Two days

Hooray for the weekend!!

I'm so excited. It's no secret that I had a bit of a crappy few days at the end of last week. I really did. Overemotional, sad, lost, empty...

This weekend feels a bit like a reward for getting through it. My light at the end of the back-to-school tunnel.

And I have big plans for this weekend.

I plan to clock up some hours on the crochet hook. My book deadline is in sight and that means so is the end of the book blanket. I bought a knitting magazine today, I think I'm getting ready to sew in the ends and move on.

I plan to watch these guys and their millions of green buddies and hope that the past few freeeeeeezing cold days have panicked them into thinking it's almost autumn and that they had better ripen their seeds quickly.

I plan to do a spot of treasure hunting. My farmer boy is threatening to send me to garage sale rehab, but  I think that a little bit of thrifting here and there keeps me sane.

 I plan to make pesto. And eat pesto. On everything. Mmmmmm summer.

I plan to enjoy the fruits of my past few days of baking frenzy. Farmer Bren called it nesting the other day, but the sad thing is that it was really empty nesting. They went to school and I baked. Sob!

I plan to admire these gorgeous avos we got in the mail from here. They're so fresh that they're not even ripe yet, but they sure are gorgeous.

And lastly, but firstly, I plan to spend so much time with my girlies. We've got two whole days with them and I don't plan to let them out of my sight.

There you go, that's my weekend all planned out.
I hope it goes oh so slowly.
I really need it to.

So how are you?
What have you got planned for your end of week days?
Are you making or baking or growing or sewing?

Later lovelies.
Lotsa love.
xx

Miss Ruby Red.

Credits.

Model: made by me and the Farmer Boy.

Red cardigan: knitted by me, raveled here.

Buttons: vintage wooden from a garage sale.

Outfit: models own.

Hair: deloused, washed and brushed by Foxs Locks. (Does that sound like one of those tacky hairdresser names?)

Make up: mostly rubbed off on long car journey from home, still a bit of lippy on I think.

Tree: found somewhere in Melbourne, next to a playground, on the way to a wedding.

Crew: big sister watching from a nearby swing, small sister asleep in the car, Dad watching small sister and playing with his phone.

Photographer, director and all round bossy boots: who do ya reckon.

Land ahoy!

This is me at school pick up time today.

I was wearing my current winter school Mum uniform (as opposed to my farmer girl and Melbourne city girl uniforms). My Hunter boots, stripey leggings, a skirt, jumper, scarf and that's my puffy jacket on the ground over there.

Earlier this morning I had seen myself in a shop window wearing the same thing but a black skirt and thought; How boring! You need a bit of colour to brighten up your day Miss Kate!

So I came home and instead of hanging out the washing or soaking the beans for dinner, I made myself a red skirt.

It has one zipper, three layers, four darts, no unflattering elastic, a lined waist band and it is red! I didn't use a pattern but sort of took it off and on and made adjustments along the way.

If you ever see a dress making dummy that needs a loving home, please let me know.

And it twirls and whirls like the best skirts do! This afternoon Miss Jazzy told me to stop twirling though as I was embarrassing her.

I think I need one in every colour.

Ok, stitched, worn, twirled, blogged, off to finish the beans for tacos.

Do you wear the same thing most days? Do you have a uniform? A theme? What are you having for dinner tonight?

Bye bye. X

Thanks for the pic Meg. x

Treasures.

Yesterday I felt so miserable and crappy that my bones ached. Too much bad news. The weight of the world and all that.

Today I feel sooooo different. I feel optimistic and sunny and good.

The sun is out, the girls are happily playing with a friend (a boy), and I'm about to pack a picnic for a fortieth birthday party.

And as well as the usual health and family and friends type of grateful stuff, on this Saturday I am also grateful for other people's trash. Trash that enables me to recycle rather than buy new, trash that inspires me and keeps my Everything but The Thread little business going and trash that is often so much more my style than the same thing in the modern version.

I am grateful magateful for market treasures like this jar of antique lace destined to grace the hems of pretty dresses and skirts and tops.

