Butterfly Quilt for Pepe

My husband had a grand niece born this year and I was asked to make a baby quilt.

I drew out this butterfly quilt. Each butterfly is handmade, stuffed and appliqued onto the quilt. Then I added the vines. All was hand sewn for placement and design ideas- aka tryouts. The butterfly became the flowers. Each wing is an assortment of fabrics. the vine and leaves is also a combination of fabrics. 

After all the parts were good, I put the border and the batting and backing.

Then I machine quilted every part. Yes, some of the wings are floppy. The bodies are also made of velvet and fun fur. This quilt is made to be touched.

Wings are stuffed with a plastic liner to keep stiff.

All hand made and hand sewn. This one is hand ruched velvet and wool antennae. 

My goal was LOTS of colors

 

The beauty of Easter Vigil

So along with being the secretary I am also the photographer for our church events. I took this fast as I knew it was about to happen.

This was taken at Easter Vigil in our darkened church. The altar server swings the thick rich holy smoke, Father holds the new Easter candle, and a young mother holder her baby boy lights her candle. The light is spread from her candle to the next person and the next. So from this spark the light takes over. Thanks to God.

 

My spirit animal

 My husband sent me this photo of a very hungry growly kitten chowing angrily on bread. He said this reminds him of me. Yup, pretty much does. I aggressively dive into anything I am doing. I will not be pulled off happily from my adventure. I also tend to forget to eat when I am immersed in a project. And I do get hangry when I finally stop and eat, fast and furiously. 

Sewing Classes at church in 2025

I gave two classes I taught in April & May for beginning sewers. Totes and aprons class. How to measure, cut and sew from pattern to finishes item. With excellent machines and no breaks we got done in 4 hours. Very happy students. In June I will add crochet, tunics and teddy bears. 

 

Pope Leo XIV

 I never thought I would live to see an American Pope. This is so exciting and makes me happy for our faith.

8 thoughts on Pope Leo XIV: by Marcel LeJeune

1 - All Catholics owe every Pope a filial respect and love. Let us commit ourselves, before we know the man, to give him just that.

2 - Every Pope is (in a sense) made new, when made Pope. You can't just take what he has said or done in the past and translate it into being Pope. So, let's wait to see what he will focus on and do.

3 - Don't listen to the commentators and pundits who want to tell you what he is all about. Most (almost all secular ones and even many Catholic ones) have a false framing of Church issues. The left / right and conservative / liberal dichotomies taken from Western politics don't neatly transfer to the Church. Catholicism is bigger. While we have various issues, they aren't just political and the framing is wrong. Catholicism needs to be seen through the lens of faith and not a political one.

4 - God promised to give us Popes and to protect the Church from false teaching. Not good Popes. Not holy Popes. Not Popes we agree with on every detail. While we should pray and hope he is good and holy, we aren't promised those things.

5 - Americans should NOT expect that we will get any special treatment. The Pope is the Pope of everyone. In fact, I suspect (partly because of taking the name Leo), that he will directly challenge many accepted American ways of thinking and living. So, don't say I didn't warn y'all.

6 - Be prepared for Villanova to be unbearably obnoxious for the foreseeable future. He went there.

7 - Because he is a canon lawyer and former Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, I expect bishop appointments to be very important to him. I also expect some pretty deep impacts to the internal workings of the Curia, which are very very needed.

8 - Keep Jesus as your focus. Popes come and go. Leaders come and go. Jesus remains the same. Only he is Lord. Only he is worthy of worship. He is the point of this earthly Church. Jesus, help us keep our eyes on you!

Winter to spring

The woodstove is officially off for the season.

My go to comfort food homemade Ramen with nori and egg.

The futon is for cats

One of many eyes that watch me at night.

Lucky Spots enjoying the sunbeam. He was found in the road as a kitten, he was shot and still has the bullet parts inside him and he has fought snakes. He is a very happy sweet cat on our farm.

 

Russian Bear and snail BLING

I was able to buy this Russian windup bear that is almost 11 inches tall. It was slow and not working. The balalaika was in poor shape. So I removed it and restored it. But it needed something, bling. I added crystals all along it. The bears fur was cleaned and places back. The bear is oiled and works like new again. The weight of the crystals did not affect the movement.

This is my hand soap snail that also needed bling. It is taking a while but I am getting it done.  You push the shell and the soap comes out the mouth.

