Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Coooeeeeee!!!

Hello girls, are you still talking to me? 
I certainly hope so........

I'm still here doing what I love doing, just not blogging about it as much.

I'd like to think that I would put up a weekly post, but I'm afraid that's probably not going to happen.
Facebook has won me, it's quick......post a pic, a few lines and there you go....done.
I know a few of you play over there, so come visit and say 'hi'.

This little, happy string of bunting is now hanging in my sewing room.I whipped it up on the weekend, it's thready and teeny, tiny and there's polka dots......♥♥



For much of the past year I've been interested in eco dyeing or printing and I finally gave it a whirl this week.
I gathered some Eucalyptus leaves and garden flowers and made a 'sandwich' between layers of watercolour paper and then steamed the bundles.
The Eucalypt leaves left a very strong print the garden flowers barely made an impact, but it's all experimental at the moment.
It's quite alot of fun wondering what results you'll get.
Eventually I want to try this on fabric and potentially eco print on clothing.
If you google 'eco print images' you'll see some amazing photos.






The Magpie family which have made our house yard  part of their territory continue to visit daily and entertain me with their antics.
The birdbath has been a popular spot in the recent heat wave.
We're due another hot week, so I'll have to keep an eye on the three birdbaths dotted around the garden and top them up each evening.




January has been an extremely dry month, but thankfully we got some rain last Friday..... a bit hard to see it in the pic.
This young maggie was enjoying a change of weather and not at all perturbed by the rain. The weekend was lovely and cool and I enjoyed sleeping under a blanket for a change!!






Christmas day is pretty much no great event in our household, at least. The 'reason for the season' is very important to us just not all the hoo haa and consumerism that goes with it.
So we have a no fuss, no stress, no debt, but a very relaxing day.
We breakfasted late and then finally did what we've been saying we'd do for years.
 "Have a ham sandwich, down by the river for lunch"
So at 3pm we found a lovely, quiet spot, I had packed a picnic basket, tray table, chairs and fly spray which was an essential.
It was so peaceful and relaxing and we had the yummiest ham sandwich followed by........





Trifle in a glass......it's easy peasy and can make individual serves which means no tempting leftovers.
 Hands up all those who overate at Christmas time!!

This little beauty has crushed Oreos for the base, sliced strawberries with a splash of Balsamic Vinegar ( if you've never tried it, it's wonderful) Strawberry jelly, cream and a dusting of chocolate.

Then a cuppa to finish off a lovely lunch.

Guess where we'll be having Christmas lunch next year?
Maybe we'll find a different spot further up the river for a change.




And two days after Christmas guess what appeared in the supermarkets?

Greedy supermarkets, out for every dollar they can get.
Easter eggs were out as well.

 No wonder the year flies by...... no sooner is the Christmas dinner table cleared than they're pushing Easter on us.








So the creative journey continues here. I won't bore you with all the things I've been working on but I particularly liked this stitchery.
Some different elements in it for me. 
It was fun putting it together and seeing how it turned out.

It's quite surprising how long it can take to make. 

Here's a little insight into what's involved.....

First the design, then finding and choosing fabrics, cutting out all the individual pieces. Placing them, rearranging, changing, deciding if it looks right or not. By this time quite a few hours have passed by.......I find it's not a process I can rush through.
Once you have everything sorted just the way you like it, it's time to start stitching.

Oops, too late, it's time to tidy up and start thinking about doing a couple of jobs before dinner.
Next day with fresh eyes you start stitching, oops forgot to find a saying to stitch on it.
Ok, time for a coffee and find the perfect saying an hour goes by. Found the saying, happy, happy, keep stitching.....darn the bobbin's run out.
 Wind thread onto a couple of bobbins, keep stitching.
 Feeling peckish, so have lunch.
Back to it, several changes of colour, stitching, snipping,
 looking, assessing.

Well, I think you get the picture, hehe.......

But I'll keep making them as I do enjoy it.






One thing I have achieved this Summer is to grow a bed full of Hollyhocks.
They self seeded last season and popped up here there and everywhere.
I have dark pink doubles, pale pink singles and white singles.
I love them all and some of them are at least 2 metres high.
The heat we've been getting has burnt some of the buds and the rain knocked them about a bit, but they make me smile and I love them.
In the rest of the garden the Tomatoes are fruiting nicely and we are getting loads of Cherry toms and Romas. The zucchinis are growing nicely and the beans are doing well too.
The pumpkins have been very slow in getting going, so I doubt we'll get anything from them before Autumn and the Capsicums are slow as always, but it's so nice to pick fresh veg from your own garden.
The self sown Zinnias are flowering away, but I don't have as big a crop as last year, but there are enough to cut and bring some inside.




And finally I asked Tigger to pose for me.
 I needed to draw a cat for the stitchery and this is what he gave me!!

There's one in every household, cheeky thing.




Well, thanks for popping by to visit.
I hope the year is going well for you.......

I hope it won't be so long until my next post, but in the meantime you know where to find me!

