Crafternoon

Easter was fun here, and rather low-key. Lots of jobs around the house, time as a family, day trips in the car and so on. The Easter bunny delivered Turkish Delight, dark chocolate, and a cup of tea which was wonderful!

We have had strange wet stuff falling steadily from the sky. It will rejuvenate and regenerate gardens in a very real example to the kids of 'new life' as this holiday weekend is about. It's been such a rare event, as we have now had three days in a row of rain, so the garden has readily drank it up. Birds are singing and bugs are emerging. A friend's children were out in the rain in bathers earlier today - so rare and exciting is precipitation! Note to self (and Mr BB!!) must clean out gutters - unexpectedly over-flowing.

As we are forced to stay indoors, we have gone to the family favourites of construction (new roll of tape to celebrate hols!), drawing, and of course story-writing for Master 7.

Master 7 loves stapling pieces of paper together to make "a book". He comes up with a title, number pages, names chapters, does a sentence or two, then abandons it in favour of thenext idea. He is truly an ideas man, rather than a do-er. We have created a special box for WIP for him, in case he wants to return to anything at a later date. As yet he hasn't!

I have more sewing on the go, and after re-arranging the bookshelf, have a mountain of books ready for the bed-side table.

I am slowly formulating a time-share approach to the family room. The family only use the lounge room (carpet and tv), and I tend to use the family room. So as from the weekend, I will have a craft and sewing space, and the toys will again be halved. Will they even notice? No, I think not.

We are off to Melbourne for a week on Saturday, so I also have to sort out some car craft. Must buy felt! The school fair is not until October, but I want to do lots for the craft stall. What are top sellers at your school fair? I was going to do pencil toppers which double as cake toppers, as well as little bags for treasure and pencil rolls.

I also want to get my sewing and knitting badges done - so the school hols will be very busy! Sadly I have pharyngitis, so my energy levels are flat, but the ideas are flowing, if only I can catch them and put them on the calender.

J
x

Bestest Easter Craft by Far!

I wish I understood German. Maybe the pattern is self-explanatory, unsure if it's easy or not though. Rather gorgeous egg-tote anyhow! Check it out here. May try my hand at it today.

Lots of do-able downloadable (free) crafts as usual at Crayola dot com (Ramadan, Diwali, many festivals covered here), and lovely Easter templates at the Powerhouse Museum see www.play.powerhousemuseum.com which helped me make this Easter top for Miss 2!

Cheats tute for last-minute Easter outfit for last day of school:

Take the template and trace onto iron-on interfacing. Iron it on!

Select your fabric from the stash...

Cut out your shape and peel off the backing, iron it in place over stain/s that won't budge.

Sit in front of the telly watching your favourite show and handstitch in place with a decorative stitch. If you are in a rush, use the Janome or similar.

Ta da!

Pair with tiered skirt by JustJess and there is your own cute little Easter Bunny!

Last day of Term One here and we are all rather excited. Easter crafts all afternoon will be done and lots of Hot Cross Buns consumed over the next few days. YUM.

Taking the kids to church on Sunday for an introduction to an Easter service... Fingers crossed. Determined that Easter means more to them than chocolate and buns, so they can make up their own minds as they grow.

xx

Happy Weekend

I had a lovely Sunday with great friends, at an estate auction. Apart from some items that are in the wash, I did VERY well.

$5 lot purchased for this (residual of lot gone to Salvos)

I have wanted one of these for ages for sewing purposes, when a seam needs a quick press, etc. Super little beauty may have been used but unlikely.

Also another $5 lot which was BOXES of crockery. I gave all but three matching pyrex lovelies to Salvos:

(Rotate you little bugger!!!)

More to come... retro beach umbrella and banana lounge also $5 for the lot, more folk table cloths, and a peaceful satisfaction that these items are going to be loved and used!

xx

World Champions!

Pooh had just come to the bridge; and not looking where he was going, he tripped over something, and the fir-cone jerked out of his paw into the river. 'Bother,' said Pooh, as it floated slowly under the bridge, and he went back to get another fir-cone which had a rhyme to it. But then he thought that he would just look at the river instead, because it was a peaceful sort of day, so he lay down and looked at it, and it slipped slowly away beneath him, and suddenly, there was his fir-cone slipping away too.

That's funny,' said Pooh. 'I dropped it on the other side,' said Pooh, 'and it came out on this side! I wonder if it would do it again?' And he went back for some more fir-cones. It did. It kept on doing it. Then he dropped two in at once, and leant over the bridge to see which of them would come out first; and one of them did; but as they were both the same size, he didn't know if it was the one which he wanted to win, or the other one. So the next time he dropped one big one and one little one, and the big one came out first, which was what he had said it would do, and the little one came out last, which was what he had said it would do, so he had won twice ... and when he went home for tea, he had won thirty-six and lost twenty-eight, which meant that he was - that he had - well, you take twenty-eight from thirty-six, and that's what he was. Instead of the other way round.

