Monday, September 19, 2022

Remake progress, a new pattern, and a freebie too...

Good afternoon everyone!

How was your weekend? Did you get into the garden, bake or cook? If you were able to sew, what did you make? Perhaps you went for a country drive, a stroll along the beach or across a mountain side? I sometimes ask this when I'm doing my own little joys at home, "I wonder what is everyone else is doing today?" Of course, there's no reply, but many ideas come to mind and I'm hopeful that whatever you're doing brings you a sense of satisfaction and delight.

It was my beloved's birthday on Saturday and after an early dinner of fish and chips by the beach we drove over to Blossom's for some wonderfully relaxed and laughter-filled time with her, Ross and the grandchildren. Relaxed birthdays, with no presents, are my husband's favourite...and we respect his preference, because after all, the day is for him. He also likes a bit of liquorice and some dark chocolate, which Blossom had waiting, so he truly was a happy man. 

Yesterday it was ghastly hot; seems we skipped spring as summer in the tropics has arrived already. Both of us were exhausted after a few garden jobs and spent the entire afternoon inside, enjoying the air conditioner. We watched an excellent sermon, then hubby had a nap whilst I wrote a very long overdue pattern, which I've been asked a lot about since the sneak peek photo last month.


Having somewhere pretty to store packets of needles is just as important as having a needlebook filled with 'in use' needles and pins, don't you think?

The fabric I used for this project is Tanya Whelan's Barefoot Roses, my favourite ever fabric line from about 2010. She recently re-released the prints and though I rarely buy new fabric anymore, I did splurge on a few half metre pieces, and I have NO buyers remorse.

The cover has a cupcake applique and hand embroidery...


...and the case closes with a pretty pink silk ribbon.


Inside there are four pockets which hold packets of needles, scissors or thread...or whatever you'd like to store in the little spaces available. 




The elegant lace trim on the pockets add that touch of femininity that I love.

I have added this new pattern to my Etsy Shop, and as with all my Etsy patterns there's detailed embroidery and sewing instructions, full material and cutting lists, photographs and full size pattern sheet for tracing the embroidery/applique design. 

Go HERE to purchase The Rosey Needle Case pattern

My other stitching and sewing of late has been re-making the blocks from Phyllis May's Kitchen BOM (the original is here) but this time I'll be sewing them into a quilt, and the project renamed Jennifer's Kitchen.

Seven blocks are complete...














I'm using a mix of Lori Holt fabrics from my stash, but wanted to include lace and pieces of doilies as well. So far I'm loving the way this is coming together...




All the patterns are in my shop (in sets of two) and though they are written for the original memory book (shown below), I also included instructions to complete each block at 10.5" square for using in  quilt layout. 






I can't wait to finish all the blocks and begin putting them together, but I'm not rushing, just doing one block every week or two, whilst I play around with other things in between.

Not sure yet if I'll add borders to separate each block...or even embroider a verse somewhere before adding a final border around the whole quilt. If you know of a lovely kitchen themed verse, scripture or quote, I'd love to hear it, and if I do decide to add one I'll simply share the extra pattern here on the blog as a freebie. 

Which version/colourway do you prefer? The original or the remake?

All the patterns for this project are HERE in my shop. I'll add the photos of my remake blocks there soon, as it helps to see different ways you can make one block. At least it always helps me! :-)


WHAT ABOUT A SURPRISE FREE PATTERN FOR YOU TODAY?!

How about a nice little stitchery just for free? Small designs are perfect for quick gifts or for embellishing an item. 

I first shared this little Make Do & Mend stitchery back in 2014, but I love it just as much today and hope you have fun with it too.


In your free pattern the stitchery comes in two sizes. I used the smaller one as the cover for a very simple needlebook, such as you can see in the photo above. Inside I placed pieces of leftover cotton quilt wadding as it's lovely and soft for holding used needles and pins.

I stitched it in place with a piece of the fabric selvedge, a Tilda favourite. Oh how I wish she still designed fabrics like this. They were so pretty and gentle back in the day...


The larger stitchery I made into a simple cushion, using more of the Tilda fabric.


