Finished Projects and A Thankful Heart

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Thanks to each one of you who prayed for me and left such sweet and encouraging comments after my puppy kiss gone wrong last week! I am happy to report that the touch of the Lord on my eyes was nothing short of amazing!  My vision is completely normal!  For that I am so very thankful!  You don't realize all that you use and need your eyes for, until they are not working.

In the 48 hours after my injury, I found that because of the dilating drops in my eyes (these are the kind of drops in your eye where you have to wear the dark glasses after you leave the doctor's office), that I was able to see fine, but my eyes were quite sensitive to light, so I just wore my sunglasses about the house.  I also found that looking at the computer screen was quite bright, and I had to limit my time looking at the screen.  One thing I did notice was that I could do anything that didn't involve using a screen or bright light.

Thankfully after 48 hours once the dilating drops wore off, my left eye was clear and there was no pain.  I continue to give the Lord thanks for the quick healing!

I didn't think I would be able to do any sewing because of my injured eye, but found that sewing didn't bother my eyes at all, and so I actually was able to finish up a couple of my sewing projects earlier than I thought.

One of the sewing projects was to finish the tops I had started with my friend T.  The day before my eye incident, I had gone over to T's house and we worked on our tops at her house.


I had the privilege of sewing on a $2000.00 sewing machine!  For the clothing designer school program she was enrolled in, one of the requirements was to use a Juki sewing machine.  I had never heard of them before, but I was thrilled to try it out!  It sewed beautifully - as it well should, costing that much, lol!


The pattern we chose to use for our tops was this one from Simplicity/New Look.  I liked the simple style that is both modest and flattering. T wanted to make the more detailed style B in this pattern, which was adding the grommets and ties to the top.  Had it been me sewing it alone, I probably would have went with style A which was simple! Yet, all in all, this was a really simple pattern to make... even though the grommets did prove to be a little contrary, even in T's talented hands.

New Look Pattern 6472 Misses' Boho Blouses

http://www.simplicity.com/new-look-pattern-6472-misses-boho-blouses/N6472.html 



I opted to use ribbon for my tie, and because the blue grommets weren't working very well, we added a little twist to my top with the addition of four gold grommets.



For my daughter's top, T wanted to do something a little different. She made her own ties!  It was very, very tedious to do that.


And for her daughter's top she did the same as well.


Her daughter loves fish, and so T made her a little seahorse ornament to add further jazz to this really amazing top.

Note the ribbon detail here in this close-up picture:


T took plain, flat blue ribbon, and pinned by hand each one of those pleats!  Just looking at the detail, and time involved in doing that made me feel tired!


When T and her daughter came over and we revealed the finished tops, my daughter was still working, and not able to be there, so the reveal was broken up into two different times.


It was a complete surprise for my daughter that we had made this top made for her.  We kept it top secret, even though we worked on it while she was there last weekend, lol.  We told her it was for a "friend".  {smiles}



She was thrilled!  She loves the color turquoise, and it fit her perfectly.  It was fun to see how one pattern could look so differently with three different fabrics, and styles changing out on the sleeves, and length of the "flounce".

T has yet to have time to finish her top.  I can't wait to see it.  She used some really nice fabrics, and I think she has another trick or two up her sleeve with it, that I can't wait to see.


This sewing project together was so much fun that we have already planned another fun day of sewing together soon.  T is going to show me how to create my own pattern from my measurements, which will probably take some time to do.  She went to school for years to learn this, and I highly doubt I'll learn it in an afternoon together {smiles}.

While making these tops, we have been hoping, and dreaming for spring...


... but winter surely seems to still be hanging around, showing off its best... and I just can't seem to get too upset with winter when scenes like this abound!


Snow's gentle but icy grip...


Miss Annie loves the snow.  She reigns during winter as the Snow Queen!


And this one isn't too far behind her!


Romping and rolling in the snow just gets more and more fun for her...


 Oh, but she is growing so!  I can hardly stand to see it... it seems as if she grows before our very eyes!


Time for Miss Riley to learn how to walk with a leash.  She was soo sad!  She couldn't understand why she had to be on the leash, and kept biting at it.  Finally she just walked with the leash in her mouth, as if to convince herself that she was walking herself, and not being walked, lol!


