Favourites friday



Boutique Custom Hand Crochet Zig-Zag stripes Vest Top by giniscanlan

Hello, I am so busy trying to prepare for Magnolia Square. I missed Wishlist Wednesday, so here is a quick favourite for Friday, I'd love this in my size! Have a lovely weekend! Leah

the day olive comes to stay...

and so it came to pass in a small town outside of seattle,
'little olive' the other dog, came to reside at mossy shed...









do not let these pictures deceive you, 'little olive' at only 10 weeks old is already in training for christmas, when she hopes to put her huge ears to good use by being 'the other reindeer' for santa.

i have a few months to crochet some antlers so she passes 'reindeer inspection' but at the moment being in close proximity to 'yarn' is causing me to feel quite faint...

she is off to fight for space infront of the electric fan with her children ~ Tif

Striped hot water bottle cover - crochet pattern

One of the good things about a cold winter's night is snuggling up in bed with a toasty warm hot water bottle. Of course, you need a good cover for your hottie so you can cuddle it without burning yourself. Here is an easy crochet pattern, worked in double crochet (US), which buttons at the bottom for ease of removal.

MATERIALS:
Slightly more than 2 50g balls of plain yarn (I had to join a 3rd ball just to do the last couple of rounds, annoyingly). I used a worsted weight, slightly lumpy chenille type yarn.
1 ball contrasting yarn for stripes (I used a variegated self striping yarn).
6 mm crochet hook
3 buttons, approx 1 inch across

ABBREVIATIONS:
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
dc 2 tog = double crochet 2 together (decrease).

PATTERN:
In colour A, ch 54, join to make ring.
Rnd 1: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each chain (54 dc)
Rnd 2: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), *ch 1, skip next dc, 1 dc in next 9 dc* twice, ch 1, skip next dc, 1 dc in next 27 dc, join in 3rd ch.
Rnd 3: ch 3, 1 dc in each dc (1 dc in each ch 1 space) (54 dc)
Rnd 4: Join colour B.
You don't have to fasten off with colour A - just bring the yarn up the inside of the rows, to join on each time you change colour (see below).
Ch 3, 1 dc in each dc (54 dc)
Rnd 5: Join colour A. Ch 3, 1 d in each dc (54 dc)
Rounds 6 - 22: continue as for Round 5, alternating between 2 rounds of colour A and 1 round of colour B.
Rnd 23: Join colour A. ch 3, dc 2 tog in next 2 dc, dc in next 22 dc, dc 2 tog in next 2 dc twice, dc in next 23 dc, dc 2 tog in next 2 dc, join.
Rnd 24: ch 3, dc 2 tog, dc in next 20 dc, dc 2 tog twice, dc in next 21 dc, dc 2 tog, join.
Rnd 25: Join colour B. ch 3, dc 2 tog twice, dc in next 14 dc, dc 2 tog 4 times, dc in next 15 dc, dc 2 tog twice, join.
Rnd 26: Join colour A. ch 3, dc 2 tog twice, dc in next 10 dc, dc 2 tog 4 times, dc n next 11 dc, dc 2 tog twice, join.
Rnd 27: ch 3, dc 2 tog, dc in next 10 dc, dc 2 tog twice, dc in next 11 dc, dc 2 tog, join.
Rnd 28: Join colour B. ch 3, 1 dc in next 25 dc, join.
Rnd 29: Join colour A. ch 3, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 12 dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 11 dc, join.
Rnd 30: ch 3, 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 13 dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 11 dc, join.
Rnd 31: Join colour B. ch 3, 1 dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 14 dc, 2 d in next dc, 1 dc in next 11 dc, join.
Rnd 32: Join colour A. ch 3, 1 dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 15 dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 11 dc, join. Fasten off.

Bringing the yarn up between each colour change.

