Gold City Quartet's New Album is Coming!!!

I was raised on Southern Gospel music. I sang with my parents, and we traveled to churches all over to listen to other groups. Southern Gospel music brings God's Word to me in a way nothing else does, and holds such a special place in my heart and life. I want to tell you about one of my all time favorite groups, and their new album soon to be released.

Gold City Quartet originated not far up the road from where I grew up and live today. I have loved their music for many, many years. One of my favorites has been Midnight Cry. It gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Of course, I have to sing along. When I was given the opportunity through Family Christian Bookstore to review their upcoming new release,  Gold City "Hymn Revival," I jumped at the chance. It's release date is August 19, 2014, and you can purchase it by clicking on the link above and below. This morning as I was working on a quilt, I listened to it for the first time, and boy did I get a blessing! I love the old hymns I sang in church, and there are several on the new album. Songs such as, Power in the Blood, Victory in Jesus, and Farther Along.

Pre-buy Gold City Hymn Revival

According to their press release, this is the first hymn album the group has produced since 1999. Among the songs I listed above, the press release also states, 

"The new project includes such inspirational classics as “In Christ Alone” and “The Power of the Cross” in addition to such traditional hymns as “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “I Need Thee Every Hour.”

I really enjoy this CD, and I believe you will, too. Listening to this music brings back precious memories for me from my childhood. Please head over to Family Christian Bookstore or go online to their website and preorder the new album. You won't be disappointed.

Teresa

** I received this CD compliments of Family Christian Bookstore for this review. I believe in this product, and this company, and the opinions in this post are all mine. I only review products that are in good taste and make an impact on me or my family.

Be On the Lookout!!!

Be on the lookout!!! What this blog by August 19, 2014. I will be posting a review for Family Christian Bookstore of a CD of one of my all time favorite groups that is coming out soon. Ever so often, they give us an opportunity for a giveaway, so make sure you keep checking in.

On the quilting front, I have been working on a baby quilt for a customer, but my free motion/darning foot started squeaking really bad. Even over the TV, my husband could hear it. My pedal hasn't worked right since I received the newest 11000 SE from Janome, so I took both parts in. The dealer swapped my foot, but it wasn't the right one. So, I've been stopped on that until today. I took it back and got the right one yesterday. On the pedal, she is getting me a new one from the company. Not sure when that will get here. But, I have a button to press where it sews, so, I am not in a need at the moment. I'm still trying to decide the best route to use on the Day and Night quilt. I have it pinned, but haven't started quilting it, yet. I'm thinking of using my Acufil program on my Janome and use a quilting design in each of the small sections of the blocks. That may be the easiest way. I may try one block and see how that goes. If I don't like it, then I can take it out and and start over. What do you think?

I have been hired by the mother of a lifetime friend of mine to make her a quilt. She wants it large enough to cover any bed in her house, so I am making it between a full and queen. Closer to a queen, I believe. I am excited. I struggle at times picking out just the right fabric combinations, but I think I have it figured out. She loves blue most of all, but loves red, too. I have decided to make a disappearing nine patch for her using mostly blue, but with that pop of red as the center block that gets cut into four squares. I will have two shades of blue for the borders, also. The light blocks will mostly be a ivory tone on tone I bought and a variety of blue blocks for the darker ones. Keep fingers crossed. I will share as I get started.

I hope all is well with each of you. I went to my RA doctor appointment last week. I knew it wasn't going to be a good report. After being off my RA medicine for a month dealing with the mouth infection in May, my RA has gotten worse than ever in my opinion. My wrists, hands and feet are suffering. I am now on Prednisone for a month or so, and he upped my RA meds. Ugh!!! If it isn't one thing it is another!! I also received two injections in my left hip for bursitis. I will get better. It just takes time with this mess. I am thankful that I am not worse than I am. Some people are in so much worse shape than me. 

Have you taken a Craftsy class before? I love Craftsy! I am taking a class by Jacquie Gering called Creative Quilting with Your Walking Foot. I am enjoying it even though I don't watch it as often as I should. I want to take some on free motion quilting, and others that I have seen on here. I will as the money becomes available. If you haven't looked at Craftsy, or taken a class and have the opportunity to, then check it out! It isn't just about quilting. They have sewing classes, cake decorating classes, embroidery, and many more.

I want to share a picture with you that I took in Gadsden, AL at the children's museum where they play a variety of adult style-kid size activities. I saw this frog hanging from the ceiling and loved it! Do you quilters see what I see that he is riding on?  

I pray you all will have a blessed day. May the Lord supply your needs and touch your bodies if you need a touch.

