Mushroom bag

No it's not a blurry photo (in case you were wondering). The photo below is a blurry photo! Hmm..... took more than a dozen photos and not one decent one in the bunch! I gave up and thought you would like to see this bag even if it was blurry! (Hope you do!!!)

This bag is similar to one I made for the stitching angel swap. I changed it somewhat because I wasn't very happy with it's shape. I am much happier now and will be taking this lone bag to the craft market tomorrow! (See picklesticks for more market info)

Swimmer sand sculpture

This was the last sand sculpture made last Friday night, just before we left. Miss 22 was determined to finish this swimmer and take some photos. Can you make out the swimmer?

It was dark by this stage and the swimmer was hard to see in the dark. He has seaweed hair (as swimmers do). Oh! And the photo below shows him before his visit to "Ashley and Martin"!

Mr 7's Birthday! (Or hello Mr 8!)

This week saw Mr 7 become Mr 8. Crazy, huh? Time flies! Hard to believe that my baby is 8 years old now. His greatest wish for his birthday was to spend it with some homeschooling friends at their house. A big ask I thought, but this homeschooling Mum made it a beautiful day for my Mr 8 and he had a wonderful time. The Jedi costume was a present and they made the most of it by being Jedi Warriors most of the day. (As you do)

Even when they played "pin the moustache on Darth Vadar" (a game invented by Miss 11). It was a glorious day and Mr 8 had a wonderful time. (Check out the vintage tablecloth we used as a blindfold!)

So now he's even older.

Helen Stubbings and Colourque Technique

I don't know if I've told you this before, but I went to a Helen Stubbings workshop!!! I had a great time (did you know that?) This is the block I was working on. No wonder I had a great time, this technique combines drawing (one of my favourite things) with fabric (oh! another of my favourite things!). I can see me using this for all sorts of things. Helen has a block of the month baltimore style quilt (Nienee's Garden) using this technique and I am so tempted to do it! I looooooooooove baltimore quilts, but I really don't get on well with applique so her quilt would be perfect for me! Hmmm....... perhaps I'll have to make a trip to the patchwork apple! (Watch out Jane!)

Helen Stubbings at the Gathering in the Hills!

Well, I went to my first quilting workshop! I had a truly wonderful time. It was a fun day in a lovely space. (It was held at the Lobethal Woollen Mills. They used to be part of Onkaparinga's manufacturing operation, but that closed down some years ago. The buildings are now used as a Market, Art Gallery, National Costume Museum, and for various small businesses.) We used an artist's space at the back of the Gallery and it was so pretty with all of the Patchwork Apple's fabrics and bits and pieces in it.

The workshop was hosted by the Patchwork Apple's Jane Green (left) and taught by Helen Stubbings (right). It was great to meet Helen. She is a really lovely lady. I also met two bloggers that I hadn't met before, (Lorraine and Marcia) and they were so nice too! I always say that bloggers are some of the nicest people on earth, so I'm not sure why I was so surprised at just how friendly and happy and kind these bloggers are!

There was morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea. The day had a cupcake theme so, of course, there were cupcakes to eat! We were given goodie bags with lovely bits and pieces from Jane. Miss 11 loved the bag. She went through it when I got home and declared that it was just like a showbag, but better! (She also declared that Jane should be in charge of all the showbags at the Royal Show! Now there's a job you'd love Jane!!!)

A Patchwork Apple gathering would not be complete without some apples in the middle of the table for both decoration and sustenance! The Patchwork Apple was first opened in Lenswood at Jane's house some 14 years ago. Jane and her husband grow apples and cherries on their property at Lenswood and a visit to the Patchwork Apple was also a visit to their orchards! Now the Patchwork Apple is in Woodside, which is why Woodside is one of my favourite Adelaide Hills' towns!

Hot Day!

It's going to be a warm weekend. Today was over 30 degrees. The kids and I decided that going to the beach this evening was a great idea. It was. This was the sunset that I watched as they played.

Mr 7 got the wettest. Everybody paddled in the water and built sandcastles. Some went for a walk along the beach. Mr 7 kicked the water and splashed it all over.

Miss 11 and Miss 22 built this sandcastle. Theirs had windows and doors and flags and a moat. It was (this was their description) very girly. Apparently they planned it this way!

