A birthday, a recipe, wallpapers and stitcheries...

 

Charlie David turned one year old last week.

And hasn't the year flown by?

He started walking at 8.5 months, and now he just runs everywhere, especially chasing after his two big sisters. 

Charlie loves to chill out in the baby rocker, swinging gently, his quiet time. That's why it's not packed away, even though he grew out of it a long time ago. He knows his chair and loves the soothing back and forth motion.

We had a very low key birthday lunch, just the way we like things. Ross and the girls wore hats, and everyone enjoyed mummy and daddy's pesto pasta and the apple and blueberry tea cake I baked. 

We played and laughed and really enjoyed our time together as a family. And you know, that's a beautiful thing about simplifying and being there for one another - every occasion is less stressful, more deeply appreciated, and memorable. 

The next day however, Blossom, Ross and all three children came down with head colds. Fortunately hubby and I were fine, and their head colds cleared in a few days. Don't know about you, but we find summer colds to be the worst, and we're right in the depths of a very hot summer right now.

So that's the final birthday of the year for our family.

So far this month I've had some painful issues with sciatica, more migraines and a quick trip to the dentist, but between things I've been able to package parcels to post, design new patterns, clean the house, re-arrange the bedroom, (finally) hem the bedroom curtains, tend the garden and play around with tweaking a delicious recipe. 

This dessert slice was originally based on apricots and incredibly yummy, but then I made another and replaced the apricots with raspberries. Well this was so good that Cully May came back again and again for more. Her and Rafaella love sour fruit, and their favourite is raspberries. 

Rafaella ate the raspberries off the top of her pieces and kindly handed the creamy coconut base to me - no complaints as it's like baked custard on a caramelised biscuit base. 

The original recipe is HERE, but you can replace the apricots with most fruits in season.

Next time I intend using plums, and the time after that, pears and ginger...and then - well, whatever takes my fancy!

CHANGING SPACES

With the heat of summer taking a toll I moved my desk again in order to catch the cool breeze from the air conditioner on my back and neck; and in the process made more space on the desk by moving the printer onto a small table nearby.

I also changed the wall quilt above my computer to the Christmas one I shared as a stitch-along last year - "Joy to the World".

If you'd like me to share that again just leave a note in the comments.

I change my computer wallpaper every few weeks, always choosing a Scripture which resonates with what I'm reading, studying or experiencing at the time. 

If you're after some lovely free wallpapers for your computer look HERE 

There are some beautiful ones to choose from. My photo shows this verse very bright due to the lighting from my window, so here's the actual wallpaper so you can see it as it is on my screen each day.

Being surrounded by Scripture - whether in a frame, on a stitchery, or as a wallpaper for my computer - has a very grounding, encouraging and strengthening effect on my thoughts, actions and choices throughout the day. I highly recommend displaying passages of the Word within your home.

JANUARY CLUB PATTERNS

For those who would like to see what's coming in January for both my stitchery pattern clubs, here's a peek...

LET'S STITCH AGAIN 

(patterns emailed on the 1st of every month for one year) 

link to Club info HERE

FAITH, HEART & HOME

(patterns emailed on the 30th of every month) 

link for club info HERE

NEXT BLOG POST...

I have a topic which has been on my mind to write about, plus there will be a free bookmark design for 2022 and some peeks at a new Tilda project I've designed and am currently working on (it's a bit different to my usual style) using her next fabric line due out in February.

In the meantime, I do hope you are managing okay in your part of the world, that you're taking time to ponder our Saviour in this season of wonder and grace, and that you find pockets of time (and perhaps a nice cosy corner) each day to rest, pray and settle your thoughts.

May the favour of God and the abundance of His generous grace be poured gently over your life today, and in the days ahead...

hugs

NEW Stitchery Club launch!

Today I can finally share with you my NEW stitchery pattern club - "Faith, Heart & Home".

