With Spring spreading its warmth everywhere, I thought it was time to open the windows and let this lovely season into my sewing room.  A spring clean was certainly not before time!  Now, if it’s one thing that I really needed to get on top of, it was my ribbons!  Ribbons, lace and trimmings I love, in fact I can’t get enough of them; the beautiful colours, the variety of styles – simple and country, shiney and glitzy – I’ve got them all, well it seems like it.  A few years ago I did a Christmas craft course and the tutor said that her husband was a little like Mr Bennet in Pride and Predjudice when he exclaimed, (in response to Mrs Bennet’s raptures, after the ball, over the lace on the Misses Bingley’s gowns)  “No lace, Mrs Bennet, NO LACE!”  Well, thankfully, my husband isn’t like that and will always break off from his work when I ask his opinion on matching colours.  Well, back to my ribbons.  I have two ribbon boxes, each with 12 partitions – one box for ribbons and one for laces and braids.  Each of them were wound into a loose ball and placed into their special section of the box.  This seems like a perfect solution to my profusion of ribbons – and so it was, until, that is, I needed one to match something I had just made.  Out they would all come and by the time I had decided on the best match, my ribbon box had turned into a huge, colourful tangle.

Then, quite by accident, whilst looking for a new ribbon box on the internet, I discovered a wonderful solution.  I sent off to www.ribbonring.com for the little plastic hangers which fit on to a ring and my ribbons have never been so organised.  I can drop them or gather them into a basket and the ribbons never fall off the holders – I just pick up the ring, give them a shake and everything is organised again!!  So much better than the hours I used to spend sorting them all out every week!

Well, till next time, when I will share some of my new creations.  Many blessings.  Gill

What a wonderful celebration of Easter there was this morning in our 800 year old village church.   Thursday evening and Good Friday afternoon had seen quiet, contemplative services but on Saturday things started to change.  Villagers came into the church and dusters were flying, brasses were shined so you could see your face in them and the aroma of polish pervaded the building, masking the dust which filled the air as brushes swept into every nook and cranny of this ancient building.  Flowers had been picked from gardens bursting with spring blooms which had benefitted from the unusually early warm sunshine and these were lovingly arranged to form wild and natural displays.

The church looked lovely and the sense of new life which the message of Easter brings to our souls was replicated in the beautiful signs of nature awakening from the darkness of winter that now filled the building.

I hope you enjoy the peace, the wonder and the new life that is open to us all through the wonderful Easter message.  Many blessings till next time – Gill

I used to live a few minutes walk from this beautiful spot on Sydney Harbour.  Almost every day I would walk here and sit and look over the harbour, or lie in the shade, my eyes closed, with the sun laughing down, the water lapping gently against the wall and the sails of a passing boat flapping rythmically in the breeze. Visiting this lovely spot brought back beautiful memories and I sat with the children and told them how it used to be.  A lovely park has now been added, and also a ferry port.  This means that instead of catching the train or bus into the city, you can just hop on a ferry.  As I used to work in the city, I would have enjoyed that immensely.

From there we went to another of my favourite places – Watson’s Bay at the mouth of the Harbour.  From there we could look back over the beautiful city skyline.  When I lived a few minutes drive away,  we used to drive there and watch the big liners sail majestically through the Heads, usually about 6.00am.  What a beautiful sight. There was no liner the day we were there but the Heads is such a breathtaking sight, I never tire or cease to be moved by it.

A family picnic in a little bay 10 minutes away concluded our wonderful outing for the day and we all returned home, warm, happy and ready for a great meal out to celebrate Jay’s 14th birthday.

I couldn’t have planned a better or happier day.

Well, till next time, many blessings – Gill

It is almost impossible to think of Australia without thinking about the beach.   My greatest love will always be the mountains but there is no denying the Australian beach is beautiful.  We spent a wonderful time in a friend’s house, just two minutes walk from the beach south of Sydney, whilst they were away.  The weather was everything hoped for and every day, first thing, the children donned sun screen, cossies and hats and we spent hugely enjoyable times on the beautiful beach.  The older children enjoyed the waves – always between the flags of course – and the younger ones were watched closely in the edge.  Even our youngest family member had his first surfing lesson from his big brother.  Of course I enjoyed every minute.

Well, I must go for now as we are preparing for a lovely day with family and friends visiting.  I should just have time for one more post before I leave and return to the UK, and back to John and Ellie.  Meanwhile – many blessings – Gill

This is the scenery that sends my heart turning over and over and shivers running down my spine.  The moment the plane starts to fly over the northern tip of Australia I feel as though I am coming home. It is often said that when you have lived in more than one country you can never really settle.  I love England, the place of my birth, but having spent nearly 25 years of my young adult life in Australia and seeing my children grow up there, I have to call that home too.

I arrived in Sydney on the morning of New Year’s Eve, my eldest granddaughter’s birthday (last year she spent it with us in Paris).  The weather was hot and sunny, though the summer up to then had been very wet.  There was just enough time for hugs and kisses and exchanges of Christmas presents, then it was quickly packing a small bag for the two and a half hour drive over the Blue Mountains to stay with some friends on their property for New Year.  The scenery there was amazing.
      We spent a wonderful couple of days relaxing and exploring the fascinating local history – 100 years ago 4,000 people lived in this valley in a thriving community, now there are only six families.

The birds on the bird table were quite different from the ones I see in rural Wiltshire and instead of badgers and pheasants in the countryside, I was thrilled to see kangaroos hopping around and crossing in front of us as we drove around.

