Paper Piecing

DO you like paper piecing.....

I do, its my night time project.

Sue Daley is having a giveaway go here http://suedaleydesigns.typepad.com/my_weblog/ if you would like to be in the draw. I love Sue's designs, I have a little collection of them waiting to be made.

Go now, you know you want to

I am hanging sleeve challenged

Can anyone point me in the direction of a fool proof hanging sleeve tutorial.

I attempted to put a hanging sleeve on a project tonight, after unpicking it for the 4th time I gave up and used tab thingies instead, it was the tabs or the project was going to be placed ever so carefully in the bin lol. Patience is definitely not one of my strong points.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated, before I attempt to put one on a big quilt.

Sneak Peek

Heres the sneak peek of my Secret Santa Swap present......

can you guess what it is.....

and even though I took the camera to school for assembly I left it in the car, and I didn't have 1 award winner, I actually had 2, girlie # 3 got one too, she is very proud of herself.

Off to collect the router in a few minutes YAY and a new filter, gosh technology drives me insane

later :)

Please Explain

Can someone please explain to me how a wireless internet router which has worked without issue for the last 5 months can lose its settings overnight........

I have no wireless router and have to be plugged into the modem again because the router had a major hissy fit overnight......hopefully I will be wireless again tonight after the computer gurus do their thing today, its so frustrating and I don't do mornings well anyway but to have internet issues at 7am just pushed me over the edge. At least the giries were on time for school today, that is a miracle in itself.

Its a big day for 1 of the twosome today, she is getting a merit certificate at assembly this afternoon, this time I wil remember the camera lol, then girlie # 1 has a friend coming home after school for a play so it should be a great day, I am sewing my secret santa gift and have to go into the LPS for some hanging sleeve, prairie point assistance before assembly so I really shouldn't be on tis computer but sewing......its all good I have 2 and a bit hours before I need to leave.

Will be back later (hopefully wireless again) with a sneaky picture of the SS pressie and a picture of my award winner :)

Have a great day I wil as I am chidfree YIPPEE lol

Disaster Averted phew

My sewing machine was full of fluff in where the bobbin sits, so I bought some dust away, great stuff gets rid of the fluff BUT it also dries out whatever tiny bit of oil is left.

So I dust away the fluff and get the machine going again (I am working on my secret Santa present) when it started making the most awful noise, and I was starting to freak thinking I was going to be sewing machine less for repairs, so me being me, I packed it up and took it into the LPS where I bought it, and to my relief it just needed some oil. Its oiled and ready to sew.

As for the opening of the Secret Santa presents from Amanda, in my defence it was the rear seat passenger who opened them as we were driving home, she said can I open this, and I thought she meant just the parcel so I said sure, but no the backseat driver in my life (5) had great joy in opening them and then asking what they were lol. If dh was here I would have dropped it to him at work to be kept there as I am well known for lifting the corner of the sticky tape to sneak a peek, dh refuses to bring pressies home for me until the night before my birthday or Christmas

I know I am bad lol

The Postman Knocks Twice.....

well in my case he shoved a parcel pickup card into our Post Office Box lol. Girlie # 3 has the job that if we get a parcel she gets to collect it and open it.

Can you guess what was in there.....I thought it was the Stitchers' Angel swap but no....it was the Chookyblue Secret Santa swap gift arriving all the way from the UK, so girlie # 3 was in her element opening it up. Sorry Amanda, she just couldn't wait lol, just look what Amanda sent me., how spoilt can a girl be :)

exfoliating goves, perfect as summer is nearly here and my legs need some serious attention lol

the most gorgeous little tin, I can hear my girls fighting over it already

and inside the tin were these

a sheepy notepad and a pencil, the sheepy is just gorgeous

and finally this yummy wall hanging thingy (sorry not sure of the technical name)

See I was spoilt.

Amanda thank you so much for gifts I absolutely love them all. Now you can leave a comment instead of lurking ;)

and as promised last night a picture of the fabric for girlie # 2's quilt.

have a fabulous day and I hope the postman was nice to you today too :)

Applique

Today I went to learn how to applique properly on the sewing machine, but what I really want to do is learn ow to do needle turn applique, so I am off the my LPS in the next few days to have a quick one on one lesson, but at least I can applique on my sewing machine.

