When I made my pretty pastel Hussif in June the response from readers was incredible, so it seemed only natural that I should take you through the steps to make your very own Hussif/Huswif/Housewife. If you weren't following along with Elefantz back then but would like to know exactly what a Hussif is and the history behind it, go HERE and scroll through the five posts I made that week. EMBROIDERY PATTERNS Now, be aware that I am going to show you how to make two different versions of the same design. My first Hussif featured a set of pretty embroideries on three different areas. The complete pattern from start to finish, including the embroideries is HERE as an instant download purchase. The second version of my Hussif has no embroidery. Instead I chose to fussy cut sections from my fabrics. This is easy to do, as you'll see during the tutorial. HUSSIF TEMPLATES If you're just following the 5 days of tutorial on my blog you'll need the Hussif templates to make your scissor scabbard, applique heart, paper pieced hexie, and to trace the 'gentle domesticity' wording. These are available as a free download HERE FABRICS I used assorted Tilda fabric scraps for the shabby chic style embroidered Hussif, and pieces from a Lecien "Antique Rose" layer cake for the fussy cut vintage style Hussif. Therefore I suggest you grab some favoured prints of your own as we're just using small pieces for the inside and one larger cut for the outside. Let's begin! The Hussif has three pieced sections which we'll cut, sew and assemble today. I'll mix and match photos from both versions of my Hussif... Bottom Section Sew your pieces together to complete the bottom section of the inner Hussif background. Sew a length of lace over the long centre seam. If you're going to embroider the words "gentle domesticity" on your Hussif, now is the time to trace "domesticity" where indicated below... Middle Section Fussy cutting is choosing a particular portion of your fabric that can feature as a stand alone 'design' in your project. I chose a rose from one of my layer cake fabrics for this section of the Hussif. (the 4" x 4 1/4" piece is either fussy cut or use the bird embroidery) Sew your pieces together to create the second piece of the Hussif background. NOTE: Trace the bird design onto the centre of the 4" x 4 1/2" piece of fabric if you're making the embroidered version of the Hussif. Now we're going to add two pockets to this section. You will require two pieces of fabric: One, 6 1/2" square One, 3 1/2" x 6 1/2" Fold them in half along their 6 1/2" width and press the fold with your iron. Sew a line of lace just under the fold on both pieces. (I used two different pieces of lace) Lay the larger pocket down on to the middle section so that the base of the pocket and the base of the middle section are together, and pin in place. Measure down 2 inches from the centre seam line and draw a line across the pocket using a heat erasable pen (the line will not be seen later so you could even draw it with a faint pencil)... Machine sew along that line, and then down both sides of the pocket with a scant 1/8th inch seam... Lay the smaller pocket on top of the larger one so that the bottom edge of both pockets are together. Pin it in place. Machine sew the smaller pocket in place down both sides and then secure the base of both pockets by sewing a scant 1/8th inch seam across the bottom edge. Top Section In the first Hussif this section features a stitchery and a paper pieced hexie, but in the alternate version I used a small print floral fabric and a fussy cut hexie. If you're going to use the embroidery choose a pale print that will allow the pattern to shine when you've stitched it. If you're making the fussy cut version of this Hussif you can choose to add the paper pieced hexie or leave it off entirely. Perhaps add some lace or pretty buttons? You'll need to cut a piece of fabric 5½” x 6½”, and you'll require a dinner plate. Make a small pencil mark 3 inches up the 5½” sides of the fabric and lay your dinner plate over the fabric so that the edge of the plate sits on those pencil marks and draw a line around the curve. Trace the stitchery inside the curved section of your fabric keeping the base of the eye glasses 3/4" above the bottom edge of the fabric. Sew the three sections together and you have the background to the inside of your Hussif complete. Fuse a medium weight Pellon behind this inside section of your Hussif. I used a large piece of scrap Pellon leftover from a previous project, but I suggest you still cut your Pellon larger than you need and we shall trim it later. STITCHERY If you are embellishing your Hussif with the three embroideries you'll need to stitch them before moving on to the next stage. Go HERE for day 2 of the Hussif Tutorial. hugs
Today we move on to the sixth block in this year's Virtuous Wife quilt project. If you have missed any of the previous blocks you'll find them HERE Let’s go through this verse a little at a time… “She dresses herself with strength… This is described differently in a number of bible versions, and it becomes clear as to why that is when you expand on the meanings of the individual Hebrew words. To dress herself with strength is to ‘gird her loins’ or ‘gather her strength around her’…the intention being that this woman is ready and prepared to work, to move, to act. She is not sitting idly or distracted, watching the day pass her by, no - she is ready to get things done! Just as soldiers in her era would gird their loins by gathering their tunics up to their thighs and tying them in a knot so they could freely run, move, fight – so a woman can gird her loins mentally by being ready to work hard, and physically, by dressing appropriately for her labour. For example, I do not wear my going-out clothes to scrub the floors or clean the bathroom or dig in the garden; but I also do not wear old raggedy clothing around home either. I take care to always look presentable, as a matter of self-respect, and respect for my husband or any guests who should unexpectedly arrive. For myself, adding external things which bring me pleasure as I work was a wonderful way to help me elevate in my own mind, the very privileged position I hold as mistress of my home. When I was young, Australian television didn’t have many shows which elevated the role of homemaker, but Nana and I would enjoy a few American programs such a Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best, the Dick Van Dyke Show, and similar. Those programs really encouraged us girls, even though Nana was in her late 50’s and early 60’s and I was in primary school. With an array of pretty aprons hanging in my kitchen, I can cover my freshly laundered day-to-day dresses (dresses which may be well-worn from years ago but still lovely and presentable) and extend their use…for there’s no reason not to look lovely when you tend home and garden. Some of you may wear shorts and tee shirts, or pants and blouses around home – it doesn’t matter what you wear, but dress with the intention of preparing yourself to work joyfully and confidently. Dressing for my role really made all the difference to my attitude and the ensuing sense of gratitude. … and makes her arms strong.” The word strong (‘amats in Hebrew) actually means to be courageous! It is the same word God uses in Joshua 1:6 and 1:9 when He commands Joshua to “be strong and of good courage…” It is the very same word used in Joshua 10:25 when Joshua himself commands Israel to “fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage…” There’s much in this verse for us to consider as homemakers. The things we do to build up our homes as an expression of love and care for our husbands and families, may at times require us to be courageous and faithful, especially in seasons when we feel anything but. Learning to dress our minds with an attitude of preparedness, girding our homemaker loins with strength each day, expressing gratitude to our God who just as with Joshua, commands us not to be dismayed nor fearful, but to be strong and of good courage because the Lord our God is with us wherever we go and in whatever we do to His glory. Today is the start of a new month, a month where we shall be focused on the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be brave and pray that He would give us opportunities to increase our spiritual, mental, physical and emotional strength this month, especially as we ponder His own example of living (and loving) with a humble servant heart. He, who can make all things new, will be more than willing to help us as women, homemakers, wives, mothers, sisters, grandmothers and daughters, to gird our loins, gathering our strength around us, growing in courage as we serve those in our care each day. May we no longer be dismayed by the disappointments in our life, but remember always that the Lord will be with us and we are never left alone. Use the link below to download this free pattern. DOWNLOAD block six The Virtuous Wife I mentioned at the beginning of this block of the month last November, that because there are sixteen blocks in the quilt, I would be sharing two blocks per month twice in 2023. April is one of those months, so around the middle of April I'll share block seven with you. If you don't want to miss any of the Virtuous Wife patterns you can use THIS link to receive my free newsletter twice a month. Or pop your email in the cute little pink box in my blog sidebar to receive all my blog posts direct to your inbox. Hubby is back at work now, and life is returning to it's usual rhythm. I had written in my last post that blogging would return to normal at the middle of this week, but as you can see, it didn't. I love having my man home on a holiday break, though these times are rare. We get a lot done around the garden, and he has time to catch up on a few home maintenance jobs as well. Life is not as regimented by routines because we have the ability to wake each morning and let the day unfold as it may - we were even able to take two day trips for picnic lunches in quiet country towns. The normal cleaning rhythms tend to 'go out the door' during these special weeks, as my husband insists I also take a 'holiday', even though we holiday at home. I still managed to stay on top of the daily tasks with ease, but gave extra time to doing things with him in the garden. During our much needed afternoon rest hours I spent time in the sewing room rearranging everything the first few days, but afterwards my rest times were spent hand sewing whilst watching an old movie or new episodes of Father Brown. Once things cooled a bit outside we'd both head back to the garden. As the sun began to set I would come inside to start dinner and hubby would pack up and put all the tools back in the shed. After dinner we'd go for a swim and chat about the day, and consider what to do next, always counting down the days we had left before his holiday came to a close. So when hubby returned to work this past Wednesday, I decided to forgo any blogging for a while and give the house a jolly good clean so that it once again sparkled. I'm going room to room with fresh eyes and may change a few things around, but I shall enjoy every moment. In the late afternoons when things cool a bit, I can return to the garden and plant our autumn produce, for the days are very hot right now. How are YOU?? I'd love to know what's happening in your everyday life, for something came to mind the other day after visiting Rosie, and then Blossom, and chatting on the phone to Fee...how very important it is, as a woman, to be heard, especially as many of our womanly thoughts would be foreign to a man. I believe most women process their thoughts verbally, and having a safe sounding board such as a loving daughter or friend who is genuinely interested in you, is a priceless gift. Mostly we do not want advice or even help - we just want a safe place to verbalise our thoughts and put things in perspective. I am very grateful for my four-corners of womanhood - darling Blossom, Rosie, Fee and Allie, and I thank God for placing them in my life. So, friends, I shall be back again soon...but not just yet. Bless you heaps, Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox. Or sign up HERE for my free newsletter which often has extra benefits, freebies & tutorials!
I've been very ill the past two days with a nasty tummy bug so this will be a quick post (prayers appreciated). The wrapped vase in Block 2 of Posies is probable one of my favourite displays for flowers. I often use handled jugs for floral bouquets at home and very often they sit on my desk. And that was the inspiration for this sweet block. I fussy cut a bee for the vase and then added a tonal blue wrap. See what you can find in your stash for your own fussy cut vase. UPDATE... POSIES was free until January 1st 2022. The complete 2021 POSIES quilt is now available from my ETSY Shop. Now I'm heading back to bed... Bless you heaps,
Each year I share a free block of the month, and have been doing so since 2009. In 2024 we shall be stitching a 12-part mini quilt, Joy in the Ordinary. On this page I will share links to each pattern as it is released. Just click on the link above the blocks as they appear through the year. I hope you enjoy this project, and ask that you share the link with friends so that they too can join in! And, if you'd like more of my patterns go HERE BLOCK ONE: January 2024 BLOCK TWO: February 2024 BLOCK 3: March 2024 BLOCK 4: April 2024 BLOCK 5: May 2024 BLOCK 6: June 2024 BLOCK 7: July 2024 BLOCK 8: August 2024
Last week and over the weekend I finished embroidering the final three patterns for this month's Stitchery Club issue, as well as a pastel...
