My Australia Day Dress Shock Another Early House and Swans

 My beautiful dress (previous post) and now look, worn by two men to a Ute Run in Darwin. Brothers Paul and Dylan wore the dresses and wigs for a dare, The dresses are a bit stretchy but I can almost hear sequins popping off. Even I would have looked better in the dress. I might cry when I stop laughing. Beauties rich and rare refers to a line from our national anthem and means the rich and rare beauties of nature. Not men in sequined dresses. Shock Horror.

 Now look at the catalogue and the girl bottom right. That's how the dress should look. I don't look like that and Paul and Dylan certainly don't.

But I did wear my dress to the barbecue. Daughter S suggested I turn it into an apron. So I added ribbon to the neck and waist, a few stitches joined the back to the front and my sparkly apron was a great hit at lunch. I love it so much it will be on permanent display with my aprons.

 An early Australian house I forgot in my previous post. A holiday cottage belonging to my paternal great grandparents. Possibly built around 1910 I only remember going there once as a child. That was long after my grt. grandparents had passed on. I think it only had 2 rooms and why would you need a bathroom with all that (salt) water around. The house has long gone possibly eaten by white ants, termites.

My paternal grt. grandparents. Amelia Louise French and Joseph Mason. She was the great grandaughter of convicts and he came from Durham U.K as a young man. Joseph's father was a miner so perhaps he came to Australia to escape the fate of mine work. They had 11 children, my grandfather Edward was the oldest.
Amelia sadly died in her fifties and Joseph lived to 90 years old.

My swan collection that I don't really mean to have but can't resist bargain swans. The red swan on the right is my latest. Like the others it is Australian lustre pottery from the early 1950's. Look behind the red swan, there is a pansy wall vase also early Australian pottery. I bought it years ago and will give it to B. who collects wall vases. (see earlier) I have no wall space for wall vases.

Australia Day Celebrations

 Australia Day tomorrow and I have found the perfect dress to party in..........
In your dreams Sylvia. Do you want to be laughed at, pointed to or have Charlotte ashamed of you? No, I am going to a barbecue lunch and will wear something sensible and allow myself one glass of wine.
I bought the dress at one of those cheap $$$$ shops and thought it so special I had to buy it. I love sparkly sequins.

 Three old Australian houses. This one belonged to my maternal grandparents. All three houses were owner built around 1920 or before and remained in the family until pulled down by developers. All houses have a lot in common. In all three the toilet was outside even when the sewer came along. The first 2 had a sort of tacked on bathroom and I don't remember a bathroom at all in the last one. Must have been hidden in a shed. Two had a piano and the house below had a tennis court. Strictly for A grade players only so my siblings and cousins never played on it.

 My paternal grandparents owned this one. My father and his brothers slept on the side verandah as was common in those days. Boys and young men often slept outside somewhere. Under the house, in a shed or in this case the verandah. These photos are the only ones I have and taken just before the houses were pulled down.

 This one owned and built by Mr Linen's maternal grandparents and was still there and owned by his family last August. The house is almost walking distance to Sydney airport and is surrounded by flats and hotels and I think has already gone. The verandah on this house was closed in, once it is closed in it is then called a sleepout so the spare men and boys have a bit of shelter. Tough life in those early days. I have enclosed one end of my verandah but I call it a sunroom and only Charlotte sleeps there sometimes.

I love king tides, they come every January. Daughter S and family have just returned from a holiday at this pretty spot on the coast north of Sydney. The picture speaks for itself.

 An Australian cat. Charlotte likes to remind everyone she is descended from the temple cats of Burma but you are here now and have me for a servant, that makes you Australian. Charlotte is a thinker not a doer so she is thinking about going down the steps but maybe not doing it.

I know there are herons all over the world. This one must be Australian and he is spending a lot of time on my verandah lately. I leave out water but he/she looks around for a while then takes off.

Mostly Royal Stuff Again

 I was alerted to this eBay find by friend M from Craft Group. It was sold by the Salvation Army eBay site and came from Melbourne.
The doll on the left and all the hand knitted Coronation clothes are original from 1953. Even the chocolate box is a collectible item as James chocs. ceased production years ago. The left side doll came fully dressed and with a spare set including underwear of Cor. wear. The doll on the right came from a local Salvo's shop and is wearing the spare set of knitwear. Wonder if these were knitted from a pattern from 1953 or just a one off from a clever knitter.

