Very little quilting or sewing (sigh)

Although my studies will soon end, my real life will start!! So I am in the process of setting up a small business. So much to learn and do....

I had my working with children application form to fill out and had to include a passport size photo. Oh dear, why do those things make people look like crims!!!

I have decided to make a quilt for my niece's wedding in late November. If I get it done on time...good. If not, it is approaching summer so they won't need it until autumn (VBG)

Here is a little wallhanging that I hope to quilt up soon. I want to practice free-motion quilting so that I can finish some of the tops I have made. This looked like a happy place to play.  "I promise to be a finisher...I promise to be a finisher... I promise to..."

Hearts table runner

Don'tcha just love those toes peeping through!

For Valentines day I made this mystery heart table runner designed by Fran Vidal. She ran it on Inspectors club yahoo site which is closing after a number of years. Those paper pieced ribbons were done with a lot of rip, rip rips..Grrr again! But it has turned out beautifully and used up some scraps so I am happy. Still need to quilt and bind it. May be that will be a midwinter job. Fortunately for me my sewing room  looks out to the sunny north where I gat maximum daylight and sun on sunny winter days!

Study, study study, sigh!

Way too much reading and writing essays and too little time doing the things which make me feel happy and relaxed (except when I just cut that last piece of fabric crooked and now am 1"short grrrr).
I started on the centre of pieceful quilter's BOM a few weeks ago. Got it all traced onto the fabric and had to leave it. When I came back next day half of it had faded away and now it's all gone! I used the wrong pen thinking it would last. Now I have to start over...in June.
Noticed Judi Laquidara may be doing a mystery come mid-May or June. That could be interesting. Hmmmm!
My 19yo son in Thailand is coming home soon and I have asked him to buy me some good quality Thai silk. He said "What do you think I am Mum, a cheapskate?! Would you trust your son to choose some colours for you? He has never been interested in fabric and never wanted a quilt made for him, but he liked a carpenter's wheel quilt I made following a Dorothy Young pattern a couple of years ago (in oranges and greens and khaki browns- not my colours really). So I'm wondering what he will choose. I guess if I don't like the colours I shall just have to close my eyes as I touch them and I sure will be grateful for his kindness.
Until next time
Happy stitching
Diane

Labour Day Holiday

Today has been a day off. With my DH and youngest son Liam (12yo) and his friend, we drove to Bacchus Marsh Vic and then to the Leurderderg Gorge. Over the past couple of years we have walked along the river bed over stones because there has been very little rain. But in the past couple of days it has rained quite heavily so the river was flowing. Not deeply, but definitely covering the riverbed in muddy water. As we arrived a heavy shower of rain came so we made for the nearest shelter to watch as muddy water ran toward the river. The young lads decided to stop a rivulet with rocks and had good fun building a dam wall about 18 inches high. We had brought gum boots (wellies) along for them so they happily sloshed about (I love the word sloshed) . When the sun came out we went for a walk in the bushland along a walking track which had delightful puddles to splash in. I'm so glad they are still young enough to enjoy these simple pleasures. Sophisitcaion has its downfalls!

Back again at last

Being ill is so not fun...
However I'm on the road to recovery and am able to begin creative work again. YAY
I have been making 2 scenes using fabric and fibres and stitches ie landscapes. Both are works in progress as I am yet to do the stitch part. One I'm quite happy with but the other feels kindergartenish! Oh well if I keep going it may improve. What do you do to improve a piece that is just not quite.....?

Here is a picture of Governmet House in Victoria, Australia. It is only open to the public once per year on Australia Day which is January 26th. Our family had a picnic planned for the Royal Botanic Gardens next door, and when we saw that it was open we decided to take a look. The queue was so long to tour through the ground floor that we skipped that (Kids 4 &5 don't like to wait) and walked through the gardens instead. We peeked through an open doorway into the Ballroom, saw the swimming pool, tennis courts and croquet lawn. As we were returning to the Gardens next door, the airforce had the roulettes do a flyover. They rolled and dived and flew around for about 20 minutes. Thankyou pilots for a wonderful show.

