Fundraising update

Well, due to some errors in calculation on my part, I'm actually a little bit under my adjusted-approximately-for-taxes goal. Update is on the side bar.

I will be on a plane to Africa a week from tonight!!! =)

Almost time...

I can't believe I'm leaving in...well, I refuse to count down, but I'm leaving on the 27th. Do your own math! I'm too busy trying to accomplish everything necessary in a precious small amount of time. My mind is in a constant spiral trying to remember everything and I am definitely at a risk for schedule conflicts as I keep forgetting things I planned to do...despite my one-time attempt at using Google Calendar, which oh-so-conveniently emails me about ten minutes before I'm supposed to BE somewhere. Yes, I know I could change that, but it's one of the things I keep forgetting to do...

I have, however, done a significant number of things in the last month or so. I...

- bought plane tickets.
- got my visa.
- renewed my drivers' license.
- got my international driving permit.
- finished my quilt that I'm taking with me.
- visited my friend who I went to Bulgaria with last December.
- visited my friends from South Africa who live in Lancaster, PA.
- hosted my best friend for a week.
- did a massive amount of thrift shopping in preparation for the thrift store drought that lies ahead. ;) No, really, I did actually need clothes. Tank tops are kind of a necessity in hot South Africa...
- did my online shopping for the things I wanted to take back.
- did my online shopping for the things others wanted me to bring back. (For example, an automotive scanner and human hair...)
- learned to drive stick shift.
- shopped online for cars (although I'll have to wait until I go over to do any real shopping).
- finished up my journal orders.
- wrote a lot of craft tutorials for my blog that didn't have anything to do with the to-do list I needed to accomplish...
- cleaned my room for the first time in forever. Sort of organized it.
- judged for the homeschool group's Project Fair.

...among other things. It doesn't sound like much when I write it out but it's all the little things that take up the most time! More than the physical tasks, though, it's trying to spend time with all the people that I care about...it never feels like enough when I think that I will be leaving them for an indefinite period of time.

Please keep me in your prayers. Everyone assumes I must be out of my skin with excitement, but to be honest, I'm quite nervous. Yes, I know people this time, yes, I know I'm called to go, and yes, orphan care is my passion - but it's a major life change and I am rather anxious. This time, I know what it's like to miss people and be homesick, and I'm leaving for longer. I am also not an intern anymore, and that means a little more responsibility (aaahhh!).

Funds are coming together. This is a thank you/shout out to the anonymous person at church to donated $2000 - you may never be on the internet or read this, but you covered the rest of the potential, unexpected amount needed for taxes, and took a HUGE load off my mind! And of course, a huge thank you to everyone who has helped me raise funds to meet and exceed my goal. (I updated the thermometer on the side - finally! - by the way.) Many of you I know but many of you are anonymous. Someone asked my advice on fundraising. I told them the truth - I'm actually quite horrible at raising funds. God does it all and I don't know where probably a third of my money has come from, really. I look at our tiny church and scratch my head! They are deeply generous.

Coptic Stitch Heart Binding

 I enjoy browsing Pinterest for Coptic binding ideas. I saw lots of great ideas - but I couldn't find tutorials ANYWHERE! I particularly liked the variation where a heart is sewn into the spine. I looked high and low for a DIY, and finally came to understand the basic technique from this link that shows how to stitch an awareness ribbon pattern.

This is what I made! Here is another example, below, which is slightly neater. It's all in how large or small you draw your heart. 

(Yes, that is a mini Tardis. No, I don't watch Dr. Who. =) It's for a friend!)

For the purpose of this tutorial, I will assume you already understand how to do the Coptic stitch. Pinterest has a lot of great tutorials!

Start off with a stack of prepared signatures, folded and trimmed to the size of your cover. Clamp them together firmly with binder clips. You might be able to see (faintly) that I made pencil marks where the two rows of stitching will be at either end. If not, look at the above pictures to get an idea where the end stitching should be.

Trace a heart in the center. The bottom signature has two dots - the point of the heart is made by attaching the cover. The top center point of the heart is made on the 3rd signature down. After marking everything, punch all the holes.

You will be sewing the heart from the top down. Punch two holes in the cover to match the two holes in the top signature.

Start on the left side - pull the needle and cord from the inside to the outside through the first hole. You will begin by attaching the first signature the cover.

I attach the cover by wrapping the cord twice around the cover hole. (This is on the 2nd hole.) The cord goes out:

Then thread it in through the hole and bring it up between the cover and the signature. 