And that was the beginning of the game called Poohsticks, which Pooh invented, and which he and his friends used to play on the edge of the Forest. But they played with sticks instead of fir-cones, because they were easier to mark.'

As noted in The Canberra Times this week, to Canberrans have taken out the World Poohsticks Championship in Oxfordshire. 2,000 people turned up to watch 800 competitors battle it out in team and individual events.

Now this is REAL news people! The prize? A trophy and HONEY!

xx

Yes I DO still sew!

In the case of Buttons versus the Blog, we submit the following evidence that the Janome is still fighting fit and producing merrily.

Of course there have been more tiered skirts. They are a staple, and I love them. Question is, would you buy one? What's the going rate for wonky craft?! I'm no professional but I do need to feed the habit... At a market stall not a shop where you expect a bit more like perfection, what price tag would sing to you? I'm interested in feedback from you. I have a number in my head - is it too low? Too high? Just an aside.



There have been bags using up scraps and thrifted zippers, from my head as well as on line tutorials. These are destined as gifts not commercial gain, as they are not my 'original' designs. (What IS original anyway???!)




Also a present for a great friend who ADORES President Obama. I used a free downloadable image of a cross-stitch pattern and printed it onto silk. Using interfacing and trim to 'frame' the image, it now graces a t-shirt for her!

Finally a wonky-looking (as it's full already!) bag for Master 7's computer-gamey thing. Necesary not beautiful. I was not going to buy one for $20 - I knew there was polar fleece and velcro around here somewhere that could be used!

In closing, in the pile of things to sew are: a dress for Miss 2 for the upcoming 40th of a certain BB family member; PJ pants for me; mending; a memory quilty thingy idea for a pressie; and innumerable other options for bunting; tiered skirts; and pants for Master 7. Elasticated pants (necessary for the Asperger in him) are hard to find past size 6.

As long as the family don't want the dining table back soon I will be fine to continue sewing daily. Cheap therapy!

And for gratuitous cute value, here is Miss 2 colouring in her Easter page for the local competition. No parental help here, an entry from a two-year-old is in fact done by... a two-year-old! Note that the toasted cheese sandwich finger prints are her own original touch.

j

Auction action

Consumption Rebellion and I went to a deceased estate auction on the weekend. We had no idea what to expect, however the dozens and dozens of cars lining the street made us rather optimistic.

The elderly lady who had lived in the house had been a hoarder, (it was billed as a hoarder's auction), and her house (and 2 sheds) were filled with all manner of items. There were no fewer than 6 big stripey bags and 5 big plastic containers of fabric, as well as bags and bags of yarn, boxes of craft items, and years of accumulated stuff. An entire shelf of a bookcase was devoted to craft books and sewing patterns, all allocated lot numbers we dilligently recorded.

We got there to view the house and contents, registered as bidders, and sat in the rear yard. What a crowd there was, many of whom obviously were very well-versed in the auction company's procedures. Already we have a list for the next one - chairs, pens, clip-boards, drinks, proper coffee, picnic rug, reading material. The local Scouts were there with sausage sizzle, egg and bacon sandwiches, soft drinks etc. It's quite a business! From start to finish the whole event can take from 9am to 2pm - little did we know...

We bid both successfully and unsuccessfully on a number of lots, split some lots, took some to the Salvos, and have plans for the rest. I am thrilled at the chance of finishing some of her UFOs, and cherishing some of her treasures.

Funny old leather coin purse that was inside a bag of linen I bought. The linen was actually a chenille bedspread, and 6 aprons as well as other items. Quite a lucky dip as it turned out.

More of the linen - perfectly starched napkins -mint condition with fabulous roosters.

One of the aprons - aqua seer-sucker with Holly Hobbie-esque design. Rather perfect actually!


An enormous Bushells Tea tin with Australiana on the tin in my favourite blue and while. The pen is on the top to show scale. It needs a good clean but is rather good!


The other view of the Bushells Tea tin.

More tins! Vintage Quality Streets and a rectangular canister labelled 'prunes'. Also the green teapot which pours rather well.

Folky coin purse which I actually bought with the next photo's napkins and placemats from a lady who outbid me. She wanted other items in the lot. Lovely. I adore these Austrian images, and have now a little collection of my own!


The next on-site auction is in Hughes on April 5th and promises a similar outcome! Unfortunately Mr BB will be away so I may have to take the fan club...

Record bowl take two

This time I accidentally left the LP in the car while I browsed in my local Salvos. An hour in the sun within the enclosed car, and voila! Unintentional change dish perhaps?

j