The basket family

Isn't it funny how all it takes is something a little out of the ordinary to make your day. A little shift in the routine, a surprise, an unexpected gift and everything looks different.

This morning after the usual muesli and coffee for breakfast, after the ordinary drive to school and the same old-same old school drop off, I waited in the queue at the post office with a fist full of boring bills for what I was certain would be some dull boxes of electric fencing.

But I was wrong!

This morning there was also a great big box addressed to me.

A surprise!

Fiona Kate of Fiona Kate Simply Gorgeous Storage had sent me a basket family. Three sizes of wire baskets all nestled inside one another in their box.

I was thrilled. I still am. I skipped out of there and came straight home to try my new baskets out for myself.

I started with wool, of course, for the middle one.

And then I took the baby one over to the harvest table in the kitchen garden and chucked some onions in. The big one I am saving for apples. Or socks. Or dolls clothes...

Fiona Kate sent these baskets to me as a surprise gift. That's a pretty lovely thing to do don't you think. She thought I'd like them and I do.

So thanks heaps for making my day lovely Fiona Kate!

I hope something a bit fun has happened in your day today too.
Or perhaps you've done something lovely to make someone else's.
Do tell, I'd love to hear about it.

I'd also love to hear about what you're having for dinner.
I'm a bit disorganised but thinking about roast vegies and lentils and fetta.
And maybe a purple carrot cake.
Maybe.

Bye!

Crafting by the pool.

It all started with this guy.

He was made one sunny day while sitting by the pool in Broome. He was made after a long search on Ravelry for patterns to make with only small scraps of yarn. He was perfect for this. He was also a perfect pattern to knit on a hot day. He is little and was quick to knit and made me feel happy.

But he wasn't happy. He was lonely and needed a friend.

I tell my girls to smile at kids they want to be friends with and chat with them, but this didn't work out for him.

So I knitted him a friend instead.

He is so much happier and nicer to be around now.

And then came the ball.

Some thought it was going to be a sand ball like the ones the crabs at the beach dig out to make their holes. Some thought it was going to be a jelly fish or a ghost.

But then it got some hair and became a she.

And then some arms and legs and a red dress. La-di-da.

Dolly in a red dress was another great hot day, by the pool in Broome project. She came out of a kit sent to Miss Indi from her new pen pal Eva.

A craft kit with all the ingredients needed for a project is the best prezzie for a traveling crafter. This kit had a hook, cotton, needle, thread, safety eyes and even the stuffing. Too easy!

Caravan critters are Raveled here.

Red dress dolly is Raveled here.

Speaking of prezzies, I have been so blessed to receive some wonderful packages in the mail lately. Enormous thanks to Miss Jess for Tim Turtle, Miss Abby for the huge bundle of goodies, gorgeous Fiona for the delicious bikkies, Jennie and Eva for the treats and my Mum for your new book. I am the luckiest duck!

I hope whatever it is you are making is fun and that you get some exciting stuff in the mail sometime soon.

Happy adventuring and making. xx

In and Out.

Out: My FlowerPress Brooch swap.

My doily brooch, some small love heart brooches, some Australian animal chocolates, a little purse I made and a Foxs Lane card.

Out: The Green Sleeves dress,

...a little appliqued t'shirt (it's always nice to add a little surprise) and Foxs Lane card, all tied up with a vintage sheet selvage ribbon.

Out: The Second Blue Flower dress,

...a little t'shirt surprise, a Foxs Lane card, all tied up with a vintage sheet selvage ribbon.

In: The most divine doily tea towel from gorgeous Susie at Flower Press. It's a caravan prezzie. Hooray!! Thank you so much Susie, I adore it. xx

Out: A bunch of interchangeable circular knitting needles Mary lent me when I was trying to decide on a brand. How ace is blogland! Thanks Mary.

Out: A doily brooch and a couple of love heart brooches for Miss Jennie just because.

I often wonder if the post office people draw straws when they see me coming.

Have you had any fun mail lately? Hope so.

And be honest, were you hoping this post was about something a bit more exciting?

See ya! x

Happy Monday!

Have I ever told you that my Dad emails all his girls every Monday morning to wish us a wonderful week? Well he does. The last two have come through my Mum, but I can hardly wait to get his again next week.

So a happy Monday from me to you all too. I hope you have a fantastic and creative week.

Here a some of the things that are making me smile this chilly Monday morning:

What an awesome transformation our caravan took when the outside stripes were painted blue.

Farmer Bren's homeopathics kit. He did a first aid course recently, so now if you are overemotional, if you can't sleep, fall off the trapeze, or have a nasty cold; has he got the remedy for you.

