Pretty storage!

When I was down in Melbourne for "Let's Get Stitched" in March, one of the other tutors (and roomate!)  was my sweet, sweet friend Vikki Collumbine of Sew Useful Designs.

We have this adoration-of-each-others-designs  'thing' happening, always have actually. She's a talent and a half to be sure, and always good for eye candy projects. She wanted to make mine, and I definitely wanted to make hers!

I fell in love with the project she shared with the ladies on the Sunday.

This is Vikki's original,  "My Sweet PDFs", which she designed to store all your printed pdf patterns. Isn't it adorable!?

That cover captured my heart and when I eventually carved out a bit of 'self sewing' time a couple of months ago I stitched up her cover design and framed it in pretty Tilda roses and spotty fabrics. I didn't make the pdf storage folder like Vikki's design, though. 

I had a different purpose in mind....

You see, I usually have around 4 to 6 new Elefantz designs on the go at any one time, and I decided to use Vikki's cover design on a large folder for storing my projects that have been stitched but are still waiting to be made into something.

Inside the cover I've made a nice big pocket that fits A4 pattern sheets...

...and the folder itself holds quite a few velcro sealed plastic pouches that I fill with the completed stitchery, threads, and pattern sheets for safe keeping until I'm ready to sew them into a larger project, or just until I write the pattern...

 

Pretty cool, yeh?!

I'm sharing this to encourage you to look outside the box with designs you like but think you may never make because they look like they take a little more skill than you have.

Vikki is amazing with little trims and edgings and extras - but I'm not - and she loves what I've done with her gorgeous cover design, so win win all around. Thanks Vikki-love!

You can see all the photos of her original project HERE on her blog. Like I said, she is incredible.

And on to something else incredible!

Remember months ago when I made my pear placemats? 

Well ever since I have been searching for a 'just right' tablecoth to no avail.

Until last week when a Goldilocks moment happened upon me...

I don't know why, but delicious food tastes even more delicious with matching placemats *and* tablecloth!

Quinoa Salad with haloumi, pine nuts and grated beetroot...

Organic grapes fresh from the Atherton Tablelands just a few hours north of us...

 

Now that I have a full tummy and a sweet folder to store my completed stitcheries in I think I should finish piecing a quilt and empty one of those plastic folders...ready for another new design. 

Have a brilliant Tuesday!

hugs

It's all apples and pears to me!

You think you have it all worked out.

You have a plan. A good plan.

But something's not right. 

There's this thud in your stomach every time you try to work with the plan, and pretty soon 

that plan goes

 -peaR

shaped because that plan's just not what you should be doing right now. 

In my case, the time for that plan is passed, and after some heavy soul searching last night I canned the plan.  I listened to my heart, my God, and my husband.

There will be no more issues of Elefantz Magazines.

Wow - I said that out loud.

It's been an on-off love affair since my first issue back in 2011, and I've enjoyed it for the longest time...

but this year it's kinda held me back from moving forward into new things I want to lay my hands to.

Things like a book (or three); 

designing fabric and casting out my line to see if someone is interested in printing it; 

two new Block of the Month quilts that haven't progressed further than my sketch pad;

teaching stitching classes if I can make that happen;

learning new skills like free motion quilting and paper piecing;

...and my favourite thing of all - sharing more tutorials here on the blog that I love; 

the blog that lets us meet each day over a cuppa, an idea, and even a prayer; the blog that is my front verandah where you're all oh so welcome to come visit and pull up a chair for a quick chat or an afternoon of stitching. x

And now that I've laid that pear to rest...

...I feel this enormous weight lift from my shoulders, and a shiver of excitement has begun to trickle in. 

Already a sense of balance is returning...

 

...and I'm ready to buckle down and finish some things that have been waiting for attention far too long.

As you can see above, those pear placements from this blog post got an hour of my time yesterday and have eventually made it to the table as a completed set that we can use. \o/

 I also have some new designs almost ready to go, one in particular I can't wait to show you.

Here's a teaser...

"Under The Apple Tree"

 

There's a bit of quilt-love happening, you see.

I'll just get the pattern written up and take more pretty pics before I show it all.

The Friday Newsletter: I'm still sending out my Friday newsletter each week, free sign up HERE.

It's delivered direct to your email and you'll never miss out on Elefantz news again. 

There may even be news of something rather interesting in a few weeks and you wouldn't want to miss out would you?

Have a wonderful Friday everyone.

I'm off for a sewing day with the girls...yippee!

hugs

A pear down, and a pear to go...

