4th Grandchild has arrived

 She arrived this morning at 4:04AM.  She was 13 days past her due date.  6 lbs. 11 oz. was all she weighed even though she had extra time to pack it on.

My daughter had complications though.  She had mild hemorrhaging.  After Kathryn was born it took about 5 hours to get the bleeding stopped. It was mild thankfully.

We are so glad Kathryn is finally here! 

She joins 6 yr old Joshua, 3 yr old Sammy and 20 month old Agatha.

Casserole Carrier

 My husband and I are joining a new church called Shady Grove Church in Raleigh, NC.  Our Sunday School class features breakfast early on before the teaching begins.  Each of us volunteer one Sunday to provide breakfast, which is usually donuts, a warm casserole or perhaps chicken nuggets from Chik-fil-A.

I want to start bringing something baked from home so I searched online for a pattern and found one from Missouri Star Quilt Company that would work great!  I put a link to their video at the bottom of this post. Note: MSQC has a pattern for sale to make this carrier with 2 pot holders for purchase. I chose not to use the pattern, the video shows how to make the carrier and the pot holders I made on my own.

To make the carrier you need 1 charm pack and some yardage for the lining and binding.  I used a charm pack called Aloha Sunset by Artisan Batiks from Robert Kaufman. The yardage came from this line as well.  I used 2 layers of Quilters Dream Request batting and 1 layer of Insul-Bright batting for the innards of the carrier.  And I put all the layers on my longarm to quilt them together.

My binding will be the green batik and the lining is the orange one.

Click "Read More" to see the final photos.

Have no doubt

I studied at Faith Baptist Bible College in the 80's. During my first year, a brilliant man named David Powell was one of my instructors. His class on Old Testament Theory was, by far, my favorite class. He taught in a way that made you think outside the box, to dig deep for the answer. I loved his class. After each test, I found myself striving to get a better grade than the one before.

In 1985, I was 25 years old. 7 years earlier, I almost flunked out of high school. I received a 1.42 out of a possible 4.0 grade average. While enrolled at FBBC, I worked 50 hours a week, drove an hour each day to classes, and studied when I could. I worked full-time as the owner of a small business with 5 employees. I also worked part-time as the manager of a 64 unit residential facility. I could only attend FBBC part-time, it was all I could afford at the time.

In David Powell's freshman class, as we studied each book in the Old Testament, one of his assignments was to create a graph of the book. We were to break the book down into events and chart each one as it progressed to the next event. In the evenings, I dove into each graph with gusto. I learned things about the Old Testament I'd never thought of before. I started out the class getting a B, or 80%, but by the end of the semester I received 100%+ on my graphs and tests.

In the middle of the semester, mummering started on campus. At first, I tried to ignore the whispers that reached my ears, as I studied in the campus lounge above the cafeteria. But the whispers became bolder as time went on. Freshman who were in the class with me began to grumble about how hard the class was, Powell was a bad teacher, he did this and he did that...mur-mur-mur-mur. And I began to wonder why am I doing so well if he is such a bad teacher?

Once, I nearly stood up in class to ask them what was going on. Mr. Powell was late to class that morning and the little rebel inside me wanted to ask why someone who nearly flunked out of high school 7 years earlier and worked 50 hours a week was getting A's and they weren't? I chose to remain silent. Instead, I chose to make my sentiments known in Dr. Houghton's presence. 3 decades later I still regret my decision.

As each decade has passed, I've often thought of my time at FBBC. I love my school and pray for the students and teachers to this day. Dr. Walton and Dr. Shipp changed my life through their kind and loving example. They loved us, truly loved each student. It was an honor and privilege to attend FBBC and I look back at my time there with fondness. Today, I look forward to reading the alumni newsletter and always look for people I knew in the pages.

But I'll never forget how gossip took away a brilliant teacher. A few students wanted mediocrity. They wanted an easy road and they received it. He was let go at the end of the semester. He was replaced by someone, I don't remember who they hired. Through the power of gossip, a truly great teacher was sent away.

