Jackie's Jam Session

Stitch 'n' Bitch goes away for the weekend

2009-04-30T18:28:00.009+10:00

A few weekends ago, actually it was the last weekend in March, our little Stitch 'n' Bitch group went away for a long weekend to Smiths Beach on Phillip Island SW of Melbourne. It was forecast to be a lovely weekend and we weren't disappointed.

By the time I (B1) picked up the key and got organised it was lunch time before I picked up Pam (B2) and headed off. In the meantime we had a call from Nita (B3) to find out what was taking us so long as she was already in Cranbourne.

B1 & B2 finally arrived mid afternoon to find B3 happily sitting in her car stitching away in the sunshine and generally enjoying the peace & quite. We unloaded our gear and happily started stitching.

This is the view from the balcony of the house we were staying at looking up the road to the beach car park & the sea. It is a wonderful view.

This is (B3) improvising to trace a pattern.

It was B2's birthday on the day we arrived so we had to have cake. B3's daughter made this lovely cake, it was apple streudel or something like that, it was scrumptious. B2 is showing off one of her birthday pressies.

B2's project was to continue working on finishing this QAYG quilt she was making for her daughters 21st birthday.....in Feb 2008....B2 has been a little bit slack. So the quilt police were active on the weekend.

We had some of the locals come and check out what we were up to over the weekend. I wonder if it could have been the drunken revelry which attracted them. Not us of course, it must have been the neighbours.

These are some QAYG blocks I put together using up some of the overflowing scrap box. They are destined for a double/queen quilt for the Victoria bushfire survivors.

This is another quilt I put together which is also destined for the Victoria bushfire survivors. They are flannel prints, lovely & bright, perfect for a kids quilt. The blocks are all sewn together, I now just have to find something for the border to make it into a single & finish it off.

We all had a great weekend. Although we ate too much and probably could have got more stitching done, however we were all satisfied with what we achieved and were totally relaxed at the end of the weekend. None of us wanted to go home though.

I can now post my 4SQS5 which I made "Daisies in the Garden"

2009-04-08T22:41:00.012+10:00

This is the wall hanging which I made for Tina from San Diego in the 4SQS5 . It is made up of mini log cabins around 4" square which I hand stitched. I then machine stitched all of the squares together and the border. It is machine quilted in the ditch. The daises are appliqued and the centres are stuffed to give some dimension. At the last minute I decided to add some coloured seed beads to give some sparkle. It made the world of difference.

I decided to add a bit of colour in the backing with some wattle and parrots/rosellas. The binding ties it all together.

When I send items overseas I always like to add postage stamps instead of the ticket which Australia Post prints out. I put stamps aside when I buy a 20 pack for this purpose. I feel it makes the parcel all the more exciting (and colourful) when it reaches its destination.

I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of this swap. It was monochramatic with either black or white added. Tina's colour choices were green or pink/red and the season chosen was Spring. I opted for greens as it is one of my favourite colours.

A big thank you to Margaret the host of this swap for allowing me to join in on this swap and I look forward to joining in on the next one...hopefully.

Its arrived and its all mine!!!!

2009-04-08T22:17:00.005+10:00

Above are some pictures of a wall hanging which I received from Sarah in Memphis, Tennesee as part of the 4SQS5. I just love this wall hanging. Honestly the pictures do not do it justice. With the white background and the way the quilting has been done those little green pinwheels just jump right of the wall to great you. And the triangles in each corner of the back make it so easy to hang. Sarah has done a wonderful job with this, and reading her blog I'm surprised that I even got it. I think that I very nearly didn't. But I'm so glad that she was able to give it up as it has come to a nice home downunder and I will treasure it. It is currently hanging at the office in my workspace to brighten my days. I only put it up this morning and so many people have commented on it. Thank you once again and have I mentioned that I love it. Also a big thank you to Margaret (the swap organiser) who allowed me to join in on this swap as a newbie.

Sisterhood Award - what a honour & surprise

2009-03-09T00:40:00.010+11:00

What an honour. My friend and fellow stitch'n'bitcher Pamela of Come Wot May, has bestowed upon me this lovely 'sisterhood' award. She is just like big sister. Always available for a coffee anytime & a chat/gossip & she can always make me laugh if I'm feeling down. Thanks for being a good friend over the years Pam.

Now to the award -The rules connected to the award are:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post - check
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude! - check
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. - check
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. - check
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award. - check

Jan of Oz Comfort Quilts - you deserve this award for all of the wonderful charity quilts you have done for the Victorian Bushfire survivors. Please visit Jan and if you can help Jan out with this huge mission she has taken on, please do so. I know that she appreciates any help.
Margaret - I met Marg a long time ago through our mutual interests of geneology. We both enjoy patchwork & scrapbooking as well.
Cathy of Tinniegirl - I met Cathy years ago through Creative Memories scrapbooking. I happened to stumble across her blog a few months ago. She is somewhat of a craft entrepeneur.
Susan in Stitches - I love reading Susans blog. It is full of wonderful stories of her life in the Victorian countryside, which I can relate to having grown up on a farm in the Victorian Wimmera district.
Curlypops - another very creative lady & I love her tea towel aprons.
Deb of The Angel & the Pukeko - a lovely lady from NZ who I had the joy & fun of a Christmas swap last year.

Now there are several other bloggers that I would also like to pass the award onto, however they have already received it, so I won't double up. However I am going to list them as they are all wonderful ladies that I have had the pleasure & joy of there cyber company. They are Sheila of aubirdwoman, Lindi of Quilty Threads & Sooziii's Hobbies.

Earth Tremor in Melbourne tonight

2009-03-06T22:01:00.006+11:00

Tonight around 9:05pm I received a phone call from my BIL to ask if I had felt anything in the last 10 mins. I had but wasn't sure if I had imagined it. He lives close to the city and said that we had just had an earth tremor around 8:55pm. It was apparently stronger closer to the city. I live further out in the SE suburbs and it was just like someone was gently shaking the house for around 10 secs. The Age online reported it at 9:29pm, so my BIL (who happens to work at the Bureau of Meteorology) was correct. He thought that it might measure around 3 on the richter scale.
I've just checked The Age online and at 10:04pm they reported that it measured 4.6 on the richter scale and was felt as far away as Warragul & Leongatha in Gippsland. No damage has been reported, just a lot of rattling windows.
Goodness, Mother Earth has been giving Australia a beating recently with floods, extreme heatwaves, bushfires & now earth tremors. Maybe she is trying to tell us something...treat her better & she'll recipricate.

2nd prize on its way

2009-02-25T22:24:00.003+11:00

Whilst I was finishing the 1st prize for one of the winners of Sooziii's Decorate your blog for Christmas competition, I put together these two small stitcheries for one of the 2nd place getters. One for the wall and one for the tree. These were also posted off today. They very nearly didn't get sent because I liked them myself. I'll just have to make myself a couple before the next silly season.

FRONT

BACK

1st prize on its way....

2009-02-25T21:51:00.005+11:00

Today I posted of the above to one of the 1st prize winners in Sooziii's Decorate your blog for Christmas competition. I know I am very late, but I hadn't finished it. I had totally lost motivation for sewing with all of the hot weather we have been having since Christmas and then I moved onto making charity quilts for the bushfire survivors in Victoria. So on the weekend I decided it was long overdue and finally got it completed. I hope the lucky recipient likes it. I cannot say at this stage who the recipient is, 'cos it would spoil the surprise.

