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

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

Grateful for..Beach Weather!

g'day...

today there is perfect beach weather...

sunny with a few clouds..

warm not windy..just a bit of a breeze...

this is the view from my computer window

looking towards noosa.

the sea will be warm...

children will be building sandcastles.

max and kara are going too...

to run

max has never been before!

i wonder what he'll think of those noisy waves...

and all that sand and water??

i made another cushion this morning..

while the household was snoozing

...it had to be a beach cushion!

beach balls, sun, sand and surf...

stripey beach umbrellas and strawberry and chocolate sundaes

for fun!

why am i grateful?

everybody is going to the beach....

except for me..

i'm having time to myself

to breathe

and read

and drink coffee!

alone time to refresh my soul

that's what i need.

naturally Carol xox

p.s....only 10 cushions to go!

pps...linking up with 'maxabella' for gratitude saturday!

Storms and A Red Cushion...

hi...it's getting late in the afternoon

a monster cyclone is bearing down on north queensland.

it is hot and sticky

and the tv has ongoing updates and alerts

and the people of cairns and all those other northerns towns

sit tight and wait.

my prayers ask the Lord to keep you safely

cocooned until danger passes.

life goes on down here...

buying half price fabric this morning...

i cut out a cushion ...and an apron for a swap.

{the first swap i've ever entered!}

all red and white today..with lots of spots!

i took these pics not thinking that i'd get around to making it up today..

a friend came around for coffee...

and lots of chit chat!

then phone calls with mr t in bendigo

another chin wag with big pond re my intermittent internet connection...

they're going to put a stabiliser on the line now...hope it works!

then finally...

i sat down for a little sew

a little hot and a little sticky...

but nothing to what the people who've experienced floods have felt this year.

that thought drove me on...

and 'red leaves' came together.

i know they're not red leaves...but they are leaves surrounded by red..

intense, vibrant, fire engine red!

not having enough fabric to finish it all in leaves...

i resorted to polka dots..big and small.

the other day i found a big bag of black buttons

for a very reasonable price...

so i'm going to use them a lot.

a red buttoned tag..

this could be a cushion for romantics...

valentine's day colours.

or for leaf lovers...i am one myself...

i love tree and leaf designs on anything!

to fellow leaf lovers...and queenslanders...

keep safe

naturally Carol xox

if you would love to join me in making cushions for queenslanders who are flood affected...

please email me or/and see the 'calling for cushions' link on the right hand side of here.

giveaway...

see monday's post and  leave a comment there

 stating which apron you would like to win...

friends/followers get two chances...

everybody else who comments...one!

drawn friday!

that's all folks.

Meadowsweet...

hi...today has been a hot humid sunny day

and we've just had a thunderstorm!

so glad to cool down a bit...

nice of the sun to pop in though this summer!

i made this apron over a week ago..

but with one event after another

just didn't have the heart to show you last week.

the design is a slightly modified amy butler...

cutting out was the hardest part...

getting the rows of flowers just right

and the dots!

the back...i love a generous tie,

in fact

i always use the whole width of the fabric per tie...

that way they can be tied around the front

if that's the way you choose to wear it.

showing the teatowel loop..

very handy when baking.

the pocket...could be a little bigger

...next time!

using the selvedge

to give miss apron a 'sweet' name!

'Y'...as in 'why?'

i can't resist a comment

as my regular readers will know...

i leave a trail of them,

so

y

not

here!

just a note...a bit of a p.s really...

if you want to make a cushion to give to a flood affected person or family...

see yesterdays post for details.

leave a comment or send me an email for an address to send one to!

i'd love you to join me

naturally Carol xox

Le Petit Bunting Giveaway Winners!

good morning!

i have filled my bowl with

origami doves!

there is one dove for every entry...

so if you entered a comment about the bunting you got a dove

and

if you were a follower/friend as well,

you got two doves!

i then took a long pair of tongs

and stirred them up

and the first dove i pulled out was

NO. 14

the first winner is:

trish at 'my little drummer boys'

congratulations trish

the second dove i pulled out with my tongs was

NO. 31

the second winner is:

gwen at 'gwenny-penny'

congratulations gwen

and

i have made an extra present for these winners

as

i figured the bunting would more than likely

feature in a kids room

i made the mums both a 'pink flower sugar' apron

these will be put in the mail with the bunting!

 



and

i decided there would be a 'runner up' as well

the next dove my tongs connected with was

NO 23

congratulations to

joni illanora at 'the diary of joni & anya'

she will receive a little cushion

with a frill...

i will contact you all asap

and ask that you email me with your names and addresses

so i can send you your goodies!

my commiserations

to everyone else who entered...

i appreciated your encouraging comments

and would have loved to see you all win...

maybe next time!

naturally Carol xox

Cutting It Out Creatively...

after finishing my summer tablecloth

yesterday morning,

i was excited...

i've never made one before.

my inspiration

was my friend irene in new zealand

who's family is dutch.

she used to put a rug on her dining room table!

it looked fantastic.

so i thought

i could make a patchwork tablecloth

and dress my table with it...

this morning,

though,

i was just wondering

how to start.

have you ever been there?

so i just fiddled around

with the fabric i have in my little plastic box

and came up with

a few ideas

to keep me off the streets!

these will be breakfast place mats,

the retro pattern is the front,

the red connected dots will be the back...

should i put a third piece of fabric in between the layers for bulk?

or a thin piece of padding?

i would love it if you would let me know!

