Paddock to plate

I love those particularly abundant times of year when the garden is offering plenty. Especially when the plenty has a relatively short season (eg. asparagus) so we never feel the weight of 'what are we going to do with all these...insert name of vegie'. The short season means the produce isn't taken for granted. Berries and cherries are always pretty special too. If you ever wonder why raspberries can be expensive, spare a thought for the picker- and hope they are getting a decent cut of your money. They a little, fragile and tricky to pick compared to many of the larger most robust fruits. Paddock to plate in under 10 minutes. Nice. Sent from Yahoo!7 Mail on Android

Garlic time

At this time of year, the garden starts to burst..in a good way. The garlic harvest has commenced, this lots has been hung out to dry...kind of literally. It's in a room in our old shearing shed which has a slatted floor so air can circulate as the garlic 'cures'. So it will dry without going mouldy. I love garlic. Sent from Yahoo!7 Mail on Android

Clever phone?

Playing to see if I can work out how to post from my phone...may have been more handy when internet was down. A few weeks ago it was my friends 40th. The theme was 'movie stars'. Can you tell who I am? The bee from the bee movie. Sent from Yahoo!7 Mail on Android

Happiness of the crafty camp variety

If I had written a blog post last week, it would have been all about how incompetent Telstra is- I have been internet-less, or with intermittent internet use for two months...and been shoved from one (generally pleasant enough) customer service officer to tech support to complaint resolution (yes, I have my very own Telstra case manager now!)...to little avail.


Oh, how I have missed my blog, and your blog. I have been skimming on my clever phone, but that tiny screen is hardly satisfactory when we are talking about crafty blogs- I want to be able to see your photos, and the prettiness of your whole page, all at once. And I want to be able to write comments...I am not really 'down with' writing 'UR pix A1' (that's my attempt at text message language,which I find really hard, because I like spelling). Not just the text message language, I tend to be slightly verbose generally (sorry!).


Anyway, that was last week, we are into a new week and separating the two is Sewjourn. 

The fabric scramble- what to do when you can't pack  everything!

I have talked before about craft and spirit ... and I think this weekend it's those intangibles that made me happiest.


In many ways my life is quite isolated, we live on a farm, out of town, we do have close and wonderful neighbours, but on my 'home days' the only people I see all day, besides my family,  could be the other children (and sometimes adults) at the bus stop. I do enjoy the space, but I really like people too. 


I like what can happen when people come together- when 'the whole becomes greater than the sum of it's parts'. The engaging in conversation and building on ideas, sharing of knowledge (in all directions), the inspiration, encouragement, compassion, wisdom, acceptance. I like different people, different personalities, different styles, different ways of doing things coming together with a mutual respect.

I could show you lots of photos of our weekend but it's been done before, 

There was crocheting, patchworking, quilting, bag making, hat making, sewing for small people and sewing for ourselves, there was bathers, party dresses, shorts, knits and wovens. 
Does that sound overwhelming? I wanted to do everything- watch people, chat to people, sew with people. There are quite alot of photos floating around and I have yet to see one of me sitting down at my sewing machine (can't quite understand that!) while Lara has her big dot point list of completed projects, I am happy to report back that this is coming along quite nicely, thanks!

Thank you Nikki, Lara, Annie, Karen, Rachel, Kathryn, Megan for a really fun initiation into craft camp. You're all ace.

Some pig!

I mentioned the Prize winning show entries, well I just took some photos of a few things...

The pig. Hmmm, I am not sure where it's going to live now!

The appliqué- patient Grandma taught Jack how to do blanket stitch. Bless her! These were two of my favourite things that Jack entered...and possibly two of the easiest to photograph.


And here's a photo of my 'token entry' (I like to enter at least one thing in each year, if I am around, to support the local show)...the prize winning 'lemon butter'
The dodgy thing was, that the certificate didn't have my name on it, it had another local gal's name on it- she's a Tanya too, but totally different last name. I saw her at the show and she told me she didn't enter anything (so strange mix up to make), she was abit disappointed to hear the winning loot was a grand total of 50 cents! 

Work in progress

The 11 year old had asthma and was off school for 3 days during the last week of school. He wasn't unwell, but his asthma was too unstable for him to be at school- which meant that he was at home, looking for things to do. We have a small local agricultural show and the 'show schedule' was floating about- so J made that his reading material. And he got busy- circling, highlighting (making a generally messy page) of the 'under 13 section'. He worked out that a particular section had an aggregate prize, for the person with the most points over about 12 different classes.
I haven't got the list on me, but it was fairly ambitious!

