My first Quilt (by myself)

As promised in my recent Giveaway, I said I'd share my first quilt with you all if you shared yours! There were some lovely first quilts shared!

While not technically my very FIRST quilt, it is the very first quilt I finished by myself with minimal guidance by my mummy dearest. (the very first quilt completed as an apprentice to my nan {read she did most of it} is now in storage and I really do need to pull it out to share!!!)

Nesting during pregnancy was never a strong desire for me, but for some reason the sewing machine that had been gathering dust for years started calling & thus began a love affair! I enlisted mum's help and used her 1001 Quilt block bible (which I later purchased for myself) waddled to spotlight and collected a few Fat Quarters in bright colours which were then teemed with my very teeny stash of solids and some calico to make this first blanket style quilt for my little girl who arrived a couple of months after it was finished.

The quilt is now back in my sewing room awaiting some FMQ as I made a few big mistakes upon making this quilt like using wadding :o instead of batting and the only places it is held in place is the far edges. I originally intended to unpick the darn thing and re-baste it with batting & do a proper binding on it, but my EB newbie quilters suggested I just do some FMQ around the existing quilt blocks :) what would I do without them???

& the winner is...

beckyetal ~ come on down! You are the winner of my recent giveaway! I will drop you an email to get your details! Thanks to everyone for playing along :)

Stay tuned - there WILL be more giveaways as soon as I get my backside into gear & return to my crafting space!

Extended

For the life of me ~ I cannot get the random.org to work tonight, I will draw the winner of my giveaway tomorrow (old style) so get your entries in... I will accept entries up till lunch time tomorrow :) 

Mind-Numbing

I've been in overdrive for far too long. Now I'm hankering for some much needed mind-numbing activities to recoup and regenerate. I'll be back before too long as I've many a quilt in the pipelines, several pinnies to make for Miss K, metres of wool to knit & more books to add to the 50 for '09 challenge.

In the meantime ~ you'll find me kicking back with some chocolates, a cup of tea, a chic flick (or chic tv sitcomes), my crochet blankie for Miss K and an easy read to settle the brain.

See you on the flip side :)

Therapy?

Armed with a Hammer, some Glue & my silent setter late yesterday, I set about attacking my nice clean & brand spanking new copy of "Wreck this Journal"  

You know it's funny, when I got this journal in the mail last week, I was rather hesitant upon reading thru the instructions. Internal turmoil began and my thoughts were varied.

Burn this page ~ Hell yes! As a teen, I spent many hours burning candles and fingernails (don't ask...!)

Eat this page ~ Um... well... err...

Rip this page & throw it out ~ I couldn't possibly...

Shower with it ~ WHAT? (shame I didn't use it as a boat in the torrential downpour we had last week! I did consider it)

After spending many hours of Friday night trawling through a flickr group and the Australian flickr group, I walked away feeling less than perfect and wondering how the heck I could turn this little book into a work of art - like these talented people have done, when I can't even draw a straight line...???

A night spent mulling it over & I realise that all I can do is destroy it. Whether it will be fit to be a work of art (I highly doubt it) regardless it will be MY creativity and MY take on what I think it should be.

So without further adieu, first step was to use it as a plate for my cookies (see I've already written on the edges!) 

I then set about hammering those little brad thingies into it so I could add an elastic closer which has since been coloured with bright pens. Next I added a sopping wet hibiscus flower & a leaf I found in the back yard and I'm now on my way to wrecking this journal ~ join me for the ride!!!

I will add though ~ god it was good therapy attacking it with a hammer!!! Can't wait to do more!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Since you've all been so patient with my trillion posts today.

Since I didn't actually get around to a giveaway when I promised (after Christmas... eek)

Since I received a 2nd copy of this book for my Birthday

Since I missed my 1st blog-iversary

Since I missed my 1st 100 posts & the next 100

and

Since my nanny always tells me it's as much fun to give as to receive...

I'm giving away my original copy of Jennifer Chiaverini novella The Quilters Apprentice (it's been read once, so not completely new!) and I may or may not throw in a little something extra :)

To win - just tell me what your first ever quilt was and how it turned out! I'll show & tell my first ever quilt (done as an apprentice) when I draw the winner!

