prairie mouse

hot tip

don't you love one. the phone rang this morning with breaking news - martha crafts are at spotlight! (our craft store equivalent to say jo anns) i was there, straight there,in a flash. you see, for us in the antipodes at the bottom of the planet this is very exciting news. yes we can ship things but to have it there like a mini michaels, well, need i say more except thank you mrs brown!!

on the subject of martha and the daily organising tips i receive (i don't think i've done one yet but the ideas are rubbing off) i decided it was time to transfer my daily threads from a basket where they always spontaneously weave themselves together no matter how often i put a stop to this. i want michael to make me a rack thingy with rods so i can load them up in colour families but for now as the sun is shining and i thought the glass would be good and glinty i divided them among some vintage canning jars. i feel calmer now that they are separated!

just had to add one more photo - more glinty than the last. so exciting to have a little sun.

more goodness

pulled straight out of the earth, trimmed, scrubbed and chopped they went into the cauldron. thats how i feel when i make new york penicillin in my big stockpot. hubble bubble. also in there from the garden is some celery, parsley and scallions. these are heritage carrots, funny looking things that haven't been fed properly - apparently with carrots you are supposed to deep feed so they grow down for their supper as opposed to sprinkling goodies on top. still, even with their twists and turns and hairy bits they are as fresh as they can be!

on the crafting front, all did not stop with the 'ghan. i am going to install a spring window for salvage in september so that is all under wraps and i can't wait to share because i am so excited. and penguin are doing another book so i've been playing around with something for that. but again, can't show it yet. so you'll just have to keep viewing my veges for now!

orange on the inside!

rosemary

we are going to a celebration of a life today. a boy in tommy's class, his dad. he has passed. nigella lawson in her book feast has dishes for a funeral. perfect. i made the rosemary remembrance cake. it felt somewhat symbolic laying down the piece of rosemary before baking. a therapeutic bake. an easing into a farewell x

findhorn

on the other side of the planet from here but i'm sure a little magic has floated down into my garden. we put these seedlings in at the beginning of the winter and to my great delight they took off. the other day when i looked into the cauliflower leaves there were actually cauliflowers in there! who would have thought!! and those pretty little water droplets on the cabbage and the beautiful range of green hues.  and proudly chemical free but, how will we ever eat them?!!!

the baker

while i was busy doing the post about the 'ghan i was sending out instructions to michael in the kitchen who was making a batch of cookies (chocolate chip). he had never made them before and we needed a batch because we were going out of town for the day and school was going back the next day so lunchbox items were needed. so pleased he was with himself that next thing they are being photographed - he has the blog bug! for a first timer he did a great job. the recipe is from one of my most thumbed books - the new york cookbook by molly o'neill. i know the recipe off by heart so i didn't even have to leave my blogging chair! what will be next?!

move that bus...........

or at least the pile of washing (clean)!! i finished a couple of days ago but have been unable to take photos because of the weather - anyone would think it was winter here. i woke this morning to pretty sunlight. 'bring me my camera' i demanded.

first shot (be prepared - i am showing this baby off in every way possible!)

100 squares

the plains

the border - i bordered. thank you for all your comments - it was unanimous. and sorry kay - its staying right here!

close up. a sweet easy little pattern. i wanted something decorative but not too fussy.

and the label. i love this doing this part.

just one more! and again i want to thank chris for her beautiful pattern.

and now to that washing that is out of your sight! happy weekend x

to border or not to border

i saw this all draped over the couch this morning and it had to be snapped. being the middle of winter here, as it has grown larger it is so delicious to be under - not a summer project! i have stitched 8 rows of squares together with only 2 rows to go! i have been wondering whether or not to put a border on it. i would do it in the cream that is in every square. but......i am swayed by my love of the border, that last little crochet run on the project after all the sewing up. and it would probably make for a strengthening around the edge if i did??? but...it does look good in its simplicity. what do you think? or shall i finish the sewing and lay it out? i'm impatient here too you know!

ninety eight, ninety nine..........

one hundred!!!! yes indeedy, the hundredth, the hundy, the tun, one double zero - i am done! madly sewing all those squares together now. i am about to start row seven so chugging along nicely. soon will be the big reveal.

and just thought i would show you the little shoes i am going to put on etsy. update: the little shoes really are little - dolly shoes about 3" long. the aqua ones were sold when i got up this morning!!

barbie-esque

a friend asked me to make a doll - for the woman who has everything, she wanted a barbie rag doll in 70s fashion as a birthday gift. the face was the hardest as i usually stick to teeny dots. i did it first and the rest was easy - and fun - researching the coolest decade!

the request was a mini, boots, headband and bag. i had never made boots before so they were a little bit of a challenge.

70s fabric inspired the applique.

the smiley face - a must have 70s icon!