Three UFO finishes...

Now that we have signed a lease on this house for another year there's some re-organising to be done.

I am fully committed to bringing visual peace and order into each of the rooms, but at the moment there's so much Elefantz 'work stuff' spilling over into each room that it's hard for me to see my home as a sanctuary, and I am a person who needs a sanctuary.

Over the weekend I began sorting through everything and writing lists - strategic plans really -  to downsize my supplies during the next month. I also decided to complete some long overdue UFOs, a few each week, which will mean one empty box of guilt removed from the sewing room.

Here's what was completed on Friday night and Saturday.

The 'spots and dots' block I pieced inside a churn dash is now a very sweet pillow which will be posted to one of my toddler granddaughters next week. The back was made from vintage Tilda, in an envelope style with no buttons as this little girl is still at the 'chewing' stage, and the raw side edges are hidden safely inside a French seam.

Second finish was the quilt top I made last year which I'd planned to hang on my office door. At last, the bright and tropical genuine 1960's print has come alive with machine quilting and binding. It beautifully brightens my office entrance!

 The third UFO finish over the weekend was using Blossom's "Freebird" block she designed and stitched back in 2010 to make a small table runner.

Blossom stitched this block twice. The first was used in a charity quilt a group of friends and I designed and stitched for the Fresh Hope organisation in 2010. This copy has been safely stored at my place as a gift from Blossom until I could think of how best to display it.

These are the two blocks that Blossom and I made for the "Springtime" quilt...

...and this is the sweet table runner which now frames her precious redwork design. I used some old French General fabric as that's what the donated Springtime quilt was made from.

It's a wonderful feeling to make use of what has already been partially made, and especially when you're delighted with how they finished. 

Maybe you have a box of UFOs that may need airing??

I imagine you'll be re-inspired to finish them if you brew a cuppa and gently pull each one out for a look-see today. You never know...

hugs

This 'n' that on a Sunday afternoon...

"Drip, drip, drip, drop, splotch..."

That's the chorus Mr E and I listen to all night, every night, lately.

It's the wet season, and it's really wet alright. I don't mind rain, honest, but when there is a moat around the trees in your backyard and you can't drive your car past the front gate because it will get bogged - well, that's a wee bit more rain than I'd choose. 

And then there's the hole in the roof guttering, just ONE hole. And where is it? Right above our bedroom window. And what's above our bedroom window? A pretty, tin canopy. But what happens when water from that 20c sized hole in the guttering drips onto that canopy all night????

Mr E and I walk around like zombies all day from lack of sleep. That's what happens. And why is it that a noise which is tolerable all day, sounds like a thunderous herd of elephants all night?

The guttering is very high (two story Queenslander) so we can't get up there, however we're praying that the owner of the house will show mercy on us and get that hole plugged as soon as possible. There is no end to the rain in the forseeable weeks (months??!!).

Our plan at the moment is to pop our iPods in our ears and listen to something nicer all night. Tonight I'm tossing up between Enya, or an audio book. I know it's strange but I love falling asleep whilst listening to a book...maybe because I was never read to as a child?? I wonder. 

~~~~~

The final scallop trims are on my Flower Fairies...

...and two are wrapped and ready to be posted away to their new owners. The other two are Christmas gifts. 

A number of you have asked me to share this pattern, but as I showed you a couple of weeks ago HERE, the pattern is not mine. You will find the pattern in an old copy of Homespun magazine, issue 66. 

~~~~~

More new designs are being completed in my sewing room, some for magazines, and some for a book I'm writing that will be published next year. 

Do you like my new blog header? Little by little I make time to stitch a few of my Shabby Roses alphabet blocks, and I loved the photo of a few I'd finished as scissor keeps (more gifts)...

 

 I also made this tea towel as a gift, using one of my Oopsie Daisy designs on one end.

 

Do you like having bright, hand embellished tea towels? I love them! :-)

Last night I wrapped all 25 gifts for my partner, Carol, in Fee and Jo's Advent Swap. Tomorrow this box will be posted off to her, to arrive in time for her to unwrap one gift per day from December 1st till Christmas Day. By December 1st I'll have my own box of lovely presents from Carol to enjoy!

