School Time...

Last week ended with another trip to the county fair... the girls really enjoy going!

This finished out our summer, as we started our first year of homeschooling on Monday. Liz was very excited and is eager to do her PACE's. Amber joined in on some coloring sheets and sometimes tries very hard to 'help' Liz with her work.

We've gotten through four days and she's still excited :)

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; 

and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Psalm 51:12

We covered the 51st Psalm in Sunday school this week. It is the Psalm of David when he was confessing his sin with Bathsheba. In verse 12, it talks about restoring the joy of salvation. This is a request we should request after we have confessed sin and been out of fellowship with God... However, it still moved me that we may need to even ask this request at other times. Better still, it would be good to keep this on our hearts always... continually wanting to remember the joy that salvation brings from remembering what Christ did for us on the cross. This could be especially helpful even in those times when we just get bogged down and tired out! 

Christ died a horrible death and rose again to offer us the greatest gift... eternal life with Him in Heaven. All we have to do is receive it. May the joy of that continue always in our lives!

Fair Progress...

Today's post cover's current work's getting some progress done on them and a small snippet of our outing to the local fair!

I'm 'slowly' getting the HST's squared up and ready to make into blocks for a special quilt. I really need to get more time in on this one...its a generous throw size and the recipient's birthday is in the first part of September! I also have a small birthday present to make for my sister-in-law, she already had her birthday, but we aren't celebrating till Labor Day...so I really need to get working on that one too!

I also have a couple of other new projects going... one non-craft related... I'm starting our first year of home schooling on Monday. Liz is starting in Level 1 of ACE... I choose Level 1 because I believe she is ready to start learning to read...but if we have to take it a little slower at the beginning, it will be fine, since she is only 4 :)  So, I've been starting to review the lessons and setting up a school schedule.

She is also very into wanting to do crafts, aka 'sewing' :) ... so, I thought that a knitting loom would be a good start, even though I had never used one before. We purchased one for her when they were on sale a few weeks ago, but I never got it out. Then today, she received a gift from a co-worker of Chad's... a WHOLE set of looms found at a garage sale! So, we tried them out today...

(The red one was the one we purchased...the other 4 were the gift! It was such a blessing and surprise!)

So, helping her takes some time, but it's cute seeing her working on the crafts!
Both girls are definitely interested in the craft stuff...I can always get little helpers on my table :)

Liz also entered a couple of things in our local fair. Some tomatoes (no ribbon) and a embroidered 'picture' [3rd place... out of three :) but at least she got a ribbon]. She was entered against the adults for her tomatoes because she's only 4...the youth age limit was 5-12...but she did get to enter the Youth under 8 category for her embroidery.

We went up to the fair with my in-laws and had a good time seeing the ribbons we won, the animals... especially the horses, and the girls getting to ride some rides!

I'm looking ahead to fall...my favorite :) So, I decided to join the Leafs Me Happy Blog Hop...



So, I need to start working on a block, hope to update the blog for the upcoming season, and need to decorate the house soon! Hope you are having a productive week!

Joining WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced...the button is on the left!

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; 

I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 

I will be glad and rejoice in thee: 

I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

Psalm 9:1-2

Starting to read through the Psalms for my daily Bible reading... Love the Psalms, especially the ones about singing! Sing a praise to God today!

Journal Cover...

Today a nice young lady from our church is heading back to college and so we had a small send off fellowship on Sunday evening for her. Paper is always a necessity in school, so I made her a journal cover to keep the mundane looking a little nicer :)

I really like how it turned out! I was inspired by the recent journals done by Rachel over at Stitched in Color.

Check out the linky parties on the sidebar for more fun ideas!

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:16

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Colossians 4:5

These seem very applicable this week...on Tuesday, Chad and I were able to go to a Pastor's Conference (Chad has 2 classes left in his freshman year of correspondence classes for Pastoral Theology). We enjoy attending when possible! During the ladies session, Mrs. Smith was expressing how electronics can steal time and we need to learn to control the electronics, not let them control us!

