Late October garden and two new patterns...

 It's been a while since I did a garden post, mostly because we've been flat out keeping things alive as the dreadful high temperatures return for our long summer, which will not recede until close to winter next year. 

Over the past month my husband dug up a large concrete slab in our backyard, which the previous owners used as a boat support. Then he had to fill it all in with soil, and top it with hay. I took these photos early yesterday morning before the sun rose over the mountain, as once the sun appears my photos are startlingly white and overexposed, so they are a little dark...

These are some of the concrete pieces he cut out. We're giving them away, and half have already been taken, but the rest are waiting there until we find someone else who wants them.

The grass has died away and when you walk around the yard all you hear is the crunch under your feet. We have added more hay across parts of the lawn, in an effort to save the soil from complete hydrophobia before the rain arrives - though we're told to expect a long drought, and for the past few months that is indeed what we have had. 

I always plant pumpkins this time of year because they survive regardless of the heat and humidity. There are four Queensland Blue plants here, and before planting out the seeds I dug holes and filled them with really good quality potting mix (far better than our rock hard clay soil). I just have to keep up the water every day...

The cucamelon vines died off once the days got over 30C (85F) and now where we are the days have already climbed to 34C (94F)...and it's only the middle of spring. Trying to keep some nutrition in all the gardens I have planted sunflowers of all varieties *everywhere*. We won't let them go to seed, but do a cut and drop over garden beds and soil. We will also plant more in successions of about 4-6 weeks until early Autumn. 

The small raised bed on the left below is now clear of the cucamelon vines and I have sunflowers coming up at the base of the wire. The angelonia and marigolds continue to thrive in the worst of heat as long as they get water. So do the geraniums, dianthus and coreopsis, and of course, the weeds. Sweet potatoes are also doing very well in three separate areas as long as they get watered regularly. Honestly, we will take anything good we can get in the garden right now. Herbs like rosemary, spring onions (green onions), parsley, thai basil and perennial basil are also surviving - but they usually manage okay in summer with good rain - this year we'll just hand water. 

The corn failed dismally, so we're leaving it there to drop and become part of soil nutrition.

I'm nursing two cucumber vines in the shade, three potted blueberry plants in fruit under the cover of an old net curtain, and the last of our roma tomatoes and snow peas (very shocked that they've lasted this long).

Our little green tree frog is still alive and happily living in the raised bed by the pool. Turned out it's a she, so we named her Peaches. When the children were little we used to sing a song "Gonna move to the country and eat a lot of peaches..." because we all had a dream to do that. Unfortunately you can't grow peaches in the tropics, but now we have a Peaches of our own living close by. She's looking much better than she did back here and happily sits in her pink bowl of water if she's not shading herself under the sweet potato vine. 

New Patterns...

I have added two new patterns to my Etsy Shop this week, and I hope you like them. Both were a joy to create and are now displayed in our home.

I find this verse to be quite uplifting, and at times needful to remember. 

I've really enjoyed the penny rug style these past few months, and though there are no penny circles on the little tongues which hang from the bottom of this mini quilt, the small mother-of-pearl buttons added a lovely vintage touch and were a perfect replacement. 

As I said in my last post, designing in future will only happen when I have time, inspiration and can fully enjoy the process. The few new patterns I am currently writing and adding to my shop were all joyful creations, and made for our home. Perhaps they'll be joyful additions to your own sewing? 

This table topper is square and has a cute little house sitting atop a double heart sewn into each corner. I made this in subdued colours, and thought later it would be perfect to display around late autumn when the weather begins to cool...in late autumn and winter I love having more subdued colours in the house.

Both new patterns are HERE in my shop if you'd like to make them. :-)

I shall sign off now as it's time for my afternoon cuppa, and dear husband will be keen to have one too. I baked some delicious banana, apple and blueberry muffins this morning so they'll be just right to have on the side. 

Before I go - I was reading 1 Thessalonians this morning and wanted to encourage you with Paul's words as I sign off today..."Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

Then I read this from one of Charles Spurgeon's sermons and it fit perfectly with that verse so I'll share this with you too...

"When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude." Charles Spurgeon

God bless you dear ones, and may we together always rejoice, pray, and give thanks, to our Father above Who loved us so much He sacrificed His only Son to save us. That truth must never be watered down, ignored or altered to suit the world. 

