If you always do

what you’ve always done

You’ll always get

what you’ve always got

Anthony Robbins.

A big happy good morning to you all, around here at Hayestackhayes bodies are just beginning to stir and it’s almost 10am!!! Last night was full of action with helicopters flying over looking for 2 escaped persons from the detention centre. One has been located and the other is still roaming around our town site somewhere.

Besides that action, someone had dropped off a knitting pattern for a plum pudding and for the life of me I didn’t know who did that but have since realised!! Lol. Have a look at these little cuties.....

 

I could eat these!! lol

They don’t use much yarn at all and I made two different kinds. The original pattern has no bottom and you actually fill the pudding with sweets wrapped in clear food wrap, a foil patty cup, and wrap the whole thing with cello as a gift. I made two of those and I thought it would be fun to also make some puddings with toy stuffing and crochet a bottom as a base. What do you think? I immediately shared with Heather and we made some on Christmas day. Just a good way to keep Heather out of trouble really!! Lol and I also sent the pattern to another friend, Ashlee, for her mum. Oh boy, I hope you got your lunch on Christmas day Ashlee.....I did send the pattern just before lunch time!!

Still full of Christmas spirit, I made a Christmas doll ornament to add to my tree. I had some gorgeous fabric left and had to make something out of it.

Sweet doll

Heather’s daughter Suzie sent me this rather cute little reindeer she made out of corks....how very clever it is. I’ve named the reindeer Heather by the way!!

Thanks Suez

I catalogued this cute new book into my library and had to try out a pattern I spotted. A cute little koala. I used 8 ply yarns and it knitted up in no time. It will end up at the library of course.

 

Fab book!!!

Koala blue

Some fantastic gifts I received for Christmas.......

Fabric is always the right thing for me.

Gorgeous cup from Heather the feather

I’m off to make some breakfast now as my tummy is grumbling like mad!! Have a terrific weekend and stay cool.

Cheers, Anita.

Merry Christmas

and

Thank you

A big hello to you all and hope you are now prepared for the special day that is almost upon us. I am now just waiting to enjoy Christmas day with my family. Our traditional day is.....a cup of tea, opening our presents, eating our yummy Christmas lunch, swimming and then clagging it in the afternoon!!! A special treat to add to our Christmas day this year is Heather will be joining me for a sewing afternoon too!!! I imagine it will get/keep us into...or out of trouble??? Lol

I had a surprise parcel turn up in the mail during the week from Karen. I just love the gorgeous purse Karen had sent me, I love it! A big thank you Karen, I really appreciate your kindness.

 

Too pretty

I want to share my latest project with you even though it is far from finished. Some of my blogger friends want to have a sneak peak. I am making a banner for the library as a symbol of thanks to all the kids that come to visit me and make my day so special.

 

Thank you kids!!

I have crocheted up squares of mostly 8 ply yarn, stitched them together and added felt lettering with the words ‘Welcome to our awesome library’ on it.  Each of the letters are being stitched down and some buttons will be added for fun.

Some of my favourite things......

I found a wonderful book from the local library and there are some pretty fantastic projects in there.

 

I would love to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Many thanks for sharing my year with me and it's been fun blogging with you all. Stay safe and well.

Cheers, Anita.

Assisi, Italy 2013.

 

Offering hope to others through a loving word,

a thoughtful act, or a simple smile is the surest

way to lift your own spirit.

-Lain Chroust Ehmann.

A warm hello to you all and I can say it is very warm around here. The last two days we have woken up to 38C + and the days have been scorchers! Yesterday under the shade we recorded 46C so we mostly swam and drank water...the occasional cup of tea with Heather too.

The week just gone has been one of the most gruelling and my patience has been pushed to the limit. What I have left now is the patience of a Siamese fighting fish.....but I’ve managed to pull through and get on with things. My faith was also restored when at work three children came into the library and presented me with......

Thanks Room 1

Flowers, chocolates and also a card that the whole room had made for me. The card is hanging proudly in the library. Out of all the gifts, the card is so special to me and I felt like I was going to pop out of my chest!! Lol

I have decorated the house for Christmas and I’m getting into the mood of things. The hallway has some special dolls and Christmas gear that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside....

