Quick and SIMPLE

I love, love, love REAL SIMPLE Magazine. When I'm 'worked out' on my site upkeep, designing, order-filling, laundry, cooking, or just want to escape - REAL SIMPLE is my choice.
Last night, I loved this 'Five-Minute' WOW idea. One simple pointsettia bloom in a vase!
Could be lovely at each place for a dinner table.....

Buttonhole Elastic Alteration for Skinny Kids

My #1 Grandson, Cole is just SO teeny! His waist is about a 3T - but he's getting pretty tall - so we buy Size 4 - but then the pants fall off of him. So - it's BUTTONHOLE ELASTIC to the rescue.
I was reminded of this ...

1. When the pants I just bought him were falling off and he was walking with his legs all wide apart-trying to keep them from falling off...

2. I just got an order for 15 yards of Buttonhole Elastic. Bet the customer is a Mom or Granny with the same issues as described above. Find Buttonhole Elastic by just using the SEARCH tool in the upper left hand corner...that tool is AMAZING - at my site: Londa's Creative Threads. Have it on my order again - as i ALWAYS sell this cool stuff. ( A bunch of loose ends are up in my End of Season Clearance Department as well...)

Sew anyway - I was going to write a tutorial about how to do it - and since I'm squeezed for time, I thought I'd google for it - and found this great link - to a pretty cool blog from a gal homeschooling her kids, and living frugally in Ca.
http://tmlf.blogspot.com/2008/02/retrofitting-waistband-with-buttonhole.html

Sew- her directions are just pretty darned great - so, try it!

Christmas Poem

Received this in an email and it expresses my sentiment well this season. .... I offer it for your thoughtful and prayerful consideration. Londa

Twas the month before Christmas

When all through our land,

Not a Christian was praying

Nor taking a stand.

See, the PC Police had taken away

The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit

Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod

Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down,

At Lowe's the word Christmas - was nowhere to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears

You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty

Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen

On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton.

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter

To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter;

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith

Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded

The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'

Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS , not Happy Holiday !

Please, all Christians join together and wish everyone you meet during the holidays a

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Count me OUT for Black Friday!

I got stopped in my tracks again today...when I attended what turned out to be a 'Seniors' type luncheon at the church we are attending. What a blessing it turned out to be! I had convinced myself to take a break from work to go - figuring it could only 'cost' me about 1.5 hours of valuable work time...figuring I HAD to get out a newsletter with ALL my clearance inventory up, etc. by a certain (TOO near) date....

Well...the meditation given by the pastor hit me between the eyes!
Thanksgiving...the 'forgotten' holiday observance! Wow - was he right on! Once Halloween is past - it is full force ahead for Christmas. For us 'retailers' out there - that means hustling to get our share of the proverbial 'Black Friday' (Day after Thanksgiving retail sales). Online is no different from storefront retailing. Honestly - I HATE what being a retailer has done to my holiday spirit! Sew...I'm gonna try my best to change that, starting with THIS year!

Some Thanksgiving REAL History, folks...

• The pastor shared, from research, that in 1621 The first Thanksgiving meal - by the pilgrims was at the conclusion of a time of FASTING (that means NO eating) when they sought God with all their hearts - THANKING him for His provision. Half of them had died...but those that were left were THANKFUL. The end of that FAST was the Thanksgiving Meal.

That is far, far from what has become a day of stuffing ourselves silly and resting in preparation for the craziness of shopping with money we (most likely) do NOT have, for things we do NOT need.

• Other interesting Thanksgiving facts can be found at the link above, or HERE

Sew..... I've eased up on myself regarding all this crazy pressure to make sales for business year end at this time of Thanksgiving. Instead...

I'm gonna clean out the kitchen pantry tomorrow, clean, and prepare a simple meal to share with some friends. I've made a realistic list of the 'work' for business I can get done - and by when. Hopefully, we'll have some more friends over on Sunday (the house should still be clean!), and then on Thanksgiving day - after we share a meal with the parents I'm thankful to still have with us, my hubby and I are going to go to the Urbana High School to serve a Thanksgiving meal to the many, many less fortunate folks in our community.

Above all, my heart will be purposefully THANKFUL for all the provisions for safety, food, and shelter and living in the USA where I am a free person. AFTER that time to be thankful and serve others, I pray that I can remain reasonable and enjoy what CHRISTMAS is all about. Christ - his coming to earth to show us the character of God.

