Abbie Giving

Week 1 August 19, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 22:12:00 +0000

Happy Halloween :: Prayers for all touched by Hurricane Sandy

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:03:00 +0000

This little guy is about 24" tall and he is made of cheese cloth and a bit, or well, a lot of starch. Go here to find the tutorial.

Happy Halloween!

First, prayers, hugs, and thoughts of encouragement go out to all those touched by Hurricane Sandy this weekend.Our family was lucky enough to be spared and we are giving thanks. May God help the courage, strength and souls of those picking pieces of this world in these moments as I type these words. It can't be easy, but we hope that with the hope, love and compassion of all in this great Nation that we call all rebuild together.

Light is shining through the wet dark bare branches of the trees this morning. It is cold out, and a bit raw. My government working husband is tele-commuting today since we don't know that public transportation will be able to get hime to and from his office safely. I am breathing a sigh of relief that I can actually have a moment of time to breath deep and write the words that come this morning.

I found felt bags just like these in our local grocery store. The kiddos demanded we bring some home, but Mama of course said, I can make those!! A bit of felt, embroidery floss, a sewing machine and those pictures I took with my phone, these replicas past the kid-test.

I've been working on things as of late. Just as the winds and the rains swept in fear and humility to nature, they also swept in my artistic streak and so putting pencil in hand, I started preparing for the Advent season that will soon be upon us.

Just a peek...More to come and of course a little sharing. :)

Hugs and Prayers,
Abbie

Links I'm Loving :: Eyes Opened and Sharing Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 01:30:00 +0000

Jean, The Artful Parent has a new e-book out The Artful Year: Autumn. Through Monday, October 22nd, you can purchase her book for what you are able to pay...If her regular price is out of your budget, click through to her site and you can name your own price that you can afford. Just remember that e-books take time, energy, and passion to create for all of us. Be generous and the few dollars you'd spend on a latte to the mom who is sharing her talent!

We Were Blind: How a Homeless Couple Taught Us to See...by Tony Kriz via the Huffington Post. I so need this constant reminder to keep my eyes open and my heart at the ready. Every individual really is a human being with feelings, fears, loves, and talents that can amaze you, grace you, and bring life to spirit. Remember that when you look into the eyes of the next person you do not know and offer them your love and grace right back.

A creatively made home...a home decore/lifestyle e-course via Jennifer Rizzo Learn how to turn your house into a celebration of what matters most; family.

Why the crazy sacrifices are worth it...from Ann Voskamp. You'll need tissues to watch these videos...but please do...it floods your eyes with tears and your soul with thanksgiving and joy.

Halloween Bucket Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:09:00 +0000

This fabric + a little time + my sewing machine = this treat or treat bucket.

Small handles = very functional
Duck canvas = no need for interfacing, fusible anything...
Halloween prints = fun.

Not from a pattern. Just a little playing around. Sewing, for the sake of sewing. Put aside the camera, shun the thoughts of another blog tutorial and just stitch. It was quite wonderfully organic. And very relaxing until I had to figure out how to piece together the orange trim from not-enough-scraps from another project.

The kiddos sure were surprised. And they began right away filling their treat buckets with everything not-Halloween; aka, cars, babies, and trains.

What are you stitching for Halloween?

Printing on Fabric :: A Little Mercy & Love

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 02:23:00 +0000

Printing on Fabric...

First I treat the fabric with this solution... (Faux Bubble Jet Solution by Rebecca of Gather Yer Roses.)
And then I used her tutorial to print my image onto the fabric.

Make a tote, affix said print out where you like, and voila, and wonderful adornment.

Here are a couple more images you can print on any fabric you like...

You can download U & Me here. And Mercy & Love here.

Oh, and the Him & Me image is here.

Please use for personal use only.

Blessings!

A Big Thanks for Your Tote Bag Sewing Help

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:33:00 +0000

I am so overwhelmed by the positive responses and promises of help I've gotten for the Giving Bag collection. Thank you to all who are sewing, embroidering, and collecting out there! My goal is to collect 200 tote bags for The Giving Heart charity in Richmond, Virginia and I've already received my first few in the mail! Thank you! The bags pictured above are ones I made of duck cloth canvas and are waiting for children to decorate them!

If you are interested in donating, go here to find out more. Here are a couple of the mentions I've found around town! (If you've blogged about this donation drive, send me a note at abbieipark(at)gmail(dot)com. I'd love to hear from you!)

Simone de Klerk - Quilting and Stitchery and here too!

Mollie Johansen - Wild Olive and new patterns here too!

The Choate Family Blog posted great pictures of the girls sewing!

Leslie - Leslie's Art and Sew

Make and give to others more than you yourself would like to receive.

Links I'm Loving :: Giving Thanks and Stitch and Send

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:11:00 +0000

This weekend a little sand, ocean, Christopher Columbus, a muscle car show and drag racing the lights until 2 am, OC Maryland, family time with grandparents, a little unplugged time, end of season Maryland blue crabs, and then returning to a crashed laptop, a skin rash, and a head cold...so are the ups and downs of this ride called life.

Coming up soon, some progress news on The Giving Heart bag collection, other crafting for charity ideas, and that fabric printing how-to I promised. My, so much to do! Hope you are moving right along too!

Here are some of the links I'm loving...

As always, love, love, love, Ann Voskamp's inspirational words...Best Tips for Effective Time Management...don't miss the video at the end...a wonderful, awesome reminder.

As I am starting to feel harried by our carpool schedule and the bits at home, school, and a head cold...I wonder if this would be the best stress remedy for it all...

We were never meant to work seven days a week by Kevin Martineau of Shooting the Breeze via The High Calling.

Wild Olive designed some great simple embroidery patterns for the Stitch and Send project for charity! Stitch a simple embroidery patch, and send it to me to be affixed to a tote bag for The Giving Heart charity of Richmond, VA.

I have fallen in love with these 2012 Christmas wall art pieces by between You and Me! Head on over to their Etsy store for more information.

