Liberty Trees

A bit of time to myself and look what happens...

My Sewing and Painting Spot... Or My Cocoon

This is my friend who is also my Brother.

These are the half finished moments that keep me company.

And now I can sit on this when I am busy with the making of things.

Dress Making - A New Skirt

This is an extremely fast post before I pick Archie up. I had the first day to myself since I can't remember when and made myself a skirt. I was really inspired by one of Anna-Marie Horner's patterns in her book 'Seams to Me' but unfortunately it was for little girls. So I took out my trusty set square and measured one up in my size. Tonight I will hopefully do a collage of how it was made.

Wild Flowers

An unexpected moment of beauty from the dishwasher.

Tuberose season again. Can you smell them?

I just wrote a highly intelligent and hilarious post but then lost it when our computer went haywire. So now I will have to make do with the memories of what I first said as I am too tired to think of something highly original again... At least it all seemed interesting at the time. So happy to have school back again. I celebrated by finishing some old paintings and starting a new one (pictured above). I still have to cut another two balls of liberty fabric out for it and do a bit of touching up. Anyway, dishes are calling.

Oilcloth Lunch Bags

I found this great tutorial on skip to my lou for making lunch bags. I am fed up with plastic lunch boxes breaking and soft pack versions being difficult to wash and easy to tear. These can be completely wiped clean or thrown into the washing machine. With Archie starting school tomorrow I put my foot down on the peddle and sewed them up in about half an hour. Hopefully it will help me feel enthusiastic about making sandwiches (possibly one of my least favourite jobs, particularly at 7.30 in the morning). Thank goodness Archie really likes them, he thinks they should be filled with popcorn.

A Bush Walk

This morning started out hot, the way the last day of summer holidays is inclined so we headed up to some nearby bush and had a tramp. The air was so crisp and fresh we changed into much better versions of ourselves. The sort of people who give lengthy explanations to small children's questions and identify native species willy-nilly. Afterwards we went and let our toes swim in the cold creek, our leg bones aching from the freezing water and watched as the boys made bridges, rock to rock, oblivious of the icy temperature.

10 Minute Bag

It feels like an old friend is reaching out to take my hand as I venture back into the world of sewing. I burnt out after stitching 789kms a few years ago and felt head-achy every time I even glanced in the direction of the sewing machine. And then one day like a new Spring, I walked by the sewing table and instead felt little shoots of green, grassy hope pulling me towards new possibilities.

And so tonight I whipped up a 10 minute bag. I began with a big rectangle of sample fabric that my brother's girlfriend gave me. It was already over-locked so I hemmed the top with bias binding, folded it in half and stitched it on two sides and then added some webbing tape (ribbon stuff) for handles. It took less time than this post........

Dress Making

I have been consumed by a dress making urge for a little while now and suddenly yesterday it all burst out. I didn't have a pattern so instead used a few pieces of newspaper taped together and did lots of guessing. Elastic carefully placed did the trick of fitting it to the body. I think a skirt will be my next project and maybe some sailor shorts for the boys.

Getting Brave

Starting to think of painting in new colours..... must be the new year. Can you see the electric blue peeping from behind the very unfinished 'Pencils'....

Oilcloth Bibs and Bags

Still in recovery and haven't been into town yet to replace my memory card so I am still relying on former glory to see me through. This is my first (and only) shopfront display of all the bits and pieces I used to make. It must have been some time back in 2005 but I can't quite remember when - I can't judge my camera for needing a new memory card hmmmm. The curled up flat, snake-like things at the front are dog leads. Our farm dog is such a star when she trots along with a Cath Kidston lead, I don't think the cows are very impressed by it though.

A Summer Cold

Thank goodness it rained this morning. A cold during the summer is such an isolating thing. As I lie in bed I am pinioned by a misery that convinces me the rest of the world is at our little, local beach all in agreement that this is indeed the best summer day in the existence of mankind.