ANd... I'll start by sending a Christmas Card - a Christian Christmas Card to the ACLU! Tons of Christmas Cards in their mail will freeze theri operations because they'll have to open them all looking for contributions! I don't believe in "Holiday Trees' - they are Christmas Trees! If you don't already know - it is the ACLU suing the U.S. to take God, Christmas or anything Christian away from us. Join with me in putting Christ back into Christmas!

Join me...their address is: ACLU 125 Broad Street 18th Floor New York, NY 10004

For a true History Lesson on that infamous phrase: "Separation of Church & State" - click on the link below - give it THREE minutes of your time!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MySpiritof1776

USA Cries - and plays Christian Hymns

I'm watching the memorial service for those fallen in the horrific Fort Hood massacre. Aside from political concerns, today - my heart cries for these families, these soldiers, this base, and for our country!
I can't help but observe that the music played is the comforting melody of Christian hymns. Yes, indeed, this is a country founded on Judeao-Christian values.
My prayer is that we return to those values that we turn to when tragedy strikes. We MUST if we are to again have the special blessing of the God we love.

New SWIRL Jacket

I just finished this new jacket - from my promotional pattern: SWIRL Jacket - that I am most happy to send the link to you for whenever you purchase $45 or more at my booth - or my website. It features wonderful Crone Art Buttons (the inspiration), along with more of my Doupioni Fur - made using several strips of silk doupioni, and Thai silk - brushed with the chenille brush. That embellishment is also shown fully in my Embellishment DVD.

Must pack togo to Minneapolis Original Sewing & Quilt Expo tomorrow..so this is just a quickie post...

God can use my Jacket Designs

OK - this is just too precious ... Gloria (my #1 helper at this show) explained that this nurse who works in Hospise situations was excited about finding my booth and designs and bought goodies to make a jacket to use as a 'conversation starter' with her patients. She felt that they would be good for the wide range of patients she serves in this wonderful ministry - from the indigent without hardly a bed to sleep in to the very, very wealthy.

That touched me - and I share this thought with the prayer that perhaps that idea might ignite something in any of you - to use perhaps recycling (ties, jeans, sweaters, etc.) in my type of jackets with the purpose of using them in this manner...Conversation Starters!

On the Road Again

I'm on the road to the big Houston Quilt Festival where I'll be one of MANY vendors...with a VAN FULLLLLLL of goodies!
If you're close by - do come visit me at booth 650.

Here in Searcy, AR last night, had a first: fried corn on the cob! What a way to take a healthy veggie and make it sinful!!!

My helper - Gloria is all smart about podcasts, and I hope to join the 21st century and get this all through my thick head on this trip...leading to podcasts that I can offer as well. Let me know with comments to this post if you would be interested in podcasts I could offer, and some topics you'd like me to 'chat' /teach about...

Family Report: My family, and brother and sis-in-law successfully moved my parents to Assisted LIving at Bridle Brook in Mahomet, IL and it went quite smoothly I'm so, so grateful to report. They seem content there - and I actually had fun finding places for everything/organizng them. Even made a 'Where is it?" list for them to half way be able to find things. I can't begin to say how wonderful the staff at Bridle Brook has been - truly a God-sent place and people to help my folks at this time in their lives. Service to the elderly is a precious, very badly needed thing these days. God is VERY, VERY good. All the time, God is good.

'CHOSEN' - my 'Talking Pattern' is a Hit!

As I thought might be the case, the concept my helper, Cyndi, and I came up with of a 'Talking Pattern' is a hit - due largely to the many talents of my professional web-designer son, Jeff Rohlfing. Could not have done this without him! Though as mother and son 'working' together we nearly tear our hair out - the rewards for both of us are finally worth it.

I sold out of what I'd taken at the Chantilly Original Sewing & Quilt Expo last weekend, (and also both of my DVD's)...and just finished shipping off all the special orders. Placed my order for the 2nd printing today!
Here is the pattern cover:


And an additional jacket - my 'test' of the Darted Collar style of a woven fabric cut on the bias is also included - though not phto'd on the cover...


Cyndi and I had a great time - and the trip to Chantilly, Virginia was a lovely drive. We met special people in our booth - and - as always - are enchanted with the lovely sewing crazy women we meet. Kathy - you are in my prayers as you fight breast cancer. You are a trooper...Go GIRL!!


OH - and thought of the name of my next pattern: 'Purity' - and will raise money to pay for a well to be dug to provide healthy drinking water in a village where it is needed through World Vision. More to come...

