blogging friendships :-)

Hello friends & readers,

whew ... it has been a blur of a fortnight

sometimes life gets busy & kind of gets in the way of things...

like blogging & catching up on others posts :-)

my poor old swan plant is smothered in caterpillars

which I hope will turn into crysallis's before they strip the plant completely

I have read to put pieces of pumpkin down for them to eat when the plant becomes bare.

I found some time after my last blog post to do some doll making

I know I have told you this already but . . .

I would make dolls every single day if I could !!!

the above 2 angels are Rosalie Quinlan designs,

the larger one is Charlotte Angel & the pattern has her with a small cane basket in her hands but I improvised . . . (due to lack of any cane baskets!!)

Her pinny is a lovely old tray cloth from my doiley stash

Next little lady is Rosalie Quinlans Warmth of Friendship Angel from an old copy of The Homespun Magazine

the original pattern has her wearing a felt jacket but I didnt want to cover up too much of her lovely rosey dress fabric :-)

A couple more doiley dolls made from the same pattern but dressed from my doiley stash

having a bad hair day - rather like her maker!!!

And discreetly lifting up her dress to show off her bloomers...

I wasnt too sure about this colour combination to begin with but in the end I was really pleased with how it came together.

Next another Miss Pink  . . .

her bloomers were originally table napkins


Last Saturday I had the most wonderful visit from 5 very special stitching friends from the far north . . .
which kind of just goes to show what wonderful places these here blogs can be & how they can bring likeminded friends together across the miles . . .

Way back - sometime last year - I met Leeanne from here

 quiltmekiwi.blogspot

we rapidly became blogging buddies & met up in January when she passed through my neck of the woods.

She mentioned that visit about bringing her stitching friends & I said that would be great (not expecting her to actually DO it bearing in mind they lived a good 4  hours away from here!!!)

So last weekend a group of 5 of them travelled to my little patch of (brown, crisp) Waikato & visited with me & Mr Fat Fluffy :-)

Honestly folks ... what a lovely bunch of girls - they were just the very best - Kerryn is from here  . . .

thecountryyard

& also Raewyn (middle) has a blog - go visit Raewyn here . . . 

stitchingfarmgirl.blogspot

We had some lunch together before they began their long journey home again (wagon loaded up) & then after lunch they presented me with this "interesting looking" package . .  .

which upon opening it,  revealed all these goodies -

(thought I had died & gone to heaven I did !!!)

for hosting them & providing lunch ! ! !

What an absolute treasure these ladies were & for the first time ever . .  . I wished I lived in the far north !!!!!!

so I could stitch & "hang out" with them on a regular basis :-)

Their visit left me feeling that lovely warm tight feeling that you get in the middle of your chest where you imagine your heart to be,

just a kinda warm fuzzy feeling :-)

they made me feel so good about what I was doing here in my funny ol threadbear patch (thanks so much girls)

Well Mr Fluffy is struggling today & hasnt moved far away from the fan - I am off to water some pots that are struggling also

I have been helping a friend move shops over the last fortnight & hope to have some pics next post of her new premises all set up & running - tomorrow is her grand opening.

Thankyou to all of you who stop by - it means so much that you take the time to read my ramblings even though the Mr tells me I mostly talk to myself . . . (I just havent realised it yet he says!!)

I have decided to reply to comments by email so that you actually receive them as it has been pointed out to me that unless you go back & check the comments section, you are not actually aware that I have written you a reply,  I cant do this for non-reply bloggers but you all know this already :-)

Wishing you a wonderful week folks,

Love/hugs/friendship,

Julie Xox