Come on Down..........

CHOOKYBLUE



you were the lucky one who was drawn out of the tea canister by my trusty assistant girlie # 2









Congratulations I will post your goodies off on Monday :) :)



Thanks for playing everyone and I hope you'll keep visiting :)

Almost Ready

to draw a winner :)

just need my trusty pullerouters to be in the mood to pull the winner from the bowl.

So watch this space and before 8pm EST the winner of the mini iron and sweet roll will be announced.

How exciting :)

Falling into Place

Removalist number 1 has just left and will email the quote today

removalist number 2 is due in 25 minutes then its off to work for me

mum has been busy

the girlie's are re enrolled already for next year, back into the same classes they came from. Girlie # 3 will be in year 1 and the twosome in year 3 (again).

She is off to the educational bookshop today to get some early readers as girlie # 3 can't read as yet, and we need to get her reading for next year

DH told his work he is going to resign and today he looks like a different man, no stress and happy its like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders and that makes me happy :)

dh also told the girlies that we were moving home, 2 cheered and one cried 'because I'll miss my friends' sniff sniff

I have told my boss, who told dh that I wasn't going anywhere she was keeping me lol. I'll miss the girls at the shop, its a great place to work and we have lots of laughs, saying goodbye wil be very very tough.

So its all falling into place now we just need to win lotto on Saturday and we are set.

remember my giveaway closes tomorrow, and you have to be in it to win it ......

Have a fabulous day with lots of laughs

Desperately Seeking

moda's Avairy by 3 sisters by the metre

one of the ladies in my sewing group is looking for an the fabric so I told her I would ask you all



if you know of any stores either bricks and mortar or online could you please email me or leave the details in the comments bit.

Thanks everyone I know Miss Narelle will be very grateful if you can help.

Happiness is

its a bit hard to see but in between the trees is a long white roof guess what it is

its

the school bus which now stops at our gate to pick them up in the morning and drops off the girlies in the afternoons :)





no more long walks to the corner in the rain and the cold (well actually dh drops them on his way to work), no more naughty puppy going too and then not coming home for ages, and no more near misses involving cars and the girlies :) and no more rush to get them out the door by 7:40am at the latest now they don't need to leave until at least 7:50am and if they miss it on the way down the street they cross over and they are collected on the way back :)




that makes me happy and I LOVE the bus :)

Have a great day I am off to work once my jeans are dry (hurry up dryer)

I Love Surprises

I had to take the beast into work today for a little check up which ended up being a seriously minor issue I WAS HAVING and not the beast phew. When I arrived it was flat out so I served a couple of ladies and I was told I had presents there, well its not my birthday, wedding anniversary or a date of any significance but I was excited.

I was given this gorgeous little man, I have a bit of a thing about chooks and when I find a chook I lov I always buy it, my boss was in Perth last week and found me this little man, isn't he gorgeous

then

out came this little baby. We have a weekend of quilting workshops happening next month and one of these was dropped in as a donation to the auction and I WANTED it. So a request for one was made and

Ta Da I isn't it gorgeous, and its just big enough for my wallet, phone, keys no room for junk YIPPEE

Waiting on some happy mail too maybe tomorrow :) :)

and see what I have to contend with of a day, Harry and Henry at the door, and if its not the door its a window lol I did eventually let them go but I am not looking forward to retriving harry again from the bush out the back, if he 'loses' Henry in the bush he sits where he is and cries, until someone comes to get him or the dog chases him up a tree

so the boys sit, and wait, and scratch at the door and stare longingly at the outside before they are eventually let out, and Harry has already come back inside so no bush bashing for us today :) Henry comes for food luckily

have a great afternoon

Busy Week ahead

With dancing

school

gymnastics

work

food shopping

lots of sewing too hopefully

our removalist quotes will start trickling in too, the first company will be here on Thursday so hopefully the quote isn't too scary and it won't be too long before this is in our driveway (again) loading us up and yes we filled both these containers

and then to out the front of our very own house blocking half the street again lol, unloading :)

poor poor removalists our house is on the lower side of our street, and we are on a steep steep block with no easy access with anything out the back let alone getting furniture to the downstairs so they are very brave men for tackling our house, but they got is all out so I am sure they will get it back in, mum has offered to fly over to help pack and take the kitty's and naughty puppy home but I figure whats another $1500 for them to pack it in a day and pack it properly compared to me packing over 2 weeks and still not getting it done in time

I really don't enjoy moving but this time I think I am going to LOVE it :)

don't forget about my giveaway go here and here leave a comment before midnight July 31st and it all could be YOURS

have a great day I am off to the post office and into work for a coffee :)

Giveaway part 2

Although it's a picture of a jelly roll, I have a Patisserie Honey Bun/Sweet Roll ready to travel with the mini iron.

