March days at home and Abigail part 4...

 

How quickly these weeks pass in 2026. I've been needing to take a number of rests each day, but in between those rests my heart is happy to do precious homemaking tasks, which are essential for my good mental health. 

The Lord assists me to ponder the blessings of life, and to keep up with the essential chores, as well as the ones that are done monthly or seasonaly. Last week I spent hours on and off through Monday to deep clean our laundry, knowing the following day would require complete rest, and my goodness, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction felt afterwards was akin to enjoying a bar of my favourite Turkish Delight! So naturally I ordered one in the following day's grocery delivery. Blossom and I have spent the past 30 years enjoying these as a treat! Do you have a favourite chocolate bar??

I've had numerous emails and messages asking about my knee and many of you thought it was arthritic in nature. I'll answer quickly here, to avoid more email overload (though I am so very thankful for the prayers, love and concern you show me!)...its not arthritis, but a number of other things that occurred during an accident last July. The main source of the pain however, are two 'bone marrow oedemas' which are akin to very sharp knives stabbing my knee and tibia all the time, but worst of all during the night. I finally get to see an orthopaedic specialist next Tuesday and I am hopeful he will be able to guide me through ways to heal. Would love your prayers - thank you. xx

Above is the UFO project I have chosen to complete this month. The blocks began back in 2024 as part of a quilt project a friend and I were both making at the time. She has continued with it, but I got to a certain stage where the reality hit that I would not be able to quilt it by hand as it is a very large quilt, and living in the hot tropics would make such an undertaking very taxing, and we simply cannot afford to have a quilt top professionaly quilted. 

So last year I chose a few blocks to use in a table runner, as I really love the fabrics and colours. The prints used were many years old, and belong to fat quarters, charm squares and yardage, from Lecien a decade ago (who no longer produce fabrics) and some Mary Englebright from about 2008. There's also some other very old prints, and all together they make the happiest display for a table topper. 

Have you been working on a March UFO project? What is it?

One other project I already finished this month was the bunny I knitted all the pieces for last October and November, but had not sewn together. Finally I did that the first week of March and gifted it to Rafaella for her 8th birthday last week. She absolutely loved it and takes her bunny-girl to bed every night.

There was a lot of purple DK yarn in my knitting supplies after the bunny's dress, shoes and bow were completed, so I thought it would be fun to knit myself a pair of slipper socks in the hope of having a cool winter this year. My mindset was "if you make it, winter will come". Ha ha!! We shall see. ;-)

Not being at all interested in knitting socks on four needles, I came across this pattern for two-needle socks on Pinterest and decided to give it a try. Now the pattern called for DK yarn and 3mm needles, so I assumed (we should never assume, right?) that using the Stylecraft DK yarn from the UK would be the same as what was in the pattern...but nooooo. 

Having never heard of Super Corfou, I did a google and it just said DK, so I googled no further. And admittedly I did not knit a tension square, because I'm lazy like that. Shocked? Don't be. 

Not far into the pattern I could see these socks being rather small for my size 7 feet (EU 37)...

...but still, I knitted on. Once begun, I loved the texture and colours, so I decided they'd fit one of my granddaughters.  

Both feet are completed now, I just need to stitch them up. Before winter would be good. 

Now that I know the instructions I followed, using my DK yarn and not the one suggested, knit up a much smaller slipper sock than I can wear, the instructions shall be modified to fit my dear feet. Sadly I have no more purple yarn, but there are many other pretty colours in the yarn stash to choose from. I shall keep you posted on how this modified plan works out if you're interested. Or perhaps you have some advice to share?? Larger needles perhaps??

Sourdough baking is becoming a twice a week delight, with a third weekly loaf of 'ordinary sandwich bread' in between. My husband can eat bread with anything, and I mean anything. It's what he goes for around 8pm each night, with a thick slather of peanut butter, and is what he likes generous portions of in his packed lunch for work. Fortunately, breadmaking is my delight! 

