Caravan Collection

I'm thinking it's easier to sit, relax and sketch them
than it is to clean them!!!
You can see another sketch I did here...
If you like...

Crocheted Bikini

While most have seen my attempt of the crocheted bikini's...
I did want to share the photo
of my sister, grandma and me
wearing the original ones
our grandma made us...
I thought I had long lost this photo
but out of the depths I came across it...
And so glad I did...
How cute!!!

I will need to try this pattern again at some stage...
There is a "womans" size in it too...
Hmmm that could be interesting, to say the least...

On the home front...
Not much crafting as I have had way too much other stuff going on...
Which is good
but consists of boring business stuff...
But this all leads to a good outcome I am hoping...

I have also bought a overlocker...
and now know the joy of trying to thread them...lol...
I would love to know though how do you do that
really, really close rolled-narrow hem...
It is a Janome and it does have a setting for these two styles
but it still isn't close enough together...
as in I can still see the material underneath
instead of just a band of thread so to speak...
any ideas would be great...

I have no idea what to make at the moment
which is really annoying
but it has made me tidy up the sewing room
so I now can see the floor
and my materials are very neat and tidy...

Maybe that's why I have sewers block...
I need a messy room to get the inspiration...

Well at least I have had plenty of time to catch up on
what everyone else is up to...
Loving all the crafty goodness on your blogs!!!

A Square thats not a Square

When is a square not a square?
Hmmmmm...
When it's a Granny Circle!!!

I have spent the last two nights
working on this and undoing this...
I am pretty happy and will only change one thing on my next one...
Which is why I am glad that I did it in colours I like...
Yes another one for me!!!
I basically tried to do a Granny Square and make it circular...
And now all I have to do is write it down because I am sure to forget
exactly what I did...

I hope your weekend is as sunny as what it is here...

Good Backdrop

New in my etsy shop...
I think Mr Vintage is worried that I am spoiling his limelight...
But he does make for a good backdrop...
Hoping everyone will have a great crafty weekend!!!
Edit : This cushion as been sold...
Thankyou too my wonderful etsy buyer...

Spontaneous

On Monday...
After "My Shadow" finished school
(yes we are trying the whole school thing again)
hopefully this time he will be more settled...
We up and through caution to the wind
and packed what we could grab in 15 min's flat...
and just headed out on the road...

Lucky for me I remembered the "Kodak"
and thought I would get in a bit of practice before
upgrading to a bigger and better camera...

I did manage to pack the "hook and wool"
but found for once I really didn't have time to do any...

I was having to much fun just begin spontaneous
(I think that's what it's called)
It's been a while...

So now that we are back I have spent the day in the yard
Mowing and clearing and pruning...
And feel like a new motivated person...
So a big Yah!!! to short breaks...
Well worth putting up with the chorus from the back seat
"Are we there yet" ...

More Granny Chic Love

Roll on the

Granny Chic Festivals...
To check out more great blogs
with lots of new ideas and crafty makers
see these great
places...

EMMA
SFGIRLBYBAY
WOOD AND WOOL STOOL
GRANNY CHIC FLICKR GROUP

And I have just listed this cushion in my etsy shop
in a colour combo that
the fabulous CAM suggested...
Thanks cam it worked out so well...

Hopefully I will have another one made by the end of next week...
Well only if those elves lend a hand...

The Most Amazing Post Ever

The most amazing post every...

Well OK I am begin bias...
The fabulous Tif is having a "Festival of Granny Love" series
and here I am
In Part Two...

The images are courtesy of the lovely Tif herself
and as you can see one of my
"Grandma Love" cushions
has found a perfect home in American

I first found and fell in love with her
Airstream (Glady's)
then not long after fell for her fresh and witty stories
and great eye for fabulous shots...

If one could have a crush well I'm guilty as charged...
Who wouldn't want to live in the world of "Dottieangel"
Were granny love reins supreme...
Chickens are more than egg producing fowl...
And even mice extermination sounds like fun...

***
If ever I find that perfect seaside cottage
were "Dottie" will be hanging out
I will be sure to pop in for a cup of tea
(remembering to bring my own freshly baked cake)
and while away the hours perfecting granny squares,
picking fresh flowers, laundering vintage linen,
and deciding what shade of blue to dye our greying hair...
***

You can see her amazing pictures
on her Flickr Photo stream HERE...
Or visit her Etsy Shop HERE...
to find the most pretty aprons one could want...

Thanks Tif you are a inspiration...

Obsessed with Burgundy and Blue

I have managed to finish two
"Grandma Love" cushions
for myself...
and I love these colours...
I think when I find things in these colours I go all weak and just
have to have it...
I try really hard not to look on etsy by colours as a result...
My bank balance would surly be in a dismal state if I did...
Lately I have been trying to make these cushions in other colours as
I am sure not everyone is so totally
obsessed with Burgundy and Blue...

So here is a question...
What's your favorite colour...
What colour combo's make you go all weak at the knees?

And on the home front
I do hope the August winds that are in full force here
are not sending you flying...

But instead at least getting the clothes dry...

Time Just Flys

Time just flys...

