Showing posts with label free pattern 2023. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free pattern 2023. Show all posts

Monday, December 11, 2023

Free Christmas pattern number 4...

 


Christmas 'firsts' can be a reason for extra celebration, such as when Blossom had Charlie David in early December 2020, and the joy we experienced welcoming that new wee babe to our clan. This blessed gift from the Lord after a year of challenge with covid lockdowns and restrictions made that Christmas even more special for our whole family. Holding newborn Charlie David in our arms, Blossom and I considered the moment Mary held her own newborn Son, Yeshua (Jesus), in her young arms and the enormity of her heart now overflowing with favour, gratitude and joy for a safe delivery and a promise fulfilled.

But Christmas 'firsts' can also be touched with sadness for those who have lost loved ones throughout the year. I believe God's comfort is the only healing balm which can hold a broken heart together during times of celebration, when those around are rejoicing.

This Christmas I have two dear friends who lost their mothers during the year, and many others who have asked for prayer in comments and emails, after the loss of their husbands or family members.


Let us be mindful of those around us who will struggle in this 'first' Christmas without their loved one, and hold them in prayer. And let us also pray for those who do not know the Lord yet, and have not sought His gentle comfort. 



I am praying for all of you who have faced loss this year, and asking the Lord to magnify His great comfort and love within your hearts, that you may lift teary eyes to heaven and be able to rejoice also in the gift of Christ our Lord.



Use the link below to download this free pattern


Thank you for your prayers for little Charlie David. He is still unwell, as is Cully May now too. When we visited yesterday, I sat holding 7yo Cully May for a long time in my arms as her body burned with fever, and Blossom held her little boy as he struggled to sleep. We have prayed, and glorify God for His hand upon each of their lives, for nothing is allowed without His approval, and sometimes sickness must run its course before the healing is sure. 

I shall be back in a few days with the 5th free pattern for Christmas 2023. In the meantime we're expecting a lot of rain as Cyclone Jasper edges closer to the coast. There's still uncertainty as to where it will make landfall, but it's unlikely to be close to us. However, it's a slow moving cyclone, and that means it gathers a lot more water, so heavy rains over areas below the cyclone are expected, and that's us.

God bless dear ones,

Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

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Saturday, December 9, 2023

Free Christmas gift pattern number 3...

 


With finances tight for many families and singles these days, creating small gifts which can fit inside a card, whether for Christmas or birthdays, means we can still reach out with love to family and friends near or far. 
The three little gifts included in this one pattern today can be sewn using small scraps of fabric, and embellished with beads, lace, ribbons, tiny buttons - the small bits and bobs we save because they are pretty and we hope to use them one day. 

Inside this free pattern you will find not just embroidery instructions, but tutorials for making the sweet gifts. The lavender sachet below can be kept under a pillow, in an underwear or nightgown drawer, or hung as I have done from a coat hanger in the closet. 





The bookmark is a lovely gift to send to an avid reader, and could even be gifted inside a book. Are there some lovely books on your shelf which you will no longer need or read? Consider regifting them with a pretty bookmark, or perhaps you could sew a pretty cover for the book using one of the little embroidery motifs in this pattern set? 



For many years I would gift Blossom one of my vintage novels every Christmas, and she was thrilled to receive the beautiful works of Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott and other favourite authors which I had read with her during our homeschooling years. Now they sit on her own shelves, awaiting the day when she can begin reading them to her own daughters. Perhaps you can do something similar with treasured books to be handed down?

The gift card is such a cute way to dress up a wrapped present, but is also lovely just as it is because it can be used as another bookmark. 


One of my projects for 2024 is to make a box of these kind of gift cards, using small fabric pieces such as vintage or recycled linen, lovely cottons, sweet satins and old lace. I'll also make some of the lavender sachets and the bookmarks, because there's nothing more satisfying than to have pretty handmade, useful, gifts on hand to send away in a card. 
Oh, and I'll also be making cards, something I have planned for the longest of times, but which has not been followed through on thus far.



Use the link below to download the free pattern.


If you missed the first two free 2023 Christmas gift patterns they are HERE and HERE


Not a lot has been happening here at home. There's been no rain other than the hour we received a week ago, so the garden is a bit worse for wear. My roses easily scorch on the tips of their petals if I don't pick them first thing in the morning, when still at the budding stage, yet they smell divine and grace my desk with beauty and dignity. 