It's been almost two months since Rosie and I have been able to meet up for a lovely morning tea and chat. One reason is that I am unable to drive with my knee problem so I can't visit Rosie, and another is that our road is being ripped up (been going on for two years, but now they are right in front of our house and many homes on either side) to lay new pipes, widen the road, alter the lanes, tear down trees, put in traffic lights, and various other obstacles to a peaceful existence, and a third is the monsoonal wet season which has brought flooding much of the time. 

But I had a wonderful surprise on Saturday morning, when Rosie knocked on my door for a two-minute visit, and to bless me with birthday and get-well gifts! Non-residents are not allowed to drive into the roadwork constructions areas, so her dear hubby Brian parked up the road and Rosie walked down to my place. What a happy hug!! Seeing her was so good for my heart, and I was incredibly blessed with the bundle of lovely gifts. She knows me well, and included in all the gifts was a gorgeous ceramic pear and a bag of spearmint leaves (I collect pears, and spearmint leaves are my favourite lollies).

Hopefully I can get back to short sessions on the sewing machine next week, as what I intend making only requires a few minutes on the machine, and the rest can be hand sewn and crocheted. You know I love making jar toppers, and as well as sewing a lot for myself, I have gifted quite a few at Christmas and birthdays. They are so simple to make, and quick too. Some have lace sewn around the edges, some do not, and others I have crocheted around the edge. Some jar toppers are just fabric (lined so that both sides are different), and some have embroidery on top. You can get quite creative with how you make them, but the best thing is how lovely they look in the pantry or on a shelf. 

The photo below was taken in January and you can see what I mean about how lovely they look on jars, especially when they are together along a shelf...

...but this week, I did a huge pantry stock-up shop (home delivery is such a blessing right now) and all my shelves have had to very slowly be emptied, cleaned, and reorganised to accommodate extra supplies.  I decided to use one of those shelves to house all my dried and medicinal herbs, the ones I use for herbal teas. Right now the jars look so very plain, but in coming weeks some new pretty toppers will make everything pleasing to the eye. 

I've quite adjusted to doing everything slowly now. It was hard for many months, and I did my recovery no help by being frustrated and pushing my leg beyond it's ability more times than you'd know. Finally, after my latest MRI in February, I was content to go slowly, to consider my capability and pain level each day before beginning a task. Knitting has been a true delight, beyond any other crafty pursuit since my accident last year. I hope to get back to crochet when winter arrives in June, and eventually complete the blanket I began in 2024, but for now, those hand stitched UFO projects each month are satisfying, and the small knitted items are easy to pick up and put down. Breadmaking is a joy, and so are the simple wholesome meals of old that nourish us and are quick to make, or easy to languish in the slow cooker. I have even learned to roast a whole chicken in the air fryer and it's delicious! 

The garden is too often flooded this wet season, and completely overgrown with weeds, but it can wait until I am healed and functioning. Some things just have to wait, while other things take priority, and there's no need to feel bad about that. Life is a series of seasons, and when you accept that, and choose to work with whatever season you're in, your mind can be calm, your heart at peace, and you know that you know God is still in control. That truth is what I lean on, it's what gives me hope, it holds me steady when the storms of life swirl around, and it is what I hope you know too. 

ABIGAIL: part four

The final part of our study has been published and you will find it HERE on the Abigail page of my blog.

What a blessing this study has been in putting my own character under the microscope of God's Word! May it be a source of blessing to you as well. 

Until next time my lovelies, 

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15% off all Elefantz patterns HERE in my Etsy Shop until March 20th.

Everyday life while convalescing...

 

Well, February is almost over, and this week I played around with my Makers Journal, adding two new pages to show some of what has been made this month. 

Charlie David's "Misselthwaite Mitts" were completed and he wears them every day, even in our ghastly hot and humid summer. He sends me voice messages every few days to tell me he loves me, and as all Nanas know, that precious grandson melts my heart. 

He loves sunrise and sunsets, so this yarn was perfect. They only took me two days to complete, and as they are small I chose to knit on small double pointed needles instead of my long stainless steel ones. To avoid losing stitches or stabbing myself, these very cute little elephant needle toppers were employed.

I always make a few batches of plum jam during February and March each year, and last week the first batch were ready.

