The creative ways of a homemaker...

 We woke around 5am this morning to flashes of lightning, loud rumbling thunder, and then the wonderful, cooling rain which soon followed. On days like this I love to stand at the front window and watch the transformation of our dry, and often parched summer gardens, to a lush green as it soaks up the gift of heaven and hydrates once again. 

As hubby starts work a half hour later on Saturdays, I took the extra time to make gluten-free waffles and a blueberry compote for breakfast, served with homemade strawberry jam and sour cream on the side. I often see Olesya, in Belarus, making pancakes served with jam and sour cream, so this morning we tried something similar. I shall confirm it is delicious to have the compote, or jam, with sour cream. 

You've heard me speak often about watching Olesya's YouTube channel. Her simple life, creativity, positive and caring character, along with her sewing skills, all combine to inspire my own homemaker heart. Recently I started over with the videos she has made over the past two years, with the intention of writing down many of her recipes, and saving a lot of her sewing tutorials and patterns. There's no fanfare with Olesya, just a happy smile and straight forward instruction and encouragement for the homemaker. 

So, with my own homemaker heart inspired, I thought about the things I'd like to do this year in our home, and what I'd like to make that is pretty, useful and practical. There's a number of items I am sorely in need of for the kitchen, such as pan liners for the ceramic cookware my husband bought me for Christmas 2023. In the year that we've had them I have used old cloths to place between the frying pans, baking pans and saucepans. The brand is Greenpan and I LOVE them. They are the best investment we have ever made in cookware...

...but as they are ceramic, you can't stack them without a liner, or you will crack the ceramic coating. These old facewashers and dishcloth have saved the pans over the past twelve months, but I really want to sew some proper pan liners this month. 

Blossom recently gave me a huge piece of soft and thick white terry towelling, so my plan is to use this between my pots and pans...probably bound with scraps of fabric that I save for just such a project. 

Another thing I need in the kitchen are oven mitts, as my old ones fell apart many months ago and I've just been using a folded tea towel since then.

Yesterday and this morning I watched Olesya make two styles of oven mitt HERE and HERE and her method was much nicer than others I have seen, as hers are lined, and she also shares the template to download. I have it printed up and waiting on my sewing table right now! Fortunately there's still a good size piece of Insul-bright on my shelves, and that will be wonderful for padding and insulation inside the oven mitts.

Another kitchen project is to make a cover for the KitchenAid Bowl Lift Mixer that my husband bought me for Christmas 2024. Perhaps you see a trend in his gift giving at Christmases? He always asks what 'big thing' I'd like, and we both know it will be something useful that is meant to last a very long time. 

We got it on special for less than the cost of a regular KitchAid stand mixer and as we are facing an exceptionally lean year in 2025 while he completes a year of study for a late-in-life career change I at first declined his offer...but he was insistent and so it was purchased. I shall make jolly good use of it, too. Having the stand-lift is wonderful for arthritic wrists. :-)

For now I just have a tea towel covering it...

So there are three projects for the kitchen which shall be made, hopefully before February, as I'd like to focus on one room at a time, wisely making things that add to the homeliness of each space, whilst also being very practical and useful. 

I'd also like to make some microwave bowl cosies, something my clever friend Rosie makes a lot of as gifts, and I shall also be sewing bowl covers - I made my first two for Rosie at Christmas, and I lined them, so even though they were fine, I believe the pattern needs tweaking because they do not need to be lined. 

I have a Pinterest Board HERE, "Homemade Stitched With Heartstrings"  that has loads of links saved over the years to inspire and instruct me in sewing for the home, and sewing for gifts as well. People can share so many wonderful tutorials and patterns for the things we enjoy making, or need to make, on Pinterest, that its always where I look first for ideas and sometimes answers. You may find some useful things on my board for your own homemaking plans.

I also gain inspiration from books. They may not necessarily have instructions for things to sew or make, but they often give me ideas about what I could make and how to bring even more homeliness into our dwelling. These books have been saved over the years, some purchased new, others found at garage sales or the op-shop. I have more on my shelf, but these are the ones I mostly peruse on a rainy day with a hot cuppa.

And I really want to sew a pretty ruffled liner for this basket, something I have watched Olesya make (I truly do get SO much inspiration from her!)...but I shan't make one until I am very sure about what fabric to use from what I already have. 

One final thing which I shall be making, though not for the kitchen, is a cover for my ironing table in the sewing room. Today is the day for this project! As you can see below, the old faded pink fabric has just been folded around a block of wood hubby had in his shed (there's also a layer of Insul-bright and cotton quilt wadding), but I'd like to make a fitted cover with elastic edging, similar to an actual ironing board cover. 

Wish me luck with this, as it is an experiment. First though, I need to choose the fabric. Perhaps I can use some of the recycled linen sheet which has been so great for other projects this year? I shall have a play around today and share the results next week. 

Tell me, what would you like to make for your kitchen? Or for your home? I'm ready for more ideas as this year is well underway now, and having rediscovered the joy of using my sewing machine (a big change from designing hand embroidery patterns and focusing almost solely on stitching them for fifteen years) I am actively looking with fresh eyes around our home...I just need to get those kitchen things done soon as they are rather needful. 

Along with this year's blog theme of...

...I am also focused on my role as a Bible-believing homemaker, and the accompanying blessing and warning for women found in Proverbs 14:1. 

I dearly long to be wise with regards to my God-gifted role in our family, and that only comes about by being in God's Word every day, and being still long enough for Him to illuminate new truths through the sixty-six books of His Divine Word. The last thing I want is to tear down my home through a lack of integrity, wisdom, godly character, and Biblical instruction. So Proverbs 14:1 is another verse I shall ponder and pray over in 2025 (the other is John 2:5 which I wrote about HERE)...

I wonder if you have a verse or two that you'll be focused on this year? Or perhaps a quote that resonates with you? 

Whatever we do, sweet friends, let us love our homes and families, love the Lord, and make our dwelling places somewhere we, and our loved ones, long to be. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

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