Vintage Quilts & Friendship Book arrived

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Max & Louise Pattern Company's Book

VINTAGE QUILTS & FRIENDSHIP

arrived yesterday in the post !!!

A gorgeous publication by Quilt Mania in France

Each alternate page is in French...

Their beautiful quilts is such a long way from where I sit....admiration always.

I love the way both Louise & Lisa make the same quilt design in their own colourways...

I have been fortunate to have touched some of these quilts  & been a guest trader at some of their workshops.

What lit me up the first time I met them was their lovely sharing way of doing business.  It took me straight back to my early days & I felt so at home in their space.

Thanks to both Lisa & Louise for allowing me to step inside your world & your book. 

Thanks Lisa for such kind inspiring words..in your book .....

I could do with that Barb the motivator to refocus today ..LOL

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I don't have all working parts for a photo but will show things when the computer arrives back...it flew out of Singapore yesterday & is in Melbourne today & likely to be here at my door today also..

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Working with one hand tied behind my back..

I have been quietly painting some excess to my current collection of Christmas decorations & when myself, the scanner & repaired computer all connect I will add to the website....I can do some now but it takes a long time....& I am a bit restless where that goes..

So you will see a few gems on the website now in the cats/animals department & House & garden slot..

I have painted 2 blue in this angel & 2 pink & 2 red & 2 white...they are all there is ..the blue & pink are soft & really are the everyday all year around angel we need !

 The red one is so lovely to just hang from a tree at Christmas or use in a project ...put into a small frame...many uses

The cats.....basket case in amongst the flowers & who hasn't found your cat just doing this..or worst still lying flat out in the middle of your flower bed !

Likewise the Cats & Quilt button... I have 2 on the web this & a very pastel one & one on the paint table...that will be it..for that run in the collection.... but again my dear departed Millicent cat  knew a thing or 2 about strong country colours....she always made her way to the quilts that had strong colours of that decorating era...& part of her fur was white....

but I loved her....so !

These are expressions of what our cats do...

Now there is a version about the same dimension as this cat quilt button as a little stitchery for you to work on a small pillow for pins, or a needle keeper, small gift bags....etc..

The Cat/Quilt small stitchery with a variation of that kitten wanting to be up there on top of the quilts & eventually you'll hear a crash in that room & find quilts & flowers all on the floor & cats no where to be seen.

cat quilt mini stitchery

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shhh I have snuck in as I don't have my normal computer back & so to blog I need Google Chrome but this computer cannot take the space...it's a little one.  Like this tweeny little 65mm x 65mm stitching card of the cats amongst the quilts... similar to the button I have just a few in stock, then this little stitching takes that designs place ...It is $3 each plus postage for a letter !!!!!
Best see if I can publish this now ....

On the Table this morning

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Funny what falls where..

I was moving some books around on the table today...

When I glanced down at this frame & the pieces that had settled on it in pure randomness

I thought .. I kind of like this

so slightly fiddle with it..

.....just having small props often does stimulate more creativity

What is the saying..

"Where others see mess I see HOPE"

Something like that LOL

I had these buttons in a huddle after searching through some items for a special request

Soft & gentle the colours say.... 

I needed an angel in a serene scene

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&

Marglowdesigns.typepad.com

Marg Low Designs is heading off in early April to
AQC
at beautiful Carlton Gardens Melbourne building in first week In April..with a few of these very popular designs & this is my favourite....
Marg is working on many new designs to release this year

Gee there are times when I fancy sinking into some peaceful scene ....

Loads of small obstacles today & some stupid young girl cut the corner I was coming up to before something awful... are they blind.... ???? 

We have advanced with specs nowadays ....

or

did they buy that driver's licence ????

or is it something else ?

Lots of people are driving over white lines & cutting corners & smashing !!

Take it from me one never returns bodily after a car accident !

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Which brings me to the Body Strengthening place I visited yesterday & I am excited as an at home program is being developed for me to strengthen the body I go back for checks each 6 weeks...

So monitoring is good for me.

This is to make the muscles that locked down when in the midst of arthritis pain ( accelerated after car accident yrs ago now  )last year work properly again.

The body is amazing.... 

I am so hopeful this will be a great piece of my vision for this year done !!!

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A Tai Chi teacher I had in Bendigo has been given a wonderful award

 It is so great as he was very talented & taught us with such charm

Bravo Raymond  

http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/5231971/bendigo-martial-artist-raymond-lee-inducted-into-international-hall-of-honour/?cs=80

Working studio

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This was last week's tags and having a great time morning's work.

These are similar to workshops I have done... great fun ....

Storm is approaching .... au revoir

WORDS !!! & where they take me..

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Bonjour !!

The words in wood take me on travels..in my mind.

There is the antique quilt shop by the sea...

Quilt shop with antique linen & needles & fabric

A stitching with mon ami...it is all very good !

The tags are on the website in their spot called wood words.... I have assembled them on tags..& each is one only....

Oh I want to lay a piece of linen out on the workspace & place words to form a meaning ...

maybe grab some old lace, pearl buttons stamps & a button or 2 from my collection on line and just make a sampler...

You see there is no wrong way to do theses sorts of free expressions & of your unique creativity... 

You know sewing the tags to the fabric using the sewing machine could be just a fun thing & here I have 2 small bits of linen I have stamped on & added the pink Freda button & into a frame it all goes.

One thing the words will need to be hot glued to the tag as the double sided tape will not hold long term...or use the tag as a template to do in linen or other fabric or trace onto base fabric & stitch then sew the words on....

see plenty of options.

