Flowers and cushions

Hello everyone, how are you?  I've been tip toeing in the garden through the bluebells, azaleas and camellias, not the tulips as I don't have any.  I picked a little posy of azalea blossom and some of the seasons first bluebells to cheer up the window sill near the kitchen sink.  I do look out onto garden when I'm doing the dishes although there aren't too many spring flowers yet.

The vase is a soft drink bottle which I kept from a lunch out one day.  It was so pretty and just the right size for this spot.

The camellias are still flowering which is so lovely.  As I can't see them from inside, I picked some blossom  to enjoy. 

 I love the contrast of the glossy green leaves against the red and pink blossom.

See the fabric behind the vase in the photo below, that is two cushions I made from the fabric that inspired my bright coloured granny square cushion.

Can you see two little paws in the bottom left hand corner?  They belong to Stripey.

I've started making my giant granny square throw in bright colours which is currently about the size of a cushion.  Lots more to do yet to make it big enough for me to snuggle under.

I'll be back soon with a painting update.  Take care,

Anne  xx

Fun with fabric scraps

Grab a pile of fabric offcuts.

These are curtain fabric remnants.

Wait for creative mojo to strike (last Saturday night), and play around with a design.

Very basic idea.

Cut out fabric and see what happens.

Sew it up, experiment a little (I've never tried this before).  Add a few extra details, ahem, buttons to cover where I accidentally snipped the fabric and some highlights on the feathers.

I think I have a  peacock  panel which I will make into a cushion cover.  Just have to work out how to add material to the sides and mitre the corners for a neat look.  My apologies for the colour quality of the photos.  I just can't seem to get it right.

Anne  xx

Another cushion cover

I've fallen in love with sewing all over again and just had to make another cushion cover.  This time it's for a cushion on the sofa in what we call the chill out room.  Basically it was a room originally destined to be a dining room on our house plans but has evolved into being a space for a desktop computer, a clothes airing area, sofa bed for overnight guests, bookcases etc.  Back to the cushion cover.

I found the fabric at Spotlight in the remnant bin for 50 cents.  It is a good quality fabric and I love the colours and pattern.  This was such an easy cover to make and once again I decided to hand stitch the button holes.  I was thinking about how I would style this photo and our other cat Bungee solved the problem for me.  :)

The reverse side and Bungee's back.

Making the buttonholes.

Bungee being cute and stealing the show.

Have a lovely day everyone,

Anne  xx

Granny square cushion cover

Last year I started teaching myself to crochet and I'm totally addicted.  I started making some granny squares with the idea of making a cushion cover.  Well I've FINISHED!!!!!  Finally.  This is my TAH DAH moment.

Front view of cushion.
I didn't have enough matching buttons in either of these two colours in my stash so I decided to alternate them.








 Back view.
Incidentally, this sofa is actually has a cream cover so you can see my camera doesn't have the colours right for either the sofa or the cushion.  The colours of the cushion are more aquamarine, teal, aqua, deep steely blue and bright deep pink.  I made a cover from fleece material to cover the cushion insert so that the white wouldn't show through.

This cushion is destined for hubby's dark brown leather chair in the family room.  After the morning sun has gone, this is a very dark corner of the room and I think a bright cushion is just what his chair needs.
 

I am so proud of my cushion.  I've actually learnt how to crochet and made something that is FINISHED!  I was dancing around the family room last night literally hugging my cushion I was so happy.  Yes, it's sad, I know.  :)  I love this so much I've already started making granny squares to make a cushion cover for my bedroom in colours to match the bunting.  Hopefully it won't take me as long to finish this one.

Have a lovely day everyone.

Anne  xx

For the love of white hair

Pets, we love and adore them, right? They give us companionship, unconditional love and joy. They also give us HAIR!!!! Our family lives with two large adorable cats and one stubborn Labrador who all have white hair. White hair loves everything, chairs, floors, clothes (especially black clothes), socks, books and yes every surface in the house. White hair lovingly blends with dust under cupboards, beds, chairs and has a major love affair with any carpet or mat.


Fortunately I own a lint remover thingy which loves white hair. Rubber gloves (thick durable ones), are also attracted to white hair. Cleaning day will find me vigorously rubbing the gloves over the sofa in a desperate bid to gather up all the hair I can see. Sometimes I’m working so furiously (there’s lots of hair), I suffer rubber glove sofa burn, a bit like carpet burn but on my hands.  And thank goodness for vacuum cleaners, I don’t know where I would be without mine as it happily sucks up all the white stuff I can feed it. DH has often pondered how many cushions and pillows we could have stuffed over the years with the amount of hair we have had to dispose of.

So the big question is, are white haired pets really worth the effort? Yes, they are. Who can resist a purring cat curled on your lap on a cold winter’s day? Who can resist a cat that winds around your legs, even if it’s only because you are trimming the fat off the evening meal’s meat? Who can resist a cat that dips his paw into an empty tin of baked beans so he can lick the sauce off his paw? Who can resist a dog that adores you even if they've just been in big trouble for upending your prized pot plant? Who can resist a dog that is always happy to see you even if you have only taken a two minute loo break? Pets, they make me happy!