How lucky am I?

I recently participated in my 2nd swap via blogland and I received all this lovely fabric!

Amy and I had decided on a swap - I sent her one of my reversible sunhats for her little girl and a pencil/work case for her and I received the fabric.  Seeing as I was only expecting scraps you can imagine my great delight when I opened the package!  Many thanks once again Amy.

For my birthday in February I was given a book voucher by my in-laws.  Now as much as I love books it always takes me some time to use a voucher.  You see there are just sooooo many books out there that I would like that I never can decide and the books in NZ are sooo expensive, but that's content for another post!!  I had popped into our local PaperPlus a couple of times and eyed up a few books.  So you can imagine my delight when I see a book I would really rather like with 25% off - I ended up paying just $1.24 for this beautiful book:

although in truth that $1.24 will turn into much, much more because of all the lovely quilts I now wish to make!

The one activity that we have done every term for Maia is swimming.  This year Cassia started her lessons too.  We just go to the local aquatic centre and they both enjoy it tremendously.  The lessons aren't cheap so you can appreciate how happy I was to have won the draw for a term's worth of free lessons - theoretically they are Cassia's - but I'm not picky!

During the holidays we went away for a few days.  One day we all head into Levin and I scoured the op shops whilst Craig and the girls went to the Adventure Park.  For sometime now I have been looking for a grater which can be fastened to a unit and that the girls can use themselves.  I've even been into a couple of 'proper' kitchen shops but to no avail.  So I was very excited to see this in a new second hand shop I popped into:

Now I ummmmed and aaahed about whether to get it.  It was $8 which to me, being so used to $1 bargains at our local Sallies, seemed quite expensive!!!  Crazy really as I would have paid upto $40 in the shop if I had seen one.  Then the grating drum it came with wasn't really the one I wanted ......  But it was so retro and so pristine I bit the bullet and bought it.  I figured I could look on TradeMe for the other drums that go with it.  Now, of course, finding it was lucky but what came next was more than luck.  It was like op shopping karma - is there such a thing?!!!

I popped into a wee little op shop, the type that has very limited hours, only takes cash but can yield some real treasures.  And what did I find in there ..........

Can you believe it?  The other 4 grating drums all in mint condition.  The price?  50c each - that's right 50c each.  So for the grand total of $10 I have the whole set - woohooo!!!

And finally (this really has been a pretty full post eh?) this month is my month to be the Queen Bee at the Bee Seam Piecing Downunder.

So I've sent out the parcels and now just have to sit back and wait - sounds good doesn't it?  I made one practice block and then a couple more to check I'd put enough fabric in the parcels.  Good job I did that as it turns out because there probably wouldn't have been enough - ooops!

So as you can see I have had a lot to be grateful for recently.  It's really helped putting this post together because I'm currently suffering from the horrid bug/virus that Cassia had last week and feeling rather sorry for myself!  Hope you're having a good run of it too! x

PS The dinner I posted about earlier was just delicious!!!!!

I thought I must be mad ....

I was having a good sort out earlier this afternoon and came across this jigsaw.

I found it at an op shop ages ago and loved the retro kiwiana feel.  So with the wind blowing, the rain lashing and the fire roaring it seemed like the perfect time to start the jigsaw.

With a little bit of hindrance and a lot of help from Maia we got going.

I thought it would take ages and had been thinking where I could keep it whilst working on it but it's done - finished before tea!

I love how kitsch it is and because Craig's a picture framer I'm going to frame it and hang it on my wall!

Hope you all had a great weekend. x

A few days away ...

We went away to the beach for a couple of nights last week.  I don't have many photos because the battery on my camera ran out but I do have lovely memories!

We had tea out the first night there which is a rare occurrence and so was wonderful!

Candle lit concerts by the children by the fireside

A walk along the beach into the southerly which could almost hold me up

No TV, no mobile and no computer

Op shopping in old and new stores and finding an absolute treasure - more on that later

A husband who did all the dishes

Being read to in the evening whilst crocheting - something I would truly recommend!

I didn't really want to come home which is quite good really because we're going back again tomorrow!!  Why did we come home?  Because I had some work to do.  Work.  Proper work.  Consisting of sewing.  For someone.  All very exciting and I'll let you know soon.

Hope you all had a great weekend. x

Op shop finds and a couple more blocks ...

One of the weekend's garage sale was more like an English jumble sale - in a church halls and mostly clothes piled high on trestles.  Unlike an English jumble sale there was no queue to get in, no entry fee and you could fill a bag up for $2 - how can you not like that.  Most of the things I found are to be used for the material - silk, linen, wool and a couple of stripy jersey tops to make some trousers for the girls.

a small selection of my finds!

and a couple of items were put in the bag solely for the buttons!

