Having confidence in tweaking...

One of the things I've heard a lot over the years is a lament over the lack of confidence many people have in making changes to the colours or fabrics I use in an Elefantz pattern - and not just a lack of confidence in making my designs, but patterns by any designer whose style they love.

Now this 'feeling' is not new to me as I also felt that way back in the early years when I was teaching myself to embroider and quilt. I first began to teach myself (and Blossom) through craft magazines late in 2005, and for the next few years I made almost 'carbon copies' of the patterns which caught my eye. 

By 2008 things began to change and my 'brave' muscle was flexed as I began to tweak both fabric colours and thread colours. Early 2009 and I was brave enough to begin designing my own freebies to share here on the blog. 

You see, it's a process. Like learning to bake a muffin. You begin by following every measurement and ingredient in exact proportions to the original recipe, but as time goes by you ditch the recipe and set forth tweaking flavours and using a variety of ingredients you love to create new and delicious muffin combinations.

Another thing that comes in to play when you're nervous about making changes to an original design is that sometimes you miss or look past something which just may have caught your eye if it was made in fabrics that are close to your heart.

An example of this is a pattern of Allie's I made this week. 

Allie's style is more folksy than mine, and she uses solids as well as prints in many of her patterns. Now, I'm being honest when I tell you that I *love* her designs and the unique way she can make simplicity incredibly fetching to the eye (and the heart). Over the years I've taken time out from my own work to indulge in the pleasure of making a few of Allie's patterns and each one is quite different from her original...yet it's still obviously her design.

Just as Allie proof reads my patterns, I in turn get to proof read hers - the bonus being we both have all of each other's patterns before anyone else does! You may not know it, but Allie has just launched her own monthly club, the Applique Club (you can read about it HERE) and it was one of the patterns in her first month's issue that I got to play with this week.

Delving into my stash I chose fabrics very different from Allie's original. Colour is needed in my home and in my life so I think you'll agree my version of her Prim Flowers Wall Hanging ticks that 'colour box'...

I'm deliberately showing you my tweaked version first because I wanted you to 'see' what I saw in my mind's eye after a first glimpse at Allie's original (below).

That gorgeous jug, the elongated churn dash (which you KNOW is my favourite quilt block)...I swooned and declared to her, "I must make this!"

Now you may look at my colourful version and say "oh, no that's not me" but fall in love with Allie's prim folksy palette, OR you might not be sold on either version because you're a girl who plays with batiks or 30's repro or shabby chic or wool felt or something else completely different.

The thing is, almost any pattern can be made in fabrics *you* love.

So if you've held back from sewing or stitching particular designs, even though there's something about a certain pattern that has caught your eye and you can't stop thinking about it, flex that 'brave' muscle and give it a go, make it your own.

My version of the "Prim Flowers" wall hanging by Allie-Oops Designs now adds colour to the greenery which dominates one side of our front entrance and makes my heart happy as can be.

There was one other change I made to Allie's pattern. Her version has binding but I chose to finish the wall hanging envelope style instead.

Allie's pattern includes an optional Scripture verse which is a separate stitchery pinned to one side.

Just for fun, if you were to make your own version of Allie's "Prim Flowers" what style/colours/fabrics/tweaks would you use?

If you'd like to see all three applique patterns in Allie Hartom's new Club pop over here and have a peek.

I'll be back tomorrow with that long overdue tutorial I promised a couple of weeks ago, and yes, finally, that Cinnamon Scroll recipe!

May your blessings flow freely like a bubbling brook in spring and all the work of your hands prosper to the glory of God,

hugs

Allie's Own Sweet Needle-Book and a visit to the ER...

Our precious little Rafaella was rushed off to the ER early this morning. She'd woken with a high fever, non-stop vomiting and shaking so Blossom bundled her off and out the door after calling the hospital in advance.

The doctors gave her paracetamol to bring her temperature down and she snuggled into Blossom's arms dozing on and off for the morning, having little drinks here and there between naps (she is breastfed). Slowly her fever came down enough that by lunchtime Blossom was given the all clear to take her home but to stay vigilant for any changes. Rafaella has continued to sleep a lot today (unusual for her) and kept up with the paracetamol and liquids, playing with Cully between naps.

I asked the Gentle Ladies in our group to pray and from all across the world they rallied. Honestly, we are so blessed in our group to have prayer warriors right there, day and night, to hold our needs before God. 

Rafaella had her first birthday a month ago and at the time I mentioned here that I would show you the dress Blossom and I made for her.

It actually began a long time ago when I designed and stitched the bodice.

Blossom gave me the template for the size 1 bodice shape and I designed the stitchery and applique to sit inside.