On Saturday hubby and I drove west to Charters Towers. It's a beautiful small country town about 160 klm away and it's where we called home from 2009-2011, living in a lovely old cottage that captured my heart. We go back to visit every couple of months and as the giant water tank on top of Towers Hill comes into view about 10 klm out of town my heart always skips a beat because it feels like coming home and I tend to become a wee bit emotional about that. First stop is always, without exception, the local newsagent. They stock all my favourite English country magazines and many craft magazines from overseas that I cannot find in the big city. The week following our Charters Towers visit has me enjoying many long afternoon teas and I'm sure you understand why. We don't visit people while we're there, we come to visit the town itself. Quite simply the atmosphere, the peace of country life, the simplicity and 'slowing' that cloaks the town draws us in as we wander up and down Gill Street (for in all tiny towns there is but one main street, yes?) and scan the Houses For Sale ads displayed across the various estate agent windows. We dream, hope, pray. After all, you never know, a teaching position may open up there again one day for my darling man and we could set down deep roots at last in a town we love. I slip into my favourite charity shops to see what treasures can be found and inevitably come out with at least a few vintage buttons and a book or two. There's also a gorgeous gift shop with so many pretty things under one roof that a number of birthday gifts are usually purchased in advance for shabby chic loving friends or family. Coffee and cake (or a hearty breakfast if we've come early in the morning) is enjoyed at Henry's Restaurant next to the cinema before a final stroll back to the car, and then it's a slow drive around the streets, looking at the beautiful old homes, enjoying expansive views from the hill and ending with a drive past one particular home we've had our eye on since 2009 - always hopeful a 'for sale' sign will one day appear out front when the time is right. We don't talk much during the 90 minute trip back home, each of us in our own thoughts...but that evening we share our dreams about life, the future, and perhaps that town. Have you lived somewhere that stole your heart and never gave it back? During the three hour round trip to Charters Towers I sewed one inch hexies on my lap as Mr E drove. When we go away on long road trips I take embroidery, and next weekend we're off on one of those much longer trips which is why this shorter drive was a good test to see if sewing hexies would be more relaxing during the journey, and it is. In fact I enjoyed making them so much that I continued sewing hexies that night while we watched an old movie. Fortunately I'd prepared a lot of hexie fabrics whilst sorting through my scraps basket so I just kept going until I ran out. The next morning I prepared more and before we go away I shall add to them, just in case. A few ladies have asked me to show how I make a hexie. Many blogs and designers have done tutorials on this so I won't go overboard with it, but here's a simple run through what I do. You need hexagon shaped paper templates and these can be purchased in packs from your local quilt shop, online, printed from the internet to cut out yourself, or even as occasional freebies with craft magazines. As we live fairly remote in the big scheme of things around Australia, unsold magazines are not sent back to publishing houses from here for cost reasons, so the newsagents resell them after their month of issue has expired for just a dollar or two. This is how I purchase most of my craft magazines, and most of the time there's free fabric, plastic templates, kits or paper templates attached. One of those $2 magazines had 250 one inch hexies included when I bought it last week, just in time for my trip! I have a plastic template for tracing the hexagon shape needed to make a 1" paper hexie (also from a $2 magazine) but I feel confident now to cut four at a time with scissors alone. I cut four squares of fabric large enough to give me a border around the paper shape and holding the paper and fabric together with one hand I use my super dooper Klasse shears to cut through the fabrics. The border is close to a 1/4" all around, but sometimes a little less when using smaller fabric scraps. If you're not confident doing it my way use a proper hexie template sized to suit the hexie you want to make, or trace the hexie onto the wrong side of your fabric and draw a line 1/4" outside it for your cutting line. Cut along the line with scissors or a rotary cutter. There's two ways to fold the fabric around the paper hexie - hand stitching or glue. I hand baste because for me this is sooooo very relaxing. Folding one edge at a time around the paper you sew large basting stitches (running stitches) through the fabric and paper until you have done all six sides. No need to knot the thread, it will be removed later when you take out the papers. (papers can be re-used) This is quick and easy, perfect for doing on your lap in the car or anywhere you're out and about. To use the glue method a glue pen is best. You only need enough to secure the fabric to the paper because you'll need to lift up the edges later and remove the papers. Press the fabric borders over onto the hexie paper with your fingers, one at a time. I'm a hand baster because it's very calming and I don't much like peeling glued fabric borders away from the paper later, but I have friends who love glue basting so do what makes you happy. My camera was whisked away to the camera shop this morning to be cleaned so I don't have photos of sewing the hexies together, but it's not hard. Press the hexies flat with a warm dry iron as this will give you a nice crisp edge, then hold two hexies right side together (still basted, still with paper inside) and sew along one side with a blind stitch. Sew as many together as you need and when you're done remove the basting stitches and the papers. I think these will become the first of many hexie flowers... Here's one of my old designs (The Summer House) which has embroidered and fabric hexies as a feature... The embroidery is traced onto the hexie fabric shape first, then after the hexie is made it is sewn onto the design and embroidered. I've done the same thing with hexies in a new pattern for April (see it here)... Hopefully this has helped those of you who haven't yet ventured into paper piecing, but remember, I'm no expert, just a girl who likes to make them as simply and calmly as possible with minimum effort for maximum effect. A few years ago I shared a free pattern and tutorial, The Hexie Flower Show". Perhaps you may like to practice with it? You'll find the tutorial here and... Download the free pattern here from my shop. I wonder whether you prefer stitch basting or glue basting? Bless you heaps!
Embroidery designer, pursuer of the gentle domestic life, Christian wife and mama.
Did you make an "A" pincushion last week? I have seen a few completed stitcheries and pincushions being shown in our Gentle Domesticity facebook group this week and love the different colours and trims being used! One problem which seemed to crop up via email and also on my FB page was a few ladies who did not know they could download the pattern from my Dropbox link without signing up for their own DB account. When you go to the page via the link I shared you'll be asked to join but at the bottom of the page there is an option to say no...click that and you can still download the pattern. Okay? I am adding a second download option this week just in case some of you still have trouble. This week we're stitching "B"... Again, the pincushion is a simple one, but is made to look rather elegant with the addition of a few buttons and some chain stitch sewn between the stitchery block and the border fabric. Note: Sew the buttons in place after filling the pincushion. Perhaps a few pearls or crystals would be a nice addition, replacing the buttons? As with the "A" pattern I've chosen my embroidery threads to blend with the pretty floral fabric and I encourage you to do the same. It's something I do for every one of my designs and helps enormously later on when I want to use the completed stitchery in a project. You'll notice the little flower bud is embroidered with satin stitch. Look closely and you can see that I've sewn the satin stitch in two directions to separate both sections of the bud. Begin with a vertical satin stitch for the top of the flower bud and finish with horizontal satin stitch for the base. I have filled the pincushion with crushed walnut shells and a few ladies have asked where to purchase this. Most pet supply shops will have bags of it in the reptile section as it is used as a base inside lizard tanks. Crushed walnut shells are great for keeping your pins and needles sharp but you need to sew the back of your pincushion closed with tiny stitches to avoid spillage. The "B" pattern was free until October 5th. If you'd like the set of patterns for A - E they are now in my shop as a $2 purchase. ON SALE THIS WEEK! There's been a lot of positive response to these small alphabet stitcheries so I thought I'd offer you a much larger set of alphabet designs, a pattern which has been my best seller for years. Each letter of the alphabet is a unique design and measures around 5" square. For the next week I have the full pattern set on sale for $7.50 here in my shop. Grab this fabulous bargain and you'll have a variety of beautiful designs at your fingertips ready to stitch for gifts! The lawyers have changed the date for us to take possession of our new home so rather than it being on Mr E's birthday it will in fact be three days after. Still, it's only 13 days from now...and then just 18 days until we up and move in. The days are flying by and yet not one box has been packed...but fortunately we're not hoarders nor do we own a lot of 'stuff' so realistically we could pack up a house in a day if we had to, though at our age we'll begin doing a little each day from next week. Mr E still has two weeks left of the school term (he's a teacher) and I need to get designs stitched and patterns written before the 17th, so doing a bit here and a bit there should in the big scheme of things have us ready to roll when the movers arrive. We're eating healthy and staying true to routines in order to keep as relaxed as possible, though in the days before the move dear Blossom will be our cook as she wants assurance her parents are looking after themselves, bless her. I'd best be off here and go back to preparing a new set of Christmas designs for stitching. Goodness, it's creeping up fast isn't it?! May your day be blessed, your heart lifted in delight, and your weary arms refreshed... hugs
This week we're finishing the chapter on Textures and I'm a bit chuffed that Jane's chatting about embroidery. Embroidery "The close nature of embroidery and the demands it makes on your concentration force you to consider its texture. Decorative stitches are a manipulation of a surface that is changing under your hands as you add more stitches, more expression, more detail." (page 82) Though not one to regularly embroider as she is far more interested in knitting, quilting and baking, Jane Brocket does enjoy a little light hand embroidery in the summer when the heat restricts her other hobbies, but regardless of the weather she delights in collecting vintage embroidered pieces and examining the original artist's use of texture through a variety of stitches. "It's instructive to consider that embroidery can even be explored and enjoyed with the eyes closed, so intricate and dense are its textures." (page 82) I'm in total agreement with her belief that there is beauty in both the sight and touch of different textures in an embroidered piece and over the past few years my own designs have increasingly featured a variety of textural stitches to achieve that same wonderfully tactile result. Running my fingers over a piece linen with a surface embellished by mounds of knobbly colonial knots, smooth and silky satin stitch hearts or rows of interlocking chain stitch genuinely brings me joy! I also like to collect vintage pieces of embroidered linen but the ones which give my heart a jolt are those which include delicately raised applique. This little cottage was stitched by Jane in celebration of their move back to England and the purchase of their own home. Excited about finally planting a garden in their yard and no longer being restricted to pots, she spent many summer evenings creating cabbages, cauliflowers, radishes and the like with needle and thread... "This little embroidery potager still acts as a reminder of the texture of that first summer back in England and the happy consciousness of domestic order being restored after years of moving house." (page 82) Simplicity "Indeed there are whole books devoted to stitched surfaces and clever baking combinations - but I don't read them. And I think that's because so many of them don't know when to stop...layer upon layer, detail upon detail, ingredient upon ingredient, until the reader/maker is overwhelmed and confused. Simplicity is one of my guiding precepts...which brings me to Lemon Meringue Pie." (page 84) Jane shares the simplest recipe for this yummy dessert, one which I have shared myself over here if you'd like to make one. A Special Relationship "...one of the great benefits of practising the gentle arts is the opportunity to allow the mind to wander while the hands are occupied with chopping, mixing, knitting, quilting and stitching. Do you think the heroines of Jane Austen's novels were simply counting stitches...no, they took these chances to plot love affairs, consider suitors and plan their next moves." (page 86) In this section of the chapter we are encouraged to compare the relationship between the colours found in nature and those materials we use in our crafts. For example, Jane writes - " Red grapefruits with their lightly pitted, warm pink, coral and gold skins are the organic version of the Koigu yarn (pictured below), which even has the same little dark flecks. They look equally delicious and delectable in a fruit bowl." (page 86) "If we can see them, these connections and layers of texture, surface interest and colour enrich our visual and tactile lives with simple touches of beauty." (page 86) And that's the end of our chapter on Textures! I personally enjoyed reading Jane's thoughts on how texture can appear all through daily life in the domestic realm, in art and also through the workings of our chosen crafts. Next week we shall begin the chapter on 'Patterns' and read from pages 89-95. * Do the colours found in nature inspire you when choosing fabrics, thread or yarn for different projects? Can you share an example? * Jane uses a very basic lemon meringue pie recipe to highlight the longing she believes many of us have for simpler things, less complicated instructions and easy on the mind reading. What simpler things do you long for in this busy 21st century life? * Share an example of textures in craft that you love. Could it be the twisted cable on a hand knitted cardigan, the mounds of white knotted stitches which meld together as a cauliflower on an old tea towel or the puffed rise of needle-turn applique on a beautiful quilt? Now that April has arrived there's a sense 2019 is well and truly here and the last year has finally been left behind. Every year without fail during January and February my pen still writes the previous year as though automatically programmed and it's not until mid to late March that I finally overcome that habit and naturally write the current year. Do you do that too? With this acknowledgement that 2019 has well and truly made it's mark already I chose your free pattern for April with the idea that it's probably a good idea to begin using up our fabric stashes and start sewing gifts for Christmas...after all, who likes facing the gift rush come November or December? Slow and steady is the way to go. I first designed and made the Buttons & Bows bag in 2010 using red and cream French General fabrics, then a few years ago I remade the bag in pretty Flower Sugar prints for my friend Rosie. When I made the decision to share this pattern with you as the April freebie I thought it might also be fun to raid my own stash and create another version with some simple changes. So on the weekend this is what occupied my hours in the sewing room.... This time I went for a soft pink and cream shabby chic effect and chose to use my long treasured Cabbages & Roses fabric with a contrast pink stripe. You'll notice there are no buttons and only one bow on my pretty new bag, and this was to show how simple it is to make changes to this pattern and also to share a couple of ideas that I think work beautifully. Like using just a single bow secured by a gorgeous vintage brooch (a gift from my friend Fee)... ...and the addition of pretty cotton lace sewn along the handles. A peek inside the bag and you can see I've used a similar pink and cream in the fabric lining but also a tiny pop of tealy-green. I wasn't sure about this at first but after laying a few pink and a few cream prints beside the outer bag my eyes kept returning to it so I just went with the flow. And I'm glad I did... So no matter what fabrics or notions you have in your sewing room I encourage you to make one or two of these bags and be creative with what you have on hand. I'm so happy with this new shabby chic style bag that I've already cut into the rest of that beautiful Cabbages & Roses fabric to make another for a dear friend's almost-here birthday because this is very definitely her style as well. DOWNLOAD the free Buttons & Bows Bag pattern here Now it's on to the giveaway for this month! A common request I receive from readers and customers is "Do you sell the linen fabric used in most of your designs?" The answer is that I used to, but not at the moment. Once I come up for air over the next month there will be some 'starter kits' in my shop for those who'd like to try it but that's many weeks away. So I thought perhaps a nice big piece of my favourite stitchery fabric would be the perfect giveaway for April and I've also included three vintage cream buttons and a porcelain dove button, two metres of vintage cream cotton lace and a beautiful pair of vintage style embroidery scissors. GIVEAWAY RULES To enter this giveaway you need to leave a comment on today's blog post answering at least one of this week's book study questions. You also need to leave a way for me to contact you should your name be drawn as the winner. If I cannot contact you I will choose another winner. This giveaway is open worldwide and will close on Monday 8th April. Winner will be announced in next Tuesday's book study post. Every week in the Tuesday book study post I'm encouraging readers and lovers of the gentle domestic life who have a current blog and have blogged about Living the Gentle Domestic Life this year to link their relevant weekly book study post for others to come by, visit their blogs and be inspired. Please do not link to the same post on your blog each week. Your posts should be new and relevant to the current week's study. NOTE: If your link is advertising or not a true reflection of the heart for living a gentle domestic life it will be deleted. Thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers over this past week of rest. Migraine's are still an issue due to the weather but I have slowed my life considerably and am enjoying each moment with renewed refreshment. Later this week I have much to share but for now I pray your day is painted with Grace by the Master's hand and every moment shows His touch of love, just for you. hugs
Embroidery designer, pursuer of the gentle domestic life, Christian wife and mama.
