Putting words into action. Doily denim skirt.

I am not all that enamoured of the entire Paula Prass, Summer Soiree range. I do however, absolutely LOVE this print containing doilies of course! I made skirts for my market stall with co-ordinating spots. It is called Nosegay.

And here is some rare footage of myself in a recently op-shopped denim skirt. It was down to my ankles, so I took 4 or 5" off the bottom. I left the edge raw and used strong top stitching thread to sew around the edge to stop it fraying too much. Finally I added a pretty and finely patterned doily in ecru tones. I'm quite happy with it. The skirt is comfy and a little unique. A bit like me ;) I had more pinned on initially but decided that a little goes a long way. Total cost, $6.49.

So finally I have actually USED one of my many doilies. I raided the op-shop for doilies the other day and came home with another 40 so it was definitely time to put them to use. There's still another 100 or so there!

I am adding regularly to the giveaway pile!

Doily inspiration

I have been so inspired by everyone's contributions. Thankyou!
Here is the latest link by Karen (which didn't work for me) but I found the site ok.
Doily wall hanging.
 I have also heard of people using a salt solution for the same effect. It looks beautiful and easy! I remember seeing sugar doily baskets at fetes when I was young. You let them dry over or inside the object of your choice. The beauty of this is that it is non-toxic. There are also products such as paverpol which is a permanent and waterproof textile hardener.

However, on this blog there is another page full of doily ideas which is just wonderful (I hope someone wasn't planning to use this link)


And if you visit the main page there is a link and pics of some gorgeous chandeliers made from everyday objects. Quite amazing!

When this giveaway is finished I will put together a compendium of doily ideas for easy referral. I know I will be wanting to refer back to it again and again.

Week #4 Giveaway oh Giveaway! Doilies!

I have handpicked a selection of doilies from my collection for the giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is share the doily love and post a unique link to an inspiring crafty link which uses doilies. You can do like I did and search etsy.com believe me, I only scratched the surface! Or make google your friend. Perhaps you have a favourite already saved? If you have something of your own to share you can add an extra comment for an extra entry.

There will be at least 10 doilies in the pack in a variety of shapes and sizes, including crochet and embroidered linen.

Don't you love it when a new Op-shop opens nearby? Lots of stock and not much competition :) I found the motherlode of doilies  less than 1km from my home! So I know I can replace these without any problem.

ETA thanks everyone for some fantastic links. Here's the one to the headband that was mentioned.

Life ...

is what happens to you, when you're busy making other plans, sings John Lennon.

Yes, I'd agree with that one.

Today started with a simple plan, did some tidying and washing before going to collect BIL to take him to hospital. On the way out, DS tells me he had his Japanese oral exam in 45mins in the city, so rush to take BIL, thank goodness he was almost ready to go and I rushed him into the car.. Then he spent the 5min trip telling DS how hard it was for him to remember anything in exams, aaargh! I said no negative stuff please, only positive, he has memory issues already!!! lol
  So, just about at his school, he says the exam isnt' at school , and hands me a sheet with a map on it to read while trying to drive. Luckily it's not too far, hang a U-turn, with 5mins until he is supposed to be there Arrrgh!! THEN

The hospital has called home, and DS Luke calls and says they missed the fracture in Jordan's foot yesterday and he needs to go get it plastered. (After he has been limping around on it since Friday.) So I had to drop him off to limp into exam so I could find a park. Did the exam OK-ish, then off to the hospital.
Leave him at emergency while I run another urgent errand. I get back and he is still in emergency in a "cubicle".

Some patients are now lined up in chairs around the ward and consulted with in virtual public. I thought it was weird the other week when Ben saw the doctor in the Paed waiting room (hand fracture) and Jordan in a chair in the hallway on the weekend. But this time, he had a patient sitting either side and one was also consulting another doctor. Meanwhile DD Pearl reaches under my chair and picks up a cotton ball with blood on it! Then later, toilet paper from under another chair! Ergh! LUcky I had hand sanitiser with me, I went through half a bottle of the stuff while we were there. Is this some third world country clinic?
Jordan now has a half leg plaster.