Love and hugs

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Counting the cost...

Dear friends, Thank you for the prayers many of you have offered on our family's behalf, prayers for employment for both my husband and our son in law Ross. I want to assure you that Blossom and I have complete trust in the Lord to provide what is needed at the right time. My husband knows this too, but being the head of the home and our main provider, there's more pressure on him (in his own mind) to gain work soon. Ross is not a Christian so he's feeling more pressure with each week that passes...so we keep praying, and as my beloved Nana would say all the time, "God willing it (whatever the need or plan was) will come to pass." 

Homemaking in my experience, is like the seasons, a rhythmic change of circumstances. We have the season of noisy growing children filling the rooms, and then the season of  quiet when they have left the nest. There are the seasons of plenty, times when we have comfortably enough, and the times when every penny counts. A season of excellent health may be followed by a serious illness, and vice versa. Our home garden might be abundant one year, and swallowed up by flood or drought the next, and of course there may be a season of being ably employed, followed by a season of no work at all. 

As a homemaker first and foremost, I find myself challenged in various ways when a certain season arrives or leaves. For example, I knew in advance that my husband would be unemployed by early October, so I did what I immediately thought should be done, and began a new Stitchery Club to at least help us pay the mortgage each week...but I was wrong to do that. 

Hubby used to work six days a week, and when he would have holidays I'd consciously pull back a bit with my regular chores so that we could spend more time together, especially in the garden as that's a pastime we really enjoy. But a week or two later he was back at work and after playing catch-up with deep cleaning for a few days, I'd settle back to the normal routines and rhythms of keeping home.

Having him home now for an unknown period of time, and adding a new Stitchery Club to my list of to-dos (working on the club requires hours every day) on top of my regular and important responsibilities around home, he has noticed that I am run off my feet trying to keep up, and this has put a real damper on our days. My beloved is the head of our home, and through God, he is our income provider. When we married the plan was always that I'd raise the children and keep house, and he would be the breadwinner. Admittedly, when the children were younger (as was I) and he was retraining at University, he was happy that I was able to earn a little extra by doing things like Avon, cleaning a large local church (hubby helped) or selling used rare books online which I'd found at op-shops - these all helped fund our homeschooling expenses over the years...but they never replaced his wage, nor became a necessity.  If it was getting too much I simply stopped with his blessing and gave my full attention to home and family. 

When the children were at the end of their homeschooling education, I had begun to design stitcheries and offered a free block of the month on my blog every year (still do). Soon various craft magazines were asking me to design for them on a monthly basis, and I did that for about five or six years before choosing to offer my patterns through my own site. It's been a wonderful journey doing this, and because of the income we were finally able to save enough for a deposit on a home of our own late in 2018. Buying our home was a long held dream and we give thanks daily to the Lord for making this possible. 

As I reflect on the changes having a home of our own made in our lives as we neared 60, we were simply not prepared for the energy it would take to turn a home in the tropics which was surrounded by concrete, into a green, shady, edible garden. On top of that were the internal changes, a flood in 2019, so many home repairs and flood pumps installed as we fought rising water every wet season, and each year getting older and both of us having auto-immune diseases to manage.  We do not regret a thing, and we know this home was a gift from God so that we'd not have to rent anymore, but could create our own home sanctuary to last through the latter years of life, and ultimately be passed on one day if the Lord tarries His return. 

But jumping in to start a new club, even though my intentions were good, did not make them right for this season of life. One day I was so exhausted and with my body a mass of pain, another migraine beginning to brew, all I wanted was to fall into bed. Later that night when bedtime finally came around I prayed and asked the Lord for help. Do you know what He said?

"You didn't count the cost first." Every time I woke in the night I pondered those words and next morning re-read Jesus' words on that very subject. (Luke 14:28,29) He was describing how a builder would not build a tower without first sitting down and counting the cost, to make sure he had enough supplies before he began. Then I read chapters before and after that one, because I am very much a contextualist when it comes to studying Scripture, and discovered more examples of counting the cost.

Cost can be anything which will be required of you to pursue a certain task, relationship or belief. It's not just about money. The cost I had not factored in was time, energy, age, health and priorities. As the past few months have come and gone, it's clear that not much was lain aside, apart from blogging,  because I take my homemaking very seriously, but in order to keep up I had to fill more and more hours each week with precious time which should not have been surrendered so rashly. No wonder I was exhausted and in so much pain. If only I had counted the cost before making that decision. 

