Owl-ing, Angel-ing & Potpourri-ing ! ! !

Hello there friends & readers & new followers :-)

It has been a busy week again & I am sure looking & feeling threadbear!!!
I had quite a few gaps in the cottage after the last couple of groups had done some christmas shopping
so it was time to focus & make some more stock

I decided to make some of my blanket owls

This pattern is a Cameron James design which makes up the small size owl
I then enlarged the pattern to make the bigger size
When I had stuffed it, & finished, I thought "whats the use of that"
So I unpicked it, took out half the wadding & then filled it with wheat to be used as a doorstop

I am just about to finish 2 doorstop Owls made from a lovely tartan rug for an order for my friend Sandy
(photos of these next post)

We got a couple of nice warm days sunshine this past week
& I took my sewing out onto the deck to enjoy the nicer weather
Mr Wolf likes to sit at my feet as I work out here
He likes me to put my foot on him as he sleeps

There is something quite comforting & repetitive about stitching away to the rise & fall of his breathing in the sunshine :-)
I made some angels - an old pattern of mine from many years ago
called Wee Lil Angels
I decided to make 2 christmas'sy ones

which I adorned with cinnamon sticks etc
& then 2 pretty ones - just because . . .

They have a "boxed" base filled with wheat so they sit really well

On Saturday I took part in a big craft fair at our local Rose Gardens
Te Awamutu is called the Rose Town of New Zealand
because we have spectacular rose gardens
I had booked this annual stall many months ago
the weather was sunny but wind kept whipping through & some gollies took a nose-dive a few times ! !
I remembered to take a few snaps of my stall

You can see my Owls sitting on my stall :-)
It was a HUGE day - up at 5 to get set up & then you are not allowed to pack up til after 3
then get home & set it all up in the Cottage again
as I had a busload the next morning at 10 am
No wonder I am feeling slightly threadbear !!!

Next morning a lady from the bus group happened to ask me what would be my best seller in the cottage
"my homemade potpourri" I answered her
"Oh" she said "well thats simple, you just dry a few petals & biff them in a cellophane bag - no work required there"
this made me think after she had gone (& I had finished choking!!)
about how much time & energy I actually spend on my potpourri making process??!!
Now that the roses are in bloom I spend ages picking & drying the blooms, turning them each day as they dry

freshly de-headed roses ready for drying

sorting out the good ones, making the potpourri & then "curing" it & adding other dried flowers to the mix for colour,
bagging it all up & making it look attractive

Lucky I dont keep count of the hours involved
(cos I would probably be crying in the corner)

All for just $4.00 a bag ! ! !
I wish she would come back again -
(so I could tell her what I really think!!!***)

I did laugh to myself as I followed the last group of ladies back to the bus - listening to their conversations. . .
"did you see that huge fluffy dog inside" they said
(they often come inside to use the toilet)
"Oh he didnt even raise his head at me" said one
"I took his photo" said another "& he lifted his head, looked at me, then flopped it back down again"