Goodies For Me

I've done a little thrifty shopping this morning with my littlest helper.  She's ever so sweet to take shopping.  Here I was on the floor of the Salvation Army Shop, sorting through knitting needles, and I look over and she's lined all the others up, having a great time as well.  I have to admit to copying Dottie Angel's idea of  needles in a jug.  I just think it's such a lovely piece of art. 

Why don't they make such pretty knitting needles any more? 

This little lot cost me $1!  That's about 30p probably.

The shop next door is one of those emporium sorts.  With lots of interesting goodies that you never knew you needed until you saw them.  I came out with a medium sized bag of odd buttons.  I do like odd buttons.  They are usually a mix of the weird with the useful. 

Not sure about the orange hand!  That one will end up in the girls collection for sure.

Now I think you lovelies have waited quite long enough to see what was lurking in that parcel from yesterday.  Please forgive me for teasing you so much.

Well, dear Joan from Connecting The Dots (please do go and visit her, she's such a sweetie and so very generous) sent me the parcel.  Just look at these wonderful magazines she was getting rid of... yes there's even a Christmas issue, my favourite.

Would you like to have a closer look at that fabulously pretty yoyo quilt?  How long would one of those take to complete I wonder?  I'm tempted to make a cushion.  I know my limits!

And see these little treasure she popped in as well.  Love, love, love the red and white fabric so very much.  I think it will be in my next quilt.  The floral fabric was Joan teasing me about not having any purple fabrics for my quilts!  I could get used to it if they are as pretty as this one.

Now I wonder if she bought the hearts precut?  They will be perfect for my patch houses I'm supposed to be working on.  The ribbons and buttons are cute too.  How thoughtful of you Joan.  Thank you very much.

The Curtains Have Arrived...

Well yes, the new curtains arrived on Thursday.  Hmmm.  Not quite what we were expecting.  Somehow the wrong colour was ordered.  These are more charcoal and silvery.  We wanted more of a subtle colour in more of a goldie beigeish tone.  We've ummed and arrghed about them all weekend.  They really do stand out in more ways than the colour.  The lining is a bit thick and that makes them a bit boofey according to hubby.  And so much for making the garden more of a feature by having subtle curtains!  You just do not notice it at all with this colour. 

They are very dark at night too.  You probably think they look fine from these photos but really they are too dark.  I do like them, but it's not what we ordered so we are borrowing these in the meantime until our fabric arrives in about a month.  The curtain people are being very helpful because they feel so bad about the error, so there's no worries there.  Oh and the new blinds for the kitchen windows have lemon coloured cords on the white blinds!  What's that all about???  I'll be calling them in the morning.  Goodness the headaches of home renovations.  Our lovely painting does suit these curtains though doesn't it?

My new book strikes again.  This time I've made this handy little peg holder.  I've always liked them, but never really had the need for one, as I have a peg pocket on my laundry trolley.  It seems I must have been sent a message as I just discoverd a large hole in the peg pocket!  Seems I'll  be able to make use of this one after all.  Jolly good.

But golly did I fluff over which fabrics to use, and then the ribbons too.  I wanted something cherry looking to liven up the washing duty.  I think this is rather happy looking.  It's quite useful for a soft toy bed too I see today!

Guess what I've been up to today?  This set of doors should be a good clue...  Clean looking aren't they?  The girls are I have been cleaning doors ready to be taken away for spray painting.  I thought it was clever of me to take on some extra help.  Wrong!!  Honestly they were Jif mad.  Used way too much of the stuff and as for cleaning??  Well let's just say I went over them again.  Thanks for the help anyway girls!

More of this kind of stuff has been going on too.  Wallpaper is a thing of the past in most rooms now.  The little girls had a horrid peachy orange paper which we are all glad to see the back off.  Hubby is currently removing the paper in our bathroom ready for the big rip out later in the week.

 I received a huge surprise in the mail on Friday.  You can see it was from the USA.  As for priority mail, don't be fooled, it took over two weeks to arrive!  I'll tell you all about what was in it next time. 

 Yes that is a little mean, sorry.  Anyway off to make a cuppa for a tired hubby.  Bye for now!

Oh So Special

Last night I made my very first padded coathanger.  I've never really been a fan of them, but I've always found them jolly useful for holding on tightly to my clothes.  Well, now I have my favourite little dress on a pretty pink polka dot fabric with a cutesy flower making it just that little bit special.  This was a project out of my new sewing book which is really proving to be most useful.

One of Michela's beautiful shell buttons came in handy for the centre of the flower.  Isn't it so cute in the shape of a heart?

