Thursday, December 5, 2013

Rosemary's Rabbit

A rainy "good afternoon" to you dear friends & readers

dead-headed roses waiting to be spread on cane trays for drying the petals

My friend Rosemary is a customer that lives out the back of beyond
She pops by a couple of times a year to shop for gifts
Quite sometime ago she requested that I make a rabbit for her new grandaughter for christmas
... being the great focused business-woman that I am .... I promptly forgot her request !!!!!
The other night whilst trying to sleep, a cog shifted in my brain ... & I remembered the rabbit request !!!!***

"a girl rabbit in a pink dress about this big " were her instructions "no cardigan but quite girly & pretty"

I used my Rosalie Quinlan book "Gift" & her "Miss Millie" pattern as a guide ... but I enlarged it a little & gave her a dress instead of bloomers


I even found the same micro waffle fabric as the pattern suggested for the body in my stash, but it was pure white, so got a good dunking in parisian essence.

I decided to do 2 bodies & have one as stock for the cottage - the 2nd Miss Millie got clothed in a lovely paisley print fabric I had on hand ...

Oh I do adore a good old paisley print  :-)

Being the neurotic creative person that I am, I had to give them a little doiley hanky to hold in their hands


Rosemary is coming tomorrow to collect her rabbit ... I wonder which she will choose ... Miss Rosebud or Miss Paisley ???     Which one would you choose ???

My friend Sandy has always had the most beautiful christmas decorations & displays ... earlier this year she had the misfortune to sustain a terrible fire in which she lost all her lovely christmas collections, along with lots of other personal items.
I had wanted to make her something a little christmassy as she begins to replace her collection again .... she had admired one of the Santa bags in the Cottage & I remembered she had had one before the fire ... so I sat & stitched one for her this past week


It is a Country Friends design (an old pattern) & just simple redwork which I lined & backed with a ticking fabric.
They are lovely filled with lollies or choccy treats & hung on a door knob for when guests arrive ...


 I noticed this sign which I had tossed aside during my outside spring clean-up prior to the wedding ... it was certainly faded & past its best ... I had other ideas for it as it seemed the perfect size ...

You can hardly read it - it is SO faded - but it said  "PEACE may peace be forever in our hearts & home"
Many months ago I had picked up a couple of floral spring clips from the bargain bin at The Warehouse ...
 I wanted something to affix them to, to make a clipboard of sorts


After a "lick & a promise" with my waxing/painting technique ... I managed to attach the pegs to the board & used the "rub-ons" given to me by my friend Elaine
The little wooden butterfly was found in my craft drawer stash 


I have hung this on my sewing room wall & am finding it most useful already.

I had to do a trip to Cambridge last week & popped in (again) to this lovely shop  -  mystyle
I had long coveted one of their Cath Kidston ironing board covers but I could not bring myself to pay $70 for something to cover the ironing board !! ... so instead I bought 70 cms of their good quality fabric & made myself one (which probably took half an hour at the most)


I simply took my old cover off & traced around it on the floor, & made a casing with elastic threaded through it 


I am so chuffed with my new cover ... my ironing board covers get a hard time with sticky vliesofix etc & like many crafters, they get used a great deal - not just to do the ironing  :-)

Thank you all SO much for your very kind comments last post about my sons wedding day ...  I must confess to feeling my energy levels returning again & now my groups have finished for the year, I can breathe a sign of relief
The last bus on the last day was not without dramas ... he actually drove off leaving 2 ladies still chatting to me in the Cottage !!!
I did not know I could run that fast (lucky I didnt fly to bits!!!) as I ran out my other gate to catch him coming up the road -
 I suggested rather "firmly" to him that perhaps he do a headcount in future, before departing a venue !!


Sarah emailed me a couple more photos I would like to share with you please ...
 Notice how chuffed Cedric (scarecrow) looks in this photo that he got to be a part of the day  :-)

I love this photo - look at my Mums happy face as she hugs Sarah in the background

Isabella (in the background) also got to feature - she got a good wash/hosing the day before hand - she got told she was in NO fit state to attend a wedding all grubby & cobwebby like she was - it was disgraceful !!!



Sarahs nephews ... I think they had just been up to mischief ... they've got that "it wasn't me" look on their faces  :-)

me & my two sons ... Kayne not asleep this time !!!

Probably my most favourite so far (above) - thanks so much for letting me share them with you 
Today is a dark sky & a rainy day - a perfect day for sitting at the table making some christmas cards - I love the whole cutting & pasting thing ... reminds me of when I was little (quite some time ago now!!!)


