Spring

I've been crook with a revolting head cold, which was much improved by taking this past long weekend away with David and friends down at the bay.

We played lots of cards, with the occasional pause for food, or a run to the shops, or a walk in the bush, or to light a huge bonfire and get rid of a big pile of dead wood on the house block before summer starts.

Thierry noticed a dugite, about 60cm long, warming itself up in a sunny spot on the concrete verandah downstairs, so he hustled it off into the bush. The warm weather's brining out the newly-hatched youngsters and the older ones from hibernation, and this is when they are usually their groggiest and grumpiest and in need of warmth and a feed.

The bush was absolutely bursting with flowers — I don't remember ever seeing it look so beautiful.

There was colour everywhere, from lusty swathes of golden wattle to the tiniest little blue stars all across the ground, with blooms just millimetres across. Spectacular.

I am unable to name almost all of them, apart from the obvious orchids, like those in this post.

:: I've taken the doonas off the bed and put on blankets and sheets — our hibernation's over too; we're in for the long, long warm, I think.

Mint-Ohs

Still life with steam iron and scissors.

Felt like a break from the tea-cosies — though I do still love 'em a lot — but I was curious to try a cushion.

The green Os are appliqued and the front is random quilted.

It's stuffed with a feather insert imported this morning from Little Stockholm.

I was very brave and good this morning. I did a lightning trip into Spotto for zips and batting and Little Stockholm for cushion inserts and was home by 10.15.

Sunday scrapbook

These were all taken by Will from the front of our house and in the neighbourhood, in March, when it's officially autumn but still really hot.

And clouds are a bit of a novelty. In the pic above, over to the left, you can see the silhouettes of the four h-u-g-e light towers at Subiaco Oval

For Dawn's Sunday Scrapbook.

Flars

Have you ever seen such exquisite ranunculus(es/-i)?

Shelley and Wayne de Fleurs handed me a big bunch as I left their house on Thursday night.

It wasn't until I woke up on Friday and saw them in the morning light that I took in their amazingly delicate colours — and then I was late for work as I just had to photograph them.

The petal edges that look as though they've been delicately blanket-stitched.

Lovely from every angle.

And they are growing sweet peas, already over two metres tall and flowering.

That scent - the first lungful takes me straight back to childhood in England, where Grandad used to grow sweetpeas in his garden and on his allotment.

:: A truck took out a powerpole in our street yesterday afternoon. We had no power at home from about 3pm, and when David and our mate Damien left last night to go to the theatre (David is the West Australian's new theatre critic - yay!), I faced a bafflingly quiet evening with no telly or computer.

So I went to bed by candlelight a little after 7pm. I managed to read a few pages of Roddy Parr and was out like the lights by 8pm.

Feeling very very refreshed this morning — more than ready to be off sculpting Christmas angels with Wayne de Fleurs. More on that later.

Sunday Scrapbook

Yoshi loves running ...

... and snoozing ...

... and driving...

...and us.
My contributions for Dawn's Sunday Scrapbook.

The big wait

Taught myself free-motion quilting while I was waiting for the Independents to do the big reveal yesterday.

The citrus-sharp paisley is one of the Liberty Art Fabrics, classic prints by Liberty that have been re-worked and coloured by Kaffe Fassett. I got it from here.

And yes, this is yet another tea cosy. Sorry if you've had enough.

I'm making a whole mob for my Christmas shop, and I've already got a few orders — yay!

:: Off to work in a couple of hours ... just time to make another ...

Green tea?

I do love the virgin tea cosies — there've been two so far and more are on on the way — but I think this one is my favourite so far.

Learn English and get fit

For high tea with Father Ted

Our Lady of the Immaculate Tea Strainer #1 (goes with last year's Our Lady of the Immaculate Kicthen aprons).

This is the reverse:

(I'm expecting to get struck by lightning any minute ...)

Domestic arrangement

... with steam iron