Blossom bought me a bunch of sunshine yellow chrysanthemums last weekend and they are still as fresh as ever! That's what I enjoy about mums - they last and last, decorating your home with their presence for weeks. 


As we need to stay indoors more at this time of year due to the intense heat and humidity, once the housework is done I settle down for a bit of reading and a cuppa. I have all three of Rhonda Hetzel's books, and have read them a few times each, but this little one is brilliant for a condensed read and I have highlighted and made notes all through it - adding more each time I read it. 



If you haven't got her two large volumes, or don't have finances for them, then let me assure you that this small book is simply marvellous for learning of her journey to a simpler life, the success and freedom she and her husband found, as well as the challenges along the way. Its available here on Amazon Australia
It's also available here on Amazon US and I just checked and the Kindle version is only $2.99 at the moment. 
I am NOT an amazon affiliate, just really love her books and think this little one is a great place to start. 


Molly-dog is now one year old, and has become our little shadow, no matter where we are. The funny thing about pugs is that they don't look happy, and yet I have found them to be very happy dogs. Molly loves her toys but her favourite is a piece of checked fabric which I tied with a knot in the centre. She was getting into mischief in my sewing room, you see, pouncing on any bits of fabric I dropped...so I thought, "Aha, you are fabric lover too are you, Missy? Then you shall have your own." Since she got her own large piece she has not touched mine. Yay. 


Many of our sunflowers have gone to seed now, which has brought even more birds to the garden. A gorgeous pair of red-winged parrots visit each afternoon to feast, and they are joy to behold! 
The cockatoos prefer to eat from the bird feeder, as do the rainbow lorikeets, but these parrots swing back and forth on the sunflowers and have dinner there instead. 


I have been doing some more crochet edging, but mostly for my older daughters. I'm sending them new crochet-edged tea towels for Christmas (they live in other states far from us) as they both prefer something handmade for gifts. I bought tea towels on sale at Bed, Bath & Table yesterday, in a mix of styles as both girls (and Blossom too) have very different preferences. These are a few I'm working on today...


I finished this blue one last night. It only takes an hour and keeps my hands occupied while we listen to a sermon, or teaching on various subjects like gardening in the tropics or health related seminars.


I always match the cotton yarn with the print of the tea towel, and leave a few pairs on the table at a time so that even if I only have twenty minutes or so of free time (while dinner is cooking perhaps) I can pick one up and make a start for later in the evening.


This is the new runner I'm working on for the top of a chest of drawers in our bedroom. I'll get back to it once all the girl's gifts are made. It's more of the Cath Kidston cotton duck fabric I have had on hand for years. 



Today is Charlie David's 3rd birthday!!
But I am going to ask you to pray for him as he has been ill for a few days - dreadfully high fever, vomiting etc. It has gone through all of Blossom's children, plus Ross (and it was his first week on his new job), but little Charlie got it last of all. So we shan't see him today as he needs rest and healing. Your prayers would be the best birthday gift. ((thank you))
Did I ever tell you that the 'David' in his name was for King David? Blossom always knew that if she had a son she'd want him to be a man after God's own heart and that she would have David in his name so that she could teach him all about his namesake and how God was able to use him. 


(Charlie David pretending to be Nana at her desk - :-)

How are YOU?? What's been happening in your life this past week? Is there anything you need prayer for? Just ask. xxx

My love and prayers go out for all of you who read along, knowing that our God hears them and acts on your behalf because He loves you so much. His answers may not always be what we wanted, they may not come as swiftly as we'd hoped, and for a while we might think He is deaf to our needs...but no, He is our Father and He always answers prayers in the way that is best for us because He is outside of time and knows the beginning from the end. So, we must have faith, hold fast to hope, always choosing to live according to God's Word, and remembering we were bought at a great price by the blood of His Son.

We have a cyclone on the way, and the Bureau of Meteorology expect it to hit somewhere around our region on Wednesday if it follows their predicted trajectory, however, having lived in this cyclone region for more than fourteen years now, I know that cyclones can change their track at any time, so it may move further north, go south, or decide to make landfall here. For the next few days we'll just watch and prepare 'in case' it comes close to home. Thanks for all the emails asking me about it's proximity to us. I'll update on Monday when I share the fourth free pattern. 