Mr 14 built this very macho sandcastle. It had a moat. It was big. (Ya gotta remember that he is somewhere near 6 foot 2.) It took him all his time on the beach. He was concentrated and dedicated.

Mr 7 built a sandcastle too. As well as everything else he did. Digging many random holes. Throwing sand at seagulls (don't worry, he wasn't likely to hit any!). Splashing. Collecting shells. Studying seaweed. All in all it was a lovely evening. We came home and enjoyed some salad for dinner and looked at the photos we had taken. Must remember to do this again, because it was fun!

My Garden

Yesterday I showed you some photos from my garden. In respect for the truth I now must show you this photo. I am great at growing all plants! (Even weeds!) This is one of my gigantic thistles. Looking at thistles makes me happy. Remember blowing thistle seeds when you were young? Such fun! Of course, I didn't grow this thistle on purpose. It's just another self-sown plant in my garden. Isn't it beautiful?

Stitching Angel Swap Completed!

Hard to believe, I know! I'm finished!!! I figured the best place for me to photograph my Angel swap was in the garden because where else do you find butterflies? I finished off the swap with a Tilda bag. I have been wanting to make one of these "make-up" bags for ages and thought this would be a good time to make one. It went together wonderfully and I think I will make a bunch more of these! So fun!

I finished this quilted bag today too. Yes, I know I have made lots of bags, but I have been watching my partner's blog and I think that bags are what she wants! This is what the front looks like.

And this is the back. I had great fun practising my quilting on this bag. I am not very good at quilting and need all the practise I can get!. I hope she doesn't mind my freemotion practise!

Another butterfly in the hollyhocks. Hollyhocks are one of my favourite plants, because if you have some rain they just keep coming back! Plants that self-sow are my best!

Now, here's the whole collection in the daisies. I will take it to the post office tomorrow and send it on it's way! Will I be sending it to you????? You'll have to wait and see!!!

An Exhibition in Adelaide (and a chance to buy a picklesticks original!)

Mrs 24 is part of this exhibition in early November. There will be some beautiful things to buy there, in fact this is your chance to pick up one of her gorgeous toys that she makes. She is exhibiting with a group of people who all do truly beautiful work. Claire (the organiser) is a talented illustrator and I can't wait to go see what she has on offer. So if you're interested in art and textiles you can find some lovely original works at Carclew that will look lovely at your house or as a gift for a loved one!

**Written and authorised by Kristin Paton for "Life at Rosemary Hill". We will now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.**

Another Week

I like to make goals. Accomplishing things makes me happy! This week I want to finish off and send my angel stitching. I also have grandson sewing that needs doing and I really want to start sewing some summer clothing for me. I have a wonderful weekend coming up because I am going to the patchwork apple's gathering in the hills with Helen Stubbing! I feel so lucky and can't wait.

This is another photo taken at the botanical gardens on that glorious day last weekend. I am fickle! Last weekend was glorious (can't remember the temperature) and this weekend was stinking hot (29 and 33). It's a fine line between gratitude and disdain, isn't it? Well, here's hoping I will be more grateful than disdainful this week!

Amy Butler's Daisy Chain

On Friday I was on my way home after picking Miss 11 up from basketball and realised that we were almost at the patchwork apple. Okay, about 22 minutes away - which is much closer than we usually are so I diverted and went to the apple! I had had an unfun week and felt like I needed to see Jane's fabrics. I had a lovely look around and brought some Amy Butler fabrics home with me. They are called Daisy Chain (I'm sorry, whenever I hear those two words together I just think of Jenny and her daisy chain!) and I am loving the whole blue and green thing they have happening.

For some reason blogger thinks these photos should be on their side. It has been dealing with photos weirdly lately. Anyway, you can still see the fabrics and think "that lucky woman!!!".

Needlecase

Remember this stitchery? I turned it into a needlecase today. It felt like it took me all day. I guess I was tired and was having "one of those days". I measured wrong, cut wrong and..... you get the picture. I do like the end result though and despite one mistake (which I'm not revealing here!) I am happy with it. It's pretty I think and matches the project bag beautifully. I am working on the third item at the moment and there is possibly a fourth in the works. (See how I go!) I hope my swap partner likes it.

Sewing finishes!

This is the stitching bag I have made for my angel stitcher swap partner. I hope she likes it. I think she will because I think she wants new stitching bags! This photo is the one most in focus so I put it first so that you will be lulled away into a false sense of security and believe that there will be good things to look at in this post. It's working, right?

