These are the lastest watercolors from the past three months of classes:

Boat at Low Tide

Plum trees in bloom on HipPocket Street Peachtree City

Rose in Full Bloom

Hope you enjoy!

With the quickly changing world around us many are fearful and scared for our futures.

This devotion looks at God’s promises to us.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Psalm 27:1-3

 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Psalm 55:22

Susan Orman writes in one of her best selling financial books a story about a man selling patriots. She writes that she was on vacation once in Key West when she saw a man selling patriots. She noticed that the patriots all where standing on their perches and they were not tethered or their wings clipped. They could easily fly away. This really surprised her. She went and said to the man that the birds must really love him very much because not one wanted to fly away. The man told her no that is not why they stay. He said they stay because he had trained them to think that they are safe on their perches and it is fear that makes them stay and not fly to freedom.

I think that many times we are the same way. We hold on to our perches of financial security, tradition, our intelligence, our skills, and cultural beliefs. We are believing that God can care for us but that it is better if we do it ourselves. We don’t go for the spiritual freedom that God offers us through his promises.

Jesus tells us in John 8:36: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. 

And in 2 Corinthians 3:17 “The Lord is the spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”

I know it is difficult sometimes to really let go of our perches. I know I hold on to mine over and over again.  I am then reminded about the old Indian myth that whatever poisons is found in the forest that God puts an antidote within arms reach. You have to look around and see what God has provided around you to counteract the poison. In the real world there are all types of poisons around us but God does put in arms reach the antidote. He will never fail to give us a way out or the strength through the situation.

In Beth Moore’s study: “Daniel” she talks about three different scenarios when people of God face a fiery trail:

 Scenario A: We can be delivered from the fire.

                             The Dividend is that our faith is built

Scenario B: We can be delivered through the fire.

                             The Dividend is that our faith is refined

Scenario C: We can be delivered by the fire into the arms of God

                             The Divided is that our faith is perfected.

God always gives us the Strength to stay with him.

Isaiah 41:10 says:

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

And

Philippians 4:13 we are reminded:

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

In these troubling times as I seek safety from the stock market or am poisoned by the world of material gain, and the times I hold so very tightly to my perch. I try to remember that God has put in arms reach of me the antidotes to my fears.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand Firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” Galatians 5:1

I am all finished with Alaina’s Coat it is sooooo cute. Even Paul thinks it great. What a easy pattern and very simple felting. (Karen you need to make this for your girls!)

The thought I would share with you the project because it was easy fun and very useful when felting or even knitting.

MAKING FORMS:

Making forms all came about because my daughter Tracy was mentioning that when I knitted her a sweater she has to much extra fabric under her arms. I thought about this problem and did not know how I could work without trying it on her or having a form. Trying it on her with her living Michigan and I in Georgia seemed a bit difficult. However, a dress form was not out of the question. I did not want to buy a form they cost so much so that left me to exploring making one. I found a great book called “Custom Knits” by Wendy Bernard. She suggests making a form for you with the help of a friend out of duck tape. This worked really great and was an easy and fast way to solve the problem.

Making a form for Alaina like this presented two problems. One she is not a size 2T yet and the second and biggest problem was I would never duck tape a little person. She would hate it and never sit still and I would be the Nana that traumatized her at a very early stage!!!!! So with that said I started to think about what could be done.

Several years ago I made Santa Clauses out of children’s clothing. They were really cute and I enjoyed making them. I thought maybe I could do that. The next problem would be that they would be all wet during the felting process. Whether during the drying or spot steaming process, they would become damp and limp. Then I thought I could water proof them.

Ideas:

1.        Paper Mache ……..not waterproof again. Nope!

2.      Plaster of Paris……not waterproof again!!! Nope.

3.      Water proof the above…..HHHHHmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

4.     Why brother with all the mess just waterproof the fabric of the outfit!!!!!!!!

5.      But how??????????

6.      Buy spray waterproof like the kind for boots and stuff………….too much money

7.       what makes cloth waterproof……………..Enamel Paint

So I did I spray painted the outfit with enamel paint and water proof she became. The following are pictures and explanations of the process I used to create Alaina 2T: 

 First step was going to a thrift shop to buy cheap 2T long sleeve top and pants.

Then you need to make the form:

 I  closed the arms with fabric circles to give room for the wrists of the coat. I stuffed the top and the began to work on the bottom.