"An article made from paper mache" was on the list...

This turned into a prize winning paper mache pig! He also put in a stitchery, applique, article made from recycled material, a card, hand painted article...and a few others. He worked really hard to finish his entries, getting abit disillusioned at the persistence required at times! He was so self-driven, I was impressed.
I did warn him that a win wasn't guaranteed, pointing out that he might be up against kids doing textiles in Year 7 who had more experience than him, but he was pretty confident telling me "even if that's true Mum, I am pretty happy with the quality of the things I have put up". He wavered once on the day it came to delivering the entries into the show for judging..."Will these things have my name on them?"- I explained that if he won or came second they would, but otherwise no "Why?"..."Oh, just cause if my mates see them with my name on them, they might tease me for doing girly things".
Happily for him he 'scooped the pool", came home with a $15.00 voucher and $8 in prizes ($1 a win)- technically minus $5 for the entry fees- 50c x 10)- and I wonder if he will be keen next year to head back and defend his title!

Four

The lost wristlet was eventually found, I had left it at my friends house, and I eventually reclaimed it.

The lost mobile phone was never found and I eventually bought a new one. I wasn't sure, I was umming and ahhing about whether I needed one. I think I said that before here.
I got one that does tricks (it's smart apparently). I have used the phone a couple of times and realise I like the extra bit of security of having it there, especially if I am driving. I also like texting and email access...not that that is necessarily a good thing! The 11 year old also doesn't mind the odd phone call to the mobile to find out when I might be home from work, whether I can please buy some gluten free cereal on the way home- important things like that. Sadly for him (sometimes) I am not a great phone answerer at the best of times and I still haven't learnt my way around mobile phone etiquette.
If my phone rings and I am at work, do I answer it?  and what about if I am in a parent teacher interview at school?- I am embarrassed to admit that I did answer my phone during the parent teacher interview, mainly because my phone never rings and it was a local friend so thought it may have been an 'emergency'- no, she just wanted to know if I wanted her to bring me a 'real' coffee home from town! I am still not great at ringing mobiles either- what if I am interrupting someone? Some of my friends only have a mobile now, so I have to get over that, you know, get with the times!


More about the wristlet...I am sad to report that it's "old sewing", I did have my machine out the other day but not much got done. I think I have a bit of a mental block about what to sew, hasn't really happened to me before, or at least, for ages. My crafty friends came out on Sunday night and while both of them nearly whipped up a whole quilt top, I, umm, sorted stuff out...which was good to do but not very creative!

I do love this little wristlet, and I do love how in Nikki's book she builds on projects, so when I show you my next project from the book (which is soooo close to finished I should just do it!), you will recognise some aspects of this little wristlet- she steps you into techniques gradually, I like that. 
In fact, I have recently heard Nikki being called a genius

Hex

The hexagon got finished a while ago, but I handed it over before taking any photos. I visited it (well, it's new owner, really) last week and pulled out the camera for a bit of a snap.
Hexagon quilts are really hard to photograph...

The front is quite 'scrappy' and the back is also piece with the more muted 'Dick and Jane' range.

The pattern is from Anna Maria Horner's baby book  and it's called 'Sixth times a charm'...I didn't do the method she suggested but used her photo for inspiration and kind of winged it.

This quilt was made for a very special  baby, long awaited and much loved...and very very cute xx

Citrus season

Our citrus trees are full on at the moment, one particular orange tree is my favourite. 
Ages ago, I got a bit inspired to make marmalade

 and this lot of mandarins, tangelos, lemons, and oranges turned into quite a few of these

there are considerably less jars now than when I first made them, two people in this household are particularly fond of marmalade, it would seem!
I like making jam and preserves, I like that the abundance of the season can be spread over the year. I still have quite a few blackberries in the freezer from Summer, I have been adding them to cakes, muffins and smoothies throughout the year. This year we didn't bottle enough tomatoes to last us the whole year and now we've run out. I don't like having to buy tinned tomatoes, doesn't feel quite right.