My Block pattern, Rainbird, from our Gum Tree Designer's "Springtime" quilt arrived on Friday - the cover all corrected. :-) 

You can contact Mary at Fresh Hope HERE to enquire about purchasing the Springtime quilt as a BOM, or the entire 9 block pattern set.

~~~~~

Look what arrived in the mail last week?!

These are the sweetest lavender filled handbags! The gift sender has asked me not to identify her, but she knows how much I appreciate these gorgeous bags. They are now hanging in my wardrobe scenting my clothes in delightful lavender. Thanks so much V!! :-)

~~~~~

Last but not least...

Something is happening next year, and I'm sooooooo excited!!!!!! 

Have a lovely Sunday evening. We've got ourselves a 400g box of Maltesers to share while we watch X-Factor. What are you up to?

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

Flower Fairies, Springtime, a gift, and my Blossom...

No show and tells this week. :-(

Hopefully we'll be able to swoon over finished Daisy-Do quilts next week, though! :-)

The free block patterns will stay up until December 1st.

You can download all the blocks HERE by following the links in the various blog posts pertaining to Daisy-Do.

 ~~~~~

She's finished!

She was very fiddly for my not-so-perfect fingers, but it was so worth the effort of making her.

 

 

One Flower Fairy finished, three more to go. Don't you think they make gorgeous Christmas gifts? She stands 7 1/2 inches tall...my little angel. I'll need to make an extra one just for me. :-)

~~~~

Blossom had a day off work yesterday (she is working on the checkout at Woolworths and *loves* it!), so with the rain drizzling outside we decided to sit tight on the couch with our various crafts and watch our just-arrived-from-the-UK 'Midsomer Murders' dvds. We love a good English murder mystery!

In between episodes Blossom put a colour through her hair, Violet Vision...

 

Doesn't matter what colour her hair is, she's just so gorgeous anyways! Can you tell I'm biased???

I'm also a very proud mumma because Blossom's block pattern for the 'Springtime' quilt that we Gum Tree Designers made for Fresh Hope, arrived in the mail!

Blossom's block, Freebird,  is Block 5 in the BOM.

My block, Raindrops,  is Block 1.

I don't have mine yet as the suppliers made a mistake with the spelling of my name and the spelling of Elefantz.

(Reynold instead of Reynolds, and Elephantz instead of Elefantz). 

I've asked to receive a copy of the corrected cover and should have it in a few weeks. Can't wait! :-)

The quilt pattern is being sold as a BOM, and for all pattern purchase enquiries you can contact Creative Abundance HERE for stockists. In time the pattern will also be available through the Fresh Hope website, but that may be a month or two away yet.

 ~~~~~

This week a cross-stitched postard arrived from my very dear friend, Darcey, in Canada. The verse was perfect for me right now, so it's sitting on the ledge behind my desk where I can ponder it each and every morning. Darc, your a real sweetheart for making this for me! {{{thanks}}}

~~~~~

Today I'm finishing up more hand sewing on some presents, then I need to make some nibblies as Mr E is taking me out to a wine-tasting at the school and we're all bringing a plate of some kind. I rarely drink so I'll be enjoying sparkling apple juice. 

What are you up to this weekend?

 ~~~~~

Blossom would like to leave you with this thought. It's on her favourite t-shirt...

 

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

An article, and some parcels arrive...

Day 5 since the operation and my finger and palm are very swollen still. Fortunately I am now able to use the other fingers of my right hand so I can grip small, light things, which means stirring sugar into my cup of tea is quite a thrill! :-)

I'm not responding privately to messages or comments at the moment, my dear friends, for even though I can type a little, I can't type for an extended period of time. Another week or so and I should be back to almost normal - and hopefully able to pick up a needle once more.

In the meantime I have some more fabric that arrived in the mail, and a book to enjoy.

I love Barri Sue Gaudet's designs...

...and this book of hers will be perfect for gift making.

I also love Chez Moi's Hunky Dory fabrics! This fat quarter bundle will be the inspiration behind some new designs in the weeks ahead...

As I've shared before, Rural Jardin by French General is another favourite fabric line, and this bevy of beauties arrived today as well....

They are the fabrics I'll be using to sew my own copy of our Gum Tree Designer's 'Springtime' quilt! I think 'Springtime' as a bluework quilt will be gorgeous in the new house with all it's white walls and arches, don't you?

Speaking of 'Springtime' and the charity we made it for, Fresh Hope, you can read about the inspirations behind each block and see individual photos in this month's Creating Country Threads magazine.

Each of the 9 quilt design contributors should have been featured in the article but due to a publishing error our sweet Fiona Ransley is sadly missing from amongst the article pages.

Be sure to go to our Gum Tree Designers blog HERE to read Fiona's omitted portion of the article. :-)

The lovely Mary Jibson of Fresh Hope surprised each of us with a thank you gift this week...

...but the true gift is having the opportunity to know Mary. I have a short list of female heroes in my life, women who inspire me to be a better person (Mother Teresa heading that roll call) and now Mary joins them. Thank *you* Mary, you are a true blessing to so many.

