Quick Fall Tote Bag...

Today I'm doing a quick post to show you my weekend finish...
A quick Fall tote bag for a friend.

I made this bag to fit a Bible, a journal and a piano book or small 3 ring binder for carrying items to church...but my friend can decide how she wants to utilize the bag. I think some of my love of fall colors dominated this bag...also hope she doesn't mind :) !

It really was a simple bag...but useful...even without any pockets or a closure...but with three small children and another one on the way, I didn't think she'd mind not having to fiddle with a closure. Great for a grab and go!

Linking this one up with the early week parties...check them out on my right side bar. Also, including this one in the Wearable section of Celebrate Color (button also on  the side bar).

Hope everyone's start of the week is good...I'm off to can 4 bushels of apples... reinforcements will be arriving to help after work!

To everything there is a season,

and a time to every purpose under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

At another time, I believe I already used this verse...but today this verse is appropriate. This morning I finished preparing my last Science lesson for school. It was a bitter sweet moment...

I greatly enjoyed teaching the children science, but my home (not just as in cleaning it, but the aspects of the children and husband too) were being neglected as I tried to prepare lessons, practicing piano, keep my sanity of doing the house work, and my leisure activity of sewing. So, yesterday, I 'resigned' from actually teaching the science class at school. I will still be there on my volunteer days to continue to help teach them and bond with them...which is one of the greatest joys of being there...

I believe that this is the direction God has for me at this time, and even as Pastor said when I told him...we can keep it in mind for in the future, once my girls get a little older, then maybe we would be able to resume these classes.

For now, my time at home needs to be directed to other things than science.

Amanda

Two-in-One...

These seasonal centerpieces and mug rug have been my main sewing project this past week.

The Autumn Side...

 The Winter Side...

I love this table centerpiece (holiday hexagon) pattern from Love Laugh Quilt. I made a few of this pattern for Mother's day gifts...and these are also gifts that I can't wait to give! And what's better...they are 'just because' kind of gifts!

This picture shows well the two sides...

The Autumn side will go great through Thanksgiving...then the day after, it can be flipped over and...Viola! Already to start decorating for Christmas!

I would struggle with this though...

I used to wait till the day or two after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas, but in the past few years I have begun decorating in mid-November...so for about a week I'm wondering how to decorate my table for Thanksgiving! I love fall decorations...but the rest of the house is ready to celebrate Christmas. Maybe I can start doing a dusting of 'snow' on the fall leaves for that week...a meshing of the seasons!

So when do you decorate or start decorating for Christmas?

And here's my confession, I had my Christmas village still covered in SNOW up until the end of September, when I finally redecorated it for fall...hmmm...back to snow in a couple of weeks - it must be an Alaskan village :)

Also, to accompany one of the centerpieces, I made one of the adorable fabric pumpkins I've been seeing all over blog land.

I love them and the way mine came out...even with the many interruption I seem to continually have (an eleven month old will do that for you!) it only took maybe an hour, maybe an hour-n-half...LOVE the quick accomplishments! I'll probably want to whip out a few more before Thanksgiving!

My pumpkin is the ultimate recycle project too...the fabric is a skrit I really liked but wore only a couple of times (it was a little small) but loved the fabric...so it became a great pumpkin material. The stuffing is from an old bean bag chair of my husbands and the stem and leaf are scrap pieces of fabric. Fun to use things from around the house :)

I'll be showing these off at some of the linky parties on my right side bar and entering in the October Houseware section at Celebrate Color. Check out all the fun going on in blog land!

And a quick family note...my baby started walking today!!! She was going about 5 feet (measurement feet...not her feet) across the living room tonight.



I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,

beseech you that ye walk worthy

of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Ephesians 4:1

Walking daily in a way to honor the Lord is a goal that a true Christian should have... we have a 'vocation'... a job to get done for the Lord and we need to make sure we are accomplishing that job to His glory. I know some days I fall short of always being a good example to my girls...but I am thankful we have a forgiving God that allows us another chance and He keeps working on us - DAILY!

When I was younger, my favorite short chorus was I Love You, Lord...and I still enjoy it very much and have been playing through it when I sit down to practice...

I love you, Lord,

and I lift my voice

to worship You;

O my soul, rejoice!

take joy, my King,

in what You hear;

may it be a sweet,

sweet sound in Your ear.

Worship Him with a sweet sound...your voice!

Amanda

My New School Bag...

