A Bag for the Cat Lady

My dear friend K with whom I toured Rutherglen recently, was exceedingly generous in her gifts to me.

K had spent a couple of weeks in Japan with family, and had bought me an entire stash of fabric, and a box of little origami fabric, waiting to be made into buttons, brooches, etc. I was quite overcome! As all good bloggers, out came the camera. This amused K, as she is not familiar with the blogging thing (a blogger novice - must get her hooked!)


As a thank you, I have made a little bag out of the fabric, finished the inside seams with a Japanese binding technique, and put a HUGE vintage button on the front pleat as a little adornment. K's favourite colours are RED and GREEN, so I hope she likes it!!!!


I have broken two needles trying to finish the top seam (two denim needles.....) and so it remains pinned whilst I drum up the courage to complete it. I had hoped to send it last week but alas.... Still, I am very happy with it! I want to whip up another tomorrow for my Sister-In-Law's birthday on Wednesday!

Kids and questions...

Master 6 is a Very Clever Kid. He regularly surprises me with his wit and wisdom. Here's his little map of Africa which he has labelled. He keeps it handy in case he has to 'just check' where a country is...

I get quizzed on which countries share borders, and "if we drove from Egypt to Mali, which countries would we go through?" I really need some Atlas time!!!

Lisa has posted a birthday memory/tribute to her Granny and has inspired me to post a pic of my Nan.

Nell the style icon of the 1930s and 1940s. Her shoe collection was amazing, her knitting something to aspire to, her love of the AFL (VFL) unwavering. Too many special memories to record, but I smile when I see her photos.

This one was taken by my Pa. Nan was about 21 we think.

A beautiful lady.

Thanks for the inspiration Lisa.

Why Knot Knit?

I just remembered why I hate knitting in acrylic and 'pretty' yarns that tangle easily. Bloody yarn spaghetti.....

A Printed Memory

I am in the process of getting my little blog printed and bound for my own enjoyment. Funny really, I have never been able to keep a journal, worried that others would read it! However the blog and I are great buddies.

I realised that the photos, jottings about the kids, and so on, should be on the shelf with the old fashioned photo albums, etc.

Has anyone else done this? I am interested to know what you did.

J

Another good reason to visit Canberra...

The Shopping Sherpa's miniatures exhibition at the Canberra Museum and Gallery (known locally as C-MAG), Oct-Jan.

Come and visit! Lots of Lundy miniatures. Lovely.

J

The Button Collection

Many of you (especially those that know me in real life) know my love for All Things Buttony, and also of the loss of my sewjo *(Ingrid has coined this great expression!) when it comes to new buttony creations at the moment.
In fact my first foray into etsy was for a buttony print of The Button Collector by Black Apple - remember this? I so love it, it makes me grin like an idiot actually!


Well I was again moved by the brilliant creativity of Miss Emily Martin (Inside a Black Apple) some time ago by this.

So Thank You Emily for letting me post the photo here for all to enjoy. I have not yet finished my version, and am unsure if I will be able to carry it off, but you continue to inspire, and I am grateful for all you share!

Thanks Em!

As we say here in Australia - Love your work!

This is... my favourite outfit that expresses my individual style...

What a great This is... this week by Kitty, hosted by Angela. Check out who else is playing here.

I have no real outfit that I wear that I think celebrates me, and my style. I have a lot of interest in clothes and fashion, yet not for myself. Not a great deal is available in PLUS sizes... I do however have a Jess-uniform that serves me well for school drop-offs. I think it's very representative of me, in that I blend in and do not draw any attention to myself in crowds, which consists of...

denim jeans. Almost always.

Pony tail. Every day. I have no luck with hair...

White t shirt, 3/4 sleeve top, etc.

My RMs.

And I accessorise with hand-made jewelry and bags!

Not very original, but it's me!!

The pineapple is a what??!

Giant Pineapple in Nambour, QLD, from Google Images here.

OK, so I now have been advised that the pineapple is a Southern Symbol of Hospitality in the USA - you can read about its origins here!! Thanks anonymous, you sure were quick!!

Reading in bed is the life...

Best part of being sick in bed is being able to READ. Those of you with kids will know what I mean! Anyway, I have a large stack of books I want to read, and three days in bed allowed me to devour Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (amazing stroke of six-degrees is that her lover's kids live in Australia, one in Canberra, and actually works with my best buddy here!!!) I loved the Eat section on Rome.