I love giveaways :)

Its a Giveaway and progress shots

Some more of the applique blocks for my Christmas Story quilt, I still need to do the embroidery on these once these are done I think I will only have another 3 to do then its time to put it all together, oh and my book arrived today, Happy Holidays to you by Nancy Halverson it has some great projects in it.

Christmas Wish Angel


Pudding (yummy) just needs the cherries sewn on



Xmas Treats, waiting for its jar and the embroidery

and

Ta da this is my 200th and a bit giveaway.

A Mini Crafting Iron & Patisserie Sweet Roll

to win this baby & the Sweet Roll you just need to leave a comment before July 31st so that gives you a week

then

if you link my giveaway to your blog telling others about it and let me know that gives you a 2nd chance

then

if you become a follower that will give you a 3rd chance to win

I will post the rest of the giveaway as soon as I decide which one it will be!

a clue to the 2nd part of the giveaway

4 letters

1st letter M

4th letter A

GIVEAWAY PT 2 is a Patisserie Sweet Roll by Moda

Have a fabulous week (169 to go)

Are you ready.....

Priscilla yeah we are going on a holiday of sorts

Jo it's much better than coming for a visit, well I think it is

and Toni, yeah I think you are going to be sad....and yep to coffee will be lunchtimeish, I have to work in the morning

drumroll please
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We are going home FINALLY

dh is resigning for a variety of reasons! he will finish up his current job the end of next month or early September and we will be returning to our usual life, him going to sea for 5-6 week swings then home for the same time he is away. If the current employers are paying for our return home we will be going the end of September if we are paying (which we think is what will happen) we will leave early to mid January, just in time for the start of the new school year and our house has tenents in it and their lease isn't up until mid February and we need a bit of time to save an extrme amount of money to do it , but we will do it, have no fear.

We haven't told the girlies yet, we are leaving that until we have a contrete leave date but I know that they will be absolutley estatic to be going home to our house, our friends and of course Gumdrops and Frumpa (who are very very excited) and back to their old school and their friends.

I worked out last night that I have enough fabric and patterns to make over 12 quilts of varying sizes, so I am now on a self imposed fabric diet, but when the reproduction range I ordered for the shop arrives I am BUYING lol

I am having to curtail my excitment though, dh is a bit down at the moment so I am giving him lots of love and a bit of TLC cause he's needing it but OMG we are going home in approximately 170 days yippee

oh the land, sea, air bit are as follows

air to get Henry, Harry and the naughty puppy home to Tassie and me back to WA

sea to get our life home in 2, 20 ft shipping containers, and I am positive I am not taking that much more back our life has only grown by 2 sewing machines, 1 sewing cabinet and well by the time the stash is packed maybe 6-10 large plastic crates so 2 containers should do it

land well that would be us in the car with the girlie's, 4 nintendo ds's, 1 loaded iPod, 1 sewing machine (the beast), lots of hand sewing like my pie's and tarts to do while we go across the most boring stretch of road in Australia, the Nullabor, towing a camper trailer full of food, bedding and clothes. Its an adventure I am so ready for

I can share I can share

Its very exciting

Its making me VERY happy

its going to make the girlies very very happy when they find out

its happening either the end of September or January 2010

it involves

land, sea and air transport...

can you guess what it is yet..........

Oh Happy Day's

that song is running through my head this afternoon full steam ahead and I just want to jump for joy seriously!

in other words, shit news (excuse my language) makes for a fantastic much wanted result and I know I shouldn't be feeling this way but dang I CAN'T HELP IT I am trying to dampen it down but WOO HOO

having said that I can't share what has me so excited, not even a little clue can pass my fingertips or my lips Toni!

I'll be able to share the final result soon if you count 8-9 weeks soon!!!

Pay It Forward

The pressure is on the days are ticking by until my PIF gifts are due.