You know, I just thought how sweet this stitchery would be on the pocket of an apron! And I need another apron...so guess what I'll be stitching and sewing this week? 

Use the link below to download this free stitchery pattern.

DOWNLOAD Make Do & Mend

Now that I'm sequestered inside with the air conditioner for a good portion of the day, regular blogging and stitching and homemaking will return...and that excites me. Seems so long since my blogging and sewing life have run to a lovely rhythm. 

Now I must be away as I had forgotten my bread dough was on it's second rise and I can see from my desk that's it risen a LOT! 

God bless you lovely ladies, and may He minister truth, joy, and goodness to your hearts each and every day.

hugs


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19 comments:

Joanne said...

Hi Jennifer,
Lots of lovely inpsiring stitcheries this morning :) Thank you !
The latest news letter from my LQS, local quilt shop, announced the new Tilda Collection Hometown and In my neighbourhood releasing October 1st 2022. I'm curious to see the size of the fussy cutting possibilities.
Enjoy the new season with new creative ideas !
hugs, take care,
Joanne

Lin said...

I love the needle case Jennifer and your pretty kitchen blocks are going to make a lovely quilt. Having traveled to a not so nearby walk in covid centre for our boosters on Sunday morning we decided to carry on to the south Devon coast and remembered why we usually stay at home weekends! Everywhere busy and horrendous parking charges. So today we are off to the West Somerset coast where we know we can park for free and can sit on the beach with our picnic in relative peace. xx

Susan said...

Thank you for a new look at Make Do and Mend. Those are lovely soft colors which I identify with you. I liked the original Phyllis May's Kitchen colors, but I think I like your new colors even better. Thank you for all you share with us. I hope your garden continues happily for the plants that love the sunshine and heat, but you are able to stay cool!

Carla said...

Jennifer's Kitchen blocks are adorable. I love them. The fabrics are really pretty. Happy Belated Birthday to your love. Our weekend was spent antiquing and meeting the parents of my daughter's boyfriend. Sunday was a quiet day at least.
Stay well.

Jan said...

Dearest Jenny,
Yesterday we watched the Queen's funeral. I was struck and saddened by the removal of the scepter. orb and crown from her coffin then laying them on the altar. That act made the realization of her death final and made a strong point that we enter this world with nothing and we leave with nothing. In death we have no advantages unless we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. Our only hope is Jesus Christ and being welcomed into His kingdom where any thing from this life is absolutely without value in the face of His love and presence.
The needle case is so lovely! It makes me want to interrupt my chores and run get my fabric, needle and threads to create it. I so love all of the sweet birds you use in your patterns, but now I have a new love - cupcakes! The pattern is just happy. Your creativity is motivating. I will be stopping by your Etsy shop in a few minutes. :)
I've been trying my hand at a fall garden and learning how to keep the bunnies from munching on all of my broccoli. (They did leave me a few stems, lol.) I'm glad to see fall arrive here in NC so I can spend more time inside and be able to create some beautiful things in fabric and some tasty things from flour. I can't decide if I want to practice sourdough or brioche first?
Both iterations of the kitchen book are delightful, but I may be leaning toward Jennifer's. Your use of lace makes it even more appealing and it emphasizes your femininity in all things...even in the kitchen.
The "Make do and Mend" stitchery is timely. It will be perfect for your new apron. I think it would be nice in the sewing room, too, but I think I would need to see it in a more prominent place. ggg
Many belated birthday wishes to Mark. I hope you are both feeling well.
May your week be one of "heaps" of delights, peace, joy and rest.

Maria Victoria, BC Canada said...

I have enjoyed your blog for the last couple of years. It has inspired me in my own journey of stitching and devotions. I feel like you are my friend and we are having a cup of tea together and sharing a craft. You seem so down to earth, fun, loving and creative. Your blog is a blessing and helped us get through lockdown. I made something for everyone in the family last year, as I was not doing much shopping. Thank you for all the encouragement offered in your blog.

Anonymous said...

