Monday, February 20, 2012

Stitchy Happenings and a Vegie Swap Report

Hello there and welcome to a rather, dull, damp corner of the globe.
Thanks for popping by and if you are visiting from another dull, damp corner I hope I can brighten your day a little.......

Today, was meant to be all about the garden as the sun was hiding and the temp. was low even though we were forecast 30deg.

BUT, somehow, between the dishes and getting ready to start the day, I got side tracked and found myself sitting at the sewing machine.

I seem to have built up a collection of feathers, from chooks to magpies, cockatoos, parrots and anything in between that appeals so........

.....a little pin cushion with a feather using left overs of woollen fabric was calling out to be made.

Why is it that ideas for crafty makes have a habit of popping into my brain when I'm about to go out and won't be able to get to my machine for hours....very frustrating.

Somehow I think there's a fine line between feather and leaf, here's hoping I got it right!!




Feathers one side and some chooky fabric which has been sitting unused in my fabric stash for 3 years or so.

Just need to stuff and stitch it up this evening.

It's a good little project to work on in the evenings when I'm watching TV
......I don't feel so guilty then!!

Do you like to work on a crafty project on when you are watching TV?
Preferably one that doesn't require to much concentration...






More Hottie Huggies in production.....

A little cottage, it's inhabitants sleeping peacefully.




A little saying to go on the back...

Every sleepy boy and girl
in every bed around the world
can hear the stars up in the sky
whispering a lullaby.
by
Mary Chapin Carpenter







After making the bunnies I thought I would make one more appropriate for a little boy....


I haven't used this blanket to make anything yet, but love
the bluey greens and browns

It definitely had to be a teddy bear and it took me ages to find
the sort of Teddy I wanted.
It all looked hunky dory on paper so I traced the pic onto some fusible 'stuff' which I ironed onto the back of the brown wool.
Cut it out, iron in place and sew it down.
Too easy.

My invisible pen wouldn't work on the fabric so I had to cross my fingers and 'ope like 'eck that it would be OK...

Well, it looks like Ted has been overstuffed somewhat.....

No.1 suggested Jenny (Craig) might be able to help him!!
...thanks mate...

I'm not giving up that easily, I'll have another go and get it right.







Come on Ted you sleepy head.
We've had fun playing now
it's time for bed.




The community vegie swap took place on Saturday.
Nice to be part of it as I wasn't doing the Bright market.
I got up early picked 3 bunches of Zinnias, some punnets of mini Roma toms. half a bucket of Nashi pears and some Royal Gala apples.

Packed it into my basket and headed off.
I swapped a bunch of Zinnias for a jar of strawberry jam before I even got there, hehe......


There was plenty of produce,
Zucchinis, Button Squash, more tomatoes apples, plenty of plums,
Spring onions, cucumbers, jars of olives, jam, home made Ginger Beer, Silver beet, herbs, seedlings, seeds and even......

....some cute little Muscovy ducklings and a good home was found for them too.
The wood fired oven had been stoked up on Friday evening and was ready to bake, pizzas, muffins, pies, cakes and even a roast.
It was great to see so many people there with young families enjoying lunch and making new acquaintances.
Trays of Kipfler potato chips which had been baked in the oven and platters of watermelon were passed around.
A successful day for the organisers.......

I came home with my basket full of produce and as it was a little warm I thought I would enjoy a cool drink and try the ginger beer.
I had only turned the lid a smidge when 'BANG' it blew out of my hand and
WHOOSHKA, a metre high fountain of ginger beer shot up into the air!!!
After wiping the benches, mopping the floor and drying the inside of the pendant light I had been standing under....
I sat down to enjoy the inch of ginger beer left in the bottle hehehe.....it was delish.

Didn't realise it would be such a volatile brew...
My mum used to make it when I was a kidlet, I don't recall too many of these incidences.







Sunday morning while we slept peacefully a feathered intruder found our apple trees.

Wouldn't mind too much if it ate the whole piece of fruit, but taking huge chunks out and dropping them on the ground is not
going to endear the feathered marauder to us at all.
Yep, it was a cockatoo, noisy, destructive feathered beastie....

Stay away you're
NOT WELCOME....


-----OOOOO-----

Well, the sun has actually shown it's face through the rain and bathed the hills in a beautiful golden glow and
a full, double rainbow has added to the scene....

