Project six creative hands at home, and slower days...

In keeping with my love of all things birdlike today's free home-based project features a feathered friend, with or without wing, appliqued onto a very simple pot holder you can sew using what you have at home.

Being able to create from what we already have in our sewing supplies is good for the soul, saves money, and in this series of Creative Hands At Home it also adds to or replenishes items we use in our dwelling place.

I made these potholders last year but never shared the pattern on the blog until today. There's a season for everything and this season is definitely about adding simple beauty in and around our homes, especially the kitchen for me as it's where I spend a lot of time.

One of the potholders was padded out with a double layer of cotton quilt wadding, whilst the other potholder has Insul-Bright heat resistand batting. Use what you have or what you prefer. 

I bought a 1/4 metre of Insul-Bright and could probably make a dozen pot holders so it worked out every inexpensive. But I also like the softness of the double cotton wadding layer.

You can download the free pattern using the link below...

DOWNLOAD Birdie Pot Holder Pattern

You can use the basic pattern to make the pastel potholder with winger bird, or use the bird applique shape anyway it pleases you. 

SOME IDEAS for using the applique bird on a project other than the potholder: 

* adding the applique bird to the centre of a quilt block would be really nice and a good way to use up one or more orphan quilt blocks in your stash. These could become pot holders, cushion covers or if you sew a few of them pretty soon a nice lap quilt might be made!

* applique a bird or two onto tea towels or apron pockets

* sew the bird into each corner of a pre-bought tablecloth or make the tablecloth from a square of gingham. (I might do this!)

* make a basic tote bag and applique the bird onto the front, or maybe go the extra mile and add a bird-embellished pocket to the front of the bag?

Do you have other ideas to share with fellow readers of my blog? Write them in the comments because I'm also looking for new ideas to use up what I have in useful ways.

We had two unseasonably cool late autumn mornings over the weekend and it was so nice to slip into fluffy slippers, even though it was still warm enough for cotton pyjama pants and a t-shirt.

I took the opportunity to make soup on Saturday before the cool air left us once more (the weather is back to very warm again which is just sad when you long for a cold break after the endless summer) and put my 'handmaidens' to work in the kitchen.

The slow cooker and the breadmaker sat side by side while I made cookies for Mr E...

He loves these ones as they are full of oats, sultanas, walnuts, orange zest and rosemary - quite an unusual ingredient that rosemary, but really adds something special to the cookies. I'm actually munching on one two while I type this blog post...using restraint not to go for a third.

I baked a loaf of sun-dried tomato bread, a first for me, and WOW, it was so darn good that after indulging on many slices with the soup that night we had thick slices as sandwiches the next day too!

I make my dough in the breadmaker but then remove it and place in a proper bread tin for the second rise and to bake in the oven. I shall indeed make this recipe again, and again.

The soup was a new recipe and though it was nice I felt it needed more 'body' so I added a few more spices about half way through, and a cup of macaroni half hour before serving. Again, yum.

It was the May Day public holiday on Monday so hubby was home from school - yay!

After doing a little gardening I left him outside to finish the heavy stuff (as this wife does)

and went inside to move around some of the furniture in the living room. 

I swapped around the 3-seater recliner couch for our very comfortable old blue one and brought out the single leather recliner from storage in the corner of my husband's office because Mr E genuinely loves that chair.

A bonus is the corner between the couch and the dining table has now become the cosiest book nook and I look forward to being reacquainted with my library of craft books and old country living magazines in the cooler months to come.

It also gives easier book access to Cully May and Rafaella because I have a collection of children's books on a bottom shelf ...perhaps I need a couple of small kiddie bean bags?

Our long weekend was slow and rambling, just the way we like it. Things were achieved, but all in a gentle way with no time limits or expectations...we watched some wonderful sermons, listened to good music, ate delicious food, worked in the garden and around our home, and basically just enjoyed our days together. As it should be. How blessed we are.

Well dear lovelies, I can hear the chooks going off in the back yard which means one of them laid an egg and they will carry on until I come retrieve it, expecting a little reward in return which is usually a cup of corn kernels, the seedy middle of a melon, withered greens or some leftover rice, all of which they LOVE.

I pray your day is a happy one, that your hours bring productive peace and offer rest if you have need, and that you remember the Lord and all His mercies which are new today and everyday - for He loves you so very much.

On Friday I'll have the final project in this season of Creative Hands At Home so I hope you drop by for it and also say hello.

loving hugs

Project four - fabric covered recipe book...

