Under a mackerel sky

A jolly good morning to all my followers. Yesterday morning on rising I caught site of this sky as I opened the curtains. I hurriedly donned something warm

Grabbed my cuppa and my banana and something to cover the damp chairs and set myself up on the deck to watch the day evolve.

What am I wearing, you may ask. I found my happy coat or poncho at a stall last weekend. It is made of an old candelwick bedspread decorated with colourful doilies and baubles and just called to me so joyfully. I thought, what a joyfull way to start a day by donning this happy coat.

So it was a sublime breakfast we had, watching the clouds shift and drift. We always remember the mackerel sky mentioned in a programme from many years ago and are quick to announce it to each other and admire it.

I drank in the silent performance that filled the sky

Even padding my way around to the back of the garage to embrace the southern view. 

The morning before, that was Saturday, I was also sitting on the deck very early, but it wasn't the sky I was watching it was the gate, waiting for Janet to pick me up to go trawling garage sales. There were a few to get round and we had to be on the ball. I was given the adverts to keep track of addresses and times. It's a serious business you know. 

After a couple of hours we trawled back to Janet's for much needed coffee and sorting. As we both go for similar vintage stuff including doilies and we had come across a box full we bought the box together and agreed to be very civilised and take turns at choosing articles while we supped. Along with the other purchases I made I came home with this box of goodies. You can see the 50c tag on the large table cloth on top.

These hoops will be the frames for wall hangings. Yes indeed. One day.

This ditsy little basket is so cute and will be a very handy dandy addition to my collection.

This pretty little picture frame will go lovely in the spare room one day, when I get sorted in there.

The Kate Greenaway books were a steel at 50c each.

I love the pictures and the apple branches surrounds and never to be lost words and rhymes.

Then there was the doilies of course with one like those on my happy coat. Maybe I'll add another.

Look at the delicate crochet around this one.

These 8 cerviettes had never been used and will be perfect to go with my vintage dinner set.

I just love this small vintage tablecloth for the bus.

This is a very functional one for the bus, though I could embellish it. Yes, that's a good idea.

This delicate one needs no embellishment, and I think is suited to a ladylike afternoon tea, don't you think.

This is something different and I chose it for just that reason. It is still stiff and new and I think probably made in some small village in a developing country where the ladies of the village gather together and stitch these beauties to be sold in our countries, I'm hoping ethically, like Trade Aid or similar. Just look at the beautiful fine stitches. I shall care for it and maybe it will go under a pot plant and I will connect with those ladies whenever it catches my eye.

This is a very old piece of fabric left over from one of the old ladies historic projects. What will it become?

So the line was soon full again with all my treasures

Including a couple of op shop blankets and things.

And things

As we are still in great need of rain I save the rinse water from Gentle Annie and use it to water the garden. This is me and my bucket doing the rounds.

Another brilliant find of the morning was this , well what do you call it. A thingy for the garden or for my sort of French corner where I hope to stand it in one of my large terracotta pots and plant something beautiful in front of it.

Back to the mackerel sky day that was yesterday, Sunday. After an amazing time at church, followed by a trip to my daughters to help her prepare for her trip to China, which included a shopping trip, then home to Kerry with something for tea. Relaxing in my corner of the sofa I looked up and this is what I saw. A reflection of the sunset, so of course it needed to be embraced.

And embraced

Oh my goodness me

How glorious is our God.

Delighting our eyes, stirring our souls . Blessings to you all, Trills xx

Just another day.

The day started with my walk around the block via Janet's place for a coffee and to meet her friend from Canada. As you can see there is goings ons along the drive. As we get our water from the barn roof we are culling back the trees that shed their leaves in that direction. Several have gone already and today we are on the job again.

When I arrived home Kerry had made a big start. Time to roll my sleeves up and get in there with him. Yes it's not just man stuff. As I am often reminded, I planted most of these trees. This great pile of sycamore branches, once a large tree and once upon a time a wee seedling among a dozen or so that I dug out of the bush at a camp site and faithfully planted on our bare land and they in turn have faithfully grown tall and strong and shed their seeds which have faithfully sprouted throughout the garden. I have continued to weed these seedlings out but there is always some that survive so this tree will soon be replaced.

As you can see, hundreds of seeds where the tree fell on the drive. These at least will not sprout.

Now we have had to make a sad decision to bring this tree down. It is in danger of falling over the neighbours drive in a big wind. It is one of the very first trees I planted here. A variegated Tulip Tree. I had also planted one of those Poplar sticks which quickly grew and overshadowed the Tulip tree so that it grew thin and straggly . We took the Poplar out last year but the damage was done. Kerry is very safety conscious and we spend a lot of time with ropes etc to make sure the tree falls right. There is one rope going to an old stump.

Cranking up the tension.

And just to make sure another steel rope goes around another stump and held in tension by the tractor.

T I M B E R !!!

Just like that. I really did feel so sad to see it lying there. 

I am hoping that the stump will sprout as another such tree has done elsewhere in the garden.

Half an hour later It was cut up and there was another heap of branches ready for shredding.

Now my part in helping was over and I left Kerry to the shredding, firing the shreds around the tanks.

We had had a break for an alfresco lunch. 

And now I needed a coffee and I think I've earned a choc bikkie, resting behind closed doors away from the noise in my studio.

But I'm keeping an eye on him.

While enjoying a peaceful read of my book. Now I have also been busy inside, as in my studio behind me here. Do you want to see. Are you still there or have I bored you silly.

Coming through the door I can now see some floor

And I hope a sense of some sort of order. The little skimpy denim skirt, already embroidered, is destined to be a bag. I have also been interviewing other op shop finds for upcycling.

This is my present upcycling project to be revealed later.

I've been busy  with the sorting and tidying and titivating. This op shop sarong has become a curtain hiding the batting and lampshades in the corner. As you can see I love the sunset colours. A lovely silky scarf draped at the window, the beginnings of sorting the old shop counter so I can craft there.

Above I have temporarily hung my garage sale gypsy chandelier until I get a better hanger for it. I don't intend to wire it in, I just love it's colourfulness. I'm finding all sorts of things to hang on the mesh at the windows. Things to inspire.

It may not look like it, but believe me this is so much more organised than it was.

Fabric on shelves, scarves destined to be curtains overflowing the old hat case, doilies in a basket, ties in a basket, and underneath are the overflow from the baskets in bins but leaving some out in view feeds the inspiration.

Here are my few vintage sheets and some old duvet covers.

Some of my collection of op shop shirts and jeans for quilts, picnic rugs and bags.

On the tables another glad find is this picnic basket with handy dandy compartments for rulers, scissors, and other bits and bobs. As you can see I like baskets for display and storage and have collected a few.

Baskets and tins galore to delight and encourage delving.

And this little corner looking very orderly. The curtain samples you see hanging there were given me by a friend who has a furnishing business. When a line becomes obsolete the samples are useless except for crafts of course. Until I return from my UK trip they will hang around delighting me with their rainbows of colours and textures.

So along with my quiet corner this is my studio, now up to working order. One day I will again have a retreat in the garden to separate these passions of mine. 

After a long day the drive is now clear and more open.

And we close the door on Trills patch for another day. Good night, sleep tight, and many blessings to you all, Trills. Xx