Rhythm & Rhyme

She is back...

2012-01-27T22:11:00.000+10:00

My unaccompanied minor is back. She talked non-stop all the way home in the car... mostly so fast we couldn't understand a word of it!
Letting her jump on a plane and stay with friends and family was so worth my own little bit of heartache ~ Thank you my dear friend M and your big girl J and to my big sister and her beloved, words cannot express my gratitude.
Xx

letting go

2012-01-21T22:20:00.000+10:00

My little girl is not so little anymore.

This week the tooth fairy lost a little glitter from her tiny wings - and today my girl took flight with wings of a whole other dimension.

On Tuesday morning she showed me a gap in her teeth...fresh lost tooth, all jelly meat underneath (ewww).. I got a bit excited (as you do) and said "ohh! it has come out!" she says "yes, last night, the tooth fairy didn't come!"

me "you didn't tell anyone?"

"no"...

"oh well perhaps it fell out too late and she had already worked out her visit schedule? and it was raining, fairys don't like to fly in the rain it makes their wings too heavy"

(...the voice in my head was running along the lines of you cunning little sneak!.. and I was trying very hard to hide my smile, bit clever really isn't she?)

Pandora (that is the tooth fairys name) came Tuesday night, she left a note it said something about the cat sitting by the magic fairy door all night and her not being able to make a safe dash for it.

Another milestone this week, my big girl has been sewing, machine style. For Christmas she was given a voucher for a couple of sewing classes at Sewco. Now I would be perfectly capable of teaching my child to sew BUT (and I really don't know how homeschooling parents do it) she won't, for the most part, listen to a word say. It drives me bonkers. Rather than pull my hair out and bang my head against a wall I took her to some children's sewing classes where she and about seven other girls, learned machine basics, measured themselves, cut patterns and sewed handkerchief skirts. She loved it so much that she made another and then one for her friend too!

Today my baby boarded a plane on her own for the first time; first stop is Canberra to visit her friend who is going to live in Bangkok for the next three years (the skirt is for her). Then Sydney to visit her aunt and uncle and to see the Harry Potter exhibition at the Powerhouse, then home to me.

There was a wee bit of drama because we didn't actually look at the flight details and kinda thought the flight left at 9am.. turns out it left at 8:45. If you saw some mad dashing, paper waving lunatics flapping their arms and running like crazy people through the Brisbane domestic airport terminal this morning it is a good chance it was us. There was literally no time for tears and much more that a squeeze the life outa her cuddle before throwing her into the care of a flight attendant and waving her down the tunnel. I pulled out my camera almost too late, she turned and gave me a wave.

A couple of hours later I got this next picture in a text message

don'tcha just love modern technology?

Dancing on her pincushion

2012-01-16T21:34:00.003+10:00

My friend 'Bloom of we bloom here has become quite famous on her own little pincushion; her clever creations are popping up all over the web in a pretty spiderweb of links... she is quite pleased and some time ago announce to me her delight, with the phrase "I'm dancing on my pincushion" ... I had an idea.

If she was to actually dance on her pincushion she would no doubt squash the poor little thing and probably in a serves you right kinda way poke herself in the toe with a pin.

The other thing you need to know about Margaret is that she is rather fond of those little wooden peg dolls, I am willing to bet that at any given moment there are at least 20 scattered or clustered around her living room and more lined up patiently waiting for painting or tweaking.

Being Jewish the Blooms do not celebrate Christmas which was fabulous for me because I could send her this as a kind of Happy New Year gifty.

She pirouettes to the twinkling tune of Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the flowers which quite serendipitously happens to be one of her "favorite melodies of all time, ever"

Sometime I surprise even myself with my silliness; that tutu is quite simply the smallest I have ever made.

Beginning again...

2012-01-14T20:54:00.000+10:00

It is very difficult trying to think of something to say after such a long absence but...I'll throw a few of my highlights at you.

Lavender (the chook) finally starting laying her beautiful blue eggs.

I've made some wooden stuff (I got a scroll saw for Christmas, WooHooo!)

and we had a most splendiferous holiday by the beach; while there I read three books (most seriously indulgent don't you agree?)

ok, I'll be back soon.

Peace and Happiness

2011-12-23T12:34:00.000+10:00

to you and yours this season.

Angels and acorns and other pretty things for Christmas

2011-12-13T21:34:00.000+10:00

These were my final swap offerings for 2011; each has arrived safely in its new home so I am not ruining any surprises.

We Bloom Here hosted a little angel swap; I was pretty pleased with my little creations and didn't really want to post them... but well what would I do with three baby angels floating on little clouds with sliver linings?

I collected the feathers for their wings, over a few mornings from the down of my Lavender Aracuna left amongst the hay under her nightly perch.

cute little belly buttons, yes?

My partners were Fruits of the Heart; she blogged her creations here

Little Gnomes Home who made a sweet little peg doll angel and a felted star

The third is a non-blogger and her parcel is still traveling.

And way back even longer ago Natural Suburbia hosted a Christmas ornament swap.

These were my decorative offerings ~

and in return I received about a dozen of the most perfect little acorn nests - I love them! My partner was a non blogger but her name is Shannon and she is a bit clever.

Free Tea for Everyone!

2011-11-16T21:57:00.000+10:00

KT saw my free tea post and declared that such an enthusiastic bunch of tea drinkers will each get a free sample bag of her delicious organic tea.

WooHoo how cool is that?

So, all 14 of you who left a comment by today (starting with The Mamma and ending with Sarah), send me your mailing addresse by email to shannon At mymidwives DOT com DOT au and free tea will find you.

Thank you KT

I have danced the dance and jumped through the flaming hoops and now...

2011-11-15T14:20:00.001+10:00

I am notated as:

"An eligible midwife competent to provide pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care and qualified to provide the associated services and order diagnostic tests and investigations required for midwifery practice in accordance with relevant state and territory legislation" under section 225(p) of the National Law.

Well I already knew all that but the really good news is that now I am also eligible for a Medicare provider number... This my friends means that women can claim for private midwifery services... Not a bad thing at all.

And my friend boldly birthed her forth child in the wee hours of this morning; today is a very good day indeed.

Making dolls with friends

2011-11-12T13:20:00.000+10:00

I have kinda skipped out of craft group; still in touch by email but haven't gone along on a Wednesday all term. I was ready for a change, it had stopped being fun and was becoming a chore ~ a clear sign to move on.

A couple of friends from playgroup ask if I would help guide them in the creation of a doll each for their daughter's third birthdays - just a week apart in early October "Sure, that could be fun".

Neither of them are sewers or crafters and both were pretty anxious but also very keen. Monday nights were put aside and my very good friend Tanya of Love Bytes Photography gave us a beautiful space in her studio to hold our doll making evenings.

If you have ever made a doll, fluffling out wool to form a head, think back to your first time...remember what all that wool looked like?

Making a head, especially the first time, is hard work and it is nice to have friends along for encouragement - look how pleased these two look when they had all that wool compacted nicely into their stockings.

What started as two quicky grew to six keen doll makers plus me... so I shut the door; we were running out of comfy couch space!

The first two finished their dolls with a few days breathing space before their daughter's respective birthdays - I think they were both very pleased with themselves - their dolls are beautiful, full of love and very much loved by their new mummies.

Daisy was 'born' first

and a few days later Simonie made her appearance

I hope to show you pictures of the other women's dolls I have 'midwifed' - they are in a mad race to the finish line as birthdays and Christmas loom large.

While standing at the ready to help I made a couple of dolls myself... They were quite an experiment, big dolls with tails, aka Mermaids.

First I hand dyed some cotton velour and then drew a couple of tail patterns to fit the body patterns I already had. I also hand dyed their hair...so they are well and truely hand made!

I was just putting the finishing touches to the one above when A friend announced "she is mine". Her daughter's birthday was at the very end of last month and she declared her a perfect gift; she named her Isabelle.

I made the second mermaid with a straight rather than curved tail and I gave her a nose because I have been wanting to experiment more with noses since the little winter icicle gnomes.

She is for sale in the local Steiner inspired toy shop Nature Play (also online and facebook) if you are interested.

Free Tea...want some too?

2011-11-11T09:29:00.000+10:00

A good friend of a (very good relative type) friend is making the most delicious blends of tea... tho it is not really tea ~ they are infusions of fruit, spices and herbs, all certified organic products, caffeine and chemical additive free. They look beautiful and are delightful to drink hot or cold.

This one is called Sunshine...

So my friend is being given loads of free tasters; her friend is trying to seduce her BUT my friend is a very big fan of CAFFEINE in her tea... I on the other hand, am not a fan of caffeine so I have been given the most luscious bags of free tea.

My favourite so far was Superhero but I drank all that and have now moved onto Berry Rose

full of juniper berries and rose petals.. so pretty!

As I sat sipping my tea this morning I looked at the unopened sample bag of KT Fruit Tea.... Rooibos, Honeybush, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Orange Peel, Hibiscus and Rosehip... sounds good doesn't it? I figured it would be nice of me to share my good fortune.

For your chance to get the free fruit tea put your name in the comments hat. I'll 'pull'out a name next week; say Wednesday. Happy to post worldwide - KT posts her teas worldwide so I know I can too.

If you are interested in finding out more about this fledgling Brisbane tea business have a look at her facebook page KT.qld or email Ktea4health@gmail.com

Spring Pins

2011-10-29T08:14:00.000+10:00

On Monday I read Anna's blog post about bad hair and good mail. Anna has a few theories about different things and seeing as how I was waiting on a little parcel of my own I mused that I could work a bad hair day in.

Tuesday I didn't bother washing my mop and I didn't brush it either... it didn't actually look bad (which was possibly my undoing) it just looked usual. Maybe my hair always looks bad? Anyway no mail.

BUT Wednesday, the day after my shabby hair day... a cushion just bursting with spring time pin floralness dropped on my doorstep!

How pretty it is, how lucky am I. Look at the detail... I am still trying to work out if those flowers were done by hand or machine; the stitches are so tiny they must have been done by machine but I couldn't make a machine turn on a pin head like that so thus it must have been by hand. And look ~

Even the base is bursting with colour and tiny quilting. Thank you so much Leisa.

Thoughts on breastfeeding and vineyards

2011-10-21T17:21:00.000+10:00

Tonight I am flying to Canberra to help celebrate a friend's 40th birthday, we are having lunch at Lambert's vineyard tomorrow; just grown ups, just girls...

My wee girl still has one breastfeed a day; actually she pretty much demands that one and then tries out her luck a dozen or so more times during the day ~ assuming the 'position' during a cuddle or just asking straight up; almost always with a sly grin.

To be honest I am so over the morning thing. I have been greeted with "mummy I want boobie" since she learned how to talk (before it was a sentence it was just "boobie" screamed at me on waking, from down the hall). Every morning I rephrase it adding a please, sometimes clarifying "you would like some milk please?"; she agrees, adds please and then clamps down ferociously.

There is a moment of peace and I feel her little body relax and mine does too... sometimes I hold my breath hoping against hope that I might just slip back to sleep. The spell is broken, the acrobatics begin. It is seriously like I am some piece of trapeze equipment; she swivels, and jerks, stands on her head (and mine) her feet start kneading like cat...usually into her daddy's spine at which point he gets a little irritated too. Her fingers find my hair and start twisting it into dreads. The acts reaches some kinds of crescendo her head pops up and she announces "other one"

... back to act one.

