Jelly Girl

Here is a quilt I made, that is in the process of being hand quilted. I say "process" but the reality is she has been curled up in a bag for quite a while getting crushed!

The pattern I used is called "Jelly Girl" by Fig Tree Quilts, and the Jelly Roll used is Moda "Spring Magic" by April Cornell.  Never thought I was a floral fanatic, but it is starting to become obvious in the quilts I make. The border I chose is by Lakehouse Dry Goods "Doll Dresses Pearl Rose Trellis".

I bought the backing (shown here on far left) at a separate stage, orginally destined for another quilt.  It surprised me to discover later that it is also a Lakehouse Dry Goods fabric, called "Ticking Stripe Petal".  Now all those creases really should shame me into pulling this quilt out of its hiding place to finish it, don't you think?

I decided to hand quilt using a Perle 8 in a variegated pinks/orange/yellow.  It is really nice to work with. Hopefully I can show you the finished product in the near future!! :)

Japanese Linen Fabric

Thought I would show you some lovely materials.
The first I cannot even take ownership for; I bought it on behalf of my Mum the other day, she saw it in a local patchwork shop and couldn't live without it.

I know it is a cotton/linen blend, and I am sure through surfing the internet that it is a Japanese Fabric, but surprisingly it does not have a printed selvedge with the company name and colours on it.  Strange?! If anyone can tell me where it comes from, I would love to know.

But this is the part I love the most - it is double sided! Fantastic! Being a slightly heavier weight, imagine the possibilities for sewing with a reversible fabric. . .

The material below I did purchase myself on Etsy.

I too have an interest in natural and printed linen, and thought even a fat quarter of this could make up something pretty.  I know it is a also a linen/cotton blend and printed in Japan but its origins I am not sure of either.

Japan really has it worked out for beautiful materials, don't they?!

Needle-Felted Blue Wren

The other day Brett's Auntie was hospitalised due to a car accident and will be in there for quite a long time.  I began thinking about a gift I could make to cheer her up.  I remember my time in hospital having two little babies was quite stifling and dull, and I was there during an exciting time!!
Taking inspiration from Laurie Sharp's book "Wool Pets", I decided to craft a blue wren.  I know when I catch a glimpse of those rare little creatures they brighten my day.
Below I have taken pics of the process so you can see how he came together.

My materials, all the tools you need for needle felting

 

The body parts ready to be felted together.

I used a picture of a Blue Wren for reference.  Not exact, but close!

The eyes are ready to be sewn in (two seed beads), to give my wren some character

So there you have him! I threaded some ribbon through his body so Rosie can hang him somewhere and he can brighten the room for her.  He was fun to make; needle felting is a meditative sport, very relaxing.

Antique Prints

Thought I would share with you a find I had at an Antique Fair one or two years ago.

The Antique Fair visits every Easter and one year I travelled along to see what kind of trinkets and baubles they had.  I discovered a man selling prints such as these and walked away but never forgot them.  So, you guessed it, the following year back I went with a fist of notes to see if he was there.

The gentleman told me they were pages from a very old magazine called "The Art Decorator", showcasing paintings, ceiling art and prints.  The one below is titled "Ceiling" . . .

There really is no rhyme or reason to my tiny collection, and they were definitely bought more for aesthetic than monetary value!

Somehow I think they may be nice mounted behind frameless perspex, but that may change!

Scrumptious Strawberries

It has to be said that one of the best things about the warmer months of the year is the berries.  And a freshly picked strawberry has to be tops, doesn't it?!
Twelve months ago, the children and I headed to the Mornington Peninsula for a family visit.  While there we took the opportunity to go strawberry picking and it was just fantastic.

 Photograph courtesy Sunny Ridge Website

We visited the Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm located in Main Ridge, where you can pick your own strawberries and purchase them.  They also have an amazing array of related products like wine, jams, sauces, ice-cream, chocolate and pretty much anything resembling this delectable fruit.

Sunny Ridge also has the "Dessert Cafe" which serves up every strawberry dream you can conjure . . .

 

Photography courtesy Sunny Ridge Website

When we visited it was a perfect sunny day and we took to the fields where you can pick - well my children were in heaven!!! By the time we had filled our containers, Georgia and Aidan were completely covered in strawberries with tell-tale red juicy lips.  I honestly thought the girl serving us could have popped the kids on the scales and charged per pound!

