Ever, Clever, Friends!

Do you have clever, talented friends? 

Me too!

I see what they create and immediately you'll hear a string of "oohs" and "aaahs" as my eyes roll over the eye candy their talents offer.

My friend Allie - and let me tell you, I'm shining my 'friend' badge when I say that! - has been dabbling in design for a while now, offering sweet free titbits through her blog to bless all her readers. 

BUT, now she's stretching herself (yay!! 'bout time I say!!), and has opened a shop online to sell her very first, ready to purchase, design!

Let me introduce you to "Sailors Delight" by Allie Hartom...

 ....of 'Allie-oops Sweet Happy Life'!

I must tell you why I love this pattern by Allie, and it's not just because it's such a great design.

Read the verse...

My grandfather who raised me was a wharfie. That's what we called them here in Australia, but overseas you might know that as stevedores?

They are the men who used to swing up and down the sides of cargo carriers on roped nets, helping unload. Today safety is far more important than it was then, and they have machines that do a lot of the work my Pop did - but in his day, those men were incredibly hard working and brave. Even more so for my Pop because he'd never learned to swim! Yep, swinging from shore to ship on a rope and he couldn't swim a stroke. The good Lord kept him safe for 45 years.

Anyhow, my nana used to check the weather by the sunrise and the sunset before Pop's morning and afternoon shifts, and she would quote this little poem to me. It actually originated in the Bible! 

Matthew 16:2-3

"When it is evening you say, "It will be fair weather, for the sky is red", and in the morning, "it will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening".

All my life I have judged the weather on nana's poem, and every time I say it I remember my sweet Pop.

So you see, this new design of Allie's is really special to me.

If you'd like to purchase her design, click over HERE and visit Allie! 

~~~~~

And now to another of my talented friends, Helen from Bustle & Sew!

Helen Dickson is a fellow e-zine publisher and though our styles are very different, we both love what the other designs!

I'm so proud of Helen as she has just published a gorgeous book, and she sent me my very own copy!

"Rosie & Bear - Around the Year Quilt Book"

 

 This is a book that follows her daughter Rosie as a young girl with her faithful companion, Bear, through each month of the year. 

Every month is a stitchery, and the finished 12 blocks become a quilt at the end.

My favourite was May (which just happens to be Blossom's birthday month!)...

 

See Bear peeping over the top?

 

To celebrate Helen's book release (which is available as a PDF download or paperback from Amazon),

she is offering one of my blog readers the chance to own a PDF copy for themselves!

To enter this giveaway just leave ONE comment below, with a valid email address or blog address so I can contact you if you're the lucky winner!

You have until Sunday night, 26th August, to enter!!

I'll draw the winner on Monday 27th.

In the meantime why not visit Helen's blog HERE and have a look at more of her cleverness?!

Or if you'd like to purchase the book now, you'll find the PDF on her website, and the paperback HERE on Amazon.

~~~~~

I read recently that if you add more mental problem solving to your day you have a decreased chance of suffering dementia. 

I found my solution.

Cool, huh? ;-)

Have a great day!

Hugs

Jenny

xx