A Little Bit Of Me

Time for Tea and a look in the garden!

2012-01-24T19:51:00.006+10:00

Today has been a soaking wet day with heavy,heavy rain-some areas have had flooding and the road conditions are not too good so it was a great day to stay home and enjoy a cuppa with a friend ! This is a teatime sampler I did a few years ago from a "Mums Moments" pattern. don't know if they are still around but they did design some lovely stitcheries.

Here are two of my gardening angels keeping an eye on the "goings on". I love cloth dolls with character.
Bev over at http://kaingahappenings.blogspot.com showed some of her gorgeous agapanthas
today so I thought I would share a couple of closeups of my agapanthas-these are just one petal in the flower head...... aren't they beautiful yet delicate ?

I have frangipanis out in bloom everywhere-so ornate with the most wonderful fragrance.

hope tomorrow is not as wet as today but at least the rainwater tanks are getting filled ! cheers Teri

schools back for 2012

2012-01-23T11:16:00.003+10:00

Mums throughout Queensland are mainly all rejoicing as the new school year starts today ! My DGS3 started his first day of prep-school today and was so excited-his mother a little teary !!! His baby sister spent some time with me as his mother wanted to help settle him into school !

Well another school year begins filled with many hopes and expectations. Good luck to all those
going through the joys this has to bring.

cheers teri

Pay it Forward 2012

2012-01-22T08:46:00.002+10:00

After reading Jenny's post over at http://littleoverliving.blogspot.com/ I decided to join this wonderful swap too! So this is what you do.....
The first three to comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me within 12 months from registration. The timing of the gift will be a surprise, as will the gift itself, but I must do this within 12 months.
All you need to do is be one of the first 3 people to comment on this post to be a recipient, but if you nominate then you must put a post on your blog to Pay It Forward. Also remember that I need to get in contact with you so ensure you are not a "no reply" blogger.
Here's to a year of fun
cheers teri

A visit from the mailman !

2012-01-21T16:32:00.003+10:00

Late yesterday afternoon the mailman knocked on the door with a delivery from the USA-yippee ...the order I placed with Leah Day for her Ultimate FMQ package arrived. Only took 14 days.... so now NO excuse to not try and be a better FMQer !!!!!
Today has been a stinking hot day with very high humidity so with the airconditioner on I have sat and watched the tennis and done the madatory housekeeping only as well as read a few magazines. At my quilting guild meeting on Thursday they had a table of books from their library on sale for $1 each---as you can imagine everyone scrambled to find a bargain and I was very happy to find this book with lots of ideas for colourwashing---

I guess my dollar was well spent ! Have a great weekend cheers Teri

True Beauty !

2012-01-20T12:16:00.002+10:00

I just LOVE roses ! Here are two from my garden today that look so beautiful and smell so divine......the house smells so lovely and fresh as the breezes catch the aromas.

cheers teri

It's Thursday-that means quilt group !

2012-01-19T19:26:00.003+10:00

A really lovely day today and being Thursday made it even better ! Last week I joined the local quilt guild here in the Bay and they meet every Thursday from 9am until 4pm so that gives a wonderful time of peaceful ( despite the laughter ) stitching and fellowship with like minded people ! So here I am -bags packed and ready to go..... I am using these first few weeks to do handwork and finish up alot of ufo's. Here are some stitcheries that are nearly completed along with a great cup of tea.

Had a super time today with some really lovely ladies-can't wait for next week !

cheers teri

more on Fraser island

2012-01-18T11:07:00.015+10:00

There are Kookaburras everywhere on the Island and especially found around the eating areas-beautiful birds but quite sneeky as they will steal your food while you are not looking. one of the ways to get to Fraser Island is by the ferry which takes 40 minutes approximately on calm days-very relaxing and you get to see dolphins and giant sea turtles swimming by. Cars can also drive onto this ferry (4WD )

some of the beautiful beach as you arrive...

When the tide is out you can walk for miles and even see small stingrays close to shore...

Some of the gorgeous vegetation on the Island-there are many walking paths through the forest.

Many beautiful Banksia trees-aren't the flowers spectacular?

Lots of wonderful Billabongs everywhere...

This is the entry into the resort we stayed at looking out the main doors to some super pools to swim in...

We enjoyed the pools alot at night when it was more peaceful....

This is the rooms we had-very nice cabins with the bush around ( luckily no snakes were seen )-even had a spa bath in each room--nice!

Outside each room you had a patio area to relax on looking out to a Billabong..

Here is the bunch of us ready to go home after our few days of relaxing. We are waiting for the ferry to come get us. All of us that went as a group were full-time carers for a family member so the trip away was a special time for us all to just "switch off"

cheers Teri

sunrise and sunset on Fraser Island

2012-01-11T19:09:00.007+10:00

RecentlyI had a wonderful break away on the beautiful Fraser Island which is 40 minutes by boat from where I live. The sunrises and sunsets were so beautiful so thought I would share some photos with you.

Tomorrow I will share more of Fraser Island with you. cheers Teri

p.s. today was the hottest on record for this time of year- oh for a cool breeze

what to do when it's hot,hot,hot !

2012-01-10T10:27:00.005+10:00

yesterday was so hot and the humidity was very high-too hot and sticky to do anything! Last night I went for a walk along the beach as the sun was going down when the temperatures dropped a little -the water was so lovely.... I felt so cool and refreshed after a dip in this....

The old "chook" in the garden was being baked by the sun....

even the bromeliads lavished any shade they could get...

the poor cat decided to sleep all day was the best choice...

I do hope today doesn't get as hot ( not looking likely though ) cheers Teri

great lunch and a treasure trove !

2012-01-09T09:11:00.008+10:00

At the weekend I went out for lunch with friends at a little country town called Howard which is a 30 minute drive from my place. This is a delicious spicy chicken noodle salad I had-yummy !!!

After lunch we visited this "olde worlde" drapery called Van Cootens which has been in their family since the middle of the last century. It's so quaint but don't be deluded by the size !!! To the side you can see tables and chairs politely positioned to accommodate husbands and children with books and magazines to keep them amused while the ladies shop to their hearts desires. The footpath is heavily laden with goods that don't fit in the shop lol !

Curiosity bins of goodies everywhere-you have to squeeze to get inside.

Inside you have to carefully manoeuver to get through the lanes.

Whatever you want-it's here !

What a wonderful shop-over the road in the old bakery they have converted that into a patchwork emporium. If you ever come this way you must visit this shop-really old fashioned but also with the old fashion service of hospitality. My what a great day we had-you never know what old country towns may have to delight your senses. cheers Teri

A walk in my garden !

2012-01-06T20:01:00.006+10:00

Thought I would share some of the beautiful faces of flowers in my garden ! Summer is here and the garden is full of beauty and happiness. Nature can certainly lift the spirits. cheers teri

some beautiful fabrics and a fun day out !

2012-01-05T14:08:00.009+10:00

yesterday I went for a day out up further north to Bundaberg ( about 75 minute drive ) with a friend. First stop was Spotlight store where I bought these yummy fabrics .Can't wait to use them on a quilt for my granddaughter. I was so excited to enter this shop as we don't have it where I live and the excitement was even more when I saw tables full of fabric for $ 4-5 a metre and considering most are normally between $ 25-30 metre here for good quilting fabric !!

After exploring every inch of this store we then drove into town to get some lunch and look around the shops. Bundaberg is a beautiful city ( world famous for their Rum ).The streets are lined with heavily perfumed frangipani trees -the aromas just float with the breezes.

This ornate camel greeted us at the door of a cafe we entered-quite quirky !

Loved this strange looking fountain in the middle of the main street- the stainless steel palms look so good.

Just adored all the old style buildings that add to the character and charm. The streets are very clean and inviting. Below is a typical pub where patrons can actually sit on the sidewalk at a bar.

Loved all the roof tops-some were very intersting and well preserved. Had a wonderful day out and now to cut up all the new fabrics

cheers teri

a gift to me !

2012-01-03T08:24:00.006+10:00

This is what I bought myself for christmas this year -a felting/embellishing machine !! Janome had some wonderful specials this christmas so I thought it was the perfect time to pick up this little one.

Was so excited to get it home and out of the box then I discovered that as well as the 5 needle piece it also came with a single needle attachment plus single hole plate as well as heaps of replacement needles ! When I asked about them in the shop the assistant told me I would have to buy them as optional extras-so much for well informed staff ! Gosh was I delighted ! Love the colourings on this FM 725 -will fit in perfectly with the colours of my sewing/crafting space.

So I quickly grabbed some scraps and felted this little piece to use as the front of a book cover. My grandson wants me to felt some fish onto his pant legs so I will be doing that with him this afternoon. Well am I going to have fun with this new machine--do any of you have this machine...if so what have you made and any tips?

cheers Teri

thankyou to Connie

2012-01-02T08:43:00.002+10:00

A very big thankyou to Connie for restoring my sanity and helping me get blogger back to the old format which was more managable and user friendly !!! Thought I would share a photo of my latest bags together showing their sizes in better perspective. I love a big bag with functionable pockets-do you ? cheers

help !!!

2012-01-02T00:11:00.002+10:00

How do you get blogger back to the old format-this new one is driving me mental !!!! can anyone help cheers

happy new year !! 2012 here we come .....

2012-01-01T08:37:00.002+10:00

just finished this large bag using up some leftover bali batik strips-nice way to end my year!

Inside of bag shows 2 pockets in one -back side fits my kindle and the zip up side for keys etc that always get lost in a big bag ! Love the look of cane handles with the batiks.

This little cutie made again using leftover strips. I sewed up a storm in the last few days to try to get them finished by 2011.....now seeing it is 2012 I wonder what will be next !

Happy new year to you all-another year of fun and friendships.Reading others blogs has brought me so much joy this past year even though I don't comment much I am at least trying to follow your lives in words and pictures so thankyou for your insights.
cheers

last day of 2011 -happy new year to you all !

