One Yard Wonders

I've been teaching a sewing class once a week using this book:
The directions are simple, the projects are adorable, and it is an all-around fabulous beginning sewing book. Some of the reviews said the projects were too simple, but I've been sewing for about 20 years and even so, I am enjoying it. Since all the projects use just one yard of fabric it is fairly risk-free; if you don't love your project you haven't invested much in time or materials. However, I don't think that's likely to happen.

In celebration of all the great things you can make with just one yard, I am listing the last of my new bargain fabrics today. My favorite place to buy closeout fabrics is leaving town. So, get them while you can! Here are a few samples:

I made this bag in about an hour...
There's one yard of the black and white polka dot left in the shop, as well as several yards of the same print in a baby blue.


Determined to make Sweet A something new for a Valentine's Tea we are going to in a few weeks (I'm pretty excited to finally have a daughter old enough to take to tea!) I made this, and it took less than a yard:

I think we'll stick with the grey straps for winter, and then switch to the grosgrain ribbon in the warmer months. This is the type of fabric that makes seamstresses hoard material. I went to buy up every last bit of it yesterday and (thankfully, says my checking account) there was just a yard of the pink and two yards of the grey left. Sigh. Here's what it looks like up close:
Grey and pink polka dots and circles...how cute is that?? Well, I bought it with the hopes that some fabric loving friend would want the last yards so let me know if that's you. I'm not going to put it up on Etsy quite yet.

It's snowing hard again, and we are having a cozy day (mostly) indoors. Have a great weekend!

Goodbye/Hello

A while back we switched over to an all-cash system for our family finances, and every two weeks these babies get re-filled with bills. The cash was just begging to get out of these disgraceful things. Not exactly a good savings plan.

But say hello to the new envelope system, made of scraps from my favorite living room pillow.

A place for cash...four gusseted pockets. The pink thread makes me smile.

One extra pocket on the fold-up flap for my personal money, coupons, stamps, etc.


I do have a few cards (e.g., credit and discount cards, insurance cards) so I made a place for those. The bottom flap is empty on the inside, and a zipper pouch would have solved the coin problem, so I may incorporate that in the future. My sister-in-law has been looking for a stylish solution to the envelope system, so she will get the new and improved version, whenever I have time to make it.


Of course, there are several things I could have done differently...a flap snap, a key loop, heavier interfacing. Even so, my money never wants to leave its new home.

Does anyone else use a cash system? How do you carry your money? Have you seen a pre-made wallet that incorporates cash categories? I always have to reinvent the wheel, but I'd love to know if there are other products out there. If there aren't, maybe this would be something to add to the shop.

And now, Jonesey, you know why I missed the book party. I got so caught up in my project I forgot (and naptime has come and gone with not much blog reading). My loss!

The beginning

This is how we start off our Saturdays...when Dad sleeps in the kids watch Kipper. When Mom sleeps in they watch Pink Panther cartoons with their father. Baby T sits there for about 2-minute stints.

I do have something to show for my lack of blog posts, and a few of them seemed worth sharing.
This mail sorter has helped keep huge piles of paper from stacking up next to the computer. We don't have a designated office but use part of the living room. This isn't the epitome of organization, but at least it looks a little more purposeful. Find the tutorial here.


Before Christmas I made my first bag, using this tutorial. I really liked the style, although I altered it by adding interfacing to the whole thing to make it stand up on its own (she wanted a bag that would work as a basket when opened) and put super-stiff interfacing in the bottom (which means I had to square it off). I think I could really get into making bags!


My Mom gave us a "princess costume" over Christmas, and this is my replica for our niece, who turns 2 tomorrow:

If I have time I might write up a quick tutorial because the whole thing was less than $5 to make but the girls just love them.

Last but not least, today is the beginning of DAIRY DAYS for me...(not so) Baby T is weaned as of this weekend and hasn't even seemed to notice.

I'm off to have some icecream, or something other than goat cheese, or chocolate milk, or whatever creamy food suits my fancy.

From food to faithfulness

I have long since wanted to do a book review of Michael Pollan's book, In Defense of Food. I enjoyed the book and found even more motivation to get away from "nutritionism" as he says, and just eat real food. It is a wonder to me that those who desire not the latest food fad or to count carbs/protein/calories/vitamins (insert whatever here) but the food our great-grandparents probably enjoyed- these people are the weird ones. Those who don't eat the plastic cheese are freaks. Something is wrong with our culture.