Gossip destroys. It should be hated by more than just One Person.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace Quilts

My quilt guild supports a ministry called Sleep in Heavenly Peace - NC, Durham and the guild has a quilt drive going on through July 20th. A friend and I are collecting all the quilts being donated. This is a quilt made by 93 yr old Margaret C. from Kansas. She is the mother of my friend Kimberley. It was given to a 4 yr old who had no bed to sleep in and was on the floor.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace builds twin beds and donates them to children who have been sleeping on the floor. Lowes donates all the wood used to build the beds, SHP volunteers build the beds and various ministries, companies and individuals donate the bedding.

I made the following quilt at a retreat I attended with friends.  I put the binding on it this morning and it's now ready for a deserving child!  

Celebrate Jolly Bar Day

 I joined the Fat Quarter Shop in sewing a Jolly Bar today!  A Jolly Bar is half of a layer cake.  It consists of a complete fabric collection with 42 pieces of fabric each cut 5"x10".  Each Jolly Bar package comes with a free quilt pattern that will work with the fabrics in the package.  My Jolly Bar was the Pastel Prairie fabric collection and I'm using the pattern that came with it to make a crib size quilt for my new granddaughter who will be born within the next few days.

Here's what I have finished so far...the blocks are finished and I have 

them laid out on my design wall. There are 2 borders I need to add yet.

12 inch Treasures

 I started a new project April 4th, a Saturday.  It's a pattern called 12 inch Treasures - Dresden Pattern.  I found it at ConnectingThreads.com.  The pattern is from Bloom Creek.  

It uses 2-1/2" squares so I bought a charm pack and cut it down to that size.  It worked out great doing it that way. Here's what I finished that weekend...

I finished the top today!  May 5th.  I very slowly machine stitched the dresden applique in place.  I think it turned out great!

Uncle Eli's Quilting Party - a 95 year tradition

How Uncle Eli’s Quilting Party became a 95-year-old Alamance County tradition

by Laura Brache, NCLocal
April 6, 2026

One day a year, the typically stark walls of the Eli Whitney Recreation Center are draped in colorful quilts with vibrant geometric patterns and patches of soft flowy florals. Quilt blankets aren’t the only ones on display. Garments like coats, jackets and bags of every shape and size, each their own intricate designs, hang alongside the decorative textiles on metal and wooden frames.

Every year on the first Thursday of April, Uncle Eli’s Quilting Party is held at the former Eli Whitney School gymnasium. Late historian and master quilter Erma Kirkpatrick believed the gathering was the oldest continuously running quilting event in the country.

In the 1920s, Ernest Peter Dixon, a local teacher and a Quaker, spearheaded the consolidation of five rural single-classroom schoolhouses in southeast Alamance County. Before an actual school was built, students met in the only local building large enough to hold them: An unused cotton gin. Hence, the name Eli Whitney School, honoring the inventor of the cotton gin. In an effort to get the newly joined rural communities to engage with each other, Dixon proposed a social gathering centered around the craft of quiltmaking.

And so, Uncle Eli’s Quilting Party was born.

Under my needle

I am longarming a fantastic quilt for a favorite customer of mine. She does exquisite work! Look at the hand stitching! And the quilt lays completely flat.

8 Fun Mini-pincushions

I found a book called Pin Pals by Carrie Nelson and had to have it!  It has patterns for 40 mini pincushions and they are adorable!  The first pin cushion I ever made was over 30 years ago.  It was lopsided but I was proud of it.  I stuffed it with poly-fil.

This book helped me hone my cushion making skills I will say!

        

I decided to use Civil War theme fabrics on the first one. It went together quickly and I'm happy with it!

The second one took 4 hours to sew all the tiny half square triangles.  Each was 1-1/4 in.

Filling for all the pincushions is crushed walnut shells.  TIP:  Buy walnut lizard or bird litter at the pet store instead of the walnut shells sold at fabric stores.  It's much cheaper that way!  This 5 lb. bag was only $8.00!  

I placed all of the pin cushions in a basket and they sit on my desk.

A True Story with 12 Million views

 I put this post on the blog in 2016.  It is a true story that is so good I had to repeat it!