2011-12-31T07:27:00.003+10:00

yesterday I made this bag using bali strips and a bit of jacobean machine embroidery to keep my netbook nice and safe when not in use.
Can't believe that today is the last day of the year-it's been a year of lots of ups and downs and many natural disasters globally. My wish for 2012 is to have a happy, safe and prosperous year for all , filled with heaps of joy and continued happiness.
Happy New Year everyone ! xo

happy holidays everyone

2011-12-27T09:21:00.001+10:00

Just popping in to wish you all a very happy holidays-hope they are filled with love, peace, joy and prosperity . cheers

zips,zips and more zips !!!

2011-09-22T14:19:00.005+10:00

Well today I feel I have hit the motherload ! On my way out shopping I passed an op shop that I hadn't seen before. I quickly stopped the car and excitedly went in----

First I found this bin of new zips----- I asked the lady how much and she said $3---whoo hoo they were mine !! My eyes then glanced upon these plastic drawer sets---again I asked how much --- Is $6 for the lot (including the zips ) too much? I quickly agreed on the price,paid and literally ran out of the shop too excited to look any further as I also felt guilty for paying so little but that's the price they decided on !!!! After I got my bounty home I counted the zips and there were 127 ! wow was I lucky !-plus the container they were in. These drawer sets will be so handy for my craft supplies also.

On the way home I stopped to look at the beach as it looked so pretty.The tide was way out and you could see huge sand bars right out past the pier-very serene,the breeze was gorgeous-my spring turned into summer quickly. Click on the photo to see the sand bars out to sea.

Tomorrow I shall venture back to the op shop and see what else I can find. cheers

mad woman possessed !

2011-09-21T00:02:00.003+10:00

This is me today---a woman possessed and desperate to find some of my sewing tools!!!!! I know they are there somewhere ???? Do you have days like this??? cheers

I know-another bag !

2011-09-19T10:39:00.004+10:00

Have just made this bag to take on my trip to Adelaide in November for the Quilt and Craft fair. I'm so excited to be going down for this so thought I needed a bag big enough to carry all the goodies I may buy ! This bag is HUGE !!!! Inside there are lots of pockets-enough to also accommodate my kindle,netbook and ipod--so I am set. Love the Kaffe fabric and the vibrancy of this.

Check out my new bird scuplture for the garden-his head and wings move in the breeze

Have a great day-the warm weather is here and feels like summer not spring. cheers

welcome spring !!!

2011-09-18T11:58:00.003+10:00

Spring is here and it's a wonderful time of regeneration and vitality. Some flowers blooming in the garden finding their way inside. cheers

I love scissors---- or is it a fetish !

2011-07-04T09:06:00.002+10:00

I really love different types of scissors !!! Aren't these beautiful small ones so adoarable and just scream out to be bought !
While I was just loving the look of some of my small pairs of scissors I thought to myself-how many other scissors do I have? Well I won't tell you as it's too incriminating lol

On my of my work boards I found these........

and then these.....

a larger view of my craft station with assorted pairs......

and even this assortment of decorative bladed scissors-yikes and I haven't even began to look in drawers-----am I an addict /gadget junkie or have a scissor fetish?????? No way-just a different tool for different jobs so on that note I might just go see where else I may have hidden some cheers

time flies! - but I have been busy!

2011-07-03T14:02:00.004+10:00

This morning the sun was shining so beautifully-it really is hard to believe it's winter! I set myself up with these utensils and proceeded to do this------- sew the binding down on this quilt ! I must admit I don't like this part at all but to see the end result it must be done.

The gorgeous sunlight doesn't do the colours in this shaggy quilt any justice---they are sooo bright and full of life. I bought the cotton fabrics for this when I was out at Mt Isa a couple of years ago and was waiting for the right project and for me , this was it !

These yummy flannels on the back I bought in Townsville and I feel it has a lovely warm , tropical feel to it-- Oh and yes it will be so snuggly!!!!

This great bag is called "Bella" by Monica poole-a great Australian bag designer. It has a 10" round base with lots of pockets inside. It was easy to follow the instructions and I love the way it turned out

Another great bag which was a free pattern from the "net".The blues are much brighter in reality but I'm so happy how it turned out

The bag has 6 pockets around the outsides-only 10" tall but very useful.

Hope you are enjoying our sunshine too cheers

my finished bags

2011-04-26T12:07:00.003+10:00

Well how about that-I have finally finished something after all these months! I just love this bag by Amy Butler-Birdie Sling and the instructions were very easy to follow. The bag is huge and will carry enough nearly as an overnight bag-whoo hoo! Inside there is a zip up pocket as well as one for your cell phone,Ipod and notebook. I love it so much.

My new machine nicknamed " techno girl" sews so beautifully too. I had enough fabric left over to make a reversible sling bag which will be great to have folded up in a pocket for when you need that extra bag when you go shopping.

I also bought these extra feet for my machine and will have fun trying them out.The single throat plate will come in handy for straight sewing to stop the corners of fabric disappearing down the hole especially when sewing triangles.Anyway back to play! cheers

happy easter to all

2011-04-25T21:23:00.002+10:00

Well it's been a long time since I last posted but I wanted to drop in and wish everyone a happy easter. For the first time in many years we have had an easter break with no rain-great for camping! The beach has been beautiful and there are lots of fresh fish around just waiting to be caught.

This is what I have just bought myself-a Janome 6600P with the table designed especially for it .You can see a bag in the making process-Amy Butler Birdie sling bag.

I have found since Christmas I had lost all inspiration to sew. I seemed to have been really affected by all the flooding and disaster Queensland has experienced and had many friends caught up in it all ! Then to top it off my home town of Christchurch,New Zealand has been totally devastated by earthquakes-these have been continual since September last year. My family there have suffered badly and still have no sanitation or fresh running water. My heart has really weeped for that city and to be honest I felt guilty indulging in pleasures for my own satisfaction for a long time. I know we have quite a few bloggers out there who have suffered so much over in Christchurch-please know we weep with you!

To snap myself out of it I bought this great new sewing machine and have been busy making care packages for family over there. It seems to give me great pleasure in making something that will cheer people up.

Have managed to read a few blogs over the past few months and you all seem to be having a great time-Hope I can catch up with more of you soon. cheers

some cross stitch samplers and stitcheries

2010-12-06T13:49:00.005+10:00

I know I am late sharing some of my favourite cross stitcheries but better late than never! I also thought I would share a few of my favourite stitcheries as well that are up on my craft room walls. Love this design of Lynette Andersons primitive Angels

I really like the simplicity of the one above and below.

Sorry for the crooked photos but I was trying so hard to not get reflections.

This one is done in Petit point and placed in an antique Italian frame.My first and last petit point---too small a hole for this old girl ! lol !

I really like alphabet sampler designs and I have done one of most countries native emblems.This one below with Sunbonnetsue is my favourite as it reminds me of simpler times.

I did this quilt sampler in cross stitch while camping with my children at the beach many,many years ago.

This Scandinavian design is very big ( 24" x 12" ).The photo doesn't show how rich the blues and terracottas are.

This Dutch sampler is also quite big ( 20" x10") I adore all the blues in this.

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favourites as much as I have loved looking at everyone elses.Must admit though that I haven't done any cross stitch for about 15 years-yikes. It's really good to see it having a revival again.Alot of the girls at my craft group are doing this at the moment too. cheers

trying to get my mojo back

2010-12-04T23:10:00.004+10:00

Well the time has certainly flown since my last post!!! In that time I have had another grandson making it now 6 GS and 1 GD. They certainly give your life more meaning and a great excuse to avoid the dreaded chores you don't want to do!! Since my last post I have finally found a wonderful craft group where everyone works on a variety of crafts which is what I wanted. We meet every Thursday at a quaint country hall and can stay as long as we want-lots of fun and laughter. At last I am meeting more people since I relocated up here-sometimes it takes a while to find where you fit in.These ladies have fueled me with inspiration and my mojo is returning again-thank goodness. I have been busy making christmas gifts and having so much fun This is a great pincushion,needlecase and scissor bob.Last year I received a set of these in a pincushion swap I did with a lady from the USA.I loved them so much I got the pattern and have made several sets for friends.

I have made some more of these as needlecases for the secret santa exchanges-fast and easy to make.

A couple of weeks ago I found this set of upholstery swatches in an op shop for $2.There was a great array of co ordinating colours and I immediately knew what I would make with them.

I especially loved the blues and fawns.

I got each set of colours aside and then made a pattern for a coffee plunger cosy.

I had some geat machine embroidery designs so set about putting them on the fabrics.

This one is certainly going to be for me!

My friend Annette has this one destined for her as it's so typical of her lol !

Here is one of the completed cosy's. In my swatch book there is enough colour sets to make 6 of these for friends-not bad for $2! Each one is insulated with Insulbrite as wadding can go hard with the heat. Great to touch base again.Thank goodness for the holidays as my studies have finished for this year and I don't start back till the end of January so hope to have a really crafty time! cheers

a few new finds

2010-09-26T14:55:00.004+10:00

Thought I would share with you a string quilt I made this winter for a single bed-it's quite bright in the strings but is still predominantly "blue" which as you know is my favourite colour.It's been folded up so it's a bit wobbly looking.We had a very mild winter so quilts weren't needed as much here in the tropics. Yesterday I found this great lap table in one of our discount stores-it's perfect for a laptop or doing handwork on to stop bending my neck .

Here it is from the side-it has a detachable wedge shape underneath and a good size hole for your hand to carry it or to hang it up.

Sorry about the sideways photo( don't know why blogger did that! ) See how there's plenty of room to work on with your bits and pieces together.The table is a heavy plastic so is totally wipeable but sturdy.

I also found this CD tower at an op shop for 50c.Why would I buy this you ask?.......

