WILLOW VALLEY STORE

Joyeux Noel

I love the city because it is full of old stuff - and things from the past are a constant source of influence.
 
There are lots of architectural details in stone and wood that I admire -but stained glass and tiled floors stop me in my tracks!

Sometimes I am inspired by a fabric range too. When I came across Moda Glace some time ago I went Mmmmmmm and I had to have it ;-)

Influenced by shape layering seen in tiles,  "Glace"  and a bit of an interest for "Merry Christmas" in other languages...I have been having a play and made a table runner.

I am now up to the pattern writing and quilting stage.

It has some lovely vintage red buttons to go on yet - on some plain cream strips.

The design comes together quickly and is easy to organize. It uses a charm pack, 4 fat 1/4's and a dash of cream. The back only needs about 1/2 metre across the fabric width.

xo Catherine

Blue bunnies

Don't be silly bunnies don't come in blue!

Oh... but these ones do....

Arent they CUTE! How lucky am I? Kim sent me this vintage ribbon in my fav colour with gorgeous bunnies cos she knows I really love them - and she even included the original label - cos she knows I even like them too!!     WOW thanks KIM!!!!!!!!  How perfect!  xoxo

Here is Louie relaxing in the shade. Not matter how many times I have seen this pose with his legs sticking out the back it still makes me smile. He is a funny boy.

He chases our 2 Burmese cats and then rests like this to cool off quicker.  I have been trying to get a pic of all 3 of them sitting nicely together. No hope.

xo Cath

Castlemaine rock

Its hard to be a Victorian and not know this treat.  I remember buying some on a school camp in Grade 5 to Swan Hill. Sitting towards the back of the bus and shaking the tin - to unstick the candy - and enjoying their peppermint flavour. 

I've photographed my tin in front of a few old ads that I bought super cheap at Camberwell market a while ago. I havent got the contents of the tin to show you cos I ate them all ;-)

...but I can tell you they are golden in colour  - which is interesting when you consider their history - as they are linked to the goldrush....

Thomas Barnes was born in 1831 in England. He learnt his trade as a baker and confectioner. By 1853 the Australian goldrush was in full swing....so lured by the prospect of finding his own fortune, he too left England and sailed to Australia.

He travelled inland to the gold fields of Castlemaine.  Unlike others who left behind everything in the "old country" - Thomas had 'Plan B' - and bought his equipment out with him from England. That was smart!

With around 25,000 people living in tents around Castlemaine - the little comforts of home so far away - must have been highly sort after.Thomas started making acid drops and humbugs and the now famous golden Castlemaine Rock - selling it from his tent. Apparently the Rock is still made by hand using the same recipe - by the descendants of Thomas Barnes - in Castlemaine and with the original cutter too.

Even the tin is exactly the same as I remember.It has a quality weight to it and you have to use something flat to pry the lid open.I like that.It hasn't changed AT ALL!

I like collecting old bits of history and its pretty good if you can EAT them and then have a nice tin to keep too!

xo catherine

P.S. speaking of Castlemaine - dont forget the upcoming launch of Ann's Legacy which will be in Castlemaine  at Threadbear.

My weekend....

I was away again this weekend at the Anam Cara Sewjourn for 2009 in Shepparton.What a great weekend and a fun bunch of gals . Gosh its nice to have such good friends only 2 hours up the road. The teachers this year were Libby (Artsmart craft cottage) , Lisa from Button Bliss and Brenda Ryan.

As soon as I arrived I was greated by Meg and Sue.... and can you believe it (cos I still can't) they had pressies for ME! OMG I am still in shock.

Here is something OLD and BLUE (that is sssoo me)  that Meg just knew I would find a space for. Check out the size of it - how lucky am I!!!!!!!  Inside it is painted a lovely buttermilky cream colour.

I have put it in a prominent spot in the family room next to Grandma Baynes piano. THANKS MEG!

AND Sue had a BIG pile of old magazines and journals - from the 50's and 20's for me!!!

Check out these gems.....

  

 

I spent some time with Lisa from  button bliss  - who is delightfully warm and inspiring too. 

Her buttons are even better in real life. I couldn't resist these ones....aren't they cute as ever!

 
Rhonda, Debbie, Lisa and I had dinner at the pub on Sat night - food was great and the entertainment was um shall we say "entertaining". I am still giggling about that. Next morning I had breakky with Meg and Jo - which seemed like a 5 minute visit but really took until lunchtime - and I could have sat there with them all day too ;-)

xo Catherine

Thanks for your comments last post...I reckon you are right about the white jar being for cold cream or similar. The blue screw top "herb jar" is an egg coddler - so Marian you were first to correctly identify it! Apparently you crack an egg into it and screw on the top and sort of poach it. The hole in the handle is for the wire rack that suspends it in the saucepan of boiling water. ( I saw one on ebay that holds 2) It makes warm runny eggs and you have to be careful of bacterial infection as they are sort of "undercooked" thats why I said yuk! Marian your prize is instructions on how to use your vintage sea anenome daisy maker...hehehe - cos I have some around here somewhere and my MIL showed me how to do it. xoox

Goodies and Mysteries....

Here are my 4 super cheap goodies from Daylesford.... Jade Meakin saucer $1, Johnson Victorian Pink piecrust plate $2 , white glass jar with screw top green tin lid 50 cents and ceramic milk saver $5.

If you have been to Daylesford and seen the prices (yikes are you guys serious???) you will be super proud of me! LOL!

Milk savers are a cool thing to collect. Yippee now I have 5! Watch out sis Jen I am catchin' up!

here is a mystery solved.....

I bought this one about 25 years ago from Carribean Market in Wantirna for around $4. Back then it was  more of an antique market and you could find really great stuff...

I figured it was a herb jar. It has a tight precision screw top lid and glazed interior.

Anyway I didn't care. It was old and blue. Really well made and English. Home it came. I like it today as much as the day I bought it.     ;-)

In Daylesford last week I found one smaller and beige in colour. Turned it over and read the dealers sticker underneath....and found out its real purpose. Ahhhhh! (not that stickers are always right - milk savers are often labelled as milk saucers) anyway came home and googled it and sure enough - the sticker was right...

I can't imagine I will ever use it for its purpose thought cos it sounds YUKKO!

So do you know what it is???

xo Catherine

P.S. And what do you think the white glass jar with the green tin lid held - was it Vicks??? Hm not sure...Margaret from Gippsland where are you? You are my #1 Vintage ID champ!!

Who remembers my "robotic sea anenome child torturer thingy"? (It is a Daisy Maker!)

Tomorrow morning I am in charge of saying goodbye to "BABY" - a car that Brian has owned for 25 years. There are so many memories attached I am gonna have a girlie sook for sure!

Spa Country

I have been away for work recently and planned a bit of time either side of lectures to play and explore.  Daylesford and nearby Hepburn Springs are renowned for their natural mineral springs.

Here is where I stayed....@ The Manse!

 
I had a huge clawfoot bath and an open fireplace (that I lit every night). 
The view from my upstairs room...

Here are a few things that caught my eye in the main street.

There are several antique/bazaar/collectable shops and out of town - the Mill Markets (multiple stall holders under one roof). I bought a few little goodies to bring home and will do a "show and tell" next post ;-)    ....and I solved an old mystery...I finally found out what something that I bought over 20 years ago actually was made for!!!

The old Convent is always interesting. I enjoy climbing the narrow stairs and exploring every bit - from the little museum downstairs to the infirmary right at the very top - and there is lots of unique arty pieces to admire (and purchase) along the way.

Just one of the many "heavenly" doors at the Convent!

and check out the amazing windows on this house. 

I got up really early one morning and went for a jog around Daylesford lake. There was only one other person there. So peaceful.

Here are some Daylesford / Hepburn links you may enjoy!!

visit Victoria    visit Daylesford    Daylesford online   travel Victoria

xo Cath

4 little pincushions...

These little pincushions are from my Vintage Pinnies design. It was first released in May 2008 and appeared on my blog way back HERE.

I have also completed it in red, blue and white. This one always reminds me of Raggedy Anne for some reason? Must be the blue checks, white ric rac and red chenille combo ;-)

I have just recently completed another set this time in variegated pink thread ( I think its a Weeks Dyeworks one?) with aqua ric rac trim. 

This time I didn't add the 1/4 " buttons, used fabric instead of chenille and I changed the ric rac accents a bit. I love the little square one with the trim top and bottom - cute! When you are using ric rac remember to plan where the dips and peaks will be placed. If you do this well its easy to hide the join - as on the round one - and turning them inside out and having the peaks in the right spot is easy as on the square and rectangular one with the curved top.This is how it looks on the back - nice old fabric fussy cut to suit each shape....

 

The little bowl is an opshop treasure. Its Woodsware and the colour is called Beryl. Watch out for these - on a good day you can find these for $1 or $2 - they slip under the radar as they have no "pretty flowers" and are often put in the cheapies pile. My fav is the Johnson piecrust edge - but these Woods have an exceptional quality about them that makes collecting them a bit addictive.

These designs are also sweet in a tiny old style frame.....

xo Catherine

Pansies and Bunnies!

My good buddy Karen encouraged and inspired me recently.  She thought my punchneedle designs would work well enlarged in needle turn applique....So here is "Cheerful Pansies" tweaked a bit to suit a different medium and enlarged +++  in applique....

I just have a bit more to do to secure the stems and its all done. I love the smooth finish that needleturn applique gives. I created the stems with a Clover Bias stem maker(1/4" width) and I use Roxannes Baste It to lightly secure all the pieces in place. I have been looking out for the new specialty one in UHU gluestick format - but haven't found it yet. Has anyone tried it? Do you know a stockist? I just thought they might be easier to use than the bottles - getting the last bit out is tricky. Hhmm looks like that stem on the far left needs to move further right. Thats ok I can move all 3 on the left - thats what these prelim ideas are for xo

Not sure what the next stage is with this design. I will gradually work the other 3 needle punch designs in applique to the same size and decide then.

I am thinking this design might look good in some olde worlde fabric too....and wouldnt 1930's be fun...

Here is Shayde and her big brood of 9 today enjoying a romp in the garden. Now that they are bigger we use the 6 modular pieces that usually form 4 sides and the 2 piece roof to make a super big area with 6 sides and no roof. We utilize the side of Brian's workshop and create a semi circle off that. It encircles my raised oval garden bed that has a large weeping cherry in the centre. This is a bit like putting kids in a Willy Wonker's chocolate factory! They dart in and out of the daisies and eat everything and have a ball all day.

They are 6 weeks old on Monday and so they will be leaving us this week to find new loving homes. If you are local and would like to buy one ($30 each)  - send me an email ;-)  You will have to be quick. The local pet shop will buy them ALL from us and they sell them for around $70 each...and they sell fast too - they will all be adopted within a few days - as this particular breed is always in high demand.        All bunnies adopted ;-)

Our mini lop x bunnies are super sweet and friendly. They are well accustomed to being handled, very cuddly and plush. Their fur does not matt and they require no grooming. In the next week or so their ears will all lop to the sides like Louie and Shayde's.

Bunnies are lovely pets!! We love our bunnies!!  

 .  .

 = * =

xo Cath

PS. Hi 'JoyPatch' my emails to you keep bouncing back but I have been trying :-0

Meg of  Shep - where are you?? I am hoping to catch up with you soon at the Anam Cara SewJourn!!

West Coast - Victoria

Victoria is only a small state compared to the others but gee it packs a lot of awesome stuff in to it.

One of my fav destinations is the west coast. Ancient landscape, volcanos craters, lakes, the wild coastline,  pioneer history, shipwrecks, historic homes, lighthouses, limestone caves...and you can get up close to all sorts of wildlife...

We have been going to Portland about 2 -3 times a year for almost 2 decades. Its at least a 4 hour drive from our place. Here is what we got up to last time...   

Jan 2009  scroll down to HOME AGAIN Jan 11th.

Every trip we try and go a slightly different way and stop at something we haven't seen before. Its not that hard. Like I said - there is lots to see and do to suit everybody. There are heaps of small townships and many antique/collectable/op shop stores....I have bought so many treasures from them.

This trip the boys wanted to go caving. But they didnt want to go to 'a boring one with people' (ie a paid guided tour) . They wanted their own cave to explore....

after driving down a dirt road for a few kms and then taking a  firetrack into the forest for a few more....(already the boys were getting nervous...."dad we are off the map"!!! Isn't it funny how they freak out about SatNav - if they cant see that we are on a marked road they get alarmed and want to head back)....finally the AWD can go no further...and so we head off on foot into the bush. ....and we find the entrance to the secret cave... Jordan thinks it looks "wicked dad!"