But every so often we would stop and she would just sit and look at me, asking "why"... Roaming is so much more fun!


Oh, the snow that we still have!  It is nearing the middle of March... and still the banks of snow sit, defiant to the sun that tries to melt them.


Oh those mountains... !


Back home... the blue skies were hard to leave and go back inside.  I love seeing the bright blue skies of winter contrasted with the dazzling white of the snow.  It was a lovely walk we had, and as I let Miss Riley off the leash to scamper towards the house, and I sauntered up the driveway, I was thankful for the snow covering the layer of ice, making it much easier to walk and enjoy the day.

I continue to give the Lord thanks for my eye that healed so quickly, with no remaining issues.  As I thought of the beauty around me that I am able to enjoy because of my vision, I stopped outside, and just looked up into the blue, blue skies and praised the Lord for allowing me to see clearly, and oh how very thankful I am for His healing touch!




Psalms 40:3 
Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works 
which thou hast done, 
and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: 
they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: 
if I would declare and speak of them, 
they are more than can be numbered.





















53 comments

  1. What a great work you've done, Marilyn dear, and how much snow you still have in your landscape, your Misses seem to enjoy it so much and have such a fun !!!

    Wishing you a most wonderful day, today,
    and so beautiful days to come,
    with sincere thankfulness

    XOXO Dany

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  2. Good Morning, Marilyn. I am so thankful to the Lord that your eye has healed and that you can see clearly. Your winter scenes with the pups are gorgeous. The tops you and your friend made are cute as can be. I hope you have an enjoyable day.
    xoxo Mildred

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  3. I'm so happy for you that your eye has returned completely to normal. A miracle!
    You and T make a great sewing team! I missed the first post and went back to read it too. Such fun to get together with people of like minds and create :) The tops are beautiful, and you've done a great job of changing up the details. Such pretty fabrics. The shots of your snowy world are gorgeous, and I hope the snow allows you and T one more sewing sleepover party! Enjoy your day
    Wendy

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  4. Oh Marylin...what a lovely way to spend some time with fabric :0) the Juki is quite a nice machine to sew on. Expensive! yes!, Juki are considered industrial machines :0) Lovely tops. I have the same pattern but have yet to make it...praising Our Lord for healing! mari

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  5. Oh, dear Marilyn...I am so sorry to hear of your eye injury...how scary this must have been for you! My goodness, praise the Lord that it was not more serious and what your vision is completely restored...He is so good!
    The tops you and your dear friend T completed are stunning! A very big well done to you...I adore the pattern you used and must keep a look out for it! {{smiles}}
    Your part of the world is so beautiful and I always enjoy seeing photographs of the places you visit and of your own piece of lovely land! {{smiles}}
    Thinking of you and sending much love your way! So happy to hear you are better!
    Hugs,
    Kelly-Anne

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  6. Good job sewing! That's fun!
    I'm so happy about the healing of your eye!

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  7. Glad to hear your eye is better. YAY thank you Jesus. WOW, sewing on a fancy dancy sewing machine must have been so fun. Lord, I would have been afraid to touch a knob in it. What fun for you gals and lovely tops. SO PRETTY! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  8. PTL about your eye. That top patterns takes me back to the late 60's and early 70's. Love it and the tops turned out great. Well done ladies!

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  9. So, so thankful that your eye is better. Love your beautiful winter scenes and the outdoor pics of the dogs. That Annie! The Snow Queen, indeed! And Riley continues to be adorable even as she grows right before your eyes.

    Great job on sewing the tops. I cannot even imagine making one's own ties for the drawstrings or hand-pleating ribbon. Those are touches I would never attempt. But they turned out beautifully in your friend's capable hands!

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  10. Good morning Marilyn,
    So glad to hear that your eye is healing well. Eye discomfort and irritation can be so miserable...sounds like it's all under control though! Wow, love that sewing machine! I haven't heard of that brand either....I bet it did sew well!!!! Your tops turned out so nice! Kudos to you!!! Love your dog photos, they are both so sweet--that pup is getting big! Beautiful snowy photos as well....always looks prettier to me where you are. I'm anxious for spring weather so I am happy that most of our snow has melted...I'd rather enjoy it in your photos anyways! LOL! Enjoy the rest of the week my friend! xo
    Linda

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  11. Glad your eye is continuing to heal! Beautiful blouses! Tie-up necklines are really in style this spring/summer. I've seen a lot of stores carrying them. Andrea

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  12. So glad your eye is ok - how frightening! Your sweet pups are adorable, I just want to hug them both!! What talent you have, I can't sew a thing, it's just not my forte at all!!