Mr E is on school holidays for two weeks and quite thrilled he can leave teaching, assessing, reports and parent interviews behind for a while and concentrate on the garden. A lot has been done the past few weekends to lay the groundwork for our next step forward - making the area around our home self productive. Out the front we've added some hedge plants opposite the pots of rosemary and lavender to create a border/walkway to the front door. But in front of that hedge will be a vegetable garden... Climbers and shrubs have been planted across the front of the brown privacy screen now that area has been cleared, composted and mulched. This week my beloved will plant beans in this garden which will later be broken up and hoed in (after I grab the beans). We're not rushing the front garden bed because it did not start off in good condition and we're working to get it in excellent shape before planting food crops and fruit trees. This little tomato plant was discovered down the side during the clearing. We're feeding it and hoping it will flourish like the ones we've got growing out back. There's a lot going on in the backyard right now after some thoughtful planning and a morning spent with a very helpful farmer who makes his own microbial compost and teaches classes in permaculture. The old compost area simply didn't function well as it has no air flow, sitting on concrete and surrounded by concrete blocks. We have an idea the concrete slab under it was once part of a chicken coop, which is great because after hubby finishes removing the concrete... ...we'll be setting this corner of the garden up to house some chickens. We're already investigating coops. Mr E has made a new compost area on the opposite side of the back garden. You can see it behind the clothesline... He's also making a second compost area later this week because if we want to do away with lawn and make every area productive we'll need plenty of compost. Becoming as self sufficient as possible has been a long held dream for the two of us and now, with our own home at last, we can work forward to make that possible. Our backyard tomatoes are incredible! Seven feet tall and literally dripping with produce I get such a kick out of seeing my man walk past and pop a few ripe cherry tomatoes in his mouth for a snack. Pots of parsley loves hiding under the tomatoes... Bob-the-dog and Sophie watch in avid amusement as the yard is dissembled and reassembled on a regular basis. Sophie especially does not like being moved from one of her many hiding places when I water the gardens at late afternoon. Of course I must have colour around so our winter flowers are scattered pots of pansies here and there... ...plus the grevilleas are all in bloom which brings little honeyeaters to feast each day. When I was hanging the washing up the other morning I was surprised that our regular band of finches did not fly away as I approached. They often sit on the clothesline or feast on the grass seeds below, but always I am mindful to not come close or they take to flight in an instant. But this was a very lovely moment I managed to capture on my camera. They stayed where they were as I hung the clothes and remained while I went inside to fetch the camera... Aren't they beautiful? These are 'double barred finches'. Morning and afternoon teas are taken out back with cool drinks or a cuppa as we chat over what comes next or simply sit in silence and enjoy the view. I've baked quite a bit recently, choosing to make delights with much less sugar and butter than previously. Tomorrow Blossom, Cully May and Rafaella are coming by and the little ones will be able to picnic on the new tablecloth quilt I made them last weekend. It was very quick to make! Seven 5 1/2" squares cut from seven different fabrics and sewn together, sandwiched with wadding and backing, quilted 1/4" outside the seams and bound in red spots. I laid them out so that I had diagonal rows of the same fabrics and really love the end result. Not everything has to take a long time, quite often just jumping in and making a simple project in a couple of days fills your happy tank to overflowing. Now, if you need some inspiration on becoming self sufficient in your garden area Mr E and I highly recommend this documentary we watched recently. It's free to watch and honest, it blessed us immensely and answered many prayers and questions. Click below to watch or go HERE. THIS MONTH'S FREE PATTERN - turns into a stitchalong… I've had to think about this one a bit because we're just starting the second half of 2019 and I wondered if it might be nice to make something that takes a few months? A small quilt perhaps? Maybe one block every two weeks for a while? Yes, I like the sound of that. Drop by on Wednesday and I'll have it all ready for you to begin. In the meantime enjoy your home, cherish your loved ones, give thanks to God for all your gifts, and be kind to yourself because often we're the last people we consider in life. hugs Need something to stitch? I'm always adding patterns to my Etsy Shop so drop by and have a peek. Visit Jenny's Etsy Shop
Last week and over the weekend I finished embroidering the final three patterns for this month's Stitchery Club issue, as well as a pastel...
A few of you have wondered lately whether I've stopped blogging (after thirteen years of it being a regular part of my life) as even after ...
Embroidery designer, pursuer of the gentle domestic life, Christian wife and mama.
A few of you have wondered lately whether I've stopped blogging (after thirteen years of it being a regular part of my life) as even after ...
When I released my ten-stitchery set of Rosedaisy Designs in May I promised that from June 20th I would share ten free tutorials to turn one embroidered block at a time into a project, and this would happen on the 20th of each month until we've been through the full ten designs. Well, today is the 20th, it's June, and we are about to begin something fun! The first Rosedaisy stitchery I've chosen to use in this series of tutorials is "Be The Best You"... Deciding what to make that would beautifully feature this design was not hard. After purchasing a few embroidery hoops for cross stitch earlier this week I knew a lovely pocket to store them in was exactly the right project! So let's begin! You can use either the "Be The Best You" block HERE or a stitched block of your own choosing. The fabrics I have used in my project are Lecien's "Old New 30's" for the florals and Tilda for the pink spot stitchery background. This project will house a 7.5" diameter hoop with ease. Materials required: One fat quarter of aqua floral fabric One fat quarter of pink floral fabric One feature block, such as "Be The Best You" trimmed to a 7.5" square One, 11" x 23" piece of fusible Parlan or thin Pellon From the aqua floral fabric, cut - Two, 2" x 7.5" lengths One, 3" x 10.5" length One, 10.5" x 12.5" length Two, 1.5" x 20" lengths From the pink floral fabric, cut - One, 10.5" x 22" length Start by sewing the two, 2" x 7.5" lengths of aqua floral down both sides of the stitchery block, and the 3" x 10.5" length across the top... Sew the 10.5" x 12.5" length across the bottom... With a warm, dry iron, press this onto the fusible Parlan (or Pellon)... Choose a thread the same, or a little lighter in colour, than your aqua fabric and machine quilt wavy lines down and across the outer cover of your hoop pocket, avoiding the stitchery block... Trim the excess Parlan (or Pellon) from the sides... Fold the two 1.5" x 20" lengths of aqua fabric in half, right sides together, to make your ties. Sew a 1/4" seam along the raw edges. I like to curve my closed end when I am sewing the seam. Trim half the seam away for easier turning out... Turn the ties right side out, press them flat, then pin the raw edged ends to the top centre of the front and back. Machine sew them in place with a scant 1/8th inch seam... Lay the ties down the length of the hoop pocket.... ...then fold the pocket in half, right sides together, and pin down the side edges. Machine sew the sides together with a 1/4" seam. Take your 10.5" x 22" length of pink floral lining, fold it across the middle, and machine sew the sides together with a 1/4" seam... Turn the lining right side out, and place inside the hoop pocket... Line up the side seams of the pocket, and the side seams of the lining, and pin them together. Pin the rest of the way around, but leave a 3.5" opening between one side seam and the tie end at the middle back of the pocket... Machine sew the lining and pocket together with a 1/4" seam, leaving the 4" unpinned section open. Gently turn the pocket right side out through the opening and press flat. I find it best to pull the lining through first, and then push the pocket through last... Ladder stitch the opening closed... Place your hoops inside and you have a gorgeous home for them! The ten-stitchery set of Rosedaisy Designs which includes the "Be The Best You" stitchery used in this project is $24.95 (US). If however you'd like just the "Be The Best You" stitchery pattern on it's own, I have it available as a single purchase for $6 (US) but only until July 19th. Both are HERE in my shop today as instant pdf downloads. I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! If you make a hoop pocket be sure to email a photo to me and I'll show it here on the blog. This blog is Pinterest friendly so please feel free to pin my project photos! If you hover over any of the pictures a little 'P' pops up that you can click on and you'll immediately be able to pin it to your own Pinterest pages...so darn easy. Have a wonderfully creative weekend, hugs
Over the past couple of decades I have collected and been gifted many pieces of vintage embroideries, doilies, linens, tatting, crochet, cotton spools, cutlery, scissors and even a few uncompleted tablecloths which I felt the need to rescue in the hope that one day my own fingers would finish them. I'm not sure when my love affair with all the loveliness of vintage kitchen, dining and sewing pieces began but I can say with certainty that it's always been connected to memories growing up in Nana's small home. The older I became the more I pondered her life and felt more keenly the loss of her presence. No-one hugged like my Nana and I used to think no-one laughed like her until one day I realised my own laugh was a very real echo of hers. Loud and joyful. That brought a deep abiding smile to my heart. What I consider vintage loveliness now she would have thought quite ordinary and everyday in her time because every day is exactly how she used her embroidered linens, bone handled knives, stork scissors, fine laces and thread. Anyhow, I am revisiting my rather overflowing boxes of all things vintage at the moment spurred on by a challenge which I came across through a friend on Instagram. Being that my daily employment is to design and embroider patterns for purchase, I was rather intrigued to take on a challenge which was outside my comfort zone - making pretty paper backed tags. Fifty two tags to be accurate. One each week through the year. The host of this #52tagshannemade challenge is Anne Brooke of @hannemadebyanne. She's a UK textile artist and tutor who does lovely things with a variety of textile pieces and after reading through the details of this year long adventure I decided to jump right in and have some creative fun that wasn't associated with anything else I do. The week one tag was to be all white and that's what got me digging through all my vintage bits and pieces again, a reminder of how much pleasure they give - especially when I make use of them creatively. This is my completed week one white tag. They all slip onto a large ring over time to keep them together but I am yet to find a ring large enough. I'll be sure to show my tags each week as I make them. You might like to join in? You'll find the #52tagshannemadebyanne information HERE on Anne's Instagram or HERE on her Facebook page. Now, back to those vintage linens and laces... I have occasionally embroidered a design onto the centre of a crochet edged doily but this is done very carefully as the first time I tried this the pigma pen I trace with bled into the fabric as the material was old, fine and had a looser weave than what we use today. Now I take extra care and don't have the same problem but still, its been a while since I last used a vintage linen to stitch on. I really like the pieces which lend themselves to this opportunity and look for them whenever I'm op-shopping, at garage sales or markets... Something else which sends my heart aflutter is vintage lace and to be honest this is what I collect more than anything else. Just the feel of that feathery softness across my hands is pure delight. I mentioned earlier that I also like to rescue unfinished pieces. There's a few in my collection for 'one day' but this tablecloth is my favourite and the only one I have already begun to work on... Only one corner was completed when I found it and there were no threads in the accompanying plastic bag so I spent a good deal of time looking for the same or very similar threads to work with. I did find a variegated blue very close in colour so I began to copy the one completed corner by filling in the little chain stitch squares and the stem stitch connections in the opposite corner. Later I found the right green and yellow. This will be a long process to complete the cloth but I'm not in a hurry; embroidery should always be done gently, without rushing...that's the advice I give to everyone who asks because it truly makes the world of difference. Two years ago I shared a tutorial to make a vintage style needle-book which featured a pretty cross-stitched doily. At the time I was just embarking on a new love, crochet, and added that to the inside as well as some lace and English paper piecing. Everything added to the vintage style I was aiming for in this project and it became such a special needle-book that I have it always on display in the sewing room. If you'd like to follow the two-part tutorial I shared back in 2019 for this needle-book the links are below. Just click on part 1 and then part 2... PART 1 PART 2 After becoming re-acquainted with all my vintage bits and pieces earlier this week, an idea formed. I want to see how I can use and repurpose quite a few of my lovely pieces this year because I'm really not the kind of person who likes to pack things away in order to save them from harm. In fact, and some of you may shudder at this thought, cutting up vintage linens to create something else doesn't bother me. I just like to see all that handwork made use of again. So I did a little roaming on Pinterest the other night and found a few ideas to inspire. Aprons, bags, lampshades, coat hanger covers and so much more abound there. If you go HERE to my Vintage Linens board on Pinterest you'll see many more! There's also a wide variety HERE on my Shabby Chic Crafting & Decorating Board. I especially like the way this apron has been trimmed using a section of embroidered linen so it might be the first thing I try next week. Well I think that's all for today. One new plan for blogging in 2021 is to share an Ideas post each Friday, something to stir your creative cells over the weekend because if you're like me there just seems to be a bit more time on the weekends to 'play' in the sewing room - especially now that my dear husband works on Saturdays and won't be home till 2pm, so our usual habit of visiting garage sales that morning has come to an end. Perhaps I'll pop out every so often if there's an interesting one close by? But then it's just not the same on your own. Thank you for your prayers of late. Blossom is almost well again and the children have recovered. She has her best friend (also a mother of three) from homeschooling days flying in to visit for a few days next week and we're all very excited to see Abi again. They chat a lot on the phone but haven't seen each other in 16 years. May the Lord bless their reunion and grow even stronger the love of Jesus they both share. God bless you sweet friends, till next week,
Enjoy making these fun tutorials I've shared on the blog! Just click on the title under the photo and you'll be taken to the relevant blog post. Make your own Penny Rug table topper with perfect circles and bunting tongues Hanging String Bag with free stitchery A Tie-top Pillow... Farmhouse Produce Bags Simple apron from a pretty tea towel Churn Dash tulips in a pincushion Make your own decorative door stop Make a Merry Heart sewing bag. Make a Bright Hopes quilt block and turn it into a pincushion. A very useful and pretty pincushion. A simple square tablecloth with embroidered corners. Adding an applique border to a hooped stitchery. Sewing Essentials Folder Sew beautiful fabric baskets for your sewing room. Sew this sweet Christmas tree pincushion Make a simple fabric book cover. Learn how to sew my 'jenny-leaves' and make a sweet scissor keep as well! Make a 3-fold sewing caddy. Use a vintage linen to create a special needle-book. Simple steps for appliqueing with layers of lace. Make a very simple Union Jack pillow. Preparing a block for blanket stitch applique Hidden Pocket Pincushion In The Round Pincushion Pocket Pincushion Sweetly Bound Pincushion 20 minute Table Runner Blossoming Needle-Book Elegant Strawberry Pincushion The 5-Day Hussif Tutorial series Days of the Week Hanging Pockets sweetly trimmed tea towels Backstitch tutorial and free practice design Making a cameo style fabric window for your stitchery. Make pretty beaded jug covers.
