2022 bookmark plus Joy to the World quilt pattern...

 

Unlike previous years when my free BOM has been a quilt, themed stitchery blocks, or a fabric book - in 2022 we'll be making a pretty Books & Roses themed bookmark each month!

I thought it would be nice to give you a bonus one to stitch this month in preparation for next year, after all I usually share a dated pin cushion or bookmark at this time of the year.

My free gift is the stitchery design itself, but you're free to take inspiration from the way I've used it to create a bookmark, or be creative and make one of your own liking. In fact if you make this one please tag me on Instagram HERE or use the hashtags #jennyofelefantz and #2022booksandrosesBOM

Also, you could email me a photo and every so often I'll have a show and tell on the blog. 

What to use for your bookmarks? I have some lovely laces and small pieces of vintage fabric in my stash, plus my much loved cotton/linen blend stitchery background and small scraps of wadding...all perfect for sweet bookmarks. Have a look through your own bits and pieces.

Each of the 2022 Books & Roses designs have been stitched with a very simple blue, red, green and brown palette on white cotton/linen fabric, but what you'll also find in the twelve designs next year is a tiny pop of applique - something I chose to omit for this bonus bookmark. Of course the applique is optional, but I loved including tiny bits where I could. 

If you're after some last minute gift ideas, or perhaps something pretty and useful to post in a New Year card, spend a few evenings making a handful of these bookmarks. Choose colours you know your friends or family will love.

Use the link below to download the pattern.

DOWNLOAD the 2022 Books & Roses pattern.

I received a number of requests to re-share last year's free Christmas stitch-along quilt, Joy to the World, after my last blog post.

I'm happy to do so! Last year it was shared in four parts over a month, but I have now compiled the complete pattern into one file for you.

Use the link below to download the pattern.

DOWNLOAD "Joy to the World" quilt pattern

I mentioned the other day that I had been working behind the scenes on a project featuring the next Tilda range of fabric, Cotton Beach, which arrives in shops on February 1st. 

For those who have emailed to ask how I get Tilda fabrics months before they are available in quilt shops, the answer is that I am one of many designers who are gifted fat quarter bundles of these fabrics many months in advance in order to create projects which Tilda Australia can use in their social media to promote the fabric range.

When I first saw Cotton Beach it was clear that I'd be stepping out of my comfort zone, using prints and colours rarely seen in my designs...but something I use to help me think outside the box when I need to, are quotes. Words mean a great deal to me and I collect inspiring quotes and Scriptures in a small journal for 'one day' when they will be needed in a stitchery design, or for when my own heart requires a fresh dose of encouragement or direction.

Here's a portion of my Tilda "Cotton Beach" project, still in the making, which was inspired by a Louisa May Alcott quote - "I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship." I found some of the fabrics in this range to have an almost stormy feel about them, and so I let my creative thoughts take shape, incorporating that quote within the scene.

Blossom has requested it to be completed as a cushion for Charlie's room, and so it shall be. 

I had hoped to share some thoughts with you today, a topic which has been roaming around in my mind and heart for many weeks, however we had an unexpected concern this week with our Charlie David who became quite ill for a couple of days. I brought Cully May and Rafaella over to our house so that Blossom and Ross could focus on their little boy.

The girls and I did many things together and even though there was concern over our Charlie, we made sure to create memories together and learn a few new things. 

They love the Frozen movie so I printed up some free colouring pages.

Rafaella is learning to stitch with wool and a large plastic needle. Every lesson we have she improves so much!

The girls have a dress up box at my house, and as soon as they arrived Cully May dressed up as a princess. 

For lunch they always ask me to make pancakes with jam and this time we had a cooking lesson so they could learn the process.

Rafaella found a cotton dress with little baubles on it in the dress up box and changed into that because she wanted to look like a Christmas tree. For the rest of the day she kept telling us "Look, I am a Christmas tree!".

Their hard work in the kitchen paid off and they even had lessons in cutting their own pancakes. 

Mid-afternoon, after a walk up to the corner shop for ice-creams and a lovely long bubble bath (they were very sticky after their melting treats), the girls settled down under their favourite quilts for some quiet time and a movie - Frozen of course.

What a wonderful day we three had together, but the best thing of all was that Charlie improved over the day and began his recovery. Thank you Lord God, for You are so faithful!

