Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie!

 

Tuesday breakfast with the birds features Double bar Finches.
(I wish I had a better set of lenses to do them justice)

These little birds measure in at about 8 cm and generally live in open grassy woodland.
The dish they're in is 30 cm (12 inch) in diameter.

Whenever they descend on one of the feeding bowls I always think of the old nursery rhyme of the 4 & 20 blackbirds baked in a pie! 

King parrots

 


The King parrots checking out the drive-way..........unfortunately I couldn't get closer so I'm behind bars! 

Oh TOYOTA!!

 

Somewhere out there in cyber space are 3 or 4 pics the same as this!
I've tried four times today to publish;so hopefully this time it's successful.
We never know what bird life to expect as visitors in our yard:this morning a pair of King Parrots dropped in for a late breakfast.
Larger than Rainbow Lorikeets and Pale-headed Rosellas,and smaller than our Lagoon Creek Black Cockatoos,Suphur crested Cockatoos and the Galahs,they are certainly an aggressive duo---the pic shows them giving some hurry-up to an inoffensive pale head rosella,before they in turn were hounded on their way by a noisy friar bird!

On a sad note,the little immature "scaly" has not put in an appearance today:whether it succumbed to the cold and wet of the weekend;or damaged by the other older birds;or just found enough blossom in the wild.....who knows? 

Sunday breakfast

 

After 60 ml of rain last night,and 118 ml the previous 24 hours,all the feathered free-loaders made it difficult for this little bloke to get a feed;On the off-chance he'd accept it,I made up a special bowl just for him.
I held it near the branch he was huddling on and he immediately boarded the bowl!
My husband used the camera,so,sorry about the human,but the pic looks weird without me in it (sorry about that) 

Afternoon snack

 

This is Frederick! We think he/she is a baby scaly,going by his beak,eye and feather colouring.
He(she?) has only appeared in our yard in the last week and he/she gets so busy feeding that he ignores the humans as we put more food out for him. 

Saturday morning's visitors

 

This morning one of the pair of Galahs that drop in daily consented to share a table with a Rainbow Lorikeet!
At the moment,one of the scaly breasted ( grass ?)parrots is deciding that I'm not as fearsome as I look,and comes to check out what I've got in the bowl for the feathered free-loaders....it worries me when wild birds are so trusting,I must admit,but when drought conditions are reducing bird feed in the wild,I feel they need a helping hand.
We also have an immature "scaly" living here.He jumps into the feed bowl feet and all!
The rainbows who can be quite vicious ,ignore "him/her" so it seems to be thriving. 

Breakfast at Kurli's Kottage.Yesterday one of my favourite cockatoos consented to be photographed with a couple of scaly breasted parrots.The birds are about 8 feet away from where I sit having breakfast each morning.LUCKY aren't we?

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Breakfast is served; View from my kitchen window as some of the rainbow Lorikeets vie for a place

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Embroidery on denim skirt(.Scanned from "Ideas for clothing decoration")

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Clint's ceremonial shirt":waterproof felt pens on washable white cotton velvet.Not a stitch in sight.(From "Ideas for Clothing Decoration" Sunset Press 1977

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Pack-rat? Hoarder? You decide.

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For the last two days I've been trying to re-organize storage space in the room that doubles as"office" and craft library.
I'm trying to be ruthless and cull the books,mags,fabrics that as they haven't been used for two plus years, I reckon I'll NEVER use.

Of course I have to double check "everything" don't I,so the process is slooooooooooooow!!
This morning,I have found :

part of a Recipe book printed in 1890s

A pattern for a Norman Hartnell designed skirt (courtesy English Woman's day,about 1955)

"Toys and Gifts" to make for Christmas (AWW Nov1972)

"Toys and Doll's Clothes" (AWW,October 1964)

and I also found " Ideas for Clothing Decoration"from Sunset books,Ca. printed in 1977;
I was happy to rediscover this because I remembered an embroidered denim skirt in it and thought it might be adaptable to those bags of Fun.......
In a word? NO!!
(I'll scan & upload some pics later to remind you of what was trendy in the 70s)

Knitting and Crochet books from late 40s

The first editions of Down Under Quilts;Inspirations;Australian Country Craft;Needlecraft---;CQNewsletter!

And I have the cheek to rubbish DH for his "junk"....

And with the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the house,I think it's time for a break........

Butterflies are free!

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With the "growing old disgracefully" aka Red hats Bag of Fun Challenge out of the way,I returned for another attack on the butterflies.
I vlisoflexed two "punched" butterflies to the back ground today,and completed stitching in shades of purple another butterfly,which I'll fix to the bag to-be, tomorrow.
I sorted out a "heap" of fabrics for my Christmas Ornie swap,and decided to use some of that silk from Gail R's kimono off-cuts for the foundation fabric.
Will I construct my Ornies from a "whole cloth" CQ or piece each one individually?
My heart opts for the latter,but my head(and Time constraints) says "Go for the whole cloth method.
Unfortunately I tend to feel this is reducing the originality and lending itself to mass production type of mind-set.
Really,it's too hot for such decisions(35 degree C today,and yesterday,and same predicted tomorrow.......I HATE summer!

As the auctioneers ask?

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"Are you all done?"
I thought yesterday that I'd completed my "bag of fun" but several bare patches screamed out for additional work!
I'd like to thank my friend Y for kindly sewing the red hat motifs for me........she's tried hard enough to con me into purchasing an embroidery machine,but when I've got a friend like her,why bother!
(Thanks,Y)
The two pics preceeding this post show that I added a total impracticality.......work on the rear side!
I know it will be subject to more wear and rubbing than the front,but at least this way I've got the option of two views!

So,hopefully now, I can find enough "attitude" to actually use my bag in public-----

I couldn't have a totally naked back-side,could I?

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Showing the lining and handles

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Some facts relating to "that Bag"

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Reading Jacqui's queries re the Size and style of jeans used,I thought it may help others who want to try these bags for themselves!

The red hat bag was a cut down pair of Size 8 ladies jeans;I initially performed surgery just above the crotch seam to give basic shape.
The bag finally ended up as 12 inches deep and 16 inches wide.
The straps and the bag base I was able to cut from the legs.
Thanks to a sample from Ronnie,I used Timtex to provide a stable base in my bag and I LIKE the stuff!

http://www.sew-happy.com/

(is Ronnie's site to find out more about Timtex in Australia; and no I don't own shares :-) )


My "Butterflies are free",which is still a WiP is (being) constructed from a ladies size 12 denim mini skirt,which I can see will present new challenges for constructing handles and base as not as much off-cuts are available.

I also have a pair of men's jeans with a 100cm waist..now they are DAUNTING!
But as my DiL would like a denim bag,maybe I can turn those into an overnight bag??

And I must add an apology......I still can't get the "link" thingie to work for me,so you'll need to cut and paste the URL to your browser to view Ronnie's site!

Nearly complete!As much embellishing as I'm doing.The base of the bag is sewn in position,the handles pinned.........."just" the lining to be successfully implanted and my "Growing old disgracefully" Bag of Fun will be ready for use!
And for those that know me-----------YES! There is one cat visible!!

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Just a few more blanks to "cover" on the front,and then I'll add just a little to the back-side.!

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The second view showing the base of the fan

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Two views of Jan W's fan after Catherine and MaureenB have worked on it

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