I Think I have a New Favorite Color...

Just finished another few brooches. The part that is the most fun about these, is the picking of the unique color combos. They all take on a life of their own when the colors get mushed together. No 2 are the same. Here is my new favorite. I think purple is my new favorite-too bad it is such an extremely hard color to find in old wool sweaters! Here is a peek at the new brooch.

A Few Shop Updates...

I thought I would give you all a glance at the week ahead in the shop. Maybe it will help in planning your attack;)

Today is the last for the weekend sale which is 25% off of everything.

Tuesday is the fabric sale-20% off of all fabric purchases.

Wednesday is the handmade sale-20% off of all handmade items. And 25% off of all vintage clothing purchases.

Thursday is the reclaimed bed linens sale-20% off of all reclaimed bed linens.

Happy shopping!

The Best Use of Toilet Paper Ever....

I was getting ready for bed, and this is what I found. Madison had tucked it in my make up bag, knowing I would find it right before I went to bed. Thank you my precious Madi, I needed that! May I just say, I think this has got to be the best use of toilet paper ever;)

Handmade with Wool this Week...

Just a quick peek at a few new wool brooches and mittens this week. The mittens are for a special order. All of these are made from recycled felted wool scraps.

Elegant Simplicity Mittens

Garden of Plum

Holly Berry Mittens

FABRIC SALE TODAY ONLY....

FABRIC IS 20% OFF TODAY IN THE SHOP. HAPPY SHOPPING!

When do I sew?

My husband just handed me a warm cup of sleepy time tea, which is code for "You need to get some rest" after listening to me cough and cough. Fall is my favorite season by far, but with it comes months of allergy mayhem, sore ribs, difficulty sleeping, blah blah blah;). And the cold season has taken our home as well, and even tough the disinfectant spray is at my side arming me for battle, I have been taken down with a cold. So, what do I do when I get sick, I cozy up on the couch with my favorite quilt, softest pillows, pop on the TV, and that lasts all of 10 minutes! Actually what happens when I get sick, I sew which is no surprise because I sew when I am happy, I sew when I am mad,I sew when I am sad, I sew when I pray, I sew when I am bored(never happens), I sew when I can't sleep, I sew when I should be asleep, I sew when I watch TV, I sew when the kids are watching TV(helps me keep a close eye on what they are filling their minds with), and so on.

So back to what I was trying to get to, when Friday hit, and school was done for the week, it was time to crash. Matt came home from work and said he really would like to go see one of our students play in a football game Friday night, we always wish there was more time to do that, so I was excited for him to go do that! After the kids were in bed, I snuggled in at my cutting table for a bit and worked on some mitten designs. I did a bit more yesterday when I was up to it, and was able to get some sewing done this afternoon in between making caramel apples with the kids, and watching Madison and her best friend Emily work on a lip sync.

Here are some of the works in progress and some of the finished pairs.

These are a few pairs that are in the works for a friend. I have the rest of the pieces cut now waiting to be sewn up. Here is one of the finished star pairs.

I finished another pair of the fallen tree mittens and have them listed in the shop. Truly season inspired!

This design I first made for a friend and have begun putting some more of them together for the shop. They are my holly berry mittens. They are in the shop now.

A fun new pair of little blooms for a young girl of around 5-8 years old. In shop tonight.

And I realize that most of my mittens are girlie-so with that thought, I have added some star design mittens. They are for 5-8 years old approx. In shop tonight.

WeEkEnD sALe-FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY....

THE WEEKEND SALE HAS BEGUN......EVERYTHING IS 20% OFF. TAKE A PEEK HERE.

BED LINENS SALE TODAY ONLY....

All reclaimed bed linens are on sale today! 20% off....see shop for details.

TWO SALES TODAY!!!

THERE ARE TWO FUN SALES IN THE SHOP TODAY!

20% OFF OF ALL HANDMADE ITEMS....

AND 50 % OFF OF ALL VINTAGE CLOTHING....

HAVE A VERY BLESSED DAY!!

Fabric SaLe ToDaY OnLy.....

Time for another fabric sale!!! 20% off of all fabric purchases. See shop for details.

A FeW nEw HaTs fOr tHe WeE oNeS...

Worked on a few new fall hats for the wee ones. I used a simple tree design and used a stippling foot to applique them.

Here is one especially for the little ladies. A wee little patch of blooms have been added the the hat. Same here, I used a stippling foot to attach them.

This hat was made from a cashmere sweater and a felted wool star.