Last week and over the weekend I finished embroidering the final three patterns for this month's Stitchery Club issue, as well as a pastel...
The more I ponder this month's theme of stillness, the more I observe the different ways stillness can become a part of our life. Today I'm sharing with you a simple, sweet design to stitch. I intentionally chose to encase it inside a circle as displaying your completed stitchery inside a hoop would make a lovely way to display your handiwork. Do you remember as a child being told to sit still? Or telling your own offspring that very same thing? Or the relief when a restless baby or young child finally succumbed to sleep with one last sigh of surrender? My memories include all of these things, many times over. But when we are grown up, who is there to remind us to be still? For as this world has progressed, especially in the 21st century, the idea of stillness has been replaced by a great majority, for busyness, for achieving more, for ticking the boxes on all we have accomplished in a given time frame, for applauding the over-achiever and the award winner more than the humble woman her tends her home quietly and faithfully year after year with no public recognition. How easy it is to fall into the trap of thinking we need to do more, work faster, expand our list of to-dos, and set our sights on being more than we already are. And how exhausting it is to live with that mindset, always seeking more of ourselves so that we can feel accomplished or valuable. Dear one, you are fine as you are. Regardless of how much you do or how often your name is associated with achievement, there will always be a voice somewhere, often many voices, speaking words of discouragement and failure that will only lead you to push harder, work more, be more, in the endless pursuit of reaching a pinnacle nobody can attain in this life. The dictionary defines stillness as the absence of movement or sound, but I believe we can be still even when quietly going about the day with it's gentle rhythms. My stillness can be standing by the clothesline, listening to the birds in the tree overhead, who being oblivious to the housewife tasks throughout my day, touch my heart with a delightful moment of rest and joy, and sometimes laughter. As I stand at the kitchen sink with apron tied, and long pink gloves resting in the soapy suds after washing dishes, I am still. It is one of my favourite places to be. The gentle, unrushed rhythm of cleaning a bowl, is automatic, and so my mind rests on thoughts of beauty, thoughts of God, prayers of thankfulness. Reading a book or my Bible, and a verse or phrase stands out as quite profound. I mark the page with a piece of cotton crochet lace, my most used bookmarking system, and close my eyes. It may be only a few minutes, it may be longer, but I rest in the stillness of pondering the author's thoughts, and allow the words to impart new wisdom. In the stillness we hear and see what we otherwise may have missed. Recently, I was going about my usual Wednesday cleaning tasks - this is the day when some big chores are done, such as cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming and mopping the floors, and washing couch covers, cushion covers and curtains (not every week, but rotating rooms). It was a dreadfully hot and humid day, even for the tropics, and I wearied quickly. I spoke out loud to the Lord, "Father, I am exhausted. I have reached my limit." And I sat down, too tired to say another word, or wipe another surface. Then that still small voice, His still small voice, spoke into my own weary stillness. "Jennifer, you must never push to your limit. You must be wise enough to stop before you reach it. Then you will not empty yourself from exhaustion." That idea had never before occurred to me. Throughout life I had heard the phrase "I know my limit" probably thousands of times - I had said it myself time and time again! Pushing to the limit is seen as a sign of perseverance and strength I suppose, an affirmation of personal awareness...and yet, it's not worth the badge of honour we thought it would bestow. Pushing oneself to the limit can be dangerous, and over time it can bring about health problems. It can be egotistical, and create in our minds a bar, which as the years go by is set higher and higher and higher, because we're wanting to lengthen/enlarge our personal limit. What a burden we can make for ourselves, when really, it's not beneficial in the long term, and for me, it is not beneficial in my day to day simple life. Perhaps you need to be reminded to be still, or to slow down, or to recognise your limits and stop before you reach them. Dear ones, life is not a race, not to be rushed through, it is a day to day gift, an experience to be lived out one sunrise to the next. It is a precious thing to have breath, and to have loved ones around us with whom we can embrace and interact 'today'. Be still in this day, even for a little while. Go and smell the flowers in your garden, watch the birds, brew a soothing cuppa and sit in your favourite spot for a while - and don't think about what is left to do this day. Just embrace the stillness for now, and breathe. God has given you this day, not as a burden, even though you will face seasons of great responsibility, illness or hardships, but as a gift of life - for if the Father has given you breath today, He still has a purpose for your precious life. Today I am going to Blossom's to help her clean house for a couple of hours. My task is the kitchen because it's the place I love to clean. But we have both agreed that when we feel we are approaching our limit, we shall stop. We shall sit quietly together, drink cool water from the fridge, and rest in stillness (with a nice bit of chocolate) before I return home. I shall be 65 later this month, and what a privilege it is to be gifted all these years. But I have a choice if I want to be here for another year, a choice to slow down more than I have previously, to let my 'limit' stay ahead of me and never meet up with it, and to embrace the moments of stillness as a dear friend when it visits. I shall leave you with a lovely video, one which when shared with my family members of various ages, quieted and inspired their hearts, as it did mine. God bless you lovely ladies. I am so very grateful for your visits to my blog, which is really a journal of life and a place to share different things with each of you...how blessed I am. Use the link below to download the free Be Still pattern. xxx DOWNLOAD Be Still Hugs Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox. Or sign up HERE for my free newsletter which often has extra benefits, freebies & tutorials!
After my post last week with the free Jam Jar pot holder pattern I received a number of requests to show how I made the little hanging loop, so yesterday as I was beginning work on a UFO finish for November it occurred to me that I could photograph the steps to make those loops for you, because they'd be appearing again in my UFO anyhow. Back in 2016 I released twelve 'gentle domesticity' applique and stitchery designs, but up until now I have only used three of the blocks in actual projects, so browsing through them yesterday I got to thinking about various ways they could be displayed in our home. I also decided that these blocks would become part of my monthly UFO challenge for the rest of this year and into 2022. Will you be joining me? Originally I wrote that this would kick off in November, but after a heavy morning of cleaning and rearranging the living/dining room I retreated to the sewing room to go through my UFOs and choose one to start on immediately. I barely have any of the fabrics used in the applique left, so I'll be mixing and matching what remains from that year with what's on my shelf now. Beginning with the "Take Time to Breathe" block, my idea was to finish it as a mini quilt for the sewing room or a pillow for the bedroom. A few borders later and it was ready for hand quilting... This was also the perfect time to make some hanging loops like the one I made for 'Jam Jar'. Hanging loops like this can also be used to secure button closures so whether my UFO is completed as a cushion or mini quilt, I will use the loops. You can make these loops any width you like, simply double the width + 1/4" when cutting the fabric. Choose how long you'd like the loop to be and add 1" in length - you can trim it to the right length after the loop is made. My loops yesterday finished at 3/4" wide, so I began with 1 3/4" wide fabric strips. Fold the length/s of fabric in half across their width, right sides together, and sew an 1/8" seam along the bare edge. Gently press the seam open before turning right side out and pressing flat so that the seam lies along the middle. With the right side of the hanging loop facing you, fold the top to create a point... ...and press the point flat. You need to secure the little point section with some hand stitching, or you can machine a line across the edge of the back fold instead. I hand stitched mine, though looking at the photo now I think I'll unpick the front and do it again with ladder stitch instead. A girl can get sloppy when she's tired! This is how the hanging loops will be positioned if I choose to finish "Take Time to Breathe" as a mini quilt... ...but if I decide on a pillow they will be used to secure two large buttons at the back opening. If you'd like to stitch this design it's HERE in my shop and includes detailed applique and embroidery instructions, as all my patterns do. THIS WEEK'S "OLD" TUTORIAL... I also wrote last week that I'd be (slowly) going through my old tutorials to update the pattern sheets and then re-sharing one every Wednesday till the end of the year. I'm choosing those which might be excellent projects for gift giving, and in my mind these Farmhouse Produce Bags stand out as a favourite. Made from tea towels and scraps of lace, a few buttons and cotton twill for ties, they are not just pretty but very functional. The tutorial is HERE along with the pattern sheet to download the words for tracing. Yesterday, as I mentioned earlier, began with a big morning of rearranging the living/dining area. Due to our east facing home being hit with the scorching morning sun I always change the layout of furniture to suit the season. From late autumn to early spring I have the dining table at the window so we can enjoy a warm sunshine-y breakfast together, but from mid spring (now) till the middle of next autumn the table is moved to the opposite side of the room as breakfasting in front of the window is no longer pleasant and the curtains need to be closed for a few hours until the sun has moved over. You'll notice in these photos just how bright this area is even in the afternoon, but I'm very happy with the layout now and also thrilled to have my computer desk right where the cool air of the air conditioner can find me. Once everything was done, and my short tutorial photographed, I sat down with a nice cup of tea and two Marie biscuits to stitch and begin watching the new season of All Creatures Great and Small (on Britbox). I love this show, and must admit not as much stitching got done as I'd planned...but the afternoon rest was lovely, and I really did 'take time to breathe'. I shall leave you today with this photo of Cully May. She starts school next year (in Australia our school year runs from late January to mid December) and is already preparing by attending a local kindy each Monday until Christmas. Her teachers cannot commend her highly enough - "what beautiful manners" - "she's so clever" - "her handwriting is beautiful" - "she's so kind to others". That's the fruit of all Blossom's mothering, and I'm so happy our 5yo is already showing this fruit in her life. Bless you lovely friends, and I pray we shall all live by the good fruit of the Spirit day by day, giving others the opportunity to see how living for Jesus smooths our rough edges, tames our thoughtless tongues, and grows deep abiding kindness and grace in our hearts. hugs
Over the past couple of decades I have collected and been gifted many pieces of vintage embroideries, doilies, linens, tatting, crochet, cotton spools, cutlery, scissors and even a few uncompleted tablecloths which I felt the need to rescue in the hope that one day my own fingers would finish them. I'm not sure when my love affair with all the loveliness of vintage kitchen, dining and sewing pieces began but I can say with certainty that it's always been connected to memories growing up in Nana's small home. The older I became the more I pondered her life and felt more keenly the loss of her presence. No-one hugged like my Nana and I used to think no-one laughed like her until one day I realised my own laugh was a very real echo of hers. Loud and joyful. That brought a deep abiding smile to my heart. What I consider vintage loveliness now she would have thought quite ordinary and everyday in her time because every day is exactly how she used her embroidered linens, bone handled knives, stork scissors, fine laces and thread. Anyhow, I am revisiting my rather overflowing boxes of all things vintage at the moment spurred on by a challenge which I came across through a friend on Instagram. Being that my daily employment is to design and embroider patterns for purchase, I was rather intrigued to take on a challenge which was outside my comfort zone - making pretty paper backed tags. Fifty two tags to be accurate. One each week through the year. The host of this #52tagshannemade challenge is Anne Brooke of @hannemadebyanne. She's a UK textile artist and tutor who does lovely things with a variety of textile pieces and after reading through the details of this year long adventure I decided to jump right in and have some creative fun that wasn't associated with anything else I do. The week one tag was to be all white and that's what got me digging through all my vintage bits and pieces again, a reminder of how much pleasure they give - especially when I make use of them creatively. This is my completed week one white tag. They all slip onto a large ring over time to keep them together but I am yet to find a ring large enough. I'll be sure to show my tags each week as I make them. You might like to join in? You'll find the #52tagshannemadebyanne information HERE on Anne's Instagram or HERE on her Facebook page. Now, back to those vintage linens and laces... I have occasionally embroidered a design onto the centre of a crochet edged doily but this is done very carefully as the first time I tried this the pigma pen I trace with bled into the fabric as the material was old, fine and had a looser weave than what we use today. Now I take extra care and don't have the same problem but still, its been a while since I last used a vintage linen to stitch on. I really like the pieces which lend themselves to this opportunity and look for them whenever I'm op-shopping, at garage sales or markets... Something else which sends my heart aflutter is vintage lace and to be honest this is what I collect more than anything else. Just the feel of that feathery softness across my hands is pure delight. I mentioned earlier that I also like to rescue unfinished pieces. There's a few in my collection for 'one day' but this tablecloth is my favourite and the only one I have already begun to work on... Only one corner was completed when I found it and there were no threads in the accompanying plastic bag so I spent a good deal of time looking for the same or very similar threads to work with. I did find a variegated blue very close in colour so I began to copy the one completed corner by filling in the little chain stitch squares and the stem stitch connections in the opposite corner. Later I found the right green and yellow. This will be a long process to complete the cloth but I'm not in a hurry; embroidery should always be done gently, without rushing...that's the advice I give to everyone who asks because it truly makes the world of difference. Two years ago I shared a tutorial to make a vintage style needle-book which featured a pretty cross-stitched doily. At the time I was just embarking on a new love, crochet, and added that to the inside as well as some lace and English paper piecing. Everything added to the vintage style I was aiming for in this project and it became such a special needle-book that I have it always on display in the sewing room. If you'd like to follow the two-part tutorial I shared back in 2019 for this needle-book the links are below. Just click on part 1 and then part 2... PART 1 PART 2 After becoming re-acquainted with all my vintage bits and pieces earlier this week, an idea formed. I want to see how I can use and repurpose quite a few of my lovely pieces this year because I'm really not the kind of person who likes to pack things away in order to save them from harm. In fact, and some of you may shudder at this thought, cutting up vintage linens to create something else doesn't bother me. I just like to see all that handwork made use of again. So I did a little roaming on Pinterest the other night and found a few ideas to inspire. Aprons, bags, lampshades, coat hanger covers and so much more abound there. If you go HERE to my Vintage Linens board on Pinterest you'll see many more! There's also a wide variety HERE on my Shabby Chic Crafting & Decorating Board. I especially like the way this apron has been trimmed using a section of embroidered linen so it might be the first thing I try next week. Well I think that's all for today. One new plan for blogging in 2021 is to share an Ideas post each Friday, something to stir your creative cells over the weekend because if you're like me there just seems to be a bit more time on the weekends to 'play' in the sewing room - especially now that my dear husband works on Saturdays and won't be home till 2pm, so our usual habit of visiting garage sales that morning has come to an end. Perhaps I'll pop out every so often if there's an interesting one close by? But then it's just not the same on your own. Thank you for your prayers of late. Blossom is almost well again and the children have recovered. She has her best friend (also a mother of three) from homeschooling days flying in to visit for a few days next week and we're all very excited to see Abi again. They chat a lot on the phone but haven't seen each other in 16 years. May the Lord bless their reunion and grow even stronger the love of Jesus they both share. God bless you sweet friends, till next week,
Embroidery designer, pursuer of the gentle domestic life, Christian wife and mama.