However, I am also working out in my mind how the way we eat fits in with our Kingdom purposes. We are not to be living for ourselves; we have a greater goal in mind than just to sustain our own family in this life. And so I've put off the book report because I haven't worked it all out yet. I do know that my husband and I are working and saving not only for our own generation, but with our children and our children's children in view. We would like to have a farm but we understand it may be years down the road, when we are too old to actually farm, but we would be able to give our children an advantage we don't have (land).

Creating a healthy food source, a reputable farm with God-honoring ethics, a place for our children to learn hard work and how to provide for others, a witness in the community by participating in the farmer's market- all these things do fit in with our Kingdom goals. So I don't think our food goals are in opposition to our Kingdom goals, but we are still refining our thoughts. I read this post yesterday and it's a good reminder to make God's Word and principles your #1 guide as you make any decision for your family. Anything good can become an idol, and many in the food movement make it their religion. I see this as an opportunity to shine more brightly (no pun intended) and to redeem this area for the glory of God.

One complaint I've heard is that food preparation receives too much attention in our house. Pollan says this, "For most people for most of history, gathering and preparing food has been an occupation at the very heart of daily life. Traditionally, people have allocated a far greater portion of their income for food- as they still do in countries where people eat better than we do and as a consequence are healthier than we are. "

We are building a culture here at our house, one where spending time with one another and with friends, is central to our life. Sure, if you are a grump in the kitchen and shoo everyone out so you can spend hours preparing food that is "perfect" it will not be appreciated. I'm sure I've been guilty of that on occasion. As a side note, my husband is always encouraging me to choose hospitality over homemade; if the choice must be made he would prefer I buy the convenience food and continue to use our home for hospitality. I am learning that most of the time a little planning and prep can avoid that, but then again I'm not homeschooling, etc. One other aspect to consider: the more I learn to cook the faster I get, the less time it takes, and the more the kids can actually help. I think I am spending less time on food than I did two years ago because it doesn't require quite as much thought and I'm just a little more efficient.

Most of the time, the kitchen is a central part of the life of each member of our family. If we ever build a home the kitchen will literally be the center of our house; it will fit hoards of people (or children) who enjoy sitting around and chatting (or helping). In some sense it ceases to become work and is transformed into life, love, fellowship, and memories. Nancy Wilson talks about investing so much in your marriage that it's like being wound up in a ball of string...a memory here, a tradition there, a romantic evening thrown in...round and round (I'm sure I'm messing up the analogy- my apologies) that to cut away at all of that and start over with some new person isn't even worth the trouble.

I think the same applies to children: we long to have their hearts so we can teach them of the Most Important One. We do that first by praying for them and teaching their tender hearts, but then by creating memories, traditions, and so many day-to-day pleasantries that to leave the Covenant family and the little things they love most is not even appealing. Our children are young, so some may say this is all just "theory" but I am not making up these ideas. :) We are seeking to follow others who have raised their children to be faithful parents- as they follow Christ. We have chosen to make meal times and food prep one part of that process; others have the same goals and take an entirely different route and I can think of several families we would be honored to emulate who are in that boat.

So, from food to faithfulness in 5 minutes. How did that happen?

apron strings

"Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice." - Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Somewhere out there

It's been quiet around the old blog for a while. Not that I haven't wanted to stop in, but my sole New Year's resolution (and that is cheating because admittedly, this has many facets) is to Focus on the Main Things. This includes "get back on a schedule" and I just haven't had a lot of computer time. After creating a fairly detailed schedule (flexible, of course...but it gave us goals for our day) last fall I have realized I need to allow twice as much time for every activity we want to do. In between potty trips and diaper changes, cleaning up broken _____ (yesterday it was a creamer and two glass jars at different times!), discipline, etc. we do a lot of fun things, but just keeping everyone clean-ish and alive occupies a lot of our time. So we have a little more realistic schedule these days, with no rushing from one fun thing to the next (e.g., "hurry up kids and clean up your painting so we can read books on time"= not fun). I have given myself 30 minutes in the morning to be on the computer, which usually turns into more like 15 minutes and all in all, I am trying to leave it at that until the evening so the computer is not a distraction. I've been writing this one paragraph-on and off- for 1.5 hours. I hope this is a season!!

