Such a Sew and Sew

Monday, May 12, 2014

A Stitch In Time: April Finishes Giveaway Winner

Time is free, but it's priceless.
You can't own it, but you can use it.
You can't keep it, but you can spend it.
Once you've lost it you can never get it back..
–Harvey MacKay

Time. The one commodity that we all have in equal measure. Even though I try to spend my time wisely, I often find myself wishing for more time and kicking myself for wasting time. Still, some of my "free time" {if there is such a thing} each day is allotted to sewing. When I only have a few minutes to spend it's frustrating. Progress is barely perceptible at that pace. To keep from getting discouraged, "just keep stitching," has been my motto over the last several months. I've tried not to let time, or lack thereof, be a deterrent to working on something, no matter how small, every day. It finally paid off as I finished seven tote bags this month, which I worked on a bit at a time every day for about seven weeks. I felt like I crept along at a snail's pace. Or maybe it was a tortoise. In either case, there were some days I just wasn't feeling it because I knew I wasn't going to finish in the amount of time I had to spend. I tried to keep things in perspective, though, and I used what little time I had each day to work on the project. And when it was all said and done, having seven finishes at the same time was really awesome. In addition to the bags, I finished two journal {Personal Progress} totes. It was a good month for finishes for me. And now I begin the process over again. I won't have much to report in the way of finishes, but I'll just keep stitching until I do. But enough about me. Let's get on to all the amazing things you finished and announce our winner for the month of April. LadyBug drew the winning number — number one.

Congratulations to

Kathy

at Kathy's Quilting Blog

Kathy will receive a Dottie Charm Pack by Moda from The Fat Quarter Shop, which I'm sure she will put to good use. In addition to the awesome scrappy quilt that was pulled out of the drawing as the winner, she also finished a really fun triangle quilt. There were lots of other great finishes in April, too. If you have a minute, check some of them out. I'd recommend Carin's Garden Fence Table Runner or Cynthia's orange and grey Scrap-a-Palooza quilt.

The May Finishes Linky Party is open, so you can link up as you go throughout the month. Remember to include the May Finishes button {code found in the May post} somewhere in any post you link up. Code for a button for your sidebar can also be found at the bottom of the May post. The giveaway this month, sponsored by The Fat Quarter shop, is a 30' Playtime Charm Pack by Chloe's Closet for Moda.

Today's post brought to you by:

Sunday, May 11, 2014

It Was Mom

God chose mothers to bear the responsibility of providing physical bodies for His children through the miraculous process of pregnancy and birth. Being a mother means participating in the miracle that is God’s greatest work. Thomas S. Monson, a modern-day prophet, said, “One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one.”

The divine role of motherhood is exhibited in all women, whether they’ve born children or not. It is important to remember that the call to nurture is not limited to our own flesh and blood. Whether it’s an aunt, a teacher, a friend, or a community leader, we are all deeply indebted to the moral, steadying influence of good women in our lives. –Mormon.org

With much gratitude in my heart, I wish my mom Happy Mother's Day!

#itwasmom

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Sabbath Songs: The Mission/How Great Thou Art

When thru the woods and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,
How great thou art! How great thou art!
–How Great Thou Art, text by Stuart K. Hine, music arranged by Stuart K Hine from a Swedish folk melody

From The Piano Guys
We've set an ambitious goal to film in front of all Seven Wonders of the World. We started with the Great Wall of China. As our tour of Brazil approached we set our sights on our next Wonder: Christ the Redeemer. This incredible piece of art soars 10 stories in the air, stretches 100 feet wide and weighs 1.4 million pounds (630,000 kg). But even more impressive is that it was built in the 1920's on a peak of a sheer 2,300 ft. (700 meter) cliff overlooking Rio de Janeiro.

Not far from this inspiring statue are the Iguazu Falls — a natural Wonder of the World. Made up of 275 waterfalls that stretch across 1.7 miles (2.7 km), to match the amount of water that flows down these falls you would need 2 million people to each pour a quart of water every second.

As we considered what piece of music would be worthy of such incomparable locations we looked to songs that have been composed or used to praise Jesus Christ, for whom the statue was built and who billions believe created all the natural wonders of this world. We wanted to combine the melody of the heartfelt hymn of praise "How Great Thou Art" with one of the most beautiful melodies ever written — the theme from the movie "The Mission" ("Gabriel's Oboe.") "The Mission" is a movie that powerfully depicts the lives of men that lay down their lives for others. It was also filmed at Iguazu Falls. "How Great Thou Art" praises God and all that He has done for His children on this Earth. The two harmonize so beautifully with each other, both musically and thematically. As we played these pieces in front of the Christ Statue and Iguazu Falls we felt an overwhelming sense of wonder, peace, and joy.

This music video is not meant to exclude anyone that does not believe in God. We hope that it instead promotes spiritual feelings that can be felt by all — gratitude for a beautiful Earth, for life, and for joy.

A wise man once said, "If we thought of life as a gift, we might not demand nearly as much from it. And if we lived more graciously, giving of ourselves more freely to the well-being of others, many of our personal concerns would disappear, and life would become easier for all."

We respect all beliefs and opinions, but we hope that in the comments everyone can set aside religious differences and instead focus on building each other up — through gratitude, inspiration, kindness and mutual respect.

Thank you so much for watching! We are grateful for you!

