An unexpected silence and what's coming next week...

 What a year this has been so far. It seems every week I have another health challenge to get through and climb over. This week it's losing my voice and the early stages of a head cold. 

My husband is not much of a talker, more of a thinker really, but in his job he is talking to people all day long so when he finally gets home it's peace and quiet he needs so for most of the week we keep conversation to a minimum - and that's fine because we've never been the chattiest couple anyhow. After almost three decades we could easily finish each other's sentences yet we tend to not waste conversation but mostly just talk about things which really matter. 

When I lost my voice this week, even that little bit of conversation drew to a halt. My husband came home to silence. Admittedly I tried to speak but he just put his hand up and said, "Don't talk, rest your throat and get well." So I sat quietly listening to the occasional thoughts he shared and wishing I could respond. The idea to text him crossed my mind once but that just seemed a little bizarre so I decided he's right and we can both be patient as I heal. But of course, when you can't talk you suddenly have LOTS of thoughts bouncing around your mind! I've written many notes to myself over the past couple of days in hope I won't forget anything - because if you're anything like me, talking about new ideas helps me process them in such a way that I'm able to pursue some further and discard others. Blossom tells me she's exactly the same. 

So what to do when you're under the weather, unable to visit your daughter or best friend, and basically living in home quarantine? Sew of course.

I was going to put together the next Homemakers Heart magazine this week but it shall be delayed until sometime next week now as I found writing and typing and thinking wasn't coming as easily as usual with this razor throat, an emerging head cold and insect bites from head to toe (I react very badly to them). Ah, the joys of life in the hot, humid and wet tropical summer. Insects and all. 

So, to the sewing, the fun bit.

 I have been making a few new projects for the Homemakers Heart and one of them is a cushion featuring the Court House Lawn block with a narrow border all round. My plan has been to make one new cushion each month to replace the old ones in our living room and I wanted them to be free of embroidery, just featuring nice fabrics and patchwork blocks, and each one is to be hand quilted. Last month I made a lovely snowball cushion, but this month's cushion is even nicer, and brighter too.

It's for hubby's recliner so I added brown (very rare that you see brown in things I make) because he likes it, but the courthouse lawn block really needed a bright centre to make the whole thing pop so he got some very dark salmon pink in the mix. 

I hand quilted with my favourite Perle #12 threads because as well as gliding through the fabric and cotton wadding, they add texture, that "homemade with love" kind of texture and finish that I prefer.

I love running my hands over hand quilted items...

The cushion is finished now and Mr E came home last night to find it waiting on his chair. I was more excited than him, but he was grateful. I mean, he's a man who would happily accept a solid brown cushion, you know - but he did appreciate that it was made for him. 

The pattern will be inside the next free issue of the Homemakers Heart, along with the Hearts At Home table runner...

...and a sweet duo of lavender themed stitcheries. One of them I finished as a hanging lavender sachet and the other is my new pincushion. 

I had a lot of fun making the Lavender House sachet...

There will also be the pincushion pattern and "Tuesday" in my tea towel series. Quite a lot for a free publication now I think of it, but it really gives me pleasure to bless you this way. 

On to other things...

Do you remember that after being hospitalised last year in January for my heart that I went ovo-vegan for six months? When I look back that was the healthiest I have been in decades. When we decided to introduce a little meat and dairy back in to our diet last August both hubby and I started going backwards. Thing is we only just realised it this year as both of us have been dealing with a string of unrelated health problems through January and February. 

So, ovo-vegan it is again. Probably forever this time. I genuinely enjoyed it last year and found it not difficult to plan or prepare for so I am left scratching my head a bit right now as to WHY did we stop? Regardless, we're back to it now and both heaving a sigh of relief. 

Groceries were delivered today and I was able to plan out ideas for the next week...

Something I always do now is store all my vegetables inside individual glass containers in the fridge. During our very long hot, humid and wet spring/summer/autumn season food spoils quickly, even in the fridges, but since I began storing fresh veg and fruits in these sealed glass containers they will stay fresh for weeks. It's amazing! 

I bought all the containers with light blue lids from K-Mart for just a few dollars each, and the black lidded containers were free through a promotion that Woolworths ran late last year. I have plenty more in the fridge and cupboard but these are the ones I filled today with ginger, cucumbers, tomatoes, grapes, zucchini, asparagus, capsicum, lettuce, coriander and spinach.