I'll plan another batch in a few weeks, as for now I must stay close to the couch. Pots of herbal tea, made with herbs from the garden which I dried last year (ginger, tulsi, mint) and some I purchased online (rosehip and willowbark), are very soothing during this newly extended period of convalescense as I knit and hand sew...

Our Kelly-dog just turned two, and is definitely no longer a pup. He's a sleeper, a snoozer, a fellow who just loves to watch and rest, especially at the front window. Our entire road is being ripped up and new pipes laid, so out front we have trenches 8 feet deep by 8 feet wide and 20 feet long, right across the front of our house (and the neighbours homes too) and it's a bit of a minefield for hubby to get in and out with the car each day, especially as this is the wet season. We have no drains right now and watching those trenches fill up and flow over with mud and down our driveway is not easy. But, many months from now this will all be complete and life on our road can return to normal. 

Kelly-dog loves to watch the workmen and machinery from the front window, resting his long dachshund head on the sill...and then promptly falls asleep and snores. It's the funniest thing! 

It's been two weeks since my last blog post, and I wasn't sure if I'd even blog this week - not because I didn't want to, but because I've had more tests on my knee recently, and the level of pain increased to such a point that sitting at my desk to use the computer wasn't easy. In fact, the key to my recovery now, given the latest results which show a new problem inside two of my bones, is to rest for quite a few months. I must avoid as much weight bearing as possible, and be rather strict with myself if I am to ever recover and get back to 'normal' activities. 

This means no gardening, no using a sewing machine (due to the sitting, and the foot pedal pressure), no driving (haven't driven for about six weeks already), and now not even sitting as a passenger in the car as this causes more pain than I can handle these days - and many other must-not-dos for around six months.

Last week in the early morn, after a few days of feeling quite sorry for myself (though some of that was from the constant lack of sleep and painkillers not working) I cried out again to God for help in coping with the constant pain, physical limitations, inability to ever leave the house, and the 'aloneness' (not loneliness) of life when my husband is at work six days a week...when I heard a kookaburra laughing nearby.

You know they are my favourite bird. They bring me so much joy whenever they visit, but their visits are rare now since the huge poincianna in our yard split twice last year, and is no more. They would often rest in the tree, and sing their laughing chorus as I hung the washing on the line...oh how I've missed that in the past year. Yet last week, one returned and sat on that clothesline, singing it's laughing song. I stood outside under the elder tree and we watched each other for a good ten minutes. I was praying and giving thanks to God for it's visit, when I sensed deep within me these words from the Lord - "I see you, I hear you, I am with you." Hubby came out and I cried on his shoulder, tears of joy for the comfort received from my Father in Heaven.

I turned to go and get my camera, when it flew from the clothesline to the fence and posed for a photo.

My outlook changed right then and there. Yes, this is a difficult time, but it's not as bad as many others experience, and hopefully healing will occur eventually. Accepting a lot of extra help from my husband has been a lesson in humility I'd rather not learn again, so I will be a jolly good student this time round. Having always been the one to care and tend for our home while he works long hours, and making sure he returns home each evening to a space that is calm and beautiful and welcoming, this season of life has turned things around in many ways - but let us not forget, a welcoming home, a sanctuary, is more about the attitude of those who dwell within, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in every corner. 

So I have slowed a lot, with intention, and surrender to my current disability. In fact, it occurred to me that sewing can still be done, but it will be by substituting the sewing machine with my very own nimble fingers. Which is what I did yesterday with my 2026 Adventure UFO project for February. 

At the weekend I stitched the gusset of the pincushion with a row of cross-stitches and running stitch, in the same thread colours I used in the top.

The round top and bottom, plus the gusset, were all backed with Parlan, so hand sewing them all together was a bit on the bulky side...

I used a lot of pins to secure the top and gusset together, but then decided to baste the two sections together instead and remove the pins before properly hand stitching the seams. The main reason for this was the mess made when some of those pins took aim at my fingers...

Fortunately, the blood was on the wrong side of the fabric, apart from one teeny tiny spot amidst the applique. 

Once it was all sewn and stuffed, I added cross stitches around the top edge. It turned out to be a wonderful little pin cushion and I'm so glad to have persevered and completed it all by hand. 

Tomorrow I shall display it in photos on a new page in my Makers Journal, and that will probably be my final finish for February. 