Today we'll continue the nativity story with block 5, Star of Wonder, and block 6, Gifts. The star played a huge part in drawing attention to the miracle of Jesus birth. It was a sign which wise men in a far away land had waited for, for their own books foretold a special star would be the sign of a King's birth. Leading the wise men on their long journey to Bethlehem, it stood over the home where Jesus was now a toddler, lovingly cared for by his mother and Joseph, and to that humble abode they came and worshipped before Emmanuel "God with us" and bestowed gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Those gifts were more important than Mary and Joseph knew at the time because soon afterwards God, in a dream, directed Joseph to take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt because King Herod had heard of His birth and wanted to kill Him. Those gifts would have been their provision for the years spent hiding in Egypt. There are so many hidden lessons in this story. Lessons about trusting God to lead us from where we are to where we need to be, worshipping at the feet of Jesus. Lessons about His unseen provision and direction before we face a trial. Lessons about faithfulness to 'go' when He tells us now is the time. Lessons about not changing course in our time, but in His. In our home right now we are living through some of these lessons - seeking the Lord, trusting in the new directions we are being led to follow, knowing that He will make a way of provision as we transition from one path to another, giving thanks for His prior warnings and clear promises. I don't know about you, but I find there are no wasted verses in the Bible. Everything God wrote is alive and living and powerful...and can surprise us with its wisdom and truth at the most extraordinary moments. Use the link below to download blocks 5 and 6 of Joy to the World DOWNLOAD BLOCKS 5 & 6 Next Friday I'll share the final two blocks and the quilt assembly. For those who have asked, it measures 22.5 inches square. NEW in 2021 After such a busy few weeks I was grateful to have some down-time yesterday. There was no rush to go anywhere, or to bake or to be...I was gifted a day all to myself. After making my beloved's work lunch and feeding the chickens we sat outside and shared our regular breakfast of fruit, home-made granola, home-made berry compote and coconut yoghurt... The same, but different, my husband and me. He enjoys his fruit on the side, whilst I like everything in the one bowl. Once I'd waved him goodbye it was back inside for a cup of tea and a couple of hours spent sketching little posies. Twelve little posies. I have already designed and stitched one BOM for 2021 (subscription only - more about that another time) and really needed to piece the blocks together, but as my plan for that one is a February start I knew taking time now to create another BOM, a freebie this time, would be time well spent that morning. Inspired by my dear Nana's love of posies the small sketches came to life fairly quickly, a little tweaking here, erasing there, and by lunchtime they were ready to be traced onto fabric. Threads were chosen and small applique scraps as well. When I was going through my scraps I found a lot which had small motifs such as birds, bunnies, bees and houses so I chose twelve tiny pieces and added them to the traced jugs and vases. By mid afternoon I'd stitched one little block and had just begun the second when I realised my day of leisure was almost at an end and it was time to begin dinner preparations. But what a lovely creative and slowing day I had enjoyed! Here's a little peek... My plan is to launch the free POSIES Block of the Month on January 1st, 2021, and it will run all year. This will be a small wall quilt made entirely of scrap fabrics so there is no fabric requirements list, just use what you already have. I'm all about using what's already in my stash these past few years and find that I rarely need to buy anything more. A few people have asked how I store my stitcheries in progress. Quite often I have four, five or six stitchery designs prepared at once - this is especially true when designing for my various Stitchery Clubs over the years as I've needed to have three to five new patterns ready each month. The easiest way I have found to keep everything together for each individual project is to store them in plastic containers. At any given time I have a number of these stacked in my sewing room and when it comes time to write a pattern all I need do is open the particular container which holds a completed stitchery and it's threads, and from there I can list the thread numbers on the pattern and write accurate embroidery instructions. I also write rough notes in my pattern book along the way as well as pencilling thread numbers onto the pattern sheets before I begin. This keeps me on track, especially when stitching during the evening because sometimes I may use a few different greens or blues or pinks in one design and at night it can be difficult to tell which one I'm using. By writing the thread numbers onto the pattern sheet I don't make mistakes... (though I have been known to change my mind on a colour and unpick it) Reading I'm thoroughly enjoying audio books. Over the past six months or so I've listened to a number of Agatha Christie books and loved all but one. You see as much as I enjoy watching my favourite Poirot or Marple episodes on DVD it takes me so long to stitch a design because I keep looking up to watch (even though I've seen the same episodes twenty times over) and then once the episode is over I see barely any stitching actually got done. In normal times that wouldn't be too much of a problem, but time has been sparse of late and sitting quietly at my work whilst listening to a book has seen me get right back on track with Elefantz Designs. One book I was unable to get as an audio is now an evening read before bed. I first heard of this book, The Servant Queen and the King She Serves (published by the British Bible Society) in a Sally Clarkson blog/podcast and knew both Blossom and I would love to read it. Very hard to find but eventually I tracked down a copy through World of Books (Australia) and it was quite inexpensive so I felt doubly blessed. Christmas Patterns There have been SO many messages arriving recently asking if I could add some of my older Christmas patterns to the Etsy Shop, so this morning that's just what I did. Six Christmas Stockings (2018 Christmas issue of The Stitchery Club) The Holly Bird projects - six stitcheries with projects The 2017 Christmas issue of The Stitchery Club You'll find all of these in my shop now, plus many other patterns, as instant digital downloads. Use the link below to visit... Elefantz Designs at ETSY I think that's enough for today, don't you, but before I go let me share the simplest apple jelly (jello) recipe that I originally shared over five years ago. This is something Cully May asks for all the time and can be made using any pure fruit juice you like. I made it with blackcurrant juice the other day and she gobbled it so fast! You'll need: These are Australian measures- 400 ml of fresh apple juice (or the 100% cloudy kind like Nudie Juice that you find in the cold section of the supermarket -you can also make this using fresh orange juice or other juice that you like) 100 ml boiling water 1 tablespoon powdered gelatine Dissolve the gelatine in the boiling water. Pour the apple juice into the gelatine water and stir well until dissolved. Place in your blender for 30 seconds (this creates the foam top, kind of like marshmallow!) Pour into a tray to set. This takes about 15 -20 minutes. NOTE: you can skip the bender step and just mix it very well with a spoon. US measures are: 1¾ cups of juice / 7 tablespoons boiling water / 4 teaspoons gelatine powder You could also add fruit to the jelly before it sets, and that's something I'll do next time the girls come to visit. They love tinned Two Fruits which is a mix of pears and peaches and would be lovely in apple jelly. Bless you lovely ones! May the Lord's joy be mightily upon your hearts and minds this weekend. Let everything else go and focus on the good and kind in each other, not our differences. Loving hugs
The 20th of the month rolls around pretty quickly doesn't it!? But I'm sure that's a good thing because it means I'm sharing another Rosedaisy Tutorial. This month we're featuring the "Live Your Life With Love" block... ...and we're using it to make this sweet bag! The bag has internal pockets so you could use it as your everyday bag or fill the pockets with your stitching supplies, crochet or knitting! It's rather versatile... If you'd like to purchase this stitchery pattern to feature on your bag it is HERE in the shop as a single pattern, or HERE as part of the 10-stitchery Rosedaisy set. What you will need to make the "Live Your Life With Love" bag: One feature stitchery measuring 6" x 10 1/2" 1/2 yard of green and rose floral fabric 3/4 yard of cream tonal fabric One set of bamboo bag handles with a straight bar measure of 8 1/2" across the inside edge One length of fusible Pellon 14" x 26" General sewing supplies Cut your pieces: From the green floral fabric, cut - two, 1 1/2" x 6" lengths one, 2 1/2" x 12 1/2" length one, 12 1/2" x 16 1/2" length two, 6" x 8" lengths From the cream tonal fabric, cut - one, 12 1/2" x 24" length (lining) one, 12 1/2" x 32" length (pockets) Let's begin! Sew the 1 1/2" x 6" lengths of green down both sides of your stitchery, and the 2 1/2" x 12 1/2" length across the top. Sew the 12 1/2" x 16 1/2" length across the bottom. Press the seams away from the stitchery. Put this aside for now. Now we're going to use the two lengths of cream tonal fabric. To make the internal pockets fold the 12 1/2" x 32" length in half across the middle, right sides facing. Sew a 1/4" seam along the raw edges. Press the seam open, turn it right side out, and position the seam line to the centre not the edge... Press this section flat with your iron. Find the centre of the 12 1/2" x 24" length of cream lining and finger press a fold. Open it out again and lay flat, right side facing up. Lay your prepared pocket section onto the lining, the seam line of the pocket mirroring the fold line you made on the lining. Pin them together either side of the seam line... Machine-sew along the seam line, and again, 1/4" either side of the seam line... This is where you will sew down the length of your main pocket sections to make smaller pockets if you like. I have two pockets on one side and three on the other. Sew your lines from that triple seam line across the centre, to just above the top of the pocket edge. Reverse your machine needle back and forth a couple of times for extra security. Sew how ever many you prefer... When your pockets are complete, join the edges of the pocket to the edge of the lining fabric with a scant 1/8" seam... Fold the pocketed lining in half across the middle seam, right sides facing... ...and sew down both sides with a 1/4" seam. Put the lining aside. Take your outer bag and fuse it to the Pellon. The Pellon is larger than the outer bag, but it will be trimmed later... Quilt as you like. I echo quilted around the stitchery, then added wavy lines over the remainder of the outer bag... Trim away the excess Pellon. Take your two, 6" x 8" lengths of green floral fabric, and fold them in half - right sides facing. Sew a 1/4" seam down both narrow ends... Turn them right side out and press flat. Lay them across the middle of each end of the outer bag, raw edges together, and pin... Sew them to the outer bag with a scant 1/8" seam... Fold the outer bag in half across the middle, right sides facing, and sew down each side with a 1/4" seam... Now we're going to 'square' the bottom edges. Fold one side seam down onto the centre of the base, forming a point at the bottom of the seam. Draw a line 1" from the point, then sew across the corner. repeat for the other corner, then trim away the point leaving a 1/4" surplus from the line. Do the same with the bag lining... Turn your bag lining right side out. Place the lining inside the outer bag, right sides together, and pin all the way around the top edge... Sew around the top edge with a 1/4" seam, but LEAVE a 3" or 4" opening. Gently pull the bag right side out through the opening... Use your iron to press the top edge flat, and to press down a 1/4" hem along the open edges. Pin the opening and ladder stitch it closed. Turn your bag inside out and place the straight lengths of your handles onto the handle flaps. Fold the handle flaps over to the inside of the bag, and pin to enclose the bamboo handles... Sew the edge of the handle flaps to the inside of the bag with small slip stitches. Turn the bag right side out again, and there you have it! The Rosedaisy Bag... Mine is going to hold crochet, what will yours hold? hugs
When I made my pretty pastel Hussif in June the response from readers was incredible, so it seemed only natural that I should take you through the steps to make your very own Hussif/Huswif/Housewife.I