We have two large fridges because as you can imagine we need the cold for lots of drinks, water and fresh produce as well as other things here in the tropics. Finding a way to keep our produce fresh for longer has been a gamechanger for our budget and the way we shop. 

I found Xanthe's recipe for dairy free Tzatziki again and made some of that up today, which was then served over last nights delicious brown rice and Tarka dhal for lunch. The warm soft meal was lovely eaten slowly, and even eased my throat.

I sent out Block Two of "Simple Days" to all my BOM members the other day, but if you're not a BOM member and still want to stitch the "Simple Days" blocks you'll find blocks 1 and 2 over HERE in my Etsy Shop.

A new block comes out every month on the 25th until September. Here's photos of block 2...

The patterns are very detailed and include graphs for cutting and placement as well. 

Well, that's it from me today. I can feel myself getting very tired as I barely slept last night and I still have dinner to prepare for hubby and then folding all the washing which is drying in various parts of the house (more rain), as well as ironing his work clothes for tomorrow.

I had planned to make another handmade tag this week as well - the theme being bullion stitch, pistol stitch and french knots, but as yet I've not practiced the bullion stitch so that may well be my sewing plan after dinner if I can stay awake. 

I pray for all of you, that no matter what life is throwing across your path that you look up to God and not down at the problem. It's so easy to focus on the problem, but He is the problem solver and it is to Him we must offer our dilemma and then sit quietly to listen for that still small voice which will strengthen, console, lead and teach us in the things we need to know.

Bless you so very much!

hugs

PS: If you're not a regular reader of my blog and don't want to miss out on the next free issue of the Homemakers Heart magazine, pop over HERE and sign up for my newsletter. It's easy. 

PSS: Issue one is still free to download HERE.

Rainy days again...

WASHING and RAIN

 We've had quite a few days of rain this week and it's still raining. On Thursday I thought there was a break in the weather so I hung washing on the line but as soon as the last peg was in place down came the raindrops once more.

We don't own a dryer so mostly everything small is hung on the drying rack inside the back door when the weather is like this, but the Thursday sheets and towels are still outside, being rinsed and re-rinsed with the cool drops of heaven.

Tomorrow is my 62nd birthday and the forecast is for sunshine so I don't think another day on the line is going to matter in the big scheme of life. 

Our cockatoos friends love visiting the feeder in this weather and as usual one is always on watch from the top of the clothesline. They're a rowdy lot but bring much joy as we sit out back having breakfast in the early morning hours.

 CLEANING and BAKING

Inside I've been continuing to deep clean, and the past couple of days this has meant pulling everything out of cupboards and sorting through what is needed, wanted or can be given away. Do you get a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart when you open cupboard doors and see everything neatly placed and space to spare? My linen cupboard looks especially nice now without all the old curtains and towels I'd held on to but never use. I did keep one curtain which will be cut down for the girl's cubby house windows, and a few towels which shall be cut up for cleaning rags, but the rest was never going to be of use. 

In the kitchen this week I made a large shepherd's pie from leftover roast lamb and lots of vegetables, with a thick layer of mashed potato and cheese across the top. This was dinner for two nights and lunch one day as well. I also made a lasagne which spread across two meals. 

Pineapple fruit cake is a favourite in our family so I baked two, a large one to share with Blossom and a smaller one for the freezer...

Earlier in the week I bought a lovely white metal three tier stand for the sewing room. I have a similar one near my desk/office area in the corner of the living room and love how it serves a dual function - storage and elegance. I've been looking for another for about four years so when I saw one on Tuesday when I was out with Blossom there was no question about getting it. 

It frees up space on my cutting table as it now holds those bits and pieces which used to live on the end by the window. It's also given me somewhere to store my crochet basket (slowly working on another blanket) and fabrics for projects which will be underway in the next week (library bags for the girls and a tea towel project which I'll be sharing here soon).

SEWING

In the sewing room I've prepared everything to remake one of my old table runner patterns from 2014. This will be in the next issue of The Homemakers Heart magazine (issue one is over HERE as a free download in case you missed it) and I shall probably spend most of today finishing the applique and embroidery, and tomorrow with the machine sewing and quilting.

