A Morning's Work

This is what kept me out of mischief today - painting the doll's double bunk beds that you see here. And if you think it takes absolute ages to paint them you're right. A sticky business it is too because it's awkward getting into all the corners and I always come off second best. Denis, one of the woodworkers, designed these bunks from an actual human sized set. We counted 52 parts for each set and there are 12 sets in all. I haven't even bothered to do the maths but it works out at an awful lot of bits. They are really good to make because they can be made from all sorts of offcuts. The darker coloured pieces in this set started out as louvred cupboard doors that were given to us when one of the members decided to update his 1970's kitchen.
The beds look really beautiful when they are dressed with the patchwork quilts that the Pakenham Patchworkers make for us and I'm told by the charity leaders that the bunks are a popular toy. I know I would have loved one when I was little.
Last night I finished the last crochet square for my baby's blanket and am in a state of eager anticipation as I look forward to start sewing it up tonight.
Gotta go now. I don't think I can wait until tonight.
I hope your day was a good one. Bye for now until next time.

Almost there

This is the beginning of the blanket that I've been working on. I've calculated that I need 121 squares. If I've counted correctly I have another 33 to make to complete the number, then comes the fun of sewing it up. Yes I'm actually looking forward to that part. I usually lay all the pieces out on a bed and move them about to get the best colour distribution which can be quite difficult if some colours clash but I've tried to use shades that will play nicely together.
You know those 'one day' activities that you've been promising yourself - well the man of the house has decided that, for him, 'one day' has come and has bought for himself a beautiful Nikon camera. He has always wanted to take up photography as a hobby and is having lessons with the man who runs the Active Images shop in our local shopping centre.
Of the two of us, I am the more computer savvy (don't laugh) and am learning to use the Photoshop program that we have installed on our computer, so that we can work on his pics together. Please wish me luck as I think I will need it but I'm looking forward to doing miraculous things with my own pics too. (Loud chomping sounds here! Have I bitten off more than I can chew?)
I wish you luck with your newest projects and hope you're having a good weekend.
Bye for now until next time.

Tree Hugging

We're tree huggers from way back. We've never done the tie-dyed clothes, toe-rings and dreadlocks thing but I have actually seen the man of the house with his arms wrapped round a tree trunk. If you were there in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens on that day about 20 years ago, I was the woman standing about pleading, "Do you intend to hug every tree here?" We once drove for 9 hours through California USA to Yosemite National Park, so that the man could visit the magnificent Redwoods there. We couldn't hug the Grisely Giant because he has been fenced off to protect him from marauding tourist like us. At 2000 plus years even giants need a little TLC. For me there's something soothing about losing myself in the contemplation of a living thing that is so old that it was already a mature tree before our present day calendar began. What tales it could tell if it could talk.
So when a tree is destroyed I am always sad - odd coming from a woodworker but we mostly work in plantation pine and our woodfire uses the trees that have fallen on our property. It is with great joy therefore that I announce the arrival of the first flowering of the regrown wattle tree that was blown down in our garden a couple of years ago. Just the day before its demise I had been admiring the beauty of the green and gold tracery against the blue sky and the next day it was a heap of firewood. Then in a few months new shoots started to show from the remaining roots and now it is taller than I am and putting out the flowers that I enjoy so much. One of the day-to-day little things that makes life pleasant.
I hope there are plenty of pleasant things happening for you.
Bye for now until next time.

Success - Well almost.

By George I think I've done it. Well, not quite, I still don't have the pictures of your work to go with your blog names but onwards and upwards, that comes next. Meanwhile I'll leave you with my best wishes and this pretty rose, one of the many that grow in the gardens of the Old Cheese Factory at Berwick, where the Woodworkers have their workshop. It was taken a few weeks back; they're all pruned at present and preparing for the next season of blooms.
Bye for now, until next time.

Update: As you can see, I now have the pictures I wanted. Thanks to two lovely ladies, Pat (Pattas) & Maria (Aussie Maria) for their help.

Meet Miss Lucy

With all the pretty dolls that are available today I love the idea of making one from scratch. One of my favourites when I was little was a nicely shaped baby doll that Mum made for me from cloth. She had embroidered features and curled embroidered hair. I named her Suzette and loved her to bits. I've made lots of cloth dolls over the years but I thought a little wooden one might be fun, and here she is. I confess I got the man of the house to turn her head and limbs as I have only the most basic skills at turning. I made the body from cloth because the idea of all those jointed elbows, shoulders etc. daunted me and it also makes her easier to dress. She is 29cms long (11 and a 1/2 inches). Her hair is coloured fleece which I glued onto the head - probably not the best choice if she is to be played with as it won't stand rough handling. The rest of her is quite sturdy and I like to imagine a little person from about 100 years ago playing with her.
I looked in on Pattas a few days ago and found that the side bar of her page now has pictures of the recent blogs of those that she follows. I love that idea and would like to be able to promote the blogs that I follow in the same way. Pat is a most obliging person and told me how she achieved this but I still haven't managed it. I haven't learned to do links yet either. Hang in there, as soon as I can I will show your beautiful work on my blog, attributing it to you, of course. (Pattas is the pink beaded flower in my list of followers).
Such lovely Spring-like weather here today. Time to get out the needles and knitting cotton for the Summer cardigan that I have been promising myself.
Bye for now until next time.