Merry Mouse meets Vintage Sheet.

I decided to add the rows I'd made from my vintage sheet quilt into my Merry Mouse Quilt.

It just looks like it was meant to be,

and that way I finish two quilts at once.

I'm really pleased with it, and can't wait to do some more.

But today is a gardening day!

Freestyle Vintage.

Hello there.

I have been given the gift of a week off to spend with Callum.

It has been a beautifully sunny week here, the cows have been in the meadow beside the washing line, and all has been right with the world.

Callum is getting better every day. It is very encouraging.

And I have had some time.

I chucked all my vintage fabrics all over the floor for a few days and made this little freestyle number up as I went.

I used another of "she who is proficient at separating eggs' " patterns from the early nineties. But they are timeless.

This big thistle next to the cow's meadow has just been calling to me for a while.

Worked beautifully as a backdrop for my little vintage dress photo shoot.

Luckily the cows had moved on by then.

I found an old cross stitch that had once been a nursery cushion, and it worked beautifully as part of the dress.

I was inspired here by the bags that the Dutch Sisters make.

The sunshine makes such a difference to how you feel.

And making something again.

And just playing with the fabrics and looking at them, and thinking up new ideas.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Catching the Cupcake Fairy.

You know how I love to start projects Blog Chics.

I started this one almost 18 months ago, then packed it up in a box when we moved house.

Never to be seen again till now.

I blogged about it here when I had the initial flash of inspiration that you can't ignore when you want to start something new.

And here it is, the finished article.

I will add more and more pages, but I have three complete ones now.

You have no idea how long it took to get that far!

The Cupcake Fairy is my Grandmother as a little girl - with wings of course.

Reminds me a bit of when I was little and we would have wallpaper or flour and water paste and collage and papier mache and scissors and magazines and make a huge mess for days at a time.

I remember asking for a stapler for my sixth birthday!

You know what Blog Chics.... we have way better glue now days.

I love having no lumps!

And the Granny has finished Morton's little brother!

Have a great weekend Blog Chics.

Rainy Day Truce.

Sunday spent by the fire while it rains outside.

I'm stitching in the ditch in red embroidery cotton on this cot quilt.

I want it to look vintage and handmade, and cuddly, which is why I'm hand quilting it.

The Tail Cat and Marigold have called a truce for the day because they both felt inclined just to sit by the fire.

So if you pretend the other one isn't there it all works perfectly!

And when you nick off out to the kitchen to see what's available, someone else gets your posie!

Two in a basket is even cosier.

Graham's idea of phone a friend perhaps?

Oh Marigold you have such a dirty face! I am affronted!

I found some Brambly Hedge china on Trade Me, which was very exciting, because I've always wanted some.
This one is "Winter."

And this one is "The Meeting."

Spent the evening climbing over engines, ladders and various gear box parts with Hubby measuring up the Granny HQ kitchen.

Brain storming solutions for hiding the electric fence controls, and the water filtering system,

while still keeping enough bench space and keeping the look that we want.

We have come up with a cunning plan, which I won't bore you with, but I think it will work very well.

Watch this space.

Arsenic and Old Lace.

Hello Blog Chics. Today we are waiting for another "big snow".

It's supposed to be coming up from the South and will be here by tomorrow.

I've been working on my Magnolia Pearl inspired doilie and old lace blouse for the last two weekends.

Which is why you haven't seen me.

The main hold up was getting the covered buttons and the button holes done.

My old bernina is a bit random for buttonholes, and requires the mastering of about 26 steps to complete each one.

I covered the buttons with scraps of machine embroidered doiley, as hand embroidered was too thick.

Hubby asked if it was meant not to meat up at the bottom.

Honestly! I just raised my eyebrows and explained that it was like shabby chic painted furniture, and he just raised his right back.

But he got it.

Meanwhile he's converted The Granny into a motor racing devotee. She's been watching the Trolley Derby in the Auckland Domain and killing herself laughing!

She reckons it's the best thing she's seen since Judge Judy!!!!

This is the little book I bought in Canberra with all the vintage inspired tops and dresses in it.

Couldn't wait to try it out.

And they work!

And the instructions are very simple, and it looks like the sizing is spot on too.

I just add all my own stuff in a random manner till it looks right to me.

I chose this pattern for my "Magnolia pearl" blouse.

I'm very pleased with it. The granny has been an especially creative photographer in between the go carts on the tele!