My granddaughter Agatha

 Agatha, 18 months old, is my third grandchild. I am babysitting Agatha 

and Sammy, 3 yrs old. I have never disciplined Agatha 

before, until today. I told her no yelling and this is the face she gave me.

"What's wrong with Grandma?"

Bernina L890 Serger review

My birthday is today!! I turned 66 and I've been sewing for 53 years! I bought this machine as a birthday present to myself.  I bought the Bernina L860 serger a year ago and regretted not buying the L890 almost immediately. I didn't think I would use the coverstitch feature though so I went with the L860. But I sew for my toddler grandchildren and I really want that coverstitch now. So I traded up and I'm so happy I did.

This is what a coverstitch is... 

My goodness is this machine awesome! Right away I was stitching away on my first pair of toddler pajamas. All due to the on board touch screen and the features called "Expert Mode" & "Guided Mode". I learned how to use these features on the L860 but I need the help of the new machine's Guided Mode to learn how to set up the machine for coverstitch. This is a dream feature! A video right on the screen to show me what to do.

Cute Fabric Box Tutorial

I found the cutest tutorial online for these handy little fabric boxes.  They can be used next to your sewing machine as a thread catcher, a holder for wonderclips or maybe even in the bathroom to hold cotton balls. All it takes is squares from a layer cake and an 11" square of batting!  Pull 2 fabrics from the package, choose 1 for the lining and 1 for the outside. You can follow along with the tutorial found here.  The author is a wonderful gal whom I had the privilege of meeting 3 years ago at our local quilt guild.  She was the speaker for the evening.

It is possible to get into the tight fit to sew down the flaps on the outside.

 Tutorial by Tina Craig of Seaside Stitches.  She lives on the coast of Rhode Island

Celebrate National Serger Month part 2

 Learn how to make this Clever Coverstitch Bag–designed by Pam Mahshie–completely with an Overlock/Coverstitch Combo Serger! Stitch this beautiful bag while learning serger settings. Note: If you don't have a coverstitch feature on your serger you can use decorative stitches on your sewing machine instead.

The Stitch It Sisters show you how to make the bag in this video!!

You can buy the fabric kit, which includes everything you need 

to make this bag, by click the link below!

Exclusive Clever Coverstitch Bag Daisies on Black Bundle Box - 506288

Celebrate National Serger Month

I used my Bernina L860 serger to make both my grandsons pajamas. Serging the seams makes them feel better when wearing them, there aren't frayed threads that tickle the skin this way.  I thought I would include the pattern photo for reference.  It's a fairly easy pattern to make.  I used snaps to close the shoulder placket. And you'll notice a cute little tag I found so they know how to put the back of the pajamas in the right place.  

I found a cute idea, this one from Sue O’Very, owner of Sookie Sewsis.

Take a basic pair of sneakers to the next level with a quick and easy pair of serger shoelaces! They are a quick, super cute make.

Click the photo below to find the pattern!

Aren't they adorable?

When doubt tries to bully us

 I saw this at Proverbs 31.org.  It was so good I had to show you!  It is written by Renee Swope and is from chapter 6 of her book "A Confident Heart".

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 (NIV)

One morning I woke up feeling beat up by discouragement. My mind was being bullied by thoughts of doubt: I can't do it all! I am not cut out to be a wife, a mom, a daughter, a speaker, a writer and all the other things God has called me to.My thoughts were against me, and my feelings were too.

As I lay in bed feeling completely inadequate, my radio alarm came on. Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by Twila Paris singing to me. With confident assurance, she spoke truth to my soul, telling me this was no time for fear, but a time for faith and determination. She challenged me not to lose my vision or be carried away by my emotions, but to hold on to all that I had hidden in my heart, and all I believed to be true. Then she reminded me of the most important truth of all: God is in control. [1]

As I heard these words, my thoughts aligned with God's truth. It changed my whole perspective. I went from feeling afraid to feeling determined and from feeling out of control to knowing God is in control.