 Always wanted a dressmaker's dummy for display and guess where I found this one at a bargain price? Salvation Army again. Now it is on permanent display wearing a Diamond Jubilee shirt and a skirt made from original Coronation 1953 fabric. I made the skirt very simply, elastic waist, only one seam at the back and a quick hem so the skirt can be taken apart and returned to a length of fabric if needed.

 Bought this little chair at the markets. I never can resist little projects like this.

 A coat of paint, red because I had some leftover from a doll house roof. Some leftover London fabric and now the chair is better than new. Not sure if I have space to keep it, might have to be a Salvo's donation.

 Prince George christening stamps are on sale. I bought some to keep and some to use.

Update on my Terse Gil Queen cross stitch. I admit I've been hopping about a bit and choosing easy bits to stitch. Now I've been forced to stitch with gold metallic thread. To make it a bit easier I am only using one strand of gold and I think I'll get away with this. (see far left). Also trying to keep control of the back of my work which I'll show when all is finished. The bunch of roses the Queen is holding was also a bit difficult but now I can see it is a bunch of roses.

Bye Christmas Welcome 2014

 I had a very nice Christmas and hope everyone else did too. Here I am telling Santa exactly what 's on my list. This wasn't taken last week, last year or even this century. Must have been last century sometime. I'm sure I got everything I wanted, I usually did. My mother made my dress and I am wearing a hand knitted cardigan but don't know who knitted it.

 Christmas day my family were here and Santa obligingly came past in his hovercraft. We all rushed out to wave and cheer but he didn't stop.

 Very tall grandsons cleaned some of my ceiling fans for me while they were visiting. Thank you grandsons.
Charlotte is the lump under the quilt on the left, she is not keen on too many visitors at once/

Went to the Boxing day sales, I think there is only one shop in Sydney that sell Royal items. I couldn't resist this Royal Doulton couple. They were reduced in price (well a little bit) so had to have them.

While I was in Sydney I took a short train journey out to the suburb I grew up in. It's changed a lot as there is a large Mosque nearby and it is now very multicultural which means the shops are much more interesting.
Pictured above is the old public toilets, closed for good now but the building look cared for. If Martin and Lucy from 'Homes Under the Hammer' UK saw it I'm sure the building would be auctioned off and turned into a desirable residence. Right at the station and shops. This has been done to closed public toilets in the UK so might happen here.

Just so I don't get too relaxed after Christmas this happened again. A bit like those old puzzles, spot the thing that doesn't belong. There was a battle and I won. Enough said.
          HAPPY 2014 to All

Happy Christmas

Charlotte would like to wish all friends near and far A Very Happy Christmas and New Year.
Charlotte is also reminding everyone that she will celebrate her 19th birthday in February. She hopes for a telegram from the Queen but I have warned her she might have to wait for her 20th birthday for that.
I will keep the Palace up to date on all Charlotte's birthdays from now on.

Terea Gil Cross Stitch Update and More Excitement

 I've been working hard on my Queen cross stitch and now there is some colour it has become a bit easier to stitch as I don't lose my place so much. Still so much to do, I can't sit back and admire my work yet but progress is being made. Thanks to Lucy at threadedneedle I now have all the beads I need.

Interesting doiley for my collection. This is from the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. The visit of the Queen in 1954 then the Olympic games in 1956 really got Australia noticed and all needlewomen kept very busy.

 Much excitement today, first my latest Rosemary McLeod book was delivered. Almost 500 pages of exciting old needlework, patterns, old adds from long ago magazines all amazing stuff. Ruth from Britsamplers (though she hasn't posted for a while) alerted me to the new book. My copy came from New Zealand, Rosemary is a Kiwi, the book is just published and I couldn't find it here.

 One of the adds in the book from a 1938 magazine. Was tempted to take the advice offered till I remembered if I drink Gin I can't sew. So much to look at in this book.

Friend K told me about a neighbour of hers who collects wall vases and got me an invite to see her collection. I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked in to B's house. The most wonderful collection, my photos don't do it justice. These are vases mostly from the 1950's all English or Australian made. Clever B has had false walls made so nails can be hammered in without damaging the walls. Unlike my collections which will one day pull the walls down.

 More vases, B also had pretty embroideries, brooches and bags. I will be going back again as I'm sure I missed some things. I still haven't shown all the vases.

 B. had a cabinet full of gold china.

 And a cabinet of green depression glass. The whole house was full of collections all so very pretty AND dust free.

Then B. came to my house to admire my collection which is not as well organised as hers. Charlotte quickly took up a position ready to be admired. Charlotte could you please explain away some of the cat hairs covering my collection?

