Love a wingback

Look what we found: a pair of linen covered wingbacks.
I have always loved a good wingback - they're cosy and just the right degree of comfortable elegance for me.

I'm not a florally person, but I really like these. They were free to good home and we even found 50c in the corner!

Quite a bit of TLC is needed to clean them up; new seat cushions and maybe new taller legs (they were made for stumpy people).

Hubbie likes them too I think - we have been rearranging lounge room to see where they go best and this means removing old sofabed couch (one down, one to go).

The upholsterer's details are on the bottom, but not around in Melbourne anymore - there is a company of the same name in Hobart, so I will ring them next week to see if the fabric is still around. Fingers crossed!

Scrapalicious

I have just found what my heart desires: the most spectacular scrap sampler quilt made by qusic on flickr; Kaffe, Martha Negley, Philip Jacobs and more blend beautifully into a colourist's heaven. Everyone must have a look at the set of photos for this stunner.

The pattern is from a German blog called Forum Farbstoff. It is written in German but all we need to do is go to Google home page, click on Language Tools and then type in the url into the correct space, click German to English and Hier Ist Es!

The translation is a little strange though; one example is:

If I should have missed time in one of my Teilnaehanleitungen, please be easy to conclude offset by a 5 x 5 cm piece hinzufuegt or weglaesst. Ich denke, ihr seid alle sehr clever und kriegt das dann hin. I think all of you are very clever and then get out.

Blogger is being weird so I will 'get out' now -

just one more quilt to swirl around in my head.

Orange Errata

Re: Orange and Pecan Scones Recipe

2 cups of flour (not 1) but 2!!

Sorry for anyone who might have had a go at it (in particular Simon and Leigh) and it became a buttery rock/mess.

I am going to change it on the proper post, so don't get confused when you see it as the correct amount: 2 cups of flour.

Quilts and pillowcases

Jackie from Canton Village Quilt Works is offering a giveaway of quilting a whole quilt!!! Oh I have a collection of tops that she could do for me, very nicely. Crossing my fingers!

She has some delightful quilts on her blog and her 22 pound cat is gorgeous.


OOh, also I have been told that I won a joint giveaway by Green Mamma and Creative Kismet - a very pretty pillowcase tote - I will be hanging out for a parcel - I'm not too desperate, well, yes I am. Both Green Mamma and Creative Kismet are fabulous blogs for living the Green Life; living in this world by caring and responding to the environment's needs.

Orange and Pecan

What do we eat for Sunday Lunch on a drizzly day?

Hmmmmmmm! Orange and Pecan Scones

4 ingredients!

2 cups of sifted self raising flour
50g or 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 orange - rind and juice
1 cup of pecan nuts, chopped

Heat oven to 220 C / 460 F
Flour into processor
Butter into flour
Process til flour resembles coarse breadcrumbs
Add rind
Juice orange and reserve 2 tablespoons of juice, then make up enough juice for 1/2 cup by adding water
Add to flour mixture
Add nuts
Process briefly til you see a firm dough (add tiny bit of water if too dry)
Roll out onto floured surface til 2cm thick
Cut using favourite scone utensil (cutter, glass, plastic cup)
Place on tray with baking paper
Cook aprox. 15 mins
Eat straight away with lashing of butter or marg, or orange marmalade.

Circus snowballs

My Circus Snowballs for a neighbour's long awaited little bundle of joy - I have so enjoyed making this - the fabrics are so cheerful and fun.



Here is a bit of a close-up of my pieced triangles - not perfect - but I am pleased with 99% of them - often I am a bit slapdash with my piecing - "it should be fine, I cut them correctly and sewed them correctly, so they should just join" but this time I pinned like a mad woman!

Don't neglect your pins and you shall be rewarded!




This is a photo of the edging I miraculously thought up - chop a block in half - after I stuffed up one edge of the top - yay! I feel good.

(Don't look at the triangle points on the left- aaaaccchhh - it's hurting my eyes - so is this font size)

I found metres of a lovely blue pindot in my stash - where was that hiding? - which tones in beautifully with the aquaey blue blocks, for the binding and the cream 'performers' for the back.

Un, deux, trois....

Some op-shopping:

Was $10 now $5!! To Paint or Not To Paint?

End of my bed maybe, with a gorgeously thick cushion on top (for me to just 'Whip Up' yeah right!!)-don't look at the messy doona - I know you did! What? do I have to make that too?

Some doll quilting:

An idea for my Amitie VIP goods - so dang cute! - The blue picks up the little beret and the bluebird so well.

Daughter 1 would be pleased about the beret - she's turning into a francophile and has to kiss me on both cheeks goodbye, and is learning to count in French; only up to seven so far (I couldn't remember numbers eight or nine, last night, from my schoolgirl french lessons!)

Her dream is to go to Paris one day. Oo La La! Keep saving, baby.