More scanning of some old but favorite pics...
My friend and I would have a box of "prop" clothes and bits
and on the weekends we would scout out locations for portraits
and take "heaps"of pics basically until we got it right...
It was heaps of fun and luckily the kids all had a pretty good time as well..
the ones above are of "Oldest and Dearest" age about 12
and "My Shadow" about 4...
it's hard to believe that it was about 8 years ago now
"My Shadow" is the same age as "Oldest and Dearest"
and now "Little Miss" is the same age as "My Shadow"
funny how things work...

Not much crafting at the moment as the"lurgy" has come to visit
again...
Hope all my crafty friends are feeling much better thou...
and I am enjoying all your great post...

Number 41

Before the Pub...
I lived at number 41...
I loved this house...
It had a front verandah and a back pergola...
and best of all it had a darkroom...
Yes I do miss that more than anything...
But now in the age of digital I wonder if I would still get the use out of it...
maybe not...
As I went through lots and lots of old photo's today I thought
I should at least scan some of my favorites so they are not
lost forever in my clutter...
and contemplate whether I should invest in a up market digital...
My last camera (about 7 years ago)
was a most impressive SLR...which is now every outdated...
and needs a bit of fixing...(the rewind is cactus)
and the thought of scanning images and not knowing how they will
look like is just not in me to do anymore...

I only ever use my cheap and fast point and shot Kodak...
Which while bearable isn't what
you would call professional...
Once upon a time I did many weddings and outdoor portraits
for people
Now I think I have lost the mojo...
Really
So here I am wondering if I did "upgrade" will I get it back
Truly

Hmmmmm!!!
Has anyone out there just bought a new camera...
did it bring the mojo back?

Did your quality of pics improve?
Has it changed the way you now take photo's?
Or do you find that most of the time you can drag your pics into a programme
and make them look just as good with any camera?
Love to hear your comments...

Here Chicken

We have quite a brood of speckled hens which are all called
"Sophia"
mainly cause they all look the same and I really can't tell them apart..
and we have a rooster called "Nick"...

Well Nick obviously did his part...
But we let nature down...
You see we have only one new chicken...
As it turns out we left two "old eggs" in the nest
so she would "sit" and after a short while she had quite a nest full
and was sitting quite well...
that was until one egg decided it would hatch...
In my excitement I hadn't realized that this was a chicken that had hatched
from one of the "old eggs"...hmmm...
and much to our sorrow she went straight of the nest and so
no more would hatch...
Will really remember to mark the eggs next time
and take them out...
or better still use a golf ball...I hear that works...
So we still have one new addition that we are very proud of
but the way it struts around I have a feeling I have a "Nick" in the making..

Chicken raising seems to be a lot more complicated than I first though...

In Store Now

"Grandma Love" cushion now in my
Etsy Shop
Cream, Orange and Teal...

Bench Monday and more

This is my second "flickr" Bench Monday pic...
If you want to join in a really great flickr group this is the one...
You can only upload one pic a week and it has to be on a monday...
apart from that it just has to be a shot of someone or anyone
standing on a bench (table,chair,stool)...
to go to this just click on my Flickr photo stream in my sidebar...

Now for some more "Grandma Love"
this time in cool purples and cream...

I have also finished my zig - zag cushion
that I had been waiting on getting the wool for...
now I just need to track down the right buttons...
but that one will be a keeper
as it will be just the right colours for Vintage...
Talking of Vintage
stay tuned as I pick her up on Wednesday...

More Grandma Love

As you all would have noticed I have
gone a tad overboard with the crocheting hook
of late...
Have wool = will crochet...
No wool = pretty peeved...
so this week has been a mixture...
Had wool...Run out of wool...
No stuffing...Some stuffing...
Wrong colour...I suppose that will work colour...

I really wish I lived closer to the shops...

But then saying that, if I did I could be in
crochet overload and the family would be pulling bits of wool
out of their dinner...
"Oh really how did that get in there"
"well just think of it as extra fiber"

mmmm don't think they would quite see it that way...
So here you have another "grandma love" cushion...


and a very long pair of wristwarmers...
I did get very bored will the wool shortage and just kept going with these...
they are really warm thou...


Well here's hoping I will get at least to the shops next week
or I could start to crochet strips of plastic bags...
Actually I think that has been done by someone...
I really should google that?

And What a Cake

I am so lucky to have
a sister
who can make something so incredible...
My very own coca-cola cake...When my sister started making cakes
she was still living in America...
and one of the cakes on "order" for when
she moved home was this...
Yes my very own Coke Cake...
I know for some this sort of request may sound unusual...
But that me...
I am sort of renowned for the amount I drink...
I think I could have kept Amatil in business for the last 25 years or so...
And even thou it looked way to gorgeous to cut
I did anyway...
Well how could anyone resist chocolate mud cake...
and yes the whole cake is edible...
and was scrumptious!!!


Thanks Ness!!! Brilliant work...

Pillow Plus Curtain

What a week...

