May Musings............

Hello everyone, how are you all?

Life here at Sweet Birdy Love, is bubbling along nicely, like the big pot of soup I have on the stove......

This Autumn weather, has me thinking of one pot meals.

 Stew and dumplings, hearty soups and casseroles.

It's the season for cooking and freezing meals and using the last of the veg from the garden.

My little Janome has also been very busy stitching up new designs.

I've had alot of fun putting them together.

Here are a few of my favourite things in the one stitchery....

Chookies

Twiggy wig wams with Sweet Peas

Hollyhocks

A sweet, little red Robin

Polka dot wellies 

....and to stop those icy draughts sneaking in under the door, I've stitched up some draught stopper/excluders.

Of course there had to be some chooks on one of them.....

But there have been outings as well.  

A couple of weeks ago we headed over Jamieson way to catch up with family who were down visiting from Queensland.

We went prepared to help out with some chores around the family property and raking leaves was one of them.

Easy enough to do, but my goodness those Poplars drop alot of leaves.

These handsome little fellas continue to visit my garden, on a daily basis.

This fella was puffed against the cold of the morning.

He was  quite daring and came right into the courtyard looking for worms on the pavers after a rainy night.....

Now, I have to tell you about my new polka dot wellies which arrived the other week.

The timing couldn't have been better.

I had just posted a WIP pic of this stitchery on Facebook and decided to check the mail before having lunch.

Surprise, surprise there was a rather large parcel shoved into the letter box which is actually an old cream can, so quite roomy.

I was sure it would be for hubby or son, who often order things on line.

 But to my surprise, my name was on it and there was a Customs Declaration sticker, so it's come from overseas and  the contents was listed as 'Wellies'

When I opened up the parcel, these gorgeous wellies were inside.

No note to indicate who they were from, ordered online and sent to my address, hmm!!

For a split second I wondered who and then realised they would probably be from my gorgeous nieces who visited recently. 

They had found out my shoe size and obviously knew my postal address.......mystery solved.

I was quite overwhelmed by such a lovely and very useful gift as my other gumboots had just sprung a leak before they arrived.

Autumn continues to enthrall me with gorgeous colour.

These trees are at our new block.

The previous owner had great foresight and planted alot of English trees around the property.

 We are the beneficiaries of his vision and feel very fortunate to be able to carry on where he left off.

I'm standing on our proposed house site, looking back at

 Sweet Birdy Love HQ.

Our 'Wild Wood' of Silver Birches are glowing golden in the afternoon sun.

It's hard to believe that just a couple of months ago, everything was brown and dry and crunchy underfoot!!

Hubby has been very busy bringing the vegie garden at the block back to life.

He's been digging, weeding, planting and getting ready to put new beds in.

I think he must be planning to feed the whole community somehow, but he's enjoying the change of scenery and it's so lovely to be outside while the days are still reasonably mild.

Another little stitchery, I finished last week.

This was something a little different as I incorporated some hand embroidery as well as free motion embroidery, which gave a foreground and background feel to the cottage garden.

Love the old fashioned Bee skeps......

I'm also enjoying making wire hangers which have a rather rustic appeal I think.

....and last but not least, yesterdays stitching, inspired by the Zinnias in my garden.

The fabric I have used and they way I've stitched them has given  it a decidedly 3D effect.

I just need to add a couple of bees, make a wire hanger and I'm done........but my Zinnias aren't done yet.

 They are  flowering their heads off and despite the blooms getting smaller they are still lovely and bright and cheery.

It will be a shame to have to pull them out shortly

Phew!!!

Hope you're still with me.....well done if you are.

So life ticks over nicely and the days run into one another and become weeks and  then it's a new month.

Nothing particularly exciting happens and that's fine by me.

Ideas for stitcheries keep popping into my head as fast as I can stitch them up.

I have my wood heater going and things are lovely and cosy in the evening. I so love the cooler months.....

Hope you are enjoying the season where ever you are.

Thanks so much for visiting and taking the time to read my ramblings and comment. 

It's always appreciated.

Take care,

Claire Xx