Today in the mail box was this, from Amanda

and inside were these goodies, this has a little heart hanger too, and Henry had to have a look see too, because he might just have been able to squeeze his ample self into that post bag if I let him!

some gorgeous fat quarters from Midsomer Quilting which will be fabulous for the Christmas Story quilt, and a funky little bookmark, I LOVE the house fabric

and a UK magazine.

and card that had a little kitty who looked abit like Henry :) although Henry doesn't seem to like the comparison lol.

Thank You so much Amanda I LOVED getting this parcel.

and speaking of Pay It Forward there is still one more spot, in return for joining you will get a yummy PIF gift from moi.

Go on you know you want too.

A Christmas Story

I bought the book by Anni Downs last year and put it in the one day pile to keep An Angels Story company, well last week I decided that one day had come, especially after seeing someone elses, so I added to my fabric selections and started work on Friday night at sewing.

and this is the progress I have made

Singing Angels

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Baubles

I have used needleturn applique to do it using a neutral thread, a size 10 between quilting needle and baste it glue (which is magic stuff) the weather here has been awful freezing cold, blowing an absolute gale and wet in the morning then is freezing cold, blowing a gale and sunny of an afternoon.

Girlie's are all back to school tomorrow I am back to work, we ran out of gas last night, halfway through cooking dinner, its gas delivery day here only on Tuesdays, so tonight we are having chow mein in the frypan which smells so yummy

Murder in the Light

haven't you played Murder in the Dark oops Light.

Our littlest girlie came out tonight and said 'come on guys, lets play murder in the light' so they all went out into the hallway and had a quick game lol.

We had a 4th child today, a friends 10 year old and the kids had a GREAT day, there was no fighting, no yelling, no sulking having said that the littlest girlie had some issues as she was being left out but was made happy by going to town with me this morning and then out with DH this afternoon, our friend will be back again on Monday :) and then once the bus form is sorted, he'll be coming home with the girls on the bus twice a week the girls are very excited.

DH had today off we have just pottered I pulled out A Christmas Story and made a start on the wallhanging quilt, I am a bit over making BIG quilt tops so this is my distraction, another friend showed me her's the other night at sewing and its not as big as I imagined so I have enlarged the patterns, I managed to complete the 1st applique block tonight and I am using needleturn to applique. I will share my progress as I make it. Its UFO day at work tomorrow so I am going to go and hopefully get the 2nd block completed.

and I was doing my blog rounds earlier I visited here and found this as a kit :)

and I am very tempted to order it........

I ordered a book last night Nancy Halvorsen's 'Happy Holidays to You' and a little something to make as a PIF gift!!!!

Have a great weekend

Today

I took the girlies to see Hannah Montana, and I will admit right here that I enjoyed it, lots of laughs, toe tapping music and at the end 3 happy girlie's, so we had sausage rolls on the beachfront, discovered Lenards Chicken had finally opened, bought some Sweet Thai Chilli spring rolls for tea and came home!

Took my lil car to the car wash for a bath looks so nice now but will be filthy again within the week, the joys of dirt driveways and rain.

Off to sewing tonight not planning on doing much just seeing everyone and having coffee dh has a date! Its the 3rd Origin game, Go The Mighty Maroons

We are grocery shopping tomorrow and hopefully I'll get a lil bit of sewing in, and no plans for the rest of the week

I dug out my Pies and Tarts BOM yesterday and sewed a few more last night, is it bad of me to still be working on month 2 when month 6 arrived a week or so ago.....

My dad got his quilt this morning and he loves it, and some of the nurses made him unwrap it again so they could see, mum said its on his chair waiting for him to get out of hospital. His operation was a success apparently, and mum laughed when the dr told them that there would be no more babies for them and I admit I thought that was great and had a good giggle too.

So its been a great day all around, I hope yours was just a great :)

Photo Sharies (at last)

Ta Da it's all finished AND its even been posted :) amazing really just how much quilt you can cram ito a 3kg express post bag!

a close up of 1 block

I even made a label or 2, I had a dating error on the 1st, as its not July 22009 oops lol

Fluffy quilting on the back. Harry and Hnry approve the comfiness of it, they have been chief quilt testers :) sorry not the best piccie of it, and it is actually a dark navy colour with lil white japanese dots. I used verigated blue thread then I used clear thread to do the light blue squares and triangles, I don't like clear thread lol

and happy mail all the way from the USA, from Tammy its the pincushion swap, Tammy sent me some gorgeous buttons, a lacy hankie thingie which she used to wrap the PC, some lovely paper Prima flowers and a lovely little lace doily thingie with friends embroidered on it. Just gorgeous, Thanks Tammy :

and ta da the pin cushion

I Love Happy Mail :)