Behind the scenes I have been working away on this for about eight months, which meant plenty of designing, plenty of discarded ideas, lots and lots of delicious cups of tea, mountains of cake, months of hand embroidery whilst listening to audio books or watching re-runs of my favourite Agatha Christie tele-movies - and more prayers than you know. 

In the past I have had two distinct club themes - one was Bible-based and very popular among fellow believers, the others had no religious tones. 

This time I'm combining both, and here's how.

Included in the first year there is a 12-part block of the month, and you will have a choice of stitching either Scripture or a home-themed quote. At the end of the 12 months we'll combine all the blocks to make a quilt, and I've kept this simple because I think the verse/quote blocks should be the feature.

Here's how it will work. You have a choice of making either "Heart of Psalms"  or "Heart of Home" blocks for your quilt - both versions will be included in your monthly pattern set. I won't be stitching both versions (at least not in the foreseeable future as I don't have time) but you may want to stitch both blocks each month and make two pretty and inspirational quilts.

Here's block 1 of "Heart of Psalms"....

I'm using a fat quarter bundle of Brenda Riddle's "Sophie" fabric for this quilt project, and purchased  extra of one print for the final border.

For those who would prefer to stitch the "Heart of Home" blocks, in the bottom corner of the photo below you can see the quote and wording which sits inside the same floral block.

Both options are in your monthly pattern set, ready to trace, and each month the same thing will happen. For one quilt I'll have an inspiring verse from the book of Psalms, and for the other quilt I will have a lovely quote about home.

Here's the cover of the November issue of "Faith, Heart & Home"...

There are three new patterns each month, and over the first four months of the Club I will be including a seasonal mini-quilt. In November we will stitch "autumn" and this will be followed by "summer" in December, "winter" in January and "spring" in February. I'm hoping this will suit everyone in both hemispheres. 

And then we have a beautiful hooped design, Blessed. I find that being grateful each day for all we have in this life is simply another way of saying "I'm blessed", no matter what our beliefs, don't you?

All my patterns include detailed step by step embroidery instructions, photos, tips, and full size pattern sheets for tracing. If a project is included in any month's set of designs I will also have detailed steps for you to follow. 

Would you like to join my new Club?

The patterns arrive via email on the 30th of each month, direct to your inbox, and the monthly cost is $9.95 AU (around $7.50 US). 

Use the link below to join today.

SUBSCRIBE TO Faith, Hope & Heart 

The individual patterns will be added to my Etsy Shop the day after Club members have received theirs. They will be $6 AU each so you'd be saving a bundle by becoming a "Faith, Heart & Home" member. 

Joining Gift...

Oh, yes, I must offer you a free joining gift! 

Within 24 hours of signing up for my new Club you will receive your free "Where Flowers Bloom" mini quilt pattern via email. 

NOTE: "Where Flowers Bloom" will not be available in my shop, it is for Club members. 

You can also pop over HERE to the Club page and join from there if you prefer, and as with any of my clubs, I understand life situations can change so you are welcome to leave anytime you like, with no penalties, but I hope you choose to stay and stitch with me a while. 

Now that I've finally shared my secret sewing from this year and opened the doors for a brand new stitchery club, I guess regular newsy and fun blog posts can return to normal again. And friends, that makes me really happy. 

Have a blessed day, and may your hearts overflow with gratitude as you look around at all you have, and the people who love you. 

hugs

Sneak peek at my new block of the month...

I hadn't planned to be so quiet this past week, as my mojo for blogging and sharing fun things thankfully returned a couple of weeks ago, but hubby has been enjoying a week off from work and though we didn't do much apart from overdue jobs around home, we made time to chill out and just enjoy being together.  Everything else simply didn't seem important...and that's as it should be. 

It's been very hot and humid here, the summer heat arriving early as spring only felt obligated to visit for a couple of weeks before vanishing for another year. The weather this year has been quite bizarre, and the garden struggled awfully, but these past few days we (mostly hubby) removed a lot of the winter plants and tidied the garden beds ready for a good dose of compost and soil. Soon I'll plant out new flowers and carefully tend them in partial shade as they rarely cope with our summers. But as I said, this has been an odd year so I'm expecting surprises. 