Yesterday the big girlies started dancing classes, I had to giggle at them, and they seriously need to do some practice, so that might be on the agenda for tomorrow afternoon.

The weather here has been absolutely atrocious, windy, rainy just miserable cold weather. It was a long night for me last night I was waiting for the roof to come off, after going through Cyclone Larry, we were living in Cairns I really dislike the wind unfortunately we live in what has to be the windiest town in Western Australia so I get a bit nervous.

I am still basting mums Christmas present and I changed the green fabric as I really didn't like the original green, hopefully I will get enough basting done tonight o be able to start sewing the 6 point stars together tomorrow.

Girlie # 2 has finally chosen a quilt pattern so I have selected the fabric's and added them to the to do pile and she is happy. Today I got the fabric for Chookyblues Christmas swap, but, I didn't get quite enough (5cms short) so I'll get that tomorrow and practice my machine applique. I love the design I am doing so I will be making 2, 1 for .......... and 1 for me. Will share the pics of all the fabrics tomorrow.

Have a great night I am off to watch Time Team on the ABC, then its bath and bed time for the girlies and then its time to get sewing.

Will be back tomorrow with piccies .

Enjoy :)

Date Night

and daylight savings started in Western Australia last night, I LOVE daylight savings.

and I have a hot date,

not with my husband,

not with the unpicker lol

but with

90 of these

72 of these

and 36 of these

and a needle, alot of thread and some paperclips, all for Mums Christmas present, so she had better like it.

dh flew out this morning for NSW he is off on a training course for work, he'll be home early Saturday morning, just in time for the school fair :), its a beautiful sunny day so the girlies are all outside playing, fighting and chasing the dog, I should be doing my homework from sewing but I HATE the project so have decided to bail out of it, I have the kit and the instructions so I can finish at my pace. So instead of my homework I am about to get the sewing machine going and finish off my sawtooth star blocks because with dh away it means I can sew as late as I want at night :) and I have to be honest I miss him going to sea and having time out, wonder if he'd be interested in another career change back to 6 on 6 off.....I might have to suggest that lol

and I have to share this photo of Henry having some Magoo love. He is just the naughtiest but most gorgeous smooshed in face of a cat :)

Now I have to say.....I get all these hits on my blog each day so take a couple of minutes to stop and say HI. I don't bite, really I don't, and if I do its never hard lol, besides I just wanna know WHO is visiting.

Have a fabulous day, whatever you are doing :)

Started Again

Back in July after I had made our table runner I found a quilt pattern that I loved and I wanted so armed with my magazine I headed to my LPS, a few hours and a lot of money later I left with all the fabric for the quilt top. That weekend I washed it, ironed it and then cut it to requirements and started to sew. Then I got side tracked (as you do) and stopped work on it.

Yesterday I dug it out and started again, I am in the process of sewing 48 sawtooth star blocks I have maybe 20 finished blocks and the rest are in various stages. I had a hot date late last night with my unpicker, but its all good today.

then yesterday while girlie # 3 was at her dancing lesson I sat in the car and continued with mums Christmas present, these 'jewels'

became these hearts and the best bit is I only have another 5 to make before I get to start sewing the hexagons together.....


Its blowing a gale here today and is a bit wet too so the girlie's are all watching a dvd, dh is at work and I am watching The Devil Wears Prada and sewing sawtooth star blocks.

Have a great day whatever you are doing

Presents

Ta Da here are my stitchers angel gift's all wrapped and waiting to go on a trip to somewhere in Europe I know she has a confusing address

and I have to share this photo, Henry has been trying to play with the ribbon all morning and keeps getting moved on he stalked the parcels lol, he circled until he could 'pounce' on the ribbon, he is so bad.

and finally the fabric for Mum and Mrs Helens pincushion/thread catcher.

Have a fabulous day

Finished

My stitches angel gifts are ready to be posted.

They are all wrapped up in red tissue paper, with red and white curling ribbon, 3 separate packages oh and for the truly Australian element Tim Tam choc balls. Hopefully she will love it.