FRONT

BACK

Another hot day down south...

2009-01-20T13:03:00.004+11:00

We are having another hot day down south. As of 12:30pm it was 37.8 C / 100.04 F. Now if it was 30/40 years ago, I would have been sent home from school if it reached this temperature. Yesterday we got to 36 C / 96.8 F. Thankfully I am sitting in an air conditioned office and have no plans to venture out until 5pm tonight. Hopefully by then the forecasted cool change will have come through...maybe wishful thinking on my part.

Get It Done challenge

2009-01-15T23:33:00.001+11:00

Well I have finally made a start on some UFO's. As I am a relatively new quilter (3/4 years) I haven't had to delve into the deep dark depths of cupboards, etc. Having said that doesn't mean that I don't have UFO's. I'm sure that I have at least one or two for each year I have been quilting...possibly more. To start I have chosen two wall hangings and a table runner which I started in the latter half of 2008. My reason for choosing these is that they were on the top of the pile and they are relatively smallish projects, so they won't take months to complete.

1. This is a wall hanging which I am making from a panel. There is a lot of faux embroidery stitching in the sashing, but it is difficult to see. I have overstitched these through the three layers which will hold it all together. I now just have to trim it up, do the binding, add somthing to enable hanging and add a label.

2. Christmas table runner. I actually bought this fabric around Xmas 2007, but didn't find a pattern I liked until 2008. This one I still have to quilt, bind and label. You can just see all of the pins in the picture which are holding it together at the moment. I was debating to machine quilt this one, but not ever having machine quilted before I think I might hand quilt it until I can practice on the machine a bit.

3. Another wall hanging. 'Chooks Rule the Roost'

There legless at the moment, so I'm surprised they haven't fallen off the roost yet!! LOL My attempt at some humour. Still have some more to add to the top, then it will need sandwiching, quilting and binding.

Now, one of the above projects will be for one of the blogs in 'Sooziii's decorate your blog for Xmas' comp. And I'm not saying which one, that will be the surprise.

Stitch 'n' Bitch - 3 Jan 09

2009-01-15T22:23:00.007+11:00

I usually catch up with my Stitch 'n' Bitch friends on a Friday night, but we decided to do a Saturday a couple of weeks ago. This was so that Pam could work on a quilt she is making for her daughter which has lots of black in it and as the light during the day is better we figured she might finish it sooner. It was supposed to be for her daughters 21st in Feb 2008. She might have it for her 22nd birthday...we hope. Anyway, I needed to go to the patchwork store and choose some fabrics for my 4SQS5 (below are some of the fabrics I chose). And of course the other girls came along for the drive. Any excuse to fondle fabric.
I love the look of scrappy quilts and am trying to build up an assortment of values to add to my scrap stash. So I went through the scrap bin and chose the following three lots. They are all the width of a bolt, but vary in length from 9cm to 20cm. It is a great way of adding lots of different values to the scrap stash.

BLACK & WHITE - LIGHT

LIGHTS

DARKS

On the drive down to the quilt shop we passed a new Vinnie's store, so as it was still open on the way back we decided to drop in for look. I picked up four pairs of assorted stainless steel manicure scissors and a pair of surgical grip thingies, all for the bargain price of 50 cents each. The smaller scissors I'll use with small mobile sewing projects to cut thread. And the surgical thingies are great for stuffing things, and for pulling through tubing when making handles and things. Not very well explained, but never mind. Also picked up a cream towel for $1 to use as backing on some bibs which are on the drawing board.

My swap parcel arrived...

2009-01-15T21:14:00.005+11:00

I have been somewhat remiss in posting to my blog since Xmas / New Year. There is a lot of anticipation and excitement building up to this time of the year, then once it is over there seems to be a big hole. Unfortunately this year I have had work to fill in the hole, as the company I am currently on assignment at has their financial year end on 31 Dec 08. What a silly time to have it. I guess it is a northern hemisphere thingy, as the company is German based.

Anyway, enough with the boring stuff & on with the fun stuff.

My Secret Santa Honeypot Swap parcel arrived just after Xmas and I would just like to thank Angie for the lovely ornaments. Yes there were two ornaments and a lovely sparkly card, although they don't really show up that well in the picture. They didn't make it in time to go on the tree this year, but they have been packed away safely and will be included in next years decorations. Thanks heaps Angie, I loved participating in this swap. I can't wait until next year!

Giveaway at Shabby Creations - custom blog design

2009-01-01T12:52:00.003+11:00

If you are looking for a new look for your blog and need inspiration, pop over to Shabby Creations. They are currently having an "Out With the Old, In With the New" giveaway, so you could get lucky. They have some gorgeous designs, so if nothing else you'll be inspired.

2008-12-31T19:22:00.011+11:00

To all of my friends, family and visitors to my blog, I wish you all a safe & happy new year.

If you are out and about tonight, please take care and I look forward to your visits and comments in 2009.

Baby New Year Tradition - The tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year was started around 600 B.C by the ancient Greeks, who, at the start of a year would carry a baby around in a basket. The purpose of it was to honor Dionysus, the God of Fertility and symbolize his annual rebirth.
Hogmanay - The New Year in Scotland is called Hogmanay. The people in Scotland follow a ritual that appears nutty but actually has a great significance. One can find barrels of tar set afire and gradually rolled down the streets in the villages of Scotland. This ritual symbolizes that the old year is burned up and New Year is going to begin.
Burning "Mr. Old Year" - In Columbia, Cuba and Puerto Rico families stuff a life-size male doll with things and then they dress it up in old clothes from each family member. At the stroke of midnight, this 'Mr. Old Year' is set on fire. This is done with the simple belief that a doll thus stuffed have bad memories or sadness associated with them, and that the burning of these will help one to do away with all past grief's and usher in happiness in life with the coming year.
Eating Noodles - Late on the evening of December 31, people of Japan would eat a bowl of buckwheat noodles called "toshikoshisoba" ("year-crossing noodles") and listen for the sound of the Buddhist temple bells, which were rung 108 times at midnight. The sound of these bells is said to purify the listeners of the 108 sins or evil passions that plague every human being.
Eating 12 Grapes - In Spain people eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight (one each time the clock chimes) on New Year's Eve. This peculiar ritual originated in the twentieth century when freak weather conditions resulted in an unseasonable bumper harvest of grapes. Not able to decide what to do about so many grapes at Christmas time, the King of Spain and the grape growers came up with the idea of the New Year ritual.
Gifts in Shoes - In Greece children leave their shoes by the fireside on New Year's Day (also the Festival of Saint Basil in Greece) with the hope that Saint Basil, who was famous for his kindness, will come and fill their shoes with gifts.
Carrying a Suitcase - In Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico, those with hopes of traveling in the New Year carry a suitcase around the house at midnight. Some even carry it around the block to ensure traveling at greater distances.
Burning Crackers - The people in China believe that there are evil spirits that roam the earth. So on New Year they burn crackers to scare the evil spirits. The doors and windows of every home in China can be seen sealed with paper. This is to keep the evil demons out.
Times Square Celebrations - The first Ball Lowering celebration atop One Times Square was held on December 31, 1907 and is now a worldwide symbol of the turn of the New Year, seen via satellite by more than one billion people each year. The original New Year's Eve Ball weighed 700 pounds and was 5 feet in diameter. It was made of iron and wood and was decorated with 100 25-watt light bulbs.
Foods - It was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. It is still held in some regions that special New Year foods are the harbingers of luck. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune. The hog, and its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day. The ancient Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, which symbolized productiveness.
Black-eyed peas - Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures.
Rings - Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle.
Wearing new slippers - In China, many people wear in the new year a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.
Sealed doors & windows - During new year , the doors and windows of every home in China can be seen sealed with paper. The Chinese think that this will succeed in keeping the evil demons out.
Jewish New Year - The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. It is a holy time when Jews recall the things they have done wrong in the past, and then promise to do better in the future. Special services are held in the synagogues, children are given new clothes and New Year loaves are baked to remind people of harvest time.
Japanese New Year - On New Year's Day in Japan, everyone gets dressed in their new clothes. Homes are decorated with pine branches and bamboo, both of which are considered to be the symbols of long life.
American resolutions - 40 to 45% of American adults make one or more New Year's resolutions each year. And these range from debt reduction to giving up bad habits to what not? But the ones that are the most common deal with weight loss to exercise to giving up smoking.

I hope you have enjoyed these pretty little New Year trivia's. New year is simply the perfect time to make resolutions and make for a fun-filled day. Take in the coming year with open arms. Have a blast!

2008-12-24T23:02:00.007+11:00

Not long to go now.

Keep your eye's & ears open for Santa Claus now!!!

Milestone reached...

2008-12-24T21:58:00.003+11:00

Tonight I have reached a milestone in the world of blogging. Well it is for me anyway. My counter indicates that I have had over 2000 visitors from over 50 countries worldwide. WOOO HOO!!!
Now if only everybody had left a brief comment I would be an extremely happy person. Never the less, I am happy about this, and I am feeling a possible giveaway coming on to celebrate. I will have to do some brain storming and see if I can come up with something appropriate during the holidays. Keep tuned in for further developments in the coming weeks.

Merry Christmas to One and All

2008-12-24T21:47:00.006+11:00

I would like to send best wishes to you & yours for a safe & joyous Christmas season.

Also a big thank you to all those out there in Blogland for visiting & for all of the lovely comments throughout 2008 - it's great to have friends living in my computer.

I look forward to making lots of new friends in 2009.

Smith Family's Toy & Book Appeal

2008-12-18T22:40:00.005+11:00

The company that I am currently on assignment at are supporting the Smith Family's Toy & Book Appeal by helping to organise the collections of gifts and books from staff members. The Smith Family rely on the generosity of Australians so that children can be included in the spirit of the season. In 2007 they delivered more than 17,000 Toy & Book Christmas packs to children around Australia. This year they are aiming to deliver 20,000 Christmas packs to disadvantaged Aussie kids.

We have a christmas tree in the foyer and as you can see there are already many pressies under the tree. I decided this year to contribute as it is a wonderful cause and every child deserves to receive a present at Christmas time, no matter how big or small. I purchased two books. One for a girl & another for a boy.

I would encourage all Australians to donate a gift to one of the many organisations who have a gift tree in their local shopping centre. The Kmart Wishing Tree supports The Smith Family in NSW, VIC & QLD.

2008 Christmas Stocking Swap

2008-12-15T21:49:00.014+11:00

I am a very lucky girl. Last week, I know I'm a bit late in posting, I received my parcel from Aunt Pitty Pat for the Christmas Stocking swap. Here are the gifts received still all wrapped up. Now I'm not known for my patience, so of course I had to open them. I just couldn't wait until Christmas day.

I received some lovely items. The stocking is so cute. The chocolates didn't last long. And one can never have enough fabric, thread & other notions. A practical red & white tea towel, which will be great as my existing ones are looking a bit worse for wear. Thank you Marcel, I love everything that you sent, but where did you hide the buttons!! LOL. You should be receiving my parcel very soon, that is if it hasn't already arrived. Can you do me a favour and take a pic of the parcel when it arrives, before you open it. I forgot to take one before I posted it & I did something special with it.

The Winner is......

2008-12-13T15:08:00.005+11:00

Last night at the weekly stitch'n'bitch night we checked the naughty comments made for the plum pudding ornament. I had chosen the one I thought was the best and as one of the other ladies in the trio had made a comment, I asked the third member which comment she thought was the naughtiest. She chose the same one which I had chosen.

So.......drum rollllll...............

The winner is Lindi. So Lindi if you could please contact me with your postal address I'll arrange to forward a plum pudding ornament, so that you can put on your tree for this year.

Thankyou to everybody who visited my blog and left a comment.

2008-12-11T21:35:00.002+11:00

This is for all my blogging buddies.

2008-12-10T22:36:00.006+11:00

The Cuckoo

2008-12-10T21:43:00.010+11:00

On Sunday my Friday night stitch'n'bitch friends (Nita & Pamela) and our DH's got together for a Christmas celebration luncheon at The Cuckoo Restaurant which is located at Olinda in The Dandenong Ranges just outside of Melbourne.
It has a wonderful atmosphere so if you are ever driving around in The Dandenongs be sure to pop in for a smorgasbord luncheon, afternoon tea or dinner. The building itself is done up to look like a Bavarian Chalet.However, I would caution the driver not to order the 1 litre tankard of beer. One of the DH's ordered one & it was massive. Now I would've taken a photo of this, however I forgot to take my camera didn't I. But the other girls did & if you go to Pamela's blog she may have put up some of the pics from the luncheon.

They would also have to have the biggest cuckoo clock ever hanging in the restaurant. But, I don't remember hearing any cuckoo's going off on the hour. I don't think I had that much to drink that I didn't hear them. Perhaps they had over indulged on beer and were sleeping it off.

But as you can see from the pics, there is heaps of scrumptious food, which I did happen to over indulge on. I didn't like everything, but there was enough variety that one could still have a good chow down. We all had a very enjoyable afternoon.

What Christmas Carol are You?

2008-12-02T22:14:00.005+11:00

Your Christmas Carol Is

Gee, if I could only
Have my two front teeth,
Then I could wish you
"Merry Christmas."

At Christmas, you are a happy soul who's easy to please.
You're biggest concern is making those around you smile.

Santa's Younger Brother!

2008-12-02T19:49:00.009+11:00

It's almost that time of the year again girls, don't ya just love Christmas.

Meet Jared - Santa's younger brother...he takes care of the naughty girls.

Hmmmmm....So, I wonder who is going to be the first crafter to be naughty????

Leave me a comment of how naughty you would be prepared to be to be disciplined by Jared (within reason of course...no XXX please) & I'll send one of my plum pudding ornaments to the person I vote the naughtiest. (I will pick the winner on Friday 12 Nov 08 after 7pm)

Happy for you to put a link on your blog if you wish.

Deadline for swap this week!