God bless you all!

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Saturday, November 25, 2023

The subtle slide into laziness and a free pattern...

November has been a real challenge with migraines most days due to our weather. The cloud cover is almost constant, but though just a few kilometres up the road rain has fallen on nearby suburbs, or further north, the clouds refuse to drop the water from heaven on our area. 

Barometric migraines are the worst ones for me because I cannot control them by eliminating the food, light or weariness triggers of my other migraines. That blanket of cloud feels like a vice I am trapped in, and the only relief is when they burst forth with rain - and when that happens the pain just disappears in minutes. So we are praying for rain even more than usual. This time of year in our tropics is the wet season, but so far it's started around us but not on us. Never mind, all challenges teach us something, and this recent challenge has taught me to examine how easily a bad habit can be formed during these longer than usual seasons of migraine. What is that habit you ask? Laziness.

After seven babies (with migraine through all of them) my pain tolerance is quite high, so I am still able to function at a slower, quieter pace around the home when the pain is severe. During this current bout of migraine I began crochet edging, firstly on runners for the home, and then on to new tea towels for Christmas gifts and to restock my own supply in the New Year as is my custom. 


It is such a calming, simple pastime, and as I crocheted I would listen to sermons, watch episodes of The Waltons, or historical documentaries on YouTube. I did still need to water the gardens but resorted to the sprinkler most afternoons as being outside just made my head worse. I still did the washing, prepared meals (especially a very healthy breakfast for my husband and I) and did a general tidy...but the regular afternoon rest time I've always adhered to became longer and longer. On days when I was free of pain you'd think that I would get in and do a jolly good scrub around the home, but I found myself having fallen into the distraction of spending long hours at crochet each afternoon just as on the days of pain, until it was time to begin our evening meal and fold the washing.


Well, that new 'habit' continued for about twelve days, and then I listened to a young mother of six in her mid-30's, and she spoke straight out of God's Word and into my heart. Older ladies, never turn your ears from listening to younger homemakers, for often they will point out things we may have missed or have 'slipped' away from. 

Obviously I'm not proud of my subtle slide into laziness, but I felt impressed to share it with you because so often, especially in times of illness or prolonged pain, we can slide into routines and habits that are not productive in the long term. On my really bad days I shall still sit quietly, but on the not so bad ones and the days when I am pain free, it's back to living my wonderfully gentle domestic life, embracing all the Lord has put before me, for they are great blessings!

Once I had woken up to the subtleness of my slide into long lazy afternoons, I wrote down a list of things which needed to be done around home, and depending on how I felt each day, I completed those tasks over the course of this past week. The linen cupboard was a dreadful mess. It's not on my list of important tasks, but on the seasonal list - and being that we are about to welcome summer in a few days, this big seasonal task had to be tackled. I thoroughly enjoyed bringing everything out in to the living room and going through it! I was able to donate about one quarter of what was in there, mostly items kept for the grandchildren, but which they no longer use or had grown out of. We do not have much storage in our modest home so their spare clothes, toys and games are kept there, you see. Plus there were old ratty towels and similar items which my husband can use for rags in his workshop out back. 

Grain was milled, fresh flour baked into delicious bread. Before and after...




Nutritious evening meals, like this yummy lentil curry with brown rice, were made...


Treats were baked for the grandchildren...


...and both fridges were given a thorough clean out. I also rearranged the living/dining area and scrubbed everything there as well. 









Fresh roses picked from the garden are popped here and there in vases around the house and add the most delightful scent. 






On my list of tasks to accomplish, I included fun things too, like putting aside some of the crochet and getting back to work on Blossom's 30th birthday quilt (she will be 30 next May). Now that I've returned to my hour of handwork after lunch each day (a little longer if it's a migraine day), I'm enjoying the making of Dresden fan blocks in her requested 1930's style fabric prints. I need sixteen blocks and have completed seven so far since June, the last two this past week. 


It's very relaxing to make the individual fans in the evening when my husband is home and we're sitting together watching a good sermon, or a documentary. I stitch slow because there's no rush, and because I do most things slowly these days out of choice. Why rush, rush, through the day when it is such a precious gift to be savoured? 


