TGIF

Is all I can say

I am still recovering from the full on go go go day

we have yesterday.

Hubs and I went to Bega, to collect a few things the campers

need for this weekend, and wine glasses for our party

this weekend

Of course as we were in Bega we visited the

patchwork shop because I needed to get some needles

for the quilty beast, and some stabiliser for Miss Sophie

and somehow some Batik's came home with me too.

the bottom 2 are from Bega, the others are from Merimbula

wine glasses and new tumblers

In Big W, 2 books and a dvd fell into the trolley too ;)

we also popped into the reject shop because I saw this in their catalogue

and I wanted it! Isn't she cute

We had a meeting last night and didn't get home until 8:30

today I have to clean the house, someone is coming to look through

with the owner today or Sunday, with a view to renting it as its 20 days

until we get the keys to the House on the Hill.....

and thanks for the comments on the brown block, I totally agree and will

remake it asap. It actually turns out that hubbby didn't print the patterns the

correct size, mine are small. So I have reprinted the patterns at the right

size and will be redo-ing all the blocks I have done.

DOH!



NYB progress

Slowly but surely I am getting caught up on my

New York Beauty quilt along blocks

I am still 6 behind :( thanks to a major

stuff up with one block that needed

to be remade....

this is week 1's blocks

week 2, not sure about the brown block I think it disappears and just

looks like a plain brown block, Agree??

Week 3, so far

and all together

not sure what the final layout will be, I have another 6 blocks before the

NYB quilt along is finished, thats another 24 small blocks to be made....

hubby likes it (so he says) I guess that is the main thing!



Be still my beating heart

Miss Sophie had a girlie-friend come and stay on the weekend

Miss Emma was at her girlie-friends staying over

so I thought as I was minus the chatty, attention span

of a gnat girlie it would be a good time to introduce

Sophie and Miss E to stitching

designs were picked and traced

cotton floss was selected

needles were found

and voila

Miss Sophie and her first of many stitcherie's

meanwhile I have continued to sew hexagons

I have made the required 123 hexagons plus a few extras

as I want straight edges not the jagged edge the pattern

has

I still have 25 more to sew but they are all cut out and tomorrow

I will sew them up ready for their centres to be stitched on at night

I am hoping to get back to sewing Miss K's granny square quilt

tomorrow and I need to catch up on my New York Beauty

as this weeks block came out today and I haven't made last weeks

yet.

there is lots of sewing on my agenda this week, plus a farewell bbq

here on Saturday for one of hubby's work mates who is

moving north to another Port next month

(as soon as she is gone we get to move into the House on the Hill)

 it will be a stitching free weekend for me!

The pressure the pressure

and we are still having tv issues, tv man is supposed to be coming

today to see what he can do........emphasis on

SUPPOSED lol

and we are down to 1 child this weekend as the big girlies are

off on a scout camp, 2 whole nights of peace :)



Frustrated beyond belief

When we moved into this house, we discovered that

we weren't able to get free to air tv as the house

is in the bottom of a gully.

So we had Austar installed, thinking we could get FTA tv through

that, like we had in Tasmania and in WA

wrong wrong wrong

so at great expense we had to have a VAST satellite TV box installed

which has caused us more grief than happiness

Just before we went away it dropped out and took the Austar out with it

we managed to get the austar back and eventually the tv man got us our

free to air tv back again.

Well its done it again & it took the austar out with it, I managed to

get the austar back to keep the kids happy

but do you think I can get the VAST back...

not a chance.

I have rung the VAST installer, who isn't answering his phone

and VAST don't have a help line not do they have

a troubleshooting section on their website

now I am at a loss and very p**sed off

 its the final episode of Homeland tomorrow night

and I am going to miss it, in fact we will have no free to air until

the tv man decides to call us back and come and fix it, which knowing

him could take weeks

The upside is, the new house has no such issues

we will have constant free to air, no VAST to fight with

and I can't wait.

Technology who would have it



Halfway there

Last night I stitched the down the centre on

hexagon # 61, that means I have only another 61 to make

before I can start to assemble

my

Kaleidascope Hexagon Quilt

just look at that pile of 1930's reproduction

goodness

as of yesterday I only have 5 more of these foundation pieced blocks

to sew up

before I can start to assemble

'The Quilting Gathering'

March is turning out to be a big month of finishes,

and

a big month of stash busting.

 today I have a date with my sewing machine

so make some more hexagons so I can continue to

stitch on those centres.



Dilly Bags & Telemarketers

Sophie and Emma are going on a scout camp

next weekend and while I was reading what they

would need, I noticed the words

'Dilly Bag or similar for eating equipment'

I instantly knew that I would make them a dilly bag each

and knew exactly what I wanted them to look like

yesterday I made a start on them, today I finished them off

and I am so happy with how they turned out.

Sophies

Emma's

no chance of them being lost, they are one of a kind :)

Today I managed to cut out some more kites for my hexagon quilt, and 

I sorted out the rest of the pieces for my foundation pieced smal quilt

into bags so I can just grab and sew when I get a few spare minutes.

Telemarketers are the thorns in all our sides,

we have been getting calls from a gold coast number, every 2 days 

calls which as soon as you answer hang up, so today I called them back

(the joy of caller id) and let them have it. I don't think they will be calling

here anymore lol. They did try and deny it, but took our number and said they would

'sort it out'. 

ARRRRRRRGH

Miss Sarah, I always have a couple of projects on the go, so I don't get bored

my Pies and Tarts was finished bar the quilting in December,

In My Garden was finished bar the quilting in January

Em's quilt was finished bar the binding July 2011

P&T and In My Garden were quilted in March

I currently have on the go

Kaleidascope Hexagons (queen bed sized)

Miss K's quilt (single bed sized)

and my small quilt

my currently night time project is

Kaleidascope Hexagon centres, need to find another as I only have 17 centres

left to sew before I run out of hexies I need to make more hexies 

I need to confess

I have no life,lol

well I do but Sarah made a comment that

made me think,

she asked how I managed to get so much sewing done

so I thought about it and worked it out

a typical day for me goes like this

* 7:30-8am I get up, and get the family

out the door for school/work by 8:45 at the latest

* I put the washing on as soon as I get up

* clean up the breakfast/school lunch mess

* shower & dress

* drink coffee and chat to henrycat

* hang out the washing and make sure something is thawing

for dinner

* collect the mail and the paper from in town

* more coffee while reading the paper

then by 10:30-11am

I get to do what I want which usually involves

sewing something fun

* 12:30-1pm dh come home for lunch

back into my sewing by 1:30-2pm

* I head out to collect the girlies from school, call into the

supermarket if needed

then home, get them afternoon tea, supervise homework

and finish off whatever is under the foot of my sewing machine

I don't do any machine work when dh is home, thats family time

collect the washing

start dinner

we eat 6-6:30pm, dishes done by 7pm

then we watch the biggest loser, kids have showers,

teeth and bed for them by 8:15pm

then I get to sit on the couch and do some hand sewing 

(currently stitching the centres on my Kaleidascope hexagons)

until I go to bed which is usually midnightish sometimes later

go to bed, sleep, and start it all over again

as a general rule

Monday is housework day

every 2nd Thursday is grocery shopping day

3rd Monday of eash month is my out of the house

sewing day with the local quilting group

what makes it easier for me to do so much is I am not big on clutter

it's a case of use it or lose in this house, and I have big clean outs

frequently and I cannot stand piles of 'stuff' anywhere,

except for my sewing room

I WILL NOT clean the kids rooms, they are responsible for

making their beds, putting out their washing and 

keeping their rooms clean. If they don't do it they don't 

get any pocket money.

I like to be organised

and as I am getting older

I CAN"T STAND ANY MESS

as we are renting here, this house has NO GARDEN 

we only have to mow and dh does that

so my weekdays are my own to do what I want

weekends dh plays golf and Sundays are family day

we head to the beach, go for drives or just hang out at home.

Its a good life, its my life and I love it :)

A happy Monday

Today was my once a month sewing day

out of the house with the local quilting group

and I am thrilled to say I got quite a bit

done,

like this cathedral window pincushion

2 foundation pieced blocks for a small quilt

14 more hexagons for my Kaleidoscope hexagon quilt, they need

ironing though

and last night I finished off the centre medalion for my

Aunt Grace's circle of friends quilt

so it was a happy monday for me.

We are offically moving house at the end of April, into

the Harbour Masters house, my new sewing room will have

ocean views, we will have room for gardens

and we are getting some chickens again.

Happy Happy Happy :)

A Productive FNSI

Yesterday I decided to work on a UFO

that just needed the centre medalion made

So I prepared myself but cutting out the dresdan plates,

cutting the background fabric, making the centre ring

then I started on the paper pieced dresdan flower

by making sure all the petals were basted and

ready to be stitched together

I am thrilled to say I managed to get the bulk of it

stitched down with just the pp outer ring to do

I still have 4 little dresdan flowers to make, leaves to prepare for appliquing

on and 4 stems, I might do them at my monthly sewing day on Monday

I hope your FNSI was as productive as mine :)

FNSI

Its the Friday Night Sew In tonight so I am working on

getting everything ready to participate.

I am working on a UFO tonight, I just have the centre block to

applique then I can put it together

SO I have cut out 16 desgran plates and the centre circle

then I need to make 4 baby dresdan flowers, stems and leaves

and of course Henrycat had to assist

what the finished quilt will look like

and Henry testing out the centre

he is lucky I love him :)



Sidetracked.....

