Little Cherished One

December 21, 2016December 21, 2016thegreensheep 11 Comments

I have written about sheep before at Christmas, here and here, and once at Easter, here. I’m at it again. (Honestly, I relate to the creatures: more timid and quiet than not, mildly inattentive, and never comfortable standing out in a crowd. But…enough about me. I’m getting uncomfortable.)

So. What follows here is a roundabout sheep-and-shepherd story in time for Christmas.

Our granddaughter Miriam (a year old this month) was baptized in October. To note the significance of the day, I decided to give her a blanket as a gift. I hope I’m able to give her several more through the years! But this first one needed to convey something especially meaningful.

As she and her parents marked the sign and the seal of God’s grace in her life through baptism, there was one message I really wanted young Miri to know: That when you stray, when you err, when you’re lost, embarrassed, in pain, you have a Shepherd. He knows you, loves and cares for you, and he will set aside his flock to come after you.

“Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” ’ ” (Luke 15:3-6)

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your birth at Christmas, for becoming a sacrificial sheep yourself, for living again as the Good Shepherd who looks after his sheep. And then! For chasing down an awful lot of wanderers and for celebrating each and every rescue. Happy Earth-birthday, sir!

Little Cherished One (Size: 36″ x 37″)

Celebrating Ellie

December 12, 2014December 13, 2014thegreensheep 5 Comments

This week, I got to hold tiny Ellie. Ellie is just a newborn but she has already accomplished a great feat: she tenaciously stayed put through her momma’s 16 weeks (!) of pre-term labor — including DAILY contractions. She did her family proud by not appearing until well into Week 39 … on Thanksgiving Day. Amazing. For all this and more, I present —

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ a few celebratory chevrons! /\/\/\/\/\/\

It just seems appropriate.

[Hyacinth Quilt Designs was helpful to me in learning how to plan out the stripes for the chevrons.]

Welcome to God’s beautiful world, little Ellie! And congrats and love to Lori, Steve, and Aiden :).

“Celebrating Ellie” (~40″ x 40″)

This blanket already has a home.

“Sealed with a Kiss”

December 21, 2012July 12, 2014thegreensheep 3 Comments

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite places to visit was the stationery store. The stationer’s was a precursor of today’s big-box office supply store, but with a much narrower — and more charming! — set of offerings.

One of the best parts was the near-complete lack of plastic packaging for all the delightful gadgets in the store. That meant if I were careful, I could handle them. Bliss.

I hovered over the pencils, pens, notepads, and the stationery. Those papers enchanted me. Printed or embossed, elegant or sweet, they looked fresh and expectant, ready to be filled with a message and mailed to a lucky someone.

I still love the physicality of this. Email is immediate and convenient. But a handwritten letter, packaged up in a sealed envelope, brings so much more of the sender along with it. Discovering it in the mailbox is like being caught off-guard by a surprise party. Opening it is like opening a gift. Is this old-fashioned now?

Natalie (for whom this blanket was made) is a member of my extended family. And in my family there are several people who maintain this gratifying habit of writing letters — I can count them across three generations. Natalie is wonderful in many ways. Yet when this blanket was ordered, what did I think of first? Her gentle notes and letters, so representative of her.

The order was for a throw of pinks and pale oranges, so that’s where I started. And, as usually happens when I make these blankets, an unforeseen opportunity presented itself — this time, the possibility of a postage stamp :).

What could be more fitting?

With much love for you, Natalie, and with gratefulness for the way that you are ♥ — here is “Sealed with a Kiss.”

“Sealed with a Kiss” (57″ x 76″)

This is a custom-made blanket.

A Little Lamb for Caroline

August 18, 2012July 12, 2014thegreensheep 4 Comments

Is it the heat? the lack of routine? the pleasures of summer? I haven’t posted much, but I have been busy!

In July, a custom-made little lamb blanket went to baby Caroline in New York. It was a gift from her great-aunt, who became familiar with The Green Sheep through her neighbor, a friend of mine.

Hopefully baby Caroline is cuddling up on cool nights, lounging in the park,

and enjoying this soft little blanket, made just for her.

A Little Lamb for Caroline (~ 35″ by 37″)

This is a custom-ordered blanket.

Twin Lambs

September 4, 2011June 16, 2016thegreensheep 4 Comments

Well, they’re not really lamb twins — they’re baby girl twins, and they are due to join Mom, Dad, and a big brother and sister in November.

But recently, Big Brother told his mom that these babies are Jesus’ little lambs. I think that’s how the theme started for the nursery.

I was able to have two blankets ready for Susan’s (the expectant mom) baby shower. In fact, several friends brought lamb-themed things. That room will be a welcome place for these sweet babies, and a constant reminder of God’s loving care.

I wrote this Bible verse in the card I took to the shower —

“He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40.11)

The last line of that passage has some comforting words for PARENTS — “He gently leads those that have young.” Another friend at the shower commented, “It’d be nice if sometimes He would lead us more loudly and with clearer direction!” Parenting is a challenge :).

[On a side note: Susan has been a huge encourager to me with The Green Sheep. In fact, it was her request when she ordered a baby blanket for a friend last year that started me adding appliqués to blankets….

….She originally requested a turquoise-and-brown theme to match her friend’s nursery. After I finished that, Susan asked, “Can you add a picture to it?” That blanket became “A Happy Little Tune.”]

We all love you and wish you and your growing family well, Susan!

“Jesus’ Little Lambs” (each is 35″ x 37″)

These blankets have already gone to a good home.

“The Painted Piano”

October 26, 2010January 31, 2017thegreensheep 2 Comments

When I was 5 years old, I started taking piano lessons. I can still picture my red John Thompson (I believe) book, circa 1965. I think I could pick a couple of those pieces out on the piano from memory if I tried. The piano and its eagerness to step up and be just about anything that’s needed — rhythm, bass, melody, percussion, or simply embellishment — has won the place in my heart of ALL-TIME favorite instrument. So when I saw this little stripe in a pink sweater, I knew I had to make piano keys out of it. Hmmm…how about packing a summer picnic, spreading out this blanket and listening to a symphony at the local outdoor amphitheater?

The Painted Piano (Size 51″ x 65″)

This blanket has been modified as “J Loves J” and has gone to a good home.