Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Harvesting . . . & plodding . . .

Good afternoon dear friends & readers,

This past week has been a time of some plodding ... all mixed in with a little late summer harvesting ...
When The Mr & I built our 2nd raised vege garden back in November of last year (see here) ... we filled it with soil from our burning heap.
 I noticed a couple of pumpkin plants had popped up in it so I just left them to do their "thing" & wander


As you can see above, those pumpkins actually turned out to be ornamental gourds - obviously self seeded from the odd ones that get thrown on the burning heap (by myself) from time to time


I was so pleased that there were a few different varieties & not just all the same plain yellow ones ... there were some very small sized ones I was planning to throw out ... but then decided to pop them in my kitchen scales - a little splash of colour on my benchtop



I do so enjoy the colours, shapes & patterns of gourds  :-)

As autumn kicks in here now, I like to pull the last of the vege garden to bits to re-fertilise & plant it out for the winter.
However, I managed to harvest this last colourful assortment just yesterday morning


cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, passionfruit, & 1 lonely courgette

though our tomatoes this year have been small in size, they are still very tasty & sweet



Before I mowed the other evening, I gathered this basketfull of walnuts off the lawn - though listening to the wind that is howling around us today, I imagine there will be just as many on the lawn again by now



I have been shifting stock & feeding pets for my friend Lois this past week - she lives a few kilometres up the road from me - I have had a constant companion by my side while carrying out these enjoyable tasks - a gorgeous chocolate labrador named Coco
Now doesn't she just look like she fell into the tin of cocoa???!!!
(p.s. YES I was tempted - definately - to put Coco in my car & bring her home with me!!!)

A few years ago my youngest son Kayne undertook a building apprenticeship - Kayne played a significant role in the building of my little Cottage 

& also built the one for Colleen that I posted about back here.
Kayne would frequently find himself unemployed "in between jobs" ... & on one occasion Lois commissioned him to build her a "garden room"  ... I always loved where Lois situated it & captured a snap of it while feeding her animals this week



Although it is not many years old, I love the timeworn, weathered patina it has taken on ... 



... as if it has sat there for a good many years ...

My friend Bronwyn had asked me to make her a teacup teddy to take to Australia as a gift ... she was undecided on a colour so I decided to make 2 & let her choose,  then keep the other as stock for the Cottage

These tiny little "pieces of fluff" which end up pretty much fitting in the palm of your hand sure  do take some fiddling with to put together 



The first one was a gorgeous pink tipped fine mohair fur - she has ended up as Little Miss Rosebud 
(thankfully they don't take a great deal of fur to make so you can use up your smaller offcuts)



The second one is Miss Goldilocks & she was made using a lovely golden mohair fur with a slight curl to it.

 
(The teacups pictured are mine - Bronwyn has her own to use) 

I wonder which one Bronwyn will choose - Miss Pinky or Miss Goldy ...
(these teddies are constructed using one piece for the body, arms & legs & then a pieced head, plus ears) 
This pattern (again) is torn from a very old Bear Magazine & is titled Teacup Teddy by Joan Woessner.
You can read another post about my teacup teddies here

Also - whilst "plodding" this past week - I managed to complete these rusty tin swags 



made using rusty punched-tin hearts, a star & a birdhouse




They are just made using torn strips of fabrics which I iron & fray neatly (I Know, I Know!!!) & then tie in co-ordinating colourways
I have made these before for the Cottage & they have proved to be rather popular.

Well dear friends - I am off to sit down with a cuppa & a new purchase 

- many thanks to Betty for letting me know about this new book - a sequel to the one I posted about back here.

Before I close I just wanted to say a huge Thank You to you all 
some of you have, on the odd occasion, dropped me an email telling me how much you enjoy reading my blog & stopping by my little corner of the world 
This has meant so very much to me - it truely lifts my heart & gladdens my soul to know you enjoy my ramblings




Sometimes just a little kindness (a comment or a word) can mean so very much to a person

I snapped this photo walking into my lounge yesterday afternoon - I loved how the late afternoon sun was making rainbows on the walls



May you all have a rainbow filled week dear friends & readers
Thanks so much for your visits
much love & friendship & kindness to you all,
Julie x0x0x

16 comments:

  1. Hello Julie,

    I don't know which is cuter Coco or the little teddies. Though I do love the little pink one. How lovely to have your Son creating buildings for you and your friend. Love the saddles outside your cottage. I can just imagine my niece at your place with one of your horses.