When I eventually fell on my knees before our Lord, He was so very gracious, and in the past week or so I have become more aware of the cost that must be paid for any decision I will make now and in the future. Counting the cost is marvellous for putting things into perspective, for alerting me to a pot-hole in the road ahead, for reminding me of what I have in my hand and what I can do without. 

I even got inspiration for a new design, with words of life to keep me steady and grounded in the simple life I love so much, and which recently began to slip away.

I do not have to design anymore. But I can when I have time, when inspiration from the Lord is present, and when I am enjoying it. The project above was lovely to create, and because it came from my heart, overflowing with gratitude to the Lord (and my husband), I relaxed and did something I'd only attempted once before...cotton crochet edging. It took time, but it wasn't rushed. It simply brought me joy. 

So, no more new Stitchery Club, but yes to the occasional new pattern which I'll just pop in my Etsy Shop. I do have a few already, which I made for the club, but now they'll just be single patterns in the shop. Maybe later in the week the patterns will be added there, but right now, hubby and I have a garden to work in, a Bible to study, some bread to bake, and time with each other to enjoy. Oh, and our Molly-dog too. She's become the sweetest addition to our home and puts a smile on our faces all the time. 

If you've become overwhelmed this year, perhaps you have taken on too much? Step back a bit and pray for the Father to show you what needs to go. 

Perhaps you are facing a decision? Count the cost first, dear one. Count the cost. You might be paying more than it's worth.

Bless you heaps,

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Block 14 The Virtuous Wife BOM...

 

Hello lovely ladies, I know my time here lately has become quite sparse, not intentionally, but due to life's commitments in far more important places...like at home, and with family. 

As of today my husband is unemployed, just like our son-in-law Ross. Both of them are looking for work and we're praying the Lord will provide the right jobs at the right time. For now, dear Blossom and I are pondering what we've learned so far during this Virtuous Wife study, and with the Lord's guidance, doing what we can to mange our homes with financial restraint, a joyful spirit, prayer and praise. 

Anyhow, let's see what we can glean from October's bonus study, and I hope you enjoy stitching the free block as well! :-)

“…and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also…” Proverbs 31: 27b-28a

This month I decided to share two blocks from this quilt, today being the second one. We shall look a little at verse 27b-28a in this study, but first I’m going to begin with verse 27a which was embroidered on the previous block shared with you on October 1^st.

At the beginning of this month I focused on verse 26 and the power of the tongue, but today we’ll complete the study of the remaining text featured on the previous block. “She looks well to the ways of her household…”  Proverbs 31: 27a

On the surface you’d imagine this section of verse 27 is fairly self-explanatory, that she looks after the home very well. But it goes much farther in the original Hebrew.

Looks well – “tsaphah” – to peer into the distance.

The ways – “haliykah” – a march or procession.

Our lady isn’t focused on today, she is looking far ahead in order to prepare for what may come in the future. Her family do not sit still, their lives are continually marching forward, and therefore so is our woman. We already know she worked hard to care for her household, but here’s a bit of an insight into ‘why’.

There have been numerous times in history when people were caught unawares, when they realised lack of preparation for an unexpected crisis had left them with little to sustain the family, and no real idea how long before supplies, finances, work or assistance would return to normal. Since Covid savaged the world in 2020, many homemakers have made the decision to stock up and prepare now for any future times of trouble. They are learning new skills which they’d previously not considered, putting together a natural medicine cabinet, baking bread, making soap, foraging and canning homegrown or cheap in-season produce, sewing clothes, mending what is broken, counting the cost of all they spend and choosing to turn away from wants in order to better save for needs. These homemakers have a new mindset, and it’s not about living for today. It’s about preparing for the next time of trouble ahead as there is sure to be one, and I believe that runs right into the second half of verse 27 and the beginning of verse 28.

“…and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also…” Proverbs 31: 27b-28a

Idleness – “atsluwth” – slothfulness, slackness

She’s not filling her cup with laziness, television, books, social media, gossiping, shopping…she’s got her eyes looking ahead at the basics, the important things, and what she can do to build up her home. This doesn’t mean we can’t have some relaxion time to revitalise and refresh body, mind and spirit, for we all need that (exactly why the Lord instructs us to have a Sabbath rest), but it can’t be the centre of our daily desires.

