It looks like we finally got a little bit of winter here in the Pacific Northwest, at least enough to snow us in and make a good excuse to spend extra time in the kitchen making pumpkin doughnuts. We live at the end of a long gravel road and without a spiffy 4×4 (we dream of having one someday!) we were stuck at home. I loved it.
The last two mornings I have heard the cheerful chirping of birds coming home from their migrations. Even though the gardens are still limp and asleep, I like hearing the first birds of spring. It gives a little ray of hope, that spring will come. This morning I heard a little frog as well. You get to hear little pleasures like that if you get up early enough, before the chaos of breakfast and diapers and animal chores.
Animal chores are slim around here. All we have left are a couple of dogs and cats and a handful of poultry. I asked my daughter what she wanted for her upcoming birthday; she said, “Something in the barn.” I assume she meant other than the barn cats. I don’t blame her for her longings. I myself avoid going into the barn and pastures; it’s quiet like a graveyard, ghost-like memories of goats and their funny personalities and spring kids.
One night, my husband took the older children ice skating (here, that endeavor is an indoor rink). After herding the two babies left at home into bed for the evening, I had several hours of quiet. Quiet, other than at dawn, is rare in this house. I decided to sew a Bible cover for my newest Bible. I like using covers because it keeps the good Book in better condition for a longer period of time. I managed to get through a couple of sermons online while I sewed.
Maybe you’re looking for the process of how I got from cloth to cover. You can find it here. I didn’t bother with a pencil pocket or handles (those always seemed odd to me), and I didn’t bother quilting or using interfacing for this little cover either.
Instead of fully quilting this one, I stitched around some of the roses. The little bit of crochet and the button were hand stitched on after the cover was finished.
I added extra ties, too. The red ones were hand dyed and handspun by a friend of mine. I just like the feel and color.
Here is what it looks like on the inside. It’s very easy to take on and off if necessary.
And here are my two Bibles. You can see the very first quilted Bible cover I made here. That Bible really did fall apart and I couldn’t use it anymore, so it’s retired.
How many Bibles do you have? More importantly, are they collecting dust? I like keeping two. The smaller one I keep for taking with me to Bible study and church. I also keep it clean, not writing in it.
The other one I keep is larger, with fabulous wide margins for writing in. This is the one I use to study from. I have been long intrigued with using colored pencils to highlight. Here is a good blog post to learn about doing that. So perhaps the inside of my Bible will become just as colorful as the cover!
You *are* reading your Bible, aren’t you? How else will you grow? Don’t be as one drawing near the Lord with your mouth but with your heart far removed (Isa 29:13).
Maybe some time listening to a sermon and sewing up a pretty Bible cover, or gathering up some colored pencils, will invite you to open its pages today.
Blessings,