Well when it is turned on its side it makes a super holder for all those rulers you collect-neat ey!

I always love to check out op shops as you never know what you can find-have a look ! cheers

AWOL again!!!

2010-09-23T20:26:00.002+10:00

My main reason for not being attending to my blog is major computer problems!!!!! All fixed now I hope.
Next ,our family has just welcomed little Xavier Joseph into this world weighing 7lb 125oz.My daughter had him a few weeks early but he is healthy and as all grandparents think-just beautiful!!! I now have 1 GD and 5 GS-aren't I so lucky to be surrounded by all these males. As you can imagine he has bought so much joy into our lives. Last weekend we had a wonderful party at my home to celebrate my fathers 91st birthday-although he tells everyone he is 19!! My daughters partner drove up in his 1956 model car which my father had one from new in Canada.He was so thrilled to get to go out for a drive in this.The photo below shows my boys helping him out of the car.

Here they are so happy to give their granddad a surprise ride.My father is a neck breather as a result of cancer to his throat and having his voicebox removed which is why he looks like he has a bib on.This is to protect dust and pollens from entering the hole in his neck.he is a remarkable man and we are so lucky to still have him with us.

Will pop in tomorrow and catch you up on a few more things I have been up too but just wanted you to know I am still here cheers

Toogum Quilt Show

2010-07-21T22:24:00.009+10:00

Today I went to a wonderful airing of the quilts at a small seaside town of Toogum.It was a lovely warm and inviting show with lots of activities,lucky door prizes( I didn't win any! )Jacky Hens did a delightful trunk show of her quilts-she also amused us with some fun and quirky ballads/poems.The ladies of the group provided a super morning tea for all to enjoy as we listened to both quilts as well as a history of photos both past and present. Stupid me forgot my camera so had to use my cell phone camera instead so I'm sorry about the quality of the photos.It was so bright and sunny outside so some of the quilts aren't true to colour. This was my favourite quilt using hand dyed fabrics with flying geese travelling around the quilt-the quilting was also very nice.

I met a lady who was wearing this adorable necklace out of buttons and small wooden beads-so cute (she let me photograph her necklace but not her face so please don't think I cut it out !!! lol !

This is Jacky Hens who gave a trunk show.

Quilts were aired all around the tennis courts and looked so nice blowing in the wind.

Over 200 ladies filled the community hall and enjoyed all the talks etc.

This was called "going insane"

Loved these emus paradeing across torn strips of fabric

This quilt was so vibrant with the whole background torn strips of fabric-reminded me alot of my trips way out west in outback Australia where the sunsets are like flame balls across the sky and landscape with silhouettes of black

This was a great tumbling blocks wall quilt using scrappy fabrics

This quilt was in warm autumnal colours and made as a "quilt as you go ". Each square was done as hexagons are finished and then herringbone stitched together.

This was done in trapunto and beautifully quilted

A closeup of the one prior.

This was really cute with the 3d quilts hanging across the centre

The breeze wouldn't stop blowing so I could get a better photo.

This photo does not do this one justice-absolutely beautiful spiral quilt

The centre of the quilt shown prior-love the use of ricrac and braid

The sun was so bright I couldn't see where I was aiming my cellphone so sorry didn't get this abit better-absolutely stunning baltimore quilt-below are a couple of closeups of the blocks showing the colours abit clearer.

looks like me some days - lol !!

Sorry I have posted this twice and can't work out how to delete it so you get to see it twice!!

Well I hope you have enjoyed this little showing of some quilts cheers

A Sunset and some ocean !

2010-07-20T12:34:00.003+10:00

This is the glorious sunset we had last night-the clouds made for some really interesting textures against the silhouette of the trees and rooftops.The photo doesn't do the colours real justice as the orange was real firey. At the weekend I took my 2 GC for a walk along the foreshore.If you click on the picture below you will see a very long pier-over a km long.We walked to the end of it and the view was amazing.We even saw some very large sea turtles swimming by-was so exciting for the little ones.

This is the sign erected in front of the pier and shows the history of it which was really interesting-hard to believe that huge ocean ships stopped here and also there was a rail line out to it.Sometimes I wonder if change and progress is really that good???Anyway my GC loved the history and adventure.

During the week I drove up past Bundaburg to a beach side town called Begarra with my mother and elderly Aunt who is over from New Zealand for a couple of months to escape their cold.The beach line was lovely and the town had a gorgeous village atmosphere with heaps of al fresco dining facilities-very nice!

I particularly adored the mosaic wall-if you click on the picture you can see the detail and colours better. Hmmm this could make an interesting quilt????

I'm so excited as tomorrow I am off to another quilt show at a small seaside town called Toogum.Will post some photos to share cheers

A new pouch and some potted colour!

2010-07-14T12:04:00.004+10:00

This is a new pouch I have made to house my keys and Ipod/MP4 player while I'm out walking or even just while I'm sitting sewing etc. The main part of the pouch has machine embroidery done on black velvet and the lining is made with a hoffman print I have had for nearly 20 years-yikes!

Inside the pouch it has a pocket for keys/earphones ( or even a memory stick ).The strap is long enough to go either across the body or over one shoulder.

I use my Ipod for podcasts/music and the MP4 for audio books which I love.These are fully loaded so I have lots to listen to while I am out and about.

Don't you just love a pot of gorgeous pansies with huge blooms.

These pots are at my front entrance and give a nice welcome of colour.You can even see a peep of a lily bloom coming up in the Peace Lily.

A nice mixture of colour. It will be a while until my garden has much to show so will have to settle with pots for now.

Love the colours in tropical plants. cheers

Exciting mail arrived today for those who just"have to have because..."

2010-07-13T11:14:00.005+10:00

Look what arrived in the mail today from the UK ! I only ordered these 7 days ago and here they are( even faster than mail within Australia )I just love having a library of instructional dvd's and these will come in very useful-cheaper than going to a class! (although please don't get me wrong but I love classes as well ) I discovered a site on ebay called Direct offers UK-here is the link to the art and craft section although you can browse all the other categories as well .http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/DirectOffersUK_Arts-Crafts_W0QQ_fsubZ1945007018QQ_sidZ880945028QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322 These dvd's are only about $6 AU and are postage free----yes postage free anywhere in the world.They are region free also so can be played on all player formats. We pay between $40-50 each for these here! I love quilting as well as stamping and cardmaking so bought also some of these below

These are all the title disc's that come in each box-around $10-12 a box

Did this twice-sorry and also sideways-yikes!

These arrived last week also.I love the quilt show and for members you could purchase each series for $24 US-not bad for 13 1 hour shows in each series.Lots of great viewing here.

And here is my new library with heaps of hours of veiwing-bring on the wet weather and lots of sewing time.

Hope you get a chance to check out this site as it's worth the visit cheers

Quilt Show -part Two

2010-07-12T18:23:00.004+10:00

Love the 3d appliqued Australian wildflowers on this cushion

These poppies looked even more vibrant in reality

This 3d appliqued wall hanging was very striking

If you click on the photo below you will be able to read what patchwork means-I thought it was very clever

A Quilt Show at Howard-part one

2010-07-12T18:00:00.004+10:00

At the weekend I had the chance to visit a quilt show in a town 30 minutes north of where I live.Howard is such a quaint place with about a dozen shops but my are there some very busy quilters hidden in the area.This was the site as I excitedly entered the community hall.Loved the display of bags to hold your quilting essentials when going to groups/workshops.

There where lots of rows of beautifully hung quilts-I adored the Crinoline Lady quilt.

This appliqued wood nymph was so vibrant.sorry I cut out some of the stainglassed flowers.

This small quilt had lots of different techniques on it,beads,buttons,tulle etc.

There were some lovely stainglass christmas quilts.

This quilt was stunning!

More to follow cheers

well another month has passed!

2010-07-11T21:25:00.004+10:00

Thought I would show you the three wall plaques with inspirational words and lots of bling that I have just made for the walls of my new craftroom.These were first painted onto the canvas with marblized gesso in shades of pinks to mauves. I found some great rub-on words which really inspired me. What do you think?

Sorry this is sideways but don't know how to turn photos in blogger (any suggestions ) I went to a Kassazz scrapbooking party at my DIL's and we made these great ATC's using lots of distress inks and masking techniques.I love them and hope to use this technique lots more.

Well we have just had 2 weeks of school holidays here in Queensland and I was lucky enough to have 2 grandchildren for the whole break.GS is 8 and GD is 5 years old.They loved exploring the new area I now live in and we found so much to do.This sailing ship is made out of bronze and looks so great with the beach behind.

Hard to believe we are in the middle of winter and having 22-25C days.This water park is right on the foreshore and is free to the public---yes FREE ! It uses water from the ocean and has great educational areas to teach children about the values of looking after our waterways.They loved playing here especially when under that big bucket of water when it emptied!!!! Hervey Bay is famous for it's whales (Humpbacks ) and so many tourist sites have a whale somewhere.

The ocean was just beautiful and the little ones spent hours swimming in it while I sat on the sand and watched.

These camels come along the beach every day when the tides are right and are so magnificent to watch-they are so big!!!!

Anyway that is a little of my life these past few weeks. My house is coming together nicely and I am so glad I relocated up here on the Fraser Coast cheers

I'm off now to catch up on some blogs that I have missed!

Where have I been you might ask?

2010-06-06T00:02:00.002+10:00

After many months of looking I have finally found a house in Hervey Bay!It's very close to the beautiful beach and I moved in several weeks ago.Yey ! OMG moving is the pits!!!!! I just wish I could be Samantha the witch and just twitch my nose and it would be all done. lol ! The house is a gorgeous 4 bedroomer with lovely entertainment area out the back-no pool YET!!! The house is only 12 months old and has not a single plant in it so that gives me a lovely blank canvas to work with( lots of plans with trees and shrubs in the next couple of months while it is winter still so it will look good for spring ).Moving several hundred kilometers away is hard work but now the unpacking begins. All my craft supplies have been packed for a couple of months so am looking forward to playing with them again. Have included a couple of photos to give you an idea of my new home------I know it looks boring now but just wait to see what I plan to do!

