Things to love and inspire

I think the motivation for all the things I want to do with 2010 has finally arrived. One of the things I am totally in love with at the moment is my Google Reader. So much to love, inspire and enjoy there and so fun to find new blogs to add all the time.

And, because I don't have my own computer at the moment (it is in the laptop hospital!) I can't show you my new projects and other interesting things happening here but I can show you a few things I'm loving from my Reader.

True Up is a blog all about fabric *swoon* and today they had these stunning swatches on show from Giselle:

 

CraftyPod has a great tutorial for a very cute sachet. While I'm not into the V-day stuff, I think this could be modified nicely - butterflies, birds, books,  even things like rain drops or tomatoes perhaps?

I seem to have a pink theme going here. One of my fave general inspiration blogs in Abby Try Again. She has beautiful photography and these two are no exception:

 

And I love it when my blogs send me back to etsy to lovely things to discover. I found this lovely "print" via Decor8. It is by sarahandbendrix:

The best thing about all this is that tomorrow I get to look again at lovely, surprising, inspiring, cute, wonderful things! I think all the hearts on this post are for my Reader and the fabulous blogs it brings me.

Limes

Almost a year ago I bought a whole lot of plants, including an 'Australian Outback' lime tree. I picked my first harvest the other day.

They, unfortunately, weren't very juicy - such a pity as we were making drinks at the time - but they smell delicious. They are also the size of a fingernail!

I love weird plants! They are black when they grow and gradually go a very dark green. Developed by the CSIRO (use the link to read more about the varieties they've developed) from a native lime, and, now I read the info sheet, good for making sauces. There are a lot more on the tree so I might just try out some sauce recipes.

And, don't worry, I have a normal lime tree too, especially for drinks!

Things getting done

Ever so slowly and steadily, things are getting done. I haven't managed to get back to here because I had to fix an issue with my camera (all better now, although I can't use my favourite lens - boo!), but other things are getting done.

Like yesterday morning Dad came over and put hooks in our bedroom walls! We have picture rails in every other room in the house, so it has been frustrating, but now there are things on our walls! Hooray!

This shot is above my bed. The print is of an important, if controversial, early Australian painting - Fish Catch at Dawes Point, Sydney Harbour by John Lewin. I've had it forever and it makes it home when it is up somewhere. Below that is my bedhead and my fantastic Ikea bedside light.

The little sign on my bedhead. One day I'll tell you about my plans that this relates to.

The other print I love up on another wall. I'm all about the clean, clear surfaces at the moment, so everything is put away and I feel better for it. The two pictures on the book shelf are part of my personal history. The one on the left is of the York Hotel where my great-gradfather, grandmother and grandfather, father and aunt all lived and ran for a long time. The photo was taken during the time that dad was a kid there. The other picture is actually pressed wildflowers that I picked and pressed in the early 1980s. In the bottom corner is a photograph of me picking the flowers...awww.

I'm going to put things up in the shop today. It is too hot to be anywhere except right in front of the air-con, with all curtains closed and iced water to drink, so it is a day for the computer and for reading when I get sick of that.

Major Project for 2010

Last year, while recovering from a particularly bad time in my life, I learnt to applique and I made this quilt block with beautiful liberty fabrics. I loved doing it and would applique all day long if I could. It is medative and relaxing. It is an old skill with an old action that makes me feel connected to the women who have done this before me. I didn't worry too much about fabric placement - there is a lot of theory about where on a quilt block certain colourways should be placed and how they should be balanced. Instead, I choose my fabrics for the shape I was doing. Flowers for flowers, paisely for birds, my favourites in the centre and randomness when I couldn't decide. It came out reasonably balanced, I think.

It was compeltely handstitched. Each shape was traced, cut, folded, tacked, placed and then appliqued with silk thread using invisable stitching. The steams were made with a tempramental bias tool and an iron and were my least favourite to make but my most favourite to stitch.

It isn't perfect - there are some little untidy bits here and there (not to mention my pigeons have club feet!). It didn't really look good until I finished it and ironed the whole thing. It now hangs on my wall above my sewing table.

So, the major project for 2010 is to do the patchwork so it can be on my bed by next summer. I'd like it to be a summer quilt - just light - and am considering using an old rug for the back. I'm not sure what fabric to use for the patchwork. If I was doing it properly it would be Liberty, but I worked out that would cost about $200 and that is not possible right now. So I will either be using random fabric that I have here already, or...not sure. It will come to me I suppose.

A New Year

Last night (New Year's Eve) I had some family and friends over for dinner. I've never really been that excited about New Year celebrations - only really for 2000 - and I gave up staying up for midnight years ago. The deal we all made was that the party wasn't to go on late. Most of us were tired and wanted sleep and that suited me fine.

I set up my market table on the front verandah and decked it out with a lovely red tablecloth, fairy lights, candles and a red lamp shade over the light. It was so much fun doing it and getting ready.

Our verandah is hemmed in on all sides by buildings (which is why our beautiful 1930s bungalow is so cheap!) but it never seems to matter. The setting sun comes through the two townhouses at the front and the breeze still blows there. Plus, there are no overlooking windows, so it is very private.

It was a lovely summer's evening - some thought a little cold, but I was fine. We ate homemade mountain bread chips with homemade roasted carrot dip and homemade olive tapenade then a bbq and salads, including tomatoes grown in my vege patch roasted with cous cous, basil, rocket and parmesan and a roast pumpkin salad. To finish we broke open the fruit cake my mum made my aunt for Chritmas (just three ingredients - mixed fruit, chocolate milk and sr flour!), which was delicious.

So, all in all, it was a really lovely night. We watched the blue moon rise and talked, drank and shared our resolutions. My visitors left at 10.30 or so and I fell into bed, happy to be able to sleep.

This morning Katrina and I took the dog to the beach - a glorious sun-drenched, breezy beach with dumping waves and miles of white sand. Bess chased the ball a lot, we all got wet (some of us got dumped as well) then came home and showered and ate left over salad. Yum. Such a great start to what I'm determined will be a great year.

Best wishes to all for 2010!