Stormy Days and Crochet...

...makes for a pretty good day to me I think. Well that was before I came down with a bug so I have packed up my swap partners crochet until I feel better.

 Lucky for me, my swap partner over at The Global Square Exchange on Ravelry was on top of things and she sent out my package very quickly. I was amazed at how fast it came over from the UK. Naturally mine will be sent out just before the deadline!

 I am totally in love with my little package. My partner Caroline managed to incorporate everything I love into my package. Crochet, cottages, Jane Austen and my newest love, Dr Who. 

 Part of our list of things to send was two squares of our partners choice. My requested squares were for 6" flower squares, the flowers could be any colours but the background was to be brown. My partner sent me the perfect squares.

As well as the perfect everything else.

I have not put my Christmas tree up yet so my crochet pudding and felt star are hanging up at my attic window.

 Note: Can you believe we now have two discount shops in town and I can not buy felt anywhere! I asked if they were planning to restock and they said they were not sure. Where is a crafty lady meant to get her supplies quickly?

 

A lavender bookmark cross stitch kit!

A Jane Austen fridge magnet with one of her most famous Pride and Prejudice quotes. Plus a little book filled with quotes from her books. I adore the illustrations. They would make the perfect paper cutting designs. 

If you don't know what paper cutting is, you must check it out! I'm asking Santa for a starter kit. http://www.paperpanda.bigcartel.com/

This is my gorgeous embroidery cottage. Caroline chose it for me because it reminds her of a cottage in the woods near her home where she frequently has family picnics. If that didn't make me envious enough she then went on to explain how these woods surround a large manor house that was a filming location for Pride and Prejudice! I jumped on Google and straight away recognised Basildon Park as the exterior shots of Netherfield Park in the 2005 film. Exciting stuff!

Here it is in its final resting place above my crafting table so I can admire it daily.

 Along with all these goodies I received chocolate and tea which did not last long enough for photo time. Caroline also sent all of my little family a Dr Who figurine each. 

 

Before handing out their packets I made them promise that if any of them got the 10th Doctor they had to swap with me. I was lucky enough to find my Doctor in my packet so no swapping necessary. There was a little disappointment when no one had the 11th Doctor and more so when my 9th Doctor loving youngest daughter found out her brother got her Doctor. As my kids have yet to see the older seasons, I had to assure her that the Doctor figurine she received was pretty awesome from what I could remember of my childhood viewing.

The 10th Doctor takes his job of protecting my owl money box seriously!

 Thank you Caroline for being such an awesome swap partner. I hope that you enjoy my package as much as I did yours when I finally get it finished and sent out.

Setting up the Crafting Area

My youngest three children have called the attic home ever since we moved here at the beginning of last year. A few weeks ago they started talking about swapping rooms around. My eldest son has the biggest room in the house, which I didn't mind because I fell in love with my quaint little room off the kitchen. It is made of brick and light paneling. Has huge shelves to store my yarn and an old ornamental fireplace.

 That was until around this time last year when I brought myself a sewing machine and dreamt of setting up a crafting area that was big enough to keep the sewing machine set up permanently. My son, who is also attached to his room (he has the big tv unit and his own lounge) adamantly refused to swap. Short of changing rooms while he was at school ( that furniture is heavy and I wasn't that desperate) I figured I'd have to wait until some kids left home to have the privilege of my own crafting oasis.

 That was until my eldest daughter who has a great imagination, found out we have a cellar under our house and the hatch to get there was somewhere under the carpet in my room. She convinced my youngest daughter to move into the room with her and my eldest son was happy to have his little brother share his bunk bed. Which left them to convince me. Not that I needed convincing. A whole attic to myself! I just like hearing their arguments for the move.

 My only concern was how I was going to get my queen size mattress up my steep steps and where I was going to put my faithful old recliner. It is way too heavy to attempt putting it upstairs unfortunately.

But where there's a will, there's a way. I am not exaggerating when I say that mattress was dragged up those stairs almost folded in half when we reached the corner section. I thought for sure someone would tumble down the stairs or that i would never be able to stand up straight again. My poor back felt the strain. But eventually we managed to get it up the stairs. 

 That night, with only the beds having been swapped over, I dreamed if how I was going to set up my attic. It runs the length of the house and even though it is all open, it gives three distinctive spaces. One side of the attic gets more light then the other so it has become my crafting area. Or at least the beginning of one. The furtherest space is my sleeping area and in the middle is a small sitting area where I have my old small tv.

My old recliner went into the lounge room and I have one of the seats from my corner lounge upstairs. It is nowhere near finished being set up, but I'm enjoying my little hide away.

 Of course if I didn't keep getting distracted by all the pretty I would be able to get it finished. 

Next up on my list is carting all my bags of yarn upstairs and getting them set up in my book cases. 

 Here's a little peak at what's been done so far.

I can't wait to get it finished!

Little Lovelies for Little Ladies

At the beginning of the year I made a cute lovebug for my friends daughter. Of course it then sat on my mantle for many a month waiting to be sent to its new little owner over in the UK. Then it sat a little longer still. 

 Fast forward to several weeks ago and my friend had sent out a request to her Aussie friends for someone to send her cute toddler daughter a stuffed koala. Said toddler had received a koala chocolate in the mail and fell in love with our native furry mammal. I jumped at the chance. A couple of weeks previously I had seen talking koalas for sale in my local post office and had thought of my friends two little girls. I figured it would also get me to finally send the lovebug that was still sitting on my mantle piece. 

 Well today the little ladies package finally went out. The lovebug will now get its hugs from the littlest sister while I know the bigger sister will love her koala. 

 Of course I sent a few extra things for the girls. I remembered that when I was growing up we all had little koalas that could grab on to things using a little mechanism in the back to make him open his claws. We had ours holding on to the curtain so it looked like it was climbing it, or attached to our dressing table mirror. I managed to find them quite easily on Ebay. I sent over one each for the girls so their mum could find something for them to cling on to until the girls are old enough to play with them.

 I hope the girls get as much fun out of their package as I did putting it together!