Sometimes the tools for adventure are right in front of your nose, or in this case at the end of your bed.  Today's adventure takes as many chairs and blanket as you can find. 

We have had a few rainy days this first week of school holidays.  Sometimes you just need to surrender to the chaos and give up the lounge.  In this case, every blanket  and quilt comes out of hiding.  Mysteriously, the chairs disappear from anywhere you might want to sit down.  The forts pop up like little shanty towns as the kids try to work out how to balance it all and run to the kitchen for yet more pegs.

If you wait long enough there is even an invite to join them for a tea party inside the fort.  As long as I have somewhere perch for a cup of tea, I'm happy.

To remember Anzac Day, today's adventure was planting poppies.  Anzac Day conveniently falls at just the right time to get poppies ready for the distant spring.  A punnet of red, spotted lady bird poppies and blousey shirley poppies are now stretching their toes in our front garden.  E helped digging, watering. 

We picked up some purple and black poppy seeds from the lovely Quince Tree shop.  We sprinkled these over last.

I'm used to wet Easters that let me weed the garden, plant bulbs and tuck everything in for the winter.  This year, the drought has meant we had to wait a little longer.  On the other hand, it gave us a nice way to remember Anzac day, both today and as the flowers lift their nodding heads.

Today's adventure started with some decorating.  We stamped and typed little paper bags.  H typed beautiful lines of gibberish and E went for terms of endearment.

Little adventures are everywhere.  To celebrate the school holidays, we're having 5 days of adventures - each day a little bit of something to keep little hands busy.  Today, we're knitting.

The girls have been playing with these for the last few weeks.  After some experimenting, I would recommend french knitting for 7yrs plus or a very enthusiastic 5yr old.  While my 4 year old finds the french knitting appealing* the co-ordination is not quite there.

We have knitted our way through the pieces of wool that came with the doll.  The coaster was carefully stitched after the kids went to bed, keeping up a fine family tradition of coasters for Grandma**.

E is now knitting her way through a  multicolored ball of knotted ends.  The different lengths add to the effect.

You can make a knitting doll with a wooden cotton reel and carpet tacks.  There is a tutorial over at Knit for Victory.

*H picked up her doll, with the knitting already started and exclaimed "Look how much poos is coming out!"

**Mum stitched up our finger knitting and Gran used them as a coaster for her morning teapot and cuppa.

If you've met my Dad, you would swear these old fisherman paintings are all of him, from the sun reddened cheeks to the blue eyes*.

When I saw this forlorn tapestry at the back of local bazaar,** I knew exactly where it needed to go. I asked Mum for some off-cuts from a recently upholstered chair.  She was little confused when I promised to give them back.  I did give them back, eventually, just in a slightly different form.  The cushion now takes pride of place at my parents home by the beach.

This image has been a part of my family for a long time.  Nana used to have a faded re-production print of it in her lounge.  She swore it was really a painting of a distant relative. There might have been some truth in it but I never could get to the bottom of it.  I tried goggle searching the image but coudn't come up with any original.  It seams the old fisherman is has become folklore.  These little fisher-babys, on the other hand, certainly look like something I might be related to.


*Fortunately the pipe and smoking has only ever been a prop.  Though, a bubble pipe could be a pretty cool Fathers day gift at some point.

**Come to think of it, Graham, the Bazaar shop keeper would make a great fisherman too.

Sometimes newer isn't better.  This week we made pinwheel scones using the vintage butter cutters.  Granddad was on his way over and we needed something for morning tea.

These wood and wire beauties are made to "rub in" the butter.  Being the modern girl that I am, I  usually reach for the food processor for this job.  I'm considering a change.  Once you get into it, the butter cutters are just as fast and an awful lot easier to wash. They also gave Miss H a chance to have a go too.

Soon enough the scones were ready to go and in the oven.  I would have take a photo of the finished pinwheels, but we were too busy eating them.

linking in again with Op-Shop-Show-Off

 Retro purple twill has met its match. The answer is 5 year old enthusiasm and 50 year old patterns.
E has been excited about this dress since I bought a stash of Maudella patterns last year.  The pattern is Maudella 1406, circa 1960s.  The cover features  three little girls in flirty dresses with what could easily pass as high heels. The pattern came in only one size '5&6', which had me holding my breath and hoping it would fit.
The fabric is a printed twill, thrifted when E was only a twinkle in my eye.   We were using in chunks it as gift wrap for a while.

I felt the loud loud pattern needed some toning down, hence the co-ordinating collar, cuffs and waistband.  There was supposed to be  double breasted buttons down the front, but I fear a button has not yet been invented to shout louder than this fabric.  Remembering the childhood frustration of forgetting to undo cuffs until after clothes were half off, I left the cuffs un-gathered.
I am currently loving the Belgian Style series over at Straight Grain.  I may not have quite nailed the minimalist style with pinging accent colours, but I will keep trying.

E is ecstatic about the dress.  She has worn it two days straight and is trying it out with every pair of tights she can find.  She has also gone to pains to prove that it is a dress made for action and goes well with helmets.

 Given the imminent demise of Google reader, I'm dabbling with alternatives.  So far Feedly and Blog lovin are showing up on my radar.  I'll let you know which way I go.

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Nestled next to last weeks china set, my girls spied a fish tank.  We have been admiring fish for a while now.  It turns out you need more than a tank. 

After some careful words at the pet store, we came away with water conditioner, nurturing bacteria and instructions. We cleaned, conditioned and dosed and today we fished.

Our new pets are called Blackie (on account of black lips) and Lilly  (named after a favourite baby sitter).  I fear my dearest and I have spent a little more time than the children, admiring the fish antics.

I hope your Easter holiday is going well.  We have been having all sorts of adventures. From a  night at the best little inland campground, to Easter egg hunting and feasting on simnel cake.