Friday, September 30, 2011

The gift apron is a perfect fit!

Having guessed at the right size to make this little apron for the little daughter of a friend, I am so happy to find out that it is a perfect fit in all ways. She loves it! I wanted to show the photos I received today of little Michala wearing her apron made of vintage sheets. I'll be making more of these, for granddaughters and other little girls we know.



Thursday, September 15, 2011

Little Girl's Apron Made From Vintage Sheets



I can't wait to show the project I've been working on this week. It took me most of an afternoon what with making the pattern from scratch, but it had no cost investment at all. A wonderful friend of mine who happens to be our former pastor's wife, mentioned to me that her sweet little 6 year old daughter wanted an apron. Well, an opportunity like that just doesn't come along every day!





I went right to work looking at photos of children's aprons and drew up a muslin pattern of what seemed to be an apron of about the right size. It retrospect, the circular ruffle could have been a bit more full.

For a couple of months I have been collecting vintage bed sheets, hoping to use them to make quilts for all of my children and grandchildren and some other special people for Christmas 2012. With the help of my teenage daughter who is blessed with lots of creative ability, I chose three of the sheets that looked cute together to use to make the apron. I also chose ones that were pretty much 'new' so the material would have more body. I couldn't resist making a little potholder to go into the apron pocket. I even quilted a little heart into the center of it. Then, we added a couple of fun cooking extras to make it even more exciting for her. In trying to get the lighting just right on this cold, wet day in the Midwest, I took photos in a couple of different locations in my house.





The apron is going in the mail today to the sweet little recipient. I hope to get a photo of her wearing the apron to add to the blog at a later time. Almost immediately after seeing it finished, I thought of several other little girls in the family who are certain to be needing a cute apron, so I guess I'll be making several more. I'm just thrilled with how it turned out, and I hope my friend and her daughter will be also.





Not really sure how to do this, since I've never tried it before, but I'm going to try to link this post to The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday link party, and Made By You Mondays at Skip to My Lou. Wish me luck with that : D

The Shabby Nest



Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A perfect book for gift-giving, although you will want to keep it for yourself!


Right From the Heart
Turning Your Day Toward God
By Bryant Wright

First of all, let me say that I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of this devotional on a number of fronts. I have read a great number of devotional books, including the ones that I give away long before the book is finished. The content of Right From the Heart is meaty enough to satisfy even one who has been a Christian for quite a long time. I do believe it would be just as helpful for a new Christian, and not intimidating in its content at all. Doctrinally, I was quite satisfied also, although I found the use of such a large number of Bible translations for the daily verses to be distracting and the least pleasing part of the devotional for me.

While it may seem trivial to mention, since I am supposed to be reviewing the content of the book, the tactile and aesthetic quality of the book are lovely. The cover is just beautiful, and the paper used is very nice quality. Even the font seemed to add to the 'ambiance' of the book (can the word even be used that way?) It has a feeling of luxury and permanence about it, like an heirloom book would feel. This would be such a fine gift book for a beloved teacher, mentor, friend, or relative.

Obviously, I didn't read the devotional the way it is meant to be read, a page a day. I think it would be a very pleasant way to start one's daily devotions. The author likens the reading of a daily devotional to the warm up exercises done before physical activity. They limber the athlete and ready him or her to get the most out of the workout, just as reading a daily devotional puts one in an excellent state of mental readiness for ones daily Bible reading. I do think this volume would be excellent to use as a family devotional as long as the children were middle elementary and up in age, in order to have the lessons understandable for the children.


This is a book that will be remaining in my personal collection. I have made a note on my Christmas planning list that this would be a great gift for several of the people on my gift list. I give the book 5 out of 5 stars, and wish a higher rating was possible!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Thought provoking quote

It has been my blessing and privilege to homeschool each of my 5 children at some point in their school years. My first year of homeschool was 1985, with 4 students. It doesn't seem that long, but it has been 26 years! I am still homeschooling my youngest daughter. I know firsthand, as do so many other parents, how much time, energy, dedication, and commitment are required to homeschool, so when I saw this quote, it really spoke to me:

“Home schooling is a very old way of doing things. If you look at any of the bills in your wallet or the coins in your pocket, they all have a picture of a homeschooler on them.”

William Lloyd

That puts the efforts into perspective, doesn't it? That is just the thought I need to start this new school year with fresh energy to give my best to my student each and every day!