Friday, April 6, 2012

My addiction continues ...

I know I already have plenty of tea cosies but as I love making them I decided that a few more would be made to sell.  Unfortunately by the time this one was finished I had well and truly fallen in love with it so it will have to be added to my personal collection!!  I haven't made a solid coloured cosy for ages so it felt fresh and new for me.  I spent a while looking for a new rose pattern as I was never that thrilled with others I'd tried over recent months.  I found this one here and I love it!!  It makes such a pretty flower with a gradual increase in petal size.  I used a 2.5mm hook and it still made a flower about 6cm across.  So pretty that I had to make an extra one to use as a brooch.  Gorgeous!
Nice and simple, but lovely from every angle!
I've had it sitting on my shelf for the last few days trying to decide if I could bear to pop it into my shop.  The answer is most definitely no!  I'll just have to make some more and be firm in my decision to sell them (yeah good luck with that I hear myself saying!!).  I'm just finishing off some red roses to add to another cosy that is almost identical to this which is for a friend as a housewarming pressie.  Such fun!
Easter treats were made for kindy and school teachers.  Any excuse for my small folk to 'taste test' the choccies!
I love these wee chicks.  I can remember keeping one for years and years when I was smaller because it was so cute.
I had a super exciting morning this week when I got home and spotted a parcel in my letterbox!  I got all squeely when I saw the stamp and couldn't wait to race inside and open it.  I was so lucky recently to win a fabulous giveaway at Karen's gorgeous blog!!  If you haven't discovered her beautiful blog you must whiz over there immediately!  Gorgeous crochet, gorgeous quilting and always full of colour and inspiration.
 Inside was another wrapped package ....
Wow, wow, wow - look at all these stunning treasures Karen sent!!!  A beautiful, beautiful cushion cover, a notebook with a gorgeous cover, a stunning heart to hang on my wall, and a pretty tissue holder!!  I could hardly believe my eyes.  I have admired her lovely quilting work, now I'm the lucky owner of some lovely pieces - yippee.
Thank you so much Karen - it truly made my week!  I am just in the process of painting and redecorating our spare room (my craft room) and this cushion cover is going to go perfectly in there (so is the heart for that matter)!
In recent posts I've mentioned how weird our weather has been, freezing one day and lovely the next.  We were forecast to have rotten weather over this long Easter weekend but now the sun has decided to come out and we're apparently in for some nice weather.  So no excuse not to weed my vege garden and get the winter plants in.  These pics were taken earlier in the week on a chilly but gorgeously still morning.  We were racing to swimming lessons but I had to pull the car over and get a few quick pics.  Too pretty to ignore.  This is just at the bottom our 'our hill'.  I love that wherever you live in Wellington, you're never very far from the water.
Remember a few weeks ago I showed you this picture of our monarch caterpillar and his progress to a cocoon?
Well the poor we fella didn't do so well in a recent storm and he got completely blown of his perch.  I found him amongst the grass and brought him inside to our laundry.  He's been lazing in a bowl on the windowsill for a few weeks now, then this morning I spotted that he had changed from green to see-through so I rushed him into the kitchen so I could keep an eye on him.  Within no time at all he had started to pop out of his little house.
The whole family took him outside, placed him on the table and sat and watched.  By whole family I mean Bella the cat too, but we soon realised that was not a good idea in case she decided to eat him so inside she went!  The poor wee guy was really struggling and we finally figured it was because he wasn't in his natural upright, hanging position.
So my husband played midwife, gently holding the top while Mr 7 had his hand ready to catch him if need be.
 Out he came ...
... straight up for a rest on hubby's hand.   We thought he should probably rest on something more leafy so we found him a new spot in the garden.
And here he is in all his glory - the very first time his wings opened.  I am chuffed to bits that we were here to see it all and that he didn't hatch in the laundry all on his own!
That's me for another week.   Have a wonderful Easter everyone!  It's the school holidays here now for the next two weeks but hopefully I'll see you again soon.