The weight of this unhappiness transforms the cold into something much closer to consumption or polio and I begin to feel myself wither and pale into a creature so pitiful and so forgotten I find myself calling down the stairs to Jonno "I'm sick, really sick. Please sir, may I have a cup of tea, it might be the only thing that will save me". There may not always be a responses but as sure my eventual recovery will happen, the kettle dutifully whistles five minutes later and is then followed by the sound of woollen socks thumping up the stairwell. Before he even enters the room I can make out a luminous light radiating from my yolk yellow mug and in he walks, his kindness and concern a halo. I am no longer alone and suddenly it seems to be just a cold.

Jonno is now off doing the afternoon milking and after a day of sleep I am bravely caring for my own children, stiff upper lip and everything. Actually the truth is I am letting Archie watch TV and Hugo is flushing things down the toilet, I think they are just wipes but of course my legs are not quite strong enough to carry me to check. We have heaps of stuff anyway so a little bit of culling should only be a good thing for our house. Come to think of it though, I haven't seen the cat for a while, the good one, not the bad one.

The above painting was done last year but as my memory card on my camera is being problematic, I am having to look backwards at past achievements. Quite handy really as in my current state I am only good for reading, consoling myself and making sure the boys remain well adjusted human beings.... the last bit probably only involves hiding my complete patheticness in the face of ill health so they don't think it is a normal response to an extremely little summer cold.

First Felted Bird Necklace

Still just experimenting.

Beginnings of a Felted Bird Necklace

Here are the tentative beginnings of the necklace. I cut the birds from felt pictured in the last post and when I turned my back they began to flutter over the table to each other. Odd.

Felting Plans

Felt and Pencils

Yellow is my favourite colour but I usually keep this secret - there are so many wrong versions out there it is just easier to keep it under my hat and say green, although the same principle applies - it has to be fresh, grass green. Signing off.

Felt Egg Bowl

A little glimpse of things that are going on over at the kate and lucy project, has it been handcrafted or has something hatched from it. More details tomorrow.

Our Orchard Says Welcome Home

I am humbled. Our garden and orchard have seen nothing but neglect over the past year and yet, with joy in their heart, they have welcomed us home in abundance. Punnets that were bought and then shamefully plonked on top of the vege bed, are now spreading their tendrils in a huge circle and are heaving with ready to be picked zucchini. The plums are sweet and the apples are plumping with promise. The hens are laying and in fact, speaking of of our feathery little friends, I had better go and feed them now.

Magenta

I think magenta will be my last colour for a little while. My transition stage must be over because I am ready to start blogging about day to day life rather than holidays. The recipe for the salad above comes from my Auntie Mare and was perfect for Christmas day - watermelon, mint, red onion and feta cheese... Heaven.

Gold

A few golden moments from our holiday.....

Blue

An Australian White Christmas - a picnik collage

The Boneo Market

Christmas Day

A little bit of felting when I couldn't sit still any longer.

This is just a little entry to say we are back in New Zealand safely and are now engulfed by an avalanche of suitcases. I have decided to post about our holiday by colour. Enjoy white...

Last Few Days

Time for the last few precious drops of our holiday with my family. Back to New Zealand on Tuesday... See you then xxooxxooxx 

A Felt Bowl

When I hang out at the Bowler's things tend to happen.

A New Year's Morning

Happy New Year - we are camping, admittedly in style as there is an apple mac sitting eagerly nearby just in case I can sneak away from the crowds and blog. We are at my sister's place nestled in the Strathbogie Ranges with our new tent pitched in nature, safely away from the surrounding eucalyptus trees who are only too happy to share their limbs with our gossamer roof. However, we are still close enough to these soaring dinosaurs that on waking we were sleepy-eyed witnesses to the morning cascade of gold pouring from their branches to the waiting earth. And like the earth, Jonno and I lay in bed, waiting for Lucy to stumble out in her nightgown clutching two cups of steaming tea. And she did.