Made these great gift tags for my tribe....

Roll on Christmas

The crocheted wall hanging is coming along, these are the squares I have made so far...

Two fantastic books I found at the local library. The book on Italy is just so dreamy, and I have seen much of what is in there making it a very special book.

Lovely Italy

The craft book is too cute and I am already tagging pages to make things.

What lovely projects are in here!!

Hope all is going well to everyone out there in blog land. Three and a half more working days for me and it’s holiday time for about 6 weeks. Stay cool guys.

Cheers, Anita.

What have I been up to?

Pursue some path...in which you

Can walk with love and reverence.

-Henry David Thoreau

Tick, tick, tick....I just know that Christmas is almost upon us!! Lol The gift list is almost done and today I need to get the Christmas tree up. I seem to need a kick start every year to do that job and I don’t know why, because it looks pretty cool when it’s done.

I’ve had a fantastic week and I’m pretty excited to finish a project I’ve just started on. I was watching Animal Planet the other night and an add I’ve watched a million times suddenly gave me a wonderful idea. You see some kittens playing near a crocheted blanket that has Animal Planet on it with felt letters. I thought to myself wouldn’t it be fun if those words said ‘Welcome to our awesome library’!! It would be a great addition for next year. I could hang it as a banner. Well I think it sounds pretty exciting! Lol.

This is the start of my project....some crocheted squares.

 

I sat at our boulevard yesterday selling raffle tickets and decided to sell some of my beaded dolls and Santa’s and decorations. I decided to clip the brooches to a knitted bag and thought it made a cute and safe display of them.

I showed you in a previous post, the little bag I started to crochet for a niece. Here it is all finished and lined with a lovely floral fabric inside.

 

Here is the cute little doll I am going to pop inside the bag. Thanks to Karen for putting the idea into my head about the crocheted bag. Today I will be making a blanket to wrap the doll up with. Out to the sewing shed I go.

How cute is she? 

 

All snug and warm

I was given these cute little chicks...heaps of them. Now what to do?

Max is such a show off.

A favourite mini wall hanging of mine.

Gorgeous flowers popping out in the garden.

A couple of very interesting books I found at the local library. Loved the artist’s house's book, some beautiful gardens and homes on display.

  

 

Today I’m blog visiting and hoping to get some more inspiration from you very clever people out there. Have a super fab day today and stay happy.

Cheers, Anita.

1st day of Summer

I have learned to be content

With whatever I have.

Philippians 4:11

 A bright and happy good morning to you all and welcome to the first day of Summer....in my part of the world anyway!! The countdown is officially on for summer break and the pace has certainly picked up and in high gear. During the week I had the pleasure of spending time with a group of primary school girls who are sewing calico dolls and it is such fun to listen to all their chatter, giggling and their delight at what they are achieving. It struck me that as adults we sometimes forget how wonderful the simple things in life can be, but children bring those thoughts back to you. Just spend time with them and you will see.

My craft week? Come and see what I’ve been up to..... A cute little stitched heart to hang on the tree, or door or wherever.....

Love stitching!

A project in the making, a crocheted bag for my young niece. It is about 8 inches wide and 6 inches high. I am making some small flowers to stitch on the side and will make some dolls to pop inside.

 

Miss Shae

A couple more cute beaded dolls (I’m a bit addicted to making them).

Twins

Some beautiful flowers have popped out of nowhere it seems. They are too sweet.

 

Pretty pink

Found: 1 very interesting Christmas craft book. There are some fantastic ideas in this book.

 

Some fab idea’s in here!

I have also been doing a bit of knitting, but have not finished what I am making right now. The week ahead will be very busy for me as I will be sewing up the backdrop for the school concert night...that will keep me busy indeed! Lol. Hope you’ve had a productive week and I will catch up with you all soon. Stay happy.

Cheers, Anita.

A favourite mini wall hanging in my passageway.

