A shiny new month

Hello there friends & readers.

 

Well it is a shiny new month ... February  :-)

And where did January go to I might ask???!!!

 

I was looking back through some older posts - in particular, this one picture ...

frosts in June

 

& I realised I am always complaining about the weather!!!

So I promise - no more complaining :-)

I shall enjoy the seasons whatever they bring ...

(tho some of THIS would sure be welcome about right now!!!)

 

 

Rain, that is - & gosh look at that green, green grass!!!

 

 

As the Lavender farm around from me have harvested their flowers this past week

I decided I had better do the same

With having over 40 bushes to prune it is rather a large job

but I am pleased to report I am almost finished :-)

 

It has been so hot I havent even hung them in bunches to dry

just left them sitting in cane trays in the sun

Now all I have left is the rubbings to do which is time consuming but rather nice on the senses . . .

 

 

 

I have been trying to stay on track with my resolution to use whatever I have on hand & NOT buy new craft supplies

I pulled this out of the pile last week - I think it was an Op Shop purchase from a long time ago in amongst a pile of doilies

 

 

An old cross stitch of a cow and it looks like someone had sewed bias binding around it at some stage - perhaps it had been framed?

So I unpicked the bias & carefully washed the aida cloth

then I gave it a new surrounding & made it into a little cushion...

 

which I think turned out rather nice :-)

 

It has been a bit of a cushion making week really...

this was another revamp ... it had been in a frame

It is a Country Friends stitchery panel done by me many years ago

I took it out of the frame (as it had never sold in the Cottage)

& stitched it onto some felt borders,

added some buttons, then onto a nice piece of ticking fabric,

& another cushion was born . . .  I have always loved this Wendy Briggs angel design ...

 

 

 

 

 

And then thirdly, while shopping in my local Patchwork Shop

just prior to christmas, the owner was throwing some fabric swatch samples in the bin - she saw me & threw them at me instead

"you can do something with these" she said

I soon snapped them up as they were Lynette Andersons designs

I stitched the 9 squares together & then framed them with a fat 1/4 of Lynettes fabric that I already had

it began its life as a patchwork table mat & then along the way...

it morphed into a cushion :-)

 

 

Also another completion was this Ruby Doll - remember this version I made last winter??

this is a Rosalie Quinlan design out of the Homespun Magazine

 

 

Well I found I had made 2 bodies at the same time

so Ruby II got some clothes this week . . .

 

 

 

Ruby I has already gone to live in a very nice home :-)

 

Lastly I pulled these 4 china mugs out of the back of my craftroom cupboard the other day

& decided to make them into the pincushions that I usually make in the china teacups - coffee mugs can be just as nice !!

 

 

I was rather pleased with the result  - the mugs were in such good condition - I weighted them first with about 1/4 cup fine gravel

 

 

 

Sometimes February can be a quiet month at the Cottage

with school going back & the Lavender farm having harvested

Though I have already taken 2 group bookings this morning :-)

It is good to have a chance to catch your breath a bit

& maybe try some new patterns out -

I am keen to do some more things out of this book . . .

 

 

I shall keep you posted friends.

 

In the meantime, have a lovely weekend all of you

lets hope its a creative one where ever you are ...

& remember this little verse I have on my fridge ...

(so I get to read it lots of times throughout my day!!)

 

Given to me by my friend Sally :-)

It is most certainly true.

(The Mr has just come along & read my draft post & has commented ...

"why dont you just write "this week I made 3 cushions ... why do you have to make such a saga of it all - people dont want to know all that hoohaa" ..."  hmmm, an interesting thought I guess but I LOVE to read all the hoohaa behind other peoples creations & so ... I hope they do too with mine)???!!!

 

Cheerio for today folks,

Much love/hugs/friendship,

Julie Xoxo

 



Summertime Sunflowers & bike baskets

Hello there friends & readers,

Phew it is sooo hot . . . 

we are all wilting here at my funny ol' threadbear patch

The Mr & I have been milking as our worker is on holiday

I am finding it a chore in this heat & the paddocks are turning brown very quickly

this is peat soil & the land turns brown very quickly

Sometimes I finish off by myself while the Mr does other farm chores - but often, I have a "helper". . . 

in the form of a right pain in the rear very willing & able farm dog

who is struggling with this heat himself

& last night found a murky old trough to hop right into

I did say "have a drink" NOT "have a dip" !!!!

- so he required a bit of a hosing off (which he loves)

I like to have a little drink while I am being hosed off

The Mr grows Japanese Millet at the farm to make into silage

& also to break feed to the cows

this year he added sunflowers to the mixture as the oil in them is very good for the cows

they are a real picture at present with their happy faces turning to the sun each day

this is taken with me standing on the ground - shows how tall they are now - towering above the millet

they always make me smile even if I am driving down the road & I see some in a paddock - such happy flowers :-)

I picked a dozen & bought home to brighten the cottage deck

My Mum has been up for a few days to stay as we had a little family get-together over at Papamoa

I picked these lillies from the garden to cheer the dining room up before Mums arrival . . .

(an interesting point . . . I always obsessively clean the house before my Mums arrival - I was contemplating this & thought of my own boys & wondered would they do this if I was going to stay with them??? & I came to the conclusion they would most likely think "Oh Mums coming, SHE can do it for us...") !!!!

I love their fragrance though I know lots of people don't.