The kids have had a lingering cold/cough since our Christmas trip, so our days are filled with wiping noses, steam treatments, and just general grouchiness. I think it's starting to make me grouchy, too...I need to remember that I set the tone around here, not them. :)

I'm really not trying to make this a downer post, but real life isn't always fun and games and sometimes we wade through the muck and keep the end in view. By faith, we look for the unseen. To keep things in perspective, some friends of ours in our last church are learning to trust Christ in the face of their home being destroyed by a fire on Sunday. About 10 years ago we had some family friends who lost all their earthly possessions to a house fire, and that was also a time of sorting through our own things to see what we could provide for them. We are not close enough to send over immediate help to this family, but it has really motivated me to get rid of everything superfluous. On Monday, I cleared out three garbage bags for Goodwill, one of trash, and one to give away. Since this is the year of Focusing on the Main Things, I was more than ready to get rid of anything that was providing more of a storage issue than adding to our lives. If my house burned down tomorrow, I'd hate to think there are many items I'd never even remember I lost! So, we continue to pare down, refocus, and press on toward the high calling we have in Christ Jesus. Not an easy task, but worth fighting for!

I'll leave you with a quote:

I find it most true, that the greatest temptation out of hell, is to live without temptations; if my waters should stand, they would rot. Faith is the better of the free air, and of the sharp winter storm in its face. Grace witherith without adversity. - Samuel Rutherford, The Loveliness of Christ

Not a lot of standing water around here these days. I'll be back, but it may be a few weeks. :)

Paring down

I recently read of a blogger who removed her blogroll in favor of listing just a few current favorites, and I have copied the idea in the hopes of simplifying this little corner of the blog world. I hope (and hope springs eternal) to update weekly, highlighting just the few places I most enjoyed. I highly recommend using some sort of blog reader: you can sort through titles and snippets and decide what is worth your time. I subscribe to many blogs but actually read only a handful, and those typically belong to closer friends and sites that inspire creativity I can put into practice today. I do not suffer from guilt when it comes to not living up to all the ideas in blogland...I am one person and there are 5 million good ideas out there. Use what you can, tuck a few ideas away for a rainy day, and pass by the rest. That's my recipe for balance.

Anyway, I really came here to tell you about a creative blog I found during the Sew Mama Sew giveaways, and she happens to be giving away two somethings this very day! I don't want to decrease my chances of winning, because I really want the box for my Spare Room, but I just thought I would share the love. Her blog- Inside the Paper Box- is beautiful, and she's even featured in the February edition of Romantic Homes (an honor that sort of makes me laugh when I think of how that will never be something I write about myself. Not that we aren't romantic around here... perhaps if Practical & Functional Homes, or Homes that Make Happy Children, or Thrift-Shoppe Furnished Homes were doing a feature, I might stand a chance...). So, check it out and be inspired!

Help for the sick

Happy New Year! (Although I've been told to say as much is outdated. That's never stopped me before.)

Our Christmas in Florida was enjoyable, the 12-hour drives, both there and back, could not have been easier. I'm happy to report that my children managed to make both trips with only three stops each way and were as sweet as could be expected while being strapped in their carseats. Florida was not as warm as we hoped (we should have brought heavier jackets) but it was warmer than the 11 degree weather that greeted us upon our return. I do feel a little Jane Austen-ish speaking so much about the weather...I must not have anything more important to say. Speaking of the author, we listened to much of Northanger Abbey in the car, as well as Animal Farm, and a little Pippi Longstocking thrown in for good measure. We came home and spent a short time with my husband's family as they celebrated Christmas over New Years. I hope to brave the cold weather soon and go out to the van and get my batteries out of the cd player so I can take a picture of my son in his new army helmet, belt and canteen, and rifle. He has worn the get-up for days now, even while in his pjs. Pretty cute. When we told him how comforting it was to have a soldier at home to protect us he did make clear that it was a costume, and not to expect much protection from his 4-year-old self.

Baby T was cranky and unpleasant for much of our time away, due to some sort of illness that he generously spread to all his siblings. We now have some irritable, snotty, coughing children and two fairly tired parents. Last night WH had the genius idea (and I don't say that sarcastically) to pull Baby T in bed with us so that when he woke up every 30 minutes or so we wouldn't have to get out of bed and take care of him. Genius= more sleep. I have several friends dealing with babies who are much more sick than mine, and I have learned/am learning to pray less for the kids to be quiet and sleep and more that God would make me cheerful as I care for them.

I did want to pass on this website and advice for anyone else who is or will be caring for sick kids this winter: Ask Dr. Sears. The link is specifically for dealing with children who have coughs and colds, but I find much of his health advice practical and of the "less is more" school of thought. He provides several scenarios of illnesses that don't need medical care, and what to look for that may require immediate medical attention. My idea of what is "normal" is often skewed by my motherly desire to see my children well and free of discomfort, as well as my lack of sleep from caring for them. Anywho...hope someone finds that helpful.

The mail lady is here, delivering a week and a half worth of mail for us. In the midst of mounds of laundry the mail is always a welcome part of returning from a trip!