"The Scooter Basket and off to Italy."

Hello,

You would be excused for thinking that I haven't been sewing this month but there has been a bit of stitching going on.
I finished the scooter basket which was a project I found in Homespun Magazine.

 I changed a few things around. The original pattern had a rather cute Vespa applique on the basket front. This is Jacob's scooter but seeing they are so close in age they will be sharing most toys and I thought it would be a good idea to replace the applique with a J that I had digitized and sewed it with my embroidery machine. I also put the top handles a little closer to the middle of the basket. I also added a press stud to hold the basket closed. This way Jacob can scoot around with his favourite toy the little yellow digger and not worry about it falling out.

 I used some pirated themed fabric, which showcases the wheel of the pirate shop as both boys are into pirates in a big way. Pirate Boy and Alexander Rabbit had to come along for the photo shoot.

These two little cross stitch wall hangings are in the mail and on the way to my two great nieces who live in Italy.

I have finished another cross stitch which has been turned into something but can't be revealed until next month.

Have you managed to get some stitching done this month?

Happy days.
Bev C

"Makes Me Happy Monday."

Hello,

Happy Monday,

Springtime is synonymous with the flush of wildflowers here in Western Australia. Last week on a day that the sun actually did shine we traveled to find some.

 Where did we go to see these?

We saw all these stunning wildflowers and so many more at the Old Well at Dalwallinu.
There were so many tourists travelling around looking at the wildflowers and the picnic area in the centre of Dalwallinu was packed to the brim. We had a lovely chat to the lady who was volunteering at the little craft shop who told us the history of the building which was a old court house. It still has the judges bench and a cell which had a very realistic man laying on the mattress.

Have you had a chance to have a look at your local wildflowers?

Happy days.
Bev C

"Makes Me Happy Monday."

Hello,

Happy Monday.

There are some things that remain constant throughout my life. Each and every year I look forward to seeing the Dandelions bloom.

 I think we are lucky to have this view only a minute or two from our home.

 Even the smell of Dandelion's is so fresh. No wonder it blooms in Spring.

 The bonus is the farmer will most likely put some sheep in here soon and we will be able to pick up some manure on our walks.

The Bees were certainly active which is a good thing. We need Bees to survive on this earth.

Plus I haven't forgotten how to make a daisy chain.

Have you made a daisy chain lately?

Happy Monday.
Bev C

'Makes Me Happy Monday."

Hello,

Happy Monday.

Today I wanted to share some photo"s of our Vegiepod. In case you haven't heard of a Vegiepod they are the easiest way to grow vegies. I will let the progress pictures tell the story.

Planted 19th May 2016

 I planted out a punnet of Cauliflower, English Spinach and Bok Choy. As well as Kale which I grown from seed, Carrot and Beetroot seeds were planted all by the square foot method. The square foot method is when you divide the bed into square foot sections and plant "x" amount of plants in that section according to how big they will grow.
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16th June 2016

 There is a  protective cover to protect from the frost or heat and bugs. At the top of the cover there is a  spray system set up and you only need to water when the soil gets dry. The plants are growing in a wonderful soil that is especially made up for growing in this type of bed. You can see the depth of the bed in the above photo.

6th September 2016

The Vegiepod has a self-watering bed underneath which uses the wicking system to water the vegies. During Summer this will be a great asset.

It is wonderful to see how quickly these vegies have grown. The bonus is no bugs and they are organic. Picking what we need for each meal has been a real treat. We do have lots of other raised vegie beds but this one wins hands down.

I would love to hear if you grow vegies.

Happy days.
Bev C

"In the Hoop this week."

Hello,

The sewing machine has had a bit of a workout the past few days.

 I stitched this one for a dear friend, it went in the post yesterday.

 Choosing designs to go in the hexagon flowers has been a lot of fun. I made a boo-boo on the one in the top right hand corner. I started unpicking but chose the easy way out and found a design for a little bug. Problem solved.

Making these with scraps has been a great way to use up the smaller fabric pieces. I have one more hexie to complete and embroider then comes the not so interesting part of making heaps of plain coloured hexagons to go between the flowers.

The weekend is upon us, exciting news for me, the Local Farmers Markets start tomorrow on a fortnightly basis.I certainly hope they have some lovely suppliers.

Have a great weekend.

Happy days.
Bev C

"Makes Me Happy Monday."

Hello,

It is making a comeback... Makes Me Happy Monday.

With this glorious 22 degree day and the sun shining and all is right with the world its time to share what is making Me Happy this Monday.

 We have been consuming so much home grown veg over Winter. Have about half a dozen more Cauliflowers to eat. The bonus is the veg is completely organic.

The Peas have ripened and the pods are full. Unlike a few weeks ago I picked a heap of them without testing to see if the Peas were big enough, mini Peas taste just as good as normal size Peas!

 The Dutch Iris are opening up and blooming. I love these bulbs, they are just so reliable.

A few pots of Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) are also blooming. I have never re-potted these so maybe this year they will get some new soil.

I would love to hear what is growing in your garden and what is making you Happy this Monday.

Happy days.
Bev C

"Friday Night with Friends and Jude's 1st Birthday."

Hello,

Spring has put a bounce in my step I have finally entered the sewing room after not even going into it for three weeks. Friday Night with Friends was on last night so yesterday I washed the curtains and windows in the sewing room and found a Homespun magazine with a project in it I wanted to start.

It is going to be a basket to put on the Grandies scooter. With both the boys starting with J it will be a shared present for them. This project is in the August 2016 magazine.

August saw us celebrate Jude's 1st Birthday. The theme was "Pirates" Jacob got to eat the treasure on the cake. Jude's party was the day after his actual Birthday and we all saw him take his first step. He had such a big smile on his face as we all did.

After having the coldest Winter ever I am certainly glad that Spring is here even if it is still cold at times. It will be good to open the windows and let fresh air into the home.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Happy days.
Bev C