Count Down...

hello there!

i think i'll join up with 'kootoyoo' today...

i haven't for a couple of weeks.

there's lots of creativity happening there!

counting down from 35 cushions

needed for nanango primary school

this is number 23

{22 to go!}

i think this is my favourite in the 'boys will be boys' fabric.

i've distributed the colours more randomly

and love the combinations of greys and grey/blue with the apricot...

i really like all the sketchily drawn characters too!

the boys, dogs and monkeys make me smile,

i know my boys would have loved a few monkeys about.

mr t's favourite animal in the zoo was always a monkey...

it had to be blue...

sounds a bit like a song doesn't it!

{it had to be you...hehe!}

i would have preferred grey

but didn't have any left so

it had to be blue!

just a word about the bright 'n' stripey cushion from yesterday...

to make it more robust for kids

i lined the front with calico and sewed the two layers together

before attaching the back to the front.

i've made another couple with those thinner fat quarters...

and have lined them too..

i'll show you tomorrow.

take care now...

i'm off to singing practice tonight

for the first time in years..we've got something fun planned for easter...

i'll tell you about it then!

naturally Carol xox

Bright 'n' Stripey!

afternoon all!

i've just been out to lunch

taking this yellow one with me

as a gift to my friend maree

to celebrate her birthday!

she is made out of my last bit of yellow lecien fabric

so i filled in the middle with spots to stretch it further...

maree said she is going to keep it in her car

so her kids don't abscond with it...lol!

yellow polka dots and pre-loved buttons...

the colour of daffodils...mmm!

at the cafe

kim who works for habitat for humanity,

came up to me.

she said..the ladies who received the handmade cushions

that teje and debbie made

were absolutely blown away with the thought,

that someone

would make a cushion for them!

well done both of you...you're gems!

well i'm still counting down with the primary school cushions..

another one for the prep kids...number 24!



bright 'n' stripey is what i'm calling this one...

it's made with vanessa's fabric..from 'flower photography'...

thanks..

from the side...

the back view...

by the way,

the mass of flowers next to the cushion

is actually a hat..made by miss b...

i am caretaker of said hat..while she is in canada...haha!

{i did actually wear it out to a lunch once too!}

i'm having a lot of fun in my neck of the woods..

i hope you are too!

naturally Carol xox

Number Twenty Five!

hi!

it's straight to the point this morning,

no messing about...

introducing no. 25

this was made a bit like a dinner of leftovers!

a few charm squares,

some red polka dots and plain brown fabric

and some mismatched feux leather buttons...

all of the bits left over from other projects and long discarded knitwear

to make a cushion with a kind of folksy woodsy charm.

24 to go!

i've got a little bit of research to do before class tonight..

so have a great tuesday,

see you tomorrow!

naturally Carol xox

Just For Kids...

good morning!

only just got by with a good morning not a good afternoon..hehe..

the weekend was great,

the surprise party for my friend was a huge success.

it was held in a lovely turn of the century queenslander

with big verandahs ...and fairy lights came on in the evening.

it was the same place..kingston house..that mr t & sharrie got married at.

it was lovely to visit again!

apart from that mr w was home for the weekend

so we actually went as a couple to the party.

i am very used to going alone to events these days

so it was nice to have a partner.

i did a bit of fiddling at the sewing machine

and had fun working out these cushions for the kids at nanango primary school

in central queensland.

the boys, dogs and monkeys

are from a selection called 'boys will be boys'...

i've teamed them up with my blue choices

from a pack of one hundred plain charm squares from westminster fabrics.

a plain baby blue back.

now that cushion goes with this...

and this is that!

spicing it up with red...

i think these colours might energise the little ones

not put them to sleep at nap time...

oh well..they can just wave this one around

when it's time to wake up! lol

a red back..just to keep it all popping!

the school needed 35 altogether,

i posted 8 last week..with these 2

i need to produce 25 more!

i've got one more in this series..a more subdued group of hues

but one i like just as much.

i also got a surprise last week from nic at 'yardage design'

but it deserves a post of it's own...

so you'll have to wait!

thanks, nic.

thought for today...

"whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,

but he who hates reproof is stupid"

proverbs 12:1

that's something to meditate on isn't it!

naturally Carol xox

An Abundance!

evening all!

i have been so blessed by people helping me with the cushions

&

this week was no exception...

as well as caroline promising more to come,

vanessa from 'flower photography' sent me this amazing parcel this week...

cushion inserts, fat quarters, yardage ..even the ribbon will be used!

buttons and candles for me...thank you vanessa..so kind ~

and a tin for little cards and a soap for me too!

whose spoiled ?

..i am!!

