Two More Fast-N-Fun Tops and Girl Retreat

Hey Everyone!!!

My GOODNESS, the weather is so gorgeous here.  It has been 60's and 70's for over a week and continues.  Our "Girl Retreat" at Terry's house this weekend will be so nice if the weather stays like this.  I may sew outside on her steps!

OHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I have to go look for a sewing machine.  Hold on a minute for me ..............

Okay, I'm back.  I found it in the guest room closet.  YAY!  I need to set it up and oil it and get it ready for our weekend.  Terry has gone silent today.  She is probably doing something at the church with her husband.  She came over last night to look through my fabrics for something to go with her new quilt.  She took home several pieces to try.

I made a video yesterday to show those of you who care the two OTHER Fast-N-Fun tops that I made.  Here it is:

Jerry and I went out for a steak dinner last night to celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary.  The waitress who waited on us had an extreme hair problem that was about to set me off.  I did really good, however, remembering how a former friend told me that if you correct someone, they will be mean to you.  I didn't want her to poison my steak.

IF I go back to that place again, I will REQUEST a server whose hair isn't hanging over his/her face from forehead to chin!  She kept WACKING it back across her face over and over and over but, OF COURSE, it kept falling right back down.  I wanted to see if I had some masking tape in my purse so I could go tape it to the side of her head!  Dinner was good in spite of the unkempt help, although I did keep checking for stray hairs in my food!

I did just come across this excellent piece of advice:

I have to go.  The ladies will be coming here sometime this weekend, and I need my sewing room to be accident free, lol.  If you knew what I was working on, you would understand.  I'll tell you all about it next week.

Hugs, Joy

Two New Videos: Sewbabee, Fast N Fun and a Retreat

The weather has been SO GORGEOUS down here.  73 degrees outside today.  It feels like Spring.  Hope it stays nice over the weekend because Terry and I and her friend, Dawn, are meeting in the brand new sewing room in the morning.

OH!  Just remembered.  I snapped a picture of it awhile ago.  It was almost dark, but I'll see how it looks.  Hold on...................

You can see my VERY FAVORITE part -- the round steps leading up to it.

Terry was in there mopping the floor and moving all the construction mess out of the way so she could sew in there this weekend.  Doug is out of town at a men's retreat at Andrew Wommack's church so we ladies shall play tomorrow!

See the octagonal window at the top?  That is where Doug's "prayer closet" is.  The spiral staircase goes up into it.  He can stand and look out that window all over the neighborhood.  It is really unusual and VERY cool!  There are also several sky lights up there.  I'll get some more pics for you later.

There are closets all over the place.  Terry says there is NOT enough room for my fabric, however.  Darn!

And I think I mentioned yesterday -- or the day before -- about her business called SEWBABEE.  Here is a video all about it:

And I decided to make another video today since I was feeling so good about life, in general, and I had so much to tell you.

Here it is:

And, by now, you are totally sick of me, so I shall sign off for the night.

Have a FABULOUS, GLORIOUS, MARVELOUS, STUPENDOUS weekend, because I am going to.

Hugs, Joy

Look at this AWESOME New Blouse Pattern

Yes!

I decided to stop quilting and make some knit tops that aren't too big for me.

I JUST HAPPENED to come across a pattern while looking around the internet as I do every night.  It is from a company with the strangest name:

SAF-T-POCKETS PATTERNS

Evidently they make patterns with hidden pockets.  Go to the website and have a look around.  It is at www.saf-t-pockets.com

On the home page, you will see this pattern called "FAST N FUN"
and
It truly is FAST and FUN.  It is $8.00, and very well worth every cent, IMHO.



You can print it out and paste the sheets together.  They went together easily and had the best alignment I have ever done.

I just measured across the bust area of the pattern, and I cut out the size closest to mine but not less than.  I used the Size M.

Wonderful instructions, and the pattern fit me perfectly with my usual three adjustments that I make to every pattern on earth:

Full Bust Adjustment

Sway Back

Round Back

Actually, in the gray one, I didn't do anything to the back.  The side seam swings forward, but you really can't tell unless you are looking for it.  I fixed the paper pattern back before cutting out the blue version, and it fits perfectly.

Here is the FIRST one in a darling gray knit with shiny silver dots from JoAnn Fabrics.  I bought it many moons ago, so have no idea if they still have it.

I no sooner got this one finished, I decided to make several more.  There are THREE collars to choose from and two sleeves.  

The following one is NOT FINISHED.  All I have to do is sleeves and hems.  So fast.

I really like the collar.  Have never seen one like it.  I hate collars up around my face, and I don't like turtle necks.  This is just perfect!

Gotta run.  I'll show you more pics of this fun pattern as I make them.

I am making movies of Terry's tee shirt quilt business, but I have to upload them tonight.  You KNOW how long that takes around here.

