Wednesday, October 15, 2014

What I've been doing lately...

Springtime in the south...
the garden is starting to look so pretty.

 
So I've been spending a little
of my free time
in the garden
and a little on my
stitching :)
 
I've been working on a
series of little stitched
mannequins.
This was the first,
she's my garden mannequin...
 
 
...then came the little pink dress...
 
 
...and then #3,
"happiness"...
 
 
...number four is all in white...
 


...and currently working of #5,
the little blue dress :)
 
 
 ...number six is on the drawing board...
definitely having fun with these :)

And just for you,
 Miss M,
over there on the coast :)...
here is a full pic of
the finished
button sampler:)
 
 
Before I go back to my stitching today,
cos it's not a garden day,
I've decided,
just letting anyone know who is
interested...
I've had a bit of a spring clear out
on the bits and bobs for sale page,
lots of $2.00 goodies,
and some newbies
added as well.
 
Back to the little blue dress,
and the next one,
and something else as well
that I just started.
(I know...I shouldn't have,
but you know how it is :)
Have a lovely day,
See you
Jenny :)



Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Around the World Blog Hop

Morning :)
Windy old day down here today
and a lovely day off :)
It's been a while,
again!!
Same old story,
busy at work and not enough hours
in the day.
 
But today I'm writing a special post,
'cos I've been nominated by 
Christine
to participate in an
"Around the World Blog Hop".
I ''met'' Christine through this blog
and facebook.
Her blog is an inspiration to pick
up your needle and thread and get stitching.
Beautiful stitching,
gorgeous makes :)
So thank you Christine
for the invite to join this blog hop.
 
So ....
here we go ...
 
... this is where I do most of my stitching,
apart from cold winter nights,
(and there are a few of those in the deep south)
...then it's hand stitching
on the couch :)
 
 
(and yes, it absolutely always
looks this tidy !!!!!)
 
What am on working on at the moment?
 
... quite a few things,
mostly just little stitchy things :)
 

 
... a little button sampler that I have
actually completed -
now just trying to figure out
a clever way to hang it ...

 
... little bit of stitching and
one of Barb's gorgeous buttons ...

 
... quilt top made from cutting up
lots of my shop samples and
re-stitching them together ...
not quite complete,
but nearly :)...
 
 
... and this is the project I want to complete next...
I think it's been over two years since
I have touched it
which is a little shameful
I know.
It's ''Jane Austen's Bonnet'' quilt -
an absolutely exquisite quilt
designed by Brenda Ryan.
I have done all the stitching
and half put it together
so really
there is no excuse is there :)
 
How does my work differ from others of it's genre?
 
...hmmm...
 not quite sure how to answer this one :)
I think everyone's work is different
to anything else,
cos we all stitch in our own
unique style.
I do like to use lots of linen
and lace
and the occasional button :)
In recent years I have found myself
drawn more and more
towards simple stitching
and softer shades of
thread and fabric. 
Why do I create what I do?
 
... that's easy ...
cos I like stitching :)
 

 
... sometimes it's just because
I have some fabulous lace
that I need to use ...:)
 
 
...or I want to make something
a little prettier
than what it was before ...
 
 
...or I like to use old things
in other ways,
like the hexies in this bag,
I cut from old doilies...
 
 
How does my creating process work?
 
 Often it starts
with a button
 or a heart
or a beautiful piece of lace,
and then it just develops
as I stitch...
 
 
... sometimes it's cos
I'm thinking about stuff ...
and stitching is good for the soul :)
 
  
 
... sometimes it's because I just feel
like making something completely
whimsical :)
 

 

... and the garden is a
source of inspiration ...
 


Stitching is a really important part of my life
for many reasons.
But mostly its because
it makes me
happy:)
Corny, maybe,
but what better reason.
 
So that is the end of the hop:)
If you would like to join in,
leave a comment and a link back to your blog.
Love to come and visit :)
 
See you later
Jenny :)

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Kaffe Fassett books...

I'm not sure that I need all of these
any more
so I've popped them
on the ''bits and pieces for sale''
on the side bar.
I have, 
of course,
kept my three favourites
but am thinking
it is time for the rest
to find new homes.
They are all in absolutely
perfect condition :)
 
 
Deliciously inspiring books!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Some bits...

Just a very quick post
to tell you that
I've popped some bits
on the sale page ...
some of my samples,
bags
and
little wall hangings mostly.
 
 
It's a little chilly down this way today,
so coffee is needed
urgently :)
See you
Jenny


Saturday, July 12, 2014

...my french flowers ...

Morning :)
This is for anyone
who loves wildflowers.
 
...these from the hills
of France...
 











 





 
 
... these are just a few,
and as you can imagine
my walks took slightly longer than normal
as I was easily distracted :)
 
So ...
that's it for France...
wont bore you with any more travel pics,
cos I know they are not everyone's cup of tea,
and anyway,
I have a quilt to make :)
See you later
Jenny
 
... but p.s. ...
the flowers were truly
fabulously
beautiful :)


Tuesday, July 1, 2014

French Inspired

I found only two gorgeous
stitchy shops
when I was away.
A fabulous tiny cross stitch shop,
in Briancon,
the walls covered
in stitched samples.
I could not leave these books behind ...
 
 
... so many beautiful designs
in these pages.
The hard part will be deciding which to
stitch first :)
 
Loved these magazines ...
whilst I have absolutely
no idea what the articles say,
the pictures are definitely worth
a thousand words.
 