Now if I was doing a market I would explore each of the options I have written about...

>>>>> the paperwork in my place just gets put aside again !

Au revoir Mon Amis 

The Rabbits ..

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 I guess you know how I work by now...

sometimes I do this a bit out of left field....

There again was a few rabbit buttons .... about..some fabric..those frames & I got onse box of the stamps out & was looking for the small postage size stamp but got other distractions...

I have managed to package a couple of these style of things... which will go on the website later ( got to eat lunch then go off to post orders...

Rather fun with strips of linen & calico fabric ... and a few buttons etc...

Then I got into the box of words...

these will also be back on the web soon....

I want to put some on the fabric & see ....LOL 

These are back on the web again... had a little holiday after Christmas

Loving the Tabby Tan Willow cat....& the other cat Abby as a tabby looks great too

The Twig Birds in red or white are also back on the website... flew in again recently

ELEPHANTS

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 Red Ellie Elephant was getting a bit lonely....so the other 2 I had are now here in Lime Green with bright pink spots & Yellow & orange spots.

12cm tall x 14cm long.....

for Gluing into a frames or one 3 piece frame...

Or onto boxes or any other brilliant idea.

I am selling as the 3 together for $15.00 + P&H

ELLIE ELEPHANTS

TAGS

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This is the end result of mucking about this morning with tags ...

This set  will be for sale on the website..one lot only

This was the start those tea stained tags.....

Soon I was into painting some different types of tags...& out came the stamp box

I even tried a couple of paper bags

Then I had another idea.... so I selected some buttons from my storage

What will happen at this stage I never know.....

 This works

 This does too

Cute I thought...needs 2 cats.

I am always thrilled

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It is thrilling for me each time I post off my painted orders...

Christmas has been this week's lot along with new cats & some Easter rabbits..

As I packaged these orders to go off to USA yesterday ...

I thought maybe you'd like to see them all prissy in their cello bags

I do !!!

It is only for brief moments I see the items packaged before into a post box they go & out on their journeys

These Santa buttons are off to go into kits to be seen at AQC at Marg Low Designs stand

 in early April in Melbourne

The journeys the buttons go on is quite amazing if I stop to reflect on it.

The Olive Tree has fruit

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I was rather excited this morning as I walked up the back of our drive to speak to my neighbour...

I passed by the bigger of the 2 olive trees I planted here maybe 4 or 5 yrs ago now

&

I was THRILLED to see several olives on the tree...

I love the look of olive trees & am partial to a nice olive to eat ...

 I have planted these in all the moves I have made in 16 years ( except beach house ) but never stay around to see them grow ......(I have 2 in  pots now .......)

Often as I gaze across the road to the vacant land....which has a water race running right past the old house...

How that land could be a divine 

OLIVE & LAVENDER GROVE .....

Border it in at the sides etc with some big elm trees ...to shelter it a bit from that harsh summer.

It could be a working piece of land too

Olives & Dried Lavender..

I  could get to gaze across at that every day.....

instead of this barren dry lot..left to waste really !

The roos could still come in through a corridor ....& keep the grass down & maybe the sheep in the next paddock

Galahs & these massive graders

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Things I see outside my door or window at times amazes me

But yet to see something like this .... little echidna taking a bath in a plastic tub in Canberra

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/is-this-the-cutest-thing-youve-ever-seen-echidna-takes-a-bath-on-a-hot-canberra-day-20180202-h0sqjq.html

The video even shows this spiky guy turn over & scrub his tummy !!!

Galahs

At the side in the next block is a flowering gum tree and lots of birds come into this...parrots at least 2 species...you know I hardly take lots of notice... I hear them mostly.

Galahs & white Cockatoos have recently arrived with young ...& they are usually eating in the paddocks over the road & sometimes each has a screaming fit outside on this tree.

I walked in from emptying my teapot the other morning & looked at them & thought quick great photo...

They are wary of metal objects & as I took a second photo they began to fly off

& 

what a lovely sight it was

Friday ...these 2 machines start up over the road & I watch for a while to see what they are doing

Then later I watch more intently..... there is a mound of compacted dirt...the front end loader with those metal catapillar wheels pushes the large machine up the mound...

Once at the top, the front end loader backs off

& the other long thing starts to plough up the soil in the one spot..

then back comes the front end loader to move the broken up soil off the mound. 

I admired the precision of both the operators... 

that trust in each other's skills as they move to a precarious position...

The cabin in that long thing wobbles a bit as it gets to stabilise on the narrow mound.

I thought as I watched & took pictures in the latter part of this operation.

These operators know about

 CO-OPERATION

CO-ORDINATION

PRECISION

TRUST

as well as driving these things ...

Now if this style of operators would run the country...

How amazing would that be...

See there is no room for error in this operation 

CHRISTMAS TREE FARM

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Was it only a week ago since Lisa was here ??...

The Christmas tree farm of buttons she lined up on the table & called them Christmas Tree farm stayed with me.

I tried to work a few different buttons & finally this morning it has come to be !!!

I worked it in a small hoop...

Thought the circle drawn could also be stitched on fabric & then into a Frame ..then

I thought...

What about Needle turned fabric for the circle that the trees will be planted on & then framed ...

Ohhh it would be divine !

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Maybe tomorrow I will make it to meet up with my cousin from Western Qld...she is about !!!

We have connected on the phone twice now.....

She is far worse than me for wandering......LOL

I thought somewhere we are touched by that same wandering wand ......

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UPDATE on the Finley Cancer adventure.... Colleen has funding happening & this is so exciting.....for her & I look forward to seeing the shop all done !!!

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