Some vintage embroidered doilies from the local op shop

Embroidery detail

Now you might be asking isn't the second photo just another close up shot?  Well you would be right!  But it's the BACK of the doily.  Can you believe it?  The neatness of the work is amazing - and I got the whole set for 50c!

I'm still working away on my quilt top from the ANZAC Bee - it's maybe about 2/3 done now!  A couple of extra blocks I've made:

appliqueed tumbling hearts block

paper pieced heart awaiting border

I can't seem to be able to get into anything but the heart quilt so I had better get it finished soon to allow some other creating into my life!  (And also get the kitchen table and spare bed back!!!!) xx

What a wonderful weekend ...

including lots of my favourite things.  

Saturday was filled with:

garage sales

op shoppping

coffee

clear blue sunny skies

washing drying outside in winter - including some of my garage sales finds

outside playing

being able to have the windows and doors open all day

our beautiful rosemary which will be full of the beautiful flowers from now until December

playing about with my ANZAC Bee blocks

sewing

Sunday dawned grey and wet so a day inside was called for, including:

cleaning

friends for morning tea and playing

sorting through my op shop finds

reading the Sunday papers

more coffee

a little bit more sewing on my quilt top

cooking something new for tea.

chicken and mushroom pie followed by ice cream - delicious!

All in all a lovely time had by all.  How was yours? x

Keeping necks and pencils (!!) warm ...

I've wanted to make some neck warmers for a while now and used the market as the reason!  The prototype was made for Maia and she loves it so I thought I would make some more to sell.  The outside patchwork is from cotton from thrifted or offcut material and it is lined with flannette cotton, again thrifted.  They are finished with a vintage button from my stash!

Thumbs up from Maia and I love them for the reason that they keep little necks warm with no worries about long scarf ends flying around and getting trapped ....  In fact I think I'll make one up in adult size for me next week!

Some patchwork pencil cases made up from vintage sheets and pillowcases.  Again I made some for the girls a couple of months ago and they have had great reviews, from the girls and their friends - so here's hoping!

And now for a photo that makes me very happy.  After bemoaning to and commiserating with fellow bloggers over the phenomenon that is detailed below I was very happy to get this snap.

The phenomenon as experienced by this crafty mama, although I think you will all have a variety on the theme!

• Mum decides to make something for child

• Child likes the idea of having something made just for them

• Mum feels good that she is making something for them

• Mum finishes the something

• Child looks at the something as if it is a monster/disgusting/cat poo (delete as appropriate)

• Child will not try the something on

• Mum bribes child to try the something on so they can get a photo

• Either bribery fails and the photo is taken sans child or bribery works but the photo is ruined by child's face

So for the detail:

Maia, on the left, is wearing a hat I crocheted for her over 2 years ago.  In fact this item is an exception to the phenomenon mentioned above, she has always loved it.  She's also wearing the new patchwork neck warmer made last week.

Cassia, on the right, is wearing a neck warmer I crocheted her last year (the matching beanie is still in the wardrobe but with the temps right down low now I better get it out!).

The other reason I love this photo - my two girls are together - usually when the camera comes out they run as far from each other as possible! x

PS Don't forget the giveaway I'm running to celebrate my first ever market!

I'm off to a market ...

the Feilding Craft Market in fact.  Now it is technically my first market (I try to forget the one I attended at the beginning of Decmber where no-one came and then I was surrounded by a motorcycle club - yes it really did happen and I really am trying to forget!!!).  So, allowing for my bit of artistic licence, this is my first market!!!!

Wonder what's being made here?!

I'm excited, nervous, busy, tired, challenged to name but a few.  I was feeling rather reluctant to tell you that I'm doing a market but then I thought that was ridiculous because you may just be able to offer me some advice, tips, support ..... a shoulder to cry on!

Rainbow bunting

I would really appreciate any comments or feedback on the items I show this week.  Of course, it's not all one-sided I will also be having a GIVEAWAY!!!!!  What's up for grabs?  Bunting of course!  There is the rather lovely rainbow bunting as featured above and below or you may choose a more calming bunting made from reclaimed embroidered linens and doilies, which you can see over here or down below.  The choice is yours.

So how do you enter?  Just leave a comment.  In fact, every comment left this week, on any post, will result in ONE ENTRY TO THE DRAW.  If you fancy a few more then why not mention this giveaway on your blog and get 3 extra entries!