I'll possibly do one more blog post before Christmas so between now and then, be kind to yourself, don't push beyond your limits (or your budget), and take time every day to sit quietly with Jesus and just breathe...in and out, slowly. 

It is true, you know - life is a journey, one precious moment at a time to gratefully embrace and be a part of.

hugs

The Sunday tea towel plus a free Christmas pattern...

Before our children grew and left home to journey their adult lives, the start of a new December would arrive with the same question. “What do you want for Christmas, dad?” And my husband would groan every year without fail before submitting his standard answer, one which to this day has never changed…“Peace and quiet”.

Naturally, that idea wasn’t popular and eventually they’d come up with a gift they hoped he’d like better than peace and quiet. (We still laugh about this because if you know my husband there's no gift to top peace and quiet for a man who works in a loud, chatty and busy occupation!)

One December it occurred to me that my own answer to the same question was almost always, “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.” And yet, at non-celebratory times throughout the year, I would see or think of, many wonderful gifts I’d like to receive – they just never coincided with Christmas, Mother’s Day or my birthday, so by the time those occasions come around I would have completely forgotten what my gift ideas were.

One Christmas, a couple of years before Blossom became a mummy, she and I were having coffee by the beach with one of her friends. The topic of the friend’s family Christmas arrangements came up and she shared that her ‘non-crafty’ family had decided this year the theme would be “handmade”.  Explaining that she was hopeless at crafty things, but desiring to participate in the handmade Christmas exchange, she asked if we had any simple ideas she could try, but as she'd be flying across the country to their Christmas gathering the gifts must be small and easy to pack.

We had such fun bouncing ideas back and forth over a few cappuccinos that afternoon, with the bonus that it made Blossom and I think outside the box. Small, simple ideas for non-crafty people, right. An hour later it was decided that the following week we three would get together for a day of jam making; potting it in cute little jars. Our friend could learn the art of jam making, print personalised labels, and add fabric tops over the lids and tie with ribbons. She was rather excited about this, and suggested that the following year we might teach her some basic sewing when she had more time.

Having a heart to give is such a precious thing. Seeing this young woman’s enthusiasm for having a go at something outside her comfort zone reminded me that there have probably been more than a few missed opportunities in my life to teach others how to ‘gift’.

Teaching something of what you know, to benefit another – especially when they have hinted at, or clearly suggested, that you teach them – is a tremendous gift to the person asking, but also to you as the giver. Passing along a skill and seeing it used in another’s life is gifting generations to come because after all, if we do not teach them, how will they know?

In compiling your list of gifts for others this year, consider the gifts within you – a day spent teaching someone to sew, cook, plant, crochet, can, bake bread, knit, paint…? That is a gift that keeps on giving. For boys and young men, is there a skill your husband, father, son or brother can teach? Some basic woodwork, car maintenance, fishing, whip cracking – all those manly arts – there must be many man-things a young fellow would benefit from learning!

I still remember when my great old aunt Clarrie, in her nineties, sat me down on her front porch and taught me how to crochet a chain stitch and a treble stitch. When I had proven myself adept, she gave me knitting needles and taught me simple garter and purl, as well as how to read a knitting pattern. I was just seven at the time, and yet ten years later as a married and pregnant 17-year-old I remembered those lessons and knitted two beautiful cardigans for my soon to arrive son. Over the years I have knitted for all my babies and grandbabies, and with every first stitch cast on I thought back to a cloudy autumn afternoon sitting in wicker chairs on an old front porch, and the gentle old lady speaking patiently to the little girl who spoke so fast. I remembered my great aunt Clarrie and how in her twilight years she took time to teach me what she knew; the gift that kept on giving.

And really, giving is the very essence of Christmas.

It’s called Christmas for a very good reason. “Christ – mass” means a celebration of the birth of Jesus, because He was the gift, the perfect gift, given to all mankind by God. And what I learn from that is the gift cost God. Not in money for a gift bought hurriedly at the last minute to appease a relative or friend. But in knowing how much it would mean to us, the recipients. He gave of Himself from love alone.

I understand that Christmas for some is not the festive account given in movies and lovely books, but a day of loneliness and disappointment; a day when you are counting down the hours until it has passed. I have had those Christmases too, but thinking back over those special days when nothing turned out the way I’d hoped, and loneliness and disappointment cut deep within my soul, I chose to take my eyes off myself and look instead to Mary.