~~~~~

Friday's Show and Tell may be a day late this week as Mr Elefantz and I are off for two days alone in the big smoke! Well, he's attending a conference, and I'll be window shopping...but the evening is ours. :-)

Hugs,

Jenny

xxx

PS: As soon as the pattern for 'Springtime' is available for purchase I will let you know.
Previous copies of Creating Country Threads magazine can be purchased in the USA HERE through the Fat Quarter Shop.

~Springtime~ revealed!

Have you read our story about our Gum Tree Designer's charity quilt, ~Springtime~?

Take a minute and click HERE to have a read. 

I'll wait while you do. :-)

May I present...

~Springtime~

The Gum Tree Designers very first collaborative project, with 100% of pattern proceeds going to the amazing FRESH HOPE organisation.

This is a gorgeous redwork quilt, with 9 beautiful hand-stitched blocks, and 9 blocks of verse that make up our original 'Springtime - Fresh Hope' poem.

Each designer was responsible for one main block inspired by Fresh Hope, and together we wrote the poem to  symbolise our vision.

Here is my block...

 It's called Raindrops, and let me share with you my inspiration...

There is a wonderful calm, a freshness, and lovely clean feeling after a spring shower. Soft raindrops are gentle in their cleansing, soothing in their pitter patter, they offer a calmness you do not find in a storm.  The mothers who spend a year or more of their lives at Fresh Hope are there to wash away the debilitating addictive hold of their past. Over time their lives are 'washed' clean and a freshness springs forth - new skills, a future and a hope opens up for them and their children. 

Fresh Hope is a doorway to a new life, a fresh beginning.

~~~~~~

As you can see in the quilt, there are nine blocks, but at the time we had just eight Gum Tree Designers. 

We asked my daughter Blossom (age 15 at the time) to be a guest designer and she rose to the occasion with this beautiful block she named 'Freebird'...

 ...and this is what inspired her design.

"I tried to empathise with the women and understand how they must feel. The song 'Freebird' by Lynard Skynard was one of the first things I thought of and ideas just spun out from there. I wanted to help these women be free and so I drew an empty cage with a feather left behind - signifying that although these women were trapped and it took away a part of them, they can now be free just like the song."

Later in the month we'll have some more news about the Fresh Hope ~Springtime~ Quilt on our Gum Tree Designers blog. Be sure to sign up as a follower so you don't miss our post. 

Have you been to visit my fellow Gum Tree Designer's blogs to see their own wonderful blocks!?

You are in for a feast of delights when you do...be sure to have a large mug of coffee on hand!

To learn more about Fresh Hope visit their website HERE.

The pattern for ~Springtime~ will be for sale later in the year. We'll be sure to let you know when and where you can purchase it.

~~~~~

Every Gum Tree Designer had an additional part to play in the finished quilt process, other than their block and our poem. 

My extra part was an absolute joy! I designed and stitched the quilt label...

Using 1 inch snippets from each of our block designs I stitched a mini quilt. Dawn sent me some of the Rouenneries selvedges (she did the cutting of the fabrics and beautifully pieced the quilt top following Vicki's quilt design instructions), and they were added to the edges. 

Thank you Joy, Dawn, Vikki, Vicki, Judith, Fiona, Blossom and Cheryl for making this ~Springtime~ collaborative journey such a wonderful experience in giving and friendship. 

(and thanks Cheryl for letting us know about the incrdibly life-changing work of Fresh Hope!)

Hugs

Jenny

xxx