Images for 2016

Sunday Finds...

Today I ventured East and went to the Camberwell Market. 

As I may have mentioned before, I've been going here for over 30 years. 

I used to ride my bike over from Kew in my mid teens. 

I have bought so much stuff here over the years. 

I love to barter - in fact I can't help but ask for a better price. 

I've always found that if I go there looking for something in particular 
I usually find it - 
even if I've never seen one of 'insert thing l'm looking for' there before. 

Below are some of todays finds.

These days I prefer to just take photos of the stuff I like or that catches my eye.

Japanese Dinner Set

Lego - Simpsons / Star Wars People

Colourful Glasses

 There is a bloke I see there occasionally - Rocky. He sells secondhand stuff / antiques and nicknacks.

But he is also quite an artist. A few years ago he was making brooches out of old rulers - in the shape of animals. They were very cute. Anyway today he had these amazing flowers for sale. Made from old bits of metal he has created a garden of flowers.

Rocky's Metal Flowers

Flower close up

Flowers Made from Scraps of Metal

Rocky - Artist & Creator

Anzac Day - Quilt

This morning I went to watch the Anzac Day march in Melbourne. 

It was cold & wet. It was great to see a few old diggers in vintage cars, a few walking with family - hard to even imagine what they went through. 

And walking through a field of #5000poppies was amazing.

That was this morning. 

Now I'm in the throws of finally cutting up the fabric for my orange quilt. 

I've been collecting fabric for a while, but got some beautiful fat quarters in Japan recently. 

I always wash my fabric first. 

Then iron it while it's still wet. 

I've cut strips of 2" x 11". 

I'm creating a chevron quilt. 

But I've had to stop for the day - my rotary cutter is blunt!!!

Stay tuned. 

Been a while.....

I know it's nearly mid March - but my new year goal is to blog more this year.

Instead of these patheric updates.

So after this last one -  I'm on it!

In the mean time...

I've been making poppies as part to Lynn's #500poppies project. 

They all need to be done next week - so I'm dropping mine off tomorrow at the 

Melbourne Town Hall, 

where there is a hive of activity putting them into a more manageable form.

Can't wait to see the finished results.

I have been doing a bit of research - and have found a few relatives who were in several wars...

Douglas Inglis Scott Burnes #3587 - 19th Co, 6th Contingent - Boar War

Adam Allan Burnes #11/1126 - 5th Wellington Mounted Rifles (NZ) - WWI

Francis Joseph Griffin - Sth Afican Infantary (from Brighton Vic) - WWI

'died somewhere in France' 20th September 1917

George Maurice Griffin #22012 107th Bn - WWI

Gerald Francis Griffin #5830 - 24th Bn., 16th RF. - WWI

Francis (Frank) Griffin #3751 7th Bn. 12th RF - WWI

Joseph Patrick Griffin #21636 37th Bn, 2nd RF. -WWI

Angus Caughey #1255 8th Light Horse Reg, 10th RF. WWI 

'died of malaria in Egypt'

Francis John Caughey Morgan #451 4th Imperial Cont. - Boar War

Norman Edward Caughey Morgan #5080 Field Artillery Brigade 2, 9th RF - WWI

I never thought I had any relatives that went to war. It's a bit like finding out you have convicts - in this 100th Year of Gallipoli I'm really grateful to all these men that fought.

Before they were soldiers they were lamp-lighters, grocers, civil servant, farmer, labourer

Did you know you can go here to look up your own family

Other news....
Meet Jessica Mae.
She was born on 27th January.
The same day as Thomas (my younger brother) who died Dec 2013.

Anie & Jessica

I got a new garden...

Before

After

In the meantime I'm thinking of Pattie who has been diagnosed with cancer recently.

Her daughter Meg is writing a blog about the journey.

I know it won't feel like it - but they are lucky to have this time to talk, share stories and just be together while they can.

update....

a quick roundup of the last few months

Angus - helping make salad for lunch

Jack trying to photobomb me

Zoe & Jim - this was taken 10 years ago. Jim is still our lollipop man - but needed a little help getting around - so he is now the new custodian of mum's scooter.

bit of botanical painting - need to finish this off - and paint a lot more

so great local street art

my first pair of fingerless loves

my Nana, Nan, & Auntie Edna.

Edna turned 100 in February - then passed away a few months later

Maureen - mum's oldest sister, passed away in July

Still working here

It's been a while......

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

so here is a quick update 

 I took Jack to a surprise visit to the Zoo 

- because the others started school a day earlier

 Started planning out my new front garden

 bought a caravan!

And had a little holiday...with more planned 

 made some 'yarn bombing' for some onabee advertising

 Got 8 big crates delivered to my place - then lined them with plastic

 Yarn Bombed the western suburbs

 Took the kids to the footy

 Finished my first pair of toe-up-two -at-a-time socks

 Watched my new veggies grow

 Organised a 'Knit in Public' event - on the train 

After all it is winter in Melbourne

 Learnt a new craft - wool dyeing

 my baby turned 15

 I had a show at the Bendigo Sheep Show

 Selling my new hand-dyed yarn

 Went to 'Open House Melbourne 

and visited the Observatory 

 Started making hexagons out of Koigu

 went to Life in Style

 Purchase more Sophie Digard Scarves for Onabee

Picked my first crop of snow peas.......yum.

So I haven't been idol just slack at blog posts

Sham Shui Po - Part 1

I have been in Hong Kong a few times now. Today I went to Sham Shui Po.
I want to pass on to you as much information as possible so you too can find your way around this crafty haven.

Start by getting the MTR to Sham Shui Po. There are several exits to get out of - C2 or A2 are best.
You might like to start off at the Yen Chow Street Hawkers Bazaar - a great place for fabric. It's a bit of a walk from the station, but worth it. You will find it on the corner of Lai Chi Kok Rd & Yen Chow St - opposite the police station (lovely older style building). You can buy fabric here for personal use.
A lot of the fabric is end of rolls, samples etc. The fabric is sold by the yard (91cm for those of you who live in metric land) and you may have to purchase whatever is left on the roll. I did buy 2 yards of a woolen fabric from a large roll. It just depends on the stall holder and the fabric your wanting. There are also several stall holders selling braids, buttons and trims.
Fabrics available range from linen, cotton, wools, polyester, fake furs, silks, sequence and more!
I was there at about midday on a overcast cool January day. I wouldn't want to be there in the middle of summer. It is outdoors, but has tarps and tin for roofs and walls. It would be stifling in the heat.
It opens at 11am closes at 7pm. Not sure if it's open on weekends.