This week brings packing up and moving my parents to a lovely assisted living situation. Thanks to so many of you for your prayers.

Oh - and to let you know how 'sewing on the brain' I am - I actually told Cyndi we needed to stop - as we had 'a quarter of a yard of gas left in the tank!'

My website was unavailable to place orders the last few days - but all is fixed now - so thanks for your patience, AND your notifications of a problem. Prayers to the rescue once again.

9/11 Observance and Remembrance

Many thanks to my customers as represented below for sending in these glorious photos of our American Flag flying at their homes - especially in commemoration of those fellow Americans lost on 9/11/01. I'm confident that many of us both flew our flag and remembered these families in prayer especially that day. I am sending a check today to the Twin Towers Orphan Fund for $75 as pledged for 11% of all sales from 9/9 through 9/13.

Wear Red on Fridays

The 'silent' majority of red-blooded Americans who support our troops and are grateful for the job they and their families have offered to do to guard our safety as a nation are starting a movement:
WEAR RED ON FRIDAYS.
That simple - just wear RED on Fridays.

Lessons Learned...a Weird Way

These days have me deep into helping my elderly parents downsize - again. Mom has Alzheimers, and Dad can't care for her alone any longer. He also needs assisted rather than independent living. God has provided every step of the way with great places and people to care for them. So...I'm learning - AGAIN - how I should not WORRY - but depend and trust in God and his timing.
Recently I realized that ALL the family lace - and lace pieces I'd collected in travel that had been gathered for decorating at my daughters' wedding - have gone missing. I've turned this house upside down looking for that precious box - or bag - or whatever it all got placed into at the end of that wonderful day on June 6. My heart has been sick over it...even the lace that graced the altar type table at the wedding that was lace from my Mom's baby carriage was in there! From special travels, I've added to this collection - and decorated with these pieces frequently. I mean tatted from Italy, family lace tablecloths...
Sew....you get the idea.

However, it seems that as I see the stronghold that my parents seem to have on their 'things' that God has a lesson for me in this - right now - today. I have to try to understand their connection to their 'things' as they are children who lived through the depression, and they worked VERY hard for all that they have. Nonetheless - these are THINGS. They seem TOO obsessed with them - and who should have what...on and on.

Sew...as I observe this, I can only look inward regarding my own loss of 'things' - the lace.
AND
All the sudden, the loss of all that lace doesn't seem as heart-breaking. I can see that God is teaching me - with an Exclamation Point - NOT to value THINGS.

Apply this to my 'career' of sewing - clothing - fashion - selling these things! Ouch. I feel guided to focus more on the creative experience that sewing affords, and to support whatever good causes God shows to me along the way. And, to testify to His love through my business in every way I possibly can.

Those are the lessons I'm being taught during these trying days.....and how God is providing people and places at exactly the PERFECT time for my folks as we travel this path together.

The Beginning of True Faith is the End of Anxiety!

CHOSEN - new pattern off to the printer and editor!

YEA!!!!! Wasn't a hard choice - I elected to bite the bullet and just finish the writing and taping of the 3rd jacket directions for my CHOSEN pattern today (instead f cleaning the house!). I was also up from 2 - 3 am early this morning doing a section since I couldn't sleep. Sent it all to the printer. Editor Jeff to pick it up tomorrow for the 'talking' part.

Have 2 more jackets following these directions that I want to do quickly to double check some of the directions, but alas - I see the end!
Jacket shown is the final jacket included...

God Slows Me Down

Can't sleep...and even if I do...the dreams are WEIRD. Flu bug caught up with me - or some kind of bug - on Sat. morning real early. Has knocked me flat. God slowing me down, I do believe. Tomorrow, we'll move my mother from a nursing home (which has been wonderful - but it is still a nursing home) to a lovely assisted living home. I had such huge plans for really tending to every little detail of it all - but it's my prayer that I'll have the strength to do that Monday morning - in a few hours - so it looks like 'home' to her before we bring her in late afternoon.

Anyway...above is photo of the "Convertible Collar" version of my new CHOSEN pattern. This jacket is finished with facings at the neck and center front -pretty conventional. I do love those jumbo snaps that finish off the front though.

This is not working... 2:46 am. Might 'tweet' it and back to the bed - perhaps I can convince my brain to stitch up the other 2 jacket collections of stuff I have pulled together to completly test my directions...