Passing memories along...

In the big scheme of life, making items that are useful, beautiful and stitched/knitted/crocheted/painted or cooked with love to display, eat or use within your home is a most treasured and productive pastime.

As I mentioned recently, not having anything that belonged to my mother (or my Nana) is a loss to my heart, so filling our home with simple, decorative and practical pretties here and there means my own children will one day have a variety of joyously handmade-by-mum things to use or hold dear, items which can later be passed along to their own children.

Even recipes can become transferable with each generation when it's something they love made over and over, food that fills their hearts with comfort and warm memories.

That's why I never tire of trimming sweet kitchen towels, sewing cushion covers and table runners, making jam, bread, scones and curries. 

Growing up (and even as an adult when she comes to visit) my daughter Aisha would beg me to bake Blackberry Swirls for dessert, and today as a mother of three she bakes this for her own children. Even more precious, just as Aisha has memories of us making this recipe together, she taught her eldest daughter, Ebony, to bake this as well and now the two of them have treasured memories of baking Blackberry Swirls. 

A recipe which began in my kitchen thirty years ago is now being made by a third generation of my family and as it's one of Ebony's favourites too I'm sure it will one day pass to the fourth generation.

That's something I am very grateful for, recipes which are handed down. Though I have no actual items to hold from my Nana I do make some of her desserts.

Nana was the queen of custards and as it was the only dessert she made she did have a few variations - plain baked custard, baked rice custard, baked bread & butter custard, and banana custard smothered in nutmeg. Every one of them delicious, every one a memory I can taste and smell to this day.

A few years back I shared her baked rice custard recipe and if you'd like to try it the recipe is here.

I would love to have had some of her hand written recipes but the truth is, she had none. Everything she made us was basic, simple, delicious, and her recipe book was written inside her heart. 

In fact there was not one cookbook in her kitchen, not one magazine snipped recipe...her basic menu ran about 14 days with little variation and I remember them all, with a longing to sit once again at her kitchen table and feast on love in a bowl. 

I wonder if we put ourselves under too much pressure to try many different recipes and cuisines, today? That thought has lingered for many months in my head as I recount a friend's experience with a salad.

My friend had invited a work colleague over for coffee and their conversation lingered over to lunchtime so my friend asked her guest if she'd like to stay for lunch. The guest accepted and my friend made a Caesar salad for the two of them.

During the meal this guest began to critique the salad, judging it on this and that as she ate.

My friend, who had generously made a lovely meal for the lady, put down her fork and said, "This is not MasterChef and I have not prepared a meal for you to judge, just a simple lunch for a friend. I'm just a home cook, you know."

I keep this in mind because I too am a home cook, a simple home cook, yet I have dabbled with many a recipe which had numerous and expensive ingredients (that I would not use again) and which my husband did not enjoy.

You see I do watch cooking programs, many of them, and my cookbooks number heavily in the bookshelf, triggering this sense that I should be trying more new things, recreating meals which television chefs and home-cook contestants rave about...but why??

The meals I remember through my life were simple, lovingly made, only a few ingredients, and delicious. That's not to say the odd special dinner cannot be prepared and (hopefully) enjoyed, but all the time? 

The meals my children remembered from their childhood were all simple, and I have a lot of children. 

Just something to think about, you know?

Ask your loved ones what is a favourite meal or dessert you have made for them. It may surprise you in it's simplicity, or it may be something very complicated and time consuming and you'll wish you'd never listened to me and asked them!

Whatever the answer I'd love to know too, so write it in the comments.

Well, that's enough from me today. I've scrubbed my sewing room from top to bottom (and got sidetracked making tea towel gifts) cleaned places here and there and caught up on some new design work, which left me rather a limp soul by the time Mr E arrived home.

Bless his heart he took me out for dinner, which was a surprise and a joy because the only dinners we eat are the ones I cook and sometimes you just long for someone else to make you a meal. 

Have a lovely evening or morning, wherever you are on this beautiful blue marble we call planet Earth.

hugs

Coming home, again...

The past week has been a bit of a blur with so much crammed in that I find myself craving sleep, quiet time, vegetables and movies. In that order.

Our three days away were so full-on that hubby and I think we need a holiday to recover from the holiday. Fact is, we drove far and wide through fast flowing rainforest rivers and creeks, regularly found ourselves too tired to eat, drank sweet clear water from a spring, saw more beauty hidden in the midst of the Daintree than a person can absorb in one day, and forgot we'd have no recovery time before returning to work within twelve hours of arriving home again. 

But golly it was good to be away and sweep the cobwebs from our thoughts! 

Next time we do this it will be in the middle of the school holiday break, not the last three days. 

The only sewing I did on the trip was making more hexies. They kept my hands busy on Saturday during the drive from Townsville to Cairns, and then again late Monday afternoon (until it was too dark to see) when we drove home.

By the time darkness fell on the trip home I was finding it difficult to fit all the finished hexies, the remaining papers and fabrics, a pincushion, scissors and thread in the single plastic container I'd brought along. 

I think there's just over 200 made now...

With still more fabric scraps ready to cut, and a new pack of 1" hexie papers purchased, I had to find somewhere to store the hexies already made so I could continue making more.

