Where Are You Looking?

Before I get into this week's devotion, I want to let you know that I'll be taking the summer off from writing new devotions again this year. Last year was the first time I took time off from devotion writing and I found it very refreshing. This will be my last new devotion until September. Rest assured, I'll still be reading my Bible and planning out what to write when I come back 😊

Devotion for the Week...

I remember back when I had my beginner's driver's license and I was out driving with Dad one day. There was a group of people walking along the side of the road near our house and I was curious to see who they were, so I kept staring at them until Dad suddenly said, "Where are you going?" I snapped to attention and discovered that the car was veering toward the people! As I straightened back up, Dad pointed out that the car will go wherever the driver is looking, so you always have to pay attention to where you're looking.

What a concept to remember, and not only when we're driving! Our lives will go where we are looking, too. What you give your attention to will affect what you do.

Here's one small example: I love to read fantasy books, so that's the section I gravitate to first whenever I go to a bookstore, followed by the young adult fantasy. Because I'm paying attention to what is on the fantasy bookshelves, I often find new fantasy books to read. On the other hand, I haven't wandered through the mystery section in years, so I don't read mysteries.

On a much more important level, David wrote in Psalm 119: 9-16:

How can a young person stay pure?

    By obeying your word.

I have tried hard to find you—

    don’t let me wander from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart,

    that I might not sin against you.

I praise you, O Lord;

    teach me your decrees.

I have recited aloud

    all the regulations you have given us.

I have rejoiced in your laws

    as much as in riches.

I will study your commandments

    and reflect on your ways.

I will delight in your decrees

    and not forget your word.

By gravitating to God's word and His commands, David was keeping them front and center in his life.  He purposely studied and reflected on what God revealed in His word so that he wouldn't sin against God. He looked at what God wanted Him to do so he could aim his life in that direction.

Constantly looking towards God means we will move our lives in the direction God wants us to go. Not because people who look to Him are inherently better or more 'spiritual' than people who don't, but because if we are aware of what God wants and we are seeking to follow Him, then we are more likely to hear and then heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit. If we're not paying attention, we'll miss what the Holy Spirit has to say. 

Background quilt is Multiplication

Where are we looking today? Do we want to go in that direction?

2020 Mid-Year Review

This is by far the oddest year we've ever had, but somehow we have made it almost to the end of June 😊 That means it's time for a mid-year review of the goals I set back in December. This should be interesting!

1. Guitar quilts

I said back in December that these would be priority number 1 in the New Year and they were...sort of. In early January I asked the owner of my LQS to order me a bolt of solid grey next time she placed an order, for the background and backings. She did, but there was a delay on the other end, so it was mid March before I actually had it in hand. By then, the world had gone topsy-turvy and school was closed. Since these are teacher gifts, getting them finished by the end of the school year didn't feel quite so pressing when school was already closed. That being said, I have finally finished the tops! I'll share them as my finish on Friday when I host TGIFF, so you'll have to come back then to see. Here's a sneak peek in the meantime.

2. Finish my Quilter's Planner bag

Nope. Haven't touched it. Truth be told, I had even forgotten I have it as a goal! Good thing there are still six months of the year to go.

3. More patterns, in more shops

I have released 6 new patterns so far in 2020. My goal was 10, so I'm well on the way there 😊

• Hollow Jewels
• Formal Garden
• New Life
• Burst
• Intersections
• Pinwheel Garden

As for more shops...so far I've had one new shop carry my patterns. Since my goal was simply 'more' I guess that counts, but it's kind of underwhelming, don't you think? I haven't been reaching out to new shops since the pandemic started, but it's something I need to get back into doing now that things are starting to open up again. Hopefully I'll have more 'more' to report before the year is out.

4. Teach a class

Well...kind of, yes. I started teaching a beginner's class in our church basement back in February. I had 9 students and we were having a blast. They had their quilt tops partially pieced and would probably have finished piecing them at our next class, but then everything shut down. We will definitely resume classes at some point, but I'm not sure when exactly that will be.

On the other hand, since the pandemic started, I have offered two free virtual workshops and absolutely loved teaching live online! I will be doing more of that for sure. If you want to be notified when I'm doing another online workshop, sign up for my newsletter. I always let subscribers know what I'm planning 😊

5. Tame the UFO situation

I have finished two of my UFOs so far this year. Both were quilt tops that needed to be quilted and patterns that needed to be written, so they're like dual finishes. It feels great to have Formal Garden and Burst both finished and released. There are still plenty of UFOs waiting patiently, though. 

