jennifer, Author at Hopeful Homemaker

Science Fair

January 28, 2011 jennifer Musings on Life and Beauty

I have a lot of feelings about the Science Fair. The only one that isn’t negative is the feeling of relief that comes when the project is completed, out of my house, and done with.

I’m proud of my daughter for getting it done and having a little fun in the process. Their question: Which creates more life in cookies, baking soda or baking powder?

Six hours of baking later, they concluded that baking soda consistently produced cookies that were bigger. Not only did they rise higher, they also spread more than baking powder. It was fun to watch them conduct the experiment and put the project together.

In fact, it’s generally just a lot of fun to have a twelve year old daughter. She’s awesome in every way. Well done girls!

Water and Sky Quilt

January 27, 2011 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

My first quilt of 2011 is finished. I’m calling it Water and Sky.

I’ve wanted to make a quilt using this pattern for a long time, and this fabric was waiting for something wonderful. The birthday of a dear friend was coming up, and I wanted to do something special. She recently moved to the Pacific Northwest, a place where I lived as a missionary for 1 1/2 years. When I think of it, I think of water and sky, all the shades of blue and green that so captured my heart while I was there. I wanted to give her a gift of color, something bright and light during the cloudy gray winter months they get there. Thus, the pattern and the fabric came together in the perfect quilt.

It’s my first quilt made using all solid fabrics. I was a bit nervous about it, but I really love it.

I quilted it in wavy lines going horizontally across the quilt. I think it added to the overall feeling of water, clouds, and ocean waves while softening the more geometric piecing.

For a binding I chose a dark gray with polka dots. It’s from the Summertime collection by Barbara Jones.

I’m still working on machine binding. The back still needs some work for me to be fully satisfied, but I love how the front turned out. Instead of sewing in the ditch between binding and quilt top, I’ve begun sewing on the very edge of the binding. I was also more disciplined this time and paused to pin each side, stitching on the slowest setting for my machine. This quilt is definitely my best yet where machine binding is concerned. Honestly, I love the hand sewn binding best but I simply cannot do it right now. My elbow hurts too much when I try, and finding the time to sit and do it isn’t the wisest use of my time at this point. So I’m going to perfect this… eventually.

I pieced part of the backing as well. I’m pleased with how it turned out. In fact, I like the back as much as the front. This quilt was a lot of fun to make. It came together fairly quickly but was a great creative experience for me. I loved working with the solids. Because I added a wave of gray and some green from my stash, I have enough fat quarters from the same bundle to make a second quilt. I’ve got the pieces cut and waiting for some time to piece it all together.

I feel grateful to have squeezed in time to finish this project. It’s now in its new home, and I hope it can at least be useful. Happy Birthday, Jana!

Jennifer

3 comments quilting

Spectacular Sunset

January 26, 2011 jennifer Musings on Life and Beauty

We enjoyed the most incredible sunset last week… the cloudy haze overhead created amazing effects.

The color was everywhere. In fact, the sky was so ablaze with light and color that our driveway and house looked pink. The beauty of it drew our entire family outside to marvel at its wonder.

I often constantly worry about all the things we’re not getting to, all the lessons I’m not teaching well enough, all the ways I’m falling short of being the mother my children deserve to have. As I looked around at my family during this impromptu pause in the evening’s activities, I thought that at least I’m doing this. At least they’re sensitive and appreciative of such beauty. At least we paused to appreciate it together.

As I studied the changes in light and color during the ten minute masterpiece, I couldn’t help but think about how I’ve kind of resisted some of the current color trends (perhaps I see it most in fabric and quilting) including oranges and grays together. But here it was, the very combination I’ve been turned off to, in such gorgeous display that I couldn’t help but love it.

Heavenly Father is so many things. He’s my Father, my God. He’s perfect, omniscient, omnipotent, loving, and on and on. But he’s also the Master Artist, Master of light, color, shape, form, line, symmetry, balance. I never tire of the art lessons I receive in just looking around. I know it may be silly, but I love Him for that. I love Him for nurturing us with such beauty.

Once again, through a sunset, I marvel that He loves us that much. That he loves us enough to send little gifts of thoughtfulness by painting the sky just before dark.

I am so indebted to Him!

Hopeful Homemaker