These photos were taken a few days ago, when the sun was shining and thoughts were turning to warmer days ahead, before the arctic blast sent me back indoors. Even the dog is reluctant to leave the warmth of the heating vent.
Now I can spend the weekend stitching!
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The final Life's Pleasures Club pattern is written. It feels so good to know it's done. Now I can decide how to spend the rest of the afternoon and tomorrow.
Will I finish sewing down the binding. I'm over half way now, so close to finished and I'd hoped to pack it for the trunk show next Friday at The Quilt Shop.
Then again I'd like to finish this sample of the final club project.
But the weather is glorious and my garden is calling to me.
I think I will try to do a little of everything!
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It's just over two weeks since my trip to Cohuna. The main purpose of the trip was to catch up with Barb and to visit the Factory and Field Christmas Shop.
Elm Tree Nursery was an added bonus!
It was very enjoyable wandering around the paths, checking out the plantings, the garden art and displays.
It was the motivation I needed to show my garden some love; most mornings since I've managed an hour or two outdoors pulling weeds, clearing paths and having a general tidy up.
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My self imposed Christmas challenge - the one where I make something for Christmas each week, is completely off track. Why you ask? Well all I can think about is gardening! This photo is as close to Christmas as I've got in the past two weeks.
You see I've been visiting the Open Gardens in my area. The first were at Harrietville.
The photos were taken at Shady Brook Cottages.
There were azaleas and rhododendrons but my favourites were the Dogwoods, something I have tried growing with no success. The climate is quite different to mine, so all I could do was admire the blooms and dream about higher rainfalls......
Last Sunday it was off to Gardens Around the Glen, eight open gardens in and around Rutherglen, Wahgunyah & Corowa. The climate is the same as mine so I was interested to see what plants were used.
I walked into the first garden and felt my heart sing. The garden was all the things I thought my garden would be when I planned it 18 years ago.
There was some amazing garden art on display at the Wahgunyah garden.
The final garden was a treat with mass and repeat plantings of geraniums, succulents, euphorbia (this is where my plant knowledge ends) and a clever use of fences and paths to divide the garden. It was a garden to stroll around. This is the only photo I took and it does not do the garden justice; I was too preoccupied with looking and imagining how to translate it to my garden.
I needed to catch the gardening bug, just not this bad!
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It felt like spring was just around the corner last week.
Very chilly in the shade but lovely in the sunshine so I headed out for a walk with my daughter and her dog. I guess the snake that wriggled across the path right in front of us had the same idea. Lucky the dog was on a lead and my shout had Jess pull him back before he stepped on it. It wasn't a big snake and keen to get out of our way, once it sensed us; the same moment we saw it. It was a timely reminder to watch where the feet were going, and not be caught up with the scenery or discussing what to have for tea! It will be awhile before Jess goes walking with me again.
Love the plum blossom!
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The weather has been way too nice to spend entire days indoors.
The blooms are the result of all the rain rather than any gardening ability.
Couldn't resist picking sprigs of the mock-orange and bringing it indoors. It has the most divine scent of any flower!
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The week started with a rush of ideas and big plans to do lots of sewing. That is until I stepped outside to smell the roses and discovered the lush greenery I'd been admiring was in fact weeds! The focus immediately shifted to the garden. Still lots to do, but it's a start.
Torn between gardening and sewing I opted for something simple and quick to make for this weeks countdown project.
The pattern is called No Peeking (no surprises there). The pattern includes instructions for the pouch, drawstring bag & stocking.
The pattern including two Fat eights and felt to make the pouch is on sale for $16. Not included is the threads, fabric to stitch on, interfacing & button needed to complete the pouch.
The pattern normally retails for $16 is on sale for $10. This offer is only available while stock lasts. You can purchase the pattern or pattern with fabrics here.
Please email me if you'd like to purchase the fabrics and felt separately.
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I've been thoroughly entertained this past month with visits from these guys.
King Parrots are visiting. The two ballerina apple trees just off the back veranda are looking a little worse for the visits and it's lucky I wasn't planning on harvesting a crop, they've just about done it for me!
They were very entertaining last night with three vying for position on the one tree and the young one above perched off to the side waiting to be fed.
I guess they'll move on in the next few days once the apples are gone and then I might be able to get a little stitching done.
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It must be spring, the days are warmer and my enthusiasm for gardening has returned. There's an awful lot to do. Today I decided to forget about all the weeding and pruning and visit a nursery. It was a quick visit but I still managed to come home with these new plants.
The parsley, mint and lettuce will go into pots at the back door where I can't forget them (fingers crossed). The succulents will be mixed in with other potted succulents. There was a time when I avoided low maintenance plants, now they're the first ones I look at.
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