all kinds of music. If I am already working on something and want to get moving,  I will play some some classic rock’n roll. If I’m looking for inspiration, it might be classical. When I am cutting or laying out fabric, I will play Christian music, singing praise to God.

I have written before about vision boards. Now I am considering doing a journal. I joined ABC Creative Journal with Andrea Schroeder, and actually have written down a few things. She has a free online course on creativity, and some other paid classes, too. She guides you through your thoughts with meditation, enhancing/enabling your creativity. Her voice is very soothing, and there’s nothing weird or ‘woo-woo’ about it, if you know what I mean. I’m beginning to feel myself opening up to my inner creativeness!

I came across this article the School of Media Arts about keeping a visual journal. I found it really interesting and helpful, and I hope you do too.

Go make something today!

I have written before about teaching someone to sew, and I myself have taught. It’s important to teach others so that we can keep traditions. Quilting and sewing will be lost if we don’t teach the younger generation these skills. Sharing what you know benefits everyone. Once you do it, you will find that you will be given more opportunities to do it again!

My friend Paul Taubman has a blog All About Gratitude. He writes today about sharing your talents, and the gratitude it will bring. Hope you like it!

http://allaboutgratitude.com/blog/1824/so-much-gratitude-in-something-so-little/comment-page-1/#comment-4933

God blesses me every day! If you know Him as your Lord and Saviour, you know what I mean. Though we don’t have as many material things as we used to, this time has made my faith stronger, and brought me closer to Him. I am surrounded by beauty at home, I am blessed with my friends, and I have a faithful church family. God is good!

Last week the Gainesville neighborhood group of ASG met. We had 12 people in attendance and it was a good meeting.

Marguerite Deaderick brought patterns for us to make ‘pot pinchers’. These are small pot holders that fit over your fingers and fold in half to grab your pots and pans. I think it’s a great idea! I am always folding over my potholders. The pattern is from Barbara Brunson of Vanilla House Designs. Check out her site to purchase this pattern. She graciously allowed us to use her pattern, and we thank her!

We will be making a set of these to donate to Ronald McDonald House.

Marguerite Deaderick and Phyllis Hawkins

Marguerite had examples made in various stages, and she had some good tips for us that she had picked up in the course of making her demos. She shared her mistakes too!

Kathy has her’s cut out and is ready to sew!

These are the ones I made.      

I love my Lord. He sent his Son to die for me. Though I am unworthy, an earthly creature, and sinful, He loves me. I am wonderfully made, for His purpose, to be His.  Do you know Jesus?

My friend Bev Hilton of Crafty Bev has come up with another new ruler. They have improved on one, and have more coming down the pipeline. I’m so happy for her. Some of her friends have come up with suggestions, and her husband Rick has designed and manufactured them.

If you’d like to keep up with their new products, you should sign up to receive their newsletter. Here’s what they had to say:

New Product Announcement

Twenty-Four Inch

Center-Finding Ruler

Our Twelve Inch Center-Finding Ruler has been extremely popular, but we’ve gotten several requests for a bigger version.  After a number of prototypes we’ve got an excellent Twenty-Four Inch Center-Finding Ruler designed for quilters and craftspeople.

The ruler is twenty-four inches long and two inches wide, made of florescent green, durable cell-cast plexiglass.  It is a big, hefty ruler.  Its top edge is a center-finding ruler, with markings in 1/16 inch increments.  The bottom edge is a standard twenty-four inch ruler with markings every 1/8 inch.   On the side edges are markings every 1/4 inch.

A center-finding ruler allows you to find the center of a piece, or to make an element the center of your block.

This is a heavy duty workhorse of a ruler, and with the markings all laser-engraved, they will never wear off from use.

Do you ever have days where you just feel ‘old’? Or ‘tired’? We all do. The thing is not to dwell on that. First, make sure you are healthy. Eat right, take supplements, get a little exercise. Do it all in moderation. And sometimes, you just need to rest.

Sewing can seem overwhelming at times, too. If you have a big project to tackle, like a quilt or a vacation wardrobe, just take tiny steps at first. Do your planning, maybe using a vision board, choosing your fabrics, making sure you have the right thread and notions. Match up your patterns with the appropriate fabrics. Or pick your fabrics for your quilt and lay them out to view them in different lights and different rooms. Then walk away for a bit. The next day go back and look at your choices. Maybe start cutting out your pattern. Eventually, you will have it done.

I found this article about a 91 year old man who sews. He has made 1,000 backpacks! See if that doesn’t inspire you.

My cousin Annette lives in Madison,  Alabama, and she is an Auburn fan.  Now don’t get up-in-arms if you are another type of fan. I am not a sports fan, so you won’t get me to take sides. But, I do have to say that I now live in Gator country.

