School Yard Safari

I've had a great day today. My kids at school have been doing an Integrated Studies Unit on Mini Beasts, and we have recently been on a School Yard Safari. Needless to say, they have come across a lot of SNAILS. They are simply facinated with them. I think I will have enough scope to run my full program next week linking to these little creatures.

Another reason for my great day, is my latest craft challeng with Ric Rac, who I am lucky to say works at my school. We are going to do some embroidery squares, "Craft at Work Challenge" but will post more about that on Friday. After a lot of work on the weekend, I'm pleased to report that my . . . reports are on the way to being done. I had a little bit of sewing time on Sunday and made these baby ribbon rugs and finished my Mini Quilts for the Locket Pocket swap.

This is what I'd like to be doing ...

Now that my school reports are looming, I'd really like to finish this embroidered quilt that only needs backing.
I'd also like to add the finishing touches to this Friendship Quilt that I got back in January, that needs a final boarder and then some backing and quilting.
...oh, and I've started some knitting that I'm enjoying and that is a peaceful way to sit and watch a DVD and be productive at the same time . . .
...and when all else fails, some colouring or drawing would be fun too. Oh the things we can think of when there is something that HAS to be done!

School thoughts ...

I love the simple pleasure of these seaside daisies.

Monkey's have always been a favourite of mine, and I love all the ones I see around Blogland. They get up to so much mischief. I have 2 in my classroom, that live in an old brown case, and go home with the children. They have clothes and blankets and all sorts of things they have collected from families. The children write in a diary of their adventures and enjoy taking them home. Their names are Monzie and Fergus. Fergus is Monzie's cousin. Last week one of the boys brought this lovely book called Chimp and Zee to school. This was one of the very cute illustrations.

I love to have pictures from the kids hanging up everywhere, and this is a drawing by one of my Grade 1's - she is quite an artist.
Just a few garden pics thown in for good measure . . .

This is Mum . . . my beautiful mumSorry I haven't been playing the last couple of weeks, but I couldn't resist this one.

This is....my way of Recycling
I get children from school to bring me in bags and bags of leaves. I stop on the way home from school with my rake, and my garden gloves and I clean up the gutters. I no longer get embarrassed as this is my 3rd year of doing this. As my children are getting older however, they hide in the car. They will certainly remember their mum as the resident "leaf thief"
I feed my compost bins and reap the bennefits with luscious compost for my garden. Gee it's a wonderful life. I just LOVE gardening.
Just a little teaser for Miss Locket to finish up on, for as much as I love gardening,
I love sewing too!
Don't mention school reports . . . that's what I'm supposed to be doing!!

Autumn Colour and . . . RAIN!

What a pleasure it was to go to bed last night listening to the rain...
and then to wake up this morning still hearing rain . . .
my beautiful big black tank is 3/4 full. Very exciting indeed.
I couldn't help but go out with my camera and an umbrella, to inspect my wet wet garden.
Oh happy days

Happy Saturday

Today I had the pleasure to meet up with Four Wise Monkeys at the Ballarat Patchwork shop. She was doing a course there, and because Ric Rac knows just about everything that's going on, she arranged for us to meet up during a break in transmition.

Here we are: Ric Rac, Scrap Bag Four Wise Monkeys and me. Pretty scary when you see yourself on the computer screen, because I was sure I didn't really look like that - but hey, I know I was there, so it must be me!!

I love going to Emma's shop to see all the fresh, bright fabrics and all the great projects she has just lying about...

Last weekend I cut up a lot of chenille that I had hand dyed. I cut it into 6 and a half inch squares and I had some left over bits that were too good to throw out, so I cut up a little pile of 4 inch squares. My little Peter found them, and thought he might like a quilt out of them ... hmmm. I told him to dream about it a bit, and all week he kept telling me that he was dreaming about it, so I finally relented and said I would think about it on Saturday.

. . . so after a little outing to the Patchwork shop and choosing some more fabrics to go with, we started laying it out. One very excited little boy was helping me and passing me each piece to sew, so it went together very quickly.
Now just thinking about the boarders. The photos are a bit dark, so I will take some more tomorrow in the light. What a happy Saturday.

Inspiration in my Flowergarden

A walk in my Flowergarden this morning always inspires me. I am torn whether to spend time outside, or alternatively in my sewing room. Both spots fill me with excitement. I am lucky indeed to have 2 passions.
A trip out on Saturday and I found these two georgous fabrics that I had to bring home with me. The brown one is to finish off my Shangrala Quilt that I started after the Quilt Fair and just needs a final boarder, and the pink one is a flannel, and when it comes to flannel, and I get to feel it, it just speaks to me, and I NEED it. It just felt so soft and yummy and had my favourite flowers on it, so I will have to invent something to make with it, and I'm sure that won't be too hard.The dried up flowers on my succulents are really captivating me at the moment. Their form is amazing and they make me think of dinosaurs, or really really old people with wrinkly skin. They are just beautiful to me.

Hark to the Rain!

Thanks for all your encouraging comments to help me out of my blue mood these last couple of weeks. It is great to be able to retreat into my own little space with my cyber friends who buck me up with encouraging comments and appreciation of my talents. I really love being part of this blogging world. A special thanks to Bloom, who sent me a lovely card and pattern for a bag to make. It was very good timing to have some friendly post arrive in my box.

Below is just a little experiment with an idea I had, but I'm not sure it is working out the way I thought it would. Don't you hate that!! I will persevere just to see if I'm wrong.

I have had success however with my knitting. Maybe I am a knitter after all. This scarf was so quick to make, so I have started another one. It is a great TV craft!

And look what turned up this week . . . a box of Guide Biscuits! I remember those when I was a Guide, and I remember they were really yummy. Imagine my excitement when I have discovered in this day and age, they have choc coated ones. I don't think Miss Flowergarden is going to have any trouble selling her box full.