I'm playing the piano this afternoon for some hymn-singing in the local nursing home. Once a month our Church takes a service there for the residents who are unable to get out much. One of the songs we will sing is "Count your blessings".
Counting our blessings and being thankful is certainly a tried and trusted cure for when we are 'down in the dumps'. I have so much for which to be thankful - I couldn't start to list all my blessings.
When our children were little, we taught them to say this 'grace' before meals:
Thank you for the world so sweet.
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything.
Giving thanks before a meal is a habit that most of our children still practice in their married lives and that they have taught their children. The words used now may be different, but being thankful for daily provision, when so many in the world are starving, is a good habit.
Why am I telling you all this? Because the grace above ended up in fabric!
A set of four placemats, each with a line of the grace embroidered on a stitchery centre with a little bit of applique:
Can you see the scalloped border around the stitchery?"
A little bird singing sweetly:
Whoever invented Prairie Points deserves a medal!
The pattern is in the latest edition of Country Threads magazine, Vol 13 No 5.
Well, the sewing machine is finally out of its cabinet, but I've been very disciplined and have kept to my plan for my spring cleaning - five areas done - almost one third of the way there! It's even starting to smell clean!
In my spare time, the pencil (and eraser!) have been hard at work as I'm designing the new free Block of the Month quilt for 2013. It's taken me for ever to get it together but the planning stage is almost complete and hopefully I can soon start on the fun bit - actually making it! Keep an eye out for the final pattern in the 2012 "Thoughts in Thread" project next week. I plan also to reveal what I have in mind for you for November/December - I'm quite excited about it and hope you will be too.
Meanwhile, happy stitching!
Val
22 comments:
What a delightful project!!!
Very sweet!
Hello Val, I love to check your site when I get on the computer because you always have the most beautiful hand work. I think you have out done yourself with the placemats. I live in the USA and am going to have to search high and low for this magazine, I just have to have your pattern. Keep using that wonderful gift that God has given you and thank you for sharing the BOM's, I have enjoyed working on them. Bobbie
they are gorgeous Val,well done.xx
Val, once again, SO beautiful!
Hugs
Jenny
xx
Val, you have me reminiscing. We used to sing that song at Sunday School. I have stopped buying Country Threads as I didn't find it to have many projects in it that I liked anymore. Guess what? I am going to buy this issue!! I just love those placemats. Congrats.
Val, you just blow me away!! These are incredible! I don't know where I can purchase this magazine around here, but I'm certainly going to try to hunt one down!! ~karen
Lovely done!
Such a wonderful project.
The place mats are lovely, and I will be buying the magazine:) We sang Count your Blessings ... I had almost forgotten that, so thank you for the trip into the past.
Ooh, how cute they are. Thank you for sharing them with us.
And thank you for sharing your free Bom too with us :-).
These look fantastic Val!!! Thanks for letting us know - will definitely be getting this magazine!!!
They are cutest!
Oh Val how gorgeous - I've been thinking about the grace we say [since the boys were very small] and turning it into stitcheries! But I could never do as well as you have. I wish I was spring cleaning, but no, we're getting ready to shut the windows and stay inside out of old man winter's reach. Actually turned the furnace on today. Enjoy your fresh clean home and that spring air!
I saw your gorgeous project in Country Threads. I love the prairie points too.
Very nice Mum!
How absolutely sweet & adorable!!! I've got to make a set of these! Now I have to figure out how to find the magazine :*) Looking forward to your new BOM design too!
This is such a beautiful project. I have not been able to find the magazine here though.
You're so blessed with talent! And another project for 2013 is in the works too?! Wow! You certainly aren't letting any grass grow under your feet. Hang in there with the spring cleaning. It's a tough job, but the feeling when you're finished is incomparable.
These are wonderful Val. I'm a bit late with my comment but want you to know I love them & they are added to my very long 'to do' list. Tracee xx
I take devotions in a local nursing home once a month and we often sing "count your blessings" also. I discovered it is this coming Thurs and still recovering from a new shoulder 2 weeks ago, it has snuck up on me but the level of boredom without being able to use a rotary cutter yet.....right arm this time, means that preparation will be a good use of time....and that was a good reminder to count my blessings.
I would love to have this pattern. But finding this magazine is very hard to find in the USA. artandsoul57@gmail.com
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