A matter of heart...

 It's been quite the week for our family, especially for sweet Blossom and her man. An ultrasound on Tuesday afternoon revealed that their precious little boy has a hole in his heart. 

As you can imagine, this was a shock, and not being well versed in such things it did take their breath away somewhat. Time was needed to learn, to process their own emotions and to come to peace with what is ahead of them.

The wee bub, though not quite so little as he measures much larger than an average 32 week baby, is content inside mummy's womb and though there's been much talk of bringing him into the world a couple of weeks early, dear Bloss feels he should stay right where he is until he's naturally ready to meet them.

Another complication, but this time for Blossom herself is a diagnosis of hyperalgesia, which is incredibly painful as it affects all her nerve endings. It should disappear after the pregnancy so we are praying that is so.

I was blessed to care for Cully May and Rafaella twice this week while Blossom had her ultrasound and then her doctor's checkup at the hospital two days later.

The girls love being here, which is a great thing because they adore their mummy and miss her terribly on the rare occasions she cannot take them with her. Cully May gave the cubby house a jolly good scrub first of all...

...while Rafaella watered all Poppy's raised vegetable beds. She watered herself rather well too. Ha ha!

When the girls arrive here the first thing they do is kick off their shoes and put their gum boots on so that can go tramping through the chicken coop and explore the yard to see what new thing Poppy has built or what flowers they can pick or what vegetables Nana will gather for lunch.

It was a mostly overcast day, so perfect in this heat to play outside, but occasionally the sun would peek through and they'd retreat to the undercover cubby.

Cully May was quite taken with the chive flowers yesterday as they were the same colour as her skirt and t-shirt....

...and Rafaella thought the flowers on my coriander were so pretty that she'd like to take them home - though a little while later she asked, "Nana, can I eat them?" I said yes and so she did! I did explain though that we don't eat all flowers only the ones Nana says are okay. Phew.

Once the clouds cleared completely we went inside and they set up their tea set ready for morning tea. Rice crackers and hummus first and later a plate of watermelon, grapes, strawberries and cheese. They definitely know that there's feasting at Nana's house and even know where I hide the 'sweeties' so later on they continued feasting on Honey Jumbles with cups of real milky tea. 

When Blossom arrived back at lunchtime I had French chicken salad sandwiches ready and a pot of tea brewing. I'd baked a new bread recipe earlier in the day (after making my own oat flour in the NutriBullet) and it was delicious for these sandwiches, very hearty. 

Life has a way of presenting new challenges at unexpected times, some we are quite unprepared for, others we have a little experience with...but it's important to remember that there is no challenge or news that God is unaware of, and as you walk the path which is set before you, one you may not have ever chosen had you been given a choice, HE IS RIGHT BESIDE YOU.

Blossom knows this, she has no doubt that God is her shield and her strength, that He will direct them through whatever is ahead. He loves her baby boy more than she, He loves Blossom more than I do. He holds her precious family right close to His heart and will never leave them nor forsake them.

The little girls don't know or understand any of the secret things that are happening inside mummy's womb with their baby brother, but they do know he is loved just as deeply as they are and that their home is a safe sanctuary where they shall welcome him into one day soon and spoil him with abundant squidgy hugs and kisses. 

I'm reminded often that the people I pass in the street, the men and women we watch fishing on the river as we drive by, the shop assistants who serve me with a smile at the supermarket, our doctors, the police officers often seen patrolling our neighbourhood, the bus driver stepping out of his seat to help an elderly woman on board...all these people live their own challenges, mostly hidden from our view, rarely mentioned. 

Most everyone you meet has a story to tell, something to laugh about, something that brings tears, something to strive for, celebrations to cheer and something which requires a personal battle. I imagine many of you are currently facing your own trials, needs and/or celebrations, so I am praying the Lord's strength and joy is increased in whatever circumstance you have been placed in this season of life.

May I ask that you hold Blossom, Ross and their baby boy in your prayers, that you pray for the girls to sleep well (they don't) and be filled with the peace of Jesus through these weeks of waiting for their 'baby bruvva" (as Rafaella calls him), that you offer praise to the Lord for Blossom's unwavering faith in our God and her trust in all His ways, that God would show her His good pleasure and His healing? 

(((thank you))) - this means the world to us as we do not have other believers in our family. xx

I shared this pattern early last year, but if you missed it I'd like to offer it again today. A simple design but the verse speaks volumes don't you think?

