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Random thoughts and a little frugal craftiness

Today is Holy Thursday. The Last Supper. The Institution of the Eucharist. The washing of the feet, whereby Jesus showed us the attitude by which to live. Lent has been interesting, as it usually is. What I think I should focus on, and what God reveals to me? Not even in the same ballpark. On Palm Sunday, I really felt that I had failed to make any real changes in myself and believe me, I am in need of change. Monday came and I got up renewed in my desire to make the most of the holiest of weeks. One little change. One thing I have been doing differently. I can see that this is what I need to help me in so many other parts of my life.




Have I mentioned before how beautiful it is here? I have? Well, it is so beautiful that the pictures I take are very disappointing, for they seem to dull and veil the view.


These fields of yellow are like sunshine for your soul. Scattered among the green of new growth and the rich brown of newly broken soil, they bring a swell of happiness in my heart as we pass them by.
 

The gentle roll of the earth, the lone tree, the sky with the careless little clouds are like a balm that soothes the hurt as it heals the wound.


I have an overwhelming desire to go running down one of these fields with total abandon.




After reading 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn', I feel the need to not waste anything. Repurpose, reuse. My grandmother grew up in that same time and she is a very frugal woman, saving anything that might be used again. It is in that spirit that I made this needle case.


The outside fabric is the leg from my jeans that wore out in the knees. I cut the length from the back side of the leg, which was still good.


The green fabric is the one piece left over from making covers for my bowls.  That is how I decided how big to make the case. I just used the rectangle that was left. I then took another strip of denim from the other leg of the jeans. This one is half the width of the leg.


The brown is some bias tape that my grandmother once gave me. She has macular degenration and can no longer see very well. On one of our visits before her vision deteriorated too much, she went through her sewing things and gave me some lace that she made, wound on a little card, along with other bits of sewing notions. I treasure these and love adding them to projects. I see them and think of her.


The only thing I actually measured were the spaces for the pouches. Even that was only a dot as a guide where to start. I pinned nothing and just winged it. I added a layer of batting between the fabric to give the needles some protection. I added a wider piece of binding to the side and made a buttonhole in it for a closure.


Here is my 'helper'. He kept taking things and running off, laughing because he thought he was funny. When I stood up from the sewing machine to lay all the pieces together, he scared himself by standing firmly on the pedal and making my machine whir loudly. He then retreated to my bed to watch, but being 20 months, could not resist touching everything I had gathered for my project.

And now, I must go and prepare for Easter!



Comments

  1. Jenny, your photos are amazing.
    And I thank you for sharing this adventure with us. : )
    Blessings for a peaceful end to Holy Week, and a beautiful Easter!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loving your pictures. I hope this first Easter in Germany is beautiful for you all.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, jenny, those pictures are so beautiful...breathtaking...if these do not do the real in person scenery justice....then, it must be amazing there!!

    Thanks so much for sharing them with us...I'm loving it.

    And your frugal crafting is also amazing. I would not have survived the depression...I have no sewing talents.

    ReplyDelete

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