6. Make more little quilts

This one I have been doing! By my count, I've made 7 projects that used up smaller pieces of batting. 

• A trio of pinwheel bookmarks
• A blue scrap basket (must make more!)

• A mini quilt coloured with crayons (there's a tutorial there, too)
• A baby size version of Formal Garden
• Between the Stars
• Our quilt for Nova Scotia. This one actually isn't a small quilt at all, but I did piece batting scraps together for it, so it counts!
• Two You're a Star mini quilts. Did you get the free pattern download for the mini quilt? 

Plus, my quilting class students made scrappy pincushions from my 2 ½" squares, then we stuffed them with batting that I had cut into tiny bits with my rotary cutter. Yay for using up more of those long, skinny strips trimmed off after quilting! You can see my sample one I made last fall in this post.

7. More garment sewing

Check, check and check ✔ I have been having so much fun making myself clothes! I haven't blogged about all of them, but this is what I've made so far this year:

• Another Summer Basics dress (not blogged yet). That's four dresses from this pattern so far.
• A Summer Basics tank top (not blogged yet). It's from the same pattern as the dresses. I've gotten my money's worth from that pattern, for sure, and I will be making more 😊 
• Two Tessa Sheath dresses. I blogged about one here and you can see the other in the family pictures here.
• A Slim Fit Raglan from fabric left over from my first two Summer Basics dresses and another from blue fabrics that I never blogged about.

The Summer Basics and Tessa dresses are both from Love Notions (affiliate link) and the Slim Fit Raglan is from Patterns for Pirates.

I have fabric coming for shorts, a skirt and a top, all using patterns from Love Notions. I've also bought a pattern for making underwear from Patterns for Pirates because the scraps of fabric that are too small for a shirt, but too big to throw away, were begging to be used for something. I haven't made any yet, but I did buy the elastic that I need. There won't be pictures of those, though, lol 😄

8. Make a sewing machine cover

Nope. I've thought of it off and on over the past few months, but haven't started yet. There's still time. Plus, I haven't actually put my machine away and put the cover on it since school closed in mid March. It goes from the table to the floor in the corner near the table and back again, so there's no pressing need for a cover right now. 

Wow, after listing it all out, it feels like I've been making good progress this year! Somehow the to-make list never seems to get any shorter, though. I'm not sure how, but it just keeps growing and growing and growing. Not that I'm complaining. I love having an abundance of projects that I'm excited to make.

How about you? Are you making good progress on your goals for the year?

Tessa Dress

I made another dress a few weeks ago, but forgot to share it. I've worn it a few times now and I loooove it! It's like wearing secret pajamas, lol.

This is the Tessa dress pattern, from Love Notions. This is actually the second one I've made and I don't think I ever blogged about the first one, either, now that I think about it. It's the dress I wore for our family pictures on Aiden's graduation day.

The dress is super simple to make and Love Notions patterns are written so that even beginners can be successful with them. I'm definitely still in the camp of "explain everything to me and assume I know nothing" when it comes to garment sewing, but I'm getting better 😊

This fabric is a cotton/lycra jersey knit, which is T shirt fabric essentially, so it's really comfortable to wear all day. I love all the blues that are in it and the irregular waves are fun. Actually, I used a pink/purple version of the same fabric for a Summer Basics dress last summer. 

I cut out another Summer Basics dress earlier today, which I'm hoping to get sewn together this evening. That pattern also includes a tank top, and I cut one of those out, too, using the scraps from another dress I made last summer, which was also a Love Notions pattern. Can you tell I love their patterns?? 😂

I'm still having a blast learning to sew my own clothes and I really enjoy being able to wear something I've made myself. The next challenge will be making a pair of Allegro shorts. I've heard that fitting pants/shorts is a whole new ballgame in terms of the different adjustments that may need to be made to get them to fit perfectly, so this should be interesting.

Do you sew any clothes? If not, are you wanting to try, but you're a little nervous? I believe quilters can learn to sew clothes, too! Click on the link to learn why 😊

Note, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and then make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay.