A Little Linen Purse.............

 

This week, I finally managed to fit in some very lovely stitching time in my lovely sewing room.

This lovely kit came home with me a year ago.  Oh goodness, I have looked at this fabric so many times in the last twelve months.  I was finally brave enough and had the time to cut into my precious piece of fabric.  Always scary when you have such a tiny piece to play with.

I purchased it at the very lovely Hatched and Patched Store in Bathurst on a freezing cold winters day last year.

Such beautiful fabric.

Now just to go somewhere lovely to use it!

A Gardeners Journal.....

The first border is on.....

I cut this border at 2 1/2 " instead of the 1 1/2" suggested in the pattern.  

More to come tomorrow......

A Gardener's Journal........

Have you seen over at Chookyblue when she issued a challenge to finish or make the beautiful "A Gardener's Journal" by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched?

I think that there are now at least forty people who have decided to stitch along with dear Chookyblue to make this beautiful quilt.

I didn't really "join" the group, but it was a great reminder to me that this quilt was in a little box on my desk, well and truly started. 

Well over two years ago I decided to make this quilt after a dear friend gave me a copy of the book.

I decided that I would make it completely from fabrics from within my stash at the time and have only purchased the two border fabrics required.

At the time, I remember putting all the DMC colours out and then choosing my fabrics to co-ordinate with them.

In between projects and life...... I have stitched the blocks......

Enjoying each one as I went along............

And now I have six of the eight blocks put together.

When Chookyblue issued her challenge I even had all my fabrics cut and separated into zip lock bags ready to go.  I have plugged away in just little snippets of time over the last two weekends.  Isn't it amazing what can be achieved when we put our minds to it.  I am so blessed to have my sweet sewing room where I can leave projects at the ready to grab a moment or two when I can. 

It will be so lovely to have a large project like this finished and off to the quilters. 

I might even have it back to snuggle under for the winter ahead!

P.S.  I have now officially joined the group!!  See the link on the side to pop over and see all the quilts being stitched.

Mon Sac du Marché.........

Finished..........

How wonderful it feels to have finished a project started only a few weeks ago.  I had shown you all a little earlier this beautiful bag in its early stages.  The stitching completed while on a weeks holiday at the beach.  A Honey Bun and half a metre of fabric later.......Tah Dah.......

A lot of sewing of all those strips seemed to take quite awhile.  I dragged the ironing board into the studio for this one otherwise I would have been like a yoyo backwards and forwards pressing each seam as I went.

Wouldn't it be fun to take it shopping in a French Market place...... For now I will dream.......and probably take it to work each day with my lunch and a magazine.......

Designed by Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches for Homespun Magazine.

Now.....which project will Iget onto next.......there's a quilt in the studio which I think may be my next project to tackle.

December so far......

The month is just flying by.  The extreme heat and dry weather we are experiencing here is making it very hard to feel like preparing for Christmas at all.  I have made a little start though.  I made Christmas cakes last weekend and have finally started shopping for some gift.  Alexandra and I are going today, so hopefully we can fight our way through the crowds and find something nice for our family.

Yesterday my day started like this........

Drive-Through coffee on the way to work......

And ended like this.........

Mitchell has been working full time at Woolworths, but had yesterday off,  my beautiful boy cooked dinner for us.  What a lovely surprise on a Friday night.  Thanks Mitchell.

Cameron is having a wonderful adventure on his trip.  So far he has seen LA, Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle and is now in Vancouver.  He has been uploading to his Facebook page, so it is lovely to see him as goes along.  Skype is also a wonderful way we've been staying in touch.

Some bunnies have been made and also a little other stitching which will be gifts for family, so won't share it here.  One is an order and the others will probably be for sale. 

The weekend is stretching out before me, and I am so looking forward to it.  I just pray that we are sent some rain soon and a respite from the awful heat we have been experiencing.

Different Idea....

I have decided to give Etsy a miss at the moment. I have created a new Shoppe - Eleanor and Ruby.

I have finally listed a couple of handbags there tonight - what a process - I think I have the hang of the button thingy now!!! ( wonder if it even works)!

If you would like to have a look at the first two items go here.