Will show photos later on of what it looks like as I make it into MY home.Will try and catch up on blogs this coming week as I've missed reading about your lives. cheers

a couple of birthdays and a great light!

2010-04-22T21:55:00.010+10:00

I found this wonderful pattern for some great fun bags!I have made a few out of left over jelly rolls and they are so easy!Great for gifts too! I have also had a few days up at beautiful Hervey Bay as two of my gorgeous grandsons had birthdays a couple of days apart.Isn't this photo of the two of these little guys giving each other a huge birthday hug so beautiful and innocent-made my heart rejoice!

Below is Master R who turned 2 years-he has the brightest blue eyes and longest eyelashes. He is so sweet and very gentle and affectionate!

Below is Master T who turned 3 years-man look at the mess he has made opening presents!He also is very affectionate but by no means gentle-he takes on life with full energy!!!! They are such a delight and both of them are just like their daddy's in every way...... so strange how life kind of replicates itself!

A few weeks back I was asked to trial a floor lamp from Buyster.com. It arrived in perfect condition and is a great lamp to have over your shoulder when doing handwork at night(you know the old ageing problem!! ) Another thing I really like about this floor lamp is that it can be shortened to use as a desk lamp too.I would really recommend this company for their product and service
and thankyou for asking me to trial it from you.If anyone is interested this is the link to their companywww.buysterlighting.com.au/Floor-Lamps-C71004.html cheers

7 days with Sunbonnetsue

2010-04-10T11:19:00.008+10:00

Yesterday I had a wonderful day with my embroidery machine! I decided I wanted a tablerunner with 7 days of the week with sunbonnetsue.I have a lovely selection of Aunt Grace scraps fabrics so chose the threads to match to embroider with.They are much brighter in reality.Isn't she a diligent busy girl-reminds me of a gentler time. Washing

Ironing

Sewing

Shopping

Cleaning

Baking

Off to church and resting

Below is the aftermath of my embroidering-yikes.Maybe I should get sunbonnetsue to come to my house! Lol ! Anyway it was a great time as I listening to some great music cheers

playing with thread and fabric

2010-04-08T09:19:00.006+10:00

Hope you all had a very happy easter and enjoyed the time to relax.I had a great time with family and the weather was lovely even though there was a bit of rain hanging around.When I got home I was itching to do some sewing so decided to applique some Maroushka dolls.First I made a tray cloth on navy checked fabric and the doll is 6inches high which sits either end of the cloth.

Next a did this one on a dusty pink fabric to make into a library bag for a friends daughter.Colours are better in person -much more vibrant.

I adore this trio of owls-so bright and funky.The largest owl is 6 1/2 inches,middle is 5 inches and the baby is 3 inches.These are to make a cushion for my friends teenage daughter as she loves owls(who doesn't especially when they are this cute! )

This little fellow is for me!I love his dreamy look!

This intelligent one is also for me.I hope to put them both into pockets on a bag.My camera hasn't done too well in showing their real colours either but at least you can get the jist.

I love machine applique and have other projects also lined up for today-will show you them tomorrow! cheers

Happy Easter to you all!

2010-03-31T00:19:00.002+10:00

Just a few quick lines before I pop off to bed! Tomorrow I shall be leaving at 6am to go up to Hervey Bay for the Easter holidays to visit family.This yummy basket of eggs and bunnies will be going with me to add to my grandchildrens easter hunt. This table centrepiece has a nice autumnal feeling.The tree was full of chocolate eggs but some little sneak got past my bunny keeping guard and helped themselves!

Hope you all have a wonderful easter break and enjoy yourselves and family.Stay safe if you are on the roads-I know I shall be driving very carefully on this 3 hour trip as the highway north is so busy at this time!I guess there will also be a very strong police presence also so NO speeding!! cheers

flowers , buttons and a touch of nostalgia

2010-03-29T18:41:00.009+10:00

Well finally blogger has let me share these photos with you! I had to load each photo individually as they wouldn't load as a group!!Over the weekend I had some great sewing time and couldn't wait to share these with you!While watching "Julie and Julia" I managed to make these little crochet flowers.They are great to have a stash of for crafts of all types.I need to make more ecru ones for a special gift I am making for a friend.My GD wants the bright ones for her jeans. I also managed to complete a couple of machine embroidered blocks (need a few more) to make my friend who lost her home in a fire a new table runner as she loves Nostalgia.

I absolutely adore Crinoline ladies-they sweep you back to a much more calmer time ,romance and beauty.

This garden scene will have extra beads and buttons added when the runner is finished.

When I was back in New Zealand just before christmas ,my great aunt(94 years old ) gave me a shoe box filled with old buttons and belt findings.(should have seen the airlines scanner man carefully checking out what these could be! lol )When I got home I emptied them into this plastic tub as the box was starting to fall apart.What a treasure chest this is with about 70 years of buttons collected!! Wow!

Check out these gorgeous vintage button cards that were in the box as well. Gosh do I have lots of plans for all these!No one else in the family wanted them or could see any use for them!! Silly people as I was like I had won a lottery!!!!!

I fiddled around with some of the buttons and made these button flower brooches to put on a couple of hats and a bag-look better in reality than the photo but at least you can get the idea.Does anyone have any special ideas to use up these buttons? cheers

why can't I load photos???

2010-03-29T14:52:00.001+10:00

I have spent the better part of two days trying to upload photos but blogger won't let me do it!Anyone else having this problem? cheers

happy day!

2010-03-25T17:11:00.002+10:00

Today I made this Betty Boop card for a friend who just loves "Betty".Its my friends birthday so I reckon she'll love this.I love using the Cuttlebug to emboss-quick and easy.The heart in the lower right corner is a shaker filled with glitter hearts and beads.Hope she likes it!

Check out these gorgeous button brooches I found while web surfing(can't remember the sites name but maybe someone can help me)What a great way to use up those buttons we have everywhere.This makes me feel so inspired that I have to make a few to give to friends.

The back looks nice and easy to finish.Has anyone else made these??? cheers

Help me celebrate!

2010-03-25T00:44:00.002+10:00

Well I have just realised that I have finally made it to 50 posts!Seems to have taken me awhile to get there but hope the next 50 will come quicker! Thanks for the friendship-it's so nice to know that there are so many like-minded people out there.Come and join me for a cuppa or two to help celebrate. cheers

quick projects to get me going!

2010-03-24T10:20:00.004+10:00

Just had to show you what I completed this morning!Yey -a finish!!A friend of mine who lives in Brisbane,had her house burn down while she was at work-no one hurt but no home left! Her and her husband are in a short term rental at present while their house is being rebuilt so I thought I would make her some tea towels to show her that I'm thinking of her and also as they are needed

as very little was able to be saved.Luckily they were fully insured.I'm also going to make this afternoon some of these little hearts that can have a scented satchet added to hang on some nice coat hangers I bought for them. Hope this enthusiasm keeps up as I have soooo much to finish. cheers

Trying to get my mojo back!

2010-03-23T18:43:00.002+10:00

After nearly 5 weeks of rain and awful overcast days I'm desperately trying to get back inspired.I embroidered this cushion using bright varigated hand dyed pearl cotton.Makes me feel happy looking at the sunshine and bright colours.The design is an old one of Barb from the Woodcutters Daughter.Don't know about many of you but I need the sun and warm breezes to keep me inspired.It is now Autumn here and the days are cooling down abit.Have been browsing blogs to get me motivated so thankyou all for that!!!

At my front entrance I have planted a tropical garden and I still have lots of lovely Bromeliads
still flowering.They seem to have really loved all this rain(glad something does!).Hope to make a better effort on my blog-I promise! cheers

A new month-a new start!

2010-02-01T09:11:00.003+10:00

Just thought I would show you these great flower pinwheels that I made heaps of at Christmas and placed them in a very large vase-looked really bright and fun.Everyone that visited took one home with them,children loved them and they really do WORK!Simple to make and fun to use. Has anyone else made these?-----Doesn't my backyard look so green!
For those that may be tempted to try one of these click on this link to Heathers blog with a great colourful tutorial---they really are addictive!!!! So have fun!

My granddaughters first day at prep school along with her goofy brother who is in grade 4.My daughter is so thrilled school is back and I can imagine many more mothers are too!

cheers

where have I been?where do I start...

2010-01-31T11:00:00.005+10:00

I can't believe so much time has passed since my last post!!! Does anyone else seem to get lost in timespace like me?......Summer is not conducive with me to get much done due to our extreme heat we have.Spare time is either in the pool or at the beach.Today it is raining heavy due to the trough from the cyclones up North Queensland so I thought it would be a great time to catch up!!
Well I was one of the unfortunate ones who participated in a swap-worked hard on the parcel and then it NEVER made it to its intented mortal in The Netherlands (someone must have received it as it never made its way back to me!)So I sat down and commenced to make another one.....hope Anita likes it! I made a set of rose buttons out of polymer clay baked in the oven so are fully washable.I also made an Angel out of beads.These are so easy if anyone wants to make them-just ask!They are great for suncatchers,attached to scissors or even with a ring added to go around your wineglass when having a girls night or at retreats!!!

Love the Rose fabric in this basket,stitchery done with varigated threads.(my mortal loves red and pink together!!)

A small pillow for pins,needles or brooches.

Some of the parcel goodies-even has a mugmat and quilt labels.I do so hope Anita enjoys these and finds them useful to her.

Christmas was a very low key event in our family this year as my son was getting married on January 8th up in Hervey Bay.As our family had to travel great distances we all decided our family time would be the wedding and not christmas!