This time of year I know many of you are looking for quick, simple, useful and pretty projects as gifts for your sewing friends, but I also think today's needle-book tutorial would be good for those who don't stitch or quilt. Why? Because it holds packets of needles and a pair of scissors - and these are useful in any homemaker's tool box. At some point we all need to mend a tear, sew a button in place or repair a fallen hem, right? Another bonus is that you can make use of any small UFO stitcheries which you weren't sure how to display, and the completed project will post very nicely in a small package or medium envelope. I first made this design in 2017 for my old Stitchery Club, using one of the stitcheries in THIS sampler pattern, but today I printed up my original pattern and re-made it using another of my little stitchery designs, "Sew", which you can find HERE I'll take you through the tutorial today on the blog for those who don't have access to a printer, but I also have it prepared as a free download if you'd like to save it to your computer and print it out later. Use the link below... DOWNLOAD the Blooming Needle-Book Tutorial Let's make the needle-book! The fabric cutting instructions are for the aqua floral version, so just substitute your own fabrics/colours to suit. You will require: * One small stitchery which will be trimmed to 4” high x 3 ¾” wide. (IDEA: You could also fussy-cut a pretty section of fabric, or make a tiny paper-pieced flower.) * Two different fabrics - one peach tonal, one aqua floral. * One, ½” x 9” length of aqua cotton lace * One, ½” x 26” length of aqua silk ribbon * One, 5” x 9” rectangle of thin Pellon or quilt wadding From the aqua floral fabric cut – o Two, 1” x 4” lengths o Two, 1” x 4 ¾” lengths o One, 4 ¾” x 5” rectangle o One, 6” x 9” rectangle From the peach tonal fabric, cut – o One, 5” x 9” rectangle After trimming the stitchery… * Create a floral border around the stitchery block by sewing the 1” x 4” lengths of fabric down both sides and the 1” x 4 ¾” lengths across the top and bottom. Press the seams away from the stitchery. * Sew the 4 ¾” x 5” rectangle of fabric to the left side of your bordered stitchery. Press the seam open. This is now the front of your needle-book. Put this aside while we make the lining and pocket. * Fold the 6” x 9” rectangle of floral fabric in half along its length to make a 3” x 9” pocket and sew the 9” length of cotton lace along the top folded edge so that only half the lace shows above one side. * Fuse the Pellon behind the 5” x 9” rectangle of peach tonal fabric. * Lay the pocket over the peach fabric, the raw bottom edge of the pocket in line with the bottom edge of the peach fabric. * Draw 4 very faint pencil lines down the peach fabric and over the pocket. These will create the two smaller pockets for storing packets of needles. Use the walking foot on your sewing machine (if you have one) to stitch these lines. * The two outer lines need to be placed 1” from the side edge, and the two middle lines are to be made 3” inside the outer lines. In the photo below the white dashed line represents the middle of the needle-book lining – do not stitch this yet. *Lay the right side of your needle-book front onto the pocket lining so that all sides are even. Pin the two sections together. * Sew around the outer edges with a ¼” seam, leaving a 3” opening along one side of the needle-book. *Turn the needle-book right side out and press it flat with your iron. Ladder stitch the opening closed. * Find the middle of your length of silk ribbon and pin it onto the centre seam of your needle-book front. Machine-sew a line down the length of the centre seam, catching the ribbon as you go. Fill with packets of needles, fold the ribbon around the needle-book and tie in a bow! I've decided on my UFO finish for November, well two actually. Firstly, I need to keep working on the hand-quilting of my Simple Days quilt, but as it's so ghastly hot and won't cool down until next May or even June, this will be slow going, even with air conditioning. One I can work on this month and complete is a table runner using these two blocks I made four years ago from a pattern called "Pollen" by Jen Kingwell, which had three other blocks but I chose these two as my favourites and never progressed any further. I just need to find complimenting fabrics and then I can get moving with it. Have you chosen your November UFO project? What is it? The other day I showed you my latest UFO finish, a sewing pillow, and Gayner asked in the comments if I could show her how I use it. As I explained in the last post, I do not use a hoop for my hand embroidery, but rest my hands on a small firm pillow which sits on my lap. I've been doing this for about ten years and have found it to be wonderful for thread, needle and stitch length control. If you'd like to know more have a read through THIS blog post where I share a free practice pattern and backstitch tutorial. That's all for today. It's getting on in the afternoon and once I get the washing off the clothesline, fold it and put it away, I'm going to bake one of Nana's desserts - bread and butter pudding. This is real comfort food for me and some days I just find baking things she used to make is like gentle and soothing medicine, especially after this run of back-to-back barometric migraines lately. Tomorrow I'm off to Rosie's for morning tea and stitching, and then I'll drop in to Blossom's on the way home for a little catch up with her and the children. God bless you all, and may the days ahead be full of hope and joy, grace and provision, kindness and hugs.
I guess most of us women would like to wear beautiful clothes, have our hair 'just so', and leave behind a lingering sweet fragrance as we walk by. Most of us have a desire to improve how we look and feel. Your idea of looking good is probably very different from mine, but I have yet to meet a woman who doesn't in some way wish she could change a physical aspect about herself. Confession, I have a lot of doubts about my appearance, esepcially as my weight is increasing and my 'fittable' wardrobe selection has dwindled to three comfortable outfits...but that can change with time. Something that doesn't take time to change our appearance, something free and instantaneous, something that lights up the atmosphere and hearts of others around us, is a SMILE. When my children were growing up I taught them to smile as they walked passed people in the street, to smile at the checkout girl as she handed them our groceries, and to smile at each new day because it's a fresh unwrapped gift from God. Today, look in the mirror and smile at *you*. You're beautiful, beyond what the world calls beauty. You're beautiful inside and out, just as you are. Smile, lovely gal. Brighten your heart, and share it with others. Little Cully May is 4 weeks old now, and she smiles every day. I guess you know she lights up my world? When she smiles, I smile. When she smiles, Blossom smiles. When *you* smile, others smile. I'm smiling at you right now. Are you smiling back? Download Block 9 of Gentle Domesticity as a free pattern until October 4th HERE. hugs
Embroidery designer, pursuer of the gentle domestic life, Christian wife and mama.
When I made my pretty pastel Hussif in June the response from readers was incredible, so it seemed only natural that I should take you through the steps to make your very own Hussif/Huswif/Housewife. If you weren't following along with Elefantz back then but would like to know exactly what a Hussif is and the history behind it, go HERE and scroll through the five posts I made that week. EMBROIDERY PATTERNS Now, be aware that I am going to show you how to make two different versions of the same design. My first Hussif featured a set of pretty embroideries on three different areas. The complete pattern from start to finish, including the embroideries is HERE as an instant download purchase. The second version of my Hussif has no embroidery. Instead I chose to fussy cut sections from my fabrics. This is easy to do, as you'll see during the tutorial. HUSSIF TEMPLATES If you're just following the 5 days of tutorial on my blog you'll need the Hussif templates to make your scissor scabbard, applique heart, paper pieced hexie, and to trace the 'gentle domesticity' wording. These are available as a free download HERE FABRICS I used assorted Tilda fabric scraps for the shabby chic style embroidered Hussif, and pieces from a Lecien "Antique Rose" layer cake for the fussy cut vintage style Hussif. Therefore I suggest you grab some favoured prints of your own as we're just using small pieces for the inside and one larger cut for the outside. Let's begin! The Hussif has three pieced sections which we'll cut, sew and assemble today. I'll mix and match photos from both versions of my Hussif... Bottom Section Sew your pieces together to complete the bottom section of the inner Hussif background. Sew a length of lace over the long centre seam. If you're going to embroider the words "gentle domesticity" on your Hussif, now is the time to trace "domesticity" where indicated below... Middle Section Fussy cutting is choosing a particular portion of your fabric that can feature as a stand alone 'design' in your project. I chose a rose from one of my layer cake fabrics for this section of the Hussif. (the 4" x 4 1/4" piece is either fussy cut or use the bird embroidery) Sew your pieces together to create the second piece of the Hussif background. NOTE: Trace the bird design onto the centre of the 4" x 4 1/2" piece of fabric if you're making the embroidered version of the Hussif. Now we're going to add two pockets to this section. You will require two pieces of fabric: One, 6 1/2" square One, 3 1/2" x 6 1/2" Fold them in half along their 6 1/2" width and press the fold with your iron. Sew a line of lace just under the fold on both pieces. (I used two different pieces of lace) Lay the larger pocket down on to the middle section so that the base of the pocket and the base of the middle section are together, and pin in place. Measure down 2 inches from the centre seam line and draw a line across the pocket using a heat erasable pen (the line will not be seen later so you could even draw it with a faint pencil)... Machine sew along that line, and then down both sides of the pocket with a scant 1/8th inch seam... Lay the smaller pocket on top of the larger one so that the bottom edge of both pockets are together. Pin it in place. Machine sew the smaller pocket in place down both sides and then secure the base of both pockets by sewing a scant 1/8th inch seam across the bottom edge. Top Section In the first Hussif this section features a stitchery and a paper pieced hexie, but in the alternate version I used a small print floral fabric and a fussy cut hexie. If you're going to use the embroidery choose a pale print that will allow the pattern to shine when you've stitched it. If you're making the fussy cut version of this Hussif you can choose to add the paper pieced hexie or leave it off entirely. Perhaps add some lace or pretty buttons? You'll need to cut a piece of fabric 5½” x 6½”, and you'll require a dinner plate. Make a small pencil mark 3 inches up the 5½” sides of the fabric and lay your dinner plate over the fabric so that the edge of the plate sits on those pencil marks and draw a line around the curve. Trace the stitchery inside the curved section of your fabric keeping the base of the eye glasses 3/4" above the bottom edge of the fabric. Sew the three sections together and you have the background to the inside of your Hussif complete. Fuse a medium weight Pellon behind this inside section of your Hussif. I used a large piece of scrap Pellon leftover from a previous project, but I suggest you still cut your Pellon larger than you need and we shall trim it later. STITCHERY If you are embellishing your Hussif with the three embroideries you'll need to stitch them before moving on to the next stage. Go HERE for day 2 of the Hussif Tutorial. hugs
After four long years of drought where I live in the tropics of Northern Australia the rains came. It began on the weekend and is still raining. Glory be, this is a blessing and could mean we'll have a proper wet season this coming summer after all. Funny thing though, I'm so used to it being perpetually sunny and clear now that I had forgotten about endless days of rain and the need to get washing dry. In the old house the clothesline was under cover but not so in this new home, which meant after spending the morning at Blossom's yesterday I needed to drop in to KMart and purchase a simple drying rack to place on the verandah. Lucky me, I got the last one! Seems there's been a rush on them this week. It doesn't hold a lot but there's only the two of us at home now, though I'll need to use the dryer (after sweeping away the cobwebs) for sheets if I can't get a sunny day in between the wet ones. I change sheets every 4 days as they tend to 'wilt' in our hot and humid climate. Besides, there's nothing quite like slipping between crisp, clean cotton sheets, dried on the clothesline and smelling of fresh air and sunshine. The rain has also brought cooler weather, days of around 27 C (80 F) and nights a refreshing 21 C (70 F). Those sort of temps lead me to cook comfort foods like chicken pot pie, lamb and vegetable soup, Banana Parkinson and Anzac cookies. Mr E loves chicken pot pie... ...and I love soup and fresh baked bread. The Banana Parkinson was for Blossom because it's a long time favourite of hers, and the Anzacs for my darling hubby who likes them crisp and thin. There's a little story about the Banana Parkinson. Originally it was a recipe I found in an old cookbook many years ago called Banana Parkin. My maiden name is Parkinson so right then and there, once we'd baked and tasted that it was delicious, it was renamed in honour of my paternal family. Both it and the Anzacs are packed with healthy oats, an ingredient we all love. Sophie is also loving the cooler weather, snuggling up to Cully May's stuffed ballerina mouse on the spare bed during the day, and snuggling up to Mr E and I in our bed at night. What a life. On Monday evening Mr E arrived home from work with a bunch of flowers, my first in the new home! I felt so cherished, not realising how much I needed the boost. The previous 24 hours had been taken up with doubts as to whether I should continue the Gentle Domesticity Facebook group or close it down and he'd picked up on my sombre mood without asking any questions, bless him. If you're a member of the group you will know that out of that big question I asked on Sunday afternoon came something so lovely, and so caring. A real community of women who love home, family, sewing, and living a gentle domestic life, gathered together and began to share about their lives. I tell you, the chatter hasn't stopped since! What