Stir it up Sunday is something my grandmother introduced me to.  Before launching into all the rush of Advent and associated Christmas preparations, we have Stir it up Sunday.  It takes it's name from a 1549 prayer "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee...

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  I may be many things, but a bird fancier I am not.  Instead I am content to admire these sweet and proper budgies.  I picked up the books from the local church fair for their illustrations.   There's a certain poetry to the collective nouns of birds.  A chatter of budgies or even a chattering.  The canaries, I have been told, like to...

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 These ladies have been waiting a very long time to get their skirts.  But don't they look so happy now?  They were left in painted on hot pants for over a year, as I tried to work out how to make them stand up. The original plan was to hand turn some wooden bead and route out a centre that let each doll...

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A little stitching, a little pattern and I now have my very own La Cigale.  It's a lavender filled cicada, to fill a wardrobe with summery fragrances and memories of a lovely Le Rouvray.  The pattern went together beautifully.  I think the next one deserves some sort of hanging loop as well. I'm busting out the fabric stash.  Aunts, avert you eyes as...

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I'm smitten with Ladybird books.  Their bright spines, idyllic worlds and attempts at first readers.  According to telling the time, we can expect the mail man at 9 and the milkman at 10 and daddy will get home from work at 6.  Just as well there is shopping at 11 and tea at 4 to keep us occupied for the rest of the...

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