Enjoying Grandchildren

I get a phone call everyday between noon to 1:00pm from our grandchildren in Colorado. I love this time. We do homework and talk about everything in the world. We do crafty things, I see the dogs, and we just share our lives with them. What could be better than that? I sometimes just work on my crafts while we talk, they do homework, and our granddaughter makes bracelets. Too Much Fun!

 

Still not much time to work on my fluff ball with sickness and visitors, cleaning up from visitors, and the general busy-ness of the day. I have been keeping up with my bullet journal though. This one thing has transformed my days to be more organized. I love that! I get so much more done in a very efficient way. I am so happy I found this organization tool.

Hope you have time today to do something you love. I would love to see what you're working on!

Happy Trails to you,

Debi

DONE!

I believe I have finally finished the clues for the mystery quilt that will be posted on the Quilters Club of America site. It is with my testers for wording now and we will be posting very soon. I am excited to get started. I spent the rest of Monday writing and re-writing clues and taking pictures to add for clarity. I have done two mysteries already and have this one and another ready. I am working on yet another quilt for them, but it is in the beginning stages where I make the blocks and try to figure out the easiest way to complete them. I love this!!! I love all the quilters making something that I created. Such a sense of accomplishment!

I still have had no time to work on this fluff ball of a bear! I will get there, hopefully today!!!!! I have only gotten a few seams done. I have the paw pads on the inside arms and the center of the face sewn together. There is much work to be done. I call it work, but really it is my form of play and is my sanity! 

I think I should get to sewing and enjoy what little free time I have today. Hoping you have an amazing day and rest of your week. I also hope you have some time to spend in your happy place doing your happy things.

ENJOY!

Debi

Time Never Wasted...

Well, it has been a few days since I posted. It has been a crazy busy weekend. We started Friday with a couple of "my girls" coming to help me bake some cookies for Sunday and to get ready for Saturday. I made beds for them and tidied the house Friday, I also harvested and baked zucchini bread for Saturday morning. The girls and I baked two types of cookies and called it a night...fun food and fellowship, what could be better!!

Saturday started early doing the final preparations for the "Mum's Spa Day" for the mums of the girls in my Sunday School class. We did facials, manicures, and pedicures. A good time was had by both the mums and my girls. We finished around lunch then went to a cafe in town and had some lunch. Very special time with my girls and their mums. We also collected a couple of young people from church as their parents were out of town for the weekend. So, more sheets and towels to do, hehe! 

Sunday was a fantastic day at church! In the afternoon we had 18 youth and 4 adults at our home for an afternoon of fun, food, and games. We had such a fantastic time! I love ministering to these young people. They are our future and time spent with them is never wasted. In the evening service, we had a guest preacher, an actor who portrays great preachers of the past and "Charles Spurgeon" was our preacher. Then we had the preacher and his wife in our home for the night and into Monday afternoon. What a sweet time of fellowship. 

Needless to say, this chook is tired and ready for a day of rest. I haven't had much time to spend in my craftroom, but that's ok. I was able to do some baking, entertaining, and listening which I love and am reasonably good at! I am thanking the LORD for keeping us busy and close to Him.

 

Debi

Fray Stopping Preferences

I just finished applying the fray stopping "adhesive" to the fur ball of a teddy bear I showed you the pieces for the other day.  I ran out of "Stop Fraying" and started a bottle of "Fray Stoppa".  Aside from getting the first bottle in the USA and the second in New Zealand, there are many other differences as well. I have been using the "Stop Fraying" for a long time as it was what I could find. It is white like school glue and dries much like that as well, a thin bead around the outside of my pieces. It does the job it was designed to do, no doubt, but I wasn't sure I liked the added thickness to my pieces...if I painted (because I use a small paintbrush) a bit too far inside the piece, I found it hard to push my needle through the woven backing of the fur.

"Stop Fraying" takes at least six hours to dry and dries clear. In this pic, you can see the white around the outside of a leg, also the liquid looking strip around the arm piece. The "Fray Stoppa" (bought in New Zealand) is liquid, much like water. It has a nozzle type lid. When you squeeze the bottle, depending on how far you open the twistie lid, a small amount of liquid comes out.

"Fray Stoppa" only takes five minutes to dry but dries a bit stiff, letting me know if I went all the way around since it dries clear. This results in a better finish in my opinion. It is easier to sew since it is more flexible, less intrusive, and takes much less time to dry. "Fray Stoppa" has the added benefits of using it on other things: hems, button thread strays, and a run in your stockings!

Given the option, I would much prefer the liquid "Fray Stoppa" over the white glue type fray controlling adhesives. I will continue using fray stoppa and let you know if there are any other compliments or complaints on either product.

My your hems not fray!

Debi

It's a Mystery

I spent most of Sunday afternoon preparing for the upcoming mystery quilt with the Quilters Club of America, sending emails, pics, instructions, and getting the final touches put on everything...checking typos and measurements. This is the third one I have done for them.  I sat and designed another one this past week (making five!). This keeps me busy and loving my sewing room! (And very thankful for my sweet man who purchased all my machines and fabric!)

 

If you'd like to join in I am sure it will be fun. I and two other ladies will be on call to answer any questions and help in any way we can. If you are local to me (Rotorua, New Zealand, or close), I can hands-on help. I love to teach, I love to sew, I love quilts....all things put together, this is my happy place!

Monday was a sewing day...blobbing out in my sewing room most of the day. Hope you have an amazing week. Take some time out to do something you love!

Happy crafting,

Debi

More Blessings!

Sitting here having my cuppa tea, sometimes my mind boggles and I have a hard time wrapping my head around God's blessings on us. This past week has been one of those weeks. We have had long time friends stop by and bless us, new friends made, and prayers answered in miraculous ways (amongst too many other blessings to name). I am not sure why God chooses to bless, but I am so very thankful for His grace, mercy, and provision.

It goes without saying God knows what we need, when we need it. I "preach" this to myself all the time. It still takes me off guard sometimes when He answers that, "I don't know what we are going to do" prayer. We have watched God provide miracoulously over the years, but I still stand in awe when He just keeps continuing to bless us. We serve because we love our LORD, I know He blesses because He loves us. 

Sorry to blab on, but I just wanted to Praise the LORD for His blessings in our lives. I know I don't thank Him enough, can we EVER thank Him enough for saving our souls, making us joint heirs with Jesus, and bessing our lives exceeding abundantly above all we could ever ask or think?

God's richest blessings on you,

Debi

Fur Ball!

 

I promise this will be a bear! By the time I had it cut out, I didn't know who was furrier, the bear or me! I chose this fur because it is so soft, I just wanted to pet it forever. It is going to make a cuddly wonderful bear. The pile is very dense and pretty long. Looking forward to how it makes up.

Friday was a busy day with baking, washing, eating, and preparing for our visitors today. I did get everything done I wanted to, that makes me happy! I didn't get a lot of time to sew, but that's ok as I will be able to sew Sunday afternoon! I don't have a lot to do next week, that means more time to sew as well!

Hope you have a fantastic weekend. Take some time to do something you love!!

Happy crafting,

Debi