Treasure Chest

While searching through my boxes of materials for Georgia's letter cushions, I pulled out these beautiful fabrics.

Love Love Love them!

On a family outing day last year I plunged into a patchwork shop while my husband had the children's attention and had a good look around.  I stumbled upon this pack of charm squares by Moda Fabrics and thought they were absolutely beautiful. So two packs later of "Whisper" by Sentimental Studios (can never have enough), I stashed them away for the day when inspiration hits.

The best of a beautiful bunch

I was particularly taken with this charm square, it is such a lovely watercolour print.  It's funny how sometimes fabric finds you, and sits there waiting for a purpose - the pattern to match it perfectly.  Other times it is the pattern that grabs you and you begin a quest for the right material!

Some more inspiration came from The Fat Quarter Shop through the mail one day.  I just love how the bright cheery colours jump out and smile!

I purchased a Moda Honey Bun version of "Swanky" by Chez Moi, thinking the cute little floral and spotty prints would suit it perfectly.  I am thinking of a miniature log cabin, combined with squares of contrasting colour.  Can't wait to try these out, but have committed to finishing my current projects first!!

Books

You may remember an earlier post I wrote describing myself as mildly obsessed with books - I have a love affair with them.  I often think about that question often posed . . . if you were stranded on a deserted island what could you not live without?  Never been able to answer that one with confidence, but I think I could settle there quite well if it had a library!

When moving to our dream home recently, I had a bookcase built in to house my ever expanding collection.  It surprised me to discover I had not allowed enough shelving for all of them, and had to let the horrifying thought enter my head that I may have to cull some of them (gulp).  I remembered reading a note on collections in a fantastic book called "Sorted" by Lissanne Oliver;

"All collections benefit from the setting of boundaries. If you don't set a boundary, at what point do you stop?  And how do you refine the quality of your stuff?"

So with a renewed view to respecting my books by only keeping the very special ones to me, I had a sort and did discover some long forgotten books that I enjoyed reading again.

My favorite section - the craft/decorating/gardening books - you may notice the slight bow in the shelf (quite proud of that!!)

So now instead of trawling the bookshops on a regular basis, my children and I frequent the public library, and so I did today . . .

 As you can see, there is a variety of books; I think they are just brilliant for fulfilling a current interest or expanding knowledge on a subject.  In the past I was all about novels, but these days the non-fiction section can hold me for hours.  So many fascinating subjects!!

Thankfully, my children have caught the reading bug too, and we have a huge stash of rotating picture books to read before bedtime at night.  I believe education is pretty powerful, and what a great way to learn!

Nature's Chorus

Hi!
Thought I would show you a quilt I made VERY early on.  It was the second attempt at patchwork and the first time outside of a class.  I was bitten by the bug and having first learned patchwork with a jelly roll, couldn't resist trying one again.  Moda Fabrics really have lovely ranges in the jelly rolls; showcasing so many fabrics that aren't always possible to buy individually.
The Moda Jelly Roll I used is "Nature's Chorus" as the title suggests, by April Cornell.

Now this quilt could very easily be titled "Shabby Chic" as it is a little rough around the edges, but she is one of my favourites.  I learnt SO much sewing without a pattern and experimenting as I went. And as so many of you crafters would know, just the experience of working with beautiful materials and colours is uplifting and exciting.

I machine sewed the quilt but opted to have it professionally quilted by a very lovely lady.  The pattern is a continuous line of feathers, which I think suits her perfectly!

At the end of the day, I learnt that taking skills from a class and sitting down on your own to use them and break a few of them can be as much a learning experience as being taught by a teacher.  I will no doubt be attending another class around the corner, but venturing outside the square with what I learn afterwards too.