We have the choice either to let doubt beat us up or to let God's truth build us up.
If we have Christ in us, we have full access to God's power and His promises to live with a confident heart. But it won't just happen because it's possible. We have to take action.
When my alarm came on that morning, I was so glad I'd set my radio to that station the night before, so I would wake up hearing encouraging music and truth. Just like I tuned into that station, we need to get intentional about tuning our thoughts into God's thoughts toward us, every day.

In the same way a radio has AM and FM frequencies, so do our thoughts. They are either AM (against me) or FM (for me) thoughts. The truth is, we are often our worst critics and have a lot of AM thoughts.

Find this book here

And if our thoughts are against us, our feelings will be too.
So, the next time you get those feelings of uncertainty and self-doubt, stop and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you are thinking that is making you feel that way. Then compare your thoughts about that situation to God's thoughts, which are reflected in Scripture. Do they match? If not, find a promise in God's Word to replace the lie that has filled your heart with doubt. Here are few to get your started:

• When doubt comes against me, saying I'm weak and all alone, I will focus on the truth that God is for me! I can be strong and courageous because the Lord my God is with me. He will never leave me nor forsake me. (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV)

• When doubt comes against me, saying I'm not good enough for a certain role or position, I will remember that God is for me! He says I am His masterpiece, created to be new in Christ so that I could do good things He planned long ago. (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)


Power Verses:
1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (NIV)

Deuteronomy 20:4, "For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." (NIV)

Romans 8:37, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (NIV)

[1] "God Is In Control," © 1993 by Twila Paris. All Rights Reserved. From He Is Exalted: Live Worship CD.

Janome JW8100 Sewing Machine Review

I had the opportunity to review a Janome JW8100 Sewing Machine recently and I found it to be a wonderful, computerized machine!  The technological revolution has made it to the sewing industry, and basic machines no longer cut it. Unfortunately, most computerized sewing machines are usually very costly.  This one is only $370!

It's one of the most affordable computerized machines I've come across and works great for both beginners and experts. Here's the specifications:

The Janome JW8100 has all the benefits of a computerized sewing machine but is beginner-friendly. It’s entry-level and has a lot of features compared to mechanical models, but it doesn’t have so many gadgets and options that you get overwhelmed.

It only weighs 12.7 lbs and measures 16 x 7 x 12 inches. This makes it easily portable. It has a digital LCD screen that displays important details such as the width & length of the stitches, the type of stitch being used, and the recommended foot.

It’s hard to find a stitch that isn’t included in the Janome JW8100 sewing machine because it has 100 built-in stitches! They are divided as follows:

Heirloom style stitches: 27

Basic and fashion stitches: 20

Quilting stitches: 18

Button holes: 7

Home decor: 28

The machine comes with a stitch chart which means you don't have to keep checking the manual every time you need to change a stitch. This feature is so handy. You can, however, remove it if you don’t need the chart.

 Janome JW8100 has an automatic needle threader. You can see it in the photo above, it's easy to use! It comes with a detachable table to extend your working area and has a free arm when you remove the storage compartment.

The photo shows the accessories that are included with the machine.  There is a cute little pin cushion you can place on top of the machine while you're sewing!  Additional feet available for the machine, which you can order by going to the Janome website or any online quilt shop that sells Janome. Quilters will probably want to order a 1/4" foot.

Some of the features that make this sewing machine easy to use include:

Start/stop button: this feature allows you to use the machine without pressing on the foot pedal.

Locking stitch button: this button ties off the thread ends which means that you don’t have to backstitch to lock seams.

Easy reverse button: this feature is used when you’re securing seams by backstitching.

The machine has the drop feed to control the speed and direction of the fabric when you’re using free motion.

All in all, this is a fabulous machine for only $370!

Click here to download a copy of the Janome JW8100 manual!

My latest quilt project

 I've been working on a king size quilt for a few months now.  All I need to finish the top is add the borders.  This one will go on my bed when/if I get it finished.  The fabric collection is by Melissa Gilbert, of Little House on the Prairie fame.  

True Story

 

Video: How to install Butler robotics on the KQ II Longarm