It was my 67th birthday on Saturday and hubby very carefully drove us over to Blossom's so the children could give me a party, bless them. 

I am excited about the future, and not because I'm focused on healing, but because this life is temporary, and I know what is yet to come far exceeds what is behind. There was a time when we were homeschooling and the kids use to talk about all the things they'd like to achieve one day, but you know how they'd say it?  "If Jesus hasn't come back yet, I want to..." We taught them from birth to number their days, and now Blossom teaches her own children to expect the second coming of Jesus one day.

My Nana always said "Lord willing we shall..." which made me aware of God's sovereignty over all things, and having grown up with that in my mind these past 67 years, even before giving my life to Christ in 1991, there is a realisation now of how much closer I am to seeing Him than ever before, and I am excited. 

When He returns on the clouds of heaven with the loudest trumpet blast the earth has ever known, and all the angels, I hope to see Him in all His glory - no matter whether I am alive still, or sleeping in the grave - I pray that I'll be with those who are lifted up into the air to meet Him and be with Him forevermore. May that be your hope too. 

In the meantime, I shall make it my intention to lead a quiet life, to mind my own business, and work with my hands, just as the Bible instructs us. Funny how this has become so relevent to my current season of life. I have always tried to live this way, but now it has taken on a deeper meaning. God's life lessons never grow old... :-)

Not sure which UFO project I shall decide to complete in March, but it will all be hand stitched so I shall choose carefully. 

How about you? What have you been making lately in the kitchen, sewing room, garden, pottery shed...?? Are you hindered by an injury and if so, what changes have you needed to make?

God bless dear ones, and know you are held in my heart and in my prayers.

Until next week,

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Makers Journal and February UFO...

 

A MAKER'S JOURNAL

I was recently watching a vlog from Moran of Mdays on YouTube and saw that she had a Makers Journal where she adds photos and notes of all the projects she completes. Immediately I was inspired to create something similar, and as I'd already started the 2026 UFO Adventure project (here) it would be fun to do a month by month journal of all the completed projects, both UFO and new, that I make this year. 

I had an unused dot-notebook with a soft blue cover that I have saved for no particular reason since about 2020, and this was perfect for my plan.

My completed January UFO project was the Japanese stitchery from one of Yumiko Higuchi's books, and here's how I put that first month's display together...

Some printed photos of the stitchery, scraps of cotton lace, washi tape, stickers, samples of the fabric and threads used, as well as the pattern sheet which had all my notes...

I am so happy with the final display, and can't wait to add more pages as the year flows on! 

The thought of making a cover came and went a few times, but this week I sketched up a simple design and stitched this embroidered ribbon closure in colours that blended nicely with the soft blue dot-notebook cover...

If you'd like to use the 'makers journal' stitchery you can download it HERE

Now that its February, its time to choose my next UFO project to complete within the month and I have chosen this partially made applique pincushion. It is a Hatched & Patched pattern I purchased about four years ago, and when I finally decided to make it last year, all I did was the applique, because I love applique! Once that was done, my attention was distracted by other things (like knitting!) and it got relegated to my 'projects to complete' tub. 

I'm looking forward to completing the pincushion, but may use part of the other pinnie option in the pattern set, and embroider around the sides - perhaps the same words, or perhaps something else. Either way, it will be lovely once completed. I'll give a photo update as I go along. 

How did you go with your January UFO?? What did you complete? What will you make or finish in February?

BREADMAKING

I am still baking sourdough loaves, and experimenting with different flour mixes. This one was SO delicious, and made using a mix of regular wheat and rye - about 50/50. My starter is all rye now, and no matter what flour mix I play around with there's that wonderful backdrop of rye in the flavour profile. 

I'm going to make this one again today and tomorrow, as it will go through the first rise this afternoon, and the second will be overnight in the fridge. I cannot tell you how good it is to make sourdough loaves without a recipe and just using basic steps and instinct. 

GARDEN

It's difficult to do much in the garden with my increasingly painful knee injury, but last week I decided that a lot can get done when you keep doing a little each day, so that's how I approach each morning now.