Lately I am done well before she is and I say "finished!", she shakes her head and mutters - still sucking madly, I insist, she protests, teeth are bared and clamp down and I extract her from me by wedging my little finger between her back gums. She wails, her dad gives up on the idea of sleep and gets up, she looks at me and asks "breakfast now?"

It is horrible!

I accepted the invitation for a weekend away about a month ago with encouragement from my beloved; last week I stopped and thought "but what about breastfeeds?"... I have been sitting with it since, even occassionally bursting into tears and giving her some when she asks at random times during the day... the day time feeds don't involve gymnastics and I do cherish them.

BUT two nights and days away might just be the end of that particular relationship and in my heart I am not sure I am ready for the end. I will have no more babies; they are far too hard to make and pregnancy and I are not on speaking terms; breastfeeding and I however have always been pretty good friends and I will be very, very sad to see her go.

Glittering angles floating on their wings to a new friend...

2011-10-19T08:49:00.000+10:00

My dear friend Margaret of We Bloom Here just can't get enough of swapping and as the year draws to a close and the days grow darker in the northern globe, she and perhaps you too, yearn for light. A perfect time for a little angel swap!

The angel swap is open to all who are interested; wherever you are ~ Margaret will do her best to match you internationally or just locally if postage makes you nervous. The main requirement is that the angels you send should be handmade by you with love and care.

The swap is open now and sign-ups will close at the end of this month, ideally your angels should be posted some time during the month of November (December 1st at the very latest, please.) For all the details, including a childrens swap, please pop over to the We Bloom Here post and be inspired.

Oh! she is hosting a fabulous book giveaway today too!

Woohooo. Parcels of pincushions for me!

2011-10-14T14:37:00.001+10:00

My first* pincushion arrived this week...when I opened his box I let out a squeak of delight!

Meet Porcupine George ~

George was made by the hands of Kristen; I am more than impressed because she apparently doesn't really get on well with her sewing machine... he is everso cool don't you agree? Sewing machine aside her hand sewing skills are exquisite.

Pop over to her blog kstreetjournal and get better aquainted.

My offerening to Kristen arrived in the US the day after George landed on my doorstep here in Oz; I am still giggling at what went flying in her direction and what can hurtling in mine..uncanny, don't you agree?

Kristen is thinking about naming the wee hedgehog Peter and I am everso glad she likes his fancy (useless) pins because they were a bit fun to make and poke in.

Peter is not from my own imagination tho if it counts I stabbed myself many, many times with the felting needle so he has some of my blood embedded deep within. His instructions come from the book Wool toys and friends by Laurie Sharp. There are quite a few other project in there too that I might get to one of these days.

*When I set up the pincushion swap I only intended to make one pin poking thing and recieve one in return BUT well Celia put in a late plea and I couldn't resist her beautiful things on display at her blog felted jumper arms and then I was making two...

Celia's pincushion parcel came yesterday (it is so much fun getting fun mail, makes me do a little dance).

First there was this ~

a gift for the midwifery me; Celia says it is a baby being recieved by a midwife's hands... I like to think of it as the baby catcher. The detail is breathtaking, it really is, my picture does not do her work justice.

And because it didn't feel right to be poking pins into babies (or their catchers) she gifted me this spring tree with wee bluebird pins who can flutter about the branches.

In return I sent Celia a little vegie patch, her blog touches on her garden as the seasons change so I cut up one of my love's jumpers (it had moth holes in it I promise) and did a little planting

and watering

Celia wrote a lovely blog post here

Now, I made a third pincushion too...a late entrant who couldn't be paired as all the pairs were already paired. So in for a penny... Unfortunately past the inital I wanna join in email I can seem to contact her; I posted it anyway and I hope she likes it. I don't know what came over me but I made something quite girly...

Please send me your pictures and pincushion swap blog links so I can set up a gallery to display all the beauty and cleverness.

Self indulgent feeling a bit clever post...

2011-10-10T23:12:00.000+10:00

Look what I made...

Pretty yes? It was a sarong which a bazillion summers ago my mum turned into a wrap skirt (I am somewhat rounder than a bazillion summers ago and it didn't fit; quite a bit too much leg showing these days) I have now refashioned it into a light and breezy summery shirt.

I based it on the pattern for the Prairie Blouse in Anna Maria Horner's book; Seams to Me 24 New reasons to Love Sewing and I love it!

I love the little girl wearing it too; so here are a few more pictures from all sorts of angles of my somewhat reluctant model wearing her new favourite shirt.

Aromadough

2011-10-04T19:59:00.000+10:00

It finally dawned on me today that the wee girl is of playdough age - big enough to knead and create but not so small she would just eat it up... With a bit of encouragement from my big girl I hunted through my collection of recipes and found the basic one I was looking for.

I have adapted this recipe and method to make it my own but it was originally written out for me on a scrap of cardboard by one of my homebirth clients at an antenatal visit. She had three children then, plus one growing. She homeschooled; I remember their big long table full of the children's daily work, our visits were always a little noisy and full of fun - I made a point of bringing my big girl (who was then quite wee) with me to those visits because their home was so welcoming and my client had a daughter of the same age with the same name... on the day in question they were playing with playdough; I had never made the stuff so she shared her recipe* with me; with my adaptaions it is so simple the little ones can help make it too.

You will need:
1 cup fine salt
2 cups plain flour
2 tbs oil
4 tsp cream of tartar
2 cups boiling water
food colourings as you fancy (we used yellow, pink, purple and blue to make those colours plus red to make orange)
essential oils (we used lemon, orange, rose geranium, lavender and jasmine)
air tight storage containers with lids

Put the salt, flour and cream of tartar in a bowl and use a whisk to combine them;

Add the oil and the boiling water (adult bit) and stir to bring together - as it cools, use your hands and begin kneading it in the bowl.

Tip it out onto your bench top and knead it a bit more then roll it into a log and divide it evenlyish into the number of colours you intend to make; roll them into rough balls.

Now the little ones can join in. Flatten out one of your balls to a disk and put a few drops of food colouring and a few drops of essential oil into the middle. Fold the edges in and give it a quick knead to bury the worst of the colouring - then pass it along the bench to some keen little hands whose job it is to knead/blend the colour through the dough. Add your colouring carefully, if you need to you can always add a few more drops of colouring... but you can't take it out!

Continue adding colour and essential oils and kneading with the rest of the plain dough balls til you are heady with the divine scents. It stores pretty well, if I remember rightly, and when your aromadough loses its scent add a few more drops of essentail oil, knead it again.

Fish out the bag of playdough implements that haven't see the light of day in about six years (brush off the dried clumps and powder of ancient play dough and chuck out the dodgy looking stuff still in tubs) sit your wee ones down to create whatever their hearts desire and make yourself a cup of tea - you will get to drink the whole cup, hot and undisturbed and you will feel marvellously relaxed which might have something to do with the lavender, rose geranium and jasmine...

*the original recipe did not contain any essential oils and made only one colour. To convert it back; omit the essential oils and add your colouring to the boiling water, stir and then knead.

A stickful of sugar

2011-10-04T13:21:00.000+10:00

The big girl and her friend made biscuits the other day; I left them to it... I was busy crafting pincushions. She said they wanted to make biscuits with cutters, not the roll in a ball and let the heat of the oven do its thing kind.

To be honest I didn't even know we had all those sprinkles and chocolately bits in the house. They made a special one for the wee girl who was sleeping while they were baking.

It is a Yummy Earth organic lollipop... that makes it good for her, yes? shh don't tell the big girl they use black carrots, pumpkins and alfalfa for colouring and no sugar!

A silly story

2011-09-28T19:41:00.000+10:00

When I was a youngish adult my parents went away somewhere for a bit and I went back home to look after the cats (and the house). Mum told me a story when they got back.

Dad was freting about the cats, were they ok? were they being fed? He announced that he would ring my sister, let's call her 'Lucy', to see if they were ok:

Mum said "Lucy? why would you call Lucy?"
Dad ~ "because she is looking after them!"
Mum ~ "No she is not"
Dad ~ "Oh! well, I'll call the other one then"

Hence forth I have been known as 'the other one'

I have had laryngitis for the past couple of days, my voice is barely an audible whisper (and unfortunately not at all husky and sexy). This evening I called my mum.

Me ~ "Hi Mum"
Mum ~ "Hello darling, what is wrong?"
Me ~ "I have laryngitis"
Mum ~ "Again?"
Me ~ "I've had it before?"
Mum ~ "Yes, I think so, a few months ago"
Me ~ "Oh? (feeling rather foolish to have forgotten such a thing), well then, yes"
Mum ~ "Are you at work?"
Me ~ "No, why would I be at work?"
Mum ~ "Well you were earlier"
Me ~ "Mum, it is me, the other one"

Last minute pincushion swapping inspiration

2011-09-24T19:53:00.001+10:00

Do you think that I am taking the pincushion thing too far?
Well the wee one agrees ~ she pulled them all out!

I wanted to give you a couple more pincushion links before swap sign ups close tomorrow...

Linda, who blogs at Natural Suburbia, has, as always, been generous with her talents and a little while ago posted a tutorial for this knitted apple ~ how handy! it doubles as a pincushion. I am sure she knew I was planning this swap!

PharMa has created and shared this tutorial for a hairbrush pincushion, try as I might (and with her permission even) I can't download the image to show you here; clink on the link and have a peek. PharMa is convinced her brush and the pincushion were separated at birth.

And I just remembered that Margaret from We Bloom Here did a lovely post a wee while back ~ a pincushion of possibilities; oh! all the beautiful, clever cushions she shares images of.

BE quick if you want to join in ~ Sign-ups for this open, international pincushion swap close tomorrow evening (Sunday, September 25^th2011; Eastern Australian time) What you create is limited only by your skill and imagination but all pincushions need to be complete and ready for postage by the first week of October.

If you would like to join me in this pincushion swapping fun; send an email before tomorrow night to:

Shannon AT mymidwives DOT com DOT au

Please include your:

name

mailing address

email addresand blog URL (if you have one) and any special requests - ie postage within own country, willing to swap more than one etc..

* A few people have left comments that they would like to join in but have not sent an email - please do I would hate you to miss out because I couldn't contact you.

Everyone who is already in the game (and new arrivals); your swap partners will be in your inboxes by Monday.

Thanks everyone ~

Sign ups for this swap are now closed.

Our Spring Festival

2011-09-23T14:27:00.000+10:00

This year was extra exciting because it was our big girl's turn to dance the May Pole with her classmates...

I love the image below because all of their feet are off the ground ~ they are flying through the air with their multi coloured ribbons and flowers in their hair...

Magic...

Happy Spring!

Here is an extra picture for you of a spring bebe; my first birth officially back in the game...that was a little bit of magic too.

The baby is at the door

2011-09-20T19:42:00.000+10:00

When my phone next rings I will be out the door to attend a birth; before I write next a new little soul will be with us earthside. Blessings.

Violet Trading

2011-09-18T21:31:00.001+10:00

Anna Branford writes stories for children; she also writes bloggy snippets for grown ups ~ I like both very much.

At the end of June, Anna announced that she had received a gold(ish) star for her book writing efforts. The gold(ish) star is actually quite bronze and it is in fact a sticker in the shape of a circle but who am I to rain on her parade?

I am a fan of these particular bronze stickers, perhaps I might even be a collector. Only a few books get one each year. They are given out by The Children’s Book Council of Australia to identify the short-listed books for the Australian children’s book of the year award.

Anna got one…well Violet Mackerel got one for her brilliant plot as told by Anna.

