More Trippin' ♡

 

Hello lovely lovelies; lovely friends♡ How was your week?? It seems another week hurtled by filled with too many 'WHAT THE....??!!.' I'll let you fill in the ellipsis with your own word/words! Oh, to wake up to a world, a day; where no idiocy, no evil, has occurred.

I feel strange chatting about the pleasant week I've enjoyed, as yet again, ambivalent emotions co-exist, sitting on both my shoulders. It's a fact of life these days, isn't it?? 

But, it was a pleasant week  just moseying around here at home. Mostly  reading, hand stitching and unpicking said hand stitching.......walks in the garden, snippety snipping blooms.

Ahh...."when the world wearies and societies fail to satisfy, there is always the garden" Minnie Aumonier. I'm with Minnie!

We did go out for a day in celebration of my birthday which was pleasant; and a lovely afternoon was enjoyed with my sister from another mother; yet again passing the time drinking tea and eating cake. Knocks at the door where delivery men delivered bunches of flowers; charcuterie delicacies. Oh, and said delicacies were delish. Pete and I snacked on a curated selection of cured meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, crackers, condiments and chocolates. Ain't birthdays grand!!??

This coming week is the last week of January. How quickly this month has passed by. January, a month where down here the air is thick with the sweet fragrance of roses, sweet peas, buddleias.....all swirling around in a delicious potpourri of intoxicating aromas. The air is deafened too, with cicadas chorusing to their lady loves.  It is a sound synonymous with an Aussie summer.

My sweet Riley gifted me a darling little book for Christmas. It's title is Little Bee's Year Of Blooms. It's a book where on each page interesting insects explore the neighbourhood in search of which flower is flowering, in the quest of extracting pollen. A sweet little book. I'm accumulating a little library of sweet books gifted by my grandbabies♡ Mmm......what to buy Granny?? Why, a book, of course♡

 

Did you enjoy a little stitching this week?? I did. More squares were added to my TRTW quilt.  The thought did cross my mind that when I say I'm trippin' around the world with all my squares....round and round and round, you might think I'm a tad crazy, confused even.... a gal 'trippin' with hallucinogenic drugs, perhaps?? Nope. I've never had the need, nor desire to 'do' drugs. Indeed, I've always had a healthy fear of chemical substances. I'm just trippin' on love and sunshine; and 2" squares going round and round and round. =)

This week I stitched the floral Liberty-like fabric to the quilt and a green and white polka dot fabric, also. I'm now adding  ditsy yellow and mauves florals; together with a purple and white polka dot, and a pretty Tilda fabric, too. Purples and yellows do dance rhythmically together. I'll continue some fabric trippin' today in celebration of all things slow stitching. With each round more fabric is needed. Thus far, so good, but I have a feeling I'm going to need to go a little fabric shopping. Damn! I did want to make a dent in my stash. C'est la vie!

So, another Sunday of trying to chat about all things pleasant while an evil regime endeavours to destroy the rule of law, due process, morality, ethics, decency, goodness, integrity, kindness..... Let me say to those of you who are living in the middle of this dystopia, that this gal way, way down here, at the bottom of the world, thinks you are  'just so very grand'♡ Keep on keeping on♡ Take care, lovely lovelies, lovely friends♡

Until the next time......

Trippin' Around The World♡

 

Hello lovely lovelies; lovely friends♡ 'Tis Sunday evening once more. How quickly the weeks pass by. How quickly summer is passing by. Though, the days here are anything but summer. Too many cool days and not enough of the summer days of old. I do live in Tassie though, where one can experience four seasons in one day. One always needs a cardie, or indeed, a denim jacket with crochet sleeves, on standby. =) Perhaps, some hot, sizzling days are just around the bend of my country road.

The hydrangeas are finally beginning to morph into their lovely colours. It's taken an age for the gorgeous hues of blue to burst onto the scene. Outside my sewing room window the deep mauvey blue hues are lovely. Needless to say, I managed to fill a few vases with these pretty blooms. =)

This week I've been trippin' around the fabric world again. Since I last chatted about my Trip Around The World quilt there are several more rounds of 2" squares that have been stitched onto the quilt. Though the stitching of each square is relatively quick, the choosing of the fabric for each new round is not. It can take what seems like forever to choose the 'perfect' fabric which will dance harmoniously with the others. Also, the fabric which I consider to be the bee's knees, I discover there's not enough fabric to dance all the way around. Sadly, this is one quilt which certainly isn't going to use up my scraps. Before I embarked stitching this quilt I was all excited about the fun fabric play, but again, there's a helluva lot of omphaloskepsis going on. There's that word again. It's the story of my life, these days. =)

Today, for a bit of slow Sunday stitching, I continued trippin' around the world with a pretty blue fabric; reminiscent of a Liberty floral, me thinks.

This afternoon, from the comfort of my sofa, I enjoyed taking a trip to a few countries of the world. With feet up and cozying down on plump cushions I picked up my In Her Studio magazine and visited many artists, of all genres, and had a sticky beak into each one's studio. I zigzagged from country to country, visiting Fleur Woods (of The Untamed Thread fame) in New Zealand...Joanna Turner-Fuller who creates whimsical botanical art in Northamptonshire, England...Pamela Angus who works magic with glass in France........artist after artist inviting me to spend a moment in time in their creative space. I must say I'm always thrilled to escape into another's unique creative space, drooling over the photos, reading the artists' words...their stories. From cover to cover, inspiration abounds.

Thank you for visiting my little place, lovely lovelies; lovely friends♡ May we, you and I, this week, when the world seems to teeter on the brink of several calamities at once, find pleasure in the simple, everyday things which make you, and me, smile♡ Take care of you♡ Let your little light shine♡

Until the next time......

Hello, Sweet Peas♡

Hello, Sweet Peas♡ Another week of summer has drifted by. The weather has finally begun to warm up and I must say I'm rather pleased about that. The hydrangeas are  beginning to turn blue (they've taken their own sweet time, though) and the froth of  sweet peas?? Well, these pretties are flowering like there's no tomorrow.

The funny thing is, the sweet peas we planted have adopted a slow bloom approach, but those seeds which the wind swept  up in a gusty swirl and scattered everywhere are a messy, tangled parade of gorgeousness. Every morning there is bunch after bunch to be picked both to perfume and beautify my humble abode, and also to share  with friends. The more I pick the more they flower. This year the sweet peas are 'Super Blooms'♡

Some of you last week commented on the buddleias, thinking they were lilacs. It's easy to mistake buddleias for lilacs as they are similar in both form and colours. And, both have the sweetest of scents. At this time of year buddleias are also stars in the garden. And there is always a flutter of butterflies fluttering from flower to flower, delighting in them.

Another week of birthdays. Another chocolate frosted chocolate cake baked, with lashings of cream and strawberries. Oh, the cake for my dear friend's birthday afternoon tea last Sunday?? 'Twas delicious.

So, another chocolate frosted, chocolate cake with lashings of strawberries to celebrate the birthday of one of my sewing girls from years past. Those of you who have followed my stuff and nonsense all these years will be aware of Holly, who came to the 'Kim Sharman School of Stitching Excellence' for nine years. 

The eight year old little girl, with hair in pigtails and feet resting on suitcases to reach the pedals is now sewing up a storm. Holly is now studying a business degree at University and has started her own little sewing business with the dream of making a living doing what she loves.  And.....I must say she's whipping up a sewing storm here in our little community and further afield. It's exciting to watch her excitement...her passion, with all things textiles. And, to think it all started years ago, a wee little girl having fun with needle and thread, with a little guidance along the way.

Another funny aside emanating from those days when the school bus would hurtle along our country road, screech to a stop outside our humble abode, ejecting eager sewing students. Pete was working in the front garden this week when a car stopped and a friendly voice said "hi Pete". It was a neighbour. She went on to impress upon Pete to tell me that her son, another one of my favourite students back in the day, had just recently shown his girlfriend all of the projects he had fashioned. Apparently they are all still in his room. How sweet. A young man keeping all his 'treasures' from his boyhood sewing days and showing his textile works of art to his girlfriend with much pride. It makes me smile.

This last little while I've been reading and perusing some fabulous books. A wide assortment of books. I must say I love to read memoirs... autobiographies, as this genre gives me insight into people's lives; who they are, their insights; their life experiences.  When I pick up a memoir Atticus Finch comes to mind ........"you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it".  So very true. I still remember reading Harper Lee's To Kill A Mocking Bird when I was a high schooler. It was my favourite novel on the list in the school curriculum. It still resonates with me today,  fifty three years later. I have reread it many times. It's one of those books I love to revisit, as rereading a much loved book is akin to visiting with an old friend.  I listened to a few podcasts this week. One of note is one with Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, interviewing Jonathan Capehart. Having read his book I knew I would enjoy listening to his story; and I did. He's a wonderful storyteller.

