the bravest

This very handsome devil of a horse is actually a copy of a zigsaw puzzle that I saw in a catalogue. I fell in love and traced around the 2" diagram. Then using a friends photocopier enlarged the drawing to 18" x 24". Next step was to hand paint the orange yellow fabric, then using reverse applique to finish. The indian is exactly the same method except the pattern started out as a tattoo

cheers from Tennant Creek

Hello Liam. I miss you heaps. Hello Rose, Fern, James and Lilly. I cant wait to see you all. Love Josh
The house of Henwood.
Lake Maryanne. Not often full to the brim but with some help from the monsoonal rains it is very full.
And it rained, and it rained and it rained.

making my own stationary

Today I cut up strips of fabric, used two sided tape to attach it to A4 paper. Then I added some buttons and colour photocopied them to make this lovely stationary.
Next I am going to print recipes, patterns, home remedies etc on it. Once that is done I will laminate and include in gifts to family and friends

Quilt for Oscar

If you double click on the image you will be able to see the quilt I have just finished for Oscar Edward Crisp. Oscar's mum Sarah Hughes asked me if I would make a quilt for her baby boy and this is it finished. Oscar is not due to be born for another 4 weeks so we are not sure if he likes it yet. His mum is having a baby shower on Saturday so I will present it to her then. I machine peiced the top and machine quilted the nine patch blocks then hand quilted around each of the teddys. I used stem stitch to personalise and embroidery Oscars name.

Allergy to prescription

Well here I sit feeling quite sorry for myself because I am unwell. Last night I had to get my friend Janelle to cart me off to hospital. What started off as a sore lower back turned into a very scary night. Last tuesday I started experiencing lower back pain, which I didnt think to much of. I had some anti-inflamatories so just thought I would take them for a few days. However come Monday this week the pain wasnt subsiding and I was starting to take panadol as well but nothing seemed to work. So off I went to the doctor who prescribed slow release tramadol. At the pharmacy the pharmasist asked if I had taken these drugs before and as I had not he warned me they could have side effects of vomitting etc. If any symptoms produced I should stop taking and see the doctor. Me being me who never has a reaction to anything took a pill at 9.30 am and went back to work. By 11.30 am I was feeling drousy and a bit strange so took myself home and spent the next 4 hours on the couch unable to wake myself from a deep sleep. Next started the vomitting, the later the day the worse I felt so off to the hospital I went. The hospital staff took my pulse and it was 42 beats per minute instead of 60 to 100...so next the ECG, bloods etc and an over night stay in hospital. Everytime I would nod off to sleep my pulse would go done even further to 38 beats per minute. My heart appears to be fine but I have to travel to Alice Springs to see the specialist just to be safe.I will never take a prescription again without cross examining the doctor. Appartently he could have prescribed a 4 hour dose of the same medication to see if I was going to have a reaction. PS the good news!!! No back pain for 24 hours. Its back now but I think I will just suffer it

We really are a lucky country

How lucky am I. I have friends Tracy and Peter Henwood in Jamestown in South Australia about 1800kls away. Tracy rang to tell me mutual friends from Tennant Creek, Janelle and Brian had visited with her for a hour or so on their way home from holidays. Tracy has sent some bottled fruit that they have preserved home for me with Janelle and Brian. In the past I have also received home made jam which was delicious. This morning I got a phone call from another lot of friends Trish and Charlie in Borroloola near the Gulf of Carpentaria about 800 kilometres away. Borroloola is a very popular fishing spot. Anyway Trish rang to say Charlie had been fishing and caught a Baramundi and she was sending it down to Tennant Creek for me on a plane that was leaving within the hour and could I be at the airport to pick it. This is asking the girl that lives in the middle of the desert, where fresh means frozen bread, where the only fresh thing is air and where the only place to go fishing was with a pack of cards. Could I be at the airport !!!! So there I was when Alex the pilot landed at 10.45 am with my freshly caught, beautifully filleted fish. And just to top it off there is enough for 8 dinners for me....am I sharing, not on your Nellie. lol

whole cloth handquilted

These examples of my whole cloth quilts that i ahve handquilted have been done for my sons as family heirlooms. We call them our baptismal quilts. One for each of the boys, Roland and Scott for when they give me grandchildren. Dont keep me waiting to long guys! In the mean time my beautiful godson Kadyn used one at his baptism. The top quilt is Scotts as he was living at home when I quilted this one so he has put dibs on it.
The bottom picture was the next step up and this quilt is single bed size. I still havent mastered getting good clear shots but I think if you click on the photo it will enlarge and show better detailing

The quilt off my bed

This quilt is one of my many favorites and takes pride of place on my four poster bed. I really enjoyed shopping for the fabrics and making the pattern up as I went along. When I began all I was sure of was that it had to be blues and purples. I am very pleased with the finished project

My space in the world

It doesnt seem to matter how hard I try to keep things organised, as soon as I get creative all sense of reason goes out the window. What was a very tidy fabric stash now needs me to spend an hour or so refolding.