Teresa

Family Christian Bookstore

I would like to tell you that I am now a review blogger for Family Christian Bookstore. I am considering starting a new blog for reviews. What do you think? Many of the reviews I will do will be put on their page as a review of a book I read that they send me. Others may need to be on my blog. What would I name such a blog? Any ideas? I am open to suggestions. 

They are looking for some more bloggers, so they are asking us to share this link with you: http://on.fb.me/1tvDKeT If you are interested, please let Kristen know that I sent you. If you are interested in review books for children, teens or adults; fiction and non-fiction; and any other items they desire to be reviewed, please go to the link above and sign up. Let me know if you get accepted to review products for them. I would love to know who jumps in. 

So, what do you think of me starting a blog just for reviews to go along with this blog? Let me know what you think and give me suggestions for names, too. I just may send someone a surprise if I choose his/her name.

On the quilting front, I pinned the princess quilt I'm making for a client. I also have 2/3 of the Day and Night quilt I'm making for our son and DIL pinned. I was going to finish it today, but....... It will get done. 

I have also been hired to quilt a top for a FB friend of mine when we can get together to swap the items from her to me. 

I am also getting back on my Wheat Belly way of eating. My goal is to get completely off anything with wheat in it. I have been suffering too much since I fell off the wagon. Keep me in your prayers as I do this. 

My great-niece was born on Wednesday, July 30th. She is gorgeous! I will be happy when I can hold her and give her some kisses and loving. I have also been sharing the story of a precious baby girl of two of my former students. Lakyn was born last week with some major heart problems. She had her first surgery yesterday, and did very well. Please keep her and her parents in your prayers. They are both school teachers, and school is starting very soon. I am not sure what they will do about this time in their lives and getting to work, but God is in control and will take care of everything. 

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know you did

New Adventures!

Hello!!! I hope and pray all is well with my awesome followers! I am sorry that I have not been as diligent as I should be with keeping this up, but here I am!!! It is a new day and a new start! So, lets get started with my updates.

I have been pretty busy the past couple of weeks. First we had awesome family time as my last post noted with our DD and DGS visiting us. We really enjoyed their visit, but as usual it takes me a few days to get over being so tired. I do more while they visit than normal, LOL, and so I have to recuperate. Of course, their visit involves playing the Wii with the DGS and that is something I need to do myself more often. I cook more when they are here, too. Even though my DD, who is a great cook and loves to do so, helps out, it still tires me out. We picked apples the first full day they were here and over that week, I cooked four apple crisps. I used almond flour instead of wheat flour and Splenda instead of sugar. They turned out tasty! That DGS loved them! We went to Gadsden Imagination Children's Museum. I really didn't see how it was a museum, it was more of a place for kids to play with different scenarios. What I did see that was cool is show in a couple of pictures below. They had a working model train of Gadsden in the 1930's. It was really neat to watch and look like. My husband and I recognized several locations. I lived in the area for a year and he lived there as a child and his grandparents lived there for years. He still has family who live in the area. We had several other plans, but didn't get to do them. It rained a good bit while they were here, so I didn't get to take him fishing or swimming. :(  I took a few snap shots of them while they were here. Love these peeps! LOL

Above you will see a few projects I worked on for them while they were here. I made my daughter an Alabama rag quilt purse seen below, and she wanted a mug rug with the fabrics, too. So as you can see above, I made one. My DGS loves sharks and wants to do his bathroom in them, so I embroidered and appliqued on a towel, washcloth and hand towel his mom bought to put in his bathroom. I also made him a smaller mug rug with fabric that looks like water and put him a shark on it.

Our new great-niece will be here by tomorrow sometime. Yea!!! She is the one that I made the Sunbonnet Sue quilt for. I sure hope she likes it. My sister-in-law and BIL are taking it to them when they head up that way today after lunch. I know they are getting excited, but are not showing it as much as I would be. LOL I am praying that the niece has an easy delivery and she and the baby Ellia will be healthy. 

I am in process of cleaning up my sewing room. DH purchased me some larger translucent totes after I requested them where I could combine the little totes and ice cream buckets I have sitting everywhere into the larger totes, but still see what is in them. Hopefully, that will make it look neater in there. I sure hope so, because I WILL get the Day and Night quilt pinned and ready to quilt before this week is out. 

Hugs and best wishes to you all. May God bless each and everyone of you.

Family Time!!

Hello my friends! I hope and pray you are all doing well. I have been having a great time visiting with our daughter and playing with our grandson. They arrived on Thursday and are staying with us. We hope to get to go fishing while they are here and maybe do something educational for the grandson while they are here. The weather hasn't been cooperating for the fishing adventure, and we are all so tired from activities that we haven't done a lot. 