I've had Blossom and the girls here most of the day and what a wonderful time we had, though dear Bloss has again succumbed to dreadful morning/all day sickness with her pregnancy. Being here allowed her to rest 'just a little' more than usual (though with 2 and 3 year olds at home her rest times are few and far between) with my extra hands to keep the girls occupied and nourishing treats plus a nice lunch of cous cous salad and vegan meatballs.

I remember having awful morning sickness with a few of my babies, and a few more with no morning sickness at all...but darling Bloss has found even with number three the nausea continues from sun up to sun down and even into the night.

So with such a big day my fourth project in Creative Hands At Home is one that I shared with my Phyllis May's Kitchen BOM members last year. It's fairly straight forward so not really a tutorial but you'll find all you need in the pattern.

What I loved about this project was the vintage look which came about through the gorgeous floral fabric I chose. It was a fat quarter I'd held on to for a while hoping to let it shine one day in something that would do it justice.

The cover is made in one piece with extra fabric at both ends to wrap over the edges and secure the book you've chosen inside.

Here's how it looks before adding wadding and backing. My book was a simple exercise book but you can use any type you like.

Use the link below to download the recipe book cover and bookmark pattern...

DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN

Hope you make one as they are quite simple and if you use a thin book like I did it will post in a large envelope. Just write a few of your favourite recipes inside first.

Our weekend was lovely, very restful on Saturday but highly productive in the garden on Sunday, so I have quite a bit to do inside the house tomorrow and some baking to catch up on - though I did bake a loaf of bread today and lovely plate of pikelets for the girls. It's been years since I made pikelets and smothered in my plum jam they went down a treat so I'll have to make them more often in future.

Fortunately I kept a few aside for Mr E so he'll enjoy them after dinner instead of an actual dessert (because I haven't made one!)....

Bless you all and I promise to have a more newsy post in the next couple of days when I catch up on life at home, plus I'll have project five to share too!

God bless you so very much,

loving hugs

Block 4 of Psalm 23 and some ideas...

I should never be surprised when God highlights a particular verse at just the right time.

Like this month's verse.

How very apt. How needful for so many. 

I am not fearful (especially after what I shared in this post) but that does not change the occasional moments when it threatens to rise in me after I've been out grocery shopping or when my husband returns from work at the school. 

I let myself acknowledge the threat in that moment and then I let it go. I offer it to God and continue on in my daily rhythms, each task measured and mindful in light of what has now touched so many lives, families, regions and economies of the globe.

Dear heart, do not let fear control you, cripple you or rob you of your peace. Do not let it frighten you into despair. Do not allow it to fill your heart with dread or steal your joy.

For most of us life has changed dramatically over the past month or two. In my country, and probably yours, we are in lockdown. We are to stay in our homes and only venture out for absolute essentials - food, medicine, work. There are heavy fines in place for any unnecessary movements out of doors or gatherings of more than two people.

This in itself can bring about a fearful heart, a despairing heart...indeed, a lonely heart.

But safe indoors, attending to our homes and gardens, accessing family through various internet measures, can offer it's own safety and genuine opportunities for creative avenues we may not have pursued under normal circumstances.

Consider today what you love about your home, consider the aspects you would like to change and what you can use on hand to bring that about. I was chatting with Blossom about the old tv series, The Waltons, and of their inventiveness, their frugality, their resilience during the depression of the 1930's to soldier on, make do and mend, use what they had on hand...and their faith in God. I wish those programs could be shown on television again...how deeply encouraging they would be now as we seem fairly certain a depression is coming again.

Late last year I watched an entire series on Youtube called Wartime Farm. There are eight episodes and they were brilliant in showing how Britain's farmers adapted to the food shortage and the extreme conditions of wartime.

Here is episode 1...

I'm going to start over with this series again because it was fascinating, informative, encouraging and in light of life amidst COVID-19 it also reminds me how the human spirit can lift in the darkest and most challenging of times.

Take your eyes off the news for a bit - let them rest on God's Word, do some stitching, prepare a garden, create a delicious meal or treat with simpler ingredients, write a letter or send a card to loved ones and friends who may be isolated and alone, download an audio book (many libraries have this option if you cannot afford to purchase books that way), dust the book shelves and brew a cuppa to sip while you reacquaint yourself with all those books you purchased many years ago but never had time to really enjoy. I have many home-based books and sewing books on my shelves just begging to be opened.