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  13. I am in and out of visiting blogs these past few weeks so I missed your post about your eyes. I am so sorry. That is horrible and I am glad that you are better now.
    What a treat to use that machine and those tops are adorable. Can't imagine how labor intensive it was to make that 'tie'....lol
    Beautiful scenery pictures, Marilyn. Love to you- xo Diana

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  14. Marilyn, the tops turned out beautifully! WOW! You ladies did an amazing job. I'm so glad that your eye is healed completely now. Praise be to God. xx

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  15. Hi!! You have a beautiful blog!!

    Is it still snowing up there? I cannot fathom!! Here in Atlanta it was in the upper 70s today!! Our air conditioning kicked on upstairs!! :O

    Thank you for visiting my blog!!!

    His,
    Mrs. U

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  16. Your tops turned out so beautifully!!! That was quite a project! I haven't sewn in so long...I keep saying now that I'm retired I will get back to it, but so far haven't had the real desire to do so. But you inspire me! so thankful your eye has healed so quickly. That was quite a scare. God was certainly gracious to heal so perfectly. But, doesn't He always do everything perfectly? Sometimes we just don't understand the whole story. Love your snow pics...still so beautiful. Enjoy while you can. Spring IS coming.

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  17. Y'all did a great job on your tops! Turquoise is one of my best colors. I really like the style you chose too.

    The snow pics....Oh, wow!!! It's so gorgeous where you live. I'm not fond of the cold but I do love to see snow. :)

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  18. Praise the Lord! I am so glad that your eye is healing well and your vision is normal. Your tops are gorgeous! Great job! So much snow! Spring will be here before you know it. Poor Riley - I can understand her wanting to run free!

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  19. Oh Marilyn, I just read about the abrasions on your eye and yes, Praise the Lord, that all is well. Thank heavens for your dear neighbor in taking you to the eye doctor.
    Your tops that you and your fiend made turned out great! I have never heard of that brand of sewing machine, but how nice that you were able to use it. Your photos are always beautiful!

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  20. Praise the Lord Marilyn, God is so good.

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  21. cli you t and read how your dear pet tried to say good morning with the warmth of her love but it went little wrong .
    yet i felt relief that your eye was fine within 48 hours after using drops.

    when it comes to sewing you are quite an artist dear as idea of ribbon so much .
    your daughter must be look amazing to wear these gorgeous outfits!
    Best wishes for you and family dear friend!

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  22. i truly loved the view of you area .winter is spreading its unique beauty there

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  23. I am so thankful your eye is healed, praise God, and all glory be to Jesus!! He is such a faithful God, so true to His Word! The snow is so beautiful...we are still hanging on to hope of another snowfall here, but, alas, I do not believe it is meant to be...not this winter anyway. Thank God for what we did have. Sending love and hugs to you, sweet friend. :)

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  24. You are so blessed for the healing of your eye... how wonderful that is! We MUST see the beauty around us.. I don't know what I'd do without the sight to see all of the wonders of nature. Your snow pictures remind me of the house my hubby and I had up in SW Washington, east of Vancouver, up in the mountains. We had MANY winters like yours, lasting into the spring, with those vivid blue skies and the snow laying on the tree limbs. Oh I really do miss it! but now that March is here, I'm not really missing the snow now! It looks like you have a long way to go for all of that to melt! And I love your sewing bee with your friend. How much fun that is. I used to have a friend to sew with and I treasure those memories. The blouses are very darling too. Take care.. Marilyn

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  25. Oh, those blouses turned out so beautifully! I'm amazed by your sewing skills, Marilyn, but even more amazed by God's healing power for your eye. There is so much we would miss if we couldn't see; I'm giving thanks to Him for that today.
    Blessings, and hope spring comes soon to your neck of the woods!