As do many things, my new school bag took longer to finish than I had planned or hoped...but it came out GREAT! I love it! So this beautiful yardage...

Became this great bag...nice and big!

I made it to hold my books and the laptop.

I love the fallishness of the brown and green...and an untratitional color for fall - aqua (yet, very trendy)...it's a good combination that has a toned down fall feel that will go nice all year! 

It's been made to be sturdy and hold alot...inside are 2 layers of felt by the yard quilted to the lining. The hadles are also thick and quilted 7 inches into the body of the bag.

A couple of pockets were added for the smaller things that get lost in the bottom of big bags...like keys :)

It's an exciting finish and I'm going to be adding it to the Celebrate Color festival of crafts happening at Stiched in Color.

Giving thanks always for all things

unto God and the Father

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Ephesians 5:20

It always amazes me how God answers our little prayers...the things that seem almost insignificant...

On Tuesday, when I was getting ready to sew the handles on to the bag, I was thinking that it may take a lot of patience and fiddling with my sewing machine. It was a lot of material in one spot to be going through the machine...

but I cleaned and prepared my machine (with a needle for jean material), then prepared myself by asking God to help it to go smoothly. About 2 inches into the first handle...SNAP...the needle broke! Normally, I would get frustrated and irritated...but God's grace is good...I just changed the needle and continued on. Thankfully, the rest of the attaching of the handles went very well and quick too!

After the answered prayer, I was thinking about it...Why did I have the broken needle at the beginning? I'm still not sure, but I am Thankful for the sewing going smoothly on the hard parts of my new school bag.

Prayer for even the little things is heard by God when brought to Him by His children!

Amanda

Also, I'll be adding this great bag to some of my weekly linky party stops...check out the right side bars to join in!

Celebrate Color...

Autumn has great colors...so, it's the perfect time to Celebrate Color! That's what Rachel over at Stitched in Color has planned for us for this great season...and as you all know...my favorite season!

I saw the inspiration post she put up on Thursday...and just couldn't bear it! Friday, I pulled out the Fall tote and transformed the house to a haven of orange, brown, gold, and dark red...LOVE IT! I typically try to decorate for fall right around Labor Day, so this year fell right into tradition.

Here are my main points of decoration...

My Orange Colorway :)

I'd have to say that I think Orange is definitely my favorite fall color...but all the fall colors mixed together make for great possibilities!

For most of the summer I have been admiring Sandy Garvais' Grand Finale...and I finally got some! You can see it sitting beautifully on my computer desk in the middle right picture...a jelly roll (my 2nd EVER!) and some yardage. I'm waiting on a Grand Finale charm pack to arrive...then I'll take some fabric pictures, so I can dig in and see how I can transform a great bundle of fall into a quilt.

It may be a little bit before that quilt actually gets as much attention as I'd love to give it because life around here seems to be making sewing time very elusive! Over the long weekend I did stay up the one night a put Amber's quilt on my design wall...also, LOVING IT!!! I'll try to fill you in on that and show pictures tomorrow.

But back to our fall Celebrate Color inspiration...

Here is my photo collage for Brown...

(all pictures are from google images search)

and for Dark Red...

(all pictures are from google images search)

I'll leave this Celebrate Color Inspiration with this quote from Country Living magazine (Oct. '07). (**Note...I changed the one line because it spoke of Jack-o-lanterns...and I don't really care for them. I prefer a nice smooth pumpkin...maybe with a painted/decor leaf put on it.)

Against the backdrop of twilight's blue,

windows glow amber as candles beckon.

A chilly gust sends up a swirl of leaves.

Set out on a walking tour of autumn.

Take in the sights of cornfields

and hay bales and sunflowers.

The views have never been better.

She girdeth her loins with strength

and strengtheneth her arms.

She preceiveth that her merchandise is good:

her candle goeth not out by night.

Proverbs 31:17-18

Proverbs 31 is a great passage for women, to show us how we are to take care of our household...I read this the other day and thought that the late nights I've been having are all part of keeping the house running sometimes. Another section of this passage also talks about rising while it is still night... I find it easier to stay up at night once everyone is tucked in bed than it is for me to get out of bed earlier than needed...but either way you need a 'candle' to get the work done!

Have a great time enjoying the great scenes of fall as they begin to pass by and thank God for the beauty he has established in the season's for us to enjoy!

Amanda

As always...check ou the great links on the right side bar for some inspiration...whether needed or unneeded!