A day at Mt Tamborine

A beautiful sunny day today.

Met up with two very sweet blogging buddies at Mount Tamborine and here is part of our adventure.

My partners in crime for the day were Linda from  Lilly Cottage from Tiffany from Mrs Tiff Living Creatively.

For overseas readers, Mt Tamborine is part of the Gold Coast Hinterland which is a series of hills and plateaus positioned directly west of Surefers Paradise.

The first port of call was to the Craft Extravaganza in support of the Local Fire Brigade and other charities. This is a very special handcraft fair as you have to be invited to sell here! 

Linda is such an amazing craftsperson that I am not at all surprised she had a stall as this fair.

Lots of stunning bags and pillows, bunting and birds.

I loved this fabric box so much I had to buy it along with the dotty and cherry bunting.

Next stop was Nardoo, the Lavender shop.

Well more than just a shop.

More like two huge barns full of 

Lavender products and an eclectic range of collectables and garden bits and pieces.

Lavender sweets looked so tempting - well we just had to try them didn't we? 

Australian made with Lavender Essential Oil on the list of ingredients.

Yum!

After scouring a local vintage shop we were a bit peckish and stopped in at The Kitchen Table in Main Street, North Tamborine for our lunch.

A grove of Olive trees lined the path outside the Deli/Cafe.



French Inspired decor - greys and whites.

The open sandwich I ordered was just delicious.

 

All in all a beautiful sunny day spent with blogging friends who are passionate about handmade and vintage and .... good food of course!

Linda's lovely husband drove us here and there and was happy to wait and browse with us.

 Such a gentleman, a true gem!

Thanks Tim!

Beach and French Inspired Wins

I was fortunate enough to win a Pay it Forward giveaway from the lovely Alison from Alison Gibbs in Victoria. Included in this pack is some gorgeous beach glass, some Cath Kidston bath salts and soaps and one of her fabulous rose photographs.

Then there was another giveaway that I was so lucky to win. Tiffany from Mrs Tiff is another amazing crafter and she has a passion for French and vintage.

These French inspired tags are just simply gorgeous.

Plenty of roses and Eiffel Towers.

Ooh La La!

Tiffany also made this cloche for me from chicken wire.

I managed to put together an Easter display for the first time ever this year with all of these goodies.

The stunning decoupaged eggs were given to me from Andrea.

 These eggs are decoupaged with pages from a vintage French Dictionary.

Andrea even added some cut-out butterflies. Just lovely!

So many clever, crafty and inspirational people out there!

Thanks ladies for these amazing gifts.

Keep on making stuff!

Pam x

Capturing Crochet in Colour

One hundred and twenty five 6 inch x 6inch squares of colourful crochet

handmade by a friend and ready to be stitched together

these will be available in my Ebay store soon.

UK Decorator Mags and Patchwork Inspiration.

A selection of some of the Decorator Mags that my husband bought back from the UK for me. He came home on the weekend with a very heavy suitcase!

These fabulous mags are photographed on my new ironing board cover from Cath Kidston. Yay!  I probably could have made one as someone suggested to me, but sometimes you just have to buy new.

I don't know if the cover will improve my ironing skills but reading the Good Housekeeping magazine may give me a few tips.

 I have to be honest and say this mag was not on the list..but a great read anyway!

...Hmmmm....

maybe it was the 'Reclaim your waistline article he wanted me to read!!! :)

A photograph in the Ideal Home magazine caught my eye - a patchwork quilt.

This was included in a spread called "Upcycled Retreat' Embrace Eco Style for an eclectic colourful scheme that's chic and unique.

There is a link for step by step quilt instructions here, by Cherry Menlove.

A quilt very similar to the one I am trying to make and that I have previously posted about.

Cherry uses the same size squares - that's what caught my interest.

 Image photographed from latest Ideal Homes Magazine

I see patchwork everywhere now!

 Image from the latest Country Homes Idea Magazine here.

 Bright and beautiful, Arne Jacobsen’s seminal Egg Chair, by artist Tal R.

 Image from here

I love this Chesterfield available from the UK company Squint.

Image from here

Have a wonderful day!

Pam x

Quilt Update and Chocolate.

I really don't want to bore you too much with my new journey trying to make a simple quilt.

A simple quilt?

 I don't think there is such a thing.

Some of you indicated you would like to see my process...well here it is...

 My pieces are 8 inches square.

I found out the squares have to be cut quite the perfect size.

I had to sew them into a block of four.

 Yes, I am slowly learning some quilting terminology from my new best friend at the quilting store.

I have so much to learn...

Anyway, after I had sewed these blocks of four they looked like the beginnings of patchwork cushion covers

and just the right size!

I pegged them up on my shutters for a visual gluttonous display of a mis-matched florals.

 I used Andrea's  french inspired pegs (until I ran out of them) for that certain sense of style.

I really didn't want to take these down...

...but...

I had to sew these blocks together.

For the size I needed

I had to sew 5 blocks together in a line,

then that left me with 4 lines of blocks.

Those 4 lines of block - sewn together.

Hoping this all makes sense.

Voila all done!

The next stage is to sandwich the quilt with batting and backing fabric and then binding it. I notice that in Dee's post this morning she is clearly at the same stage and not looking so forward to it either!

I have chosen a strong cotton vintage floral sheet for my backing.

Not sure what I am binding all of these florals with -

maybe a plain black.

Hopefully the next quilt post will be when it is finished.

...and ...

I have a mortal confession to make.

I have already eaten more than half an Easter egg,

and it is not even Easter here yet...!!



I have some lovely vintage finds to share with you next week.

Take care and have a fabulous weekend.

Pam

Wordless Wednesday

Linking here today.

My First Quilt...

I have decided to just do it

make a quilt

never made one before...

...a very simple one with huge squares

and hugely floral...



...1950's fabrics, new fabrics, discontinued Laura Ashley, Charles Parsons, Lakehouse, Windham, vintage decorator samples, vintage serviettes and curtains

making do and using what I already have...

...at the 'piecing' together stage now

what looks best next to each other....crikey...spread out the dark print...

...pure randomness!

...is there anyone in this bloggy world who has not made a quilt?

for those of you that have, please bear with me as I meekly venture into your world.

Pam

Doily on Canvas and the WAC.

I have always been intrigued by the intricacies of a handmade, hand crocheted doily, so many patterns and different stitches and styles. Rather than just have them on the side tables under lamps etc I have explored a bit of a different use for them. Inspired by other amazingly talented bloggers all over the blogging world this is what I have come up with...simply white - and really hard to photograph on this dreary rainy morning!

I have included or rather interspersed them on my eclectic wall of op shop frames and fabric scraps. What do you think?

A mixture of plaster and paint and there you have it!

Now for something completely different...

I met my blogging friend Katherine from theoldboathouse yesterday and we both enjoyed a lovely coffee and a browse at the WAC with Andrea from The Pink Poodle who was visiting from Melbourne. Did we have a laugh and a chat..and another chat...and another!! Fabulous company, fabulous coffee what more could a girl want! Thanks ladies.

Checked out out all the lovely items at Sandy's space at the WAC of course. Sandy is from Paint Me White and can be found here



Linking up with Courtney at the French Country Cottage for feathered Nest Friday.

Enjoy your weekend.

Pam x