My Creative Space

I found a sweet apron recently and thought it would make a lovely skirt for Sunday.

So I sewed a panel of white into the back & kept the pretty bow.

It has a handy pocket

for egg, flower, or treasures collecting.

She loves the colour & flowers & I like the way it is unique, just like Sunday. I might try to make some more apron skirts, they are easy and fun.

Meanwhile Rosie has been helping me make Love Hearts,

she loves to push the rice & lavender through the funnel. It slows me down a bit but it's worth it to see her little face concentrating so hard & her sense of achievment.

The piles of Love Hearts are growing,

into colourful stacks & will soon be finished to take to Mary at Big Dreams.

My little scrap quilt is making slow progress. I think it's a bit wonky too.

I'm not that great,

at keeping the lines straight.

I was in the opshop the other day and found this funny knitting book. The dolls are fine but it was the other things I instantly fell in love with. The accessories, the extra's, the props!

Check out these little cakes & plates,

the scrubbing brush, broom & bucket,

and the doggie & tiny balls of wool in a basket. Now I'm not a knitter so if you fancy this cute pattern book just leave me a comment telling me your favourite item and I will pick out a name & send the book to you, asap! This is open to overseas friends as well, of course.

How is your day going? Are you on top of things or in a muddle? I had a crappy start to the day with four tired & cranky kids (school pool party last night) and so am feeling a bit weepy & drained. Sometimes it's hard to be a mum. The sun is shining though so I'm off to walk away the blues in a minute, the fresh air and blue sky is sure to make me feel better. Hope you have a happy & creative day, pop over here to see some more Creative Spaces xo

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Monday

On the weekend Bill & Lucy started up their own blogs. Bill's is up and running and Lucy's should be finished soon. They are both so excited! If any of your kids have blogs and would like to link up with my two then let me know. Rosie has also been busy, she set up a little 'office' on the verandah on Saturday. She wrote out some important notes and did some other officey type activities,

in the bright morning sunlight.

Daisy kept an eye on things. Actually I'm not sure she can see that well, she needs her fringe trimmed!

Then it was off to ballet where my friend Michelle revealed her inner crafter! I made this little doll for Michelle's daughter, Freya, a couple of years ago & Shell has started making some sweet clothes for her, aren't the pants ace? Love those matching hair ties!I'm hoping Shell will come along to the new Daylesford craft group, Handmade, which is starting up soon.


Late on Saturday I headed down to Melbourne to catch up with Charlotte. It wasn't easy to leave home as one of my girls was so, so sad that I was going. I sat with her and explained how much Charlotte needs me too and that she doesn't get to see me every day, or be at home, like the other kids. I've made this decision to support Charlotte through her last year of school by visiting regularly but it's difficult to understand that when you are six, and you hate for your mum to go away. As I drove down the freeway with Paul Kelly blasting out I thought about the many challenging aspects of being a parent. Trying to do the right thing by everyone, and yourself, it's not always easy.



It was so good to get to Charlotte's school, sneak up to her room and have a big hug! I loved looking around her room which is so orderly & interesting. I had to take a photo of her stash of apples. I miss her so much when she is at school, although it's been great for her to board I have found it extremely hard.




One of our rituals is to go out to Woodstock for pizza & pasta. If you live in Melbourne & haven't tried their pizza's then run, quickly! Order one and eat it up, I bet you'll be back for more. Delicious! Then we went to Borders & Readings which is always fun. I just love hanging out with Charlotte.



On Sunday morning I had breakie with a lovely friend who I haven't seen in a long time. It was great to catch up and we laughed and chatted like we had only seen each other yesterday. Alot has happened to this mate in the last couple of years and it was also very emotional too. Back at her house she gave me some toys and books that belonged to her son who died aged 7 abour a year and a half ago. I can't imagine how she copes, it's so unfair and just breaks my heart. It's so difficult to see someone you love going through such pain. I guess at this point she is just putting one foot in front of the other and keeping on going. She is off to India for a few months - I hope she has a safe trip & finds a way through it all. My lovely friend.