1 Xmas Item a Month

 

Who bids me hope, and in that charming word

Has peace and transport to my soul restor’d.

-               George Lyttleton.

Well a jolly good morning to you all!  My beaded dolls have caused quite the stampede of emails and requests for a tutorial on how to make them, so I will share with you and have made an attempt at a tutorial at the end of this post. I have joined the girls with 1 Xmas Item a Month over at Narelle’s  blog. For this month’s item I have made....you’ll never guess....

 

 

A beaded Christmas doll!!!

I also started making something last post and asked you gals to have a guess at what it might be...one of you came very close. Those 4 little red things were actually Santa bodies in the making. Here they are (one finished and others still in the making).

A very rare photo of Heather actually sitting still and not terrorizing everybody!!! Lol (I had her strapped to her seat...which is the naughty corner seat I might add). Cute as a button she is really.

Can you see the scary monster sitting at the table???

Heather gave me these beautiful beads to keep making beaded dolls, they are  rather gorgeous.

I’m sure none of you will scoff and laugh out loud, but this is a photo of treasure.....someone gave me two big boxes full of material. I had to wash it all because it had been sitting for a very long time, but the material inside was just fab!!!! There are so many different textured materials that I’m going to have fun making all sorts of things.

 

I’m buzzing off now to annoy or tease my hubby, have I mentioned he has no hair left? Wonder why? Lol.  Have a fab week ahead and love life!!

Cheers, Anita.

Beautiful Italy - Gardens of Axel Munthe, San Michele Villa

Tutorial – Beaded doll

Calico, fabric for dress and pants, beads (any size), pearl cotton, buttons, toy stuffing, any embellishment you would like to add.

These can be made in any size that suits you. If you want to make a brooch, as I do, then check out my template for size. Just copy the shape as you can see it in the pic.

Trace onto folded calico, so you cut 2 shapes at a time. Cut out shapes and pin  together.

Sew a generous quarter inch seam around doll.

 

 

 

Give the rounded edges a snip.

 

Turn material inside out and stuff with toy stuffing.

Make a small hem and top stitch the opening.

 

Making pants is optional. I cut a 1 and a half inch by 4 inch piece of organza, stitched the 1 and a half inch seam together, turn inside out. Place on doll, make a small hem and do running stitch across the top of the pants and also by sure to stitch it to the body of the stuffed doll as  you go.

Make a knot to finish off. Cut of end. For the crutch part of pants, I just stitch up the middle part with a couple of small over sews and tie off.

Dress:  2 and a half x 4 inch piece of material. Sew up the 2 and a half inch side and turn inside out. This next part of sewing I use quilters cotton doubled on a needle and a good long thread. Make a small hem of about quarter inch and do a running stitch to gather it. Put it on the doll and pull gently so the dress fits nicely.  Make a knot to tie it on but don’t cut the thread. After you have the dress in place put the needle through the back of the doll and push it through to the front. You can then sew a button on the front of the dress using this thread. Once you have sewn the button on, take the needle back through to the back of the doll, knot and tie off.
 

Arms and legs.

Using pearl cotton and a long thread, I run the needle into the back of the doll and push the needle through were the first arm would go. I make sure to pull the knot right through the body so you can’t see it. Place 4 beads on thread and then turn the needle back through 3 of the beads and go back into the place your thread came through the material and take the needle straight through to the other arm. This next bit is tricky because you have to pull the beads together just enough so it doesn’t make the arms stick out straight, just a little loose. Repeat for other arm and when you have pulled the beads together you can  do a knot a tie off. The same is done for the legs and I use 5 beads for the legs.

Hair: For the hair I just use my imagination. For this doll I used 4 stars and tiny beads of the same colour for the hair. I have used embroidery thread for hair (see last post for ideas). For the face I use pens and just draw the faces on. And you can use a blush for cheeks.

If  you had any trouble following my instructions do contact me as I’ve made a million of these dolls, have never done a tutorial before and would really love you to be able to make these dolls.  Really, after you have the body, arms and legs on you can do your own thing. Enjoy.