It is HUGE in here. We walked for a long way into it - there were corridors leading off in several directions. 

 

 See the 2 little bats on the walls.

After adventuring downhill for a bit, we head uphill and finally we reach 'the centre' and check it out - it has sky lights.

Wow wouldn't you totally freak out if you were walking on the top and fell down one of these holes into the inky blackness!! There is nothing blacker than cave black. It is so "dense" that you feel smoothered by it and you feel as though you can't breathe....my camera flash is making it look light and friendly and I am actually amazed that these pics came out as good as they did...

I had some friends in Naracoorte and Mt Gambier when I was a teen and they were always taking us down caves that only the locals knew about. I always found it to be scary, fascinating and fun.

Ok so the caving was a huge hit. Our boys think we are very cool parents. (well at least dad is - and mum is ok for a girl) Yes it was risky and could have been dangerous and that felt GREAT.  Isn't that why people jump out of planes?

Next we went looking for sharks teeth....Brian teaches us how and where to find them - and before long look what Jordan has found - a huge one (they go black when they have been in the ocean for a long time). We collected 6 that day.

We also bought a sick bird home to the farm, from the beach. We think it was a Knot. They are a wading bird and they have twin tubes on the top of their beak. We dried it out and warmed it up. Gave it some water and tried to feed it tiny pieces of fresh fish. The boys enjoyed this, but unfortunately "Mr Percival" didn't make it...

ok back to the girlie stuff...check out my treasures...

 ...these large old doyleys (I like to spell it that way - it just seems more vintage)...

were 50 cents each...but one was free. I found 4 of them. (where are my number rods?? um $1.50 divided by 4 = 37.5 cents each). The stitching is gorgeous and really really neat on the back. On 2 of them the crochet edge was coming undone. In the hands of my very talented MIL they were repaired as good as new in just 10 mins. What a whizz. You can't even tell.

I also found some plain Meakin dinner plates that were 20 cents each.
I got 4 butter yellow and 1 pastel blue in beautiful condition. We have been enjoying our dinner on the yellow ones..

I really like these old glass jars - this one was $2.

These bring back memories of my Nan's house. She had some of these jars. Hers had tin lids I think. They were always filled with a home baked treat. Isn't the rib decoration unique.

I have put some mini pine cones in mine that the boys collected last week....its starting to look a bit like Christmas ;-)

ox Catherine.

PS I gathered some great fabric goodies from HERE @ Portland. Joy has THE BEST range of those "hard to find and always need them NICE  Cream on Creams".

Vintage Advertisements from The Sphere 1954.

Here are some great car ads that amuse me from 1954 in The Sphere - a UK magazine - just another one of the gems that Gayle has lent me ox.

see that - "smooth as silk for women and yet powerful and robust for hard driving men"...how funny is that....can you imagine car ads like that today????

check out the size of that steering wheel!!  hehehe love the gloves....quite the gal about town isn't she!

 

love the controls...speedo and radio - do you really need anything else?

 
No head rests. This was before whip lash was an issue.

This car reminds me of those very English "Dick and Jane" readers.....which brings back lots of memories.....

I remember being driven to primary school in an English Vauxhall. It was white and had red vinyl seats and no seat belts. In winter it was freezing and in summer you sweated and stuck to it. Air con? sure - wind down the window....all the cool air you could want....whats that? its winter and you are cold? never mind when you get to school you can take your gumboots off and put your slippers on and stand in front of the open fireplace to warm up...

We had a bottle of milk at recess and everyone had to drink it - and they did. No one was lactose intolerant. There were silver foil caps on top and there was always some cream on the underside of them and we licked it off. (have you seen the prices of those little glass bottles in the antique shops???)

If you were naughty, and a boy, you got the strap and your parents were fine with that - hey you deserved it!!! Smarten up and fly right.
Lunchtime was spent with marbles, yoyos, hopscotch, jacks and swapcards. Who admits to playing horses? Oh come on you remember - skipping rope around the neck and then under the arms and cantering around the yard. Please tell me I am not alone!!

ok here is something trippy - who remembers these? NUMBER RODS!! I dont know about you guys but this is when 'rithmatic made perfect sense to me....I lost the plot some years later when the alphabet got involved way too much in maths....

xoxo Catherine