Op Shop Finds: Vintage Cot Sheets and Pillowslips

On the way to a play date for littlest recently we stopped at one of my favourite op shops. As we pulled up to the oppy I saw what looked like a wooden doll swing sitting outside. My heart skipped a little beat. I got littlest out of the car and started heading across the parking lot and saw what every op shopper hates - someone else picking up the item you have spied! I tried to act nonchalant and to look at some of the other items sitting outside, all the while hoping the other shopper would walk away from the doll swing. But they didn't. Instead they took it inside and purchased it:(

Devastated, littlest and I went into the shop. I wasn't finding much and then I saw it. I couldn't even see the whole thing, but I knew it was a find. I pulled it out from the pile, a vintage embroidered cot sheet. I quickly sorted through the entire pile and found one more cot sheet (same as the first) and two different cot pillowslips.

The photos don't do them justice. The embroidery is so sweet!

Since we don't actually have a cot anymore, I might make pillow cases for littlest and middle from the cot sheets. Or maybe I will just look at them for a little longer:) Cyndy

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My Creative Space

I know it's the third week of term 1 but we are still settling into the school year routine in our household. Littlest's kinder schedule has been a bit truncated (to help them settle in I guess). It has made things are a little hectic as her schedule has been inconsistent. But next week she starts her full schedule so that should all change. It will also mean almost 12 child free hours a week for me - not that I am counting or anything:)

Despite the inconsistencies, this week I have been working on some items for a market coming up next month. As it's just before Easter I thought I would create some more of the  Easter finger puppets that are in my Madeit shop. They include a bunny, a chick and of course, since we live in Australia, an Easter bilby:) So lots of cutting felt and embroidering sweet little faces. Just sewing them together is left to do; hopefully I will get to that this weekend.

Hope you are settling in if you have children back at school/kinder and getting some child free time to get more things done in your creative space:) Check out more at Our Creative Spaces this week. Cyndy Pin It

A Little Moment: Happy Valentine's Day

One of our family traditions/rituals on holidays is making themed frosted sugar cookies. I have an obscene number of cookie cutters, many are general, but I also have them for Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, 4th of July (yes we, do American holidays too:) and of course Valentine's Day.

On Sunday middle and I made the cookie dough and yesterday after school each of the children rolled and cut their cookies.

Today after school we are icing and decorating. An edible Valentine:) Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones! Cyndy Pin It

My Creative Space

A new school year is underway in our household. Middle and oldest started school mid last week, and littlest started kinder. I was thinking I would have more time for crafting, but I am still waiting for that to materialise. Littlest phases into her regular kinder schedule over the next couple of weeks, so still not much child free time. And I forgot with school also comes all the children's other activities (swimming, ballet, netball) plus all of my related volunteer work (toy library duty, school council, parent's association).

That's all to say I didn't get too creative this week. I made a wonky pencil case for middle (to her credit, she wanted to keep it even though I wanted to start again), sorted two containers of fabric, did some fabric cutting and started thinking through a new crafty project using a vintage tablecloth with Australian flora on it that has lots of stains (but it's still more of an idea than an actual project). I guess I need to be more patient with the transition to our new school year routine and lower my crafting expectations just a little:)

You can find lots more creative spaces over at Our Creative Spaces this week. Cyndy Pin It

My Place and Yours: Outside

This week's My Place and Yours meme theme at Punky and Me is "outside." My "outside" is currently a little worse for the neglect, so close up photos were the way to go:)

Lots of figs on the tree (but they won't be ready til March)...

Flowers going to seed...

Garden marker made by the kids...

Brick planters...

Table leg...

Privacy screen...

First blooms on flowers planted by littlest.

To play along your self or see more "outsides" make sure to visit this week's My Place and Yours. Cyndy Pin It

A Little Moment - 3 Day Pickles

Today I made three day pickles. For me, three day pickles are the epitome of summer. They also remind me of my family - my mother and grandmother always made them. For those of you who are not familiar with them I've included the recipe. They are super easy to make and incredibly refreshing to eat, so give them a try:) Cyndy

PS linking up to Make: Grow: Thrift at The Haby Goddess this week for the first time. Check it out for more goodies:)

Recipe for three day pickles

Ingredients

• 1 large jar (to put the pickles in, I try to use a 1.5-2L jar, make sure to sterilize the jar in boiling water)
• 5 small cucumbers about 5-6 inches long)
• 1/4 cup salt
• 8 cups of water
• large bunch of fresh dill
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 2-3 slices of rye bread (make sure the rye bread you use has caraway seeds in it, this is essential)

Directions:

1. Put the garlic cloves and about 1/3 of the fresh dill in the bottom of the jar.
2. Cut one end off each cucumber. Stand the cucumber up with the cut end facing up. Cut the standing cucumber in half but don't quite cut all the way through to the bottom. Cut in half again, but don't cute quite all the way through (this creates long slices that you can pull apart once the pickling is done, like traditional dill pickle slices).
3. Place the cut cucumbers in the jar, placing another 1/3 of the dill between the cucumbers as you place them in the jar.
4. Once all the cucumbers are in place the last 1/3 of dill on the top.
5. Put the water and the salt in a pan and bring to boil. Once boiling pour the salt water over the cucumbers in the jar, leaving about 2 cm at the top of the jar clear.
6. Stuff the top of the jar with the rye bread slices.
7. Leave the jars out on the counter for at least 3 days. After three days, carefully move the bread and test your pickles for taste, if they taste good to you they are done:) if not move the bread back into place for another day or so. Once they are done remove all the bread from the jar, place a lid on the top and refrigerate. 

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My Creative Space: Meet Miss Polly

At Christmas a new member joined our family - Miss Polly. Miss Polly is a doll that I made for littlest. Littlest had fallen in love with a friend's doll and I ran across the maker of the doll (AK Traditions) at the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair way back last July. Not only do they make dolls, they sell patterns for dolls. And so the deal was sealed; I came home with the pattern and the felt to make littlest the doll of her dreams for Christmas:)

Of course, I didn't start early enough and found myself still needing to complete the doll on the 24th of December. It was quite a marathon. Did I also mention that I had committed myself to making matching bedding for the doll (I had gotten an IKEA doll bed for her as well)? Yes, what I was thinking.

The good news is that I managed to finish the doll, a nightgown and the bedding. And so there she was waiting on Christmas morning for littlest.

Miss Polly has definitely been a hit. She is a constant companion, sleeping in her doll bed right next to littlest's bed at night and accompanying us when we go out and about.

Over the summer holiday I have continued to add to Miss Polly's wardrobe, with the most recent items being a pair of boots and a hat this week (I think we are already preparing for winter:). Littlest also has a few requests for Miss Polly on my crafty to do list - first and foremost is a boyfriend. I think that might have to be a birthday present:)

Hope lots of creating is going on in your creative space this week. For more creative spaces make sure to visit here. Cyndy Pin It