Block 2 The Sewing Room BOM and an update...

***UPDATE three hours later than when I posted the blog post below: Monsoon has hit hard, and cars are flooded out everywhere. All four pumps blocked, but hubby got home by borrowing a 4WD from work, so he's been outside in the thick of it fixing them. Plus a pipe along the side of the house that broke. I've been doing all I can to sweep water away from the carport and their belongings. Blossom and Ross, the kids and dog, are stuck in the flood with traffic unable to move anywhere, because so much of the city is now underwater. Please pray for everyone. Forecast is for 1 metre of rain in the next two days.***

Wonderful news to share - Blossom and her family have finally been successful in acquiring a home rental. Praise the Lord, who is good all the time!

It's been a tough week, being homeless, and with special needs children that have found the situation quite unsettling - but the Lord carries those who love Him and cannot carry themselves. Having them mostly here with us gave the children that sense of normality, familiarity and security they needed, but still, as the days passed with more and more disappointments from unsuccessful applications, anxiety and weariness undoubtly set in with these precious children.

Today (Friday) they will pick up the keys, and then over the next two days Ross, Blossom and my husband will move their belongings from our carport to their new home. We have seen and felt the hand of God this week, as we've had so much rain, and the next ten days or more will bring even heavier rain. Our only place to store all their things is in our carport, which is open on three sides, so hubby covered most with a couploe of huge tarps, and we prayed for God to keep everything dry. And though the rain rose around everything, and the yard flooded (all four pumps worked well, so the water was sent out to the drainage in our street over a period of time), all that was under the carport has stayed dry.

Their television, computers and Blossom's sewing machine and overlocker, were all stored in hubby's study (which also serves as our second pantry, second fridge, and his office). 

We've also been caring for their two rescue cats, Howl and Kiki, who made themselves at home very quickly. 

Thank you for your prayers, and well wishes, they were treasured. If you would like to send a card or note to Blossom, so she can experience your care as she unpacks and sets up this home for her loved ones, and finally rest from months of searching for a home, just pop me an email and I'll let you know how. I would never normally have mentiuoned this, but felt prompted by the Holy Spirit last night to do so. 

Okay...as tomorrow is February 1st, I thought it best to just share the second block in this year's free BOM "The Sewing Room" in today's post, as we will be all hands on deck for the next few days with the move. 

This month we're stitching scissors in a pretty sheath...

I fussy cut the sheath from one of the Tanya Whelan 'Barefoot Roses" fabrics I am using for this project. Such a pretty print too!

Are you using a particular range of fabrics for this BOM, or are you making use of your scrap bag? I think either way, this will be lovely when its complete. Mine will hang in my sewing room of course ;-) - will yours?

Use the link below to download Block 2

DOWNLOAD Block 2 The Sewing Room 

If you missed Block 1 it is HERE

As I'm just a few weeks off my 66th birthday, you can probably imagine how during the past week I'm rather weary by sundown, and in need of a good rest before starting over with the children next day. 

I have recently discovered a Japanese embroidery designer, Yumiko Higuchi, through Kiko Sabi's YouTube channel. Yumiko's books are all written in Japanese, though some have English translation copies available. Due to our cost cutting this year, I went on a search and found a few at our local library, so I borrowed them, but they did not have the one I really wanted, which contains the pattern for the original piece I watched Kiko Sabi stitching in one of her videos. I did some hunting online and eventually found a place where I could download the book (in Japanese) for just under $6US - ended up being around $10 Australian for me. To buy the actual book itself would have cost $30 from Amazon, so that was out of the question. 

Before I purchased it, encouraged by my dear husband, I could look through the pages and see all the projects inside. Pleased with a number of them as well, I bought it.

This is the Mushroom Wreath project I wanted to make...

In Kiki Sabi's video she finished hers as a teapot trivet. I think I shall display mine in a hoop, but you never know, I may have other ideas when it is completed. 

So each night I relax with some of the stitchery, and it's coming along very well. I chose different background fabric, a beige coloured cotton/linen blend, and different thread colours than those used in the book...

The book is called Stitch of Seasons by Yumiko Higuchi, and if you're fairly proficient with hand embroidery you'll be fine with it being in Japanese (the PDF version I purchased is HERE). If you're new to embroidery you'd be better off buying the English hard copy from Amazon or a bookstore that stocks it. 

I shall show you it again when I am finished. Hubby wasn't sure what to get me for my birthday, so we chatted and I suggested another two Japanese PDF embroidery books, which he was happy to get me. I chose a couple by Yula, and look forward to sewing something from them this year as well. I chose THIS one, and THIS one. Yula's books are only in Japanese.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart...that's become quite vivid the past couple of months for Blossom, her family and us. They did not get a home that has things they were hoping for, such as solar, but they got a nice home, with a bigger yard for the children to play, and bigger rooms so homeschooling will be easier, and Blossom can start to sew again. She has barely sewn in more than a year, and it delights her to think of it becoming a source of joy again. Plus, I have been teaching Cully May and Rafaella to sew and they are thoroughly enjoying it! Cully May has now made a skirt, which she wears all the time, and Rafaella made herself a lovely reversible scarf. 

Charlie David and I do baking in our special times together (everyone gets a special time with me to be taught something new) and this week he astounded me by how well he took directions, and how confident he was with the baking equipment. These are his choc chip cookies, and an afternoon tea with his sisters...

Why is there a toy hairdryer in use? It really blows cool air, and Rafaella discovered it cooled her hot tea very well! 

That's it for today, for this week in fact. By next week they will be settling in to their new home, and I shall be giving our home a deep clean - all while the rain continues to fall. Aah well, the garden is happy, and it is the wet season after all.

God bless each and every one of you, and if you're waiting on the Lord right now, don't waver...He will work in the way and the timing that is just right for you.

Hugs

You will find me on Instagram HERE @jennyofelefantz

And my NEW IG account just for homemaking HERE @elefantzhome

Subscribe to my free Friday newsletter HERE and never miss a blog post, pattern or tutorial

Stitch my free 2025 block of the month 'The Sewing Room' HERE