Hosting Our Craft Group Christmas Break-Up 🎄

Greetings lovely friends & readers

                                             The very first jug of Hydrangeas picked just this morning 🤍

November was my turn to host our little craft group - we usually have our Christmas Break up this month.  This was one of the reasons I put out my Christmas decorations so early - as I knew I was hosting the ladies & wanted the house to be festive for them.

A week prior, I sat at my table & chalk painted wooden pegs.  I'd decided to make peg snowmen as a simple project at our get-together but I thought if I painted them first it would save time & mess.  I painted them white, then masked half way & did their lower half red.  I also drilled a small hole in each of their "heads".

 

Surprisingly the ladies really embraced this craft actitivity.  We coloured in the ends of bamboo skewers with orange felt tip pen, cut them off & glued them in the holes - these became the snowmen's noses.  It was fun to watch each person put their own individual touch on their snowman.  Here they are all lined up at the end - hard to get a good photograph unfortunately.

Morning Tea                                                 Lunch  

I know I always say this but one thing we never get wrong is the food!  We usually meet at 10, have a shared morning tea, do our craft project & then have lunch together. Everyone brings a plate & we had a wonderful variety of delicious food.  I made pots of Christmas Tea & we enjoyed this with our lunch.

Last month when we met at Gails (& did No activity except eat & drink & chat) she gave us all a christmas paper serviette & our challenge was to bring it along having done something with it.  Here is the serviette top left.  

I decoupaged mine onto tags - it's not showing very well but I added bells & jute twine to the tags & let the ladies each choose one as a gift. 

Joyce decoupaged hers onto a lidded box that she had thrifted, then did a small festive display inside the box.

Liz cut down wooden garden stakes, painted them & made houses, decoupaging one of the houses with her serviette.

Gail took a platform shoe that was thrown in the bin at the Op-shop where she volunteers,  she decoupaged the serviette onto one side & did a christmas display inside the shoe - it was really adorable.

Maureen covered a polystyrene wreath with her serviette & then decorated it.

I think Sharlaine's project was the one we were all impressed with the most - she had mod-podged her serviette onto fabric & then made a project bag using the panels front & back.  My photo does not do justice to how impressive this was.  

It was great that - for a change - everyone embraced the challenge & took part.  It's getting harder to motivate some of them to do these projects so Gail & I were both really pleased with the outcome.

We had a cold snap a week ago so I made myself a "little nest" on the floor & sat & wrapped all 48 gifts for my Grandsons Advent calendars.  It did not take long for a certain ginger fairy to come along & take over my nest although she was no help whatsoever when it came to the gift wrapping (!!)

The advent trees are all ready for me to deliver this weekend - it is getting harder to find suitable things as the boys get older. 

Tomorrow we farewell November & then it is summer for us here at the bottom of the world.

Wishing you a most wonderful weekend where-ever you are in the world dear friends,

With much love & friendship to you all,

Giveaway Winner & A Revamped (Thrifted) Outdoor Set

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Yesterday lunchtime I cut out squares of paper, wrote out the names of all you lovely folk who took part in my Christmas Giveaway, put them in my old teapot, gave it a good shake & let The Mr draw out a name/number . . . . the winner is Jeanette from the blog " 3 Cats & A Quilter "

 Warmest congratulations to Jeanette - I have already emailed her for her postal address & have the package all ready to post away to Australia first thing on Monday.  Thank You to everyone that took the time to take part & leave me your wonderful comments - as mentioned before I wish I could send a package to each & every one of you!  💗

The gorgeous rose Remember Me - gifted to me when my dear Dad passed away 23 years ago now  🧡

In the middle of last winter while browsing in my local St Johns Op-Shop, the girls mentioned there was an outdoor table/chair set out the back that I may be interested in.  Someone had donated it but because it was so rusty they were unable to sell it.  Although I've forgotten to photograph the set "before" - the chairs were showing rust at the joins & the outside rim of the table was completely worn of paint & very rusty.

I was able to purchase the set for "a donation" so I gave them $20.  There it sat in my carport until a couple of weeks ago when I decided it was time to do something with it.  The rust on the chair joins appeared to be just surface rust & I was able to scrub this off & then treat it with a CRC rust remover product.

 The table however took alot more work & elbow grease.  First I scrubbed it, then I sanded it, then I applied the same rust remover product, & scrubbed again.