FINISHING OFF:

Sew in all loose ends of yarn. Lay cover flat and align buttonholes so they are evenly placed along the bottom. With a fabric marker, make a mark through the buttonholes onto the back side. Stitch the buttons on securely - if neccessary, use a small dot of glue to hold the knot in place. You won't need to block this - but be aware that if you use a wool or wool blend yarn, the heat of the hot water bottle will probably felt it a bit.

the day before olive comes to stay...


i have seen my future...
("what crazy talk is this Tif, has the heat finally fried your last ounce of sanity?" i hear you gasp)
this is no crazy talk dear readers, no sirree... it's the truth, however deranged i appear to be looking in my 'slick stuck to my head' suzi quatro hairstyle and old cotton slip, going 'as is' underneath and having a 'hand fan' as my best friend...

in the past few days i have had a taste of my menopausal future and i don't care for it one bit.
i've accepted my sagging bottom,
come to terms with my pesky gray roots
and convinced myself the crows feet around my eyes are laughter lines...
(actually that is all a pack of 'fibs', but for the sake of me adding drama to my ramblings i must 'bend the truth' at this point, i knew you would understand. but not, i must add at the 'menopausal point' above... no, that is the truth. cross my heart...)

as the outside temps reach over a 100 and inside the shed is close behind with a 'faint' inducing 90+... i have now been given a taste of the 'could fry an egg on my back at night' situation that presents it's self in menopause...

and so today, as 'they' claim it will be even hotter...
i fear for used dog living with a coat of 'black and fur', trying to stay warm with her 'super hero wet cloak' towel and a bulldog clip,
i fear for my feathered friends who are beginning to have an insight to their cousins lives, the rotisserie chickens,
i fear for 'noodle and doodle' the two mieces, in their glass walled home of 'stink' in our #4's room.
but most of all, even more than fearing for my menopausal future,
i fear for my children having to ride out the heatwave with a mother perspiring like she's never perspired before and making sure everyone in the vicinity of the shed, shares her suffering...

she is off tomorrow, travelling north to bring little olive 'home'... and hoping the air conditioning in the car remembers it's supposed to be working ~ Tif
footynote: just a quick 'thanking you kindly'... i truly appreciate your lovely words of support for my 'exhibit moment' of late. it has warmed my heart... actually my heart was already warm due to extreme heat conditions and really didn't require anymore warming but i think you get the gist of what i mean :)

good for nothing... once again


the '100 degree heat' is unbearable
the 'laundry' is unbearable
the 'cooking' is unbearable
my 'sweating' is unbearable
my 'mothering' ability is unbearable
and worst of all
my 'creativity' has been zapped,
which in my books is the most unbearable thing of all...

she is off to visit her friend Tasha in her air-conditioned cubicle to get a little bit of 'heat' relief ~ Tif

♥ Op Shopping ♥


Do you like my new table cloth? Another op shop find, I love it! I must keep sewing, have a great day! Leah

when all is said and done...


well, that was easy...
sunday afternoon in the city,
mid summer,
over 95 degrees heat


and what do you have at a 'meet and greet' artist afternoon?
a table full of food,
two exhibitions,
two helpers (making the space look a little busier)
and two artists waiting... and waiting some more



out of the half a dozen or so people that braved the heat to visit our basement yesterday afternoon, three were my actual family so i don't think that counts, four appeared to have 'stumbled' upon us, perhaps hoping for 'air conditioning' but finding none. and then we had two friends of Anna's and her art teacher.
a medal goes to my friend Maggi from down the road accompanied by her lovely little baby, who braved the heat, to soak up some culture in the heart of a very fried city.

i 'talked the talk' with one artist friend of Anna's who kept me on my toes, and quite helpfully allowed me to see 'inside' the workings of my 'thoughts' a little deeper, so it wasn't all in vain.



my favorite moment of the 'hot and sticky' afternoon came when our #4, having been dragged out of the shed to visit with his mother, helped himself to a big slice of cake and then promptly sat down amidst my installation and ate his 'prize' for 'showing support'.
for you see dear readers, it was 'home from home' and rather than sit on the art gallery chairs he choose to make himself comfortable, completely unaware that it was my 'installation' piece...
if only i had my camera to hand at that moment, but alas i was soooo busy standing as close to the fan as was decent that the 'moment' passed uncaptured...


