Block 4, sashiko, and kitchen prep...

 

It will be the Ist of April tomorrow, but I do like to share the new Sewing Room block a day early. 

The theme this month is 'threads', something we who stitch, quilt and sew, cannot do without. Threads are an integral addition to any sewing room, and can be displayed in many ways. I have large glass jars filled with small balls of Perle 8 and 12, which I use mostly for hand quilting, and I have four large organisers with stranded embroidery threads, such as DMC and Cosmo. In the wire drawers under my makeshift ironing bench, my machine threads are stored in repurposed shoe boxes, and in some cute little wooden drawers you will find vintage cotton spools. Lastly, in a stacked plastic tub I store all my duplicate embroidery threads (the colours I use the most). No wonder I was inspired to create the 'threads' block this month!

My embroidery threads all need reorganising, as I'm keen to store them in colour families, rather than their number sequence. Hopefully I can begin that transition in the next month or so. If you'd like to do something like this I found a downloadable chart HERE. How do you store your embroidery threads? In colour families or in numbered sequence?

Use the link below to download block 4 -

DOWNLOAD Block 4 of The Sewing Room

I have finished four sashiko blocks now, and I'll soon sew them together as a placement for my husband. I chose maroon thread on recycled linen (an old linen sheet) for his placemat, but I am trialing two shades of green for mine. 

I am absolutely loving the calmness of sashiko and think that the more I do it, the better I shall be. Like anything, it takes practice. The green so far does not stand out as much as the maroon did, so I may use this particular block for something else, and choose a deeper colour for my own placement. We shall see what happens when I complete the stitching and iron the graph lines away. 

Mondays are usually spent giving the house a good clean, but my husband had to work yesterday so I did it then. Today I was able to do a bit of meal prep, mostly sides, plus a cake. 

Things I prepared - a delicious salad dressing, marinated carrot salad, two jars of tomato pesto, a new batch of pickled peaches, a lemon sour cream cake, stewed plums, and last of all I used my grinder to make vanilla powder from some old vanilla beans that had dried out too much. 

I'll make a file for you later in the week of these recipes (you already have the pickled peaches HERE) to add to the free Pantry Staples ebook I shared a few weeks ago. My plan is once a month to create another page or two of recipes that you can print up and add to the Pantry Staples book you have already. 

A short blog post today, but before I sign off, may I ask you to pray for Blossom's health please? Her doctor has sent her off for a long list of tests, and I am afraid that's all I can tell you - but God knows all about it, and we have total trust in Him. As sisters-in-Christ, I've always found it a privilege to pray for any of you who need it, and I also feel that same privilege when you pray for our family - so I truly do appreciate you taking the time to lift our precious daughter's health concerns to the Lord. God bless YOU.

Till later in the week, may the Father's hand and heart be upon you in all you do, and in every situation you may be facing right now. 

Love and prayers, 

You will find my design account on Instagram HERE @jennyofelefantz

And my other Instagram account, just for homemaking, HERE @elefantzhome

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