Hugs, Joy

Terry's Tee Shirt Quilt Business called "Sewbabee"

Hello about 6 PM on Tuesday evening!

Heartfelt thanks to all of you who made such nice comments on my last Sunday sermon post, and thank you all who didn't say what you probably would have liked to say.   I feel compelled to share the things that are really important to me, and at the TOP of that list is my faith.

Soooooooooo,
let's talk about Terry!  Surely, I can't get in trouble doing that.

I haven't taken pics of her almost-finished sewing room because the electricians haven't been back out to hook up the lights, and it is still dark inside.  I'll take pics for you soon though.

Terry has been here yesterday and today doing her latest thing which is making tee shirt quilts for paying customers.

She is REALLY good at it, and I made a video to prove it!  Can't show it to you though because I want to wait until the quilt is done.  Probably Thursday.

BUT,
UNTIL THEN,
Here is a picture of the quilt as she started putting the tee shirt blocks together with sashing:

People send her tee shirts either already cut up or in need of cutting.  She then has to iron interfacing of some sort on the back of each one and trim them down to the perfect size.  Then she has to buy the fabrics for sashings, backing and binding and buy the batting (stuffing).  Then she has to quilt it and bind it.  That is where I come in.  She uses my longarm, and she pays me part of the money she makes.  I never ask her to pay me anything UNLESS she is getting paid.  Then, she insists, and I don't resist.

That is me doing a happy dance, by the way.

Can't stay.

I need to clean up this room a bit before Terry and I get buried in it.

Hope the weather where you are is as lovely as it is here.  I was outside in my BARE FEET yesterday!

Hugs, Joy

I am Mean and Don't Care About People's Feelings

Yes, it is true.

I've been told it enough times.  It MUST be true, right?

Pastor John Hagee's sermon this morning TOTALLY makes it clear WHY some people think that about me. Many people surely think it about him and his son, Matthew, and their entire family.

Pastor Hagee referred to a scripture that I love to recall when people say, "You are mean....."

Luke 6:26
WOE to you when everyone speaks well of you...

I tell myself that it shouldn't hurt my feelings that people who supposedly love me say this to me, and I try to believe that I am doing my "job" as a Christian to take a stand against evil and lies and complete Godlessness in so much of our nation.

Let me interject real fast that I am TOTALLY receptive to loving advice and Christian counseling given to me.  I am a person that can take advice -- good or bad -- sort it out -- decide what to keep on file and what to toss out.  Terry and I talk all the time about what we have learned from others' advice, and we treasure the advice from each other.

WAKE UP AMERICA!  Take a stand my Christian friends!  Don't let the Government take away our freedom to worship God the way we choose.  They certainly worship Godlessness the way they choose!

I am very outspoken to friends, family and strangers about my beliefs.  Jesus is Lord of my heart and mind -- Lord of our home -- Lord of our business -- and, it is my utmost desire to please Him in my words and actions.

Do I always accomplish it?  I certainly do not.  Sometimes, I say things to people that I wish I could suck back into my brain and ERASE.  Words can't be taken back though.  Thank God, they can be forgiven.

I think it is sinful and dangerous to let the WORLD into our homes by way of the internet or the television or whatever device.  Most programs and movies available are OCCULTIC (Harry Potter), and we have to be very vigilent and careful about letting them into our "temples".  It is SHOCKING to me that parents watch that filth at all, never mind with their children right in the room.  I have been defriended for walking out of homes that have such filth on the TV.  I walked out of my own living room MANY TIMES because of the filth company decided to watch.  Years ago, a relative and his wife wanted to watch some horrible movie with Brad Pitt in it about Vampires.  They are Christians.  How can they not FEEL the evil!?  I sure could.  I left.  They had no problem with the movie.  They think I am self-righteous and have told me so.

The Bible says we should "live unto righteousness", so I suppose I should take that as a compliment.  (I Peter 2:24)

Everyone's MOUTH has a rudder, according to the Bible.  It is the tongue.  It is the hardest thing to control. My mouth is connected to my FLESH and to my SPIRIT (as is everyone's).  If I speak too fast, my spirit doesn't have time to sort out the mess I'm about to blurt out, and then I feel horrible about it later.  If I can, I try to fix it, but you certainly can't do that every time.  Sometimes, I just make the matter worse.

I heard one time that you have to say TEN GOOD THINGS to erase ONE BAD THING.

If you read my BLOG once in awhile, you know we never miss Cornerstone Church LIVE on Sunday mornings, and I often REpreach the message.  I used to REpreach it to a certain person, and I would get back the response, "Well, I interpret it differently."  Or I would quote the Bible, and I would get back the same response.

I better stop because I have a feeling most stopped reading way up there somewhere.

