Lenora Jenkins Designs

Walking on the other side.

Sorry, my blogging has been rather dismal of late. You see I have hanging out on the other side....caught up in all things woolly.

It all started with Pinterest. So many lovely photos, so many links to blogs and websites. I found myself on a continuous roundabout of woolly wonderment. 

I will not bore you with the chain of events, but one blog led to another, then another and my mind was a whirl wind of thoughts. My thoughts wandered back to my mothers spinning wheel, and I made an inquiring phone call. The next day I welcomed a new member to my family. Let me introduce "Warnie".

(I made the fatal mistake of proclaiming to the family that we needed a name for the spinning wheel. The man of the house instantly yelled "Warnie!....the greatest spinner of all time!" I was thinking something like..... Suzi. But the rest of the house thought that Warnie was the only possible name, so Warnie has stuck. Six against one is totally out numbered.)

The wheel arrived with a huge bag of fleeces......I am not even going to guess the age of them, and since then I have been in another world.

There is so much to learn, like a whole new language. Terms such as 'Mother of all', whorl, scotch tension, and that is just the wheel. Roving, batts, slivers, drum carders, dofflers, s twist, z twist, plying. And then there is the fleece....Merino, Corriedale, Romney, Blue Faced Leicester (? spelling) and so much more. 

Ideally I would love to do a beginners course, but so far I can only find them in the city. So for now I am learning with books and lots of on-line videos. 

I have managed to spin my first yarn,

I think it is absolutely lovely, but hopefully in a few weeks I will be laughing at how terrible it is.

And on top of all that.....wait for it............I am getting some sheep!!!!!

My DH is absolutely pulling his hair out, but I have managed to find a small parcel of land that is not being used and would be perfect. It will take a few weeks, but I can wait. 

So life is good in my neck of the woods, hope yours is too.

Lenora X.

 

Blaming it on the kids

I now have funny little men living in my garden.

 

Back to sewing soon, I promise!

Lenora X.

Full on Gardening

The Gardening bug has bitten. I have decided to keep a garden journal for 2012, so I have been madly trying to catch up with the weeding so I can take some 'before' photos that will not be too embarrassing when I look back in time. 

With all my energy focused on Australian Quilt Market in November, the garden did take a back seat, and it missed out on fertilizer and mulch. With no mulch to inhibit their growth, I have had an explosion of Aquilegia (Granny Bonnets) throughout my rose bed.

But their flowers are not as spectacular as their parents, and I think they will soon go.

So with some fresh enthusiasm for the garden, the girls and I headed off to the nursery yesterday. I know the middle of summer is not the best time to go planting, but when you have the urge, you have to go with it, and I do have plenty of water.

Our aim was to buy some herbs to plant in some pots we received for Christmas, but we did manage to find other things as well.

The deep red Geranium just had to come home with me, and I also pick out some more Buddleia (the ones that I have are doing really well despite their lack of attention). I also have some plans for those Dianthus as a hedging plants. Unfortunately they were $9.90 a pot. I picked the biggest of the crimson and pink and I will divide them up into new pots and wait for them to grow.

While driving home from the nursery, a vision hit me. The Geraniam would look lovely planted in an old bucket that was hanging about one of our sheds. So once home, it was off with the good clothes, into the farm clothes and off to the shed. Now farmers sheds are a wealth of treasures! I found four fantastic 'pots', but settled on this one.

So out with the drill (whoops one less drill piece but dont tell DH!) and it quickly had four drainage holes.

 

The herbs were planted in two matching pots (with not quite enough potting mix).

And today I will try and finish the weeding so I can plant the Buddleia's and divide the Dianthius. And I WILL keep watering.....please, please dont let me forget the watering!

Lenora X.

 

Farewell 2011

I have started, paused, deleted, rethought, started again, deleted and so on......but I might as well just get to the point. I am really sad to see 2011 come to an end.

For me 2011 was;

* The first year I attended Quilt Market as a stall holder.

* The first year I taught at a full length stitching day.

* The first year that I met blogging friends in real life. (and they have become such treasured friends)

* The first year we have employed some long term help on the farm, helping me to produce more patterns.

* The first year we tackled a serious road trip as a family. (and boy it has opened possibilities)

And of top of that, there was a family wedding, a successful year on the farm and no serious health issues. I am sad to farewell it, and I guess a little nervous as to whether 2012 can deliver the same enjoyment.

But a new year does bring new starts. While I have given up on the notion of a new years resolution, I am keeping with my newly formed tradition of dedicating the year to something.