As I've read over this post I'm struck by the thought that life can be challenging and hard & that is why the connections we make with the ones we love are so important. I received an email last week that also reminded me of the many challenges we can face as parents and the strength we need to push on through. Love & kindness, having hope, laughing and being close are what makes our lives worthwhile and gives meaning in the tough times.




Sometimes I get so caught up in thinking about such things, and daydreaming that I forget I'm a busy mum who has a million things to do. Today I have a long list. I am finding I just can't remember everything unless I write it down! Ahhh! Anyway, high on the list is finishing the cutting out of the 50 Love Hearts that are due for the beautiful shop, Big Dreams, in Northcote. Better go and start! Hope you have a great Monday, see you soon xo

My Creative Space

My creative space this week is dedicated to my beautiful nan.

She taught me to sew & encouraged me when I made mistakes.

She patiently taught me how to knit and celebrated my first stiches.

Nan gave me alot of her time and gave me a real love for making and creating.

We made dolls, clothes, cut & pasted, made patterns, puppets & dressups.

We baked bread, found shells and played endless games of cards.

We experimented, sang, made up stories along the way.

Nan taught me to sing the alphabet backwards, a

handy thing to know.

She gave me this pink sewing box when I was about nine. I was so excited. It was filled with bits and bobs, elastic, buttons, ribbon, press studs, pins and her own mother's glasses case. Inside the case were a few old needles & a photo of Nan when she was a girl. Her mothers name was written on the inside in ink pen, 'Carrie Moore'.

Nan also taught me to swim in the sea, to love nature, to laugh and to love life.

She was funny, warm, caring, messy, and cuddly.

My nan was many other things of course, such as an inspiring & inspired teacher, a friend to all, the person who introduced playgroups into Victoria, a loving mother of three. She was an enthusiast, an asthmatic & a wearer of slacks. A lover of sweet things and cakes. She was a devoted partner to my grandfather, Hume and a great support to my hard working mum.

To me she was also the best grandmother ever. She is always in my thoughts &

I still miss her every day.

When I was twelve she made me this amazing embroidered present. Every piece or panel tells a part of my life.

I don't really know the rules of My Creative Space, or if there are any, but I hope it's ok to talk about my Nan who gave me such a lot. She will always be so much a part of who I am,

and what I make today.

More creative spaces here.

Garage Sale madness...

Saturday morning at our house was relatively quiet. Mark took Bill & Lucy to the footy on Friday night and stayed in Melbourne so I was home with only two. A change of dynamics and numbers sure makes a difference! This seemed the perfect opportunity to cruise some garage sales, the girls grabbed their pocket money & purses and we were off!

It was truly a magnificent morning. A million happy endorphins raced through me as I found treasure after treasure. The girls were a tad more contained but nevertheless happy with their finds. This blue fan, which looks a bit dangerous I admit, was such a lovely blue that it had to come home with me, a tin of pencils, all sharpened, some sweet fabric & a bunch of old teaspoons. (I think I have Second Handitis. Careful, it's contagious.)

It was fabric galore which is just as well as I am in full swing with sewing at the moment.

A crazy owl tea cosy!

This dear boy & his doggie has seen better days but is so sweet.

As we pulled up at the last garage sale it didn't look promising. A couple of big cardboard boxes in the driveway...hmmm. But we got out anyway and found some lovely surprises. The boxes were full of old sheets and linens, fabrics and pillowcases. I dug down to the bottom and found this amazing technicolour crocheted blanket!!

After it was washed and hung on the line the chooks looked out in amazement! What colour, what movement!! Squawk!!!!!!

This little item caught my eye too. The gentleman who sold it to me had a laugh when I wondered out loud what Mark would think if I was in the gay mood?

"Well Love,we're in the right town for that!!" Ha!

There were other lovely items such as the pretty cross stitched house that Sunday chose for her room, the little box of badges & the Holly Hobbie sheets, wow! After such fun in the morning it was off to Ballarat for ballet and out to lunch with friends. In the late afternoon Mark & the kids returned and Sunday & I headed down to Melbourne for the night. Charlotte & I went out for some gnocchi & pizza and then on to look at books. Besides being semi stalked in the bookshop it was fun. (Being a serial chatterer can get you into trouble!) Then it was back to Fitzroy where I fell into bed, exhausted after all that driving, treasure hunting, touring Victoria etc. What a great day.