More to come - I hope!!

Vintage Pillowcase Dresses.......

Twelve little Vintage Pillowcase Dresses made in the past couple of days. Sizes 6 months through to 3 years. Soooooo cute!! Just wish my baby was still that small.

It's so warm today a little one could almost wear one already. Definately very Spring like today. So dry though, the garden is beginning to sizzle and the water is disappearing fast. I so hope it rains soon.

Off to enjoy some more Saturday fun now.......

This Week......

I have been having a lovely time in the sewing room making lots of new bags. If all goes well I will be putting some things into my Etsy shop hopefully before our Internet usage disappears for the month.

I had one huge cutting session yesterday afternoon, so onto the stitching. I so enjoy my time I get sewing.



Now, could someone please explain something to me. The people who live behind us have just recently moved in. They quite obviously are both at work all day and then never make it outside even on the weekends. Now my problem is this. Why do people like this get a puppy, not one but two. These puppies never get played with, walked or bathed. They must be getting fed, but that's about it. Now, these little fellows must be bored out of their brains. They are chewing everything in sight. Yesterday, they dug under our fence and hauled this 20 metres of dripper line completely onto their side and by the time we found it, they had chewed every fitting on it.



I brought it to these people's attention this morning. They were embarrassed and most helpful in wanting to help fix it BUT I still don't understand!!! Rant over!!!!

The pots are coming along beautifully. Hundreds of little buds. I am picking them off at the moment but will let them run into a riot of colour in the next couple of weeks. I still have them all grouped together for ease of watering. Can't wait to "decorate" the outside with them!

I had a heap of fun at the garden centre one morning this week. This little corner was very untidy and ordinary. I had a great time choosing some plants and redoing this area. It has a very purple theme now. Polygala, viola, status and dianthus.

I love primula and have planted heaps of them. Look at these little lovelies just putting up their first flowers.

We've had two birthdays here in the last week. Alexandra turned 12 last Thursday. She had a lovely day and really enjoyed her very big girl gifts - a Pandora bracelet and a Country Road bag. Both very special things that she so wanted.

Yesterday Mitchell turned sweet 16. My beautiful boy is growing up too quickly. Here in Australia he was eligible to try for his Learners Permit. He missed out yesterday, but was successful today. I think they should provide a years worth of hair colours for the mothers of these children. I will be grey for sure with this one behind the wheel. I think he wants his first lesson this afternoon!! Now he has to complete one year with 100 hours of logged driving practice before he can go for his practical test. Good in lots of ways, an absolute pain in many others. Mitchell has also just signed a School based apprenticeship in baking. He will go to school four days each week and then to work one day to begin his trade.

Off to get my boy off the bus now - and have that first driving lesson!!!

Bunting, Bunnies & More.....

I've been busy in the sewing room having heaps of fun with fabric. So far I've made bunting,

Bunnies,

Handbags, Peg Bags, Covered Coat Hangers, Covered Journals, Gardening Aprons, Fabric Covered Push Pins, Vintage Doiley Magnets and Frilly Aprons!!

If my internet wasn't on go slow until the weekend I would show you more, but it is just too painful to load the pics!!

I won't even try to get any on Etsy yet! Too hard. I've booked a stall at a Fine Food and Craft weekend in Pittsworth which is a small country town near where I live. This is happening in early October, so may just keep making stock until then. There is also a possibility of doing a Farmers Market early September too - so may give Etsy a miss until then!!

We are having the most beautiful weather. Almost as though Spring is here already. Mother Nature is sure to give us some more winter though. The garden is doing beautifully. On the weekend I planted lots of lovelies into the vege patch too. Lettuce, Beetroot, Spinach, Pea seeds, Mint, Lemon Balm, Spring Onions, Chives, Thyme, Celery and Potatoes!! I have left heaps of room to add beans, corn and tomatoes in a few weeks when hopefully we won't get any more surprise Jack Frost!