The Rushdie is still being read - another book that's easy to read, like hot chocolate it is enjoyable, goes down well, and you are sad when it is over. He is a master story-teller.

Pi was a gift from my Best Friend in The World before she went to Saudi for a year. I don't want to finish it!!



A reading session can only improve with 1970s and 1980s cookbooks, including a Robert Carrier classic (each 20c at oppy).

And a forgotten This is... where I craft from - my newly-stacked shelves with fabrics, linens, pillowcases, etc. Larger pieces are still in the huge chest, but this is my treasure trove!


J

Completed and ready for shipping!

So with the computer down, and with sickness raging through the house, I embraced the newly-serviced Janome, and finished some of the MANY WsIP (WIPs). Speaking of the Janome, if you haven't already chuckled at Jodie, enjoy this!

The baby due this Winter to The Lovely School Friend will be receiving a very freehand quilt, backed in cosy apple-green chenille (I couldn't help myself...). I just found out that the Grandma loves a bit of quilting, so I hope it's not too bad for them!

He/She also gets the first of what will be many Very Hungry Caterpillar themed singlets. This is NOT original, I am SURE others have done them, as have I, just not with cute fruit! The embroidery isn't as wonky as the photo shows!

My youngest niece (I have 3) gets this applique-d top (it was just a hand-me-down from Miss 2, but it got a little stained, so now, voila!) I used a super-cute fabric from retromummy here.

The Mother of the niece (I also have 3 sister-in-laws, or SILs), gets this apron. Will she like it? Hmmm. YEARS ago, when they returned from the US from their honeymoon, she brought back pineapple hostess gifts. I think they were from Maine?? Anyway, they represented hospitality. I found this vintage tablecloth and HAD to make an apron for her!
Also, Miss 2 needs more pinny dresses, so she got a fleecy one to keep warm, with a HUGE pocket. She stores anything she can in a pocket. This was this morning (love the bed-hair!) just before the pocket had a bag, a car, a bottle, C3PO and a crayon in it. At once. BIG pocket...

YAY! I love sharing what I've made, and I love that I've made way for the next lot of WsIP to be completed!

x

Offline and having withdrawls!

Thanks for lovely comments, and sorry there was no day 5 to Nicola's lovely meme, but The Computer Died and had to go to Hospital.

Also, the Whole Family has been sick and I am still in bed and feeling miserable.

However, I got computer back today, and have HOURS of posts from you lovelies to catch up on!

Back into the blog soon!

Day 4 - gingham!

My favourite fabric of choice is gingham. I want these to be my images, in my house, but they're from here, the vintage gingham drool-spot... And the canisters! And the cabinet! And the curtains! I love!!!!!!

Day three - hearts and stars...

Awww...

Week of Decoration Day 2 - Stripes and Lines

Thanks Nicola from Nicola's Daisies for this meme which is causing me to look for patterns in everything! Yesterday spilt milk was spots and dots and by the time I got the camera, it had been cleaned up!!

Today is stripes, lines, etc.... I think you should join in too...!




At work, so thanks to Google images!!

J

Kym's Savoury Muffins

An Amazing Woman I Know is a mother to three under 3 (one set of twins), volunteers for the local SES, and does many other things, including baking. She is famous for these, which I highly recommend:

Kym’s Savoury Muffins

1 ½ cups Self Raising Flour

1 cup grated cheese (well packed)

1 cup chopped cooked bacon

1 onion finely diced and fried

200g tomato paste

4 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp powdered chicken stock

2 tsp crushed garlic (or to taste)

¼ cup oil

½ cup milk

1 egg

The ingredients above are all approximate measures only. Vary the amounts to your own taste. The tomato paste is about 1/3 of a large jar – there is no need to weigh it. I often put in more cheese and bacon than above.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

• Combine the flour, cheese, bacon, onion, sugar, chicken stock and garlic in a large bowl and mix together.
• Combine the tomato paste, oil, milk and egg in another bowl and beat together with a fork.
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and mix together thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
• The mixture should be the thickness of a usual muffin mix – not as runny as a cake mix, but still moist.
• Spoon into a muffin tin, mini muffin tin, mini quiche tin or in doubled patty pans.
• Cook in preheated oven until top springs back when lightly pressed. This will take approx the times below, depending on the size of the tin used.

Tin	Approx. Time
Mini Muffin	11 mins
Mini Quiche	15 mins
Patty Pans	18 mins
Muffin	20 mins

• Cool slightly before removing from tin. (they will be quite soft when warm due to the melted cheese, but will harden when cooled)
• Eat warm or cold.