I'm also remaking one of my older Block of the Month quilts from 2013 - Daisy Days. I've redrawn the blocks and changed a few things, but I'm also adding applique this time and drawing up a fresh new layout for the blocks. Not rushing this one as it's going to be a long work in progress with no deadlines - I was just never 100% happy with the original finish and as it's been eight years and my style is a bit different these days, I'm playing around to make it more 'me'. 

I've already changed the vase applique fabric THREE times this week so you can trust me when I say this won't be accomplished anytime in the near future, but I do like how block one, Mondaisy, is coming along now.

Tag number 7 of the #52tagshannemade project via Anne on Instagram is completed though! I seem to be scraping in the day before the next tag theme is released, but that's fine because it means I'm always up to date (so far).

The theme for week seven was hexies, but not the paper pieced kind, these are folded from circles and I really enjoyed making them.

During the sewing room tidy up I found a piece of vivid blue dupion silk among my medium size fabric scraps and decided to use it for the folded hexies. I also added vintage lace pieces, mother of pearl buttons, more of that old crochet edged doily which has featured in a few of my tags now, and three small green lazy daisy leaves. 

If you want to see how these folded hexies are made you can watch Anne's tutorial HERE on Youtube. 

BIBLE

For a few days now I've been reading and re-reading Psalm 139. There's so much richness in this psalm, so many deep and meaningful truths to ponder and let sink in.

Today I kept going over and over these few verses...perhaps because my birthday is so close and that always draws my thoughts to human frailty, mortality and life purpose being fulfilled.

I found great comfort in the knowledge that God had written in His book all the days of my life before I was even conceived. To imagine that our Creator, our dear Father in heaven, cared enough to write down all of my days, all of YOUR days, when as yet there were none, speaks volumes of how individually precious and unique each of us are to Him. 

FLOWERS

My love affair with yellow continues and when I did the grocery shopping yesterday morning a lovely big bunch of yellow sunshiney chrysanthemums came home with me. I divided them between a tea pot and a pot - one on the dining table and one on my desk. 

I wasn't very well last night, an unexpected angina attack gave us a scare you see, but two sprays of the nitrate and things settled. It always triggers a migraine so that came along around bedtime, but the grace of the Lord is a wonderful thing and I rested well for most of the night. 

Then this morning, under orders from hubby to do nothing all day (he had to work), I was watching a free to air documentary on Charles Spurgeon (HERE) and still in my nightie when our elderly neighbour dropped by with another large bunch of yellow chrysanthemums as an early birthday gift. So kind of her, and now my house is alive with sunshine yellow flowers which truly lift the spirit and brighten the shadows of another overcast and rainy day. 

Now how about I brighten your day? Some lovely stitchers have sent me photos of their Elefantz projects and they are simply beautiful! I think seeing my own designs through the eyes and style of another is a real blessing.

Joanne finished block 1 of Simple Days cheerily in sweet Tilda fabrics and photographed it in the snow...

Billie made last year's Psalm 23 BOM fabric book into a gorgeous quilt...

Anita made a beautiful hussif from my 5-part tutorial (here)...

Dear Val Laird (visit her blog here) won a kit from me about ten years ago for my pattern "A Christmas Story" and for this past Christmas she pulled it out and made it up. She's a precious lady and when she sent me the photo I shed a few tears. 

And lastly, Annette has completed her very pretty block 1 of Simple Days, too. I love seeing the different colourways in this first block!

That's all from me today. Hubby has just arrived home from work and we plan to take the rest of the weekend slowly. Cully May has come down with a head cold and that usually means it will spread among Blossom's household quickly so we've postponed my birthday tea tomorrow until later next week when everyone is back to health again. 

I hope you relax this weekend too, that you rest in the grace of the Lord and find many moments to give thanks, for we are always surrounded by His blessing if we just stop long enough to see them.

hugs

The homebody...

 

Are you a homebody?

It's probably the most accurate description of me, my youngest daughter Blossom, my oldest daughter Kezzie, and my best friend Rosie. We really are homebodies, and we can all say that with no hint of dissatisfaction or a need to apologise. It's quite simply who we are and who we've always been.