Use the link below to download the free pattern. Perhaps if you have already stitched it for yourself you may choose to stitch it again as a gift for someone needing a reminder of Who they can trust, Who is their shield, and Who will hold them when the world feels as though it's falling beneath their feet.

DOWNLOAD "You O Lord are a Shield"

Bless you heaps, sweet friends.

Hold fast to Jesus, for He is right within reach....

hugs,

Pillows and pincushions and a hexie bookmark...

 A couple of weeks ago I showed you some slow hand quilting I'd been enjoying during a time of rest. The stitcheries were from my December 2016 issue of The Stitchery Club...

...and they've been patiently waiting (quite a while) for their moment to shine. Way back then I'd already bordered the centre design with a pretty pink spot and stitched the long triple heart block four times intending to use it in a second border. 

It was such a delight to finally bring this idea together and create a beautiful pillow for our precious 2yo granddaughter, Rafella...

I took it over when I visited Blossom last week and little Raf (as we call her) was first out of the front door to come hug me. When I handed her the pillow and said "This is for you, baby girl"...well, you would have thought I'd given her the world. 

She cuddled it and loved on it all morning, her little exclamations of "Nana made a pillow for meeeeee!" melting my heart. Raf is a quiet little thing in comparison to Cully May, and also a very joyous child who gets excited when her big sister gets a gift (as in Cully May's 4th birthday last month) with no hint of jealousy.

Which is why this Nana wanted to give her something extra special of her own. One day she'll understand the words I chose to add in the pink spot border, but for right now she just knows she's loved and that pillow is cuddled each night. 

When I showed those photos of my hand quilting in progress last month there was great interest from many ladies who contacted me to ask for the embroidery patterns, so I've added that entire issue of The Stitchery Club to my Etsy Shop. It contains six designs which I think would be just gorgeous displayed within a quilt. 

You'll find the pattern set HERE.

So what else can you make from these stitcheries?

I featured one on the pocket of a pincushion which was gifted to a friend overseas...

I have shared quite a few pincushion tutorials over the years but if you like pocket style pinnies have a look at THIS tutorial. It will give you an idea how to create something similar from a stitchery or fussy cut piece of fabric.

I quite seriously LOVE pocket pinnies!

They're great for taking with you on a sewing day because you can pop scissors, threads, pins and needles all together in one pretty place. 

Another bit of hand quilting I completed recently was this smaller fussy cut hexie-centred pillow, a 'just right' pillow to rest my hands on while I stitch. A decade ago I realised embroidering with a hoop wasn't working for me so I began resting the heels of my hands on a small pillow as I stitched and it made all the difference to my level of comfort and also brought about a lovely soft sense of calm. 

Aren't those fabrics sweet? They are a new release here in Australia through Devonstone Fabrics and the designer is Elise Martinson. A number of the prints have sections which can be fussy cut into quilt blocks, applique or displayed like this in a hexagon.

Because I was so taken with the sentiment of HOME (no surprise to you, right?) I decided to use more of the same print as a bookmark.

All I did was take two 1.5" hexagon papers (mine are very thin cardboard) and using the blue fabric, centring the 'home' design into the centre of one, I basted the fabric around each one.

Then I sewed the two ends of a "6mm x whatever length you choose" piece of elastic together and placed the join in between the wrong sides of the fabric hexies before stitching the two hexies together around the outside with whip stitch.

Once that was done I removed the basting stitches and voila, I had a cute bookmark. 

Next time I might cover the elastic but this was a spur of the moment idea and I actually had to get some elastic from Blossom because it's hard to find any these days due to home sewing face mask production around the world.

I also made something else last week (what a productive sewing week it was!) but I'll show you that next post. 

This week I'm busy with spring cleaning, garden maintenance and creating a very simple menu plan...like in the old days. And that dear friends is something else I'll write about next time. Mr E and I have had a little mind shift of late and reassessed what's going to carry us through the next year, what can be put aside, and what we can genuinely do at our age because the years are adding up and we'd like to stay healthy and strong for the long haul and not burn our bodies out before their time. 

God bless you lovely friends, and I say that with complete honesty - I pray often that He will bless you, that His presence will bring you hope and strength and joy. 

