What Makes You Happy

Hello dear friends & readers,

How has your week gone??  

It is hard to believe we are now into August - where did July go to I might ask you???

My house smells lovely today - I have picked some white daphne & I have been burning my Cinnamon Spice candle   :-)
(it makes me happy when the house smells nice)

I do recall having a pink daphne also but I think the fat fluffy may have plonked his nether regions down on it & it did not survive the trauma!!!

(not much did when he parked his large derrier on top of it!!!)

I finished my rose pruning this week - it is a big job - I  have 28 rose bushes (not much compared to some I know) but it always seems to take me ages - I am happy it is finished now

After pruning I have given them some sheep pellets & then begun spreading a thin layer of mulch around the leaf mulch that is on the garden - I am hoping this will keep the weeds down plus help when it gets dryer in the summer 

The mulch is slowly getting distributed around the gardens - it is a slow process though & I wish I could wiggle my nose sometimes ... & it was done !!!!

This past week I finished an order for my friend Kerryn - she owns this wonderful shop here which is on my "to visit" list one day, not too far away I hope :-)

The pattern is Winnie from Mums Moment - I have made this doll before ... but this time Kerryn stitched the aprons herself & sent them down with the fabrics she had chosen

My photography is not the best ... I was rushing as I wanted to post them away to her

Kerryn had done the most beautiful stitching on the aprons (I would very much like to take the credit myself but I'm afraid I cant)

I ADORE the fabric Kerryn has used for the apron stitchery here

I think my most favourite (tho it was hard to chose) - was the darker one - I loved how she was ever so slightly primitive looking & I would never have put these fabrics together but I just loved the combination of them ...

Sorry Winnie ... have chopped your head off a bit here

The tea-dying was also much darker than my photography is doing justice to, but you get the general idea

(Miss burgundy Winnie had a doiley in her hand & Miss blue Winnie did not ... but she was giving me "the look" so I found one & stitched it to her hand also !!!!!)

(I must mention ... Kerryn was very happy with her 2 Winnies which arrived safely thru the post - I was happy (& relieved!!) that she was happy)

This past week I sold 2 new things out of the Cottage which gave me much excitement !!!! (& happiness)

Let me explain a little   ...   often I make things & think they are just wonderful & I love them & think that folk will think they are just so special & have to have them etc etc ....  & they sit forever & do not move & I end up either reducing them or giving them away & wondering what on earth I was raving about in the first place!!??

Remember the ladder of vintage trim teatowels I made a few posts ago??

Well I sold some   ...  3  in fact :-)

The lady that bought them just adored them also & "raved" & couldn't choose which she loved the most

So today I made 3 more, another mustard & blue + a new fabric

My vintage button stash is looking rather depleted now, but we cant have the teatowel ladder looking empty now can we???!!!

The other purchase that excited me so much was this very cool, composed (non-chatty) customer who just randomly said "I'll take the Home bunting thanks..."

see it hanging in the background - its a wonder she even noticed it up there !!!

I'm not sure if she appreciated me raving about it & telling her it was my "new stock" & how I "just love making bunting from the vintage blankets" - but she bought it anyway :-) (after I clammered up & got it down for her)

Which meant I got to "play" in my blanket stash again & make 2 more !!!

I really enjoy sitting of an evening & blanket stitching around the outsides of the squares - I find the repetitiveness very therapeutic & soothing

I have a new "postcard" on my noticeboard - I keep reading it & agreeing (out loud) with it ... (the Mr thinks I am finally flipping my lid!!!)

I hope you got some time in your week to "do more of what makes you happy folks" - 

Thankyou for your lovely comments about Brenda last week - I have visited with her twice this week & she was definately "huffy" with me for not going each day !!! 

 (Obviously our worker doesnt have half as interesting "secrets" to tell her as I did!!??)

Thanks so much for stopping by - I am off to work on some more orders - I have a few orders at present - 8 in fact!!!

Have a wonderful weekend & try to do more of what makes you Happy :-)

much love/hugs/friendship, 

Julie x0x

Busy-ness

Hello there dear friends & readers

These are busy days of late  ...

I have not managed to stop by for a wee while & these little souls have been the reason why

Our farm worker has been quite unwell so I have been called upon  to be the "helper" for a bit

Thank goodness he is now much improved & I can hang up my overalls for now  :-) 

This little girl below is a favourite - her name is Brenda - dont ask me why "Brenda", but the Mr named her ... I know, say no more ...

Hello there -  whatcha up to ?????

She is a right little nosey parker - always there wondering what you are doing - some days, I tell her all my secrets

REALLY !!??  ....  is that so .... well I never ...