This is the front of the bug bag

And the back of the bug bag. I have yet to put the drawstring cord in this bag. Have to go to the shop and buy some cord.
I sewed a green shirt today! This is for my grandson and goes with the overalls I finished some time ago. I have a bunch of similar outfits cut out that need sewing up. I have also been altering navy blue shorts for Miss 16 to wear to school when it is hot. They were just too long for her (she's not very tall) so I took them up 23 cms! School starts again next monday so I need to get her organised.

Public holiday Monday

Photo - Clivia taken at the Adelaide Botanical Gardens yesterday.


Today was labour day here in South Australia. I have had a very slow day. Mrs 24 and the grandson came over and spent some time this morning. I was in bed stitching (another one of my favourite places to stitch!) and Mrs 24 and her progeny sat on the couch in my bedroom and visited with me. I spent some time at the best garden shop in Adelaide (Garden Grove) with Miss 11 and Mr 7. I finished stitching my butterflies and turned one of them into a bag. And we went to a friend's house for a barbeque this evening. We took salads and dessert. (Hey Mrs 24! We made apple and custard danishes from here and strawberry jam and custard ones too!) All in all a pretty fun day. Tomorrow we are back to the holidays. Basketball training camp. Physiotherapy visits at the hospital. School shopping (new books, new socks). It doesn't sound like much, but I think that will pretty much take me all day!

Adventures in the waterlily house!

It was a warm and sunny day today when we went to the Botanical Gardens to stitch. I really love stitching there. Such beautiful surroundings!

We wandered around a little too. The doors of the waterlily house were open and when we got inside we saw this bird. I want to say "heron", but I have no idea what kind of bird it is really.

The bird was really enjoying the waterlily pads and didn't seem bothered by all the onlookers that had gathered.

It was only after watching the bird for a while that I realised that the bird was watching too! Watching the little fish that populate the waterlily pond.

It went from side to side catching a little fish in it's beak at each side. I think the fish would be scared when the bird caught a fish, but then it would walk over to the other side of the lilypad and they would all emit a sigh of relief and get close to the lilypad again ready for the return of the bird!

The bird played that game for a while until either it or the fish got sick of it and moved. It hop, skipped, and jumped to another lilypad.

And started the game again! (This is the closest I got to capturing the bird with a fish in it's beak. It happened many times, but let's just say that if I was a bird I would be a very skinny bird. A very hungry, skinny bird because my reflexes are not that good!)

More butterflies!

Finished this one, still working on that one. I'm having a lot of fun! Loving this enforced stitching! Swaps are so great!

Stitching some more

This is what I have been working on over the last couple of days. I have decided to expand my stitching angel butterfly theme and make some more butterfly stitching accessories. I am hoping to finish them soon so that I can post them off. (I feel keen to get rid of these commitments I have!) I was visiting someone's blog the other day and she had a christmas countdown. It is so unbelievably close! Last year I really wanted to give handmade things for christmas, but didn't get there. This year I have the same goal. Hope I don't fail again! Have to concentrate on creating!

Overalls for summer.

I have been sewing clothes for my grandson. Cool cottons for summer. He is a hard to fit size so needs tailored clothes. These are some overalls for summer. Makes me want to sew summer dresses. Lovely fabrics!

Journal Quilt Challenge - Met! (Eventually)

The journal quilt challenge theme for September was Nature - what it means to me. This is what I started with. An 8.5 by 11 inch strip pieced piece of patchwork. When I thought about what nature means to me I thought about my first experiences with nature as a child. I decided to make a vegetable garden. I spent many hours as a child in my grandfather's vegetable garden and also my father's vegetable garden. My Dad always had a veggie garden. It was a favourite place of mine even when I was a teenager. If I was out of sorts I would go and work in the veggie garden and I would feel better.

I added extra peas, pumpkins, beetroots and cabbages via applique to flesh out my rows of vegetables.

Then I sandwiched the quilt top with pellon and backing fabric and quilted it. (For some reason blogger thinks this photo should be on it's side. Who am I to argue with a computer program?) At this point I was having a lot of fun. I love the texture you can see here.

It's pretty interesting from the back as well. The pumpkin quilting even looks like pumpkins!

This is how it finished up once I had bound it with some raspberry binding. (Dad always used to grow raspberries too.) Delicious!!!