I'll leave you with this photo of my latest vase display...dill fronds. Aren't they marvellous?! I had to harvest our dill plants and as we already have 'thousands' of tiny seeds for future planting these beautiful green heads could be brought inside for a different floral display. They last for weeks and smell wonderful....

...and a photo of Blossom and Rafaella in the new dress Bloss made her. Honestly, my daughter can sew like a dream and has just decided she's going to spend time smocking in the future. She finds it calming.

I don't think I'd say that, but then again she thinks I'm strange for choosing hand quilting as my calm pastime. Don't you love how God made us all so unique?

Loving hugs

The joy of children...

Back in early January my husband came across a Gumtree listing for a very neglected and ramshackle cubby house. He had a vision for what it could become and though to my eyes it looked like a huge task and probably not worth the effort, he was sure he could create something beautiful for our granddaughters.

The past two weeks have been our winter school holiday break in Australia and even though we'd both come down with head colds and hubby had a cracked rib his vision for this cubby was about to be realised.

After working in the garden, repairing plumbing and doing various other home maintenance tasks during the day he would spend the evenings at the cubby. After cutting wood and repairing the structure of the old cubby he began the process of painting. I chose the green as an accent to the brown he'd painted the outside walls, and to be honest that's all I did - the rest was all his labour.

And of course, every good Poppy deserves a cuppa when he's finished a big job, right?

I sent this photo to Cully May and Rafaella and they were so excited to see the cubby finished and wanted to come have a cuppa with Poppy right away.

But first Nana needed to do a bit of shopping for furniture and homely items!

Of course that was a lot of fun for me, but as the kitchen set up and the table and chairs were all in flat packs my sweet husband had to spend yet another evening putting them all together, bless him.

Next morning with everything in place (I have yet to get fabric for the curtains but that will happen next week as Cully May insisted this was most important) we waited for the girls to arrive...

Let me tell you that Blossom was just as excited as Cully May and Rafaella (brought tears of joy to my eyes) and we both thought it best to share a video with you because photos cannot express accurately the sheer delight of young children the way 'being there' can...

Enjoy!

The rest of the morning was spent playing house, having cups of tea and every so often following Poppy around the garden or checking up on what he was doing in the shed.

They collected chook eggs, ate tomatoes straight from the vine, cuddled next to me on the outdoor couch for a story, ate lots of fresh scones and wafer biscuits, had a second cup of tea and generally wore themselves out. 

After Blossom and the little ones left for home (and being promised they can come back and play next week) Nana and Poppy had a nap, our hearts happy and content.

I sat outside by the cubby this morning with my coffee and Bible, pondering the joy my granddaughters had so freely expressed the day before, and considered how I need to express more delight before my heavenly Father in the same way. 

"And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'" Matthew 18:2-4

Mr E is back to work on Monday and life will again slip into the habits of a new school term. At home I'll allow the gentle routines and rhythms of homemaking, design and family to flow again until our next term break in October. 

Next week I'll do a catch up post with what else has been happening lately and a sew along project you might want to join me in.

God bless you dear friend,

loving hugs

Project Two - creative hands at home...

For each of the seven projects I'm sharing during the two weeks of Creative Hands At Home the most important starting point is using what's already in my stash or home supplies.

Today's free project began in my newly de-cluttered and re-organised linen cupboard, most especially on the tea towel shelf. By now you're aware I love to collect pretty tea towels on sale and I also have some very cute ones which friends have sent me over the years, and I'll admit it wasn't easy making a choice for the project I had in mind but once I'd pulled aside half a dozen, given them a wash and line dried them in the sun, I realised there was an easier way to choose 'the one'.

My idea was to decorate one of the tea towels with a sweet hexie flower, applique leaves and cotton lace so after playing around with all the components...

...I decided to bring these together and found they worked beautifully.

The flower is made with seven 1" hexagons, but after completing the flower and sewing it onto the tea towel I felt like something was missing.

I gathered all the bits and pieces I'd used together for one final view and realised a smaller hexie in the centre of the flower would give me that Goldilocks moment...you know, "just right"...

Just above the bottom of the tea towel I added a row of cream cotton lace which was hand sewn in place...

...and that 'shabby chic with a splash of colour' look which I love in my home came to life.