2008-12-01T22:06:00.009+11:00

I'm due to post my Bee Sew Whimsical Secret Honeypot Swap this week. I have finished making by Christmas card and ornaments. I know it is only supposed to be one, but it is the season for giving so I made two. Here is a bit of a teaser pic of my creations.

I cannot divulge who the recipient is, not yet anyway, but I will say that it will be going across the seas to it's new home. After all it is a secret swap! Thanks to Darlene for organising.

Now I just have one more Christmas swap to organise this week & I also need to drag out the Christmas decorations & put up the tree. Oh...no rest for the wicked.

Update 15/12: Swap has now been received by Deb, so I can now reveal the items. I also included a pattern for a Christamas wall hanging, but forgot to include it in the pic. If you go to to Debs blog you will see the pattern in her pic. I also had some fun teasing Deb by sending her a Christmas ecard everyday for 7 days beginning from when I posted her parcel. She is somewhat of a sleuth as she managed to guess who her secret swap partner was.

Santa Must be a Woman

2008-11-27T20:11:00.007+11:00

The Truth, as We All Know . . . . . . .

I think Santa Claus is a woman....I hate to be the one to defy a sacred myth, but I believe he's a she. Think about it. Christmas is a big, organized, warm, fuzzy, nurturing social deal, and I have a tough time believing a guy could possibly pull it all off!

For starters, the vast majority of men don't even think about selecting gifts until Christmas Eve. Once at the shops, they always seem surprised to find only socket wrench sets and mood rings left on the shelves. On this count alone, I'm convinced Santa is a woman.
Surely, if he were a man, everyone in the universe would wake up Christmas morning to find a rotating musical Chia Pet under the tree, still in the bag.

Another problem for a he-Santa would be getting there. First of all, there would be no reindeer because they would all be dead, gutted and strapped to the rear bumper of the sleigh amid wide-eyed, desperate claims that buck season had been extended. Blitzen's rack would already be on the way to the taxidermist.

Even if the male Santa DID have reindeer, he'd still have transportation problems because he would inevitably get lost up there in the snow and clouds and then refuse to stop and ask for directions.

Other reasons why Santa can't possibly be a man:

Men can't pack a bag.
Men would rather be dead than caught wearing red velvet.
Men would feel their masculinity is threatened...having to be seen with all those elves.
Men don't answer their mail.
Men would refuse to allow their physique to be described even in jest as anything remotely resembling a "bowlful of jelly."
Men aren't interested in stockings unless somebody's wearing them.
Having to do the Ho Ho Ho thing would seriously inhibit their ability to pick up women.
Finally, being responsible for Christmas would require a commitment.

I can buy the fact that other mythical holiday characters are men.........

Father Time shows up once a year unshaven and looking ominous - definite guy.
Cupid flies around carrying weapons.
Uncle Sam is a politician who likes to point fingers.

Any one of these individuals could pass the testosterone screening test.

But not St. Nick. Not a chance.

Simply Quilts in the Garden

2008-11-19T22:48:00.007+11:00

I have just finished watching a couple of episodes of Simply Quilts which I had recorded. I love this program and record them whenever they are on.
The first episode was about Quilting in the Garden. It was an exhibition of over 70 quilts made by two quilters (Diana McClun & Laura Nownes) at a garden nursery in southern California. They had been pegged on clothes lines hung between enormous old oak trees. They looked absolutely fabulous. What a wonderful way to view quilts, in nature. The second episode was about setting up a quilting studio. Myrna Giesbrecht presented some useful ideas which I'm sure we could all adapt to suit our needs. I am now inspired to try and organise my quilting mess, which is spread throughout the house. Maybe I might find some time before Christmas & maybe not.

It's time to decorate our blogs for Christmas

2008-11-09T23:03:00.007+11:00

It's time again to have fun and decorate your blog for Christmas. Sooziii will put up a Voting Poll closer to Christmas and there will be prizes to win. Click here for all of the details.

I've been tagged!!!!

2008-11-06T23:07:00.006+11:00

I've been tagged by Lindi of Quilty Threads. This is a first for me, so I'll give it a go.

These are the tag rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. List 7 things about yourself. Some random, some weird.

3. Tag 3 more players and let them know.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

OK here goes.....

7 random &/or weird things about me:

1. My husband says that I snore very loudly. Not sure that I believe him, but it's not the first time I've been told this, so there maybe some truth in it.

2. I like things that I do and make to be perfect. They do not always turn out perfect though. My friends have told me on more than one occassion that I have a problem.

3. I'm a hoarder. A bit like a magpie I guess.

4. I wrote a book on my family history and organised a family reunion.

5. I'm also a scapper. No this doesn't been I collect scrap fabrics (well I do, but that isn't what I mean). I enjoy scrapbooking & I love the Creative Memories albums. So much that I am a consultant (hobbyist).

6. I gave up fulltime work in Aug 2007 to work less and do temporary work through an agency. I have been working ever since, except for approx. 10 weeks.

7. I meet 3 Friday nights in a month with 2 friends and quilt. We call it our 'Stitch 'n' Bitch' night.

OK, now who am I going to tag?? I don't know to many bloggers, so if you want to join in, just leave a comment and I'll add you to the links - this is a good way to get visitors to your blog, too ;)

Pamela at PUDDLINGALONG

Susan in Stitches

Cathron Country

I've created a countdown 'widget'...

2008-11-04T23:02:00.006+11:00

I just had to add this post to let you all know that after a lot of trial and error I've managed to create my very own Christmas Countdown Widget using one of my plum pudding pics. I'm so chuffed. It only took me most of last night. Check it out in the right sidebar. I did get carried away and added a couple of other Christmas countdowns as I just liked them. Not long to go now.

First day back at work.....

2008-11-03T22:42:00.004+11:00

Today was my first day back at work after four weeks off. Even though it is only a temporary position (I've been there now since March 2008), it was good to be back. It was difficult getting out of bed this morning and getting ready for work as I have gotten used to sleeping in a bit. But thankfully it only takes me five minutes to drive to work, so I do not have to arise to early.

It is a short post tonight as I have been busy searching the WWW for Christmas stuff to decorate my blog with. It is very time consuming and I haven't come across much that I like. Besides I received the December issue of AP&Q in the post today, so I think I'll go and tuck myself up in bed were it is nice and warm and have a bit of read. It is quite cool here in Melbourne tonight.

Good luck to all of those people in sweeps for 'Melbourne Cup' or who will be braving the TAB's and placing a bet tomorrow. I hope your horse comes home strong.

Camera battery found

2008-11-02T01:04:00.021+11:00

Yippeee!! I finally found the battery charger for the camera and the batteries are now charged and pictures taken. Moral of this is to unpack all items from bag after a trip away before putting bag away.
Below are some of the sewing related items which I have been working on the last few months and have actually completed.

Left: disappearing 9 patch with vintage chenille borders

Below: Maria quilt challenge finally completed. Read more about this subject in previous post....click here

Left: first batch of mini plum puddings

Left: they look good enough to eat don't you think!!

Above, left & below: Puzzle balls. They also rattle...great for babies. These were actually quite fun to make.

Above, left & below: Now I don't particularly like mice, but I do luv these cute little fabric mice. Fun to make and I luv these Moda fabrics. I've got some more in the making but this time with more bright retro fabrics.

