Sew Much Love, Mary: June 2017

6.26.2017

2017 Scrap Busting Craft Challenge: June "Faux Embroidery Using Fabric Markers"

craft challenge faux embroidery before and after refashion

Time for Craft Challenge again! This month I grabbed my fabric markers from my stash. I bought them back in April and hadn't used them. Lately, I've been seeing some cute embroidered tops and I remembered I had this one in my closet. I got it in Mexico back in 2007 (10 years ago!?). I wanted to update the style to make it trendier, and this was the perfect chance to do so. Below I show you what I did to make this top trendier and how I used fabric markers to do "faux embroidery."

STEPS

1. I cut off a piece at the hem. It was too long and "box" like.

craft challenge faux embroidery tutorial refashion

2. After cutting a chunk off, I drew on my "embroidered" design. The possibilities are endless! This was really fun. Then, I hemmed the bottom.

3. Close up of my "embroidery." And, to make this little top more colorful, I sewed on some pom-pom trim to the sleeves.

craft challenge faux embroidery tutorial refashion pom pom trim

4. Since the silhouette was still too "box" like, I sewed some elastic to the bottom.

craft challenge faux embroidery tutorial refashion elastic

5. Elastic sewn in.

TA DA!

Now, check out what the other participants of the Craft Challenge are creating this summer:

A Pop of Red

Make Something Mondays

Eclectic Soapbox

6.22.2017

The Bible Verse That Everyone Knows: John 3:16

I'm pretty sure we have all seen, heard, or know the famous bible verse, John 3:16.

During my first year at FIDM, I had this verse written on my tote bag. There was one time when I was in the elevator and a girl that was walking out turned to me and said, "John 3:16, thank you I needed that." I think I just smiled because I didn't know what else to say. If I remember correctly, that was the only time that someone mentioned the bible verse on my tote bag.

Remembering all that now brings to mind two things now.

1. People watch and notice.

As Christians, we are called to be the light, to be ambassadors of love, to be His hands and feet. We don't literally have to walk around with bible verses on us. To show Christ to the world, we should be loving, unselfish, serving, giving, and everything that Christ was when He stepped on this earth. And most importantly, everything that He IS.

2. Salvation is for everyone who believes.

When I first started going to church, I was told I had to make some outward changes. I stopped wearing makeup, I stopped wearing pants, I stopped wearing jewelry, etc... Let's just say that if I start to make an actual list, this blog post will run too long. ;) Anyway, with time I turned a little judgmental. I sincerely believed that anyone who didn't follow my church's rules, was not saved. Once, I was watching a Youtube video in which a girl was singing a song by Hillsong, very beautifully. "But, she can't really be saved, can she?" I thought in my mind. It wasn't until a couple years later that God would show me that none of the things we do can bring us salvation. No matter how pious we act or seem, salvation is a gift from God alone. Salvation is for ANYONE and EVERYONE who believes, repents, is baptized in Jesus name, and lives the rest of their lives for God. :)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

-John 3:16-17

6.19.2017

Camping 2017 Style Diary

I just got back from camping and I had a blast! It was so much fun to be out in nature for a few days, relax, and get away from the normal routine. Even though I'm not much of an "outdoorsy" person and there is no wifi connections at the campground, I had fun. :) The only thing that I didn't like was that I got so many mosquito bites, especially on my forehead, so they ended up looking like pimples lol! No matter how much I bathed myself in bug spray, I still got bit hehe.

Today, I'm sharing my three looks from camp, one for each day. I didn't even bother to do my hair these past few days since it would end up being put into a ponytail after pictures since it was hot outside. I would just shower in the morning and let my hair air dry.