The Happy Hooker

No not that type of hooker you sillies. My crochet hook of course. Remember my post on September 23 and how I said that I have never finished a crochet project yet? Well.....

All sixteen blocks are done. Each block took one ball of wool and about one and a half hours. The finished size of each block is 25 cm approx. (10 inches). I fiddled with the layout of the blocks until I found one that I liked. Then I stitched them together, first into four rows of four and then joined the rows together.

The edges weren't perfect, and I had bought another ball of wool in case I needed it to sew the blocks together, so I started crocheting around the edge. I got around nearly twice before I ran out of wool so I unpicked the second row and just did double crochet all the way around. I finished with a couple of metres of wool to spare.

Here is the FINISHED product on my stitching chair. I think it looks lovely against the bottle green with the gold coloured curtain in the background. My first ever finished crochet project. Go me!!

Talk again soon

Jeanette

Bendigo Creek, Rosalind Park, Bendigo

This week I thought I would share with you the historic Bendigo Creek. Thanks again to Bendigo Tourism for the text. The photos are mine.

The three iron bridges over the creek link the historically significant Rosalind Park to the surrounding 19th century street scape. 

They were built in 1882 to replace earlier narrower structures. 

A Royal Commission recommended the construction of a timber box drain along the realigned creek in 1857, completed in the early 1860’s. 

Later, to improve channel drainage, the creek was widened, lined with flagstones and walled with sandstone capped with granite. 

This is a significant example of late 19th century urban infrastructure development and stone masonry.

I know these bridges well having crossed them numerous times in the two years that I studied at Bendigo Senior Secondary College, the same school my daughter now attends. During extremely heavy downpours the creek can run the full width of the bed and part way up the walls. This all eventually flows out to White Hills.

Talk again soon

Jeanette

New project

I was shopping at the local Spotlight store recently and they were clearing out some things. They offer a Queen size quilt in twelve quilt block instalments with an additional instalment for the sashings and border. These normally retail at about $15 for each quilt block and I'm not sure about the finishing kit. I was lucky enough to get the quilt blocks at $6 each and the finishing kit for $30. So for a total cost of $102 I get to make a Queen size quilt top. Yay!!

The quilt is called "Garden Chic" and is in colours that I would not normally work with. I think it will make a nice gift for someone in the family though and will give me practice at piecing and applique. Here is block # 1.

The pieced blocks come ready cut so they go together quite quickly. The applique blocks require a bit more work because I will have to trace off the design onto Vliesofix before ironing, cutting, applying to the block and buttonholing in place.

I am looking forward to this coming together and I will keep you updated on my progress.

Talk again soon

Jeanette

I love teapots

What is it about teapots? I love them and I know that I am not alone in this. Is it that they hold such a delicious drink? Is it their shape (although they do come in a variety of shapes and sizes nowadays)? Or is it that they take us back to our childhood when we sang:

I'm a little teapot, short and stout,

Here is my handle, here is my spout.

When I get all steamed up then I shout,

Tip me over, pour me out.

Teapots pop up everywhere not just in the kitchen. Tea towels, cookie jars, pictures, ear rings, pillows, oil burners, lamps, fabrics etc. Here are some of mine.

And of course they feature in a variety of craft projects. Below are two wall hangings that I bought as kits from Honeysuckle Stained Glass & Patchwork; the blue mat I bought at a craft show in Melbourne and is designed by Nikki Tervo of Brandy Gully Designs. Both blue and white projects I made for my Mum because she has a Blue Willow dinner set.

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The possibilities are endless but I still prefer the humble teapot. I would love to collect them but they take up so much room and require constant cleaning if left out in the open. A friend of my sister has a collection and it is housed in a large glass fronted display cabinet.

My collection numbers five. A plain blue one that I use for everyday when I have the time to brew a pot, a set that is decorated with a pumpkin motif.........

This pot is impractical as the handle is hollow. When you pour hot water in the pot the handle becomes too hot to "handle". Pardon the pun.

The other three sets are these. The pink "Petit Cafe" I bought for myself when I was on holiday in Canberra; the green floral on striped background (is that called chintz?) was a present from my sister Michele; and the bear sitting on the honey pot is from my friend Chris. As you can see, each of these actually has a teacup underneath the pot. Aren't they cute?

The black and white one belongs to my daughter and is also a gift from my sister.

When I was recently walking through a local shopping centre I saw these in a the window of Le Brew Caffe  and had to share them with you.

Do you have a collection at home too? I have some thimbles as well but I will share them with you another time.

Talk again soon

Jeanette

PS It is currently 12 degrees celcius, expecting a low of 5 degrees overnight and a high of 15 degrees tomorrow with a clearing shower. What fun for the weekend and school holidays to boot.

Pressies

Hello

Today I thought I would share with you some pieces I made in a jewellery making class a couple of months ago. I did a two hour class with Susan at The Bead Experience. She offers this class for beginners at a cost of $20 and that includes all the materials that you use. She also offers her expert help if you come back for more classes at a cost of $10 plus the materials that you use.

The first pieces that I made were with beads and spacers threaded onto tiger tail and held in place with crimps. The hardest thing with this was deciding on colours but I eventually chose my favourite combination of red and black. Here is what I created.

I thought I might give this to my sister-in-law for her birthday. I am just not sure whether she has pierced ears or not.