Him & me :: Mercy & Love ~ Free Printables

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 01:18:00 +0000

Sometimes the lightning bolt of inspiration comes crashing down in a flurry of pen to paper, thoughts scribbled and colors splashed down on the page all in a flash dash to empty the mind.

Other times it is like waiting for it to rain. It looks like it might happen. It smells like it might start. It feels like it could begin to fall, but those darkened skies just hold out and will not shed a single drop.

Sometimes, my inner artist is trying her hardest. Turning out ideas day and night. Most of them land on paper. Plans are made. Materials located are gathered together. Pieces printed, cut, ironed on, painted, sewn. And then the product is so ugly my inner human averts her eyes in detest.

I used to think that was wasted failure. Now I think it is all progress.

In the movie Finding Nemo, Dori the fish said, "Just keep swimming." I just keep going. I am learning to let go of the messy flops and move on. Remove the rubble and toss it. Purge my heart of disappointment, frustration and fear of failure. Lessons learned here people. You emerge from the dust one single step ahead. Another advancement along the path of life. The path that God meant you to follow, exactly. I am choosing to accept that "just right" path with my fabric shears in one hand, and paint brush and portfolio in the other. God is next to me, in me, and all around me. This journey is Him & me.

This can be a stencil. It can be a printable. It can be an iron on, if you want to flip it. Click here to get the PDF image. I'll be back after the long weekend with a brief print-on-fabric how-to.

I am also posting this one on the Stitch and Send Flickr Group here. If you are already sewing for the Stitch and Send, you can post your stitchery here too! If you aren't already participating, I'd so appreciate your help! I am collecting tote bags for charity and my goal is 200 by next month! Find out how you can help and more information here!

Oh, and while you are at it...here is another version...just for fun. (Note, I haven't fully refined it to be a stencil pattern...you'd have floaters...just cut out joined pieces to make this one a stencil. In the mean time, think, iron-on, or fabric printable.)

Have a wonderful Columbus Day weekend if you are here in the States! And a wonderful weekend besides if you are a bit further away!

Got a Sewing Addiction? How to Find the Cheap Fabric Fix

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:13:00 +0000

So, you've got a sewing addiction. That is why you popped over, no? Honesty can be the first step in recovery. *Shhhh, though* This article isn't about recovery. It's about...finding your next fix...on a budget! *ahem.*

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "addiction" as:

ad·dic·tion
compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be physically, psychologically, or socially harmful

Let's begin by talking openly about addiction and start by replacing the elicit drugs in the dictionary definition with something more soothing such as the likes of: drapey lawn linen, organic cotton voile, or a few yards of a silky charmeuse. I am almost sure vintage Vogue patterns, antique lace, and beautiful jacquard ribbons, could sooth even the edgiest of cravings. But please do jump in if your preferred *fix* isn't just listed out right here.

Perhaps we can bend the rules a little about that harmful part. Does spending hours on those narrow rolled hems and leaving late for appointments count as disruptive? Does cutting patterns take the place of cutting carrots for dinner? Does an obsession that overtakes bathroom breaks, favorite TV shows, and vital sleep count as an...addiction?

So, you've got a sewing addiction, and one that requires cash on a regular basis. It's a habit you've have a hard time kicking. So let's start kicking it now. (I mean kick the "requires cash" part, not the sewing addiction. Does this mean I'm an enabler?)

For starters, I'm sorry; I don't have time to scour the Internet looking for the best sales at 13 on-line outlets. I don't have time to cut all the coupons for the local stores nor rack up "frequent, preferred, VIP, elite, gold-member, buyer" points, for a $5 coupon off my 300th order.

I do have time for these few tactics which are usually how I get my cheap fabric fix. Do I come away with the most gorgeous this-season print hot off the line? No, most certainly not. Are any of these easy-peasy methods? No, some take time going through the racks, weeding out the bad stuff, the ugly stuff, and the no-way-under-the-sun stuff. But some of these adventures are way more interesting than cutting coupons and I can almost always come away with some fine fabrics, ribbons and notions I feel confident will feed my need.

**These ways may not all be applicable to you. And please use these methods with caution. A sewing addiction is nothing to play around with.**

* * *

Community Sales

Yard sales, church sales, estate sales, rummage sales, garage sales...do you notice a trend here?

Thrift
Salvation Army, Goodwill, Unique, thrift stores...look for big yardage in the form of linens, curtains, bedding, towels, etc. Sometimes I find kits, notions, and regular yardage here too.

A Sewer You Know
Mom, your aunt, your grandmother...who ever in your family, or circle of friends, likes to sew and is willing to share. My mom first sewing teacher. 40+ years of sewing; yeah has lots to share! *Ask first!*

The Closet of Someone You Know
My husband's closet. Shirt has a hole? Pants aren't in style any more? Make corduroy pants for a toddler. Make a hoodie vest for a four year old. A hint here; it helps to have a larger husband. Also request permission before you take.

Bedding and Linens
A discount sale in the bedding/curtain/table linen aisle of Walmart, Target, Bed-Bath and Beyond, Ross, Marshalls...and any other department store with a good selection of woven cotton prints. Remember to look for quality and thread count here!

Free Cycle
Did you know you can request items in addition to offering them?

Fabric Co-ops
Wanna know how these work? This thread does a great job explaining. Some posts in the thread say that the discounts aren't all that good after shipping and cutting fees and waiting months for your order, and I agree to an extent. However, from personal experience, I've found I can get fabrics like PUL from a co-op that I can't get from my local JoAnns. Or anywhere else retail in my area for that matter.

Discount Fabric Stores
My favorite store in New Hampshire is actually called Fabric Fix. They buy wholesale, sometimes discounted, from distributors and sell it all in their bare bones store front. You may have a strictly discount store near you.

Last Resort - Retail
If you can't resist those retail fabric stores, after-the-holiday-sales are your best bet to not get into some heavy budget trouble. Remember to venture in cautiously, with a coupon.

Keep your fabric fix healthy. Wash everything right when you get home. Use the hottest water allowable, dry it, press it, fold it neatly, and stash it.

