Copy the Prayer Sheet for each member of your
group.
Start on time.
Materials needed: Bible, the ministry Booklet, pen.
Praise—Praising
God for who He is, His attributes,
His name or His character.
Please no answers to prayer or
prayer requests during this time.
Attribute:
God is our Comforter
Definition: One who consoles, reassures, helps and assists
Scripture(s):
Psalm 23:4; Matthew 5:4; II Corinthians 1:3-5
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. Psalms 23:4 (NIV)
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be
comforted. Matthew 5:4 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in
all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort
we ourselves have received from God. For just as we share abundantly in the
sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. II Corinthians 1:3-5 (NIV)
Confession—Silently
confess your sins to the God who forgives.
If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB)
Thanksgiving—Thank God for what He has done. Please no prayer
requests during this time.
In
everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB)
Ample warning to take cover/
all who were spared
The first responders,
firefighters, policemen, EMTs
Shelters established
Children reunited with their
parents
Generous donations, volunteers
School administrators,
teachers who protected and comforted
Intercession—Scripture: May You turn Moore’s mourning into
gladness; and give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. From Jeremiah
31:13b (NIV)
May all affected by the storm know God is our refuge and
strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1 (NLT)
Intercede for the following:
The parents of
the children who lost their lives and for the children who lost parents.
Moore Public
schools: all administrators, teachers, personnel; Superintendents: Suzy Pierce
and Robert Romines
Johnny Bailey, Moore Principal and husband of
Edmond area coordinator, to have God-given words when sharing the news of lost lives; for his stamina,
health ,strength
Moore Area Coordinator, Sherry Langston, as she
leads Moms in Prayer in the aftermath of the storm
That the children from Briarwood and Plaza
Tower Elementary Schools will not live in fear but experience God’s peace in
their hearts
The rebuilding of schools, homes, and lives; all
relief efforts
Remember,
what is prayed in the group, stays in the group!
Today I will introduce the projects with the emphasis on the materials you will need to run the first week of your Summer Sewing Camp. These projects are also for any beginner learning to sew. So you can use these projects to teach yourself to sew. The actual tutorials and the lesson plans for these projects will follow.
Day One: Straight Seams
Tissue Pack Cover:
Fabric: Scrap the size of a sheet of paper or a fat quarter.
Other: Pocket packs of facial tissue. See Kleenex brand HERE. Generic store brands will fit also.
All of the above projects will need thread. White thread or nuetral color may work for all projects.
T-shirts can also add a fun element to you Summer Sewing Camp. When I ordered these from VistaPrint.com they only had men's sizes. They now carry women's and kid's t-shirts. Consider ordering some for your campers.
It used to be that fabric came on bolts and you bought yardage depending on the amounts indicated on your dress pattern.
Cotton fabric like the muslin shown here usually comes in a width of 44 inches (folded in half) rolled in a bolt several yards long.
With more and more people taking up quilting and crafting, there has been a need for another way to buy fabric: the fat quarter. This quilt for an American Girl doll bed does not take much fabric.
Fat quarters are pre-cut pieces of fabric that are 1/4 of a yard. They are usually folded like this at the quilt shop for easy display. They are also pre-cut into bundles of coordinating fabrics when buying online. The difference is that it is not cut in the traditional way that fabric has always been cut.
One yard of muslin looks like this. It is 44 inches wide (when unfolded) by 36 inches long.
A traditional cut of 1/4 yard would look like this compared to a full yard of fabric.
It measures 44 inches wide and is cut at 9 inches long (1/4 of 36 inches).
A fat quarter looks like this compared to a full yard of fabric.
It still is a quarter of a yard but it measures only 22 inches wide (half the width) and is cut at 18 inches long (half the length of a yard).
Both pieces measure 1/4 of a yard. The traditional cut is skinny compared to the new cut which is "fat". Depending on the project, the fat quarter can provide a more usable piece of fabric.
Today I will discuss the supplies you will need to run your Summer Sewing Camp. These supplies are also for any beginner learning to sew. (There are many links in this post, so if you are a subscriber and reading this in an email or reader, you may want to read this on the website instead.)
