Friday, July 10, 2015

A Mixed Up Post of Oddments

Wintery Greetings dear friends & readers,

My dear friend Leeanne's favourite season of them all is winter 
I think of her & try to find things to like about this cold bleak season ... but I must admit I am struggling
Especially with the - 4 degrees frost we had here this morning


One thing I know for sure I am thankful for . . . the dear old man in the rickety old truck who delivered me another large load of firewood just yesterday   . . .   at least the fire helps take the chill off the house

During the last fortnight I celebrated yet another birthday   :-)

Happy 55th Birthday tooo Meeeee ! ! !
I received some really lovely handmade & storebought gifts from friends & family

the beautiful handknitted soft merino socks have been getting a good work-out lately with lots of wear 

Also during the last fortnight a particularly nasty flu virus well & truly sneaked up on me & knocked me off my feet
I have been struggling to shake the dreaded thing off .... any suggestions, please don't hesitate to let me know as I firmly believe in home remedies

Some gentle handstitching by the fire has been about all I have had the energy for .... these little felt dollies are a pattern by Wendy Brigg of Country Friends ... they are only 12 inches tall & apart from the trim on the skirt & 1 seam, they are completely handstitched.


First completion was a black felt primitive girl dolly .... they are not meant to have wings, but having these wire wings on hand that were a perfect size, it seemed a shame not to make them into angels ...


This was a pattern we obtained from a Country Friends Retreat I attended way back in 2004 .... I have always loved these little dollies but haven't made any now for quite sometime


The little primitive angel needed some pva/water dabbed on her perle thread hair, to keep it out of her eyes !!!


Their little felt vests are cut out using my scallop edge scissors

I have another 2 bodies cut out that I am attempting to stitch up next


These bone china mugs were in a box of china oddments I purchased from an Op Shop on one of my trips to Mums many years ago a little while back


I pulled them out of the cupboard recently & decided to make some pincushions as I am trying to put together a small "sewing area" in the Cottage with sewing related goodies
  I decided to take a deep breath & cut into my treasured Tilda fabrics to make them ... I thought the soft pastel florals of the Tilda fabrics suited the patterns on the china mugs beautifully.


I wanted to make some small swing tags to tie onto the handles but didnt have any pretty florally scrapbooking card on hand . . . 
In the end, I just ran a piece of the fabric through my printer scanner onto A4 paper & then made my tags up from there


I usually weight the cups with some fine gravel about 1/4 full, as I find this prevents them being too flimsy & stabilises them alot better


I am really pleased with the end result - pretty & dainty just as I imagined, but still useful & functional

I think this front one in pinks/greens is perhaps my favourite.
How about you ... do you have a favourite ??

One of the things you first see when you walk directly into my odd little house is my dining table.  I usually like to have one of my vintage tablecloths on it & - when seasons permit - a vase of flowers. It is just one of those funny little things that makes me happy . . .

OLD photo  .   .   .     VERY OLD !!!!!

The rest of the house can be a complete schamozzle (& frequently IS) ... but if the table is nice & clear, then all is well with the world ...

Oh how times can change ! ! ! !

this is currently my table by night . . . 


Yes - thats my craft stuff balanced on a tiny corner there !!!!!

And this is currently my table by day . . .



Lady Muck Pippi having a stressful afternoon ! ! **! !

Thank You All so much for popping by today to visit
Its the weekend tomorrow here, so Happy Weekend to you all
I hope its a happy & creative (& healthy) one for us all
with much love & friendship,
Julie, Fat Black & Lady Muck Pippi
x0x0x0x0

25 comments:

  1. Goodness Me! Julie.....You certainly kept your Burfday quiet! :).
    Me! I shout mine from the roof~tops....21st Sept...All cards, monies,
    to be sent to.....HeHe! Anyway! A very happy Burfday from when
    ever in the last fortnight!

    Nearly seven in the morning over here....The sun's out in all it's glory,
    and, Flossy's had her first saucer of the day, bless! She loves her
    milk...! She's much the same as Blackie to, markings and all....And
    Pippi...Bless! Looks like her turn for a leg in the air...Wonder where
    she got that from...!x

    Love what you do with those cups into pincushions, they look really
    nice, and l see you have those deffusers, l have a few of those, around
    my home, so much safer to....!
    Love those little dollies, with their waist~coasts...very 'angelic'...! :).

    Well...I'm waffling again....(nowt new there then)....HeHe! Time for another
    lemon tea...Sprouse myself up for a little work later....Then, back home
    to finish off cutting the privit....Job Done!

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  2. Happy Belated Birthday to you Julie. Hope that dreaded lurgy leaves you soon. My friend, Mary and her family have all had it too. Not a great start for her new life in NZ! She's also complaining of the cold. By the time your summer comes around, it will have been almost 18 months since she experienced a summer! She can't wait. I love your little dollies and your pretty teacup pincushions. You're a very clever lady. Love to kitty-cats too. xxx

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  3. Happy belated birthday, Julie! You've been so creative once again and offering us lovely eye candy. Love the cats...best table decorations, you know. ;-)

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  4. I feel that way about my dining room too but right now we have a bunch of boxed art work leaning on the side of table. Tea cup pin cushions-clever and pretty.

