Tuesday 24 March 2009

Just busy.... Back soon



Moments of extreme busyness and moments of quilting pleasure. I will return soon! In the meantime, some autumn flowery goodness from my garden.

Saturday 14 March 2009

Union Jack love.........

I thought last weekend that I would have a little play and get in on the Union Jack love that is sweeping through blogland at the moment.

I had been saving these lovely big pom poms for ages, so it was lovely to put them to use.


I finally ventured to our city library and was delighted to be able to borrow some lovely books. Myer also had 35% off some of their cook books recently, so added some Jamie Oliver and Donna Hay to our collection.



It was Alexandra's school fair today. All of the usual stalls, cake, sweets, produce, plants, books, second hand, jewellry and of course food and more food to consume!

I was really pleased with this beautiful tea cosy. At last a sweet little hand knitted one in very tasteful colours.



The little posy of flowers on top was really what sold it! I think they are just so sweet.


Saturday is slipping by very quickly here, 3.45p.m. and I am still trying to get the washing done! Roast dinner tonight - yum!
A wonderful weekend to everyone!


Sunday 1 March 2009

Market Basket........

I've just returned from a lovely morning out. At the beginning of each season there is a Farmers Market held at Glengallan Homestead.

This place has fascinated me for probably all of my life and until today had not been there. It lay in ruins from the 1940's until 1993 when finally the restoration began. It is owned by a Trust and receives no funding at all from the government. By rights it should be recognised as a national icon. The story of the original owners is interesting. They lived in the home for only two years until they were forced to move out - bankrupt! It was lived in by another two families until left to decay in the 1940's.



The view from the front room and verandah of the home is beautiful. This looks east out towards the Great Dividing Range.

Today it is so hot and dry, it's hard to believe it is the first day of Autumn. Roses everywhere, lovely still despite being the end of the season for them. I may have to go back in the Spring.


More of the lovely garden from the top floor verandah.



What a better occasion than this one to take my new Market Basket for a test run. I got busy yesterday afternoon and had a lovely time making a liner for my new basket that I showed in the last post.

The market was a little disappointing. We did get some delicious apples and nectarines from a farmer from Stanthorpe, some very yummy biscuits and also two bottles of delicious preserves - rosella jam and cumquat marmalade. Other than that loads of very ordinary crochet washers, teapot cosies etc. If they were tasteful I'm sure they would just sell like hotcakes!!



I am so pleased with how my basket turned out. Beautiful Tanya Whelan fabric, cute checked bias for the ties and the most beautiful "circle" (not sure what else to call it) to finish it off.

Gail McCormack makes and paints the most beautiful pieces, her very handy husband does beautiful restoration work. I saw these lovelies on her website attached to an old picnic basket - she was very kind to sell just a "circle" to me.



What a lovely morning I had driving through the beautiful Darling Downs countryside. The paddocks are full of ripening sorghum and sunflowers at the moment. It really is a beautiful part of the country to live - if only it would rain a little more.