I made the same type of circles for the legs and sewed them to the opening. This insured that the legs were round and not pulled together. Stuffing the legs came next but I wanted them to be weighted so they could stand if I wanted.

I put the stone weights you use for flowers in vases in a plastic bag to keep them together and placed them in the legs. I then stuff the legs tight and began to attach the top to the bottom.

Next step.

After I stuffed the top and bottom tightly I then attached the two together. I whipped stitched them all the way around.  

I can either stand the form up or put it on a hanger in the neck of the top. Depending on now heavy the garment you are felting, will depend on which way you will want to put the form.

Standing on it’s own!

Waterproofing!

I put a paper tube from wrapping paper down the back like a spine. This helped me be able to handle the form when I was spraying the paint. I left it in while it stood to dry and will cut it down later so there is room for the hanger too. I painted the form green because that is the color I had on hand. It also made me think of Michigan State. Go Green Go White. But I think I would have rather  had the white. I would pick a color you like and go for it! make sure you get all the spots. Under the arms around the legs around the neck. You want it water proof so it doesn’t go limp or mold while drying.

I think it came out rather well. I am just about finish knitting the coat just a front ruffle. I will be felting it next week and will make sure to share the finished project and the coat drying on the form.

Good Luck putting your form together. Let me know how it goes!

Again I can’t say enough about how wonderful my teacher Judy is. You can see her work @ JudyPaint!

I just love and enjoy my classes and my two classes mates. Each have such wonderful talents! Thanks Karin and Linda for you encouragement, support, and friendship!

Me and Sock Monkey thought it would be fun to put together a map of all the places the family has visited over the last 40 years. So we got a world map. We mounted it and took a few color pins and went to work. Black pins are for Paul’s work travels, red Emily’s, green are where Paul and Emily went together, white is where the whole family went. The big pins are places we have owned a house and blue are where family live. There is one lone yellow for Tracy by herself in South Africa. She has been the farthest south in the family and Paul the farthest north with Helsinki. It was a lot of fun to do and see. Paul really enjoyed the surprise! He got to add a lot of pins from places we did not remember. How he wants to go through all the boxes and boxes of old pictures we have and sort by decade. So look forward to the next addition with old pictures to come soon.

Sorry it has been so long since I been blogging but life got in the way. We have traveled a lot visited family and friends. Had weddings and funerals, cried some and laughed a lot! I have finished several projects and started some new ones. I thought I put up some pictures of the projects and move forward. Glad to be back!

    finished the eleven cross stitches stoles for the wedding. They took a long time but was worth every mintue when I saw Karen’s face!

 Sweater for Debbie! And now long did that one TAKE to get to her????!!! Forever! but she was great about the wait. This was the first sweater I ever did in the round and cut with steeks. EEEkks it is hard to cut your work! But I think it came out great. It is from the book More Big Girl Knits.

 a quick request from a friend to make a christmas sock for a new daughter in law.

 Rose bud hat for Alaina from Itty bitty hats. She loved it and knows she is just to pretty for words. The pink sling was a present for Mommy made two; one gray and one pink so Alaina could ride around all snuggly!

Last picture of Dad with Alaina days before he went home to be with God! We sure do miss him!

Christmas in Chicago, Detroit, Marquette, then New Years in Florida. Then back up to Marquette for furneral and then Bay City for Wedding. The coldest was 31 below the warmest was 78 and many plane stories to tell of canceled flights, getting flights, not having the right gates, wind on the runways. But all worth it when your with family and good friends! Was gone from December 19th (home a day here and there maybe) back January 16th. Glad to be home for a while!

  watercolor of Alaina for our 2008 Christmas card. Had a great time painting this one. Thanks to Judy it came out great!

Can’t find other project picture right now. Made a white sweater for Alison’s mom, painted a kitchen table and bench, dyed several silk scarfs, knitted wrist bans for Karin and finished and published mom’s poem book!

So now you know where we have been, seen, loved, and opened gifts at!

Put on my needles a light blue cotton swing jacket for Carol, lace shawl for Emily Ann, and bubble pants for Alaina. Organized my project for the next six months. Have them all lined up in the craft room and ready to go.

Glad to be home back to the grind and looking for Adventures! Hello 2009!

EM

Sorry I have been away so long! I have many projects to share. I will sit down this week and put them all together. I have painted, knitted, decorated, and cooked. I will share all!

However, right now I just wanted to wish you and your family a Blessed Thanksgiving. Have safe travels and good memories.

Emily