Closes ~ 29th May 2009

Birthday Month :)

It may or may not have been someone's birthday yesterday... :whistle: LOL

I scored a fantastic (fabric related) present from my mum & dad ~ thanks so much guys!

~ With Needle and Thread Book by Natalie Bird ~

~ Spring Fling Jelly roll & fabric to make the quilt pictured on the little card ~

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS FABRIC, so fresh!!!

~ 10 delicious Amy Butler FQ's ~

And of course ~ my dear Hubby, daughter and dog did a good job sticking to the (long) suggestion list I set out for them! I scored Jennifer Chiaverinis' An Elm Creek Quilts Sampler (1st 3 novels in the series) as well as the Elm Creek Quilts (Quilt Projects Inspired by the novels) and a copy of Kate Jacobs' The Friday Night Knitting Club. He was also a sweetie and gave me a couple of box sets DVD's and chocolates! He also said that he will take me shopping to buy another lens / filter for my camera :D (gotta love that boy!!!)

Cross-eyed 4 Cross-stitch

OH MY! With the recent clean up, I came across some cross-stitch charts to be returned to the master box, down came the box and I spent the next 1/2 hour on the floor trying to make sense of the mess. Half started pieces. Charts scattered here. Bulging folder of charts and half started projects. Threads scattered everywhere. I'm embarrassed to admit it. Once upon a time, when Cross-stitch was my only craft, everything was neat and tidy :(

So a trip to the stationery shop, saw me come home equipped with a large ringed binder to file the charts properly! Now my charts are easy to find. All the aida has been placed in separate bags along with the thread for chose project and the box is once more neat and tidy (well sort of... LOL) I am about to list the started projects / charts I have along the sidebar... once you see it you will understand why I've switched main craft to sewing - so many charts, so many hours. Yikes, I'd best start getting cross-eyed for cross-stitch!

I found this little one I finished back in 2000 ~ he's been residing in a frame for the last however long, but I'm thinking of re-locating him into a log cabin cushion (add it to the list...)

More FO's

Am I the only one too lazy to re-thread the machine just to finish a UFO? This bag was done YONKS ago and was sitting in the pile of mess, pinned & just needing the top edging done in a different colour. FINALLY finished on Wednesday night & already packed with everything a girl needs for a night on the town ~ The pattern was the Sha Sha Dream bag (I think) altered to suit me and I have to say it fits EVERYTHING, phone, purse, toiletry bag, hand wash, fork, spoon and enough snack food to get toddler thru till dinner was served :)

Finally Finished...

Remember this post when I was cleaning and re-organising my sewing room?  Well the mess on top of the sideboard remained. It then multiplied. Adding to the mess it then tripled. When it was at mammoth height (think Kosiosco proportions) and was in danger of tumbling every time I ventured too close ~ it was time to attack. With attack comes great mess (in other areas of the house ~ whoops! Oh well. I now have a clear space on the cupboard, the floor and although the fabric piles are once more overloaded and not looking neat (nor as bare) as they did in the original cleanup... and the centre cupboard has 50 magazines that need filing... it is a darn site easier to step into the room and clean up.

As with any big clean up, forgotten projects are found *blush* and new lists are re-written to finalise said WIPS.

Wednesday night, forgoing my one night by myself to watch anything I desire on TV (a rarity with a TV mad husband!) I put the finishing touches on two tie back tops for Miss K that I had started last winter *double blush* luckily with the tie back, they are still big enough to fit her as tops & she will get the full winter wear out of them, before we hand them down to SIL for her bubby girl :)

 

The left is fully reversible in this cool cotton fabric I borrowed stole off mum! The one on the right is a cord print I got from Spotlight last winter and lined with toasty flannel ~ should keep the little tyke warm at least!

Washer ~ Happy Mothers Day

From here

For my Mummy for Mothers day... this is the washer I promised LONG ago (like before Christmas when she gave me the blender LOL) whoops. Sorry it's taken so long. I just needed to find the perfect pattern for you ~ Happy Mothers Day! Enjoy xxx

Rain, rain go away...

Woke to the sound of teaming rain this morning and decided that we would forego our usual Wednesday mothers group meet as the weather yesterday, although marginally better than todays' weather, made for atrocious conditions on the road. Luckily the other girls thought the same and various messages went back and forth about who was most rained in!

Watching out our living room window, I watched as this small waterfall of water from our neighbours yard...

 

fast become a mini niagra fall...

Had to open the side gates to let the torrent of water flow through & down the front yard (sorry to the neighbours in the lower section of the estate!!!

& there is still more to come! Hopefully this little lull will allow the puddles lakes to reside before the next torrential downpour begins tonight.

 

BTW ~ And we are nearly completely cut off. The main road is under, many of the surrounding roads are under and I'm fairly sure the side road we take on occasion would have to be near if not already under too. So what does one do with herself during all this rain... I bake of course!

A yummy loaf of home-made bread

What I am hopeful will resemble leek & potato soup later in the day.

& now it's time to bake cookies (again) I must say Corries One Cup Cookies are a firm favourite in the household!!!

EB Wallhanging Swap ~ Sent

This is the quilt I sent to Kirsty as part of the EB Newbie Quilters Wallhanging Swap. As I mentioned in one of previous posts, the block used turned out to be very apt for the recipient.

I originally chose a simple block from my 1001 patchwork designs book bible, called Indian Puzzle. I loved the simplicity of it & that it sort of circled itself, hence the name of the Quilt 'Circle of Friends'

I traced the block and in scrap fabrics attempted to foundation piece it and realised that I am still a complete newbie to foundation piecing, so ditched it with the intention of finding a similar block on my long awaited EQ6. After searching through the blocks and initially choosing either the exact same (or very similar block) to the one Kirsty made for Esther, I chickened out and searched for another as the curves frightened me in the original block.

Upon browsing I found the block I used which was called Monkey's Wrench & was really close to the original block I'd chosen from my book ~ the spooky part... Kirsty's blog is titled Monkeys' Quilts... well it was sort of spooky to me, the block called from the start and I responded.

For the record... I did not foundation piece this block - it is all pieced by machine. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out :)

Make sure you check out our communal blog ~ I'm about to pinch borrow all the quilts and post them all up :) 

Wallhanging Swap

Today was opening day for the EB NEWBIE QUILTERS first (annual) Wallhanging Swap.

This gorgeous little quilt arrived on my front door step by from Kayscha ~ I LOVE IT! A gorgeous dresden plate applique done in vintage type fabrics, complete with a chenille centre. It is beautiful! Thank you so much Kayscha and also for the few little extras you sent along ;) (I'm keeping the b'day card till next week to open :)

Dani, Kirsty, Kayscha, Esther  were the other participants in the swap, swing by their blogs in the next few days to see what gorgeous wall hanging were sent and received.

I will blog my sent wall hanging either later tonight or tomorrow, I currently have a sick little girl hanging off me wanting "cuggles"

D.E.A.D. DEAD ~ AKA RIGORMORTIS HAS SET IN...

I cleaned out our old coffee machine yesterday with the intention of making my own daily cappucino, hence saving a few extra $$$$'s in the process... I think it's only been used once in the last few years (very slack I know, but hey I didn't do coffee while pregnant or breastfeeding)

I'm afraid it's dead - as a doornail. Rigormortis has set in...

DH has kindly offered to pull it apart and see if he can fix it as it seems to be only the pump that's broken, but I doubt it's fixable... :(

On a good note - he's now seriously considering letting me buy a new one. YAHOO!!!

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The mailman has been nice to me of late :)

Yesterday was the first of the FQ's for the EB NQ B'DAY FQ SWAP

Today he left me this gorgeous wool that I got from Kate @ One Fat Slug last week

Plus my first order of a Moleskin Notebook from the Book depository as ordered last Thursday (quick delivery huh!)

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And of course to share the mailman love around...

This is on it's way across the country to my swapee! Hopefully she likes it and hope she forgives me for forgetting to include the card I made specially for it ;)

How was the party you ask?

FAN-FUGU-TASTIC! Got totally tanked (LOL 4 vodka cruisers - when normally I'm a two pot screamer...) had a ball and surprisingly even though I decided to do the Bright Orange Retro Outfit (thanks for all your comments) I was still NOT the loudest colour in the crowd.