Start-To-Sew Kit. The easiest way to run your camp is if everyone has the same sewing kit. I have had students bring in gramma's sewing basket but it may not have what they need. The Dritz Start-To-Sew Kit found HERE is the best one I have found. The kit includes a pin cushion, tape measure, needle threader, marking pencil, seam gauge, hand needles, scissors, seam ripper, pins and thimble. The scissors in this kit are also perfect for the beginner because they are not too sharp but can cut through what they need to. I have used several other sewing kits, including ones sold on Amazon for less, but I have been disappointed. I have also bought kits from Michaels and JoAnns and none measure up to this one. Do NOT buy the sewing kits made by Simplicity, Singer or Sewing Basket.
Glasshead Ballpoint pins. There are only a few straight pins included in the kit above. I recommend glasshead ballpoint pins for little ones learning to sew. The glasshead makes it easy to grab onto and the ballpoint means less hurtful pokes. One package is enough for 3 students to share. Find these pins HERE.
Supply Box. Any kind of pencil box or supply box will work to put the Start-To-Sew kit in. Again, it is easier if they each have the same type of box. Different colors are great. I found that these from Michael's fit the scissors well and are only $1.00 and they carry these year-round. Target and Staples will have similar ones in the summer during their back-to-school sales.
As the camp instructor you should supply the following items:
Iron
Ironing board
Extension cord(s) or power strip
Optional but useful items:
Point Turner This tool is very useful for turning out corners and pressing seams open before you iron. I have all the students share mine.
Rotary Cutting Set This is for adults only! This is a system of cutting fabric using a rotary cutter against a thick ruler on a vinyl mat that has a grid. It is perfect for cutting straight lines and when instructions only give dimensions and not patterns. I never had a rotary cutter until a few years ago and now I love it. Quilters use them but seamstresses mainly use them for crafts. You can use this set if you are cutting for the children.
Cardboard Cutting Board This is a cardboard with a grid used to layout clothing patterns. Pins can go into the board to anchor pieces. The grid can also be used with tissue paper and pencil to make patterns in the right dimensions. You then pin and cut the fabric with scissors instead of using the rotary cutting set. The grid on the rotary cutting mat can be used in the same way to make patterns.
C-Thru Ruler This ruler is 2 X 18 inches and marked in 1/8" lines. This can be used with the cardboard cutting board to make patterns. I also use it to make ironing guides from cardstock.
Wonder Clips These work great for little hands to use instead of pins when sewing their first seams.
If you sew, you probably have most of these items. You can find many of these at your local craft or fabric store. These items are also available in The Lost Apron Sewing StoreHERE. You can view the store for more details on these items.
One of the proudest "mom moments" is realizing you have raised godly children. Besides all the accomplishments of my children, I am most proud of who my children have become.
This sweet photo is of my oldest daughter at her 8th grade graduation. She is now a college graduate working and living on her own.
Sometimes we as moms wonder if what we do matters in the long run. Let me give you some encouragement:
What you do matters a great deal!!!
Happy Mother's Day!!!
I was so encouraged by this email that I received from Moms In Prayer.
I believe that prayer is one of the most important things we can do as moms. How many of you can say that your mom prayed for you as well? I know my mom still does.
Amazon also has gift certicates. Enter Amazon HERE.
Consider enrolling mom in a Craftsy class:
There are classes on sewing, knitting, cake decorating, etc. Many of these classes and patterns are free. Enter Craftsy by clicking on the "Learn More" button above.
This is the 1959 Singer sewing machine that I first learned to sew on.
It is still being used quite often by my mother who has kept it in a sunny corner of their bedroom.
This is me at age 15 sewing on that machine which we kept at the front window of the kitchen at that time.
This is a scan of the photo that hangs in the hallway at my parents house. Notice the date of September 1975. (Yes, that makes me 53.)
I don't know when I actually started sewing. Having a mother who always ran a sewing business at home, and having 3 older sisters, I just grew up with it. I can remember sewing doll clothes by hand. When I wanted to begin on the machine, my mom thought I was too young, so I used the machine and cranked the wheel by hand. It was much faster and neater than sewing by hand. I remember the first project that I actually sewed on the machine with the power on. My mother had cut out two shirts for my younger brother. She showed my how to sew them.
