Weird weather and slippers.

Hello,

On Saturday we were lucky enough to get some rain which I don't think was expected. We had wonderful loud claps of thunder and plenty of lightening to go with it. The power went out several times. Just before six the whole sky went yellow and it was very weird. Lucy grabbed the camera and took some photo's. The one below is the view out to the front of our home. The photo below was taken of a huge rainbow out the back about a minute later. The sky was pink by then. Most unusual but very beautiful.

Over the years I have made and tried many different crafts. I have done ceramics,bead making,paper tole,folk art painting,made First Communion dresses as well as dress pants shirt and waistcoat and bow ties for First Communion,graduations dress,ball dress,Baptism dresses,quillows,quilts embroidery candlewicking and the list goes on but the most unusual thing I have ever made is a pair of chenille slippers for Lucy. A couple of years ago I was going to the City to have classes for my machine and we did something different every month for us to get used to our machine. I made some of the things like a smocked coat hanger. Unfortunately the slippers were put on hold. Last year I managed to work out how to make them. The pattern was fairly basic and was obviously meant for us to make it up straight after the class. There is a couple of layers of flannelette material and the bottom has that non slip stuff that you buy from the al-cheapo shops to stop things moving on your shelves etc.There is a little drawstring with a toggle on the ends at the top to help hold them on her feet. Slippers are not something that I will go into mass production with but I am pleased with how they have turned out and Lucy does enjoy wearing them.

This is the last week of the school holidays so hopefully will get lots done before my routine changes. I have two new Mary-Rose rose bushes and a native called Grevillea Rosmarinefolia which is a quick growing dense shrub which grows to about 2.3m by 2.3. It has pinkish flowers which has lots of nectar which the birds will love. I also have two Lavenders to pot on in bigger pots for the time being called Miss Katherine and Egerton Blue. These can both be used in cooking and making tea. There is also a beautiful Salvia Muelleri which has the most stunning purple flowers to plant out. So lots of gardening to be done here.

Happy days.

Bev C

A finished quilt and some mail.

Hello,

Look at the lovely parcel that arrived in the post today. This arrived from Barb from http://www.barbscreations.blogspot.com/ I was lucky enough to win the prize in her first ever giveaway. The prize was for a journal cover. Barb said she was adding a few extra items. Well I was blessed to receive this parcel, it contained some new gold pins some beautiful buttons some pink cotton lace a packet of write-on-tabs to put in the journal. There was also 4 strands of DMC thread two in green shades and two in pink shades. The pink shades was No. 107 which is a variegated thread and No 3705. The green shades were No. 471 and No. 92 which is a variegated thread. There was also some extra material. I think Lucy has eyed this off already.Thank you very much for this lovely prize Barb.

This morning I put the binding on "A walk in the Garden Quilt". I bordered each embroidery with some chicken wire material. The main fabric I picked up last week at Textile Traders. It is a lovely garden print. In some of the embroideries I added some more flowers. In this sunflower block I embroidered over the first lot of embroidery to add some dimension to the flowers.

I was extremely pleased with how this has turned out. Now I just need to get a hanger for it.

Thanks to Lyn Briggs from http://www.moorepatchwork.com/ for giving me this pattern.

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Autumn weather.

Happy days.

Bev C

Friday's Adventure.

Hello,

Yesterday we packed the esky with food and drinks and headed of to a day out at Adventure World. What fun we had. We tried out several of the rides,ones that Lucy recommended. She obviously has a better stomach than Ian and I. We thoroughly enjoyed the bumper boats that squirted water at each other. We never cycled so much, on the paddle boats and on the mono-rail. Both Ian and I had a camel ride which was great fun. On the way home we stopped at a park and enjoyed a lovely meal of fish and chips. During the past two weeks Lucy has been doing work experience at a Vet's at a nearby town. This is part of the Structured Workplace Programme at school. She has enjoyed her time and learnt lots of things. She has seen some surgery on dogs went out on call with the vet groomed dogs and cats and seen a cat and dog put down. A fair amount of the time was spent cleaning and washing but this is all part of being a vet nurse. Well done Lucy. On the sewing front it has been a bit slow but I did manage to waste a few hours one day looking for a pattern. I thought it was in a certain magazine and when it wasn't there I searched all my magazines. You ask where it was?? On the top of the first pile of magazines I looked at!! Oh well a few hours looking through magazines is time well spent I think. I hope everyone is having a safe break over Easter. Happy Easter to everyone.

Happy days.

Bev C

Some stitching and a challenge

Hello,

I have been doing some of the little stitchery designs for the pattern "A walk in the Garden by Lyn Briggs. I haven't followed Lyn's suggested colours as I have a lot of threads that only have a bit left and I have been using these up.

What do you do with all the stitchery patterns that we download ?I have set up a challenge to finish some of them. Two local ladies Anita and Heather have joined in the fun. Last Friday they got this cute stitchery pattern delivered to them and we have a month to make something from it. The rules if there is such a thing is that we use what we have at home unless you need some vilene or wadding. We can enlarge or reduce the pattern, applique, paint it or whatever takes our fancy. We have a month to finish it off.With the beautiful weather we have been blessed with I think I will spend some time out in the garden. I purchased a big bag of mini gladiolus on the weekend and will find a spot to plant them.

Happy days.

Bev C

In the Garden at Kainga.

Hello,

Today I thought I would share some of the garden here at Kainga. Please enjoy. This is how we tell the time at Kainga.

"Earth laughs in flowers" Ralph Valdo Emerson

"The garden is a mirror of the heart"

"Flowers are the poetry of earth, as stars are the poetry of heaven"

"When heaven falls to Earth it becomes a Garden" Stouffer

The roses are as follows;In photo No. 2 "Pink Rosette." In photo No.3 "Maurice Ultrillo" and photo No. 4 is "Seduction".

Happy gardening.

Bev C