I will throw this one in too-it isn't a hat, but I just finished these for the shop as well. They are baby mitts-thumbless. Made completely from recycled materials.

WeEkEnD sALe-FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY....

IT IS ALREADY THE WEEKEND~~~TIME FOR ANOTHER SALE....EVERYTHING IS 25% OFF. SEE SHOP FOR DETAILS....

What I am Reading Right Now...

I have never taken the time to share about the books I am reading, mostly because I am not a "book" person most of the time. It is hard for me to sit still, calm my mind enough to focus on a book for any length of time. Sometimes it comes from reading so much for schooling our kids as well, it makes me anxious to work with my hands which seems to be almost nessasary for me to function, BUT! All that said, I thought through what I was reading recently and I guess, I am actually kind of a book person considering the list I have right now. Here is what I am reading and why.

The first is "Everyday Talk" by John Younts. i am going through this with a close mom friend that I am mentoring (although I think I learn more from her)! It, if anything, is a strong reminder of how much our everyday speech(conversations, frustrations, murmurrings, questions, discipline, etc)effects our children's world view of God. Convicting! For myself, it has helped me to take a breather before I talk without thinking first.

This book is beautifully done. It is the story of Ruth told in a poetic form from the perspective of Obed sharing with his Grandson David about the life of his great grandmother Ruth. I have been reading this to the kids when we are around the table off and on. Love love love it!

I am reading this book with Joslyn for school. Joslyn will read a few pages and then I will read a few. It is a book telling about 10 women that have changed the world. Godly examples of women who loved the Lord. Among them are women such as Isobel Kuhn, Amy Carmichael, and Corrie ten Boom(of course). Causes Josie to ask questions and begin to see the joy that comes from serving the Lord with our whole lives. There are others in this collection for girls and boys.

Desiring God is my "brain hurts" type of study but in a good way. This one I spend a good amount of time flipping back and forth through scripture with. This is one I do later at night when the house is completely quiet. It takes all my focus, and allows me to pray while I listen( I am doing this with the audio version so I can hear and read. I listen to it in the car as well. This is my challenge right now.

This is a book we are reading as a family. it is one of the books written about the life of Corrie ten Boom. I want the kids to have a real eye opening view of the holocaust and about what Jews and Christians went through during this time. Corrie ten Boom has a way of connecting with young and old and a way of applying the living Word of God to everyday life. Awesome!

And this one is my favorite and will most likely remain in my top of all time. It is another book by Corrie ten Boom called "Not Good If Detached". It is almost like a journal of hers, each chapter is a conversation or experience she had while traveling around the globe sharing the gospel after being freed from the consentration camp. This book goes everywhere with me, it is always in my purse, and I have read and reread this book multiple times. It has caused me to treasure Jesus so much more in my own life, it has so often given me clarity on situations in my own life and the scripture that applies. It is a most precious gift and get this, it was nestled and hidden away on a shelf of books in a little thrift shop up in MN that my mother in law took me to. We got stranded at this shop due to a violent storm that came through, so unlike my normal visits to thrift shops, I had time to leaf through the books. This tiny little beat up book captured my attention immediately. The title actually made me think of the verse in John 15:5

I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing.

And after that thought crossed my mind , I looked down and saw "Corrie ten Boom" And I thought, well, of course. God had sent that storm just for me and had hidden that little book away just for me, knowing my heart and mind, knowing even the little details of what catches my attention -old and worn objects overlooked and overloved. I am now on a mission to track down as many copies of this book that I can so that I can give them away to friends, family, and students.

So for now, those are what is on the reading list. I will make sure to share a few more of my favorites sometime soon.

A Few New Wool Wonders...

I haven't actually sat down at my sewing machine for quite awhile. The Lord has just had other things in mind for me the past 2 weeks and I have been blessed through those. But today after coming home from a funeral of a dear friend who is now spending eternity with Jesus, sitting at the machine in quiet was just the thing. I had already designed and cut out quite a few designs for mittens and a hat. Here are some of what I accomplished and have listed in the shop.A wee one's hat-BLOOM it is for 6-18 months. I haven't made any wool hats for quite some time and am looking forward to working on some more.
Here is a pair called Dotty Spotty. It has a unique combination of blues, purples and greens.
Here is another pair of the "Garden Blooms" They are for teens to small women.
And one more "garden bloom" in teen to a small in women. Vibrant colors to remind us of summer in the stark grayness of winter. All made from some fun recycled wool sweaters. The wool has been felted making it thick and cozy.