Monday, October 26, 2009

Sneak peeks, Blossom designs, and the possums...

My week began with the 12th Graders Home Ec class, making Beef Roulade. These young women are just gorgeous and I feel so blessed to spend time with them each week - they embrace me with their hearts and that makes the lesson an ever richer experience for me.
I'm helping teach the same recipe to Blossom's 10th grade class tomorrow, so as bonus practice for her we made it together this evening for our family meal - it was simply wonderful. She is slowly adding recipes to her repertoire for making over the December/January summer holidays. Last week it was Chicken Parmigiana, and next week it's Coconut Chicken Curry, so we're going to have a REALLY good menu plan for those two months! :-)

Speaking of food, Maggie and her baby, Charli, feasted on tomatoes and grapes tonight. You can't see in the photo, but my husband calls the time they arrive for dinner "bat o'clock', because the sky above is almost black with a blanket of bats, flying from their caves in the hills to eat the fruit from the hundreds and hundreds of mango trees that fill the streets and yards of our little town. I wish my camera were good enough to get them on film for you - it's an amazing sight!

Blossom has been creating.
She designed these little embroideries a few weeks back. After she stitched them they were passed along to me to 'do something with'. Ah, she has such confidence in her mother!! ;-)
Tonight I began working on that 'something', and it's quite cute, but I have a few more things to add to it before I can show you the finished project. Aren't they the sweetest little designs?

And of course, I've been creating myself....