Your post really resonated with me - I also started my blog in 2008 and have found that I my posts have become far less frequent in the past couple of years, and I don’t keep up with all the blogs I used to follow eagerly. I recently posted for the first time in months, and am trying to make myself get back to posting more regularly as my posts serve as a journal of my creative endeavors. I appreciate all that you share and look forward to reading your future posts!

Anonymous said...

Dear Jenny, I would like to send a belated happy birthday wish to your beloved and say how pretty your new stitcheries are. May I ask, where do you buy your silk ribbons? I cannot find any locally. Much love to you and yours, Jennie❤️❤️

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this. I know that this is a phrase my grandmother lived by! Beth T./wordygirl at earthlink dot net

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the freebie. I've been thinking of making small mending kits for my offspring for Christmas so this will be a good way to decorate.
Here in the UK, the weather is decidedly cooler than the unusually hot summer, when I was hiding indoors from the heat. I had been looking forward to visiting places again but after a day visiting Lincoln while youngest attended the university's Open Day, I am not so sure. Yes, I enjoyed it but far too many people! I've come to realise that I prefer being at home, concentrating on my stitching & home crafts, particularly with Covid levels rising again. An occasional trip out is enough. 🙂

kupton52 said...

Thank you so much for the free pattern...."make do and mend" is a lovely way to live! May God bless you and yours, Jenny. You are such a generous soul. I, too, comment on blogs more infrequently the older I get. It isn't a commentary on how much I enjoy the blogs; I just find myself speaking (and writing) less. I've enjoyed reading your blogposts for many years and I have a wonderful collection of Elefantz patterns.

Karen said...

I am glad that you are back to blogging. I so enjoy reading your posts. I love to always have hand work to work on. You have so many lovely patterns.
Thank you for the Make Do and Mend pattern. I love the Phyllis May's Kitchen Blocks.

mags said...

Thank you for sharing your patterns. I always enjoy reading your uplifting messages.

Anonymous said...

Your posts are one of the ways to help me slow down, have a cuppa with a friend in Auz and just breathe for a few minutes with the smell of a fabric store surrounding me. Thanks for sharing your wisdom, your thoughts, your life and your unique ability to make your readers feel like jumping up, grabbing some hoops and thread 🧵 and make something with their hands. Loving kindness from South Africa 🌼

Nancy in IN said...

I read emails of a morning before breakfast. I print patterns then and hopefully do some. I hate to copy on fabric or am slow at doing it. I love to hand embroider and knit. I sew two or three hours a day. I am finishing a quilt now made with a jelly roll and needle turn applique. I need to layer and quilt. It is a tester project. I plan to take to our cabin for the bed.
I so enjoy your blogs.
Enjoy your family. We get to see two of our grands each week and finally traveled to VA to see three more. We are to get a great grand in November.
Happy birthday to your hubby.

phyllidots said...

Dear Jennifer,
Though I am not a blogger I used to be a writer. And so, I very much appreciate your time and thoughts in your blogs. Plus, it is so kind of you to share free patterns that I'm sure will be fun to make.
I have a new granddaughter for whom I babysit usually 4 or more days a week. So my sewing has been put on hold for awhile.
I gave up Facebook a year ago and have stopped following a lot of people on Instagram. If I had a business, I would be more active on Instagram and maybe Facebook, but right now babysitting is my business. Hah!
I also want to send blessings to you and yours for sharing your faith in your blog. To me, you have a very honest and sincere message to share about Christ in your life. I find your words heart-warming and encouraging. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness.
All the best, Phyllis

Weezie said...

So enjoy your uplifting blogs. I, too, will miss your lovely queen. I am new to bloging. Have alot to learn, also new to using a computer.love your patterns and have tried several and have many printed and ready to make. K

Anonymous said...

Once again, you're an encouragement and a generous sharer of your designing gift. I wonder if that darling little needle book could also be used as a tea bag wallet. I like to have a variety of flavors with me so I'm not stuck with whatever cheap black tea a restaurant serves. Finicky? Maybe. But carrying tea bags in a beautiful wallet would be well worth it. ♥️

Carol said...

Thank you for another lovely blog and delightful new embroidery project. I liked the original Kithen colors but like the updated fabric choices even more. Shows how versatile good patterns can be, thank you.