    Have a lovely week too.
    Bev.

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  2. Dear Julie
    Your posts are always so uplifting and inspiring and put a smile in my day. Absolutely love the gourds and they make such a lovely autumn display. Your produce looks fresh and tasty, can't say we have had too much joy from our vege garden this summer (but like everything, you get out what you put in!!). Love the teacup teddies too.
    Hugs to you my friend x

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  3. Autumn?...my tomato plants are just peeking over the top of their pots on the window sill, then I time travel to see your harvest. I am really looking forward to summer now. xx

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  4. I'd sure like to have your son up here to build me a little house/barn. LOVE his work!!!! OOOH our walnut and passionfruit count is huge!

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  5. Great post Julie. I always enjoy reading about your life. Like you I have had a busy week harvesting the last of my summer produce. I have had 3 days in the kitchen dealing with a big crop of quinces. I love your teacup teddies, so cute. Hugs Barbara

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  6. Wonderful Julie, isn't the autumn harvest time exciting? Love your gourds, at least you won't be living on pumpkin soup all winter!!! Cute wee bears too, I'm sure I have that pattern...somewhere...! Enjoy your reading :-)

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  7. Autumn is sure showing us it is here! Isn't it nice to have such a bounty to show for all our labor over the summer months... I have been having a clean up in the garden this week, boy did it need it. It is nice to get out in the garden without it being too hot, I must admit I am more of a cooler weather sort of person.
    Must toodle, enjoy the rest of your week
    Blessings

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  8. Hi Julie,
    You have given us another fun filled happy post and the photo's were
    excellent. Thanks for sharing. Just adore your cottage, what a nice place
    to visit. Garden full of good food, love the fabric and tin decorations, have
    given me inspiration. Your quote is so true, love that. Have a super week
    yourself.
    Cheers, Anita.

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  9. Hi Julie, your garden produced amazingly considering how little rain we have had! Love the colourful gourds and the teddies are gorgeous, they look just perfect in their teacups. Your son's work is wonderful, it is always a treat to visit your home and cottage :) Hugs Wendy xx

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  10. What a harvest my friend! Loving the yellow delights & the stripy ones too. Mmmmm , fresh walnuts! Glad you got the cute teddies made, they look sweet.
    Love the photo of the cheery rainbow dabs on the wall.

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  11. Your teddies are so cute I smiled a big grin when I saw them! Would sell well I think. Your son is very talented to make such rustic homes with charm.. I wonder if you could preserve the gourds and use for display. Oh the rag and tin swags are so pretty too. Lovely to wake this morning and read your cheery post ..glad you are enjoying the book. Betty x

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  12. Hello dear Julie, what a wonderful bonus to harvest all those colourful gourds! I love the arrangement on your very old scales. I just adore passionfruit, don't you?!! They are delicious with fresh figs, yoghurt & honey for breakfast : ) Your rusty swags are cute...great way to use up little bits of fabric too. Isn't it the loveliest thing to walk in to a room in your own house & find rainbows dancing on the walls! Have a lovely weekend my friend. Much love Catherine xx

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  13. Oh my! I love your sweet tea cup bears! They really have a lot of personality, don't they? How very sweet each one is. Enjoy your weekend my friend! Hugs, Diane

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  14. Hi Julie, Lovely pics of everything that is happening at your place.Adore the teacup teddies, they are adorable.The rag and tin swags are great.A marvellous "harvest" of goodies. For some reason our tomatoes were hopeless this year. We usually do really well with them. Are you going to keep the walnut shells?. The Americans use them finely broken up for little cushion fillings don't they? I guess you have more than enough to do without trying to crush walnut shells, but just a thought :-)) Hugs Shirley

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  15. Those ornamental gourds are really special aren't they. I must remember this idea, to scatter a bunch of seeds down in our "jungle" at the beginning of the season and see what comes up! Hope you have a lovely week, Lisa xx

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  16. I love reading your blog Julie! You inspire me! You are absolutely right, it is the little things in life that make the biggest difference xxx. Hope you have a wonderful day! Vikki xxx

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