Saturday, December 21, 2013

FNSI and a cute freebie

With a bit of time to make something for myself I joined in with others at last night's Friday Night Sew In. Earlier in the week I had found this cute little freebie pattern over here and just knew I wanted to make him. So this is what I did for Friday night - a perfect little project.

You can find the link to the PDF pattern over here. Make sure you go and have a look at the post as there is also a really cute animation to see. Many thanks to Fiona Tully of Two Brown Birds for this super cute gift pattern.

And don't forget to visit Wendy at Sugarlane Designs for the links to others who joined in. Thanks Wendy.

 

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Christmas is coming.

Parcels have been arriving at my house - ooh so much temptation!
We haven't started decorating yet - there has so much going on this December. I am hoping that tomorrow will be the day. We have a wedding to go to today and school is finished for the year so we can really get into the family feeling.
This parcel is my SSCS parcel from Carole. I haven't even touched the chocolate yet - I think it might give me some energy got Christmas Tree decorating. Thanks Carole for sending my parcel and the lovely decoration as well. (And thanks to Chookyblue and her helper for organising this again this year.)
 
This bundle of gifts is from Dasha in the Santa Sack swap run by Cheryll (Thanks Cheryll)
There's all sorts of squishy goodness here. I can't wait for opening day.
And this sparkly sack comes from Peg in another online swap.
It was full of brown paper packages tied up with string.
Where's the string in this picture ? Well this morning my boys decided to make some sort of cricket training thing and what did they need - string ! So they raided my parcels. I guess I'll have to open them now, which is alright as we are allowed to open all but one for under the tree.

So thank you to everyone for your wonderful swap gifts and also to the organisers.

 

 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Sunday Stitching Christmas Party

The thing about having a group of bloggers meet is that they all blog about the event. In this case it is great because I didn't take a lot of photos and looking at all the blogs helps to remember what a fun day we all had.

Somehow I only got a photo of one end of the table so I apologise to the other end for missing them out. Maybe this is the naughty end of the table L-R Tatyana, Sandi, De, Teresa, and Noela. Tatyana is talking to Helen but she somehow missed out on being in the photo.

My present in the Secret Santa Swap was from De, and was a mug holder. The special part was that De had remembered that I was a tea drinker and found just the perfect mug for me. Now I am set for all of our meetings next year - no missing out on my tea because I didn't bring a mug.

And I just remembered that that little parcel on the top ( in the picture of it wrapped) was a packet of strawberry Tim Tams, I suppose you can guess why it didn't make it into the other photos.

So to everyone who was there - Susan, Marilyn, Helen, Tatyana, Sandi, Teresa, Noela, Maree, Maree, Jeanette, Deb, De, Maria, and Cheryl - thank you for a lovely afternoon and thank you De for my gift and also to the other ladies who brought the extra little gifties. Thanks to Maree also for putting this together for us.

 

Monday, November 18, 2013

Secret Santa gift for Helen.

This a short post to show what I made with that cross stitching I was doing. Yesterday was one of my group's Christmas 'do' and we had a Secret Santa swap. The triangular shape of the cross stitch turned into a strawberry ornament/ pincushion. It is a Blackbird Designs ornament from the Just Cross stitch ornament edition 2006. I really loved making it and I might just have to make one for myself as well. This one was for Helen. I'm not sure but maybe the Santa Rubber Duck I put on the lid of the box might have almost been her favourite part of the gift - I know some other people were trying to steal it.

 

Cute isn't it ?

 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Returning to another love.

I have always played with fabric but another love has been counted thread embroidery. I haven't done a lot lately so it was nice to return to the rhythm of this sort of stitching. I have always loved doing cross stitch, hardanger and pulled thread work. Don't ask me to do more free form work - I am hopeless at stitches like grub roses and satin stitch. I am happy with doing back stitch and stem stitch though.

I am in a few swaps this year for Christmas and for one of them I decided to make something in cross stitch. I can't show you yet but I will when ......?...... has received it. I have really enjoyed stitching again.


I have been absent quite a bit this year. Last May my mother was hospitalized after a fall and her health went down from there. I'm an only child and so I had to check on regularly as well as doing her housework and shopping. (Which is something I don't like doing even for myself). In September I had to take her to hospital again, as she had no strength to do anything and was suffering from a diabetic condition - her weight had gone down to around 31 kilograms and she wasn't managing anything at all. After a lot of medical care she is picking up and we have been lucky enough to get her into an aged care facility. So now I am able to relax as I know she is being looked after. The next issue is to start cleaning up her old place, which is going to present a new set of issues as she is a fairly bad hoarder, and is going to find it hard to let go of anything. Wish me luck !

So now I am looking forward to catching up with all things I started before all this happened, but I have to get all my secret stuff sent off first. It is an exciting time of the year !

 

Monday, October 21, 2013

A great day out.

Sometimes it is nice to have a day out to get away from all the stuff going on in real life. I had been looking forward to going to the Brisbane Craft and Quilt Fair. And I knew a few other crafty people who were going to be there too so I was looking forward to catching up with them as well. I know that there have been a few photos like this one on people's blogs. This one was the one taken on my phone and I can see that two people escaped getting into it. Sorry Susan and Michelle.

L to R. Val, Teresa, Tatyana, Sandi, Marilyn,and Noela. Behind L to R. Me, Fiona . Jane took the photo so that she wouldn't be in it....sneaky.

I am sure that we all would have loved to stay chatting for much longer but of course there is always shopping to do. Four of us then walked around looking at all the wonderful quilts. Sometimes it can be so overwhelming and I am sure I missed at least one row, as when I looked at some of the photos others took I don't remember seeing them.

And did I buy anything?...well of course I did. I think that this might be the first year I managed to buy everything I wanted. Of course there are always the things to find which you know you need as soon as you see them.

The stitchery things on the right were on my list. I had been stitching the day before and ran out of the thread so I was very happy to find some more. I want to use the same thread for a cross stitch project I am doing for a swap, and I bought the linen for that as well. I also wanted to get the Squedge 18 ruler. I have the other two ( 15 and 22.5) but wanted this one as well. There were some things I really 'needed' - I was very excited to get a new book by Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse. She had only received stock the night before the show so it was very hot off the press. I always love little Japanese kits and I also bought the fabric in the background. I bought it because I liked the clean look of the flowers but when I opened the roll up I found it had bunnies as well. Did I ever mention that I love bunnies?

I resisted going again the next day. I know I could have found more to look at and of course more to buy.

There's always next year. Who's going to meet me there?

 

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Stitcher's Dream Day Out in Toowoomba.

There have been some tricky times over the last few months with family issues, health issues and even computer issues. There has been very little 'me' time so I decided that I needed a day out and what better place than in Toowoomba at the Stitcher's Dream Day Out. This is run by The Quilter's Angel and is well worth the trip. It is about a 2 hour drive from where I live but as most crafty people know, we never let things like that stop us, and I had my trusty travelling companion Cheryl with me.
This was the table which was waiting for us. The theme this year was Love so everything was decorated beautifully in reds and pinks.
There were six projects presented, we got the patterns for all six and a kit to make one. The designers this year were Rosalie Quinlan, Debbie Magee and Ella of Ella and Skysie. It is an informal day with the designers moving around the tables sharing with the participants. Here's Rosalie showing us how she does chain stitch and satin stitch.
Debbie Magee came around to show us her cute birds on spools. And as I love pincushions, I know I will be making one of these soon (yes I did buy spool or two).

There were lots of show and tell from the designers but my favourite was being able to see Rosalie's complete Best Friends Forever quilt ( which might just be on my to do list. )
You can see more pictures of the event here and some of our day here on Kris's blog and also on Fiona's blog. She managed to get a photo of the three of us (Cheryl, Fiona and myself) which I didn't but you can see us over there.
And I have to say that Fiona did a wonderful job of tying all the bows. It looked so pretty with all the shades of pink.
It was a lovely day and just what I needed.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Christmas in July.

My Christmas in July partner was Vickie in the Northern Territory. She sent some mysterious brown paper  packages which I managed to keep until today before I was able to open them. (Well maybe there was one or two squishy pokes.) 


I held out for as long as I could and around lunch time I opened one to find a reindeer which jumped out gasping for air, looking very pleased to be released into the wilds of a new home. He is so cute - and one of those patterns I keep saying I must make. What a great choice for me Vickie.
The other two parcels had the words holly and tree written on them and inside there was a Twister table topper ( another pattern I have been meaning to try) and a tree shaped pot holder. I took the photo with the top of the potholder ( where the hand goes in) but if you look in the back of the reindeer photo you might be able to make out the other side with the gorgeous fabric picturing the Twelve Days of Christmas. I love it!
Thank you so much Vickie, and thanks too to Cheryll for hosting the swap.


On the home front there have been a few health issues and also my laptop is very sick. I am trying it keep up with things using the iPad but there are a few things I haven't worked out yet. Still, I suppose it is a start. I still haven't worked out how to put links in - I might have to come back and try to do that later. 
Waving to everyone out there and hoping to catch up will you all again soon.

