Missing pillowcase

Breamlea collection from Grandeur

I was in Target shopping for new linen today, why, oh why, does it take so long to buy what you want.  I was looking for something pretty but not girlie, after all it was for the spare room and this I found wasn't going to be easy,  so many quilt sets but not much in light colours that were'nt runched or frilly.  Finally deciding on the quilt cover set I wanted it was off to look through the sheets. These don't come as a pack anymore, oh no, you have to buy a flat sheet and then try and find a matching fitted sheet.  That done I then needed pillowcases, I knew that there would be two with the quilt set but I wanted a plain colour to contrast with the quilt.  This was becoming something of a drama and with no staff around I ended dropping everything on the floor and standing on the first shelve to go through them, you see, the pillowcases are on the top shelf,  not in any order and anyone that knows me, knows that I'm a shortie.  Finally mission accomplished and off to the register to pay.  Feeling very happy with my purchases until I unpacked everything to wash them, and found a pillowcase from the quilt set missing,  not happy now,  I phoned the store whereby I'm assured they will call around and find another one.  Outcome is that there isn't one, no more of this set anywhere. They will offer me a plain set of pillowcases as replacement, I asked if it would be in the same range as I purchased,  if I want these I will have to pay an extra $7-00 what, I have to drive back to the store by Friday and pay for them, ok it's only $7 but it is their stuff up.

New shelving unit

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Repositioned unit and table



My craft room is coming together, I have sorted through all the boxes and I'm proud to say I have been cruel to be kind, so much has gone. I had things I had kept because I might have needed them one day, well I'm not getting any younger, not too many one days left and besides I still have enough to keep me going for a long time yet.  I purchased a new flat pack shelving unit today, which meant my son was roped in to help put this together, this one is going inside the wardrobe, I think I will need another one but I'll see how much I can fit on this before I go and buy another unit.  I have new light shade, a bit of bling but I have high ceilings and will have to wait till one of the boys can do this for me.  I don't have a view from this window, just a colourbond fence and last night before going off to sleep I was thinking about this, I always seem to do my best thinking then.  Today while at Bunnings I looked at some big terracotta troughs, these would fit along that  corridor outside the window.  My son has several pieces of trellis that are'nt being used so I have asked him if I can have them, once painted and secured against the fence I think a climbing rose growing over them would look lovely.



New dresses for the dolls

Isbella in her old clothes, the material for her new outfit and the new containers

Now that I'm re-organising the craft room I've decided on a whole new colour scheme, everything from frames, stationery, boxes and storage are having a makeover.  This will include a few of the rag dolls I made years ago, since moving into this house they have lived in the cupboard out of sight, I am making new clothes for them and then they can go on display once again.  I went shopping today and found a beautiful floral print, at first look I wasn't sure of the size of the print but I kept going back to look at it and so decided to buy this along with a beautiful light aqua blue.   I don't have the pattern  for the dolls and their clothes any more so will have to unpick the original dress and jacket and cut the pattern from them.  I have been painting some food cans and jars, and I have decorated the cans with ribbon and old brooches, these will be used  for knitting needles and the jar will look great with fresh flowers, when we have some, I can't wait for Spring, I'm so over this cold winter.

Cleaning the craft room



before the clean out





Once I began to sort through my mums things I looked at my craft, computer, spare room and thought it is time to sort this mess out.  I need more storage, maybe this will encourage me to put things away when I have used it, if it actually has a place where it belongs.  I have shelves but I usually just put it on any available shelf and as you can see apart from the magazine holders everything else is just stuffed in. I have transferred everything to the bed  in the another room while I decide what to buy and where to put it all.  My son and his wife have moved my shelving and table to the other side of the room, the table will be under a window so I will have more light to work with.    I'll also need another table to extend my work area, my computer uses most of the existing table, and there is'nt any room for my sewing machine. I usually set up on the kitchen table and this defeats the purpose of having a craft room. The  shelves and table unit  were purchased from Ikea so a shopping trip back to Ikea to find another table of the same height and colour is in order. I might find some storage solutions as well.



the bed stacked high



Finishing what was started

A treasure trove of squares

I have three sisters who are each very talented in their own way, but I am the only one who inherited my mothers craft gene, so when mum passed away five years ago it was decided I should be the one to have all her craft supplies.  At the time my life was very busy and so the boxes with mum's things were just packed inside a cupboard.  Overtime I have often thought about looking through these boxes but then I became unwell and once again they were left in the cupboard.  Five years have flown past and I have been feeling very guilty that I have not looked through mums things.  This morning I decided I would open one of the boxes that contained mums crocheting and wool.  She was part of a group of ladies that knitted and crocheted small things for the hospital Auxilliary, little things like babies jumpers, cardigans, bootees and shawls. The left over wool was then crocheted into small squares or flowers to be used at a later date. Once I had looked through what was there I found a lot of squares of the same colour,  there was enough for me to be able to finish at least two small blankets.  I hadn't used a crochet hook for a number of years but it has been easy to pick up and now I feel good that I will be able to finish what mum had started.

Missing stitches

Tyler and Casey

  A short while ago I was speaking to my dad and told him of Tylers return visit to the vet tomorrow to have the stitches removed from when he was desexed  two weeks ago.  Dad started laughing, and then told me about a puppy he had when he was younger, this little puppy had been born with an inverted eyelid and dad took it to Lort Smith Animal Hospital to have it repaired.   He was asked to bring the pup back in a week to have the stitches removed. Dad went back the following week, the vet took one look at the puppy and asked why dad was there  "to remove the stitches" said dad "what stitches" replied the vet.   Dad hadn't noticed that the puppy or it's playmate had removed the stitches.  Dad said he felt like an idiot as he took the puppy home.  This got me wondering,  so I called Tyler over to check his wound and,  guess what, no stitches, he had removed them himself.    I have just phoned the vet to cancel the appointment. oh, clever dog.