This week has been a difficult one with a young boy from Mitchells' school sustaining an horrific head injury while training for football. He was placed on life support after being rushed to Brisbane hospital. On Sunday his family was with him as he went to be with Jesus. My boys have been so saddened by the loss of this beautiful boy. Also, last week my cousin Symon was hit by a car while riding his motor bike between his work and college. His leg is broken in 7 places below his right knee. Please pray for Symon as he undergoes reconstructive surgery this weekend and then endures the many long months of rehabilitation that he will require. Please keep his wife Melanie and their dear little baby Elliot in your thoughts as well.

A Lovely Prize......

I was the very lucky recipient of a pattern from Evonne from Hilltop House.

Very cute party bags. Aren't the appliques just so sweet that Evonne has designed

for the front of the bags.

Thank you Evonne for such a lovely prize in your giveaway.

What a lovely surprise in the post box today!!

Missing Them.......

Last Thursday I took my dear Dad and Mum to the airport. They have have gone on a fantastic trip to Europe and won't be home until September!!!

Today they are travelling to Vienna!!! I am soooooooo jealous!!! They've already been to Germany and Austria.


Luckily for me Mum stocked my freezer up with her delicious soup before she went away - perfect for these very cold winter days we are having.

You can see on the left there I have had a big baking session this week too - jam drops, chocolate slice, Anzacs and chocolate cake.

Some more production in the sewing room - just waiting for the sun to appear to take some pics. Off to make some bunting now!!

Spring Preparation.......

Winter has well and truly arrived. We have had a cold and windy weekend. Quite productive in the garden though. I rugged up in my beanie and coat and ventured out into the garden. I wanted to get all my pots planted up with seedlings ready for a colourful Spring garden.



This large pot was filled with water and was home to some fish. I am not sure what happened but it suddenly lost all of its water. We filled it with soil and now has a Cumquat tree planted in it. I had a Cumquat a few years ago, but it didn't survive the shift of house. I hope I get a lovely crop of fruit so that I can make some marmalade. Maybe I will have to wait until next Spring.



We are tossing around the idea of entering the garden in the local cometition again this year. We have planted around thirty pots up with lots of different pretties. Pansies, violas, allysum, dwarf stocks, lots of primula, lobeila. I just love pots of flowers around my back garden and dotted in the garden beds. At the moment I just have them grouped together for the ease of watering. When they are established I will be able to create some lovely displays.

I just love this big builders tool box. I bought it a while ago with the plan for a beautiful Spring display. I drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage. Primula, allysum and lobeila in that one!

I've enjoyed some time baking this morning and also applying for some more positions. I know the right one will come along at the right time - just wondering how long though!!

I've had a great week making some things to hopefully sell. It's lovely using up all the beautiful fabrics and lace I have had for awhile - what a great excuse to have to purchase more eventually.

One more application to attend to and then off to sew.

Swell........

One week of the holidays gone already. The children had their dentist and optometrist appointments, so good to have that over and finished for another little while. Very expensive day out. Both children needed new glasses but thankfully only a check and a clean at the dentist. $1000 gone like that - so much for private cover - glad to get a little back, even if it is only about 30%!!!!

Alexandra has her Winter Ballet School for the next three afternoons. The ballet school has a visiting teacher and gives the girls just a little extra preparation for the upcoming exam.




Last Friday night, I whipped up a new bag for myself. I just love the Urban Chiks fabrics in this one. They are very Swell...... I am loving their new range too - Sweet. This is made with the Melly and Me pattern Sherbet. I did change the handles as the first time I used this pattern I didn't really enjoy doing the handles as suggested.

I have been having fun making large covered buttons for some other projects I have on the go at the moment. I think this big button really sets the bag off.

I have been setting up an Etsy store - now just to get some items in there to sell. Fun....

Off to the sewing room for awhile now. Some more fabricy fun.......

Glen Harrow Stitch-In

What a lovely weekend I have had at the Glen Harrow Spring Stitch-In. My dear friends and I flew to Melbourne on Friday morning. Hiring a car for the weekend we ventured into the inner city of Melbourne for the day. Bronny navigated and Gina drove - what a wonderful job they did between them. We wandered a little and then caught the inner city tram and did the loop around the city. What a beautiful place to visit, I hope I can go back soon and explore some more.

In the afternoon we drove out to the Dandenong Ranges to Glen Harrow. What a beautiful place it is. Something to look at and admire on every turn.