Leading up to the wedding had been 10 days of tropical storms causing the bride much anxiety as it was to be an outdoor ceremony.It rained up to 3 hours before the ceremony was to start and then the sun came out in force with warm winds to dry out the ground.The ceremony was so beautiful and as a mother I felt so proud!! This is my first child to be married---the rest did it all backwards(the home and children and maybe oneday a wedding!!!! Sound familiar?)

The bride looked so beautiful and radiant,my son looked very dashing in his Al Capone suit! The day before he had a HUGE head of curls and a beard and threatened to keep them for the wedding!!!!! The bride was so thriled on the day to see him at the ceremony well groomed!!! Another of my sons was a groomsman(far left)

The proud Mum with her children!!!As usual I am in Blue!!!!My new DIL is a lovely girl and I couldn't be more happy-----she even loves to learn all the crafts I can teach her!!!!

My son asked me to make the wedding cake as I love delving into this craft as well.They wanted a 3 tier mudcake,top white chocolate,middle caramel mudcake and the bottom a dark chocolate mudcake.I found the most beautiful recipe on the net for these,very easy and super moist! The recipe can be varied to make all types of mudcake without much fuss-a real hit and works.The bottom layer was 14",middle 12" and the top 10"...a huge cake but all went very quickly with 90 guests! If you want the recipe link just ask.

This is how I transported the layers from the Sunshine Coast up to Hervey Bay(3 hours away) in the back of my car

I got to add lots of me to the cake by doing embroidery,quilting and adding beading and veils to it!All the flowers were handmade out of sugar paste too.

The light doesn't do it justice but the cake looked so beautiful.Took me some time to do all the embellishments but was well worth it.Another form of craftwork so even though I haven't done too mush sewing I have been busy.

My elderly parents (77 and 90 years) moved house in the last 2 weeks.They decided to relocate to Hervey Bay.The humidity isn't as bad there! They bought a house up there when we stayed up there for a week in November last year.Their house down here sold within the week so just had to wait for settlement and then began the huge move.My sons and I did all the heavy stuff for them when the removals had left.I stayed for a week with them getting them settled before coming home.felt quite weary for a few days but now am back on track so hence the blog catchup.Will try and get around to reading all your blogs again in the next few days(have so missed doing that).

glad to be back cheers

Back from New Zealand!

2009-12-09T21:04:00.002+10:00

Just a short note to say "hello" and let you know that I'm back.I ended up extending my trip by another 10 days due to my Aunt's poor health.New Zealand-Christchurch in particular put on some beautiful weather for me.I spent the first 4 nights at a hotel right in the city which made it so easy to walk everywhere around the city.It's been 20 years since I was last "home"-and as you can imagine lots had changed(although the sensational Gothic architecture hadn't) This is one of the absolutely beautiful Rose arbors in the cities botanical gardens.I spent nearly 6 hours walking around the gardens discovering all the secret gardens amongst the greater gardens.When near the Rose gardens the aromatic scents were heavenly

This is the beautiful Avon River that runs right through the city.I can remember cycling along it to the girls school I went to MANY years ago.In winter the river froze and so did our hands!!! Aren't the colours wonderful!!!-make a great watercolour quilt???? hmmmm!

More of the Rose garden-every variety possible-just wished I could have sneeked some blooms home with me)

I had a ride on the river in one of these punts which have a gorgeous young man dressed in Edwardian costume poling us up the river----really recommended as it's not only informative but also so relaxing.

When I left New Zealand we had 150km winds which weren't nice!!! We had to fly fairly low and this is a view out of the plane of the Southern Alps-no snow to be seen.Don't they look so close!

To all I owe mail too-tomorrow I shall begin.Oh yes Tomorrow The tutorial for fabric bowls will be done.See you then cheers

New Zealand here I come!!!!

2009-11-18T18:54:00.003+10:00

Have just got back from 10 wonderful days up in Hervey Bay!It is the most beautiful place to be in(gosh Maree why did you leave!!!)Spent alot of time visiting the local LPS-and boy is it filled to the brim with heaps of eye candy and delicious fabrics.If you are going up to the Bay you must visit the Dewdrop Inn!It is right on the foreshore so partners and children can pottle over to the water and you can browse in peace.This is what else I did up there....spent some special time with my DS3 who is 2!The beach is soooo wonderful and very little waves so great for little ones.Can't tell you how many sand castles I made!!!! lol! And now I am busy repacking as tomorrow afternoon I fly to Christchurch for 10 days.I'm looking forward to the cooler weather I can tell you after the heat wave we are having(41C yesterday!)It will be fun checking out all the quilt shops there too!
I must apologise for not posting the tutorial yet on the fabric bowls but will as soon as I get back-have simply run out of time.Thanks for all the lovely comments-i do so appreciate it cheers for now

fabric bowls

2009-11-01T12:10:00.002+10:00

Thought I would show you whatI have been working on for the past few days! -fabric bowls.So quick and easy to make and very durable,washable and Fun!They are such a good use of focus fabrics for seasonal changes.Above is one done in my most favorite colour-blue lol ! The bowl above is the reversable to the one below.These bowls can be reversed for different effects to suit the decor or mood.These are out of a 12" square and have a slight elevation to the sides

The bowl below is for my GD to place her ribbons and hair ties in-this bowl stands up alot deeper than the ones above.

Of course this is a candy bowl to have treats on hand for my grandchildren and any one else who is tempted!This bowl stands up about 6" off the table

If anyone is interested in how to make these let me know and I shall do a tutorial for you.Have a great day.I'm off to work this afternoon and only have 5 shifts left before I have 5 weeks Holidays.Next week I head to Hervey Bay for a week-have a holiday house at the beach and then 2 days after I head back I fly off to New Zealand for a couple of weeks(Christchurch).I've been checking the weather there and it's COLD! cheers

happy halloween

2009-10-31T19:00:00.003+10:00

Happy halloween to everyone!!!! Do you like my ghostly candy bucket filled with assorted wrapped candies?Last week I ordered these cookie cutters from an online store called "sweet themes.com.au".I thought they were very reasonably priced and they had a great selection to choose from.Well I ordered in the morning and they were delivered express post the next day!Wow how good is that?

Today my GS1 and I used these cookie cutters and made 2 dozen cookies from the recipe supplied with the cutters.
These are our decorated ghosts and bats made out of a yummy chocolate flavour.It was such a special time with my GS and I think we did a great job! Happy Halloween and enjoy your treats......now i just have to wait for all the little candy hunters!!!! cheers

yikes!!!

2009-10-30T00:01:00.002+10:00

Today I was going out to the pool area to give it a good clean after all the heavy winds we have had in the past few days and look who was lurking up out of a crack in the concrete!!!! Yikes-a brown snake!!!! I ran inside and decided he could have the pool all to himself(I'm not that brave) and the pool could stay dirty for another day! I guess I shall have to do some sewing instead-hard I know! lol cheers

Stitchers Angel gift-thankyou!

2009-10-26T09:34:00.002+10:00

This morning I was so excited to receive this box in the mail!!!On the front it said it was from my stitching angel.....all the way from Utah,USA.

After taking the wrapping off this gorgeous bundle looked up at me.....

Oh my,Jenifer(no blog name or email address) sent me the sweetest bunch of goodies.A really beautifully stitched small pillow(too nice to be a pincushion lol ! )done in redwork,a lovely bookmark stitched with roses,2 towels(I always need these) and a cute card.Thankyou so much Jenifer-I adore what you have made and appreciate all the effort you put into this swap.Please let me know your blog address if you have one.This is a wonderful swap that Helen has organised so thankyou also to Helen!

Close up of the stitcheries-aren't they lovely! Thankyou again cheers

A concert and a present for me!

2009-10-24T10:19:00.002+10:00

Here is my GS1.Last night he had his school concert and his grade 3 class did a play.He of course was Prince Charming! how cute is that! This is one of the joys of being a grandma isn't it?!

Last week was my birthday and I decided to spoil myself big time!I bought this great little Janome machine that was put out specially for Breast cancer month.It has the pink ribbon on it and has a hard cover case also.It came with the platform table and is not too heavy to lift.I bought it with classes,groups and retreats in mind as my other machine is quite heavy to move around.I'm really happy with it and it sews beautifully and is also quiet.Lots of specialty stitches and came with a 1/4inch foot and quilting foot for quilters-all in all a great deal.Does anyone else have this machine?Of course I also had to get some nice blue fabric to make my first project on it!!!

Picked up this bunch of goodies for a secret project but will reveal later.......so now I'm off for a days sewing.have fun everyone cheers

where has the time gone again!

2009-10-23T13:35:00.002+10:00

Time has gone so fast for me this past month.First my GD turned 5,then my father turned 90!!!All our family came home to celebrate his birthday and it was so good to see 4 generations all together(something not many get to do so we are surely blessed) Here is a photo my my father at 90 and my GS4 at 18 months-so precious.

This is GS3 who is 2 amongst our lovely spring bulbs(still hasn't got too much hair yet)

GS4 showing how clever he is on the skateboard!

My GD and I spent a lovely day crafting together.She has just turned 5 and is very articulate in what she does.We painted a small cabinet(shown in photo) that we picked up at the op shop for 5oc.We painted it pink,added lots of glitter and trimmed with maribou and stick on jewels.She loves it and has all her hair accessories and jewellery in the hidden cupboards and drawers.So much fun and precious time shared.We also made door hangers for her and her 2 brothers

Last weekend some friends came up from Brisbane and we spent the day up on the range visting the wonderful shops at Maleny,Montville and Mapleton-here are some of us at the Mapleton Tavern where we had a great lunch together-notice all the rain in the background! We also got to check out the quilt shop at Maleny-very nice with lots of goodies to drool over.Girlfriends time is so much fun!Will show some of our goodies next time. Well thats a quick round up for now cheers

more hexagons and some cards

2009-09-27T10:36:00.002+10:00

Here is the lovely rose stitched card that I tried to show on yesterdays post but just disappeared!I love doing the handstitchery on cardstock as it looks so effective and can go in a frame if wanted.This one will be going to my stitching mortal this week along with some other rose themed items.