Saturday, May 04, 2013

Friday Night with Friends ( FNWF)

This was my first Friday night with friends. The boys were off to the football ( and one very sad face arrived home later on - our team didn't do very well.) My daughter was off somewhere in the house doing what teenage daughters do. So with some television watching to catch up on I got stuck in getting the preparation work done for this month's stitch-a-long project. It's an Annie Downs bag and her stitcheries are always fun.

And after all the getting ready I even got to stitch a little bit...... And it is no surprise that I started with the cup of tea!

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Warm wishes to you.

Wishing everyone a peaceful holiday.


I've been away to Girls Day in the Country in Nundle and I am a bit slow in posting but I will in the next day or so. This is sort of a Nundle post as the little cutie in the picture came from there. There is a shop there which is chockablock with china, old 78 records, tools and the like. Often when I go past it isn't open but I was lucky this time and I found this little Easter wagon which is like the ones I used to get when I was little. I actually find the shop quite expensive but this was very reasonably priced and it had to come home with me, just in time for Easter decorating. It makes me smile.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Peg and Dale go on a Cruise. ( November 2012)

 
I was going through my photos and found some of Peg and Dale which I hadn't posted. They have a very exciting event coming up so I thought I should get them on my blog before then.
When they first came to Queensland they were a bit put off by the locals, at our Friday Craft Group.
 
 
 
 Gee Dale, I know they said Queenslanders were a bit different but I didn't realise how much.

 Airlie Beach with Cruise ship in the background.

Peg, why did that horrible boy put us on the barbeque?
 
 
 A buffet lunch with the Cairns cousins -Blacky and Creamy.
 
 
 Of course we came for the total solar  eclipse. Keep your glasses on!
 
 
 Was it all worth it? You bet!
 
 
 I think this is one time we are going to do as we are told, Dale.
 
 
 What's the big idea,Peg? They bring us the cocktail menu and then we get a cup of tea.
 
 
 
That was fun! Can we do it again sometime?

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Babysitting

 
You would think I would know by now not to leave things out when a grandchild comes to visit but in fact this time I am not quite guilty. I had actually put this up and hidden the yellow felt pen from a certain two year old's view. I think they are making two year olds much more clever than they used to.
 
 
Thankfully it isn't as bad as it could have been - she worked on the back and because I had the backing on for stitching it protected the front from most of it. There is only one blob which came through to the front and it isn't on the stitched part. I am relieved that I don't have to start again.
 
It looks like we will have her visit regualrly on Wednesdays from now on so I guess I have to adjust. It is amazing how quickly you forget. It is only 8 years since I had my own 2 year old but I am not used to it now.
 
I have only two days to finish this one for the Stitch a long, I'm still planning on getting there although we are going out tonight to a concert with Neil Finn and Paul Kelly. I wonder what they would think if I sat stitching during that.


Sunday, February 17, 2013

Another day

Thank you to everyone for sending me birthday wishes. I had a lovely day and had lunch with my husband, which is nice because we don't always have time with just the two of us. That might sound strange but we do a lot of things as a family,which is great, but don't always take the time for just ourselves.
Then on the Friday night we went out for dinner with the whole family - all 6 of us- my two big boys actually managed to find the time to come as well which was great. Usually if I suggest something they always have something else on. (typical males).
 
This is the gift I received from the Initial Heat Swap run by Cheryll. It was from Simone and was a beautiful heart shaped mug rug. I realise now that you can't quite see the shape because of the mug. My initial was on a little heart appliqued onto the mug rug. So of course I had to have a cup of tea to go with it. It is now is use beside the lounge chair. Thank you so much Simone.
 

And here's what I sent Anthea - a needle book and a pincushion. I had bought this pattern last year and so when the heart swap was mentioned I knew that I wanted to use it. I can see me using this one again. This was a lovely swap to take part in. Thank you again Cheryll.


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Sometimes things just keep you away from blogging

 
Welcome to my poor neglected blog.
 
Sadly life has kept me busy lately and I thought I would just explain a little. For the last year my sister in law has been living with terminal cancer. Then last September my brother in law, her partner (my husband's brother) was diagnosed with leukemia. Neither of them drive and live about 45 minutes away so we were doing what we could to help them achieve what they needed.
Just before Christmas she was told that there was nothing more that could be done.
 
Yesterday she passed away peacefully.
 
 
 
There were other family issues going on also and with the school holidays in January, I am afraid that I found it hard to have a few moments to myself.
 
I am hoping now that things will become more stable and more crafty things will be happening and as this blog was a way of recording that - I am hoping that there will be posts a lot more often.
 
I want to say a big thank you to all the lovely people who have sent things to me during the time since Christmas. I will try to catch up with everybody that I can soon.
Many thanks for all the wonderful parcels and gifts. I love them all.
 
Hugs.