I am grateful for garage sale loot. Towels for the caravan, tea towels, table clothes and pillow cases for clothes making, pot holders for the wall and wool for some future fun project.

And I am grateful for generous and kind and gorgeous bloggers who send me their treasures out of the goodness of their hearts. I know you didn't do it for an official thank you Cherie but you are just too gorgeous! Thank you!

I hope you have the most wonderful weekend and have so much to be grateful for yourself.

Big love. X

Purse.

Hey look I made a purse!

It was a test of Nikki's fab new pattern.

I think it was probably the first real structured thing I have ever sewn. It was such fun!

The pattern was easy peasy to follow and so exciting as it came together really quickly and looks so professional. The only problem I had was identifying all the different wadding, interfacing and villeins and then working out which side was the adhesive side of each, but that's just me and my inexperience.

The red floral fabric I used came from a church garage sale last year. I was the only customer there at the time and the ladies were fussing over me telling me that no one sews anymore and how excited they were to see the fabrics I bought walking down the street one day. It didn't take them long to recognise me as the girl who bought Tom and Lois's place. And then there was a whole discussion of what we are doing and what ever happened to them. I like small towns.

I've had a few practices to see how many of my necessities I can jam into my new purse and as you can see, I can fit a tape measure, my phone, some moisturiser/sun screen and my knitting. Its a big change from all the crap I usually carry around. I kinda like it.

My Farmer Boy thinks it looks like one of those old fashioned ice packs they had in the movies.

Carrying it makes me feel a bit fancy. Like I need to go to a garden party or something.

Funny that the only party I attended this weekend was a nine year old boy's. The activities were wooden spoon carving, Tarzan rope swinging, cross bow shooting, bush food foraging and bonfire lighting with flint. My girls had a ball. It was very different to the fairy, pop-star, make-up, cup cake type parties we have here but they got right into it. I left my new purse at home though.

I highly recommend Nikki's new purse pattern. If I can make it, you certainly can.

I do hope you've had a lovely weekend.

And I hope the week to come is fabulous.

See ya. XX

Friday six. (edited)

1) I made a bag late yesterday afternoon. I made it using fabric I bought at a garage sale not so long ago. My farmer boy doesn't like it. He says it looks like a skirt gone wrong. Maybe it does. I based the pattern on the handbag I use everyday. I think it'll make a good craft bag. The bag you grab when you leave the house in the hope that you'll get a chance for some craft on the go. It does have a very narrow opening though and I'm thinking of adding a zipper to make more room for rummaging around.

2) This week I have started adding a dollop of eucalyptus oil to my laundry. I love it! Instead of wearing musty, wintry, dried inside smelling clothes, we are walking around smelling fresh and clean like a forest. Its good for the sinuses too. I highly recommend it.

3) The farmer boy has had a skip delivered so I am going to spend the rest of the day sorting through house crap, trying to fill it before he does with farm stuff.

4) This stunning cloud necklace arrived in the post today. Christina made it. I won it over at her blog and she has a shop too. I wish I could describe to you how much I adore it and how perfect it is. Thank you so much Christina.

5) I love licorice and every Friday after we do our deliveries in town, we buy a block of this hard as a rock stuff to celebrate the end of the week and a job well done. Its break your teeth stuff and its delicious. Its Friday today! Yay! Gobble, gobble...

6) If you want number 6 you'll have to click on over to Susie's. I'm hanging out over there today doing show and tell.

Have a great weekend wont you. XX

I'm a little teapot!

After my month of crocheting pot holders last October, the natural progression was to have a go at hooking a tea cozy. The result was the Rosy Cozy Tea cozy. Although I found the pattern a bit tricky, I loved it and thought I had many, many crocheted tea cozies ahead of me.

So I started to collect tea cozy patterns in my bookmarks, and I started to collect plain tea pots in op shops and garage sales.

When I got to five though I stopped, because the truth is I don't drink tea from a tea pot I just collected them so I could play dress ups with them.

But since then my crochet projects have taken a different direction and four of the tea pots have stayed nude on the side board staring at me waiting to be dressed.

