Rafaella, my new apron and news...

Rafaella spent the day with me on Tuesday and, as promised, we baked unicorns, of the gingerbread kind. 

We also baked gingerbread men, and rose centred rounds. My pretty little granddaughter had so much fun, and it was pure joy to my heart when she said, "Nana, we have the best times together!"

Gingerbread dough is stiff, so I did help a little, but my girl had her hands in every step of our baking that morning. I rolled out the dough and she pressed the shapes ready for the baking tray. While everything cooled we made the icing and enjoyed some sparkling lemon barley water because baking is thirsty business. She was so proud of her work...

Rafaella decorated everything with icing, sprinkles and roses.

There was a tiny bit of gingerbread mix remaining after pressing the shapes, so she made it into a little heart for her mummy, Blossom, decorating it all over with sprinkles. 

We then had lunch, made necklaces with beads and 'jewels', played hairdressers, and of course she played with Harry-dog. Before driving her back home we walked up to the corner shop for ice-cream and chatted about all the fun we'd had that day...the kind of day we love to spend together. 

Rafaella is a little homemaker at heart, and loves to learn about all the things her mummy and I do as housewives, but most of all she loves to bake. You can't see it but she did wear the purple chicken scratch apron in the kitchen, but it was in fact a bit long, so before our next bake-date I shall make her a popover apron in just her size. 

She loved the new apron I had made myself the day before, using that 1929 pattern from this blog post...

...and I was very pleased with it too! This was the fifth time I'd used that same pattern, but the first time I've hand sewn binding around all the edges. Have to say, it really added that something extra.

I also made two lined pockets and added a lace trim to them because lace gives an extra touch of pretty femininity, something I love in an apron.

That Apron Swap...

Wow, I have had a wonderful response to the Apron Swap which was announced in my last blog post!

There's going to be a lot of aprons winging back and forth across the globe around December 9th...and I pray they all arrive by New Year. Won't it be lovely to start a new year of cooking, cleaning, gardening and baking in a pretty gifted apron lovingly made by a new friend and kindred apron-lover?

There's still time to sign up if you'd like to join in, but I'm closing the window for joining at midnight on Friday (November 18th). Just go HERE to email me before then, with your name, address and country.

The 2022 "Books & Roses" bookmark BOM...

I apologise for not getting the November bookmark out to you on time, but I needed to get things rolling with the new free BOM "The Virtuous Wife" for November 1st. You see I'd thought this new BOM for next year would run over twelve months, but there's so much in it that I had to change that to fourteen months, which is why we began this month instead of January. 

I'll have the November bookmark ready for you on the weekend, and the December one as well. So one is late and the other will be early. This way you can get your bookmarks completed before the year ends, and use them as gifts or finish the stitcheries inside quilt blocks (which is what many of you are doing). 

Changes to my new "The Virtuous Wife" BOM...

If you missed the first free block in this brand new BOM, pop over HERE to download that pattern. 

Originally I'd decided to offer each block free during it's month, then pop the pattern in my Etsy Shop when the next block was shared the following month...BUT...I have decided to keep every block free until the end of the BOM. "The Virtuous Wife" is a project years in the planning, covered with so much prayer, and designed with the Holy Spirit as my guide so that it can be a blessing to all who choose to stitch it. And the added blessing now is that it will remain a free gift. 

Last reminder for those who would like to sign up for the Daisy-a-Day BOM...

Memberships to join this 9-month block of the month will close on November 24th, and there will be no more sign-ups accepted after that date. The patterns will not be available in my shop, only through this membership program. There are 12 patterns sent via email over nine months, and the cost is $6.95 AUD per month (approx. $4.70 US). 

To learn more and sign on, if you'd like to, go HERE

IMPORTANT: I have problems with three new memberships for Daisy-a-Day. 

The email address these ladies have used with Paypal are invalid, so if you have signed up for the BOM but not yet received your first email with the gifted double pattern for blocks 1 and 12, please email me HERE with your correct contact details as soon as possible, otherwise I'll have to cancel your membership on the 24th of November when sign ups close. I hope those ladies read this as I have no valid email address with which to contact any of them.

I realise many people do give 'fake' email address to Paypal in order to protect their privacy, but it also prevents you from receiving digital items you have purchased. 

Goodness, that's it for today, I've talked your ear off I think! 

It's definitely time to brew a nice cup of turmeric latte, put my feet up as I have a dreadful flare up of 'pes anserine bursitis' after falling on my knee late Tuesday and now have to rest it a lot, continue stitching block 8 of The Virtuous Wife quilt (I am excited to be so far ahead!) and continue listening to Agatha Christie's 'Postern of Fate' read by Hugh Fraser who is my favourite Agatha Christie narrator (though Emelia Fox is excellent too). 

I am praying for each of you who take the time to visit this blog and read my posts - that your hearts and mind are calm, that your days bring more peace than turmoil, that your plans are directed by the Lord, that your needs are provided for by God's providence, and that you are never lonely, but always, always, conscious of the loving arms of Jesus wrapped tightly around you. 

Bless you heaps,

Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox.  

Launching my new Daisy-A-Day block of the month today!

 

NOTE: I've also shared this on my other website, The Stitchery Club over HERE

Welcome to my newest membership-only block of the month, Daisy-a-Day! This is actually a remake and expansion on a much simpler quilt I made in 2013. I was never really happy with it back then, and knew one day I’d give it a complete makeover with more detail and more blocks, and now it's ready to reveal.

First of all, let me tell you about the Daisy-a-Day quilt. Measuring 38.5” x 49.5” it comprises a simply pieced set of twelve hand embroidery and applique blocks.

I chose a very basic bordered layout as the embroidered blocks are rich in detail and remain the sole focus of your completed quilt. After all, you want your handwork to shine after the many hours invested over the course of our nine-month journey with needle and thread.

I hope you decide to stitch along with this project and have fun along the way!

Membership runs for nine months. As a soon as you join, I will email you the first double block as a gift to get you started while you wait for the regular monthly block to be emailed on the 25th of the month from November 25th (2022) - July 25th (2023).

I encourage you to raid your fabric stash to make Daisy-a-Day. My main fabrics are from an older line by Tilda called “Woodland”. I have used just four prints from that range for this quilt. In addition to those fabrics, I gathered scraps from my stash for some of the applique sections. If you have some favourite prints which have never found their home in a quilt, perhaps this is the time to let them shine. 

Here's a look at all the blocks you'll be stitching (in order)...

The free gift of blocks 1 and 12 (they are a reverse copy of each other) you'll receive via email within 12 hours of joining the BOM membership...

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4

Month 5

Month 6

Month 7

Month 8

Month 9

Month 9 also includes the quilt assembly instructions + a sweet label to embroider and sew to the back of your completed quilt.

I plan on hand quilting Daisy-a-Day, but as we live in the tropics of Northern Australia that pastime will be delayed until mid-autumn (late April) when things begin to cool slightly. 

This is why the binding is not shown in the photo of the completed quilt top, however, I plan on using either more of the green floral fabric, or a scrappy binding using all the fabrics used in the quilt block borders.

MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW CLOSED

PLEASE NOTE: Memberships to this BOM close on November 24th, 2022 

The designated monthly PDF pattern for each block will emailed to you on the 25th of each month, beginning November 2022, and ending July 2023.

 I'd love for you to stitch along with me over the next nine months! 

Bless you heaps,

Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox.