Giveaway

This is the finish yarn from our sheep, I'm so in love with this wool, it is so soft, it feels like cashmere. We have two brown, two grey and four cream sheep.

I think it's about 18 micron, which means super fine.

We were so lucky to get these sheep, it was a case of a friend of a friend's farmer husband was ready to cull these sheep from the flock because of a little colour in their wool.

It just goes to show doesn't it, one person rubbish, another persons treasure.

I think it's wonderful that they are coloured, the farmer did not share my enthusiasm.

It's funny isn't it, they can be fourth generation white sheep, and then for no reason, throw a black sheep.

Beautiful rich dark chocolate colour, even the children just want to smooch it.

Gorgeous silver grey colour.

If you would like to win some of the wool, leave me a comment telling me which colour you like and what you intend to make with it.

If you blog about it, I'll enter you again.

I'll anounce the three winners this time next week.

Our Orchard

Ten years ago we planted our orchard, and this year finally the trees are bursting with fruit.

The cherries were delicous, Everyday we would stand under the nets and eat our fill. I don't think I even brought any in to the table, just fresh, ripe, oh so sweet cherries straight from the tree.

Perfect on their own.

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie

Gumnut babies, a lovely clean craft activity with little ones.

Summer dress

On these hot, hot 40c days(that's over 100f for you northeners), I love wearing this dress, in fact I've just made another one. The pattern is Imke the fabric is french general from fabritopia .

I've really missed wearing a dress for the last 10 years, I just couldn't figure out all that ' expose all' while breastfeeding thingy.

Well now that the peasant style is in, I've figured out a way; foe around the neckline, or in this case, make a casing to thread a tie through.

foe is on the sleeves.

I added a frill around the bottom, I cut the fabric on the bias following this great tutorial.

Oh, I've put this photo in because my 4 year old Flynn took it, his very first photo.

Not bad, hey!

New Clothes

The fabric for the shirt is from Fabritopia, and even though it's quilting weight, it's lovely and soft. I didn't cut the fabric on the bias, it's the pattern in the fabic. The pattern is out of Ottobre.

The shorts fabric is from tip, tapp, stoff, lovely lightweight, reversible fabric, the front pockets are a welt pocket, which just means you have to think about them for a bit.

All the boys are of late, quite interested in where their clothes come from, I guess global warming is on everyones mind. I made a conscious desicion not to buy from china a few years ago.. For many reasons, child labour, support local, quality, the fact that nearly everything comes out of China does not sit well with me. So of course they are very chuffed if their clothes come from Australia, or better still out of the sewing room.

I'm so loving the company of these two little ones, since school went back. My four year old Flynn who thinks he's eight, and always running with the big kids, is back in my arms on the couch, singing together, cooking together.....


In this photo we were heading down the road to get the mail, eating the first of the blood plums from our tree.

Today, our little Flynn gave my husband such a fright, flynn was helping Dad over at the treehouse and he got excited seeing Granpa walking over and started telling Granpa the best way up. Well he stepped back onto nothing but air and fell, I think Dan's torn a muscle in his shoulder from lungeing forward hoping to grab Flynn, but Flynn was already falling, falling down 3 metres. Luckily Dan keeps a tidy work area, all the saws, nail guns, drills are kept under the fooring, so he fell onto dirt, narrowly missing the stacked timber. Well Flynn screamed, which is alway's a good sign, he landed well, as little kids do, and is asleep now on the couch. No broken bones, just some swelling on one side of his face.

Dan on the other hand looks in shock, white as a ghost and a little teary, I guess he knows just how bad it could have been.

We will be thanking Flynn's guardian angels in our prayers tonight.

School's back

It's over, gone in a blink of an eye, summer holidays.......did we make the most of it?, Oh I hope so. We had six weeks of Sun, beach, fishing, laughing, in pj's till 11, bike rides, treehouse building, connecting together as a family and catch up's with family and friends, yes indeed good times by all.

Joey, excited and very nervous on his first day of Grade one.

In some ways Grade one feels like the first day of school, A prep year(last year) in Steiner Schools, is more like a continuation of kindergarten, The children have their own building(classroom) and playground quite separate from the rest of the school, and it is very much play based, such a rich rich year, for me, the most important year.

This year Joey has his own desk and pencils, his own recorder and best of all, playtime with big brother Jim.

New slippers were in order, in fact, now I look at these photo's; from his hat to his slippers and everything in between, I sewed or knitted up.

This little slipper pattern brings back memories for me, I remember being in hospital getting the routine adenoids operation, I would have been five or six years and peskering the nurse on duty to show me how to make these 'booties'. I already new how to crochet( yes, my addictions go back for a very long time!).

Well I was whipping out these little beautie's left, right and centre. I was alway's getting in trouble for talking(yes, somethings never change) and sitting on the concrete detention area at playtime, crocheting, my heart's content. I was selling them to all my friends mothers for $1 each.

Of course I've deleted the lacey edging and replaced it with ribbed knitting, they do a lot a dancing at school so I needed a slipper to stay on, so many slippers I see go very sloppy after time. I also embroidered a little bee on one foot, so he remembers his left and right, and there's a lovely soft lambwool sole.

If anyone wants the pattern, I'll gladly do a tutorial.

Strawberry picking

In my garden I have a whole bed, just for strawberrys, it's like 4meters by 4meters, but it's still not enough!. Every year I plant more, hoping one day I'll have enough for jam. But I never will, The more I have the more they eat. I can't blame the children really, who could resist a sweet, warm from the sun strawberry?

This year I gave in and went to a strawberry farm, The strawberrys are never like you grow yourself, but they were not too bad. So I made strawberry and rhubarb jam, straight strawberry jam, strawberry topping for the daily afterschool milkshakes, strawberry vinegar with the tops and this strawberry and custard pie for morning tea.

YUM!