I have spent most of my life powering through the days God gave me, but since about 2015 I have gradually (very gradually) retrained my mind to slow, to notice what's around me, to be fully present in the day as it is given. Jesus told us to focus on today, not to faint over what tomorrow may hold because it may come with troubles, and worrying about the 'what ifs' robs us of His peace today. 

So what I have learned through November is to be watchful of subtle lazy habits which are easy to fall into, especially when pain is dominating my days. Getting up and moving through my normal gentle homemaker rhythms and routines as best I can, with a bit more gusto on really good days, is very important, more that I first imagined, because its the reason I love this gentle domestic life. Within the pain and the long lazy afternoons (there were some lazy morning too, and my floors could attest to that) I began to feel something wasn't right, like a loss of something meaningful, but I was so absorbed in the crochet distraction (even on days when pain wasn't bad) that I was blind to the new problem I had created. Praise God this only lasted a couple of weeks! Imagine if I'd kept going along that path? 

This home my husband and I share is our sanctuary, it is a God-gifted anchor to our life, a place where we are always welcome, always able to relax and unwind from the chaos of the world around us. But a sanctuary must be cultivated, loved, and thoughtfully maintained to reflect the lives of those who dwell within. It is made beautiful when purposefully crafted with generosity, compassion, kindness, hospitality and time - and it is doubly blessed by the precious voices of praise and prayer which fill each room.



As we move closer to year's end, I plan on recommitting my homemaker intentions to the Lord, to seek His will moving forward, and to let go of those habits or pursuits which He sees as a hindrance to the higher calling He has put on my life. That calling? Loving wife, mother, grandmother...devoted homemaker. Praise Him for opening my eyes quickly to that slide down Lazy Lane. May He open my eyes to every path which draws me away from His best in my life. 

FREE pattern...

I love this prayer, and think it's really worthwhile to have it hanging in our homes as a reminder that those daily chores which sometimes seem endless and boring and exhausting, are evidence of great blessings.


Use the link below to download this free pattern. 


God bless you, keep you safe, fill your heart with hope and joy, and gently direct you along the blessed path He created for your precious and very unique life. 

Till next time, hugs...


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Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Final two blocks in the Virtuous Wife free BOM...

 …and he praises her. “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31: 29b - 31

I decided to share the final two blocks in our Virtuous Wife quilt project this month, instead of now and in December, so that those ladies who have been stitching the blocks each month have time to complete the full quilt before the year ends.

I love these final few verses, and as I was studying them, discovered a number of simply beautiful meanings which help to expand our understanding of the written words. So, shall we explore them?

Verse 30:

(a)  Charm is deceitful…

Charm (chen) - can mean physical beauty, but translated from the original Hebrew it also means graciousness or kindness. Deceitful (sheqer) - describes a sham, a falsehood, like putting on an act. So, when we read it with this understanding, we can see that it’s not all about physical beauty which can be made to look more than it actually is with makeup and hair styles etc…it’s also about pretending to be gracious and kind in order to gain favour – a sham.

(b)…and beauty is vain:

Vain (hebel) - means empty. Physical beauty is empty. There’s no real substance to it. We shall see why further on.

(c)…but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Fear (yare’) - means to be morally reverent. It’s not about being scared of God as you might a criminal, but to fully revere Him in His divine authorative nature, to bow your will to His, abiding by His Word and living out that obedience for all to see.

‘To be praised’ (halal) -  means to shine! Isn’t this beautiful? When we fear God (as described above) we will shine. It instantly reminded me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:16 “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Ladies, let us shine forth for the Lord by how we live our lives, and allowing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to refine our character.

Verse 31:

(a) Give her of the fruit of her hands:”

Give (nathan) her of the fruit (priy) of her hands; describes the bough of tree, and means to render or reward.

(b) And let her own works…

(Ma’aseh) is the one word to express this section of the verse, and you may be surprised to know that it has many meanings. “Her own works” can be baking, creating a product, doing deeds, needlework, having handy skills, writing…her works can be many and varied.

(c)…praise her in the gates.