 

Office Changes

Our Christmas decorations new for the office a first time. The office has never been decorated before. It takes time but is worth it.

The front office desk decorated with sewing class projects.

Our new back office with donated desk credenza.

The new front office with rugs and donated desk we found in Arkansas. And we now have a new priest a local from the Ozarks. So lots of changes. This front office is a mini clinic, hospital, and safe haven. Many things have happened in this office for the good of several people. They feel welcome and safe here. And that makes it all worth it.

 

Snow Day

We had a lot of snow about 5 inches on top of the ice from last week. One afternoon a heard a bang outside my window and found this woodpecker out cold. So I brought it inside and let it warm up. It chirped and flapped about an hour later and I set it free.

My Chevy truck rusting away so I filled the hole with a plastic skeleton. It stayed put even in the ice and snow.

Our farm all the trees are heavy with snow.

Eos, my Anatolian/Great Pyrenees mix living her best life of year one. She is a very big girl (90lbs) and she does a great job keeping away predators. She will get up to about 120lbs when she turns 3 years. She loves the cold. She is a farm guardian, not a pet. She lives outside 24/7 no matter what. She has 2 heated  kennels and a fan if she wants it. She is chipped, spayed, tracked and vaccinated. She was the best decision I ever made for our farm. And she is very loyal and yet very stubborn. She loves the poultry and lives with them.

My second best guardian, Shelby the donkey. She also keeps predators away. 

 

Get the to a sewing machine

So along with the farm life, being a church secretary, an artist and a restorer I also teach beginning sewing classes. I teach both group and private lessons. I teach mostly adults but also sometimes children take the class. These classes are always free, sewing machines are provided along with the pattern and threads. Students just need to bring fabric and some supplies. Many can't afford sewing supplies so they are provided by donations. I picked up several good working sewing machines from the local thrift shop. I got the sewing machines working for the students to use.

This was the apron class and a big hit.

Change of pace. This is a muslin drape for a Sister to try on. I need to finish this apron for her. It is a custom apron for her. She had them custom made in France and there was no pattern. So I made one. She needs 2 one for everyday and one for gardening.

My first Catholic acolyte student. He is in his final semester at the seminary and is to become a priest this fall. And he is my best sewing student.

Learning how to cut patterns and fabric.

My classroom is also the church hall. Lots of room for the students.

My students are men and women. Nice mix to have.

Here is the stuffed bear class. This was harder than it looked but they loved it.

 

The brass restorations

The restorations will continue until moral improves. Here is a brass chalice from another church. The priest retired and these brass items were found. Several were in various states of tarnish and neglect. I gave a quick lesson to the parishioners and everyone picked a chalice to restore.

Before

and after.

Now this was a solid brass book stand. I was told about it a few years ago but the janitor at that church said he would try to restore it. Two weeks later he died unexpectedly. He had been a much beloved janitor to that church. So I was given the task of restoring this very heavy book stand. So far it's in pieces. I need to boil it and polish it. The tarnish is under the varnish.

There are no hurries as the parish got a new priest and he does not use this stand. So it sits in my studio until I have time to finish it. 

 

2024 Christmas cookie bake off

Here is the custom cookie decorating station I made for our church. These decorated cookies along with other donated cookies were boxed up and each family got to take a box home and give a box to a neighbor or the homebound.  Over 79 boxes were made and about 45 were given to those outside of church.

I baked and cut over 300 gingerbread and sugar cookies. Made the custom color icing bags.

The cookie boxes ready to be packed by the volunteers.

Used Boston gingerbread spice mix to pump up the gingerbread. Much to the delight of our German patrons.

Cookie people, ornaments and trees

All the cookie decorations , sugar sprinkles and eyeballs for the cookies. This was the 2nd time we have done this and it is very popular. Instead of a Christmas party, we have fun and share with the community.

 

Snowy January

Our horses we cozy in the lean too. Had to put up new walls right before the ice storm hit. Could not get them painted but the wood was coated in ice.

Ice on ice on electric fences. Trees were down and power was out. But the woodstoves kept us warm.

Our ducks love the snow. They go into the heated coop at night. In the daytime they frolic under the tarp where the food is.

Heavy branches under the weight of 1 inch of ice.

My truck under 5 inches of snow. Had to use a plastic shovel to clear it.