So the other day when I was at the garage sale of the woman who had crocheted these herself, I knew they had to come home with me, and not a moment to soon, as the nights are starting to get a bit chilly in these parts and those tea pots did not look happy.

But look how good they look now, all dressed up and ready for winter.

And one day, if the urge comes upon me to crochet another tea cozy, I'll just have to look around for another.

I hope you are having a great weekend.

To check out some other Flea Market Finds, head on over to Sophie's.

Saturday.

Its Saturday today, Bren and Indi are at the Slow Food farmers market in Melbourne and I am hanging out with the two little girls.

I am wearing a lovely dress given to me by my wonderful sister Emily.

I am reading this brilliant review of my Mum's book in The Age A2. Yay!!

I couldn't be prouder!

To see what other people are reading this weekend visit the new home of the My Place and Yours meme over at Punky & Me.

I had plans for the girls to wear these wrap-a-round skirts I sewed for them last night but its cold again.

I am eating rocket, fetta, olives and seeds in a salad.

I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. I love it.

I plan to go out and buy some haloumi later on for tonight's version.

I am marvelling at how dirty the apron skirt got in one day yesterday.

I am admiring this pile of garage sale treasures.

And I am hoping for a bit of crochet action on the couch this afternoon.

I hope you are wearing, reading, eating, making and admiring some good stuff this weekend. XX

My place and yours - Blog H.Q.

My blog H.Q. is at the kitchen/dining room table, down the far end away from sticky fingers. The computer used to be down the other end of the house in the study, but I found I would only check on it every few days. Now it is in the 'cockpit' of the house that isn't a problem any more.

There's my current pot holder in progress. There's usually another one underneath my laptop as that is my way of blocking them. Can get a bit wobbly when typing though.

There are always school notices and bits and pieces around, but this morning there's also the Saturday morning garage sale treasures.

A box full of tea spoons from a deceased estate for my sister Emily who collects them.

They are pretty beautiful to look at and imagine someone's great adventures travelling around Australia collecting them from places they visited. They are all made in Australia too.

These four are my favourites. From left Deloraine is near where my parents live, Castlemaine & Malden is the closest I could find to here, I love Strahan's dangly anchor and Burnie's apple.

Some lovely old linen.

And a tin of buttons.

When I walked down the hill to this garage sale a woman called out that she'd wondered if I would turn up as there'd been another blogger who'd already been earlier, but these were perfect for me. Bren loved this story. He said my blogutation had preceded me.

I have no idea if these buttons are old or precious but they are already being picked over and threaded and glued onto cards and presents for my birthday in a few days time. It looks like these buttons came just in time as I have a handmade cards and presents only rule this year.

Thanks Ninon for this week's theme and to Pip for hosting the big list.

My Friday.

Isn't it funny how some days it takes all day to wash the breakfast dishes, when other days you can achieve so much? Maybe the fact that it was a gorgeous Spring day here in Daylesford today had something to do with it being one of the latter. Or maybe it was the panic of trying to get some things done before the school holidays start.

First up after dropping the girls at school was a garage sale at a local church. I came away with some lovely sheets and pillow cases, some old knitting and crochet pattern books and a bag full of bias binding, zips and knitting needles. I was so excited with my loot that I skipped down the hill to my car.

Three loads of washing went in and came out of the machine. I didn't abide by the off the line by 4 o'clock rule, so most of it is damp and still on the line to hopefully dry tomorrow. (Bren just told me there is rain predicted.)

A fair bit of time was spent with our new friends, twenty five 3 day old Khaki Cambell ducklings. They really are the cutest things ever.

I baked a batch of meringues to take to lunch tomorrow. They are going to be served with cream, ice cream and berries. Mmmmmmmmmm

A bit of sewing.

And an early dinner at A Perfect Drop wine bar in town. It was great that we delivered the beetroots this afternoon and were served them an hour later. It is also great that we can have a bit of a social life again with the girls now they are getting a bit older. It doesn't matter that we were home by 6.30.

I hope you have a great weekend relaxing, or getting lots done, or a bit of both.