Then I remembered two tins of Christmas cookies I purchased around New Year. You know how everything Christmas themed is dramatically reduced once the new year rolls around? Well, the tins were $1 so I bought two. And even though there is a santa on the lid (I don't like santas, but do love old Saint Nicholas dolls or ornaments) I actually liked the colours and thought the tins would be great for filling with Christmas gifts for santa-loving friends or family next season.

You realise that plan has been shelved now, right? Because how perfect is one of those tins for storing  my hexies-in-waiting!

I even sorted them in to colours...

To say my heart did a bit of flutter when I sat the hexies side by side is an understatement. 

What I've discovered about this new distraction is how calming it is for my over active mind, which thinks and ponders and plans and creates all day long.

I get such enjoyment cutting the fabric shapes from years of collected scraps, and then to sit down and just mindlessly yet precisely stitch the fabric to paper whether I'm a passenger in Mr E's jeep or feet up in the recliner watching a movie...it's like a mental massage, a soothing exercise in unwinding.

And the nice thing about this kind of gentle pastime is that gentleness flows into your thoughts and you tend to sigh and smile at the same time. I think my breathing slows because the sense of relaxation is quite wonderful, and homely thoughts fill my mind.

In fact, many homely thoughts are gathering in my mind and in my heart of late.

Thoughts about what truly matters in the long term when I look forward a year or two (or five), why I get flustered and overwhelmed on some days and not on others, what am I holding on to that needs to be let go of (perceived responsibilities, possessions, relationships, plans or regrets), can I find true contentment in a rental home now and not keep waiting for that feeling to increase when we have a home of our own (if we ever have that), and what really makes a house, any house, a home?

There are many more questions and thoughts having quiet conversations in my mind as I sit and sew, and what's especially different about them at the moment are the answers I arrive at...answers which come not from stress, pain or weariness, but from peace and calm and quiet. 

By not feeling rushed or distracted, I'm able to think more clearly and let my thoughts roam further which allows me to consider more options, reactions and consequences. This then gives me a wider picture from the landscape of life in which I live...and I also find myself having no trouble following the Lord's advice to "Be still and know that I am God."

Who would have thought some paper pieced hexagons could bring mental rest, clarity, gentleness and a few much needed wise decisions to my life?

God, of course. 

Last week it was my daughter Anita's 33rd birthday and when she visited from Sydney in 2016 her heart was captured by the homeliness and comfort she felt and saw within our walls, so little by little I make things for the small flat (apartment) she shares with her husband and 3 1/2 yo daughter Aminah, and when I have enough to fill a parcel it is popped in the post. 

For this birthday I knew she wanted more of the same so I trimmed some sweet tea towels (and added a cupcake one for Aminah to help mummy dry the dishes)...

I also did something new for Anita that I'm yet to do for our home, adding lace and fabric trim to plain pillowcases. In Spotlight recently I saw a 4-pack of plain white pillowcases and a long forgotten idea came to mind so I brought them home and had a play.

Two were trimmed with blue floral fabric and thin lace for Anita's bedroom... 

....and another was made for little Aminah with pink girlie fabric and wider lace. 

I also sent Anita a wall hanging with my "Home Sweet Home" stitchery in the centre...

...and a beautiful mother/daughter mug.

My own mum died when I was 3 and I have always been saddened at not owning something that belonged to her, something she wore or used. 

With this in mind I sent Anita one of my aprons that I wear a lot, and you know, this meant the world to her...

...because she has a gentle homemaker heart too.

Aren't we blessed, those of us who can sew, bake, knit, crochet, paint or create beauty in other ways?

And the icing on that blessing is when you make another precious soul happy with your gifts. My heart overflowed from Anita's joy and her tears of happiness...and really, these were not 'big' gifts, but simple from-the-heart items to help make her little flat feel more of a home. 

One of the fun things about our return home on Monday night was parcels waiting at the door!

I have been so inspired by Annabel's determination to learn more about essential oils in order to create a home pharmacy, and then using them to make gifts which are inexpensive and 'health-ful', that after the success of replacing most of our cleaning products with Miracle Spray (I discovered it on her blog and shared about it here) I am slowly purchasing large glass spray bottles to fill with cleaning sprays and hand soap, and tiny roll on bottles and atomisers to fill with a variety of essential oil blends.

The large bottles arrived a few weeks back but the small glass atomisers were at the door on Monday evening and they are even prettier than I imagined - perfect for gift giving.

Blossom 'loves' Miracle Spray and I'm sure she and Anita will both want to try some essential oil blends too. 

Another desire is to make clothes, especially nightgowns and pretty tunic type dresses to wear over leggings. I saw this pattern made up by Kelsey (go here to see it) and fell in love as it has that feminine 40's look about it, but the Butterick pattern she used is no longer in print so I hunted one down on Etsy and that was another parcel waiting for me the other night. 

The nightgown I'm going to make is E on the bottom right, but go see Kelsey's for a better idea. 

I'd also like to knit wash cloths again, and crochet the edges of hand towels and pillowcases, embroider along the edges of sheets...so many things. So many lovely things.