The next time the sewing monster in you gets itchy and needs to bust out, peruse your stash and make something for charity, or something to give away, or a gift that says simply, "thank you kind person!" Or yes, you can make something for yourself too!

If you liked this article and you want to see more, subscribe to
Abbie Living to continue getting tips, tricks and thoughts about sewing, knitting, and crafting to create a better world.

Thank you for visiting! Hugs and prayers ~ Abbie

35 Small Ways You Can Start Helping Others Today

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 10:36:00 +0000

Could I do one nice thing a day? Could I afford to? Could I even think of that many?

Would I be thanked? Would my thoughts and actions be recognized...or appreciated? Would I make even a tiny difference?

Would I be met with skepticism? Would I be met with rebuke? Would I be met with embarrassment? Would I be met with greed?

Would HE know what I was up to? Would HE smile? Or just think I was working some extra chits to get into Heaven? Would HE know what is in my heart? I think most certainly.

I believe actions speak louder than words.
I believe children learn from modeling.
I believe my spirit needs exercise in giving.
I believe it's a stretch for me to reach out.
I know I feel better having helped another.

Here are a few simple and not so simple ways, you might help someone else. If there are any more ways please add to the this list below. We can all work together, one tiny step at a time, to bring about a better world.

Bring a morning mug of coffee or tea to a spouse.

Give a child a hug.

Rake leaves for a neighbor.

Complement a co-worker.

Bend down grab the newspaper off the curb and hand it to your elderly neighbor.

Listen to what a child has to say, no matter how run-on it may be.

Hold hands with your significant other.

Give a favorite book to a senior.

Pray to God and ask for His grace--for someone else.

Pay for someone's Drive Thru meal who is in line behind you. (from WGTS's drive thru difference.)

Babysit for a neighbor.

Make a baked chicken dinner for a family with a very new newborn.

Call a long distance relative or friend--just to listen.

Send a hand-written note to a friend with a real stamp on it.

Give a homeless individual a sandwich and juice. (A new friend of mine always has a ziploc baggie in her car stocked with a juice pouch, a package of crackers, a box of raisins and a few dollars, so she is always ready to reach her hand out to the poor.)

Let the father with a fussy toddler at the grocery store go ahead of you in line.

Tip the waiter a little more, even if their service doesn't deserve it.

Lend your book on CD to a friend with a long commute.

Make a donation to the children selling lemonade, even if you don't care to drink any.

Ask your boss how you can help.

Read an extra book to a child at bed-time.

Share your new sweater with your daughter. (and feel thankful she enjoys your fashion sense!)

Say to someone, "I'm glad you are here." (from InCourage.)

Offer an arm to lean on to the person who is struggling up the stairs.

Smile sincerely to the mother with a fussy baby.

Give the $5 Starbucks gift card you won in the office raffle to your child's teacher and say thank you to them for being such a positive influence in your little one's life.

Break into your stash of pre-schooler artwork, crop a couple of pieces, add them to a multi-pose frame, insert a few photos of the kids, and send it off to far-away-relatives...just because.

Say, "I am so sorry," to the person you've been thinking about.

Bring out the trash for your spouse without saying anything.

Leave an encouraging note on someone's blog page, facebook page, or send an email saying thank you for the time you spend inspiring others.

Tweet about the loving words someone else wrote and how they moved your heart...in 140 characters or less of course.

Let in the pushy person in front of you when you are all hopelessly locked in a never ending sea of traffic. (They might just need to get somewhere really quickly!)

Pick up a piece of road-way trash on someone else's street or lawn.

Say, "thank you! Have a nice weekend!" to the toll collector, cafeteria lady, secretary, custodial staff, postal worker, cashier, waiter, flight-attendant, cab driver, gas station attendant, dry-cleaner, mechanic, plummer, and the grocery shelf-stocker.

Look outside of you...outside your head, your body, to the other humans around you who have feelings, beliefs, trials, and triumphs. Help them celebrate, grieve, elate, and sorrow in life and all that it has to offer. Give them companionship, assistance, support, and love. Gift them prayers and hope and show them Jesus Christ working in your heart to make this world a better world for us all.

What If...We Each Had $5 To Give?

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:32:00 +0000

If you are here from Wild Olive, welcome! My name is Abbie and I am so honored to be working with Mollie on this project. My goal is to gather 200 beautiful totes for seniors, homeless individuals and needy families who will share an inspiring Thanksgiving Feast thanks to The Giving Heart of Richmond, VA. Even though my family is just making ends meet, I hope to use my time and talent to go above and beyond the traditional grocery tote and put a little hand-stitched beauty into the hands and heart of someone who needs it. I feel God is calling me to help care for His children, young and old. I hope you will come on this journey with me. (To find out more about how to donate a bag and other ways to help click here.)

What if we each had $5 to give?

To give or to spend?

Is there a difference between "give" and "spend?"

Say, you would use the money for a charitable cause.
Could you spend $5 buying a dress for a homeless girl in Haiti?
Could you spend $5 buying a breakfast for an inner city boy who left home hungry that morning?
Yes.
You could spend $5 those ways.

Could you give $5 to an homeless girl in Haiti so she could buy a dress?
Could you give $5 to the inner city boy with an empty stomach so he could buy a meal?
Yes.
You could give your $5 for these reasons too.

What do you think the girl would really do with that money?
Do you think she would go without a new dress to buy food for her family?
Do you think she'd buy candy?

What do you think the boy would really do with that money?
Do you think he would go without breakfast to buy his mother a birthday present?
Do you think he'd buy a toy?

Are these good decisions?
Do you trust them to make these decisions?

My pulse quickened as I slowed the car to a stop. I was afraid when I leaned out my car window to gift a few bills to the bent man at the traffic intersection. He is holding a folded cardboard sign scrawled with "Need money for family" and his worn fingernails are dirty. Will he really use the money that way?