Praise (hahal) – again, this means to shine. In the gates (sha’ar) relates to having her character, deeds, and inner beauty displayed openly for all to see. When you take this back to the Biblical era when Proverbs 31 was written, it’s easy to see why her husband praised her openly when he sat with the city leaders in the town gates.

And finally…a little bit of information about the Proverbs 31:10-31 woman today.

Did you know it is traditionally believed that Abraham used to recite this to Sarah, and it is now recited or read by Jewish husbands to their wives on the eve of Sabbath? I think that is so lovely, and any wife would be honoured to have her husband consider her to be an example of the wife we have been studying all year.

For my part, I am not perfect, and God still has rough corners to round off in my character, but after almost 32 years of marriage I can honestly say that I am a much better wife than I once was, and intend on allowing the Lord to keep refining me through whatever years I have left. To HIM be all glory and honour and praise!

I hope you have enjoyed this free Virtuous Wife block of the month, which we began on November 1st, 2022. A year later and I am the better for it, not because of what I have stitched or sewn, but because of what I have learned through deepening my personal study of each verse, and almost every word.

Use the link below to download the final double pattern set, which includes the quilt assembly instructions.

DOWNLOAD blocks 15 and 16

If you missed any of the sixteen blocks in this BOM go HERE.

I have pieced all my blocks together and cut the quilt wadding, but am still deciding how I’ll quilt it, and whether or not I’m going to attempt something a little different. More about that another day.

God bless you!! May you grow in the favour and blessing of the Lord all the days of your life. 

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Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Penny rug tutorial with perfect circles...


 I have received a lot of requests to share my technique for making perfectly round applique circles, the kind used in the two Penny Rugs I recently made from the newest Tilda fabric line, Hibernation, and from my Tilda scrap box of older fabrics. 

Needle-turn applique was something I rarely did in years past, but over these last twelve months I've indulged quite a bit in it, honing my skills by trying different techniques until I found one that works for me (and it could be very different to what works for you). But anyhow, the perfect circles on my penny rugs have certainly created interest so I decided to do a detailed tutorial which (hopefully) is easy to follow, and I'm including a second tutorial for making the little buntings which sit along each end of my penny rug table toppers. 

First of all, we'll make the circle. I begin with some thin cardboard, and a circle template. The cardboard needs to be thin and I'll show you why later, but it must be thicker than your everyday 80gsm printer paper. If you have some heavier weight 250gsm printer paper that will work well, as does a cardboard cereal box. 


Choose what size you want your circles to be. In my two penny rugs I made circles in two sizes - 3" and 3.25" as I liked the shuffling around of the slightly different sizes on the completed table topper. The circles don't need to be a precise size for the penny rug, as long as they sit nicely inside a 4" square. 




To make a Penny Rug like mine you will need-

* sixteen, 4.5" squares of assorted fabric

* eight, 5" squares of solid cream fabric (I used linen) for the bunting tongues

* eight, 5" squares of backing fabric for the bunting tongues

* twenty-four, 4" squares of assorted quilting fabrics in your preferred design

* one, 16.5" square of fusible light-weight Pellon, quilt wadding, or Parlan

* Perle 12 thread in cream

* eight, 4.5" squares of thin fusible fabric stabiliser (I use Staflex 3045)

* Aluminium foil

* thin cardboard

I have a lot of pre-prepared circles in my templates box because I use them quite often these days. 


Trace around a glass tumbler, a jar, a bangle, or use a pre-made plastic circle or compass on to your cardboard, just making sure the circle is no larger than 3.25" if you're going to make the Penny Rug table topper. I don't have a 4" circle in my collection yet, so I decided to make a couple today as I show you how I make my templates. 

Once you have cut our your circle, write in the centre what size it is. Lay it onto a piece of aluminium foil and cut a circle of foil about a half inch bigger than your cardboard template. Fold the foil around the circle. The foil assists in giving a very crisp edge when you press the completed circle.


These are so easy to make that I tend to have around six or eight of each size on hand for projects. I suggest for the Penny Rug table topper you make eight 3.25" diameter, and eight 3" diameter (or all sixteen in one size). Use a template to trace a circle onto the centre of a 4" square of fabric. 

I love the little field mouse print, and it's perfect for this type of project! I have loads of 2.5" circle templates so that's what I'll use for today's photos...