&

guess what..she didn't know..but

with all the kid's cushions to be made for the school

i couldn't have asked for more suitable fabrics..amazing!!

tomorrow i'm going to a 60th birthday..

so i made these for my friend,

i thought i'd show you and you can let me know if you think they'll be suitable.

they are a neutral colour..'cos i'm not sure what colour her lounge room is.

i embroidered one little mushroom tag...

and i was having fun

so i embroidered another little mushroom too!

a view from the back.

a very happy birthday to my friend trish...

a dedicated nursing person...i admire her greatly!

have a wonderful weekend...

i know you're a bunch of mad party animals..

without exception?!?!

{oh..i think there is an exception...me!}

naturally Carol xox

I'm Honoured...Thank You!

hi there!

today i'm doing a little catching up...

kindly

i have been given two awards

and as you know they take a little bit of figuring out...

to respond to them properly

and send them on their way.

the first one i received was from mindy...

her blog is 'in the loop'.

as the name suggests, mindy is crazy about crochet!

she is also very profficient at it

and makes beautiful headbands...

cute animals and figures..including a robot!

she also makes the most divine looking necklaces

with crocheting and beads intertwined.

just a few days ago she sent me some crocheted cushion covers

for flood affected queenslanders, that i will show you soon.

to receive this award i have to tell you about 4 guilty pleasures...lol!

1. the above award is so apt for my first guilty pleasure...i love creamy desserts..strawberry parfaits, pavlova, cheesecake or creme brulee..i love them all and i do feel very guilty when i indulge!
2. my second guilty pleasure is watching chick flicks...i love the romance..the build up..exploring the characters..the sweetness of the first blush of romance...mmm...a couple of hours is gone in a flash.  This pleasure was introduced at a very early age with the event of 'a sound of music' in the sixties..oh how i wanted to be julie andrews and sing my way through a romantic life...overcoming the terror of war even..everything was possible with a handsome lover!
3. my third guilty pleasure is day dreaming...haha..i can while away the hours easily in a day dream, i'm a great procrastinator..i've had years of experience..oh well  : (...the two previous guilty pleasures aid very well in my procrastination too!)
4. my fourth guilty pleasure is in listening to unpopular music...country gospel, boy bands..the everley brothers...bee gees. if it has some harmony and a sing along melody i'm into it!  crooners are invited to sing to me anytime they'd like!

so now you know a little more about this uncool chick...

i'm being honest at least ...so don't give me the flick!

i'd like to give this award to two special bloggers...

firstly to laura from 'summerhouse'

laura is a consistently sweet person with a tasteful blog...

her style is undeniably cool...romantic and chic!

she is also a warm and caring person

with a georgeous family and a blossoming business

and makes the most adorable soft furnishings and crafted pieces.

also i would like to pass this award on

 to helen from the blog appropriately named 'helen philipps'

helen is an amazingly talented woman..

she crafts constantly..making bunnies, cross stitching,

patchwork, knitting..you name it, she does it...beautifully.

helen's blog is always pretty...whether it's flowers or crafts..

she's an irresistably sweet blogger!

i hope both of you will accept this award.

i am also honoured to accept the 'liebster blog' award

from sue who blogs at 'astrachic studio'

sue's blog has amazing photo's combined with amazing graphics,

she has a lovely sense of whimsy and fun...

i am sure you'll enjoy meeting her and her fantastical blog!

thank you sue.

the aim of the 'liebster blog' is to showcase other great but not so well known blogs that we

love to follow....ones with less than 3,000 followers!

1. if you accept this award you need to display it and write a post about it.

2.  pass it on to 3 to 5 others and let them know about it.

3. link back to the person who gave it to you.

no. one...check.

no. two...

i would like to pass the 'liebster award' on to...

pam from 'bayside rose'...

pam is a lady with style...only recently discovered by me, known by others though...i enjoy visiting her

and love to read what she has to say and see her lovely photos.

i hope you accept this award pam and we'll all be around to see your georgeous roses!

anb from 'suburban sonnet'...

a pretty and interesting blog written by a woman with a small child and a garden...

all about living and life in general.

thanks anb for being real and just your georgeous self ...

your honesty about life shines through your blog.

&

cat from 'raspberry rainbow'...

cat has a bright and brilliant blog...she is a mum and a crafter..

she is fun and just a mite crazy for life...

pop in and love her blog too!

number three...check...so the list is completed..

enjoy your awards everyone

and happy browsing to everyone else..i hope you discover a new friend here somewhere!

naturally Carol xox



One Wednesday In March...

when the weather was wonderfully warm...

{the fans were on at 7 am this morning}

i gathered another package to theodore together.

another 6 cushions for the new dongas..caravans..

being built for flood affected peeps.

there are 5 more required.

