Sewing Pleasures...

As many of you know, I have been sewing my own peasant tops for about a year now...
This was after I couldn’t find beautiful shirts that were both modest and comfortable…and not to mention fitted me nicely…{{smiles}}

I then began sewing these wonderfully easy and pretty peasant tops, and can now whip one up within an hour or two…all I need is some lovely fabric such as viscose or challis, the latter being my favourite as it is not too thin but still light and airy, and time…

This is one of my more recent peasant tops, but I have another pretty pattern for a similar top which is just a little bit more challenging…I think it will be fun to progress onto something more exciting and different, don't you think...?

Should my next shirt turn out alright, I shall try to share a picture of the finished product with you!  For now, my sister has requested a blouse, so that is to be my next weekend project…{{smiles}}

*When wearing a peasant blouse such as the one I have on in these pictures, I read that one would generally wear it with a pencil skirt or something that is a bit more fitted.

  

 

What have you been sewing lately?

Do you enjoy making your own clothing?

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With thanks to my sister, Nancy, who played photographer for me today…

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Blessings and love,

 

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  This post may be shared with...

~ The Art of Homemaking Mondays, Roses of Inspiration, Wise Woman Link-Up, Raising Homemakers Link-Up, Cooking and Crafting with J and J and Modest Monday

Thursday Pearls

"...The fact is, we do not hate ourselves, nor do we need to learn to love ourselves more.  We do need to learn to deny ourselves so we can do something which does not come naturally - to truly love God and others.  Our problem isn't so much a ''poor self image'' as it is ''poor God image''.  Our real need isn't for a higher view of ourselves but for a higher view of God.  When we see and esteem Him rightly, then we will esteem ourselves rightly - as objects of His immense love, whom He has chosen to rescue and redeem from our sin by His grace.  It doesn't get any better than that!"

~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss, The Quiet Place

"No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church."

~ Ephesians 5:29

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May each of you have a truly blessed Thursday praising the name of our mighty Lord and King who loves and cares for us so deeply that He sent His only Son to die for sins...He is so good to us!

Painting by:  Elbert Henry Collings

Thoughtful Thursday

The best and most

beautiful things in the world

cannot be seen or even touched.

They must be felt with the heart.

~ Helen Keller

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Wishing you a lovely Thursday, sweet friends!

I pray your heart has been blessed and encouraged...

 

~ Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgivess all your

sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and 

crowns you with love and compassion...  Psalm 103:1-4 ~

A Trip Back in Time...

 
  Come with me to the beautiful Garden Route, and let us take a scenic trip back in time, my friends...

...Let us journey into the majestic Outeniqua Mountains, and follow the pass built ever so many years ago...

Let us revel in the richness of our Lord's glorious creation, and behold the splendour of His majesty in the works of His hands...

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...In the distance lies the town of George...

One crisp Sunday morning we decided to pack a simple picnic and take a leisurely drive into the Outeniqua Mountains...

We thought we would take the old route through the spectacular Outeniqua mountains along the road that first connected George and Oudshoorn...

The Montagu Pass was opened in 1848, and was declared a national monument in 1974...

The narrow gravel roads, sharp bends, steep ascent and exquisite scenery appealed to us from the very beginning.

 Whilst we drove along, exclaiming in excitement at the beauty before our eyes, we imagined what it must have been like to live in those days...

How sad that magnificent steam trains no longer use the railway line which runs parallel to the road at one point...  Isn't this bridge amazing?

At the end of the Montague Pass lies the tiny farming settlement of Herold...

We decided to picnic there in a quiet spot before driving home...

Stopping for a snack...

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I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into our Sunday afternoon outing, and

experienced a little of the incredibly extensive beauty of South Africa...

Again and again I am reminded of how blessed I am to live in such an extraordinary

part of the world...

I love the harshness of the landscape; the pattern the indigenous trees and shrubs form as they fight for survival on the dry cracked soil of the Little Karoo...

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

- Psalm 118:24

I never thought I would come to love this part of the world as much as I do now - my dreams have always been filled with the rolling green hills of the English countryside, but more and more the Lord is showing me the intricacy and richness of the beauty here...

The beauty is different...it is harsh, but I love it for what it is, and my heart is filled with the glory of

God's awe-inspiring creation and I praise Him for placing me right here.

Gorgeous Protea...

~

I will be taking a short blogging break this week, sweet friends...
I look forward to returning, for I have a few deliciously nourishing recipes I wish to share...
However, I will still be around to visit you!

May you be blessed and filled with the joy of the Lord!

Blessings in Christ,

 ~ The heavens decalre the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  Psalm 19:1 ~

Information Source:  Mountain Passes South Africa

A Few Garden~Inspired Projects....

 

 I think it is high time for a garden~inspired post, dear friends...don't you?

Having been away for close to a month and quite busy with sewing since my return, my poor garden is looking quite neglected and overgrown at present...