Pull it tight and thread it in through the hole and up through the crack again:

Now slip the needle behind the two strands and pull it through snugly. Wrap it around one more time to secure.

(That is my method of attaching all the covers on my journals. Again, for more details, there are a lot of great tutorials out there! Maybe someday I'll write one. ;) )

Skipping ahead to the second signature, this is how you make the top bumps on the heart. You can see that there are more holes on the second signature than on the first. Basic rule: every stitch must loop around a stitch below. You will be working from right to left on this signature. Out through the hole...

Loop around the stitch below and insert back into the same hole.

Bring your needle out through the 2nd hole and loop around the same stitch as the last.

When you finish both bumps, it will look something like this:

Continue on with the 3rd signature (left to right now).

Now you are to the top pointy part on the heart, and there isn't a lower stitch to loop around! What is there to do?

Easy - just loop around the cord in the inside of the signature.

Come out again through the center hole and loop around the next stitch on the signature below.

Continue on. It's pretty straightforward from here. The sides of the heart will slant - just make sure you don't pull the signatures out of alignment.

Now to attach the top cover. When you reach the middle, loop around the cover ONE time, then wrap the cord around your loop, as shown. 

Insert the needle back in the same hole.

Bring your needle out through the other side of the heart. Loop through the cover hole once. Insert your needle under both loops and wrap the cord around two times. Insert needle back through the hole from which it came.

Finish attaching your cover. This should be your end result:

It's a little crooked, but be careful to trace your heart exactly how you want it and pull your stitches snug.

Happy bookbinding!

MBH April News

You can read the Muphamuzi Baby Home April newsletter here! Chubster went home with his new family - check it out!

Crochet orange or peach potholder pattern

A while back, I made a set of these orange and strawberry potholders. The pattern for the strawberry can be found here. I recently made a second set for a lady from our Bible study, and this time I jotted down the pattern for the orange. It was inspired from a vintage pattern, but I changed it around a little.

Orange Potholder Pattern

Ch - chain

Sc - single crochet

Sl st - slip stitch

St - stitch

Hdc - half double crochet

Dc - double crochet

Rnd - round

Rep - repeat

Hook size: H (5mm)

Orange (make 2)

The orange circles are worked in a spiral - don't join your rounds. Mark them with a stitch marker. Note: A particular stitch pattern may not end exactly on the right stitch. (I.e., the pattern may read "increase in next stitch, sc in next 6 stitches" and you may have only 5 stitches left instead of 6.) I didn't do a very good job at this! It's pretty forgiving though. Just keep going and start the new round a little further on, or don't finish the stitch pattern. The general idea is to make your increases at different points around the circle, to avoid corners and make a smooth circle shape (you don't want an octagon-type thing). 

Rnd 1 - Ch 9 in magic ring

Rnd 2 - 2 sc each in 1st 2 sc, sc in next, rep around

Rnd 3 - 2 sc in each of 1st 2 sc, sc in next 3, rep around

Rnd 4 - 5 sc, 2 sc in each of next 2 sc, rep around

Rnd 5 - 2 sc in each of 1st 2 sc, sc in next 7, rep around

Rnd 6 -  5 sc, *2 sc in each of next 2 sc, sc in next 9, rep from * around, end with 4 sc

Rnd 7 - 2 sc in next sc, 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc, 6 sc, rep around

Rnd 8 - 4 sc, *2 sc in next sc, 7 sc, 2 sc in next sc, 6 sc, rep from * around (I think this one ends with 2 sc)

Rnd 9 - 2 sc in next sc, 8 sc, 2 sc in next sc, 9 sc, rep around

Rnd 10 - 4 sc, *2 sc in next sc, 9 sc, 2 sc in next sc, 8 sc, rep from * around, end with 4 sc

Rnd 11 - Sc around

Rnd 12 - 9 sc, 2 sc in next sc, 10 sc, 2 sc in next sc, rep around

Rnd 13 - Sc around

Rnd 14 - 2 sc in next sc, 6 sc, rep around. Sl st to close.

Weave in ends. Place the two orange circles wrong sides together and sc together around the edge to join. 

Leaf (make 3)

Ch 10, 2 sc in first ch, hdc, 5 dc, hdc, 4 sc in end ch, working up the other side: hdc, 5 dc, hdc, 2 sc in last st, sl st to close.

Stem

Ch 14, dc in 2nd st from hook and next 11 sts. Fasten off. Sew ends together to make a loop.

Sew stem to edge of orange. Arrange leaves and sew them on. You're finished!