Sammy's progress

Thank you for all the lovely messages of support for wee Sammy, I really appreciate it, and it helps to know there are people out there who understand.  My little man has had a rough time of it and is still quite poorly, but getting better slowly.  He's on more medication that a hyperchondriac and I've yet to master the skill of giving a cat a tablet.  Fortunately the vet changed the antibiotics to a liquid form which is a bit easier to administer.

He's enjoying a bit of sunshine at the moment, but is still quieter than his normal self.  He's done a bit of yelling at me this morning which I take as a good sign.  He's most happy when he's in his favourite place - the dog's kennel!  Bonnie has never used the kennel, she prefers the more human form of relaxation - sofa's, beds, humans, etc, but Sammy's always loved it in his little house.

I have to keep a close eye on him for the next week and monitor every bit of food and water, and his habits, which is restricting me on things I need to be doing, but I'd rather that and have my wee man, than have time for jobs and not have him.

I did manage to rust some fabrics whilst he was sunning himself in the garden.  This morning I've dunked them in cold tea to grey the colours more.  No idea yet what I'm going to do with them.

I also spent last night working on my Dorset buttons for Module 10.  The first attempt was awful, but I'm gradually getting better.  I find the hardest part is centralising the spokes.  The are fiddly to make, but look really nice once completed.  I'd love to know how to do some of the other Dorset button designs, but can't find any instructions on the web, so if anyone has any links I'd be most grateful to hear from you.

And guess what turned up in the post this morning ......

.... no points for guessing what I'll be doing this afternoon.  Yes, feet up, fire on, cup of tea, packet of chocolate minstrels (courtesy of my lovely daughter - to cheer me up), Sammy on my knee, getting lots of cuddles, and  inspiration galore on the DVD.  I'm off to enjoy.

Mixed emotions

Everyone's lives are full of high's and low's and mine is no different.  Full of enthusiasm I cracked on with the noodle box.  The machine lace was hand tacked to the dyed purple fabric, then attached to pelmet vilene and cut to shape.  From there it was many hours of hand stitching blocks of straight stitches all over.  The inside lining of the box was the same without the machine lace.

Then the two layers were placed together and machine stitched at the bottom and around the edges.  All going well for a time - now its sat for 3 days waiting for me to stitch up the sides and complete it.   All enthusiasm went out the window after a death and funeral this week.

Then I got a "high" .... I decided to treat myself to a Dog Daisy Chain design.  I read Jackie's blog each week and have always loved her designs but recently one colour scheme in particular spoke out to me and I just knew I had to have it.  Its funky and fun and makes me smile.

Then yesterday I crashed back to "low" mood.  My precious little boy Sammy is in hospital and very poorly.

He's an old fella now, nearly 16, but has always been in good health and is the gentle-ist of souls.  My heart is in my mouth waiting to hear from the vets if he's going to be okay.  All thoughts of stitching and amusement have vanished whilst I wait patiently for him for come home and sit on my knee so I can cuddle him and smother him in kisses.

Hot Rods

Last Sunday's outing was to a Hot Rod exhibition at the Burswood Dome.  Cars aren't normally my idea of an exciting day out, but as hubby supports my interests, its only fair I support his, so off we went - me armed with camera as usual.

There were some amazing vehicles there, and I have to confess to a love of the old gangster style cars.

The engines and wheels bored me, but the paint work was really exciting.

Lots of flame designs - to be expected.

and the colours and styles were wonderful.

Lots of design ideas to take away with me.

You have to commend the men (and women) who restore these vehicles, so much love and effort, and not to mention money, has gone into them, they are a labour of love - and after all, everyone needs a hobby.

Some of the paintwork designs blew your mind -

others were a little nauseating.

There were even familiar faces there .... albeit cardboard ones! ...

as well as some humour (you need to read the info board on this photo)

and by the end of the day hubby had found something he wanted to take home with him!

My studio

I often read of people wanting a workroom or studio of their own to work in, and I'm fortunate enough to have one.  It used to be a semi open area next to our pool but hubby turned it into a dedicated work room for me.  I'd completely out grown the spare bedroom, taken over the lounge room, covered the dining table, and was working my way through the rest of the house when hubby said "you need somewhere to work outside of the house environment" ... YIPPEEEEE!!!!!  (so that's how its done ladies!).

Its across the garden, so separate from the house.  I can feel like I'm going to work and switch my mind off from the housework.  Its a wonderful place to study, work and teach, but anyone who has a workroom will tell you - you soon find that the more space you have - the more you fill  it up.  As you can see above and below my studio is full to the brim despite having ample storage space ... I just keep buying more!  These photos are taken after I'd completed Module 9 ... its like I've pulled everything out of every drawer and just left it in my mad panic to complete my work.  Then I just walk away and shut the door for a week or two whilst I get my breath back.