I got shaky hands when I left the grocery store with an extra sandwich and juice bottle in a plastic sack. When I extended that small thin bag of food to the gentleman with sunken eyes and filthy pants, I saw a glimmer in his eye. Could it be alcohol? Could it be disillusionment?

He spoke in the most sincere voice I'd ever heard. Grace and love flew from his lips as he uttered, "Thank You. I really need this."

As I continued along the sidewalk, heavy in my belly with a kicking infant, carrying my hand sewn grocery tote full of food, my 3 year old daughter asked me if we know that man. "No," I say. "No, we don't know him. But he looked hungry so we gave him food." With her hand tucked into mine she repeated my words quietly, "no, we don't know him but we gave him some food."

What if I had given him $5?
What if I had let him decide where to spend those five hundred pennies.

Did I doubt the goodness and honesty in these men?
Did I doubt the free will that is humanity?
Does sound judgement somehow come with only with prosperity?
Did I doubt that God lives in them and that He knows and loves them, and guides their hearts and actions?

What if I had given the $5 and simply trusted them?
What if we all trusted a little bit more?

If I trusted more would I become more open?

Would the gates of seclusion, competition, and envy melt away?

Can I put my faith in Christ Jesus and simply rest in that He alone determines whose actions are good and whose are evil.

If I left the judgement up to God, would I be able to see the purity in humanity more clearly?

If I left judgement up to God, could I put my faith more fully into God's hands?

Might I pull myself just a bit closer to Him by examining his works each day, grasping onto His grace, and recognizing His miracles.

What if each of us gave $5? Imagine where our hearts would lead. And where we would lead the hearts of others.

|| || ||

If you liked this post you may like:
What IF...Each One of Us Gave a Little Bit More? 9-14-12
What If...There Were 25 Hours In A Day? 8-31-12

If you liked this article and you want to see more, click here to subscribe to
Abbie Living and continue reading tips and thoughts about sewing, knitting, and crafting to create a better world.

Thank you for visiting! Hugs and prayers ~ Abbie

16 More Free Bag Tutorials and Five DIY Details

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:32:00 +0000

A body tired. A body depressed.
A mind working. A mind turning.
Hands slow. Hands reluctant.
A heart beating. A heart endeavoring.
A faith living. A faith growing, in the tough times, and in the happy times. God is always there. Always loving.
Always good.
Can you feel it?
Slow your body. Slow the mind.
Can you FEEL it?
Can you feel the spirit lift enveloped with grace and light?
It is like an autumn leaf taking to the wind. Beautiful. Graceful. Unpredictable. Amazing.
Love yourself. Love God. Live Fully.

|| & || & ||

I am still working on those original tote bag designs for the Giving Heart. Looking for inspiration on the internet and these designers have graciously shared their talents and posted tutorials and patterns for your free use. Please read their terms of use and enjoy.
Also, for more free bag tutorials visit me on Pinterest and take a peek at this previous post.

A messenger bag tutorial that includes strap hardware by Obsessive Crafting Disorder.

One Upon Thread Tale of Peter Rabbit ~ a child's messenger bag tutorial by Noodlehead.

Messenger Bag Tutorial from MMMCrafts.

How to sew a curved handbag gusset...so helpful to us beginners out there wanting to branch out from the boxy tote. PDF pattern too from U-Handbag.

Backpack tutorial in oilcloth from U-Handbag. With a free PDF pattern.

Pleated Lined Handbag...but roomy enough for all your baby stuffs too...or iPad, or sketch book, or pumpkin spice latte...okay, maybe not the latte.

This grocery tote looks sturdy and it folds away when your done. (Superb tutorial too!!) The Fold-Away Shopping Bag Tutorial by Crafty Ady.

A Mesh Bag tutorial from Between the Lines.

Another Mesh Bag Tutorial from Obsessive Crafting Disorder.

Santa needs one of these this year. Post Office Bag Tutorial By Elsie Marley

A diaper bag...or just a huge bag to carry everything! Free Diaper Bag Pattern by Make Baby Stuff.

The perfect simple tote tutorial explained. By Little Girl Pearl.

Diana Hobo pattern by Think Liz.

Lunch Bag pattern by The Long Thread

Stroller Bag Tutorial by Make It and Love It.

Buttercup Bag Sewing Patter by Made by Rae

And a few tutorials about the basics so you can branch out, choose different design elements, and create your own unique tote.

Learn how to add a monogram to your tote with this tutorial by Lil Blue Boo

Or, learn how to add rope handles to your tote with this Nautical Inspired Tote Tutorial by Lil Blue Boo.

How to install a zipper in a simple zipper pouch! from See Kate Sew

If you want to add handles to your bags...this is a great tutorial on how to use fashion handles! (By the Lazy Girl.)

How to install a magnetic snap tutorial by Made by Rae.

If you liked this article and you want to see more, click here to subscribe to
Abbie Living and continue getting tips, tricks and thoughts about sewing, knitting, and crafting to create a better world.

Thank you for visiting! Hugs and prayers ~ Abbie

11 Free Bag Tutorials & Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:13:00 +0000

I am working, very....slowly...on a few bag patterns of my own.

You know sometimes when simply nothing goes right. Socks don't match. Toddler tossed the comb in the toilet. You bang your finger in the door, and your knee on the chair. Laundry languishes. Your toddler decides naps are for babies. It takes 50 minutes to drive 7 miles because of traffic and roadway construction. You forget to eat lunch. Dinner never materializes. And bed just keeps you tossing and turning.

And you never get to sew.

I am sure you've had bad weeks too. I'm sure you've heard it before.

I am sitting here trying to remember that God does still love me. Beyond the to-do lists, beyond the carpool, beyond the grocery shopping and other tasks that may or may not have gotten done, God's love is still there for me. His grace surrounds me. He is Good. And I am thankful.

And with that, in lieu of an original pattern, I am linking to some of my favorite bag/tote/purse tutorials others have so graciously created.

Amy Butler Blossom Handbag free pattern via Sew Mama Sew

This drawstring bag is by In Color Order. There is also a striped bag tutorial for the same bag design.

A Ruffled Tote by Make It and Love It.

This Large Tote also from Make It and Love It!

This collapsible tote is adorned with a very cool Sewasaurus on the front from Cation Designs.

Love the sweet scallops...and the colors. Free Pattern from See Kate Sew

A very clever organizing tote from Make It and Love It

I love linen!! This one is a purse satchel from See Kate Sew

So, so very cute!! A Walk In The Woods mini tote tutorial from Very Kerry Berry

Even though we are heading to fall, this Summer Madras Tote still seems so fun. It's by Noodlehead.

And a Messenger Bag Tutorial by Between the Lines

I Love You Jesus :: Free Embroidery Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:20:00 +0000

Just like the Love Falling embroidery pattern, the idea for this pattern popped into my head suddenly last week.

I get ideas like that. They kind of sneak up on me and pop out when I am in the shower, or on the toilet, or taking something out of the oven while fending off a 16 month old who is precariously leaning on my left leg. In other words, these epiphanies like to peek out and say "hello" when I simply don't have a pencil and a slip of paper on which to capture them before they disappear into the oblivion of my foggy-mom-brain. Never to be seen or heard from again. Ever. It's sad really. Sometimes I believe that some of my greatest artistic moments slip by unaccounted for and drop off the cliff into the valley of great-ideas-that-were-never-to-be-had.

But I digress lamenting about my memory that functions like a sieve. This pattern, the I Love Jesus pattern, I took the liberty of adding some color. Mollie of Wild Olive just blogged a week of fabulous embroidery tinting ideas. You should visit for just a while to look at all her colorful photography. *It makes you want a new set of crayons.* Thank you Mollie!

So, you can tint the clouds, leave them white, or fill them with another such stitch. Fill the crosses, or not. I like them looking heavy. And the red lettering, well you certainly don't have to keep it red. Do what comes to you.

If you are so inclined, please consider stitching up one of these patterns on your next tote bag and donate it to the Giving Heart. I am gathering a goal of 200 handmade tote bags for their Thanksgiving Feast event when over 500 volunteers will be preparing supper for more than 3000 guests! Seniors, homeless individuals, and poor families receive a tote bag full of living essentials like toiletries, diapers, and non-perishable food stuffs. Please lend your time and talent and make a Giving Bag to someone in need. To find out more about my work with The Giving Heart, go here. Thank you!

Love Falling, Love Falling :: Free Embroidery Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:10:00 +0000

I don't recall where the inspiration came for this embroidery motif...Pinterest? a magazine? an Etsy shop? But lately I've been seeing lots of clouds, rain drops, rainbows, and suns coming out. It seems to me they all are pointing to a little bit of hope, faith, and light.

And although every artists' interpretation is a little different of course, in my mind, everyone is pointing to Jesus's love really.

Isn't it He who is at the end and beginning of every rainbow?

And love. Isn't that what Jesus is?

Pure love...

Lately, I realized that I indeed have been very depressed. It may suffice to say that I've gone weeks at a time closed up in my home, venturing out only when absolutely necessary, doing things only when absolutely necessary and sleeping way more than is necessary. Nothing in this world seemed worth doing. And perhaps most importantly, I felt no love for myself, my family, or living life.

I raise the topic of depression only to say that I believe it may be in the past. Exercise. It helps. Magnesium supplements. They help. Prayer. It really helps.

Asking God for love makes the rain drops falling turn into love raining down. I find Jesus and love in the rain storms when I am low. And I find Jesus still there when the clouds part and the rains cease. There in the light that breaks through the dark clouds and comes streaming down, is love. HE is there at the beginning and the end of the rainbow.

In the spirit of making tote bags for the Giving Heart, I designed this simple embroidery pattern. You are welcome to use this easy pattern to stitch someone else a bit of love, hope, and light.

(To find out more about donating reusable totes, click here. I surely need your help! My goal is to gather 200 handmade totes for seniors, the homeless, and the poor in Richmond, Virginia. )

NOTE: Although I created this pattern for embroidery, feel welcome to use it as a stencil motif as well. Just transfer this pattern to freezer paper, use an X-acto knife and cut around the pattern borders, iron on to your fabric tote, and stencil away. For other stencil patterns and tutorials click here and here.

Links I Love :: God and Sewing, Color Choosing, and Knitting

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:31:00 +0000

God Sews by K Chripczuk of A Field of Wild Flowers via She Loves Magazine. Love, love, love this article...sewing and God in one...I don't need to say anymore.

Conversant in Color: Warm or Cool? by StephC of 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World blog.
For years, my mother and I have been arguing about what "color" I am. THIS article, well, solved the argument. **You wanna know who was right? We both were, kind of.** (I am a cool, but cool people can still wear pastels!! HA!)

**Interested in knitting for charity? Got an opportunity, at Knits for Needs, and you don't even need to use yarn from your own stash!**

What If...Each One of Us Gave Just a Little Bit More?

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 10:18:00 +0000

What if each one of us gave just a little bit more?

If you were giving to a charity,
what if you...
gave away one more quarter
posted one more Tweet for support
sewed one more bag
knit one more baby bootie
called one more person on the list

If you were giving to a friend,
what if you...
prayed one more prayer for them
called once more, just to listen
sent one more note to say hello
gave one more complement
said one more thank you

If you were giving to your significant other,
what if you...
exchanged a kiss for one second longer
held hands for one moment longer
said I love you one more time
looked them in the eye one bit longer

If you were giving to a child,
what if you...
read one more book
listened to them one more minute
painted one more picture side-by-side
shared one more laugh
gave one more hug

What if each one of us gave just a little bit more?
Something small.
Tried a little bit harder.
Labored just a little bit longer.
Without promise of return in this life.
What would happen to us, to our world?
Would we change? How?

What would happen in the hearts and minds of the recipients?
Would a flame ignite underneath a fire of giving?

What would happen within the spirits of those around us?
Would each one grow into prolific and passionate givers?

What would happen to our communities and our planet if each one of us gave just a little bit more, each day.