Its on again

The Stitchers' Angel swap for 2009



Go here for the details and to sign up



last year was alot of fun






photos of Frumpa's quilt are coming soon and I received happy mail in the shape of a pincushion, from the USA, photo's taken of it too I just realy need to cook dinner for the troops now but I'll be back asap

100% done

Finally, after pulling a late late night (1am to bed) I have 100% finished Frumpa's quilt :)

Didn't help that we lost power for over an hour, and as I was about to climb into bed, because it was so cold and dark, the power came back on, so I sat myself down and spent the next 3hrs sewing on binding I refused to go to bed until it was done because it HAS to go in the post TODAY no if's, but's or why's, Frumpa has his surgery tomorrow and hopefully Wednesday or Thursday he will be sitting up in his hospital bed opening up his parcel of love from us.

No photo as yet, I will be back later today with 1 or 2, and the accuquilt quilt pattern I am doing is coming along well, I just need to get some cotton's today to do the applique with so I wil share a picture of that too.

I wonder if Aus Post has an express bag big enough???????

Have a great day I have some serious cleaning to do (blah)

Still at it

Arrrrrgh binding I love sewing it down it means that the project is FINISHED, in this case, its staring at me saying sew me, sew me so tonight I am going to 'sew it down' ALL of it, well I really only have half left to do and seeing as it really needs to go in the mail tomorrow I NEED to do it today.

I started a new project last night, well I cut the fabric, ran it throught the AccuCut, makes it sooooo much easier, made piles, made a mess lol but I had fun, until DH sidetracked me lol, so here I am at 6:33 AM up and getting ready to clean up my mess from last night (you can't see the dining table lol) so I thought well while the cherubs are all sleeping I would have a quick surf of the www, drink some coffee and enjoy the quiet because it will not last lol. I give them 30 minutes before they are up and fighting over what to watch on foxtel, issues of the child kind, I sometimes wish my issues were as simle as theirs ;)

Well my mess is calling have a great day, happy stitching, and stay warm (14 degrees here today its a cold one, I am about to put the heat pump on ) I will be back later with Frumpa's quilt and progress shots of the new project.

Almost Done

I have been at the beast all day with regular breaks to stretch out my neck and shoulders, and as a result I only have the borders and the light blue blocks left to quilt. YIPPEE a 2hr streatch at the beast tomorrow, sew on the binding and its in the post by Friday and if I send it via express post he will have the on morning of his operation :) which would make me very very happy.

So exciting,

I also had a breakthrough today I had the start of a nasty headache when I first started at the machine so I located my glasses (took the good part of an hour) that I am supposed to wear for sewing, reading & tv and my headache went, headaches solved.

Its been a great day :)

Another finish

TA DA

my daddy's finished quilt top :) love the way Henry is checking out the back lol

Picked up some masking tape and some basting spray ready for tomorrow mornings basting job. I have decided to stitch in the ditch with a verigated blue cotton and it will be the 1st time to use the accufeed system on the beast :)

Might need a practice first lol.

Watch this space lol

and I just have to say I do love this fat orange cat,

Productivity = photo's

I borrowed the girlies camera batteries, shhhh don't tell them

and in very random order


The 'neglected one's' surprise wall hanging she has absolutely NO IDEA that its happening. This is what I am doing at night when the girlie's are all in bed........when I should be hand quilting lol

The centre of my quilt is from the book 9 patch pizazz, I 'designed' the rest of it, this quilt top used about 5 metres of fabric, almost 1000 metres of cotton and 5 bobbin refills not the best picture but you get the idea and best of all it is the perfect size for my bed.

The centre of Frumpa's lap quilt, I am off to the shop today for border fabrics x 3 , the pattern is supposed to be Cubed Lattice but as I only used 1 light fabric the effect just isn't there......oh well, I am sure that Frumpa will love it :) and if he doesn't DH does, he dropped some mighty big hints last night that he really really really LOVED it lol.

Ta da the quilt top on my bed, just needs a 2inch border added and its good to go to the quilter :)

So you have to agree there is some major productivity happening in this house at the moment.

