The close of autumn in Australia...

 It's the last day of autumn here, and though in the tropics we don't get the golden falling leaves, or the chilly days and nights, we do notice the temperature drops to a lovely temperate degree which means the air conditioners are no longer needed, and we only use the ceiling fans from mid morning to late afternoon. We can sleep with windows open again (though the traffic noise takes adjusting to) and look forward to soups, casseroles and custard veiled puddings. 

Thank you to those sweet ladies who emailed to check up if I was alright as it's been more than two weeks since my last post. With the theme this month of...

...I made the decision to only post on the blog if I had something to share, show, or felt like chatting. Thinking back on my earlier blogging years, when I was writing them 4 or 5 times a week, the purpose in those days was often sewing, stitching, gentle domesticity, or recipe related - things I did a lot of at the time and enjoyed sharing about on the blog. My favourite posts though, were the regular Sunday devotionals I shared for a few years, but they were for a season, and as time went by I found myself more openly including the Lord in every post I wrote, and that continues today. 

Though I still sew, stitch and cook, keep house and live a gentle domestic life, I also have three gorgeous grandchildren living nearby who I see often with their mummy, my dear daughter Blossom (whose real name is Elizabeth in case you didn't know). I also garden, create as much as I can from scratch, spend precious time with a beloved husband when he is home from work, care for our young pug Molly and aging cat Sophie, and go for long country drives with my darling on his one full day off each week. I also immerse my life in the Word of God, because without that I would not function well in all the other areas that take my time. 

So shedding some blogging time has freed me to live my joyful, very ordinary life, in an even more relaxed, and yet very productive way. I was going to say that this was fairly normal to pursue simpler days as you age, but I don't think it's about being older as many women are still very outgoing and social at my age, but more about maturing in my thoughts, and no longer feeling the need for affirmation. Hmmm, that was a big revelation. When I began designing in 2009, my family encouraged me but they did not like my style. I had my patterns published in magazines more than a hundred times over a period of seven or eight years, and that, along with blogging, gave me the affirmation I needed to continue designing. 

But (praise the Lord) I grew up and the past few years it hasn't been important to be affirmed, but it has been very important to learn more about gardening, homemaking, natural health care and repurposing - all with a desire to care responsibly for my home and family, in order to glorify the Lord. 

I wonder what stage of life you are in? Are there changes happening in how you're approaching things? Have you been 'shedding' things in your life throughout May?? 

Around home it has been a very productive time this month, especially in the garden as I am doing things differently this year, 'shedding' the things which have progressively failed in previous years. I'll do a post on the garden in June.

I've also been busy completing Blossom's 30th birthday quilt with the binding and a label...

As the quilt is a Dresden one, I decided to make a chubby Dresden block for the label and stitch a wreath and words of love in the centre circle. The quilt itself was quilted with a leaf design as my girl loves leaves and requested this. It turned out beautifully...

Her birthday was last Sunday and it was a wonderful celebration! Ross had bought her a gold chain with a beautiful gold and emerald pendant, and the children and he had decorated the house very early in the morning and would not let her get out of bed until it was all done. We met for lunch and had a marvellous time together, the first year we have 'gone out' for a birthday since her 21st...but she wanted us both to not have to worry about cooking or cleaning up, but to just relax and celebrate. It truly was special.

A second celebration on that day was news that my 16yo grandson Dee (Kezzie's youngest son), who lives on the opposite side of Australia to us, had accepted Christ as his Lord and Saviour. Mothers and grandmothers, do not give up praying for your family...God works in His own way and in His own time. All we need do is pray. xx

Many years ago, before I taught myself to embroider and quilt, I did cross stitch, and loved the designs of Australian heritage homes by Olga Gostin. The one above is called a Queenslander because many homes in my state 'back in the day' needed to be cooled and kept dry due to our heat and wet seasons and cyclones. You lived upstairs, but the underneath was open for the breezes to cool the house, or the water to pass through. I love these homes and have been fortunate enough to live in some when we were still renting. The home we bought in 2018 is a small low set house as my husband has serious arthritis in his knees and could no longer use stairs. But we have this hanging in our home (he loves it too) as a reminder of the Queenslander beauty. 

