May, the month of sewing and shedding...

 I had a number of things on my list to finish this month because I made the decision not to start anything new until a few unfinished projects were complete. My theme for this month, which I totally forgot to tell you about at the beginning of May, is "shedding", and that encompasses so many different aspects of life - UFOs being just one of them. There has been much satisfaction of late when I shed the visual reminders of a job unfinished.

Here's a couple of UFO finishes for May. Both the stitcheries are free patterns I have shared with you previously - HERE and HERE - and now one (a remake) is a little flour sack style decoration, and the the other is a small tie top pillow for the bedroom. 

I also completed a little chicken stitchery for a hoop, and that will be eventually hang in the kitchen.

Also on my sewing list was to alter and repair a number of linen and cotton dresses that have been waiting in the mending basket most of this year.

Now I have a restocked wardrobe of good quality cool dresses for our tropical climate! 

I also (finally) cut up some old linen tops that were quite worn in places, or damaged, and now they will become lovely pieces for creating new cushions in our home. 

I spent a couple of days making a new runner for our coffee table from some lovely green prints I've had for many years - maybe ten years? We decided to brighten our home decor inexpensively so I have been checking what I have in the way of fabrics to sew a few things. The rug below the coffee table was a Mothers Day gift from hubby (he insists on thanking me for making him a father, bless him)...

I have been watching The Great British Sewing Bee on the iPad again, starting over with season 1 (on Britbox Australia) as I cut and sew and plan in the sewing room...no matter how many times I watch the series, I am inspired and learn something new.

As I watched yesterday, I took note of the Tilda fabrics on my table (leftover from the two little pillows in those photos at the beginning of this post) and also the lovely little tin with small shortbreads that I was enjoying with my afternoon decaf coffee...and an idea formed. 

An hour later....

 The tin is just the right size for holding pins, needles, small scissors, binding clips and threads. I still have one more tin left to play with, but not until I finish the shortbreads. 

In the kitchen I made another apple pie (no fancy decorations this time) and tried a 'new to me' bread roll recipe that was quite a hit with the family. 

In the garden there's a number of new plants and herbs growing, plus the kookaburras are visiting often and laughing for me as they sit in the shade of our huge poinciana tree...

The grandchildren are loving their new cubby Cafe and the 'new' dress-up outfits I found at the Salvos op-shop. Can you believe Cully May will be 8 in August? 

So what else am I shedding, other than my sewing UFOs??

My inbox...and all the unnecessary email subscriptions (and some I never subscribed to but they keep coming anyway)

My wardrobe...things that have not fit for years or have weathered too many years. 

Decorations...do I really want all the little bits and pieces scattered around our small home? No, so I'm assessing each one and deciding two things - do I like it? - is there a place for it to be displayed?

Garden ideas...the ones I have laboured over for years and they have never been fruitful. 

Recipes...trimming down the overfull recipe folder to only those which we enjoy and will be remade over again and again.

Recipe books...do I really need all those cookbooks? Not at all. two thirds have now been donated.

Craft/Sewing books...do I even read them anymore? Have I used them to make projects or for inspiration? If not, then they need to go. Many I sold, and others have been donated.

Fabric...my style really is changing, so even though I rarely buy fabrics anymore and have a good but not expansive fabric stash, I'll be selling quite a bit very soon. 

My original completed stitchery designs...time to sell many on Etsy, as there's nowhere to display them here. I'd need a gallery! 

Busyness...yes, I'm shedding that too. Intentionally slowing my days this year (even more than last year) has allowed me to eliminate time-wasting, and be more productive in what matters around the home. I'm also doing two things at once, slowly - listening to a book/sermon/podcast whilst I work in the kitchen, or watching something like Great British Sewing Bee on the iPad while I'm creating/mending/organising in my sewing room. 

Dreams...those dreams of old that are simply not practical at my age or in this time of life.

Unrealistic Expectations...those I have put on myself and those others try to put on me.

Designing...aah, yes, at last the time has come. I have one commissioned project to do for the Tilda Club Australia later this year, and then the slate is clean. 

All the patterns I purchased or saved to make one day...three-quarters were donated or sold. As I've said previously, my style has changed and I'm enjoying exploring that in the things I am now making for our home.

Coffee mugs...I mean, really, how many do you need??? I confess to being a coffee mug addict, as is my Blossom. But they must go. Well, the least liked ones. 

Appliances we do not use...its been exciting to sell them on and empty some much needed storage space! We have barely any in our small home, but it's almost 'just right' now. 

There's more, but I think you get the idea. 

What kind of things are you shedding from your life? I had been brushing our pug, Molly, when I had the ide about shedding. She's a heavy shedder and needs a lot of regular brushing or our floors and furniture gather piles of her loose fur. When I finish grooming her she has a big shake and runs off quite exhilarated...and that made me think about how good I feel when I 'shed' things or burdens or expectations from my life. If I was Molly, I'm sure having a happy shake and my mind exhilarated would spur me on to 'shed' more often.

Perhaps it's my age that also inspires me to let go of all those things? As I get older, I find myself needing less and less, wanting less and less. There's much more joy to be found in the small things, the ordinary things in life, and as I become more aware of that, I find contentment in both heart and mind soon follows. 

Would love to hear your own thoughts, my friends. God bless you, and may His presence be a constant source of gratitude, hope and love as you walk through your days. 

hugs

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