I adore these three morning scribbles. Miss Indi's version of a Foxs Lane logo. Did you notice how similar it is to the Daylesford Organics one? I like it. Miss Pepper's portrait of me. Eeeeeeep, I am ridiculously excited to have these big headed people drawings in our house again, I can feel a screen printing session coming on. And Miss Jazzy's butterfly catcher. I love how dreamy that kid still is.

I have been smiling while reading through all the Genki T'shirt entries. I love all the crafty plans being cooked up.

The winner of the T'shirt is Fiona from Inner Pickle. Hooray!!!!!

You should totally check out Fiona's gorgeous blog and her knitted and crocheted cowls.

I am smiling about pretty little packages in the mail. Thanks Kate. x

And I'm a loving putting together piles of fabric suitable for boy pillowcases. Farmer Bren and Farmdoc, looks like it's your turn.

So that's me.

What's making you smile? I'd love to know.

Have a funday and keep warm xx

The calm before...

One more day until everyone is on school holidays!

Pepper and I made cup cakes to celebrate.

Indi has ridden her bike to Lola's house and I am enjoying a few last moments of calm.

I'm sewing a dress from an old skirt of Emily's.

I always loved that skirt and wished it were mine.

From Emily it went to Meg's and then finally came to me.

But when it did I decided I couldn't wear elasticised waisted skirts anymore, so it sat in a pile for a while. And then this morning I cut it up.

Much better.

I am knitting something that is waaaaaaaaaaay too complicated for me.

I'm only up to about row 10 and already I've had to learn how to do short rows, wrap and turns and I'm about to do something called deep waffle stitch. help!

I am gazing lovingly at this gorgeous rainbow yarn that arrived in the mail this morning.

I am reading, or rather admiring, a picture of our boys.

Farmer Bren and Bingo the maremma are Misters October in The Weekly Times doggy calendar. How cute!!

And we are finally eating fresh, green garlic.

YUM!

We started harvesting yesterday and my goodness it is wonderful to have great garlic to cook with again.

So what's going on with you?

What are you cooking? Growing? Knitting? Sewing?

Have fun.

See ya!

In my...

In my shop...this new addition to the Everything But The Thread range.

This Blue Ruffle Dress is size 4-5.

It is made entirely from vintage sheets, thrifted lace, button and trim and a doily from Rie.

How cute would it look on your princess!

In my mail...over the last week I have been lucky enough to receive this awesome book from Cath. It is like an encyclopedia of needle crafts and looks like it'll be one of those books I am always pulling down from the shelf. Thanks Cath!

Thanks Rie for the package of crafty odds and ends. I only included the fabric and the flowers because the rest is either already in use or been claimed by one of the girlies. And I am embarrassed to say that I cracked one of those long, brown buttons when I thought it was a licorice bullet and took a bite. True!

Thanks Caroline for the beautiful floral fabric fat quarters. Love, love, love! A dress? A skirt? A top? A hat?

And thanks Fran for the stunning scarfette. The only good thing about the freezing weather we are having is that I'll be able to wear it lots.

In Pepper's wardrobe...this cardi Bren's clever Mum knitted. I cannot get over how perfect all the stitches are and how complex the patterns. Kind of reminds me that I've got such a long way to go and so much to learn.

In my birthday loot...Six balls of this deliciousness. Mmmmmmmm

In my mind...a huge thank you for all your wonderful birthday messages. I had a fantastic day. The kind of day when I knew it was my birthday all day long.

The celebrations continue tonight with a dinner date with my farm boy (thanks R&J XX).

So what's going on in your...

I hope its happy. XX

ps. No that kid on my right is not mine.

Knit, knit, knitting.

Well hello there!

How are you?

I hope you are having a fabulous weekend.

We went to the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show yesterday but I'm afraid I have nothing to show you from there. You see I was so overwhelmed by the colours and plies and blends and itchiness and fluffiness and treatments and animals and washabilities of all the wool that I just couldn't make a decision. Instead I decided to stick with something I knew and head to Bendigo Woollen Mills afterwards. Only by the time we got there it was 3.10pm and on Saturdays they close at 3pm. Bum! Looks like its mail order for me this time.

So as you can see I've been knit, knit, knitting away at my second knitted garment, a cardi for Miss Pepper.

I think its finally getting somewhere but let me tell you, I think I am way out of my depth. This day last year I was practicing my newly found crochet skills by hooking washers and flowers. Small, manageable, learner projects.

Who knows why I skipped that stage with knitting and went straight for a project that included eyelet lace, five different sections that had to be knitted separately and then joined, decreasing, increasing, YO's, a seed stitch band and all on circular needles.