but i do feel that you were all there in spirit yesterday and that is what counts, your words of support helped me no end...
i have a few pictures for your perusal today, not easy to get due to no natural daylight and an awful lot of bright, 'oh so flipping hot' artificial lighting. but i think you will get the gist of my little corner display.


it was a challenge for me to 'place' my installation in such an 'urban environment' preferring perhaps an old derelict house, empty and painted all white from top to toe... but it pushed me way out of my comfort zone and i am thinking that isn't a bad thing to do every now and then...


she is busy preparing for little olive's arrival on thursday and trying to keep 'her cool' whilst practising 'life wearing contacts' ~ Tif

Craft Queen



Hello, here a few little snippets of my most recent work for Craft Queen it's very cold here, not good weather for photo taking! I hope you are having a lovely weekend! Leah

the exhibition moment...

i confess i am totally pants sometimes at promoting myself and dottie angel
("what!!!" you exclaim, "that can't be, it's as if you are everywhere these days Tif")


and now we get to crunch time with my exhibition, it has been up for a few weeks... i was in 'old blighty' when the time to 'display' arrive so my friend Anna and her buddy helped me out. they did a good job but first thing on monday morning i was down there 'tweaking' things... for you see, everything i do is very conceptual

("blimey Tif" that's rather a fancy word for you"...
"i know... my brother told me this when i saw him a couple of weeks back and thought it sounded rather good, so i stored it up for 'use' at some appropriate time")

it's all inside my head, not the day to day stuff, like kids, cooking etc but when it comes to 'visualizing' how i would like to see my wares displayed or photos taken... i can see it very very clearly as if it were right in front of me at that moment.


perhaps my little 'thrifty' stool from my last post is a good example of what i am trying to say...
if we were standing at the thrift store right now, side by side looking at the dodgy 'it' stool i would be seeing it as it ended up looking, but would i have been able to 'convey' my 'vision' to you? i'm not so sure...
another example would be the dream i had last night of the tea shop i opened, the fabulousness of the gloss painted teal furniture, the old china sets, never been seen before but clear as day in my head as i type. the fantastic windows and walls all painted white except for the occasional sprinkling of vintage wallpaper. i didn't get to the front entrance as the morning alarm went off... i was most perturbed to wake and realize it had been a dream and instead of heading down to my tea shop i was in fact getting up to do the laundry and stand in ninety degree heat at the soccer side lines...

but once again i have digressed, perhaps in an attempt to explain a little of the workings inside my brain, and perhaps failing to do so... which is why it is becoming more obvious to me that to 'expand' in any way what i am trying to do, i either need to get better at conveying the 'workings of my mind' or finding someone that is brilliant at mind reading...

and so to the point of me posting on a weekend (such a rare moment in my blogging history)
tomorrow is my 'meet the artist' afternoon at the gallery, which quite frankly is causing me 'hibby gibbys' to say the least.

just in case there is a small chance someone in the 'local vicinity' stumbles upon my 'ramblings' and would like to meet me (gulp)...
the time is 2-5pm
the day is sunday 26th july
the place is the Art Not Terminal Gallery in Seattle

and yes, one could say i am very last minute in my 'invitation' sending out... and that probably speaks volumes... i'm a little apprehensive about the whole 'meeting' people thing... preferring to stay at the shed with my chickens, used dog, the cyber world and my imagination.


for the afternoon in question, i shall be producing a 'tea' of sorts to serve... do not panic dearest readers for any unsuspecting guests who happen to wander into the gallery, i will not be bringing 'home baked' offerings but relying upon a professional 'cake maker' at my local grocery store
("phew" i hear you sigh)

thinking she may need a wee 'tipple' to steady her nerves, and wishing really really hard the 'tea shop' appears for real sometime in the future ~ Tif

