Fabric Pumpkin Delights

Hello sweet friends...♥

I am sipping a cup of hot coffee and indulging in a slice of homemade chocolate cake as I write this, feeling very cosy at home indeed.

"Home is the nicest word there is."

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder 

 

After starting my day with coffee and time with the Lord, I accomplished a 30-minute workout session.  Usually I go for a 45 minute power walk, but as I can't leave the house right now, a fun YouTube fitness session was a good alternative.  {{smiles}}

After completing my few household chores and getting myself done for the day,

I spent the rest of the morning in the comfort of my sewing room, listening to lovely, uplifting hymns, and playing with fabric scraps...

 

Every year with the arrival of Autumnal weather, I have wanted to make fabric pumpkins, but something else more important always popped up, and before I knew it, Winter had crept in and the time for fall decorating was over...

However, as we currently find ourselves in strict lockdown in our corner of the world, suddenly I have some time to do a little leisure sewing.  {{smiles}}

 

 You can find the free pattern I used for these sweet fabric pumpkins by clicking here. ♥

I can't remember when last I sewed for the sheer pleasure of it, or made something frivolous for myself...it was such fun!  

And I am so pleased with how these little pumpkins came out...they are going to look so sweet in my room.

I made two small pumpkins and one medium...and of course, one had to be completely pink...I just couldn't help myself!  {{Smiles}} 

 ^Stay tuned for a recipe for a homemade red (rooibos cappuccino coming soon! ♥)

This week I decided I would be au pair to my mom, seeing as I am unable to work (if you didn't already know, I au pair for a sweet homeschooling family who have five young children) during this 21 day lockdown. 

Yesterday we made felt owls with the little ones after they had completed their schoolwork.

It is lovely to see them enjoying some sewing too! ♥

  ^ Rebekah (10) with her little owl.

^Sofia (8) proudly holding her felt owl.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am endeavoring to stay busy over the next few weeks.  

And there is plenty that needs doing around the house and in the garden!

"Home is a shelter from storms - all sorts of storms."

~ William J. Bennet

 

And I am enjoying the time with my family immensely...  It is wonderful to have hours devoid of any distraction to have family devotions, sing hymns and spiritual songs, and pray that we and our fellow Believers would be strong and remain faithful to Christ in this trial.

I would like to encourage you to use this time wisely and for the glory of God.  

 Let us strive to form healthy new habits and daily seek the Lord for wisdom and guidance.

 

How are you keeping yourselves busy during lockdown?

Have you sewed fabric pumpkins before?

Blessings for the week ahead!
Oh, and happy last day of March! ♥

Kelly-Anne 

~  The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.  Psalm 29:11 ~

Finding Strength...

Hello dear friends…

It may be raining this Sunday morning and the sky dark and grey, but the warm, pressing humidity reminds me that it is summertime in China and feeling sticky and frazzled this early in the day is completely normal.

I have already had my first coffee of the day and am now partly typing, partly staring out at the rain-soaked building through my bedroom window and allowing my mind to drift back over the last two years of my life.

Never in a thousand years would I have guessed that I would be living in China for four months, or that I would be wearing a moonboot and tottering around on crutches just a few weeks before flying back to South Africa.

Almost two weeks ago I went ice skating with my sisters.  We had an absolutely wonderful time but just as I set out on a last (and obviously fateful) lap around the rink before calling it a day, I tripped and the tip of my blade got stuck in the ice and down I went.

Straight away I knew that I had seriously injured my ankle, plus the level of pain that hit, almost instantaneously, was insane.

I’ll fast forward past being carried off the ice (much to my mortification), my sister frantically calling my parents to come to the ice rink and landing up at the hospital.

It always amazes me how the Lord looks after us in ways we couldn’t even imagine.

One of the coaches at the ice rink just happened to be there that day and amazingly, he spoke almost perfect English.

He went with my dad and I to the hospital and acted as our guide and interpreter.

The whole process of seeing the doctor, getting an X-ray, seeing the doctor again and having my foot put in a cast and then getting a C.T. scan done took hours, but this kind young man stayed with us the whole time.

I don’t know what we would have done had we had the added stress of having to try and explain our situation through Google translate or find our way around the hospital by ourselves.

I was told that I had fractured my fibula and advised to have surgery, but I opted out of it for several reasons.

Instead, my dad bought me a moonboot and a good pair of crutches and I was ordered to rest as much as possible so as to give the bone the best chance of healing in the shortest amount of time.

I actually couldn’t get up for the first week and am only now able to be a bit more mobile.

To say that it has been a rough two weeks would be an understatement.

It has been extremely frustrating to have to lie flat on my back and know that any hopes for any more exploring or walking is completely out of the question now and that I probably will be off my feet for about three months.

But I am slowly learning to accept it and rather focus on what I can do.

It has been wonderful to catch up on some reading as well as sort and edit photographs that have been sitting in an unmarked folder for much too long.

Now that I am feeling stronger, I am able to help the younger children with their schoolwork and read stories to little Caleb.

I find that if I think too far ahead in time, even to tomorrow, I start stressing.

I have to take this day by day and sometimes moment by moment.

And I need to be thankful that this happened at the best time it possibly could…almost three months into our visit and a month out from going home.

The Lord is good and faithful even when I feel completely unable to trust Him.

And His grace is sufficient always.

Wishing each of you a wonderful week ahead!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

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Thursday Pearls

"God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty"

~ Peter Marshall

 ~ Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 ~

Sweet Thursday blessings to you, dear readers...

My family and I are going away for a few days which means I will be on a little blogging break...

We would truly appreciate your prayers for our safety while we travel.

Oh...and I have much to share with you upon my return!  {{Smiles}}

Love in Christ,

Kelly-Anne 

♥

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