'ello, 'ello

Just dropping in to my blog to say hello- this place feels like a bit of a holiday house at the moment.
Thanks to those of you who have emailed me to ask how I am getting on, it's very lovely and thoughtful. I didn't mean to stop hanging around, it just happened. (Ha, that reminds me of my daughter at the moment 'it's not my fault, I didn't do it!')


Guess what? This time 11 years ago, I had just become a mother. Jack was born, after a few years of trying to get pregnant, and a pregnancy where I had trouble believing that I actually would be 'get' a baby at the end of it...that sounds odd as I type it.
I remember not wanting to get my hopes up- my 'getting pregnant' hopes had been battered and bruised and maybe this translated to my 'being a mum/ having a baby' hopes generally. It meant I was rather under prepared in the 'stuff' department and my children never had a beautiful nursery... they did alright!
I really can't believe that was 11 years ago.  I wish I could work out how to get a photo from my new phone to this blog so I could show you the ace birthday cake I made for him- 'designed' by Jack (a Hawthorn footy club jumper!). 


Our Internet is annoyingly unreliable, just changed modems, but I don't think this is going to be much better. I can't upload any photos at the moment, so can't show you my latest 'Nikki project' or my marmalade, or my great gluten free chicken nuggets. Odd for me to do an all words post.


Nice to be here, I will try not leave it so long next time...but I suspect I have said that before.

Lucky, Lucky, Lucky

I mentioned that we have just had a visit from our German friends...look what came with them.

Reinhild was knitting for months and months before she got here, she bought with her 11 pairs of socks that she had knitted in various sizes and colours. One pair each for my mum and dad, a pair for me, and my crew (4 altogether) , a pair for my brother and his crew (also 4 altogether)  and a pair for my Aunty.

She used that wool that as you knit it up, it makes it's own pattern, it may have a name, being 'not a knitter', I am not sure. What an effort- the wool is really fine, would have taken hours. They are beautiful and warm and toasty.
I was slightly surprised when the 10 year old boy tried his on and exclaimed 'at last, some decent socks'...(like- "I am so glad you've visited and made me these socks, my mum makes me wear dreadful socks that are not warm and have holes in them"- that was kind of the implication! Poor neglected child...)

Rusty

I have been missing my blog...and yours too, actually- there hasn't been much blog reading or writing going on here. 
I was surprised to see 'last post on June 19th' though. Have I been busy trying to keep my head above water since then? I don't think I wanted to know that!


I have finished a few crafty things in that time though- a little cardigan (yes, knitting!)- given to it's new recipient without taking a photo first (because I was still sewing the buttons on moments before handing it over), the hexagon quilt- I love it, also, handed over to its new owner without a photo (still hand sewing the binding moments before handing that one over!)...I will get a photo next time I visit. Such a fun and pretty easy quilt to do.
The wristlet has been found- left it at my friends house- she lives around the corner but I haven't picked it up again yet, will take a photo when I get it back. It now has a big sister, which I also can't wait to show you. 


The mobile phone hasn't been found though. Do I really need one? I think the other one has gone for good and it's time to think about replacement. I am not like 'the young people' who do alot of their communicating via text messages, but I do enjoy abit of 'extra' communication with friends via text, and I have missed that. I don't actually use the phone much. I travel 100km (round trip, country driving) to work two days a week, so it's comforting having a mobile for 'just in case'...most probably 'just in case I run out of petrol!'


The noise makers are still here. It's been hard. I complained. I said earthworking noise, 10 metres from our house (at times, sometimes further away but still loud) from 7am- 5.30pm, 7 days a week (yes, really, and even on public holidays) is unreasonable. We are hoping they are nearly finished. Our channel has plastic lining so I think they must be nearly finished. Dodgy project.


Trees have been sent, markets attended and that will slow down soonish. I still think it's great to see so many people keen on growing their own fruit.

 Paddle steamers at Echuca
It was refreshing to be looking at Australia through fresh eyes, again. 

Amongst the chaos we had a short visit from our friends from Germany.
My parents are taking them to the airport today, their flight leaves in a few hours. These are friendships that have formed as a result of me being an exchange student to Germany in 1989! This time Tom, who is 9 was one of the visitors, he is first of the  '3rd generation' to cross the oceans for a visit.
 Ah, it was sad to say goodbye.

A visit to the Healesville Sanctuary

I am reminded though, that I need to plan better with my crafting, I need some portable craft on the go and accessible at all times. It helps to keep me grounded, sane, and in touch with who I am.