Project-Finishing Week - Kindle Sleeve

  So as I mentioned before, I had some scrap fabric from an apron-sewing class I took last year.  I was tired of it just sitting there taking up space and definitely couldn't stomach the thought of just throwing it out (yeah, so I'm a bit of a pack rat), so I decided to use it to make a sleeve/pocket for my Kindle.  

  So I started by measuring my Kindle.  It's a little over 11", so I added some in for ease and seam allowances and cut it out.

  Isn't it pretty fabric?

  I started rolling down and pinning the top seam.

  I actually changed my mind and re-rolled this seam about a minute after a took this photo.  It was a little shorter than I liked, so I made it a little wider.  

  Here it is all sewn up.  It took all of two minutes.  Well...after I figured out that I had missed a step when threading the machine and that's why it kept jamming.  I really would've hated to have thrown it against a wall.  But of course it was user error.  Ugh.

  So then I folded it in half, right sides together and pinned it. So terribly difficult, right?  (BTW, remember to reverse when you begin and end stitching to secure your thread.)

  Here I am almost done sewing it up.  It really is that quick.

  I clipped the corner at the bottom so it would turn more easily.  I may still go back and zigzag the edges, but I don't think it's necessary.

  Then you turn it right-side-out.

  Hey, it's just waiting for a Kindle!

  I think I'll just go ahead and slide it right in there. It's not like I'm a little bit clumsy sometimes and tend to drop things...

  The Kindle is safely inside its sleeve.  You may not be able to tell, but trust me, it's in there.




  Next up: making a laptop sleeve, finishing the sundress that is definitely beginner-quality work, and finishing the endless backstitching on the bookmark.  It's not really endless, it just seems that way at 1 AM.  At least I'm making progress, right?

The girl who can't focus

  Do you know anybody who can't seem to complete one project before moving on to the next?  I am that girl. I took an apron-sewing class at the local sewing center, but I still haven't finished assembling it. I also have an almost-completed sundress. I would actually like to complete that before it gets cool again.  Aside from that, I'm currently knitting two scarves, making some Teneriffe lace medallions, cross-stitching a bookmark and some baby bibs (counted and stamped, respectively), and have material to make a few skirts and some other projects.  Actually, many other projects.

Edited to add: I didn't make the lace edging around the
bookmark.  I bought it as is and am embellishing with cross-
stitch.  You can find them at Hobby Lobby or other stores
like it, I'm sure.

  I name this coming week project-finishing week.  I am actually going to get out my sewing machine and work on something every day.  Granted, the knitting will be ongoing, and I very much doubt I'll finish that next week, but I have until it gets cool again to get the scarves done (which in Alabama means maybe November).  I'm riding with some friends to Birmingham tonight to do some dancing and bid a friend farewell, so I'll take the cross-stitch bookmark with me and get a little more work done on it in the car.  I'm also going to take some scrap pre-quilted fabric from the apron and make a pocket for my Kindle.  Then I'm going to go buy some more and make a pocket for my laptop.  That way I could carry it around in my regular backpack and it will still be protected.  And of course, I'll be posting updates as I go.  What about you?  Are you anything like me?  What projects have you left unfinished so far?

Pin of the Week - July 10 - 16

  This entry will be short and sweet.  If you're a Harry Potter fan, you likely know the final movie came out Friday.  You may have even already seen it.  I'll be waiting until my husband finishes reading book 6, we re-watch Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, and the crowds die down a little bit.  But this pin...well, it made me laugh.  So here you go, for any who may not have seen it:

  The caption with which I pinned this (and many others have as well) is, "It is obvious that this student deserves an A+."  Have a great week!

Her Name is Lulu

There is in Africa (Kenya, specifically) a little girl named Lulu.  

  She is 9 years old, has 5 siblings, and lives with her father and step-mother.  The average income there is less than $25 a month.  Can you believe it? That's approximately 1 restaurant meal for me and the husband, and that's all they earn for a month.  But you know what?  There is hope for Lulu.  Lulu goes to church at a Compassion site, and that is how we came to sponsor her.  By $38 per month she is supported and Compassion is helped to bring sponsorships to more and more children in poverty.

  From the Compassion website:

    "Your sponsorship allows the staff of <Lulu's> Child Development Center to provide your sponsored child with Bible teaching, medical screening, home-visits and academic support.  The center staff will also provide income-generating activities and support groups for the parents or guardians of your sponsored child."

  We don't just send money to Compassion/Lulu's family, though.  We're more engaged than that.  Last year for her birthday, we bought a greeting card in which you could record a message and sang Happy Birthday to her.  The letter we received after she had listened to the card expressed amazement that we had included her name in the song.  The letter said (Compassion workers help write/take dictation for the younger children), "she feels very honoured and further tells you that God wonna reward you for making her feel so special."  I almost cried when I read that.  Just a simple birthday card, but it made her feel special and loved.  All children should feel special and loved.  Another time, I wrote to her that I was teaching preschool.  She wrote back that she wished I could be her teacher.  I did cry at that.

  Last year we were not doing so well at writing letters, so we've now made it a monthly recurring event in our calendar.  Tonight we'll be writing her a letter (something simple).  We'll tell her about the warm temperatures and our garden and whatever else comes to mind.  If you sponsor a child, consider writing them at least once every other month.  There's an electronic form on their website which makes it incredibly easy.  The children want to know who these incredible people are that sponsor them.  They want to know you.

  For those of you who haven't heard of Compassion, or who have and weren't sure how they worked, I'll be posting some more information soon, so stay tuned.  In the meantime, consider clicking the Compassion link to the side and sponsoring a child greatly in need of your support.  It's not just $38/month.  It changes lives - theirs and maybe even yours.