If I had more hours in the day and wasn't laid low yesterday with another weather-induced migraine I would have made a second version to show you (this may well happen over the weekend), one with a more patterned background and a hexie flower in richer colours to pop off a busier tea towel, but you could have a play with that yourself anyhow because how you choose to make this will depend on the tea towel you use.

There's no need to run out and buy new ones, gathering some in good condition from your linen cupboard will be perfect! Personally I love hand made items with that 'gently used and loved' feel, don't you?

Just gather bits and pieces together and audition them until one particular arrangement causes your heart to skip a beat.

There's no pattern sheet for this because apart from the tea towel all you need are six 1" paper hexagon shapes, one 1/2" hexagon shape, scrap fabrics and cotton lace.

I found a free download of 1" shapes if you don't have any on hand. Just print them off HERE and cut out as many as you need.

And HERE you can download a sheet of 1/2" hexagons.

It's not hard to freehand draw a couple of leaves, any size you like, and either blanket stitch applique as I have done or needleturn if that's your preference.

Another option is to omit the 1/2" hexie centre and sew a button on instead (probably what I'll do when I make version two). 

If you don't have cotton lace for the bottom what about RicRac braid?

You know, this is a really simple way to add life and beauty to old tea towels...mmm. It's also a nice gift to pop in a large envelope and send to a friend.

Did you notice the scones and jam in my tea towel photos? I've been making more plum jam, quite a bit more actually, and baking scones again - for a jolly good reason and not just because we love them.

Today I finally got to visit Blossom and the girls! We've all been very diligent to self isolate for five weeks and felt it was time to gather close and love on each other at last.

So naturally I packed a parcel of goodies, made from the heart, prayed over and offered with so much love. 

Back HERE you saw how much Cully May loved the star scones I made her, so today I made four in a star shape for her and Rafaella to share, and the rest were round for Blossom, myself and Ross.

I also kept two aside for Mr E's afternoon tea when he arrived home from work.

We had the loveliest morning together catching up in the large rumpus room at Blossom's which serves as both a play room for the girls and her sewing room/office.

While the little ones took turns brushing my hair, climbing over me for cuddles and conversations, I sat opposite Bloss and watched as she made these beautiful little bows, a bonus gift she adds to all her handmade baby and toddler clothing orders...

My heart is overflowing with happiness now as my hug-o-meter went to overload.

These precious granddaughters simply bubble over with love and laughter...

Need more project ideas?

On Monday, when launching Creative Hands At Home and sharing the first free pattern, I mentioned that as well as the seven projects I'm personally sharing that I'd also find some other free ideas online that may be of interest to you.

One of my lovely bloggy friends is Julie and if you love scrappy projects you might want to put your hands to this fun and scrappy rug tutorial she shared earlier in the week. Julie is one of the most creative women I know and if you have some time brew a cuppa and have a scroll through her blog because you'll find all sorts of wonderfully inspiring ideas.

You'll find Julie's tutorial it HERE

My friend Susan sent me a wonderful link to Ann Wood Handmade the other day for a whole bunch of free projects and it's quite possible a few of them will pique your interest too.

I certainly want to make this pin-girl, don't you?

And don't forget the first project I shared HERE with you as the starting point for two weeks of  Creative Hands At Home

The pattern is permanently free and hopefully one you will make soon.

I am very stirred by this instruction from 1 Thessalonians 4:11 -12 at the moment for the longer we stay close to home and attend to life and activities within our walls, the 'quieter' life naturally becomes. And I do appreciate that for some of you this is an enforced sequestering and you may have lost your job or found yourself working from home instead of an office...and for that I am hugging you from afar because the changes you've had to take on will most likely have brought new challenges and seeing this as a time of peace and re-acquaintance with a more restrained life could have caused anxiety or even fear.

I pray that whatever your situation during our new normal and the #stayhomestaysafe directives we need to follow according to each country's guidelines, that you find opportunity to stop for a while and ponder the blessings alongside the trials...for even in seasons of uncertainty there will be blessing, hidden perhaps, but there if you look. 

"...that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."

May the peace of Christ lift you above these circumstances and draw your attention to those hidden blessings, and may His own example of pressing forward in adversity be the Light you need to see through the darkness.

For my own part I am learning to never take people for granted, to never take family moments for granted, to never imagine I can control this life and walk to the beat of my own drum.

Being with Blossom, Cully May and Rafaella today after five weeks apart was beyond words...and I shall be giving thanks for a long time.

Loving hugs