ScrapBasket Sunday

Wow! This is a record for me .... posting 4 days in a row. That will all change after tomorrow once school resumes.

Last year I had high hopes of working my way through some scrap bundles to link in with Kim and her ScrapBasket Sunday.  Oh my!  I just checked back to see and that was back in April. Sadly I failed at the first hurdle and only participated once, cutting out some tumbler pieces for a tumbler quilt somewhere in my future.  So yesterday I dove in again and turned these 81 x 5" blocks

into 56 joined blocks with 27 to go.

The signature blocks are from an online Siggy Swap I participated in through the 2nd half of 2012 and have been sitting in a tin since. I had the plan for FNSI to start joining them but in my mind they were hexies and I would hand sew them together. So a change of plan and to cut a long story short .... yesterday being Sunday, I spread them out on the bed, played a little with colour and started joining. I'm very happy with the look and think I'll add a simple cream border and binding to finish it off. I have another couple of scrappy type quilts lying around somewhere and looking forward to adding to them too.

Happy Sewing

Australia Day 2014

Happy Australia Day

My version of Koala Cupcakes baked this morning after finding them over here

12 little koala's sitting in a tree

Then 1 joined me for morning tea

FNSI and 1 Xmas Item for January

My Friday night took a change of direction after I finally found the project I thought I'd work on, to find it wasn't what I thought it was.  So I grabbed a pile of old magazines and continued sorting them into these 3 piles.

1.  Christmas themed.
2.  To be re-homed.
3.  Projects I would like to make.

There are just so many gorgeous projects and never enough time to make them all so I have to be strong.

Earlier in the week I delved into a draw of 'bits and pieces' and found a couple of ornaments that have been cut out since 2009, oooops!  These are from Marg Low Designs and were a kit in an online stitching day I had signed up for. The bigger of the 2 will have to wait for a nice button or something to adorn the centre.

These are my 1 Xmas Items A Month for January. Now to find a safe, clean storage place where I won't forget where I put them! The new blog has been super busy this morning ... you might like to pop over for a visit to view all the lovely Christmas goodies the Elves have been busy creating.

Happy Long Weekend for Australia Day     >^,,^<

In The Mail

It's been a happy week for mail this week.  We have a mail delivery 3 days a week and Monday I received the first block of Gail Pan's "A Merry Christmas Garden". This will be my main project for 1 Xmas Item A Month but I do hope to be able to have smaller finishes sometimes too.

Every year I have my blog printed into a book at Blog2Print and Wednesday my copy of 2013 arrived. The kids love looking through them almost as much as I do. Sometimes it can be a bit scary to see just how far back an item was made or started.

Wednesday's mail also delivered a little belated Christmas gift to myself. I enjoy reading all about the Elm Creek Quilters and so often have wished I could visit a retreat like this. 

Now I wonder what today's mail delivery will have in store for me?

For something not in the mail ... this gorgeous tin was a Christmas gift filled with yummy shortbread biscuits. I'm sure I will find a little project that will love to be kept safe inside.

And for some sewing content ... this was my first sewing for 2014 finally at the beginning of this week. Taking in the legs and hemming jeans. Quilting supplies can be adapted to almost any job.

We have a long weekend here for Australia Day and then it's back to school Tuesday. Hope you find some time to relax with a little thread. Don't forget tomorrow is the 25th here too, time to start sharing those 1 Xmas Items A Month.

>^..^<

FNSI and OPAM

Sign up at Wendy's.  I'm sure I'll find something to work on if I haven't melted into a grease spot by then.

I've also signed up for another year of finishes with Kris and Peg.  Are you counting on some finishes?

Can I Have a Do Over Please?

Can we please roll back the days and start at the beginning of the month again. I'm in need of more hours in the day, more days in the week etc ... haven't even sewn one single stitch yet.

I don't consider myself to be good with words but if you've got a moment to visit Chookyblue, her recent post on this "&^%*$^$$%^# drought" is how it is.

Now I really need to get some book work done and dusted so that I can concentrate on what I'm going to make for this months' 1 Xmas Item before the 25th taps me on the shoulder.

FNWF

I thought I'd missed out but luckily for me Cheryll has brought FNWF back to this Friday night so I quickly joined up. It's about time I got some sewing happening ... thanks Cheryll.

2014 Steaming Ahead

See the bottom of this post for "1 Xmas Item A Month" join up.

Well ... this year has certainly made a scorching start! With the temperature rising to record levels all over the country, I've been doing my best to lessen the heat stress on my animal family as well as myself. Saturday when we peaked at 42 deg, Grace the budgie got to watch cricket with hubby while sitting in front of the fan and every now and then I'd give her a mist of water with a spray bottle ... she loved that.  Fleur found lying on the downstairs tiles the best spot while Jayne chose under the house with the rooster and hens who have been free ranging as well. The dogs were given refreshing drinks too.

Each afternoon once there was enough shade at the front of the house, we would all migrate to mesh chairs and try and catch a breeze (usually a warm breeze) and wait for the evening to bring some relief. What a sight to be seen! Me laying in the deck chair, Jayne laying out on a mesh chair, Grace in her cage on another chair and the chooks picking around. Can't really blame Fleur for wanting nothing to do with us. Finally last night a few storms brought a cooler change and hubby measured 23 mm (92 points) of rain in the gauge this morning ... woohoo!

This has become a regular sight out in the paddock. The cows come on the trot as soon as they hear hubby on the tractor bringing some hay. A recent shower has greened the grass a little but not enough to make it grow much. The dams are still crying out for good runoff rain so fingers crossed we (farmers everywhere) are in for a welcome change. Too many have done it too tough for too long.

I snapped this pic while out and about with hubby and almost got myself a wasp sting for my troubles. Didn't see the little beggars until they flew at my face and one landed on my top lip. Needless to say I made a hasty retreat and then used the zoom on the camera.

There's been no sewing of any kind so far for 2014 in my house but I'm hoping that will change soon.

Will you be ready for Christmas 2014?  
It's time to join in for "1 Xmas Item A Month"

I've decided to do things slightly different this year and hope that everyone will join in once more and share their lovely makes and great ideas for decorations and gifts.  Click HERE and you will be taken to the 1 Xmas Item A Month blog for all the details.

Happy 2014     >^..^<