The Crafty Bits for the Shower/Party

I would not have believed how simple these effective poms are for decorating. We kept the colours in theme and they are very light in weight to hang which is important. Being a garden party there was no shortage of great points to hang from including the underside of the shade umbrellas, gateways and garden arch.

Here is a you tube link that shows pretty concisely how easy it is.

Old silver trays were purchased for a couple of dollars each and coated with blackboard paint. Their beautiful scrolled edges and engravings made lovely signs for the garden and I'm sure they will come in handy again and I may even use them on the market stall. Some were screwed straight to garden stakes to point the way and for hanging signs we drilled a couple of holes in the top and threaded with garden twine.

Leftover hessian/burlap from Christmas was used on the invitations, party favour bags and wrapped around milk bottles of flowers to keep the theme running through. Lots of up-cycling and recycling.

We also placed a couple of tall Fowlers bottles in my gumboots and filled them with cut agapanthas and placed them at a gate but I didn't get a photo but I mention it because it was a very effective idea and simple to do.

There were guests from many walks of Emma's life and we definitely needed name tags so we simply cut carrot shapes from bright orange paper and folded some narrow strips of green tissue and cut it finely but not quite through to the base so that it created a feathery look and then sticky taped them to the back. People either used small safety pins or pegs to attach them.

Disclaimer: only poor quality silver trays of dubious and debilitated surfaces were harmed with blackboard paint in the creation of this production.

An Autumnal Change

Easter Monday has been distinctly autumnal here today so we have had a change of decor to welcome in the season. 

Starring.... 

My new favourite pumpkin the "Turks Turban"

Nan's cracked, repaired and chipped cookie jar

Craig's new find, a lone Merino Ram pepper shaker that he found for $3 last week in a sensational little shop at Wynyard (Tas) called Mother Hubbard's, check it out if you are in the neighbourhood.

And St Joseph also makes a come-back.

All backed by a glowing cast of orange, copper and amber with warm leathers and old wooden boxes, scented throughout with ground coffee beans in the vintage coffee grinder collection.

It's a folly but at least everything gets a good thorough dusting.

The Utensil Drawer Challenge

The bane of my mother's life....

my utensil drawer.

I know I'm not alone and probably 95% of the population has one of these. Only last week Down to Earth blog writer, Rhonda, was feeling the spring cleaning urge and tackled the utensil drawer.

I spring cleaned the pantry this week and the utensil draw was also on the hit list.

So here are my "must haves-tools-of-the-trade" laid out.

How did all those crumbs get in the bottom!

And the plethora of rubber bands! Could never find one in there when I needed one but they were hiding at the bottom all right.

I purchased a plastic divider thingy from the op shop for $1.50 with the thought that it would seperate and contain some of the smaller items.

By placing it in the middle it created a natural divider within the drawer also.

HOWEVER,

I think to expect all that stuff to go back in and remain tidy is a bit ambitious.

Quite frankly two drawers are required, so I have removed some placemats and napkins to the linen cupboard and relocated the teatowels and dish cloths and given over another drawer.

Previously I had also purchased a couple of white coated wire storage racks from the op shop so I placed these inside the drawer on either side to "create" three divisions in a fashion. Hopefully this will keep things more accessible and orderly. I have grouped like colours and like materials together so that they will remain in a group and be easily found. The whole outfitting cost about $3. Bargain.

What about you? Are you up for a utensil drawer challenge?

Oh My Goodness!!!

We had the most amazing weekend!

Please allow a moment of self-indulgence.

After doing the Growers' Market at ut si in Perth Tas on Saturday morning (lemon cordial a huge seller!), we packed a quick bag and headed for Hobart.

Saturday night we had a very low key dinner at Tandoor Curry House before experiencing the opulence of Gold Class

We sipped 42 degrees Champagne and watched the action packed "Argo" while reclining in the most comfortable chairs ever. We had won a $30 voucher at a recent trivia night so it was only an additional $44 plus drinks. This style of cinema viewing is a MUST if you are planning to see something like a long movie with plenty of big screen action like "Lord of the Rings" or a special session of a Harry Potter movie.

The next day we had breakfast at a popular cafe in North Hobart called "Raincheck Lounge". The service was superb but a pity the eggs are not free range. You can taste the difference. Owners of backyard chooks will always taste the difference.

image from here

Then it was on to the fabulous Glenorchy Tip Shop.

Yep! It's the shop run alongside the dump.