Sew a line of running stitch just inside the outer edge of the fabric circle. Place the template inside and pull the threads to gather the fabric around the template. Tie a double knot in the threads, and press the fabric circle with a hot iron on the dry setting. 








Once cool, peel the gather over one edge of the circle and remove the template. (this is why the cardboard needs to be thin)




Press the circle again. Perfect. You will need to make twenty-four of the circles for the topper and the bunting tongues. 


If you're making the Penny Rug table topper you will need to make the background next. Sew the sixteen 4.5" squares of fabric together in four rows of four. Fuse the Pellon/wadding/Parlan behind the background, and then stitch one of your completed circles into the centre of each square. Your topper will now measure 16.5" square.

Now we need to make the bunting ends. 

For this part of the tutorial I'm using completely different fabrics from Tilda because I really want to make a third Penny Rug when I have a spare few days, and this was my way of auditioning the fabrics I intend using. They looked perfect so when I have a chance this will become part of my next topper. 

Using the steps above, you will have already made the extra eight circles we need for the bunting tongues. I chose to make this version in subdued creams, blues and pink (there's a wee bit of old Tilda which came to the party after all!). 

I'll write the following steps for one bunting tongue, but you will need to make eight in total.



Fuse a 4.5" square of thin fabric stabiliser behind the 5" squares of cream fabric. I use Staflex 3045 white woven fusible stabilser.

Using the template from the DOWNLOAD SHEET I have for you, trace the bunting tongue shape onto the centre of a 5" square. 


Position one of your circles 3/4" above the traced line at the bottom of the bunting tongue and pin in place. 



Blind stitch (needle-turn applique stitch) the circle to the background fabric. 


Cut out the shape along the traced line. Lay the bunting tongue face down on another 5" square of cream fabric and pin in place. Sew 1/4" inside the edge to secure the tongue and backing fabric together. 









Turn the tongue right side out, carefully pressing the edges flat. Sew along the top edge with a scant 1/8" seam. Use the Perle 12 thread to sew a line of running stitch just inside the outer edge.


Sew four of the tongues together along their top side edges to make one row of four. Sew them together from the top edge down, about 1" using a blind or slip stitch. You can see in the photo below photo that I have done this with my Hibernation topper. I'm showing the back of the toppers as it's easier for you to see. I didn't do this with the second pastel topper, but wished I had as it really does make the following steps easier. 


I don't have photos of how I completed the toppers, but here's the steps...

Sew a row of four bunting tongues together as described above, and then sew them to one end of the 16-square topper with slightly less than a 1/4" seam, keeping the right side of the tongues and the right side of the topper facing each other. Leave the tongues folded in on the topper, don't press them away. 

NOTE: The row of tongues will measure 16" long, whilst your table topper end will measure 16.5". This allows for the 1/4" seam either side of the bunting when you sew the topper and backing fabric together. 

Repeat with another row of four bunting tongues at the opposite end of the topper. 
Lay the right side of the topper, with tongues still folded in towards the topper, face down onto the right side of your backing fabric. The backing fabric is a little larger, but that's okay as we will trim later. 
Pin the topper front to the backing fabric. Sew around all four sides with a 1/4" seam, leaving a 5" opening along one side for turning out later. Be very careful not to catch the side of a bunting tongue as you do this. 
Trim away the excess backing fabric.
Turn the topper right side out, carefully pulling the tongues to help straighten those ends. Push out all four sides with a large rounded tool (I use a very large wooden knitting needle) and press the topper flat. Slip stitch the side opening closed and press it. 

Once you make this topper, you'll discover just how much quicker it is to make a second, and a third...in fact, this pattern is a good one for using up fabric scraps and for gift giving. 
The circles, once you get the hang of them, are also wonderful for making other things, like one of my new mini-quilts from The Stitchery Club...



I loved the variety of circles on circles for the flowers, and then smaller circles for the surrounding berries. 




I'd love to see your own version of this pattern if you make it! You can email me a photo HERE or tag me on Instagram HERE

Now, I shall sign off for today as after this mammoth tutorial I am in dire need of a nice hot cuppa and perhaps some raspberry scones with lemon curd (photos of those next time!),

God bless you heaps, and may your creative fingers dance a merry jig as you stitch and sew in the days ahead. 
hugs



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