2012 is going to be the year of my garden. I have pondered areas, trialled plants, and formed ideas of what I want my garden to be. Four years ago it was a paddock that the cows grazed, and now it is time for me to develop it into the repose that I want it to be. It will be a challenge with our weather, and some gravely soil, but a challenge is always good. My short term goal is to be able to pick flowers all year round. It might even see me planting Chrysanthemums for a flower to pick in May....my mother will laugh at that.

You may have noticed on my left side bar, the little Pinterest badge. I have joined Pinterest so I can keep a log of ideas for my garden. Some are probably only dreams, but I am learning that dreams do come true.

I wish you a happy new year, hopefully a year where all our dreams come true.

Lenora X.

PS. I had fantastic sale on Thursday. The heifers made over $200/head more than my previous best price. Happy Dancing Big Time.

 

With nerves and excitement

At around lunch time today, my babies are being sold.

Well, they are not babies anymore, they are now 18mths old. But they are ready to move on to greener pastures, a beef farm not a dairy farm, where they will be mated and have their own babies.

I do enjoy selling our cattle at auctions. I have a mixture of excitement and nerves. I wait with bated breathe for our pen to be sold. I will the crowd to bid up. I try to keep track of the numbers but they change so quickly. Sometimes the numbers are great and sometimes they are far from what I expected. In less than two minutes my nerves change to either sheer delight having made a fortune, or full disappointment, cursing the time and energy we have wasted. But today their is no we/ours, they are totally mine to sell!

So think of me at lunch time; I am already jittery with the prospect.

Lenora X.

Christmas Wishes

 

Wind through the olive trees softly did blow,

Round little Bethlehem, long, long, ago.

 

Sheep on the hillside lay whiter than snow,

Shepherds were watching them long, long, ago.

 

Then from the starry skies angles bent low,

Singing their songs of joy, long, long, ago.

 

For in a manger bed cradled we know,

Christ came to Bethlehem, long, long, ago.

 

 

Love this carol, probably something to do with the mention of sheep and shepherds I suppose.

Well, the baking is done, the presents are wrapped, the carols are sung and it is nearly time to curl up in bed. I wish you a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones, and the happiest memories of those who are not with you.

Lenora X.

Meeting Bloggers

I received an email last week from a blogger whom I have been following for so long. So long, I cannot remember her not being on my favourites page. In the email this lady stated that she was coming along the Great Ocean Road and was wondering if I would be free to meet up. (Free, I would have cancelled any appointment.) 

So today was the day we got to meet, and it was not just her, but her family as well. I feel so honoured. It was really hard to pull myself away, I wish we had days not hours. I have been so fortunate to find so many lovely people through blogging, and it is so warming to meet them in person. So who is it?????? Well, I am not going to tell you today, it is her holiday and I will leave it all for her to tell.....  but I am sure you all know her.

We met at Gum Valley Patchwork. While I was there I picked up a few items,

Some felt, fabric and those gorgeous note pads from Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched. And see Rudy, Miss 10yrs has resisted him over the last few visits, but today was the day that she weakened. Looks like we are making a Rudy.

Miss 13 (who keeps reminding me that she is almost 14), has decided that she wants to make the "To Georgia with Love" quilt designed by Leanne Beasley. She picked up a collection of fabrics in mauve's, pinks and blues.

It has been a lovely day. One I will remember for sure!

Lenora X.

 

Another look

I have just been sorting through some of my work and I came across this,

a version of my "Footpaths in the Forest" table-runner pattern. Linda made it for me to take to AQM, and I have been very remiss in not sharing it with you. sorry! It is made from the Curio range of fabric (Moda). 

Lenora X.

Under the spell of Woodland.

Sometimes a new design strikes me like a bolt of lightning. Other times it is born out of frustration (the slumber party bag), and other times the design is a slow process that starts with the temptation of fabric. I see a fabric and somehow get drawn to it's presence. I see it again and then it plays on my mind until I weaken and make the purchase.

When I first saw pictures of Woodland, I thought it was cute. Then I saw it in the flesh at AQM, and fell in love the intensity of the colours.

I have an idea bubbling away, but I am keeping a lid on it until I have all the Christmas shopping under control. Oh, the excitement of a new project..... it is worth savouring.

Lenora X.

Endings

As the sun sets on another day, another job is crossed off the board. 57 days ago we started harvest, and 1,868 rolls later we have officially finished. Well, there are still quite a few rolls in the paddocks to be carted in, but no more grass to be cut and baled. No more scrutinising the weather forecasts, or nervously committing to events.

The end of harvest brings a gentle ease to our life, an end to the busy seasons on our farm. A time we can sit back and just let things tick over until calving time comes again.

For me it means freedom. My days are less ambushed with "Have you just got a minute...". I can find long hours to sit and sew and create, and the arm chair does not put me to sleep this time of year. Yep, Life is good on the farm.

Lenora X.