precious ladies they are, all ages and walks in life, having a variety of talents and experiences, reaching out to each other, knowing they are being accepted and not judged. They have even started a stitch-a-long and a few good artisan bread recipes have surfaced too. A sweet bonus for me is that it's not about the members waiting to hear from me anymore, which was never my intention but apparently I hadn't made that clear (message to self - be clear about the purpose of such a group), it's now flowing beautifully from their own input. And you know what? My dear daughter, Blossom (Elizabeth) is joining me as an Admin for the group so we'll be hearing more about her gentle domestic life too. That blesses this proud mama! If you'd like to join, or if you're already a member but have missed out on the doings of the past few days and want to catch up visit the Gentle Domesticity Group here. ...SEWING... I've missed sewing on rainy days so am thoroughly enjoying the pitter pattern of rain on the roof as I ply my trade with needle and thread. Over the weekend I finished another block from Jen Kingwell's "Pollen" table runner pattern. There are five blocks and I'm planning to do one each weekend so another three weeks and I can begin the quilting and finishing, which means I could have it done early to mid November at this rate. Block 2 prepared. Blocks 1 and 2 completed. It's been a while since my last Scripture stitchery, but I do wait for inspiration and don't rush those things. Recently this design for Galatians 6:9 flowed from my pencil early one morn and is now almost finished, just the wording to do... As well as that I have been stitching new Christmas patterns for the November issue of The Stitchery Club. I'll show you one of them today and the other four next time. This one was designed to be displayed inside a hoop... ...and can be stitched any year by simply changing the date. The theme for this year's Christmas designs are a star. In each one you'll find a star somewhere, reminding me of one special star high in the night sky which signaled the birth of Jesus over two thousand years ago. "Star of wonder, star of light, star of royal beauty bright..." I love that carol. Would you like the recipe for Banana Parkinson? Let me know and if you do I'll prepare it as a recipe sheet for your Living the Gentle Domestic Life Cookbook folder. I'd best be off now, having avoided the mopping of my vast hardwood floors for long enough. Sigh. Is there a chore you dislike or try to avoid? Blossom tells me hers is washing the dishes (which I love) and mine is mopping floors (which she loves). If only we still lived around the corner from each other we could swap those chores and both be cheered. I'll leave you today with a photo of Cully May exploring her backyard after a rain storm. Why don't you and I take some time to stir up a childlike wonder for the simple things in our lives. It would be good for the soul, yes? hugs
When I mentioned on the blog the other day that I store my bread in a homemade bread bag there were quite a lot of questions left for me, both here and in the Gentle Domesticity group, so I thought I should explain a couple of things. A fabric bag alone won't prevent your bread from drying out. My bags are made to be decorative, to 'hide' the plastic ziplock bag which my home-baked bread is wrapped in. They add some prettiness to the kitchen benchtop and I love a pretty kitchen with pops of colour! So there you have it. My bread bag's only function is to look pretty. I can't find the last one I made and have a feeling it may have been thrown away during the move (it was threadbare from overuse) as I did get rid of things that had well and truly served their purpose, so this was perfect timing to make a new bag. The nice thing about this new bag is that it's made simpler because it has no lining and uses less fabric, but is also a little larger to suit the loaves of bread I bake these days. Many years ago when I made the first bag we still bought a bit of store-bread so the bag was a tad smaller. My bread bag has no raw seams either, but a nice clean interior that won't fray. This was important with a bag that has no lining. So shall we make it? I'm giving you the measurements that will fit a regular home baked loaf of bread, but you might want to bake your own loaf and measure it around the middle (or highest peak) just to be sure. My loaf is 19" around the middle. If yours is larger add those inches on to the width of the fabric. Choose your fabrics. I have a main fabric and a trim. The main piece measures 21" (width) x 17" (height) and the trim measures 4" x 21". We begin by making our first French seam. Lay the two pieces of fabric wrong sides together along the 21" width. Sew them together with slightly less than a 1/4" seam. Press the seam open. Fold the trim over at the seam line and press the fold flat. With your ruler draw a pencil line down the length of the trim, a little more than 1/4" out from the fold. Sew along that line. You've made a French seam. Isn't it lovely? And no raw edge! Press the French seam towards the trim end of your bread bag. Now we shall sew the sides together, so fold your bread bag fabric in half lengthways with the wrong sides together (just as we did with the trim and the main fabric). Sew them together with slightly less than a 1/4" seam, like before, and press the seam open. You will now have a 'tube'. Turn the bag/tube inside out... and draw another pencil line 1/4" inside the folded seam as you did last time. Sew along that line. You've made another French seam! Turn the bag right side out and iron it flat, positioning the French seam down the centre back of the bag/tube. Sew along the bottom raw edge with slightly less than a 1/4" seam, like before. Turn the bag inside out and push out the seam with a rounded tool (it's too hard to press this seam flat). Draw a pencil line, as before, and sew along that line. Press the French seam. Turn the bag right side out and press. The back of the bread bag has the seam down the centre. Sew a doubled 1/4" hem around the edge of the trim. I really like the French seams for a clean look, but especially because it means I didn't need to line my bag. Cut a 40" length of ribbon or cotton webbing, and choose a button. Sew the button over the middle of the ribbon and into the seam line at the back of the bag, near the bottom of the trim. Pop your loaf of bread in a plastic bag and then hide it inside your pretty new bread bag. Now doesn't that look nice on the bench? I was thinking this would be a lovely gift for a friend. If a friend invites you for lunch tell her you'll bring the bread, then bake her a loaf (or purchase one from the bakery) and pop it in a new bread bag. This bag took me 40 minutes to make so it's a quick gift and you could even make a few at one time. (Note to self: should have done that.) Might be a nice fete/fair idea too for a homemakers stall? If you missed my basic bread recipes the other day they're in this blog post. I'll leave you today with a peek at the final block in this year's BOM, "The Love of Home"... It will be yours on November 1st. I have a project idea for it as well, so that may require an hour or two in the sewing room tomorrow after doing my chores, baking and juicing, writing a few patterns and finishing a new 'almost done' stitchery. If I run out of time it will happen the day after. One thing at a time works well for me, and no pressure if I can't get something done. There's always the next day. Have a blessed week sweet one, remembering you are loved with an everlasting love that cannot be taken away or lost. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) hugs
Embroidery designer, pursuer of the gentle domestic life, Christian wife and mama.
As we begin our new book study, Emilie Barnes's "Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home", let me give you an overall view of what we shall be ...
Enjoy making these fun tutorials I've shared on the blog! Just click on the title under the photo and you'll be taken to the relevant blog post. Make your own Penny Rug table topper with perfect circles and bunting tongues Hanging String Bag with free stitchery A Tie-top Pillow... Farmhouse Produce Bags Simple apron from a pretty tea towel Churn Dash tulips in a pincushion Make your own decorative door stop Make a Merry Heart sewing bag. Make a Bright Hopes quilt block and turn it into a pincushion. A very useful and pretty pincushion. A simple square tablecloth with embroidered corners. Adding an applique border to a hooped stitchery. Sewing Essentials Folder Sew beautiful fabric baskets for your sewing room. Sew this sweet Christmas tree pincushion Make a simple fabric book cover. Learn how to sew my 'jenny-leaves' and make a sweet scissor keep as well! Make a 3-fold sewing caddy. Use a vintage linen to create a special needle-book. Simple steps for appliqueing with layers of lace. Make a very simple Union Jack pillow. Preparing a block for blanket stitch applique Hidden Pocket Pincushion In The Round Pincushion Pocket Pincushion Sweetly Bound Pincushion 20 minute Table Runner Blossoming Needle-Book Elegant Strawberry Pincushion The 5-Day Hussif Tutorial series Days of the Week Hanging Pockets sweetly trimmed tea towels Backstitch tutorial and free practice design Making a cameo style fabric window for your stitchery. Make pretty beaded jug covers.
Here we are at the final day of the Hussif tutorial! How have you gone so far? Have you found the steps in the tutorial easy to follow? Your feedback will assist me when planning future tutorials for the blog, so please consider your answer carefully and leave it in the comments. Thank you! Today we're adding the final touches to the Hussif and I have two slightly different binding options for you to choose from. But before we look at them, let's sew some ribbons in place. Cut two, 12" lengths of pretty ribbon (mine was old and stained which added to the whole vintage effect). Sew one piece of ribbon just above the top of the scissor scabbard and secure with a button... You'll be able to tie a bow through the handle of your scissors to keep them safe when your Hussif is complete. You'll see I also added a little mother of pearl button as a pretty embellishment beside the scabbard. You might like to add your own special embellishments? Sew your other length of ribbon to the middle of the six-patch section of your Hussif with a couple of cross stitches... You will wrap this ribbon around your pincushion at the completion of your Hussif... Now is the time to lay your Hussif onto a larger piece of fabric - this will be the outside cover. I sprayed a little bit of quilt basting spray between the Pellon and the cover fabric to keep it from slipping during the next step. Cut around the curve at the top of your Hussif along the traced line... Sew a length of binding around both sides and the base of the Hussif, leaving the curve bare. Trim away the excess Pellon and outer cover fabric... Sew a line of running stitch just inside the edge of the curve... Trim the excess binding away at the edges of the curve. Cut a piece of lace 2 inches longer than the curve... Sew the lace around the curve (on the cover side of the Hussif) the same as if it were normal binding, folding in the edges at both ends. Turn the lace to the inside of the Hussif and pin in place... With a thread the same colour as your lace hand sew it to the inside edge of the Hussif. I used a tiny running stitch... Sew a pretty button to the cover, just above the curve... Measure 10" down the Hussif cover from the centre of the curve and sew a 14" length of lace in place with a cross stitch. Don't sew right through the Hussif, just into the Pellon/wadding... Insert your scissors in the scabbard, and tie your pincushion in place with a bow. Fold your Hussif up and tie it closed! In my second version of the Hussif I decided to use lace all the way round as binding. This gives a gorgeous vintage touch and is very easy to do. Follow the same steps as attaching a regular cotton quilt binding, but don't fold the lace in half as you would with cotton binding. And there we have it - you're all done! This is my completed Hussif made with Tilda fabrics, vintage lace, ribbons, and embroideries... And this is my second Hussif made with Lecien's Antique Rose, lace, ribbons and fussy cut patchwork piecing... ...which yesterday I gifted to Mr E's second cousin (and my very dear friend) Heather, for her birthday! It was a couple of weeks early but as we were spending the day together at her home to sew and chat I decided she shouldn't have to wait. Boy, was she surprised! She had no idea I was making this Hussif for her, but as soon as I saw the Antique Rose fabrics they had her name marked on them. Her face glowed all day... Sewing a gift for such a special friend gave me immense delight, but her friendship means way more than any gift. We supped on fresh brewed coffee and nibbled on Heather's yummy cornflake cookies while we stitched... ...all the time watched by Saruman and Gandalf the cats. What a good day we had. As we said our farewells later in the afternoon both of us were contemplating a quote she'd recently read - "Find joy in the simple things." I think this beautifully describes our outlook on life - but more on that another time. THE COMPLETE HUSSIF PATTERN AND TUTORIAL CAN BE PURCHASED HERE (INCLUDES EMBROIDERY PATTERNS) I hope you have enjoyed following along with this epic tutorial! It was labour of love for me, and it's been my pleasure to share it with you. Please email me photos of your completed Hussifs for a special Show & Tell on the blog later this year. Have a blessed day everyone! I'm off to brew a cuppa and put my feet up for a while, with a view to the mango tree. hugs Prefer to follow this five day tutorial on the blog instead of purchasing the complete pattern? The links for each day are below - Day 1 is here. Day 2 is here. Day 3 is here. Day 4 is here. Day 5 is here.
