Friday, December 14, 2018

P for Persephone Primrose and pumps...

Persephone Primrose? That's me.

A group of sewing friends and I chose pseudonyms for ourselves many years ago and Persephone Primrose was mine.

My maiden name begins with P so choosing a double P pseudonym was a bit of fun and even today, darling Joy (real name) still calls me Persef and I can't imagine calling her anything but Ethel. 
But you know, for the life of me I can't remember the pseudonyms of the rest of our group!




So what about "pumps", you ask? What's the story there?
Well for starters they are not shoes.

The pumps in my life are the kind that remove water from a very flooded yard.
May I present the Sea of Reynolds - this is the backyard version, and we have a front yard sea as well.



The pumps we currently have in the ground to remove the excess rain water (remember, we live in the tropics and have wet seasons) simply cannot pump fast enough and so these seas continue to swell. In fact the backyard looked like this at 5.30 this morning, eight hours after the rain stopped.

We had a cracker of a storm last night but that was nothing compared to what is on it's way this weekend and early next week. Cyclone Owen is about to be upgraded to Category 4 and is swirling north of here in the Gulf where it will cross to land early Saturday morning and begin a rather nasty journey south east and by Sunday reach our town with more water than we've seen in years and crazy winds. It should have downgraded to a severe tropical low by then but nothing is certain, we just know to batten down the hatches and stay indoors. 

(bottom right - Townsville - that's us)



I'm praying for those who will cop the category 4 when it hits land tomorrow morning. They are small communities and need our prayers for safety, peace and shelter.

Having only ever rented before we bought this home in September, things like upgrading pumps and getting the house and outdoor areas cyclone-ready are new to us. In fact Mr E was out in the storm last night digging ditches to stem the flow of rain which threatened to breach our entrance doors front and back. The water got so high out back that it ran up over the step to flood the pool area and in the process many frogs and small lizards drowned. I never knew frogs could drown but when they get exhausted they do just that. Very sad seeing them belly up in our pool this morning.

I should explain to my readers in the northern hemisphere that a cyclone is the same as a hurricane but it rotates in the opposite direction and the most dangerous place to catch the brunt of a cyclone is directly in it's path or below it (due to the wind and rain)...I'm thinking in the US it's more dangerous to be north of a hurricane than south of it?

So please, pray.
There will be major flooding which will eventually affect the entire east coast of the state, landslides, roads destroyed and property loss. Pray that people are wise, choose safety first, and are kept safe.

Back to this week's pincushion...



I fussy cut a cute little house motif to sit beside the P and bordered the block in a red print with green stem stitch sewn in the ditch.

Remember, you can scroll through all the pincushion ideas shared so far and mix and match with alphabet initials that suit your purpose.




Do you have some pretty motifs in your stash?
Dig them out and have some fun with this pincushion!

You can download the P pattern here and here as a free gift until January 3rd, 2019.

Check last Friday's blog post for the free links to O as it's also free until January 3rd.

The pattern sets for A-E, F-I and J-N are a $2 purchase here in my shop.



Early this week I finally finished a project that meant a great deal to my heart.

For the Stitchery Club this December we're celebrating the vintage style of years past and the lovely linens many of us have collected, inherited and treasured, and we are doing this by sewing our own 'new' embroidered linens which can then be handed down and loved by the next generation.

There are six individual patterns in the December issue and I used five to make this beautiful supper cloth which is dedicated to my Nana, Phyllis May.


It was difficult to get a good photo on the table due to the clouds and rain, but mostly because I'm rather petite in height and was unable to tower over the supper cloth for a nice straight pic (and Mr E was off at work so no help there either...)!




So I thought to hang it in our front entrance as there was better light coming through, and you know what? I love it there! 

It never occurred to me that I could hang a supper cloth as a wall quilt but for the time being that's exactly where it shall stay - until I have a friend over for morning tea and need to dress the table!  




The stitcheries in each corner are different, but the wider stitchery along the sides is the same all the way around.






Originally I was going to use all the same lace around the centre fabric but silly me started sewing it in place without measuring to see if I had enough...and I did not.
I dragged Mr E to Spotlight and then to Lincraft looking for (praying for) another 1/2 metre but alas it could not be found. So I bought lace in the same colour and width, unpicked the third side, and completed the centre with one style of lace across the top and bottom and the other style down both sides. My lack-of-forward-thinking crisis was overcome with a second best plan.

"Necessity in the mother of invention" Nana would say in my situation and indeed she'd be right. 
She'd also suggest "use what you have" or "make do and mend" but I love what she'd say afterwards - "Good girl, Jennifer, that's using your noggin!" 

If you're not a Club member (over here) but would like to make Phyllis May's Supper Cloth yourself, I'll have the pattern in the shop on Monday morning.

Righto, my beloved is on his way home from school to begin the summer break so I have him all to myself for five whole weeks! But first, we'd better continue with preparing the property for the storm ahead.

Have a BLESSED weekend!
hugs


25 comments:

grandmarockton said...

be safe thank you for all the beautiful stitcheries

Ondrea said...

Oh Jenny, please stay safe. Hubby must be exhausted after last night's labour. I bet he is welcoming the break so he can work on your home. Your supper cloth is very pretty and it looks wonderful as a wall hanging. Nothing like a bit of versatility. That would have been awful discovering so many dead frogs and we often don't think of how the weather affects the wildlife as well as people. Angel hugs.

Angie in SoCal said...

Saving prayers for all those that will be affected by C. Owen. Keep us informed as you can.

Martha Roberts said...