The temp, has dropped and I've dragged out my Winter slippies and a long sleeved top, very snuggly.
I'm feeling rather Wintery, better crack on with my granny square blanket. I have let myself get side tracked with the crocheted bunting and it's not really something you can snuggle under on a cold evening...

So that's just a snippet of what I've been up to the last couple of days.

How about you? What's happening in your little nook?

Thanks for all your lovely comments.
I enjoy reading them all and finding out where you are visiting from.
I appreciate you taking the time as well.

I hope you all have a great week, Im off to stuff and stitch some pincushions and drag that granny square blanket out of hiding,

Take care,

Claire ❀❀❀

P.S. If you've made it to the end of this rather long winded post congratulations you deserve a gold sticky star.✮✮✮

20 comments:

  1. Great post - love the picture of the little ducklings! Chook fabric is very unusual!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  2. Mmmmm! A community veggie swap! How wonderful! Yes, I do love to craft and watch tv. Seems like less a waste of time to keep my hands busy as I watch the telelvision. Otherwise I feel guilty haha. Love how your stitchery work has turned out. Just beautiful!

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  3. Wow you have been up to a lot. I also love to craft while watching TV. Actually I don't like watching TV much at all but Mark likes company while he watches so I sit and craft. Love the hottie huggies, they are so cute. The vegie swap looks fantastic. I'd love to be involved in something like that.

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  4. Wow - lovely 'makes' Claire! Love reading about your exploits in OZ - the veggie swap sounds great :) Have had a busy weekend - bit of crafting, bit of this and a bit of that, hehe!

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  5. Hi Claire, you have been a busy girl recently! Love all your new makes, that is definitely a feather not a leaf i think! It is great you have a vegie swap in your community, i would love to try somthing like that at our community garden but i don't think we have enough members to get it off the ground. I love homemade ginger beer, it is funny how much kick can be in those bottles! It's been nice and warm here today, perfect for the school swimming sports this afternoon. Have a great week! Julie :)

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  6. Crafting in front of TV is something that I often do. Sometimes I am so concentrated in what I am doing that I am not aware of what is happening on the screen.
    I love the chook fabric!

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  7. Love the teddy bear hot water bottle and those ducks are so cute!
    June

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  8. How fab a vegie swap....and I love your hotties...do you hand stitch your sayings?

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  9. I love the Teddy Bear hottie.
    I realy love reading your blog.

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  10. I love the teddy!!!!!!

    Luv Jane XX

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  11. Hi claire,
    Im hearing you about having something to do, and the 'call of the craft' shouting its head off "Look at moi, look at moi " (a bit reminiscent of Kath and Kim I think,)

    I think you might have to come up here and tell me how to grow veg properly.

    cheers
    Fi

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  12. I can remember my Auntie making ginger beer. There was a walk-in pantry near the kitchen where she used to store the bottles. Sometimes they would go off pop, shattering the bottle and scare the living daylights out of me

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  13. Hi Claire, I love your stitched handwriting. How do you manage to keep it so small yet clear to read? Thanks for visiting me.
    I x

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  14. So many lovely postings happening right now... love the hotties and that little verse works so well. The veggie swap sounds so good, I would have swapped everything for those ducklings, yeah I know I'm too soft!! Ginger beer episode sounds familier - many years ago a friend let loose a whole can of beer in my kitchen - took days for the smell of hops to vanish!!!

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  15. Why thank you for the gold star, although it really wasn't deserved as I love your long and varied posts!

    That ginger beer has also caused another clean up at this end - wiping my tea off the computer after spluttering it out, laughing!

    I love the little cottage cover. How on earth did you sew the author's name so small?

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  16. What a wonderful idea your veggie swap is. A fun gathering for sure. I love all the stitching on your hot water bottles. If it is machine stitching, how do all that fiddly writing?

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  17. It seems that your Stitchy Happenings and Vegie Swap Report is very interesting. I really like your creative stitching and I think that I should also try making it. I think that it would be very appropriate as a remembrance for your loved one this Valentines day.

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  18. I'm yearning again. Now for a veggie swap. And even a cockatoo in my plum tree. Yes!
    Very entertaining story about your ginger beer at least for me!
    wonderful stitching work too.
    xx
    julie

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  19. What a super post! I really enjoyed reading it and looking through all your lovely photos! Thanks for sharing!
    Have a great weekend.....
    Carly
    x

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  20. Loved this post! I can't wait for the weather to cool down a little- I want to stick my hands into some lovely coloured balls of wool. And I love your stitchery of the feathers. It's beautiful:) x

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