Projects there are many

Well you'd think with two full weeks of holidays i would be blogging about all the finished projects i have done in that time. Well not so. We have started about three new projects and continuing with only some of the things that was on my list of things to do and finish. I have been experimenting with paper quilting which i started last holidays and have made considerable progress as it is all hand sewn which is very time consuming but relaxing and portable. I have paper quilted triangles then sewn them into hexagons. I really am a fan of colour so have used ten different fabrics which i had in my stash.



While sewing the hexagons i am also cutting out and sewing a quilt called Day Lilies for Little Ma which again uses lots and lots of colour, well actually uses 21 different fabrics. I tell you i had a lot of fun in spotlight choosing those fabrics. This is also a hand sewn quilt from a book by Jinny Beyer which is like the bible of hand-sewing. I'm sure this quilt will take me a good few years to complete.



Both Little Ma and myself have started a very late birthday present for a friend which involves lots of time. We are going to knit a lap blanket which has been dyed with eucalyptus leaves from our friends back yard near flinders uni. We are using eucalyptus leaves and bark as these do not require a mordant which are usually chemicals. Our house has smelt a bit strong and different over the pass few days as we boil the leaves or bark in rain water for a couple of hours before putting a skein of white wool in for a further couple of hours. After rinsing and drying the colours which we have got so far are amazing especially the bark which has produced a rich chocolate brown.



We plan on doing a pattern called Curve of Pursuit which caught our eye while googling for patterns. We bought the pattern from a site called

Ravelry

I also found a pattern on the Ravelry site called ten-stitch-twist. Again i can play with colour with this pattern so fell in love and even better was a free download. The instructions for how to start the circle and join are so well explained ad detailed as well. Both the patterns use short row knitting and i must say every knitter should try this technique as it really is very easy.



Little Ma has been very busy knitting baby booties as my auntie's daughter-in-law recently had a little girl. The first pair where a slightly to big for a baby so she knitted another pair and now has a pair for the baby and her bigger sister who is two.



Well back to one of the many projects.

Noah

This is Noah the latest RB guide dog in training to come into our home. He came to us at christmas time 2010 and i really think he is a horse disguised as a dog because he is a big boy. He has settled so well with the whole family including our cat Tiger. Tiger likes to rub his head on Noah's chest and then flick him with his tail as he passes. Cheeky cat but he loves them.



Noah should be with us for a couple more months and then hopefully will go into more intense training with the RBS.
He really is a gorgeous boy. Has night dreams which can get very loud with running paws as well. He is also a keen gardener. Was at a friends house the other day and he helped himself to a ripe strawberry, spitting our the green top. Although that was being saved for our friends granddaughter. He also ate what he though was grass but was in fact little bamboo. Unfortunately he pulled the whole plant out. oops! But we replanted it so fingers crossed not too much damage. He also likes to pick his own tomatoes from the vines in the backyard. He is currently resting happily after a morning bath, walk and breakfast.

Golden Night Orbs

These spiders seem to be popping up everywhere in Adelaide. We currently have three permanent residents in our garden and we have been watching the progress of them for the last couple of months. They spin very large webs and do a really good job at catching those annoying flys. Also completely harmless hence they may stay, although our neighbour is not so keen as the only time the spider moved happened to be when she was opening her gate just below the web. I think she must like the neighbour, you know trying to be friendly by saying Hi.
My camera is having trouble focusing.





This spider is our longest resident and she is getting very big!
She did have to move from next to our pear tree after a very strong storm was too much for the web and it broke. She clung to the top of the pear tree for the rest of the bad weather and has upgraded to the grape vine growing on the veranda.

Japanese Quilt

Little Ma and and i started this quilt shortly after going to the Quilt and Craft Fair here in Adelaide. Thought it was time we made Wills something other than a knitted item. Bought the pattern at the fair and then got the fabrics from Brighton quilt store and also Logans quilts online with much picking and choosing. Took a few nights of a serious production line involving Little Ma cutting and pinning and me stuck to the sewing machine. This process was so fast the top of the quilt came together in the blink of an eye. After we had quilted the three layers of the quilt together we decided that to really make the quilt something special Little Ma quilted the border.
Here is the finished product and just in time for the cooler weather.


And the back. Little Ma used left over strips of all the fabrics and it really does finish the quilt well.



Holidays as of friday so hopefully more fun stuff will be happening including lots of quilting, knitting and gardening.

Hugs MnM

Candles

On my last weekend free of uni homework Little Ma and i attended a WEA candle making course. It is one of those things i have wanted to do for years but when i get round to organising they were always booked out. We made five different candles to get a grasp on the basic techniques. Below are our makings after the four hour course. Minus one which is in our sewing area to light when being crafty.


I was not so happy with the colours of these but when i put it on the table near the frangipani flower from the garden it just blossomed.


This candle was made using a sheet of bees wax and then rolled in a primed wick. These look good tied in threes and is a great present. Even when not lit the smell is so sweet and fills the room even more with honey smell when lit.



This candle was made by Little Ma. I love the colour combination it is so light and reminds me of the ocean. Very cool and calming. It was made by using a 1 litre milk carton filled with a pre made long candle then filled to just above that candle with round ice. Then two different coloured wax was pored in at a corner each. The effect of the colours mixing is great though noticed it works better with lighter colours. To finish them we used hand held small propane torches. These gave a glassy effect and revealed any holes just below the surface.



Was lots of fun and is nice to have a candle made by ones own hands flickering on the desk while doing homework.
MnM

Veggie swap and love my garden

In our local area a woman has organised a veggie swap every Saturday in a park. It is the best feeling to be able to go into ones very own garden and pick fresh fruit and veg and then share it with others who also enjoy their garden.



This is what our basket looked like when we arrived. basil, tomatoes, apples, yellow zucchini, cos lettuce, chillies and mini pumpkins.


On leaving the swap that week the contents of our basket changed. someone brought loads of seeds including two types of sunflowers, also swapped some of our produce for beans, peaches, figs and a round zucchini.



We enjoyed the figs sliced and cooked in some honey and served with buttered flap-jacks. mmmmm was so yum.
Also had a garden-picked breakfast this week. Had greek yoghurt with vanilla and sugar with sides of apple, passion fruit, a fig ( first our young, small fig tree has produced), our first picked rockmelon and guavas. was so delicious dipping the fruit into the yoghurt.

As i watered the garden i am starting to notice how it not only makes me happy but also many butterflies and bees have been enjoying the garden too. As the water goes onto the tomatoes and zucchini the butterflies hover in the foliage. I think they like how cool and fresh it makes to atmosphere feel.

Have planted a Mr and Mrs kiwi last week and it is growing so fast up the side of the driveway. have realised i really like this type of plant as it is very gentle in how soft it's fury stems are and how it winds it's way up the trellis. I highly recommend every one at some stage in their lives own a Kiwi fruit plant.

MnM

Puppies

These are the latest Pups to enter the RSB guide dog world. Millie is mum and had the pups in early January. There are four girls and one very big boy in the family and all are just so gorgeous. All english goes out the window when playing with these little tackers. These little ones will be the Y litter York, Yeva, Yuki and two more which i can't remember.

Then (three weeks old)


Now (six weeks)





The woman looking after Millie and the pups has done a wonderful job. The first few weeks were fairly simple and easy as all they did for most the day was sleep but as they have grown so has the work. All now do lots more playing and apparently love the garden. All will go to their new educators next week Thursday. I wish good luck to them all and the people who get them because although small now have big expectations for the next two years.

MnM