What have I done wrong?

April’s rare

capricious loveliness.

-Julia C. R. Dorr, “November”

Desperate measures are being made around here. We have had one little escape artist just having the time of her life, getting out of the chook pen is fun.....not if the dog gets you! I have been trying for weeks to find out how our little chicken is getting out of the chook pen and every conceivable escape route has been blocked off. But alas.....she still escapes!!!

I am so sweet!

Here is the head honcho doing guard duty and his bit to help in our quest to catch her out. Pixie stayed there for quite some time, so he was given a cup of coffee to help during his shift. One of my blogger friends has been having a riot of a time laughing at me as I’ve shared with her our attempts to outsmart one little chook.

Me heap big hunting man!!!

I thought I might share with you a photo of a quaint little post office we came across in our travels. The ‘Post Office’ is about the smallest one I have ever seen. Grass Valley is a small country town with some of the nicest people you will ever meet. I rather love the sign in the window!!

Gotta love the milk crate in the corner

I made a little girl scarecrow this time and still have a little bit of work to do on her. The head is stuffed with an old basket ball and covered in hessian. She only stands at child height and the kids will love her.

We’re all pretty stoked around our town.....we had some rain today. Rain has been very scarce around our parts, unlike some of our eastern states friends who have been getting flooded. Hope their weather isn’t unkind to them and causes any losses. Back to the sewing shed for me. I am making a bag and purse set for our Mother’s Day raffle being drawn next Friday.

Have a lovely weekend all.

Cheers, Anita.

Friends for Sally the snail.

Let us not be content
to wait and see
what will happen,
Give us the determination
to make the right
things happen.
-Peter Marshall.

I knew it wouldn’t take long for Sally the snail to have friends. I made these two cuties out of the same fabric colour. They were fun to make but I am wondering what they would look like if I made them a bit bigger!! I don’t have a pattern to go by, though I’m sure you could just make it up as you go, just like I did.

Many of my blogger friends have been asking me what was it that we collected from the city  the other week. Well, I will put you out of your misery and share with you. Hubby and I picked up our new lounge suite. It is a cream colour leather lounge that we had custom made. It is glorious to sit in and smells new and leathery!! Lol. I was a bit sceptical at first as I have never had leather before, but I am very impressed with how soft it is to sit in.

I was shocked at how much the cleaning products cost though, but if you want keep it in good condition you have to just buy the products.I have finished my I-spy quilt finally. The backing took a while as I had run out of lengths of material appropriate for the backing for my quilt. I decided to just join a check yellow with a plain yellow material and it did the job. I finished it just in time as on Monday I go back to work after having a two week holiday.

While I was on holidays I got a phone call to say that the roof was coming of one of the old buildings in town and the caller said they could see signs of shingles under the old tin roof. That was it, in my car I went and off to investigate. This is what I saw! Some beams had no shingles on them but the front part of the building still had the shingles on them. This building was a post office originally. I was hoping to see what was under the round part of the roof but they hadn’t started to pull the tin off the roof yet. I have a funny feeling it might’ve had shingles too as I can see wood peeking out from underneath.

How is everyone finding the new blogger format? This is my first try at it.

Have a great weekend.
Cheers, Anita.

Happy Birthday Cory.

A Mother’s heart is

a special place

Where children always

have a home.

We’re celebrating Cory’s birthday today and we’re wishing him all the best for the day and always. He scored well in the present department and Heather’s gift made him shine all the more. We have had 15 years of delight with Cory. All the best for today Cory.

Lovely presents

A friend has sent me this cute little snail that I have fallen in love with. Sally the snail looks fairly easy to make, though I don’t have a pattern. I might try my hand at making a few. Thanks a heap Suez, I love her.

Sally the snail

Having only a few more days on holidays I have tried hard to get stuck into some of my projects and just a minute ago, I finished my poppy edged tablecloth for my ANZAC display. I had my sewing machine playing silly games on me, not wanting to zigzag at all. I found that my bobbin was in the wrong way, and even after I sorted that out, the girl still didn’t want to comply. But it’s done!

I purchased this book when I was about 20 years old and it has been like a craft bible to me, especially using knitting techniques.

 I had purchased some 4 ply cotton and just couldn’t find the right pattern anywhere. I surfed the net, looked in my pattern collection, in shops....no luck. So I just looked in this book of mine, saw the favoured lace pattern and used the amount of stitches on some other pattern. I will have to see what the outcome is on this project, but I am impressed with it so far.