I spent an hour or two last night hugging my herbal tea and surfing the web to find some simple or fun things you can make for free (or close to it!)... I LOVE pumpkins, much to Mr E's chagrin, so I think I *must" make a few of these pincushion cuties from a tutorial shared by Crabapple Hill Studio (here).... I really, really, really want to make this gorgeous table topper which is shared (with a great tutorial) HERE by Julie at The Crafty Quilter... Are you new to quilting? The lovely Trish over at Notes of Sincerity has a simple tutorial for making 'square in a square' blocks! These are brilliant for a table topper or lap quilt if you want to start with a smaller project. You'll find her tute here... How about another little bit of block piecing? Tessa Marie from The Sewing Chick shared her tutorial for making this tea cup block here. This would be great for a mug rug wouldn't it? What about some stitchery? Wendy has just begun a festive themed 6 week Christmas Stitchalong and if you head over here you can read all about it! Her first block is "Noel", and each block is just $2... What about this beautiful winter scene stitched on a heart? The free pattern is here at Norma's blog... Now you know I'm a coffee fanatic so this needs to be stitched and hung in my kitchen! You will find the step by step tutorial and pattern over HERE at Flamingo Toes (cute name, huh?). Actually, the very first sound Mr E hears every morning is the grinding of fresh coffee beans as I prepare to start my day... Here's a gorgeous free Scripture stitchery from Wild Olive which is on my to-do list for September... How about a free design from me?! The "Fresh as a Daisy" bag is a pattern I shared over four years ago, but it's so cute I thought it deserved to be shared again! You can download the pattern as a freebie here in my shop today... Now you better not tell me you've got nothing to do this weekend. ;-) Go on, take one of these projects and have some fun! hugs
Enjoy making these fun tutorials I've shared on the blog! Just click on the title under the photo and you'll be taken to the relevant blog post. Make your own Penny Rug table topper with perfect circles and bunting tongues Hanging String Bag with free stitchery A Tie-top Pillow... Farmhouse Produce Bags Simple apron from a pretty tea towel Churn Dash tulips in a pincushion Make your own decorative door stop Make a Merry Heart sewing bag. Make a Bright Hopes quilt block and turn it into a pincushion. A very useful and pretty pincushion. A simple square tablecloth with embroidered corners. Adding an applique border to a hooped stitchery. Sewing Essentials Folder Sew beautiful fabric baskets for your sewing room. Sew this sweet Christmas tree pincushion Make a simple fabric book cover. Learn how to sew my 'jenny-leaves' and make a sweet scissor keep as well! Make a 3-fold sewing caddy. Use a vintage linen to create a special needle-book. Simple steps for appliqueing with layers of lace. Make a very simple Union Jack pillow. Preparing a block for blanket stitch applique Hidden Pocket Pincushion In The Round Pincushion Pocket Pincushion Sweetly Bound Pincushion 20 minute Table Runner Blossoming Needle-Book Elegant Strawberry Pincushion The 5-Day Hussif Tutorial series Days of the Week Hanging Pockets sweetly trimmed tea towels Backstitch tutorial and free practice design Making a cameo style fabric window for your stitchery. Make pretty beaded jug covers.
Did you make your own version of this pincushion tutorial I shared last week? Are you ready for another? You are! Good, because today I have a new one for you to play with! I love the idea of storing scissors, packets of needles, buttons and others bibs and bobs "in" my pincushion, so when I was designing the patterns for November's issue of The Stitchery Club one of the embroideries became a feature pocket on a new pincushion... You don't need to use a stitchery for the pocket section of the pincushion, though that does make it extra special, but what about fussy cutting a piece of fabric instead? I've used a pretty faux cross stitch rose print from Bonnie & Camille's 'Vintage Picnic' fabrics (by Moda) to good effect on my second version of the Pocket Pincushion. Have a hunt through your stash for something special that you could use as a feature print for your pocket. PHOTOS - sorry about the quality of the tutorial photos. The glare through the sewing room window the other day was unbelievable. Mr E has since installed wonderful curtains. I love my man! I began with two, 5 1/2" (high) x 6" (wide) pieces of fabric and a 7" length of cream cotton lace. Sew the flat edge of the lace across the top right 6" edge of your 'fussy cut' fabric with an 1/8" seam. Lay the other piece of fabric right side down over your lace edged piece and sew the two together with a 1/4" along the lace edge. Open out... ...and fold away from the lace. Press flat with your iron so that the lace stands up. This is your pocket. Sew a 1/4" seam under the lace edge. Cut a 6" x 9" piece of fabric the same as your pocket backing fabric. Cut a 6" x 9" piece of thin fusible Pellon or Parlan. Fuse the Parlan behind the fabric. Pin the pocket to the bottom edge of the 6" x 9" fabric rectangle. Sew around the three outer edges with an 1/8" seam. This is the front of your pincushion completed. OPTION: I chose to add a little 'handmade' loop tag at the top of my pincushion before sewing the front and back together. These are fun additions if you have them in your notions stash. Cut a piece of fabric (I used the same fabric as the front) 6" x 9" and lay it right side down on your pin cushion front. Pin all around, but leave a clear marker of 3" across the top. Sew the front and back of your pincushion together with a 1/4" seam all around, leaving that 3" gap open for turning out. Trim the excess lace from the side edge. Turn the pincushion right side out through the opening, using a large rounded tool to push out your corners (I use a big wooden knitting needle but a chopstick is good too). Fill with stuffing, and slip stitch or ladder stitch the opening closed. Ta da! You have a sweet new pincushion for using or gifting. Once you've made this pincushion you'll find it quick and easy to make a few more so they become wonderful projects for your gift basket. I think a lovely hexie flower would be cute on the pocket too, don't you? Perhaps the recipients name or initial, a few vintage buttons? What would YOU display on the pocket? I've still got two more pincushions to show you before the month is out. Hope you're enjoying making them! I know I am. Have a blessed and stitchy week, hugs
Let the stitch-along begin! Are you ready? Have you got that tub of fabric scraps by your cutting table ready to reduce it's volume? Scrappy quilts of any size are a great way to move all those small cuts leftover from larger projects. My Scrappy Vintage Kitchen will finish as a small wall quilt so I've chosen my favourite scraps for each block. Our first block is "Milk & Cookies" and you can see I've used a variety of embroidery stitches to add depth and interest to the small designs. Chain stitch, stem stitch, backstitch, lazy daisy, satin stitch, cross stitch and a colonial knot...all in a wee design which we'll trim to 3½" before adding borders to complete a 6½" Bright Hopes quilt block. I love the Bright Hopes block because each side border overlaps the one before. You might want to use four different fabrics for the borders, or do matching sides, but I chose to do mine with an almost diagonal finish. The complete pattern for My Scrappy Vintage Kitchen is HERE in my Etsy Shop Would you like to make a practice Bright Hopes block first? And then you can finish it as a pincushion because every new project needs a new pincushion, right? Hey, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. For our practice Bright Hopes block I chose to fussy cut the centre square instead of using another stitchery and I've chosen four different fabrics for the border. You can really see how each one overlaps the other now, can't you. You'll need one 3½" square for the centre and four 2" x 5" border fabrics. Perhaps you've got a sweet little print that's just busting to offer up a fussy cut for that centre square? The gorgeous pixelated roses in mine are from an old Bonnie & Camille line, Vintage Picnic, and it fit perfectly into the measurement I required. Choose two prints for the borders as I've done with "Milk & Cookies" or four different ones for an effect like my pincushion. I've used ¼" seams when sewing this block and the pincushion. To begin the overlapping borders you'll need to sew one of the 2" x 5" fabric pieces down one side of the 3½" square - BUT you must leave an inch unstitched. (photo below) You'll see why later. Press the stitched part of the border away from the centre square. Sew the next three borders across the bottom, side and top of the centre square. Now we'll finish sewing the first border in place... ...and press our completed Bright Hopes block. To make my pincushion I first fused a piece of Parlan behind the block but you could use thin Pellon or quilt wadding if you prefer. I've hand quilted a ¼" outside the seams in Perle 12 cottons, matching the thread with the gingham fabric colours. In the ditch between centre square and borders I stem stitched in cream Perle 12 thread. I love the effect of hand quilting don't you? At this point I decided to add a little red gingham tag at the bottom left corner to balance out the red gingham border opposite. After trimming away the excess Parlan I stitched the tag in place with a scant seam, less than ¼". Lay your pincushion face down onto the right side of your backing. NOTE: I use crushed walnut shells inside my pincushions as they help keep pins and needles sharp and free from rust, so my pincushion backing is made of two separate pieces with reinforced seams along the join and just a 1½" opening to fill the pincushion with the crushed shells through a funnel. Sew the backing to the pincushion front around all four sides if you're using my technique, or if you're using just one square of fabric leave an opening of 2" along one side for turning out. Pull the pincushion right side out (either backing method, do the same) and push out the corners with a rounded tool such as a large knitting needle. Slip stich the opening closed after you fill the pincushion. When using crushed walnut shells do lots of tiny stitches so they don't fall out. And now you have a Bright Hopes pincushion. Like the vintage button I stitched to the red tag? Have to say, this was a big week and I've just spent three full days at my computer, in the sewing room, processing photos, formatting patterns and now writing this blog post - but I've enjoyed every minute! There was a time when I did a lot of tutorials because I genuinely enjoy teaching things, mostly simple things, and that's because when I discovered hand embroidery and quilting in late 2005, living in a one room cabin near a waterfall with my husband and homeschooling our two youngest kids, I had no choice but to teach myself so Blossom and I could make what we saw in the craft magazines a friend had loaned us. Sharing stuff with you, be it a stitchery or a tutorial, brings me great joy. And I hope it brings you joy too. Just in case you didn't know... Crushed walnut shells are bought from pet stores in the reptile section. I've added more patterns HERE to my Etsy Shop if you have a hankering to stitch other pretty things. Have a blessed and fruitful weekend, friends! I'll leave you with a photo taken just after dawn yesterday of a honeyeater enjoying the sweet nectar from one of our many native Grevilleas. hugs
A comment the other day prompted me to share this post. Both Janita and Jayne asked whether I fuse a stabiliser behind the stitching area of my tea towels before I begin any needlework embellishment. Good question, ladies. Stitching on tea towels is a wonderfully relaxing project for me, and I have a nice pile of them ready to be 'made pretty' over coming months... In fact, I'm working on two new little motif designs at the moment which will be stitched onto some of those kitchen towels in the coming week. They will complete the set of patterns for the May Stitchery Club... But back to that question - do I fuse stabiliser behind a tea towel stitchery? No, I don't. Tea towels (cotton or linen) are usually very hardy, twice the thickness of quilting fabric, and when washed they 'pull' in - so if you stitch on them before you wash them for the first time you tighten the weave and secure the thread rather well. Here's a couple I've stitched this year, both front and back. This one has been stitched, but not yet washed... 'Baking' was embroidered in backstitch and satin stitch, with lines of running stitch either side of the word. Once it's washed it will tighten up the threads... In the tea towel below, you'll see how the threads tighten slightly in the fabric after washing... Nothing has unraveled, and this towel has been washed at least 10 times. I have often heard stitchers say 'the back should look as good as the front' and if I had been embroidering Kate Middleton's wedding gown then that would have been my goal. But I'm a home sewer, a very blessed designer who enjoys creating with the home, family, and friends in mind, so I cut myself some slack and I encourage you to do that with your own work too. You see, if I concern myself with whether the front and back are both perfect then I doubt you'd see much happening from my sewing basket! My work is not an ugly mess, but it's not a perfect mirrored replica of the front either. Most times the back of my handwork is hidden by a frame, or backing fabric if it becomes a quilt, pillow or other item...but my tea towels are out there for all to examine, and I'm not bothered by that at all. So don't you be. I collect vintage linens, the hand-embroidered kind, and one of the things I love about them is imagining the woman who spent time with a needle and thread, creating home-made magic with her precious fingers not knowing that her work would one day be treasured by me. I pulled these from my stash of old linens so you could look at the front and the back... Now I don't know about you, but when I look at these, front and back, I see HAND-made beauty. And if looked at your own work, I'd see that too. It's about LOVING what we make, not agonising over our skills or feeling inadequate. So please enjoy what you stitch, smile while you stitch, and deafen your sweet ears to the scrutiny of others who feel the need to nitpick your work - and if you're the one who examines with a critical eye, please don't crush the spirit of your fellow crafters, ok? Build them up with confidence and encouragement instead. Keep creating dear ones, because one day they become treasures for someone like me... and isn't that marvelous!? Our work lives on... hugs
Embroidery designer, pursuer of the gentle domestic life, Christian wife and mama.
When I made my pretty pastel Hussif in June the response from readers was incredible, so it seemed only natural that I should take you ...