Anyways, she saw a tote bag made from old jeans, and it had patches on it for a sports team. She asked me if I could make one for her, so of course, I said ‘yes’.  We searched the internet for patches, and she bought them on line and sent them to me. I had an old pair of jean shorts from a yard sale that I was hanging on to for just this purpose. I then went to Fabric.com and found Auburn print fabric, and a duck cloth that was navy with orange paws. When I got it, I was excited!

I cut off the legs of the shorts, and sewed up the bottom, squaring off the corners so that it would sit flat. Then I used the printed cotton to make the lining, adding a pocket for phone, keys, etc.  I ironed on and sewed the patches in place. I cut 2 1/2″ strips for the shoulder straps, and 2″ strips to make a belt from the paw print. I made a scarf and sewed it into one of the back pockets. The strap will go cross-body, so it is pretty long. I attached the strap, inserted the lining and pinned it in before sewing it around the top. Lastly, I put the belt throught the loops and tied it. Done!

Jeans PurseAuburn lining

look inside

I used a lady’s size 12 for this large tote. If you want a smaller tote, or a purse, use a smaller size, or a child’s pair of pants. I also made the handle long, to hang low. This is a matter of choice. But, since Annette wanted a tote to take to games, I chose to make a larger tote with cross-body strap so it would hold a lot of stuff.

I found this story about a traveling tour called “Quilt Stories“. Even if you don’t care to read the story, you must see the picture of her quilted tent!

I thank God daily for my many blessings. Though I have less than some, I have more than others. I am grateful for each day.

I also am thankful to have this wonderful group of women in Gainesville, members of ASG, to meet with monthly and share ideas. Yesterday at out meeting, Oberia brought fabric flowers she had made. She showed us the Clover template she used, bought at Michael’s.

Clover template

She has made some beautiful flower pins, using all different types of fabric, from chiffon to satin, some soft, some stiffer with more body. You could also use trims, lace, yarn. She did some embroidery work to make leaves, but you could make them from plain fabric also.

Flower pin and fabric

Oberia also brought some patterns she found made by Sure-Fit. These patterns come with detailed instructions for fitting. They even included templates to make a French Curve, and for fitting your armscye.

Sure Fit Patterns

Next, Beverley Hilton, with Crafty Bev, taught us how to make a different kind of flower pin. She brought pre-made kits. She had taken 2 1/2″ strips of fabric, folded in half, and serged down one side. Then she sewed a zigzag stitch on top of that, leaving a tail of thread. This thread was used to gather the fabric strip up to about 12″, and then knotted. The strip is then rolled up tight at the center, and sewn by hand. Each round of fabric is sewn down as you roll your strip into a flower.

Bev demo-ing how to make a flower pinBev helping Barbara

When you are finished, you glue a round of fabric on the back, and then glue on either a pin or magnet. This size is good for a jacket or blouse. If you cut your strips wider, you would have a much larger pin which would look good on a hat!

We had a great deal of show-n-tell. This is when everyone brings items they have made. Marguerite brought a casserole carrier and hot mitts,  which we will make at another meeting. Oberia brought a giant tote made with oilcloth and fabric. And Bev brought a small quilt she made in a fiber arts class.

There’s always something new and fun at these meetings. If you don’t belong to one of these groups, you are surely missing out.

A Wife of Noble Character

^{10 [b]}Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
¹⁴ She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
¹⁸ She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.

¹⁹ Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
²⁰ She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
²¹ She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm^[c] clothes.

²² She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
²³ Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
²⁴ She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
²⁶ When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
²⁷ She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.

²⁸ Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
²⁹ “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
³¹ Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

The woman in these verses is someone I strive to be like, as do many Christian women.  Her children bless her and her husband praises her. Isn’t that what we deserve? Yet there are many children who disrespect both their father and their  mother. Isn’t that partly because of society, and mostly because they don’t see respect in the home? If their father doesn’t respect their mother, and treat her well, how will the children know what to do? Likewise, if the mother doesn’t respect the father and is always bad-mouthing him, how can the children learn to respect him? Children learn by example, and copy what they see. So treat each other with respect and lovingkindness. Talk softly, and listen to your spouse when they speak. Don’t be argumentative or roll your eyes when they speak.

The woman in these verses is also a weaver and spinner, a seamstress, and fabric dyer of some reknown. That makes her like a lot of us today. She is a business woman, too. She buys and sells property. Yet, she is supportive of her husband. And he praises her.

Work at being like the Proverbs 31 woman. Make it one of your goals, and see how other things in your life will fall into place. Ask God to help you. And if you don’t know Him as your personal Saviour, talk to someone today about it. Ask Him into your life, and everything will change. You will have the security of knowing Him, and knowing you will one day go to Heaven!