Jools on Safari

so i begin this post with the obligatory apologies for the appalling photography...it was a dark and rainy day and in order to get the photos level i was balancing on a very slippy leather couch...so please: make allowances (as usual)!!

My lovely cousin Julie (Julie-Rachel, Jools, JR etc) is going to the land where her heart lies, Zambia! She's going to be a missionary in a mission hospital that is truely in need of her nurse-tastic skills and marvellous midwifery! It was suggested to me that I should make her something to remember us all by when she is far away working hard in the african sunshine!! Yay craft challenges!!

I thought a wall hanging because it's easy to pack in a suitcase! It's a bit of an explosion of colour and ideas...so i will break it down and give an explanation!!

On the right hand side we have "Africa", in the exotic flowers, huge sun and the little elephants.

The verse around the sun is Julie's "strapline", from her little prayer cards etc

The shape of Africa is in the centre, with a little orange Zambia appliqued on. I sewed a wee heart button over Chitokoloki where Jools will be working away deep in the African bush! The verses are written in the Lunda language and they are: John 1v12 - Ilaŋa ejima amutambwili, wayinkeli ŋovu yakwikala anyana kaNzambi, wowenawa akukuhwelela ijina dindi (to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God); and John 14v6 - Yesu hakumwila nindi, Ami yami njila, yami walala, yami wumi. Kwosi muntu niwumu wukwinza kudi Tata chiŋa hadami. (Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me)
The little envelopes with all the shamrocks are to symbolise all our messages and prayers sent from here in ireland. I made the envelopes as little pockets, and cut pieces of orange card to fit inside.

Her friends and family are going to write on the cards and someday when she is out there and needs a word from home, she can pull one out and read a message from one of us!! The little stamps were hilarious to make...the queen looks literally terrifying in a few of them!!

I free-motion-quilted the whole thing once i'd finished. I'm really trying to learn this skill, i'm still pretty awful at it...the crazy quilting over the background is not so difficult as you don't have to be very accurate, but can i free-motion-quilt applique shapes?....A WORLD OF NO! It always ends in tears....and i end up sewing in the normal way lifting the presser foot every 2 seconds to shift the direction of the stitch...AAAAAH FRUSTRATION!!!.........still great fun though!!!