We LOVE the Homestead Blessings DVD series from Franklin Springs–and when I saw they were offering “The Art of Quilting” I was so thrilled! I’ve always wanted to learn how to quilt (I’ve made a few feeble attempts on my own with crazy quilts) but I really wanted to learn some REAL skills in this area. Enter the West Ladies, they are great teachers of some of my favorite homestead skills and they are so easy to learn from, so I knew I would be able to have success in the area of quilting with them as my mentors!

I love their step-by-step easy to follow instructions, I also love their frugal, make do with what you have attitude too!  If you don’t have ‘quilters chalk’ use a white colored pencil or regular chalk! No “quilting thread’? Use plain ol’cotton or cotton poly thread, it’s OK!  The West Ladies helpful, simple ways of doing things, tips and hints are always such a blessing to us! You always walk away from their DVD’s with a feeling of confidence and a ’hey, that doesn’t have to be so hard after all!’ sigh of relief!

The West Ladies show us how to put together a quilt, explain about quilting history, how to plan and cut for your quilting project.  (I also  finally understood some of those terms and words of the quiliting world and how they apply to the art of quilting: basting, binding, sandwiching, backing, quilt block,etc.!) The Wests’ share how to choose contrasting fabric colors, measuring (this CAN be simple, yay!) how to cut and piece your fabric / blocks together, how to put your quilt top together with your batting and backing without tears. How to stitch and bind– they make it all so simple  

I thought another really fun thing was the potholder project (my girls and I can’t wait to do this one, too!) not only can you make a potholder (VERY easily!), but the really neat thing about this is it is also GREAT practice for making fun and vaired quilt blocks for your larger quilts.

As always, I highly recommend “Homestead Blessings” DVD’s, they are wonderful for learning all those skills your mama never taught you, that you always wanted to learn! I love being able to teach and share homestead skills with my daughters, but also to learn alongside my girls, and make things together, so we can carry on these skills & teach & share them with future generations too! Now THAT’s a BLESSING! Thanks West Ladies!

Happy Homestead Blessings,

Lisa

Enjoying Your Children: Practicing Biblical Parenting is an autobiographical account of the Messianic Jewish-Homeschooling family of David and Betty Weinberger. This title is almost 300 pages of sharing from the Weinberger Family on how they’ve followed the path Adonai has led them on, for raising the children He has blessed them with. 

‘Enjoying Your Children’ encourages following God’s ways in all aspects of parenting and the Weinberger’s share their thoughts and stories for building on HIS foundation,  to teaching our children HIS ways, to nursing babes, to the foods we feed our family, to loving one another, tips on great books, music, fun and games with the children, music, learning and spending life together, not just scheduled ‘blocks of “quality time”,  living and growing together as a family on HIS timetable, not that of the world’s.

The Weinbergers even invite us in to share the Feasts of Adonai with them, which they also share in a small booklet called “Celebrating the Feasts Of the Lord: Our Family’s Experiences”

I really enjoyed this title and so appreciate the Weinbergers open, honest sharing of a glimpse into their lives! I loved all the tips and fun ideas Betty shares, and wholeheartedly agree with their following the biblical model of ‘raising them up in the way they should go’ by sharing life, day in and day out, in ALL things, together.  How do they learn? NO–it’s not the latest government approved textbook! It is the model before them.

How can children possibly be ‘raised up’ in His ways, if they are ‘raised up’ by a Godless institution and it’s humanistic, self serving  culture and peers of their own age (and devices!)–reality IS folks, they can’t!

I love the back cover of the Weinbergers book,

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart,

and with all thy soul, and will all thy might

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children

And shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down,

and when thou risest up…

Deuteronomy 6:4-8

Amein!