Thursday, December 5, 2019

Free Christmas pattern and catching up...

I've been absent from blogging almost a week. 
An almost week-long migraine with one day and a few hours of relief. You see the weather here is ghastly, the heat wilts you at every turn and the humidity squeezes each breath...but it's also the main migraine trigger in my life and the one I have no control over. 

Anyhow, I'm 'humming' with this migraine today...it's there, my constant companion, but it's dull in comparison to what it will be tonight and the medication has taken the edge off for now so I wanted to blog a special Christmas pattern for you to make before time ran out. 


The watering can filled with berry sprigs is a design from 2018 and I always thought it should be finished as a Christmas display. Last night I stitched the words from a favourite Christmas carol beside the lace heart adorned watering can and popped it in a very old hoop. Truly, my heart was filled with joy and I've been singing that carol all day long.




You know, the words in this carol resonated beyond comfort and joy as I stitched.
In what can be a very busy and stressful season at the end of the year these particular words struck a chord...

" God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay..."

We genuinely need to rest amidst the busyness if we are to experience tidings of joy, comfort and merriment. We need to let go of the anxieties which seem to be stirred up as Christmas approaches and be not dismayed.

"Remember Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas Day..."

It's about Jesus, this day which isn't actually the day of His birth, but which we choose to hold high in remembrance of a GIFT which no man can equal, no woman can reproduce, no department store can vanquish.
Christmas is about setting our minds on things of wonder and glory, miracles and hope. 
It's a time of gentleness towards one another, kindness and thoughtfulness, not a season of rushing to and fro and amassing debt.

I pray you experience glad tidings of comfort and joy this Christmas, both as the giver and the receiver.


At home...

Time with Blossom was spent planning handmade gifts for our family and a few friends, and raiding my bookshelf for ideas meant a big pot of tea and delicious treats. I supplied the tea and my sweet daughter provided the cake, all glistening with gold sparkles and utterly delicious.




We have gathered many supplies from both our craft rooms and only needed to purchase a few extras, such as these soaps which have given my home the most wonderful fragrance.
Mr E and I always buy these soaps for ourselves but after Christmas I'll get a few extra just for fragrance in the sewing room and the living room...




Wrapped in pretty papers and raffia ribbon they will be lovely gifts for neighbours and friends.
(I *love* receiving pretty soaps!)




After the big craft raid in my sewing room I thought it was time to pull everything out and give it a good clean, a re-fold and better organisation.

Here's how that began...




And here's how it finished up later that day.








I still have the opposite side of the room to do but that can wait until my head settles.
At least for now I feel creatively refreshed and ready to begin sewing dolly quilts and pillows for Cully May and Rafaella next week.

In the kitchen I had a glut of eggs to work with and I remembered an old recipe I used to make for the kids when they were younger - Sweet Impossible Pie.
It's all mixed in one bowl, poured into a pie plate and during baking it settles into three distinct layers.

Before the bake...




After the bake...




The yolks from our chickens are rich yellow and make this tart even more lovely.
The three layers are a soft, almost pastry base - then a custard centre - and finally a crusty coconut top. Mr E and I had it last night with tinned apricots and we'll repeat this dessert tonight. 




You'll find the recipe HERE

There are a few variations, one of them a citrus pie which is delicious, but for yesterday I simply made the basic favourite. 

I shall sign off now and go greet my dear husband who has just arrived home. It's the highlight of my day when he walks through that door...how blessed I am to be his wife all these years and to see so much love in his eyes each morning. 

May the December days ahead bring a renewed appreciation to all of us, for what we have and what we have to give; for Jesus who loves us; and for tidings of comfort and joy.

hugs


27 comments:

Caroline said...

Thank you very much for the freebie. It is just beautiful

Joanne said...

Hi Jenny,
organising...it takes making a mess to sort it out and reorganise! Looks fresh, Summery and ready to go!
Thanks for the pretty stitchery :)
Impossible pie! That recipe made the rounds when I was young! Thanks for sharing :)
May the migraines subside as December restfully passes by.
hugs,
Joanne

giuditta said...

che bella la tua stanza...bello il post...grazie x l 'omaggio...

Kay said...

I loved looking at your sewing room especially, it looks such a happy place to be. Happy Christmas. x

Little Quiltsong said...

I pray your migraines disappear, and you are better again soon. I don't get these often anymore, but when I do - it totally wipes me out. Love your pretty Watering Can in Christmas design. That is what first drew me in to your designs - the way you add lovely pieces of fabrics alongside your beautiful embroidery. Love the pretty soaps - yes, perfect gifts - I'm always replenishing the soaps in my linen closets and even our front closet where we hang our coats. My mom did that - makes everything smell so refreshing.

Tammy said...

Thank you Jenny for the lovely and beautiful for Christmas Design...And the recipe sounds very yummy too...I pray your Migraine headache soon leaves you...

MissPat said...

I'm not making light of how debilitating your migraines must be, but pulling out all of my sewing room at once to reorganize would give me a raging headache. Not that it doesn't need it, but working on sections is the only way I can tackle it. So odd to think you are suffering through the heat at the same time I'm looking out the window at snow coming down.
Pat

Lu said...

Thank you for your generosity. Blessings

Jackie said...

Thank you for the beautiful pattern! I make a dessert similar to yours. It's called Magic Cake. Delish!

Dots said...

