Choose Life!

First off (before I teach you how to make the birthday pillowcase, at the bottom of this blog), thank you for all the prayers, comments, and emails. I appreciate you!

My husband and I have decided that if we ever get deathly sick, it's off to Mercy Hospital in Idaho that we will go. We've never seen such care, where the doctors have regular meetings with the family, often over 30 minutes! Unheard of in my neck of the woods, where the doctor is talking to you, but has one hand on the door knob.

We know Dotty had the greatest chance for recovery in this ICU. Still, after all this time, they will take her off the respirator tomorrow. They do not think she will make it, as she has only gotten worse, with no improvements of any kind.

With lots of free time over there, I read a book by a journalist who decided to uproot her life and live out her dream of graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. That choice caused her enthusiasm for daily living to flourish. This is what I want, to make choices that cause my heart, mind and soul to blossom in the blessings and trials the Lord gives; it's so easy to waste our minutes in discontentment or pity-parties - or even unforgiveness - isn't it? It gives real meaning to "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" Psalm 118:24.

So today, while I'm thinking about death, I'm also dwelling on life. Thanksgiving is coming up, and that means family and friends and gatherings. I want to enjoy every second of planning for the bustle. There are too many joys these next holiday months to not grasp them with thankfulness.

I will rejoice.

A choice.

My husband's sister chose to live without all of the above for the last 20 years. She lived alone, ignoring almost everyone, including her two sons. Sad. It could have been so different.

Our daily choices can embrace joy or shove it away...

Last week, I told you that when it wasn't my birthday I would teach you how to make this ~



I sewed this one as a Birthday pillowcase. They make great gifts! My linen closet is full of ones for other holidays, as well as just cute ones for everyday. At first this might seam hard and complicated (because the French seam process seems backwards), but once you sew one, all others will only take you about 30-45 minutes, start-to-finish.

The special thing about this pillowcase is that no raw edges show on the inside. Here's how you make it...

For one standard pillowcase:
Cut...

• Main fabric - 27" x 41" ~ I used birthday fabric. (If using fabric with words or patterns on it, cut the width 27" with the words showing how they do above, and the length the 41".)
• Cuff fabric - 10" x 41"~ I used green dotted.
  
• Trim fabric - 3" x 41" ~ I used white with black dots. (If you are going to ruffle the trim, then you will want to double the length.)

Next...

1. Fold the trim fabric in half lengthwise, wrong sides together; press. (If you are going to ruffle the trim, do it now.)
   
2. Layer all three fabrics, RIGHT SIDE UP, in this order: Cuff (on bottom), main (in middle), trim (on top), raw edges even.
3. At the top, pin all these layers together.
4. Take the bottom of the main fabric and roll it till it comes above the bottom edge of the cuff fabric.
5. Bring the bottom edge of the cuff fabric up to the pinned top layers, and re-pin. It will look like a tube.
   
   
6. Sew the pinned layers together using 1/4" seam, leaving side edges open (not sewn).
7. Grab the inside and pull the right side out. (See, no raw edges showing on that cuff!)
   
   
   
8. Fold it in half, wrong sides together, and press it flat.
9. With wrong sides still together, though it seems backwards, sew the open side and bottom edges with a 1/4" seam.
10. Turn WRONG SIDE out; press.
11. With wrong sides still out, pin the bottom and one side that you just sewed and stitch a 3/8" seam.
12. Turn right sides out - TA-DONE! (I did not have enough fabric to have the birthday words showing the way I like, so had to cut it the opposite of what I instructed you.)
13. Rejoice that you have family and friends to sew gifts for!!!!

Choose life!