I left a comment after the post asking Anna what it might take to get myself a signed copy of Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot; Anna suggested a trade. Ah “what a most fabulous idea” I replied, then I asked her “What is your heart's desire?”

Anna desired a gnome, a wintery icicle gnome, like this one.

Too easy – the trade was a done deal.

Not too long after we got a parcel with not one but two books! (Both signed yay!)

My big girl started reading Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot the next morning on the school bus and finished it with a grin on the drive home that afternoon. She read Violet Mackerel’s Remarkable Recovery curled up on the lounge later that afternoon; humming and singing as she turned the pages. She finished it and declared “mum you just have to read it!”

So I did; I snuck off to bed early with the last of the connoisseur ice cream (which is so good it has its own face book page!), a spoon and two little books about a girl named Violet.

Violet is delightful, as are all the characters that fill in the spaces to make the stories. Her mother is a knitter ~ obviously making her a good woman with creative bones. Even though I had a good idea early on of how her brilliant plot might end up it was a wonderful ride getting there; especially the theory of finding small things and sparkly bits. Violets Remarkable Recovery hit a real soft spot for me; I loved it. I delighted in Anna’s narrative and found myself smiling often; especially at the end. I do love a feel good tale.

Go out and get yourself a copy of each, even if you don’t have a little person to read it to ~ they will look quite pretty on the shelf when you are done too.

Ps… there is a third Violet book, Violet Mackerel’s Natural Habitat ready for release next month (October 2011) and she's written one about Neville and Sophie too.

Thwarted by ignorance

2011-09-16T13:15:00.000+10:00

Can you believe it? They paid actual money to have the sign 'fixed'..I would fix it again but apparently I paid for the gramatically incorrect sign in the first place and then paid again to get it restored. I am shaking my head in disbelief, I live among idiots. It makes me want to stick a pin in someone's eye.

Come and join my pincushion swap - I know you want to :)

Not sure what I am on about? It is a point of grammar, see here
Eyeball pincushion image from here

Wednesday Craft Group ~ Lady Spring

2011-09-15T20:30:00.001+10:00

Look who's here it's Lady Spring

Lady Spring, Lady Spring.

Look who's here it's Lady Spring

Lady Spring is here.

Come and dance said Lady Spring

Lady Spring, Lady Spring.

Come and dance said Lady Spring

We're off to dance and sing.

by Vicky Kearney

I have wanted to make one of these sweet little fleece standing dolls for such a long time. I bought the book Making Magical Fairy-tale Puppets last year sometime but just never seemed to get round to it.

Then Penny just went ahead and made one, two, three for herself and brought this one along to show us.

We were all suitably impressed with her cleverness and decided next craft group we were all going to have a go at making one too (she promised to offer guidance, tho instisted it would be the blind leading the blind).

They are so simple (well apart from getting the head right which is a bit fiddly) no sewing required. Everyone got at least one finished in the couple of hours, even with wee ones wiggling on hips and knees. I may have cheated a bit, my Lady Spring doubles as Snow White in the off season....

The one with the yellow dress, was a blending of talents ~ Vicky, our Steiner playgroup leader is having a birthday this weekend ...she now has a Lady Spring, to dance and sing.

It is not too late to join in my pincishion swap ~ I seriously considered sticking a few pins into Lady Spring to illustrate the point but then thought better of it, some things should just not be made into pincushions.

Did you know...

2011-09-12T13:35:00.002+10:00

that when an Alpaca gives birth she is said to have unpacked?
It’s a fabulous play on words don't you agree? ~ horses foal, cows calve, sheep lamb and alpacas unpack!
A baby alpaca is called a cria.

I knitted this super cute Alpaca was from one of Linda's menagerie of animal patterns (her etsy shop)...Linda if you are listening how easy would it to be to knit up a cria?.. I think I fancy this girl 'unpacking'

ps.. I was very tempted to stick a few pins in her ~ she might make a handy pincushion? What? you don't know about my lucky pincushion swap? Come join in!

* Just because I thought it was interesting: Females are ready to mate two weeks after they unpack, the act of mating causes them to ovulate. The male seduces the female by orgling (singing). If the female is receptive she sits and allows him to mate. If she’s not receptive she spits at him!
Two weeks after a female has mated they do a ‘spit-off’ – if she has conceived she will spit at him, if she hasn’t she’ll be ready to mate again and will sit. Breeders call this a ‘sit or spit' ~ ha!what a great way to confirm a pregnancy.
Info from here.

Dammit doll...a tutorial

2011-09-11T21:25:00.002+10:00

Probably about 15 years ago; anyway long before I had a personal computer or had even heard of the the world wide web, I made my mum a doll, a dammit doll. She was pretty funky with mad hair and a heart embroidered onto her bottom. I honestly don't know where I found the words that went with her ~ mum loved her and I am prety sure she used her more than a few times for her intended purpose.

I made another the other week to send to a friend ( I had to get mum to send me a picture of my original one so I could make a pattern). I took pictures along the way just in case someone else needed to vent a little frustration.

You will need some fabric, anything you fancy really, I used cotton calico both times. Umm threads, scissors, pins, stuffing, some kind of yarn for hair...think that is about it.

Download the pattern template from here.

Double your fabric over, right sides together and trace around the templates onto the fabric with a pencil or marker (you will need two arms so trace two sets).

Before cutting, machine sew, with a small straight stitch, on your trace lines ~ make sure you leave the top of the arms and where marked on the body, open for turning and later joining.

Cut out your pieces with a small seam allowance and turn them right way out. You might need to use a knitting needle or chopstick to smooth the inner seams.

Stuff the arms about two thirds up the length, pin the top ~ compare your arms to make sure they are even then baste across your pin line, set them aside.

Now stuff your body, poke your stuiffing down into the legs with that knitting needle or chopstick you used earlier. Fill up her tummy and head til you like the feel of her. Next, making sure you turn her arms so that her thumbs are facing in by her side, stuff the empty arm segment into her armpit and sew her arms to her body using a ladder or some other invisible stitch.

Next pin along her groin as is marked on the pattern and sew a running stitch through both front and back layers of fabric and the stuffing ~ it gives her a better shape. At this point she makes a rather funny voodoo pincushion...which reminds me I'm hosting a pincushion swap this month ~ want to join in the fun? have a look here.

Now, to embellish!
I am partial to the belly button, almost all my dolls get one. This is only a little doll so a neat little bullion belly button does nicely. First make a stitch as long as you think you need a belly button to be, but don't come all the way through the fabric. Wrap your thread around the needle 8-10 times then hold them taught and pull your needle and thread through the loops. Curl it round and secure it. (I am quite sure if you google bullion stitch you will get a far better explanation and probably even a step by step video!)

On to her face.
I drew very lightly with pencil to give myself something to work with.

Then back stitched a black outline and filled in with colour.

I gave her bottom a little tattoo ~ she was made with love.

Hair! I used a spun silk mess ~ see!

I managed to unknot it enough to get a dozen or so lengths to work with. I doubled the lengths and with a sharp needle and thread stitched her hair along the seam.

When her hair was all done I gave her to the wee girl for a few wacks against the table (needed to check durability) She whizzed her about so fast she is a mere blurr!

So I slowed her down for a final picture!

When you want to throw the phone
And kick the desk and shout.
Here's a littlt "Dammit Doll"
You cannot live without.
Just grasp it firmly by the legs
And find a place to slam it,
And as you whack the stuffing out
Yell DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT.

And that pincushion swap is still open

Join with me in a lucky pincushion swap

2011-09-08T12:36:00.003+10:00

According to some wonderful old legend, placing a tomato on the mantelpiece or shelf of a new home guaranteed prosperity and repelled evil spirits; I’m thinking new home ~ old home, we could all do with a little prosperity.

As you well know, tomatoes are a seasonal fruit so people had to improvise their good luck in the off season. A circle of red fabric rounded and stuffed with sand or sawdust sort of looks like a tomato; the improvised good-luck symbol also served a practical purpose—a handy place to stick pins!

Being a very practical person I have several pin cushions. The wet felted ball below has not only been a very handy holder of pins but also a source of decorative flights of the imagination for creative pin placement by my big girl (and general stabbing of pins by the wee one).

Flights of imagination lead me to show you this treasured possession; a whimsical nesting bird of perfect pink plumage made for me by Margaret of We Bloom Here.

Pin placement needs to be carefully considered so as not to poke the bird or her pretty blue eggs.

My mother, hearing me prattle on about pretty pincushions, introduced me to a friend of hers who makes beautiful pincushions from old canister lids…I couldn’t resist.

This ‘traditional’ tomato I made from the sleeve of an old jumper as a gift for Margaret; I completed it with a needle felted caterpillar pin. (I later made myself one minus the grub)

Then came the book Pretty Little Pincushions

Ahh …a whole book dedicated to pincushions! They are not all pretty either; there are instructions for some most fabulous eyeballs – takes the saying “poke a pin in your eye” to a whole new level!

Have a look here.

Anyway it didn’t take long til I started wanting more. This is where you come in…

Wanna Swap?

I know pincushion swaps have been done, but not by me. Nor have I had the fun of participating in one, so here goes: this swap is open to anyone who is keen.

Pincushions are a perfect excuse to use up fabric and other scraps you’ve been saving and I quote “they also lend themselves beautifully to experimentation, variation, and quick and easy multiples for the loveliest mini-presents ever” (page 7 of Pretty little pincushions, S Brill (ed) 2007).

The swap opens today, September 8, 2011. Sign-ups will close Sunday evening September 25^th2011 (Eastern Australian time) all pincushions need to be complete and ready for postage by the first week of October.

Please join me in my pincushion madness; send an email that details your name, mailing address, email address & blog URL (if you have one.) to:

Shannon AT my midwives DOT com DOT au

If you fancy making and swapping more than one pincushion, only want to post within your own country or have any other request let me know that too and I will try and sort it all out.

Need some more inspiration?

Carina’s simply beautiful Dala Horse pincushion

Sweeter than chocolate buttons Toadstool Cottage and Mushroom House free pattern and tutorial from the little house by the sea.

The lovely Hyena in Petticoats has posted a tutorial for this simple four square patch pincushion on her blog paper.strings.cloth tho she was almost embarrassed at calling it such, it is so easy.

Lion Brand has this free

Bec, who blogs at 'Bec I am' agrees that a girl cannot have too many pincushions; and has thrift shopped her way to make this one.

While she naps has similar ideas on a smaller scale.

Barefoot shepherdess exquisitely embroiders her simple cushions.

For autumn

For anytime

And for when you just need a few pins watching over your flock.

Sign ups for this swap have now closed

Thank you to each of the crafty bloggers who gave me permission to use their images and share their links.

I skipped craft and went on an excursion to Samford Museum instead

2011-09-07T21:49:00.000+10:00

It was a fabulous morning, the volunteer staff are all dressed in period costume, have all lived in Samford since their youth and have an average age of about 80.

Class four (and a few mums - we ferried them forth and back again) learned a little local history and a little more besides.

First up we heard about tools, good old fashioned hard work and the bullock trains.

We met the Blacksmith

I did a little poking around in a relocated original house - wonderful treasures!

The children filed into the old school house after first pledging their allegiance to the Queen! and sat obediently at the old desks, hands on heads, slate pencils between and began 'metal arithmetic' followed by times tables and phonetics.

The general store held some delightful relics

~ this thing (he is holding) is a fly spray contraption!

They have a wonderful colection of bikes, scooters and the like and didn't mind at all when the wee ones rode them around on the veranda.