If you have never been berry picking - treat yourself (perhaps not as much as my darlings).  It is a fantastic family day out, and a great way to keep fresh produce alive and kicking in Australia.  What a great way to teach children about the joys of growing and tasting beautiful food.

If you would like to know more about Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, click here

Velvet Pears by Susan Southam

Ok, Book Review today . . .

If you have a love of gardens and need fresh ideas or are new to the hobby and would like some inspiration, this is the book for you!

Less like a "step by step" and more of one woman's account of making her dreams a reality, this book is a little like dipping into someone's personal thoughts, loves and ambitions.

I really fell in love with Velvet Pears; the story, the gorgeous photographs, and the idea that anyone can hold a dream in their mind of something special, and make it come to fruition with a lot of hard work and passion.

The book is set out in seasons, and the author describes her experiences gardening within each one.

Just look at these colours, as a crafter I can find a lot of inspiration for future quilts, as well as my future garden!

Maybe it is Susan Southam's love of full blown roses that attracted me to the book (they are my favourites!), or maybe it was the beautifully crafted book that was lovely to hold and to read.

Whatever the reason, "Velvet Pears" has motivated me to visit Susan's garden "Foxglove Spires" in Tilba Tilba one day.  It is top of my Destination List! If you would like to see more of her place go here

Violet Sky

Well I must be a sucker for sunsets.  Never thought I would be posting pics of them here, but looked out the window last night and saw this.  Had to take a photograph . . .

This is why we live in the country - the sky is just magnificent and when you think "now that's a beauty", along comes another night like this.  We had a very hot day, about 41C, and the cool change had just come through.

Ok, just one more, I promise

Mother Nature is surely an artist.

Recycling At Its Best!

Doing a bit of tinkering yesterday, inspired by a book I borrowed recently from the library.  Titled "D.I.Y. Design it yourself" and edited by Ellen Lupton, I chanced upon this page . . .

The section in this book was about altering your store bought clothes to get a "custom-cut t-shirt".

So I rummaged through my t-shirts and pulled out this used and abused blackie which I wore under clothes over Winter

Please forgive the slight skankiness - wishing I had Photoshop about now.  Anyways, got out the scissors and had a go.  I thought, something ventured, something gained.  And if it wasn't to work out, no big loss.  So the result:

I have a new-ish top!! I tried it on a few times through the process to see where adjustments needed to be made, and all in all, I am pretty happy!  Even if it is just a bang around the house kind of top, that suits me fine.  The money in my wallet can now go towards more coffee! Yum.

Gee it's hot!

Just looking at the temperature guide on Google and it says we are already at 28C. It feels a bit warmer than that I can tell you!  Looking through all the beautiful blogs on the other side of the world filled with snowy pictures makes me feel a bit envious, trying to imagine myself there . . .

Well my weekend was quiet; I somehow hurt my back (think my big boy Aidan may have something to do with it!), so could not do much.  I missed a movie night with my girlfriends which was a shame, but my husband Brett took the children to their Nanny and Granddad's for the weekend.  So while the cat and kittens are away, the mouse will sew!!

I sat in front of the sewing machine most of the weekend and worked on Georgia's letter cushions.  Here they are!! The buttons still have to be sewn on the backs which I will complete in the next couple of days, but I am happy with the result.  And most importantly their namesake is very very happy! :)

So I have something to keep me occupied over the next couple of days while it's burning hot weather outside.

I also have a job to do for a friend who asked me to hem some sheets, so this will keep me out of trouble!

Stay cool, or warm - wherever you may be.

Treasure Chest

While searching through my boxes of materials for Georgia's letter cushions, I pulled out these beautiful fabrics.

Love Love Love them!

On a family outing day last year I plunged into a patchwork shop while my husband had the children's attention and had a good look around.  I stumbled upon this pack of charm squares by Moda Fabrics and thought they were absolutely beautiful. So two packs later of "Whisper" by Sentimental Studios (can never have enough), I stashed them away for the day when inspiration hits.

The best of a beautiful bunch

I was particularly taken with this charm square, it is such a lovely watercolour print.  It's funny how sometimes fabric finds you, and sits there waiting for a purpose - the pattern to match it perfectly.  Other times it is the pattern that grabs you and you begin a quest for the right material!