I had a long phone chat with Kezzie yesterday morning, over numerous cups of tea and raspberry oat muffins. Though we are three states apart and may not see each other face to face for a long time due to Covid lockdowns and closed state borders, we still find a way to enjoy morning tea together. 

We talked a lot about how she and the boys are faring in a state that is almost always in lockdown or under restrictions and one thing she said really confirmed to me that we are very much alike. "Mumma, I don't think it affects me as much as it does many other people. I'm a homebody, you know that, and apart from the inconvenience of needing to shop sometimes and not being able to hop on a plane to come visit you and Blossom, we're really quite content nestled here in our home and garden."

This morning I was out shopping with Blossom and the three little ones; we do one big shop about every six or eight weeks and today was the day to gather and build on our supplies. A couple of hours in and it was time to stop for a cuppa and let the two girls play for a while in the little indoor farmhouse at the rather quiet shopping centre, feed little Charlie David, and grab a sandwich before heading off to another store for the next leg of our pantry gathering excursion.

As we sat and sipped chai lattes, Charlie well fed and snuggled against Blossom's shoulder, we talked of how Kezzie's love for home mirrored our own, and of the contentment we each feel taking care of our families, intentionally creating a sanctuary where they can relax and feel safe to be themselves, knowing they are loved unconditionally and listened to. 

All three of us love to be home and only venture out if we need to. We choose not to travel to and fro unnecessarily, nor seek to escape our home environment. Making home a place where we want to be, where our family want to be, has become a priority for myself and my dear daughters.

Each of us have been told by 'friends' at some stage that we shouldn't be tied to the home, that we should set ourselves free to go out and live life, build a career, travel etc.

Needless to say those friendships never lasted long. Whilst we are supportive of others who choose to live their dreams in their own way, it's sad when they can't support the choices we have made - as though we are 'less than' or as some have called us, 'stupid'. 

Since I was a little girl all I wanted was a husband, home and family. Since Kezzie was a little girl her only dream was to be a mummy. And since Blossom was a little girl her only desire was to be a mummy and homemaker. In different ways we have each fulfilled our dreams, and we have each supported and encouraged the other to flourish in the roles we chose for life. 

I was given such a hard time when we decided to homeschool the children, especially by teachers my husband worked with, but when Kezzie had her boys she too decided to homeschool and that to me was a confirmation that we'd done something right, something she wanted her own family to experience - and time has proven to her that she did the right thing as both boys (aged 20 and 13) appreciate the life she made for them. 

Blossom has had pressure from the other side of the family to put her children in care and build a career, but that's just not her. Motherhood, homemaking, being a wife who is 'there', these are the things which matter most to her, and it takes a lot of confidence to stand up to the naysayers but she does it with grace because she knows this path is right for her family. 

And I think that is what matters most.

Knowing your own heart, having a solid assurance and foundation on which to build the dream God placed within you from the start, a dream which not only offers personal contentment and satisfaction, but which nourishes the lives of those you love, those whom He has placed in your care. 

Am I saying women should not have a career? Not at all. If that is the way God has led you, then who am I to speak against you?

What I am saying is this - if you're a wife, a mother, a grandmother, then your first calling is to build a home, to be a homemaker. For some of us that means being home full time; or it could mean running a small cottage business from home as time allows whilst caring for your children (as Blossom does) or starting a small home-based business once the children have left home (as I do); it might be working part time outside the home to supplement income or because you enjoy your job, whilst at the same time finding great enjoyment creating a beautiful home environment for those who live with you. You may even be in full time employment yet a love for home holds your heart and when you're there you thrive and flourish creatively.

I am a wife, a homebody, a homemaker, a housewife, a mother, a grandmother, a business owner, a friend, and a daughter of the Most High God. I do not apologise for nor regret any of those roles or descriptions.

It took many years for me to shake off the doubts others would speak over my life choices, but once I found my courage and walked confidently in the convictions I held dear, all I felt was grace.

Grace towards others for their own choices, and grace from my Father above Who gently led me along a path which ultimately brought the greatest joy and contentment to my heart so that I never again measured myself by the world's standards.

I love home.

I love family.

I love Jesus. 

And I am a contented homebody.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6

Dear one, regardless of your occupation, location, life situation, age or financial position - pour love into the space you call home, let it be a place your heart is content to be, where the atmosphere draws hearts together and nourishes the soul. And if you think this will be too hard for you, seek the help of God who loves you dearly, for He will answer your call.