I got my to do list done today

* I grocery shopped twice, 2nd time was for fruit and vege and ice cream
* I ordered 1 hot pink and 1 purple scooter for the big girlie's from Santa
* I bought the remaining Noah's Ark blocks and I found the fabric for girlie #2's quilt
* I sold my clip it up to a girlfriend....the purging continues & should pay a good part of the quilt fabric
* I cooked chicken legs and fried rice for tea and by sheer coincidence so did my mum I thought that was a bit weird

tomorrow girlie # 3 has dancing, I need to go to the post office to collect the mail and to post a parcel to somewhere in Europe

I will post a picture of the all wrapped gifts tomorrow is too dark to get a good shot now.

I hope you had a great day

Purged

I have purged stuff from my life and it felt fantastic!

I am a reformed scrapbook addict!

I gave my ample stash to a girlfriend because it was taking up space and because I no longer used any of it,and the more I looked at it the more quilty I became knowing I WOULDN'T use it. I have kept some of it, cardstock, patterned paper and stamps for the girls to use, my tools and trimmers, paints and ribbons and some other bits. I have 1 more cupboard to go through and most of that is going to the tip. One bonus is I have more room for fabric :)

Today I made the last angel gift. My recipient likes red and gift # 1 has no red in it at all. I picked up some extra little bits today and will collect a little more tomorrow before I post it on Friday, will mail it off while girlie # 3 is at dancing.

Another childfree day tomorrow :) what is a girl to do with herself. Me, I am grocery shopping, LPS shopping (collecting last 3 Noah and friends blocks), looking at scooters for the big girlies for christmas as we have a dirt drive way they need to ones with the big rubber tyres, dh has found some so we are off to look and decide. No idea what to get the little girlie, she has no idea either. I really need to pull out mums present and get stitching, she is getting a bed runner designed by Sue Daly, but I am not stressing I thought I could just wrap up what I have done with a picture of the finished project then take it back to finish, dh said I could use it as a serial present, do a bit more for her birthday, more for mothers day and then give her the final product for christmas 2009, he is terrible lol.

Have a happy day whatever you are doing

Today

I did some sewing :)

So without further ad0 here is todays sewing effort

a giant pincushion and a catch bag for threads etc.




Mine even looks like the pattern so I am pretty happy about that, although the strap that holds the bag to the pincushion had to be adjusted to fit to my liking.



The Pincushion

The pincushion and catch bag

I just hope the recipient loves it because I loved making it so much I have another 3 to make.

1 is for me, 1 is for my mum and 1 is for mums best friend who girlie # 3 loves.

*** make that 2 to go, made mine tonight in less than an hour, but I only made the pincushion for me***

Why

does it always rain when I have the Mount Everest of washing to be done???

Load number 2 has just finished, load number 1 is on the clothesline having its second wash........frustrating I tell you

Had a fab weekend, we did very little and I loved it

had friends over for dinner on Saturday night, we dined on chicken curry, although due to the 6 children that were in attendence I had to make 2, a grown up version and a much softer version for the small fry.

Today is a childfree day and as dh went to work at 10:30pm ast night he was able to take them to school for me so due to that fact, I have cleaned the house, done the washing (lol), fed the cats, picked up the old papers and made a pile for the recycing bin, which as soon as it stops raining I will put in the bin I guess all that is left for me to do is to have a shower and make the bed. Dinner is thawing on the bench, tonight we are dining on Chicken Enchilada's, yummy yummy yummy, and we'll have corn on the cob and baby potatoes

I have printed of the pattern for stitchers angel gift number 3 and I need to finish off gift number 2. Then I get to do a spot of shopping for my partner, I am thinking some cute lil scissors, needles, pins maybe a postcard of where we live and some chocoloate, maybe some tim tams or cadbury.....Friday is sneaking up on my way to fast lol

Have a great day everyone

2nd

My quilt came second in the show......

girlie # 1 was so excited to see it hanging up and even more excited to see there was a place card on it too.

Win a Quilt

Look at this a gorgeous gorgeous quilt is being given away

http://pigtailsandsnails.blogspot.com/

leave a comment on her blog and you could win this baby.

Postal Goodness

Look what I found in our PO Box this morning.

The fabrics from The Quilted Crow girls for my baby jane quilt.

aren't they yummy, I have a double up of 2 but I don't care at all. Makes me want to not cook dinner etc so I can start sewing.

