Sad

my niece is expecting her 1st baby!

I found out today.

due May/June, she is having a scan next week.

and I am happy for her but also sad for her

sad because it sounds so familar

I was 17 when I had ds I am 37 he is 19 (20 in 10 weeks)

So I called him and made him promise that he wouldn't even consider having children before I am 50, he promised me he wouldn't.

I get to make a baby quilt now :)

It's a GIVEAWAY kind of day

As promised today is the day of my 50th post (according to blogspot) so you have to leave a comment to go into the hat/bowl for the following goodies

one of these

in these fabrics

and this pattern

and a little fabric basket designed by Pink Penguin and made by me sorry I don't have a picture of it.

You have until noon Sunday Western Standard Time (2pm EST) then I will get the girlies to draw out a winner :)

Have a fabulous day I am off to do some housework (blah)

Love Letters

The girlies all received a postcard from Gumdrops and Grandpa yesterday with a ' we want a letter' request. So they all sat down yesterday afternoon and wrote their letters and did a drawing for Gumdrops and Grandpa to put on their freezer, because magnets won't stick to their fridge.

Here is their artwork

Girlie # 1

Love the way she made sure grandpa had his moustache and that is one of the cats in the background lol

Girie # 2

Girlie # 3

and this is from girlie # 2 also

I think there will be a very happy Gumdrops when these appear in her maill box.

Introducing & a giveaway

my sewing assistant.

My sewing assistant is just gorgeous and never too far away from my side, although my assistant does need to pick his time better for a rest other than when it is time for me to actually sew. He normally sits off to the side but this morning he decided that right beside my machine on top of my project was the best place!

So without further ado

and as promised a picture of my frustration

not the best photo but it is a miserable day here, wet and windy. I cannot wait to get this done.

I am off of to lunch with my gorgeous husband and then to the patchwork shop as I need to cut my backing fabric into 3 and I am too afraid to do it alone, and I don't want to have to buy another 4.5 metres if I mess it up :)

onto the giveaway, my 50th post is going to happen TOMORROW and to celebrate I am going to have a giveawy. Now to be in the running for my giveaway you HAVE TO LEAVE A COMMENT. ( lol it was late when I posted yesterday and obviously at 11:30pm my maths isn't the best lol)

whats the giveaway I hear. A big pincushion, a thread bag and a little suprise (yet to be decided).

SO wait for my post tomorrow and I will have a picture of the pincushion etc then the fun will begin.

Have a fabulous day

48th post

I only started my blog so I could participate in the Stitchers' Angel swap and the Christmas swap. I never imagined that I would still be happily blogging 48 posts later.....

anyhoo

I have had a slightly frustrating day, mums christmas present is doing my head in 100%. I had stitched all the outer bits, and was in the process of stitching the centre pieces together. I finally got all 3 centre bits done except for the pieces that make the hearts, imagine my disgust when I sat down today to finish off the centres only to find that I had used the wrong paper piecing bits, I was trying to use the small jewel shapeswhenI needed to use the large pieces. A few choice words and a trip to the LPS, some unpicking and I am back in business. I have completely finished ONE centre yay me lol. Photo to come tomorrow, but that means I have to re do the other bits that were already sewn togother.

My mum had better like this bed runner lol or it will be on MY BED instead.

Tomorrow is a girlie free day, I have no plans as yet other than dropping them all at school I guess that I should do a spot of housework then I might just sit and continue working on the frustrating bed runner while watching Prison Break, we are up to disc 4 of season 1 and season 2 is sitting here to be watched.

Have a great day whatever you are doing :)

Today

* We picked up daddy from the airport

* went to the girlie's school fete, the big girlie's class painted pots which had herbs planted in them, we managed to get one girlie's pot, the other had been sold :( all the girlie's had a lucky dip, got to play the stick game and I found some books so all was good.

* had our visitors visit this afternoon and I had to go mad at Toni, I gave her all my scrapping gear, all the embellishments, alpha's etc because I wasn't using them and knew I wouldn't use them, well today she gave me a thank you gift, which was a gift voucher to my LPS, totally unexpected and it wasn't needed but what a treasure to do that for me. Now I just need to decide what I need to buy with it.

* cleaned out our chook pen and found some hidden eggs

* took these photos of Henry cat who decided that the egg collecting basket was the best place for a nap this afternoon, how he managed to squash his ample body in the basket still amazes me.

* had a yummy chicken curry for tea, dh did the dishes YAY, watched the horse show on the ABC, and now he has gone to bed as he is off to work in the morning.

* I have nearly finished the first paper piecing heart block for Mum's bed runner, I just need to cut the small jewel shapes out and sew them on, its looking great and I will get a picture of it tomorrow in the daylight.

Not sure what is on our agenda for Sunday, maybe I will get to sit and work on mum present on the quiet....well I can hope :)

Have a fabulous day whatever you may be doing.

Productive

I have had a very productive day at the sewing machine :)

My secret Santa gift is FINISHED (I love it and want to keep it) I just need to wrap and post it to a far away land :)

I have also made a little pincushion and a scissor keeper, now I just need some little scissors to put in it

I bought Anni Downs 'An Angel Story' book yesterday so to celebrate I used her pin cushion and scissor keeper pattern. I do need some lessons on sewing a circle to a strip of fabric I have a few pleats oops but I am impressed for my first go, I also have her A Christmas Story book, the Christmas quilt is on my to do list next year.

Girlie # 3 had dancing and then went to her friends house for a play, I was supposed to do some housework but the sewing machine was calling me louder than the Dyson.....I did do some washing and hung it in the dryer as it rained again. The very naughty puppy Tanis went for a wander this morning and didn't return home until 1:30......then went again while I was collecting girlie # 3....naughty naughty puppy.

The weekend is looking to be fairly quiet, tomorrow we are off to collect daddy from the airport then we have the girlie's school fete, then we have friends coming over in the afternoon so I guess there won't be to much sewing happening but I might get some of mums present stitched together, Christmas is sneaking up on me way way to fast I am so unprepared this year with only the big girlie's Santa present organised. I am thinking cd's, book's and some clothes as for lil girlie I still have no idea.

I am expecting some happy mail this week I ordered 2 Nancy Halvorsen books, Cottage Charms and True Friends I can't wait for them to arrive, a friend has the cottage charms book and I LOVED it, so hurry up Australia Post.

and for a bit of useless info did you know you can buy a tricky little applique foot for Janome sewing machines I bought one and it makes machine applique so much easier, would have to be the best $15 I have spent in a long time :) and will get the rest of the Noah and friends blocks
appliqued so much faster

and does anyone know if Spotlight sell costume patterns??? I am after an easy pattern for capes for the littlest girlie who loves to dress up, might have to get mum to investigate before she comes over in 47 days woo hoo my mummy is coming to stay :) :) :) I miss my mum, hate not being able to call in for morning tea and I have to admit I miss her surprise visits, mum had a key to our house and if you didn't answer the door fast enough she'd just let herself in, I suppose it was good that she at least knocked, I never did I just walk in :)

Hopefully it will only be another 12 - 18 months before the semi trailer and 2 shipping containers appear at our door to take us home, yep 2 containers we don't travel lightly lol.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone.