Hello dear friends & readers,
Have you managed to complete anything this past week??
For me, it has been a week of quite a few completions
(no I am not referring to the packet of biccies out of the back of the pantry OR the peanut slab hidden in my sewing room!!!)
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| Beautiful mosaic pot with pansies made by my friend Jan |
We have had a real mixed bag of weather this last week ... we have had those real tipping-it-down days which are great for sewing & not feeling like you should be outside gardening
And then today is the most glorious weather & doing outside jobs is a pleasure once again
Our grapevine stretches over half the length of our property & the Mr has been gradually pruning it over the past week (he rather enjoys this job he informs me)
I have spent 3 days on my knees weeding & deadheading the miniature agapanthas that we planted underneath it
(I rather do NOT enjoy this job I might add!!!)
(I rather do NOT enjoy this job I might add!!!)
It is always a battle to beat the birds to the grapes when we get a decent crop ... to be honest, the years that we do get a decent crop are few & far between
However we persevere - we have given it a good prune back this year & taken some of the runners out to keep it more compact
"How absolutely enthralling Julie ... 2 patches of bare ground ... have you lost your marbles (again)??"
No, but I have finished the 6 huge piles of mulch I had to put round!!!
The Mr asked me if I wanted to celebrate ... to be honest I just really wanted to have a lie down !!!
The torrential rain forced me to my sewing room & a few completions were managed there as well ...
these 2 bird doilies had been put aside when I made the doiley runners a couple of posts back ... I decided to make them up into cushions using some of my wool blanket stash ...
After a soak & a wash, the doilies were in immaculate condition...
Someones beautifully detailed handwork from many years ago ...
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| I added some of my bakelite buttons to the top of this one |
This little angel set has been finished & appliqued, & is ready for the Cottage ...
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| A double-ender potholder & a single oven mitt |
This lovely little panel with a Mabel Lucie Attwell design was in the bottom of the rubbish bags I squirrelled home after helping my friend shift last month ... I made it up into a nice plump cushion ...
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| Side One - girls |
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| Side two - boys |
I love her designs ... they are so timeless :-)
There have been some non-sewing items completed this week also ...
A swag of rusty bells with torn fabric trims ...
I have always loved the combination of reds & mustards
Plus 2 single swags with a rusty heart & a birdhouse on the bottom
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| A patriotic combination of red/white & blues |
Thank you all so much for your very kind comments & good wishes for my son (last post) on his engagement ... bloggers comments really do lift your spirits & "make your day" ... your comments were all so very kind & thoughtful
As I headed off to weed down the grapevine this week (with sore knees & back) I got an email from them saying they were off to the French Riviera ... something is quite wrong in this equation I thought !!!!!~**
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend out there folks
thanks so much for stopping by my corner
much love/hugs/friendship,
Julie x0x0x
As I headed off to weed down the grapevine this week (with sore knees & back) I got an email from them saying they were off to the French Riviera ... something is quite wrong in this equation I thought !!!!!~**
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend out there folks
thanks so much for stopping by my corner
much love/hugs/friendship,
Julie x0x0x
Dear Julie, you work so tirelessly. Everything looks so superb.Congrats to your son and his fiancee. What a wonderful place to be to celebrate their love. Re the grapes, do you cover the grapes with nets when they are ripening. Big job I know but that maybe what you will have to do.Glorious weather today and I'm sure your garden smells and looks pretty wonderful. Hugs Shirley
ReplyDeleteHello Julie,
ReplyDeleteTwo piles of mulch shifted, garden weeded,grapevines pruned, things made for the cottage and a "Wish you were here from the French Riviera!!!" Sounds like life for our generation.
Enjoy the sunshine.
Happy days.
Bev.
p.s Mabel fabric was definitely a score.