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  5. Happy Birthday !!!! and may there be many more. Your tea cup pincushions are very pretty, yes I like the pink/green one most.
    I think elderberry is the best thing you can have for colds, I make the cordial by boiling up the berries with sugar and then putting the thick liquid into wine bottles, I guess you maybe don't get them in your corner of the world so much)... my other favourite for colds is fresh ginger and lemon infused in hot water and sometimes a bit of dark rum in the mix! hope you feel better soon . Betty x

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  6. Happy Birthday to you, lovely Julie!! 'Tis wonderful to have been so spoilt. Me thinks the perfect remedy for a bout of nasty flu is to sit by the fire and enjoy a li'l stitching. I have several Wendy Briggs' patterns from old....love the dolls you stitch. Those pin cushions are sweet. It seems to me the pink/green has the vote, though they are all lovely. I'm thinking they won't be sitting on the shelf of your cottage very long. Oh your cats are adorable. It makes my heart sing to see them so happy with their lot in life! 'Tis a wee bit chilly over here as well; keep warm lovely lady!

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  7. Many happy returns for your special day :)

    So many wonderful gifts!

    I really enjoy visiting your blog, especially when your gorgeous kitties are being so adorable!

    Have a wonderful wintry weekend! ♥

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    Replies
    1. Thank You Yvonne for the birthday greetings .... yes the weekend here sure was wintry. But the fire is roaring too so all is well :-)

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  8. Hello Julie,

    Belated Birthday greetings from Western Australia. I think the little girls are allowed wings, they suit them perfectly. Have you tried garlic to boost your immune system. The other good things are apple cider vinegar with honey, and of course the good old lemons.
    Have a great weekend.
    Bev.

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  9. Good to see those furry friends know they are in charge of your home! All looking very pretty, sorry you haven't come round to loving winter as I do, we had a great frost here this morning in the 'winterless north'..............I like looking at the starkness and buds on the magnolia tree and I know soon winter will be over the spring will burst into life.

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  10. Happy Belated Birthday Julie....was with someone when she was finishing off a wee gift for you!!
    Do love the teacups and like you am taken with the pink/green one.
    Also I seem to have a table like yours and the tablecloth!! Although mine is cloth on when adult children come home(never mind Indy the cat or crafts) and cloth off when they depart which is not that often:-) wouldn't have it any other way though. Love your cats by the way! Have a good rest of the weekend xxxxx

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  11. First, Happy Birthday to you!!! xxxxx Second, I sure hope you get well soon, so far so good we have not had any bugs pass through our door. Now as for that -4 this morning, SO COLD!! In fact I didn't crawl out from under the blankets until close to 10. So not like me. Your pin cushions mugs are beautiful and it is impossible to pick a favourite. Those cats of yours live a precious life, so lovely. Take care Julie.

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  12. Wish I could send you some sunshine...hope you feel better soon. Loving the dollies (cutest feet!) and pretty pincushions. Sending belated Birthday wishes and keep warm. xx

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  13. Belated Birtday wishes Julie!!! I hope the virus didn't co-incide with your birthday celebrations! Lovely pincushions, a perfect use for the pretty Tilda fabric. I understand this weekend isn't being much warmer - hope the mittens are doing their trick.

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  14. Wishing you a very happy birthday Julie. I hope you kick that nasty bug out the door quick smart. I adore your gorgeous teacup pincushions and very sweet angels. I feel the same about my dining table but often outwits my good intentions. Stay cosy, enjoy your lovely gifts and feel better soon xxx

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  15. Hello dear Julie, yes indeed, I hope that you're starting to pick up again now. Always takes awhile when you've been laid low. Doozy of a frost here tonight. Did you have snow like we did? It's quite a job keeping the fire going & going, isn't it! So glad that we've got lots of good wood & Rob loves splitting it. Your daphne is a head of mine. I am always so delighted to inhale that scent once more, come July. Lovely angels & such sweet pincushions. Take good care, dear friend. Much lovely Catherine x0x0x

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  16. Happy Birthday , and hope you're feeling better after being poorly! I love your teacup pincushions, they are very sweet :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Jill, am feeling "on the mend" at long last - thanks for your well wishes. Yes the teacup pincushions are lovely & not difficult to make either.

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    2. And I also meant to say - photocopying fabric - that is GENIUS !!!

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  17. Happy Birthday Julie! Hope you had a great day, whichever day it was!!! I love your cats antics they definitely love being wherever you are... and who can blame them when they have such a lovely 'Mum'.

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  19. Happy Birthday Julie!! Beautiful presents that came your way! Love how cats take over and make any place theirs! Your tea cup pincushions are beautiful...hard to choose the one I like the best! Your dolls are gorgeous...the wings make them that much nicer!!

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  20. Oh, your birthday - I missed it. Happy Birthday! Love those kittens - just totally relaxed and chilling'. Can I pinch you idea for those lovely tea cup pincushions - I just found a little china cup and saucer intact in some broken china a friend gave me for mosaics. It will make a little gift to welcome Miss Hannah home from England next week. Karen

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  21. A very belated Happy Birthday, love ALL the pincushions, what great idea, I maybe could do something like that for my crafty ladies at Christmas :D

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