right now...

Life's a bit topsy turvy here at the moment, but here's a little snippet of what I'm up to right now.

Watching :: The wind blow through the gum trees.

Reading :: Country Style magazine.

Making :: A birthday card for a little girl & a photo album for some soon to be newlyweds.

Eating :: Mexican for dinner... Yum!

Feeling :: Sore... I have a dog bite on my right hand. Dog didn't mean it, I just happened to be in the middle when the fight broke out.

Thinking :: Of all the things I would like to make.

Hoping :: My hand heals soon, because I'm a crap left hander.

Wondering :: Who will be our next house guest?

Hearing :: Romanian gypsy music on abc classic fm.

Liking :: Being in the country, I'm so much more relaxed.

Wanting :: To find more vintage sheets for a quilt I'm working on.

Playing :: With patterns in photoshop, see images.

Wishing :: That summer would come sooner.

Enjoying :: Pink lady apples, oranges & kiwi fruit.

Coveting :: Bendigo wool, I'm dreaming up a colour scheme for my next granny blanket.

Inspired by Pip.

making...

Just waiting for some waist measurements, so I can finish these cuties off. I think I'll applique some onesies with the fat quarter remnants. I'm very proud of myself for this little sewing achievement... it's my first adventure into clothing. You should see the seams! My gosh they are so neat & properly finished. I think this is the first project that I haven't impatiently rushed through. I never thought that could happen... ha!

It's so very windy down here in south gippsland. Even too windy for the turbines to turn. The chickens aren't liking the weather either, they keep huddling together in the carport under the car. Poor things.
It's been raining lots too this week, so the garden is looking very green. Although, I haven't been outside much... I just admire it through the windows. My vegie seeds are slowly becoming seedlings. They're just leggy things at the moment, but I'm wishing them a big plump future.
Back to some crafting now, to keep my mind off the turbulent weather.

when it rains...

... I read.
The season is rather wet at the moment & instead of getting angsty & upset as I usually would, I'm taking the zen approach & letting myself accept it. This involves much time curled on the couch, in front of a warm fire, with a book or magazine in hand. Here's two I'm devouring at the moment & I've just stocked up on three mags for the weekend. Apparently there will be thunderstorms & hail. Perfect weather for reading... ooh & baking, I'm dying to make chocolate slice & some banana bread.
A friend's daughter is having her first birthday next weekend, so I must get some sewing in too. I think I'll make her a couple of these skirts... too cute. & maybe a softie for good measure.
Well, that's my weekend cut out for me. What about yours?

signing in...

I've just had two of my good friends visit from melbourne. We took a walk to the top of the hill in the glorious afternoon sun, cooked up a big feast for dinner last night & spent today crocheting. They were both very good students. I taught them some basic stitches, then started one off on a face washer & the other completed her first granny square. I must say, it is very rewarding to pass on skills. Now I know how Nanna's must feel.
Here's our quilt in it's rightful place... crumpled on the bed. The husband loves it very much & is so impressed. That just makes my day.
I told myself that I wasn't allowed to start another quilt until this one was complete. So tomorrow morning I shall be amongst my fabric stash choosing the next combination. I'll keep you updated...

sunday making...

I've spent most of my day at the sewing machine, working away.

I finally got the guts together to finish binding the quilt I started for our bed & I actually did it!
I've been so scared for the past 6 months. It's a rough job but it's made by me & that's what counts. I'll post a pic tomorrow, when I can capture it in good light.
I'm also making good progress on the project I started on friday, I just need to find a complimentry piece of fabric to finish it off.
It's been a beautiful day out here in the country, the sun has been shining & the birds chirping.
I've managed to fit in some sketching too. Here's a little doodle from the sketchbook.

making...

Finally getting some sewing in. Piecing a project together for someone special.

I love my studio. It has two huge windows that look out onto the front garden. From here I watch tiny birds flit through the trees. On first seeing the house, I knew this would be my studio. It's definately the brightest room in the house.

I'll show it to you one day... when it's no longer looking like a hurricane just went through! I have an excuse... I'm still unpacking you see... & I'm short on storage space. One day it shall be gloriously tidy & inspiring... one day. Ha ha.

oooh... look what I found...