I know these are all small things in the big scheme of life, but honestly, sometimes we need to do the small things because there's a lot of big things happening around us that can tend to create a sense of overwhelm or lack of control.

But within your home, your God-given safe sanctuary, wherever that is, let peace and joy abound.

Set yourself some simple tasks and take your time as you work through them, being sure to add in a few thoroughly delightful tasks amidst the regular homemaker chores.

Put on some music, the kind that lifts YOUR spirit - dance...sing...or drive that vacuum cleaner around with a sassy sway (if you're like me!).

What feel-good movies are you drawn to on days when life is a bit much or you're full up with a head cold? Write a list and add them to your daily tasks because looking after mental health is very important right now and time out to just let the weariness or impact of our new daily lives drift way for a while is a healthy tonic.

The photos above are of this month's block + another bonus block in our Psalm 23 BOM for 2020.

Make another page just the way you made last month's page using the verse block and the comforter block (here)

You can also see my second version in the pastel blues and pinks. The fabric behind is what I've been using for the applique and it will also feature as borders when I make these new blocks into a wall quilt.

THE COMPLETE PSALM 23 Book Pattern is now available HERE in my EtsyShop.

I had a wonderful chat with Blossom and the girls via Facetime this morning so my happy tank is nice and full again. Not seeing them, not cuddling up on the couch and being squished with toddler arms is difficult, but I praise God we have the technology today which allows us to see each other in our homes, read books to the children, share a cuppa, and feel far more connected than our daily phone conversations. What a blessing. 

It may be many months before the restrictions are lifted but let us not lose heart dear ones...this too shall pass, and I believe if we put our minds to the task we will come through it with a renewed sense of gratitude for what we once had, and a new sense of gratitude for the lessons of simpler living we are learning now. 

Before I go, if you or someone you love has been affected by COVID-19, please forgive me for not offering the comfort you need, for not being able to remove the sorrow or circumstances you face...but know that this day I am praying for you, and I ask everyone who is reading this post today to join me and pray also.

May He be your strength, comfort, hope, provision and truth.

Loving hugs

Let's take a step back and look at what we have within our walls...

COVID-19

It's in headlines all over the world. It's in your country and it's in mine.

It's changing life as we know it and created panic in the hearts of many, perhaps most. 

There's no need for me to expand on this pandemic, the news surely has enough to help you stay informed, so as I was pondering the writing of today's post what really came to mind was a desire to encourage all of us to keep a positive spirit, to look within our homes at what we can do to make these next months of living a relatively reclusive life more of a joy than a burden. 

If you're a regular reader of my blog there's a high chance you are crafty in some way and/or enjoy being a homemaker, which probably means you have quite a supply of fabric, threads, wool, paper, lace, patterns, recipes and the like right within reach. 

Perhaps you have a number of UFOs in your stash which were set aside long ago?

A whole Pinterest board of recipes to try that you never got around to?

Cupboards to re-organise or de-clutter but finding the time or incentive hasn't been easy?

A regular time of prayer and Bible study each day which though well intentioned at New Year just hasn't come to pass?

Old friends who live far away you keep meaning to call but somehow the years pass and other things took precedence? 

Those books you bought because they looked interesting or had great patterns or ideas in them; are they collecting dust in the bookcase?

Wouldn't it be lovely to share ideas for things we can do within our homes as the world leaders of our various countries grapple daily with a situation that has not been faced in our lifetime.

Whether you agree or disagree with your national leaders is not important here in my small corner of the blogosphere; I'm concerned with your ability to be calm and occupied at home, and to be mentally and physically well. 

Your home should be a safe place to just be yourself and hopefully to find pockets of joy, accomplishment and peace, even as you attend to the needs of others within its rooms.

Blossom and I have done as much pantry preparedness as we can given the current grocery climate, and now both of our households are self isolating as much as possible. We shall visit each other once or twice a week and do what we can to make those visits fun for the children whilst enjoying mother/daughter time as well.

The photos above were taken this morning. 

Whilst waiting for Blossom, Cully May and Rafaella to arrive I gathered the ingredients for a batch of scone dough and suddenly remembered that Cully May loves stars, so I found my unused yellow star cutter and got to work creating star scones for our morning tea. 

Am I the MOST popular Nana in the world at the moment?

I certainly am in Cully May's opinion! She ate three star scones and asked for more, declaring "Nana, these are delicious! They're my favourite scones!" And I must tell you that many tight squeezy hugs followed. She and Rafaella also enjoyed a large cup of weak milky tea each with their mummy and I.