&

8 for the primary school there...

the little ones..kinder and prep,

they need 35 in all so the littlies can rest on them

..and sit on them..and play with them!

there are 27 more to make.

here are a few of the kiddie ones that were sent to the school this morning...

i finally figured that all the elephants stand the same way up...

and all the other animals have right way up and upside down figures!

i just used a trio of mismatched buttons on this back.

this will probably appeal to the girls mostly...

but i thought it would be cute for kids.

we're helping them learn to count!

sewing in the selvedge with the seam..no little buttons to come off and be swallowed!

a multitude of coloured raindrops and tiny spots on the backs.

a radically different colour..an acid yellow...bright botany prints...

a variety of white buttons...all my ducks are in that line!

{i only had two}

the other ones that went to the school are

the spangler's denim cushion

&

the polka dotted patch cushion.

there are more goodies to share tomorrow...

i didn't get a thing cut out yesterday,

'cos at the last moment i realised i needed some food in the house...

and shopping takes time.

i love that life dishes out the unexpected...

and the unknown...

each challenge encourages us to learn..

and to overcome.

take on today's challenges

with faith and hope in your heart!

naturally Carol xox

The Flip Side...

i hope you're all having a lovely time

this afternoon...browsing away and posting to your heart's content!

i'm going to show you the other side to caroline's personality...

yesterday we got to see 'sweet caroline'...

pink and pretty..as one comment said..the cushion was dainty.

i thought that the word 'dainty', was just the right one.

today

carolines cushions are bold and arty...

beautiful in a different way.

lovely large floral prints are sewn in a patch on the front of each cushion...

the colours are bold and deep,

the texture of the fabric is like raw linen.

picture taken on an angle...

two out of three...

thanks caroline...these are a work of art...

and i know that jenny will find just the right people for them.

caroline writes a blog at http://www.ateliercaroline.blogspot.com/

i'm sure she would love a visit!

funny thing!!

i just checked in to see that the link above to caroline's site was right

and found that being the 400th follower...

she is going to make a few more cushion covers for theodore's flood affected people..yay!

thanks caroline  : )

i'm rapt!

and

today is my mum's birthday!

h a p p y  b i r t h d a y

m u m !!

a few daisies for you today...

i hope you're enjoying your day!

naturally Carol xox

Sweet Caroline!

hi ! good afternoon!

monday...and off running..no not literally..sorry cate!

this morning i visited with some georgeous girls doing a course locally,

called 'way to go', coordinated by the local women's health centre.

i was just there to encourage them...

for twelve weeks last year...feb to april...4 days a week..

a group of us got to know each other really well

and some wonderful women...ruth, jo, and anna,

 helped us to open up our lives.

 We confronted fear and sometimes pride,

getting to know ourselves better in a safe and affirmative environment.

i took along my 'meadowsweet' apron, my crocheted cushion,

my new, new york cushions and the 'mushroom cushions' i haven't shown you yet...

and

guess what..they liked them.

i hope it will inspire somebody to have a go...at anything they want to!

speaking of cushions...

this sweetie was made by caroline,

of http://www.ateliercaroline.blogspot.com/.

the sweetest of tiny rosebuds..a lovely textured fabric...

i hope you go and discover her blog...

caroline sews beautifully.

this amazing rose is totally handmade by caroline...

doesn't it just 'make' the cushion.

the dreamy spotted pink on the back,

tomorrow i'll show you what other covers she sent me...

it's just that they deserve a post of their own!

now...after my fun morning...

i think i'm just ready to take my time...

choose some more fabric from my little box

and cut out a few more covers for theodore.

i can see the light at the end of the tunnel now..

with this project,

so on with a quiet, contemplative afternoon!

'til tomorrow...

naturally Carol xox

Cate's Cushion!

last week...

{it'seemed like such a long week..i can't remember what day}

i got three georgeous parcels from the postie..

all containing cushions.

what with having to fill in paperwork for the tiny job i've been given..

{who'd a' thought it'd take so much time ~fiddling around over two days~

to fill in papers for such a little job}

and trying to get a few more cushions done myself..

and ordinary things like shopping

and regular commitments...

i never got photos done or posted of the cushions that came...

i apologise to cate and mindy and caroline.

anyway..today..i thought i'd start with cate's
'tweet'...

very 'tweet' {sweet} indeed...

all cate's little birds are sitting on a running stitch wire

and each bird is handstitched beautifully with blanket stitch.

a close up of the left hand bottom corner...cute!

from another angle...

if you love this cushion..

please visit cate @ keepcatebusy

and tell her how clever she is...

i have noted that there have been little comments she has made

trying to tell  us that she's not clever 'n' crafty...

