MOUNTAINS OF BOOKS

It's that time of the year again.  Melbourne Cup Weekend.   So much going on that it's hard to decide what to go to, and where to visit.

Here's a suggestion for book lovers everywhere.   Get your maps out and plan a visit to Ferny Creek in the Dandenongs.   It's less than an hour east of the CBD.   It's beautiful up here at this tme of the year (in fact it's always beautiful!) and there is so much to do, should you decide to spend the entire weekend in this part of the world.  There are restaurants to drool over and opportunities for great photos around every bend.

Meryll from Rainy Day Books has been busy arranging the Mountains of Books Bookfair at Ferny Creek Recreation Hall opposite the Sherbrooke Forest.  There is ample parking wth playground and picnic facilities on the site.   Free entry, and there's wheelchair access.   Great food is planned for this year's event.

There's be book covering demonstrations and workshops on Saturday (bookings essential by ringing Meryll at 9762 0862) for using recycled books as Christmas Decorations.  

Don't miss out.   Make sure you have a carton or two in the car ready to collect your special book "finds".   There'll be plenty to choose from amongst the thousands of used and out-of-print titles, including an eclectic range of fiction and non-fiction titles and collectibles in genres such as children's books, cookery, art, fashion, Australiana, gardening and militaria.

PATCHWORK, NEEDLEWORK, QUILTING, SEWING

Rainy Day Books has gone "patchy" this week, the new spring window combines flowers and patchwork.

There are some lovely books of quilting patterns and lots of instructions for special patchwork items, including patterns for some lovely crazy quilting Christmas stockings in silk and velvet.

Don’t miss seeing the antique sewing basket and Singer sewing box and also the very cute soft flop eared bunny. Rabbits seem to be developing into a secret theme as they have crept into the last 3 displays.

This age old form of the gentle art of needlework has had a resurgence of interest as projects can be as large or as portable as you can manage and over summer it is a peaceful occupation during the very hot days we have coming.

The Basin Community House has a patchwork/quilting group as do many other community groups.

Meryll has a special pattern put aside for her retirement of a wall hanging of a bookcase full of books and has been collecting fabrics that look like book spines for ages in anticipation of enjoying this project when she has the time. She finally found the wood patterned fabric for the shelves but book spines are hard to match.

Happy sewing!!!

SPRING HAS ARRIVED!

Spring has sprung

The grass is ris

I wonder where

The birdies is.

They are in the window at Rainy Day Books this week. 

A lovely Spring themed display with many books on Australian birds and particularly a new local bird watching book.

Birds of the Yarra catchment and where to find them - Peter Mason and Bird Observation and Conservation Australia $22

There is also a lovely found nest there that I would like to know the name of the bird that makes it, so if yu are a keen twitcher do call in and see if you know it.

Rainy Day Books has a great fondness for birds and every Spring a welcome swallow comes back to nest in the small brick toilet at the back of the shop.  A very clever mother bird has worked out that it is warmer but also a lot safer as the crows cannot get through the small gap in the fence.  She has a nest right near the ceiling on top of a brick column and when the chicks get too big for the nest she sits them along the top of the open door, and as she returns from her food gathering you can hear the crescendo of cheeps in the shop, even through the closed back door of the shop.