Jim the bright Orange Scottie



Hello, this little dog was on the front page of Etsy today, (very exciting if you have an etsy shop!!) My Toby chose the fabric at Spotlight, he insisted that we buy 2 metres of it, he knows way too much about shopping at craft stores! Toby also named this dog Jim after one of his little friends. I have another busy weekend planned, working and scrapping with some gorgeous bits and pieces from Craft Queen I hope that you have a wonderful weekend! Leah

thrifty thursdays...

if you are sitting comfortably then i shall begin...

once upon a time in a far off land lived Tif, a young slip of a girl and her 'used dog'. Tif was an 'addict' and once a week she would head into town to get her 'fix'.
'used dog' would wait patiently behind at the shed, never knowing what sort of mood Tif would return in... had she got her 'fix of thrifty finds' or would she come home empty handed and 'down'.

on one such day, Tif was in her local thrift store noting that instead of being super quiet as she had hoped it would be in the school vacation. it was in fact 'heaving' to the point of bursting at the seams with people looking for 'something'.
this did not bode well in Tif's scavenging mind... and just as she predicted, the 'pickings' were slim and her 'fix' was looking more and more doubtful.

then she spied 'it', not a 'oh my, where have you been all my life' it.
but a 'ummm, perhaps i am beginning to lose my way in the thrifty world' kind of it.
and so as nothing else was leaping at her, (not even colin or johnny sadly) Tif decided to take a gamble and purchase the 'it' thing in question. after all she was looking for goodies to decorate her overhang out back.

on returning to the shed, Tif put her 'questionable find' in the back yard to survey.
'used dog' sniffed the 'it'
then she sniffed again
soon after she had to go and have a lie down as the whole 'it' thing made her feel quite faint.

whilst 'used dog' rested, Tif set about trying to create what she had envisioned at the thrift store, with the help of some pink paint and Miss Ethel.


("oh Tif can we just interrupt you there?",
"why yes of course dear readers, what is it?"
"well, you said pink paint, isn't that a little 'bright' for you and your color phobia issues?"
"good question... i must confess i have conquered my 'brightness' fears of late and gone to quite the extreme, unleashing 'bright pink' on several items in our outside area, i think you would be most proud of me... ")

now back to this gripping tale of 'addiction', 'thifting' and 'transforming'...

and so after a happy hour or two, a small swan appeared from within the ugly duckling...
not a 'radiantly fabulous swan' but a swan never the less


after her lie down 'used dog' felt much better.
on taking a good look at what Tif had done with the 'ugliest' stool in the thrift store she gave it two 'paws' up...


giving Tif the confidence to carry on bravely rescuing 'dubious' looking things no longer loved and bringing them back to the shed to enjoy a life with their new 'coats of many colors'...

the end

she is off to get those pesky gray hairs fixed yet again ~ Tif

Check out ma leeks!

I am officially stoked with my leeks. They aren't as fat as the supermarket ones, but check out those long white shanks! Beautiful, I say. I have about 40 growing, so even if you bought them on special at .99 cents, that's still $40 worth. Not bad... that will make me a few batches of leek and potato soup!

Weird Cat Behaviour #1

the first in an occasional series
Eating from the compost heap
Well, it's actually a pile of vege scraps ready to go on the compost heap. I kept coming out onto the porch to find them scattered everywhere, at first I blamed hedgehogs until I actually caught him in the act. I guess you have to sample everything - you never know where a little scrap of jellimeat might be hiding, after all!

Potato peelings - yum yum!

