Some encouragement and a festive tutorial...

My plans to rest up haven't followed the path I'd hoped. I suppose this time of year has a way of calling you off in different directions and though you want/need to rest, the opportunities aren't always as forthcoming as you'd like. But I do feel a little better, which is wonderful, so thank you sincerely for your prayers. I actually sat here this morning and thought about that very thing.

Have you just stopped what you're doing and thought about who is praying for you?

What a beautiful, humbling, grateful experience I had as I did this. It made me want to hug each and every one of you who have lifted my name before Jesus. You bless me beyond words. xx

Between the various tasks these early December days bring into our lives I think we each look for a parcel of hours in which to create, a morning or afternoon here or there when we can disappear into the craft room or clear a space on the dining table 'just to make'.

Some of my friends create with paper, others with wool, and some like me use fabric or thread.

Last week you saw the simple ribbony buttony lacy card I made for a friend, and this week I'll show you a different simple gift for another friend.

I've made a pretty three-tiered shabby chic style Christmas tree pincushion in soft pastels, but once you see the basic steps you'll realise it can be made to any size and have as many tiers as you want.

I began by sewing three circles of differing sizes and stuffing them.

Before you make the circles stack your fabrics on top of each other and mix them around until you have them layered in such a way that it makes your heart flutter. 

Using Perle thread or three strands of embroidery thread (I used Perle 12) criss-cross back and forth, always bringing the needle back to the centre, until you have eight sections in your circle. Pull the thread gently as you sew each section until it puffs a little.

Secure the thread in the centre of the bottom side when you're done.

I used pink Perle thread for the bottom and middle pincushions... 

...and white for the small top one.

As this is a Christmas themed project the addition of some bling on top was important to the overall finish so I found the perfect button in my stash and sewed it in place.

Nice, huh?

Assemble the round pincushions one on top of the other and using a very long beading needle sew them together through the centre. 

My bling button had a shank so I gently pushed it to one side and was able to get the needle through the middle of the little pincushion and down through the other two without my trouble.

An alternative is to use a hot glue gun to secure each pincushion on top of each other, especially if you intend sewing 5 or 6 tiers.

The final touch was a piece of crinkly ribbon wound between the large and middle pincushions and tied in a bow. 

I told you it was simple. 

Simply beautiful actually, and I'm sure my friend will love it. 

The fabrics used in this pincushion are from the "Meadow" collection by Camelot Design Studio. 

I've had them saved and uncut for a little while now, but I do believe they were just right for this project. In fact, I may have to make another for myself...as soon as December passes by. 

Will you make one, or two?

There's much in my heart that over time I shall begin to share with you, things pertaining to living a life of gentle domesticity, but today I will leave you with just one thing, something I shared with members of our Gentle Domesticity facebook group yesterday...

Too often I tend to drift past life's daily rituals without truly observing their significance; without stopping to be grateful. But the things I attend to within my home are a privilege because within these walls I get to care for people I love and people who love me.

I am free to create an environment which family and friends assure me is welcoming and homely; an environment that tangibly wraps itself around them and says, "stay awhile, I love having you here".

Just as apple pie or fruit buns straight from the oven fill a house with the aroma of home-baked love, so too the fragrance of our attitude can carry itself through every room and each heart, the effects lasting well beyond that afternoon tea.

Have you pondered the attitude of your homemaker heart recently?

Like me, you may need to do this every once in while.

I think it's almost like checking the chocolate cake with a skewer to see if it's baked through and finding it sticky. No-one wants to eat raw or under-cooked cake so we return it to the oven until it's fully baked through and delicious to eat.

In a similar way, we must take time to check our attitude regularly. No-one wants to stay long in a home that causes them to feel unwelcome or in the way, so like that cake we should examine our heart attitude to see if it's right, and if it's not we must be honest with ourselves about why and begin to make changes that will bring about a gentle and gracious spirit. 

At the core of every gentle domestic homemaker is a heart willing to make her home a sanctuary with an atmosphere of beauty and rest, a dwelling place that exudes love and welcome. 

If we do this there is no shortage of JOY to share and no lack of JOY to receive.

I am still learning how to do this, how to be that gentle homemaker, but truly my heart is willing to grow and change for the better and that's really all we need do. Just be willing. 