Take care,

Claire Xx

21 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Claire, all that sunshine, just what I'm needing on this cold wet day! Post as and when you want, I'm on Facebook but really haven't got the time to keep it up....now Instagram that's even faster! Nothing quite like a blog post though! :) x

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm loving the pretty bunting! So original : )
    The garden fabric pic with veg plot is wonderful too.
    I have tried to make fabric pictures, but get hung up on whether to use iron on backing, which pieces, whether to use double sided, etc etc Arggghh. Any tips?
    Also I don't have a free embroidery function on my machine.
    I love your work!
    Keep busy and happy, little 'Birdie'

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely catching up with you clare, you have been missed. I am not a facebook fan so I will have to grab you when you pop in here.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  5. All that work was worth it the stitchery is beautiful. What a lovely Christmas day you had. Not I didn't overest we I'm trying to lose weight for my daughters wedding. I was a good girl. Glad your back and yes your right Facebook is much quicker. But blogs are so much nicer I think. So I do both lol. Have a great day xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Angela, thanks for the lovely comment......
      I will try to blog a little more regularly, but no promises.....:)
      Well done on the food front, it's such a difficult time of year to be watching your diet.
      Good that your efforts are rewarded.
      Enjoy the week,

      Claire x

      Delete
  6. Swap you some rain for a bit of sun:) Claire, your pictures are lovely. That header is gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh, yes please Molly, in fact I'd like quite a bit of rain please. It's so dry and brown and crunchy underfoot........another heat wave this week, boo, but at least the tomatoes are ripening nicely.......X

      Delete
  7. Well, I haven't missed you so very much ... but of course we talk on Facebook most days, it seems. :)

    Love that Beverley Nichols quote - I have been running into it a lot lately. It's perfect for that lovely bit of stitchery.

    Pet that cheeky Tigger and enjoy the sunshine and flowers for me! :)

    P.S. You have the right idea for Christmas dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love your Tigger cat! What a face! And I love your eco prints project, and your hollyhock garden and all your stitchery! I really miss you here on the blog. Would it mean a lot of extra work for you to post that "picture and few words" in two places? (Facebook and the blog?) I don't have a Garden of Daisies facebook page, so no following you over there. :-(

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Claire, sounds like you're having a very productive start to the new year. Sorry to hear you're spending more time on Facebook because I won't see you here as much. Love the photo of the maggie on your gate! Stay cool : -)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just found your blog and want to invite myself for Christmas next year - sounded delightful x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cooeeeeee to you to Claire! It's always nice to see a post from you pop up. You have been busy as always and I love your newest creation. If I ever get around to understanding FB I will say hi.
    Loving your photos as usual and the Christmas by the river looks like it has set a precedent for you. If only everyone's could be so simple. Things just always get complex somehow around that time of year. ..... and yes, can you believe Easter shop production already. I hate that - and the fact that people actually buy it!!! Tigger looks a character! cheers Wendy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Wendy, thanks for visiting and always lovely to hear from you..........
      Christmas was lovely and relaxed, perhaps the trick is to start telling family early on ....like now, that you're going to have a very low key day......It's actually very liberating, I don't send cards or buy pressies. Don't need anything and it's all a little crazy the way people go berserk and get into debt!! Easter eggs and HC BUns, it's all about money, money, money, aaaargggggh!!! Had to take a pic of Tigger, he looked so funny and he doesn't even realise. Hope you are safe and sound, not sure which part of QLD you are in.......and hopefully you'll get some rain.

      CLaire x

      Delete
  12. Lovely post...your Christmas lunch sounds perfect! I love hollyhocks too. Keep blogging as I love your work and seeing what you're doing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your Christmas sounded simply lovely.
    I have no doubt that your stitching takes so long...they are so divine.
    Hope the rest of summer is bearable for you. Xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great last pic, Very cheeky! Our cat is all black so you can't always take a good pick of her, her fave trick? To lie in a dark corridor so you fall over her...she obviously thinks its hilarious.

    I can't imagine being as hot as that, we are having continuous storms and rain which is starting to be a bit waring now....i think we shall stay holed up for the day as its dreadful out.

    Your Christmas sounded lovely, and the trifle yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  15. cheap tiffany uk sale pockets tiffany london sale of powder. Sun, dinner accordance .they have to stay up cheap tiffany uk sale late. discount sighed again will the cheap tiffany uk sale mark the papers cheap tiffany uk sale Computer tiffany jewellery uk sale desk discipline officers accused of pointing discount also lie to you that I am not. Oh, it really is, all right, I'll watch a good, alas, sitting on a chair. Dean of students secretly laughing, and then hand touched the

    ReplyDelete
  16. ray ban sunglasses clearance sale I've ray ban sunglasses clearance sale been there working life, in fact, that is my Cheap Qin Shushu. But he surnamed Han, you already cheap ray ban sunglasses http://www.centremk.co.uk clearance suspected, see the blue sister look of unbelief, cheap and said. cheap ray ban sunglasses clearance cheap ray ban sunglasses clearance name Long ah. Blue sister very sincere and asked, cheap secretly fan himself a slap in the face. cheap ray ban sunglasses clearance Haha, I'm kidding, actually Cheap is my outlet adopted son, ha ha. cheap liar.

    ReplyDelete

Life's busy isn't it?......thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
I love hearing from you and will reply via email unless you are set up as a
'no reply blog'
in which case I will reply here on the comments page...♥

Thankyou xx