This is another card I made using diecuts-so quick but effective(of course it's in BLUE!)

I found some more orphaned blocks while cleaning out a cupboard yesterday so decided to make them into hexagons ready for something?....

I really like this embroidered block-the colours are so mellow but fresh.Wonder what these will make up into? Off to do some more ...have a great Sunday cheers

Treats for my craft room and cards for fun with the carers group

2009-09-27T01:23:00.011+10:00

Thought I would share this wall plaque I made a couple of weeks ago.The "love" craftwood piece comes unfinished so I first painted it in my favourite blue colour which is called Ice Pack(my whole craft/sewing room is this colour scheme)I then used rub-ons with a frienship theme and added some paper flowers and stick on jewels.I'm so happy with it and I think it looks gorgeous up on the wall.

I had a timber placemat leftover after decoupaging a set for myself so decided to paint it in the same colours and added chipboard letters covered in some nice papers,added jewels and rub-ons with a creativity theme.My family have always joked that this is my playroom so now the door to my sewing/craftroom proudly hangs the name "The Playroom"

Yesterday we had our second craft day for carers and made some wonderful cards using die cuts and also with stitching on them.

Ms A proudly shows off her card

Ms M was really happy with hers too!

This a couple of stitched cards I made-they are so much fun to make.

This is a stitching card I have just finished for my mortal in the "stitching angel"swap.Since Roses are the theme this year I thought this was appropriate

A close up of the stitching.These are such fun to make and can be framed if wanted also!

A few of the assorted cards.Was so nice to be with this group as when you are a carer sometimes it can be quite isolating and very hard to mix with others.You often don't join groups as you can become known as "unreliable" or appear "non commited" as often at a moments notice you have to withdraw from activities due to things out of your control. I hope this little group we have started is a success as everyone understands the challenges faced on a daily basis,or why one must seem a little vague(worn out!)at times.No excuses or explanations needed!!!!! Are there any others out there who face these sort of challenges in their lives,how do you cope? Drop me a line cheers for now

more on the retreat

2009-09-24T20:50:00.005+10:00

This is the wonderful sunsets we had while at the retreat I went on.At night we all sat around the firepit(although couldn't light the fire due to total fire bans here) and had pre dinner drinks and tappers platters-NICE!!!! It certainly is a tranquil place.

One of the mosiac plaques made in the workshop

A couple of pots large and small made by a couple of the ladies.

This was taken at the front of my place yesterday afternoon during the horrific dust storms

No afternoon blue skies here! Today I have been trying to clean up the dust EVERYWHERE!!!! A lovely red gritty dust-NOT!Hope others managed ok healthwise with these dust storms.Tomorrow I have craft group here with the ladies I met at the retreat who are all carers and need some time out!Should be fun.Will post tomorrow on what we make cheers

I'm back and feeling refreshed!

2009-09-21T20:42:00.005+10:00

Firstly I would to thank all of you who have emailed me to see if I was ok! It was nice to know I was missed...I must admit that I was rather "flat" for a few weeks but have regrouped and are back on track-yey!!! I had the wonderful opportunity a couple of weeks ago to go on a retreat up on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland to "Heaven in the Hills" with a bunch of carers for some much needed RNR.It is the most gorgeous peaceful place and run and owned by Carol who is a real delight and really made us all feel special(thankyou Carol).Carol is also a mosiac artist and her touch is everywhere.I thought I would share some photos of the retreat....

this is the wonderful cabin I stayed in up top-so tranquil.
This is my bed and it had the most gorgeous "Trip around the World" handmade quilt on it!Nice!

This is the verandah with a exoctic daybed on it for the mid afternoon siesta.

Some of Carols wonderful mosiacs on the outside of one of the buildings.Everywhere you look there are mosiacs-so inspiring!We did a workshop using her techniques and made a wall plaque each.

Another view of the outside of the cabin I was in
-Blue as you know is my favourite colour so I was in heaven with the surroundings .While there I had a "healing" done using Gong Therapy and boy did I feel great afterwards.All the meals were organic and sooooo nice-yummy!After dinner one night we had "The Goodwills" perform for us some of their great songs.All in all the 3 days were fantastic and rejuvenated us all so much.I meet some great ladies there who are now meeting once a fortnight at my place for craft group-will share more on that later.Tomorrow I will share some more about the retreat--at least you know what I have been up too! cheers

Australian natives

2009-08-06T14:47:00.003+10:00

Check out these fabulous flowers that my mother brought me over today.They are Australian natives and have the most gorgeous textures to them!They are a dynamic burnt orange colour-no smell to speak of,but soft and furry to touch.Aren't I spoilt! cheers

Jenny's giveaway

2009-08-04T23:03:00.003+10:00

just wanted to let you all know that Jenny has a wonderful giveaway on her site.pop on over and post a comment for a chance to win cheers here's the link

Pincushion swaps

2009-08-04T15:07:00.005+10:00

This is the wonderful parcel that was waiting for me when I arrived home!!!!

Kathy
in the US sent me this wonderful pincushion,needlecase and scissor holder she made using Blackbird designs pattern----isn,t it adorable(smells nice too)I had never seen the Easy Mark chalk before so am excited to try this out.She also sent some machine needles and the most adorable fob with beads and a minature sewing machine on it_I just LOVE them all.The parcel was wrapped so beautifully.Thankyou Sandra for such a wonderful swap partner and for organising this for us xoxo

Here is the pincushion swap I sent to Marleene

in the Netherlands.I made a Rainbow Laurikeet Parrot out of Bali batiks using a log cabin block.I also included some japanese fabric,silk thread and some hand dyed thread,ric rac and a pink tape measure.Not shown is also a girlie beaded nail buffer.She mentioned on her blog that she liked them!I tried to make my pincushion Australian themed to accompany the card with australian wildflowers on it.

All in all I have loved being a part of this swap and hope to do many more cheers

Two funerals later!

2009-08-02T22:20:00.002+10:00

Where have I been this last month you might ask????OMG where do I start----Firstly,my very dear friend lost her life partner very suddenly which left us all shocked and numb.I took some time to be with her and help her through this very sad,tragic time.
When I got home from being a week away I got a phone call from DS2 who told me that his partners Nan had fallen and broke her hip.While under anaesthetic she had a cardiac arrest and a stroke.My DIL was SO close to her Nan and was heart broken.Nan never recovered real consciousness and the hospital wanted to send her to a nursing home which is something she never wanted.After consulting with my work I was given extended leave to do some private palliative care of Nan in her home with the help of their WHOLE family!This was probably one of the most special times I had ever had nursing.You get a real intimacy with someone leaving this life who you had known and grown to love over the years as you attend to their physical needs.I felt such quietness in her and could see the real peace on all the family as they each had time to speak their thoughts with her.I felt so honoured to be able to do this for her and the family.Over the last days I felt the angels envelope her and as she took her last breathe we all felt JOY not tears---so incredible!!!!
So REST in PEACE D..! You were loved by many and will surely be missed!xoxox

These hearts go up to you!

This whole experience has been so special for both my son and I as we were the inlaws but felt so blessed.

I have only been home a couple of days and feel exhausted.have lots of mail to attend to---so those of you I owe things to please give me a few days to catch up.There was a wonderful parcel waiting for me from my partner in Sandras pincushion swap-so thankyou it is fabulous.I will write more in a couple of days but need to go to bed.Just wanted you to know I am still alive and well cheers

a few finishes-yey!----guess what my favourite colour is?

2009-06-27T17:43:00.004+10:00

Well today has been a great day for finishes!!!!!------at long last I might add for these embroidered blocks! I love just spending time while watching a movie just machine embroidering sample designs onto various fabrics for no particular meaning-just fun.As you can imagine I have heaps of them hanging around in cupboards feeling quite rejected! lol !Last night while looking for something else I found a few that jumped out at me so I decided to put them to some use.This little cellphone bag was made out of some hand dyed dwill fabric .I also put white ricrac into the same dye bath but it came out much darker-strange that.I decided to put some grommits around the top and add an assortment of wooden beads.It's a great size and holds a wallet,cellphone and sunglasses.I am really happy how that turned out.Next....

using this machine appliqued piece.....

I added 2 blue fat quarters and came up with this nifty drawstring bag big enough to hold a tablecloth with matching napkins.No more sets being separated in a linen closet that likes to play tricks on me!!!Does anyone else have that problem? I think I will make a few more of these to house other linen sets......... Another 2 fat quarters and a bag big enough to hold library books/bible.It has pockets around both sides with button closures.I used some lace stitchouts I did years ago on blue linen.I added some pearls to the flowers and old buttons and viola.....fits nicely over the shoulder and very useful.

So here is my days work----useful,handy and a good excuse to just keep on doing samples as one NEVER knows how they turn out oneday! lol!

did you guess my favourite colour????? cheers

A winner-a bit late but here it is!

2009-06-24T22:52:00.005+10:00

Firstly I would like to apologise for the delay in announcing the winner of my competition.There was an unexpected illness in my family and I had to take a week off and go up north to care for my grandson who is 2.I got back home today and are trying desperately to catch up on mail responses.I know last Thursday I promised to announce who won the embroidered blocks so instead of 4 blocks i will be giving 6!Thankyou to all who sent me some great ideas-I loved them all but the one that struck out the most was...... Lyn's idea of a hexagon bag with cane handles or a sewing basket made with hexagons.Thankyou Lyn---I shall make this up as soon as I get a chance.Please choose the designs you want and then send me your address.

