start with

a piece of fabric.....

fold it in half and sew the seam (1/4"),

gather the bottom edge with running stitches about 1/4" from edge,
(really small, so that it will be tight!),
turn right side out,
stuff, firmly...
fold over a scant 1/4" and gather top edge with running stitches,
pull up firmly,
leaving a small hole in the centre.

get a long length of perle cotton,
tie several knots about 2" from the end,
starting through the bottom and coming out the hole in the top,
make sections (6 or 8),
pull cotton firmly to crease into the fabric...
on the last section, make sure you tie off the 2 ends very securely.

get a twig, break off a small piece about 1 1/2" long,
and a tiny piece of green felt cut into a leaf shape,

into the hole add a generous amount of craft glue,
insert the twig and one end of the leaf,
push in firmly...

and behold....

a pumpkin.....

there's quite a few more coming!!!!

Julz

it's been a bit wet.....

here in the Yarra Valley....

these are normally paddocks
....filled with cows...

now it's just a lake...
going down slowly...

I think we have had enough rain for the time being...
everything is soooo soggy!

Bring on the sunshine please!

Julz

No Market!

OK,

I have just been advised that there will NOT be a market,
this Sunday,
September 5th at Healesville Racecourse.

so if you were planning to come and check out my stuff...
don't...
cos there won't be anyone there!

what a bummer!
I was really looking forward to being down there.

The next market will be October 3rd....

cheers Julz

Where did the weekend go?

Did we really have a Saturday and Sunday this weekend?
I missed some of it I think!
Saturday I worked all day....so nothing accomplished there,
Sunday...housework, cos it didn't get done on Saturday...
(my little fairies where all too tired after their marathon musical play efforts!)

And this little guy is waiting for a hat? to finish him off.

need to get on to that...next weekend is my first market for Spring/Summer...
hope that the weather is kind...

cheers Julz

newsletter update

the latest addition of the Simple Stitches newsletter is up....
click on the newsletter tab at the top of the page

cheers Julz

2nd post...

for today...
wow!

I have been busy finishing things...
like this snowman, that I started weeks ago, but just couldn't get into finishing,
so today I did just that...
I'm liking him...so off to market he will go in a couple of weeks!

then I went through my little stash of chenille and found this guy....
now I can't get him to look just right...
ED reckons he looks like a duck with scarf on....
unfortunately I agreed....

now I think he needs to have a mouth....
with maybe a twisty twig for a pipe....

would that make him more snowmanish?
redder cheeks?
a rusty rake/spade?
maybe some stick arms?

any ideas?

Julz

Oh Yuck!

this delightful mess confronted me on Friday afternoon when I opened the pantry door...
somebody had dropped (????) the golden syrup bottle,
put it back up on the top shelf and closed the door...
of course it leaked....
EVERYWHERE!!!!!

(And of course...nobody did it!)
do you have a nobody in your house too?

Julz

more bags finished

hmm...I think I need to make these in some other colours...
they would look great hanging in the bedroom...
in pinks and greens..
creams and reds...
yellows and blues...

must get onto that!

cheers Julz

some new things

time has gotten away again, it's been a while since I last posted....
I have managed to do quite a few things for the upcoming market...
September 5th
that will be here before I know it!

some Christmas ornies....

need to make a few more of these...and made some more of those cute little angels too...

this is my YD and her friend off to a friends birthday party on the weekend...
Alice in Wonderful theme....

presenting The Tweedles...
Tweedledum and Tweedledee...

don't know which is which...but they had great fun at the tea party!

some cute little Christmas bags....I use these to put some of my Christmas cards in...
when you get so many and no where to put them...
they can also be filled with candy canes or little pressies....

will be making more of these....
and will probably list some on the website...
if you're interested they will be about $15 each..
size about 8" square (they vary a bit, depends on how wide the logs are)

and this one I have been trying to make for weeks and decided
That's It, I'm Doing it!
last night I made....

my new sunglasses case...
my old one was just one I got with my sunnies and they were always falling out of it and getting scratched! not happy....so this happened...
very quick and easy
I think there will be more for the market!

so that's it...
what I've been up to...
now I'm off to work....arrrrr yuck!
(definitely not feeling like it today!)

take care and have a wonderful day,
whatever you are doing...hope it involves stitching....
Julz

I'm so honoured....

to be featured on this amazing blog...

thank you Karen!