I took many more pictures but if you are local or local ish you should go see it for yourselves it is only $4 entry, $1 for school children, and an absolute delight.

Reas some more at the Samford Museum Website

Happy Father's Day

2011-09-04T11:18:00.000+10:00

To Mine, and theirs.

We are off to eat pizza (his favourite food, not mine or even theirs) at Arriverderci Pizzeria (I noticed they have a gelati bar...)

Grammar Grafitti

2011-09-02T21:39:00.002+10:00

Several times a day I go past this sign, it makes me cranky.

I saw the man 'planting' it in the ground. I said to him, said I "that's gramatically incorrect". He looked at my blankly, looked back at the sign and delared that it was not.
"Yes it is, it should read houses"
"no it shouldn't"
"but there are many houses, not just a house"
"but house five is this way" (he waved an arm in the general direction)
"yes but so are houses six through to 17"

He muttered something and went back to planting.

I began to doubt my grammar, I am a terrible speller so I could be wrong here too. I asked my mum, she knows about this kind of thing. Mum assured me I was right and he was a twit (I doubt very much that she used the word twit).

So....

It was a bit of a squeeze and VERY difficult to write with the silly little brush thing but I think I have made my point.

(Now, no picking up poor grammar in this post please!)

One World Birth ~ The Revolution has started

2011-09-02T08:37:00.000+10:00

Are you coming to join us? http://www.oneworldbirth.net/

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Are you coming to join us?&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Little blood suckers and some rain on our parade

2011-08-31T20:21:00.000+10:00

I have a feeling caught somewhere between shock and joy... Shock that after all the hard work, stress and countless hours of time and energy in volunteer crafting, FestiValley was cancelled. Yep, called off last Thursday afternoon - the BOM forecast buckets of rain for Saturday and so the decision was made to postpone the fair and fun (lucky too because it rained all day in sheets... and it was cold and horrid and well, wet!).

Joy? Yep somewhere inside me was such sweet relief at the news. I still had three dolls to finish, a moss gnome to put together, a few capes to embelish.... and some other stuff that I have conveniently forgotten...for now. The new date for Festivalley is Saturday October 15.

Today at craft group we sat around, with hot chocolates and coffee munching some dodgy looking but quite delicious jam drops, celebrating (well we were suppose to be celebrating how much money we raised for the school at FestiValley...but we just put that aside).

I told the girls at craft this morning a little story, I will now share it with you.

Last week I had a sore spot on my back; you know the spot where if you reach up and over with one hand and down and up with the other your fingers will meet in the middle? that spot. It was tender and I scratched at it and it stung, I felt something odd and I pulled at it - it really hurt. I thought to myself, I wonder if have just scratched off a mole or something? Feeling a bit stressed I grabbed a bandaid and showed my husband the sore spot that I couldn't see. I said have I got a mole or something there? He had a look, said "yep, looks half off and bleeding" and he wacked the bandaid on top.

All week it really hurt and itched like crazy, it was driving me nuts. Eventually I rang my GP (doctor) and booked a long appointment for Friday to have the half off mole competely removed.

This morning the bandaid came off and the itching was insane I asked my beloved if he could please just carefully scratch around it and then put a new bandaid on, very obliging he is, he said "sure". He looked for a bit, and didn't scratch and then said "it is not a mole, it is a tick" ~ OH my eekkkkkkkk I have had a tick attached to my back and sucking away happily for a week! "Get it off!"

We have a tick twister tick remover, I bought it at the vet clinic quite some time ago... there was a bit of a frantic search for it in the over crowded bottom drawer. The little hook went under and he twisted. I screamed blue murder. Wow, that really, really hurt. Both girls came pelting through the house wondering what was going on that would make their mother scream like that...I tell you what, a week full of tick poison and a gigantic parasite being screwed out of my back! (the screaming made him stop, but the tick was still there so I had to endure another twist... horrid, horrid thing!)

I let it pose for some photographs

Then I squashed it (with quite some effort, strong little skull). I feel no remorse, my back is still very tender.

The 'Space' has new inhabiants!

2011-08-25T21:06:00.000+10:00

Remember when I told you that I was watching this space? WELL... with a bit of paint applied by a couple of enthuastic 10 year olds (It will not always be black...you might need to watch this space for a bit longer...) A bit more drilling and fiddling by someone who at least looks like he knows exactly what he is doing...

an arched window...

a bit of hay ...

A couple of very excited children and a mamma who is fit to burst with glee...

Here are our new little girls!

Miss Fern and,

Lavender.

They are Aracunas and will be laying eggs with pretty blue/green shells by mid/late September! OOOooooo, it has been so long between chickens for this little family; my beloved really does love me.

And look, my wee one has learnt to perch already!

Craft Group ~ Play Silk Dying

2011-08-24T20:57:00.000+10:00

The wind whipping through the trees today was perfect for drying our freshly dyed silks ~ don't they look beautiful?

It is so nice to do something that doesn't invove any pins, needles, threads, scissors or very much time... Perfect really for our last crafting day before FestiValley, our spring fair. The weather is not feeling very spring at all tho...winter is doing a final blow through and has us all wrapped up and snuggling heatpacks! let's hope the sun comes out on Saturday.

They look pretty dry, too.

Hello Baby... Goodbye Jenni

2011-08-12T20:32:00.001+10:00

Today The Age newspaper published an obituary for Jennifer Overend; Jenni was a children's author and poet, she died on July 16 from breast cancer.

Jenni's book Hello Baby is possibly the most read book I own. I have lent it to so many friends and every homebirthing family with older children that I have journeyed with, I have read it to my own children countless times, read it to myself in quite moments when I just happened to spy it near, I love it. It is honest and real, simple and beautiful. I get lost in the howling of the wind the roaring fire, the family and the midwife. Illustrations by Julie Vivas are round and welcoming, soft but bold and beautiful...they too are real; a baby's head birthed between its mothers thighs, a placenta ~ healthy and teaming with blood filled veins but drawn so carefully it looks like the tree of life.

"After her death, Jenni's family were able to read her ponderings on life and death for the first time and her words were her final gifts of written wisdoms. One of her final poems reads:

If I noticed the warmth of the sun through the window

Or felt the cold of wattle blossom against my lips

Or kissed my husband, feeling the skin of his back under my hand

Or noticed the way the late sun glistened on the grass

Or the way new leaves sprouted from the stumps left by last summer's wildfire

Or heard how the blackbird's sweet voice filled the bottom of the garden

Would I then feel I was ready?

Ready to leave this world because I had drunk wholeheartedly of her richness

Loved her open mouthed

Drank deeply

Wept tears of unknown joy

Could I pass through that door blithely, knowing it was done? Completed?

I cannot tell, will not know, til that portal beckons me …

And even then …

Maybe not …

I am so sad that such a wise woman is gone.

The full obituary by Sunny Overend is here; it is worth reading, she was a wonderful woman

Craft Group: Dream Catchers...

2011-08-10T21:07:00.000+10:00

Native Americans believe that the night air is filled with both good and bad dreams. A dream catcher hung over or near your bed and swinging freely in the night air, catches the dreams as they flow by.

Good dreams pass through the dream catcher; they slip through the central inner hole and gently slide down the soft feathers to the sleeping person below. Bad dreams get tangled in the woven web and perish with the first light of the new day.

In the past couple of years I have made quite a few dream catchers. The first is pictured above; I made it for my big girl just before her baby sister was born

The central 'spider' is a flourite crystal; chosen to help ease the transition from only child to big sister. The beads, shells, seed pods and feathers were given to her by friends as a 'big sistering' gift, the feathers were all collected by her when she was just a wee girl ...I kept them in a treasure box with other little things she gave to me.

When the wee girl moved to her own room I made her one too.

Her 'spider' is clear quartz; chosen because it harmonises all the chakras ~ it is the master healer, amplifiying energies and thoughts and drawing off negative energies of all kinds. Some of her beads and seeds are from my blessingway celebration, others I just liked... the feathers I collected as they blew past me in the breeze.

I have made others for friends when their babies were born; for a little girl whose brother died in a horrible accident and she kept having nightmares...I made a couple today to sell at the craft stall at the school fair; it felt a bit odd making but not knowing. Still, they look pretty.

If you would like to make one there are simple instructions at your fingertips with google but I like this one and for more information there are some interesting and wise words here.

Watching this space...

2011-08-08T19:41:00.000+10:00

I used powertools, I wielded a paint brush, heck I have practically built the thing myself...except it is not quite finished and he has 'the plans'.

Mirror...a book full of intricate art

2011-07-31T22:54:00.002+10:00

Yesterday we took the girls to the Ipswich Art Gallery to see Jeannie Baker's beautiful collages from her children’s book “Mirror”.

Jennie is an author and artist; her vibrant works tend to have few words but the detail in her collages is amazing. I tried to get up close and take pictures from different angles so you could get a taste of it's stunning beauty.

Mirror is a visual story that both contrasts and reveals the parallels in the everyday life of a boy in the city of Sydney and a boy in a remote Berber village in Morocco. The intricately-detailed collages on display present similarities (and differences) between the two cultures. While I loved her collages I didn't actually love the book... I thought I would, but there you go.

Most of her other books were there too so I read/looked at the lot. Many have a depressing 'we are destroying the world' inner message (which I really get, and we are, but I just didn't like the feel of them). I did quite like Belonging and Home in the Sky which broke the mould a bit.

The exhibition was accompanied by art-making activities and a reading corner so the girls, their dad, aunt and I absorbed ourselves in piles of textured paper, ribbons, pencils and sticky tape... The wee girl and I curled up and looked together at the pictures in her other books too.

The collection is making its way round bits of Australia; so if there is one near you maybe go have a look.

Craft group ~ to the ladybird ~ a tutorial

2011-07-27T21:54:00.001+10:00

Oh! Ladybird, Ladybird, why dost thou roam
So far from thy comrades, so distant from home?
Why dost thou, who canst revel all day in the air,
Who the sweets of the grove and the garden, canst share;
In a fold of a leaf, who canst form thee a bower,
And a palace enjoy in the tube of a flower;
Ah, why, simple Ladybird, why doust thou venture,
The dwellings of man so familiar to enter?

by Charlotte Smith cira 1807

They are a bit cute.. I wanted to make an orange one too but got a bit distracted finishing off making next week's project (always one step ahead!)

Just before I leap into the tutorial I wanted to show you how my pirate from last week turned out; I think he is fabulous (especially his wee hook!) I have my head swimming with ideas to improve him so consider this a prototype!

Right ladybirds ~

You will need the pattern template from here, scraps of red (orange, yellow), green and black felt, embroidery floss (work with two strands), wood roving for stuffing and I think that is it. (Oh you might like to use little black buttons or beads for the wing spots).

Cut out your pieces (remember the sparkle pen tip for tracing onto black felt).

Sew felt spots, black beads, buttons or french knots onto the wings first.

Then paying attention to your As, Bs and Cs, stitch the wings to the side of the head section. Then stitch the funny little V bit which will curve the head nicely.

Ok, now using red thread (or other coordinating colour) stitch the wings together down the centre back.

Now find the centre of your base and match it with the centre wing seam. Starting with the curved head end begin stitching the top and base together. The base will seem too small, don't panic, you need to ease your stitching to make the top fit the base so that you get a nicely domed ladybird.

Leave a bit of a gap before you close the stitching and stuff it firmly but not so it is bursting at the seams.

Close it up; leave your needle threaded and attached. To make antenna, bring your needle and thread out in an antennerish spot on its head and make a small back stitch/knot flush with the spot. then bring the thread directly up to what looks like a good length and tie a knot in the thread before snipping the thread with scissors just above the knot. Go in again on the opposite side and do it all again.