Just thought today's message was WONDERFUL, and you can listen to it in the Archives if you like at www.GETV.org.   (That is NOT a link.)


I truly believe that the Bible is the WORD OF GOD, and I truly believe that IF WE WOULD ALL LIVE BY IT, we would have happy, whole families -- healthy children with strong bodies and work ethics -- and a prosperous, loving, GODLY nation -- as it used to be.

And let's not forget the MAIN THING:
There is Heaven to gain,
and Hell to shun!

And if you TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH ME, then the scripture above has been fulfilled AGAIN.

I would like to say one more thing, however.  I don't say what I say to purposely hurt someone's feelings.  I say it because FAITH and TRUTH are more important than feelings.  Feelings can be very wrong, and we cannot make life's decisions by them.  I believe that TRUE LOVE FOR A FRIEND who is hurting or in a desperate situation at home requires that you tell them the truth (speaking of Bible truths) even though you know you may lose their friendship.

Hugs, Joy

Another Video and A New Addiction

Hey Everyone!

Are you having a superfantubulous Saturday like I am?

It has been exciting and fun from start to finish.

FIRST, my husband and I went to Allied Stone Company in Durant, OK where we found HUNDREDS -- maybe thousands -- of slabs of marble and granite.  I had no idea this company was just 20 miles away from us.  I figured we would have to drive to Dallas.

I decided a few days ago that I want to redo my countertops and my bathroom.  I have been thinking about it for years, but after the last remodel project, I decided everything looked good enough to avoid the hassle of another remodel.

I woke up feeling extra brave a few days ago, so I just dove into "starting".  I looked on Home Advisor for a contractor, and a guy came out on Thursday to measure everything.  He was IN THE SHOWER measuring, and Jerry asked him a question about something.  The man hollered through the opening whatever the answer to the question was, and I hollered "PRAISE THE LORD"!

I do that a lot, and most people try to overlook it and just act like I'm half-way normal.  This guy got out of the shower and said, "I like that!"  He then explained that on Sundays, he is a preacher at some church.  He does the contractor job during the week.  I was happy about that, of course.

So that is how we decided to drive to the stone company this morning.  A very young, pretty girl came out of an office to wait on us.  (Have you noticed that when you are 65, EVERYBODY is soooooo young!)  She told us she could give us a price if we had the measurements.  I told her not to worry about that.  She said two more times that she couldn't give us a price.  I finally convinced her that we weren't up to that point yet, and I asked if we could please see some samples of Granite and Marble and whatever other kinds of rocks they had.

Jerry and I looked in the section that had the colors we want, and we found a nice piece we thought would match our kitchen.  We brought a nice size sample home, and sure enough, it matches PERFECTLY!  I am SUPER EXCITED!

I'll keep you posted on that project.

Right now, you need to watch this video for a VERY HOT TIP and more information for those who asked about the applique prefused cut-outs.

And for all my new CROCHET BUDDIES out there:  Thank you so much for the tips!  I have decided to really dive into this new adventure.  I've watched videos for two weeks after getting into my jammies, and I am feeling really brave.

While Jerry and I were getting ready to go to the stone place this morning, Terry called and asked me to go to Joann's with her.  Well, OF COURSE, I wanted to go there because I go through withdrawal all the time and so does she because there isn't even the hint of a fabric store in this town.  She decided to pick me up in Durant where the stone company is, and I got out of my car and into hers and we headed south to Sherman, TX.  We started out at Mooyah Burgers, and then we went to Joann's and Hobby Lobby.

Loooooooooooooooooooook at what I brought home:

I am super excited to make those two garments you see on the covers of the magazines.  Most of that yarn was purchased today.  (No yarn in this town either!)

I just ordered all the Clover Soft Touch hooks from Amazon yesterday along with cases to keep them in.  I googled "best crochet hooks" and those are the ones that came up.  We shall see.

I've got to run.  Need to fix my shake and read my new magazines.  YAY!  I am so excited and I LOVE all the tips you may have for me.  Terry told me about Tunesian crochet today, so I'm going to look up videos on that in a little while.

Gotta get.

Hugs, Joy

New Quilt Update and a Video

I am SOOOOO excited.

You know I am making one of Edyta Sitar's applique quilts called:  Seasonal Silhouettes

I JUST FINISHED the last block five minutes ago.  Details have not been drawn in and the edges of the appliques have not been sewn down.

The basket on the bottom left is the block I had problems with that Edyta is going to replace for me.  VERY nice.  She thinks I messed it up by ironing too much, but if that is true, how did all the other blocks work out?

I made a video for you this morning.

Actually, I made TWO videos for you today, but only one is uploaded.

Here it is:

Jerry is home, and I have to go make some shakes.  We had Fire Extinguisher Chili for lunch.  I'll tell you about it in my next video.

Be back soon.  

Hugs, Joy