DH and I went out this evening for our 24th wedding anniversary. We had dinner at a cafe and saw Surrogates at the cinema.

Sorry, tomorrow I will get the giveaway up and apologies for cross posting elsewhere.

Vintage Doilies. What do you do with them?

I know, I have asked before, but I need more inspiration. This weeks giveaway will be another doily collection. Check tomorrow for details.

Here are some doily creations I found on etsy: a lacy cuff

A lacy applique skirt

 Lace cap sleeves (I had plans for something similar)

Layers of lace loveliness

 a beautiful bag accent..

What are your favourites?

(Nearly) Wordless Weekend

Jordan graduates Highschool

A standing ovation performance of Hallelujah, Jordan on keyboard.

A Big screen shot

Market day

Giveaway #3 Guess what? Here it is!

We have a winner!

fallen~from~grace said... My guess is a Donkey Softie

And here it is:

Well done! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

I have to say you have all come up with some very novel ideas and I know just where to look next time I need some inspiration for a project lol. Thank you to everyone for playing along and don't forget the next giveaway will start next Monday.

Here is the link for information about donkeys in Australia. Quite interesting, but sad too.

Giveaway #3 Guess what? Thursday's clue

REMEMBER the correct animal HAS NOT been mentioned in your previous day's guesses so make sure your guess counts by checking previous posts and comments.

I'm pretty pleased that I've managed to avoid giving away the game too easily, I hope it has been fun. I don't know how more obtuse I can be and not give the answer away.

The clues so far are, it is an animal, has 4 legs, native to Africa.

Today's clue is:
There are millions living wild in Australia as well as those which are domesticated. They are also found in just about every country around the world, if not all.

I think that is a pretty big clue... I'm excited, I think today is the day! (or is it just easy cos I know the answer?)

 ETA just thought I'd say that a quote from an Australian Government website said "It is estimated that there are millions". So strictly speaking, there may be less than or more than a million of these animals. I was quite amazed to think of it.
ETA2 Just to clarify, when I say in every country, I don't necessarily mean they are wild in every country or are in the numbers they are found here.

Giveaway #3 Guess what? Wednesday's clue

ETA.. PLEASE NOTE that NONE of the animals previously mentioned are correct, only ONE of the methods mentioned. So don't mention elephants, giraffes, crocodile, cat, dog, reindeer, bird, owl, kitty, horse, hippo, echidna, hedgehog, frog, kangaroo or butterfly etc. because they still aren't correct. :)


Did I mention I feel like Rumplestiltskin? (insert evil chuckle) Sorry,but none of those guesses were COMPLETELY correct. If I was a meanie, I wouldn't say whether it was the animal or method which was correct. But I'm not real mean, just a little bit. Two people got the method correct :) That narrows that side down considerably.

So we all get to play another day. The clue for Wednesday is...

I am native to Africa! Is that too easy? 

Let's see what you come up with!
If this is your first guess, don't forget to read the wrong answers on the previous days so you don't double up and waste a guess.

The roses that bloom in the spring tra-la!

Are blooming in my garden!

I have been waiting for these beauties to bloom and today is the day. Their perfume is just amazing. this rose is called Double Delight. excuse my hand, the blooms are on a standard bush and have their faces to the sun. These are the first of hopefully many waiting to bloom.

Speaking of blooming, have you ever played one of those pointless games that suck you in so much that you spend hours playing just one more round and even have dreams about it at night? If you like a real time waster, try Blooming Gardens. Could it be more annoying and addictive than Solitaire? You were warned!

Bloomin' Gardens Put your green fingers to the test.

Play this free game now!!

Giveaway #3 Guess what? Tuesday's clue

It would have been a bit of a fizzer so far as the game is concerned if someone guessed it first try don't you think? Don't forget that ultimately, you will need to guess the animal and it's craft representation.
None of the guesses were correct  but that is helpful because now you have a whole bunch of animals to cross off the list of possibilities :)

Today's clue is, it has 4 legs.

I have a feeling that someone is going to guess this in no time! I'm going to have to make the next one a whole lot harder!