Simple things.

Star scones, grandchildren, a beloved best-friend-daughter, and no pressure to go do anything else for there's always tomorrow.

I'm thinking to blog more frequently, perhaps three times a week now, as I have so much to share with you and truly desire to lift both our hearts as we walk what seems a slightly different path in the months ahead.

And whilst we're on the subject of walking a path...why don't we begin by walking the room?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WALK THE ROOM?

If you've not heard about my habit of 'walking the room' every few years I'll share a bit from the original 'walk the room' blog post I wrote around new year back in 2015...

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With an entire year to immerse my soul in the domestic arts ahead of me, I've been meaning to fill my diary with all my 'home-centred' ideas so I don't forget them, but...I keep forgetting to write them down.

Do you find yourself doing that?

A great idea (or three!) comes to mind and you plan to follow through but are remiss in making a note of it, so pretty soon you've forgotten what it was?  The story of my life. 

Another thing that stalls my good intentions for bringing some domestic control to my home is feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work I see before me and simply not knowing where to begin. 

As I was walking through each room around New Year my memory was jogged by a scene from one of mine and Blossom's favourite lazy day chick flicks - "Under the Tuscan Sun".

(I will just let you know that I fast forward through some of this movie - what we love about it is the entire process of transforming the villa)

Let me set the scene:  the main character, Frances, has arrived in Italy newly divorced, and on impulse purchases an old run down Tuscan villa called 'Bramasole' which she plans to renovate and call home...

Naturally there is an aftershock when she takes possession. Arriving with her suitcases and nothing else it dawns on her the enormity of what she taken on, but as she walks through the villa and slowly takes in her surroundings she makes this observation that resonates very strongly inside me:

"Pick one room and make it yours. Go slowly through the house. Be polite, introduce yourself so it can introduce itself to you." 

(Frances Mayes, Under The Tuscan Sun movie 2003)

Over the ensuing months she works relentlessly with the help of some odd Polish handymen...

...to create a home from the rubble.

Even though I am not renovating a neglected Tuscan villa, I do desire to make every room in this house a place of 'welcome' and refreshment, a sanctuary even, so I decided Frances had sage advice for me to draw from this year. 

One room at a time, politely re-acquainting myself with it's nuances, writing myself notes about the things I need, and want, to do with it to fulfil my vision. 

That's when my phrase "Walk The Room" was birthed.

On the top line of my paper I wrote the name of a room, and over a few days last week I 'walked my rooms' and made notes on everything I could think of that I'd like to do for them.

The kitchen (to my thinking) is the heart of a home, and the projects and chores listed for it on my sheet is longer than the plans I have for my other rooms....

...but each 'walk the room' list is just as important as another.

I will spend my Sunday afternoons reading through each room's plans and decide what I'd like to accomplish over the following week. 

I'm sure I'll add to each list along the way, but I'll also be crossing things off them.  I envisage a lot of satisfied smiles over early evening cups of tea in the months ahead as this house becomes more of a 'home'.

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The photo above shows the original walk the room download sheet, and there was a newer one shared in 2017...but now it's 2020 and it's time for an even fresher sheet to download.

And you know, this time I'm not in a rental home anymore, but in a home of our own so my vision for what can be done in each space widens a bit. My husband has a hammer and drill and he assures me often "This is YOUR home now, Mrs Reynolds, and we can do whatever makes you happy." 

Oh, goodness, I love that man!

So if you'd like a task for the coming week it's to download my newest "Walk the Room" lined paper and print up one for each room in your dwelling.

Then gently walk through each room and look with new eyes at your surroundings, writing down the things which come to mind, things you would like to do within that room this year.

DOWNLOAD THE 2020 'WALK THE ROOM' LIST HERE

  I'll be doing the same thing this week and once I have my lists complete I'll add them to my new Homemakers Heart binder, right near the front where I can refer to them often.

In case you missed last week's free pattern, which became the cover of my Homemakers Heart binder it's over HERE.

I'm hoping to put together the door stop tutorial tomorrow and then share it with you on Thursday.

Apart from that I have patterns to write for the next set of Faith In Hand stitcheries, and a new bread recipe to try which features orange and currants - sounds delicious, yes?

Psalm 91 is a wonderful reminder of God's power in our lives when we surrender to Him.

Why don't you stop for a few minutes right now and go read it?

Bless your precious heart, 

love

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