I came home to some wonderful mail -I do love presents!!!!A friend sent me these gorgeous Martha Stewart acrylic stamps of birds-can't wait to see how they stamp out on cards.Next was a beautiful pattern by Monica Poole of this Bon Bon bag sent by Alison of Cardygirl.
Thankyou so much Alison for both the pattern and the beautiful card-you are so generous.I also recieved this wonderful blossom punch from Korea which I purchased on ebay.This punch has a magnetised top so it can be removed for repositioning cardstock.The punch is so versatile as it punches out borders,circles,ovals,squares and rectangles-5 in 1!Economical and easy to use.The circles etc give the effect of paper doileys(by the way,fabric with heat and bond webbing on it can also be punched out for no sew applique)

This great parcel also arrived from Bev .It was a giveaway I won on her blog.Inside is some gorgeous santa panels ready to be made up in 2 sizes plus some great ric rac and embroidery floss.I just loved the card Bev sent also and the great way she packaged up the parcel with a christmas fabric strip

Thankyou so much Bev for sending me this-I really do appreciate your generosity

I feel so blessed to have been spoiled so much especially after the hectic week I have just had.You blogging girls are the BEST.I can't wait now to catch up on all the blogs I haven't read for ages and seeing what you are up too. cheers

My new table centrepiece for winter

2009-06-12T12:09:00.002+10:00

last night I sat and machine embroidered these blocks whilst watching a movie or two!It is so cold now at night that one doesn't want to do too much but stay where the heating is!i love the look of handstitching these have and are framed in some liberty cotton I have had for YEARS!!!

These bluebirds are so cute....

and what about the birds and the flowers......

oh where has the sunshine gone...no wonder the birds are hiding in their homes

And here it is finished......hexagons are so quick to do(each one is 6")and then slipstitched together.It only took a couple of hours this morning to complete it and I'm so pleased.Lovely winter colours.

Now that I have the fun things done I should maybe do abit of housework so BFN cheers

Big day for the mail and a little sewing(along with a giveaway)

2009-06-11T10:49:00.005+10:00

Good morning!Finally I feel better after having a bad batch of the flu-thank goodness as it was so debilitating.Thankyou to those who sent me well wishes-it was appreciated.I thought I would share what the mailman delivered this morning-I so love parcels!!!Two of my favourite magazines-one Australian and the other English.Now to find some nice sunshine and enjoy browsing through them-yummy!

Finally this arrived-I have been waiting for several weeks for this.Does anyone have any great tips on how to use it?

These are the wonderful patterns that I won on Marees giveaway.Thankyou so much Maree-it was very generous of you.Hope you are having fun in Sydney at the craft/quilt show!I love Robyn Pandolphs designs-so soft and femine.

And these finally came too!yey!I ordered these from the US and can't wait to try them out.Has anyone else used these dies?If so,how did you find them?

And now for the sewing.......last night I was going through absolute withdrawals with not having made anything in a week or so,so I got out the embroidery machine and did these 9 redwork blocks of flowervases and baskets.Took only a couple of hours to make 9 x 6" blocks on a muted brown fabric.I have some gorgeous rustic red and olive fabrics so now to make something with them all.Does anyone have any great ideas of what to make??As this is my 25th post I thought I would do a giveaway!For the best idea of what to make with these blocks-I will make 4 of these blocks (you chose which ones on a white or cream background).please send me your ideas by next Thursday(18th)Hope I get lots of ideas!!!Well off I go now to read my new magazines cheers

Whoo Hoo-I won!

2009-06-03T14:44:00.003+10:00

Guess What??? I have just managed to be the first one in to claim the wonderful giveaway of gorgeous patterns from Maree at On my Verandah! I am so excited especially since there are some of Robyn Pandolphs patterns included.I have wanted to do her "Postcards from the Past"for awhile now but the patterns seem to be unavailable---so THANKYOU Maree.By the way,Maree has changed the look of her blog and it looks fabulous ,so go check it out!

I am still sick with this flu and it really is quite debilitating.A friend popped over this morning and we shared some tea and had a chat-was really nice as I have been a hermit for the past week.I do so hope I'm better by Saturday as I want to go down to Brisbane for the huge Scrapbook and Papercrafts convention on at Southbank over Queens Birthday weekend.I love seeing all the new gizmos out there.

My head hurts when I sit too long with it down so haven't done any sewing at all!Have really appreciated all the wonderful bloggers out there as they are great company when you can't go out to socialize.So keep it up,it keeps me going cheers

Anyone for lemon Tea?

2009-05-30T22:26:00.003+10:00

Lemon Tea anyone????? I'm sick with the flu----came home from work Tuesday night aching from head to toe,then Wednesday started sneezing my head off.By Thursday I had a full blown cold and today it has gone to my chest-yuk.Feel miserable and like I have wasted nearly a week.Have called in sick for work tomorrow as one can't go nursing others and blowing germs everywhere! Lemon Tea really does soothe the throat(mine has been raw from coughing).Sorry i haven't responded to comments earlier but my head hasn't felt up to it.Hopefully will feel back to normal soon. cheers

Sending lots of happy thoughts!

2009-05-25T10:40:00.002+10:00

Just a quick post to say hello and also to send lots of happy thoughts out into cyberspace!

Today we still have gusting winds that are quite chilly(reminds me of New Zealand where I grew up with the blustery winds coming off the Southern Alps-brrrrrr!).I'm trying to catch up with blogs and also returning mail before I head off to work this afternoon.Hope to get some sewing done tomorrow -so will see? cheers

Where has the week gone???

2009-05-24T02:01:00.003+10:00

Thought I would share the red and white swap that I sent to Susan in the US.It has safely arrived so can share it with you now-don't know why it is sideways but here it is!This was such a fun swap to be in and from what I gather everyone has fulfilled their commitment which is so important in making these a success.

Look at this adorable plate that I found in the op shop this week.The colours are more vibrant than the photo shows.I have it already in my guest room which has lots of angels in there to watch over guests while they sleep!

Another great find was these fabrics-just love the retro yellow fabric(3 metres for $1)-it will make a great apron I think?Love the funky hearts and already have something planned for the GD!All in all 6 metres of fabric and several metres of stabilisers for total of $5!!!! Don't you just love op shops---i have one I drive past every day I leave home and it just calls me in!!!

The weather here has been horrific with massive flooding causing people to be trapped for several days.Because of this I have been called into work everyday since last week and I feel so tired but now have my normal roster to go and won't get a day off until Wednesday-eek!!!! I haven't had too much damage here luckily and some neighbours have leaking roofs etc.I saw this fabulous painting on canvas at one of the shops in town and just HAD to get it-it's so quirky and reminds me of my friends and I when we get together at my place around the pool in summer!I have placed it on the wall in my sewing room and it gives me a giggle everytime I look up at it.Funny how silly things really touch us sometimes.well I hope you are all safe and have something to bring a giggle to your life cheers

Another day shopping and sewing

2009-05-15T10:18:00.004+10:00

yesterday was a great day.Firstly I met up with a friend and we went out shopping together.She gave me these gorgeous flowers which are so bright-I love them.They were a thankyou for some machine embroidery I did for her .Next we invaded the LPS like "2 kids in a candy store!" I bought some Matildas own templates-a 8.5" drunkards path template,a Grandmas Star which has 5 pieces(can also do Grandmas Flower Garden with it,and last but not least ANOTHER bag pattern!I saw this bag made up and it's so gorgeous.

I couldn't wait to get home and have a play! lol !Several months ago I had a fabric dyeing binge and conscequently I a super assortment of colours on hand.These templates are so easy to use with a rotary cutter and easy to piece with the "Curve Master" by Sandra Chandler in the US.
All these were made so quickly.I still have a bit of tweeking to do in the placement as I notice several colours are close together.Now where did I leave my Ruby beholder to check out the colour values?
Hope your day was as good as mine.Today I plan to do a few more blocks on this quilt .cheers

Great giveaways

2009-05-13T14:47:00.003+10:00

Another post today but I had to share these great giveaways that are happening for those that love papercrafts!Check out these girls great blogs while you are there:Donna and Debbie and Jacqui cheers

Look what the mailman delivered and another great bag!

2009-05-13T12:10:00.003+10:00

This morning I was awoken by the mailman delivering this neat package of goodies that I ordered online!Whoohoo!All the tools needed to start dear Jane quilting as well as an Andler Tool which I was told was terrific for diagonal piecing without having to mark lines.Does anyone have this and if so have you found it useful?I am a gadget junkie and NEED? everything out there lol!Can't wait to use the very bright colourful package of fat quarters in string quilts for my grandchildren.

I have already told you that I love pansies so thought today I would show you my wonderful bag for carrying EVERYTHING!!!It's huge and seems to expand forever.It has lots of dividing pockets inside to keep rulers,mats etc easily accessable without all ending up in a "dumped" position(do you sometimes have that problem?)

The back side of this bag also has 3 generous pockets with machine embroidered pansies on them(found on "Annthegran.com for free)

The pocket on the front is large enough to hold magazines/project folders.The pansies on this were handpainted then embroidered by hand although the butterfly was done on the embroidery machine.

This is a needlecase that velcros onto the inside of the top of the bag for travelling and can be removed when using it(saves having to fish around the bottom of the bag to find it when you need it!).

Well all my domestic chores are finished so can peacefully sit and stitch in the sunshine outside.It's such a gorgeous day here today-just perfect for my days off.Hope your day is as good! cheers

2009-05-12T13:08:00.002+10:00

Todays another cold bleak day here and I'm only dreaming of warmer weather again!Haven't got time to do much today as I'm off to work this afternoon (did I tell you I was a nurse?)Here I am thinking of all that I hope to achieve on my 4 days off this week!
Thought I would continue to show some of my favourite sewing items.....

This nifty little purse/bag was made for me in a secret angel exchange and has come in so handy.It has lots of plastic zip up folders and a pin cushion through the centre part.