You can stitch your finished ladybird to a little leaf (add a clasp to the back and it is a brooch, pop it on some black elactic and it is a sweet little headband, or just sit it on the bench and let little hands play with it).

Gifts cast off the needles and a whole lotta tulle

2011-07-26T21:56:00.002+10:00

My sister calls the months of June and July the birthday tusnami; there are eight immediate family members in those two months and at least as many friends... July 30 brings a break for us, for a week. Ha!

In my cleverness I finished a milo vest for the wee girl some weeks before her birthday and forgot to give it to her! I woke in the middle of the night a few days later thinking "where did I put it?"

Found it! and this afternoon had just enough chill in the air.

My mum (who is beyond clever) knitted her a delightful turtle; she has named him Ollie.

He is everso snuggly, I think she loves him. The pattern is from the fabulously fun book Knit and Purl Pets by Claire Garland (I am quite keen on the chamelon; I think my
sister is too).

July 30 is a friend's little girl's fourth birthday. I was her midwife and I remember the day her sweet baby girl chose to make her grand entrance so well; it is magic that birthing business.

Anyway her mum tells me these days she is quite a fairy princess and loves to twirl and preen. I bought tulle (a couple of metres of it) and spun it into a skirt interlaced with satin ribbon and stars.

Every fairy needs a wand right? I gave it a little wave before packaging it to post. When she touches it it will bless her with joyful birthday wishes and have someone plant four little kisses.

Birthday cakes and balloons

2011-07-24T10:31:00.001+10:00

I LOVE cake, it is one of my very favourite things to eat... and there is just something so very good about butter icing (and I don't like butter..well not in its raw form but whip it with sugar, bake it, toast it, saute' in it). And I love making birthday cakes; I fill them full of love and can't wait to share them with family and friends.

This year I made extra cakes, little felt party cakes in lieu of lolly bags... two years olds don't need lolly bags.

They were fun to make (a little stressful because I left it to the last few days but worth it). I will do a little tutorial sometime... maybe in spring, after the school fair.

The wee girl got some lovely gifts... these are a few of my favourites (all from me... My mother made her the most delightful knitted turtle I will take a picture soon and show you).

The little Alice in Wonderland was made by Cynthia who blogs The Fairies' Nest and sells her stunning creations through her etsy shop. The swiss cheese, felted mice and painted silk play scape were made by Lori of Beneath the Rowan Tree I snaffled it as soon as she posted it on her blog; she has a beautiful etsy shop too. The little owl fabric in the background is a cotton and linen satchel made by a talented friend Helen, her brand name is Asher and I think she will have an online shop soon. Harriet you'll drive me wild! is another of my favourite Mem Fox books (I'm sure we had a copy but for all the looking I did on the too crowded bookshelves I could not find it).

She had a lovely day. Thank you all for your happy words and wishes.

My baby 's been round the sun, my baby's been round the moon...

2011-07-22T22:23:00.000+10:00

Two years ago today, today

My wee one slid down the rainbow to stay

She came to bring laughter and joy to the earth.

Good people and midwives attended her birth,

So let us join in singing, with joyful birthday bells ringing

Happy birth day to my girl, happy birth day to my girl....

My little budda babe (she was huge!)

has transformed into a magical, delightful toddler.

We sat together today and watched her birth day 'video', she loves the "baby" and waits patiently for her to emerge "soon" and shouts "horray" along with the voices on screen when she is born...then she asks "again?" and so we watched her birth, again, and again. I cried everytime; I am so grateful she chose to share this lifetime with me. Happy birthday my sweet girl. x

Craft group is back for term 3...and sharing the best black felt tip of the decade!

2011-07-20T14:31:00.001+10:00

We are in a mad five week dash to make as much as we can for the school festival in August; so for the next few weeks we have planned relatively simple projects in the hope that people will make one for themselves and one (or two or three..) for the school.

This week we suited up 10cm wood and wire dolls. After cutting out about 15 outfits I made a ladybird fairy. I have the makings of a pirate in my buldging bag of things to do...

Clothing both these dolls required black felt.

Black felt...it is such a pain to use with patterns because you just can't see where you are cutting. I have used chalk but you can really get a nice thin tipped chalk and I have used red ball point pen with some success if you can catch it in the right light BUT today Sarah, whom I am going to hereafter refer to as Pollyanna, said with a sparkling grin "you need a bit of bling" "I need what?"..."glitter, you need a glitter pen...it leaves a little snail trail of glitter as you trace" I used one (Pollyanna had one handy) and my friends, it does indeed leave a little snail trail. Yay!

A bush walk

2011-07-13T21:29:00.001+10:00

When the girls and I were in Sydney waiting for baby Opal to join our family, we did loads of bushwalking; Dad took the girls and me to the Symbio Wildlife Park on one of our waiting for labour days. Between our walks and the park I have caputured a few of Australia's finest residents for your viewing pleasure....enjoy.

Everyone's favourite, the Koala. This one is sleeping over a rainbow.

A baby ringtail possum, seriously cute but seeing as one of his relatives just ate my big fat black russian heirloom tomato, cute is not what I am thinking right now!

A couple of Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the winter sun.

A Dingo.

An Echidna... look at his little nostrils. These are one of my favourite animals.

An albino Echidna. This was was found as a puggle (true, that is the name of Echidna babies) in its dead mother's pouch. A kind human brought it to the wildlife park where it was hand reared - rare little fellow.

Say hello to the Emu, Australia's largest, and flightless, bird.

The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo..possibly Australia's noisest bird!

These pretty fellas are Lorikeets, affectionately refered to as the Arnott's biscuit tin bird

A Crimson Rosella

Magpie

Gang Gang Cockatoo; the Gang Gang is the faunal emblem for the Australian Capital Territory... my birthplace.

This is a Bush Stone Curlew. I was very keen to see what these birds look like because I have a friend who has a family of these threatened birds on her property...they only come out at night and make a somewhat eerie, wailing noise when the do. I think they sound a bit like a cat on heat and apparently they have been responsible for many a phone call to the police, from people thinking someone was screaming in the bush. For this reason the Bush Stone-curlew is also known as the 'Screaming Woman Bird'!

This is a King parrot... the males have a electric green flash of feathers on their wings, it is just hidden in this picture. The females are all green.

A Kookaburra... just so you know he did laugh while he was sitting in that gum tree, it sounded like this.

This is the best shot I could get of a Galah...despite it being one of the most comon birds about town!

I think this might be a stock standard crow but I liked the picture...

And this my friends is a Big Bad Banksia Man...

"We came to a grove of Banksia trees and sitting on almost every branch were these ugly little, wicked little men" May Gibbs, much loved Australian author, created the "big bad" Banksia Men as the villains of the story of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, they are modelled on the appearance of aged Banksia "cones", with follicles for eyes and other facial features...They give me the creeps but then I have read the books and seen the pictures.

A tent for play and shade

2011-07-12T14:10:00.000+10:00

This morning I finished sewing together some pretty old curtains into a play tent for my wee girl who turns two next week. Brisbane has turned on another spectacular winter's day so Mia and I popped outside to take a few pictures; he thought it was lovely breezy fabric, played with it for a while and then held it down for me.

I quite like the view from the inside best.

I based my sewing loosley on a lovely tutorial by 2 Little Hooligans . Loosley because I used three single curtains and some scrap fabric rather than 3 double sheets, my hoop was smaller and I made a rod pocket for the hoop to slide into rather than ties on the inside. All the pretty bows on the outside are the curtain ties - it was all a bit too easy really.

While I was sewing the girls rearranged my pins... and I was tut tutted quite a few times for poking the wrong pin in the wrong cushion!

Orange Syrup Cake

2011-07-06T20:23:00.001+10:00

For a birthday. For Sarah's (aka queen coordinator of craft group) birthday. She deserves something good ~ she asked for sugar and butter (birthdays are supposed to be a bit indulgent); so I gave her a bit of both.

Wanna make one too? You will need:

1 3/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking soda
125g unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbs freshly squeeze orange juice
the finely grated rind od 2 oranges
2/3 cup of buttermilk (or ordinary milk with a dash of vinegar)
Orange Syrup (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Sift the flour into a bowl with baking powder.
Cream the sugar and butter and add the eggs in one at a time until well combined. Mix in teh rind and the juice.
Stir the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
Spoon mixture into a well greased/oiled bundt tin (or round tin) and bake at 180C for 45-50minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Turn out on a wire rack set over a tray. While the cake is still warm poke little holes all over the top with a fine skewer, pour the syrup over (keep collecting the syrup that drips onto the tray and pour it over again, and again), decorate with candied peel.

Orange syrup: combine 1 cup icing sugar with 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice and 2 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice in a saucepan and stir over low heat until teh sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, add julienned rind of 1 orange and cook for 10 minutes. Use warm.

Eat with friends, warm or cold, with or without fresh cream.

Sing happy birthday if the occassion suits the tune.

I ate homemade caramel and almond fudge for breakfast

2011-07-05T18:28:00.000+10:00

It was a gift, sent through the mail, and not to be opened until today. Another parcel arrived last week that was also labelled not to be opened until July 5...Oh how I love birthdays, and especially birthday parcels!

The caramel fudge (which is utterly divine..and almost all gone) was from my dear friend aka The Mama who blogs Around Arthur's Table ...will you post the recipe please? I must have more. I wonder how much I would have to eat until my teeth all fall out? Thank you, you domestic godess xxxx

This perfect vison of pink plumage is from dear Peggy Bloom of We Bloom Here... she and I have a thing for pincushions. A nest of blue eggs takes my personal pincushion collection to five. I am scheming a rather elaborate plot to multiply my collection but more on that later.

Thank you Peggy, she is gorgeous - the prettiest by far.

My big girl selected me this bracelet from a vast cabinet of jewels. Her father tells me she made the poor sales girl take out practically all of them before she was sure this one was it. I am not sure what the stone is but I love it.

And the wee girl got me a wood burning tool! I graffitied the old chopping board when I couldn't find a more approprite practice bit of wood... I'm sure I'll get better. I have plans to expand my crafting into woodwork and am dying to try out one of MamaWestWind's tutorials on her blog Chocolate Eyes.

The girls and I made cake...it was an epic fail and I will just skip over it...tasted more like heavy bread than cake; most disappointing. Anyway my brother and sister in law saved the day when they turned up for cake and brought with them a gift of three yummy cheeses and the pretties cheese knife I have ever seen (no pics..it is a bit dirty), so we threw the cake in the bin and gobbled cheese instead.

So I am now officially a curvaceous 38...and with all this food I might just grow a few more curves by my 39th birthday.

Where is the green sheep?

2011-07-04T19:50:00.000+10:00

Well this one, and the accompaning story, is in California. Celebrating with a wee Bloom who has just made his first full lap of the sun.

I love *Mem Fox, well I don't actually know her but I love her books (most of them; there are a couple of dodgy ones...Night noises comes to mind). My wee girl enjoyed this book so much when she was about one...not talking but raising both her hands, palms up, and looking at me quizzically each time I asked the question "where is the green sheep". As she got older she would grab the book and turn the pages madly to find him - squealing with delight when she did.

Now that she is very nearly two the enthusiasm has not waned...she is learning colours and opposites, nouns and a bit of all round cuteness.