But I did finish Em's quilt before I got sidetracked

see

I finished it late last night, folded it up and popped it into

the linen cupboard, after she went to school today I put it on her bed

she was very suprised this afternoon

My Pies and Tarts all finished

1 block left of my New York Beauty I was supposed to do it today

but this is what sidetracked me,

a little quilt,

Civil war Basket Quilt

all I need to do is stitch the binding down......

I love it and can't wait to make the next one :)

I joined Katheen Tracy's Small Quilts yahoo group

this is March, I am waiting for a book to arrive so I can

make January and February's quilts...

Hurry up postman!

Getting my haircut tomorrow and in the afternoon I wil get the last

NYB block done.



Progress Reports

Progress  Report # 1

I went and spoke to Imogens teacher yesterday and

I am thrilled to say that my

sensitive, gentle, quiet little bean took it upon

herself to speak to him, without me there

he has spoken to 1 of the boys concerned

and still needs to speak to the other, in a hurry

because she told me today he and another 2 boys

were bullying her again today, so she went and told

her teacher again, hopefully there will be some

consequences this time.

Progress Report # 2.

I am offically EXCITED actually beyond

EXCITED

we are moving house.....to the other side of town

to the House on the Hill

the Harbour Masters house becomes vacant next month

and we are moving in.

YIPPEE

Progress Report # 3

I am still sewing down binding on

Em's quilt, it seems to be taking soooooo

much longer than any other quilt

but I must keep going, I promised dh

I would have it finished before he gets home on

Thursday

He is at The Australian Maritime College

doing a refresher course in the Ship Simulator

lucky bugger is staying at my mum and dads too

Hopefully the binding will be finished tonight

tomorrow I will share a photo and share the next

New York Beauty block I did today.



2 OPAM finishes

Yes TWO quilts are finished

that means I have 1 possibly 2 sneaky nights of binding left

and my to do list is done....for now

Now I am no professional quilter, but I will have a bash, on MY quilts

to get the hang of other designs instead of just stippling every quilt I do

In My Garden was my victim,

I love the dodgy design I used on the border

LOVE that design

and hindsight is wonderful I SHOULD have stitched in the ditch

around all the applique blocks BEFORE I quilted it, but that would have left

me with the how do I get it on the frame correctly dilemma, but its finished

its 100% made by me and I love it

and my Pies and Tarts

LOVE IT 

As soon as the quilt holder uperers are home from school, I will share

full photos, I have to go and see Miss I's teacher today as she is

being bullied and it needs to stop.

She is very sensitive and takes things to heart and I don't need these

2 boys destroying what little self confidence she has in herself

wish me luck....

Finally

I cleared off Franks table

Ironed the wadding bond stuff onto my 2 pieces of wadding

love that stuff

made sure the backing fabric I dug out of my stash would suit, ironed

the backing and the P&T top

found some Rasant thread to match the top and the backing

LOVE all the circles on the back of the top

fought for an hour to get it all onto Frank the CORRECT way

took me 2 attempts

and decided just to stipple it, I love to stipple

mid way through quilting

I had it finished in 2 hours, broke 1 needle, used 4 bobbins of thread

and a said a few unladylike words :)

now I am ready to tackle In My Garden, its on Frank ready to go

I am going to use the same thread for quilting I used on the

Pies and Tarts

I can see a big OPAM tally happening, once the P&T and

In My Garden are quilted and bound, I have to stitch the binding

onto Miss Em's quilt, she has been so patient, and I want to suprise her

with it all finished and on her bed so it will be sneaky night time stitching

sessions when she is asleep until its done

fingers crossed its a 3 quilt finish for me :)

New York Beauty

Block 1 is finished

I am not sure about the black I think I should have used a

darker Batik but I am happy with

how its turned out

Bring on block 2



Surfs Up

& its raining again

 the naughty puppy is loving it, he is  inside today!

I had to get a few things from the supermarket, so I took my camera

and drove to 'our' beach, a 300m walk from our house

this is what I found

no beach left, we walk the naughty puppy here each day

(if its not raining) and I watched the waves wash over

the embankment taking dirt back with it.

this is where we take the girlies swimming, usually its very calm and protected

and hubby dives around that rock thats poking out

then I went to Aislings Beach

the surfs up

another of hubbys dive spots

no beach at Aislings today either

I am heading to my sewing room today to finish my New York Beauty blocks

then sew some more Granny Squares.

Hubby is going to help me load my Pies and Tarts onto Frank at

lunchtime, I would like to make a start on that today too.

luckily it is PERFECT SEWING weather :)