Boro, and a new Promises block for you...

Hello lovely ones. It's nice to be back chatting with you again, though my time away from the blog this month was a bit longer than I had planned. In hindsight, there's a pattern which has emerged in my blogging life the past few years, of needing an unspecified break every six months or so, to step away, refresh my thoughts, pray, seek the Lord's direction, and decide whether to keep going, alter my course, or close the door on Elefantz. 

I won't go into everything that's happened this month, just know that our family was challenged almost daily, and the only way we got through it was to hang on to Jesus, and not let the circumstances dim our faith in His goodness. We remind each other "and if not, He is still good" whenever seasons of trial, especially those seasons that appear to have no end in sight, are being faced. Currently, the end is still not in view, and some big decisions must be made, but God is with us through it all, and we know He shall provide at a given time in the way that is best for HIS glory. 

You know, there is so much comfort in this truth! I love opening His Word and studying, exploring passages in context, uncovering the original meaning of each word, praying for revelation along the way (and by His grace receiving it). There is no greater book to read than the Bible, for it is life giving, hope filling, way leading, course corrective, food for the soul, and rich in truths eternal.

During my absence I sketched and stitched a fourth design in the Promises of God project, and I wanted to share it with you today, before our next The Sewing Room block is shared.

Whilst stitching, I realised this was to be the final block in the project, as I have only a small amount of the vintage tablecloth fabric, and even smaller pieces of a few other vintage style prints I'd planned to use in borders...so, I sketched up a nine-patch quilt layout and will complete Promises of God that way. 

Perhaps you'd like to complete yours this way? Or do you have another idea you could share in the comments which others might prefer? I'll be sure to show you how my version comes together in another post, perhaps later in June.

Here are the four blocks in Promises of God. They are all free to download, and will stay free. Use the link below to download Block 4...

DOWNLOAD block 4 Promises of God

...and go HERE to download the previous blocks if you missed them.

The Boro Project...

Remember in April that I was repurposing an old white dress into a top using Japanese boro mending? In case you forgot, this is how it started, with white and grey patches along the bottom edge and some over the chest and neck area...

I did a lot more the first week of my blog absence, and when I was happy with it and felt no more patches or stitching were needed, I decided to dye the top blue. As we're having to be far more careful with our pennies these days, I thought it best if I gathered a number of old items from my wardrobe and dye them in the same batch, thus making the purchase of the dye viable and giving myself a new wardrobe in the process!

I ended up with two dresses, one pair of linen pants, one pair of garden shorts, one sleevless top, and that lovely Boro top.

The front...

The back...

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and have plans to do the same with a similar old white dress in the future, but next time in very deep purple because I suit the richer blue, purple and pink colour schemes.

While I've been away from the blog this month, I've been able to do loads in the garden, much of it clearing and replanting, but also adding new flowers for bees, and salad greens. I have a big sewing project underway, well plenty of small projects actually, but I'll share more about that in a few weeks, and I've also been studying a lot more about sour dough, especially how they managed it in the 1700-1800's - rather different to how I've done it over the past twenty years. 

Kelly-dog is wonderful, even when he's pulling the washing off the line, or the passionfruit off the vine. He adores us and we simply love him to bits. He especially loves sitting between us at morning Bible study, or in the evenings when we read or watch something interesting on YouTube. He tucks his head under hubby's arm in the mornings as though he's reading the Bible too - it's the cutest thing you can imagine. Of a day when hubby is at work, he's my constant companion and loves lots of cuddles. He also enjoys the occasional treat when I'm making lunch or my husband's work lunchbox for the next day...he especially loves the few raspberries I scatter outside the back door for him to find! :-)

I shall sign off today, though I have many photos and subjects to discuss that have been on my mind this month, they can easily wait for June. I am so grateful for each day that is given by God, and can tell you He has refreshed me enough to keep blogging the rest of the year. One day I think this door will close, but until that time arrives, my notebook is full of wonderful thoughts and ideas which I'd love to chat with you about. 

How have you been?? What's been happening in your life? 

Let me leave you with this passage, which has been light in my darkness this year, and excites me so much for what is yet ahead.

God bless, and big hugs,

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Block 5 of The Sewing Room, and usefulness...

 

I think this is the first time I have shared this year's block of the month pattern on the first day of the month! Normally I share it a day early. ;-)

For May we're focusing on PINS, because what sewing room is without pins? How can we create from fabrics if we have no pins? I don't know what your favourite type of pins are but I mostly use tiny glass head ones that can be ironed over, and are so fine that they slide in and out of multiple layers with ease. 

Dp you remember this little rhyme...

I do not believe in luck, but always trust in the providence of God. However, the little rhyme in the photo above is not actually about luck at all. It is about thrift, and not overlooking the usefulness of small things. 

In fact there was saying back in the 17th century, with a smiliar meaning -

"He that will not stoop for a pin, will never be worth a pound." 