Wedding Anniversary Holiday

2008-10-30T14:50:00.016+11:00

It was DH and mine 8th wedding anniversary on Sunday, so we went away for three nights to the country and stayed at Mira Mira which is located in Gippsland. It took us just under an hour to get there and it is a lovely peaceful and tranquil location. I just love the country side in this area of Victoria. Having grown up in the Wimmera district of Victoria which is very flat and in summer is very hot & dry, Gippsland is the opposite with lovely lush green rolling hills.

They have three self contained fantasy retreats, we stayed in the Japanese Zen Retreat, which was lovely. It is extremely peaceful and tranquil with nature surrounding you. It was lovely to awake of a morning with the sounds of birds chirping and flitting through the trees, instead of the roar of traffic. We didn't see much wildlife unfortunately except for a family of seven ducks on the pond which the retreat has been built on. The Zen Retreat is set in a gully so we could only drive the car so far. The rest of the way, which wasn't far going down, but it seemed to go on forever going back up to the car. Mind you I'm not terribly fit and don't like hills, so for someone fit it would be a walk in the park, or in this instance bush.

The other two retreats looked interesting and I wouldn't mind going back and stay in them. Maybe next anniversary. The are The Cave House and Tanglewood.

Long Absence

2008-10-30T14:16:00.008+11:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything. (I know I'm a bad girl and I'm sure that I will be punished in some way) I have been busy working and making UFO's. I have actually finished some items, but have quite a few still on the go, with of course lots of new ones on the drawing board in my head. Of course with Christmas nearly upon us, like everybody else I am trying to be proactive and hope to be organised well before then! (it is always good to have a goal to aim for)

I was going to take some pictures of some items which I have completed, however all of the batteries for the digital camera are flat and of course the charger is no where to be found. I've had a 'boys' look but couldn't find it, so will have to have a 'girls' look later on. When I do find it I will take some piccies and post.

Woodland Bloom Giveaway Contest

2008-07-30T01:38:00.003+10:00

Lila Tueller Designs is having a giveaway on her blog - a gorgeous bag of her own design and other yummy prizes.

Giveaway from Debbie's Quilts & more

2008-07-30T01:34:00.002+10:00

Debbie has some super items in her giveaway. Hope I get lucky and win.

Another Great Giveaway from Ohio Quilters Journey

2008-07-30T01:19:00.002+10:00

I'm in surf mode tonight and have been viewing some very inspirational blogs. One of which was Ohio Quilters Journey who is having a Summer Gone - Need Inspiration giveaway.
Go and check out her blog and while you are there enter her giveaway...ends 4th August (USA time).

Quilty Threads is having a giveaway

2008-07-30T01:01:00.003+10:00

Lindi is having a Winter giveaway. Follow the link and enter her giveway. While your there, check out her blog...she is a very lovely lady.

Trip to the Country

2008-06-05T22:39:00.006+10:00

I recently spent four days in Horsham attending my niece's 21st birthday party. It was also my mums 79th birthday, so I got to spend some time with her as well. I cleaned some of my mum's windows as a birthday present, which she said was better than any present I could have bought her. Now she can keep an eye on the comings & goings in the neighbourhood.

While I was at my mum's she brought out a quilt to throw on the bed as the nights are mighty cold up that way. I had totally forgotten about this quilt. It is a shaggy raggy quilt which mum & I made together when she was visiting a couple of years ago. As you can see from the pictures it has an assortment of cotton fabrics on the top and the back was made up of an assortment of chenilles from some old bedspreads. Along with the batting the chenille makes this a very warm snugly quilt.

I also came across this plaque at my mum's house. It was something which as a teenager I made at high school in woodwork & metalwork. From memory it was when I was in Form 1 or 2. Goodness it is that long ago. It did bring back some memories. I also made an egg flip as another project. That I think has long ago been discarded.

My niece Megs who just turned 21, with her current boyfriend & my mum.

Megs with her dad & mum (one of my older sisters), and her three older siblings.

Sisterly love.

2008-05-21T22:11:00.003+10:00

In December 2007 Sooziii organised a 'Decorate your blog competition'.

Sooziii's Decorate Your Blog Competition Of course being new to the world of blogging I figured that I should get in on the act. And Sooziii was going to give a prize to the blog which was voted to be the best...even better. Then aubirdwoman and Lindi said that they would supply a prize for 2nd & 3rd places. Well I was lucky & was placed 2nd. I received this lovely wall hanging from aubirdwoman for my efforts.

This will now be hung every Xmas along with all the other decorations.
I love the french knot detail in these sprigs which I think represent holly.

Angels guard over Santa from the back.
Thank you Sooziii for running the competition & thank you Sheila (aka aubirdwoman) for the gorgeous wall hanging. I'm a little late with this posting, however as the saying goes 'better late than never'.

Toffee Apple Bag by Melly & me.....

2008-04-13T20:54:00.007+10:00

In December 07 Lindi from 'Quilty threads and other things' had a fabric giveaway and I was one of the lucky winners. Lindi did ask at the time if I had any dislikes. I advised Lindi of the colours and themes which I tend to go for all the time and also said that something outside my comfort zone, the norm, would be good. Well what I received was definately outside of my comfort zone and the three fat quarters are pictured below. The colours did grow on me after a while and I came to like the middle pattern.

I had purchased a bag pattern called 'Toffee Apple Bag' by Melly & me and decided that I would make this bag out of the fat quarters which I had won. I added a cream for the lining and purchased another fabric in the same colour tones for the handles. The finished result is shown below.
As this bag was a bit bright for me, I gave it away as a gift to a friends daughter who was turning 21. I'm not sure if she liked it, but as fashion trends change it may became more to her liking. It actually would make a good beach bag as it is quite roomy inside and the bright funky colours are more summery than wintery.
Thank you Lindi for these lovely fabrics. I enjoyed using these fabrics in making up this bag.
With the bits & pieces left over I was able to make up some round floral shaped pin cushions in various sizes. I teamed it with some matching light blue vintage chenille on the base with the patterned fabric as the top. I will add some pics when I have the camera out again.

Maria Quilt Challenge

2008-04-07T21:13:00.010+10:00

My friend Marg put forward a challenge to a few fellow quilters at the end of last year, which involved making a quilt with only the following supplies...

a small hessian bag that contained: one piece of tape; one oz. of pins; one hundred needles; four balls of white sewing cotton; one ditto black; one ditto blue; one ditto red; two balls of black worsted, half an oz. each; twenty-four hanks of coloured thread, one of cloth, with 8 darning needles and one small bodkin fastened on it; two stay laces; one thimble; one pair of scissors; one pair of spectacles, when required; two lbs of patchwork pieces.

The inspiration behind this challenge is based on the work that Elizabeth Fry did with female convicts in England in the 1800's. Some of the female convicts being transported to Australia where given the above supplies to use on the sea voyage, either to make clothes or utility items for themselves or to sell. The result of one of these voyages is the Rajah Quilt.