Praying for everyone in the path of the cyclone. Sounds like a rough one. We have our share of hurricanes and their remnants here in the southern part of the US. I have enjoyed being a member of your embroidery club from the start and look forward to the next chapter of your plans. Enjoy Mr. E's summer break.

Anonymous said...

Praying for you and everyone in the path of Cyclone Owen. Apache Junction, Arizona

Bovey Belle said...

Here in Carmarthenshire (West Wales, UK) we are no strangers to flooding, but fortunately we live on a hill so just have problems if we need to get anywhere and roads are under water (or indeed get home, as happened a couple of months ago). I hope and pray that the storm goes higher and everyone is safe. Bad enough for you at the moment with all that water you have to pump out.

A really lovely post with a gorgeous P pincushion to make, and that stunning tablecloth. It looks great displayed on the wall. So much work has gone into that too, with the dainty embroideries. I collect vintage embroidered t'cloths and the work and skill that has gone into some of them is amazing.

Keep safe.

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Cyclones don't go higher, only east, west or south. As soon as they cross land they tend to go south.

Nanna Chel said...

Jenny, I have been wondering how you were coping with all the rain and the preparations for Owen. Stay safe. We are currently having storms but now the forecasters say the cyclone won't come down this far but there is a moderate chance it could reform in the Coral Sea as the waters are so warm. It is going to be a wild few days coming up by the sounds of it.

Jusmom1 said...

Jenny, I pray for safety for you and your dear hubby; as well as your beautiful new home! I just LOVE your new supper cloth and the idea of "hanging" it until it is needed is brilliant! I am purging around our house and "hanging storage" may be a great solution for me, also! Thank you! God bless.

Tammy said...

Praying you will be safe and not sustain any property damages or flood damages. I hate these storms Living near the coast we are subject to these things every year in South Carolina, USA. And we always get storm debris damages. Luckily no home damages to date. Hugs and prayers coming your way. Love love love the supper cloth you made for the table. It is beyond gorgeous and definitely a heirloom for sure.

Jackie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jackie said...

Praying that you and your family stay safe. Thank you for the pattern! Great post!

Susan said...

I'm so glad Mr. E is able to install stronger pumps for you. I pray for you and your whole state at this time, and that residents will find safe places to wait out the storm ... and will do so. We can rebuild what is lost, up to a point, but lives can't be replaced. I hope your snug little home withstands what's coming toward it. You are right about the hurricane north and cyclone south damage. Although I was in cyclones in Okinawa, I never thought about it being different. As that's in the northern hemisphere, I'm not sure how it goes! Your pinnie is delightful with the little gnome house. Each one has been so wonderful, and I never imagined there would be 26 different ways to make a pincushion. =) The supper cloth is elegant and precious. I know Nana would have said exactly what you're hearing. May you be blessed for all you teach us.

MissPat said...

Be safe. It's such a shame you are getting hit by this storm just when you were getting everything tickety-boo with your new home.
Pat

kupton52 said...

Praying for everyone's safety.... thank you for another year of wonderful posts. You are so inspiring and such a wonderful role-model. "P" could also be for "pins"....those beautiful beaded red ones in the photos are soooooo gorgeous! Blessings from West Virginia, USA...Merry Christmas and may you and yours have a blessed New Year.

Debby said...

Thank you for your delightful designs. I'm praying for you and Mr. E's safety and for protection of your new home.

Alison Ryan said...

Praying that you are all safe and that the flooding subsides soon, I count myself very lucky to live in a place with no really extreme weather.

Susan said...

Praying for all of you that you will be safe and no damage done.

Sherry said...

Prayers for your safety and for the safety of everyone in the path of a cyclone Jenny Dear. Thank you Persef for this uber cute fussy cut P pinnie. The Reynolds Sea does not look like it belongs so close to your new home...Pump Persef!!!

Linda in Calif. said...

Oh dear all that water! I've been through something similar and we had to sand bag around our house. Then borrow a pump to pump out all the water. And yes, the little frogs and lizards (and worms) drowned in our pool - so sad. Praying for you - and hubby.

Kathleen said...

Gosh! I pray for the safety of all concerned! Are you ever asked to evacuate like in the US for some hurricanes?
Love the new pinnie with the fussy cut. I like that idea. And your supper cloth is very pretty, although I have never heard of a supper cloth. Is it something that fits only the center of the table when you use it?

Farm Quilter said...

Praying for all who are in the path of Cyclone Owen. Living in the interior of the USA, this is not something I have ever had to deal with and I have been blessed that when my Army daughter was living in Florida and Hawaii, she never had a hurricane to deal with. Living in the high mountain desert, we occasionally get floods in the spring when we get a lot of rain in the mountains that melts the snow pack too fast, but I have been blessed to have never been affected. Your Sea of Reynolds is jaw-dropping and I pray you will not have to deal with water getting into your home. I would be at a total loss at dealing with that!! Another beautiful pinnie and your supper cloth is also gorgeous - brilliant idea to hang it by the front door! It looks smashing there!!

Lin said...

Pretty P! Stay safe and dry Jenny - hugs and prayers. xx

Alicia Mae said...

I've been praying for your family and those who have been in the path of Cyclone Owen! I hope you're staying hunkered down inside. I saw quite a bit of flooding last year here in Houston with Hurricane Harvey. We had the same issue with our backyard but leveled it with dirt and sod this past summer and haven't had any "lakes" since!

I just love your pseudonym Persephone Primrose-- such a darling name! And the pincushion is delightful!

KingsailK said...

Oh my Jenny praying for you and your family and safety for people to make wise decisions.Beautiful material and Designs.A very Blest Christmas YOU All!๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŽถ♥๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ‘‘๐Ÿ‘‘asWeCelebrate Our Saviour Birth.xx