Sustainable Gardening

Well, it is set to be another scorching day here today, a frequent occurance that has spelt out drought, as for most of us.  We have had a fortunate enough amount of rain over the last few months which has resulted in us living off one tank of water without having to buy any in.
However with these increasing extreme weather patterns combined with a total reliance on tank water, I would love to develop a garden that is relatively sustainable as well as beautiful.
To be completely honest, my total love for gardening still plays second fiddle to a busy life raising children, so I need a garden that can stand on its own two legs without overuse of precious resources such as time, money and water.
So have a look at our tranquil oasis . . .

Green, isn't it?! The imagination is an amazing thing though. When I look at this picture, I see a star picket fence bordering a modest front garden, with climbing Honeysuckle, Chinese Star Jasmine and Rosa Crespsucle creating a lush barrier to the farming aspect of the property and a welcoming sight for visitors.  I see an arbour in this fence to walk through, down a curved gravel path to the front door flanked on both sides by lavender and seaside daisy.

Either side of this pathway is a little patch of Lawn Chamomile surrounded by drought hardy shrubs such as Salvia, Echinacea, Cotton Bush, and Mexican Orange Blossom.

And where would we be in life without beautiful trees to admire and draw a microclimate from? Gorgeous Crepe Myrtles and silver birches, with hopefully a lilac protectively planted in there somewhere too.  To top this off, climbing Ornamental Grape shelters the verandah from direct heat, and allows a small refuge to be created where a comfy chair beckons with a good book and a beverage of choice.

Now to start . . .

Crafty Cushions

Well I am on my way to creating the "Letter" Cushions for Miss Georgia's bedroom.  It has been thoroughly enjoyable (and surprising!) searching through all my materials for pretty floral prints and spots.  I suppose you could compare it to looking at an old photo album really; forgotten memories and occasions come back to you with each photo.  Much like this, I look at some material having completely forgotten about it and find renewed enthusiasm for its gorgeous colour, pretty print or unique design.
I am currently cutting out the applique letters, ready to iron them onto the background.  Once done, I will search once more for a matching backing to the cushion, then put them all together.

You know the older I get the simpler these ideas seem to me, not as complex and difficult as I would have thought ten years ago.  Age is a beautiful thing isn't it?! 

Gumdrops & Bunting

Hello!
Thought I would share some presents I made for the children at Christmas.  The first is some funky bunting, now hanging in Aidan's room.

Aidan is at the "between" stage (2 years old), when he has outgrown the baby-ishness but is still a little small  to develop strong likes and dislikes . . . except where spaghetti is concerned ;)

I wanted to create a playful atmosphere in Aidan's room and am quite happy with the cheerfulness the bunting creates.  However - not long enough!!! Will have to revisit the sewing machine soon.

Here are the other items; two "gumdrop" cushions for Georgia and Aidan.

The pattern design is from the Amy Butler Range, of which I just HAD to have when I saw them.  The sales assistant suggested they were just a glorified "poof", but surely they are more!! Can't you just imagine the joy these gumdrops would bring children to roll around on? Or at the end of a long hard day at the office comforting your sore toes with a big squishy pillow . . .

G-E-O-R-G-I-A

What is is about the anticipation of a new project that can fuel so much energy and enthusiasm?
Today I had a big clean out in the children's bedrooms and my own wardrobe which has of course inspired me to fill the space with something else! I saw this photograph a couple of weeks ago in the book "Children's Rooms" by Andrea Maflin . . .

I loved the idea of the "Letter" cushions, and thought they would suit my little girl perfectly, who is very interested in the alphabet at the moment.

Of course I concocted an excuse to visit Spotlight for some applique bonding, and while there noticed a sale on fat quarters and threads. How convenient!!

So begins another craft expedition, because of course I don't have boxes filled with half completed jobs at the moment! I thought these little prints would look cute in Georgia's room and having never used variegated machine thread, thought this would be a great opportunity.

Now tonight I begin a search through my supplies to see what scraps I can unfold which will make the other five letters.

If successful, when my beautiful boy Aidan moves out of his cot into a bed, I may try the same idea.