Give me more!

Did you notice a new sign on my sidebar 'Quilting Bloggers' - I stumbled upon them - not sure how- but it is the best resource! I could spend hours searching this site.

The home page is Quilting Gallery and a gallery it is:

Find new quilty bloggers in your part of the world and say Hi!

Search publications, videos, podcasts, forums

Find new patterns, tips and tricks, quilt gallery, and artistic inspirations such as:

Quilt Mavens;

Free Projects such as Tea cup quilt, Suitcase Pincushion,

MaryQuilts' string quilt


but my favourites at the moment are the Wickedly Easy Quilt by Byannie

and the Continuing Disappearing 9-Patch - by happy2bstitching - I love the possibilities!


I can see some serious 'puta hours clocking up.

Can't get a more beautiful day

10 mins before I pick up the girls and the glorious winter sunshine beckons me out - perfect for posting some shots!

Mexican Sage and the blue blue sky (oh, and our fairy house)





Our wonderful Agonis which is the highlight of our backyard and around which we built the second storey of our house (hee hee you can see my rack of washing drying in the doorway trying to catch the mild breeze- this is from last night - 5 degrees overnight was not going to dry them on the line)





Last of the plectranthus

Our Lollipop Calistomen in bud - the fuzzy buds are almost as interesting as the flowerA true Geranium - the colour is glorious!


I call this the Stinky plant - fantastic succulenty thing - would survive a nuclear bomb - but boy, does it stink!

Some Liberty cord I got on ebay a while back - I often stare at the pattern - it has to go up on the wall!

3 plus yards of the most delicious bit of barkcloth 'Cowgirls' by Moda I have been holding onto - I love the richness of the blue and the laughter of the girls and the texture of the barkcloth - I want to make it into a couple of floor cushions for the loungeroom - thick, comfy with maybe a button or two - does anyone know of a pattern for a 'box' cushion maybe with zip?

Not so many ruffles

Having a browse through cyberland, I came across pictures of a Quilt Show in US, namely Free Spirit Designers' booths; one caught my eye because of a piece of furniture; namely the ruffled cushion seat in Tina Givens' stall. I also like her new range called Chloe's Imagination

This has given me a little bit of oil for the brain as to making something for the end of my bed; we have a large space between the bed and the opposite wall (aprox. 3 metres) and it has always bugged me that it needs to be filled. I don't want a hard blanket box as such; more like something to sit on to put on your shoes. Maybe with not so many ruffles, but the idea is juicy!


My grandmother's dresser takes pride of place on the left and my lovely turned-leg vanity basin in the distance.

Pip on my leg almost falling asleep, like a living hot water bottle; dang I have to move now!

Knitted vessels

I want lots of these - they're cream; they're vases; they look knitted!!!
Picture by Love Surface Design

Am I getting one?- not likely I'm afraid - but a girl can dream.

Anyone know of anything like them in Australia?

Blog VIPers

Amitie has sent me out my first Blog VIP mailout - 2 fat quarters of some new fabric - v.v. cute!


There is a competition! I have to email them with some details on what I like to make and who I like to read blogwise etc, and...also a post of what I intend to do with these fabrics.....

So: What I would do with these pieces? I would love to fussy cut up the number piece into squares for a super sweet doll quilt -then the red riding hood fabric - not sure as yet - maybe tissue holder with red ric-rac or a softie's outfit.


I was also very pleased to see the package they came in - 100% recycled paper! Go Amitie!

Op-shopping - what.......again?

I just can't help myself - the doors were open, I had time to spare, just a look???

Okay, I came out with:

Bread and Butter plates - sweet as


A Rennie Mackintosh design bone china mug in matching box

V. Vintage suitcase - always resisted these, but not today - I love the inside pattern and the logo - shall be useful, I promise, hubbie.


Pretty sheet...for....I don't know....do I have to have a reason?

A little bit more sewing done - of course, on another new project, can't finish one without starting one more to add to list of UFO's

Pippi luurrved the smell of the case....is this a good thing?

Sharp things

My first go at LMPQG pincushion: despite my little tantie about dodgy instructions, I just said: stuff it, stop wingeing and just do it! So, turns out......um...not so good that I could give it away, but....I really am loving having a pincushion (for the very first time!) How did I live without one?

I am into the Doll Quilt Swap 4 and starting to hunt through fabric and ideas - must. use. stash.
I 'Whipped' up this sample block from Modern Quilts - but it is way too big for a doll quilt size - reducing the pieces may be an option - but I am so bad at maths, and the pieces are like: 3.3/4 inch by 6.5 inch etc - halving? I don't think so! It was kind of a fun exercise though.


A simple dress (from local op-shop - always score something good there, and if not, there is always tomorrow) of which I will turn it and then myself into a vampiry gothic seductress, or something of that nature (or un-natured!) - stay tuned!