Just small things like emptying pots that have held non-productive plants and use that soil to begin topping up the raised beds; planting out spring onion (green onion) bottoms for a continuing crop over the next year (I do this every year); planting dried zinnia seed heads in open soil where they will quickly sprout and give us an even greater display of colour; mulching raised beds with sugar cane (again) to protect the plants still growing in them; and keeping the native birds happy with bread crumbs, fruit tops, and seeds.

BIBLE STUDY

My husband just finished a long and deep dive into Isaiah, using David Pawson's very thick commentary on it, whilst I am almost half way through David's book on 1 and 2 Corinthians (a gift from a very kind blog reader)...

I highly recommend all of David Pawson's commentaries on the books of the Bible, for digging deep into the culture, the history, the writer, the message, and how it all comes back to us becoming more like Jesus. Every one of his New Testament commentaries that I have studied through has grown me, and extended my understanding of even the smallest things when looked at through the lens of Jesus and the first century AD. 

Currently I am still writing part 3 of the Abigail study, but will share it in the next blog post. :-)

God bless you all, each and every one of you precious souls! May the Lord make clear His purpose for you in this season of life, for as long as we have breath we have purpose. Do not let anyone call you useless, or too old for God to use you...we are like children to the Lord, still able to learn and grow as we lean on His Word, pray for His wisdom and guidance, and follow His statutes. May you be blessed in all you do to glorify Him, dear one.

Until next time...

When what was enough has become too much...

 I wonder if you find yourself following an intentional reset with each new season - whether that be seasons of the year, or seasons of life? 

January is always my kitchen reset, where I open wide all the cupboards and drawers to remove all the contents and give them a good scrub. Once that is done, I carefully consider how much of what is now before me on the table and countertops shall return to these cleansed and empty spaces. 

Normally there's always a few things I choose to donate, and the sense of wellbeing that mentally follows my opening the car boot and depositing those items at a local opshop is simply lovely. However this January was a little different. I wasn't sure if it stemmed from the past six months of dealing with the pain of a knee injury that seems not to want to heal and slows me down with household and garden tasks; or perhaps it was something deeper? Maybe both, with a nudge from the Lord to seal it. 

Then a realisation, a sincere knowing, that I simply do not need, or want, much anymore, and that last year's enough, had become this year's too much. 

It's funny how when you're on a self discovery journey, and you've prayed for God to guide you along whatever path He'd have you follow, that particularly relevant and revealing things will catch your attention throughout the days and weeks ahead. I have learned that when I ask of Him, He will use many different avenues to answer or direct me...and it is always for the best. 

Something I heard a woman say recently, stopped me in my tracks. She mentioned how she'd finished decluttering her life, and kept only what she now loved, but because she still had "too much stuff demanding attention" scattered around, she chose to organise her belongings into categories, such as forty notebooks she had scattered through her house now being placed together on one shelf, and so she continued through her home doing the same with other items. Once done she was quite content with all she had in her home.

Now how she meant her statement "too much stuff demanding attention" and how I understood it to apply to my own life, were different - and isn't that often the way? To me, I immediately assessed our home, room by room, and noticed all the things that got in my way, took extra time to care for or tidy; things I'd often thought about in passing but never consciously made an effort to remove or change. And in my heart it became evident that now was the time to release items that made no sense, were not used, were excess or duplicates, or - and this was biggie - that I'd held onto for sentimental reasons. 

Every day so far this week has been spent making decisions about what to keep, what to let go of, and then following through on that decision. I take numerous breaks of ten or fifteen minutes to rest my knee, but in those rest times I am making conscious choices about why I will keep one thing, whilst donating another, for it's not wise to make those decisions hastily. I'll be 67 next month, and I'm not sure about you, but my husband and I find that we don't have many needs (or are they wants?) anymore, and for me personally, I'm ready to let go of far more than usual this January reset. 

My cupboards and drawers are no longer crowded...

...and yet we still have enough for ourselves to use daily, and enough for when the family visit. 