In the morning I got to see Charlotte's latest art work for school and then....she made me a ring!

Staying at Mum's is always relaxing and I like having a look around her bits and pieces. I found this felt picture I made for her when I was about 9. I remember it took ages and I couldn't fnish my hair or foot!

Too quickly it was time to go. A stop at Bourkies Bakehouse in Woodend was a high priority,. They have delicious old style cakes and pastries which are out of this world. I'm a big fan of the apple shortcakes and vanilla slices but everything is good. Home again and back into the swing of busy family life. Baths, nit treatments, washing to be sorted, cuddles, dinner on, dogs fed, chooks put to bed, stories, another weekend comes to an end. Hope yours was good too xo

ps. thanks to everyone for your kind comments on my last post. I am feeling alot better, thankyou! xo

On the mend...

This winter I have hardly been sick at all which makes a nice change from previous winters - the worst being the one when Rosie was born and I had the flu & pneumonia. So, health wise, I have been travelling along nicely. But now it is Spring and this week I have been laid up with a tummy bug of some sort which has left me very drained and in bed alot of the time. You know that 'hit by a truck' feeling? Well a whole lot of that & a nice dose of total body fatigue has knocked me for a six.

It's actually been weirdly relaxing as I haven't been able to rush around in my usual mode. Rather than fighting the bug I've been going with it and not worrying too much about keeping up around the house. Lets face it I'm never going to be a great housewife as there are too many more interesting things to do than keep a tidy house. So there has been alot of lolling around in bed and a tiny bit of pottering around, picking up a few things here and there in a lackadaisical fashion. Oh and a bit of quiet cutting and sewing which has been therapeutic.

(This being sick caper is a whole lot easier now that I don't have as many under fives running around. In the past when I have been sick there was NO TIME for me to be unwell, it was impossible to even lie down. People out there with several small children, I remember how it is, boy do I remember.)

Whilst tucked up in my bed I have found myself soothed by my collections of odd things, memorabilia, colours, photo's, things that are distinctly me.

This glass dish above was my Nan's sugar bowl. Now it holds little precious bits & pieces, watched over by Nan and her baby (my mum).

Can you tell I'm not a minimalist? I love all my treasures, they all have some kind of significance or memory. Having said that I am also better at letting things go that are not meaningful anymore, or that may bring someone else more pleasure than me. Do you have room of your own, a study/bedroom, a place that is just about you? I really need this as it seems to ground me in my hectic life and gives me the space I need to think, dream, plan, relax, be.

I know not everyone has the luxury of their own room but even a part of a room can be good, or perhaps somewhere outside in the garden. I also like to have something I've recently made nearby to look at or pat affectionately (I think the illness is unhinging me slightly...) eg. my Australiana tea towel covered pillow, see above (also not too familiar with irons...)

Today I woke up feeling a bit better and managed to stumble up the road to meet Kate in a warm cafe filled with beautiful Spring sunlight. It was good to sit there and chat about the millions of things that fill our worlds and to feel vaguely human again. I always come away from coffee with Kate feeling inspired & happy, she's one of those friends that gives me alot in so many ways. If you live in Melbourne or are visiting, pop in and see Kate & Bren at the Farmers Market, at the Collingwood Children's Farm tomorrow. You can pick up some of their amazing produce from their Daylesford Organics stall. I think it's going to be a windy, windy day so hold onto your hat and watch out for flying chooks.

Besides feeling like I'm on the mend it's also been a real tonic to be enjoying some long overdue sunshine. Today I have been out chatting to the chooks and GET THIS, hanging actual washing on the actual washing line. (As opposed to draping items all over the house in an attempt to dry them within several days...) To me this is close to bliss. I love my wonky washing line and the dreamy state I get in when hanging out the washing. It's sad but true, being out there with the birds and flowers, smelling that good country air and pegging away, I'm in heaven.

So, that's me for another week. Tomorrow I'm going to have dinner in Melbourne with Charlotte, followed by a good old snoop around the books at Borders in Carlton. Can't wait. What are you up to on the weekend? xox