The sun was shining today and even
thou it was still about 12 degrees...
It didn't stop me dragging everything out side for a photo shoot...
and even took the shoes and socks off for this shot...
The skirt is a op shop curtain that I tied up with a belt
and you can get a glimpse of the new
"Grandma Love"
cushion...
I will upload some clearer shots on
Loving The Vintage
really soon...
It is now in the little Local Shop in town
just waiting for the right person
to take it home...
It was an amazing cushion to do...
and even thou I had a pattern I had to undo about 5 rows
and change and reshape it so that it would sit better...
I did "huff and puff"
several times while making this but I still adore the way it turned out...
And maybe, just maybe I will make one for myself...
We will see?
Thanks again for all the warm wishes...
they were the sweetest!!!

Baking Playing and Nanna Nap's

Thank you for all your kind Birthday wishes...
Today was lovely filled with


Baking


Playing


and Nanna Nap's...I hope all my Birthday's are this sweet...

Pre-Loving

Today... the day before the event...

of turning another year older...
It was all about the Pre-Loving...Goodness...

A nice batch of banana muffins
on a rather unusual "goldfish" tablecloth...

I found this last week and was more than happy I did...

And then I popped in the car...child free
and had a lovely stroll
around the second hand shop and Vinnies...
I found the most amazing little stool...above...
and I'm sure it will make it's presence known
in many a photo shoot...

Well like now...

Some nice little dollies...

And a great array of pillowcases and sheets...
and the most gorgeous curtains below...
which there are two of and I'm thinking they will look really
nice made up into pillows or
I just might wait and see if they can be used in "the caravan"
(still dreaming)
but dreams do come true sometimes...

I was most happy
with my birthday haul...
and I would much rather a lovely thrifting day like today than
anything flashy or expensive...
Tomorrow I will get the kids to help me make a birthday cake...
The more sickly the better...
Then sit by the fire and read a few golden books to "Little Miss"
and watch her create a drawing for my birthday...
Help "My Shadow" with his movie script,
a budding director in the making...
And scroll though a few pages on e-bay and etsy...
Now that sounds like a perfect day to me...
I hope if your birthday is coming up you are as lucky as me...
xxx

Teal and Gray

Teal and Steel Gray...
A great combo...
I have made this cushion up
a bit differently as you can see by the buttons...
After making the first one up I realized it might be
handy to actually take the cover off...lol...
so a bit of adjustment
and ha presto! buttons and button holes...

And after a much needed visit to the hairdresser I can now
take pics of the top of my head with confidence...
Try explaining that to the hairdresser...and see her reaction...

I think I only every seem to get my hair
done once a year and it is always right before my birthday...
Which is always a risk if it don't look good...
But this time I'm really happy with the result...
Now I really wish it would stay this perfect for another week...
But we all know the minute you wash it you can never
seem to get the same perfectly blow dried look...

Still working on the bikini bottoms...and finding it harder
than I would like...
(well hard for my attention span)...

hoping you all have a great craft week...

winter and summer

Sitting in front of the fire in the bar...
I do get quite a bit of crocheting done...
well only when there are no customers...
like yesterday after lunch...
the wind was freezing and everyone was at home
in front of their fires I suspect...
In the middle of winter I have started
working on these very cute summer bikini's
for 'little miss" and my niece's...
my grandma made a set of these for
my sister and me
when we were about 7 and 8...
mum still had the pattern...amazing...
my grandma must have changed the pattern
as most of it I have had to change too...
the straps in ours were only lengths of chain and in the pattern
they are twice as wide as what I have ended up doing on these...
and the "cup size" in the book would have fitted me...
so more adjusting...
the bottoms are still in the progressing stage...(more adjusting)
so hopefully a pic by the end of the week...
now I just have to remember how I have changed the pattern
so I can make two more sets...
I really need to write these things down!!!
After finishing these I tried them on "little miss"
she told me how "beautiful" they were and how much she "loved them"
Half an hour went by, she came and cuddled up next to me
and said in her sweetest voice
that even thou they were "pretty"and looked just"right"
she would much prefer "pink"...lol...

Petal Love

After running 2 rows short on wool to finish my
second cushion...
I made a few of these up...
and I know two lucky girls that will be getting
these in the mail real soon...
not that the colour is a give away...And if I can't finish my cushion soon
you will be able to buy some Petal Love brooches
in my etsy shop by the end of the week...

And the winners are

You didn't think I would tell you right away....
no... I need to thrill you dear friends
with what I have been making this week...

and for me this is big...
while most will say...but it's only a cushion...
well a nice one at that...
this dear readers is much more to me...
this cushion represents
a family tradition...
you see my grandmother
made many,many rugs with this same pattern...
and my mother still
makes many,many rugs with the same pattern...
and while I have always adored them
I have had no patience to do a project
that would possibly take me all winter...
that was until I found I could turn it into a cushion and it
would take me no time at all...
well a week but that's not bad...
so this one is my first of hopefully
as few more,
of what my family have always called a
"Van Dyke" pattern...
The family tradition will live on...


Now for the lucky winners...


Nikki and Linda
CONGRATULATIONS
I hope your prizes keep you warm and cozy
this winter...

And a huge THANK YOU
for all the lovely comments
they do mean so much to me...
And here's to another 200 posts
of chatting and blogging...