As well as all the plastic folders it also has 2 pockets that fit either patterns or a notebook.I just love this bag and looks so stylish-thankyou to Sue in Western Australia who made me this.

This really handy drawstring bag(about 12in x 15 in) is so great to carry needlework and all the other needed items in.I handpainted the pansies with folkart paints(adding textile medium) and then stitched around the outlines.I love pansies in all colours.There are pockets on the outside of both sides.A great useful bag.

well better get ready for work.....cheers

great giveaway

2009-05-11T15:32:00.005+10:00

I was reading Lynette Anderson's blog today and she was showing us her favourite sewing items so I thought I would show some of mine.I love my pins and needle holder which holds all my gadgets in one place(the magnetic strips are great for holding the scissors and needles down).I also find my little ruler holder so handy for small templates.The little basket is handy for scraps of fabric especially when doing english piecing(can also be for candy!).The little ruler holder is only 4inches long but great for small templates on the go.I got this at a craft stall being sold as a soap dish but I had better ideas for it-cost $2!I find I always misplace my small templates so this firmly keeps them in one spot.

I also want to mention that Robyn has a wonderful giveaway going this month so pop on over and check that out-it's great!

Gosh am I having so much fun checking out all these gorgeous blogs.It's a miserable day here so warming my soul with eye candy is great. cheers

Thankyou

2009-05-10T20:56:00.002+10:00

Thankyou to Maree for extending me a welcome to the world of blogging and then through her so many others have popped by to say hi also.I am so excited as now I feel I am "out there" lol ! Was great to talk to Maree on the phone today and also for the help she gave me re blogging as it can all be so overwelming at first.

Well I hope you were all so spoiled today and smothered with love.

cheers

Happy Mothers Day!

2009-05-10T00:23:00.003+10:00

Well it's offically Mothers Day now here in Australia!Hope all you Mothers have a wonderful day filled with love and joy with family.
And don't forget all those Grandmas too!Enjoy!

Waddle I Do?

2009-05-09T20:38:00.005+10:00

This sums it all up!What do I do on such a gorgeous autumn morning?

Out in the glorious sun I sit and read(with my english breakfast tea)and search for some wonderful project to do---don't worry that I have copious ufo's just dying to get my attention.Oh no,this day is so fresh and inspiring that it deserves something new and fresh-right?...And then the telephone rings and I get asked if I would like to spend some grandma time with DGS3(just turned 2)-well what could be better.This is what we did---we went fishing in our goldfish pond lol ! What a wonderful day I had-nothing could be better!I really treasure these times with the little ones as they are so precious.

Hope your day was as good as mine. cheers

This is the results of my stitch and chat

2009-05-08T18:25:00.004+10:00

Well this is as far as I got with this piece of stitchery(if I hadn't got so sidetracked with what everyone else was doing I could have accomplished more!!)The pattern is one that I got up in Hervey Bay some time ago from the Dewdrop Inn.I painted the background with folkart paints and textile medium.One day it will be a cushion!!!!!

This is my really nifty sewing organiser that I take out with me to group meetings(matches my mug bags nicely)-it holds so much stuff.As you can see it has some badges from different quilt guilds around the world which I love to collect-if anyone wants to swap some with me I would love it? cheers

my mug bag

2009-05-08T11:45:00.000+10:00

these are photos of my bags I made to accomodate my gorgeous mug with a lid that has porcelain buttons all over it.The fabric basket is for candy to share and there is also a bag for teabags/coffee bags.On the back of the mug bag is a pocket to carry a serviette/snack bars etc.I especially love the handles on the mug bag.

I had so much fun making these bags and they always attract great comments.It's great to have a designated mug and extras to take to workshops,quilt meetings and of course retreats(hmmm will have to make one for my wine glass also! lol !)

Would love to see what others use for their mugs?

Well now I have my goodies ready and am off to meet with friends this afternoon for a sit and stitch-probably more chatting than anything but worth it all.cheers

I wonder......and some redwork

2009-05-06T22:59:00.001+10:00

I wonder if this bag has arrived in America yet filled with a cushion and other goodies for my swap partner in Marees red and white cushion swap.I just loved making these and hope my partner likes them too!

Today I worked on some redwork raggedies using a dark varigated red DMC thread-I am really happy how they have come out.Tomorrow I hope to make them up into a cushion.Have included a closeup photo to show some details.I love doing handwork especially using varigated threads as you never know exactly where the shading will be and you often get nice surprises.

Will post a photo when the cushion is completed.

cheers

Look what a friend gave me

2009-05-06T01:12:00.000+10:00

Have a look at this fabulous large framed piece that a friend gave me!It is a huge jigsaw puzzle that she assembled of an applique quilt of friends doing their preserves and picking.Once the puzzle was completed it was then carefully mounted into a frame and now hangs proudly on my wall(thanks so much Kerry-I love it)

Aren't we so lucky to have such great friends-i know I am. cheers

Linen Closet Quilts: Giveaway

2009-05-04T00:10:00.000+10:00

Have a look at this blog and check out her wonderful giveaway
Linen Closet Quilts: Giveaway -a really lovely book cheers

could'nt get to craft show

2009-05-03T12:42:00.000+10:00

well the stitches and craft show is on in Brisbane this weekend and unfortunately I couldn't get down for it------so whats a girl to do?Go shopping locally of course lol ! I got up this morning and went over to Spotlight at Kawana.Look what I bought....

Not one but two sewing machine bags to take to workshops and retreats!They are the most beautiful blue jacquard fabric and have heaps of pockets to load all my goodies.One for the sewing machine and the other for the embroidery machine or even just stash supplies to take.I figured that it would cost at least $50 to drive down to Brisbane,pay parking and then admission costs so with that saved I could buy two bags(my validation theory)I have always envied the ones who had these bags as I always go away with crates and boxes everywhere so hopefully now I should be better organised(right?)Guess now all is left is to plan a weekend away!!!!!

It's an overcast day here and not much colour around so I went outside and picked these to brighten up my dining area outside.I picked up the glass vases from our local vinnies store for 50c-they originally came from Ikea and still had the original price tag on so I got a REAL bargain.Hope you have a bright day cheers

a productive day

2009-05-02T17:13:00.001+10:00

Spent the morning hand making buttons out of polymer clay using moulds of hearts and flowers.

All these yummy buttons below have just came out of the oven and are ready to be used.The photo doesn't do the colours justice as the reds are dark blood red and the flowers are shocking marbled pinks-they are to used on these 4 cushions that I appliqued by embroidery machine using fabrics thatI had hand dyed myself.The applique designs are from "Designs By JuJu".Take a look...

I just love these pansies!

Not too sure what this flower is but is the most gorgeous pinks and purples!

Daisies are such an innocent flower(loved what Meg Ryan said about them in "You've got mail")Tulips are a very proud flower full of grace and dignity.These 4 cushions will sure brighten up our cooler days which we are having now.Now just have to sew the flower buttons onto the backs of the cushions and they are finished.Yey.I can feel the cooler night air settling in-gosh after 4pm you can really feel the difference.Great night to sit and do some handstitching whilst I watch a movie.I'm hoping to watch a Hallmark movie called "The Magic of Ordinary Days" with Skeet Ulrich(who has gorgeous eyes and velvety voice) and Keri russell.It sounds like my kind of movie. cheers

Red and White cushion swap

2009-05-02T11:57:00.000+10:00

I love receiving parcels----do you! I was awoken by the doorbell to find the postie there with a registered parcel.

Look what was delivered by the postie .......at first I couldn't think what I might of ordered and didn't recognise the address on the back at all.Hmmm what could it be?OMG look what was inside!! I had completely forgot about this swap and was so excited to see all the wonderful goodies that were inside.The cushion is absolutely adorable.Also was a Rosalie Quinlan pattern for her postcard quilt-even with some fabric and thread to make it with.The chocolate was so yummy and didn't last long at all.Thankyou so much Sheryl for your generosity-I absolutely LOVE it! Sheryl has a blog-----myupstairssewingroom.blogspot.com so please go say hello to her.Below is a closer look at the cushion-isn't it so lovely?I feel honoured that someone has taken the time to make something for me.This is the first blog swap I have been in that Maree organised from mareew.blogspot.com.Thankyou Maree for taking the time to do this for us!

Some close ups of the goodies.Hope you like seeing my gifts from swap partner Sheryl.

Must away now as I plan to spend the afternnon making buttons for a project I have planned(more about that later)Have a great day

cheers

Forgot the photo

2009-05-01T21:58:00.000+10:00

This is the basket made from Pink Penguin along with the chatelaine from Thimbleberries(hangs so nice around the neck cheers

catching up!

2009-05-01T21:28:00.000+10:00

Oh my gosh It's been 2 months today since I started this blog and haven't written a word since.guess I was just resting on my laurels of actually managing to create one! Lol !

This is a shaggy quilt I started and have nearly finished-will post a photo of it when it is completed-just love the Donna Wilder "Tutti Fruitti range "

This is a fabric bowl,chatelaine and basket made out of sunbonnetsue fabric which I love for a dear friend who also loves sunbonnetsue as much as me!

What have I done in this time...... firstly I went on a great retreat at Boonah with a bunch of quilty friends.They all got heaps done and I was queen of the chatter(but did actually finish a couple of things)Above are some of these.

Am still trying to work out how to insert these photos better so will write again later after I hopefully do.

cheers

Well I have finally done it!!!

2009-03-02T17:48:00.000+10:00

After procrastinating for so long at working out how to create a blog I think I have finally done it!
For sooo many months I have been reading all the wonderful blogs that others have written and all the heart warming stories that are shared.And as for all the eye candy---well what can one say but isn't the world full of glorious creative people.
I hope to be able to contribute to this great blog world and get to know many more of you as time goes by.
cheers