The first Christmas; heavy with child, an uncomfortable 110 kilometre (70 mile) rocky ride atop a donkey, Mary would have felt the first tightening of her womb, perhaps causing her to almost lose balance as the donkey swayed slowly back and forth on that steep gravelly road up the mountain to Bethlehem.

Is this where she imagined herself to be as her baby’s birth approached? Shouldn’t this have happened at home, surrounded by the women of her family who could encourage and support her and teach her the ways of first motherhood? The donkey ambled on, and pain rose over her.

Finally, as the sun began to dip in the sky, Bethlehem came into sight. Joseph carefully leads the donkey through the streets, dodging the many Jews also arriving in the little town to register for the Census. It took him a bit longer than other Jewish travellers to reach Bethlehem as Mary’s pregnancy was approaching its completion and he had led the donkey at a slow and steady amble to keep her as comfortable as possible.

Now she was obviously close to her time, and he needed a room quickly.

Knock, knock. None.

Knock, knock. None.

None.

None…

A stable. Only a stable. Hands lifted…then a stable we shall take.

Night closes in; stars appear; a weary woman bears down. The cry of LIFE is heard. Life giving.

Jesus, Yeshua, the Christ in Christ-mass, has come into the world!

Even if your Christmas isn’t going to be what you’d hoped, especially given the separations and restrictions of these past two years, let your heart be one that gives, and find joy in the giving. You just may be God’s instrument to change the life of another.

My friend, know that I am praying for you as this Christmas draws near, for our long journey of waiting always concludes with the greatest JOY of all. 

FREE Christmas Mini Quilt pattern...

Today I have one of my favourite Christmas designs to share with you, "Glory to God". 

It stitches up quickly and the words within are a cry of praise we can all declare - not just at Christmas, but every day, for I do not think of Christ-mass as a one day remembrance (Jesus was not born on December 25th) but as an every day remembrance, an every day reason to give thanks, an everyday reminder of what God did for me - and for you.

Use the link below to download the free pattern.

DOWNLOAD Glory to God.

Completing the DAYS OF THE WEEK Tea Towel series...

If you’ve been stitching the Days of the Week tea towel designs this year, today I have the final in this seven-part series, “Sunday”.

Use the link below to download the free pattern.

DOWNLOAD the “Sunday” pattern.

If you missed any of the other tea towel stitcheries in this series, you will find the first five days of the week in the five issues of The Homemakers Heart magazine shared this year (free download) HERE.

To download the “Saturday” pattern go HERE

Bless you all so very much, and I hope to write again towards the end of the week. Our precious Charlie David will have his 1st birthday on December 9th so I hope to have photos to share as well.

hugs

Simple and free gift wrapping idea...

 

Have you noticed that things are becoming more expensive?

Do you think twice about your purchases these days?

About a decade ago I shared a simple tutorial for repurposing toilet roll inserts as wrappers for fat quarters, and recently it occurred to me that I could take that idea a little bit further by offering you a free gift idea.

Most of us who sew or quilt have a stash of fabric we've collected over the years, and if you're like me, some of those fabrics aren't our style anymore - or, we simply have more orphan fat quarters than we will use. So perhaps it's time to pass some along?

Now, you could do this by simply choosing a few pieces and gifting them to friends; or if you're part of a quilting group you might prefer to do a fabric swap. 

Rather than purchasing wrapping paper for your gift, consider this idea of mine. It's pretty, uses up smaller scraps of fabric, lace and ribbon, holds two fat quarters nicely, and it makes use of empty toilet roll inserts - turning something ugly into a thing of beauty.

A good idea is to choose a plain or low volume print for the insert cover if you intend filling the wrapper with patterned prints, and vice versa.

I made my first wrapper with a scrap piece of cream cotton/linen blend fabric, the same fabric I use for my embroideries. 

Cut through the toilet roll insert and open it out so you can measure the height and width.

Double the height and add 3/4".

Add 3/4" to the width.

My insert measured 5" high x 4" wide, so I cut my fabric 10.75" x 4.75"

Fold the fabric in half as shown below, and a little less than mid way up the top section, sew a piece of lace.

Cut two pieces of ribbon 10" long.

Sew them to each end of the lace edge.

Fold the ribbon ends into the centre before folding the fabric in half and pinning the sides.