What would happen to each one of us?
Would we become better people?
Would we become better disciples of Christ?
Would we become a better world?

Can I Do It? 200 Tote Bags?

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:58:00 +0000

I've stepped off, and done it. I am working, in real life, with The Giving Heart of Richmond, Virginia.

My goal is to gather 200 sewn bags to donate to their Thanksgiving Feast event this year. Each year staff and over 500 community volunteers serve a truly festive Thanksgiving Feast to more than 3000 guests! At that event each guest receives a Giving Bag tote filled with toiletries, diapers, non-perishable food items, toys, hats and other living essentials. These tote bags go to seniors on limited incomes, homeless individuals and families who have come upon harder times.

Can you help me sew 200 bags? Do you know someone else who can? I need your help! People in Richmond Virginia need your help!

You see, typically donors give grocery totes and canvas totes from professional conferences and the like. While these serve the Giving Bag purpose, I am imagining something bigger.

Imagine something better. How special would it be for an older senior to receive a beautiful, simple, tote bag made of colorful printed cotton canvas from you?

Would you like to receive something just like that? I know I would and that is my aim: to go above and beyond and gift beauty, something genuine, and sturdy to a person who really needs a gift more than I. I want to give a gift that I'd feel honored to receive.

So how can you help? Firstly, you don't have to know how to sew...you simply need to want to give of your creativity.

For the beginner sewer, doesn't take long to make a tote bag. And it doesn't require much material either. If you are a sewer, you may even have some extra fabric already in your stash that you'd be willing to give.

For the non-sewer, grab a sturdy canvas tote and decorate it how you'd like. (Canvas totes are available at craft stores, or you may have one already.) Be creative. Adorn with passion. And remember these will be given to men, women and children.

If you are inspired and ready to take action and give, here is how you can help:
Sew a tote bag...or sew seven
Get a friend to sew a tote bag, or sew eight
Cast your net wide and pass along this post to someone who does sew
Blog it, e-mail it, Tweet it, post it on your Facebook page, and all the other social media ways you pass along the next best thing.
Pray for me. Only the Lord knows if I will succeed and what my success will be.

My goal is to gather 200 bags. If you can send me just one, we are well on our way to making that extra special gift happen for someone on Thanksgiving.

Need a tutorial? Here is a list of simple tote bag tutorials. Or visit my Pinterest page where I keep track of all the talent I am finding.

When you've got a package of totes pop it in the mail to me! (Go here for shipping information.)

200 totes by November 9! That is about 4 a day! Can I do it? Not without your help. I am talking totes for women, men and children! Make them large, make them small, make them pink make them purple, make new, or recycle...use your creativity! Your donated bags are appreciated already. Please spread the word, and don't forget to come back and check my progress! A very exciting update is to come in a couple of weeks!

If you have other questions, comments for me, or if you would like help spread the word to your readers, friends, or group and inspire creativity e-mail me at abbieipark(at)gmail(dot)com.

Links I'm Loving :: fall crafting and a bit of inspiration and wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:29:00 +0000

It should feel like autumn no? It was 90+ degrees and humid outside this past week. And my son came home from school recess looking a little like a sweaty tomato.

My favorite season is fall. I love the way it smells, the way it sounds, and the way nature gets ready to tuck itself in for slumber. Acorns, felt fabrics, flannel sheets, apple pie, fresh pressed cider, and new knitting projects all signal to me days growing shorter, and nights cooler. I do however, have issue with pumpkin guts. I just can't get past the smell and the slime. But that bright orange smooth skin and funny green twisty stem, has me crafting these guys in a different way. More to come on that. But open one up? Not near me please.

So in the mindset of autumn, here are some nifty links I am loving...

Wonderful fall paper craft! Recycle those paper bags. From A Place For Us.

Witch-y silhouette Trick or Treat bag tutorial...from Positively Splendid.

This one is so inspiring! Can't wait to be a part of her next project. Congratulations on such a successful event! From Bits of Splendor...Project Hope.

Needed this read after a tough morning with my daughter...for the moms Choosing to Take Beauty from I Take Joy.

What If...Your One Biggest Fear Was Wiped Away?

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:39:00 +0000

What if....
A series of articles about building a better world: starting with your street, my city, and communities around the globe.

What if your one biggest fear was wiped away.

Never mind how...it is just...gone.

No more tummy churning, no more pounding in your chest.
No more headaches.

No more avoidance, no more paralysis, no more excuses...just action.

What would you be able to do if your one biggest fear was wiped away?

Climb a mountain and look down at the view without fear of falling

Let go of guilty feelings and let them fly away in the wind

Go to a crowded fair and enjoy the art, music, and fresh air

Drive cross country without a plan and journal what and who you met

What would you want to do if your one biggest fear was wiped away?

Make a new friend

Share a secret

Start a business

Enter a 5K and finish

What would you do if your one biggest fear was wiped away?

Say, "I'm sorry, will you forgive me?"

Laugh more

Volunteer my help

Speak out against injustice

Radically complement good deeds

My biggest fear is that people will not like me.
If my biggest fear were wiped away I would be able to go to public gatherings.
If my biggest fear were wiped away I would want to go to the park with my children.
If my biggest fear were wiped away I would share openly and lovingly with others.

Life is so short.
None of us know when we are going to leave for good.

What if we exit tomorrow?

Would that make a difference in what we do today?
Should it make a difference?

If your fear is like mine...and the worst thing that can happen is that God will still love you in the end...maybe love you even more...use your power now and push open that fear.

Scatter that fear.

Obliterate it.

Scribble all over it.

Smash it.

And leave it in the dust.

Now walk over and take that dream off the shelf.

And do it.

God will still love you in the end.

Maybe you'll love Him more in the end too.

If this article speaks to you, share it with a friend.

Check out last week's edition: What If...There Were 25 Hours in the Day?
Stay tuned for another What If...next Friday.

