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.

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!

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.

Vintagey Goodness.......

What a fun week I have had with some great finds. I "won" again at my favourite tender centre!! Much to the disgust of people whom shall remain nameless!! I thought these baskets were just great when I saw them.

I was the only bidder and thankfully my offer was accepted. What about those plastic flowers on the taller basket - fantastic!!! They won't be staying there though. I'm going to have a go at making a liner for this basket and maybe the other one too.


Mandy over at The Old Dairy is a lady who lives locally and has a lovely blog. Mandy was very kind to give me her inside information where one of her favourite thrifting spots is. I am so glad she was generous in sharing.

I visited this little second hand shop this week and found an absolute Aladdin's Cave of treasure.

I love glass cake pedestals and was lucky enough to find this cute little one.


My other find of the day was this lovely set of cream mixing bowls. I love sets of mixing bowls. These are in very good condition with just a little crazing.

I finally got to some of the bits I have had in the shed waiting to have a makeover. I have three of these old stools. Excuse this awful photo - but you know how it is - I just had to get on with the job.

I just gave the bases a bit of a scrub up and then used my great new toy - the stapler - to put some lovely spotty, dotty goodness on the tops. I think they came out great.

There is only one other person in the house that shares my enthusiasm for them though. So not sure what to do with them. I may have to find an outlet for some of my creative experiments.

This little stool was also a tender centre find. I found it quite amusing that it has a little tag on the bottom boasting that it was made with European labour only!! Just imagine! What a different world we live in now.

A good scrub of the base and a new upholstery job and it is looking quite lovely - once again it was not met with any great enthusiasm around here! What is it that people just don't get. Lucky I have my blogging buddies to admire my work!!!

Crinoline Ladies......

I had a big rearrange and clean in my bedroom this past weekend. I have a bit of a Crinoline Lady theme going in there now!!

I love these beautiful embroidered ladies. My first apron as a little girl has lovely crochet ladies around the bottom. I have had a dressing table set for as long as I can remember too.

I found this beautiful large doiley a while ago on a thrifting adventure. I seem to buy these old linens with the intention to make them into other lovelies, but when I get them home and inspect them, often they end up getting soaked and starched because they are too good to cut up!!

I have put this one on my bedside table.


I had a lovely morning on Saturday at the Antiques and Collectibles. I was a little disappointed. Not many bargains, all fairly pricey bits and pieces. Beautiful all the same, I just wasn't there to spend huge amounts of money.

I did however buy one beautiful cloth with matching serviettes.


It is in beautiful condition with all the stitching and crochet edge totally intact. This in turn was the inspiration I needed for a big clean and rearrange in the bedroom.



During last week I enjoyed some time in the sewing room and finally was successful in my attempt at covering some books. I have tried a few times to do this unsuccessfully. The lovely Hen had made some beautiful ones in the last little while and she was very kind to put me onto a great tutorial.

I have covered a notebook, a little sketch/scrapbook and a diary.

The one at the front is covered in an old doiley - I did actually cut one up.

Pottering......

I have had a lovely clean up on our back deck this week. To be honest the windows from the kitchen and the french doors out onto the deck were so disgusting we could hardly see out of them.

I have had a lovely time pottering with some plants to smarten it all up. This old bird cage was another find a couple of weeks ago. BJ was quite disgusted about the "operation" I had to perform to get the plant in - all for a good cause I say!!

This little arrangement is on the bench outside the kitchen window. I've been really enjoying the view this week.



This little set of tables was a very lovely Christmas gift. It has taken me all these weeks to get some pots and plants organised for them.




I love this table which is also on the deck. I started a little pot of box and hopefully will be able to clip it into a small hedge. Another lovely birdcage and a very old blue enamel jug sit with it. The jug is precious to me as it was always at my dear Nana's house, it is old and rusty with holes in the bottom - beautiful to me.

We had a lovely shower of rain last night. Last weekend I planted some veges out, this too has taken far too long to get organised since the holidays in January.

The lettuce and corn looked beautiful this morning after their heavenly drink last night.

I've also planted beans, tomato, snap peas, basil, parsley and peas. Even though the peas are a dwarf variety I have planted them beside this trellis to give them just a little more support.

I have been fascinated by herbs since I was about 13 I guess. I really enjoy having this old set of laundry tubs to grow some lovely herby bits and pieces in.

I have had quite a productive week, which feels quite pleasing. I also baked some cakes and slice and also had some stitching time as well. I quite like this new arrangement!!

There is a great antiques and collectables fair on this weekend in Toowoomba, so I will be there bright and early tomorrow I hope. I love a good look around at those types of fairs!!

A happy weekend to all!

Happy Valentine's Day......

I have had a lovely evening home tonight. It's quite cool, blowing a gale and some very light rain as well. As the afternoon closed in, I had a quick tidy up, lit the candles and lamps and cooked dinner.



I have so enjoyed being home and even put my feet up on my "new" stool and enjoyed some lovely magazine reading!!

It's a big week this week, having enjoyed my birthday earlier in the week and our wedding anniversary tomorrow. I received some more Pandora charms for my bracelet and enjoyed dinner out with my family. I also enjoyed a very special lunch with my Mum on Monday and then stretched the celebrations out a little longer with lunch with two dear friends the following day.

It is our 22nd Anniversary tomorrow - too scary to even think about!

I gave this little arrangement to BJ tonight. The Rose Garden in Toowoomba sell roses and arrangements for Valentines Day to raise funds for the park. What a lovely job they do.

Wishing you a happy Valentine's tomorrow.....