2025 a new BOM, new theme, and a heartfelt direction...

 

It's January 1st and as I look back over the past year and consider every decision made, how far I came with regards to my walk with Jesus, what things and experiences stand out as most precious, and what should have been discarded, my heart and mind are prepared for a new year and a fresh page. 

In retrospect, the results of those few months I spent away from blogging continue to bear fruit, as I gained increased clarity with regards to my purpose in life (as wife, mother, nana, friend, and woman of various skills) and how to continue using all the God-given gifts He so generously blessed me with.

As a blogger, my heart's desire has long been to highlight each woman's exceptional calling to homemaking, and with that in the forefront of my mind, this year the blog's theme will once again be "Gentle Domesticity", with a focus on the refining of a homemaker's character, building up of new skills, and also recognising what is precious, and what is not in our everyday lives, so that we keep the one and discard the other. 

GENTLE (character) - having or showing a mild, calm and tender temperament.

DOMESTICITY (the state of) - refers to the home being a place of retreat and a sanctuary away from the public sphere, where we women create, care for, and maintain beauty and peace within our walls -and it also refers to how we oversee our home economy wisely.

I was surprised last year when studying about economy to learn that the original meaning of the word 'economy' has nothing to do with government spending. Big aha moment to be sure! The original word is taken from the Greek oikonomia which means 'the management of a private household'. Naturally, this has me thinking about how I run our own household economy, and to be honest I've had some marvellous years which prospered us, but I also had some wasteful years. As I am the money-manager of our home economy, and as we have some big things happening this year which require us to be more frugal than usual with our income, I shall be pursuing extra creative ways to prosper without spending. 

As we move through 2025 I'll be sharing regularly about how I'm choosing to live a wiser, gentler, yet productive life, of Gentle Domesticity...and I hope you'll share your own thoughts and experiences with me too. 

I had not intended doing a free BOM on the blog this year, but after a short trip away to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary last weekend, this idea dropped kindly (thank you Lord) into my sketchbook and I thought it would be a little different and a lot of fun. 

I've kept the embroidery/applique blocks relatively simple, and the layout for this wall hanging will be quite basic, easy to follow, and great for using up your fabric scraps or a fabric bundle long-loved but never used.

The Sewing Room BOM will run for nine months, as things get busy towards the end of a year and sticking with nine months means we will all probably get it finished before next new year, right?! ;-)

Here's what you need to know about The Sewing Room...

...and I have prepared a Fact Sheet for you to download which has the instructions for cutting the fabric, and for sewing the pieced blocks as well as bordering the nine embroidered blocks. 

Use the link below to download -

DOWNLOAD The Sewing Room Fact Sheet

The blocks will be shared here on the 1st of the month from today, January 1st, until September 1st. Here's your first block, Needles.

I am using up my long held stash of Tanya Whelan's Barefoot Roses for the project. At first my thoughts went towards using my scrap bin for all the borders and appliques, but this year is also "Waste Not, Want Not" in our household, and why hold onto a beautiful set of fabrics and not actually give them a purpose? They do nothing sitting on my shelf, but now they can have their moment to shine, and I am going to LOVE having the completed project hanging in my sewing space. 

Use the link below to download Block One, Needles -

DOWNLOAD The Sewing Room block 1

I've also given The Sewing Room BOM it's own page on the blog in case you miss a block through the year. The link is in my sidebar, or you could bookmark the page HERE. 

I'm very excited to have you sewing along with me this year, and if you're on Instagram, please tag me #thesewingroombom #jennyofelefantz #elefantzdesigns with your photos. Share my posts about it as well because lots of stitchers and quilters love a free BOM, for there aren't as many available these days as there were when I first blogged in 2008. 

You'll find me HERE on Instagram

Long time readers know that every January I share the Annual Tea Towel Post, and this year is no different. I'm almost finished stitching the new free pattern and will share it with you on Friday.

And that's not all I have for you in January! There's a lovely free Bible stitchery that I've used for the cover of this year's Elefantz Designs diary, and then I created a second version of the same verse. On Friday you'll find out just what that verse is, and why God gave it to me for 2025...then you may like to stitch it for yourself, or perhaps stitch it as a gift.  

Just as an update, Cully May is still in the moonboot (for four broken toes) but will be reassessed on Thursday afternoon when she has another round of x-rays. Please pray her foot has healed...she is a real trooper with such a positive attitude, but its very hot and humid here in the tropics and she would love some cooling air around her foot at last, and to be able to visit the playground again.

So shall we embark on a new year of Gentle Domesticity together? I believe that no matter whether you are a Bible believer or not, these words below, taken from Colossians chapter 3, highlight the very essence of what a gentle domestic life is all about. So if we ponder these and apply them to our lives, I truly believe we shall bear much good fruit in the coming year. 

"Put on then...compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience...above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony...and be thankful." 

God bless dear ones, 

love