Then she chose the fabrics for the dress and I used that as my guide for choosing the embroidery threads.

Once completed it was handed over to Bloss who is an amazing seamstress and she sewed it into a gorgeous dress for Rafaella.

Rafaella wore it on her birthday and didn't spill a thing on it...amazing.

Hopefully she'll get to wear it a lot before she grows out of it. 

Question: Are you interested in the bodice embroidery pattern?? It's for a size 1 but would also suit a size 2 dress.

My dear friend Allie turned 60 recently, just weeks after my own big 6-0 birthday. We're oceans apart geographically but are rather sure you could describe the two of us as 'sisters from another mother' because over the past decade we have almost begun to read each others mind (emails?) and find ourselves mirroring the other in the oddest ways. 

Late last year I drew up a stitchery with Allie in mind and when she saw the photo on my blog she left a comment to say how much she loved it! I laughed and laughed 'cause she had no idea it was for her, but I did keep my mouth shut and waited for the right time to finish it as a needle-book...

Close to her birthday it was wrapped up and sent over land and sea from my local post office in the tropics of northern Australia to her home in the USA.

Mind you, I get a tad nervous posting overseas, after all it's a LONG way and things can get lost or side tracked along the journey. Just recently it took two months for my order of Apple Butter to arrive from the Fat Quarter Shop, but bless them, they hunted it down and discovered it almost lost in a depot near Chicago. Praise the Lord it was found and sent back on the right path to my door because it's one of those things that has held up the finish of Phyllis May's Kitchen.

Inside the needle-book I made four pockets for storing packets of various needles, lace, thread or scissors. Across the top there's a couple of cotton quilt wadding rectangles for safe keeping of pins and needles currently in use.

There's true delight in the making of a gift for someone you care deeply about, carefully considering how you can add that touch of something extra...and of course, there's no touch quite like a cup of love is there?

When Allie emailed, 'squealing' that her surprise gift had arrived, I breathed a great sigh of relief. 

Thank you to the postal service in both our countries and to the angels who I prayed God would send to watch over this delivery until it was safely at Allie's door.

You can read about it here on Allie's blog.

Would you like to make a similar needle-book?

I've written up the pattern and included a full alphabet so you can stitch one for yourself and all your friends too...

You can make it your "own sweet needle-book" and bless others as well.

The pattern is ready to download HERE in my Etsy Shop.

I have also put together a handful of kits for this project which include everything you'll need to make one...

These are also in my shop but due to the high cost of postage overseas they're only available to post within Australia. 

I'm testing the waters with regards to offering kits. 

Now that Rafaella is improving my nana heart can rest and as Mr E and I settle in to watch a new movie tonight (about Agatha Christie) I'll continue with my next crochet project which is my way of using the yarn I already have, the leftovers from Rafaella's first birthday blanket "Sweet Pea" by Lucy at Attic 24.

This time I'm following Lucy's Hydrangea pattern and oh it's lovely!

Not sure how I'll place the colours but it doesn't matter because it's relaxing and pretty regardless.

I'll be back tomorrow with the next section of our book study but right now I'd best make those rissoles and mash I promised my husband for dinner.

May your evening (or morning) be restful and calm, your heart light and your smile bright,

hugs

A little house, crochet and other interesting things...

Isn't it good when a simple solution is found?

The issues I had with the yarn splitting on my cast on row and the first green pattern row were in no way the fault of this pretty and delightful yarn...it was the hook. My hook was simply too small.

I had assumed that because I am a loose knitter that I must be a loose crocheter...not so. 

Turns out I crochet 'normal', so if the pattern says use a size 4mm hook then jolly well use one.

Alas, I did not have a 4mm hook on hand but I was able to switch from the 3mm I began with and over to a 3.5mm for the second and subsequent rows.

Now there will be some crochet purists who may want to suggest I unravel and begin over, right?

No. I may do that with my embroidery designs but I simply did not own the patience to do that awful cast on row and counting row again. If you ask me one day what I do not like about crochet my answer will undoubtedly be those first two rows.

Glad I began the lap size (36" square) because it will probably come together quickly and when it's complete I shall begin another blanket using a larger hook and be rather pleased with myself.

We finished the grapes.

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions on how to consume and enjoy almost 9 kilos (18 pounds) of grapes in two weeks. Many of you said to freeze them but we don't like frozen grapes, and I did not have the creative energy to experiment with jellies, wine, tarts or cakes...so we just ate them like lollies morning, noon and night. Occasionally with a handful of cashews and brazil nuts. Other times with a bowl of potato chips on hand.

So when the final grape made it's way into my husband's mouth I thought "well, that's it, we can move on to cherries again"...but not so. Within an hour we were in the car and on our way to the supermarket to purchase two more bags of grapes - one green and one red. 