Happy birthday baby Bloom ...and to your mamma who loved you long before you were born. xx

If you fancy making a sheep, a rainbow of sheep or just a little white sheep visit Linda's etsy shop mamma4earth for this pattern... you might just find yourself buying a few extra patterns...alpaca, lion, goose, hedgehog....(I did) And if you can't knit, Linda will knit one for you!

*Mem Fox is probably Australia’s most highly regarded picture-book author. Her first book, Possum Magic, is the best selling children’s book ever in Australia, with sales of over three and a half million cpoies. Mem has written over thirty picture books for children and five non-fiction books for adults, including the best-selling Reading Magic, aimed at parents of very young children.I can highly recommend Reading Magic...my copy is missing, borrowed and not returned (they obviously thought highly of it too).

I made myself something

2011-07-03T20:23:00.001+10:00

I did actually make the stunning model too, but cast your eyes down to her neck.
Ha! I crocheted myself a delicate and pretty scarf.
While I was sitting looping the soft bamboo yarn through my hook I said out loud "I cannot remember the last time I made myself something"
My big girl (model) said "you made yourself a pin cushion the other week"
Ah yes, so I did, but I hardly think that counts.
Anyway because I am so pleased with how it looks I am going to indulge myself with a few more pictures of it (and because I can hardly believe I made anything as beautiful as my daughter, you can see some more of her too).

Be inspired ~ make something for yourself. See what a few hours of crochet can achieve.

The pattern is from the book Stitch and Bitch Crochet ~ the Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller

Winter holidays week one.

2011-06-30T22:47:00.000+10:00

Some friends and I turned this mat of fluffy green into

a mat of fluffy green and blue with other bits; after much rolling it was less fluffy:

After we add a few sheep, a duck or two (some cute little ducklings), a pig, maybe a horse... we are thinking it will be a good raffle prize for craft group. (Maybe a bridge, some fences...I am getting carried away now).

I also made a cape for my nephew who turned four on Monday...if you ask him he will tell you that he is superman (and can very nearly fly).

Hmm what else did I do? I finished knitting the wee girl's birthday vest; made a bunch of things for the craft group stall in August; covered a stack of books for the parent library (read a few too), made choc chip biscuits with the girls and did not eat them all.

Today the girls and I stayed in our pyjamas until 2:30 in the afternoon. When the wee one went for a sleep (much earlier than 2:30) my big girl read to me and I snoozed in Wilbur's sunny spot; it was lovely ~ the reading, the snoozing and the sunny spot.

And the free icicle gnome pattern goes to...

2011-06-29T21:03:00.003+10:00

MammaWestWind of Chocolate Eyes... I've emailed it to you already, such is the cleverness of the intertubes.

For everyone else ~~I still have two kits left; everything you need ...(well except a bit of stuffing and thread) to make your very own icicle gnome for just $20 and only $2 postage within Australia~~. I am also in possession of a never ending supply of PDF patterns for this little fellow for just $5...all money gratefully accepted as a craft group fundraiser for our little Steiner school. Please leave me a message here if you would like to buy a pattern.

I had plans to tell you what we have been doing all week but I am feeling sleepy, so maybe tomorrow.

Winter icicle gnome wrap up and giveaway

2011-06-22T14:31:00.003+10:00

Look out! Look out!

Jack frost is about!

He's after our fingers and toes;

And all through the night'

the gay little sprite

Is working where nobody knows.

He'll climb each tree,

So nible is he,

His silvery powder he'll shake;

To windows he'll creep

And while we're asleep,

Such wonderful pictures he'll make.

Across the grass

He'll merrily pass,

And change all its greeness to white;

Then home he will go

And laugh "Ho, ho, ho,

What fun I have in the night."

C.E. Pike

I am so pleased to be finished these two; I think they look great!

Because lots of you asked about kits and tutorials last week, I have checked with my other half at craft group and we are going to make a PDF pattern of this winter gnome to sell (thus raising some money for our school). The pattern will be $5 and includes basic instructions ~ NB it assumes that you know how to make a head, but does include 'how to' directions for his cute little nose.

~~We also have enough hand dyed felt left for about four kits - kits include pattern/instructions and everything else you need except stuffing wool and embroidery threads; they will be $20 plus postage.~~

If you are interested in ~~either~~ a pattern ~~or a kit~~ - leave a comment with a way for me to contact you. (All the kits are sold, sorry. I will shout out if we dye any more felt. We still have a neverending supply of PDF patterns tho!)

Giveaway bit ~ because it is alway nice to have a chance at a prize; ~~we will giveaway a PDF pattern to a lucky someone who leaves a nice comment and a way to be contacted. I'll do the random thing next Wednesday evening, June 29.~~ The free pattern was won by MamaWestWind who blogs at Chocolate Eyes

Early winter festival for the wee ones

2011-06-20T20:17:00.000+10:00

On Saturday evening just gone our playgroup joined with two other groups of little ones and their families for a little ones winter festival.
We gathered at 4:45pm for pumpkin soup (made with some of the plentiful pumpkins from the garden) and fresh made bread ...My wee one and I had much fun kneading and then watching the dough rise before punching it down again.

The dark of the evening came quickly as we packed away our cups and bowls, then we lit our lanterns and sang as we walked ~

Through the darkness we shall go

with our candles all aglow

Hearts grow warm,

our way grows bright

as we hourney through the night.

Out of the spiral and up to the raging bonfire and then home not long past 6pm to put the wee ones to bed.

Thursday this week is the winter festival at the big girl's school ~ such fun ~ fire eurythmy and lantern everywhere.

Happy winter solstice for tomorrow ~ summer solstice for my northern friends.

Wednesday Craft Group ... Winter is coming and so are the icicle gnomes

2011-06-15T21:32:00.004+10:00

This wee fellow is our model for the next two weeks; he came from Netherland in a suitcase and is now living in Brisbane in quite different weather. He was made many years ago by one of our regular craft group members for her classroom when she was teaching at a Steiner school in Holland. We are all a bit excited to be making one of our own ~ he really is quite beautiful with his silk beard, cute little nose and pale blue cloak.

The felt has all been hand dyed and today we collected all the bits we will need to complete him (a few of us collected enough for two..one for us to keep and one to sell at our craft stall during festiValley in August).

(I have made a PDF pattern of this winter gnome to sell (thus raising some money for our school). The pattern is $5 and includes instructions ~ NB it assumes that you know how to make a formed head, but does include 'how to' directions for his cute little nose. Please leave a comment, with your contact details if you would like to buy one.)

Mine are in a bit of a state of undress...

tho they are a little more advanced than you can see here; one is even standing up now! Mind you I did it all at home... I never get anything done at craft!

I am finding it increasing difficult to attend craft group ~ we have a wonderful outdoor space (and even some of those great patio heaters) but it is completly unfenced and the wee girl runs in all directions, disappearing in the blink of an eye (i.e. me looking down momentarily to cut something or do a few quick stitches) I seem to spend most of my time racing about after her, pulling her out of her big sister's classroom, and lately finding her with her pants around her ankles declaring "wee". She is completly disinterested in the sandpit but will hold still for Oooo say 10 minutes or so to demolish her lunch box (usually within 5 minutes of arriving). Next week is the last craft group of term before the holidays but next term we might have to take a break.

I want to say thank you for all of your thoughts and kind words after our old boy Wibur died last week. I still find myself crying quite regularly ~ my poor big girl found herself consoling me in the pet food isle at the supermarket, and my husband offered his broad shoulders when I broke down vacuuming Wilbur's sunny patch of carpet. We planted a Lemon Myrtle on his grave, maybe in spring when new leaves shoot out in abundance I can share a cup of fresh herbal tea with him.

We buried our friend today

2011-06-11T20:16:00.000+10:00

Yesterday, his last with us, was Brisbane autumn at its most glorious.

In the early morning I sat beside him, he on his fat feather cushion, me curled up on the carpet. Later as the sun rose higher I carried him outside (his legs were so wobbly he kept falling down) and found a warm sunny spot by the pool for him to rest. He spent the whole day there; lapping water from the edge, listening to the fountain, watching the shadows.

Late in the afternoon when the warmth of the sun was gone I carried him back upstairs to his cushion and the heater and I told him how much I loved him.

He died a little after 6pm, so quietly, so peacefully and I held him close feeling his warmth, loving him.

Wilbur was with us for 18 years, the girls do not know life without him.

I can't find the words to tell you how much my heart aches, so I leave you with these from Nanushka:

'My best friend

died last summer -

that lovable little character

who wore her own fur coat -

She was my confidante,

my comfort

and my clown -

she was my warmth,

my welcome home -

We buried her near wild mint and thyme -

I wept for her all winter,

then in early spring

white daisies

made a garland for her grave

where passing birds and butterflies

call in to visit natures shrine -

Who knows

what happens to us when we die -

I like to think

her spirit is running free,

perhaps to grace a person

in some other life -

what a wonderful human being

that would be ...

There is nothing like a cup of tea

2011-06-09T13:01:00.002+10:00

on a cold grey day (especially when my mood is matching the sky)...

My Yarrow plant is flourishing and on the way home from playgroup I picked some new leaves from the Lemon Myrtle tree in Vicky's yard.

Lemon Myrtle is a Queensland rainforest tree; which seems quite at home in Brisbane. When the leaves are crushed in your hand they release the most amazing aroma of strong lemon which is so wonderful to inhale.

Snip some up, plonk it in your teapot, pour on boiling water and let it steep for a bit.

I woke this morning with a cold, and I am feeling less than enthuiastic about everything really. The day has been bitterly cold, a sure sign that winter is around the corner... the solstice only a week or so away.

While waiting for these pictures to upload I did a quick google and found that among a hord of fabulous properties Yarrow is a geat herb to fight colds and Lemon Myrtle strengthens the immune system. So there you go not only does it make me warm inside but it is good for me too.

Giveaway over at the Bloom residence

2011-06-08T21:20:00.000+10:00

I was going to share with you the makings of our regular Wednesday pizza night but I am tired and grumpy so instead you should go over to we bloom here and check out the funky duds aka zypalongs giveaway...

Autumn Gratitude

2011-06-07T19:51:00.000+10:00

"Come, little leaves" said the wind one day,
"Come over the meadows with me, and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold;
Summer is gone, and the days grow cold."

Soon as the leaves heard the wind's loud call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all;
Over the brown fields they danced and flew,
Singing the soft little songs they knew....

from COME LITTLE LEAVES by George Cooper

At the end of last week a beautifully wrapped package arrived in the mail for my little family from The little gnomes home. Inside was a gnome, an autumn gnome and a stunning crystal; citrine I think... Gnomes don't like to wander far from their crystals and this one brings with her happiness, joy and optimism.

We feel so lucky to have won the random beanie draw and subsequently been gifted this perfect autumn treasure ~ She has made herself comfortable on our season table watching the mobile of leaves (recieved in the autumn southern season exchange) cast shadows as they dance in the wind.

Thank you.

The Quilt and the Rainbow

2011-06-06T09:24:00.000+10:00

Here it is, my big girl and her birthday quilt.

It turns out to be a good hiding place too.

She is calling it her discovery quilt...discovering a new pattern, or favourite block everyday.

Her birthday party was fun; exhausting, but fun. First I filled them full of sugar, and a few strawberries with chocolate fondue.

They entertained themselves from that point until I did the grumpy mummy go to sleep talk at quarter past midnight...I think they were all finally asleep by 1am....and up at 6am.

Crepes with strawberries, raspberries and or blueberries plus or minus (most plus I think) maple syrup for breakfast.

And to top it off (the sugar high I mean) we had cake.