It’s a little strange remembering the lovely English Christmas we had with all it’s special and traditional times, whilst I sit here in Australia with the sun beating down and the beach calling just a few minutes walk away.  In a little while I shall join the family there but meanwhile I couldn’t let the time pass without a mention of Christmas.

It all began in Advent with a combined villages Advent Supper with short service in one of the  village halls.  As time led on to Christmas there were lovely carol services in the various villages.  On the Saturday before Christmas we had a working bee in our village church to get ready for our carol and gift service.  That was a special morning when dusters flicked, cloths polished, brushes swept and people from 8 to 80 joined in.  Some of us have a window to decorate for the various seasons and the pillars in the church are decorated with ivy and candles.  The end result was beautiful and we wondered what activities and events had taken place in the 800 years this wonderful building has been standing as a place for worship and prayer.

I was working hard to keep up with sales of my craft in the Barn and a few new things made an appearance amongst the old favourites.

 Please see my Country Christmas Page for more photos and I will update with news from Australia very soon.

Meanwhile, many blessings for the New Year – Gill

Well, the wonderful round of Harvest services, suppers and lunches in the local village churches has really put me in the “rustic” mood.   I love “modern country” and the pretty Scandinavian look but there is a special place in my heart for the simplicity and primitive style of “rustic country”.  This always reminds me of those courageous souls who left their homes and friends and crossed the world to settle in strange and often hostile lands.  They really knew from daily experience the true meaning of “Make do and Mend”.

I have begun with some lavender sachets – perhaps a little bit of luxury in one sense, but herbs and plants were used to keep unwanted insects at bay, cover unwanted odours, and kill germs, amongst a host of other uses. 

Hearts are a symbol of the pioneering life and I love creating new ways to make and trim them.  I used some lovely natural linen and sewed the seams on the outside, then decorated them with country checks, buttons and string.

My novelty sachets are always popular so I gave them a rustic theme too.  The Scottie dog, cat, owl and bird looked very much at home with their new look.

Well, Christmas is getting very close and there is no season more suited to the “rustic” look.

Keep checking my site for what is new.  You can always email me if you would like to share something about your craft or ask for more details about mine.

‘Till next time – happy crafting and many blessings.  Gill

The Harvest Season is now upon us and what a special time this is.  The tractors are working hard in the fields and the hedgerows are full of delicious berries.  Preparations are in hand for the Harvest Supper in the village hall and all the local churches have their harvest services planned.  There is something very special about harvest time in country churches, where home grown produce decorates the pews and aisles and the stained glass windows form an impressive backdrop for the display of wild flowers and hops.  A true feeling of thanksgiving pervades the season and a total awareness that we are dependent on God for his provision for our daily needs.

I thought that I would take the harvest theme into my craft to decorate my dresser in the Barn.  Fabric pumpkins were the first on  the list and I probably got almost as much satisfaction making them as I would have had growing them!

Some little harvest mice were next to emerge from my sewing room: followed by apple swags and fabric pears.

One of my favourite decorations, the “Faith, Hope and Love” heart swag takes centre place and is always popular.

Another essential part of the harvest season is the creativity in the kitchen with the wonderful produce – and that brings me to some of my other favourite sewing items – aprons.  This time some vintage ones are added to my my range, but more about that next time.

Till then, take care, enjoy the Harvest Season, happy cooking and be thankful.

Many blessings – Gill

At the end of April the opportunity came for my eagerly awaited Australia trip – and within a week I was on the plane, winging my way to the other side of the world. 

With a new little grandson to see for the first time, and nine others waiting for me there, every minute was precious,  and not one was wasted.  My beautiful daughter made me so welcome and we had a really special time.   My son and his family are also enjoying life in Australia and it was wonderful to be with them.

I had some lovely outings with friends and went to my favourite places around Sydney.    With my craft in mind, we had a family trip to the Blue Mountains to visit Rick Rutherford’s Country Shop. This has its home in the Blue Mountain village of Lawson, with another shop recently opened in Leura not far away.  Rick’s Lawson gallery is unbelievable – with numerous rooms full of the most beautiful and amazing country wares – if you are not able to visit in person – do visit him online, follow my link opposite. 

After that visit I was full of inspiration.  This, however, had to be put on hold until the traumas of parting and leaving everyone to return home – plus the subsequent time of being laid low with a virus – had passed and I was well enough to immerse myself in my craft and find solace and inspiration again.

My sewing is always therapeutic and being creative is a great way to get everything into perspective; so with lots of happy memories and thankfulness to God for a wonderful family, albeit scattered around the word, and a caring husband (not to mention a special canine friend Ellie), ideas started flowing again and new creations emerged.  But more about that next time!  Till then – many blessings – Gill.

I can hardly believe how long it has been since I sat down with my blog!!  So – a quick “catch up” is the order of the day, I think.

I really can’t move on without at least a  short account of our village celebrations for the Royal Wedding.   Leaflets went around the village several weeks beforehand and arrangements were made and finalised during the “Let’s go down to the pub” night, which is held periodically so that everyone in the village knows that on that evening they can go to the pub and there will be neighbours to chat to.  Tables were put up along the village street, bunting of flags was draped from the trees and everyone contributed plates of food.  After the meal, (which was delicious) games and races for the children were organised in the Orchard, at the side of the village street – even the local pet dogs joined in and enjoyed the day.    A good time was had by all in an English village as we joined in the celebrations of  William and Kate. However, only a few weeks later, when I was at the other side of the world in Australia, I was fascinated to hear how people there had celebrated the Royal Wedding by having parties and going to theatres and other events dressed in bridal costumes. 

 Well, more about my Australia trip next time.  Till then, Blessings – Gill