If we are, then what a bounty of goodness lies before us...

Much love dear ones,

Monday rhythms and a free Christmas project...

With only two weeks left before the end of another school year in Queensland, I'm excited because this means Mr E will soon start his summer break and be home with me for about five weeks.

(if you could see the smile on my face!) 

We're looking forward to relaxed mornings with no timetable for being out the door, lessons to plan or reports to mark, just wonderful opportunities to hop in the Jeep at whim and head off on outback and rainforest adventures. This coming break is definitely needed for physical and mental refreshment, a boost before buckling down to another school year for him and designing year for me in 2018.

At the moment I'm working harder than usual to get the December and January issues of the Stitchery Club completed by Mr E's last day of school, so there's a fair bit of designing, stitching and writing happening. If I can manage to do this I'll only need about an hour each day to keep the business side of things running smoothly while he's on summer break. 

It's Monday here and after baking a loaf of sour dough, doing a load of washing and a general tidy of the house I sat down with Sophie and a hot cup of tea to watch a few documentaries and begin stitching the main design for January.

 New habit, I do an egg wash over the bread before I bake it. 

SO good.

Since becoming (not voluntarily) an indoor-only cat Princess Sophie is almost always nearby, sitting close to Mr E when he is home and beside me when he's not.

I've neglected our health the past few months so last week resumed my personal studies on nutrition, making good use of our FMTV subscription for documentaries on sustainability, organic farming and natural health alternatives.

I can sit and stitch while I watch, learning new things (or being reminded of old things) and expanding my ideas for eating, cooking and shopping sustainably.

Decaf tea or coffee in pretty cups are important too, and I drink quite a few.

Applique, hexies and embroidery...is there anything better to keep fingers nimble?

The new designs for next year will be slightly different, softer even, and each month one stitchery will be a large one that we'll finish as a complete project. 

Before lunch I took time out to refresh the water in last week's bunch of flowers and am surprised they are still bright and not at all droopy. 

Note to self, "choose long lasting carnations and baby's breath through summer."

Oh, and while I was taking this photo I remembered wanting to tell you about my Peace Lily.

A few months ago when we were living in the other house, I wrote of my despair at not having white flowers on my Peace Lily anymore, just green flowers all the time. I'd read that this is caused by the plant having too much light so the pot was quickly moved to a shaded part of the room, however soon afterwards we packed up house and moved here.

 In this home's dining room there's a darkened corner where the curtains almost hide the pot and I've kept it there for the two months we've been here, watering regularly because it's hot and very windy at the moment and both those conditions dry the soil easily. 

Success at last! A white lily and I actually shed a tear of joy.

The first white flower in over two years...

My husband thought I'd gone a bit overboard with such happiness from the appearance of a white lily but you know, when you tend something carefully for so long and try all you know to 'fix' the problem, experiencing the fruit of your labour is rather wonderful indeed.

I soon told my friend Anorina who shared the same excitement over her peace lily, as well as her carefully drought-tended gardenias which recently burst into bloom, so we had a mutual understanding of each other's floral happiness. 

Sometimes you really need to share your joy with another woman who understands. LOL!

Before sitting down to write this blog post I made lunch, using what we had on hand and focusing on making it as healthy as possible. The other day I cooked up a batch of brown rice for salads this week, but it's also great for a very simple version of fried rice.

Brown rice and vegetables, tamari, garlic, ginger, chicken bone broth...

...sauteed in a little sesame oil and finished with some egg. 

When I did the egg wash over my sour dough loaf earlier in the day there was still most of the whisked egg left in the bowl so I cooked it on one side of the pan just before serving and sliced it to scatter over my lunch.

Lunch was delicious and so satisfying I couldn't finish it all. 

Note to self, "Next time make less."

I'll bring the washing in off the line next, make some Chia Pudding for dessert tonight and start the chicken for Mr E's favourite Chicken Pot Pie, before brewing a decaf coffee while I do a little more stitching in the natural afternoon light. Mr E will be a little late home as he's working on Blossom's car after school so I have an extra hour or two to fill.

A good day by my accounts.

A blessed and relaxed day, actually, so let me bless you as well.

Last year I shared this design for Christmas and I was going to share it again on December 1st, but a comment asking about it last week made me think "why wait?".

So I won't.

I love the declaration in this pattern, and the joy which swells in my heart when I say those words lifts my spirit every time.

"Glory to God in the Highest" is a free download here in my shop.

Enjoy making it for your home or a gift!

I can't sign off today without saying "thank you".

I have cherished every comment left on my last post, hugged each of you in my heart and praised God for such a beautiful gathering of precious women who care. 

I felt your prayers...I felt encouragement, love, respect, care and concern. 

The gratitude I express today goes far beyond a blog post, it comes from my heart to yours with great sincerity.

May the Lord our God be a fount of blessing upon your precious life, every day in every way.

hugs

Rose Tattoo - a free design...

Remember back in June when I embroidered a little posey onto my blue cardigan?

Well my daughter Aisha thought it was beautiful so I asked if she'd like me to stitch another for her and she said, "Oh Mum, would you?! I'd love an embroidered cardie of my own."

I bought a black cardigan because that's a useful colour for any woman to have in her wardrobe, and sketched a spray of roses to stitch as they are Aisha's favourite flower. 

Last time I'd trialed the Sulky product but this time I used the Legacy brand.

It was a little easier on my hands, not quite as much gummy resistance to push the needle through, and it washed away quicker as well. 

I still don't like either product though.

They are not kind to arthritic hands but they serve a good purpose for projects like this when you're embroidering onto dark clothing and cannot easily trace the design in place. 

The three large roses are chain stitch and the rest of the design is a mix of backstitch, blanket stitch and colonial knots.

(I made these leaves)

Simple red and green on black.

Very effective, and Aisha was thrilled with her mum-made cardie. 

It doesn't take long to stitch this up so I thought you might like to have the pattern.

Embroidered cardigans would make lovely Christmas gifts...or embroidered mittens, gloves or scarves?

Blossom would like a grey embroidered cardie so at the moment I'm thinking of designs that would suit her.

A little stitchery certainly adds something special to a cardigan, don't you think?

You can download my free "Rose Tattoo" pattern HERE.

Hubby and I had a fairly relaxed weekend. Did you?

On Saturday morning we visited Blossom, Ross and Cully May, before returning home to finish our work - Mr E assessing his student's final end of year projects and me writing patterns for the next issue of The Stitchery Club.

As sunset drew closer my beloved asked if I'd like to go out for dinner and you know I said yes, right?! He took me to our favourite Thai restaurant and afterwards we drove along the water's edge with the cool evening breeze blowing around us. It was incredibly relaxing, so much so that we were in bed asleep by 9 pm. 

On Sunday morning we headed north to visit my dear friend Rosie who is recovering from a double knee replacement.  I baked blueberry muffins and took them along...

In spite of her pain and discomfort we laughed and laughed. 

Mr E and Rosie's son had us in stitches (they are both cheeky fellas!) and it was so good to see Rosie being just as cheeky back to them. She keeps us all on our toes!

You know, I've been fighting depression for a few weeks and it got so bad last week that I almost deleted my blog...but I have learned over time that I must not do anything extreme when depression has a hold of me, that I must be patient and wait until it lifts to make any big decisions or changes. 

Seeing Rosie yesterday was a tonic for me, as was a long phone call the other day with Fee. 

Having good friends (and I only have a few) who know you well and love you through the good times and the bad, can be the difference between sinking deeper into depression or reaching for the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm blessed to have these two women in my life and I hope I am a blessing to them as well.

If you're feeling like I was reach out to someone who knows you, a friend or family member who can come alongside and cheer you. It's not always as easy as that, I know, but being reminded that life has so many good moments that you can both laugh about and reminisce over is a tonic not to be overlooked. 

Don't forget to be that friend to others as well. 

Something I've just realised is that when the dark end of life takes hold of me I stop eating healthy, snacking on sweets and ice cream instead. I know that having good nutrition is very important to mental health so it surprised me to acknowledge I'd blindly forgotten all about this and done the complete opposite for three whole weeks.

Today I put aside the sweeties and chose to get back to the delicious natural foods which nourish my body and my mind.

