Saturday, December 29, 2007

Some of my roses, all gifts to us from friends when we lost Callum. These are Dublin Bay, Winchester cathedral and treasure box you can also see Heritage in the distance. Also lots of lavender, one of my favourite alltime flowers and smells and viscara. The rose flower must be one of the most beautiful of all God's creations. truly magnificent and the scent!!!!!! Well, I know man has worked at them and changed them but the fragrance is divine.
The weather over Christmas here has been wet and cold but that suits me fine coming from the northern hemisphere, Christmas is not christmas if its not cold. But the weather is changing again and the sun is peeking out from the clouds and it is going to be a nice day.

Sunday, December 23, 2007


Some of the goodies I usually bake or make at Christmas. The top ones are a Vienesse almond/vanilla shortbread type biscuit, the next is what is called Taiblet in Scotland but Russian fudge in New Zealand. Then there are 3 other fudges. I usually only ever make fudge at Christmas these days and even then, I sometimes don't get around to it.
I loved looking at the picture of Pat's caramel turtles. Also fascinating to see what traditional things that other do at Christmas.

Friday, December 21, 2007


As we are all pondering this year and looking forward to the next I thought you might like to read a little quote which I think is just lovely. It is from the main character Flavia, in Mary Nickson's latest book, called "Facing the music"
She is playing her flute with a group of schoolboys who are delighted with her playing. One small boy asks her how she gets it to sound like that and she replies.

'JUST LOTS AND LOTS OF BORING PRACTICE, I'M AFRAID", SAID FLAVIA LAUGHING, "BUT ALSO MAKING THE SOUND BEAUTIFUL IN YOUR OWN HEAD BEFORE YOU EVEN PLAY A NOTE. IT ALL STARTS INSIDE YOU"

This is enchanting and I love the concept of making it beautiful inside of you first. It fits in with Sharon's "Slow cloth" and what creating, and making something is all about.

Monday, December 10, 2007



One of favourite scriptures is Isaiah 45, "I will go before....... break down gates of bronze and bars of iron........ There is a lot more to it than those few words but you get the picture. I am also in love with the work that http://ruthrae.blogspot.com/ does. She had a article in Cloth paper scissors or Quilting arts, I forget which one, on doorways. Her work is fantastic and I love the way she designs and brings her pieces together. I got the template for the door from QA and have wanted to have a go for a while. This piece is all done on the embellisher. The base is black acrylic felt which has had a cheap organza embellished all over then some glitzy fibres have been added and finally some angelina. On reflection it didn't need the angelina, either that or I just don't like the look of the angelina this time. The words are just walnut ink stained paper embellished with the organa to hold in place. The inside door is also embellished felt, this time with other layers added, including some painted fusible web.
The jewels done the bottom are the hot glue one that are applied with an applicator.

Friday, December 07, 2007


I finished this fan a few months back but just got the seam sewn up and the icicles
attached last night. The gorgeous glass icicles are from Terry of my glass garden.

Thursday, December 06, 2007


My log cabinish cushions. They are not finished yet, so much going on at the moment. I stumbled across these through sew mama sew again when visiting one of the blogs mentioned there, infact the one where I got the bag tutorial.
http://tinyhappy.typepad.com/tiny_happy/2007/11/log-cabinish.html
she had made a couple and she got the idea from
http://www.daciaray.com/?p=160
I had to go and have a look in what little information I have at home on quilting and read it is best to have a dark side and a light side. I sort of got it. But the fabrics speak for themselves, they are "Lonni Rossi" from 2005, my Darling sons bought them for me, after a little gentle and not so gentle hints as I have been in love with them since reading an article about her in Quilting Arts 2005. Hopefully once I am organised for the Cgristmas holidays I will be able to get them finished.

Monday, December 03, 2007

This is the bag from the tutorial posted on Sew mama sew,
you can find the tutorial here
http://tinyhappy.typepad.com/tiny_happy/2006/06/shoulder_bag_tu.html

It is a lovely easy bag, finished very quickly, and it is one of those nice, and useful things at the same time. I am really happy with it. It is fully lined and made the same way as you would make a quick waistcoat. I used some upholstery weight fabric that I have had for yonks, so long infact that there was a distinct musty odour to it. That is gone now, thank goodness.
Go check it out if you haven't done already. Also check out sew mama sew as there is something new and exciting every day.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

It is such a long time since I lasted posted, I don't know where the time has gone. I got bogged down in my studies, finding it harder than expected, but it is behind me now for the year and that is good. I did enjoy it very much. Towards the end of my last assignment I reread an article by Lonni Roosi from QA from 2005 she said "Art is about the process not the destination" The words were just right for me at the time as it made me realise how much I enjoy learning something new process but I had managed to get myself bogged down in worring about the grade and passing rather than enjoying the learning of new things. The process is fun the end results is not the be all and end all. I want to remember that for the future years of studying.
About 8 or 9 weeks ago my eldest son had a bad accident while snowboarding where he broke his back. He had three broken vertebrae and a cracked rib. We got he call just a few weeks before the 2nd anniversary of our youngest son death. The first thing my husband said was "Now don't panic but...... I can't tell you just how much I did panic, when you have lost one child you hold on with all your might to the others. Now we are on the side of that and he is fine, doing well and back into life again. Hopefully he will not snowboard so fast in the future???????
Since the studies have been finished I have signed up to do "Playways" with Dale of "The thread studio. I am looking forward to playing a bit before the academic year starts again.
On an other note, I stumbled across: http://www.sewmamasew.com/blog2/
a delightful blog showcasing several great tutorials everyday for November. That has gotten me doing a bit of sewing, making a bag, a couple of cushions and a small throw. I must take some pictures to post. Its nice to be back.