prairie mouse

bunnies

a couple of bunnies off to market using the lovely superbuzzy fabrics. i actually hate parting with them. they become a part of our household so quickly. still, believe me, there are enough critters around here, furry and fabric!

the bed basket

i had a good old clean up in prairie's room on saturday morning. she takes a bit of a crew to bed with her and to make things easy (for me) when making the bed, they reside in a basket. but it is a basket and therefore hard and scratchy so i decided to make a bed basket out of a thrifted blanket i had tucked away. may i say that the sizzix got a hammering - literally!

the front of the basket. i used 2 layers of blanket with iron on interfacing on one of the layers. the vines were emboidered with tapestry wool and then of course the addition of the sizzix flowers and leaves. we sat up till about 1am this morning watching the ring 2 (great in a totally B grade way) and i madly stitched everything on!

the base - don't look too close at my rather crappy reversing! i used 3 layers of blanket and used iron on interfacing on two of them. it was really nice sewing through all the layers.

back view with the original label.

close up of the label. i think this label was on every blanket we owned when i was growing up. onehunga (i couldn't find a maori - english translation) is a suburb in auckland that once had woolen mills -long gone now. you are lucky if you can find a new woolen blanket these days - and this in a land where the sheep outnumber the humans 20 to one (or something like that - i made that up but there sure are a lot of those wooly creatures) anyway, i likes the old label so was happy to incorporate it into the basket.

and.........the basket in situ. i forgot to mention that prairie's bed is raised so making it is a real chore so being able to gather up the crew and not have them scattered all over the bed while i teeter on the ladder really helps out!

a walk in my garden

a pictorial post coming up, hope you are up to an album amount of photos! it is winter here and very wet and cold and feels like its been like this for a long time. there was a lovely window this afternoon so i grabbed the camera and got outside. so join me for a little stroll if you will!

these are the first harbinger of spring for me. i love the crisp green against the white and the teeny polka dots painted by a fine hand.

my precious lemons. i have never managed to grow lemons before so these are warmly welcomed!

the winter vegetable garden. the broccolli is nearly ready much to tommy's horror!

and one of my favourite looking vegetables, cavolo nero. it looks like prince alberts feathers.

the pond with the sole inhabitant - fush. a splendid specimen about 6" long. he lives right by the back door and it seems to double as the cats drinking trough!

and this little guy was also taking adantage of the break in the weather sporting a handy apron fashioned from the superbuzzy goodies!

on the flip side. i hope you are having a great weekend! xxx

i heart superbuzzy

this little haul arrived this morning complete with little japanese candy (prairie is home from school with a cold and is eyeing it up!). i have been longing to have some of their fabric and finally my wish was granted! i have already cut into it for some cats and rabbits for the store i supply. speaking of rabbits i have just added these to my etsy shop. busy busy, buzzy buzzy!

sketchbook

after seeing molly chicken's sketchbook pages, and how amazing they were too, i thought i would share a couple of pages out of mine. the mice are from when i first started my blog and the peas are from the end of last month for robert mahar's playfood flickr group which i haven't finished yet but now that i've shown you i better get into gear! i am never far from my book and take it with me most places plus a push pencil and if i don't i'll draw on anything. yesterday waiting for the kids it was an old paper napkin off the floor of the car and a chewed up pen which was in the glovebox! i really should keep emergency supplies in the car!

needing inspiration

i feel like the shoemaker and the elves! actually i have a project to make little 'things' to hang on a mobile with the idea that someone will come into the store and choose individual items to make up their personalised mobile. its a funny thing because the store i am designing these things for have supplied me with the most beautiful vintage fabrics bought at a flea market in paris and 3 different weights of pure white linen but i have had real trouble grasping this one and have left the basket sitting gathering dust. so in the last few days i have played with it and along came the shoe. and the next one and the next. i tried one with just running stitch and linen lining. the others are lined with felt or blanketing.

these are the other bits and pieces. a little house of course and i have a little handbag cut out awaiting stitchery. a baby would look at anything that moved, i guess i am designing for the adult. any ideas my lovelies?! i think the hearts are a bit sharp in shape and i think i may do some in wool with woolen embroidery.

i haven't posted for ages but we have had school holidays here and that can fill a girls day! i have been beavering away on the granny 'ghan for tommy and am at the stage where i have counted the number of squares left to do - 27! its already on his bed because its been freezing here. i am so looking forward to making the little embroidered label and crocheting right around the edge of it. i must say though that my right elbow developed a repetitive strain pain and i have had to slow down. i don't know what i'll do next - not crochet! but i like having a project on the go that requires no prep and i can sit down in front of the tv and just pick it up and keep going.

keep warm, or cool, hemisphere dependent!

sizzix heaven

way down here, we are unable to get sizzix. they don't ship out of the states. simmy, the darling, sent me some as a surprise and i have hammered away with gay abandon. i was telling a friend of mine and she said her brother was coming home from vegas and what did i want she would order some as she fancied some herself. so we did and i went and picked them up yesterday. they are a treat she said. what do you mean? i enquired. he has gifted them to us. you have to love a brother!!! thank you so much nadene and your lovely sibling!

these petit maisons are about to go in my etsy shop. i just have to take a few more photos which i will do tomorrow as it is night time here and i like shooting outside.

and just had to tuck this in. this is for a friend of prairie's who is going to queensland, australia for the holidays where she and her dad are going surfing. i have a really cool little book of vintage surfing graphics so i photocopied one of the images and tucked in an australian $20 note i had. silly lou is her name for me, i have no idea why!