The vegetable/herb patch with the delightful dovecote was beautiful.




On Saturday morning we woke to the most lovely day and I was excited at the anticipation of our day to come - Stitching with Rosie and Leanne. Beautiful breakfast ingredients had been provided in our room. Oranges to squeeze, bacon, eggs, lovely coffee, sourdough bread. What a wonderful breakfast.

We slowly wandered over to the room where our day of stitching was to be held. Stopping along the way to admire unusual plants and flowers, taking pictures at every twist and turn.


So much thought and preparation had been put into our day. I felt so spoilt by the attention to detail by these two clever girls. It was almost surreal being there and seeing the samples of the patterns that we all love creating.

In each place a lovely little bag holding our two projects and patterns for the day. A sweet little bedside project from Leanne, a doiley, a stitchery to frame and a cover for a journal.

From Rosie a delightful little needlecase with a sweet stitchery on the front.

The food set before us all day was just wonderful. All manner of cakes, sweets, fruit and cheese for morning and afternoon tea and the most beautiful luncheon of cold meats, small quiche and the most devine salds were served.

We stitched and ate and stitched in the garden some more until late in the afternoon.



My dear friend Bronny and I stayed in the Gardeners Cottage. Even when arriving the dark and making my way through the gorgeous gate with the wisteria tumbling over it I sensed the attention to detail in this lovely place and was certainly not disappointed on arriving in the cottage.

The mountain air was cool and the fire was lit for our arrival. The cottage was decked out in the most wonderful antiques and old treasures. I was in heaven! The bedroom was in the attic and was just beautiful. Wonderful white embroidered sheets and pillowcases - fit for a princess - I certainly felt like one.

Morning certainly did not disappoint when peeking through the curtains for the first time - everything just as I thought it would be. Beautiful.

I so enjoyed wandering in the gardens - the gates were just beautiful - paths leading here and there - blossom trees in full bloom - roses with big fat buds - chickens, peacocks and peahens wandering and trees that would have stories of the last 100 years or more to tell.

Birdhouses, beautiful old fences, dovecotes, gates and places to sit at every turn. I am truly blessed to have been able to go for the weekend and have such a lovely time.

On Sunday we wandered through the mountains to such lovely little towns. We had the most delicious lunch at Miss Marples Tearoom. What a sweet little place, with wonderful food and a great atmosphere. Then it was time to find our way back to the airport.

Thank you to my friends for sharing such an adventure with me and to Barb for having a dream to share and making it happen.

I had a little stitching time last night and am so looking forward to finishing my projects.

It certainly was a most wonderful time at Glen Harrow.

Antiques Steps..... by request

Quite a few people have enjoyed looking at my cushions from the last post. Isn't it funny when we are looking around all the wonderful blogs there are and we are also looking way into the background of the lovely photos and enjoying the "rest" of the picture too! I know I do! (Or is that just being a sticky beak?!!!)

Well, at least two people were enjoying the background of my cushion photos and were asking about the quilt. Thank you for asking Anne and Ineke.


I made this quilt a few years ago now and it is the largest one todate. I bought it as a kit at a craft show in Brisbane. It is called Antique Steps and is from The Old German Quilthouse in Geelong, Victoria. I couldn't find them on the web, so not sure if they have a web site or not.

It measures 76 x 100 inches. The fabrics are the Antique Flowers range from Lecien. It has 35 different fabrics in it. You only require 15cm of each fabric. I had it machine quilted - I don't hand quilt at all. Too much to do! I would just prefer to get on with the next project. I rarely have more than one thing on the go at one time. Especially quilts! I do however have more than one project in my cupboard - ready to go!

My favourite part was the scalloped border. I just love borders done like that. The worst part of that though is having to make bias to bind the edge. There was quite a nifty instruction in the pattern and was easy enough to do.

It is an absolutely perfect winters day here today. Beautiful outside in the garden. We have just finished to all the little plants with liquid fertiliser. The cold weather has slowed everything down quite a bit, so the warmer weather will be lovely for the garden. I am still deciding wether to prune the roses this weekend or next. The new roses are doing beautifully - lots of new growth already. There is rain forecast for early next week, so I hope they are right with that.