This is my brother and I and my brother wearing a shirt just like the ones I made. So, my first sewing machine projects were shirts with collars and sleeves, not to mention pockets and buttons! I soon afterwards made myself a dress that I proudly wore to elementary school.
I was soon included in the family business. I remember in junior high being the only one I knew of that made my own money working. I loved it. By high school my sisters and I would sew all summer making bridesmaid's dresses. We had a system. One of my sisters would cut out, one would iron and do handsewing. I got to sew! This was my favorite part. We also made all our own clothes.
Over the years I have continued to sew. I made some clothes for my girls, most recently the Vintage Vogue 8729. I have taught my oldest daughter to sew and she made several pieces of clothing. I taught my son and he made a zipper bag to keep his art notebook and pencils handy.
I taught my youngest daughter to sew in the form of a Summer Sewing Camp. That was 7 years ago when she was 9 years old.
Over the past 7 years I have been holding Summer Sewing Camps. My daughter started helping me and began her own sewing business as well. I believe that sewing has become a lost art. In teaching the sewing classes I have begun to realize that sewing has lost a generation or two. Many of our students have a grandmother who sews but not a mother who sews. Some students do not even have a grandmother who knows how to sew. It seems that the ones who do know how to sew today, sew only quilts or crafts. I like to teaching garment making. This makes it difficult with less and less fabric stores around. Within 20 miles of my home, there is only a quilt shop. This means they carry fabric (cotton only) and no patterns. There are limited zippers (for bags only) and limited buttons in cute jars. I end up ordering patterns and supplies online.
With my passion for sewing comes this new series to teach your children to sew in the form of a Summer Sewing Camp. Click on this photo button to see the entire series.
I introduced the idea of teaching your children to sew in the form of a Summer Sewing Camp HERE.
As you can guess, this week I am discussing the Sewing Machine.
How do you pick your first sewing machine?
Everyone in your Summer Sewing Camp will need a sewing machine. Although your children can share a machine at home, I strongly suggest that each person in the Summer Sewing Camp have their own machine to use. I have had many students over the years. The best machines are the old Singers. Some of the newer machines work well too but can be quite expensive. One feature that I definitely recommend for children learning to sew is speed control. My Bernina has a speed control feature (shown with my daughter in the button above.) The Berninas are expensive. You can tell just by lifting it that it is all metal. I have had students show up with brand new sewing machines still packed in the box that mom has purchased at Costco, Sears or Home Depot. The problem with these is that they are cheaply made and they tend to go way too fast when the foot pedal is pressed. This can be dangerous for little fingers and it is not easy for anyone to sew when you feel you don't have control. The bobbins on these can also be loose, leading to dropped stitches or bunches of thread knotted up. The speed control option found on machines usually means the a different bracket of machine with different features.
Borrow. This Singer sewing machine belongs to my mother-in-law and she has let all of the grandchildren use it. If you do not have a sewing machine, DO NOT buy one. Ask around to see if someone has one that you can borrow. I recently found out that my neighbor used to sew and has a machine in her closet. There are many machines in closets or storage out there that are dying to have someone use them. Start telling people that your children are going to be learning to sew. Those that sew will be so excited for them that not only will they loan you their machine, they also have a stash of fabric to give you!
If the machine has not been used in a while or you are not familiar with it, see the Craftsy Sewing Machine 911 below for a free video on the machine.
Buy Used. If you cannot find one to borrow, buy one used. Look online, or search yard sales. This is a Kenmore Mini Ultra. Similar ones are on sale on Ebay. Some sewing machine repair shops have some to rent or buy used. Even some fabric stores have used ones. Our local quilt shop carries the Singer Featherweights which can be expensive. Read reviews online before you buy. Just be sure that the machine comes with the power cords and foot pedal. The instruction book, bobbins, and presser feet are great too.
Buy New. If you can't find one to borrow or buy used, there are three sewing machines that I would recommend to buy new.