Also, on !Sew WE Quilt!, Madam Samm has been sharing how she gets all her work done by setting goals and setting a timer. This morning I decided that, though a schedule helps, I think the timer would help for some activities.............but the only one that I have is on the stove in the kitchen or microwave. My wonderful husband said to get one off the internet for on the computer, so I did! I downloaded one from the Drive Software Company for free! 

I'll have to see how this all works, cause another area touched on by both ladies it the need for quiet... which I agree, I NEED! However, it is hard to come by with my two little ones. Interruptions are very common with them, so I hope that this experiment with the timer helps all of us learn to have at least a little quiet time, time management (especially with home-school starting in about a week for Liz), and to lessen distractions!

Off to get entries ready for the fair...with the timer set :)

Rearranged...

It was accomplished! I was able to get the sewing/office area all moved out to the living room last week. It is set up almost exactly the same as it was in the bedroom...just switched a few pieces of furniture.

We got Chad's desk (he had when he was younger) from his parents to use as the office desk and I am using a dresser for my storage/ironing station.

Then Chad's current, kidney shaped, antique desk is over in the 'living' area with the piano, chairs, bookcase, and TV...

I really like the look of the dresser instead of the metal utility rack I had been using...

And the way I can store my fabric in it...

Also, I'm now using a large crock we've had for my fabric scraps...currently it's about half full!

Loving the change, especially with having so much more natural lighting!

I've even had a chance to complete a project in my new area on Friday...I hope to share it with you sometime this week!

While I live will I praise the Lord: 

I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

Psalm 146:2 

Hand-quilting Case...

Last year I started hand-quilting a table topper... it is still in process, but now it has a new storage case! Also, last year, I got a small case at our church garage sale that has been working well and was a really nice size...except the project outgrew the box!

At this year's garage sale I found another case...a small, old, hard-sided suitcase. However, the inside needed a little updating.

 I haven't done anything with the outside of the case...which for now, is fine for me :)

I already ripped out the side lining before snapping this picture... it wasn't in bad shape, just old and not my style!

I had a few choices picked out...

Asked Chad his opinion...we went with the green and tan!

I used ModPodge as a glue to put the Cream tweed fabric (which are actually place mats) to the bottom and top of the case, then hot glued the outer edge to secure it more. I then hemmed strips of material for the sides, and also ModPodged and hot glued them in.

Before attaching the top section, I added some pockets, and elastic pencil/seam ripper holder, and a large pin cushion to it.

It's much more roomy for the supplies...which look a little lost, but I will be adding batting, backing, and a quilting hoop - hopefully very soon! However, the extra room also makes the case a little bit larger for transporting! I am planning on making a small matching pouch for the threads to keep them all together and not banging around in the case so much.

I have a BIG, and I mean BIG! project about to begin...probably a little later today :) and I very excited about how it will be when it is all done (the process may not be so much fun though!). 

We are going to rearrange most of the house! :) 

Currently, my sewing area takes up about half of mine and Chad's bedroom...which is kind of dark - and I'm ready to lighten things up a bit...so I'm moving to the living room! Not only that, but we have some other furniture we are moving around and some to get rid of! The girls just got their bunk bed put up, so there is a little work to be done in there room, too! I hope to have this done by next week at this time so that other projects can be started...especially with school for Liz needing to start soon, too....I'd better get to ordering her some books and pick a definite start date :)

I'll share pictures of my new sewing/office area soon!

Check out the Linky Parties on the left side bar...joining a new one this week - TNT at Happy Quilting since this case was a stretch for me...I wan't sure at first how to attach the fabric to the case and keep it flat and tight to the edges!

To every thing there is a season, 

and a time to every purpose under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 

Seasons will start changing here in about a month...and I'll love it! Fall is my favorite season, even thinking of putting out the fall decorations as we clean and rearrange the house!

But not only are the seasons outside going to go through a change, but so are the seasons of our girls changing...Amber is potty training and Liz is about to start school. This is rough season for me...I have to teach them, and I'm not good at teaching kids this age! I'm much better with older kids!

This, however, is a season we must go through, and God will help us! And I pray for His help...that all of us to grow well through this season and learn what we need to so that we can have the knowledge we need to get through later seasons to come!