After a break of about fifteen years I am once again enjoying the slow pace of cross stitch, and the pattern which has my time at the moment is coming along nicely. I watch an episode or two of The Great British Sewing Bee (on Britbox) after lunch each day as I stitch. I have some hip issues and this afternoon break is wonderful for the essential rest I must have after homemaking and gardening in the mornings.

I put a lot of care into my husband's work lunches as his hours are long, but recently I'd not been as mindful of my own need for a healthy lunch. We do not have an evening meal Monday to Thursday, hence the need for a hearty and healthy lunch. Now I not only plan for his work lunches six days a week, but also for my own...and I really enjoy using leftovers, like in this simple fried rice full of veggies and made with brown rice.

Some days I heat up pre-baked vegetables and some chicken in bone-broth from the freezer, other days it might be avocado and salad on sourdough with a boiled egg, or baked beans with a parmesan sprinkle and toast. If I've been out grocery shopping and running errands, or spent the morning at Blossom's with her and the children, I might opt to steam some pre-packaged frozen dumplings when I get home. 

But I always finish with a bowl of watermelon chunks, which is available in the tropics all year through. As I'm taking an extended break from sweet home baked goods, I get my sweet treat this way for now.

Making my own protein balls for hubby is another important change for me. I have made them for him over many years, but I don't have them myself. Why?? No idea! Now I do. 

In the sewing room, I have bound a very large piece of wonderfully thick woven fabric I found for $8 in the reject bin last year at Spotlight, for Blossom's trio to use as a picnic rug in their backyard at lunchtimes...

....sewn a few more jar covers and crocheted the edges...

...and am working on creating new kitchen curtains, and a laundry curtain, from six identical tea towels. I have a kitchen tea towel in the same print with a crochet edge (which is what gave me the idea!) and it is always on display over the oven door as it's so cheery and pretty, so now I'm going to recreate it as two curtains, also with the crochet edging. The hems have all been unpicked now, and the towels are washed and ironed. Hopefully I shall make a start on them over the weekend.

What are you making?? Anything specific as a gift or for your home?? I'd love to hear about your own month of May before we move into June. :-)

Next week I'll have the free June pattern for this year's block of the month, "Joy in the Ordinary". If you have missed any of the blocks shared so far they are HERE, all free. 

God bless you and keep you safe, well, and cared for in every way you have need. May His joy be abundant in your days, His provision always at hand, and His love so firmly full in your heart that no matter what happens, you know you are loved and cherished by a Father who only ever has your good in mind.

Lots of love

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May, the month of sewing and shedding...

 I had a number of things on my list to finish this month because I made the decision not to start anything new until a few unfinished projects were complete. My theme for this month, which I totally forgot to tell you about at the beginning of May, is "shedding", and that encompasses so many different aspects of life - UFOs being just one of them. There has been much satisfaction of late when I shed the visual reminders of a job unfinished.

Here's a couple of UFO finishes for May. The "Some Days" pattern is HERE in my shop, and the small Mother Teresa flour sack style design is a free pattern which I have shared with you previously HERE, and was remade recently in fresh fabrics.

I also completed a little chicken stitchery for a hoop, and that will be eventually hang in the kitchen.

Also on my sewing list was to alter and repair a number of linen and cotton dresses that have been waiting in the mending basket most of this year.

Now I have a restocked wardrobe of good quality cool dresses for our tropical climate! 

I also (finally) cut up some old linen tops that were quite worn in places, or damaged, and now they will become lovely pieces for creating new cushions in our home. 

I spent a couple of days making a new runner for our coffee table from some lovely green prints I've had for many years - maybe ten years? We decided to brighten our home decor inexpensively so I have been checking what I have in the way of fabrics to sew a few things. The rug below the coffee table was a Mothers Day gift from hubby (he insists on thanking me for making him a father, bless him)...