You can see above left, the parts where the rust remover has worked & the parts where I've yet to spray it.  It was mainly this outer rim that was the worst as the paint had completely flaked off it. I also treated it with a sealer/primer that I found in The Mr's shed.

I decided to paint the set in the Resene Paddock Green that I am currently so fond of but I was also able to find the spray paint above right called Coastal Green which matched my Paddock paint perfectly & made a much better job on the legs of the table & chairs.  

Unfortunately we had over a week of strong winds & I had to find a tucked-away spot up on my deck, out of the wind to spray paint.  It took me a week to get a coverage that I was finally happy with as I kept finding bits I had missed.  I did a combination of spray painting and brush painting on all three items.

I absolutely LoVe how this set turned out & wish I had take a Before pic to show you the difference.

Once I was happy with it I decided I needed something to sit on it. 💚

This old aluminium kettle was hiding in my sleepout ... it had been used as a plant holder a few years ago & I was able to remove the doilies with a good soak & a scrub, then gave it 2 coats chalk paint in the colour Vintage White before applying some leftover transfer offcuts.

I've sat a potted Impatiens in the kettle rather than planting directly into it as I didn't want to drill holes in the bottom.

I think it will be good to have it sitting up on my deck rather than out in the direct weather & I can keep a close eye on it to ensure no rust spots come back again.  Isn't that colour just so restful dear friends?

I must quickly mention blog comments dear readers ... many of my fellow bloggers appear to be having the same issue as myself.  Your comments are going to my email but are coming in as "no-reply-blogger" which means when I reply to them it is not going back to you.  Once I realised this I have tried to forward comments on to those of you whose email addresses I already have .. but inevitably there are some whose emails I don't have so I shall reply in the comments section below.  Blogger seems very much to have a mind of its own these days. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, its sunny here though chilly but I don't mind as the heat will come soon & then I will really complain  😉

Thank you as always dear friends, for your ever-welcome visits here today,

With much love & friendship to you all,

A Doll In A Lime Green Dress 💚 . . . . . & A Garden Gate Revamp

Greetings lovely friends & readers

A few weeks ago now I purchased a gorgeous new length of Oilcloth for my dining table from * Here *..  I chose a pale sage green for a change, then while waiting for it to arrive I seriously doubted my choice. I need not have worried - it was Gorgeous!

Although I only managed one good picking from my Lilac this year, the fragrance was heavenly & filled the house with its perfume 💜

 

Earlier this year my friend Jane messaged me a photo of a doll she'd seen on Pinterest & asked me if I could please make it for her as she'd especially fallen in love with the lime green dress & the primitive "grubbiness" of her. 

This was the picture Jane sent me.  A search of Pinterest failed to turn up any pattern for the dolly so I had to improvise.  After much debate (with myself) I used Rosalie Dekker Linen Angel pattern for the arms, legs & body but drew my own face shape as it needed to be a raggedy style face.  I also enlarged the pattern by 100%.  It was not without it's challenges 😉

We have finished with fires for the year so it feels strange to see the painted legs drying by the fire. I have to curb my perfectionism tendencies when making these primitive style dolls & I find this tricky at times.  Her shoes were painted in black & then sanded when dry.

I had the orange wool in my stash so I made the plaits & then lay the dolly on some paper towels, covered her face & sprayed liberally with hair spray ... 3 or 4 good coats makes the plaits stiff enough to stand out - she very much has a Pippi Longstocking vibe to her 💗  Painting the face was left til last & I was happy with the end result - it's been awhile since I've done this & I felt very nervous about it but I think I captured her expression well.

Prior to making the doll I showed the picture to my dear friend Shirley & said Jane wants this doll made with a green linen dress. "Oh No" said Shirley - that is not linen standing out puffy like that, that fabric is dupion silk!  I think I have just that colour in my stash!!!!"  So I am deeply grateful to Shirley for giving me the offcut in just the perfect Chartreuse green colour

After I'd made the dress & thought how sweet it looked I then had to dunk the whole thing, lace & all, in parisienne essence to tea dye/grubby it up.  This was scary stuff dear friends!! Then I had the not fun job of trying to iron it all out nicely again 😑

Once she had finally come to life & been sent down to Jane I received a lovely photo of her sitting on Janes shelf.  Phew!  💚 I'd quite fallen in love with this sweet little doll & could happily have kept her at my house!

