Favorite Things

I think I've mentioned that I do a sewing class at our church.  The class is the brain child of a lady who wanted to find a way to reach out to the immigrant ladies living in the neighborhoods around our church.  I feel so blessed that I get to be a part of it.  I've said many times that it is a dream come true for me.  It combines some of my most favorite things.... 

crafting and international ladies and Bible study.

This summer Lily and I were talking a little about children who don't have mommies and daddies.  And things we could do to love them.  We had the idea together to make them "taggie lovies" b/c Lily loves hers so much.  Then, just a week or so later, Mary, the lady who leads sewing, told me that she had the idea to make baby blankets for a missionary doctor from our church who works in Kenya.  So excited.  Lily and I bought our material and got to sewing (after much procrastination).  We only managed to make 2 lovies (before presenting them to the doctor this morning).  But we may sew more??

 Here is one of our finished products (oops, forgot to rotate pic).

Here are all of the blankets from the ladies at sewing class.  :)

 Sewing Friends... 

 Left center below is the OB-GYN in Kenya.  It was so encouraging to have her join us, to hear about her work, and to look together at how Jesus loves women so personally.  Her testimony of her calling tied in so perfectly with what we've been looking at in our Bible study lessons.

It is such a joy to be involved in this class.  

Its a highlight of my week and "fills my tank" to be with these ladies.

Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.  1 Thess 2:8

Birthday Skirts

We are one week out from the girl's fourth birthday.  Say it isn't so!

Lily has two little friends who have birthdays the same week.  Actually, we moms were all in small group together and the three of us found out we were pregnant on the same day, which happened to be the day that our small group met.  So one of them announced that day, another a week later and I kept my secret b/c in general back then, we didn't tell early.  (Our approach to that did change with our third- we couldn't fathom all wouldn't be fine- and fourth.)  So I remember it nearly killing me to wait to tell them.  Our due dates were July 8, 9, & 10th.  How crazy and bizarre is that?!  A sweet blessing from God.  

So in light of it getting to be near the end of their toddler/preschool years, I thought it would be fun to make them skirts.  They may not think that's fun their whole life so I wanted to get it in while I could.  I made Lily's first, not being sure I could commit to three.  But her's was fun and not too hard so I decided to go for three.  I ended up getting the other girls different fabric b/c I couldn't find Lily's purple dot material when I went back.  After I'd picked out other bird fabric, I finally found the purple, but then I was in love with the new fabric... 

Anyway.  Here are the skirts!

I used this tutorial:  http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-a-simple-skirt.html

I really love her website.  Her style is so clean and pretty.  

I made a bias tape hem on Lily's skirt (we learned how in sewing class)

But I just double hemmed Ruby and Fields' skirts to keep it all within reach of completion.

It'll be fun to see the little girls in their skirts together!! 

And another mom is generously making them matching shirts!! So fun.