We had a lovely few days with Mum :-)

My friend Lois runs our local Trade Aid Store & is always letting me know when something comes in that she thinks might interest me - or be suitable for the Cottage

Before christmas she told me about the new bike baskets

that had arrived in, so I purchased one for myself

I felt it was only varnished very thinly & as I planned to have it outside I knew it would deteriorate very quickly

so I waited til the Mr was not around, then I fossicked in his shed

(he HATES me doing this I might add)

& found an old pot of polyurethane

I was very thorough & gave it several coats over a couple of days

- it soon dried in this heat -

then I cut up a black rubbish bag & lined the inside

before planting it with some busy lizzies potted colour

which will look great once they spread out over the edges

I was really chuffed with my basket on my tatty ol bike

a bit of colour under the walnut tree . . . 

Note the quickly browning off grass around it

Anyone fancy a ride . . .  ???

Mum had given me a brand new white towel to use

but we tend not to use white linen here as our water contains

ironstone & turns our whites yellowish - unless I soak everything

I had remembered something in my very "special treasure" book

on page 37

I also remembered seeing some pretty bindings in my local wool shop recently (& couldn't resist a few)!!!

So I set to & cut the towel up & made some washcloths

 - using the bindings to trim them

I got 8 made in total from 1 towel - they are a generous size

I plan to display them in an old enamel basin in the cottage 
along with some home-made soaps :-)

Also, prior to Mums visit &, once again, cleaning out her room

I tipped out my bag of offcuts from my wool blankets that I tend to keep (for whatever reason)

plus I came across an old container of crocheted flowers -

I think maybe an Op Shop purchase a few years ago??

I always keep a basket by my chair in the lounge & during my day I tend to throw bits & pieces into it - for handwork to do in the evenings if I am watching t.v.

After an evenings stitching & a good soppy movie (One Day)

this is what I turned the offcuts into . .  .

Stuffed with homegrown lavender - they smell wonderful :-)

A lady walked up the path last week & admired the garden
I explained to her it was certainly way past its best now
& looking tatty due to the drought 
She commented "Oh you must surely have a watering system??"
"Yes" I replied . .  . "I do..."
"its me, - on the end of a hose each evening !!!!!"
She rolled her eyes !!!!
hmmm
Well friends, its milking time again so best I get moving
as I have a "helper" waiting for me

getting impatient . .  .
wishing you sunshine or rainbows - wherever in the world you are
"happy weekend" :-)
thanks - as always - for stopping by
love/hugs/friendship,
Julie (& the ever-important "farm dog")
Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Round in circles . . .

 

 

Hello dear friends & readers :-)

 

Do you ever have those weeks where you go round & round in circles???

Well I certainly do . . .

last week was one of them :-(

 



 

I seemed to go from one project to another & by the end of the day - not really have achieved much

my little cottage has been busier due to the lavender farm

being in full bloom

this is great for me but means I get very little done

however, I did manage to complete some half-started craft projects

(I wont confess how long ago I actually started them though)

 

 

 

Over New Year I dragged out some old rolls of vintage wallpaper

& decided to make some nice bags for the cottage

to pop my customers purchases into . .  .

 

 

apologies for really grainy photos - dont do them justice sorry

 

 

They were so simple to make - just sew up the sides,

tops folded under & a hole punched for the handles

I used some old cording & some ricrac for the "handles"

(trying to use up what supplies I already had)

 

 

 

 

It felt great to be able to use some of the wallpaper

& feels really nice when I hand them to the customers

& they admire their bag :-)

 

 

 

Two of these cane chairs were dragged out of the woodshed

I had purchased some paint a very very long while ago

& had been nagging & hassling asking nicely for the Mr to paint them for me . . .

 

 

 

he finally agreed last Saturday &I could've jumped for joy . . .

I wasted no time cleaning them up ready for him

 

  

 

distracting "someone" who wanted to help the painter

& quite fancied himself coloured "red"

 

 

  

Seeing as She has shut me inside I am going to sleep with my head on her carpet!!!


I am so chuffed with the finished product
(incidently the colour is called Hot Chilli should you feel tempted)

 

 

Next post I hope to be able to show you some cushions I have made for them :-)

 

 

 

These two little Miss's were sitting naked in the sewing room

& finally got some clothes (& hair) this week

they are called Baby Annie & are an Angels in Disguise pattern

I like to give them little toys to hold in their hands

(in case they get bored)

 

 

 

 

Another "completion" was this felt swag I really enjoyed making

 

 

 

It is the partner to this heart "door hanger"

which is an I Luv Country design by Tracey North

I really love her patterns & am always pleased with the finished result

 

 

 

But by far the most exciting thing that happened this past week

was a visit from a friend whom I met through my blog.

I had the loveliest visit from Leeanne & her husband

it felt like we were old friends & we could've chatted for ages

but they had a long journey ahead of them

you can find Leeanne here . . .

 quiltmekiwi.blogspot

 

she has written a post about her trip so far

(I do so love meeting my blogging friends - thankyou Leeanne for popping in - it was definately the highlight of my week)

 

 

 

Leeanne had taken some photos of Isabella for her post

so yesterday when I was studying her (Isabella that is)

I realised how really filthy she was

- all cobwebby & bird pooey the poor wee lass

even a touch of moss beginning in her creases!!

so I set to & gave her a good scrub with the long brush

 

 

 

I do hope you can notice the difference

she is much shinier & smiling brighter I think :-)

 

Before I close I just wanted to show you these little "faces"

that have popped up in the garden this past week

 

  

 

 

 

 

I just adore them but the interesting thing is . . .

I have absolutely NO recollection of ever planting them

& as they are bulbs, I can't imagine they have self seeded there

the pink one is actually where I grew my tomatoes last year!!

The cream one has the most glorious scent

I love that about gardens - how these things sometimes happen

& kind of make up their own minds about where they grow,

Have a wonderful weekend dear friends

I hope its a creative one where-ever you are

thanks so much for stopping by

love/hugs/friendship - Julie Xox