Crochet & me.

There was a while back there where I was unable to crochet. My hands were so full of blackberry thorn scratches and splinters that holding the hook hurt. But I'm pleased to tell you that time has past and I am back hooking away.

The other night I made this jug cover. Gosh I love sorting through all my buttons to find just the right colour and shape combinations.

As a side project when crocheting that bunny got a bit complicated, I made the top pink and white pot holder from this pattern.

I recently saw somewhere on the internet that someone had made the same one swapping colours every two rows instead of every row, and I am dying to get a chance to make another one like that.

This is such a fun pot holder to crochet because it doesn't look like it is going to work until the final row when it all clicks in together.

To make crochet matters even more enjoyable than I thought possible, look what arrived in the mail from the wonderful Leonie at Raglan Guld.

Thank you soooooooooo much Leonie I love it so ridiculously much!!

My end of the swap is being contemplated and will hopefully be in the mail by the end of the week.

And lastly, I am crocheting a doily!

Ha ha, I know you are all laughing, calling me a Nana and making toilet roll cover jokes, but after making this dress the other day with a doily that someone else crocheted, I have been dying to make one of my own to sew into a dress.

I hope you are having a lovely, creative Wednesday.

The carefree dress.

After a week of non stop market preparation that included farm work, picking berries and making 87 jars of jam, baking close to a hundred meringues and lots of other random jobs, my reward today was to sew for a few hours.

Using this sheet, doily and bias binding I found in an op shop on our recent beach adventure and using the pictures from this book but not trusting myself with a pattern, I set to work.

I drew, and cut and bound and gathered and enjoyed.

It probably does look a bit like a nightie more than a dress but I didn't have to use my quick unpick once and that's all that matters today.

I didn't line the dress or use any interfacing which is probably why it doesn't sit flat at the back once buttoned up, but its hot today and I think it would be so lovely and cool to wear.

I'm off to pick up the girls now and take them to swimming lessons and although I haven't hung out the washing or unloaded the dishwasher, I feel a bit happy and carefree.

Sometimes a bit of sewing is as good as a holiday.

The silly billy dress ll.

So we all agreed it was a great idea to have another go at the silly billy dress. But how come none of us thought that it might not be such a brilliant idea to make it out of the same sheet that Pepper got stuck in last time, and had to be cut out of?

When I walked towards her with the new version wanting her to try it on so I could work out the hem length, she screamed and ran in the opposite direction. 'I don't like the silly billy dress, I don't like the silly billy dress,' she shouted at me over her shoulder.

I tried to convince her that this was not the silly billy dress but a new, nice dress but she didn't believe me.

In the end, I bribed her with a piece of banana bread.

As soon as she finished eating she asked to get changed. When she saw the dress lying on the floor next to her she said to me 'That is not the silly billy dress, that is the banana bread dress!'

My creative space.

The truth is, I'm meant to be on a bit of a self imposed creative break this week.

I'm trying to spend every available moment doing this,

and this, in preparation for the Lake House Producers' Day this Sunday.

But the girls are home from school, (they have dentist appointments later on), and they have been spending the morning playing with fabric scraps.

They have been working so nicely together to make a bus for Jazzy's rock family. Pepper has been supplying the soundtrack by singing 'the wheels on the bus' over and over all morning.

So what's a girl to do?

I just had to have another go at the silly billy dress!

I hope you are having a creative Thursday. To check out what the others are up to click on over to Kootoyoo.

I heart bloggers!

In the eight months I have been blogging I have come across such kindness and generosity. I have had one negative experience but for the rest of the time it really has been my happy place.

As well as the kind and encouraging comments, the new friendships and the inspiration another perk has definitely been the fun mail.

This week I got the most gorgeous mushroom pot holder from the lovely Laurel at Miss Muggins. I made her daughter a seal t'shirt and she made me a pot holder, what fun! Thanks so much Laurel!

Today I got this gorgeous skirt, some cute apple fabric, mushroom stickers and a bumblebee peg that I won in a giveaway at Claire at Little Tweetheart's blog. Thanks so much Claire, Miss Pepper has claimed it all and loves it.

For some reason she wanted to have a nap with it all.

And this wonderful book came from Peta Jane at Sewing the Seeds of Love when I commented on her post about it.

We are looking forward to potato harvesting time when we can make our own potato family. Thanks Peta Jane!

I hope you find some fun mail in your letter boxes this week.

SOLD!!!!

Firstly I would like to thank you all so much for your support with this auction.

Thank you for your help in setting it up. Thank you for your lovely supportive comments. Thank you for spreading the word on your blogs.

And of course, thank you for your unbelievably generous bids!

In the end, the highest bid went to Amanda of Eco-Possum. Thank you soooooooo much Amanda for your most generous bid.

According to the Care Australia website $200 will supply 10 families in Haiti with emergency survival packs.

While I was crocheting the bunny, I was hoping that his/her sale would make a difference and thanks to Amanda, I believe he/she really has.

And something tells me that this bunny is not going to be upset to leave this house...

Schools back!

I thought I was so prepared for the first day back at school. I had washed, combed and cut their hair, I had let down a dress hem, I had baked banana bread, I knew where their hats and bags were but somehow I had forgotten the school shoes.

One pair were far too small and the other pair have disappeared off the face of the earth.

So no photos of nice, clean school shoes this morning, just a bit of first day back at school, parent sponsored rebellion.

Let's hope this is a happy, productive and satisfying school year for all of our kids.

There's still a bit of time left to bid on the bunny. All proceeds go to the Haiti relief effort.

Pop on over to Vic's place to check out some more shoes, the theme chosen by this week's theme queen Gypsy.