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.