Some more inspiration came from The Fat Quarter Shop through the mail one day.  I just love how the bright cheery colours jump out and smile!

I purchased a Moda Honey Bun version of "Swanky" by Chez Moi, thinking the cute little floral and spotty prints would suit it perfectly.  I am thinking of a miniature log cabin, combined with squares of contrasting colour.  Can't wait to try these out, but have committed to finishing my current projects first!!

Books

You may remember an earlier post I wrote describing myself as mildly obsessed with books - I have a love affair with them.  I often think about that question often posed . . . if you were stranded on a deserted island what could you not live without?  Never been able to answer that one with confidence, but I think I could settle there quite well if it had a library!

When moving to our dream home recently, I had a bookcase built in to house my ever expanding collection.  It surprised me to discover I had not allowed enough shelving for all of them, and had to let the horrifying thought enter my head that I may have to cull some of them (gulp).  I remembered reading a note on collections in a fantastic book called "Sorted" by Lissanne Oliver;

"All collections benefit from the setting of boundaries. If you don't set a boundary, at what point do you stop?  And how do you refine the quality of your stuff?"

So with a renewed view to respecting my books by only keeping the very special ones to me, I had a sort and did discover some long forgotten books that I enjoyed reading again.

My favorite section - the craft/decorating/gardening books - you may notice the slight bow in the shelf (quite proud of that!!)

So now instead of trawling the bookshops on a regular basis, my children and I frequent the public library, and so I did today . . .

 As you can see, there is a variety of books; I think they are just brilliant for fulfilling a current interest or expanding knowledge on a subject.  In the past I was all about novels, but these days the non-fiction section can hold me for hours.  So many fascinating subjects!!

Thankfully, my children have caught the reading bug too, and we have a huge stash of rotating picture books to read before bedtime at night.  I believe education is pretty powerful, and what a great way to learn!

Nature's Chorus

Hi!
Thought I would show you a quilt I made VERY early on.  It was the second attempt at patchwork and the first time outside of a class.  I was bitten by the bug and having first learned patchwork with a jelly roll, couldn't resist trying one again.  Moda Fabrics really have lovely ranges in the jelly rolls; showcasing so many fabrics that aren't always possible to buy individually.
The Moda Jelly Roll I used is "Nature's Chorus" as the title suggests, by April Cornell.

Now this quilt could very easily be titled "Shabby Chic" as it is a little rough around the edges, but she is one of my favourites.  I learnt SO much sewing without a pattern and experimenting as I went. And as so many of you crafters would know, just the experience of working with beautiful materials and colours is uplifting and exciting.

I machine sewed the quilt but opted to have it professionally quilted by a very lovely lady.  The pattern is a continuous line of feathers, which I think suits her perfectly!

At the end of the day, I learnt that taking skills from a class and sitting down on your own to use them and break a few of them can be as much a learning experience as being taught by a teacher.  I will no doubt be attending another class around the corner, but venturing outside the square with what I learn afterwards too.

Sustainable Gardening

Well, it is set to be another scorching day here today, a frequent occurance that has spelt out drought, as for most of us.  We have had a fortunate enough amount of rain over the last few months which has resulted in us living off one tank of water without having to buy any in.
However with these increasing extreme weather patterns combined with a total reliance on tank water, I would love to develop a garden that is relatively sustainable as well as beautiful.
To be completely honest, my total love for gardening still plays second fiddle to a busy life raising children, so I need a garden that can stand on its own two legs without overuse of precious resources such as time, money and water.
So have a look at our tranquil oasis . . .

Green, isn't it?! The imagination is an amazing thing though. When I look at this picture, I see a star picket fence bordering a modest front garden, with climbing Honeysuckle, Chinese Star Jasmine and Rosa Crespsucle creating a lush barrier to the farming aspect of the property and a welcoming sight for visitors.  I see an arbour in this fence to walk through, down a curved gravel path to the front door flanked on both sides by lavender and seaside daisy.

Either side of this pathway is a little patch of Lawn Chamomile surrounded by drought hardy shrubs such as Salvia, Echinacea, Cotton Bush, and Mexican Orange Blossom.