The next techniques Susan taught me was working with head and eye pins. This was tricky but not too bad once she taught me an easy way to do it.

I thought I would give these to my other sister-in-law for her birthday. I think they turned out really well.

This isn't the first bit of jewellery making I have done. I did a couple of bracelets and necklaces a couple of years ago just from following instructions in a book. They were pretty basic though, threading beads onto beading thread and adding a clasp at each end. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos.

Talk again soon

Jeanette

Nice People, Nice Things # 4

Hello and welcome back to Nice People, Nice Things (NPNT) Wednesday. The last time I posted something on this theme was in November 2011. Time has certainly flown or perhaps I am just slack. The truth is I did continue to stitch this project but because my camera broke I didn't get around to doing any posts. I stopped stitching in January 2012 and, to be honest, I didn't do much in the way of craft for the rest of 2012. I started stitching on NPNT again about 4 weeks ago and that is what has inspired me to commence my blog posts again.

I went searching the web to find out what the other ladies I was stitching this project with back in 2011 have been up to. I am sorry to say that nobody appears to have done much on this project either. Kelly last posted for this project in January 2012; Vickie was also January 2012; and Carol in November 2011. That's not to say that they have stopped stitching. I am sure that, like me, they have done more but just not posted about it.

If there is anyone out there who would like to join me in stitching the Nice People, Nice Things quilt by Helen Stubbings of Hugs 'n' Kisses then feel free to join me. I will be posting every Wednesday as long as I have access to a computer.

The first stitchery I will share is Pink Lemonade.

The stitchery quote that will be on the back of the quilt to match this is:

If life deals you a lemon - make lemonade.

The second stitchery is Peace.

And the stitchery quote on the back will read:

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

Thank you again to Helen Stubbings for designing these lovely stitcheries. I hope you all enjoy viewing them as much as I do stitching them.

Talk again soon

Jeanette

By hook or by crook

I was shopping recently in one of my favourite shops. You know the sort, they stock a bit of everything, something for everyone. Well, I was wandering down an aisle looking for something when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something else. You know me, I love autumn tones and when I saw this I just had to have it.

When I got it home I thought, well what do I do with it now. It is a 12 ply wool so it will obviously need a large needle. So, I got the largest crochet hook I could find and started experimenting and this is what I ended up with. The finished size is 26 cm (10 inches) square.

Now when it comes to crochet there is something you should know. I have never finished a crochet project that I have started in my life. Every 10 years or so I will see some wool, buy it, and start crocheting until I get sick of it and toss it aside. Why then did I buy this? Because it looked pretty and I was in the mood. Well now I had one square of crochet done but what could I do with it. An idea formed and I went back to the shop and bought all they had left.

As you can see, because of the nature of the wool, each square has turned out slightly differently and I am loving it. 12 ply wool and a size 10 hook makes the work very easy and it is something I can do while watching TV (time vanisher in my book). At least this way I feel as though I am accomplishing something while watching Ripper, Mr Selfridge or comedy shows with my daughter.

What are my plans for these squares you may wonder. Keep watching this space to find out.

On a final note: Thank you Nana Barton for teaching me how to crochet. I will always treasure the time we had together: you teaching my sister and I to crochet, you letting me practice on your piano because we didn't have one at home and you playing some wonderful pieces for me even though you fingers were twisted with arthritis. I will always remember that a lady, who was not related to me in any way, allowed me into her home and showed me kindness and love.

(Sorry about the quality of the photo but it is the only one we have of Nana Knuckey (left) and Nana Barton (right) )

Conservatory Gardens, Bendigo

Hello all. Here is my first post about my home town in Bendigo. The following pictures were taken by me with not the best camera in the world but they should give you an idea. The text I have borrowed from a leaflet produced by Bendigo Tourism.

The ornate conservatory building was erected in 1897 and is the last such building in existence in a public park in Victoria. Special floral displays are exhibited here throughout the year.

The cast iron fence was erected in 1878 enclosing land that was once used as a rubbish tip.

The Washington Fan Palms (Washington filifera, a native of Arizona and California) were planted in the late 1800’s.

The beds under the palms are now used to showcase the city’s spring tulip display.

The garden has retained its 19th century statuary, garden baskets and conservatory building.

As stated above, the Conservatory itself has different displays in it at different times of the year e.g. Chrysanthemums on Mothers Day. After my brother's wedding our family went there to take pictures and it was beautiful.

And so ends my first post about a Bendigo attraction. I hope you enjoyed it. Come and visit sometime.

I'm back!!!

Hello anyone and everyone who might be reading this. Sorry I have been gone so long but life just gets in the way sometimes.

Since I last posted I have still been working on my Nice People, Nice Things project and I will do some separate posts about that later.

I have also started some new projects and finished others, all of which I will post about.

With regards to family: I have also got a new niece, born July 24; I am expecting another niece to be born in November; my nephew has recently taken part in a débutante ball; my other nephew is now a qualified bricklayer; my daughter is 18 and finishing her last year of high school; and my son is finishing his last year of primary school.

Well that is all I will post for now because I thought I would just see if I could remember how.

But before I go.....

I thought I would start doing some posts about where I live so that all of you can see what Bendigo is like.

Stay tuned for more posts and pics