 
 
The other little shop sold furnishing fabrics,
and oh my goodness,
if I lived in Briancon
that is where I would be buying my
curtain fabric from.
But...
they also had a stand
of divine laces and ribbons.
Well, it would have been wrong
not to take a sampling home with me :)
 
 
Nothing to do with stitching whatsoever,
I bought a little cow bell:) ...
 

... to remind me of the many walks I took,
because everywhere you went
you could hear the bells ringing.
At times,
depending on how many cows in the herd
were wearing bells,
it was like a musical :)
Quite extraordinary
and such a pretty sound.
 
A few of my treasures ...
 
Jenny :)
 

 


Saturday, June 28, 2014

I went to France ...

I did :)
I went to France!!!
Spur of the moment decision,
needed a holiday,
so I went to France,
(somewhere I've wanted to visit
 for many many years)
and I spent three weeks
 travelling with Jake.
 
 This is a how I spent my "french'' summer holiday :)
 
I flew into Lyon,
late at night,
and got to spend the next day exploring the city
before we pulled out of town that night.
 


 
Beautiful, beautiful city:)
Crazy, crazy drivers!!!
But hey,
in a strange city
you can get away with making
some pretty dumb and ever so slightly
hair raising mistakes
on the roads!!!
Just so long as you hold your line!
Keep your nerve!
And don't make eye contact with
the driver of the other vehicle :)
 
We went camping for most of our holiday -
lots of fun,
and thankfully it didn't rain
any of the nights we were under canvas.
In fact it rained for a short time only one day.
Blissfully hot and summery the whole time:)
 
Next morning it was my birthday.
What a buzz - spending my birthday in France.
Never ever did I imagine that :)
Birthday breakfast camping style,
fresh baguette and strawberry jam,
and a fairly big smiley face :)
 
 
We did not venture back to any of the major cities,
after leaving Lyon.
Our route took us through tiny little villages
and larger towns,
and I could not resist taking photos
of the houses.
 
 
I would wander off down narrow alleys,
one after the other,
lined with fabulous old houses.
Flower boxes everywhere,
colourful window shutters and doors,
and crumbling stonework.
 
 
We stayed several nights in a small town
called Serres.
It was magic :)
 


 
While Jake was away doing training rides,
I went walking.
Almost all of the walks
were up into the mountains.
The views from the tops of the trails
were always worth it,
utterly incredible,
but boy do they grow steep mountains over there.
This from the top of the mountains
behind Serres ...
 
 
After that we headed south,
to the tiny principality of Andorra.
On the border of France and Spain.
 
 
 
It took us a couple of days to get there.
To be expected, really,
when there were photo opportunities
literally around every corner.
We stopped when we got to Le Masana -
a picture postcard village :)
Soooo pretty.
 
 
This was where Jake's first mountain bike race
was being held.
So again I did lots of walking
while he was riding and racing.
I managed to find a track that I was pretty sure
would take me to the border of Spain.
And it did :)
I will admit that it took a little longer
than I had anticipated,
and it took me a little higher into the mountains
than I realised,
but hey,
for some ridiculous reason,
it feels really good to be able to say
"I walked to Spain" :)
 
Leaving Andorra, we headed back north,
but not before a slight detour to the sea.
I just didn't think it would be right,
not to at least be able to say
that I had dipped my toes into the Mediterranean
when we were so close.
Like every other day of the holiday,
it was incredibly hot,
so it was a mad dash across the sand
to the waters edge,
and dip my toes I did :)
 
 
Next stop - Briancon.
We were staying in the old historical part
of this town.
 


 
This was in fact
the only town that we passed through
where I found a stitchy shop,
two of them !!
One was a gorgeous little cross-stitch shop
where a couple of fabulous books
found their way into my hands,
and the other was a furnishing fabric shop
that just happened to have
the most divine selection of
ribbons and laces.
And yes, of course I could not leave
without a selection :)
It just wouldn't have felt right
to leave empty handed!!
 
Next stop - Valloire,
the site of race two for Jake.
The towns and villages just seemed
to get prettier.
To get to this town,
though,
we crossed a mountain range so high.
Over 2600 metres,
and in places it really was quite scary
looking over the side of the road
to the valleys below.
 
 
More walking high up into the hills
during the days.
The wildflowers were in full bloom,
and I couldn't resist taking so many pictures of them
but I will leave that for another post.
 
 
There was the cutest little church I could see
way up the hillside from the town
and it didn't take long to find the
walking track to get to it ...
 
 
... from there I looked down on
the village of Valloire...
 
 
... these from around the village ...
 
 
... possibly the cutest chook sheds I've ever seen
- individual chook apartments :)
 
 
... fabulously neat and luscious looking
vegetable gardens everywhere.
It has inspired me to sort my vegie patch out
this coming season.
 
 
Sadly after leaving Valloire
we had to head back to Lyon
as my holiday was nearly over.
Managed to squeeze in a few more
historic villages along the way.
There is something about the houses
that inrigues me.
Not sure if it is the stonework,
or the window shutters and doors
(I have to admit to having taken quite a few pictures,
several dozen I'm sure,
 of windows and doors :)
or maybe it's the colours.
I don't know,
but I am utterly fascinated by them
These are from the township of Crimeu ...
 



 
... and a couple more for good measure ...
 


So ...
this was my holiday in France.
I have a feeling that I just might
have to go back
and see a little bit more :)
Such a beautiful country,
and the people we met along the way
were just so friendly and welcoming.
Amazing holiday,
in absolutely all respects :)