As I'd started work on Module 10 I really needed to get in and have a good clean up so that I could concentrate (and find things), so last week I got in and sorted things out.  Notice how the filing tray just gets bigger and bigger though ... I loathe filing.

As least I can see my table top and have room to work on now ... how long it will  last is another thing.

I wish I was a more orderly person, but I'm just not.  I try hard, have the right ideas, but then I can't find where I've put anything - this usually applies to the more experimental materials, as I never know how to categorise them.  I do keep all my working hand threads sorted into boxes in colour groups and this works.

And I try and keep my machine threads sorted into colour groups in a portable set of drawers, than I can wheel around and have close to me when I'm using the machine.

I  like to have little motivational sayings dotted around to help me get back on track when I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself or lacking confidence.

But most of all, I just like being in there.  Its my own space, its full of all the things I love and it inspires me.  I hope your workrooms do the same for all of you.  I would love to read about them, so please do share.

Fairbridge and Edenvale

After 23 hours of sitting hunched over my sewing machine, like a frenzied witch over her cauldron, I've finally finished the machine lace. 

A close up view of the fossils all linked together.  I'm now in the process of stitching it to a fabric base ... more pics to come later.

For a break away from the machine, and to stretch my legs, hubby and I took a drive out to Fairbridge yesterday.  Despite being in Australia over 40 years and Fairbridge only being half an hours drive down the road, I'd never been there before, but I'm glad we went yesterday.  It was really lovely and very interesting.

That's the chapel above.  Fairbridge Village began in 1909 as a Farm School for orphans from the UK and Dutch East, to teach them skills and education which would help them in their adult years. 

The village is made up of 52cottages, each with their own unique name, where the children were taught and lived with a house mother to simulate a home environment.

Today Fairbridge still operates to assist people with disabilities and disadvantages.

Many craft groups hire out a cottage for a weekend retreat, where they have a long weekend of quilting or stitching and I'm sure lots of chatting and laughing too.

We specifically went there yesterday to see an exhibitiion by the Murray Arts and Crafts Group of paintings and textiles.

Of course there were birds there too, but only a few, not enough to send me screaming down the road.

I was so impressed with the Village that I'm planning to go again soon.

This is hubby enjoying the view of the hills ... or perhaps he was just resting after I'd dragged him on a long walk around the village.

From there we went to Edenvale Homestead in Pinjarra, to the Heritage Tea Rooms.

Another quaint place to visit, with lots of history, and lovely gardens.

My main reason for going here was to see the possums.  Again, despite living here for so long, I've never seen a possum, but recently the local newspaper did an article on a group of possums living at Edenvale who come out in the day time to feed and play, so armed with my camera I dragged hubby along for a chance to see them.

But ... they'd come out and been fed just before we got there, and had disappeared in their burrow under the verandah, so we missed out!

I was consoled with a cuppa tea and apple cake and a nice chat with the owners who showed me their photos of the possums (not quite the same thing!).  So there's another place I have to go back to ... I won't give up until I see these possums.  I'm on a mission now.

The gardens at Edenvale were just starting to show their Spring promise with tulips and, surprise! surprise! something we don't see often around our neck of the woods - snowdrops. 

They brought back some lovely childhood memories for us.

17 hours and counting

So far, I've spent 17 hours stitching away, bent over a sewing machine, to make my fossil lace, and I'm still only half way there.  Why oh why do I start these things ... do you think I'll ever learn to do a quick and simple project for a change.  Mine always seem to involve hundreds of hours of creation.

Saturday afternoon was a dyeing day - trying to get the right colour fabric to match my machine lace.  I want to use this for the inside of the noodle box.  I also had to dye a piece of fabric purple for the outside of the box which will be covered with the machine lace.  The purple dye I bought was more a plum, so I added some blue and eventually got the colour I wanted but it was a bit splodgy.  I'm hoping I can hide it with the lace and stitching.

I did end up with some nice mottled and mixed coloured pieces, so I hope I can do something exciting with them at a later date.  The box is coming on slowly and starting to take shape.  I've got to rework the handle idea.  I woke up at 4am the other morning suddenly realising my handle design wasn't going to work .... why didn't my brain pick that up at the time of design instead of deciding to wait until 4am in the morning to tell me!?

After all this brain storming and stitching I needed to clear my head and stretch my legs, so I took wee Bons to Lakelands for a walk and found this lovely duck.  Usually they're the mallard types, brown and boring, but this one was lovely and was happy to pose for me.

When I turned around I found I had an audience.  What is it with these birds!!??  Last year I was terrorised for 4 months by a Heron, who took great pleasure hiding behind the trees near my pond, waiting until I got near before taking off into flight like a B52 bomber and scaring the life out of me, as well as stealing my gold fish.  I'm getting worried that one day soon my neighbours might find me running down the street, arms and legs flaying widlly screaming "the birds, the birds". 

They already think I'm whacky ... that'll just confirm it!!