Fat Chook

Oh I have loved this pattern for ages now and never got around to making him until this week. It has taken me the whole week to complete, just seems like so many other things to do in between.
When I first saw the pattern in one of the Australian magazines, around end of 2004, his feet grabbed my attention, and that was the first part I made. He really is a fat chook and I have weighted him as well so he would make a great doorstopper as well as a table ornie. Hubby has adopted him, he just loves the head. Funny how different parts of a creation grab our attention first.

Nature's Garden

Don't you just love it when nature makes its own garden! Our garden is almost all nature- made on account of the solid rock we have. For years I tried to create my own version of a garden and in the end let nature have its way. I am so happy I did as its always a surprise in the mornings when I walk around the garden, one never knows what new things one will see, and the birds think so too!
This morning I took some photos to share with you of our nature's garden.

A delicate maidenhair fern growing on the old stone steps.

A secret pathway amongst the wild salvia, a pathway that is often a playground for the dogs.

A hanging basket nest left for us to enjoy by one of the many birds.

A fallen nest displayed artistically on a wooden potting shelf.

A delightfully pink delicate flower with many buds soon to open.
Isn't nature wonderful!

I love making these and normally do a few each year, both at Easter and Christmas time.
Based on the Victorian wishing bag, which generaly had a rabbits head, (rabbits being a lucky charm), I have made these with rabbits head, teddy head (on account of my teddy club) and cat's head. The "dress" is made from antique or vintage hankies. The wishing bag part (dress part) is meant to hold little trinkets you can't actually see but feel instead when you hold onto it and make a wish.

Something from nothing

I love to create something from nothing, nothing in the sense that it is something you would normally throw away. Something that no longer has its use, empty jars, tubs, a broken piece, empty cardboard rolls, broken globes, bits of fabric, selvage ends of fabric, old pieces that have rusted, bottle caps and so on. I have a collection of "nothings", pieces that will suddenly inspire me as to what they want to become. It gives me such satisfaction to put them back into use, to create a make-do.
Are you a "nothing" collector/creator too? Care to share some of your creation?
Here is my latest something from nothing.
Easter pincushion from an empty body butter tub.

My tip for today

Cut and collect all your selvege ends of your fabric, you know those bitty pieces we normally throw away. Today's fabrics have such wonderful names and these can be used in so many ways, embellishments of your items, tags, etc,even the numbers of colours in fabric are useful. Here is a picture of a hand bound book and cover I made last Christmas, the fabric was called "Christmas is for families", what better title than this for a Christmas notebook.

Rick Rack Challenge

Jana of Sew Good Friends blog is having a rick rack challenge. I knew i had some hidden away somewhere and after much searching found my stash.
Thank you Jana for reviving my interest in rick rack, now to use some somewhere, somehow.

Sunday Tea

Its such a beautiful day here today, a true summer's day in every sense of the word.
Hubby and I had our sunday morning tea on the deck surrounded by birds and shady trees and ate huge sweet strawberries, juicy grapes, home made shortbread and tea in one of my favourite tea sets for two, Rose Buds.
We also got to see a new bird today while sipping tea, the Violet Woodhoopoe, a fairly large but slender bird, about 40cm, a violet-blue colour from head to tail with a striking orange/red long slender curved beak. Although this bird is fairly common in its area, which is Namibia, it is not often seen where we live. Unfortunately it was not easy to get a picture because of the dense leaf coverage, but wonderful to watch as it vigourously ate some sort of insect in the bark of the tree.

Sylvia's Valentine giveaway

Here is a picture of my lovely Valentine charm necklace I won on Sylvia's giveaway.
I love it, thank you so much Sylvia!

