Respectable gown if seen putting out the bins.

This is the master bed with the remade throw on the end, the colour is terrible but  you can get the idea.

Top is the sheet, then the gown close up and then the continental blanket/throw, you can see why I had to have it, $4.00 in a CS shop.

This is a summer dressing gown that I made during the holidays. I had only my winter weight gown which was just to warm for the weather. I decided while cleaning out my sewing stuff (again) that one of my many sheets would make a nice gown. It's made on a kimino style, 3  rectangles and a belt and binding. For contrast I used the valance of a continental blanket that I pulled to pieces to make a throw for the end of the bed. The body of the blanket  was a oriental pattern, vaguely willow pattern and the valance was pink with dots, which I used for the belt and trim. It has turned out o.k., it is a little to big, I tend to make things larger than I am, I think it's because I think I'm huge when in truth I'm just large. Lots of  people will know what I mean. The colours in the photos aren't brilliant but it is pale anyway, in case anyone wonders I use sheets for backing for my quilts.

Plummed out.

Inspired by Contessa's plum jam and paste making activities I raced outside to see if our next door neighbours plum trees were fruiting.The Contessa lives in warm climes than I and so she is usually a few weeks ahead in the garden (flowering and fruiting) than us. The long cold winter and the late spring , and the very inclement summer has delayed the growing season.The other weekend I managed to speak to our neighbour M who is a very private person and asked if I could harvest the plums, pears and quinces that border our property, she said that was fine and I was welcome to them and the apples that are in the  'forest'. 'One of the only plants flowering in the garden, along with the roses, I haven't had to water at all the last 2 weeks.I Had to laugh this morning in the Sunday paper someone wrote, it's too cold to play sport in England, too hot to play in sport in Aussie, why doesn't everyone come here it's always average. Had a call form Mrs A., a friend who is the most amazing quilter, I shall endeavour to photograph her quilts next time I go to her place and show them to you because she is so talented. She had even lit her log fire the other night, that must be a record.I leave you with a picture of our silk tree, Autumn 2008 it got a really very decent haircut( about a 2/3rds, short back and sides) and as you can see this must have been taken as a incentive to do better , not sure it current status in Basil shade tree eliminating standings.  On a less destructive note AJ passed his NCEA level 2 exams and will advance to Yr. 13, he has some idea what he would like to do when he finished, so we have told he must knuckle down and concentrate on some real work this year, sounds so fimiliar doesn't it, I do try to change the script with each year but even to me it's depressingly similiar, I wonder if girls  pay better attention to their parents in these matters, but I expect teenagers are the same, regardless of their sex. Naggers away, as I sign off for now. Aunt Bee.

I haven't blogged for awhile, at least a week, my sister the one with ideas (misplaced ) of grandeur, Contessa, pointed out this evening. I said well I haven't got any photos to post, she replied she hadn't thought it was compulsory, it's not I said but I feel should. So I think the root of  my bloggitis, is I went back to work on Tuesday and our clients came back on Wednesday. Our clients who have an ID, just all walked in the door, said hello or not and started work, no exchanges of gossip, stories of  christmas presents good or bad, no holiday photos just a o.k. we been off , lets get back to the normal rythmn of our lives at work. A bit deflating for the staff who like to prolong the holiday by any means possible and stave off the impending year of work till the last moment. The weather certainly has played it's part in my general malaise as the photos above will show, I'm up at 6am most mornings and it is lovely, warm and sunny, by the afternoon it's cool and raining and it's not like we live in tropical zone, where it rains every afternoon with hot steamy rain, no, here it's cold and miserable and it's meant to be summer. I am not built for huge high tempertures but even I know that we all would be happier with a few more sunshine hours. There mightn't be any photos attached to this entry, as I seem to have lost them in cyber space again, just goes to prove that things are a little out of sorts at the moment, I need to go thrifting or look for some more books. Aunty Bee

An early morning walk on the beach.

A giant squid perhaps?Kelp, how disappointing .Oh, bugger have walked further than I thought, time to go back.Sun breaking through the cloud.Very warm, very still and very beautiful.

Feeling hot, hot , hot, sing along if you like.

Thinking about a scarf for winter, not sure though will have to think about it.

It's been to hot to crochet but I've been playing around with these circles of colour. Inspired by Lucy at Attic24.

This has been my life saver the last few days, it's been so hot I have been living on this concoction to help be cool down and keep my fluid intake up. I'm constantly making ice cubes, and actively staying out of the sun. the holidays are officially over, but  I have another week, which makes it the longest holiday I have had for years and I'm loving it. It  was so hot on Saturday that I took the scissors and cut my trousers into shorts then got some nice floral fabric and made binding for the edges, they look quite good, and then I noticed my machine had a slight problem so I got my big shears and tried to fix it, AJ said not a good idea mum, but I know best. I haven't taken a photo of my finger with the double plaster and tape on it, as it's nothing really, really more bruised, the gouge will heal soon. So it looks like this year will be much like the past, me doing stupid things and paying the price.........pain.

Sherlock and Jude and me.

I have just come home from Sherlock, loved it, LOVED IT AND LOVED JUDE LAW. Yes  really enjoyed this movie, and Holmes fan that I am, it didn't bother me at all, I like the direction that Guy Richie took, Robert Downey is brilliant and so is the rest of the cast. I think that the casting of the smaller roles is more important than the stars because they can make a movie great even if the stars are useless, and the actors are all wonderful, I wasn't around in 19th C London of course but the movie looked just right as if you could even smell the place. So big thumbs up, only grumble is it is a bit long, I personally needed to go to the loo, but it was so exciting I had to stay in my seat, no mean feat considering the medication I take , hopefully that wasn't to much information for you. Good day to you all.   Aunt Bee.