Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

 Happy Australia Day… to celebrate, I made a koala plushie. I bought a fabric panel of an owl and a koala at the Wallsend Community markets last month, so thought today was the right day to make this Aussie icon. Australia Day was a rather lazy day. . A morning walk and then we retreated quickly back inside to escape the heat. I put a small indoors thermometer outside to test it out – it gave up! Obviously over 40degrees! We only went outside because we had to. We celebrated Australia day tonight by cooking, taking and sharing a slow cooked lamb dinner with my friend and my sister-in-law, both patients in hospital. Much better we’re told than hospital food! Here's a special thought for Australia Day: "Close your eyes... and think of the land that gave you life and breath, and think of all the reasons you are glad to be there, with the people you know, with the people you love."  from The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith. This week has been a slow c...

We have had some really hot days this week (I think Thursday was 41 degrees) , and of course, I have been playing with wool. I am still making samples for my felting workshop and while it seems quite unseasonal, I am really happy with a couple of my scarves and have even been modelling them around the house. I am also still working on the beaded felted jewellery and have started on a challenge doll for the Craft and Quilt Show here in Newcastle in February. I think most other doll makers have finished theirs and I am just starting. This is however, not surprising. – I like to think I prefer to work under pressure! This challenge is an interpretation of the pattern Mrs Chalumeau. I has only progressed as far as practising the button pattern on the skirt. .My plan is to make a Pearly Queen as I chose one of the suggested colour combinations -black and white. I hope to show some progress on her soon. Although the weather hasn’t been really conducive to creativity , what a good week it’s b...