My husband and I were both raised by grandparents who lived through WW1, the Great Depression, and WW2. Their example was hard work, contentment, resourcefulness, financial wisdom, gratitude for what they already had, generational skills, self-respect, kindness and generosity – and there’s no book in the library that can teach this in the same hands-on way that their example still inspires us today.

Learning from Nana’s example, my dear husband praises me often for how I manage the family finances, how prepared we are for needs in the future, the new skills I try to learn, the older skills I’m brushing up on, the well-stocked long-term pantry and most importantly, the encouragement I give him day by day. But I still have more to learn.

He learned from his grandfather to use what he already had, to repair, build, learn new skills and implement them (especially with regards to house repairs and creating a larger garden area to grow food), to provide for his family and show love to his wife (me!). But you know, to create the best self-sufficient life we can, both of us are aware that we need the Lord and His Word to guide us above all else, and then we must put our hands to the plough and do the work - just as our grandparent’s example taught us. Just as you and I are gleaning from the description of a wise wife thousands of years ago.

Use the link below to download the 14th free block in our quilt. 

DOWNLOAD The Virtuous Wife block 14

If you have just found this free block of the month, or have missed a block along the way, the links to every block and the accompanying Bible study can be found HERE

Till next time, God bless,

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Penny rug tutorial with perfect circles...

 I have received a lot of requests to share my technique for making perfectly round applique circles, the kind used in the two Penny Rugs I recently made from the newest Tilda fabric line, Hibernation, and from my Tilda scrap box of older fabrics. 

Needle-turn applique was something I rarely did in years past, but over these last twelve months I've indulged quite a bit in it, honing my skills by trying different techniques until I found one that works for me (and it could be very different to what works for you). But anyhow, the perfect circles on my penny rugs have certainly created interest so I decided to do a detailed tutorial which (hopefully) is easy to follow, and I'm including a second tutorial for making the little buntings which sit along each end of my penny rug table toppers. 

First of all, we'll make the circle. I begin with some thin cardboard, and a circle template. The cardboard needs to be thin and I'll show you why later, but it must be thicker than your everyday 80gsm printer paper. If you have some heavier weight 250gsm printer paper that will work well, as does a cardboard cereal box. 

Choose what size you want your circles to be. In my two penny rugs I made circles in two sizes - 3" and 3.25" as I liked the shuffling around of the slightly different sizes on the completed table topper. The circles don't need to be a precise size for the penny rug, as long as they sit nicely inside a 4" square. 

To make a Penny Rug like mine you will need-

* sixteen, 4.5" squares of assorted fabric

* eight, 5" squares of solid cream fabric (I used linen) for the bunting tongues

* eight, 5" squares of backing fabric for the bunting tongues

* twenty-four, 4" squares of assorted quilting fabrics in your preferred design

* one, 16.5" square of fusible light-weight Pellon, quilt wadding, or Parlan

* Perle 12 thread in cream

* eight, 4.5" squares of thin fusible fabric stabiliser (I use Staflex 3045)

* Aluminium foil

* thin cardboard

I have a lot of pre-prepared circles in my templates box because I use them quite often these days. 

Trace around a glass tumbler, a jar, a bangle, or use a pre-made plastic circle or compass on to your cardboard, just making sure the circle is no larger than 3.25" if you're going to make the Penny Rug table topper. I don't have a 4" circle in my collection yet, so I decided to make a couple today as I show you how I make my templates. 

Once you have cut our your circle, write in the centre what size it is. Lay it onto a piece of aluminium foil and cut a circle of foil about a half inch bigger than your cardboard template. Fold the foil around the circle. The foil assists in giving a very crisp edge when you press the completed circle.

These are so easy to make that I tend to have around six or eight of each size on hand for projects. I suggest for the Penny Rug table topper you make eight 3.25" diameter, and eight 3" diameter (or all sixteen in one size). Use a template to trace a circle onto the centre of a 4" square of fabric. 

I love the little field mouse print, and it's perfect for this type of project! I have loads of 2.5" circle templates so that's what I'll use for today's photos...