Early last year youngest son removed a falling-down fence across the front of his propertyl  This green gate was attached to the fence & - as I was there helping in my capacity as Steptoe - the gate came home with me.  Last month I finally dragged it out, scrubbed it & then gave it 2 good coats of plain black paint.  I also found this half-round wire basket under my house so this got spray painted black while I was outside painting.

Once I was happy with the gate I affixed it firmly in my garden at the edge of my deck & attached the half round basket using cable ties.  I decided to double line it as I know how the birds pull at this coconut fibre matting & it doesn't last long.  

I filled it with compost & potting mix.  Little One inspected my work, gave it his approval ... then I trimmed the edges of the matting.  I planted 2 punnets of white Impatiens in the basket.  

The plants were tiny & are taking awhile to grow as it's still been so cold here.  I am hopefull they will grow & spill out over the edges of the basket.  A small sign tied to the gate just finished it off nicely.

This is looking across at it through the garden.  Those tall green plants in the foreground are perennial Phlox & have a vivid white flower.  I am hoping the white & black combination will look effective.

I am so thrilled with my green painted drawers planted with the lobelia & also the wrought iron chair filled with petunias.  The combination of the blue plates on the wall just finishes it all off nicely & makes me happy when I walk past it. 💙💚

Dearest friends, if you have not entered my Christmas Giveaway as yet, go to this post * Here * as there are still a couple of weeks left to enter.  Remember I will post to anywhere in the world - be in to win dear readers.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - I have family coming to visit & then I'm hosting my craft group on Monday so I am off to the kitchen to bake.

Thank you, as always, for your welcome visits here today,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,

A Simple Christmas Giveaway 🎄🎈💗

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Every year as Christmas approaches I plan to do a Giveaway & then time slips away on me.  So this year I have decided to do it now (early) - so that I can allow time to post it anywhere in the world & it will arrive (hopefully) before Christmas.

I really enjoy my blog & the friendships I have made through this little corner of my world.  I appreciate all of you that take the time to read my waffle ramblings, & especially those that leave me a comment.  I have found nothing but kindness through all the folk I have "met" through this platform.  So this simple little festive Giveaway is my way of saying Thank You to all of you ... if I could I would send you each a little parcel. 

 

I have put together a small selection of festive bits & bobs, mostly handcrafted by me but some are purchased items.  These will be posted to you beautifully giftwrapped & tied up with a tag.  

I will post anywhere in the world - anyone may enter.

Here is what will be included in the parcel . . . . . .

A handmade Christmas Cracker (Tilda fabrics of course) filled with some gourmet choccies.  This cracker can be untied & re-used for another gift, not thrown away like the store bought paper & plastic ones. 

Two of my handknitted organic cotton washcloths & a knitted scrubbie in Christmas colours.

A gorgeous fragrant soap in a Tilda bag tied with a velvet ribbon & a snowflake charm

A rustic hanging (or sitting) wooden Christmas sign.

A set of 3 different sizes of my handmade wooden christmas tags.

A cotton towelling tea-towel or handtowel with a festive design.

I solemnly promise to remove any Ginger Cat hairs before posting the package & No Willie, I cannot include said Ginger Cat in the parcel when posting !! 😉

Please enter by leaving me a comment below.  If you have any trouble getting your comment to publish then just email me at stitchedbyjulie@hotmail.com with your comment & I can copy & paste it. 

Anyone may enter - I will post worldwide.

If you feel inclined, please tell me one thing you love about Christmas, but you don't have to share this - I am just nosey curious like that !

If your comment comes through as anonymous please remember to leave me your first name & country - eg ... Julie from New Zealand as I often get many anonymous comments. 

 The Mr will draw a name out of the teapot on Friday 22nd November so it gives me a month for the package to arrive at it's destination.

 

Last week I finished sewing 20 lined Christmas Stockings for my local Patchwork Store.  She fills them with chocolates & donates to the Foodbank who put them in the boxes of families with children at Christmas time.  I have another 10 cut out so am hoping I manage to finish these before the cut-off date on the 20th November.  The store owner is hoping to reach 300 stockings again this year.

Some Christmas decorating began last week here at Threadbear HQ.  I like to pull out the containers & unpack things into the lids as it helps to sort what-goes-where.  It didn't take long for a certain ginger fairy to find the containers - a girl gets tired overseeing these things & has to have a nap along the way.

And some furry family members are just downright unhelpful !!! 😐

That's all for today dear friends - I have lots to share so I may do a series of catch up posts.

Wishing you all a wonderful rest-of-the-week,

With much love & friendship to you all,