In October last year I shared my progress making THIS Pastel Pears table topper, and how I'd fussy cut the appliqued pear blocks...

All the blocks were pieced into the completed flimsy and I was sure that it would be quilted and gracing my table 'very soon'.

But...you know how life steps in, and other projects catch your attention? Well, this pretty flimsy has been patiently waiting for the last eight months so on Sunday, with rain still preventing Mr E and I from embarking on a mountain photo adventure, I got to work!

(a dreary day so forgive the rather dull photo quality, ok?)

Quilted and ready to sew down the binding...

All done!

Those fussy cut pears really added something special to overall finish of the table topper, which got me thinking about a certain Denyse Schmidt fabric I'd used the day before in the 'Wishes' quilt.

I pulled out a piece of old linen and the green floral DS print, found a scrap of red pindot fabric, traced more pears and leaves, then set to work on making four placemats...

I get a lot of lovely comments about my hand stitching skill but I doubt you will be praising me about my first attempt at free motion raw edge applique. Previously I've done a little raw edge, but not free motion. Boy this is different!

I used the darning foot so I could see where I was going, and without the feed dogs to 'grip' the fabric I was away on an unfamiliar journey with my machine! Honest, I laughed and laughed!

For a moment there was the consideration to unpick it and do what I know and blanket stitch applique around the edges by hand for a neater appearance - but then I thought why not leave it as is? So I did, and I'm glad.

Some simple running stitch around the pear made all the difference...

I actually quite like it now! And don't you love the fussy cut flower spray?

Life is about learning, and I have a lot of learning to do when it comes to free motion quilting. 

Of course, it's not a priority for me, but it is something to play with on another rainy day, just for fun.

And now I have three more placemats to finish...and it's still raining...

The birds have taken to perching in a flock all along the power lines out front of our house during this unseasonal wet weather...

Princess Sophie watches them with interest...

...a little too much interest, perhaps...

...and the rain continues to fall.

So I stitch.

The pattern for the Pastel Pears Table Topper is free online HERE at All People Quilt.

hugs,

jenny x

Wendy, pears, and Blossom...

Do you like wearing a new dress?

So does my blog. 

What do you think of her swishy teal and mustard frock?

My blog and I have been on a two day shopping expedition for 'just the right' attire; a new dress for a new season. She chose well. I commend her. 

Today Blossom had the day off work so we drove down to Wendy's for a visit. We *love* visiting Wendy!

When we arrived she handed me the biggest bunch of pears...

Such pretty shabby pears, and all for me! My collection is rapidly increasing...

But that wasn't the end of the blessings.

She had baked a scrumptious chocolate cake, and a yummy quiche for lunch!

Blossom helped Wendy with the salad...

...and the laughter from the two of them filled the house.

Lunch was WONDERFUL and we didn't stop laughing all day!

The purpose for our visit was to help Wendy shop for a new dress her own blog could show off, and it's sweet as sweet can be - just like Wendy. 

We even made her a new header, because Wendy is now officially a designer with her patterns being published later this year in a few Australian craft magazines! I'll be able to say, "I know her!"...

Why don't you drop over HERE to her blog and congratulate her!?

She'll blush bright pink, and her heart will swell.

I'm stitching a new design using the sweetest Cosmo Seasons threads...

What are you stitching this week?

Hugs,

Jenny

xx

Two little girls, and my pear...

Do you remember this post about the little quilts I am making for the young daughters of my dear friend Pam who passed into Jesus' arms last June?

I explained my own grieving process since Pam died, and why making these memory quilts has been such a slow journey.

Well, the Lord is good, and it was by His grace that yesterday I sandwiched the layers, and machine quilted them both. I added the binding, and last night one of the quilts was finished...

 I've added a block I embroidered from Brenda Riddle's "Betsy's Closet" pattern to the centre of each quilt. Perfect for little girls.

Now I just need to stitch down the binding on the pink quilt...

 

 

I have taken fabrics from some of Pam's clothes to make the quilt backings. The girls will be wrapped in their mama...

Lida is a blog reader who has become a friend, and she told me a few weeks back that she was making me a pear. Now, if you regularly read my blog you'll know that I collect pears. 

The mail arrived yesterday and "my oh my" what a pear she made!

The fabric weave is very fine, so those little cross stitches are teeny tiny. Aren't I blessed!?

Thank you sweet Lida. xxx

It's now sharing my favourite shelf with some sister pears...

Blossom has a day off work today so we'll be out car shopping with Mr E this afternoon.

I can't believe it - my baby will have her own car! 

Hugs,

Jenny

xx