The end was the beginning

On March 27, 2008 we heard the team at our son's IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) conclude their reports with the statement, "According to all these results, we feel that Keith has autistic spectrum disorder." It took the wind out of me.
You see, we had been down this road 3 years before with his older sister. At that point, we were doing kindergarten round-up with her. We praised God all the time for
the miracle He gave us in her. A child who had overcame numerous fears, abhorred social settings and didn't even babble was now happily heading for kindergarten at our local public school. She was deemed a leader in her class by her teacher and did not test as autistic now. She is doing well still today despite lingering difficulties understanding communication.
I cannot tell you how badly I did not want to begin that long journey again. But, I am a woman who does what needs to be done. What I didn't know was how much this time
would affect me. I began to simply plod through life, one foot in front of the other. It felt like I was stuck in a dark pit. I would cry at the "autistic" things
my son would do. I couldn't understand why I felt so bad. I knew before we went to the IEP what we would hear. He had made no progress on his goals and objectives in the classroom that year. I knew that wasn't good. So if I already knew what we were going to hear, why was I struggling with it so much?!
I finally realized that I could not "make" him better. Abigail had responded in ways that Keith did not. And then I knew what was so different. I had never dealt with a chlid who was resistant to treatment. I had to trust that God knew what He was doing with my son. I had to give up everything I knew and hoped and dreamed for Keith and just accept that he may never be rehabilitated enough
to live without me.
Now, one year later, Keith is making nice progress. He will be 5 in July and will be going to an all day 5 days/week contained classroom next year. He is not going to regular kindergarten. But, you know what? That's fine with me. The end of Abigail's journey was the beginning of Keith's, and I don't care how long Keith needs me to trust in God because I always will.
Thank you for taking the time to read about a family with autism. We love our children and pray for God's best for them even if it's not something our human minds can conceive.

Evening bags

This new line of bags are just in time for prom. Pam has discovered the joys of crochet thread. I still don't know if it's for me.:) She has a couple of these pretty bags finished and listed in the shop. She is working on a beautiful white one
and a black one now. They are so cool looking and can be made to order for whatever color you need. These are also perfect for a wedding as they close to keep the flower girl from throwing petals whenever she feels like it. They would make great bridesmaids' gifts, too.

Felting

So, I have finally tried felting. I tried two different projects. One is a lovely success. The other is a crashing failure.:) The purse I made turned out totally awesome! I put plastic purse handles on it and a sew-in snap for a closure. I love it! The basket I made is hideous! It looks like those loved, but warped bowls our children make us in art.:) It is very weird looking. Kind of like a human heart.
Anyways, check in the next day or so to see the gorgeous purse as I will list it soon. On the other hand, I probably will give the basket to my 7 year old as she thinks everything I make is awesome!:)

Spring cleaning

I have been spring cleaning and fabric stash was not immune to pruning.:) At this point, there is only baby fabric, but I will be putting more in slowly but surely.
We have decided to donate our baby quilts to our local shelter for battered women. It is our hope that they will represent something new and lovely to these women and their children.
Also, we now have a very cool combination knitting needle/crochet hook organizer listed. These very pretty and functional cases were a blast to make!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20305300 Click to view.
Anyway, that's what's going on in this shop for now. Hope this leaves you feeling blessed and happy.:)

What's new

So, after giving up on my previous attempts at blogging, I am now inspired by my fellow Christian Artists Street Team (CAST) to give this another try.
First of all, we at www.sisterthreads.etsy.com have decided to avoid the whole CSPIA problem by unlisting our baby quilts. Not that we are angry or anything like that, we are simply confused as to the terms of the stay that was granted. So, until things are clearly stated, we will not be listing baby quilts. We are however listing baby fabrics. We have a few pieces up right now as well as a few quilt kits to make your own heirloom.
We have also opened up another store. You can view it at http://www.itsthelittlethings4u.etsy.com We have a wide variety of items there to choose from for all your gift giving needs. Even if it's a gift for you.:) This shop is home to the things we create by crocheting and knitting, home decor items, some items made with yo yos and a few simple note cards.
I have since learned a lot about things that might give you a laugh. For example, I do believe I know how to copy and paste now. I have owned a computer for 9 years and
am just figuring that out!:) So, hopefully I will be able to provide you with a more interesting and photo filled blog.

Welcome to Sister Threads' blog

We have recently opened an etsy store http://www.sisterthreads.etsy.com and wanted to show it off to the world! We love the friendly atmosphere there. We decided to start selling there after searching through the facts and figures on several similar websites. We felt that the fees were very low and the technical support was excellent. However, it was upon reading some forum posts that we made our decision. The other "etsyians" were posting to encourage each other, help struggling beginners find the right information and giving each other ideas on how to best promote their shop. As a group of women who love God, we were drawn to the large number of christians involved here also.
Please bear with me as I am not super techy. It will take me some time to make this blog cool to look at. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my simple posts and take a moment to browse through our shop.
Thank You!:)
Stasi
Sister Threads