Blue skies

After what feels like weeks of rain, yesterday and today have been gloriously sunny.  I enjoyed getting out for a walk in the near-by park this morning, ahhh, fresh air and sunshine, is anything better?  Some maple leaves are still stubbornly hanging on and there are lots of majestic gum trees.  In my own garden the camellias are starting to bloom and the bulbs are pushing upwards.  I planted lots of new bulbs this year so I am keen to see them flower.  This week I sewed the border on my mini quilt and realised something peculiar about myself - I have plenty of patience to do endless hours of hand stitching but I do not have the patience to unpick my machine sewing and try again when my points and corners do not match perfectly!  Does it make any sense? Wendy xx

Vase of flowers

Another week has raced by, where do the days go?  Life is busy at the moment:  work is busy, winter sports makes us busy and the weekends seem full on too!  Well that's my excuse for just having one little block to show you!  I started a new project to help improve a spot in my bedroom, as part of making a Pretty Crafty Home.  The nice thing about this mini quilt is that it's using two of the prizes I was given:  the pattern is Vase of Flowers from the quilting magazine I got from Kristen and the fabric is from Lyn.  Thanks you two, I am enjoying this new project.  Barney was on my knee the other night as I got some stitching done, I couldn't resist this view of him with his fangs showing, Wendy xx

Saturday

Italian Progressive Dinner on Saturday : : First course at our house with Italian bunting to greet our guests (cheaply made with crepe paper and string) : : Freshly picked Daphne to scent the bathroom : : Winter flowers in the lounge : : Bruschetta with tomato and basil topping (I also made pizza but it went too quick to photograph). Second course was spaghetti and meatballs and for the third course there was about four choices of dessert - cassata ice cream, lemon ricotta cheesecake, and the other two I can't remember what they were called : : Apron in an hour to go with my Italian peasant look, pattern from here.  I like the apron so much I'm wondering about adding some embroidery to pretty it up, what do you think? : : And also on Saturday we bought two new brown shaver chooks, about 11 weeks old, we felt a bit sorry for them as they met our Henny Penny but hopefully they will settle in happily : : So a busy but fun Saturday.  Today it's cold and rainy, the perfect excuse to be relaxing in the lounge by the fire, which just happens to be my favourite place to be, Wendy xx

Very spoilt ...

I'm very spoilt because I won a give away from Lyn at Oldbury Cottage for her 100th post.  The parcel was so beautifully wrapped, it almost felt like it could be my birthday!  Lyn very generously added in lots of extra goodies, look at that cute little tub of fabrics and that gorgeous little tape runner holder.  There was also patterns, hand cream, ric rac, quilt labels and a mini cutting mat.  Thank you so much Lyn, you made my day!  This is just a short post today because we have a progressive dinner tonight with friends from church and the first course is at our home.  The evening has a Italian theme, so I have been making bunting and adapting costumes, now I must finish tidying the house and prepare the food.  Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with some pictures, Wendy xx

Getting warmer

A downtown beanie - Mollie Makes magazine issue 13

Michelle commented that I may need to wear a wooly hat to bed with the cold weather and a freezing bedroom, so I took her word and knitted myself one!  It was a fun project and only took an evening, using chunky wool and size 9mm needles.  It must be acceptable because 15 year old Charlotte has asked for a black one for her.  You may be able to tell from the bedroom photos that some progress been made, the insulation has been added and now the walls as well so things are definitely feeling cosier.  Next step is plastering and then decorating, but this will have to wait until Paul is able to take a chunk of time off work.  We have been in a shambles still this week but I managed three more Farmer's Wife blocks: #102 whirlpool; #93 swallow; #104 wild geese.  Wendy xx

A pretty crafty bedroom?

My vintage spool holder now has a fresh coat of white paint (thanks Paul), it will one day sit in my new pretty crafty bedroom.  And speaking of my new pretty crafty bedroom, above is a photo of how it looks right now ... not so pretty!  In fact, rather unattractive and very cold, just when we are having another spell of cold weather too!  We decided this time we would do things properly, which means adding insulation to the outside walls of the bedroom (that's right, there wasn't any insulation originally in our home).  An electrician is coming tomorrow for some wiring then the insulation can be added so a couple more nights in this cold room.  Never mind, I will keep my chin up and keep the goal of a pretty crafty bedroom firmly in my mind!  As you may be able to imagine, things are in a bit of a mess around here so I have only managed a bit of hand sewing, three more Farmers Wife blocks:  #5 Bat Wing; #80 Single Wedding Star; and #91 Strawberry Basket.  Wendy xx