We found some cute little Tupperware stacking mugs for the cubby house plus another "butterfly wing" AKA triangular saucepan lid 

see here

We found heaps of #27 Fowlers jars but at $4 we thought that was a bit steep as you can buy brand new ones for that! We also found a couple of Tupperware containers at $1 each and a light fitting as a spare for the lounge room for just $4.50. 

But NEXT....

the piece de resistance....

a visit to MONA.

image from the Mercury newspaper

The Museum of Old and New Art.

It was our second visit and just as exciting as the first,

maybe even more so....

While enjoying a Pimms and lemonade and prosciutto pizza after a good three hours of art viewing in Basement 3 alone, none other than David Walsh, the owner of MONA, pulled up a lounge chair next to us!!! Feeling much revived we headed to Basement 2 & 3 for more art appreciation. I discovered

 "The Economical On The Skin of Caracans, Caracas, Venezuela, 2006"

by Santiago Sierra

"The skin on the back of 10 persons who declared to have zero dollars was photographed. A medium tone in greyscale was assigned to that value. The skin on the back of 10 persons who declared to have a thousand dollars was photographed. A different medium tone in greyscale was assigned to that value. Finally, the skin on the back of 10 persons who declared to have a million dollars was photographed. A medium tone in greyscale, different to the other two, was assigned to that value. Once a tone of grey in the scale had been assigned to zero, ten and a million dollars, the value of black and white was calculated in dollars. The value of black turned out to be minus 2.106 dollars; and the value of white 11.548.415 dollars."

A very powerful piece and my stand out experience of the visit. I was so excited about it that when Craig caught up to me I started to explain to him enthusiastically

"What the artist has done here....."

At exactly the same moment,

David Walsh had come up to stand right next to me with a couple of his friends and he was saying at the exact same time....

"What the artist has done here....."

It was a bizarre moment of sychronisity that could only happen at MONA.

My other exciting moment (could it get any better???) was coming across Picasso's "Weeping Woman"....literally, just coming upon it among other works hung nonchalantly on the wall. 

I could have wept!

Even disregarding the thousands of pieces of artwork from Egyptian sarcophagus to Roman coins to the most modern and confronting, the sheer magnificence of the building built into a sandstone cliff face is breathtaking.

Lonely Planet has now documented Hobart as the 7th most visited city in the world and that is purely down to MONA. I do so hope you get to visit this amazing privately owned art gallery.

It was certainly a weekend to remember.

Another Gift Comes Together

I happened across these melamine pieces for a few scant dollars.

Then I found these little cuties....

Which I thought would go just right in this vintage picnic basket.

Add a good book in an old early edition hard back.....

Hem an old blanket scrap from some friends fabric stash....

And you have a romantic vintage picnic set.

The first pieces were found in April and I have been gathering gradually all year as the right thing came along. It's unique, one of a kind and very cost effective.

Not Naff Anymore

In the last post I introduced you to Rita Summers.

I also spotted this basket full of old patterns in her gallery/studio and I just had to take a photo for

Little Jenny Wren.

There has been a lot of talk in blog circles I am in awe of the love and supportive friendships that have grown from blogging. People we have never met and may never meet have become near and dear.

We get to know them or at least the very style or essence of them.

I can't look at vintage patterns like this without thinking fondly of dear, gentle, Jenny.

How about that basket?

I can remember when I was little thinking how naff these sort of things were. Those baskets for keepsakes made from old birthday cards and crocheted together...urgh.

Now I see them as beautiful for I see the time and dedication that has gone into them. Creating something useful from scrap, or in the case of the birthday cards, a sentimental treasure. A time capsule of style in itself.

Stationview Cottage has a lovely post about this topic in regard to quilts and fabric.

My friends at Resurekt have recently bought a book from a thrift shop showing how to make these baskets. I like the idea of finding something sentimental to make them with, like photos or cards, and wouldn't they make lovely Easter baskets.

The Butterfly Net

The Universe loves me.

And here is an example....

It happens to me all the time.

This week I said to Craig,

"You know I hate using chemicals even the "good" ones, what I really need to control the cabbage moths is a butterfly net. Do you reckon I could make one?"

Well the next day,

the VERY next day,

I walk into an op shop and there it is.

A perfectly beautiful, vintage, hand knotted butterfly net.

It was $5.00...but I didn't have any cash because I had just bought lunch for my poor friend and you have to spend $10 if using eftpos.

I was not going to let this gift from the universe slip away.

"That's OK, just charge me $10"

it's a charity shop so I figure it's all for a good cause.

At that very moment the volunteer ladies of the shop realise that the lady before me has just stolen a royal commemorative plate.