She just listens & promises NOT to tell the others - I am sure I can trust her :-)

Brenda is always sad to see me leave ... I give her an extra special pat when I go & each afternoon, she is there waiting for me :-)

It was a month or so ago that I read this post from Louana & it gave me a great big lump in my throat
I decided I would like to make some hottie covers to donate but it has taken me all this time to get around to them

I only managed 3 in the end & was a bit afraid I would miss the final posting to Christchurch but I made it in time
I think it is an amazing project that Lisa has co-ordinated  - & for a wonderful cause too - the children :-)

Two weeks ago I really enjoyed reading this post from Wendy & downloaded the free pattern that she had stitched for her daughter, Charlie

I must confess I loved what she had done for Charlie so much, that I ended up putting mine in a hoop also & am now stitching an enlarged version to be made into a small cushion

When not at the farm I have been trying to work on some orders this past fortnight - the days are foggy & damp here - I took this shot of poor ol' Isabella outside at lunchtime 2 days ago

Taken at 12 midday

Taken from my dining room window looking towards - what should be - green paddocks
This shot was taken 2 hours later just as it began to lift, before closing in again for the evening

She continues to smile no matter what the weather or conditions :-)

 It has made drying things near impossible so the fire comes in handy for those little bits of teadyed calico & trims that are needed in a hurry ...

& makes a change from dolls legs in tea cups !!!

In between working on orders, I came across another 2 doll bodies in my sewing room (yes there are a number of naked bodies floating around in there if you look hard enough) - although I had completely lost 1 leg + 1 arm - I managed to finish these 2 little angels & they have flown their way into the Cottage angel area

Do you by any chance, recognise the dress fabric Catherine ?????  :-)

The pattern is an older one from Mums Moment & is called Gabby & Gloria - I have altered it quite a bit as it is meant to be 2 dolls hanging together with 2 hearts between them saying "friends share one heart"  - but I preferred the individual angels on their own.

Before I close I wanted to share this frame with you - I have finally finished putting it together for the Mr (& myself too)  - apologies for the bad light I have photographed it in

Great memories of an awesome special friend

I am off to find a hammer & hang it on our bedroom wall - I will leave you with a couple of pics to remind us all (especially myself), that winter will soon pass & we will have flowers blooming again ...

not too, too far away (I hope) ...

Have a wonderful weekend friends - thanks so very much for stopping by :-)
much love/hugs/friendship,
Julie x0x0

Some completions

Hello there dear friends & readers

This past week has seen a few "little" completions

Yes the Cottage is Open again - at last :-)

A lovely friend called in from Taranaki last week & she said it looked "bigger & lighter" - how my heart sang !!!!

Shall I perhaps tell you about the lady the next day who said "where did you actually paint as it looks the same as last time I came???!!!  ....  no maybe we wont mention her!!

I am very happy with it & although it is difficult to do wonderful displays with the small space that I have, I feel it is lighter & fresher & also feels more spacious to me :-)

I will just dot photos about as I chat to you ...

the fireplace mantle  - I did not paint this lovely old wood surround, just oiled it

The shelf below is new, or should I say old, & revamped plus the mirror behind it was a friends throw-out I rescued ...

It gives some height to my displays ...

The stand below was black & I painted it with leftover wall paint

shelf destined for the dump "before" . . . 

same shelf "after" . . . 

New curtains made from old length of lace that I have had for far too many years to remember . . .

The golly corner - tall ladder has been painted cream - was dark green

My vintage pram filled with baby knitting

Okay thats all for now  ... just a quick skim around the room with my funny ol' camera ... now what do you think, please be honest???  And while we are at it here dear friends ... please promise me something else ... if I should EVER mention to you again any thoughts or ideas about painting the Cottage, please do me an immense favour, & reach into your screen & give me a good clip around the head, remind me of the huge headache it was & how I vowed & declared NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!!!!  I am counting on you to remember for me please !!!!

A couple of other little completions this past week - in between finishing off the Cottage - this lovely lady was another naked body in my sewing room which I dressed with tea-dyed calico clothing 

She is a Julie Love "Golly J" design & is called Best Friend  - I love the little ceramic button on her bag (a Nicki Tervo design)

Also I completed this rather large cushion from my vintage blanket stash 

It was another half-finished project taking up space in my sewing room :-)

These lovely handtowels & embroidered lavender bags were my final completion on the sewing front ...

And lastly, this box was calling out for a revamp 

So while I was painting the last shelf for the Cottage, I flicked some wax & paint over it & then lined it with some leftover scrapbooking paper - it came up so much nicer I thought :-)

Well folks I am off to fill the wood basket - as I type this I can feel the temperature dropping & it is getting cold again - we had a small peek of sunshine this morning but now its gone.

Wishing you all a great rest of the weekend & all the very best for the week ahead - hope you find some creative time in your week

some time to sit & stitch or some time in your craft room maybe ...

The above 3 pics are taken in my friend Sally's gorgeous home - her craft room makes you never want to leave :-)

Thanks so much for popping by,

much love/hugs/friendship,

Julie x0x0