We may be addicted.

I'll keep you informed. 

Top of my to-do list this week was spending a full day writing the six patterns for the final month's issue of The Stitchery Club. Preferably this would have been yesterday but I had a delightfully long phone chat with Blossom after breakfast , followed by a wonderfully long visit from my neighbour who happened to bring over some Belgian chocolates for Mr E and I to share later.

You can see the morning was not at all wasted but full of lovely people and conversation!

So it didn't feel right to be writing that afternoon. I need a whole day with fresh brain cells to accomplish this task so it had better be tomorrow because today is already half gone. Oh dear, excuses.

My afternoon yesterday was spent finishing the next alphabet pincushion to share with you on Friday and then getting a start on something sweet to use up fabric scraps and simply have fun...whilst eating Belgian chocolates and grapes.

I finished it this morning because I have to take Bob-the-dog to the groomers before lunch which totally took away my pattern writing time again. Yes, I know, another excuse.

I saw this heart filled house block over on Bev's blog (Flamingo Toes) and thought what a nice quick project to make, one I have not designed, don't have to write a pattern for, and can pop away in my gift box for this year or keep for myself.

Lately I've come to acknowledge that my mind needs a rest from designing all the time and that kind of rest rarely happens, so this year I shall be changing that situation and allocating myself regular time out just to play.  (the sweet pea crochet blanket is one of my new playtime avenues as well)

I really enjoy hand quilting but I also like machine quilting on small projects.

There's always room for a spot of hand embroidery though...

Bev's pattern is for a 9" square mug rug but I've sewn a hanging sleeve behind mine to slide onto a small quilt hanger when I find/buy one. 

The three fabrics I used for the house section are from a 2008 layer cake "Chloe's Closet" which I purchased last year in a de-stash group. There's some very pretty prints in it but I do love the three I chose for this project so I've gathered the leftovers for a pincushion project one afternoon next week.

Now, a few things I'd like to share with you about three really lovely friends.

Fee has kicked off the year with a wonderful gift for all her readers. In fact, she's gifting them every single week through 2019!

Fee will not only share patterns and projects but she has tutorials you can watch as well, which is wonderful if you're new to a certain craft and need to 'see' how things are done.

Hop on over here to her blog and have a look see at the fun projects you can make.

Annabel from The Bluebirds Are Nesting has started a Tuesday Afternoon Club which you can read about here on her blog.

This will be something all we gentle domestic homemakers will find fun and just so you can get a better idea of what Annabel's intentions with this club are I shall let her tell you in her own words...

On The Tuesday Afternoon Club page as we make things we can post our own pictures and progress reports.  I will share whatever I have been making.   We can also share recipes, links to patterns and anything helpful to help each other with tutorials, packaging ideas etc.   Also it can be a place of help i.e. you might have materials you just can't think what to do with so you could post a photo and let everyone chime in with suggestions!

Another friend who is sharing the crafty love is Allie and bless her heart she's taken the Craftsy shop shut-down dilemma and put it behind her by embarking on something that blesses others.

You will love what Allie is doing so head over here to her blog to find out more.

Each of these friends are women I love, trust and appreciate because they have hearts for home, family and for being a blessing to others, me included.

Did you miss the first week of our book study?

It's in Tuesday's post (here) along with a free pattern and giveaway.

About KINDLE...

A number of you have commented or emailed to tell me you do not have a Kindle and therefore cannot get the book that way. Well, you know, we don't need a Kindle anymore because you can download the free Kindle app for your phone/ipad/tablet and read all your kindle books there!

That's how I use Kindle.

So if you'd like to have a copy of the book and cannot find one anywhere just go to Amazon and in the kindle section search for The Gentle Art of Domesticity...

It's easy to find and you're going to love reading ahead.

Or just look at the pictures.

Hope this has helped those who felt they were missing out on actually having a copy.

I'll be back tomorrow with the next alphabet pincushion. 

It's V this Friday...V for very very nice. Well, I hope you think so because I very much like it.

Be blessed, be brave, be adventurous, be kind, and be YOU.

hugs

Goose egg cake and a quilt to make...

Last week I made a new acquaintance.

Sylvia lives not far from me and is a fellow crafter who reads my blog. We'd been planning a catch up since about November but my life got in the way so it was delayed until Mr E returned to work and Blossom was 'safe and sound' with her pregnancy. 

As Rosie was coming over for our regular morning tea/stitching get-together last Tuesday I invited Sylvia to join us, and what a nice visit that was.

When she arrived I was handed a large paper cup which held an enormous goose egg. Knowing that I loved to bake Sylvia thought I'd appreciate her 'home-laid' gift and she was right.

