Friday, May 24, 2013

some snaps from a threadbear week

Hello dear friends & readers

How has your week been??
Have you accomplished much??
One of the great things about blogging is that I have learnt to take lots of photographs along the way
so that often when you feel like you have achieved very little ...
the photos can tell a different story

When I place a vase of rosemary in the room & light the fire the fragrance goes right through the house


I thought I would share with you some snaps of my week :-)

Autumn for me means loads & loads of leaves to rake up & put back on the gardens to rot down


visitors that come often comment to me
"oh I do envy you your trees" 
& while this is lovely, they are all deciduous
& make for alot of work when autumn arrives


I put the smaller ones on the garden & I burn the larger leafed ones like the paulownia
I tell myself it is good exercise . . . ??!! hmmm...


Like a squirrel, I gather walnuts & dry in the sun on big cane trays
Our tree this year is prolific - once upon a time, I used to mow them all up - (yes I am ashamed to admit to this)


I have harvested the last of my pumpkin crop
though prior to this, I have given quite a few away

Remember last year when we had some large trees removed & mulched . . .



I am still slowly wheelbarrowing the mulch around my gardens - it is a slow process (I am slow, that is)


one huge pile done, 3 more to go !!!




I like to put it on really thickly as it soon sinks down

We have had some lovely late autumn days
where the sun has been really pleasant & I have tried to sit out on the deck enjoying it before winter hits us
& we bunker down

my favourite lunch ... grilled cheese on toast - while sitting in the sun stuffing rabbit & cat bottoms!!!!!
(yes, honestly!!!)

And on the sewing front . . . 
my dear friend Shirley very kindly lent me her pattern for the sweetest little pincushion angel which I just adored
It is a Woodberry Designs pattern by Kerryanne English ... I made the 1st one the same as Shirley's in very neutral linens with cream trims, doiley etc


She seemed to take ages to make 1st time around
but then I had another go & it felt much quicker


I made the 2nd angel in pink rosey fabrics with more whiter trims & doiley
I just love them - they are very tilda-ish in style, & they have a little pocket in the back, which is optional


but great for holding scissors & sewing supplies


Also I have completed another wool blanket bunting
like the one I made for my friend Donna's birthday last month
instead of "Studio" this one says "Home"



I am very partial to the pastel vintage colours & just love sitting blanket stitching around them by the fire in the evenings


This is taken on my ironing board - it is the words "Vintage", done in paisley,  waiting to be finished & stitched together -
this weekends project maybe??

I hope you have all had an enjoyable week whatever you may or may not have accomplished ...  always remember this little verse ...

poster from my friend Sally - gets read all throughout my day :-) ... thanks Sal

Thankyou all SO much for stopping by & I hope your weekend brings you only good things :-)
cheerio from my little part of the world
much love/hugs/friendship,
Julie xOx

9 comments:

  1. Hi Julie, I love your idea of the cut rosemary, I will have to try that one! Lovely photos of your garden and makings too. The new pincushion dolls are gorgeous, love the idea of the pocket on the back, have a great weekend, hugs Wendy x

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  2. I have walnut envy! I'm still giggling about those bottoms too :) xxx

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  3. That looks like Vegimite under the cheese? Glad you got your leaves raked up without too many interruptions! I sometimes put cut rosemary in a vase too, I like the smell.
    I wondered if you could make some ugly things that I won't want to buy....please! Those angel pincushions......lovely & the blanket bunting......oh & yummy walnuts..............Groovie looking pumpkins.

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  4. I have got behind on reading your posts - you have been so busy making and creating. I on the other hand have been having an ocd tidy out and thrown out just about everything from my cupboard and craft box - it feels like a new canvas or a clean slate maybe! It is so cold in the UK it could well be autumn here too and I actually felt a little envious of your lovely pumpkins! Betty x

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  5. Oh Julie you make me want to have a summer home down there with you.
    I could enjoy your fall and then come back here when the weather cools.
    Oh in a perfect world, lol
    It always amazes me how much you get done in a week.
    I look and can say I have done the dishes and swept up a million times and thats it all. It has been so long since I have crafted or had the want to do it.
    But summer is coming and I will have to buckle down and stay inside. but boy I would rather have a fire and beautiful autumn scents to craft by.
    Enjoy it all for me.
    Amy

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  6. Hello dear, I have been away with the fairies again, as you can tell!! Actually, I am full steam ahead with Trade me just now..it was all very well doing up the sewing room but there was an awful lot of "spare" stuff hanging around as a consequence. I have along way to go yet, besides all the raking of leaves & shuffling of walnuts too. Mowing walnuts!! Are yours a decent size to work with? We picked up a great many at the Showgrounds a couple of weeks ago only they are quite small & fiddly to shell. Oh yes..a friend told me about using a small paring knife to poke into the puckery bottom of the walnut & then twist...works a treat on the little nuts, perhaps haven't found the right knife for the bigger ones.
    I did love the photo of your lunch & the red & white spots..feels very comforty, warm & cheery for some reason. Maybe it was the cheese on toast!
    Fantastic mulch, by the way. it takes a lot of effort to move around that much volume doesn't it, but so worth it in the weed suppression department. Sometimes I use old newspapers underneath too.
    Love the new header...good for you!
    Have a lovely week full of pumpkin soup ; )
    Much love & friendship Catherine x0x0x

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  7. Beautiful post Julie - your photos show a hive of activity! I do like having the camera around capturing those moments. Good old mousetraps for lunch - it looks like a lovely way to spend some time and a great place to stuff and sup :-) Love your latest pincushion dolls - they are gorgeous!!

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  8. Those wonderful trays of walnuts take me right back to my childhood Julie!
    We had a huge walnut tree and our back verandah always looked like that - though my father just put down old newspapers and dried the walnuts on those!
    It's that time again, to put the garden to bed for the winter months ahead.
    Your plants will reward you in Spring for that wonderful blanket of mulch - so nourishing.
    Your angel pincushions are so appealing and the blanket rabbits and cats above!
    Great minds think alike J as I've been having cheese on toast for lunch too - comfort food!
    Have a lovely week
    Shane ♥

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  9. Hello Julie,

    Not only do I have leaf envy but old tool envy, pumpkin envy and doll envy. I do like the poster sign, true words there.

    Have a great week Julie.

    Of to rake up my three leaves!

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