Sew down both sides with a 1/4" seam.

Turn the fabric pocket right side out and press.

Place the toilet roll insert inside...

Fold over the edge to create a hem.

Ladder stitch or blind stitch the opening closed. 

Now you're ready to fold your two fat quarters into a roll and place inside the pretty wrapper.

Tie the ribbon into a bow and you have a very lovely gift for giving! 

My second wrapper was made using a print fabric, and the fat quarters were tonals.

Notice how both the wrapper fabric and the fat quarters blend together? Think of that when you're making these.

Another thing to consider when gifting fat quarters from your stash is whether the fabrics you have chosen are of a colour and style your recipient uses - after all, we don't want to give someone fabrics they won't like.

If you'd like to keep this tutorial handy, just use the link below to download it to print or save to your computer.

DOWNLOAD Gift Wrapper Tutorial

Hope you enjoy making a few of these - and if you have other ideas for what can be gifted inside these pretty wrappers leave them in the comments below. 

Have a wonderful day. I am off to visit Blossom and the children on this very wet and muddy day here in the tropics, so you know my day is already promising good things...

hugs

Ups and downs of life...

Miss Rafaella and our adventure...

 Yesterday was a definite day of ups because I had as my companion 3yo Rafaella, and we had a day of 'adventuring'. Whenever Cully May or Rafaella spend the day with me they declare it to be an adventure, so I try to do fun things with them, the kind of things us adults don't often do ourselves.

Cully May goes to kindy every Monday at the moment, as next year she will attend school Mon-Fri. These few months of spending one day a week at kindy have shown us all that her natural extrovert personality is ready and eager for school when the first term begins at the end of January. For those overseas who may not know, our Australian school year runs from January to December and is broken up into four terms.

So these Mondays of late have given Rafaella some extra time with mummy (Blossom), daddy and baby Charlie, but it's also gave her and I the opportunity to go off and adventure alone, something we've never done without Cully May present.

Our morning began at the library, because she simply loves our library trips. Being surrounded by books, and in the cool quiet space of the children's section, her little introvert self is very happy and content...

I stopped counting after reading nine books because once I'd finished a book she would replace it carefully on the shelf and bring me another. Eventually she decided it was time to leave the library and go down to the beach for ice-cream, but first I suggested we stop off at the shopping centre so I could buy her (and Cully May) a pair of sunglasses. She was thrilled! "I will get pink sunglasses, Nana!" she declared...and so she did. 

I chose children's Cancer Council glasses as the sun here in the tropics is fierce on eyes, young and old alike. She choose a red polka dot pair for her big sister and then we got back in the car and drove to the beach...

We walked along the shore and collected seas shells, as she loves playing with my own collection of shells whenever she visits, and carefully put them in my pocket for her to take home later.

Ice cream was well deserved after our walk along the scorching shore line, though we had to eat fast as it melted quickly. 

After leaving the beach we dropped in to visit Poppy at his work and then picked up a Happy Meal at McDonalds before arriving at my house where we could relax in the air conditioning. 

Once lunch was over we played with jigsaw puzzles (she is VERY good at them), painted, did some colouring, and then I gave Rafaella her first lesson in hand embroidery. She got a little bit frustrated because the yarn kept coming out of the needle (we used a large plastic needle and yarn) but eventually got the knack of holding the needle in such a way that the yarn didn't slip out. Apparently sewing with Nana was her most talked about topic with mummy and Cully May today and she's looking forward to doing more. 

After dropping her home later in the afternoon, this Nana was very tired and needed a nice cup of tea with a bit of quiet time before getting started on dinner. What a wonderful day it was!

Pantry Preparedness and utilising more storage...

Have you noticed a lot of empty shelves in your local supermarket lately? I have. In fact many of the items I regularly purchase have disappeared, and though we have seen the signs of this shortage coming for quite a while, it's still a shock when it happens.

I decided to move things around in the kitchen after Blossom offered us an old bookcase, planning to use the shelves for more pantry preparedness. I shifted the old cookbook shelves across into the hall and spent this morning compiling a fresh list of items to purchase and store in these larger shelves. I am also going to add a bit of prettiness, as you do, right? Wicker baskets too easily become mouldy in the wet season due to the constant heat and high humidity, so I have a few clear plastic baskets which I intend lining with pretty fabric next week. I also intend making shelf liners and/or edging...which will take time, but having a homemaking project on the go always makes me happy. 