ETA someone who I met recently while crafting didn't want to mention what she had seen me with. I guess this is another clue, but no, no-one but my family have seen this. And in case any of my family read this, you can't enter! (teehee I'm feeling a bit like rumplestiltskin) . I'll update each morning so if perchance you guessed correctly, just check the next day. I'm not saying if anyone has or hasn't until then ;)

Giveaway week#3 Guess what?

This time around, to win the prize, all you need to do is guess what it is. I will give a clue a day. If no-one has guessed by Sunday, I will post more clues until someone wins. I would like you to guess what it is and what crafty form it will take.
Every Monday night, we have Family Home Evening. We all get together, sing songs, have a planning meeting and fill in the calendar for the week and upcoming events, have a lesson based around our religion or general values, play a game together and have a treat. We have a roster and take turns running the lesson and game etc. Tonight Jeri (6) did the lesson. He talked about healthy eating and not eating too many lollies at once :D Michael chose the game which was "Doggy, Doggy, who's got the Bone". One of the old standbys we often play is the guessing game, Animal, Vegetable or Mineral.

Monday's clue is... Animal  I think that is pretty self explanatory. It includes all forms of animal, insects, fish, mammals, reptiles etc.

To play, just post your guess! One guess per day (on the current day's clue). You never know, you might strike it lucky.

Giveaway #2 "Superstition" winner is.........

Congratulations Kelly! coming your way will be the Garden Party wristlet, cat brooch, rainbow clip and one or two more suprises. Pretty lucky hey? I hope you enjoy your prizes.

Thank you to everyone for their lovely comments and for playing along.

Don't forget tomorrow will bring a new giveaway in a brand new game format. I will give a clue a day until next Sunday. The first person to guess what it is, wins the prize! You will need to put your thinking caps on. There will be written and visual clues. If no-one has guessed by Sunday the clues will be given all day and get more obvious until someone wins. I hope you have fun along the way. I really like it. I have made 2 so far and I think you or someone you love will really like it too :)

Another feteful day!

My family loves fete season! Especially little old church fetes. Stalls of jams and pickles, homebaked cakes and bikkies, clippings struck from local gardens, white elephant stalls with real treasures where even the "trash" is vintage. Bargains galore, little treasures and piles of vintagey goodness. I only had $20 to spend but came away with a swag of goodies.

Stacks of doilies, a vintage tablecloth and a set of retro placemats and tablerunner.

Two pretty pillowcases and a big ole jar containing polished rocks. Just what I have been wanting. REALLY. I wanted some nice rocks to use as pattern weights when sewing and these are perfect. They appear to be tumbled agates and such. Not that I am an expert, but they are pretty. Do you know what they are?Besides rocks that is.

Two blankets, one wool to be dyed and one nicely felted 100% mohair knee rug. Now I don't have to feel guilty about felting a good one.

A classic book of fairy tales with 1955 inscribed inside the cover. It has some great old stories, without all the good bits whitewashed out of them and lovely pictures and colourplates.

This plate is my favourite.

I will read the kids some of these tales tomorrow.

And one last item kindly modeled by my DD, a vintage Carla Zampatti 70s dress.

I thought I would add this outfit from the 1950s. It is a beautiful soft wool knit short sleeve dress and jacket. It was half price at the Oppy. It has a gorgeous leaf pattern in crimson red and autumn tones. It is obviously too large for DD, probably around a sz14 or 16 ladies.

A chilly Spring day highlights

Today was alternately clear skies then cloudy, rainy, windy and then sunny again. A bit like Melbourne ;) I am excited that my rose bushes are looking healthy with lush new growth and lots of flower buds.

 

 I hope to get some nice shots when these open. I wish you could smell them, they are absolutely divine, smelling like fresh apples and turkish delight. This one is called Double Delight.


















It's not my green thumb though, it's my parents. Mum and Dad have taken pity on my poor neglected garden and given it a bit of a spring makeover. It is still a work very much in progress. Wild wattle trees took over everywhere and many plants suffered and died over the Summer drought.

 Today my Mum also dropped off an old doll pattern book which had belonged to my Nanna. I was really happy receive it and to make up some of the patterns which she had made for us when we were kids. I might start with this rag doll. Sorry the pics are so bad, my camera is terrible at night pics.

