I love the out of season inspiration of northern hemisphere blogs.  As sewers start to show off their winter wardrobes, I start to weave my dream projects.  So few of them happen but it is nice to dream.  However, garden blogs are where the 6 month difference is incredibly inspirational.  So often, just as their flowers are coming out in the northern hemisphere, it is time to prepare and plant here.

I have been admiring the winter roses over at Saipua. They seem to be the perfect plant for the beginning of spring.  I can imagine them in strange blooms from below the straggly bare hydrangeas come spring time.

I even found some china ones at a school gala on the weekend.  They were hidden at the back of a stall, still wrapped in newspaper.  I offered to help unwrap only to find this beautiful Crown Lynn set - cups, sugar bowl and 2 coordinating jugs.  The little winter rose pattern is called "Saphire" and it has me thinking it is time to plant some real ones.

A bundle of kitchen goodness arrived on my door step last week.  It was from the lovely Laurel @ Patchinista as part of the Modern Scrappy Bits Swap. You can see lovely linen prints, as bag and some quirky kitchen themed prints.  If you look, you can also see the friendly pattern reviewing sheep on the cover of my new needle book.

Once upon a time, a typwriter meant independence.  A portable typewriter meant travel.

I saw this gem at a garage sale.  Normally I would have snapped it up and just marveled at it.  This typewriter however, has a story.  It belonged to a lady called Fay.

Last week Fay handed me a package that she had been looking for.  It was the spare typewriter ribbon.  I asked if it was OK to tell the story of her typewriter.   She said yes.

I've know Fay for years.  She is a quiet, thoughtful and prayerful woman.  Fay traveled the world as a missionary and this is the typewriter she took with her.

She bought it in Singapore in 1965 as she headed to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to serve with the Baptist Christian Missionary Service.

I love the design of this duck egg blue typewriter. So slick and compact with no excesses.  Why waste space with a number '1' when and 'I' will do just as well.  It was designed by Marcello Nizzoli and first produced in 1963.  The marketing campaign was just as appealing.

As well as the design, I love the idea of the most no fuss lady I know, deciding that this was the typewriter for her.



This little olivetti has me dreaming of little letters left on thick yellow cards and long typed essays.  I think, given the choice, I would have chosen this one too.


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