I started by making 2 litres of fresh veggie juice and then prepared some roast vegetables to use in lunchtime salads through the week. 

I cut pumpkin and sweet potato into small pieces, then tossed them in coconut oil and salt before roasting them on trays until they were soft inside and slightly golden on the outside.

Sometimes I blend the roast pumpkin with chicken stock, roasted garlic and a little curry paste and heat it up in a saucepan for a spicy pumpkin soup lunch.  SO delicious!

I don't waste the pumpkin seeds either.

Removed from the pulp I toss them in coconut oil, salt and Cajun spice before roasting until they are golden and crisp.

Seriously, these are better than every other snack food I've tried.

In fact, these disappeared in 5 minutes.

Fortunately Mr E doesn't like pumpkin so I never have to share.  

It feels much better knowing I'm doing something positive for my health again.

Later in the week I have some great Christmas planning and Christmas gift ideas to share with you, but for now I have to trace pattern sheets and check them for accuracy before putting Friday's new issue of The Stitchery Club to bed.

Memberships for this issue close on the 16th so if you'd like to join just head over HERE.

Have a blessed week, and be sure to stop and enjoy the view.

Life is too short not to smell the roses.

hugs

Sew a set of Cottage Coasters...

My project ideas are often conceived in the most unexpected ways.

When Mr E and I were chatting over breakfast the other day he put his coffee mug down on my new table runner and when he lifted it again to take another sip there was a round imprint left behind. 

Thankfully there was no coffee stain, just an impression from the shape of the mug. 

But I wondered to myself, what if next time it does leave a stain?

Then and there my plans for the day changed from baking and writing patterns to sketching up ideas for a set of drink coasters and making some before the following day's breakfast. 

I still had some Tilda 'Cottage' scraps plus a good length of the same vintage flour sack fabric I'd used for my table runner, so after deciding on the design I began to sew. 

If you'd like to make some too, just follow along!

You will require:

Four, 1½" x 5" lengths of floral fabric

Four, 4" x 5" lengths of solid cream fabric

Four, 4½" squares of fusible Pellon

Four, 5½" inch squares of backing fabric

Four, 3/4" hexagons made from floral fabric

Perle #12 thread for hand quilting

1. Sew a length of the floral fabric down the side of a piece of cream fabric to make a 5" square. Press the seams open. 

2. Fuse a 4½" square of Pellon to the centre back of the 5" square.

3. Lay the front of the coaster onto the right side of your 5½" square of backing fabric. Pin the pieces together.

4. Sew the front and back together by sewing right beside the edge of the Pellon. Leave a 2½" opening along one side for turning out.

6. Trim the excess backing fabric away.

(make 4)

7. Turn the coaster right side out, push out the corners and press flat.

8. Ladder stitch the opening closed.

9. Make your hexies.

10. Hand quilt with running stitch 1/4" in from the edge of the cream section with the Perle #12 thread.

11. Carefully blind stitch (applique stitch) the hexie to the centre of the cream section, being careful to only catch the fabric/Pellon at the front and not stitch through the back.

12. Hand quilt around the hexie.

Make another three, or four, or five...however many you need.

Tie them up with string and add a gift tag if you're making these as a present.

Or tie them up with string and pop in the centre of your table just because (like me) you think they look cute that way!

Now to state the obvious.

Yes, I've used the same cream flour sack to make the coasters as I used in my table runner, the one which has indents left behind when Mr E rests his coffee mug on it.

And yes, if I was concerned he would one day leave a coffee stained indent on my cream flour sack table runner he could do the same to these cream coasters.

So WHY did I use more cream flour sack for the coasters and not a nice print fabric that would cover a multitude of coffee mug rings should they be left behind?

I don't really know. 

Well, actually I do, my heart loves flour sack. 

So there I was sewing these cute coasters in a wonderfully blissful state of mind, admiring the hand stitched hexies, the pop of floral against cream, the gentle rhythm of hand quilting...but totally forgetting the reason I made the coasters in the first place, to hide stains and save my table runner.

Oh well. 

I don't care, they were such a joy to make that we'll use them until such a time as I need to make more.

And then I'll enjoy the process again...but perhaps not use cream flour sack. 

Have a beautiful day,