And where would we be in life without beautiful trees to admire and draw a microclimate from? Gorgeous Crepe Myrtles and silver birches, with hopefully a lilac protectively planted in there somewhere too.  To top this off, climbing Ornamental Grape shelters the verandah from direct heat, and allows a small refuge to be created where a comfy chair beckons with a good book and a beverage of choice.

Now to start . . .

Crafty Cushions

Well I am on my way to creating the "Letter" Cushions for Miss Georgia's bedroom.  It has been thoroughly enjoyable (and surprising!) searching through all my materials for pretty floral prints and spots.  I suppose you could compare it to looking at an old photo album really; forgotten memories and occasions come back to you with each photo.  Much like this, I look at some material having completely forgotten about it and find renewed enthusiasm for its gorgeous colour, pretty print or unique design.
I am currently cutting out the applique letters, ready to iron them onto the background.  Once done, I will search once more for a matching backing to the cushion, then put them all together.

You know the older I get the simpler these ideas seem to me, not as complex and difficult as I would have thought ten years ago.  Age is a beautiful thing isn't it?! 

Gumdrops & Bunting

Hello!
Thought I would share some presents I made for the children at Christmas.  The first is some funky bunting, now hanging in Aidan's room.

Aidan is at the "between" stage (2 years old), when he has outgrown the baby-ishness but is still a little small  to develop strong likes and dislikes . . . except where spaghetti is concerned ;)

I wanted to create a playful atmosphere in Aidan's room and am quite happy with the cheerfulness the bunting creates.  However - not long enough!!! Will have to revisit the sewing machine soon.

Here are the other items; two "gumdrop" cushions for Georgia and Aidan.

The pattern design is from the Amy Butler Range, of which I just HAD to have when I saw them.  The sales assistant suggested they were just a glorified "poof", but surely they are more!! Can't you just imagine the joy these gumdrops would bring children to roll around on? Or at the end of a long hard day at the office comforting your sore toes with a big squishy pillow . . .

G-E-O-R-G-I-A

What is is about the anticipation of a new project that can fuel so much energy and enthusiasm?
Today I had a big clean out in the children's bedrooms and my own wardrobe which has of course inspired me to fill the space with something else! I saw this photograph a couple of weeks ago in the book "Children's Rooms" by Andrea Maflin . . .

I loved the idea of the "Letter" cushions, and thought they would suit my little girl perfectly, who is very interested in the alphabet at the moment.

Of course I concocted an excuse to visit Spotlight for some applique bonding, and while there noticed a sale on fat quarters and threads. How convenient!!

So begins another craft expedition, because of course I don't have boxes filled with half completed jobs at the moment! I thought these little prints would look cute in Georgia's room and having never used variegated machine thread, thought this would be a great opportunity.

Now tonight I begin a search through my supplies to see what scraps I can unfold which will make the other five letters.

If successful, when my beautiful boy Aidan moves out of his cot into a bed, I may try the same idea.

Motivating Read

Hi there,
If you love books like I do, you probably find them a great source of inspiration and motivation in your life.  I am a full-fledged bibliophile, so fortunately I re-discovered the local library.  It was becoming very expensive feeding my addiction!!

Here is a lovely book to inspire:

Written by Lena Corwin and published 2008, it is a fantastic source for printing in different mediums on various materials.  I would LOVE to get into this in a big way one day soon, imagine the possibilities!!  The idea of creating a project entirely from scratch gives you the freedom to produce something totally unique and special.  What a great skill to have. . .

The Fruits of Summer

Sitting outside after putting the children to bed, I noticed the sky changing and moving rapidly.

What an inspiration for colour, light & texture.  The photographs probably don't do the sky justice; it looked like floating pink, blue and yellow glowing fairy floss.  If I waited long enough, I would catch a dart of lightning passing through it.

Another common sight over Summer: the humble tomato. . .

They may be small, but boy do they taste spectacular!!  More flavour in one of these little puppies than kilos of the supermarket variety.  My husband and kids have done a great job raising them.

And one last pic, this time a Christmas present from my wonderful mother.

Isn't this a brilliant idea?! Knowing we have nothing but a dust bowl in our new place, Mum thoughtfully planted a mini vegetable patch containing lettuce, capsicum, thyme, marigolds, nasturtiums, basil, chives, and I am sure something else I can't remember.  It feels like my little patch of green - love it!