Hope to post my landscapes by the end of the weekend. Now I'm off to start a BOM. I thought I would be doing the pieced blocks first but I'm actually going to start the applique centre block instead. I managed to get to the fabric store this week and bought a lovely shade of blue for the background. I'm not fond of cream/white as a backgroung colour. So soft blue it is!

See you soon

Diane

Feeling blaah

Came down with a rotten cold this week and it's doing a thorough job taking it's time to give pain to all the usual head and chest cold places. Sp progress has slowed on the mystery quilt although it is now all quilted. Just have to add borders and that could be tricky as I don't have much focus fabric to play with. It has extra latice work because I did a quilt-as-you go method. I like this design a lot and these colours I adore (I know this cos I keep seeing and buying similar ones. Must try a different colourway. Orange? Navy?)

Hope to have this done soon as college starts again next week. Yikes! But I won't put pressure on myself because I must get better first.
I have been given the opportunity to learn coaching and mentoring skills so that I can mentor younger women as they develop in their leadership roles. I am excited by this as it seems to me that so many of us have lacked that support/skilled assistance in planning for the future. At least I feel I just put one foot in front of the other and took the next step. First day is in early March so I will see where that leads to. See. Just putting in the next step as it comes. Maybe I will get m ore out of this course for myself than I could ever imagine. Now won't that be exciting?
Cheers Diane

Friday and progress is sloooow!

Taking time out for myself is supposed to get easier once the kids are back in school. No such thing at my house. JJ had her phone stolen (but they left the $200+ wizz bang 2 wk old calculator!) last week so we were out looking for new mobile phones. Apparently ppl change phones every 18m - 2 yrs!! so 4 years was great going! Anyone have trouble figuring out the maths for their quilts?? Believe me, looking at phones and plans is much, much worse! Sales ppl just tell you what they want you to buy mostly, but they were all very friendly (Grin ).
Liam had camp this week and enjoyed all the outdoor activities, especially abseiling. He can have it. I freeze when looking out windows of tall buidings let alone going over the edge of a ravine. Shudder.

He also tried jumping down 10 steps at a time at school later in the week and surprise!! He bruised his heel and is now hobbling. So no basketball match tomorrow and will they or won't they be in finals??
Quilting progress

I thought I'd show you this wall hanging I made a few years ago. Quite busy but I still love it. It hangs in my work/play room to give me inspiration!
The Ann Smith mystery quilt is progressing. I have been managing about an hour quilting a day or second day sometimes. I have it in columns now which are about to be joined. Then I shall see about borders. That will depend on how much of the focus fabric is left. Keeps the brain active thinking about these things and much better than thinking about bills huh?

Saying Goodbye...again!

On the 1.1.10, son Misch left for Thailand for a year, age 19. He's working for an aide organisation. Tomorrow morning my youngest bro leaves Australia to migrate to Canada, to Vancouver to be precise. It's hard to let go knowing I will rarely see them. But life goes on and I hope to be expanding my own horizons by getting a placement to finish my counselling course.
I have come so close after a long hunt, only to have the door closed because my supervisor was offered extra hours elsewhere and so left, then the next one is renovating and there is now no office space for me. I am so disappointed!! Here is where faith v sight comes in. It's a bit if a battle to be sure. I am upset, yet I know I can't make things happen just because I need them to happen. (Sigh).
Meanwhile, today I surfed some quilting sites and found a great BOM from Shannon Baker (I think her last name is)
piecefulkwilter.blogspot.com
Check it out. The colours she has used are lovely.Shannon is very talented and has put some good tutorials up to be able to follow her design. I'm going to start with the piecing after I finish the mystery from Ann Smith. I have finished quilting the squares in the quilt as you go (my variation) method and now need to cut sashings for the back and front and join them up. As I've been sewing these blocks I keep having visions of a scalloped border. It's calling to me. But, I will wait until the blocks are together before I make that decision. I was so pleased to be able to use up leftover batting pieces which were taking up a lot of space.