When I reflect on growing up with Nana and Pop, nothing was wasted, not even a pin. Not a button, and most certainly not food. They saved worn out clothing to use for patches, yarn to mend the hand knitted socks, balaclavas, beanies and scarves, and even things like broken shoe laces. I'm sure you have many other examples from your own childhood...the things is, they valued what they had, and were very savvy about how to make use of things which we today mostly throw away. 

So now you know my inspiration for choosing PINS as my theme for this month's free The Sewing Room block. I even stuck one of my old glass head pins in the pincushion, between the embroidered ones. 

Use the link below to download the free May block

DOWNLOAD Block 5 of The Sewing Room

I think that during the month of May I shall focus on mending, because learning about the story behind those little pin rhymes has inspired me to look at what I already have in my possession, the things that have broken or are worn out, and consider how to make use of them. I have ideas about using scraps of fabric or worn out clothes to create new items I can wear, and of course my new love for Japanese Boro stitching/mending will definitely impact that journey. 

Over the past week I pulled out a cheap white cotton dress which has not been worn for about four years, and looked at it with new eyes. There was a frill along the bottom edge, which I did not like at all, but the fabric itself is sturdy and soft...so...I cut off the frill, pressed it, and along with some scraps of light grey linen, I began to re-create the dress as a Boro inspired, patched top. 

It's a work in progress because I still need to sew lines of running stitch across the patches, but so far I am loving it! 

In the book I borrowed from the library, the author takes you through her process of bringing old alive with boro, and she does things like sewing patches longer than the hem line, and using different shapes. So I did similar...

The more patches I added, the more I thought of adding running stitch leaves, which gave the top my own signature stamp. 

This will keep me busy for a while, as I am still deciding 'what next' for patch placement, and considering dying the top a denim blue so that the different fabrics and the running stitch threads take on different hues. I also need to work on the back of the top. But it is so pleasing to try a new technique and see the value it will have long term...and I do admit that I LOVE running stitch, and always have, which is why it features on many of my designs, and hand quilting. Probably another reason I enjoy sashiko so much. 

The Yumiko Higuchi embroidery design I am currently working on from a new book I was gifted, is coming along nicely, and yesterday I stitched the lizard - the main reason I wanted to embroider this particular pattern from the book first. 

Blossom asked me what I wanted for Mothers Day, as these days we always ask family members to be specific with what they'd like to receive, especially those of us on a budget. :-) My choice was sashiko threads in variants of blue. Up until now I've used Perle 12 threads for sashiko, and its been great while I learn and practice, but I am excited to use the proper threads for a larger project (using squares of recycled linen from the scraps box).

My current read from the library is Moonflower Murders, the sequel to Magpie Murders. I admit to really enjoying these books, and find that my 3pm cuppa on the cosy couch by the window is the perfect place to sip tea, nibble on cake, and read a chapter before taking the washing off the line, folding and putting it away, and then watering the garden. As a creature of habit, this relatively new afternoon tea ritual, has quickly become my new normal. 

At night I read something different, and currently that is On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Now it doesn't bother me one bit that this is a children's book, because it has so much goodness and life lessons from the 1800's that I am always learning new things, and many of them lead me back into my Bible. I find that I learn more from those who went before us than I learn from those who are around us now. Perseverance, faith, ingenuity, thriftiness, humility, hard work, contentment, grief, joy and enthusiasm, being just a few life traits from LIW's books which inspire me in my own life as a Christian wife, mother, grandmother and homemaker - though I am still, and always will be, learning to live this way.

This is Kelly, on our cosy couch under the window. He watches my husband drive off to work in the morning like this, and then he is right back there when he hears the car return in the evening, though in the evening his tail wags like crazy because he's so excited that 'dad' is home again. :-)

We had a surprise today, just an hour after hubby left for work. He called to say that he had lost his job. I do not think we were really surprised. This late in life career change to real estate wasn't all that it was thought to be (or hoped to be), and as he had chosen to stay true to God and just be himself, he was let go. 

But God, eh? He is faithful always. Just two hours later, my beloved man was employed by a different company, back selling cars (his previous occupation). He has always had a wonderful reputation as an honest car salesman, and those in the business did not forget that, so were quick to open their door to him. 

The moral of all this? Be who God called you to be. Trust God to teach you through life experiences, and grow from them. A good reputation is worth gold. Never lose hope. xx

May God bless you always, and bring His Word alive in your heart each and every day, so that you grow in His ways, lean on Him in times of trouble, and praise Him no matter what you're facing. 

Love and prayers, 

You will find my design account on Instagram HERE @jennyofelefantz

And my other Instagram 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

Trying something new, and repairing the garden...

This year I have been enjoying learning more about Japanese embroidery and sashiko, and these are two things I find incredibly relaxing, especially as I like to keep my fingers busy in the evening, when the work of the day is behind me. 

Currently I'm working on a pattern by Yumiko Higuchi, from her book 'A Year of Embroidery'. The book was gifted to me by a very kind blog reader, Debby, for my birthday in February, and I have chosen the cover design as my first project from it. Living in the tropics, we are constantly surrounded by geckos and lizards - in fact you can watch geckos running here and there across our floor and ceiling every night - so the lizard in this design caught my eye immediately. 

In my own designs I always use two threads, or perhaps a single strand for bees or words, but its been quite a learning curve to embroider with six strands! But I am loving it. :-)

When I visit our local library nowadays, the first shelf I walk to is the one where I can find Japanese craft books. They don't have many, but the ones they have are good, and this week I came across this one...

I don't usually 'read' craft books, but flip through to find something of interest to make, however, I could not put this down last night. The author creates the most interesting and lovely clothes from old worn pieces, to which she will stitch patches, in various sizes and overlaps, to cover holes or threadbare sections, but also adding more to bring visual balance to the item. She saves all her scraps, and gathers more from trips to charity stores, so that she can take her time repairing her clothes, or making something from various pieces, using just the right colour or scrap. 

Boro began from sashiko, the simple art of running stitch to mend. Over time sashiko became more decorative, but boro is still associated with mending patches over each other. 

The author, Harumi Horiuchi, takes you through different stages of her clothing makeovers, and shows the varied techniques she uses, including dying old fabrics and sashiko threads together to get the right shade for mending or adding extra patches to the background fabrics. 

I am so inspired by her, that I dug out a few very plain cotton dresses, white and cream, that I had purchased for a few dollars back in 2020 and intended to dye. I also pulled out my stash of linen scraps, and created a bundle of pieces to use in my own version of a boro dress. 

I have an idea in my mind of how I'll do this, but in reality this will be about learning a new skill, and creating something useful and wearable in the process. I shall keep you updated on my progress with this. 

Kelly has been with us for two weeks now, and already he is a very different dog to the nervous and sick little boy he was when we brought him home from the animal rescue shelter. He brings us so much joy, and in return he showers us with love. He is still very wary of other humans, but loves Blossom and her family, including their dog, Barnaby. 

This morning we took Kelly over for a visit, and Barnaby and he met outside on the front lawn, both on leads. Now both Kelly and Barnaby do not like other dogs, but they quietly rubbed noses, had a sniff, and hung out together for the next twenty minutes, calm as can be. We are overjoyed! Now we know they are fine together, Blossom can bring Barnaby over when she and the children visit us. 

Our garden was pretty well decimated during the months of monsoon rain and floods, but we're slowly removing things that couldn't cope, nurturing things that did, and planting a few veggies and herbs (a little at a time).

It's lovely to see flowers in bloom again, and various herbs thriving. Interestingly, the only things that survived well, were plants in pots or raised beds, as we could move the pots, and the larger raised bed had good drainage. 

(white angelonia, and the sage in the backgound flourished all through the summer monsoons and heat - sage never has before)

(likewise the basil never let up, and all areas of the garden where we had it in pots or raised beds, it thrived)

(chives and spring (green) onions struggled and most died, but they are coming back wonderfully now - I also sprouted some basil from a cutting and it's doing well in a pot)

(more sage, and purple angelonia)

(mint, lemon balm, lime balm, a potted bay tree, aloe vera, and ferns, among other things, have come along well in their pots over the past few dry weeks)

 

I did a lot of pruning after Easter, and cleared this area above. To kick start our winter growing I have planted out parsley, rocket (arugula) and cucumber seedlings in various pots around the yard, and planted seeds of snow peas, dill, coriander, and various flowers into raised beds and a few pots. 

There's still so much to do, but small steps add up and I can see life in the garden once more. The passionfruit and mulberry are fruiting, as is our lime tree (though it gave an abundance of huge heavy fruit all through the monsoon season). My ginger also fared well and will be ready to harvest in another month.

Our fallen Poicianna has been chopped into pieces for burning in Blossom's fire pit through winter, but hubby kept one long piece of trunk for us to use as a bench seat. He still has a lot of work to do on it, but it will be lovely one day. 

He took advice from Rosie's husband Brian, who is very knowledgable about all things horticultural, and we're trying to save what's left of the Poinciana, hoping it will regrow. Only time will tell. 

It is odd to see the cut piece of trunk growing, but that just means there's still a lot of nutrition in it. The piece of trunk still in the ground is also sprouting. Time will tell if we can bring new life to our dear tree. 

I hope you have had a lovely week, and wonder if you are working on anything in your own garden? Have you tried Boro, or some other new-to-you craft? I'd love to hear about the things you're doing. 

God bless dear ones, and I pray that just like my garden, if you've had some difficult times this year, that you can see recovery in the weeks and months ahead. My garden is currently a lesson in slow and steady, patience, hard work, and hope. We must never lose hope. 

Until next time, may the light of Jesus fill your dark spaces, and His JOY overflow in your hearts!

You will find my design account on Instagram HERE @jennyofelefantz

And my other Instagram 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