Inside in the comfortable air conditioning each afternoon, I've been planning and sketching blocks for my new block of the month, "Heart of Psalms". Yesterday I traced a few onto fabric and began stitching block 1...

I can't tell you how 'right' this feels to once again bring Scripture to life with needle and thread, and with the book of Psalms and a gorgeous fat quarter bundle as my inspiration you can be certain my heart is happy.

The fabric bundle is Sophie by Brenda Riddle, and when I first saw it online a few weeks ago I knew it would be perfect for a new embroidery quilt. When the parcel arrived and I untied the wrappings, I'm sure my neighbours heard me squeal with sheer delight, because the fabrics are more beautiful in real life than in the web photos. 

We have a lot of curtains closed inside to keep the scorching sun out, so this photo of the fabric bundle was a bit hazy, but still, you can see how delightful the prints are...

I bought extra of the large floral print for a border, backing and binding - seriously, isn't it lovely?!

This block of the month will feature in my new stitchery club - Faith, Heart & Home - which will run for 12 months. There are three patterns every month, which includes one "Heart of Psalms" block per month. 

I've kept this BOM fairly simple in layout, and for a change there's no applique - just my beloved hand embroidery. 

Once I have photos and patterns written you'll hear about the Club launch, probably late in October. 

But I'm adding something different with this Club...

I'm a lover of all things God and Bible, and it makes me supremely joyful to create designs which feature scripture, however, I know there are many people who want to stitch the actual design part, but prefer a quote instead of a Bible verse...so every month there will be an alternative wording for each block. I'll choose beautiful inspiring quotes about home, heart, friendship and family, which will allow you to make the same block either way. 

Now when you think about this, if you're really into hand embroidery, you could make both options - scripture and quote - and end up with two quilts at the end of twelve months! 

Anyhow, more about this in coming blog posts - more peeks, more information. In the meantime, I shall sign off because my dear man still has 36 hours of holiday left and we intend enjoying it together.

Oh, and for those who asked (after my last blog post) if Lin could share her Elderflower Cordial recipe with us, just pop over HERE to her blog where she has kindly written it down for all of us. And while you're there stay for a visit - Lin is a very talented lady!

Bless you, dear friends, and may the favour of the Lord and a generous portion of His creativity, be graciously showered over your lives this coming week...

Hugs

Washing and flowers and beauty...

 

What do washing and flowers have in common? They are both beautiful in their own way, and each brings delight to my homemaker heart.

As a young girl I would sit quietly in the soft green grass of our small back yard and watch my Nana carry her wicker basket of freshly laundered washing out to the clothesline, a peg apron wrapped securely around her cuddly waist with a large bow, and an expression on her plump cheeks of sweet serenity. 

That vision has stayed with me ever since, and I'm sure that's why I enjoy the task of washing even today after so many decades. I feel almost meditative drawing damp sheets from the basket, carefully laying them over the worn lines of our ancient Hills Hoist, pegging in place and then standing back to admire the view, especially when the wind blows.

Unlike Nana who washed just one day a week, my line flaps in the breeze most weekdays. In the late afternoon I take everything off, filling my basket, and carry it in to the bedroom where I once again enter that calm meditative, prayerful state, as I lovingly fold each towel, pillowcase, shirt, tea towel, clothing and cleaning cloths...yes, lovingly, giving thanks to God for all we have, for all He has given us, for having a husband to care for, a home to tend, hands to work, and an eager heart to create a sanctuary of love and care within our walls. 

There is much beauty in the repetitive tasks of a homemaker, and for many years I did not realise this. Having always kept my home ordered, clean and tidy, even with many children under my feet, my attention to detail was motivated by a sense of needing approval and not falling behind. That's why over the past few years, as I reflected more deeply on the example of my Nana as a homemaker, there's been a  complete change of heart in why I tend home the way I do. 