I would recommend the Janome Sew Mini Sewing Machine found HERE. It is very inexpensive and simple to use. The Janome Sew Mini Sewing Machine is a simple machine that does not go too fast and is perfect for the beginner. The teen boy above was delighted to learn on this machine when we made Little Dresses for Africa. It has very limited features (like no light) and cannot sew through very thick fabrics but will serve the purpose of a beginner learning to sew.
Another recommendation to purchase is the Singer Stylist found HERE. This machine has more features than you will ever need but it does have a speed control and is fairly reasonably priced. I know this is not the same as the Singer I grew up on but it has gotten great reviews.
Another recommendation is this Brother CS60000i found HERE. My daughter has a Brother sewing machine that she just loves. The younger children seem to be more comfortable with these computerized machines. This price cannot be beat for what you get. Among the many, many features, it does have the speed control also. This machine probably is the best value.
If you are having trouble with the links, view this post on a website instead of the Reader or email.
Summer Sewing Camp series: In the upcoming weeks I will go over supplies needed, a materials list and the actual projects with tutorials. I will follow up with other suggestions for following weeks of camp and charity projects. I will also include the best ways to teach children.
Of all the things you carry around in your purse, what really matters? Wallet, keys, and phone are important. What else? Gum? Coupons? Old grocery lists?
There is one thing that is very important that I carry. It is my prayer requests.
I ordered these "business cards" from Vistaprint. They offer promotions frequently and I even got the business card holder for free. I first ordered these cards when my children were in elementary school and I was leading the Moms In Touch group (now Moms in Prayer). The school allowed me to have these in the office for parents, teachers or students to write down prayer requests that we would pray for during our meetings. Since people knew I was a praying mom, I would sometimes get requests when I was other places, so I started carrying my cards with me. I would write their request on a blank card and put it behind the rest to pray for later.
I haven't used these cards much lately. Sometimes I know of someone needing prayer but I'm afraid to ask if I can pray for them. There are many people around us who are in desperate need of prayer. I pray that God give me wisdom to pray for those around me.
Last week I introduced the idea of planning your own Summer Sewing Camp to teach your own children to sew. You can read that HERE. I got a very positive response from moms and grandmothers. This week I will discuss the who, where and when.
Who The goal is to teach your own children. This may actually happen if you have a friend also. The best age is 9-10 years old. The earliest age I would begin machine sewing is 8 years old or completed second grade. Age 7 will work also IF there is a strong interest to learn to sew (not just mom wanting them to learn) AND you have a small group for the added attention. I have also taught older children and adults. You are never too old to learn to sew. Think about your sons and boys also. The projects I will have for the the first week of camp are unisex. If you have more than one child in this age group, you can also keep the camp to just your own children. I started with my daughter and 3 of her friends, ages 9 and 10.
Where If you are only having your own children, then your home is the perfect place. I have found that my kitchen table works great. I have also been given use of my children's school when I started teaching other children as part of the summer camps. I have used a classroom and the art room. I have also used the church hall. Our local quilt shop allows groups for a fee. There is also grandma's house if you lack space. As long as you have a table, good lighting and an electric source, you can make it work.
When The best time for a Summer Sewing Camp is to block out a week when everyone is free. The first week of the summer works best. This way if you want to continue for more weeks, you will have time to do this. I first put out a flyer to some of my daughter's friends to see if there was any interest. Then I later firmed up the times and the projects. What has worked really well for me is 4 days for 4 hours. Monday through Thursday, 9:00 to 1:00 has worked well. We take a break in the morning then a break for lunch. You may also want to plan one day later in the summer for a charity day. It is great to use a skill they have learned to give back in some way.
Another option for the working mom: If you work, or evenings are just more convenient, you can also plan on night workshops. Plan one night a week for 2 hours for 4 weeks. I have taught in mini sessions after school and these have been popular. I will show you more condensed options that will fit in this timeframe. The goal is to learn to sew. If you are on a flex schedule or work a 4/40 week, you can also spread out the 4 day camp to 4 weeks. Find what works for you.
Summer Sewing Camp series: In the upcoming weeks I will go over supplies needed, a materials list and the actual projects with tutorials. I will follow up with other suggestions for following weeks of camp and charity projects. I will also include the best ways to teach children.
Click on photo below or on sidebar for the series. You may also want to add the code below to your blog to spread the word.