Tie One on Day- An Apron

 Yesterday 27th Nov. was Tie One on Day in America and with my large apron collection I thought I would wear an apron to my craft meeting. After much thought I decided on my Mae West apron. The apron was admired but somehow I don't think the day is going to catch on here in Australia. I will try again next year but some members were a bit puzzled by it all.

 Another part of the day is to cook something and give it to someone who needs cheering up. Cook! Me!
I went to the supermarket! and took this little feast along for morning tea. Not much craft is done at this craft group but we do like to drink tea , laugh and gossip.  The apron day is always the day before Thanksgiving in America and was started by EllynAnne Geisel who has written a book about aprons.

 I took this apron along for show and tell because it is in the book by Rosemary McLeod.

 Three of my favourite books. The top one is The Gentle Arts, 200 Years of Australian Women's Domestic and Decorative Arts. Although the making and collecting of aprons is popular in America the are mostly fabric ones. With a couple of exceptions I only collect hand embroidered aprons. Gina in Melbourne is the only person I know who has a larger apron collection than mine.

 Featured in the book Thrift to Fantasy is this beautiful hooked wool rug made by Lucy May Dunbar in Auckland NZ. Based on a wedding portrait of the Queen and Philip on their wedding day in 1947.
Mrs Dunbar's family loaned the rug to Auckland War Memorial Museum in 1954 and it has only been displayed once, in 2003. If the rug is displayed a second time I will be there. Rug measures 1905x1254 mm.

I have the pattern for this little sampler, knew I would never get around to stitching it so was pleased when I was able to buy one completed.
Now the HUGE??? excitement of apron day I will get back to my stitching challenge.
Happy Thanksgiving America XX

George V Child's Tea Set and Lots More

 A child's tea set from the Coronation of George V and Queen Mary in 1911. Still in the original box. An amazing find on eBay in the U.K  and I love having it an my collection.

 Finished decorating my latest doll house, this one has a more Royal theme. I used some of my precious coronation wallpaper and I made the curtains and bedspread from Charles and Diana wedding fabric from 1981. A William and Kate engagement picture hangs on the wall.

 The rest of the house is furnished from the doll house I sent to the op shop. I only have space for 3 houses, the stairs make a good display unit for my small collection of Limoges miniatures.

 All these papers are 12th scale doll house size papers bought on eBay and scattered around various rooms.

Update on chairs. No law states my chairs must all match so I covered 2 to match the curtains and 2 with London fabric I bought from the Cath Kidston shop at Covent Garden some years ago. I only bought half a metre so have at last found a use for it.

 I bought this pillowcase a few weeks ago thinking it was perfect for me. Charlotte thinks it was meant for her. After a long battle we have agreed to share. Charlotte is having her turn.

The first stitches are in my Teresa Gil challenge, I couldn't wait till next year. Lots of half stitches back stitching and beading to be done.
The beads and more hard to find threads I bought from Lucy at www.threadedneedle.com.au who has been a great help. I still have 3 lots of beads on order

George V Charles Diana Samplers and Queen Curtains

 I think I bought this stamped and waiting to be embroidered sampler from America about 2 years ago. I have just finished and framed it. I made an educated? guess and decided it was meant for the Silver Jubilee of George V. I printed on calico with the help of my computer the picture of George V. It covers up a maple leaf so the sampler probably originated in Canada. Sorry Canada you missed your chance and the maple leaf has gone. The frame is from my favourite frame shop, the local Salvation Army op. shop.

 A beautiful Charles and Diana tapestry, a recent ebay purchase it has lots of interesting stitches, I was the only bidder so it was a bargain. Has everyone forgotten Charles and Diana? Not me.

 Another ebay bargain, I'm sure there are lots more C&d samplers out there waiting to join my collection.

 Was feeling my house is still not Royal enough. Example, boring dusty curtains hanging limply for at least 10 years.

 Boring matching chair. Well I made the curtains and covered the chairs so only myself to blame.

 Now look what I found in Spotlight. Fabric that looks like British 16p stamps with the Queen's head. I bought what was left on the roll, only 4.5 meters but enough for my plans. Old curtains in the bin and new ones hanging in no time at all. My ladder issues were forgotten as I nimbly leapt up and down the ladder and didn't fall off once.

Four chairs covered to match curtains, easy to do with my staple gun.
This makes my house even more ROYAL and will keep me happy for a little while.
Now, if only Charlotte would let me have a Corgi.
I will have another talk with Charlotte when she wakes from her 12 hour power nap.