You have got so much done this week - I am just planting daffodils and tulips and then I pop over to your blog and see how beautiful they could (probably won't!) look in March 2014 if mine ever break through the soil - I usually have little success due to heavy clay soil though. The grape vine is interesting, my grandma had one and maintained that the roots need to be outside but the plant itself inside in her greenhouse with the root coming in from underneath (in this UK climate) she got lots of grapes but they were never very sweet. I would like to grow one - maybe oneday in my forever retirement home. I do absolutely adore your rustic rag ropes with the little bird house etc on the end - they are very pretty. Hope you can have a bit of rest after completing all that hard work. Betty
ReplyDeleteGood grief I need a lie down after reading all you have done!! Did you pop open the bubbly or the teapot when the last of the mulch was done & dusted? hopefully this rain will get the grass growing for you.
ReplyDeleteLove all your pots of colour, so very pretty, even for a winter lover like me! Do you take your bulbs out of the pots when they are finished?
Gee they are great old bells on the garland....love em! Nice cushions too. Thanks to you I have an addiction to embroidered doliey's!!
So are the grapes for a spot of wine making??
Happy weekend to you my friend.
Hello sweet friend, yes.. I have to admit that I am sometimes quite relieved when it rains so that I have no choice but to stay inside & get other things done..otherwise the garden is a never ending process that is never actually ever complete! That is a very long row of aggies! Do you get irritated by the slime in the leaves? It seems to give me quite a rash if it gets on my skin. They should be in flower for the wedding?? Could you possibly net a section of the grapevine do you reckon? That might be useful. Birds adore fruit. I feed them apples & pears all winter..they love gold kiwifruit too.
ReplyDeletePerfect place for the delightful doillies. They look so sweet. I made a small tablecloth along the lines of your runner this week, only, blowed if I could figure out how to stretch them out nicely. I was sure I had each one well pinned & then they went all wonky on me! Still it was a pretty plan to remedy a hole in a very nice old afternoon tea cloth.
Your pots look wonderful...what a joy.
Happy weekend my friend.
Much love Catherine x0x0x
Sending more doily love...inspired by your lovely cushions. Hope the vines turn to wine making it all worth the time. Best wishes from Eco Ethel xx
ReplyDeletelol well I did complete a lot of stuff plus the snacks in the cupboard too!!!
ReplyDeleteOh your land looks so amazing and it will soon look so full and lush with the arrival of Spring.
Those doily cushions are just perfect. So sweet to preserve those beauties in such a useful but decorative way.
Your ragged swags are wonderful. I love the prim country rags, always have. I think it was my first obsession as a teen spending summers in Pennsylvania, I scoured fleamarkets and antiques shops for stuff like that and vintage Coke bottles. My room decor as a teen definitely was not a typical one, lol.
Here is to hoping you get more completions this weekend but it looks like ya did quite well to me ;)
Amy
hi julie...i have just found you through eco ethel.....you mention Mabel Lucie attwell and squirrelling......so i knew you were a blog for me! happy to be following!x
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, your garden photos are beautiful, congratulations on the diappearing mulch piles! Your swags and other handwork are so gorgeous - your ideas are always so crafty and clever. Hope you have another satisfying week :-)
ReplyDeleteYou have certainly got a lot done this week, and your gardens are so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWheelbarrow looks gorgeous Julie as do the pillows!!! The rusty bell garland is very very cool! looks like you have been very busy. I can't wait for things to slow down so I can do some serious stitching!!
ReplyDeleteMichelle
I love the pillows with the bird doilies and the color of the wool blanket is perfect. I will enjoy experiencing spring and seeing the spring flowers through your eyes as we enter fall over here!
ReplyDeleteI am your newest follower!
-Khammany
I'm feeling like a lie down just reading all you've done this week Julie!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous tulips and your Spring planted wheelbarrow is wonderful.
The bell swags are very pretty for hanging by the door or a window - lovely.
YES I agree it should be you two on the French Riviera - hope you get there one day it's amazing!
Hugs
Shane