Newborns In Need

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:50:00 +0000

*Warning: This article introduction contains a bit of baby-birth-story information though I attempted to keep it tame.*

Goodness, this picture was taken four and a half years ago. It seems so long ago, yet I remember seeing my baby in that little incubator box, with tears in my eyes, like it was just moments ago. Little Miss surprised us all by coming early. She was a robust premie if you can even put those two words side by side. 5 pounds, 5 ounces. A tad more than 35 weeks.

I started bleeding in the morning and we wound up in the hospital, checked-in, by early afternoon. Four hours into labor, as the nurses outside our door were casting lots to see if we would end up in the OR for an emergency c-section. But Little Miss made her appearance there in that delivery room.

She seemed tiny. They took her first. She was breathing okay. After a bit she went to her daddy because I kept bleeding. The placenta delivered and we realized the abruption was more grave than we had seen on the ultra sound earlier. She and I were very lucky to still be here.

We went home after a few days, only to come back to the hospital for photo-therapy. Routine. Her brother had the same thing. Then the nurses found she was cold. Very cold. Whispering they rolled her little incubator away from us and out the door. Blood tests. IV lines. Spinal taps. Twice attempted. So many wires. Tubes. Beeping. They didn't know why her body was so cold. We felt worried. We felt empty scared.

She was admitted to NICU. And we had to go home.

We traveled an hour each way to visit our tiny daughter every day. We held her, tape, tubes, lines and all. We prayed, we talked to her, we rocked her...and we cried a lot.

She didn't have anything wrong with her. Her brain had just decided to not warm her little body. She only stayed a week and came home to us in the baby seat her brother had used.

We realized she needed premie clothing. Regular newborn size fanned out on her like flippers. She needed premie diapers. Newborn diapers fell down off her bottom. She needed premie everything. And we realized we needed a premie mindset and a premie heart to get through that time and then all the ups and downs that can come from being born a bit early.

My husband and I were so very lucky. We were surrounded by so much love, support, and compassion from the nursing staff, friends, and our families. We feel lucky that God led us through. He held our hands and walked right beside us when we needed it the most. And he blessed us with the wonderful soul Little Miss is today.

As I watch my premie-girl grow, I think about the babies born to so much less. Who is watching out for their needs? Who is helping mothers struggling? Sometimes no one. I ask myself, can I help? Can I be that one to support a baby? A new mother? In my heart, I know I am being called by God to do just that, help others in need.

* * *

Newborns In Need (NIN) is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization with chapters across the country. NIN is dedicated to bringing love, support, and living essentials for babies born to poverty, especially the tiniest, who are born prematurely. Through NIN’s specific initiative, Sophie’s Place, special volunteers help give comfort to families grieving for their little one who did not survive. Donated clothing, formula, diapers and other essentials are distributed through local chapters to area agencies, hospitals, and shelters.

And now the bit for you the crafter...here is how you can help right now. NIN also greatly appreciates donations of fabric, thread, quilt batting, yarns and ribbons. Chapter Volunteers meet monthly to cut, sew, knit and crochet blankets for local babies who have little else. Please check their website for the specific types of materials they accept before making your donation. Send your donation to your local chapter, and sign up to be a volunteer to start making a difference.

If you feel compelled to give, visit their website to learn more about their other initiatives serving the needs of newborns across the country.

Links I'm Loving :: Sewing Knitting Embroidery Praying

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:26:00 +0000

It is the calm before the storm. Today is the last day my children are in summer mode. Wake up later. Play, play, play. Watch some TV. Ask Mama for snacks...that require an oven. Little do they know that their flu shot today was just the beginning of a bright and bold future...away from home and at school. (I secretly feel a little bad for the youngest. He is going to feel like an only child home all alone with Mama 5 days a week.)

And so, I am soaking up all the joys of the last day of my summer, before my crazy carpool schedule gets going, and before I start freaking out. What do I do on the last day of summer? Go to the doctors office. Make kids snacks in the oven. And I squeeze in a bit of sewing (wash towels for my daughter's classroom,) knitting (Christmas present for mom,) and a bit of blog reading...

Here are a few of my favorites:

Gotta sew this! Iron-On Maiden - DPN case

Gotta buy this! - Ikat Bag's Bella Bag Pattern

Gotta try this technique! Wild Olive Embroidery Tinting with Crayons

Gotta enter this giveaway by Take the Cannoli on the blog Vintage Grey (ends 9/6/12)

Gotta read this. Discipleship in the Public Domain on The High Calling

15 Ways to Donate to Charity When You Don't Have Cash to Give

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:40:00 +0000

Look around and you'll see another "Donate Here" button at every turn. Look around and you'll see people who need your donations now more than ever. Desperately. And there will be more appeals for your dollars in the coming months as the holiday decorations go up, and snowflake magic begins to fill the air. As we start to think about giving gifts to our loved ones, we also begin to think about giving to others who have less.

I consider myself among the lucky. I am not in desperate need of food, clothing or shelter. I even live in a house and drive a vehicle. And my husband's salary can support three children. We are so very far from destitute.

Even so, with our middle-class income we are barely making ends meet each month.
And we just don't have the donation dollars to give to the many worthy causes out there.

This isn't really a discussion about our budget priorities, but rather, an examination of the fact that there are ways you and I can help that don't necessitate cash.

Here are 15 of those ways that I plan to help someone who is living without the essentials and hope to encourage others to do the same.

* * *

15 Ways to Donate to Charity When You Don't Have Cash to Give

Sew a bag for someone who has nothing to hold the many things they carry
Knit a hat for someone whose head is cold
Give fabric, thread, or ribbon to a charity making and giving blankets to individuals who are sick
Give an item you've made for your Etsy shop to a blogger holding a fundraising auction
Make a quilt for a senior citizen in need of some warmth
Send a Tweet and spread the word about a charity you support
Personalize a Facebook post about a charity and encourage your friends to check it out
Write a blog post about someone's fundraiser and why you personally support their cause
Lend a hand for an hour and give the work of your legs and arms to a worthy cause needing your labor
Make double and give one -- make two lasagnas and give one to the family who just came home from the hospital
Bake something to sell to co-workers and give the proceeds charity
Write a testimonial about how someone reached out to you in your time of need and suggest others give of themselves to help another person like you
Connect your charity to someone you know who has the talent or the finances to help
Ask someone who does have money to donate a dollar to your charity
Say a prayer. Ask for God's divine mercy and love to help you and others make this world a better place.