I hope to get a little more stitching done this weekend. It's been enjoyable in the garden so far!

Cushion Love......

This is the most recent finished article from my sewing room. It feels like an eternity since I did the embroidery on this cushion and then it sat and sat just waiting to become a cushion.

It is a Crabapple Hill Studio pattern and comes with a bedding and pillowcase as well. I have stitched the border for the pillowcase and now feel disappointed that I didn't do two and of course have none of the background fabric left.

It was lovely to put together. Two appliqued borders, the buttons and the feather stitch edging and of course the pom poms.

It's new home is in the rocking chair, beside my bedside table.

Over the years I have enjoyed making quite a few cushions. They mostly live in places where the children don't sit very often. Some have even been and gone as they were used outside (much to the disgust of some of my friends) . The latest casualty was made quite sad by the involvement of a rodent - a large one at that!!! YUK!

This pattern is a Bareroots design. I remember really enjoying this one.

From memory this one is Bareroots too. I love Barri's work. I have only done a couple of classes with my stitching and I was very fortunate to do a wonderful two day workshop with Barri when she came to Queensland I think almost three years ago - (note to self - better finish that quilt!!!)

This one is a Candlelight Creations pattern. This lady is "local" and has designed many lovely patterns. This one was stitched all with single thread - it took a long time. I love the border fabric on this one.

Off to finish some housework now and then to plant out some new bits and pieces in the garden. I am then so looking forward to a haircut this afternoon. It's way overdue! It's a lovely winter's day here, cool but bright sunshine. We've had a little rain and some heavy dew for a few mornings, so the plants are looking quite happy this morning.

I hope you enjoyed my cushions.

Anniversary Giveaway & A Few Other Things.....

Blogger has not been playing very fairly for me, so I had given up - just about. My last post took hours to load the photos. I had tried last week and nothing would load for me, so I gave up.

So, another go today and here I am!!

My newly painted and renovated furniture came back. I am so pleased with how it has turned out. The couch above was on Nan and Pop's back verandah for as long as I can remember. It was almost black, the varnish was so old. The man who painted it for me sanded it back and then had to put five coats of paint on it. It has an old wire base that is a bit saggy, so I will have to get a board for the base and a new mattress. At the moment I have this quilt on it. I hope to just change the covers around as I feel.

I am thrilled with the hutch. I didn't take a before pic - so just imagine 80's style pine hutch. It has a lovely new moulded top and new shaped base. I also had the very thin ply back replaced with VJ's. The new knobs match the glass ones on the kitchen cabinets. These two pieces are in the same room and make the space very light and bright. My china looks so pretty displayed in the hutch now.

We have had lovely rain here overnight. So some beautiful water in my tanks to water all those flowers I have been planting. I'm sure the new roses will just love the rain. I am still waiting for my mail order to come. The soil will be lovely to plant into when they do.

With the school holidays here we are finally into a slightly slower pace. I have still been working at our bakery but it's so nice not to have to go anywhere in the afternoons. I have been enjoying some time in my lovely little room and even got some stitching done.

Time flys by just too quickly I think. In the last two weeks it has been my one year anniversary in the world of blogging. It has been a lovely journey, with so many new people to visit and chat with. I just love visiting blogs and get an absolute buzz when people visit me and especially when they leave comments. I think back to that first post, wondering if anyone would ever find my blog, let alone leave a comment. Over nine thousand visitors later I am thrilled to celebrate my first anniversary of Eleanor and Ruby.

So in the tradition of blogging Anniversaries, I am having a GIVEAWAY to celebrate.

I have been having a lovely time looking at Rosie's beautiful new book Gift and I have made a little something from it to be part of the giveaway.

A bit of a long winded post - but I just love chatting with all my blogland friends. Don't forget to comment - I am sure you will love the gift.

So, leave a comment here during the next week and on Tuesday the 15th July I will choose a winner. I hope all those lurkers out there who very rarely comment will enter, I would love to meet you!!! Or, of course those people I know visit and don't comment - you can even enter too!!!! You know who you are I'm sure.