Monday, May 6, 2013

Autumn Musings........



Hello girls, hope I can stay awake long enough to finish this post, I'm a tad weary this evening......
If you're visiting from the  UK I hope you enjoyed your Bank Holiday weekend.
I've been doing a little stitching today, some new tea cosy designs.
I had a full day of snipping and stitching planned but woke up feeling a little off colour, so my plans went out the window.
However, I managed to salvage the day after all and even got into the garden to do a bit of tidying up, so not all was lost.

Hyacinths in a bowl.....I love their perfume.





Last week I made a friend for Fenja and called her Fern
 (obvious choice really!!)

We had a little photo shoot out in the Wild Wood where she felt very much at home amongst the Silver Birches and Autumn leaves.
These little Woodland Creatures are fun to make so I'm sure there will be more in the future......so many ideas!






Last Thursday a friend asked me to give her a hand in her vegie garden.
 So, armed with my gardening gloves and secateurs I headed over there.
There were 4 of us, digging, picking, pruning and gathering.
Out in the fresh air and sunshine it was alot of fun and didn't seem like work at all.
At the end of the morning we lined the produce up on the verandah to see exactly what there was.
The last Autumn harvest, yielded capsicums, green tomatoes for pickles, red tomatoes for hmm, not sure what she was going to use them for. Chilli's and peppers, carrots, eggplant a red cabbage, a watermelon and a  basket full of purple potatoes.
Not bad at all.......
So today when I was feeling better, I got out into my own vegie garden and harvested the last of the toms both red and green and I will have a go at making some green tomato pickles on Wednesday.
The red ones will be cooked down, put through a sieve and frozen as Passata......





Lee anne's garden is run on Permaculture principals.
Vegies in with flowers etc. it looks a little higgeldy piggeldy at first glance but believe me there is a lot of planning that goes into it all.
The Cosmos were putting on a lovely display, the bees enjoying the blooms.

I heard recently that a bee has to visit a flower 1000 times to  to make one teaspoon of honey.

Think your job's tough? 




Friday was a coffee catchup morning in town.
 I picked 3 bunches of Zinnias, I could've picked double the amount and still had more left in the garden.
2 bunches for friends and the last bunch would be given away to
someone who was least expecting it.
Gotta love surprises, hehe......




This Autumn has been rather glorious once the heat of Summer passed. The trees have been putting on a magnificent display.
Just down the road from my home, someone planted a row of Chinese Pistachio trees. Their growth had been rather stunted during the drought but they are slowly taking off and when the sun is shining on them they are breathtakingly beautiful.






I really had to stop to admire them and take some pics to show you.....




Out in the Wild Wood Tiggy was trying his best to blend in with the golden tones.
 I think he was doing a pretty good job




.......and sadly I've had to say farewell to my faithful outdoor boots.
They had a blow out in the toe a few weeks ago and the soles are well worn but I have continued to use them.
They are comfortable and easy to get on in a hurry.
I have a new pair of boots sitting in their box in the wardrobe, but I hate breaking new boots in..... 



I also intended to show you the lovely giveaway I won recently over on Alessandra's blog.
But the pics must still be on my camera, I was sure I had uploaded them....next time.
I have been fortunate to win 2 giveaways and a raffle recently....

I have also been working away on my granny square blanket, the end is in sight. I've decided to do another round of colours and that should make it the right size. So that means another 9 rounds.
Better get cracking on it, you'll be sick of me prattling on about it.

So this week there will be more sewing, some pickles cooked, some crochet taking place and no doubt time spent in the garden if this lovely weather continues.

What have you got planned?
Anything exciting?

Thanks for popping by for a visit, it's always lovely to hear
 from you......

Take Care,

Claire X





17 comments:

  1. Glad the weathet is good for you. For once the bank holiday is good here in the UK. Going to crochet a little bit today and chill wirh my mango tea.
    Your stitching is amazing!!!!!
    Take care.
    Luv Jane

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    Replies
    1. Hey Jane, I'm glad the weather was enjoyable for the weekend, sounds like it was a bit grey and miserable further North.......
      Crochet sounds like the perfect activity for the day and I've never tried Mango tea but
      it does sound yummy.
      Thanks for visiting, it was lovely to hear from you....

