Thimble & Thread Stitching Folder and Pincushion

If you have looked around my blog before, you will notice that I just LOVE making beautiful Stitching Accessories.

There is something about designing, stitching and using pincushions, needle cases, stitching folders and tape measure holders, that fascinates and thrills me. And the prettier they are, the happier I am!

My Thimble and Thread Stitching Folder and Pincushion set was published last year in Homespun Magazine, but I had never got round to making it available for people who don't have access to that Australian magazine.

The Folder has embroidered pockets for your notions, a tape-measure holder, pocket for your scissors, pen holders and some felt to store your pins. It's ever so useful for carrying to a craft group or sewing circle and would make a great gift for your stitching friend.

 Thimble & Thread Set is now available in my Pattern Store for the price of $AU 7.50, which gives you both the pattern for the very useful Stitching Folder, plus the lovely hexagon Pincushion, so you get two for the price of one!

I decided to go with lovely pastel fabrics for this design, but it would look just as good in something bright and cheery.

Here in Queensland Australia, we are fighting a second wave of Covid-19. This pandemic looks like it is not going away any time soon! Hubby and I are content to stay at home most of the time. I don't even go to the supermarket. Buying online and having someone else put things in a trolley and deliver it to my door seemed like the way to go at the height of the first wave, and I have just continued on that way for the last five months. I don't miss going to the supermarket at all and as things have turned out, I would now have difficulty as hubby can't be left on his own, and he is not able to race up and down the aisles with me anymore.  

We went physically to Church today for the first time since March. Church have been allowed to meet for a few weeks under a rigid Covid-safe plan, but the weather has prohibited our going till now. We have enjoyed 'attending ' Church online for all these months, but there is something special about meeting together in one building! 

So our life continues, differently in some ways, but in all the essential things just the same as always, knowing that our amazing God is totally in control of the world and of us!

Happy stitching!

Val

More Precious than Jewels BOM Block 8

 God thinks quilt-making is something to be admired! 

Block 8 of the More Precious than Jewels BOM Quilt tells us what a great thing the good woman of the Bible does in making her own quilts. How cool is that!

The various translations talk about ‘bed coverings, bedding, bedspreads, sheets, coverlets and tapestries’, so it doesn’t matter what it is, the fact that the good woman made her own is highly regarded. 

Then there’s a word about how we are dressed. I think the principle of the Bible is that we should be pleasantly dressed for each occasion, in a way that doesn’t draw attention to ourselves by being over-dressed, under-dressed or immodest, and we accept graciously any compliment that comes our way! 

The new block is now in the hands of all our BOM'ers, but it's not too late for you to join the fun.

You can see all the details here: http://bit.ly/Morepreciousthanjewelsblocks

This time of 'Staying At Home' has meant that I have finished a long-term embroidery project. I showed you a couple of months ago

https://val-laird.blogspot.com/2020/06/ideas-for-filling-in-embroidery-shapes.html.

The supper cloth I was working on is now complete, largely thanks to watching Church online for months, when I allowed myself the luxury of doing embroidery while I was watching. I find I really can concentrate a lot better when I am doing something with my hands!

Now that I can crochet again with my hand much improved, I have been working edges on fabric squares, which again is a long-term project when I'm not doing something else. I've decided not to start any new designs for a little while as I am tackling a lifetime of papers! In all our moves, none of our thousands of files, papers, notes, etc have ever been culled. The last thing I would want is for our children to have to sort them out when we are gone, so it is time to do something about it. 

Hubby and I were in Christian ministry for more than 50 years, and he has preached hundreds of sermons, produced dozens of Bible Studies, and taught and lectured for most of his life. So many people have been blessed by his ministry that I decided some of the treasures of his lifetime of work should be made available to many more people. I have therefore produced a website with everything on it freely available for people to use as they like. It's a work in progress, but I've made a start. If this is something you might be interested in, have a look here and feel free to share with your friends.

https://bit.ly/RayLaird

Until next time, 

Happy Stitching!

Val