Scenery at Mornington, Victoria, Australia

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Fabric Things

 

 

The cloth strawberries above were made using online instructions. There are several styles of patterns, and this one is a little less than a half circle and a little wider than a triangle. I stuffed it with fiberfill from a pillow, and sprayed the stuffing with a perfume called Cotton Candy. Cotton candy is the same as fairy floss in Australia. I gave these to a neighbor for taking me so many places in her car, and she keeps them on the dashboard.

The last few days have been filled with a number of normal things like going to the grocery store, doctor visits for my mother, meal preparation, laundry, housekeeping, visiting, walks in the sunshine and church. I love everyone at the llittle church of Christ, and the preacher's wife' who is English, has been supplying me with different brands of tea to make my staying here a happy and relaxing time.

This is a dress made from the lawn fabric I bought when I first came here. I only brought one pattern with me and have not had a chance to buy another one, so I was stuck with the style. I was not sure how long it would be before I could get more patterns so I sewed the dress right away.

The scarf was made from a ladies cotton knit tee shirt, and the instructions can be found by typing in "things to make from t-shirts." This is a no-sew project.

It is interesting to twist scraps of fabric and see what can be made, such as a belt for the dress, embellished with a folded fabric rose, above.

Here is another no-sew decor idea: fringed shelf edging made by clipping white fabric. Note the fluffy little gala feather on the shelf next to the pink tin. Mother found it for me on one of her walks.

To make quick ruffled borders which hide unsightly ledges, frames and edges, I have been ripping strips of cotton fabric and then sewing a line of stitching down the middle, pushing and gathering the fabric through the presser foot as I stitch.

This old mirror that is attached in several places to the wall of the caravan, had a rather unlovely frame around it, so I hung one of those gathered garlands around it.

For a soft cushy rug I folded an old towel in half and machine stitched freely in circles from the center, finally zig-zagging the outer edges. This is such a comfortable rug, I hate to leave it here. The towelling gopt softer after sewing the layers together.

Note that my no-sew refurbishing includes sheets and towels for the couch coverings and borders that cover the legs of the furniture.

 

 

There was an unsightly hook that could not be removed, so I covered it with a fabric rose. You can see how fabric roses are made by typing in "How to make fabric roses." Youtube has some good demonstrations.

Though not very clear photos, this shows a little more progress in one room of the caravan.

 

A very patient neighbor has been taking me around in her car so that I can get pictures of fences, which for some reason I have taken a fancy to. In the area I live in the US there are not often fences between properties or houses, so I have not seen such a variety. On some streets there are fences from several different eras in history, from wrought iron to wire to stick and brush to picket.

 

 

 

 

 

There are also mailboxes that I want to photograph, because they are so unusual and even amusing out here in the country. People use old paint cans, butter churners, barrels, boxes, and anything that will hold mail.

I am hoping to go to Dandenong for tea at a tea room called Miss Marples.

 

 

 

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Double Cream

Since the 19th of April I have been in Victoria, Australia taking care of my Mother, who lives in a seniors caravan park. Today I found this lovely fushia growing wild near the fresh water tank and put it in a little milk bottle, and while I was sorting through some mementos and pictures I found an old painting that I made when I was a teenager:

Later today I made a few cloth strawberries just for creative enjoyment. These are a deep pink color, and the ones in the photograph below, on the shelf, are red.

I have put a little bit of scent on them.

It was quite a treat when someone offered to take me shopping again, because I am very dependent on others for transportation. I found this candle holder at the two-dollar store and it looks great with one of those flickering led-lights, which are also available here at the discount stores.

I am campaigning for double cream in the U.S. by using the words Double Cream in the title of this post. This is an opportunity of a lifetime; a market never charted in the U.S. I would probably buy enough double-cream at my local supermarket to make it worthwhile to produce in my area of the country.

Truly I had hoped to show some scenery but have not been given a tour yet. I like the towns being so numerous here and the shopping is so convenient from any direction.

 

Lesson for Ladies

I would like to take a moment to write about the importance of the aged women and remind them of the seriousness of the message that God provided in Titus 2. This was not written to those outside of Christ, but to believers.

To be sober-minded and to avoid speculating-type gossip about other people is something that would be easier to manage in old-age if it were first practiced in youth. So, if you are young, be careful to train your thinking so that your mind does not go to negative, sour, suspicious and impure thoughts. Whatever your character is now, will be more pronounced in you as you age.

Disagreeable conversation is also developed in youth and can make a woman unpleasant.

In the fictional story of Anne of Avonlea, there was a young woman whose personality was so disagreeable that Anne said to her, "You are all prickles and thorns and that is why no one wants to be near you." Young women need to guard their character so that the thorny,prickly and contrary remarks do not become a habit.

Developing good character is like working with clay. I once held a lump of it in my hand and worked it while teaching my children during the homeschool days (those were the glory days). While I was working the clay, it remained soft and pliable, but once I set it down for awhile, it started to harden.

So watch your personality and practice what you want to be like as an old lady. If you are all bitter and thorny now, those qualities will become hardened in your personality later as an older person and will affect the way you are treated. We all want to be treated gently and respectfully when we are older, so let us grow in graciousness while we are younger. Avoid hasty, sharp replies and condemning, critical talk when conversing. An easy way to learn this is to always keep in mind that if you are a Christian (a Christ-One) you are a soul-winner. Jesus said that if he would be lifted up from the earth, he would draw all men unto him. Think about drawing people to you by your gentleness. Think of how those souls may drawn to the gospel message. Apply God's character instructions prayerfully to your personality now while you are pliable and can be worked, so that in your old age they will harden into beautiful silver and gold.

 

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A Shopping Trip

I have been to the reject store, which would be a cross between a dollar store and a Ross store, and here is a picture of my purchases. I realized too late that although it was very little expense, it will end up being expensive to take it home with me if my bags are over-weight. I may have to leave it with someone else. They were chosen for the room I am fixing up.

This was an easy pillow case to stitch for the pillow I bought at the reject store.

The window ledge in the caravan is very narrow so I created a little cloth window box for it. Most of the decor in this room is no-sew, made by tearing, twisting, tucking and tying.

This the scarf made from the coral fleece fabric, the color of the galah birds. I made it curl by cutting elastic half the length of the scarf and stretching it the full length of the scarf as I stitched it.

 

 

 

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Today's Offering

 

On Mother's Day one of my brothers gave our mother this bouquet of Australian flowers, from his yard.

 

 

 

On the Lord's Day the preacher's wife presented these little works of art for the tea time after worship services. They are made using a round shortbread cookie as a saucer.

 

One of the commenters mentioned the clock cookie that serves as a base for these tea cup novelties (above).

This is a green fleece tea cozy I made very quickly and easily, to keep the tea pot hot.

 

In the mornings I go for a walk and have a bad habit of setting my teacup on the ground while I take pictures. I lost this red tea cup a few days ago and someone kindly set it inside the wire soap rack near the outdoor faucet.

I spoke to the ladies Bible class from the church of Christ in Frankston, Victoria, and covered the subject of the word "she" in the Bible, and showed how wisdom, understanding and knowledge are often personified as a sister, she, or her, and the reasons for it. One of the churches in Revelation was addressed as "the elect lady." We discussed how Christ already liberated women in several ways, and how, by following Christ, women are free to be what they were created for.

I am missing being home but am keeping very busy and today the weather was cold and I had a good day sewing, mostly uninterrupted. I wish I could reveal one of the rooms of the caravan that I have created but it is not yet finished.

 

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Mother's Day

 

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