I have been watching The Great British Sewing Bee on the iPad again, starting over with season 1 (on Britbox Australia) as I cut and sew and plan in the sewing room...no matter how many times I watch the series, I am inspired and learn something new.

As I watched yesterday, I took note of the Tilda fabrics on my table (leftover from the two little pillows in those photos at the beginning of this post) and also the lovely little tin with small shortbreads that I was enjoying with my afternoon decaf coffee...and an idea formed. 

An hour later....

 The tin is just the right size for holding pins, needles, small scissors, binding clips and threads. I still have one more tin left to play with, but not until I finish the shortbreads. 

In the kitchen I made another apple pie (no fancy decorations this time) and tried a 'new to me' bread roll recipe that was quite a hit with the family. 

In the garden there's a number of new plants and herbs growing, plus the kookaburras are visiting often and laughing for me as they sit in the shade of our huge poinciana tree...

The grandchildren are loving their new cubby Cafe and the 'new' dress-up outfits I found at the Salvos op-shop. Can you believe Cully May will be 8 in August? 

So what else am I shedding, other than my sewing UFOs??

My inbox...and all the unnecessary email subscriptions (and some I never subscribed to but they keep coming anyway)

My wardrobe...things that have not fit for years or have weathered too many years. 

Decorations...do I really want all the little bits and pieces scattered around our small home? No, so I'm assessing each one and deciding two things - do I like it? - is there a place for it to be displayed?

Garden ideas...the ones I have laboured over for years and they have never been fruitful. 

Recipes...trimming down the overfull recipe folder to only those which we enjoy and will be remade over again and again.

Recipe books...do I really need all those cookbooks? Not at all. two thirds have now been donated.

Craft/Sewing books...do I even read them anymore? Have I used them to make projects or for inspiration? If not, then they need to go. Many I sold, and others have been donated.

Fabric...my style really is changing, so even though I rarely buy fabrics anymore and have a good but not expansive fabric stash, I'll be selling quite a bit very soon. 

My original completed stitchery designs...time to sell many on Etsy, as there's nowhere to display them here. I'd need a gallery! 

Busyness...yes, I'm shedding that too. Intentionally slowing my days this year (even more than last year) has allowed me to eliminate time-wasting, and be more productive in what matters around the home. I'm also doing two things at once, slowly - listening to a book/sermon/podcast whilst I work in the kitchen, or watching something like Great British Sewing Bee on the iPad while I'm creating/mending/organising in my sewing room. 

Dreams...those dreams of old that are simply not practical at my age or in this time of life.

Unrealistic Expectations...those I have put on myself and those others try to put on me.

Designing...aah, yes, at last the time has come. I have one commissioned project to do for the Tilda Club Australia later this year, and then the slate is clean. 

All the patterns I purchased or saved to make one day...three-quarters were donated or sold. As I've said previously, my style has changed and I'm enjoying exploring that in the things I am now making for our home.

Coffee mugs...I mean, really, how many do you need??? I confess to being a coffee mug addict, as is my Blossom. But they must go. Well, the least liked ones. 

Appliances we do not use...its been exciting to sell them on and empty some much needed storage space! We have barely any in our small home, but it's almost 'just right' now. 

There's more, but I think you get the idea. 

What kind of things are you shedding from your life? I had been brushing our pug, Molly, when I had the ide about shedding. She's a heavy shedder and needs a lot of regular brushing or our floors and furniture gather piles of her loose fur. When I finish grooming her she has a big shake and runs off quite exhilarated...and that made me think about how good I feel when I 'shed' things or burdens or expectations from my life. If I was Molly, I'm sure having a happy shake and my mind exhilarated would spur me on to 'shed' more often.

Perhaps it's my age that also inspires me to let go of all those things? As I get older, I find myself needing less and less, wanting less and less. There's much more joy to be found in the small things, the ordinary things in life, and as I become more aware of that, I find contentment in both heart and mind soon follows. 

Would love to hear your own thoughts, my friends. God bless you, and may His presence be a constant source of gratitude, hope and love as you walk through your days. 

hugs

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