The quilt is to be handsewn using only the tools in the hessian bag. No template plastic, no iron, no pencils, no paper. Well it took me a while to gather two pounds of patchwork fabric/scraps. Now one would think it would be relatively easy, considering that most quilters have a fairly large fabric stash (I'm no exception to that) and bags of scraps coming out of our ears. Well when I went through my fabrics there were a lot which I didn't think would be suitable. I wanted to try and select fabrics which I thought would be available in the 1800's, or at least reasonably close in pattern & colours. I eventually scraped together the two pounds of fabric which included a lot of scraps, some calico and even some old cotton checked shirts of my husbands which were destined for the rag bag.

The next challenge was to come up with a design. Now this was difficult as there was no paper or writing implements in the hessian bag. So it had to be all done in the mind and designed as I went along. I decided to go with a medallion centre which was a style which was used quite alot in the 1800's and just add various borders, style to be decided at the time, until I run out of fabric or get sick of it. So I roughly cut out a square of calico. I decided to go with stylised vines coming out of an urn. To do this I had to set the medallion square on point. Then I cut out some long strips to create the stems and stitched them down. Then lots of leaf shapes to attach to the stems. These weren't as hard as I thought they were going to be. I stacked 4/6 pieces of scraps on top of each other, then just cut an ovalish shape. They are not all the same, which is fine, as nothing is identical in nature. I attached these using a blanket stitch around the edge with embroidery cotton. Next came the triangle to create the urn. I then put a narrow border of black & white check (hubby's old shirt) around the medallion. One of the challenges was cutting straight lines without the aid of a ruler, which was difficult. Hence one of the reasons for using the checked fabric for the narrow border. I could use the lines created by the checks to at least get a strip of fabric which was relatively the same width at the beginning and end. I then added calico triangles to create the square. This was difficult without the aid of a ruler, so I just roughly cut them out, bigger than required, then just trimmed them up once I had sewn all four on. Another narrow border of black & white frames this square.

At this point I was very pleased with the way things were going. I then fussy cut some floral bouquets and appliqued (needleturned) these into the calico triangles. I really didn't know if I liked these or not. But after hanging and viewing I decided that it wasn't too bad and they sort of fitted in with the theme. One of the other challenges which I have found difficult was not being able to use the iron. I can be some what of a perfectionist (ask any of my quilting friends) and am a quilter who usually likes to press my seams etc as I go along. However I have had to do with just finger pressing the seams and/or using the handles of my scissors to press down on the seams.

Stay tuned for the next stage of the Maria Quilt Challenge.

Quilt as you go Whirlygig

2008-03-06T14:09:00.007+11:00

I received a request last night from Glenice in QLD who I met at the Dec SCQuilters meeting at Carrum Downs. She was admiring my 'quilt as you go' Whirlygig quilt that I am making using scraps of cotton fabric and chenille (old bedspreads, that is another story). I sent her the pattern of the Whirlygig pattern which was in an old issue of an APQ magazine, which I based this quilt on. I adapted it to 'quilt as you go' as it is easy to pick up and take it places to work on.

This quilt is a work in progress with no known finish date. The plan is to just keep adding hexagons until it is the right size or I get sick of it, which ever comes first. Each hexagon is approx. 8" across. So Glenice, her are some pictures of the quilt as it was this morning.
Here are some close up's of the individual hexagons so that you can see the detail. I quilted in the ditch, so there is no visible quilting on the front, except for those odd stray stitches which went of course. I started using the chenille in the centre as a feature, which wasn't to bad with the thinner chenille, however with six points meeting in the centre it was still a little bulky. After doing about five or six I changed my method and started only using cotton fabric in the centre. This was much better, less bulk and easier to handle.

The chenille adds texture to the blocks, especially the shaggy style.

I have used Hobbs Heirloom batting which is fusible on both sides. This makes sandwiching the three pieces together and the hand quilting easier as no pins required. Which is a good thing as it means less holes in my fingers and hands.
The quilting detail is only visible on the reverse as the light thread contrasts well against the plain backing colours. You can see a bit of the reverse in the third block pictured in the bottom right hand side of the pic.

Where has the year gone.........

2008-03-06T13:51:00.009+11:00

Goodness me, where has the year gone. It is already March (my birthday month) and I haven't posted since before Christmas. I have been a busy girl since Christmas, doing I don't know what as I do not have much to show for it. We had a lovely Christmas and I received lots of pressie's from DH.....several quilting books & a Tom Tom GPS. These also account for birthday gifts and any other occassions which come up during the year. I'll add some pics of the books when I get the camera out next. I should have done them this morning when I was snapping quilts in progress. My Christams pressie to DH was a 4 day ticket to the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Albert Park later this month, which includes entry to the KISS concert on the Sunday night after the race.

I love the applique on the cover of this book. Absolutely gorgeous. It is one which is going on my wish list of quilts to make.

More bling for the tree...& other decorations

2007-12-19T21:36:00.004+11:00

Today I headed off to the shops in search of some silver bling to put some wow into my Christmas tree. In particular I was looking for silver lamata. I went to about 8 stores, big & little, and no silver lamata. In the end I managed to get a string of small silver balls, but they only had one and I really could have used 2. I also found some lamata which was holographic opaque white, so at certain angles and from a distance it could be mistaken for silver. It does look better. What do you think?

This is my homemade wreath for the front door. It is just a cheap rattan ring and I have wrapped around all of my old, yukky & thin tinsel that any normal person would have chucked out years ago. I poked some old plastic decortations in the bottom, added some red & gold ribbon, which must have come off a past gift (see I knew it would come in handy one day) and lastly some red balls & green ribbon at the top.

The wall hanging which I made is as finished as it is going to be for this year. I added a star made from small gold colored metal charms stars. I also added some pressies under the tree. What was I thinking not putting any pressies on before. And either side of the tree are the words 'happy holidays' plastic with gold sprinkles. This tree now also has some bling.

In the lounge we have Santa Ted relaxing. This was the first Christmas gift my husband gave to me after we starting seeing each other. If I remember correctly inside Santa Ted's sack there were tickets to a Neil Diamond concert. No, no, no.......I'm not going to say which one, otherwise that would be giving away my age.

The pink flying pig Santa has landed on the coffee table in his sleigh. Now I wonder where the reindeer have wondered off to?? Looks like they ate & ran.

We have some 'Noel' blocks on the bookcase and another small plain tree void of decoration on the coffee table. And the christmas cards received framing the doorway. Now if you can't spy your card hanging up, then I bloody well haven't received it yet, or you crossed me off your christmas card list and haven't sent me one.

Don't forget to check out the Christmas blog decorators listed on Soozii's blog, then vote for the one you liked best. Just CLICK HERE and it will take you to Soozii's blog. There aren't too many so join in the fun and make one of us a very happy chappy. Don't forget to leave a comment so we know that you have been.

Lovely stained glass windows

2007-12-18T11:47:00.002+11:00

I was just looking through my picture file for a picture of one of my childhood Xmas trees with all of my siblings on Xmas morning. Alas I couldn't find it, but I did come across some pictures of some lovely old stained glass windows which I took at the 'Our Redeemer' Lutheran Church in Warracknabeal when I held a family reunion in 2005. They originally came out of two county Lutheran churches, of which one of them was built on land donated by my family and named after my great great grandfather. They are lovely.

These first three I am told are from the church my family worshipped at last century.

Hmmm....I'm feeling a quilt design could be made out of these. A project for the New Year perhaps.

