The joy of pottering

 If pottering was a paid job, I would be able to retire by now....I do enjoy just bumbling about the house, moving things from one place to another. Someone once told me I am always searching for a visual harmony .... I do like things to look just right.

Today I glued a vase from Hong Kong and filled it with roses in the guest bathroom:

I unpacked some more silverware from my parents house and polished it:

I finished my pheasant feather wreath and hung it up:

(side note, the display is not finished, I'm thinking about adding some airplants...)

I repotted the cheese plant and staked it so that it is now vertical rather than horizontal:

And randomly took this photo just because:

(the carriage clock is not actually skew)

and after all of that I took my book to the garden and read in the hammock whilst the house sparrows fought over the perch on the bird feeder.

How was your day?

sewing away the blues

Start with some divine Amy Butler fabric, some scissors, some newspaper and blind faith.

Getting there....after a few unpickings!

Add some ruffles and velvet ribbon

And it is totally ready for the school run this morning. (Sorry for poor picture quality, it's drizzling outside and the camera was subjected to a jammy finger)

Had enough left over for a skirt for Miss Mouse

I finally got to grips with shirring elastic

And even Baby Mouse got a skirt.

Being creative

Baby Mouse's nursery needed a few tweaks, and I needed to just spend some time with my sewing box again, so it felt so good to just zone out, and make something for my baby.

sewing again!

I love walking into my local haberdashery and finding a fabric that just leaps off the shelf and into my arms. I would love to do the baby's nursery in this fabric but was vetoed as it is too girly, and what if we have a boy? Well, Mr. A has a point there, so it became a summer dress for Mouse instead! When you have inspiring fabric it is easy to follow that inspiration and make something fun and girly.
(am quite impressed with myself - didn't have a pattern and first time I have done button-holes and pockets ((okay sounds lame but I always thought button holes were horrifically difficult....not so much it seems)) )




one photo was taken on my fancy camera, and one on my iPhone. But why does my phone take a better pic that my camera?

a new baby

Mouse watched an arty crafty thing on tv, and declared that she too needed to make a sock puppet...so into the baby fold, we welcome Suzy Saw.

Christmas Bunting

go along here and make some of this:

clever lady that Sadie

tu whit tu whoo

there are some little owls roosting in my sewing room. soon they will be tenderly wrapped and begin their voyage to warmer climes, where they shall be very loved by my two favourite kiddies in the whole world - apart from my own!



Finally, my Christmas has started. I have pledged a (mostly) handmade Christmas..and I am going to say this many times over...get used to it....

I LOVE CHRISTMAS
MINCE PIES
PRESENTS
HOLLY
TURKEY
FATHER CHRISTMAS
MINCE PIES
CAROLS
MINCE PIES

an early christmas present

A little person went creeping where a little person should not be creeping, and found a stocking filler...to be fair it was a sewing experiment of mine, but she just loves it, and has called him Floppy....

... well I couldn't take Floppy back....I just cannot resist Mouse's dirty little pleading face!

Boots, chaps, cowboy hats...

Am feeling all country in my skirt - really love it.
Thought I would take the opportunity to look at some country quotes, and found this one:

CODE OF THE WEST: Live each day with courage. Take pride in your work.
Always finish what you start.
Do what has to be done. Be tough but fair. When you make a promise, keep it.
Ride for the Brand.
Talk less and say more.

So I am going to stick that on my fridge and take heart.
I am also going to sign off for a bit.I am taking a bit of a hiatus.
Noli needs to spend some time with Noli again.

( dig the boots?)

more sewing..

A while ago I was feeling very frustrated.

I felt like I was being the Mommy/Wife/Chef/Cleaner/Chauffeur.

I know that I am the Mommy/Wife/Chef/Cleaner/Chauffeur...but sometimes it is nice to be Nola again.

So I asked Mr A. if I could have some time out to do some sewing again.

Little did I know I would then find a little corner store that sells the most delicious fabric and patterns.

But I can honestly say, I am so sewed out.

I am falling out of love with my sewing machine.

but still made some birthday bunting for a special little boy who turns 2 on Monday.

And tomorrow I am attempting a smocking skirt.....I think I have gone mad!

Finally, some sewing for me!

...well I had to keep up with Mouse's new wardrobe!

And I had to add some bling...

although I went a bit cross-eyed sewing on the crystals...
yip, crystals!!!!

so what do you think?

mY jOY:
Mr A. and Miss Mouse have flown the coop. The are visiting with his family in Ireland.
I am so thrilled with having the house to myself....
although I did cry like a baby when I left them at the airport!

A pirate adventure....

Since discovering Amy Butler's beautiful material, I have struggled to go back to just the 'normal stuff' . I just want to sew gorgeous dresses and tops for Mousie....BUT my cousin did order a quilt MANY MANY moons ago, and the excellant business woman that I am, I left her order just sitting in a slow growing pile of patchwork/sample scraps. I wish I could give you more than just a sneak at her quilt, but I don't want to ruin her surprise!

mY jOY:
These little guys really helped me enjoy this project.....and guess who makes the fabric?

Thou shalt be named!

and so He Mr A came down from the Mountain Bedroom, and declared that she of the Un-named shall now be named...and from this day forth her name shall be MEDUSA! As Scout would say "oh me, oh my!"

Now I have been quiet these past few days as I have been doing things like harvesting eggs - chicken eggs - herding chickens around the garden, cleaning chicken poo off the patio....basically all things chicken related....but I did take some time out to make these:

(the flash did not flash so these dresses look crap, but let me tell you, the fabric is so bright and colourful and a joy to sew!)







mY jOY:


The sewing just kept on coming. Found a FABULOUS Amy Butler pattern book and adapted an Age 1 pattern to fit an Age 3 daughter....

so not only have I made sleeves for the first time this week, but I have found myself to be a patterner-alterer-extraordinaire!

(me humble? ha ha)

A coup with the coop...

So we are getting chickens...
sometime...
we priced coops, and they are HUGELY expensive...
Mr A. decided he could make a better one...
for half the price...
we thought it was a coup...
ha ha, by the time Mr Perfectionist was finished, it cost about the same...
(and then he found out once 90% of it was made, he could've got wood for free from work!)

Regardless of cost though, it is a thing of beauty and kept Mr A. very busy!



(and if Kevin McCloud were here, he would draw your eye to the floating roof!)

mY jOY:
Not just keeps chickens in...it works for kids too!

Our new baby........

....and she is just perfect...
no mess.
no crying.
no food bill.

however, she is not really ours....
Topsy belongs to Scout...
who is turning out to be an excellant Mommy.

and here, as you can see, she has settled in perfectly with all the other babies!