Craft and good company







Cars glued and waiting to be sprayed blue



Yesterday was our second family craft day, we had decided this craft day would be all about frames and what could be done with a simple photo frame. We all had different ideas and I must say that everyone of them look good, two of them are even functional. Once the glue gun was plugged in, the paint, brushes and other equipment layed out we did'nt stop except for a small break when we grabbed something to eat and drink.   Belinda had a large bag of blue buttons that she used to shape into the letter 'O" and then hot glued into place, this looked beautiful.   Tanya decided she needed something to hang her hair ties and hairclips from, she painted her frame then attached lengths of ribbon to the frame, then using a small piece of metal that Taneesha had over from her project, covered this in scrapbooking paper.  Then the knobs were painted and screwed in to the bottom of the frame.   Taneesha decided that her frame would be a magnetic board, once painted,  scrapbook paper glued over the sheet metal,  then small magnets glued to the back of her makeup containers, she then lightly sandpapered the frame to give it an antique look.   I have been collecting plastic animals and cars over the past few weeks, and had a look through the kids toy box for things that would be appropriate for the frames I wanted to make.   I  decided to glue these onto photo frames and then spray paint over the whole frame so it would be one colour, another coat of paint and these will look really good in my grandsons bedrooms.  Just like the last craft day the time went by so quickly  and once again it was about five o'clock before we were packing up.  Next month we have decided to do our own thing again, but I'm really looking forward to November when we will be making all things christmas.

first coat of paint





No Crunch

I'm a really big sook when it comes to going to the dentist, so much so that I have'nt been for years.  I finally plucked up the courage a couple of weeks ago, and as was expected I have a list of repairs to be done including the removal of two molars.  This was not a simple removal, oh no, not for me it had to include a small graft and several stitches, needless to say the dentist has not moved up my not fond of doing things list.   I am a crunch kind of person, an apple, crisps, crackers anything that can give me a crunch, I don't like smooth and velevety, probably why I have never really liked chocolate or ice-cream.   For the next few weeks everything has to be soft and mushy and I'm finding this really boring, so,  I'm not really interested in eating.  This is probably a good thing as I have a few kilos to lose, in the meantime I'm dreaming of putting my teeth into a big green juicy apple.

Beginings of a tea party

Taneesha's tea set

I have a beautiful china tea set that belonged to my grandmother, something I had admired for a long time while growing up.  When I was young this set was used on a daily basis, no mugs were ever used by my grandmother.  After my grandmother died my sisters and I were asked if  we would like to have something as a memory of her, of course I asked if I could have the tea set.  This set consists of unmatched tea cups, saucers, and side plates, all beautiful bone china, and so precious to me. This set lives in a glass cabinet and is taken out when I have girlfriends over for lunch or afternoon tea, no men allowed to touch, no big fingers would be able to hold these cups.   My daughters love these pieces as well and have grown up seeing the special effort I make when these are taken from the cabinet.  Only the lace cloths, silver cutlery and crystal sugar bowl with a vase of flowers are appropriate for this special set.  Last year with my eldest daughters birthday imminent and not sure what to buy her, I saw a beautiful cup and saucer with an oriental design, this would be the start of my daughters own tea set.   I purchased several pieces along with a tea pot, creamer and jug.  Of course, I have two daughters so this week we went shopping to buy my other daughter her starter set, both these sets can be added onto, so now I'm waiting for my invitation to afternoon tea.

Jacinta's tea set

The plastic collar

Tyler looking confused

Yesterday morning my one year old schnaunzer cross Tyler, had a visit to the vet, it was about time for him to be desexed.  He is still very much a puppy, jumping and bouncing everywhere until we walked inside the door at the vets and then he was very quiet, no-one would have guessed that he was'nt this well behaved all the time.   When I went back later that afternoon he was very happy to see me albiet very confused about the plastic collar he had attached to his neck.  This has given me a lot of laughs as he becomes used to this collar, he hasn't been able to judge the distance he needs to enter doors, to find his food, turn corners or sit down.  When he follows  me he keeps catching me on my heels with the collar.  My dogs are inside, outside dogs but they always sleep in their kennel under the back patio, curled together for warmth.  Not last night, I was advised to keep him inside for a couple of nights, which meant both of them.  It was a cold frosty night, I know,  I was outside a couple of times during the night waiting for him to pee, you see if I did'nt stand outside with him he just stood at the door looking at me and would'nt go.  Cold or not they are both outside tonight.

Sorting the fabric stash

Like most, or should I say all quilters I have a fabric stash.   In spite of all good intentions I always seems to end up with fabrics thrown in a large tub, these are usually the fabrics that I have taken from the cane boxes I store them in,  looking for the perfect piece that will be used for the current project, or the leftover pieces from a past project added to the tub to be sorted and put away later.  Of course later becomes much later, and then the recently purchased fabric is added to the pile and the tub is full.   While I am house bound for a couple of days I have decided to tackle the tub, having just had a look I think I need more cane boxes, am I procrastinating, surely I have enough, I'm just starting to think that I'm not really into doing this job today, maybe another cup of tea while I think about it.  While I'm thinking about this, I should think about rearanging the room so that I have more light when I work, ok, it's official this has been put off till another day.