I hope and pray those migraines cease to bother you. I know they have to be awful. I do not have them, but I take your word on them. Hopefully they stop quickly, and you feel well very soon.
The watering can is a nice embroidery. Thanks for sharing that.
In the throws of Christmas shopping here. I'm almost finished and have a couple more gifts to get. Then it is wrapping! But I am thankful I can give. Giving is just the best part for me. I start early so I'm not overwhelmed by the shopping. I try to be finished by December 1st if possible. Christmas is just beautiful. I enjoy Christ. God bless!

Farm Quilter said...

I pray your migraine will let up on its torturous grip. Headache that never let go are horrid. I once had one for 6 months straight due to TMJ, before I could have surgery to fix it. May you be able to enjoy the season we celebrate the greatest gift ever given!!

Maryannep said...

Migraines are so debilitating - I know, I used to get them - but now, Praise God, they have left my life. I just love Tilley soaps as well. I am using the Goats milk one atm to help with dry irritable skin, especially after swimming exercises. The fragrances of the soap are just wonderful and in the past I have machine embroidered hand towels or face washers as gifts with some fragrant soap. God bless you and your loved ones this Christmas!!

Nanna Chel said...

Jenny, the weather is shocking down here and with the humidity in the tropics it must be almost unbearable. I hope you feel well enough to have a swim to cool off. We really need rain but not as much as you had a while back. Enjoy the weekend with your hubby.

e said...

Thank you for the beautiful stitchery and gentle reminder what we are celebrating and why. I feel the true meaning gets losr more and more each year. This stitchery will make a lovely gift for some new friends.
Hope you feel better soon 💗💗💗

Jacqueline said...

I hope your headache leaves.. sorry to hear you are suffering. Thanks for sharing your talent with us again.

Pink Rose said...

Hi Jenny thank you for this pretty design ,I have just ordered from amazon a lovely book called From France to the Farm which I reckon you would love too,I watch her utube videos Parisienne Farmgirl,and I can't get enough of watching them,she has 6 children and she is doing her home up and she makes a lot of things out of thrifting and has the most amazing garden and she cooks all the time.
I do hope those migraines go away for you ,they sound horrible .
I love your lovely tidy sewing room,a room which inspires you with your lovely designs.
Yes the impossible pie is a recipe I have made many times before.
This year I have been making a lot of gifts too,I have the 3 littlest grandies on the 23 rd and we are going to be making baked gifts for people that they want to give a gift too,handmade comes from the heart,hope you have a wonderful weekend my friend xx

Karrin Hurd said...

Thank you for the beautiful design. I hope you get relief from your migraines soon. I have made your sewing bag and needle book 4 times now and love your designs! Thanks so much for all you do!

Judy1522 said...

Thank you for the beautiful stitchery design. I am so sorry about your migraines and will be saying a prayer for you.

Tammy said...

Thank you for the wonderful words of inspiration for this season of joy! And, thank you for the free pattern. I love it. As far as organization, I've been following the video tips by Pat Sloan. She has a series on organizing. I need all the help I can get. https://youtu.be/lG_d_-d90wQ

Susan said...

That is a beautiful design, and I so appreciate your reminder to slow down and rest and remember. Thank you for the pattern and for a delightful look at your day with Blossom. My sewing room should be so lucky as to get a cleaning like that! =) I've promised myself that between Christmas and New Year's, I will take the week off to re-establish some kind of order in there. I might even buy a metal shelf unit to help organize things! I won't get too carried away, though. =) The Impossible Pie looks delicious and I am doing eggs, eggs, eggs for a kickstarter diet. Do you think the sugar will make a difference? LOL I'm saving it for a day when I take a break from being careful. Thank you so much for your post, and for all the wonderful things you do for your readers, and for others in your town. You are always included in the people in my life for whom I thank God. I hope He answers my prayers, and I'm sure many others, with a lightening of the migraines, or a cessation, which is what I'm asking Him to give.

Carol said...

Thank you for the lovely embroidery design and recipe. Is the coconut sweetened or unsweetened? I also want to thank you so much for praying for us, it means the world to me.

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Hi Carol, we don't have sweetened coconut in Australia. Dessicated coconut is just grated coconut which is dried.

Lin said...

I love receiving handmade soaps too Jenny. They will made great gifts for your neighbours. xx

Cindy A. said...

I love good smelling soaps too. I follow what my mom and grandmother used to do and put one in some of my dresser drawers. However, one that reminds me of my late grandmother sits on my bedside table. When I first bought it the smell was really strong and induced dreams of her. I've had it for a couple of years now and have to actually pick it up for the smell to be released. I'll probably never put that one in a drawer. I prefer having it close at hand when I need a "hug" from Mamaw. Thank you so much for freely sharing your God-given talent with us.

Gloria said...

I also love homemade soaps. I buy them at the open markets in the Summer. Thank you for the pretty embroidery design and the recipe Looks delicious. Hope your migraines subside soon. Have a wonderful Christmas! Blessings to you and family.

Kerryanne @ Shabby Art Boutique said...

What a gorgeous Christmas stitchery pattern Jenny and you are so generous in sharing it with us.
Thank you for sharing your Good Tidings pattern at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I'm delighted to be featuring it at tomorrow night's party and pinning too. Hopefully I will also get around to making it as well ♥
Hugs,
Kerryanne

Allie said...

Ooh how lovely, thank you dear heart! I do love that Christmas carol. I am praying for your migraines always....especially in this hot season.
Your sewing room is so pretty and inviting!!! I love it!!!!!!