Before I start to clear the numerous weeds from vegetable beds and reestablish overgrown pathways, I thought I would spend a little time creating some beauty in the home with pretty flowers potted in a unique and lovely way...

 

Before I show you my handiwork, I would like to tell you of how my mother so sweetly cheered me up last Saturday when I wasn't feeling too well with a headache...  

As she was in town that day, she bought me the cutest terrcacotta pot and a punnet of dainty violas to 'play' with...

She knew I had been thinking of doing a few projects with flowers and decided to bring a smile to my face with her thoughtful little gift...

Wasn't that wonderfully kind?

Now, here is what I did with this little terracotta pot and my punnet of viola seedlings...

If you would like to make your own, all you will need is a length of beautiful thick lace, double-sided tape, a terracotta pot and a flower seedling or two of your choice...

Simply secure a piece of double-sided tape around the flat edge of the pot and wind your thick lace around it...

Fill the pot with good quality compost, pop your seedling(s) inside...and press down...

...And there you are!

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With winter having arrived to stay for the next couple of months, the house can become quite gloomy if not cheered with pretty touches here and there...  

Thus we have decided to keep our home looking cheerful and bright by adding splashes of colour wherever we can, whether it is a vase of freshly cut flowers, pot plants on the window sills or jars of homebaked goodies gracing the pantry...

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Here is my next project for which I used a faded vintage tea cup...

This tea cup I bought last year at a second-hand shop for a very good price along with another.  Having drunk tea from it on many occasions, I fancied it would make the sweetest little planter and popped a seedling inside with a handful of compost...

 

I didn't drill holes in the cup as I just couldn't bear to! 

Drainage could become a problem, but I am hoping that it will last a for a good few weeks, and once the viola outgrows the tea cup, I will transplant it into my garden...

 

This tea cup of happy violas would make a lovely gift for a person who appreciates flowers and pretty things!

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How does your garden fare, my friends...?

I know many of my readers live in the northern hemisphere where Spring has finally sprung and vegetable planting season has arrived, so I do hope they enjoy busy, happy hours spent tending their gardens and pottering about in the dirt...:)

~ Blessings ~

"...Plant gardens and eat what they produce..."  Jeremiah 29:5

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  This Post May be Shared with...

~ The Art of Homemaking Mondays, Roses of Inspiration, Wise Woman Link-Up, Raising Homemakers Link-Up and Modest Monday ~

52 Crafts in 52 Weeks – Week Thirty Six

I confess.  I have been suffering from a mild case of writer’s block for far too long!

Have you ever experienced the feeling when nothing you say seems to make any sense and the words before you fade into an incomprehensible blur?  I know many of my fellow bloggers have, so I shall take comfort in that thought and the knowledge that the majority of them have recovered and have gone on to write such beautiful posts for all their readers to enjoy.

But I must tell you that it was only the thought of the now 102 followers anticipating my next post that made me resolve to find a cure.  And I think I have found it – thankfully!  

I really couldn’t be absent for too long - blogging has been a part of my life for the past five years and not sharing and writing would be more than I could possibly bear!

Seeing as I have now filled you in on this important piece of information, I will move on to my next craft in the 52 week challenge I set myself for 2013.  I know that it is actually March 2014, but because I wasn’t able to complete my goal last year, I decided to continue crafty blogging this year:-)

And this week’s craft is…

Homemade Mint and Orange Body Scrub made from only natural ingredients!

Body scrub makes a wonderful gift for friends and family who enjoy the odd pamper...  And this one contains ingredients that can be found in just about any kitchen and garden so you can make a jar for yourself today if you choose!

Ingredients:

10ml Orange rind

1 Cup brown sugar

120ml Olive oil 

Drop vanilla essence

10ml Chopped mint

To Make:

Mix all the ingredients together and store mixture in an airtight container.  You can also keep the scrub in the refrigerator for a week.  Don’t get any moisture in the container as this may cause the scrub to spoil.

To use, moisten your skin and rub the scrub all over your whole body.  Massage gently then rinse off with warm water.  Don’t use the scrub on cuts or bruises. 

I stored the scrub I wanted to give away in pretty jars and added a ribbon and label.  If you would like to do the same, remember to add the list of ingredients and storage and usage instructions to the label.

Here are a few other ideas for using mint therapeutically…

For tummy troubles: (this one really works!) make a mint infusion to ease indigestion and stomach cramps.  Add a few fresh mint leaves to a cup of boiling water and steep for 10 minutes.  Add honey if you prefer.

As a facial wash: To make a refreshing, cleansing facial wash, add a handful of bruised mint leaves to a pan of cool water.  Leave for 1 hour and then chill in the refrigerator.  Use as desired.

As a breath freshener: Keep your breath fresh by chewing some mint leaves.

Recipes and ideas taken from the March 2010 edition of Ideas Magazine.

Have a very blessed and crafty weekend!

Much love,

Kelly-Anne