You see, all that hexie hand work and the quiet contemplation time it gives has revived my homemaker heart, a heart which has not been as inspired this past month due to health and family and business needs. It's clear that I needed the mental relief, the time-out if you will, to navigate my way through a number of hurdles and concerns and choose the better path forward - and I really do have a clearer plan to improve the balance of life here. There's been gradual improvement since about 2014, but now a bigger yet simpler picture is beginning to take shape, one that will weary me less and increase my delight as a homemaker, wife, mother and writer.

To top my day off you know what I purchased? 

I bought them to celebrate not just coming home from a few days away, but because I kind of felt a little lost lately and now my path is clear again and my heart knows what it needs to fulfill this wonderful desire to live a gentle domestic life.

I'm not happy all the time, nor am I content every day, but happiness will always come again and so will contentment. Sometimes we just need to walk in the shadows for a little while to appreciate the sunshine. 

And for that I thank God who always leads me into beautiful places and reminds me how very blessed I am.

hugs

Tidying and gifts...

With all the rain, heat and humidity during March there was a lot of moisture in the house to dry out. We had the ceiling fans running 'full pelt' for weeks and finally it appears all is well again, the mustiness has gone, nothing feels sticky and the aroma of eucalyptus wafting through the rooms from our oil burner has certainly helped.

Mr E is off work for the autumn school holidays so together we've been getting in to every nook and cranny to sweep, vacuum, polish and refresh our home, hopeful that cooler days are not too far away and we can finally move around without persistent perspiration. 

One area which always concerns me during the wet humid months is the sewing room. I'm very conscious of the moist air which loves fabric so the ceiling fan runs in there for about 8 or 9 months of the year, and if I'm in there doing some sewing I have the air conditioner on instead. 

This week I took all my fabrics off the large bookcase I use for storing them, aired them out, assessed any deterioration (some had fade lines) and refolded them carefully before replacing them.

I had plans to make more fabric baskets (the tutorial is here) but time got away from me so I used a few other containers to store things neatly until I can get them done...

Pulling all these fabrics off the shelf also allowed me to become re-acquainted with my stash. Now a new list of ideas have been written up, a small pile put aside to donate, and a couple of quilts kits I'll never make will be sold. 

Everything is divided into fat quarters, half yards and yardage. 

At a glance I can now see what I have, which as you know will make projects easier to prepare.

There's also some 'pretties' scattered around the shelves, like my button jar.

These small aqua trays were a surprise purchase the other day when Mr E and I walked through the Japanese store, Daiso, at Willows. They had many sizes but I chose a few long narrow ones for holding fat eights, ribbons and buttons.

All my fabric scraps live in a large plastic tub, perfect for using in the numerous applique designs which frequent my sketch pad, but over the next week I'll spend a bit of time each afternoon sorting them into colours and then storing in zip lock bags. I've also decided to prepare some of the pieces for 1" hexies which I can sew in the car when we go away next time, but until I do all that any new scraps will be tossed into the mauve rope basket in my fabric shelves.

Have to admit, I'm rather relieved to have this done, and also looking forward to many productive and fun hours in my sewing room over winter. 

How often do you clean out your sewing space? 

Are you overcome with inspiration when you do?

I have three grandchildren with birthdays within the next four weeks so gifts needed to be made (which is why, along with writing Stitchery Club patterns, I haven't been able to make more fabric baskets yet).

Remember the cuddly heat pack tutorial I shared in January? (it's here) 

I made another today for my almost 2 yo grandson Austin. Seriously, I'd forgotten all about this fabric until I cleaned my fabric shelves the other day, but isn't it gorgeous?

Austin's big sister Frankie will turn 4 just a few weeks after his big day so now I have cuddly heat packs for both of them, along with a cute pair of pajamas each. 

Oh, and remember that old metal teapot trivet I was painting?

Originally I had planned to paint it white, and that's exactly what the first coat went on as, but then I decided to re-paint it cream and I love it!

It's been quite a wearying week again with all the autumn housework and re-organising the sewing room, plus Easter guests, three migraines and trying to get the next issue of The Stitchery Club finished early...but in a little more than a week my beloved will whisk us away for three days before the next school term begins, and someone else will cook our meals, there will be no housework beckoning, no emails or book keeping, and shaded rainforest roads and blue ocean views will quiet our souls. 

We need this.

And God knew, so He made a way. 

Praise Him.

I'll leave you today with a few links I've found interesting. Brew a cuppa or pour a long cool iced tea and spend a little 'you' time browsing them. I'm sure one or two will be of interest to you. 

Under the kitchen sink - the most beautiful organisation for under a kitchen sink I've ever seen.

Vintage style artworks - a wonderful assortment of free downloadable prints you can frame or use any way you like.

Call me old fashioned - if you've never visited Aunt Ruthie you're in for a treat.

Henhouse pinterest board - I could sit for hours and plan homely projects like hers. Just beautiful.

Slow cooker roast lamb - I made this and it was delicious so had to share it with you.

Have a blessed evening or morning wherever you reside in this wonderful world, and know that as my eyes close tonight I'll be praying for you.

hugs