A 10 metre roll of this awesome wallpaper.
Now it shall live with all my other rolls of vintage wallpaper, until I find the perfect project to use it in. Isn't it just glorious?

making me smile this morning...

Our ginormous woodpile...

& this beautiful willow tree in our back yard

growing wild...

That is things growing in my garden without any assistance from me.

A big patch of rhubarb

The rosemary had to be staked due to strong winds

Mint... nothing can kill it. We have three different varieties... all thriving

Last summer some lettuce went to seed in this pot & miraculously has appeared again.

hookin...

I have decided that crochet is much more suited to my personality than knitting is. I'm sure you all know the glorious attributes of the hook & yarn. My concentration levels can stay quite low, which means that I can crochet whilst chatting, in the car or in public. If a stitch falls... I know I can find my place again without going into panic overload. All this & the sheer ease of the hook add to a shorter project time.
Please don't get me wrong... I love knitting, but the crochet is winning in the polls at my house.
My recent crochet adventures have included... two granny blankets, a lacey scarf, lots of wrist warmers, two beanies (my own pattern, more on those later) & lots of dishcloths & face washers.
This washer was finished a few nights ago, infront of the fire. Yes infront of the fire... because it's still bloody chilly in these parts.

our boys...

One thing I'm enjoying out here in the countryside is the space. We're very lucky to be on five acres & the dogs pretty much have the run of the place. We close them up into a smaller yard at night to keep them safe & quiet. I've never seen them so full of beans & happy with their own company. They spend their days running around, chasing birds, sniffing out the wood pile, splashing in the dam & chewing on pine cones. They've never been so fit & muscly before either.
Otto the weimaraner

Arthur the australian cattle dog

our girls...

Well, I'm still here. Things have been a bit out of wack lately, so I'm still trying to fall back into a routine. I seem to have lost a little mojo & have barely used my camera this past week, although there is lots going on. I'll see how I go this week.
We finally got around to finishing the chook shed, Yay! So of course the chickens came next. We have four Isa Browns, which are an aussie hybrid. I really wanted to get some purebreeds, but had alot of trouble finding breeders in our area. I'm still on the lookout though.
The girls seem to enjoy scratching around in the yard. As long as they stay out of the vegie patch, I'll be quite happy. We have to check on them throughout the day to make sure the dogs are leaving them alone. Everynow & then we see the cattle dog slinking around the water tanks, eyeing them off. No damage yet, but I'm not taking any chances.

Here's the chook shed in all it's glory. It was already here when we moved in, we just altered it to suit the chooks. We cut in a door for them & made a ramp, On the other side we put in a big door for us & some nest boxes that can be checked for eggs from the outside.
It was all made with materials we found lying around the shed, all we bought was a couple of hinges. Gotta love that.

can you see what's in my tree?...

We have a visitor in our back yard, although I think she may be a bit confused.
I thought Koalas lived in gum trees, but this one seems to have taken to our ginormous pine tree.
We've called her caramello.

day twenty...

day nineteen...

Just pottering around today. I've planted some seeds in the herb garden, done the grocery shopping & taken a ride through the hills on my motorbike. It's a gloriously sunny day & I'm very happy for spring. A beautiful day like this does wonders for the spirit.
I hope it is wonderful where you are too.

Vintage bag found for $2 at an oppy years ago
Little sugar pot made by me when I studied ceramics

day eighteen & back to blogging...

So, it's been a whole two weeks since I was last here.
My Pop passed away the friday before last & I went to Brisbane to be with my family & to give him my farewell.
It all seems so surreal, I keep remembering him from when I was little. He would call us all "Kidstakes", I'm still not privy to what this means exactly, but I've always thought it was funny. Another of his tricks was to crack his belt together & bend you over his knee when you'd been naughty. Never hitting us of course, but we sure knew that whatever we had done... it wasn't to be done again. Pop loved his cup of tea, along with his guiness & black sauce (worsteshire), I think these little things will stay with me forever. I hope he rests in peace with my beloved Nanna once more.
I've decided to take up where I left off with my photo a day & shall be back here daily from today.

Balls of cotton waiting to become face washers & dish cloths.