So not only am I having a "good karma" day but I'm immediately clocking up more, I refilled what that thief took....

How convoluted is that though? Life is like the butterfly net; lots of threads all twisted and woven together.

Sometimes I wish for things but they are not always right for me.

A lot of the time though I find everything works just how it's supposed to.

I may not have a lot of money or a dead easy leisurely lifestyle but

I have enough

and I have what I need

and so long as every day contains one of those

"It doesn't get any better than this..." moments,

then I am blessed.

The dreaded cabbage moth sipping innocently from my Buddleia, unfortunately it is a life cycle I have to reduce. I figure they at least have a fighting chance with my netting skills. My theory is reduce the numbers, not wipe them out entirely, because everything has it's place in the system. If you use chemicals it's upsetting that balance.

Rescued Nativity Set

It was a sad day when the tip shop closed in Launceston last year.

This is one of my favourite finds.

I had for a long time wanted a nativity scene but couldn't find one I liked or the ones that I did like were out of my price range.

We found a cardboard box crammed with figures and criss crossed with dusty packaging tape and the words "Nativity Set" inked across it and "$10". It was a bit hard to really see but I thought well it's a start.

I was enchanted when I unpacked the figures. They reminded me of the ones in old churches from my childhood.

They are made from cast plaster I think over a wire structure for strength and support, then hand painted of course. (Note the sad looking donkey in the rear above)

(a real flock of sheep)

They seem to be perhaps from the 1950s from the style and colouring. Quite a bit of damage had been sustained but after researching in my restoration book I found out how to repair using a special two part epoxy putty often used by people who make model trains and planes etc. I also used small pots of enamel from the hobby shop to touch up the figures.

My goal was not to make them like new again but to repair and minimise the signs of damage without taking away the integrity of the pieces. I think the beauty is in the age of the pieces.

This is my favourite figure and he was also the most damaged, as you may have imagined with that beautiful long neck. Can you see where his head was hanging literally by the wire stem inside the plaster? If you click on the photo you should be able to view it larger.

You will also be able to see where I have literally touched up the paint to make the chips less obvious rather than to re-paint the entire figures.

It is still a work in progress and the shepherd's crook is the next repair.

So have you noticed how entwined our traditions are at Christmas? The wreath is a throw back to paganism and the nativity set from my formal Catholic upbringing. I find it impossible to separate the two and in fact it was exactly what the church was trying to achieve with the whole feast and festivities calender when they enmeshed it with paganism rituals. What they had hoped was to obliterate one....but it is still there.

 I celebrate God the Father but also Mother Earth.

Whatever your beliefs, have a blessed Christmas Yuletide.

Healing Heart Block

In the previous post I provided details about the Healing Heart quilt project that is being kindly co-ordinated by Shirley Goodwin in New Zealand.

This is my block.

It took about an hour and was made from recycled pillowcase material. I estimate it cost me about 5cents.

This block will be sewn into a quilt for one of the families effected by the mining tragedy in New Zealand this week, becoming an heirloom and a symbol of love and compassion.

Who would have thought 5cents in this day and age could go so far.

I already had the little heart cake pan out as I have been using this for my hanging Christmas decorations.

I often sort through pillowslips at the thrift shop as there is often good quality material barely used and still in good condition for making into aprons and napery. They usually cost me 50cents.

I needed 6.5inch square of cream material for the base as per the instructions (see link in previous post) and a very tiny piece for the heart.

Can you see the fabric marker in the top left of the picture? It is easily one of my most exciting finds and I have used it for so many projects. It writes a lovely fine line on fabric which is perfect for my embroidery designs but best of all, the line disappears in about 2 days after being exposed to the air. Love it!

I made a cardboard template and then traced around the fabric but cut this a little larger allowing for seam allowance/turn under hem. After a couple of snips on the inner curve I used an iron to press the fabric over the heart template, easing the fabric and folding as I went to achieve a nice neat turned under hem edge.

After gently slipping the template out, I then pinned it to the square and using the fabric pen I free-hand drew a rough outline of the map of Tasmania.

I used a straight machine stitch to sew around the heart close to the edge. I then chose a matching blue thread and went around the edge again with an applique stitch.

I also chose some embroidery floss in a matching colour to sew in the map line using a running stem stitch.

A quick press and voila....from Tasmania with love.

If you are also sending blocks for this cause, please post a link in the comments so we can all share.