Initially I was going to use the egg to bake a sponge but when I popped my apron on this morning for a few hours of baking I decided to try a recipe Sylvia suggested, the Golden Cake for March. 

(She found the recipe on The Quince Tree blog which you'll find here)

What a clever recipe this is! I've since discovered it's an old recipe, and one which Mary Berry uses. I love Mary Berry and almost everything she bakes. 

The goose egg weighed the same as three chook eggs and had a deep orange-yellow yolk...

The recipe is actually known as the "weight of an egg" cake because you weigh the eggs and then add the same weight of butter, sugar and self-raising flour to give you one perfect cake!

The goose egg when cracked weight 147 gms so I creamed 147 gms of castor sugar with 147 gms of butter before adding the egg and 147 gms of self-raising flour.  I also added the grated zest of a lemon for flavour.

The cake mix was a lovely yellow...

I thought it might be nice baked in a ring pan (a bit quicker than a square or round tin) and 30 minutes later it slid out of the cake tin beautifully.

Once cooled I spread lime butter cream icing over the top before finishing with a scattering of coconut.

Reminded me of the frangipani flowers in my front garden...

Inside the cake is soft and golden, beautiful to eat...and the tangy lime icing is delicious too!

As I'm visiting Blossom tomorrow the cake was just the start of my baking day. She loves having mum arrive with home baked goodies!

Scrummy Slice is an old favourite, full of medjool dates and coconut with a lemon butter icing...

I'll keep half aside for us and give Bloss the other half along with some of the goose egg cake.

I had a reader ask recently "what is a slice" which made me think this is an Australian/NZ term and not used elsewhere? In the UK it would be called a traybake, but not sure what my American friends would call it.

A slice is baked in a long tray and usually has two, perhaps three layers. It's not very high and is cut into squares for storing and serving.

Scrummy Slice is baked in one complete layer with the iced topping added afterwards while it's still warm so that it 'just' begins to melt into the base.

The third recipe I baked was a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. 

Mr E had requested 'old fashioned' hamburgers for dinner tonight (the kind we grew up with from the corner fish'n'chip shop with fresh beef mince, beetroot and pineapple, pickles, sauce and loads of onions) and the only can of Australian pineapple slices I could find was a really large one so I needed to use up the extra, and what better way that an Pineapple Upside Down cake?

Now the odd thing here was that I didn't use my tried and trusted recipe, but used another from the Commonsense Baking book. 

Normally I make this in a large round tin with very high sides and that's the pan I prepared, so I greased the tin as usual, spreading the butter, brown sugar and pineapple across the base.

But then I made up the cake batter...and realised it was a much smaller amount than I normally make. 

Forging ahead I poured the batter over the caramel pineapple base and popped it in the oven for the suggested time.

It looked great when I pulled it from the oven and following my regular habit it was left on the bench to cool for 15 minutes before turning out.

And that's when it happened.

Small cake in very large tin.

Long way to fall from tin to plate. 

It was in pieces.

I flipped it right side up and the aroma was tantalising. That's when I remembered Mr E's words from another broken cake a few years back..."It still tastes the same when I eat it, so don't worry. It will be delicious anyhow!"

Bless his heart, I knew he'd say the same about this cake. 

I made a lime jelly, bought some custard (not everything has to be made from scratch in an already busy day), and decided we'd have this 'trifle' for dessert the rest of the week. When he came home from work an hour ago and I told him he just licked his lips. 

Love that man!

My dear and very talented friend Allie is hosting a Stitch-A-Long on her blog! 

Every week until early April there's a new block in her "A Garden of Contentment" quilt and this week she began with the 'Peace' block.

I'm sewing along (well I may have gotten the blocks early and be stitching ahead of time...LOL!)...

These are the pretty "Meadow" fabrics I'm using for the applique and block sashing...

There's a blue in this range as well and at first I wasn't going to use it but you'll see next week that I changed my mind because it features in block 2.

I've stem stitched the flower stem and added running stitch around the applique pieces and beside the stem. You'll see this a lot in my work...next to back stitch, running stitch is my favourite. 

Visit Allie HERE and you may find yourself sewing along too!

This is Allie's finished quilt top with all the blocks. I love it!

I have a lot on my mind I want to write about but it will have to wait for another day, and another day, and another day. This gentle domestic life keeps providing the most wonderful rabbit trails to follow and I find myself learning more and more as I follow them.

Hopefully I'll be back in a couple of days with the first of those thoughts. 

Until then, smile, laugh, be kind, give thanks and embrace even the smallest nugget of goodness because it may just keep you looking up when all else fails. 

Precious one, you are wonderful.

hugs