but now we know better!

please forgive me for not showing much 'on the black couch' anymore...

but due to people living in my front room

my black couch is covered with all kinds of 'stuff'

and is now hard to get to!

so

this time and perhaps in the future..

i shall have to take photos

'on the pink blanket'!

by the way

i am extremely grateful for the help of

everybody's contributions of cushions and fabric...

we have sent well over 50 cushions out

with another dozen to go this week...

i couldn't have done it without

you!

so i'm joining in with the saturday's grateful posts

at 'maxabella's' this week...

naturally Carol xox

For Japan...

from my heart to yours...

naturally Carol xox

My Small Creative Sewing Space!

hi!

 i'm joining in with kootoyoo tonight.

a while back..teje from 'nero's post & patch' asked me

to show her my sewing space,

so here goes...

that little quilt is from a book of miniature quilts,

i made it about nine or ten years ago

and quilted it by hand...

it makes a lovely sewing machine mat

and keeps the table from getting scratched.

this is a view of the whole sewing table,

there is a bigger dining table next to it

where i have space to cut out patterns..and cushion covers & aprons!

i have only just bought those rectangular baskets..

they are made out of woven lengths of thick 'ribbon'

and have a metal frame.

they look a lot neater than the plastic container i used to have there

and are only from the cheap shop so weren't expensive.

the pink padded box is where my cotton is kept...

the plastic containers next to it are full of sorted embroidery cottons.

these are my fabrics...just a wee pile.

i have seen a lot of sewing rooms with fabrics

colour sorted and piled high in georgeous shelves and cabinets...

well that's not me.

i guess i'm a kind of minimalist when it comes to my sewing supplies...

most gets used almost as soon as it's bought at the moment.

i still enjoy what i do have though!

and

the more excited i am about my fabric

the more i just want to sew it up immediately...then it's gone..lol!

well that's really all there is to see..

i hope you enjoyed your peek teje!

{and anybody else who may be browsing!}

i made a couple of 'mushroom' cushions today..i'll keep them for later...

see ya!

naturally Carol xox

Botany!

a good afternoon to you!

only those of us all a little bit advanced in age

would remember studying the subject of 'botany'..

the study of plants.

of course people still study plants..

but the closest we get to the word 'botany' generally

is probably in visiting the 'botanical gardens'!

this is my 'botany' or botanical cushion..

the perfect creamy yellow with outlines of country kitchen green!

i've chosen this picture first

as it shows off that lovely intricately drawn design on the fabric...

 

do you see the little birds and spiderwebs?

i know the yellow is 'pretty'
but even the blokes need a little sunshine

& i think a fella that enjoyed gardening in his prime

would enjoy this botanical line!

a 'unisex' cushion sublime..haha!!

black buttons make the yellow a little less pretty...

the other cushions i've sent for the blokes are

the two big rainforest cushions...one each 'cos they're large..hehe!

and

the two amy butler green ones i made quite a while ago now,

they're large too!

anyway this lot should get to their destination in a couple of days

..they were posted this morning.

now..talking about the post,

good ol' aussie post delivered three packages this morning!

one from caroline..3 very artistic cushions,

one from cate...a 'so cute' bird cushion

and

mindy sent some soft 'n cosy crocheted cushions..

all will be displayed in posts when i have taken their photos!

a big thank you to caroline, cate and mindy!!

 

wednesday comes but once a week...enjoy yours today.

 

naturally {& botanically} Carol xox

 

ps...i answered the phone a few minutes ago and got myself a little paid work..

delivering some papers every few weeks to a designated school..

.just a little pocket money...

it will cover my coffees at gloria jeans... cool!

A Pair of Rosy Posies...

thanks for all your lovely comments...

i love receiving them and reading them through

they make me feel warm and fuzzy

and well loved!

there are a few people left on my list of flood affected people in theodore

to make cushions for.

i'm just hoping they will brighten up the dongers

{a queensland word for a rectangular caravan!}

the government is building ten of these by the 25th march

so i have just a few more to make for the people moving into these.

this pair of 'rosy posy' cushions

were sewn on monday...

yellow flower sugar by lecien...

need i say more!

i decided to just make little selvedge tags for these ones..just for fun!



a few pink polka dots on the back of one...

all yellow with yellow buttons on the back of this one.

today i finished another yellow cushion...botany.

it's for a bloke..

i'll show you tomorrow,

i've decided the fellas can have just one big cushion

to put on their favourite armchair!

the girls all get two smaller ones..

i hope that's not discrimination..just a bit of common sense.

no rosy posies for the men either!

it's late so i'm off to bed...

i hope to see you all earlier tomorrow...

sleep well!

naturally Carol xox