(a reorganised kitchen drawer)

The missing ingredients were calm contentment for what I have already been blessed with, and a deeper appreciation for the high calling of a homemaker. It wasn't about looking around at what others did or needing to have my home spotless; it was about the atmosphere this simple woman (me) could create within her home by just loving all she does and knowing who she was doing it for - God and family. 

(pasta for dinner with fresh basil and cashew parmesan)

The older I am, the more I seek out beauty. 

Beauty in how I go about my day with the tasks at hand, beauty in what I read, watch or listen to, and beauty in how I decorate each living space. I try to add special touches to each meal, often just a scattering of fresh herbs from the garden, as this to me is another aspect of beauty. 

Fresh flowers, purchased each week when marked down at our supermarket, grace the dining table, my desk and often a few displayed in small vases or milk jugs around the home.

The roses below are entering their third week and still look fresh and beautiful! These were a $10 investment which have added to my homemaker joy and brought beauty to our table. 

Chrysanthemums are always economical to purchase and this was huge bunch which I split between my desk and the kitchen cookbook shelves. 

In the light of these past couple of years, I believe we need to look for, and create, beauty in our environment and in our hearts more than ever. There is joy, often pure delight, when our eyes rest upon something beautiful...

(Charlie David 6 months)

...but we can also become part of the beauty around us, by accepting and walking in the loveliness of simple everyday tasks, allowing them to be joyous expressions of love for home, family and the Lord. 

The more I invest my heart in the tending of our home, the less time I have for wasted occupations and pursuits, and this recently brought 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 more vividly to mind.

"and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one."

Another passage which I feel comes alive when you seek to be about the business of your own home is the advice given to young widows (though I believe much of this can be applied to all women) in 1 Timothy 5:13-14.

"At the same time they will also learn to be idle, going from house to house and not only being idle, but also gossips and busybodies, discussing things they should not mention. So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander..."

Today, this is not only going from house to house in person, but the time spent online, and as most of us know, places like Facebook are a hive of gossip, slander, time wasting and untruths. Any beauty found there is fleeting, but the beauty you create in your home from the attitude and desires of a homemaker heart, are lasting, life giving, joyous and pure.

I cannot say that I have arrived at where I desire to be as a homemaker, but the path before me is a good one and I intend to follow it, refining my character, habits, thoughts and plans along the way.

I was asked recently about a comment I made on a blog post where I mentioned my decision to only wear dresses now. The reader was interested to know if I make my own dresses, and the answer is no. The cost of fabric is quite prohibitive, and my skills are not at a level where I can justify such a financial outlay for a garment which may or many not fit or last.

I have a special shop online in Australia where I purchase suitable dresses from last season's clearance catalogue. They are beautifully made and soooooo feminine and flattering to my 5'1" frame, especially as they are flowing, floral and cool for the tropics. I also have a few dresses from local stores, also purchased on clearance. My apron collection is building too, as I need to cover my lovely dresses whilst doing the chores and cooking, but I am able to make them myself.

This is my favourite dress, and I loved it so much that I purchased two. Something I learned many years ago is that when you find something to wear that you truly love and wear a lot, buy two.

(photo from Kobomo shop website)

It's been many months now that I have only worn dresses and I can only say that they have been the most comfortable months I can remember. This is not for everyone, I know, but I'm seeking beauty in my own life and dresses have become a delightful part of that. 

I had more to chat about but that can wait for another day. I am still working on the next issue of The Homemakers Heart and there's definitely a pretty blue-theme in there, especially this lovely embroidery set I have for you...

So for today I shall sign off and pray as I go...

"Now the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Biggest blessings and hugs,

PS: I've added a brand new pattern to my Etsy Shop, "The Homemakers Heart", and Block 6 of "Simple Days" is there as well. Use THIS link.