The Weather - Again ...

Did I say it was going to be a White Christmas here in Melbourne? I did, but I didn't really believe it. Until I woke at 4.oo am to the sound of hail. And when we awoke just a little after five, as you do with small children on Christmas Day, to check to see if the reindeer's had eaten their carrots on our front porch, the front yard was white! Did I take a photo? No. Why? Because I went to bed at 2.oo am and my thoughts were not very coherent.

I had made a bunny for my daughter's teacher as a "baby shower" gift. I had never knitted a toy before and I was not very confident with how things were going to turn out. But it was soooo easy. And I was really happy with the end result. So happy that I decided that my sister, whose first baby is due in March, needed to have one. They live interstate and were down for Christmas and every unborn niece (yes, "it" is a "she") needs a hand knitted bunny from Santa. Thing is I only started to knit it three days prior to Christmas.

Now I know there are some of you knitters out there who would think three days for this rabbit would be a piece of cake, and I'm not disputing that. Give me a good run on it, and I would be able to do it in a day and a bit perhaps. But the key here is the word "Christmas". I had left all my baking until the weather cooled, all my wrapping until the weather had cooled, cleaning my house until the weather had cooled. Not sure what the weather had to do with it all really, other than it sounding like a really good idea at the time.

Anyway, the rabbit. So, there it was, Christmas Eve, and we had the body and two legs. I was on to my second Bailey's on ice, my little Christmas Eve tradition (hey, I'd been to Mass first!) and my husband suggested I should let it go. What! Let it go? No! He didn't understand. I had set myself a goal and I was going to do it.

So I kept knitting, and knitting. Through Carols by Candlelight on TV, then on to even worse late night television programming. Santa came and put all the presents out. By then I was on to the stitching and stuffing. Have you ever got to the stage of being so tired you feel really ill? The Bailey's and eating Santa's supper probably didn't help, but it wasn't finished and I just had to put it down and go to bed. That is how bad I felt. I put it down and went to bed.

But never fear, after all the festivities of the morning, I picked it up and kept going. Yes, my husband thinks I am mad and yes, we were late for Christmas lunch. And when my sister opened the present my husband proceeded to tell everyone, "And that is why we were late!". So now my entire family thinks I am mad.

The really special thing about this rabbit for me, is that as children, my sister's and I all had hand knitted rabbits. My grandmother worked in a nursing home and one of the ladies there knitted a rabbit for my Grandma when each of her grandchildren were born. And we all loved our rabbits. We all took our rabbits to bed with us each night. We all still have our rabbits. A bit the worse for wear, but still there. So to continue the tradition and give my niece a bunny to love was really important for me.

Just as long as she doesn't love it too much. That left ear was sewn on pretty late at night ...

White Christmas ...

City of Melbourne Christmas Tree. Corner of Swanston & Collins Streets, Melbourne. Taken on a good day.

Things are a little crazy here in Melbourne at the moment, or should that be hazy. We have had a week filled with thick smoke from the bushfire's in Victoria, 35 degree heat and apparently, on Christmas Day, we can expect some snow falls in the alpine regions. The world's gone mad.

Christmas shopping done. Still knitting rabbits - yes, you read right. Knitting rabbits. Something that I have been hesitant to embrace, but am now loving. Particularly because they worked. I had visions of poor sad old wonky rabbits, but they look half OK. Will post a photo or two in the next few weeks.

Have made skirts for the girls to wear Christmas Day. Because girl's "frock up" on Christmas Day. Or they do in my family anyway. We will be sipping champagne cocktails (the big girls that is, the little one's will be sucking pop tops) and be looking gorgeous in our "frocks". Freezing, but gorgeous.

Baking shortbread tomorrow. Have had to wait for the weather to cool down. Note I said cool down, not plummet to the depths of winter. If anyone has ever tried to make shortbread in an un-airconditioned house, they will know what I mean.

Have yourselves a Merry little Christmas. Relax, do some sewing (or even knitting) and Enjoy!

Lots of Things ...

Lots of things going on around here lately.

Lots of Christmas get together's ...Lots of Christmas reading ...
Lots of writing Christmas cards ...These beauties are from Tiel's Etsy shop.
Lots of hairclips from Tamara. Well, just because ...Lots of sewing ...I was loving this little combination of Denyse Schmidt and (will you still talk to me?) Spotlight fabric.So was the dog ....
Also, if you happen to be anywhere in Melbourne (or anywhere else for that matter) where there may be some quilts for sale. Like in a dark alley way from a man off the back of a truck. Please take note. Read the following and keep your eyes peeled.
So much for the old Christmas spirit being alive and well. The mind boggles! How would you get this many quilts out of a shop? I guess I just don't have a criminal mind. Just as well really.
To the people at Amitie, I hope your theif is caught and more importantly, your beautiful quilts returned.

Violet & Rose is Open for business!

Finally, the day has come! "Violet & Rose" is open for business. Just in time for your Christmas shopping. What a co-incidence! Looking for presents for Teachers? Friends? Family? Come on over.

The market last Friday went really well. Much better than the first one. Next year I am going to be a bit more selective with my markets. This one I would have done anyway because it was at my daughter's school, but I need to do my homework a little more because the first really wasn't for me. But that is OK. It's all good experience.

I may look a bit more at wholesale. Maybe some other Internet shop sites. I want to develop some new products. Buy some more fabric now I have some money in the kitty. Yippee!

But for now, let's see how the online thing goes.
www.violetandrose.blogspot.com

Bookends.

I was hoping to post a bit more this week but it became a little hectic. I have another market tonight. Weather is beautiful, mid 20's, and talk around the school is positive, so fingers crossed. And if all else fails, I'll put my goodies on my "Violet & Rose" shop site for sale next week.

I've sewn a few notebook holders over a few late nights this week. Last market I wasn't quite happy with how they were displayed and have been wracking my brain thinking for a better, quirkier way to display. Then I came up with the idea of the bookends. So headed off to Spotlight, bought a V and an R, sprayed them red, and pleaded with my husband to make me the bookends. He came good. Apologies for the picture. It was a bit dull this morning and it was one of those "now or never" shots.
As you can see, they are not very uniform in size. Because the covers are made from sample pieces, they are not cut precisely and I often need to straighten them up, hence the different sizes. But I'm really happy with how they turned out. I love them all stacked up together. All the colours and the patterns. Do you ever make something and then lay it out and just admire it? I had these sitting on our dining room table all morning, just so I could walk past them and pretend to be surprised by them each time I saw them. So surprised I would just stop and admire for a couple of seconds, choose which one I would buy, and then keep going to put the washing out!

I'm not loopy. Really! I'm not. Please tell me that someone else does this too?