Creating my blog

This is me creating my blog, after my friend mad quilter had introduced me to her site. I am now officially addicted. It is great meeting new people, showing photos of my life to family and friends and showing off my craft. I love blogs. Blog is the new man in my life.

The Midnight Mouse

Once apon a time there was a family that lived in Staunton Street Tennant Creek. The mothers name was Tracy and the fathers name was Peter. Tracy and Peter had five beautiful children. Fern, James, Rosie, Liam and Lilly.

Tracy and Peter decided to get the children to help them grow vegetables in their garden.Fern, James, Rosie and Liam help to plant tomatos. Every day they would get sun light and water and they grew into beautiful big red tomatoes.

Sadly there was one problem. It was a tricky little mouse called the midnight mouse who would sneak out why the family slept and bite holes in the tomatoes.

When the Henwoods left Tennant Creek and moved to Jamestown the little midnight mouse was sad. So was their friend Sue Green.

The midnight mouse had a great plan but new he needed some help.He asked the chook Gail if she could help but Gail said no.He asked the budgies if they could help but they said no.He asked the cat next door if it could help but she said no. No- one knew the way to Sue Greens house. What could he do?

One day when he had nearly given up hope, Peter came to visit his old house and show the new owners how to work the airconditioner. Why everyone was busy Midnight mouse snuck into Peters car. Imagine his surprise when he heard Peter say that it was very cold in Jamestown. Oh no thought Midnight mouse now what will I do, I really dont like the cold. He was stuck in the car and very frightened where Peter was going. Not to cold Jamestown I hope.

To his utter amazement Peter stopped at a house and a lady came out to tell Peter to come and have a coffee. Yes !Yes ! It was Sue Greens house. Quickly he jumped out of the car and ran around to the back of the house to hide untill it was safe to come out.

When Sue had gone to bed the Midnight mouse came out to explore and guess what he found to eat. Sue's big red fat juicy tomatoes.The End........Thank you Henwoods for sharing your mouse but most of all your family, love and unconditional support. I love you all heaps and miss you every day

manicure set

This is another little embroidery project that I completed from a magazine. My friend Janelle and I purchased some cheap manicure sets and made these up for family and friends for christmas 2005. Most we personalised with the receivers names.

Apple Slice

This is a delicious and simple apple slice. When you first look at the ingredients dont be fooled into thinking I have made a mistake. Make this slice once and I am sure you will make it again and again.

Combine 1 cup of coconut with 1 pkt vanilla cake mix (home brand ones work especially well)and 1/2 cup of melted marg. Spread mixture into a greased lamington tin (7" x 11"). Bake in a moderate oven , 180 deg celsius / 350 fahrenheit until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with a large tin of commercial unsweetened cooked apples. Now mix together one small tub of sour cream and two eggs that have been hand whisked. Spread over apples and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake in moderate oven until set.

This lovely embroidery pattern came from one of my 100's of magazines that I seem to be addicted to buying. The instructions were fabulous making it reasonably easy to make

pass the chook

I receive 2 chook pin cushions as part of my christmas gift from my friend Tracy( Mad Quilter). As usual I copied her pattern and have made this one for our friend Janelle. I think I will start a new craze and get Janelle to make one for one of her friends and so on and so forth

my mum

My mum has come to spend christmas with me in the outback. Why she is here I am making good use of her knitting and crochet skills. Here she is making me one of many covered coathangers that I need. She is making them from feather wool and are very simple. You could use any type of wool. Using 4.5 mm needles cast on 80 stitches and continue to knit 18 rows. Cast off and fold in half long ways. Unscrew the metal hook from a wooden coat hanger. Stitch one short and the long side closed then insert the coat hanger and stitch up the last seam. If you feel along the wood you will find the hole to re-screw the metal hanger part back in.

baby cot panel

This is my current project that I am working on. It is a babies cot panel quilt that I am hand quilting. Its lovely to relax at night in the lounge and stitch away. Im so glad I discovered hand quilting. I spoilt myself when I stopped smoking in may 2003 and bought a very beautiful silver thimble from the Thimble Lady. I highly recommend her products and quilting style

chrissy presents

Christmas time was a very exciting time for me. I got some wanderful presents from my friends the Henwoods. All made by the mummy

hand quilted wall hanging

This is one of my earlier peoces of hand quilting and one of my favorites

My boys

These are my two amazing sons. I am pictured dancing with Scott at his 21st. He is currently working at a mine in Northern Australia. Roland my eldest boy lives in Adelaide and works as a meat processor. I am not allowed to say butcher as a butcher is not politicallt correct.

scotts embroidery

This very different little wall hanging was done by my 22 year old son Scott. Scott was watching me embroidery and declared " thats easy, I can do that". After showing him how to stem stitch, he drew these graffiti images on calico and did this! I must say I was amazed that this big burley lad could do something as delicate as embroidery. Once he was finished I combined the peices to make this wall hanging. I just need to finish it now

I like to dabble in all types of crafts and interests. Decorative painting is one thing I go mad with then dont touch for months. I will see some thing that enspires me and I am off again

These lovely little wall hangings I bought as a kit, entitled coffee collection. My first ever purchased kit.I loved them