...I hope to finish it tomorrow.
~~~~

I'm discovering that I really need 'time out' sewing. That's sewing things that are not my designs - things that are just totally stress-free and thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish, things that I am not questioning myself 'will they like this?'.
At the moment that special time-out is the "Sewing Circle" BOM from Robyn Allen-Waters that I've mentioned before. Here's what I did last night on the first block...

What are you sewing at the moment?
Do you give away most of what you make, or do you make sure you keep most of your work in your home?
I thought I'd ask because Blossom mentioned that I give too much away and she wants me to make more things that stay at home - things she can cherish when she's older and has children of her own to tell stories to about her sewing-crazy mother. Gosh, I love that child.

I think she makes a good point,though...what do you think?

Hugs
Jenny
xxx

PS: Don't forget to visit the Gum Tree Designers blog every Monday for our free Christmas designs! Today the 4th design was uploaded and it's gorgeous!

18 comments:

Phyllis said...

Hey Jenny,

Those critters are so cute - are they Australian Possums? Ours are quite ugly.

Blossom's designs are sweet and precious! She obviously has your incredible talent.

Yes, you should make some special things for your home to pass along to her. Although I sure do love your give a ways!!!

SewLindaAnn said...

Good Morning Jenny,
Your blog w/my morning coffee really puts life in perspective to begin a new day. Thank you for that. I too love heart and home. It's hard not to give things away and share a part of yourself. The hope is that people will appreciate the giving in more than a material sense. I'm working on a colorful afghan pattern I got from a blog, a grandmother's flower garden and, of course, Gum Tree embroideries. Although, it's slow for me trying to look thru books and learn the stitches at the same time. I'm jealous of hills and streets filled w/mango trees.

Colleen said...

Blossom seems to have inherited your talent Jenny. Her designs are very sweet.

Loralynn said...

Wow! Charli is getting big! I love all of your and Blossom's stitcheries! Can't wait to see Blossom's done!

Diane said...

Hi Jenny,

I enjoy your blog so much! Please give some guidance about how to do such beautiful embroidery as you do, which is especially neat and detailed also. Do you use only 1 thread for letters?

Blossom's sewing project is very sweet. I'm hoping my granddaughter will learn to enjoy sewing also.

Blessings,

Diane in AL

Jane said...

Hi Jenny, a beautiful post and Blossoms' little designs are so cute. you know what they say, like mother, like daughter... I have given most of what I have made to other family members, though I have kept a few treasures for myself, that is until granddaughter comes to visit, she begs for them and I just cant say no.....
Hugs xxx

Sarah - Kala said...

Blossom is doing wonderful work. Just like her mum!
I'm making rosaries today, finishing up some back stitching on a project, and, I hope, finishing up a road potholder I had begun and set aside long ago.

Marlene said...

Beautiful stitcheries. Blossoms designs are so cute-I'm sure she is going to love the finished project. How wonderful she has the same talent as her mother-such precious moments you will share together over needlework-and the kitchen.
I tend to give away most things I make-and love to do so. The two quilts I have kept are ones that each cat sleeps on!

Dena said...

I love Blossom's designs. Both of you do beautiful stitching. Thanks for sharing.

miss~nance said...

Cute possums. We use to live at Greenwell POint and in the evening the bats would fly directly over the home of my best friend, it was truly an amazing sight.

At the moemtn I am busy sewing more book marks for work (can't believe how well they are selling, I kept one for myslef). Most of what I sew is the giveaway or for swaps but I alwasy try to have at least one project on the go that is for me. At the moment its a sparkling gemstone quilt.

I also need to find time this week to make a bag for my daughter to carry her TAFE work in.

Blossoms little designs are very cute.

Blessings

Gail

retdairyqueen said...

Lovely stitcheries all
Its nice to give things you have made to those who truly apreciate them, but even nicer that your child feels that she wants to have them to keep
Have to learn to balance it out
How to find the time ? I don't know

Allie said...

I wish I was close enough, you could teach ME to cook. I have severely limited skills in that department.
I wish you could get the bats on film too! Maggie and Charli are adorable.
Blossom's stitcheries are DARLING! Like mama, like daughter. Yours looks darling too!
Sewing Circle looks great. I get really frustrated trying to draw, so I love being able to stitch someone else's designs. Especially when they're YOURS, oh-so-talented Stitchery Queen. I'm done with the garden designs, just need to add binding. They're MINE. I am not giving these away. Yes you should create things not only for around your own house, but for Blossom's "hope chest" - things made for her to cosy up her own someday home.

Kerry said...

Hi Jenny,
My daughter says the same thing. And it is true, especially when all projects I am working on at the moment are for swaps. But it also means that I will (hopefully), receive some lovelies in the mail too, which will then be mine to keep. It's a good idea to have that special project just for you. I have a couple of things I want to start when the time presents itself. Congratulations on Blossom's little designs, it is nice to see some "blossoming" talent. The possums are so cute too!

Noela said...

Dear Jenny I have just been on camp with 9 other ladies from my quilter's group. We went to Boonah about an hour away from where we live. We had a great time and I managed to finish my daughter's quilt top plus get my Verandah Views ready to quilt. The things I make, I mainly give away but mostly to my family so they will be around to look at for a while. Blossom's designs are very cute. Love your designs.......

Alice said...

It is obvious that creativity runs in the blood in your family. Both of your designs are cute. And you are sweet to do "something" with them. Your furry family is adorable, the little one is getting big fast. I go through phases with my sewing--one minute I am on a crazy deadline to make ten gifts at once and then I ignore it all and do stuff for myself. Somewhere nicely in the middle would be good. Enjoy some "time out" sewing as often as you can. A-

Vickie said...

hmmm you making me hungry...aww blossoms designs are so cute indeed and I'm liking what you have done thus far..your stichin Bom looks beautiful....now as to giving stuff away well yep I do it all the time don't really keep much of what I make unless I purposely make it for me.(and that ain't often ).my kids refuse to buy me spotlight vouchers anymore 'cause they say I spend it on stuff to make stuff then give it away..go figure eh?cheers Vickie

Searchfamilies said...

Lovely work as ever
Hugs Janice

Janice said...

Blossom's stitcheries are so cute! I'm glad she is enjoying stitching and cooking. I am another one that seems to give most of my craft away, but a lot of that is to family, so they do have some of my work. However, I am doing a couple of things for us.