Painting, Planting, Stitching, Knitting

End of the Week Greetings dear friends & readers,

There I was last week ... under the house ... ferreting around like a rat down a drain pipe

I remembered that I had stashed some wood there last winter & as our wood supply is looking rather desperate, hence my "ratting around" under the house

Though I was not greatly successful on the wood-finding front, I did come across 4 old tin watering cans.

I completely forgot to photograph the other 3 before I gave them a make-over, but they all looked alot like the one above ... dirty, damp, cobwebby & unloved.

After a good scrub & drying off, I was keen to paint them up using my stash of test pot colours

Amulet first - of course    :-)

I hadn't intended to plant them, but once painted I decided this was a good idea as I hoped to offer them for sale at the Cottage

The Amulet one got some white petunias popped into it . . .

.  .  .  as did the Hot Chilli one, which matches the kettle I painted & planted in my last post

Lastly this watering can is not vintage, but I still felt it could benefit from a coat (or two) of paint

This one got the "escape" colour treatment & planted with lovely dainty Catmint, whose lavender coloured flowers will look gorgeous against the blue of the can.

I plan to keep them sheltered til the plants get established & by then the Garden Groups will be due to visit (I hope!!)

Way back 9 months ago Jenny first offered her The Vintage Kitchen Block of the Month stitch-a-long

(which is still free to download on Jenny's blog elephantz)

Although I was tempted I did not take part, due to having no room whatsoever in my kitchen to hang this lovely piece

However, about 5 months into the stitch-a-long I had a change of heart.

Every month when Jenny would release a new block I would be drooling .... 
I loved it so much, so I decided to take part

 My kitchen is a small galley style, with cupboards covering most of my walls & french doors at one end, so I have very limited wall space

At the end, as the kitchen runs into my dining area, I have a large iron stand housing (some) of my vintage enamel collection

I decided the wallhanging would just fit above this stand.

I would like to say that I quickly caught up with the months I was behind on, but truth be told, I struggled right to the last month & almost gave up,

Although Jenny has done hers using a white & bright red colour theme, I decided to try to use what I had on hand.
 I chose to do my stitcheries using DMC 221, a darkish turkey red stitched onto a dull cream background.

However, when I was finished & ready to put it all together, I pulled out my stash of red fabrics (yes there are rather a lot) but not one single one that would go.

Off to town I trot with a plan to buy some red & a nice deep mustard to go with it .  .  .

.  .  . this is what I came home with .  .  .

The red fabric is by Lynette Anderson & the other 2 are designed by Kristel Salgarollo from her Betty Blue collection.  I hoped the greyish blue would tone nicely with my enamel collection

As I didn't have a novelty print for the top & bottom panels as Jenny has used, I chose to add a heart appliqued in the red.
Also I changed the wording in the centre block to "My Vintage Kitchen".
I am really thrilled with my wallhanging .... it is not very often I make something for my own home & it has bought me lots of enjoyment.
Thank You dear Jenny for sharing this wonderful block of the month with us all.


My Mum has always been the most beautiful knitter all of my life.
She is now 86 & has macular degeneration of her eyesight ... her knitting days are numbered.

Up until about a year ago this large enamel baby's bath sat in my Cottage filled with Mums knitted boy & girl gollies.
They sold out like hotcakes -  to all ages of customers.
Mum now struggles to knit the black wool & especially the hair which is looped over your finger as you knit.
I offered to put the hair on myself using fur ... so this is how the gollies arrive now in the post .  .  .

.  .  . minus hair, faces, & skirts for the girls.

But they still turn out just fine once I add these little touches . . .

This little girl above was an order ... for a 90 year old lady!!!
I am trying to encourage Mum to keep knitting to keep both her hands & her mind occupied.

Thank You to all of you who have entered & taken part in my Spring Angel Giveaway 

The Giveaway runs until the end of September so there is still plenty of time if you would like to enter
Just go to this post here to enter in the comments section.
I will leave you with these pics I snapped of Miss Pippi this morning ... 

... her favourite pastime of late - hunting the Doves !!!
May you all have a wonderful weekend filled with activities & people you enjoy,
with much love & friendship,
Julie, Blackie & Pippi Longstocking
x0x0x0