Wishlist Wednesday

BLOOMSBURY CUTIES--HANGING ORNAMENT--DECORATION--ART DOLL PLUSH
Mia...nature doll by nooshka
Camille doll softie
Big Sister Brown Hair Shannon Sprinkles Denim Dress Hello, I have been trying to make some little rag dolls for a long time now, I just haven't quite created one that I love yet! There are so many gorgeous ones around, these are just a few of my favourites! Happy Wednesday! Leah

outdoor living...

ever since i can remember i have loved the idea of a 'living' space outside.


now those of you that know me well would be most correct in thinking that when i say "ever since" it could mean ten years ago, last year or perhaps even last week. as my memory is not my friend these days it really is a bit of a mystery as to how long i have wished for such a space... i am quite sure i was but a 'wee babe' in a cot when i first started to think such lovely thoughts.

to have a little bit of the outside covered over allowing a few pieces of furniture to be left 'out' along with some cushions really is just the most 'loveliest' thing in the world. no need for 'all weather' mass produced stuff here.
with an overhang, indoor furniture can be dragged out along with thrift store finds to give a lovely eclectic air to the space... and no fear of a sudden impromptu shower or two

nearly 41 years on, that 'wee babe' in a cot... gulp! dear god, i have only just got use to saying 40 and now i'm on the brink of 41... it's rushing by in a blur, made worse by my 'lack of remembering'. why is it my 'recalling' issues do not allow me to recollect what i made for dinner last night ("just as well Tif" i hear you cry) and yet i can recall my age precisely to the day... sod's law i suppose.
once again i have digressed where digressing should not be allowed, for today we are focusing on 'el fresco' living.
and so at the grand old age of nearly 41, i stepped off the plane on sunday, greeted by positively lovely 'hot' weather and returned to the Shed to survey what had been going on in my absence.

you'll be glad to know, all is well...
and the yard is looking especially wonderful. to be surrounded by such greenery in the middle of urban life is really quite a treat. i look out on my surroundings and i could be miles from anyone, and strangely that is what i am liking more and more. i fear in a few years i will be a complete 'recluse' requiring only my chickens, used dog, the rest of the clan and just my 'cyber' world for company...

the veggie patch is coming along a treat,
the chickies are getting ready for 'a laying'
gladys still stands there, forgiving me for my 'trailer abuse' of late
and an 'overhang of the utmost kind' has been completed whilst i was gone.


it doesn't get much better than that...
in the past day and a half i have set about creating an 'outdoor' living room,
dragging out items from mossy shed,
painting old chairs


and hanging up paper lanterns.

she loved her visit to 'old blighty' but she sure is happy to be back in her 'nest' ~
Tif

Magnolia Square


Hello, I have been so busy sewing, as I am going to have a stall at this Tiny and Small market! Very exciting, I will share more details soon! Thanks for visiting! Leah

We have a Guinea pig winner!


Bronwyn said...
I have popped your giveaway on my blog - giveaway section! Good luck to everyone!
Harry chose No. 38 which was Bronwyn. Thanks to much to everyone who left so many lovely comments. We gave a guinea pig to a new baby on Saturday too! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! Leah

Don't forget to enter

Hello, my giveaway closes tomorrow night, don't forget to enter. I'm off to work again and will be meeting a brand new baby boy, Oh I love babies! Have a lovely weekend! Leah

Wishlist Wednesday


6 Reusable Le Petit Sandwich Snack Eco-Conscious Bags x
by evelynfields




Rose Garden - Bangle x
by DELiciousDesignz





Frosty Cream Rose Button Bobbies for Hair x
by JeByJa




Hello, here is my wishlist for this week, I hope that you enjoy it, thanks for the birthday wishes too! Leah

Finished embroidery

I finished another little embroidery square. This was a little doodle of Lui that I sketched on the linen with a wash-away marker. It was fun fillling it in and adding french knots here and there - I even improved upon my satin stitch!

I'm having visions of making a quilt - embroidered squares combined with plain squares of linen or cotton in matching hues. Hah - you know it will never happen! For one thing, I've never made a quilt before, and I'm quite turned off by the idea of having to measure and be precise and get everything exactly right. However, I'm enjoying playing on these little squares, so I'll continue with them. I'll just tell myself that I'm actually going to use them on something one day.