Once my large shopping list was written I made the order online and it will be delivered tomorrow morning, though I do wonder how much of it will arrive. Even as I was doing the online order, so many items were marked 'out of stock', and some which were in stock had limits of one or two only.

Making use of the space you have for storing extra food items is wise, even in a small house. My husband has shelving in his study dedicated to cans and jars, and that's great, but as he is at work during the day the air conditioning in the study is not used and that room becomes very hot indeed.

The kitchen however, which has the walk-in-pantry just opposite, has the air conditioning on all day so in the new shelving I will place items that really should be stored in a slightly cooler place than hubby's study.

New aprons...

I recently purchased two new aprons from makers on Etsy. They are lovely floral prints with ruffled edges and pockets - just my style, and they look lovely hanging in the kitchen when not being worn as I cook and do housework. I had plans to make more aprons myself, but just as you support my home-business by purchasing patterns, I also like to support the home businesses of others. 

The seller of the cream apron has no more, but the seller of the blue polka dot apron (which comes fully lined!) has many aprons in her store - perfect for gift giving. If you're interested she is HERE, and believe me even the wrapping is delightful. Her parcel brightened my day, and the apron brightened my kitchen!

A Quiet Life...

Do you remember last year when I shared this pattern? I stitched it in two colourways, one pastel and one more of a 50's palette. Over the weekend I needed something simple and calming to make (I'll explain later) so I chose to turn the retro block into a wrap for our coffee plunger...

The colours work well in our kitchen, and though I've never liked the creamy latte brown of the cupboards and fittings, it does lend itself to allowing bright colours like the ones I scatter around to stand out. Even those aprons lift the gloom of the brown. 

The back is tied with two bows - as I said, a very simple and relaxing project, and also a new UFO finish for November. It's gratifying to make wonderfully functional items from orphan stitcheries!

The downs of life...

I've been quiet here again because of a long run of very nasty migraines. They came in all manner - barometric migraines, migraine with aura, silent migraines which left me unable to walk and my whole body a wobbly mess...and each one came on just as the previous one was ending. 

So many food triggers have been eliminated with great success in the past year or two, but it only occurred to me on Sunday that I had once more introduced chocolate into my diet, as well as a single cup of real coffee each morning (after drinking only decaf for a year). It appears those two changes have been my undoing and a hard and painful lesson learned. 

I was just coming good yesterday morning in time to pick up Rafaella, as I had cancelled on her last Friday and though very understanding, her 3yo heart was sad at not spending a day alone with Nana. That's why yesterday was so important, I just couldn't bear to disappoint her again. Fortunately the pain was gone after breakfast and since then I've been careful to exclude the two nasties - chocolate and real coffee - once again. Sigh. I shall miss them, though not the pain they cause.

In my quiet times...

I am re-reading The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder and gaining much appreciation for the labours of homemaking back in the 1800's. It's been about fifteen years since I read this book to my children, so in many ways it feels 'new' again because this time around I'm reading through my homemaker eyes and not from a desire to teach good life principles to my children. 

I'm also stitching a wedding memento for hubby and I as we approach the celebration of 30 years of marriage, just a few days after Christmas. It will be part of my Faith, Heart & Home pattern club next year because I get many requests for this kind of design. Most people will think of this design as a lovely gift for a new couple, but I'm looking with new eyes once more...it is a continuing remembrance of my own marriage.

Back to that "A Quiet Life" stitchery...

If you missed the original free download of the pattern, it's here again for you now. Use the link below and you can be stitching it today. 

DOWNLOAD "A Quiet Life" pattern

Let me know what things in your life are being viewed through 'new eyes' these days? Are you finding a shortage of grocery supplies in your own area? Have you finished any UFO's this month?

I'd love to hear from you, and as my readers have told me in emails, they love reading your comments and thoughts too. 

So dear hearts, don't hold back but share your own thoughts in the comments for you may inspire others by doing so. I am so blessed to receive every comment, but I do understand why many prefer to email me privately. 

Bless you lovely friends, and may the days ahead overflow with the wisdom of God so that you may make good and sound decisions. May He prepare you for all that is yet to come, and give you a heart which offers genuine kindness and grace towards others. 

hugs