Rainbow cake ~*

As we sent them on their way we gave them each a little present to take home

After they were all gone I had a little sleep.

* I got the rainbow cake recipe from here but substituted 200g natural yoghurt for 250ml of the milk as per the clever little trick here to make the colours vibrant without adding loads of colouring. I didn't used Swiss buttercream instead opting for Italian meringue...just as much sugar but no butter.

Ten years ago today, today

2011-06-02T08:00:00.031+10:00

My big girl slid down from the rainbow to stay

She came to bring laughter and joy to the earth

Good people and midwives attended her birth

So let's us all join in singing, with joyful birthday bells ringing

Happy birth day to my girl, happy birth day to my girl...

Oh how I loved her then, instantaneously, with everything that I was ~ ... 'and before she was here an hour I would have died for her'...

She is having a sleepover party on Friday to celebrate hitting double figures!...the sleeping will be preceeded by chocolate fondue (perhaps not much sleeping will happen?). I'll give them all pancakes and berries for breakfast before filling them full of birthday cake and sending them home. See how much I love her still!

Wednesday Craft Group ... Everyone needs a little friend

2011-06-01T20:16:00.001+10:00

Hmm... well I know they look a little like voodoo dolls now BUT if I work like a crazy woman tonight I should get them finished in time to give one to each of my big girl's friends as a party gift.

These sweet little dolls were dreamed up by the crafty women over at a Time 4 Craft at Toadstool House and are called Affirmation Pocket Friends "these wee folk are created with someone special in mind that needs a litle friemd in their heart and pocket to remind them to draw on their own magical inner strength when they need it".

I asked each of their mothers what their daughter's favourite colour was and what an appropriate affirmation would be; so each is personalised for the child.

I will write out a verse similar to this one for each:

I have a little pocket friend

Whom when hold their hand

and tell myself that I

BELIEVE

I truly know I can.

Well must dash. I have to read to my big girl before planting nine kisses on her head. Make two more wee folk and finish the three voodoo ones before sneaking back into my big girls room to thrown her birthday quilt over her sweet sleeping self.

UFOs

2011-05-30T21:50:00.001+10:00

...unfinished objects; I am working my way down a list (well through paper bags in my under the stairs craft cupboard).

I started this little number 18 months ago just before I broke my leg. You would think that having a broken leg would give one plenty of knitting time... tho I did have a five month old baby when I did it. Knowing that I can be a lousy knitter...the will to finish has alway been a problem, you see knitting can be terribly time consuming. Anyway knowing that I have a lack of will I fortuitously made it in a size 1; I obvilously failed to give myself enough credit for my lack of will because she will be two in two months. Anyhoo. I have finished and she is wearing it - shortish sleeves look a bit funky and stylish don't you agree?

I am quite fond of the button too...

Safely tucked into a drawer

2011-05-29T19:46:00.001+10:00

is the finished quilt for my big girl's tenth birthday this week.

I began on Sunday, February 13, declaring that I would devote two hours a day to the project. Since then I have cut and sewed 1716 blocks, 16.3m of borders and 8.1m of binding. I think I used several kilometres of thread and my machine is due for a service! I pretty much kept to my promise (to myself) that I would sew every day; often for far longer than two hours...tho I did have two weeks off this month while we were away. I am SO glad it is finished and with three days to spare.

I will put it over her late on Wednesday night while she sleeps, she will wake up on her birthday morning all snuggled and warm in her mummy's love. (After that I will post you some pictures).

With the quilt done I have time to do other stuff; today I had a little 'nanna nap' in the afternoon (what bliss).

This morning I knitted down to the first cable twist on the Milo vest I am making for the wee girl's birthday in July. I am a bit pleased about my progress because I actually bought the wool about this time last year...didn't get round to casting on til now tho.

I have also finished Hedwig (aka Harry Potter's owl) which I started last week at craft group.

I am a bit excited about my sudden bounty of 'free time' ...tho my beloved suggested that I finished the cross stitch that has been in the cupboard (on and off) for about 18 years.. it might be closer to the two decade mark; maybe I will...

Wednesday Craftgroup - Needle felting

2011-05-25T20:50:00.000+10:00

I am really starting to love needle felting ~ the repetitive stabbing is somewhat calming.

We were very lucky today to have Lucy guide us in our stabbing motions; that is her owl to the right, mine is that weird blob on the left (I am please to report that is it looking pretty good right about now and I am considering sending it on an owl post birthday run half way round the globe).

Welcome Earthside

2011-05-22T13:17:00.000+10:00

Autumn was beautiful in Sydney; we crunched the leaves underfoot and took long bush walks while we waited for the newest member of our clan to be born...13 days after the circled date on her mother's calendar she came ~ there was so much love it that room and big fat happy tears, all for a little girl named Opal.

Gone midwifing

2011-05-05T07:51:00.002+10:00

The girls and I are on a plane on the way to Sydney...we have gone to wait the arrival of a wee babe. It was an offer I couldn't refuse; to hold the space for a woman, to remind her of her strength, to witness my cousin give birth to her third child...made extra special because I was there with her for babies one and two.

I'll be staying with my mum, plan to catch up with my sister and a bunch of friends..might even drive to Canberra if the wee one arrives earlier rather than later. I don't know what internet connection is like where we will be sitting and waiting so I don't know what kind of blogging I will do, if any.

I have packed my bags with three knitting projects, some crochet...even a couple of books!

See you in a fortnight.

Oh...and today is the international day of the midwife so smile at yours today.

Wednesday Craft Group - Knitted Moss Gnomes; aTutorial

2011-05-04T14:53:00.004+10:00

The garden at our place has an abundance of this fabulous green furry stuff and since the door has been installed we've got visitors; wee Moss Gnomes.

These little fellows are made with some very simple knitting, stuffing and a simple formed head like the root babies I showed you how to make the other week.

You will need: (not much) wool/yarn 8plyish - green shades are nice, a pair of 3mm knitting needles, stuffing wool, size one tube/bandage, linen thread, cotton tricot/face fabric, mohair for hair and beard, some embroidery floss for facial features, scrap bit of co-ordinating felt, wool and sharp needles and a small weight about the size of a 10c piece (in fact a 10c piece is a fine weight itself).

Ok, for the body cast on 20 stitches and knit 12 rows.
Cast off 4 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows (12 stitches)
Stocking stitch the next 10 rows (knit one row, purl the next etc..)
From the 11th row begin decreasing 1 stitch at each end of each knit row, purl one row*
* repeat until only one stitch remains; cast off.

Next make a small formed head with about a 3cm circumference. Create an eye line with your linen thread and then cover your face with a small square of skin fabric. If you like, eyes and mouth can be embroidered now.

With your wool needle and scrap yarn begin sewing the hat together from the top (the pointy end) and stop where the decreasing began. Then stitch the front of the gnome together and insert the head into the open space. Stuff under and around the head with wool fleece. Cut and sew into place a circle of felt on the bottom to create a base - slip your weight in before you close it up completely.

Using small blind stitches attach the head into the suit opening, then create his hair and beard out of mohair. To to this sew loops right around the face fastening each with a small backstitch. Cut open the loops and trim his hair and beard to the length you fancy.

Don't stress too much if your knitting turns out bigger - just make a bigger head - he is a very forgiving little fellow.

OH and this is my 200th post! well I never but there you go I do tend to talk a bit. So because I don't have a squillion other things to do (ha!) Who wants to win a Moss Gnome of their very own? ~~Leave me a message (with some way to find you) and I'll do one of those random hat draws~~ ~~next Wednesday May 10.~~ The wee moss gnome is going to live with Rachel at the Butterfly Ball.
Oh and double OH! Dear Bloom of we bloom here is hosting another swap On the Wings of Spring

"With birds nesting in my garden and choruses of goldfinches warbling in the trees, spring is an especially good time to love birds... And so I've decided to host a little birdie swap. What a perfect time of year to create some new feathered friends to join spring and summer nature tables! If you are in the southern hemisphere, please don't feel left out... birds need food and shelter all through the winter; and even in the dark of winter, you might look to the return of birds as harbingers of spring."

Won't you flutter over there and join in?

The worry tree and a fairy tale...

2011-05-03T10:41:00.000+10:00

"Just because something's not magic, doesn't mean it can't be magical ..."

Early last year the big girl and I read The Worry Tree by Australian author Marianne Musgrove. She loved it (I did too) It was perfect for her at that moment in time; school was not great, friendship stuff, feeling akward, not fitting in...it was breaking my heart to watch her feel so lost.

I can't remember now where I found it, but I know I ordered it about six months before it arrived - ah well, you get what you need.

Here is the beginning of chapter one:

Juliet Jennifer Jones opened the door, stepped out of the toilet and walked straight into her little sister.

'Eight minutes and forty-seven seconds,' said Ophelia, clicking her stopwatch. 'What were you doing in there?'

'Mum!' shrieked Juliet. 'Oaf's timing me in the toilet again!'

When there was no reply, Juliet stomped out of the room.

Ophelia, also known as 'Oaf', smiled quietly to herself, pulled out a yellow pad of paper and carefully wrote 8:47 in the left-hand column. Then she tucked the notepad back into her pocket and went off to find her sister.

Juliet stormed through the house looking for an adult. She went into the lounge room but Mum had her nose in her favourite Shakespearean play.

'Give me five more minutes,' said Mum, 'and then I will speak to thee, I mean, I'll speak to you.'

Juliet rolled her eyes and went in search of Dad.

Dad was in the laundry making a model volcano and she couldn't get him to talk about anything other than lava, ash or explosions. She frowned and went in search of Nana.

Nana lived in the granny flat down the back garden but when Juliet got there, all she found was a note taped to the door of the flat: Gone to craft class. This week: macramé pot holders!

Juliet turned around, huffing. Oaf was standing behind her singing a song she'd learnt in the playground that week. It was called 'The Irritating Song' and you just kept chanting it over and over like this:

Irritating, irritating,
Irritating-tating-tating,
It's the song you'll end up hating
Just 'cos it's so irritating.
That was the first verse. The second verse went like this:
So frustrating, so frustrating,
So frustrating-strating-strating,
It's the song you'll end up hating
Just 'cos it's so [clap] frustrating.

The other twenty-two verses continued on in pretty much the same vein. Oaf really liked that song.
'Irritating, irritating ...'

You can keep reading right up to chaper two here

Anyway....behind the peeling wallpaper in her new bedroom, Juliet uncovers an old painting of a very special tree -- a Worry Tree.

Well my big girl wanted a Worry Tree too. She shut her eyes and wished very hard. I asked a very big favour of a very talented sister in law...who nervous as she was started with a blank wall and...began to paint.

Now this was no small effort, for the most part she had a sleeping baby on her back or a meddling one, sometimes two, in amongst the paint brushes. He is his mummy's boy and does not like to be out of her sight so there was nothing that I could do but bring her cups of tea and treats from the kitchen.

She began painting mid February and put the finishing touches to the wall on Friday just gone. Two months at about two hours at a time, a labour of love... not unlike my quilt!

Wanna see?

Here is Dimitri the dog. When she is worried about family, Dimitri the dog looks after us for her.

This is Wolfgang the wombat, he looks after friend worries.

Gywneth the goat makes her feel better when she is sick.

Piers the peacock is in charge of minding worries about things she has lost.

Petronella the pig worries about school.

Delia the duck knows it's hard to get used to change - changing houses, schools, new baby sisters...

Next to Delia is a hole in the trunk ~ sometimes she might have worries that she can't describe; her Worry Tree has a special place for those worries too.