Sew a line of running stitch just inside the outer edge of the fabric circle. Place the template inside and pull the threads to gather the fabric around the template. Tie a double knot in the threads, and press the fabric circle with a hot iron on the dry setting. 

Once cool, peel the gather over one edge of the circle and remove the template. (this is why the cardboard needs to be thin)

Press the circle again. Perfect. You will need to make twenty-four of the circles for the topper and the bunting tongues. 

If you're making the Penny Rug table topper you will need to make the background next. Sew the sixteen 4.5" squares of fabric together in four rows of four. Fuse the Pellon/wadding/Parlan behind the background, and then stitch one of your completed circles into the centre of each square. Your topper will now measure 16.5" square.

Now we need to make the bunting ends. 

For this part of the tutorial I'm using completely different fabrics from Tilda because I really want to make a third Penny Rug when I have a spare few days, and this was my way of auditioning the fabrics I intend using. They looked perfect so when I have a chance this will become part of my next topper. 

Using the steps above, you will have already made the extra eight circles we need for the bunting tongues. I chose to make this version in subdued creams, blues and pink (there's a wee bit of old Tilda which came to the party after all!). 

I'll write the following steps for one bunting tongue, but you will need to make eight in total.

Fuse a 4.5" square of thin fabric stabiliser behind the 5" squares of cream fabric. I use Staflex 3045 white woven fusible stabilser.

Using the template from the DOWNLOAD SHEET I have for you, trace the bunting tongue shape onto the centre of a 5" square. 

Position one of your circles 3/4" above the traced line at the bottom of the bunting tongue and pin in place. 

Blind stitch (needle-turn applique stitch) the circle to the background fabric. 

Cut out the shape along the traced line. Lay the bunting tongue face down on another 5" square of cream fabric and pin in place. Sew 1/4" inside the edge to secure the tongue and backing fabric together. 

Turn the tongue right side out, carefully pressing the edges flat. Sew along the top edge with a scant 1/8" seam. Use the Perle 12 thread to sew a line of running stitch just inside the outer edge.

Sew four of the tongues together along their top side edges to make one row of four. Sew them together from the top edge down, about 1" using a blind or slip stitch. You can see in the photo below photo that I have done this with my Hibernation topper. I'm showing the back of the toppers as it's easier for you to see. I didn't do this with the second pastel topper, but wished I had as it really does make the following steps easier. 

I don't have photos of how I completed the toppers, but here's the steps...

Sew a row of four bunting tongues together as described above, and then sew them to one end of the 16-square topper with slightly less than a 1/4" seam, keeping the right side of the tongues and the right side of the topper facing each other. Leave the tongues folded in on the topper, don't press them away. 

NOTE: The row of tongues will measure 16" long, whilst your table topper end will measure 16.5". This allows for the 1/4" seam either side of the bunting when you sew the topper and backing fabric together. 

Repeat with another row of four bunting tongues at the opposite end of the topper. 

Lay the right side of the topper, with tongues still folded in towards the topper, face down onto the right side of your backing fabric. The backing fabric is a little larger, but that's okay as we will trim later. 

Pin the topper front to the backing fabric. Sew around all four sides with a 1/4" seam, leaving a 5" opening along one side for turning out later. Be very careful not to catch the side of a bunting tongue as you do this. 

Trim away the excess backing fabric.

Turn the topper right side out, carefully pulling the tongues to help straighten those ends. Push out all four sides with a large rounded tool (I use a very large wooden knitting needle) and press the topper flat. Slip stitch the side opening closed and press it. 

Once you make this topper, you'll discover just how much quicker it is to make a second, and a third...in fact, this pattern is a good one for using up fabric scraps and for gift giving. 

The circles, once you get the hang of them, are also wonderful for making other things, like one of my new mini-quilts from The Stitchery Club...

I loved the variety of circles on circles for the flowers, and then smaller circles for the surrounding berries. 

If you missed the download link for the bunting tongue template it's HERE. 

I'd love to see your own version of this pattern if you make it! You can email me a photo HERE or tag me on Instagram HERE. 

Now, I shall sign off for today as after this mammoth tutorial I am in dire need of a nice hot cuppa and perhaps some raspberry scones with lemon curd (photos of those next time!),

God bless you heaps, and may your creative fingers dance a merry jig as you stitch and sew in the days ahead. 

hugs

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