Thank You So Much for stopping by dear friends & readers
May you enjoy the rest of your week be it rainy or sunshine :-)
much love/hugs/friendship to you all
Julie x0x0x

14 comments:

  1. Yes it has been coming down in truck loads here in Northland. Love the bunnies, maybe your customer will buy both, I would as won't the other get lonely? You are a sweet heart for making the Xmas decoration for your friend that had the house fire, I like the alphabet in the Santa.
    More lovely wedding photo's, thanks for sharing, you were so lucky with the weather. I remember having card making days with my kids, it was always fun!
    Keep the posts coming my friend........I just LOVE EM!

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  2. Rainy day here too! Such a great post, I always feel inspired after visiting your blog :O) The wedding photo's are all beautiful.

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  3. I want that rabbit.....she's gorgeous x

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    1. Hello Jacqui ... thank YOu :-) Yes she turned out much nicer than I imagined - very feminine & girly. I could quite easily keep either one of them :-)

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  4. It is lovely to see more wedding photos, I can see you are still enjoy the day even though it must feel like it is ages ago! (how time flies!) Your wabbits are too sweet, I am sure she will be tempted with both as well! More great repurposing gong on - love it!! Hope you enjoyed your rainy day cardmaking.

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  5. We are expecting storms tonight...I like the idea of a Santa bag full of chocs but that bell would have to be wired to an alarm in my house. Glad you've found some energy...only 20 sleeps left so take it easy. (Miss Paisley but don't tell Miss Rosebud). xx

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    1. Hello Ethel ... Rosemary has just been & she chose ... Miss Paisley - no hesitation, it was quite interesting really. Yes I think I would need to wire the bell in my house too as I have absolutely NO willpower when it comes to chocs & treats :-)

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  6. The wedding photos are gorgeous, such a great photo of you with your sons :) I love both bunnies, it will be hard to choose between the two. Your new clipboard and ironing board cover are lovely as well, you are very good at your do ups! Hugs Wendy xx

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  7. I love the rabbits so much! I can't chose which one I prefer. They are both SO adorable!! You are so talented!

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  8. Delighted to have another Santa Bag Julie - thank you! It's hanging beside the stocking I brought from you : ) Love Miss Paisley & Miss Rosebud. The wedding photo's are beautiful. A good time was had by all

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  9. Hello Julie,

    A gorgeous post. Those rabbits are just so pretty. The new owner will love the one she chose. Had to smile at the photo of the little ones, you could sent a little of that rain over here please.
    On a different note I have been following the moon calendar for the vegie planting and things seem to be doing well.

    Happy creating Julie.
    Bev.

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  10. Where to start Julie, I love the waffle fabric on that bunny-very cute! And the wedding photo's are gorgeous! Favourite would have to be the one on your cottage-love it!! Those 2 little fellows by the pond,look like cute trouble to me!! And I understand the energy level thing, loaded up with a head cold and no energy and I have heaps to do. Take care, Michelle.

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  11. Hello dear heart, I can't believe your post has slipped past me again!! Luckily I came looking for you & found that lovely old basket of roses! Golly, lucky that the rabbit order surfaced in the night just in time! I think that the girls are just beautiful..I've been going back & forth, back & forth & simply have to say that I cannot possibly choose between the two. Goodness, what a terrible thing to happen to poor Sandy. You are so kind to make the Santa bag for her & I can see that she is delighted.
    I have loved seeing the photos of the wedding..those two little ratbags had surely been up to certain mischief! That was very well caught the pic of you & your mum...how precious her joy! You looked just lovely sweet girl.
    I can't believe you found those clips in the warehouse!! Great board makeover. I must make myself a replacement ironing board cover. I love that fabric...it's quite heavy & durable too isn't it? I love seeing the pictures of the Mystyle shop through Facebook..shame that the actual shop is quite so far away.
    I can just see you racing down the driveway lol!! Dopey bus driver. You evidently don't have to be 5 to be left behind!
    Hope you're having a happy week. Much love & friendship catherine x0x0x

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  12. Oh those exquisite roses - I can almost smell their fragrance from here!
    You are so amazing dear Julie – making not one but two darling rabbits!
    I love them both – I couldn’t possibly choose. Beautiful dresses and the doily hankies are so adorable.
    That Parisian essence is marvellous stuff!
    I have a rabbit pattern to make up for Jessie's birthday in January - I'm not quick like you though!!!
    Poor Sandy, a house fire and losing all her treasured possessions must have been horrific – you are a dear friend making the lovely Santa bag for her – she will be over the moon.
    Julie that has to be the smartest ironing board cover I’ve ever seen.
    Beautiful wedding photos – I love the one of you and your two handsome sons – how proud you must be – such a lovely post!
    HUGS
    Shane xox

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