Happy Valentine's Day

He loves me, he loves me not,
He loves me, he loves me not!
How often as children one picked a daisy from the field and chanted this little verse as one plucked the petals off the flower.Somehow or other one always managed to pick the last petal on "he loves me" and this would make our day.
Even now as an adult, whenever I see a field of daisies, I want to run and pluck one and say, "He love me, he loves me not". Perhaps today is just the day to do so!
Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Hand appliqued bags

Here are some hand appliqued bags just finished by my friend Anne Hande. The linen bags are boxed and lined in lovely matching cotton fabric with inside pocket, buttoned handles and heart hand applique in crazy patchwork and edged in a little embroidery. The bags measure 16 inches from top to bottom and 11.5 inches across, great bag for all sorts of uses. Take a look at Whimsical's Wednesday wanderings for more bags.

Meandering

Every now and then my teddy club and I go off on a meander. this time I took them to one of my favourite places to eat, Tumble Downs, a wonderful spot overlooking an almost 360 degree beautiful view. A view of rolling hills and fields, little dams here and there and our giant Drakensberg mountain range in the background.
The food is wonderfully prepared by Michelle, the owner and her husband Jan who sees to our every comfort.
I love these special days, spent with special friends, who laugh and cry together in perfect harmony.
Thank you Carol T for the picture.

Vintage Flower Garden ......in a demitasse

This describes one of my latest pincushions, a little blue demitasse turned into a vintage flower garden. I love making these! This one has a ring of pale blue vintage flowers and a touch of pink posies with a little vintage bunny pin peeping out.
These are sooo easy to make. Here is what I did.
Find yourself a pretty cup. Add a little stuffing inside cup, to about halfway up and set aside.Draw and cut out a circle of felt, 1 to 2 inches larger than the cup, depending on how high you want the pincushion to end up.
With a strong thread, sew a small running stitch just inside the edge of circle.
Pull up thread until the felt circle fits just inside cup, secure your stitches. Stuff felt circle well, making sure all creases are puffed out and pincushion is firm. When you are happy with the shape, run a thin line of glue around inside edge of cup and turning your felt pincushion "upside down" (open end faces into cup), glue to cup.
Trim around edge of cup/pincushion, decorate top and add a few pins and you will have a pretty pincushion in a cup. Enjoy.
If you're interested in this little pincushion and other items, take a look at my Whimsical Wandering Wednesday.

Valentine

I have finally finished the last stitch in my Valentine items in preparation for this coming Saturday's Valentine Open House. My home is almost ready, the displays are done, now all i need to do is mark all items. Most of what I have on sale I have made, and added a few items from my personal collection, items I have never opened or used and perhaps someone will now enjoy them.
My themes are "Roses are Red" and "Sweet as sugar candy",I will print the labels tomorrow. Here is picture of my 'vintage' angels of love and a link to show you some of the displays.

Early Morning

The "dawnsily" light promises a beautiful day. Everywhere is fresh and crisp, and our first large sunflower is already searching for its warmth. We grew these sunflowers from our seeds we buy for bird food. It seems not only do the birds enjoy them, but the passing groups of monkeys too. The other day, after waiting in anticipation for our first sunflower to open, we watched as a monkey tore off the head of the flower and promptly proceeded to eat it. Although these monkeys can be a nuisance, I find their amuzing antics fascinating to watch.
Well I finally can get to show you one of the sunflowers, stretching high above our rooftop.

Here is another photo taken in the early light, a well used chair under a shower for a good resting place on a "hot" day.


This Australian myrtle tree shaped as a topiary, contantly gives a wonderful display with its pompom white flowers and red fruit.

Oh me, oh my.................

I am the winner of a delightful charm necklace made by Sylvia Anderson in her Valentine giveaway. Thank you Sylvia, I am thrilled!

Crazy pincushion time

It's that crazy pincushion time again for me. I'm so hooked on making these, I just can't stop. I needed some for my Valentine open house so made a few of those tiny ones, great for taking around in your sewing bag. Some are in cotton red stripe and wool with roses or hearts for the "Roses are red" theme, others and I think my favourite, are the pink stripecotton and wool felt, Sweet as sugar candy" ones. I so enjoyed making the birds and berries, the little pot was one of my recent discoveries on my Wednesday wandering. I have a few more to make for Easter.