Modern Needlework in 600 pictures

I couldn't go past this find at the local op shop this week. It is from the 1930's and is almost like an anthropological look at womens' role in the home providing soft furnishings and clothing right down to underwear.

It has a heavy board cover and fabric spine and....well, a LOT of pictures. This would have been a very expensive book in it's time to produce with all the photos over 220 pages.

At first glance through I am fascinated by the myriad of techniques for hemming, button holing, seam finishing...

seam finishing

Much of the sewing is by hand and I find myself marveling at the time and patience and love that would be needed to complete an outfit in the 1930's. Hand sewing is making a comeback in some households but I for one think being able to machine neaten a seam is up there with sliced bread.

But these garments were meant to be worn for years....maybe some modifications for changing fashions, but certainly not the lightening speeds of fads and fancy that our fashion world dictates. The mouse wheel of consumerism does not make money if we are not buying into the latest fashions every season.

I know there are a lot of you out there who are lovers of the vintage. It's about the fabric and the decoration but I also know it's because you love the quality. Because you hand make yourselves, (sewing, crotchet, knit or otherwise) you have a great respect for every hand placed stitch.

trims and notions

Not only am I struck by how many techniques we have slowly lost over the generations of mechanisation and it's availability in the home, but also by the accoutrement's that we would no longer dream of doing ourselves.

The ric-rac style trims, ruffles, latticework trims and cording. Sometimes we might still make bias binding but mostly notions are all purchased items now.

Next I am struck by the changes now in our buying. Linen, napery, pajamas, lingerie....are usually purchased.

corsets and stay bodices

 Not that I am in total mourning for the "old" ways. I love the new fabrics and ways with underwear. I remember when I was little and had to wear those pure cotton bloomer type knickers to school. By the end of the day there was very little elasticity in the material and heaven help you if the elastic went in the top because that was all that was holding them on!

This book also tells the story of an era when laundering was more time consuming and garments were cared for.

dress preservers

Now we want to throw everything in the washing machine and dryer. Then garments were worn until they needed cleaning and were hung to air before putting away and sponging of spots.

It's no wonder the fabrics now wear out so quickly.

I haven't seen a dress preserver in years!

So I couldn't pass this book by. It reminded me of lost techniques and times before modern machinery was commonplace in the home. A time when quality and care meant things lasted and were not disposable.

So think back....before automatic washing machines, before home sewing machines and before the wonderful world of retailing for everything......

....and we think we are busy now! We don't even know we are alive!

If the world of petrol and electricity ground to a halt tomorrow, at least we still have books of reference like these....just in case.

Manna From Heaven

I really do feel like the bread we are eating now is heaven sent. So often in my life I have found that if I need something, I send positive thoughts out there into the universe and it usually turns up on my doorstep. As part of our back to basics/frugality plan, bread became a hot topic. If we need a large quantity we make it ourselves but there is only two of us in this nest most of the time so I thought a bread maker might be the go.

I didn't want to spend a lot of money because we may not like it or be motivated to use it and the novelty might ware off and we would have an expensive appliance hanging around....like my espresso maker.

So we did a bit of research and looked around and ummmed and ....

This bread maker turned up at the local thrift shop for $10. It had been electrically checked and looking inside I could see that it seemed seldom used. Depending on how you look at it, this could have two interpretations; it's going to give us a few months of bread at least OR "see...I told you these are gimmicks and people only use them a couple of times"

Naturally I brought it home and cleaned it again and honestly it is hardly used. I went on line to check for an appropriate recipe/quantity mix for this particular model (there was no instruction book with it) and the buttons on the top were all pretty self explanatory. We did have a heart stopping moment the first time because the lights were on but nothing happened but it was just "warming" the ingredients for the first 5 mins.

We've used this baby flat out, sometimes twice a day and we make our Friday pizza dough this way too and have done bread rolls for a dinner party using the dough function. While its probably not big enough for large families, we find it just right. It had paid for itself in the first week and everything else is a bonus.  We are saving so much money and know what we are eating without any additives. There is so much more less mess too. No flour on the floor or sticky dough stuck to benches. While bread made by hand is the ideal, this appliance does fit our lifestyle. Your initial research and recommendations from friends will give you an idea of reliable brands to look for. Also check to see how much a replacement bread pan costs for the machine as that could be a factor. Do check thrift shops, there are lots of reasons why people donate things. Maybe the previous bread maker owners were moving inter state and didn't want to cart it. Maybe it was too small for their family. For whatever reason, it has been God sent for us and who could not feel blessed with fortunes like this in life. It re-affirms for me that I am on my right path.