Preparing the Nest

The last 5 weeks I have been on my long awaited maternity leave, which has been 5 weeks of creative heaven preparing our little honey bee's nursery, and getting bits and pieces done around the house. I never understand women who tell me they were bored on maternity leave prior to their baby's arrival.....For me the options seem limitless...

I've made plum jam, peach chutney. I've stained our  new oak dining cabinet to match our oak dining table. I still have cane chairs to repaint, and outdoor cushions to recover which have faded over the summer.

But most of all I've enjoyed getting my daughter's room ready, and spent my days sewing and painting. At 39 weeks almost everything on my two page list has been completed, and now I am enjoying making her some little outfits for the impending Melbourne winter. I figure it may be some time until I can sit down at my sewing table again, among my fabrics, and enjoy some non sleep deprived creativity.

Here are a snap shot of some of my finished projects and her nursery which I've been working on over the past 5 weeks.

Leander Cradle for her first 6 months.

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Inside her little nest - Cherry blossom flannelette sheeting I found at Spotlight.

Making mix and match cot sheets.

Her cot all made up with the hot off the press sheets/ pillow case.

Some more cherry blossom cot sheets ready to go.

This is the lamp shade I covered for her room.

 I used the same cotton fabric to back the cotton quilt I made for her which has a gorgeous bright Liberty floral fabric front.

My little helper Luigi seemed to think the baby mobile I was making was for him.

  

 The finished mobile...turned out a little carnival themed. Made from an old lampshade that I stripped the fabric off and painted to use as a hanging frame.

 Have You Met Miss Jones porcelain elephants.

I love her little rabbit lamp set. I had originally bought the larger rabbit, and my dear friend Anna unknowingly bought the smaller rabbit lamp as a gift. I was delighted! It makes the perfect little set of night lamps above her cot.

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Every little girl's room needs a kitten picture or two...

Her little wardrobe, painted, wallpapered with new handles - pre clothes.

I did the same with an old dresser - painted, wallpapered the drawers and changed the handles. It gives more storage space than  a store bought change table, and works as a nifty place to change or bath the bubby.

As our little one will be born in the Chinese year of the horse, a close friend Karin bought her a little carousel with wooden horses. 

Liberty fabric bunting. 

Angus and Celeste jelly mold porcelain hanging pots with Chain of Hearts and Maiden Hair Fern. The chair was an ebay purchase which I stripped and had reupholstered in dusky Japanese linen. 

Now for her winter and summer wardrobe!

Cushions...cushions...cushions....

Always busy making cushions.. such a perfect decor prop to add colour and style. And if you can sew, it makes it so easy to change your decor by changing your cushions. I do have a self confessed fabric addiction, and lurveeee upholstery fabrics, especially when made from heavy linen.

My Ebay watch page or should I say pages are filled with upholstery fabrics from around the world which I frequently buy and have shipped to me here in Melbourne...... Some of my favourites are Sanderson, Schummacher, Brunschwig and Fils, GP & J Baker, Covington, Mulberry, Designer Guild,and of course Warwick and Zepel. 

I love sourcing the vintage upholstery ranges from these fabric houses.

William Morris Chrysanthemum and Sanderson Fitzroy Green.

William Morris Chrysanthemum 

Schumacher Empress Cartouche & William Morris Chrysanthemum

Schumacher Empress Cartouche & William Morris Chrysanthemum

Sanderson Chelsea 

Chartreuse Raw Silk, Sanderson Chelsea, Laura Ashley Teal Velvet, & Designers Guild Stothard

Sanderson Chelsea  & Warwick Beachcomber

Sanderson Chelsea & Warwick Beachcomber 

 

Mulberry Flying Ducks

Mulberry Flying Ducks

Oh so pretty.....

Easter 

I do love a good vignette, grouping things, and creating a little displays representative of the time of year. I couldn't resist loading these up. I did have a nest full of gorgeous quail eggs for Easter, which I had painstakingly pricked with a needle each end, blown out the yolk & white, and boiled. They looked gorgeous in the nest. My two kittens Luigi and Yiota also thought they were fabulous, and flicked them out of the nest with their little paws, rolling them across the table, and chasing them all over the floor. For the next week I'd come home to one or two less eggs each day. So much for the quail eggs...;)...Next time I'll glue them down.

How beautiful are these little ranunculus blossoms! The look just gorgeous in my vintage tea cups on the window ledge.

And by candle light.

And these stunning daffodils were given to me by my very thoughtful sister in law Dianne. I've never seen these colours before. Creamy white petals with a peach fluted centre. I thoroughly enjoyed these whilst they lasted.

Xmas Fare

Christmas 2012. Our first Xmas in our own home. I so enjoyed baking all the Christmas fare, and sending off my homemade gifts to friends and relatives. Chocolate Panforte, Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Biscotti, White Chocolate Biscuits... ...mmmmmmm! Damn good even if I say so myself :). 

Homemade Hamper Gifts

Rich Fruit Cake

For home, I gave my gorgeous green milk glass Donna Hay cake stand its first workout, as prime table center piece holding a rich dark fruit cake, topped with icing sugar (using a stencil the top came up beautifully). We munched on home made Chocolate Panforte - perfect with a steaming cup of coffee fresh from our Giotto espresso machine. 

Chocolate Panforte

Fruit cake on my Donna Hay stand

Here is a pic of our beautiful new oak dining table and chairs which we had delivered a few days prior to Xmas.

For Christmas day lunch we feasted on slow roasted Tuscan Pork Belly, baby potatoes, green beans and gravy; with of course a good drop of red wine! It is amazing how slow roasting for 3 hours, creates such a succulent and flavorsome pork belly. This recipe will definitely be repeated. 

Tuscan Pork Belly with Baby Potatoes and Green Beans

My hubby treated me to a Kitchen Aid Ice Cream attachment for Xmas present. It was clear he was looking forward to regularly devouring home made ice-cream. True to form and eager to try out my new present, I made Con's favorite ice-cream Rum & Raisin. There was little remaining after lunch. I do believe he considers it to be the best present he has ever bought me. I was very pleased with my efforts!

 I made my first ever wreath, compliments of the tutorial in the Country Style magazine just prior to Xmas. Here is a pic. It looked so cute hanging in my Xmas display.

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Wreath

Xmas Produce