 This evening was chilly and it called for something warm and tasty for tea. I used to make the old faux quiche years ago but not lately. I was reminded of it while visiting Mummy Makes blog where she posted her Mum's recipe. Here is our dinner, cooling. It was delicious and even 6yo Jeri wanted seconds despite having lots of extra onions.

My big boys enjoy fishing and despite the cold wind and drizzle set off to Glenelg jetty for a few hours. They arrived home with just one catch.

A big blue swimmer crab who took a dip in a bubbling pot.

 

Very superstitious giveaway #2 update

Thanks to everyone entering the giveaway, it's nice to see the line up!

Here is surprise #1 to be found inside the Keyka Lou wristlet:

So who is worried when a black cat crosses their path? Well you shouldn't be. Many people believe they bring good luck. I believe you make your own luck. But sometimes it's fun to play along with a little harmless superstition. A bit like fairy tales for big people :D


Here is one kitty on the prowl. Black leather applique on a thick gold woollen felt background.




This is the first one I made, my own design. It has some little issues but it is still fun. It has a gold tone brooch back on the reverse side and is machine stitched around the edge with hand stitched highlight around the cat..


If you would like to win this kitty along with the wristlet, don't forget to comment HERE.





On the prowl. Meow!

What do cat's say in other languages?

Spanish: miau ("mee-ah-ooh")
Estonian: Nau
Japanese: Nyaa
Ukranian: Myau.



Another look at the Garden Party Wristlet

Giveaway oh Giveaway! week#2

Oh darn I missed a day of Blogtoberfest. Oh well, moving on...

It was my lucky day on Friday the 13th 14 years ago yesterday. That was when my DS14 was born. For his birthday yesterday I made a yummy carrot cake with cream cheese icing, we went as a family to see UP the movie and had tea at Hungry Jacks. DS then had basketball trials and was so happy to jump up from division 5, where he started last season, to division 3. I think that really made his day.

To celebrate my son's birthday, this weeks giveaway will have a superstitious or magical theme. This is going to be a short run seeing as I left it a bit late in the week.The giveaway will end sometime Sunday evening (let's say 9pm) here in Adelaide, South Australia. (That's probably Saturday in the US.) If you're not sure, get in early.
To enter, leave a comment here. For an extra entry, post about the giveaway or share something from my etsy store on your blog, and let me know by leaving another comment.

The prize?
This Keyka Lou design Garden Party Wristlet made with magical mushroom print cotton fabric.

And that's not all, there will be a surprise or two inside of a superstitious nature. I will share that with you over the next few days.

And hopefully a better pic of the wristlet.

Many cultures have told tales of misfortune befalling those who stepped inside a toadstool or mushroom circle including being kidnapped or transported to the fairy kingdom - or worse!
I prefer the version where they spring up for fairy party stools and where fairies have danced.

What do you think? Sweet or scary?



Good luck! And go spread the word :)

Etsy love list #1 Fall in love..

So there I was, all ready to make my first Etsy Treasury, instructions read, fingers poised, refreshing constantly, only to find 200+ people got in before me! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I had the time in my calendar sending me countdown messages so I didn't forget I was so determined to make one. I can laugh now :)
Oh well. I can make my own right here!

This one has obvious Autumn tonings.

I started with something cute for the kids and one of Minskis cute button chokers.















This fleece is such a gorgeous blend or warm colour. I would love to felt it as is.


























Speaking of felting, this one is spectacular with it's textures and colours.



















You know I have a soft spot for barkcloth. These colours remind me of curtains I grew up with.





































Mmmm so rich and velvety. Carpet bags remind me of being curled up reading childhood stories where the heroine always turns up destitute on a distant relatives doorstep with a few scant possessions contained in a carpet bag.






And you can't get much more romantic than a long flowing cape to billow and swirl as the heroine stand perilously on a clifftop looking out over a stormy sea.




I think I'll give up on catching an Etsy treasury. I've got a guaranteed spot right here. I know the owner.... ;)

A good way to keep the Blogtoberfest ball rolling too!