I have often questioned myself at this time of year "How many coffee mugs do you really need Jennifer??" because purchasing more coffee mugs throughout the year is my weakness. I had drawers of them you see, and more stored in a box under the bed! Now I have one drawer in the kitchen which holds my favourite mugs, a tea pot, our glassware, and the children's mugs. Everything else has gone, along with the all the vintage tea cups and most all of the vintage plates I have collected for more than twenty-five years. I don't feel sad, I feel relieved. 

An entire bookcase, the white ladder one, has been emptied and removed, which opens up more space in the living/dining room. I have a pile or ten or so homeschool books which I'll sell, but all the other books on that item of furniture have been donated. The ladder bookcase is now under cover out back with orphan plants on it's shelves, beautifying an empty outdoor area.

Did I need six vases? No. I donated three. Did I need eight mixing bowls of various sizes? No. I donated four and kept only the ones I use regularly. And so it went on. I have not finished yet, but feel enormously grateful to the Lord for this prompt. Gradually our little house is looking bigger inside, and that's another thing I heard someone say which really caught my attention - "Do you need a bigger house? Get rid of stuff in your home and you'll have more space." How simple a statement, but it made a huge impact on me. 

I do want to point out that 'stuff' is very different to pantry preparedness, or having items on hand that can be used to make things you need, or repair what's been broken. I am very mindful of having a pantry that can feed us for an indeterminate length of time, but even in that I am having to go through all our supplies to make sure they have not spoiled in our fierce hot and humid tropical heat, and also that I am not wasting space on things we don't like to eat. 

I heard a woman say "Don't buy things to stock up on that your family won't eat - it's a waste of money. So spend those dollars on items you know everyone will be happy to eat." This resonated with me when I heard it about four months ago because I have plenty of dried beans, chia seeds, barley and quinoa, among other things - but my husband hates them all and I never cook with them. I see now that though they all look nice in their pantry jars, they will never be used. So that's something else I'll be removing, and thus making space for items we use all the time. 

I could go on my friends, because in so many ways these lessons I am applying pertain to my garden work as well, but I'm not there yet, one thing at a time.

I'd love to know your thoughts on how seasons of life have brought change to your homemaking habits, plans and routines? I learn a lot from the experience of others, and then sometimes my own experience is a help to someone. Homemakers over the centuries have shared so many wonderful methods, tips and strategies for managing homes and belongings and family - and we're part of that today with our own experiences to share with the next generation. 

ABIGAIL...

Part 2 of the Abigail study will be up next week. We had a huge weekend with a cyclone bearing down and that means all hands on deck to clear the yard and tie everything down and no time for anything else. Fortunately, what was initially forecast as a direct hit on our town, did not eventuate, and it made landfall about 100 km south of our house. As this is just the start of our cyclone season, we shall stay on top of everything around the yards and shed so that next time it's not such a big job to prepare for. And of course, that was another prompt for removing what's not needed or wanted.

ORGANISING A COOL SPACE...

Here's just a quick peek at my sewing room, which got the treatment yesterday. Our main air conditioning system broke down on Boxing Day and the smaller unit in the kitchen cannot cool down the large area where most of daily life is lived, so rather than whine about how long its taking to get the unit fixed, I decided to move things around in the sewing room (and remove some things) so that I can sit in there comfortably where there's a small air con unit, and listen to audio books or watch shows on my iPad (Marple and Poirot...yeh, same as always!) while I craft. 

I have good light coming through the window, and I can sit in my comfy white chair looking out at the birds flying back and forth in the trees, while I work on a couple of different projects. I had these two inch applique circles made since 2024 and they are on my 2026 Adventure UFO project list, so I decided to combine them with sashiko...

...and as I have sorely missed knitting, and can now return to it, I have started a blanket made with small squares. There's a horizontal seam through the centre that adds so much to the overall design! It will feature four different coloured yarns by the end, but I'm currently working on this one first.

The embroidered 2026 Adventure UFO project I chose for January is finished, but not yet framed. As soon as that's done I'll share pics with you. 

If you missed the info about the 2026 Adventure, you'll find it HERE. 

Take care sweet girls, and always remember that God is only a prayer away, so if you need help, a direction to follow, comfort or encouragement, just close your eyes, lift your hands to heaven and ask Him. There is no greater help than His, and no greater love you can experience than that which the Father has for His precious children.

Until next week...

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