It's now beginning to look a lot like Christmas........

2007-12-18T10:44:00.002+11:00

I have been a busy girl this morning. I have now finished decorating the tree and am now sitting back with a relaxing cup of mint green tea. It is difficult though to get a good picture of the tree with the lights on and flashing, but I think it thinks good. Thanks to my friend Pam for the loan of the Xmas star on top and for the extra silver & purple balls. If not for these my tree would still be naked. It's amazing how many decorations are required to fill the tree. And I've only done 3/4 of the tree. The other 1/4 which is at the back is still naked. I figured that it won't be seen so why bother.

Now for the unveiling of the decorated tree. Drum roll please maestro........

Without and with lights on

Do you think it needs anything else, maybe some tinsel or something?

If so, leave a comment and let me know what you think about my tree.

Don't be shy now, I don't bite.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas........

2007-12-18T02:35:00.002+11:00

Earlier this evening my friend Pam and I went and visited our friend Lorraine at Patchwork Passion in Cranbourne as she was having a sale to make way for new stock arriving in the New Year. Well anybody who knows Pam and I will know that we just can't resist a sale...especially when it involves fabric. We spent nearly two hours there and after a chat and a cup of tea and a wonder around we were on our way. Oh, did I mention that we both bought fabric and notions for our DH to give to us for Christmas? They are good boys.

I was supposed to be out purchasing a Christmas tree and decorating this evening, however I decided that I would stop at the supermarket on the way home to pick up the tree and decorate on Tuesday. Yes I know, I can hear some people saying, it is already Tuesday. But I just had to add this post before heading off to bed. OMG it is nearly 3am. I had better finish this post and head off to bed otherwise the tree will be naked for another day.

I did buy my tree on the way home and let me just tell you that I think I got a bargain. This is probably because I have left it until the week before Christmas to buy it. Two weeks ago when I looked they were priced at Coles supermaket for $45. Which I thought was OK. Last week when I was doing my grocery shopping they were down to $35. I didn't have room in the trolley so left it. Tonight when I went in they were down to $25!! I wonder if I left it until the weekend if they would be marked down again to maybe $15.

Anyway I am now happy I have my real Christmas tree and the whole house now smells like a pine forsest. There is just something about the smell of pine trees that remind me of Christmas time. Close your eyes now if you don't want to be offended by my naked tree.

PS. If your lurking, leave me a message and say hi.

Christmas gifts from quilty friends

2007-12-18T01:53:00.002+11:00

Last Friday evening DH and I got together with two of my quilting buddies and their DH for a Xmas BBQ. It was a stinking hot day down here in Melbourne, but I braved it, all be it after a bit of complaining about the heat.

We had lots of laughs and Christmas cheer as well as a spendiferous meal. Ate far too much, but just couldn't resist.

My quilting buddies (aka Pam and Nita) gave me some lovely gifts.

Pam said that she just had to make something as she knew that Nita and I most probably would. She made four little plum puddings with holly on top...they are just too cute. These were inside a lovely Christmas sleigh along with a hand towel with Christmas bells & a tree decoration with a request to Santa "Dear Santa more fabric please". Like I don't have enough!! Thanks Pammie.

Nita gave me a lovely rose candle in a glass container with roses imprinted. Smells gorgeous. Along with a lovely cup (actually more like a mug) & saucer in lovely soft pastels with a quilty theme and her usual handmade card, which are great. I have kept all of the past Christmas cards that I have received from this crafty lady. Thanks Nita.

Nita has also just finished hand quilting a quilt for her dad for christmas. It has an Australiana theme. It is hard to see from the pic but the large on point squares is from a fabric which has old Australiana homesteads (farm houses). The wide border is eucalyptus trees.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree.......

2007-12-13T19:03:00.003+11:00

I am determined to get a real tree for Christmas this year. But alas, I haven't had the chance to go and pick one up. I have to get this done by the end of this coming weekend. I had better clear the space where it is to go...pronto. Otherwise we will have to put up with the fake mini tree. So until this happens the above will be my tree. I still have a few more quilty gifts to complete as well.

Yesterday DH got the results of a glucose test from the doctor and found out that he has type 2 diabetes. Hmmm...another change of diet. Looks like the shopping is going to now take me twice as long as I'll have to read all the nutritional information on the labels...low sugar, low sodium, low protein...the list goes on and on. Perhaps I should just feed him vegetables. I think I would have a mutiny on my hands if I did this. Looking on the bright side, we should both lose some weight and become a lot healthier.

I just had a Christmas treat when I checked my mail and found that I was one of the lucky winners of Lindi's fabric draw. Yippee.

VIC SCQuilters Xmas breakup

2007-12-05T22:14:00.002+11:00

Today I decided to venture out and attend my first VIC SCQuilters monthly get together. And what a day to pick, christmas party time...WOOHOO.
I took my plate of food along to add to the other mountains of yummy foods. Organised some show & tell (QS Sampler quilt & nearly completed Xmas Wall Hanging - refer previous posts for pics). And decided that I would join in the fun and got together a Kris Kringle gift.
For my Kris Kringle I received the most gorgeous little Xmas wall hanging (which is already hanging up in the dining room) which perfectly suits my colour scheme...greens.

Also included with this was a book (approx. 3" square) titled 'Quilting - Quotations Celebrating an American Legacy'. It is so sweet. As you can see it has a thimble on a string for a page marker. So cute. Thanks Jo for the lovely Kris Kringle.

One of the quotes which I read when I was quickly flicking through it was the following, which I thought was very appropriate for SCQuilters.

...just as the pieces of the quilt are sewn together with interlocking stitches, all people are linked together in the fabric of our world. In a way, the patchwork quilt represents all the different people of the world. We are individual in our attitudes, life-styles, and backgrounds, yet we share so much of what it means to be human. Teresa Gustafson "Love is a Blanket"

I also took along some items which my friend Janita made for the trade table, as she had to work and was unable to attend. Everybody loved her 'noodle box bags' and all three sold, along with one of her hand painted quilting rolls. Don't have any pics, forgot to take some before they sold. She was thrilled when I told her when I got home that she had some extra spending money for Christmas.

The day went so quickly. Then another small gift was given to everybody. Members received a diary and great little scissors. Visitors (me) also received a small gift. They are the smallest pair of scissors I have seen and dangle from a mobile phone. As you can see from the pic below, I have already added mine to my mobile to share with my Fuwa - Nini the Swallow (one of the five Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games).

In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of spreading good wishes through signs and symbols. Each of Fuwa symbolizes a different blessing -- and will honor this tradition by carrying their good wishes to the children of the world. Prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck will be spread to every continent as Fuwa carry their invitation to Beijing 2008 to every part of the globe.
At the heart of their mission -- and through all of their work -- Fuwa will seek to unite the world in peace and friendship through the Olympic spirit. Dedicated to helping Beijing 2008 spread its theme of One World, One Dream to every continent, Fuwa reflect the deep desire of the Chinese people to reach out to the world in friendship through the Games -- and to invite every man, woman and child to take part in the great celebration of human solidarity that China will host in the light of the flame in 2008.

Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites on the currents of wind that blow through the capital. Among the kite designs, the golden-winged swallow is traditionally one of the most popular. Nini's figure is drawn from this grand tradition of flying designs. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Swallow is also pronounced "yan" in Chinese, and Yanjing is what Beijing was called as an ancient capital city. Among Fuwa, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.

Sorry got carried away with the Fuwa.

On a quilty note, I did manage to work on my quilt-as-you-go hexagon's. I am using up scraps of fabric and also incorporating some chenille from vintage bedspreads. The chenille gives the hexagons some texture.

I would like to thank all the members who attended today for making me feel welcome and I look forward to attending the next get together with this great group of like minded people in the New Year.

Over the top...and lovin' it

2007-12-02T15:33:00.001+11:00

I think I have gone overboard with the Xmas stuff, but it is so much fun. It's like being a kid again and looking with awe at all the houses covered with Xmas lights. Even now I love going around neighbourhoods and looking at all of the lights. Driving home from my friends house last night at midnight there was a house that someone had spent a lot of time on. Lights everywhere even in the garden. It looked great.

Christmas Videos

Christmas Video Code by Christmas Gifts.net

Xmas Wall Hanging nearly finished

2007-11-30T16:53:00.002+11:00

I've nearly completed my Xmas wall hanging. Just have to get a decent hanger (instead of the clothes hanger and pegs) and put some dangling bells on the bottom. I'm very pleased with the way it has turned out...my first attempt at foundation piecing. I just love the little clapper bells that I have added, they double as Xmas lights...perfect. Oh and I need to find a suitable star or angel to pop on top of the tree.

Stitch 'n' Bitch - 9 Nov 07

2007-11-13T20:39:00.002+11:00

We had a great night...again. Ate too much & didn't get enough stitchin' done, but we enjoyed ourselves. I finished stitching the binding on my Xmas wall hanging and that was about it. Now I just have to finish the decorations. Will put up a pic when it is all completed.

These are my friends Janita & Pam.

Jacko the monkey just wanted to see want Janita was up to.

We have all been doing patchwork for about the same length of time...2 years give or take. Janita is the most talented & does folk art painting & will soon be teaching beginners classes at her local community centre. Janita also decorates cakes, makes dolls & works with polymer clay. These are just a few of her talents.

The Japanese Geisha doll was made by Janita in a class at Cowes which we all attended. My doll has probably been shuffed in a cupboard somewhere. If I ever find it I might put up a pic.

The cage is home to two pixies which Janita made from polymer clay and dressed...they are so cute. They also have a tendancy to runaway from home, hence the cage.

Janita's current quilt project, which she has now decided to make a queen size.

Janita & I are both very impressed with Pam. She has finished several quilts and the quilt pictured below is the largest she has attempted to date. She is currently hand quilting it. Go Pammie!! It is to be a gift for her brother. Pam is the one peaking out from the side of the quilt 'cos she is too short to hold it up to its full length. That's OK us shorties have to stick together. Pam is also quite good had impersonations...see her Cousin It below.

Bitch 'n' Stitch night

2007-11-09T15:16:00.002+11:00

Well tonight is my weekly get together with my friends 'Nita (Janita) and Pam. We catch up every Friday evening except every fourth Friday which is date night with our DH's. We rotate between each others houses, which is great.

Tonight I will be finishing off the binding on my Xmas wall hanging. With Xmas only 47 days away I thought that I should make a few decorations to make the house festive. Xmas is at our house this year and some of my family from the country will be coming down, as well as DH family, so I would also love to get a fresh Xmas tree. Should be a good day. I just have to make sure that I am prepared for it.

This is my Xmas wall hanging as it was a few days ago before the final border and binding had been sewn on. I also have to decorate the tree section so it looks Xmassy.

This pic is my first lot of healing hearts which I sent off earlier this week to fellow scquilters. I have been wanting to do these now for a couple of months. I luv the idea of letting someone you have never met know that there are others out there thinking of them in their time of need. I was pleased with my first attempt, however looking at the pic I think that the hearts are just a bit to big. Five of the hearts above also have hearts within the pattern of the fabric, which I deliberately did. I have been collecting a stash of fabric with hearts within the pattern for use in making healing heart blocks.

Anyway I must finish up now as I still have to finish off dinner (veggie lasagne) and make some banana walnut muffins for this evenings supper.

Welcoming great nephew - Jess Cooper Fischer

2007-11-09T14:49:00.002+11:00

On the 23 October 2007 in Perth my niece Bianca had her second bubs, a little boy. They named him Jess Cooper Fischer. My sister Kay had flown over from Horsham a few weeks earlier to be on hand to help out. Proud Poppy Rob flew to Perth after his birth and took my mum, great nanny with him for a weeks holiday.

Hmmm....now I wonder if this is my mum!!
Left to right: Poppy; older sister, Imiggin; Great Nanny; Nanny
Daddy having a cuddle
1 week old and finally home. I hope he grows into these clothes soon!

How shiny is my sink!

2007-10-31T22:29:00.000+11:00

Well my sink is now that shiny I can see myself it. This is the first step to solving my 'living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)' problem, according to the 'FlyLady'. I like the sound of the theory and I'm hoping that it will work for me. Oh to be free of clutter and to be organised, joy of joy. DH will be so pleased if I can succeed. Even 50% success would be a step in the right direction. If you want to know more just go to the website. (refer my links of interest)
I might take some pics tomorrow and put up some before and after pics...oh I forgot, the sink is already shiny, looks like it will be only the after pics.

Armed with all of this knowledge I'll now be able to get all of my sewing gear in the one room and actually be able to find things when I want them. It's always good to have a dream and goals to strive for.

I bet this is the cleanest that any of my friends or family have seen this sink. Day 2 and it's still shining. Because the sink is now so clean and shiny it has inspired me to make more things shiny...but don't get too excited now...one can't rush into these kinds of decisions. Babysteps first.

Sampler Quilt Completed

2007-10-30T23:59:00.003+11:00

I should be going to bed, but I'm going to try and load up some pictures of my first major quilt project.

I started this quilt when my friend Pam asked if I wanted to go to patchwork classes. It wasn't something that I had done before so I said 'why not'. That was in May 2006. The project was a sampler quilt. We had to decide on the number of blocks we wanted to do which ultimately would determine the size of the quilt. I had to make a queen size quilt, as DH only let me go to classes on the promise that the finished quilt would be a gift for him. This meant that I had to make 20 blocks. Sounded easy enough. One block per week (hand pieced) and it would be done in 5/6 months. Huh!! I didn't know about sashings, borders, backing/wadding and quilting at this stage. Was I in for a rude shock. I should've only did 9 blocks (like Pam) and I would have finished in 5/6 months.

It is now 16/17 months later and the quilt is finally finished. Because I was determined to hand quilt it took longer as it was so large it was difficult to move around. But I am very pleased with the results.

Thought I'd add another pic of the quilt after my friend Pam said this one was on a weird angle. The pic above was taken without the flash on. The pic below was taken with the flash on. The truer colours are in the pic above.

Finally created a blog........

2007-10-30T19:06:00.000+11:00

Well I have been thinking about creating a blog for ages and finally got around to doing it this afternoon. Now I just have to figure out how to drive it. Watch this space for exciting things to come. Well maybe not so exciting, just things I have been doing in my life.