***

Some of these options do require materials that could cost money. Some may only necessitate what you already own. Take the step. Do something. Someone will appreciate your efforts.

Maybe if we all begin to give from our hearts, instead of simply from our pockets, many more of the world's problems can be solved.

What other ways do you help your community without donating cash?

What If...There Were 25 Hours in the Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:39:00 +0000

What if....
The beginning of a series of articles about building a better world: starting with your street, my city, and communities around the globe.

What if...there were 25 hours in the day?

What would we do in those extra moments?
Imagine them to be daylight moments.
Imagine them to be free-from arduous chores, daily work and baby-chasing moments.

Free moments for...
napping
praying
laughing and smiling
feeling sad
feeling lost
hurting
going outdoors
talking to a friend
writing a blog post
eating chocolate without guilt
doing nothing

Imagine an extra hour in the day.

Would you think to add value to your life, or the life of someone else?

Imagine you would spend those moments adding value to the life of someone else.
What would you do for someone else?

Would you...
give a hug
send a hand-written note
say a prayer for them
donate a dollar to charity
knit them a gift
bake them brownies
wrap up their present with the ribbon you've been saving for something special
let them take your turn
pay for their morning coffee...just 'cuz you don't know them
open the door for them to pass through first
look them in the eye and smile

Could you do any of these, or any more acts of kindness you can possibly think of in that extra hour in the day?

Do you deserve to be whole first?

Would you add value to your own life first because you feel stressed, harried and busy right now?

Can we add true value to the life of someone else if we ourselves don't perceive value in our own life first?

What if we are lacking in our life?
Would we give a gift that is also lacking?
Would it then be best to use those free moments to nurture our own spirit and soul?
To rest, to rejuvenate, to renew, and to settle?

Would adding value to the life of someone else's life make us feel happy and whole and therefore add hope, faith, and love to our life in the end?

What are your thoughts? What would you do if there were 25 hours in the day?

Operation Smile - Sew a Smile Bag for a Child

noreply@blogger.com (Abbie) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:54:00 +0000

That moment still stands out to me so very clearly. It was as if drums were beating in my ears and tumblers rolled over and over in my stomach. I held my 2 year old son in my arms as I sat on that cold gurney with starched white sheets fitted tight. My little guy struggled to get away, crying and complaining loudly to the one person he felt could "save" him from this scary place and these scary people. Still I held him, my grip tight to help, and to comfort. I just wanted him to know I loved him so. I held his little body as the nurse put the sleeping gas to his little white nose and mouth. The mask smelled like bubble gum she told me. He was two. He'd never tasted bubble gum before. I sat on that thin mattress on metal, trembling, with my first-born in my lap as I tried to hold back my tears. What was I doing? Could I ever let go and hand him over? Then I felt his protest subside and his body go limp with unwanted rest. His eyes rolled closed and he let go.

I gave him to the nurses that day. I laid him down on those wrinkled white sheets and gave him to them. I could hear the Lord whisper to me that whatever happened, his little soul would be forever safe. I slipped my hand into my husband's soft hand and we walked slowly to the waiting room.

My mind turned over and over. Feelings of guilt, fear, and sadness swirled around and around like a washing machine with no cycle end. Was this right? Would the surgery fix it? Surgery, surgery!! Would he come back to us the same little boy, eager to please, lover of all vehicles with four tires, and excellent dancer to any music that comes upon his ears. Would this be the end of all the invasive testing, the poking and prodding, the forced medicines, the scary x-ray machines, the specialists, the insurance issues, and the waiting rooms? Or would this be the beginning?

That was 4 years ago. He is six now. He has a small scar on his belly where he had that surgery to fix his grade V kidney reflux. The procedure was three hours long. It was routine. It worked.

We were lucky. We had family support. And we had medical insurance and the money to afford this potentially life-changing surgery. In this very world we live in, others aren't so lucky. Some children suffer congenital defects that gravely affect their lives. And though corrective surgery is routine, and it works, there isn't money to get it. Operation Smile and its medical partners are working to change this for children with cleft palates around the globe.

Operation Smile is an international, non governmental organization that works to bring together caring medical professionals and the children needing surgery to correct cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. They estimate every three minutes, somewhere, a new baby is born with a cleft palate that leaves them often unable to eat, speak, or socialize. Many times, these babies are shunned, or rejected, and too often, parents are unable to afford a simple surgery that can be life-changing.

Since 1982, Operation Smile, with the help of a dedicated team of medical professionals, has helped enable more than 2 million patient evaluations and over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

In addition to monetary donations, Operation Smile is seeking hand sewn Smile Bags. Volunteers fill these lovely little bags with toys and goodies for the children who are recovering from their surgery. Smile bags should be 12"X14", made of sturdy cotton fabric, and have a drawstring closure at the top. There is even a bag pattern with photos and clear sewing instructions right on the website.

When you are ready to donate your Smile Bags, fill out their Service Project Inventory Sheet and send it in with your bag donation to:
Operation Smile
Attn: WAREHOUSE/Service Project
6435 Tidewater Drive
Norfolk, VA 23509, USA

In addition to Smile Bags, you can use your sewing talent to make other needed items. Operation Smile also accepts no-no arm bands, blankets, quilts and afghans, and Smile Dolls. Check their website for specific instructions before you make your donation. Set up your sewing machine, get involved and give a child a smile.

* * *

I know how these parents feel when they are offered the choice of surgery. Grateful...and so very scared. I know how these parents feel while waiting to hear if their child is okay. And I know how the same parents feel many years later. Still grateful. I am sure their child is grateful too. I am grateful to share this giving opportunity with you.