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  26. Wow! What an encouraging post to read of how God healed your eye so miraculously. It warms my heart to read of it. The blouses you and your friend made are really pretty and I'm glad your daughters were delighted with them. I like the long-sleeved version on the pattern cover and I prefer longer tunic length tops as well. Beautiful views of the snow. I guess we might get a big snow storm next week. We always get a big one on or near St. Patrick's Day it seems so winter isn't done with us yet either. Have a great day and weekend Marilyn. Take care. Blessings. Pam

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  27. Praising God that your eyesight is normal! Your friend's machine looks like it good be a long arm. I'd love to have one for quilting, but at $2,000 I'll have to pass. :) Your tops are pretty. Love the turquoise. You have a lot more snow than we do. Except for the big piles created by the plows, it's nearly gone here. It rained most of the day yesterday and last night. I'll take the puddles instead of ice. I'm ready. Have a great day! Hugs, Nancy

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  28. I'm so glad your eye is okay! That must have been really scary. Great job on those tops!

    The snow is gone here, but I know better than to think it's gone forever, even though we're having beautiful 70 degree weather this week.

    I hope you get your Spring soon!

    xo,
    rue

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  29. Hi Marilyn! I am so grateful that your eyes are back to normal. What a gift! And I know what you mean about not knowing what you have until it's gone. My husband had eye trouble a few years ago, and he couldn't watch TV or go near a computer screen.
    The blue skies in your photos is such a contrast to the snow. You still have a lot of it! Good thing your dogs like it so much. I can imagine that getting used to a leash would be a hard thing, but you know it's for good. Sometimes we feel like we are on a leash too, but God knows we need one for safety. You are a good dog-Mama!
    Have a good weekend my friend,
    Ceil

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  30. Oh I'm so glad your eye is on the mend and that you can get on with your life. A blessing!

    Pretty tops you are working on ... especially smitten with the turquoise fabric. Those colours could fit in my wardrobe very nicely, indeed.

    Loved the snow pics and your puppy photos ...that little one is a-dor-able!

    Wishing you a beautiful day...
    Brenda

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  31. Amen for healing fast!! So glad that is now in the past! Whau, you got great sewing skills. I consider myself a beginner but have made dresses and pajamas for the kids when they were little. Those tops are very pretty!! You did a great job. I'm looking into buying a new pretty basic machine, do you have any recommendations?

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  32. I am so glad to hear that you are well again. I shall pray for you and your family.

    Speaking of dresses ... the other day a colleague at work and I went out to the shops at lunch time. She picked up a pink dress and put it against her body and said, "Do you like this dress?" I told her I don't look good in pink. She ignored me and bought the dress all the same.

    Thank you for posting the beautiful pictures of snow. It has not snowed much here this year, but it is still cold.

    God bless you and yours.

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  33. Thank God your eyes are better now. I haven't been around blogosphere lately so I had no idea that you had an eye incident. Those clothes you did are so lovely!Wow! I have my own sewing machine here and your works inspire me. Only that I am not very good in sewing and I need a friend like you have.:)

    Your snow photos are beautiful, plus the sight of that adorable dog. Thanks for that Psalm verse... I'm inspired. :)

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  34. So thankful your eye injury is better and you are doing well and seeing clear. I just did some catching up from your post to explain. Thank God for his healing power and the prayers lifted for you!! Love the new tops you all made. They are gorgeous and I love the fabrics.
    The dogs look like they are having lots of fun in the snow. Your photos are beautiful.
    Wishing you continued healing and many blessings.
    xoxo

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  35. Yes...what a lovely setting for your home! And I adore the tops you girls made...beautiful pattern and such lovely fabric choices...good job!

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  36. I'm so glad that your eye is better! I know how frustrating and painful that can be. I love all of that snow and you can send some down to Texas any time. I won't complain at all! :-) Love the tops...they turned out beautifully! I do wish I had kept up my sewing skills...I see so many neat things to make these days! Thank you so much for visiting my blog today and I will be visiting again! Have a great day!

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  37. The tops are all so pretty and even though they are based on similar patterns, each one is unique in colour and details.

    So glad your eye is better; thank the Lord, indeed.

    I always enjoy getting a glimpse of your cheery yellow house with the red pick up truck surrounded by your green forest and white wonderland!