Happy sewing we are about to go fabric shopping

Guilt Trips the 8 year old way

Girlie # 2 gymnastics on Saturday morning I volunteered to pick her up as I needed to make a quick fabric run as I 'thought' I had cut the fabric for Frumpa's quilt the wrong way round, I had but prefered the original colour way.

The conversation went like this G = girlie M = me

G= mum have you finished my quilt yet

M = no baby, yours is a night time stitching job (hand quilitng) and I know you have been waiting a while for me to finish it so I promise I'll work on it over the holidays

G = ok

M = I need to make a special quilt for grandpa this weekend as he needs to have an operation, because we can't be with him I thought we could send him lots of love in a quilt

G = oh so you are going to make his AFTER you finish mine....

see GUILT TRIP city lol

so I spent my weekend and a good part of this afternoon doing Frumpas quilt top, then I decided after the girlies went to bed that maybe I could surprise 'the neglected one' with her birthday wall hanging so I started sewing.

I have to add the border then its ready for basting & quilting, she is going to be soooooo suprised when she gets it.

Frumpa's quilt is ready for its borders so exciting and even DH wants it!!!!!!!!

so when my batteries are re charged I'll snap some photos so watch this space

ohhh and I haven't forgotten about my 32+6th birthday and my 200th post giveaway I just need to decide what I'll giveaway........I have ideas.......soon

Have a great day and happy sewing if you are doing any I know I will be!

Its Finished

the quilt top for my bed, no photo's yet as the camera batteries are flat!

now I just need to wait for the 3.10m wide wadding to arrive, select the backing fabric and send it off to the quilting lady :)

I have made HUGE progress on Frumpa's quilt, I have 5 more blocks to put together then I am ready to sew all the blocks into a top, select fabric for the borders add them and I'll be good to quilt, this one I will attempt to do on the beast, but I am hoping a friend will do it for me on her frame during the week. I NEED to get it finished and posted by Friday at the latest, no pressure at all lol

We have had a quiet weekend, the girlie's are all hooked on their DS's which I don't mind as it's school holidays for the next 2 weeks and they aren't watching tv at all, but they are sent outside to play at regular intervals

Plans for this week at least 2 full days of sewing for Frumpa's quilt, a trip to the library, maybe to the movies and general holiday mode laziness.

DH is hoping to take a week off sometime this month and if he gets it we are out of here and going away for some time out, only to Perth, means I can visit the Sanshi shop, and hopefully leave with some gorgeous Japanese fabrics, take the girlie's to the museum and Sci tech if its open, he wasn't able to get any leave for August so we have had to cancel our big trip away :( but we will get away in the camper trailer before the year is out.

Have a great week and I'll back as soon as the batteries are charged or I borrow one of the girls camera's.

Stuff

The fabric to make a quilt for dad to recuperate under after his surgery I need to get it made asap to get it to him before the big day

The gorgeous reproduction fabrics that I was sent for my birthday from Donna, Lurline, Dale, Peg, Anita and Kris I was very spoilt and absolutely LOVE them, I have quite the collection reproduction fabrics to play with, some are perfect for my Baby Jane quilt, which I pulled out last night.

and look at Henry's eye's they are spooky.

I have 2 borders left to sew on the quilt for MY bed, I'll share a photo as soon as its done :)

Forgive me Father for I have sinned

I haven't touched my sewing machine for 6 days.......

and its all Super Mario's fault!

that game is soooooo addictive, but I have collected 43 golden stars :) and made it to the 2nd floor of the castle and I have now beaten Bowser 3 times :) :) :) and I found the best site for *cough cough* assistance in fact I spent Sunday night printing out all the assistance I need, (Amanda if you need the link let me know) and I just need another 7 stars and I am up another floor to other worlds....

sooooo addictive lol

otherwise the weather has been absolutely foul and so cold we have had over 20mls of rain today and its still falling. I escaped tonight and went to the Tuesday night beginners class @ work, they sewed, I drank coffee, chatted, priced stock, bought some books.......will share a photo of them. We had stocktake on the weekend, due to the sleepover I couldn't help count so today my job was sorting fabrics, filling our $15 a metre bins, and lots of restocking with a few trips to the storeroom for more fabrics tomorrow.

Same old same old really lol

I hope your day was a good one, and that tomorrow is even better :)