I have knitted and undone each section more times than I care to remember and I am sure there are lots of mistakes to the trained eye but for some reason I've stuck with it and now that I'm knitting the yoke, I'm kind of glad I did.

Even though Bren says it looks a bit like a skinned rabbit.

Hopefully I'll have something finished to show you by the end of the week.

And lastly, an enormous thank you to the gorgeous Candace who sent me this wonderful selection of fabric. After a few months of mail going missing, its a relief to have it all sorted out and this gorgeousness in my hot little hands. Hooray!

We're off to collect the eggs before the rain.

Have fun out there.

Tuesday.

Its Tuesday morning.

So far today I have somehow gotten the girls to school in clean uniforms and nit free hair. I have baked apple and rhubarb muffins and have bread dough proving, I have washed and hung two loads of washing and done a bit of a house tidy up after the long weekend.

Bren is on the phone to a woman who wants to do an internship with us. I am obsessed at the moment with people realising their passions, how wonderful to be able to help someone discover and live theirs.

Miss Pepper is hot and sick. I can't please her. I couldn't get the temperature of the bath just right, she wants her apple cut up, not cut up, peeled, with the skin on, she wants clothes but not those clothes, a drink that is not water or juice or milk, a grandmother who is in Melbourne, to go to the skate park, naughty Mama.

Playschool is making her happy for a bit though so I can sit with her and do a few rows of my lace trim, plan the blanket/sheet project in my head and feel sad that I've run out of wool about four rows from the end of Michelle/Leonie's wrap vest. The knit version must be tighter because Leonie used 300grams of wool where so far I have used 420grams and am not finished.

I can't wait to finish it and wear it. It is cold here.

This wonderful package came from the lovely Sara this morning. The bizzy buzzy bee even made Pepper smile for a bit when Bren was buzzing it at her pretending to try to sting her. Thank you Sara so much, you have no idea how wonderful it was to receive your gorgeous pin cushion surprise today.

So what are you up to today?

I hope somebody does something for you that makes you smile.

Giving & receiving.

Today on the last official day of the Great Pin Cushion Swaperama I can't stop thinking about giving and receiving in blogland.

What type of giver are you?

Do you love to send little packages to perfect strangers?

Do you send exactly what is expected or do you like to add in some special little extras like packets of pins, bars of chocolates and other little goodies?

If you were in an op shop and saw something you know your blog friend would love, would you buy it and send it to them?

...I wonder.

And then how are you with receiving?

There are so many giveaways and swaps and competitions and pay it forwards in blogland, how does it make you feel to receive a package in the mail from someone you are never likely to meet in person?

I won the package above full of stunning goodies all adorned with Luisa's fabulous little people in a giveaway at her fashionfuscia blog. What a fantastic and generous prize! Thanks Luisa, I LOVE it all!

I feel happy about winning giveaways because I feel like I give as well as receive in blogland, but I do like to play by the tradition of mentioning it on my blog.

And then there are the random gifts, the just becauses.

The lovely Deb was at a garage sale recently when she spotted the yellow pot holder and knew that it had to come across the ocean to live with my pot holder collection. Before she sent it, she gathered all the amazing goodies in the above photo to keep it company.

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you I was overwhelmed and even a bit teary when I opened this package. What an wonderful and kind and generous thing to do. Thanks Deb.

One of the most amazing side effects of recording my crafty creations on my blog, has been the incredible friendships I have made. But one of the most unexpected lessons I am learning is how to say 'thank you' without feeling like I am always obliged to give something in return.

I got a gift in the mail from someone today who asked me not to mention it on my blog (hope this doesn't count) and not to give her anything in return.

That's a hard one.

Its fascinating isn't it?!

So where do you sit in this whole bloggy give and get adventure?

And before I leave you let me just say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you swappers out there for your kindness and thoughtfulness and generosity. Its been fun!

I hope you have a great weekend. XX

Pin cushion stuff.

So there's three days to go til the end of the mega pin cushion swaperama.

120 pin cushions are wizzing their way across the globe.

Have you sent yours off yet?

Have you put some photos on the flickr page?

Have you received yours in the mail?

Have you posted it on your blog?

Are you using it?

Do you love it?

Please tell me I'm dying to know.

How divine is this pin cushion that Sarah made for me?!!

She made it out of the goodness of her heart, I'm not even in the swap.

How ace is she!

Thanks so much Sarah, you have made my day.

I love, love, love love it.

I hope you love the pin cushion you receive as much as I love Sarah's.

Happy swapping. XX