    Happy weekend,
    Poppy:))

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  38. I am so sorry to hear about your accident, but praising God with you for the quick healing. How scary. You are one talented woman and I'm inspired to see your creativity and the finished products! Beautiful photos of your surroundings...yes, those mountains!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful life with us!

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  39. I'm glad to read that your eye is better. Thanks be to God. How fun to have a sewing day. Those blue ribbon pleats deserve a Blue Ribbon award!

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  40. So glad your eye(s) are better. What a fabulous excuse - ahem- I mean reason to sew:). Your tops are lovely - can't believe the pleated ribbon! And they all look unique with different fabrics and special touches.

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  41. I'm so pleased to read that your eye is better.
    Your photographs are lovely.
    I do like the tops, they look pretty.

    All the best Jan

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  42. I am so glad to hear that you eye is so much better. How scary! I love your tops...just gorgeous and so much fun. I am amazed at how much snow you still have. It is raining big time here now and I literally have streams running down the road in front of my home. I fully expect that we will have lowland flooding that rivals anything we had earlier this year.

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  43. So glad that your eye is completely healed and how marvellous to be able to finish those great tops ! Blessings to you all for the weekend !

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  44. I very much understand being nervous about your eyes, I have had many problems and it is a scary thing, so glad you are bouncing back quickly. Oh how fun it is to do our crafts and hobbies with other like minded friends, it is just so fun to just get together and to create things together is a great bonus. They turned out so cute!!
    We lived in Mountain Home Idaho for 3 years while my husband was stationed their at the Air Force base, we so enjoyed going up into the mountains. My hubby would love to go back there and live again.

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  45. Thank you so much for coming and introducing yourself to me! What a beautiful part of our country you live in and I would be happy for winter to stick around too as lovely as it is at your home. In fact after record warm days lately we're actually supposed to have a couple of inches of snow tomorrow night in Nashville! I hope so as it is entirely too early for everything to be blooming.

    I went back to see how your eye was injured, thank God that it's much better now. That is a painful injury but those beautiful fur babies you belong to are adorable.

    Your tops are lovely! I haven't sewed since my children were small but this took me back to the fun it used to be to go to material stores with my mom, who sewed most of the clothes for me and my 3 sisters. I loved picking out patterns with her.

    Best to you,
    Dewena

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  46. I am so glad to hear that your healing continued, Marilyn. What a scary injury. Your sewing date sounds like a ton of fun. I have always wanted to make clothes, but I am so intimidated by patterns and my temperamental machine. I bet I could give it a pretty good go on that machine though! I bet it was divine to work with!

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  47. I am soooo glad to hear your eye is healed so quickly and completely. Bless Jesus!
    You are right. The tops look really different. I haven't made myself a top in a long time.
    I like the pattern you used.

    Your little pup is just to adorable!
    We may get a sprinkling of snow this weekend!
    Blessings,
    Laura

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  48. I'm glad your eye is ok. That must be a nice sewing machine that always works. It really is hard to do anything with a tool that won't do the job.....the tops look wonderful.....what a blessing of friendship the whole experience was..... The best part to my way of thinking. You have a lot of snow.....thank you for your prayers. You are very kind. Ronda

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  49. Hello,
    I am so happy your eye healed!!! Praise God!

    The tops are fun.

    Have a blessed week!
    Carla

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  50. Praise the Lord your eye is healed. I'm glad you were able to spend some time sewing with your friend. I love the shirts you made. :)

    I hope you have a wonderful day in the Lord, dear friend!
    Hugs and blessings,
    Ashley

    ashleysyarnworks.etsy.com - my new etsy shop!

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  51. How wonderful your eyes are healed and there are no lasting problems. So, so happy for you! All the tops are lovely. I love the grommets and the ties....oh so chic! Snow is a wonderful background to your sweet Miss Riley, isn't it.

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  52. So happy to hear your eye healed!
    The tops are so cute. Great job!
    Blessings, ♥

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  53. I am so thankful to hear the good report on your eye. Praise God!
    Your tops turned out cute. My 10 year old and I have been sewing together lately making a dress for her. It is fun. I also sewed a little outfit for a new little foster niece.

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