Bunting made with reclaimed vintage table runner which was worn in places

Bunting close up

All clear?  Wonderful!  Well good luck with the draw and of course good luck to me!!! xx

PS For more bunting madness don't forget to click here!

Thinking about the good things ...

It's raining.  It's raining very hard and has been for a fair few days now.  Over the last month one or other of us has been sick.  The washing seems never ending .............

It could be very easy to dwell on 'bad' things but I have decided to think about the 'good' things and give thanks!

First up thanks to Pippa from When I Get The Time who has awarded me a Beautiful Blogger Award - more about that in the next post.

Thanks to my girls who are just wonderful!!!  They are going through a phase where they love being together, whether it is creating, playing, exploring, imagining.  This last week they have been very busy with imaginative play, using any and everything they find or make for their stories and adventures.  This last week we have variously been in fairyland (they got there on the 'family' witches' broomsticks because they missed the plane), mermaid land, princess land, hospital, pen school (this is featuring a lot at the moment and comprises of all the different felt tips being real and having great adventures!), dressing up land, at the vets, in a cafe .....  in fact now I think about it again I don't know where we haven't been.  All it takes is a little something to spark their imagination and off they go.

Yesterday Maia decided to make a treasure hunt for me!  Treasure hunts are great events at our house and the girls love them.  They started with photos and are now words and some very basic stylised drawings.  The girls have bags they collect up the clues in and I think the journey is more rewarding than the actual 'treasure' for them  (although the lollipops they found yesterday went down quite well!).

The little drawings on the right are Maia's clues (a chair and a newspaper if you can't quite make them out!) and they led to my treasure - this wonderful picture.  Not to be outdone Cassia made Mummy some treasure too.  Hers are featured on the left hand side and are a ring and then the tiniest piece of paper she had cut out and coloured.  Very special treasure indeed!

Thanks to Kellie in The Australasian Bee for introducing me to quilt as you go - it is my new thing!!!!  Yesterday I was able to make another quilt as you go block.  I made a 17" square to make into a cushion.

The coloured strips are leftover from Kellie's block plus a few I had in my stash.  The white border is old cotton sheeting which I just found this week in the op shop.  I love the feel of it - it feels so substantial and I love that I'm reusing someone else's cast offs!  I decided to try a buttoned up back and was very happy with the results.

I already had the buttons and I thought the different colours go well with the bright colourful front.  Just got to put it together and then I'll be sure to post a pic!

And then a thanks to me!!!  Yes I have actually made myself something recently.  The little bag I made here has come in very handy as a portable work bag.

It's small but fits in all the things you need to make hexagons perfectly!  It's had a few outings this week and more hexagon flowers are being produced!  Due to my impatient nature I needed to do something with a flower rather than just keep them all for a bigger project so I made myself a needlecase.

I've never had one before and hated never being able to find a needle easily, if at all!  Now they are all together in one place, by my machine, in a lovely new home.  Best of all it was made by me all from scraps!  x

Maia made ...

On Good Friday we were given a very large bag of apples and I decided to stew them.  There were still some left on Easter Morning so I sat at the kitchen table to peel them and Maia sat with me.  She drew the picture she saw - how cool is that?!

An impromptu picture for Mum - the kind I love the best!

The bag that was started here is almost finished - the button is yet to be sewn on.  The girls were great and I thought they created really good bags.  It's quite amazing just what children can do when given the right environment and encouragement.

More sewing.  Amazing to think that Maia did all the sewing herself.  At first I didn't know whether I should sit there besides her but then I knew that I would find it VERY hard to stop butting in so I left.  Maia would call me when she had finished the bit she was working on and together we would look at the book and see what the next step was.  I sewed on the brooch fastening on the back  and cut out the small corners of the M but apart from that it is all "Maia Made"!

You might not know what this is!  Maia asked if she could have a couple of zips and off she went.  She made me a pencil case out of a zip, paper, felt tips and sellotape!!!

It now is now on my desk and houses a very special  thing - a piece of glass I saw blown at Poole Pottery just before I got  married!  Who knew I needed just such a pencil  case?!

Some people!

And now for something Mama made for Maia ...

I had found a linen/cotton shirt at the op shop that I never wore and, inspired by the creations over at Wardrobe Refashion, I thought I would make Maia a dress.  No pattern, no instructions just plain sewing.  I was really pleased with how it turned out, although I certainly didn't like using the bias binding (which I just happened to have in the same colour - amazing what op shops and hoarding can achieve!).  However, I have one small problem - she doesn't like it and won't wear it, in fact won't actually try it on .... and neither will her sister!  Oh well hopefully I'll have more luck next time. x