Love and hugs

Sewing chatter, a new dress, Rosie and bread...

 Yesterday Rosie came over for the morning and between cups of Earl Grey and nibbles of banana bread and matrimony slice we solved all the world's problems. Ha ha! Okay, not exactly, but we did talk each other's ears off about sewing and our favourite fabric show, The Great British Sewing Bee.

We both have a Britbox (Australia) subscription and slowly they are adding the series so we are soaking everything in and being immensely inspired to forgo the cheap clothing imports which have swamped the stores here over the past decade or more, and set our machines to work on more than just patchwork and quilting.

Rosie is ahead of me in having already completed two new summer tops this month, but also in experience with sewing for oneself (I sewed for my children but never for me, apart from my wedding dress which was a miracle in more ways than one) so I was able to glean from that as she helped me along with a few sensible rules to follow which will hopefully curtail any avoidable mistakes.

This morning I cut out the pattern pieces for a sleeveless top with pin-tucks along the front because I own a few pin-tucked tops and dresses and on consideration realised its my favourite style. 

It's a rainy day here in the tropics of North Queensland which makes it 'just right' for brewing cuppas and hiding away in the sewing room with an audio book while my machine hopefully makes magic.

Rosie launched her new blog recently and it's wonderful. Her latest two posts gave us much to chat about as we sipped our tea yesterday - sewing of course, but also a quote her father-in-law would often repeat and which is made relevant in almost every aspect of a homemakers life. Pop over HERE and say hi, read and be inspired. 

I've not rushed my weekly tag challenge of late, but sat with the theme of the week simmering in my thoughts before embarking on the process of bringing scrappy pieces of lace, linen, ribbon, buttons and thread together. The theme this week was 'a bevy of buttons' and after a few alterations to my initial idea it came together beautifully just before dinner yesterday.

Flower gardens are a delight to the senses aren't they? So why not create one on the tag I thought to myself.

Now I'm wondering what the next theme could be, but it won't be shared until Saturday morning my time (Friday evening in the UK) so I must be patient. Besides I have a pin-tucked top to sew and that will keep me busy - especially making my own binding. Glad I have enough of that fabric. 

Blossom has been sewing again and begun to add beautiful new dresses to her Etsy Shop. This time she's made toddler sizes (12-24 months) and will be sewing some 3yo dresses in future as well. You can have a look at her new wares over HERE at Lucy & May.

But there's one very special dress I'd like to show you today. A little while back Bloss and I were chatting about the dress she wanted to make for Rafaella's 3rd birthday in early March and I suggested adding a little something myself, a hand embroidered bodice. She was thrilled with that idea and so I drew up a little circular posey and added R in the centre. Well, you know that was the easy part. 

I handed the embroidered bodice fabric over to her and then the real magic happened. What my daughter can sew impeccably never ceases to swell my heart in pride for her diligence to the God-given craft she loves. 

Our little Rafaella, aka Shirley Temple, had no intention of waiting for her birthday to wear mummy's creation, and let's face it who can deny that smile?

Do you remember two years ago when I made a bodice for Rafaella's 1st birthday dress? You can have a look back at that post HERE.

Hasn't she grown up!

The pattern is still available HERE in my shop if you like to hand embroider bodices, and comes in sizes 1-2 and 3-4.

BREAD...

I was asked recently about my bread recipes because I have quite a few favourites that I make over and over again. Back in 2017 I shared three good recipes I bake often so for those who kindly asked me to share them again feel free to use THIS link to download the file.

There's also a sweet little bread stitchery inside the file so while it bakes you get to stitch. 

I suppose I'd best depart from the computer keyboard now and head back to my sewing room to cut out the fabric for that pin-tucked top. Firstly I'll need to brew a pot of Earl Grey and then sample a bit more of the matrimony slice which I made with blackberry jam this time. And if you've never made this slice let me encourage you to try it - delicious!

You can download the recipe HERE, which just like the bread recipes has a little stitchery you can play around with while it bakes. 

May the Lord bless your days with peace and laughter, healing and hope, grace and truth - and may you always feel His mighty loving hand upon your shoulder.

hugs