May 30, 2025

Greetings! The picture i uploaded today is a sewing machine bought last year at a garage sale for $30! It is the model sewing machine I learned on. I love this machine! It only needs a new belt (already on order), a little oil, and she sews beautifully! Thank you God!

Recently tried a new backpack pattern (purchased) and it took me as long to sew it together as it would have taken to cut out and sew four (4) duffel bags. Guess what? I gave that to Listening House, but will not be making that pattern again - quantity is what's needed at LH, not fancy, but utilitarian. I also tried a couple of new patterns for cosmetic or shaving bags that were quite simple to make. I'm glad I've learned how to use zipper by the yard! Saves a lot of headache and lot of money.

Thank you to the ladies at our local Sewing Guild - i have new machines and a great amount of new fabric that will be used to sew items for LH and also to teach at Project for Pride in Living. psst, I'll share a little secret with you: I'm hoping there will be people at LH wanting to learn to sew - wouldn't that be marvelous?

Oh, and thank you for $$ donationos - I was able to purchase hardware for a different backpack that I sew for Listening House. It is a super simple backpack and yet has straps, a little bit of hardware, and buckles. So, it is going well.

This week I will be working on what I call "side belts." You may have seen them on the online selling mecca that is named after a river in Africa - they are made of elastic, strapping, and velcro - they attach between two side belt loops, and fold back on themselves to increase the waist size on pants - just like a regular belt but is only used on each side of the waist. What an invention! I'm so happy to make these - not expensive to make, easy to make, and guests at LH are almost always asking for belts. Win, win, win!

Been thinking about my spirituality lately - am I doing the right thing? I confess doctrine and dogma are not my bailiwick, but helping the poor is. I hope to take after Dorothy Day, Margarite Bays, Madelein Delbrel (the French Dorothy Day) and our very own Mary Jo Copeland. My heart is for the poor and I must tend to the needs of my heart.

Please pray for me that I can continue this work!

As always, be blessed, be well, be grace filled.

This is from April 2025. Not sure how all this blog stuff works.

14 bags going to Listening House today - all donated fabric, some recovered zippers: 5 duffel bags, and 9 ditty bags of different sizes! Love this! I get to sew and someone benefits!

Thank you again for all the fabric donations - some are used for teaching and others for making bags for ListeningHouse.