My cardigan

All the nice cardigans I kept seeing were all crochet patterns so when I saw this lace pattern it almost looks as if it is crocheted. I have cast on 102 sts and it seems it be the right size. I’ll show you what it looks like when I have finished. Yesterday the weatherman forecast rain for our area. Early this morning hubby and I looked out the window and thought this couldn’t be right, not a cloud in the sky.......well it’s 1.05pm and it is very overcast now!!! Could it possibly be that we have rain on the way? We’ll see.

Enjoy your day and fingers crossed we get rain.

Cheers, Anita.

The Perfect weekend.

Happiness wants

What you already have.

Anon.

The perfect weekend is happening for us around here. We had to make a dash for the city on Saturday to collect some ordered furniture, making it a trip to the big smoke two days in a row. We made yesterday’s trip in a big truck. Pixie is a great driver and I enjoyed sitting up high in the seat seeing everything differently in a big truck. The weather is fantastic, we’re all relaxed and happy, there’s nothing more we could possibly want or need.

The holidays have been fantastic and I have managed to get lots of projects completed. Nearing its completion is the Australian flag I have been working on. It will be part of my ANZAC Day display in the library.

Made in Australia

Pixie and I stopped in at Spotlight while in the metro area and found this wonderful black cotton. It is a 4ply cotton and will turn into a cardigan for me.

On the knitting front I have made a cute matinee jacket for a special little baby on the way. This is where you can find the pattern.

^{Made with love for special friends.}

It is an unusual pattern in the way that is it started from the neckline rather than the bottom part of the jacket. I thought I would give it a try and it’s fun to knit up.

I have slowly been knitting a collection of beanies and I have tried to mix the colours up so I have a good assortment of colours to give away. I have recently spoken to one of the Grandmothers-to-be and I was so excited for her, she can hardly wait to be a Grandmother.

More beanies for the collection.

We have been watching the football this weekend between breaks and we are excited that the Fremantle Dockers have done well. We are now listening out for the West Coast Eagles game. We watched the movie Red Dog and really enjoyed it. It is an Australian made movie and if you want a good laugh watch it.

I’m buzzing off now to have a craft afternoon....hopefully!!!! Enjoy this wonderful weekend as we have and take care.

Regards, Anita.

Spending time together.

Spring rains summon

the sleeping earth

to once again waken.

We spent time together over Easter and enjoyed the seaside. The end of the warm weather is almost upon us so we take every advantage of summer before it cools down. My wonderful boys are growing so fast it is unbelievable.

Cute guys

Love is sharing. 

My lovely neighbours, Lorraine and Paul asked me over to look at the scarecrows they had made and they’ve triggered me off again. This is my latest scarecrow....a girl one. She is named Madeleine. I had a few bits and pieces left over from the dress up box and decided they would look great on my girl.

Yes, I made knickers too!!

Today I did some baking. Lovely chocolate muffin mix made a heap of goodies for us. I have also finished another baby beanie, but still have to knit a couple more beanies for special babies due in May.

This is one of the treasures that Heather is dipping out on seeing. I won’t say Ha Ha. I love the little cup cake beanie on the front cover, might have to try that. I’m off now to investigate what to cook for tea, I have no idea what I will make yet!!

Catch up with you all another time.

Cheers, Anita.

Happy Easter

From small  beginnings

Come great things.

-Dutch proverb

I only have three and a half more working days and then it’s holiday time again for two weeks. I plan on making a table cloth with poppies appliquéd on the edges for my ANZAC Day display over the break and other knitting projects as well. On the knitting front I have made several things, one is this cute pink baby beanie. It is knitted in 8 ply and took me next to no time to make.

Heather made this cute button person for me. There are many buttons in this one project but Heather enjoyed herself.

I made these mushroom and cheese quiche, mostly from just slapping everything in the pot and giving it a good stir. No one complained and they were all eaten.

A quick trip to the library yesterday saw me make my way home with a good stash of books. I even collected Heather’s pile of requested books that I will see first!!! That will teach Heather to go away on holidays. Nice things in those books Heather!!

To everyone who celebrates Easter, I take this time to wish you a happy Easter. We will be sharing Easter with friends and having a marvellous time.

Cheers, Anita.