This week I finished crocheting the sleeves onto the denim jacket. I love it. And, after refashioning it I will wear it a lot more than I have previously. Lin and Julie commented last week that a touch of embroidery and perhaps a crochet flower brooch would look rather spiffy. And, I must say, I concur. I can see in my mind's eye some embroidered flowers escaping from a pocket, or perhaps dancing on the collar. But for now, me thinks I'll leave my denim jacket as it is. I shall partake in a little omphaloskepsis re the embroidery. =) Watch this space.

Another week strolling in the garden, snippety snipping bounteous sweet peas, eating cake, drinking tea, crocheting, reading......pondering, laughing, crying (well, some stories that played out  this week compelled tears) praying, questioning........and at times, thinking of you♡ Thank you for your sweet visit, sweet peas ♡ Care to share a cup of tea in a pretty teacup and nibble on a lemon curd biscuit, or two; with me??

Let us, you and me, drink tea, and shine our little light♡

Take care, lovely lovelies, lovely friends♡ 

Out with The Old...In With The New ♡

 

Hello lovely lovelies, lovely friends♡ 

The calendar has turned the page to a brand new year, a brand new month. January♡ I've always loved the month of January. Long, lazy days of summer rolling along in holiday mode. Hot, sunny days, long daylight hours languorous sleep-ins, late breakfasts, oodles of tea drinking and a little too much cake...........book readin', slow stitching, crocheting, snoozing in the afternoons............and sometimes doing nothing really at all. The long langorous days of summer just keep on keeping on here down under.

I wonder what pretties you will imagine to keep your minds and fingers busy, this year?? I wonder how you will fill your days during this new year?? I've started the new year with a refashioning project. Gosh, it's been an age since I've tarted up a garment. I've been cleaning out my wardrobe, discarding garments to be donated to an op shop. Clothes that I haven't worn for yonks. I came across a denim jacket that I wear occasionally with sleeves I've never really been keen on. So, I ripped said sleeves out with my trusty seam ripper, with the thought of replacing them with  colourful granny stripes. Out with the old and in with the new. 

Again, going with the flow, making it up as I go. With the denim sleeves no more and with a helluva lot of omphaloskepsis {belly button gazing FYI =) } happening, I tried a bit of this and a little bit of that, until I decided upon blanket stitching at 1/2" intervals. Then I began to double crochet in clusters of two. Row after row,  of coloured wool left over from previous pretties, tumbling down the sleeve. I tapered the sleeve as I skipped down, down, down, by decreasing a stitch at the beginning of each new coloured row. After crocheting forty eight rows I then decreased more gradually on every sixth row. I know......clear as mud!! It's a good thing I know what I'm doing. =) Besides, if my muddly head has moments of 'what-the-hell',  I wrote down what I was doing as I happily crocheted along. So, all should be tickety-boo. Fingers crossed. Every jacket is a different pattern and a different fit so what works for this pretty probably wouldn't work for another. One just plays, really.

I must say  I rather love how my jacket is morphing right before my eyes. Who would've thunk it......my jacket looks half decent. =) One sleeve done. Now for the other. I will continue crocheting this evening joining the other band of happy slow stitchers.

As for 'Happy New Year!! This year, I have a feeling we slow stitchers are going to need to pick up our needles and thread, and slowly stitch away, calmly, meditatively; without ceasing. The calender may have turned over to a new year but the chaos continues; ramps up. That vacuous void of rancour.....evil......stupidity.......still sits on that tacky, fake gold, throne of his and continues to stumble along that demented path he's tottering aimlessly.......lost; on.  With each pretty we stitch, we will have to remind ourselves that by keeping our hands busy stitching, crocheting, knitting, etc, each little stitch, we can bring a sense of order, peace and beauty into our little world. May each day this new year be filled with lovely friendships,  small joys, kindness, beauty........and love.

I'm off to finish icing a chocolate frosted chocolate cake with slashings of cream and fresh strawberries for a dear friend, who is coming for a spot of afternoon tea in celebration of her birthday♡ Chocolate cake and tea is always a very good idea♡ Have a lovely day, lovely lovelies, lovely friends♡ Let your little light shine bright♡ I have a notion our little lights will need to shine brighter than ever before♡