Look at these beauties!  A wee bargain at the garden centre today.

I was instructed to turn the flowers around so they can be enjoyed from inside the playhouse.  Makes perfect sense to me.  For the photo I was allowed to have them this way.  Lucky aren't we?

The reason for visiting the garden centre in the first place was to pick up a few more swan plants for our growing caterpillars.  Unfortunately by the time I arrived home, three fatties had disappeared!  Perhaps the birds were also hungry?  Ooops.

Now before I dash off to attend to homework, oh joy of joys, I'll leave you with a quick parenting tip.  When giving a three year old a torch for her birthday, wrap it up with a bulk packet of batteries.  Learn by our mistakes.

Edited to add: By the way that dress isn't actually mine, sadly.  No it belongs to No.4.  A rash purchase a couple of years ago, but I adore it and she wears it as a top for special occasions now.  Some things are just too cute and worth every cent spent on them.

Giving Colour Away

Oh you poor, poor, little darlings in the snow who are craving colour right now. Have no fear, I am here.  For your eyes, and for your eyes only, I have hunted out some of the most delicious colours, just for you.

First up we have one of my very, very favourite paintings ever.  Isn't it magnificent?  No.2 was the clever artist and is it not worth framing?  I just wish teachers weren't so happy with the old stapler.  Still the colour manages to hide most of the holes.

Anyone for a lovely orange?  Mmmm this could be going a bit far.  Sorry if you are now in serious need of one.  I might have to bite into one in a min too!

Now how could you not wake up in a cherry mood when greated with this array of colour.  I just adore these bowls so much.  They have matching lids too and I do love mixing them up to add more colour.  Unfortunately it messes with No.4's brain and she forbids me to mix her green bowl and lid with another colour!

Spotty dotty buttons on spotty dotty fabric.  This would be one of my favourite fabrics of all time.  Oh yes, this is certainly something to cheer the winter blues away.

Peaches anyone?  Or maybe a peachy button instead?  Loving my pasta jars of buttons.

Stacks of red gingham, the ultimate of all fabrics of course!  Don't think I'll be running out of it any time soon.

An almost heart shaped strawberry, just for you... with love.  xxx

Children's toys are always filled with colour, and sweets in this case too.  Would you care for a lollipop or a drop?

OK on to a slightly more serious note.  I LOVE this quilt.  I love the fabrics.  I love the white sashing.  I love the simplicity.  I love the squares.  I really do absolutely LOVE it!  It's all about the fabrics, this quilt.  And fabrics are what I like.  I'm thinking this would be perfect for our bed. 

Yes thank you, I do remember I am still working on my Rainbow Strings Quilt.  And no I haven't done much work on it lately.  I've been busy actually, doing secret squirrel work on my swap.  Shhhh!  I finally stopped tossing around with ideas last night and cut into some very important fabric.  And I'm liking what it's becoming.  We are supposed to send something so very lovely that we would be tempted to keep it for ourselves.  Well I think I'm there and I WANT IT!  I'll be making two of these I guess!  Willeke (my swap partner) likes colour very much too, and I can tell you, she won't be disappointed in that area.

Happy Colour Day to you all!  Oh I hear it's Shrove Tuesday today.  Guess what I'll be making for pud tonight?  Go on, I'll give you three guesses.  Ha ha!!

I Love Colour!

I want more of it too.  I don't think I'm the neutral colour scheme girl I thought I was after all. Take a look at No.1's ensuite, (yes jolly lucky girl who doesn't appreciate what she has at all and won't even keep it clean and tidy!) isn't it pretty in aqua and white? 

I received these marvelous fabric samples I ordered in the mail this morning from a lovely shop called The Cotton Store.  After school today she will decide which are the most suitable colours.  I will make the roman blind myself and save a few hundred dollars in the process.  We were quoted $500 to have one made!  It will cost no more than $100 for me to make it.  Aren't they just lovely? 

Oh golly what have I done!!  This photo above simply will not do as it's told and sit in the middle.  Hmmmm.  Anyway which fabric would you choose?  I kind of fancy the left one for another project or two!

As you can see we have colour all around our house at present.  Loving the greens right now. 

Now here's a puzzler... why don't you see triplet carrots for sale?  We can't be the only people to have seceeded in growing such a  magnificent feast from one plant.  Oh and they taste like the garden, really fresh and juicy.  The girls went out to the garden this morning and picked one each for their lunchboxes.  What a treat!

On the other hand, this... I don't find very amusing at all.  What on earth???  Surely the tree is confused?  Please don't let summer be finishing yet!