I made baby cupcakes for Kindy this afternoon they were a hit. Dropped off the quilt to the showgrounds had lunch with my dh, spoke to my mum and to ds who has found himself a job, in hospitality and he is very pleased with himself and I am very pleased for him.

Now I have to hang out washing, cook dinner do some cleaning and referee the fights I can hear taking place........the joy of children.

We are meeting up with friends after lunch at the show tomorrow, we'll have a look see at all the exhibits, have some dinner, watch the fireworks and head home, dh has to work so he's going to drop us off and then come and meet us when he has finished, the joys of being a Marine Pilot I guess, you work when the ship is coming in/out rain, hail, shine or show but it will only be a quick job so he should be with us by late afternoon.

have a happy day everyone :)

No ladybirds

No ladybirds for kindy :(

I think chocolate muffins will be better, only because I burnt the cakes

So its off to the supermarket in the morning for muffin mix, tomorrow will be rather busy it seems, muffin making and the drop off, I have to drop off the quilt for the show and I still need to put the hanging pocket thingie on and attach the label....more hours in the day would be good.

Exhausted

is what I am this afternoon.

I have 3 little girlies of my own, by Oh My the noise levels of 4 little girlies all aged 5 was just too too much for me. The birthday girl had a fabulous time though so that is all that matters, and it seems the dog is going to get his own party tonight for his dinner, we have sausage rolls, party pies and lots of cheerios left..... and a ittle bit of birthday cake number 2, girlies 1 & 2 will polish that off as soon as they are home from school.

Now I just need to summon up the energy to make 26 little ladybird cakes for kindy tomorrow. I think I will do that after dinner when its a bit cooler and dh can help.

Will be back later with the ladybirds before they are demolished at kindy.

Party Baskets

as promised here are girlie #3's party baskets, we had a lot of fun this afternoon filling them up.

and the loot inside ( you have to love $2 shops)

and my sampler quilt, that I am hoping to start quilting on my next child free day which is on Thursday, unless I need a recovery day from the birthday party lol

I love the way Henry had to get in on the photo too, he is chief quilt sleeper, if I leave it out, he jumps up and has a snooze on it. Did you know ginger fur shows up really really well on black fabric!

have a fabulous day whatever you are doing.

So Much Sewing

My baby girl is having her first ever birthday party on Wednesday and she decided that she didn't want normal party bags.....no my girl wanted fabric baskets, no problem says mum, and I let her select the fabrics (she did OK for a 5 year old lol) as Wednesday is sneaking up really quickly I had to start the party baskets today. I am pleased to say that after cutting, pining and sewing all afternoon and until 8:30 tonight the 'party baskets' are basically finished I just need to hand sew the lining hole closed. Then we get to fill them, and even better, my girl only wanted 3 little friends to come to her party so I only had to make 4 :) :) :) now if I could just wake up in the morning and find a birthday cake magically sitting on the bench I would be a very happy mummy because then I wouldn't have to stay up late tomorrow night making and decorating the cake she wants.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a busy one. School goes back YIPPEE and as its Tuesday I have sewing :) then after I collect 3 girlie's from school we have to zip to the supermarket pick up some last minute party food then it will be cake making time.........dh asked why I do this to myself, men just don't get it sometimes lol.

The local Ag Show is on this week too, we are going as the girlie's have NEVER been to a show before and girlie # 1's quit has been entered (after much convincing for LPS owner) into the novice section, girlie # 1 is sooooooooooo excited. I still need to make a label for it so I will follow the label tutorial on Sarah's blog http://www.ifonlyihadchocolate.blogspot.com/ and get it on the back before I drop it off on Thursday.

so I will make sure I snap a photo of the completed and full party baskets and one of my sitting here waiting to be basted and quilted sampler quilt and I will have to get a photo of girlie # 1 and her 'on show' quilt.

and I really hope my order of repo fabrics arrive tomorrow.....I want to do some more Baby Jane bocks. So fingers crossed for me please that the Australia Post Gods are smiling down on me in the morning

Happy Stitching

Spoilt

is what I am tonight.

