Beautiful Words of Hope and Encouragement

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8

All the images above were found on Pintrest. I have been so blessed by this beautiful scripture art that I had to share. : )

Life, and My New Sewing Machine

It certainly has been a while since I posted anything on my blog. The past month has been so busy. Sometimes I am amazed at just how fast a month can fly by. My life has been filled with sewing, preparing for my upcoming wedding and thinking of how I will decorate my future home, but late last month everything was put on hold for a little bit.

On February 22^nd  mom, Hannah and I were in a car accident. Unfortunately mom’s beautiful 1984 Volvo wagon was totaled, but God was so good to protect us from great harm! Mom and Hannah were bruised but otherwise fine, however I did up with a pretty deep gash on my forehead. This resulted in my first trip in an ambulance and 17 stitches. I cannot say enough how grateful I am for the LORD's grace in this situation. When I see how close the cut came above my eye, I am amazed at God's incredible protection. I am also thrilled to see how quickly the healing process has been- it is truly the LORD!

The day following the accident Adam stopped by with a large mysterious box. He told me that he had decided to give me my wedding gift now rather than waiting until June, in hopes of brightening my day. I was thrilled to discover that the box contained a beautiful Bernina sewing machine- the sewing machine of my dreams!!

About 10 years ago, when I graduated, I purchased a Brother sewing machine. At the time it was a beautiful machine, but over the 10 years it has seen some serious use, more than it was designed for and it was beginning show. The computerized push buttons were failing, among other problems. For awhile I had been dreaming of the fabulous Bernina machine I had seen. The feature that most attracted my attention was the lack of computerization! The rugged simplicity really appealed to my old-fashioned taste.

Adam also suggested that the new sewing machine would help with sewing my wedding gown. : )

See the neat knobs that select stitches, and the reverse lever? This machine sews beautifully! It was one of the best surprises ever. : )

Now that the pace of life has evened out again I was able to find the time to list some books and Regency dresses on Etsy. I added some lovely books by Mary J. Holmes and Grace Livingston Hill, as well as a few others.

To close I wanted to share Isaiah 26:3. This verse was such a comfort to me the day of the accident! What an important truth to remember no matter what.

Valentine's Day

I am always looking for tasty recipes for snacks that do not include a lot of sugar or other unhealthy ingredients. Recently I found a couple delightful recipes on Pintrest that are not only healthy but delicious! Today I made up a double batch of Crispy Chocolate Almond Butter Bites. I altered the recipe a bit by changing out the almond butter for peanut butter. This recipe is definitely one I will be making again. : )

Crispy Chocolate Almond Butter Bites

♦ 1/4 cup coconut oil

♦ 1/2 cup cocoa powder

♦ 1/2 cup smooth almond butter or peanut butter

♦ 1/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup

♦ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

♦ 1 cup crispy rice

Directions:

Melt the coconut oil in a microwave or stovetop. Add all the ingredients (EXCEPT THE CRISPY RICE) in a blender or food processor. (I prefer my food processor) Blend. Dump in the crispy rice and stir

Place the mixture in silicone trays or mini muffin tins with muffin tin wrappers. Put in the refrigerator or freezer to set. (Minimum 10 minutes.) If using a silicone tray and you want a smoother finish, really press them firmly into the tray. You may have to play around with a few!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Embroidery

Recently I completed embroidering this beautiful pattern from Clementine Patterns. It had been a while since I had worked on an embroidery project for myself. This was so enjoyable! I anticipated the arrival of each Sunday afternoon, as this was my designated embroidering time.

The "raspberries" were created by stitching french knots in different thread strands, two strands towards the center and one strand around the outer edges. This really gave them a wonderful dimension.

The instructions were easy to follow, and the presentation lovely! I would highly recommend Clementine Patterns to anyone who enjoys embroidery.

This pattern is part of a series representing the four seasons. I originally ordered "summer" which is "His Merceis are New". I was delighted when the shop owners offered me second complimentary pattern since the wait was longer than originally estimated.

Here is a photo of the second pattern I began recently, "Praise God" (spring). I look forward to seeing both framed. They will be a lovely addition to my home, especially since they will be a beautiful reminder of God's great mercies and blessings!

A New Name

Last week I changed the name of my Etsy shop to "Lilacs in Spring". I felt it would be a good idea to continue the theme with my blog, so I have decided to change my blog name to "Lilacs and Springtime". I am not sure if this will have any ramifications on those who follow my blog, but I thought I would give you all a heads up that if it appears I have disappeared it is just that my blog name has changed.

January Days

It is hard to believe so much time has passed since my last post! Christmas and the New Year just flew by.

The Christmas season was blessed and busy. My mother and I spent many late evenings sewing pioneer and colonial dresses for little girls, as well as, nightgowns and aprons for ladies. The LORD abundantly blessed our sewing efforts through our website The Scarlet Thread. It is always so pleasant to imagine all the little girls opening up special packages Christmas morning that we had a part in sewing.

 With the beginning of a new year my mind is filled with new sewing inspirations. As I busily work on orders for our family business I have also been taking out some time to sew new items for my Etsy shop. Another fun project I hope to begin very soon is my wedding gown. : ) I have been gathering ideas from many websites, and I think I have a fairly good idea of the style.

January is a great month. There is a sort of calm after the storm of holiday rushing. It is a great time to relax, catch up and collect your thoughts. Lately I have enjoyed the peaceful routine of sewing with a cup of tea not too far away….

Today I admire the beautiful roses on my dresser- such a sweet reminder of my dear Adam’s love.

Yesterday afternoon I baked a double batch of oatmeal cookies, enough to share with family. Here is my favorite recipe! I used dates in place of the raisins.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." Psalm 32:8

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

The famous Longfellow brothers were born and raised in Portland, Maine, in the 1800’s. Henry Wadsworth was born in 1807, and younger brother Samuel arrived in 1819. Henry became a Harvard professor of literature and one of America’s greatest writers, and Samuel became a Unitarian minister and hymnist.

While Henry was publishing his books, however, dark clouds were gathering over his life and over all of America. In 1861, his wife tragically died when her dress caught fire in their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That same year, the Civil War broke out. Two years later, Henry’s son Charley, age seventeen, ran away from home and hopped aboard a train to join President Lincoln’s army.

Charley proved a brave and popular soldier. He saw action at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863, but in early June he contracted typhoid fever and malaria and was sent home to recover. He missed the Battle of Gettysburg, but by August Charley was well enough to return to the field. On November 27, during the Battle of New Hope Church in Virginia, he was shot through the left shoulder. The bullet nicked his spine and came close to paralyzing him. He was carried into the church and later taken to Washington to recuperate.

 Receiving the news on December 1, 1863, Henry immediately left for Washington. He found his son well enough to travel, and they headed back to Cambridge, arriving home on December 8. For weeks Henry sat by his son’s bedside, slowly nursing his boy back to health.

On Christmas day, December 25, 1863, Henry gave vent to his feelings in this plaintive carol that can only be understood against the backdrop of war. Two stanzas now omitted from most hymnals speak of the cannons thundering in the South and of hatred tearing apart “the hearth-stones of a continent.” The poet feels like dropping his head in despair, but then he hears the Christmas bells. Their triumphant pealing reminds him that “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.”

 The Sunday school children of the Unitarian Church of the Disciples in Boston first sang the carol during that year’s Christmas celebration. How wonderful that such a song could emerge from the bloody clouds of the War Between the States.

From "Come Let Us Adore Him" by Robert J. Morgan