Some finishes & some new beginnings . . .

Hello everyone,

How are you all out there???  So sorry I have been missing in action lately.  I just didnt get near the computer while my Mum was staying & then I had to take her home again which is a 4 hour journey so I stayed 2 nights & then drove back again :-)

a clump of daffodils flowering by the pond which I dont even remember planting. . .

I must confess I didn't get anywhere near the amount of crafting done I had hoped while Mum was here but I did have a bit of a "marathon" before she arrived & managed to complete some long-ago-started projects. 

Now for those that know me it is no surprise to learn that one of my absolute all-time favourite things in the whole world is dolls - I loved them as a child & I never outgrew this love,  & now I simply LOVE to make them - I would make dolls every single day if I could :-)

I had long ago made some doiley dolly bodies & decided it was way past time they had some clothes made for them (poor wee things feeling the cold this winter) . . . 

Cutting out down on the floor as usual :-)

 I love to sort through my doiley stash & decide which combinations to put together - sometimes a placemat will appeal or sometimes an old crochet doiley will make a great collar . . . 
I try to use every part of the doiley where possible & like to use the lace edgings on them as part of the clothing . . . 

This dress was once a vintage pillowslip  - isnt it beautiful??

A girl cant go anywhere without her face on . . .

 Have a look & see if you like my combinations . . . 

An old traycloth

A vintage runner

An old pillowslip

A round lace edged doiley

Miss Butterfly up close

Do you have a favourite ? ? ?  They look simply gorgeous dotted amongst vintage china - most at home :-)


My friend Elaine had asked me awhile ago to make her a small sized penny rug to sit on top of an old nail box that she had some vintage tools sitting inside (the box was turned on its side! !) - she wanted something without any detail in the centre as she planned to sit things on the rug & any centre piece would not be seen  . . .

 I didnt have any idea at this point what I was going to do but I found myself randomly tracing out hearts & stars using a country colour pallette . . . 
this is what I came up with - simple but effective colours & design . . . 

And plenty of room in the centre to sit things

 Plus it looked most at home on my old wooden bench table in the lounge - oh & just fits perfectly :-)   (whoops, sorry Elaine)


I had been moving a ragdoll pattern around in my sewing room for several months planning to make some up - she is called "Sunshine" & is a Lil Blokes pattern from Lyn Hyland - I make alot of Lyns gollie patterns & really love her designs.

Yep - back on the floor again . . .

After making up the doll bodies & playing around with fabrics for dresses, I decided the dolls were much too pale . . .  so they got dunked in my teabag/parissian essence mixture (poor wee souls)  . . . 

Headfirst in we go - now hold your breath ! ! !

No dolls were harmed in the making of this blog post ! ! !

Thats better - much darker - we cant have a pale raggedy now can we ??!!  :-) 
I have almost finished my 2 Sunshines (just doing their hair) - & will have pictures of them for you on my next post.


I just had to snap these pics of the cows directly behind my cottage in the early morning light yesterday  . . .   it is calving time again & this lot are waiting to have their babies . . . 

Dont take photos of me - it is NO fun this pregnancy lark ! !

Waiting to give birth & fed up ~! ! !

With all the daffodils flowering & I saw lots of magnolias in bloom down in Taranaki, it looks like we are in for an early spring this year 

I love spring & look forward to it - I think it is probably my most favourite season - full of hope I always think,  after the wintertime :-)

I will be back again real soon friends with some more things I wanted to blog about but before I go I wanted to share with you this delightful picture I took of the window display in a lovely little florist Shop down in Hawera called Wishing Well Flowers - it made me smile & made my heart feel good - hope it does for you too . . . 

Not great pics with the reflection but you get the general idea I hope :-)

 I hope you all have a great weekend - I am off to do more sewing - take care out there folks & happy creating where-ever you are . . . 

Much love,
Julie Xoxo  (gosh I have just noticed how BAD my photography actually is of the shop windows - SO SORRY - quite hard with the relection of vehicles in the background)