The house we are living in is a rental, so we are making do with what storage space we have which isn't much. Our own house in Tasmania has LOADS of storage so we obviously didn't have an issue. I have to sew at the dining table which has meant for the last 2 months or so, 5 out of 7 nights each week we have eaten dinner on our laps.....so when I raised the subject of sewing cabinents dh just rolled his eyes and changed the subject

Early last week we went to the second hand dealers we were looking for desks the had an old horn cabinent which needed a new door, side and back, dh said he could fix it but they wanted $145 for it, they wouldn't drop the price (which was way to high, so we left. He took me to my LPS and told me to get some brochures on the sewing cabinets, came home looked at them asked me which one I wanted, told me which one he thought I should have, then told me to order one.

Tonight I have a 'Monarch Mk II' sewing cabinent in my lounge room but, I don't have the door storage because when we unpacked to assemble it all the acrylic was damaged, so those bits are in the car waiting to be exchanged for undamaged ones.

SO I have been very spoilt today.

Otherwise, I mowed today, we let the chooks out for a while, they had a great time scratching around in the fresthly mowed grass, mind you there is still a good 5 hrs of mowing still to be done, the joy of living on 5 acres. I only mow the driveway and out the front of the house. DH does the rest.

Sunday I have a gorgeous gorgeous girl and her girls coming for a visit, and another girlfriend who has been on holidays is coming over and I need to do some sewing, I still have to finish my stitchers angel swap gifts, I NEED to get it in the post. I am aiming to get it all finished and posted by the 24th and I have party baskets to make for Wednesday......

I can do it lol.

Found

Can you believe it, I was digging in a crate of fabric and kits and came across a small bowl of DMC cottons and the dish had the sticky dots for my ultra thimble so I dug a bit deeper and

TA DA I found a ultra thimble, the very fist one I bought in June lol. Still haven't found the one from the other day but I am still looking.

I managed to finish the next Noah and Friends block and I have the next 2 blocks ready to be appliqued on.

I have 4 little fabric baskets to make for the birthday girlies party, she is so excited its going to be her very first birthday party and was sooooooooooooo tired tonight, she fell asleep within minutes of being in bed. I need to make a label for girlie # 1's quit, I was convinced to enter it in the Novice section of the local show

Saturday I guess I will have to do the usual housework, dh amazingly as the weekend off so we might go on a picnic on Sunday if the weather is nice, I can sit on the beach and sew the girlies can explore and dh can fish. SOunds good to me anyway.

Have a great weekend everyone, stay safe and happy stitching :)

Goodies

Today was a happy mail day. Shoved into our post box was the Pin Cushion of the Month from quilt fabric delights and Little Bluebirds part 4 also from Quilt fabric delights. **sigh** I guess I should do part 3 of Little Bluebirds before I start part 4............have a lot on at the moment.

then yesterday when we were in the bookshop collecting my 'special order' book I had a quick look at the quilting books with the middle girlie when she started with 'Oh Mum can I, mum, mum, muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum so I looked, she had found a Kaffe Fassett book and its was the quilt on the cover that she did the 'Muuum can I' about. So along with my ordered book and the new Kathy Lette novel we came home with 'the book'

and one day she will have that quilt on the cover on her bed (she might be 30 but she will get it eventually and my LPS has Kaffe Fassett fabric so I might not have to start the KF fabric hunt just yet lol

FIVE

she is five

offically at 6:54PM

I adore this lil girlie she is my life and I am going to miss her when she goes to school full time next year.

I can't believe she is FIVE

meet 'Snow White'

she has had the best day adores her new dolls house, loves the electronic Guess Who and is still wearing her new 'dress up'. SHe has decided thats is fish and chips for tea so I am having Chinese lol.

Happy Birthday baby doll

Mumma loves you

xxxx

Mother's Point M5 & Osso Bucco

this is mother's point, and yes I know that 1 point is pointing the wrong way (the top point should be facing the same way as the bottom point) oops, but that's what happens when you are woken up at 4:30am thanks to not so DH, and can't get back to sleep. I got up watched Axe Men on the history channel, had some coffee and thought I do a block so I did.

3 down, 252 to go lol.

and in the spirit of Jane Sickle, finished is as good as perfect.

love that little saying, but if the mood hits me later on today after a nana nap I might just redo it, is rather hard to unpick a square that is less than 2.5 inches without making the fabric edge raggy IYKWIM.

