A tisket, a tasket, a pretty sewing basket

Before I begin to 'charm' you with the tale of my pretty li'l sewing basket, let me first say thank you to everyone who conveyed such loving thoughts re my last post. I have felt your warm hugs all the way down here at the bottom of the world......indeed they have warmed my days!

A li'l over a year ago I unearthed this sewing basket at my favourite market with the intention of tarting it up some time in the future. Oh dear.......in the very distant future it seems.......but......I do get to these pretties..........eventually.

I have a penchant for collecting receptacles; baskets, boxes, vintage tins, crystal bowls etc in which to store ribbons, laces and all those bits and bobs that us needle workers hoard  stockpile in the name of all things stitching. I always stash away fragments from whatever I am working on. One just never knows when one will need a snippet of a doiley or a dash of lace in an exact colour when one is fashioning a pretty.

I adore sewing baskets from yesteryear. This basket with it's pastel coloured cane  just shouts ME........so there was never any doubt that this pretty would remain hidden in the corner of the market booth for all time eternal. And.........the lady was more than willing to part with it for a song, so she and me were both delirious with great joy!

The basket is in good condition so with a li'l fixer-uppering; the affixing of some pretty fabrics, a smidgen of trimmings and a li'l free hand machine sketch of a little girl quilting, me thinks my li'l basket will look quite spiffy.

Just a li'l machine sketching bordered with some pretties; with a touch of silk ribbon embroidery highlighting a trailing leaf trim, some ric rac (I lurve ric rac), some loop-de-loop cording and a whiff of pom pom trim.

Of course I had to, had to cover those rusty nails around the top of the basket, so I affixed a li'l ric rac. I just lurve ric rac....ooops......but  you knew that, didn't you!

As the interior was looking a bit ho hum I lined the bottom and sides with some pretty strawberry fabric. Soooo much snazzier than the colourless interior of before. This strawberry print is one of my favourite fabrics.

And....of course, me being me, I simply couldn't resist adding a li'l embellishment to the interior of the lid! See.....those snippets of past makeries do come in handy.

The tarting up of my pretty sewing basket didn't take very long.....not too long at all. Hallelujah! Oh I do love a quick stitching project. In this li'l corner of the world, a quick stitching project doesn't come around too often. A "quick stitching project" is not an oft-used phrase uttered in this li'l ole abode!

So another pretty to house some more of those stitching trappings that seem to escape all too often in my sewing room. I must say I lurve it!!

Now let me see......what other pretty can I stitch and while away an hour or two this weekend. I will get back to you.........shall I. Hoping you all have a wonderful weekend filled with some pretty stitching!

"In the book of life the answers aren't in the back." Charlie Brown

'Tis a pity really because sometimes I would dearly love to refer to the back of the book and be enlightened as to some of the answers.

It has been a li'l while since I have visited 'the land of blog'. Our family has experienced a very sad time with the passing of a dearly loved member of our family who fought valiantly the cancer which finally proved to be too powerful. My sister-in-law fought so hard and for so long that we were not prepared for the end. We hoped beyond hope that we still had more wonderful moments of time to share;  to soak in her optimism and loving heart but alas, such was not to be the case. My story is no different to so many others. It seems to me that each one of us,  has been touched by the sadness of cancer sometime throughout our lives; that we all know and love someone who is battling this insidious disease or some other terminal illness.

Though my heart feels hollow and aching I have kept my mind and hands busy with a li'l stitching. I have found a li'l solace stitching my scrappy postage quilt in my sunny sewing room which in an odd way seems to brighten my day. I have found the stitching of this pretty to have somehow cheered my days...........a little. It is a quilt that requires very little thought or concentration. All it requires is a hit-or-miss placement of itty bitty squares; stitching square by square, row by row; culminating in a higgledy piggledy, fun and pretty quilt.

I am thinking that this quilt will be a queen size quilt, so there is quite a way to go.

To soothe the soul, me and Miss Maisie, with the sound of the last frost crackling under our feet, have been taking many a lovely morning stroll  through the picturesque countryside; enjoying the warming Spring days as Spring begins to spring, as  the countryside slowly awakens with the effervescent sounds and scents of new life. The handiwork of my Heavenly Father's glorious creation before me is balm to my soul.

Lush, velvet green paddocks dotted with sweet, sweet itty bitty new born calves. Yes indeedy, Spring is a glorious season.

Ironically, my sister-in-law slipped quietly away on Daffodil Day which here in Australia is a day where the Cancer Council of Australia raises awareness of cancer and is a fundraising event to continue it's research into cancer. Daffodil Day helps grow hope for better treatments and more survivors. To the Cancer Council, the daffodil represents hope for a cancer-free future.

So in remembrance of my sweet, sweet sister-in-law, who day by day wrapped every one of her family in the warmest of hugs, I have picked a sun-filled bunch of daffodils from our garden. Whenever I drink in the sunny daffodils in our garden, it brings to mind those of my beloved family and dear friends who have been afflicted with this disease. The cheery and sunny daffodils help me to reminisce the fun times and nostalgic memories spent with these loved ones.

Forgive me my melancholia.........I will endeavour to find my usual droll self, not before too long. As E.A. Bucchianeri once said........it's true, is it not, that when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.