More bits

No, not my bits. You really don't want to see that ( hardy ha ha)

Here are some bits of what I've been doing lately

Finishing some long long long overdue swap items for the Katherine who has never ending patience and kindness.

some doodling

some fiddling

some collecting

some opp shopping

Some hand appliqueing for a quilt border I started pre - babies, when I thought I would have plenty of time to finish it but then got slapped with the reality of having babies stick.

Some cutting and stretching which I saw on NIKKI-SHELL.

Rocking the "ponderous pose"

Some more cutting and stretching for gifting

T'as been a while! But I'm still here and feeling all the effects that being indoor bound brings about. Sniffles, coughs and lots of eeeeergh noises. But anyway, here's what's been happening in my neck of the woods.

You know how I mentioned a while ago that my mum is kicking some hand dyed variegated embroidery thread toosh. Well, things have been flying for her which is maaaaarvelous and she absolutely deserves it! You can see the threads in some works here at Brenda Ryans site.
Mum will be setting up a website in the future under Cottage Garden Threads, her range is available through a number of online shops or you can contact myself in regards to ordering.

These are some sample skeins I got my eager hands on, aren't they maaaaaaaaaarvelous!


So I will be putting my hand to some designing using the wonderful threads. I've been playing with a babushka doll idea and experimenting with some faces. This one is minus an eyelash because I ran out of dark brown dmc but I just had to share because of the way the variegated threads made the eyes so pretty and the hair so sweet.

This one is the earlier version using a blue and green thread.

I hope to be bringing some patterns out under Cottage Garden Threads so stay tuned :)

Wow! It's been so long since I've posted. I wish I could say I've been jetsetting around the world or a notion of such extravagance but.... truth be told, I've just been in a blurmph.

Blurmph: pronounced by starting with a lose raspberry of the lips and ending with an exhaled umph and shrugging of the shoulders.

Here's a few snippets of whats been going on in my little world over the last month,

A birthday party.
My little budding geographer requested a world theme for her 5th birthday.

When I asked her what she would like for her birthday, she told me a "babooshka doll like the ones we saw on a quilt at the show and something sewing too". I made her up this little kit that we could sew together. Just like me to leave it to the last minute too at 10:00 pm on the eve of her birthday.

Here she is, very proud of her babooshka doll. Off she went to Kindy for show and tell.

This was a quick little project using spray starch and freehand fabric cutouts to dress up the kids room a little bit.

The colour inspiration came from thier curtain which I picked up at the opp shop.

Bits of this and bits of that

I've been a bit preoccupied lately and I have a confession to make. I am a closet Twilighter! I picked up my preordered copy of the DVD (with special features eeeeeeeeeeh) and may have watched it one or two... dozen times.

It's also got me inspired to write more about Anita. I've changed alot around in the first few chapters of Anita Thus Far so updates will be coming.
I'm very excited to be introducing Miller to the story soon who will hopefully have you swooning like he has had me.

So here are some pics to prove I am still here.

This is an embroidery design I've been playing with. A quote will be stitched in the left bottom corner "A garden's magic is moonlight cast on a spider's web". The little poet in me had fun coming up with that one.




Here is my necklace I sent off to a clever jewellery savvy friend who put it together for me. You may recognise the main pendant from one of my 'eye spy sunday' posts. The Key is one I found in my grandpas shed after he passed away along with a bunch of other antique keys my dad had collected as a child. I used to wear it around my neck on a leather string when I was about 13. The other pendants are earrings my Mum gave me when I was younger and the bronze ring is my 5c find that makes the necklace perfect.


I am also wearing this badge this week to honour the ANZAC's who bravely risked their lives to retain our liberty and make Australia the most beautiful and free place to live and prosper. I am proud to call myself Australian and ANZAC's my heroes.

20 - 40 of 100 books in a year

21. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - fiction ********** This book had me laughing, crying and absolutley absorbed. It is a challenge to find any book better than this!
22. Persuasion - Jane Austen - fiction ******** Loved it, my favorite Austen so far.
23. Gone with the wind - ** I tried but I just couldn't get into it
24. Wuthering heights - Emily Bronte - fiction ******** Loved it but for different reasons to the other victorian novels I've read. There was not one character who I could honestly like except Hareton. Read it and you'll see why.
25. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen - Fiction ********* GREAT! I loved Catherine, so nieve and so cute. Lots of lessons in this one.
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