Have a fab day we are off to town to do the groceries, the girlie's are lunching with DH so I can pick up the birthday girls present :) pick up a book from the bookshop and I am hoping that our PO Box is full of parcel pickup cards as that means block 4 of Little Bluebirds, Pin cushion of the month and (fingers crossed) 33 fat eights of reproduction fabrics have arrived.

so before I do all that I best go put the washing on so its out drying before we leave dinner is already in the crock pot we are having Osso Bucco, no idea what its like as we have never had it. I used my sisters recipe which according to mum is 'to die for' so here's Libs Osso Bucco recipe.

12 veal shanks
1/3 c plain flour
1/4 c olive oil
750ml Italian style tomato cooking sauce
1 c white wine
2 tsp Castor sugar
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt

* coat shanks in the flour
* heat oil and brown shanks
* put browned meat in crock pot & add the rest of the ingredients to pot
* add water if the liquid doesn't cover the meat
* put the lid on and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours
* serve with mashed potatoes and peas.

will post tonight with the verdict , I can guarantee that there will be 3 'I don't like it' but you get that in life I suppose

Have a fab day load number 2 has just finished, I need to hang it out and have a shower and then we are off to town.

Baby Jane

Here they are the FIRST 2 blocks of Baby Jane.

Uncle Homer A6

Chicken Tracks J7

Uncle Homer was definately the easiest. Chicken tracks was interesting, the little squares end up being half an inch..........

so far so good 2 down 253 to go lol lol lol

and this is what I managed last night in front of the tv while I watched Packed to the Rafters and All Saints. Too cute started the next block tonight but I was side tracked by Baby Jane.

Have a fabulous day, Thursday is the last time EVER I will be able to say I have a 4 year old. Why do they have to grow up?????

Lost

1 Ultra Thimble fingertip shield.

From handquilting dd's quilt I have a hole in my fingertip on my needle pushing finger, the tip shield made it sooooo much easier to sew the binding on. I remember taking it off when I was on the phone to Mum, and sticking it on something but after that I have NO IDEA lol. I have checked the usual places, the benches, the computer area, the stitching couch everywhere I tell you and no thimble. Of course as is Murphy's Law I lose it when I REALLY need it, I am starting to do Noah and Friends as a wall hanging, friends ar having a baby in January 09, then I have another to do before Feb 14 for other friends so you can see I really need my thimble. I guess I am going to have to get a replacement today and some white homespun for my.......

Baby Jane, I plan on starting this today with 2 of the easy blocks, I have 33 fat eighths of reproduction fabrics on the way here, I love the girls at The Quilted Crow who are selecting the fabrics for me as I am a fabricphobic, I have a fear of selecting fabrics lol it seriously makes me nervous so the Quilted Crow girls www.thequiltedcrow.com.au ...... (how do you do those hpyperlink thingies) ..... are doing it for me :)

Well I had best get moving, its 10am and time to have a shower, clean the house, head to town and get sewing and its a GLORIOUS day here today. The sun is shining, there's a slight breeze, the birds are singing, the chooks are hopefully laying eggs and Henry cat is sitting at the door looking out just waiting for his chance to escape, little does he know that the dog is asleep around the corner.

Have a fabulous day :) I know I will

Ta Da

the backing see all my handquilting

The front

99%

of dd's quilt...is DONE!

YIPPEE I have maybe another 2 hours of sewing the binding down and its FINISHED.

feeling very proud of myself, because I was only bitten by the patching bug in late June and here it is early October and I have my first quilt 99% finished, and another I don't really know how many in the pipeline.

my next adventure starts tomorrow when I get some white homespun. Last week I had a patching order arrive and in that order was the Dear Jane book and cd. So I decided that I am going to make a 'baby Jane' now this will be a lifetime in progress project, I am aiming at the moment to try and do 1 a week so in 225 weeks it should be finished lol I have a teeny amount of reproduction fabrics here so I am going to make a start....tomorrow.

So much to do so little time, well it seems I have so little time lol, thank goodness for school holidays 1 more week to go. I still have my last stitchers angel gift to make and I know what that will be just need to time now.

Have a great day and make sure you check back for the finished girlies quilttomorrow.