Credits
"The Mission," also known as "Gabriel's Oboe," (from the soundtrack of the movie "The Mission") written by Ennio Morricone
"How Great Thou Art" is a Christian Hymn based on a Swedish folk song
Arrangement produced by Jon Schmidt
Arrangement written by Al van der Beek, Jon Schmidt & Steven Sharp Nelson
Mixed & mastered by Al van der Beek at TPG Studios in Utah
Performed by
Jon Schmidt: Piano
Steven Sharp Nelson: Cellos
Video produced by Paul Anderson
Video filmed and edited by Shaye Scott & Paul Anderson

Friday, May 2, 2014

The Signature Block Resolution

In school you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life you're given a test that teaches you a lesson. –Tom Bodett

About six weeks ago, I called for opinions on a layout for a signature block quilt. You all rose to the challenge magnificently! All of your comments were wonderful and helped to point me in the direction I want to go. But before we get to that, I want to show you my newly acquired 30's Reproduction Fabrics.

Beautiful, right? Rather than ordering on-line, I went to a LQS that I don't visit very often because it is more than a 3-minute drive from my house or from where I work. I knew they'd have an awesome selection of 30's Repros, and I was right. I had a really hard time choosing the best of the best. I came home with 25 Fat Quarters, which are currently in my laundry room waiting to be washed. Every so often, I go in there and run my fingers over them and admire how pretty they are. Now that I've finished the bags I was working on, this signature quilt is the next project in line. My deadline is September 17. The recipient turns 100 and this quilt will have 100 places for people to sign. I decided to go with the flower layout.

I didn't see a block pattern when I was searching for different signature blocks, so I used Quilt Assistant to make a pattern based on the quilts I'd seen. I used the grid feature to make sure it was divided out equally. Once the pattern is finished, you can print it out at any size you want. I'm going with 5" blocks, which don't work out mathematically for easy cutting. I'm either going to use templates to cut the fabrics for traditional piecing or try out paper piecing using freezer paper. Lane posted a good description of how to do it a while back and I want to try it out. Peeling the paper off the back in one solid piece when you're finished looks pretty slick. I think that I'm going to cut sheets of freezer paper at 8½" x 11" and see if they will play nicely in my printer, saving me a lot of tracing. The freezer paper is good for more than one block, but I'll still have to have multiple copies, because eventually they'll run out of stick.

I'm itching to get started. I just need to find a minute to slip off to JoAnn's when Kona Solids are NOT on sale so I can use a 50% coupon on those.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

A Stitch In Time: May Finishes Linky Party

First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice. –Octavia E. Butler, Bloodchild and Other Stories

Does anyone know where April went? I seem to have misplaced it. Actually I did get quite a few projects — several tote bags and a couple of notebook holders — done in April, even though it seems to have slipped away so quickly I hardly know where it went. I'm looking forward to another month with another few finishes in it. I really like today's quote about habit. While it speaks specifically about writing, it can apply to any pursuit. I make it a habit to never sit and do nothing and I sew a little bit every day. If watch TV, I work while I watch. Even if it has been a really long day, I'm not feeling particularly motivated, and I don't get much more than a few stitches in, it is a habit to sew a little bit every day and I love it. And I hope to get a few more finishes in during May. But enough about me. I love seeing what you all are up to, so let the linking begin!

To participate in this month's linky party:
• Your project must be completed sometime in May 2014.
• Once you've got your project finished {as in done, finito, nothing more to add, ready to use/display/give away} with some sort of stitching in it, blog about it or post a photo of it on Flickr.
• Scroll down to see what other bloggers are up to and link to your own finishes.
• Please include the May button in your blog post. Copy the code in the text box below and paste it somewhere in the post you link for this month's finishes. The button is a link to this specific post, so that other bloggers can find their way over and link up too. If you'd like a button for your sidebar, the code is at the bottom of this post.

• Each time you link up a finished project, you're entered to win the May giveaway, a 30' Playtime Charm Pack by Chloe's Closet for Moda.

• Thank you to The Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring our giveaway!

The Fine Print {which might be boring but you really should read}:
• Your project must be completed during the month you are linking to.
• Projects must include stitching of some sort. For example: appliqué, crochet, cross-stitch, embroidery, knitting, practical sewing {garment construction, bags, curtains, etc.}, quilting.
• Projects must be completely finished. As in done, finito, nothing more to add, ready to use/display/give away.
• You can pick something new to do, but projects do not have to be started during the month. If you pick up a UFO, Ph.D, WIP and finish it during the month, it counts.
• Finishes must be completed during this month, but you have until 5:00 pm MST on the 1^st of the next month to link your post.
• Post about your finish and then link your specific post {instructions here} above. Links to your blog and not the individual post about your finished project will be deleted.
• Have more than one finish this month? Great! Post about each finish individually and then link the specific posts up separately. Each finish, and therefore each link you add, counts as one entry for this month's giveaway.
• If you've already posted about a finish for this month, there's no need to do a separate post. Just add the button to that post and link up.
• Please copy and paste the code below to include this month's button somewhere in the post {not your sidebar} you link up for this month.

• Don't have a blog? You can link from your flickr account. Just post a picture, include a little note about your finish and a link back here {code included below} in the description. Then join the linky party.

• Want a button for your sidebar? Copy and paste the code below into an HTML gadget for your sidebar. This button is a link to the main A Stitch In Time Linky Party page, which always has the current month's finishes and links to all previous linky parties.

• Make sure to visit a few of the other links and leave them some love {ie, a comment}. A good rule of thumb is to visit two links for every one you include.
• Winner of the sponsored giveaway will be drawn randomly from among the links and announced by 8:00 pm MST by the 5^th of the following month.
• Kindly consider changing your comment settings to the pop-up window option for faster and easier commenting for visitors to your blog. Instructions can be found here.

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