EVERYONE who went got into the spirit of dressing up and there were safari suits galore, 1970's Soccer players, a fembot (aka Austin Powers) full body suits (aka Cher) and lots of bright swirly colours! There was dancing before the first drink was finished and didn't stop most of the night. Needless to say I am tired and slightly under the weather on this fine morning. All in all a great night & would you believe only the 4th night we've been out together as a couple without the toddler since she was born :o

I FORGOT TO TAKE A PHOTO!!! But never fear, I took one when we got home, mind the messy bedroom!!!

BTW I had to forgo the denim skirt (as originally pictured) as when I tried it on I could just squeeze it past my hips but no way was the zip going to go up... Luckily my bestie came to the rescue with the loan of her short (very short) black vinyl skirt and knee high boots!

Loot, Glorious Loot! #7

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

Obligatory box of Roses :)

Gifted to me this morning by my gorgeous little girl with a prompted by daddy "Hap Mother Day mummy"

Plus:

But of course! Looking forward to kicking back with this one & watching it with no interruptions from hubby or daughter... might have to hold out until Wednesday night :)

And this brings an end to the 7 days of loot, glorious loot! Thanks to Tinnie Girl for hosting - it was lots of fun!

7 days of Loot, Glorious Loot! #6

Not technically loot today, this is a finished long overdue WIP that's been hanging around for some time. I very nearly frogged the lot when I couldn't comprehend the instructions... but figured I was 50% complete so kept going.

Knitted Socks for Me!

Knitted on TWO needles... I found this a bit daunting setting stitches on spare needles and stitch holders and re-joining all together again - but hey I've done it, may not have mastered it yet... but feeling more confident in attacking one of my more difficult patterns on 5 needles :)

Can you see the mistake on the right foot? This was the first sock I knitted and have ended up with a purl row on the knit side *doh* plus a few holes in the feet where I found it difficult to follow instructions with the heel shaping / instep shaping... the sock on the left originally had the heel knitted inside out *double doh* so I frogged it and re-started and here it is - correct!!!

 

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And Just because - here is the headband I whipped up yesterday for tonight's Party. I am 90% sure I will go with the retro disco (thanks for all your suggestions) I will however be trying the skirt on later today and hoping my knobbly knees / white legs aren't too distressing a sight... now where is that razor of mine?

A wee bit of FMQ for more practice - done in an orange thread ~ very curly pops huh? Excuse my huge forehead!!!

Completely reversible with Pink and pink on pink spot :)

7 Days of Loot, Glorious Loot! #5

Went back to the op shop again today, this time accompanied by Nanna to help with tanty throwing toddler! On a mission to find something for this 70's party tomorrow night... I swear when I went on Wednesday it was ALL 80's clothing, today I stumbled across these two outfits - for a bargain total of $3.50 (yup that's right "tree finny") for both outfits, a bag & another set of DPN's and 2 circular needles :o

So which one do you think I should wear???

~ flowing hippy ~ will add wooden beads and headband PLUS my shawl purchase the other day should go nicely???

~ retro disco ~ a short denim skirt teamed with fluro orange crushed velvet top (well I doubt it's crushed velvet, but it looks similar!!!) I will probably wear black tights, high black shoes and make a retro head band to go with??? 

CHECK OUT the bag - what a bargain for 50c... I told my MIL that I definitely had to get it as I would use it post party anyhow... such is my taste! She rolled her eyes and said "why did I know you were going to say that?" LOL

 

SO HELP ME CHOOSE ~ Retro Disco or Flowing Hippy ???

Friday happenings'

It's 8:43am Still in PJ's. Been up since 5:20am (with teething toddler) who is now decidedly tired, grumpy and watching Dorothy on the tube. Mummy is tired. Mummy needs IV of caffeine stat. Needing to get dressed soon as we are off to the op shop again today, swinging past the clothing hire place to get some shoes for this party tomorrow night :)

There is mothers day pressies to purchase and sew/knit/crochet. A wall hanging to complete (damn sewing machine decided to stuff up the FMQ, otherwise I'd be hand sewing the binding on today :( )

Amongst it all I've pulled out half a sock I started knitting up last year that I want to finish before my birthday in 2.5 weeks :o

Crazy I tell ya! So let's do this huh?