Leah
xxxx

19 comments:

  1. Leah I love that tea cosy - I am full of admiration. With two blankets on the go, some egg cosies to finish I need to control myself an not start one immediately.
    Years ago when the children were at Playcentre we watched some Monarch Butterflies emerge from their cocoon - it was magical.
    Happy Easter - hope the sun shines here & there! x

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  2. I'm all for your addiction - love your latest cosy and lucky you winning the giveaway.

    Happy Easter

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  3. How amazing for you and your family to experience such beauty, what an amazing treat. Happy Easter.
    Meredith

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  4. What a beautiful image of Spring that butterfly is. And how lovely your tea cosy and prizes are, such a pretty post, thank you.

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  5. Ohhhh, I have tea cozy envy....again! I love the roses, so pretty. How lucky you all were to witness the butterfly. What a lovely Easter treat! Lucky you getting all those pretty makes from Karen, I'd say you're having a great week!
    Enjoy your Easter holiday!
    Lynne xx

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  6. That is the one of the best cozies I've ever seen! Lovely job! That is such a great idea as I thought a tea pot w/one of those on would be a smashing gift along w/some tea.
    Love how you watched that Monarch butterfly's back. Great karma should be raining upon you and the ohana for that.

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  7. Oh wow I love love love that tea cosy! I feel all inspired to have another go at one now. I'm loving the idea of a matching brooch too. :-) xx

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  8. The tea cosy is very beautiful! How exciting to be present at the birth of a butterfly!

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  9. Oh Leah what a lovely happy ending for the butterly, i love to see and hear stories like this,,is he still in your garden or has he flown off?..
    And love that tea cosie...you are definalty a master cosie maker and i would do the same thing and keep it for myself if i had produced something as beautiful.....

    Just lovely
    Pixie xx

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  10. The teas cosy is lovely!
    Great giveaway win, I shall pop over to Karens blog.
    Lucky teachers with their easter treats - they look great!
    Wishing you and your family a very Happy Easter Leah

    Gill xx

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  11. If you're going to develop an addiction, what a wonderful one to have!!! :-)
    Wishing you and your family a happy, chocolatey Easter!
    Carly
    x

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  12. harika tasarımlar sizi tebrik ederim elinize sağlık görüşmek üzere sevgiler.

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  13. Oh my! The butterfly story had me spellbound. How very magical! And, as always, I am completely mad for your tea cozies. I love love LOVE them! Happy weekend, dear. :)

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  14. Happy Easter, Hope you have a good day, Thanks for all your hellos too, Good to catch up, am loving that tea cosy so so so much, I think I need one of those, or maybe 20! heheh,
    Take care for now

    Becca x

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  15. Happy Easter to you and your family Leah! Your newest tea cosy is really soo beautiful! I would keep it too!
    Thank you so much for sharing the butterfly pictures! I have never seen the birth of a butterfly before. It must have been a wonderful moment!
    Sending you lots of love! Barbina

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  16. I love, love, love that you saved the butterfly and were able to see it spring forth from its cocoon. How exciting! And glad to hear that you are having lovely weather, too. It's already gotten very hot here. Your tea cozy is very pretty. Love those roses. Enjoy your Spring Break! Easter blessings, Tammy

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  17. Wow!
    How amazing is that butterfly hatching?!!! What a beautiful sight to watch and treasure.
    And well done to the Mister for holding him whilst he changed, too!
    And, may I say what another gorgeous tea cosy you have made. LOVE that rose pattern- I'll definitely try it, the one I'm using at the mo takes aaaages to make and I start to get a bit bored.
    Enjoy the holidays, my lovely!
    Xx

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  18. Wow, you're hubby made a very good midwife, mind I'm glad I was never held up in th air to give birth! We had some painted lady butterflies a couple of years ago and we saw a few of them come out of their cocoons, so amazing for us and the kids to watch.

    The water pics are lovely, we are lucky to have the sea all around us, i've vowed we will make more of it this year.

    Love your tea cosy, and the new roses.

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