&

&

a couple more 'flower sugar' and pink polka dotty aprons...

{all the girls in the family...me included...are loving pink aprons!}

&

 the start of a couple of little girly cushions,

a rectangle and a small square,

just inched out of left over pink flower sugar.

i'll have to hunt around for coordinating materials now

to finish them.

{i haven't made a rectangular cushion before!}

now!

it's on to the fun stuff.

just a giveaway reminder...

if you want to enter to win

one of two

'le petit bunting' strings like this -

see tuesdays post for details

or leave a comment here...

entries open until sunday!

i'm linkin' up with kootoyoo today!

do you want to see who's there too?

naturally Carol  xox

Now, I'm OK...

this fine thursday,

well, now it's fine...

this morning was traumatic.

i even shed a little tear!

i don't know

whether i was making a mountain out of a molehill,

or

it was really a storm in a teacup

{i love the picture in my head that saying creates

so i just had to add it in to our conversation}

but

my new spectacles are so far

a spectacular failure.

they are meant to be multifocussed.

well, in my books

that just means

i can only focus on one thing at a time

or

everything else is blurry,

no clear peripheral vision!

just unending tunnel vision!

so

i have pestered the nice ladies

at the optometrists twice since yesterday.

i said (very politely) to this morning's lovely lady

that i would actually love to

throw this piece of very expensive junk,

{masquerading as a pair of glasses}

at someone.

{preferably the optometrist...

who did not warn me of this calamity!}

lo and behold!

music to my ears,

she says,

if they don't work out in a fortnight;

they can replace them

{perhaps with two pairs}.

that brought peace to my heart again,

{where there was despairing}

'cos there is light at the end of my tunnel vision

and my familiar little world will be sustained.

so

i am doing my best

and trying the new ones for a while.

thank goodness

for escape clauses!

here is cushion no 3.

i love these long legged beauties,

posing and leaping with grace!

jazzing up this little pillow,

bringing a smile to shazzie's face.

this is another disasterous project

that has a happy ending.

i cut the big bits out and then the edges weren't straight!

so i shaved a bit off here and there...

and then had to add some spots back in!

but now,

i have decided that the spots

make it pop!

that, dear readers...

is the end

of

my

"tale of three cushions"

tomorrow i have another story.

thanks for lending me

your shoulder to cry on today,

friends!

naturally Carol  xox

ps  just couldn't resist looking at life through rose coloured glasses to finish off! hehe

A Tale of 3 Cushions...

good morning!

last saturday,

i wanted to sew something

but was at a bit of a loose end.

i didn't know what to sew or what fabric to use.

so

i rummaged around my little box of fabric pieces.

{i don't have much, it was a short rummage}

anyway,

i came across a few strips of pink

that miss b had sewn together and passed on to her mum {me!}

and said

"you can do anything you like with these".

i thought,

"i could slice these up with my cutter,

and put a few more bits in

and make a cushion"

well,

i added a bit of this and that and

ended up with four sides.

then i thought,

"this front really doesn't go with that",

so,

i'll put this with that and this one should have some of another,

and

i ended up with

3 cushions.

i am only showing you one today.

i'll show you one tomorrow,

and one on thursday...

'cos there's nothing like

anticipation!

shari

decided that she liked all their girlie goodness,

so they are no longer up for adoption.

i call them my

'love' collection.

i love the way

that scraps

can end up being made into

something useful...

fun...

and cute.

i am amazed that

Jesus Christ

has taken my scrappy life

and is making it

beautiful.

naturally Carol xox

Happy Birthday Miss Chloe...

happy birthday

to you...

happy birthday to you...

happy birthday dear chloe...

happy birthday miss two!

miss chloe is miss b's friend's daughter.

miss b was up to see her mum {me} for the weekend,

so we went to choose a pattern for this birthday frock together.

well...

we chose a pattern then decided to alter it.

then...

a friend had given me this material

but...

i almost gave up on it,

and...

was ready to ditch it,

'cos...

it was so thin and fine

and i was all fingers and thumbs.

but...

with some super human {for me}

perserverence

and...

patience {phew!}

i ended up really pleased with

the result.

the little sundress

turned out to be so sweet

and

light and fresh and soft...

happy birthday little sweetie

may God bless you and your family.

ps. the cushion is made from the last pieces i had of

'city weekend' charm squares and a few extras.

have a delightfully sweet monday...

please tell me what you're up to if you've time.

naturally carol  xox