Surfing, Buying... trouble

Have I mentioned how much I love  bloglines? Every time I read one entry from any of my 170 feeds, there is sure to be a link to something or other that tickles my fancy! This mornings link came from Her Library Adventures (just the name of this blog conjures up quiet peaceful afternoons picking books from my local library... although now-a-days the library is no longer a quiet place to frequent) The link I followed this morning led me to this book ~ "Wreck this journal"

Picture from Here

This is right up my alley as I keep a day2day handwritten journal (as well as several blogs!!!) I thought this is a good way to explore my creativity instead of just the plain written word...

Of course this is now winging it's way to me from The Book Depository... and quite possibly one or two other items may or may not have accidentally fallen into my cart on the way! If you want to buy books - check this website - it worked out $20AUD cheaper from them than Amazon!!!

You'll find me sitting by my mailbox (ala Homer Simpson style when he was waiting for his gun approval) until my recent purchases arrive ~ now let's hope I'm not in too much trouble... (it is mothers day and my birthday in the next 2 weeks... whoops!)    

7 days of Loot, Glorious Loot! #4

I've a hankering to sell my craft!!! I just need a boot up the bum in order to do it plus make the move away from needing a pattern to just whingin' it 'old style'

Well Hubby provided the boot up the bum part, saying that if things keep going the way they are I will need to return to work... so I'm now busily crafting.

First on the agenda is a journal / notebook cover, reversible at that.

Unfortunately my brain takes some getting used to new things especially with no direction, this has already been unpicked once and will be again as I've managed to make it a wee bit too short (it doesn't quite cover the book pages... cry, cry, cry!!!)

~ the reversed side ~ 

** update #2 ** after unpicking said item... I decided to do a quick job and add an extra piece to the middle of the book (so it will cover the spine of the book) well this was good in theory & even better in my vision... I took into account the added piece would need a seam allowance ~ what I neglected to take into account was that in cutting the existing piece I needed to subtract those seam allowances too... what was supposed to be an extra 1/4" of cover is in actual fact minus 1/4" ~ DOH!!! Back to unpicking and think I will keep this one for ME, seeing as though it will probably fall to pieces with all the unpicking going down! LOL

7 days of Loot, Glorious Loot! #3

Living out of the city & not quite part of the burbs I'm a little limited with op shopping, so I've had to make do with the few at my disposal. After receiving an invite to a 70's party this coming weekend ~ I decided to swing by the one place I'd never been before and see what they had in 70's apparel... well if the parties was an 80's then I'd be in my element, big chunky knit jumpers complete with shoulder pads in lurid colours, satin puffy sleeve evening dresses - ewww!!!

Added to that a toddler who can throw a pretty mean temper tantrum when told that she cannot sit in the shopping trolley filled with fabric remnants and proceeded to scream in my ear from then on. I had to cut my trip short, but not without getting these beauties

~ Pink & white Crocheted Shawl ~ I may be able to wear this to the party as 70's attire... decisions, decisions...

 

 

A remnant of blue cord and denim as well as a circular needle and 2 sets of DPNS in 2 sizes!!!

A bassinet flat sheet, matching cot sheet, single flat bed sheet (orange & yellow - love this one!) and a quilt cover.

All that for only $10!!! What a bargain. I've every intention of dragging MIL back in there on Friday as I barely got the chance to check out the tupperware / book sections :)

Wall hanging Sneak Peak

TOP SECRET!!!

I've been madly working on my Wall Hanging for the swap I'm in with my fellow EB Newbie Quilters and after much deliberation, I've had a go at hand quilting - eeek... Thanks to Ruth and Esther for the push in the right direction and thanks to Two Little Banshees for showing off her skills of Hand Quilting on the Teapot Coaster ~ so today I jumped in with both feet and here's the results so far... I know not all the stitches are even - but you know what??? I LOVE IT!!! Thinking I might just need to keep it for myself instead - tee hee hee!!!