On Saturday, my niece and her son, my great-nephew came to see us and our daughter. Believe it or not, this is the first time my great-nephew and DGS have seen each other since DGS was six months old. He is now eight. LOL the GN is almost twelve, so it has been a few years. We had them for lunch, and the boys played together very well. It was so good to visit with my niece. We don't get to see each other as often as we would like. She works long hours and her hubby is a police officer/investigator. I am proud of both of them. Then that evening, my DS and DIL came for supper. I fried catfish, okra/squash combo, cooked apple crisp. (I had cooked two the day before) I was so exhausted when it was all said and done, that I couldn't move. It was a lot of fun and enjoyment to hear my children laughing aloud at videos on YouTube, and my DGS laughing with them. That has always been one of my most favorite sounds: the laughter of my children. God has blessed us so much!

Sunday, we had to run to Sam's, so we got to spend more time with our son. He left his car and drove his wife home from our house the night before. He needed to come back to our place to pick up his car. He traveled with us. Another enjoyable day, but tiring. 

My DH got me some larger tubs for organizing my sewing room, so I can combine the little ones and not have so much clutter. I did a little today by combining my Christmas fabric into one of the bigger ones. I haven't done any sewing since the kids are here. It will come later. They do want me to maybe embroider some sharks on some towels for the GS bathroom. Maybe that will get done. LOL

Today, my daughter who blogs at http://bobjenjack.blogspot.com added me to The Family Christian Blogger group on Facebook where I can do reviews for them. Yea!! I am so excited! I have been wanting to do reviews of books or products for someone, but haven't been given the opportunity. So.... maybe I will get the opportunity now. Who knows?

I will share a picture for you of a rag quilted purse I made for my daughter before she arrived. 

TWO FINISHES!!! Wahoo!!!

I finally have something I can show you all that I have completed!!! I finally finished a Christmas 2013 gift for our DD and SIL. It is the Carpenter's Star quilt whose designer is Debbie Maddy. It was an easy quilt to make, but not an easy quilting job for me on my domestic machine. But, I will be so happy to give it to her when she comes up for a visit in a few weeks. Better late than never, huh?

Below you will see the Sunbonnet Sue top that I did on my embroidery machine for a new great-niece due in August. I believe I actually liked the way it looked better before I quilted it. I just have not perfected my quilting, yet even after four years of making them. Maybe one day I will be much improved in my eyes. Next you see the finished top. I did echo quilting around the Sue's and then put butterflies on the top and bottom border. I now wish I had used a thicker batting, but it is all done, so oh well. I sure hope they like it. 

I also made a taggie blanket and burp cloth for a former student of mine and her new baby boy. She loved it and said he did, too. LOL I hope so. I have a few more burp cloths to make for the great-niece and started my daughter's rag quilt purse after finishing the baby quilt. It will be in another post when it is completed. I still have to pin and quilt the Day and Night quilt for our DS and DIL, and the pinning may happen today. Who knows. If not today, tomorrow?? I REALLY need to get it done.

I pray all is well with each of you. I hope to get better with keeping up my blog soon. Please be patient with me. Hugs to you all!
Teresa

I AM ALIVE! I think. LOL

Good morning my followers! I want to let you know that I am alive. I haven't been well, but I am here. God is good to me and has been with me through all the mouth mess I've been through. Given me "some" patience while Janome was getting me a machine back to me. Blessed my husband while he put up with me during this past two months. :D

As you know, I got a new Janome machine in March of this year. Hubby blessed me with this sewing/embroidery/quilting machine for past anniversary's and this years, too. We have been married 36 years. I just wanted an embroidery machine! LOL He had bigger thoughts when he heard about the Acufil quilting hoop and program that came on the machine. The reason I was waiting for a machine, it has a screen that goes up and down and puts the stitches more at eye level, but also gives more room under the harp. Mine did not work as it should and it took the dealer fixing it three times the first six weeks that I had the machine and the district manager checking it himself to decide to get me another machine. I thank my dealer, the district manager and Janome America for sending me a brand new machine that I love, love, love using! So, I got even more behind on my quilting projects and any other projects I have planned. But, I am really enjoying a machine that works as it should.

I have also been dealing with a bad tooth: bruised, infection:antibiotic, more infection:antibiotic, worse infection: more antibiotic.Tooth pulled: one more round of infection. Thankfully I believe it has all cleared up, and now I have to get my bottom partial fixed to replace that tooth where I can eat right! Hahahaha!!! I can laugh about it now. At least chuckle. But I have hurt worse with this with just about anything else ever! For a person who loves food and not able to eat; it is tough.

Now to show you some of what I have been doing since I'm better and have a great machine. I finally finished quilting the Carpenter's Star quilt and I'm in the binding process. One and a half sides left to do. Wahoo!!!!

Please do not take my pictures as your own. They are mine and my projects that I have done. Thank you in advance.