Kym has used many variations including:

• ham and spring onion to avoid frying bacon and onion
• crab and sun dried tomato (leave out tomato paste)
• Chilli and Corn (leave out tomato paste and use creamed corn and corn kernels)
• Green and red capsicum (with powdered vegetable stock)
• Curry paste and coriander (cilantro).

j

Sew, sew, sew your boat

Silly post title, I know. Ridiculous in fact. I have sewing-withdrawl as the Machine is in for her service, and I have boats on the brain as my Sister-In-Law will be rowing for Australia at Beijing. I can't keep quiet about this any longer! Anyway, we are very thrilled (Congratulations Aunty Rower!!)

Anyway, here are some quick pics of things I want to be doing:


Old, old, old Tupperware toys I found at an oppy. They might become a mobile for The Youngest Niece, or become Play-Doh toys. They are rather lovely.

Speaking of The Youngest Niece, these two fabrics became a doll-crib set of quilt, sheets (top and bottom), and pillowcase recently. I forgot to take the After shot before they were sent!

The knit on the left will be a wrap/shawl/shrug, and the mushroomy/mocha stretch will be pants.

This is to celebrate getting more work To Help The Family. I just need some non-mummy clothes!

Off to settle the herd - great to have the bloggy feelings back!

j

Great things to do - where do I start??!

Just returned from a road trip of a few days, which started badly and ended up in delicious, warm and fuzzy relaxation.

I have perfected the art of knitting in the car, and so made a few crowns for dress-ups based on this pattern, but modified as I thought I could do mine without thinking...

I cast on 100 stitches, garter stitch (plain knitting) as many rows as you want the base of your crown to be. I did 6 the first time, 10 the second, and am thinking 12 might suit better. My needles are 6mm bamboo, which mean I knit quite loosely on these... Wool is scraps, generally 8 ply.

I then knit 20 stitches, turned the work, and knitted the same 20 again. Then working with k2tog at the start and finish of each row on the right side of the work until 14 stitches remain, then k2tog at the start and finish of each row. When 2 stitches remain, k2tog, break off yarn, and tie off. This is point one. Just keep this up until there are 5 points, sew in loose ends, add buttons, baubles as per original pattern, etc, and there's a crown! Mine are 100 stitches as Master 6 and his band of merry mischief makers have big heads.... Photos will come when they are adorned.

Also, found some lovely oppies on the road, where this little table cloth was found for $5.


I love it. It's destined to stay a tablecloth for the time being.


The pillowcase was 20 cents and reminds me of the Lovely Holly Hobbie and Mary Kaye designs of my fave swap cards!

LOVED a little town named Canowindra, where we came across the best country hospitality of the year. The kids were actually acknowledged, and we were able to properly relax. It was magical. We want to go back and stay here. Canowindra is Australia's hot air ballooning capital, which appeals to me too!

Came home to many blog posts to read, emails galore, and NO RESPONSE from Paypal or from the seller unfortunately. Lovely offer of assistance from Bells, just love blogland niceness. LOVE this mail from Shannon too:

It's being saved for a Special New Friend who loves red, knitting, and handmade. I hope it will be for a Project she is Working On at the moment...

Love the idea of a Knit Along - Bells alerted us to this here which is linked to the Tour de France, which I hope to join. There are only 108 places, so click the link here if you are interested in a reason to knit! (Just found out by email I am IN, and on TEAM QUICKSTEP, led by Angie from Riggwelter.wordpress.com!)

I have also almost finished the I-Spy quilts for the kids, now just waiting for the machine to come back from its service ($$$$$).

Another little game I am joining in on is Nicola's Week of Decoration. Following on from her gorgeous week of colour, she is hosting a week of decorations through photos we take daily. Today is spots, dots, circles, etc, and I am off to take some pics!!


Join in !!! These are all I had - I really need to learn how to do those photo mosaics Nic is so good at.

Phew! Busy morning...

x

Desire.......

Ninja earrings by hobbity

Volta air guitar by redmag

Rabbit brooch by melissabeal

Birdcage bag by tabidesigns

cute crochet bear weather patterns
First Hammer baby rattle by fede

Best Bud necklace by limeblue

Peacock or Poppy sketch silk-lined clutch bag by redrubyrose

If only I could get Paypal to work for me!!!