      Claire x

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  2. Lovely! lovely! lovely!!
    love your new friend and the beautiful fox....!!!!
    xxxx Ale

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  3. You have been so busy celebrating the great outdoors. Fern is adorable and looks like she cooperated with her photo shoot. Love all the photos and the stories behind them.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  4. Hi Claire, my you do keep busy. Your sewing is, as always, beautiful. Liz xx

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting Liz, lovely to hear from you.
      Hope your week is going well.....x

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  5. Those boots are hilarious! Definitely your favourite pair by the looks of them!Hope your new ones are just as comfy for you. I love Fern. Her face is just adorable. You're such a marvellous craftswoman,Claire. Would love to see pics of your blanket too.
    I was working today but managed to get outside for a bit and I couldn't believe it was actually WARM - how novel - time to get my feet ready for the Birkenstocks!
    Have a lovely week, Claire and great 'seeing' you too. xxx

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  6. Hope your unwellness doesn't hold you down for to long looks like you have much to do...great vegie haul, fantastic sewing as usual and so much to admire around your place at this time of the year. xxx

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  7. Fern is just so lovely. What I really like, apart from the robin and the toadstools and the curly fronds of the ferns, is the slightly melancholic look on her face. The hyacinths are really great too.

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    1. Thanks Ginx, yes, they do look rather melancholic or pensive.
      I think there will be more made in the future.......
      Thanks for visiting.

      CLaire x

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  8. With the photo of all your friend's veggies and your plans for cooking up your own harvest as well, I can almost smell all those tomatoes cooking! The cosmos are so pretty AND the zinnias ... every time I see your posts of them I keep reminding myself to plant BOTH those flowers this year ... so cheerful! Fern looks just as adorable as her woodsy friend. Tigger is so huge back there in the golden leaves. Thanks for sharing all these great photos of your area Claire ... have a great week! Wendy ;)

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    Replies
    1. Hey Wendy, I have more buckets of veggies than I have pots to cook them all in. I'll be playing tag team with them all tomorrow.
      The last blooms in the garden are lovely, but the Zinnias will have to come out soon, now it's May. Think I might have to pick every last one and go around town giving them away. Can't bear to pull them out while they're still blooming.......
      Tig reminds me of a Norwegian Forest cat, not that I know what they look like or anything about them, but I just love the name, hehe...
      Hope your week is going well too......Cx

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  9. What a lovely newsy and lovely post Claire. Autumn foliage is so beautiful and those trees in your photos are lovely. I especially like the photo of Tigger. He is such a handsome cat.
    Your Zinnias are gorgeous, such lovely bright colours, the recipients of your bunches were very lucky indeed.
    I love the way you describe your boots as having a blow out. Wearing in new boots in not fun.
    Anne xx

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  10. I love how our seasons are reversed....still feels weird! Quite a haul there, and those flowers are just stunning! :) x

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    1. Hey Ada, thanks for the comment.
      Yes, it does seem odd to be reading about your Spring when we are sliding towards Winter and vice versa.
      Hope you are enjoying some lovely Spring weather......x

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  11. Oh just love your new creations, Fenja and Fern cradling the little birds.........so sweet.
    Up your way at present enjoying the most beautiful Autumn weather, Mon & Tues in Corryong and now in Mt Beauty picking up some sheep and lots of fresh citrus for more yummy marmalade.......
    Have finally decided to do with those blankets from the op shop, going to cut them down to cot size and try some embroidery similar to yours with animals and then back them with a soft polo fleece and trim sort of like a quilt......home tomorrow to pick up the dogs and hoping they have behaved themselves for Deb!!

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  12. WE have a pair of old boots here that are used every year as flower planters! They came with the farm and I have no idea how old they are.

    have a great weekend!

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