Speaking of colour.  I've changed my mind about the colour in our bathroom and the wall behind our bed.  I'm through with Arrowtown and now into Juniper.  I love the soft greenish, blueish tone this colour has.  It's warm and relaxing, and red and chocolate go brilliantly with it.  Sounds lovely to me.  I kind of won this colour over the Arrowtown.  Hubby says if I promise to not use the orange accessories then I can have Juniper.  Really, as if I'd use orange when red goes so much better!!

I was a bit naughty this morning.  Well I did still have birthday money burning a hole in my bag, so not that bad I guess.  Isn't this book delightful?  And an absolute bargain at only 19.99!  There are plenty of really lovely gift ideas in this book.  I haven't even done more than peek yet, so this afternoon you'll be able to find me laying on the sofa with this in my hands.

Oh yes I sure do need this project.  You should see the state of my ironing board cover now!!  It's all ripped and so in need of some love and attention.  If only I could find the perfect fabric. Sigh!

And because I am so far behind in writing thank you notes to people, today I splashed out and bought this truly beautiful note booklet.  I shall set up a box of writing equipment so I can easily write notes as needed.

Well that's probably enough colour for one post.  Hope you enjoyed my colourful world today.  And I hope you are having a cherry day yourselves! 

Houses for the Homeless

Victoria from Bumble Beans Inc is looking for kind people to help her make quilts for the homeless families in New York.  You can make just one house patch or as many as you like.  Well I've been wanting to try my hand at making one of these cuties for quite some time now so I jumped in immediately.  It's nice to know I'm helping someone out and at the same time learning a new block.

Well as I said I jumped in.  Here is my first attempt at one of these houses.  I think a couple of the measurements may need adjusting as my finished block is 1/2" too small.  Hmmm?  V did write the instructions out in a hurry so she may have made an error or two. 

I can't say I like what I've done one little bit!  The green fabric isn't printed straight with the grain so that's out immmediately and what's with that washed out floral print??.  Perhaps next time I'll use more randomly printed fabrics or plains.  I haven't done the heart yet either as I'm not sure if I'll ever use it.  Perhaps I'll put it aside for a kitchen sink quilt like V has just finished.  Fab idea of hers.   She used up all the little practice bits collected over the years and made a quilt with them.  It's quite amazing, go and check it out.

Now if any of you lovely people are interested in helping out, just pop over and visit Victoria and leave her a message.  She'll be thrilled to hear from you!

My Kind Of Day

I joined a Spring Surprise swap a while ago and have since been in communication with my lovely partner Willeke.  She is from The Netherlands and like me has girls, two of them.  Now I have 'met' another wonderfully creative person through blogland.  Goodness you really must go and visit her blog, her embroideries and sewing are just amazing!  There's a very pretty landscape scene she has stitched, something I've always wanted to try.  Perhaps this will motivate me to give it a go.

Well it seems we have a bit more in common.  She also has these two divine books.  Material Obsession 1 & 2.  Well perhaps I will be making her something from these books or perhaps I won't be?  Don't want to spill any secrets or anything.  Oh and no it won't be a quilt!!  We have a deadline and a quilt would be quite an impossible ask.  And it wouldn't fit in the required envelope either.

After kindy this afternoon we took my favourite road to the fabric shops.  Oh this would have to be my favourite outing out of any possible outing.  The little girls really behaved themselves and were treated accordingly.  Mother was also treated, as were the absent family members with colourful doughnuts.  Well my treat wasn't one of those glutenous things, more like sushi.  Mmmm.

Do you remember my Sim City report some weeks ago?  Well here are some updated photos...

Ooooh the lake has gone green!!!

I'm not sure if there has been much change in the buildings, but the roads are definitely up and running now.

Well just take a look here at No.1's fabrics for her quilt now!  She and I buy them whenever we see suitable red and aqua ones.  Well I found a very lovely range in today and bought five of them.  This is what we have gathered so far.  Not sure if they will all be used but I'm just keeping out of it a bit.  Girls have favourites even if they don't quite go!  Shhh, don't say anything!

And No.2 is gathering pinks.  Not for a quilt as she has one, but just to make lovely things.  Dreadful photos I know, but that's life sometimes in the big smoke.

I bought some very lovely fabrics as well, but it's one of those secrets that I can't tell.  Just in case 'you know who' is visiting! 

It's been a long and busy day today.  Very, very nice of course but I'm in desperate need of a cuppa.  You'll be pleased to know I have meat ready for cooking - quite an achievement for me.  That means some children will be happy with me and others will grump about the choice of meal.  You can't win all the time so I won't even try.  Personally I'll be happy, as a plate of greens will be refreshing.