 

See! Isn't it pretty.

Stash report

I haven't played enough to join Judy Laquidara's stash report yet, but I may have time this week 'cos the kids are back in school, farewells have been said and college doesn't start for another two weeks. YAY

In: Some pretty Japanese prints 5X fat quarters

                                                       1X1 1/4yds (Is that 1metre or close enough?)

                                                     

I found a fabric from 2 yrs back and brought 5m (approx 6yds) in my fav blue. Every time I turned around I was using this blue and I promised myself I would buys lots if I ever saw it again, and I keep my promises (VBG).

And 2 1/3 yds of a green to match up a quilt for which I ran out of the green to finish the borders. Not an exact match but by the time I make a Judy Lacquidara fancy border it will do nicely I think. (And I'm not buying any more if it doesn't!). Judy's site is Patchwork times. Google will find it for you. I am on a 'new' 2nd hand computer and do not have my favourites to copy the link to yet.

But on the bright side I used up a big bag of batting leftovers

and...drumroll....3X 1.5yds of fabric for the backing of the Ann Smith quilt.

Total: 1 yd + FQ

           1 1/4yd

           6 yd

           2 1/3 yd

 =     near enough to 10 and 3/4yds IN

and 4 1/5 yds OUT

This means I have been able to get to quilting for a change YAY!

Holiday madness!
Since last week I've been so busy with kids getting ready to go back to school chasing down uniforms, books, shoes, sport shoes, school bags etc I've hardly had space to breathe...
However, last week we went and saw Avatar at IMAX cinema and really enjoyed the effects of 3D. I reaaly want to see the space one coming soon!
Then Thursday, while out hunting for the school stuff Liam and I saw The Tooth Fairy. We both enjoyed that, the audience was laughing out loud big time.
I really must learn to operate this blog with photos!! but yet to have the time.
Quilting
Still working on the NYE mystery of Anne Smith. And starting a Valentines day mystery with Inspector club yahoo group with Fran. Fused the hearts today and cut out strips for the first block.
Music
JJ will be playing her Bass guitar tomorrow for an Australia Day celebration after church. Our friend Greg is a part time jazz musician and has written some songs they will play as well as some great Aussie traditional songs. One he has made up words for is Wonthaggi blues.
Movies
We watched Karate Kid last night and today Liam has been skipping, lifting weights, exercising, he claims he wants a 6 pack (he's 12 yo). We will see how long this lasts!
Mischy has a new name ''Phil cos they can't pronounce his real name. It means something like have tea. He will be living in the home of a Thai lady, hope he learns the language quickly. He doesn't need to cook because a meal is about $1 so not worth shopping, cooking etc. Of course it means no dishes either!

Rearranging and summertime

It's the summer holidays and time for some late spring cleaning. My son has just left home to go to Thailand to work with an aid organisation for a year so we managed to see his bedroom floor for the first time in quite a while. The carpet was amazingly dust free ( as he normally has a horizontal wardrobe on the floor). His room has been transformed into hubby's study plus spare bedroom. Meanwhile I have gone through some cupboards and threw out (ie. will recycle) stuff that has been taking up room and not being used. How many salad bowls can one use, even at Christmas? My thoughts are that óut of sight is out of mind'' so I have been boxing them up as I sort so that I won't be tempted to keep things. So not much sewing done on the current mystery project by Ann Smith from my yahoo group. 288 half square triangles completed for the single size, plus clue 1. I could put up photos but I have to work out that feature first.
Cheers Diane

A new blogger has arrived!

Well, I just signed up because I wanted to join Judi Lacquidara's fabric stash list and design wall list and needed a blog to do so.
Now I need to go find my lists..
Diane