So that the tree really is her Worry Tree it was personalised, with a little big girl shadow and a tiny bird to sing to her, and lilies - sweet lilies of the valley to ring their tiny bells and November lilies with their heavenly scent... a little bit of mossy ground cover...

she LOVES it. We are not quite sure how to thank her beautiful aunt for such a wonderful gift...but we are working on it.

That brings me to a fairy tale...
Last night, just before dinner the very wobbly tooth my big girl has be playing with for absolutely ages finally fell out! How exciting that the tree is finished... I have been plotting since I saw this post at we bloom here.

While she was admiring her tooth I slipped downstairs and installed a fairy door at the foot of her tree between the lilies of the valley and the soft moss. Fairy doors are miniature portals to middle-earth. By installing one I am inviting fairies, pixies, gnomes and all other wee folk from their world to ours. Fairy doors are magical and cannot be opened by big people.

My big girl has been writing letters to her tooth fairy on tiny little note paper for fours years; they have such wild conversations! Tooth fairy letters need to fit in tiny envelopes like this one.

I just love fantasy and fairytales. I am quite sure my big girl suspects me but when she wakes to find her teeth gone, tiny letters, fairy dust sprinkled in trails and purpose made fairy doors at the foot of a very magical tree...well I think she loves a fairytale too.

*The Worry Tree was Marianne's first published novel and it won the Australian Family Therapists Award for Childrens Literature in 2008 and was shortlisted for the Queenland Premier's Literacy Award for Best Children's book 2008, the Adelaide Festival Award for Children's Literature 2008 and the Australian Children's Literature prize 2007....

Of course when we read it we had no idea about any of that stuff; I found out when we finished and went searching for more books written by her. Fabulously she has, have a look here.

My baby is a cover girl

2011-05-01T20:34:00.000+10:00

It is not what you think! I have not forced my wee child into a life of modelling. I have a friend, Tanya, who is a photographer and who over the past 18months or so has 'borrowed' my wee girl for some commercial shoots ~ there has been no payment other than a few clothes and a whole stack of modern cloth nappies and of course a stack of beautiful pictures.

It started with her tiny toes and cute bottom ~ here she is modelling for Agoo leg huggers

Then she got her face on the Agoo website

Then she did a bit for Eko Peko

And of course we scored big with a whole stack of nappies from Cushie Tushies

Anyway she is retired now ~ best to go out on a high don't you agree? I'm going to move over now and let her dance on my pincushion.

All pics by Tanya Love of Love Bytes photography

Camping, swapping and reflecting.

2011-04-29T12:38:00.002+10:00

I am feeling quite flat; I said to a friend the other day it just seems crazy for life to carry on ~ my friend's baby just died. It feels disrespectful to just keep going...but really that is all there is left to do isn't there? curl up in a ball or keep going.

So I will keep going tho my energy is lacking.

Over the Easter weekend we went camping; with my brother and his family and three other families too.

My brother has 5 acres of land just north of Gympie, loads of gum trees and a bit of creek - nothing else on it for now. So we all set up camp (I am not really a fan of camping. It generally rains, it is uncomfortable, there are insects, no bathrooms, blow up beds, bla bla bla).

I had fun. We met some really lovely people, the children had a ball just being free to be. Of course there was a campfire (read marshmallow on sticks, camp oven stews and fresh baked hot cross buns), chocolate, wine, music and laughter ...and NO RAIN!

A little post parcel arrived just before we headed off camping. I joined in the Southern Hemiphere Season Exchange again for autumn. Autum is my favourite season; I got married in autumn, my first child was born in autumn and it is full of comfort food and chilly winds blowing beautiful leaves everywhere ~ well it is like that in my memory because Brisbane is yet to show me an autumn leaf fluttering to the ground this year...

So I sent my partner a few of her favourite things ~ she doesn't have a blog so I couldn't stalk her and find out secretly, I asked. She likes knitting and crochet and felts, fibres, fly agaric mushrooms and loves autumn, it is her favourite season too. Think I covered it.

In return she sent and autumn fairy and a mobile of dancing leaves - just perfect.

Autumn faries wake today

Spread your colours as you play

Red and yellow, orange too

Purple, brown and golden hue.

Once each leaf is coloured so

from the tree it can let go.

Baby Esther

2011-04-26T11:42:00.000+10:00

Last year I shared with you the death of my friends' son Albert. Since late last year I have been waiting to share their joy of a new child ~ a daughter.

Esther was born just after midnight on April 21; I am heartbroken to tell you she died on April 24.

I have been trying for hours to collect my thoughts, to quell my tears, to find words to convey how much I care about them. I do not understand how sad, unfair and crule life is ~ I cannot answer why.

I have faith that their love will sustain them, but I am afraid their grief will make them shadows of their former selves.

She lit their world, like a flower opening to the warm spring sun. Soon they will bring Esther home to Australia, and bury her with her brother.

Sixteen Years ago today

2011-04-22T07:00:00.001+10:00

We frolicked in the park, said "I do", drank champagne, and danced...to this song~

(excuse the dodgy video clip; I guess it is because it was side two of the Jessie single so it didn't really rate in the charts)

Just the actual quilting bit to go..Oh and a root baby winner

2011-04-20T22:11:00.001+10:00

My big girl sewed the last column in her quilt top and after ironing all the bits I needed for borders, amused herself ironing all the scraps (I have plans for those scraps)

I sewed the 16+ metres of borders, mitred the corners and sat back feeling rather pleased with myself.

Today we bought backing fabric and a warm 60% wool / 40% cotton wadding and then after a final iron, sandwiched the whole lot together with pretty gold pins (so many pins in fact that I ran out and had to borrow another couple of hundred from a friend). Tomorrow I will show the big girl how to wind bobbins, get her to wind at least six and then I will start quilting..... I may not be back for weeks!

And the winner is Carole who declared she couldn't crochet to save herself . Hers was the name that popped out of the hat this evening and won herself a little brown eyed root baby ~ Carole I will send you an email in a minute.

A trip to meet Bambi

2011-04-19T21:01:00.000+10:00

On Sunday we drove out through the valley to Samsonvale to visit the Lyell deer farm. Our big girl won a family pass a little while ago ~ we had no idea it was even there, and so close to home.

The wee one fed Bambi

and Bambi seems to quite like the taste of her!

They only have little teeth on the bottom at the front - the serious chewers are at the back.

There are four species of deer bred on the farm, Red, Fallow, Chital, and Rusa; they are mainly left to roam and entertain the visitors but the farm does supply deer for venison and their hides (which are so amazingly soft - like velvet)

This is a Rusa

and a Chital.

Owner, Maureen, explained to me the reproduction of the antler growth. Antlers are hormonally controlled; falling off naturally each year around August. The following season they grow new and bigger ones. Most of the bucks on the farm are castrated so that their antlers don't grow - less risk of injury from all that testosterone.

If I remember rightly ... the antlers closest to the front are from a Red deer, next along are Chital, Fallow and lastly the Rusa. If you look at the base of the second set (Chital) they have actually been sawn off, look back at the first one and you can see what they look like at the base when they come away naturally.

Maureen and Des hold Native American workshops on a regular basis including Medicine Drum Workshops and every month there are Ceremonial Full Moon Drumming Circles. I have left my name with Maureen for the next drum making workshop - how fabulous will that be?

Week one of the autumn holidays done and dusted!

2011-04-15T22:40:00.000+10:00

Phew! I am soooo tired. Really should be in bed but feel compelled to blog (could also be the huge helping of cafe grande connoisseur ice cream I just stuffed into my face giving me a sugar rush!)

So Monday we went round to a friend's home to make some needle felted eggs - they look fabulous but I forgot to take pictures ~ I will tho ~ later. Our big girls both grabbed a block of foam, a ridiculously sharp barbed needle and fleece and got very busy making about four eggs each ~ we adults managed two a piece (and I stabbed myself. Oh! it really hurts!). The little ones fought over everything until hers went to bed and mine played delightedly on her own with all the other child's 'stuff'.

Tuesday we joined another friend and her children for a rainforest walk up Mt Glorious. It was glorious too ~ The weather is about 5 degrees C cooler in the mountains so we got to wear cardigans! It has also been raining quite a bit in the last weeks so we treked along about 5km of slippery mud tracks spotting centipedes and climbing trees before we reached the river pools where the children declared it was hot, stripped off most of their gear and splashed about.

Hunger ended the water play and we walked back (a steady incline, a few falls in the mud and with my heart beating a steady exercise induced rhythm) to the main park for our picnic lunch.

The children played so well together ~ there were no cross words, tears or tantrums. My companion knitted (a project for herself!) I did not much other than chase the wee one about. Then we spoiled any good the exercise did us by having a huge chocolate muffin and hot chocolate at a little cafe on the way down the mountain. Magic way to spend the day.

Hmm Wednesday I made quite a few root babies, we baked (dutch ginger and almond slice - Ooooooo yum), I did quilting (actually it is so part of my rhythm now I do it everyday. I am starting to feel positive now tho that I will get it finished in time). My big girl helped me pin about a thousand pins to hold all the little triangles in place because I don't have the luxury of a 'design board' like the pattern instructions suggest I should and you can imagine how long pretty little triangles of fabric would stay in place on the lounge room floor once the wee one got up from her sleep!

My big girl also made my pin cushion look very pretty.

What else did we do? Oh we walked to the park, stopping to talk to all the "ro, ro's" I wonder if she realises that the longer we talk to (stop and look at) the many, many dogs in our street the more often and likely they are to bark? sounds like this RO RO RO RO RO RO RO followed very quickly by the dog next door joining in ro ro ro RO RO ro, and the one next door etcetera.

Thursday. The girls fought all day! this is my fault because I wanted to finish off a couple of things I have been working on - a pincushion for M.Bloom and my autumn exchange gifts as part of the southern hemisphere season exchange. I can't show you pictures of either yet ~ mostly because I want to torment dear Bloom a bit longer - Australia to US postage can take its sweet time airmail or not. While we were out and after we posted parcles, we went to another park, made pretend milkshakes and lemon syrup cakes, slid on the slides and then went home.

Thursday's evening meal was made by my big girl ~ mini beef wellingtons, because she is clever and because I don't like sticking my hands in mince and egg and stuff.

Today. The wee girl woke pre dawn (Again. It appears to be her rhythm ~ I am not a fan) and so after breakfast, a bit of a play, books, a bit of quilting while she was busy amusing herself, we cleaned the fish tank...it was still early, we had not changed out of our pjs.

When the big girl joined us and the fish was busy admiring his reflection (Oh, hello. What big eyes you have) we went for a walk, climbed a few fences by way of a short cut and stopped at the bakery for umm what felt like lunch because I had been awake so long but was actually only morning tea.

We baked again - cranberry and chocolate chip butter biscuits. The wee girl slept. I sewed. The big girl watched Pippy Longstocking dvds.

I am getting there!

After a late lunch we went for a swim. OH MY the water was freezing! That is it for me no more stupid ideas like that til late spring at the very soonest. We bailed out of the let's have a swim and lazy round the pool and retired to the deck for a swing in the hammock and to finish reading Sadako and the thousand paper cranes (we had a big cry ~ much better to have a big cry in the afternoon than just before bed don't you agree?)

Right now? I am about to finish my third glass of wine (must be a record for me, I am not asleep yet, tho I will be as soon as I log off). If you fancy you still have til this coming Wednesday to put your name in the hat for a little Wednesday root baby of your own. Enjoy your weekend.