February Update

Hi folks, it is almost the end of February, can you believe it?

I have been a busy bee since school started back.

My daughter has been settling back into all her usual routines, although we still haven't made it back to Sea Scouts. Something about the 9.30pm finish time keeps putting me off! 

Here is DD in her new Middle School uniform. Isn't she sweet?

I recently made a rainbow dress for a customer in France. Once I made it I realised that it would be trailing along the ground behind its little wearer, so I went along and shortened each row. I have decided to ask for measurements next time - before I start cutting squares!

I love the fabric with the apples, and the cafe tables next to it. The fabric just below the tables with the blue spots was from my "Little House on the Prairie" dress that Mum made me years ago.



Here's a photo from early in the morning. You have to get up early to get ready for school sometimes.







My sunflowers are growing  - and falling over. I wonder if I ought to be tying them up with a stocking? No flowers just yet but hopefully before the end of summer. I bought a bag of parrot birdseed from the supermarket for $2 or so, waited until it rained and flung them about randomly. Once they flower I plan to keep the flower heads until they dry out and all the seeds can be collected for next year. That's if the wild parrots don't find them first!


My red hot pokers (kniphofia) have finished flowering, but they'll be back next year. Look how groovy they look once the flowers have all died!

I planted three silver birches recently, and they have been watered in well by the rain. I have not taken any photos of these new trees, but here are some of the old ones which have been going gangbusters along the drive. When they are fully grown it will be like driving through a tunnel of green.

Here's a little grove of silver birches, down towards the gum trees. I think they contrast nicely with the backdrop of eucalypts. One day we will build a duck pond here. You can see the sky turning pink. The tree on the right is very bushy because it got broken off at ground level and then regrew from the roots. The middle one has a nice white trunk.

In shop news, I am donating a dress to a local charity. My Canberra team on Etsy is collaborating to donate 16 items in a treasury. I will let you know when the treasury goes live.

The charity is Pegasus, Riding for the Disabled. They do great work here in Canberra and face closure due to lack of funds. The dress is priced at $28 and I will make a $30 donation once it sells. I looked in the stash for some horsey fabric to fit the theme of the organisation. I had none. So the next best thing - butterflies in flight. I think the colours are just right for Easter, and for spring in the northern hemisphere, so hopefully it will fly off the shelf.

Here's a link to Pegasus so you can see for yourself what a difference they make.

http://www.pegasusact.com.au/