Pay It Forward Friends

I'm tickled pink that Nancy has joined my PIF. I still have openings if anyone else would like to play along.

My Spring Quilt is coming along nicely. The border is on, just have to finish handsewing it down and then some embelishing. Here's a sneak peak. (Sorry about the shadow)

I spent the weekend in the sewing room which also happens to be the dumping room for anything else that doesn't have a home. Great progress was made with a good load for the real dump, and other things finally finding homes. I also purchased this bookshelf and six containers.

As you might be able to see, one has leftover wool and the other five are ready and waiting to be filled. That won't be a problem. I intend to purchase another bookshelf this week before they run out. It feels so good to get things tidy but keeping it that way is another challenge.

Pay It Forward

A while back I signed up for a PIF and I still have openings if anyone would like to join in. Just leave your request in the comments and look forward to a handmade gift from me.

Keeping Up To Date

I've finally taken the plunge and signed up with bloglines. Toowoomba Quilters posted about this back in February and it's taken me this long to get around to doing it. Now I'm wondering "why did I take so long". I can visit one place and catch up with all the latest blogs and not miss out on anyones. As I'm still only finding my way around this marvel, I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Lisa headed off back to Uni straight after an early lunch today so I'll be like a cat on a hot tin roof until I know she's arrived safely. Tomorrow is her birthday so she got to celebrate a day early but i'm sure her friends will help her celebrate again tomorrow. I thought I would make our famous, no fail, mud cake for dessert but ...... when I looked for eggs, the last one was eaten for breakfast. The kitchen scales are no more so I had to guess the butter. The result was a very rich, brownie type dessert that I served with ice cream and cream. Quite delicious but also quite heavy and a little went a long way.

We've been having very strong winds the last few days and today is overcast as well with a heavy shower before lunch and by the looks of things, more to come. Curling up on the lounge with a good book would be ideal but I have a few other jobs around the house to get done first.

I think I'll just add another couple of favourite blogs first.

The Icing on the Cake

Or more likely it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Yesterday afternoon topped off one of those weeks. Hubby managed to bog the dozer in a soak hole hidden in the long grass. He, Lisa and I then spent the arvo till the sun went down, trying everything we could think of to get it out but it's still there. We've now called in bigger machinery to the rescue.

The week started well enough with my birthday. A nice new warm pair of slippers for winter, cute cat ornaments and a lovely meal cooked by Lisa. Plus a chocolate birthday cake which I didn't have room for after the beautiful dessert. Made up for it the next day. And we do have our telephone operational again after a five week ordeal. Then throw in a broken part on the chainsaw and a broken part on a tractor implement. When they were fixed and ready to work again, add a punctured tractor tyre. Now the dozer.

Of course after finishing the curtains, there has been no more sewing. I'm off to baste my Spring Swap Quilt and start quilting it today (fingers crossed). Then it's off to work for the rest of the week. I am so looking forward to school holidays next week.

While I was taking a photo of the "new" cats, Jayne just wanted to make sure she wasn't left out.

Fleur was blending in near by, keeping an eye on things.

Happy Easter

I've been having a nice quiet break over easter if that can include the washing and ironing. On Friday I managed to cut out the pieces for my Spring Quilt and Saturday I was able to get quite a bit of sewing done. Here is just a sneak peak.


Both Lisa and Cam are home now and while Cam is helping is father outside, Lisa has been doing a bit of Uni work and keeping me company. Today I'm running up some long awaited curtains for the kitchen windows. Nice bright yellow and orange sunflowers. Pictures another day when they're hung.

Cross Number 1). from the WIP List

Here is the completed 4 and 9 patch floral I have been working on. I am please to say it was completed last Friday, the label sewn on Saturday and gifted to my cousin for her 40th birthday. Please excuse my photographic skills. The weather was bleak outside and space limited indoors so I asked Cameron to hold the quilt up while I took the pic. With not much room to move and an impatient assistant, I couldn't get the right angle but I assure you the quilt is square. The colour isn't true either under the flouro light. As well I had to use my son's camera as mine is playing up. I'm just glad it was ready in time.

We still have no landline telephone and the frustration is mounting. We keep following it up and the days keep ticking over. We're also in the process of changing mobile handsets over for better reception, but that also seems to be a slow process.

Saturday morning was spent shopping with Cam. He was previously boarding and has now moved out on his own so almost everything except the kitchen sink was on the shopping list. Of course being the independant young man that he is, I could only guide him so far. The hardest part of childbirth so far has been letting go when they leave the nest.

Lisa will be home this Friday for Uni Easter break and Cam is having a weeks leave also, so we'll be back to full house for the week. The fabric for my spring quilt swap is all ready and I'm keen to get started on that now. And I'm still hand sewing english hexagons. I would love a week straight of patchwork only, no housework or bookwork and all meals provided. Here's to dreams.

On a Go Slow

My body is in go slow mode at the moment. Being continually tired is hampering my sewing efforts, not to mention the housework. I'm looking forward to the easter break when I hope to get some down time and regenerate.

As for sewing I'm still working on the 4 and 9 patch floral. Tonight is "It Takes Two" night so i'll either be burying threads or joining more of the english hexagons.

We've had no landline telephone now for 2.5 weeks and it's been very frustrating to say the least. To make matters worse, mobile reception is almost nil. Thankfully I can still talk with daughter away at uni via the computer and satellites.

Snow's chick is out and about now with everyone else.

Chicky thinks it's very clever, perching up on the third rung about 1m off the ground. "Chicky" will have to do for a name until I can tell if it's hen or rooster. I'm still not sure about the previous two chicks yet but pretty sure one atleast is a rooster. The other morning there was the funniest sound coming from the henhouse, something like a sick owl. Young rooster trying to crow.

Off now to make a coffee, find a snack and do some sewing.

Quilting Progress Proof

Some days I can add images to my blogs, and other days it just aint going to happen. So here are the photos I wanted to share with my last blog. Proof that I am progressing all be it slowly.


I decided to ditch stitch around each 6inch block first and then do some quilting in each block. The ditching is done and i've quilted continuous hearts along two borders so far.

If anyone has any suggestions for quilting in the 4 patch and 9 patch blocks, I would love to hear from you.

And here is two of the finished english paper piecing medallions. Still six to go but I intend to work on these tonight while watching "It Takes Two".


I'm also very excited to be part of the Four Seasons Quilt Swap - 'Spring' and have a couple of ideas to start work with.

Happy Sewing

Quilting Progress

Finally I've started the machine quilting that I was hoping to start last Friday. As it turned out I didn't get as much time at patchwork so I just took along some hand sewing. I've been working on some English Patchwork medallions for the queen size bed quilt border. Eight in total with two down and six to go.

Saturday after the doing the dishes, the washing and the floors, I started reading Jennifer Chiaverini's "The Quilters' Homecoming" and couldn't put it down. Fantastic reading. So this morning I finished reading the book before setting up the sewing machine and now I have finally started what I had intended to start on Friday.

Happy Sewing

Fabric Found

Just a quick blog before 'Home and Away' and 'It Takes Two'.

Today I managed to find and purchase enough horse shoe fabric to add the next border to my horse quilt. I was beginning to think I wouldn't find it as it was a while ago that I first purchased some. I only decided at a later date that a border of the fabric was needed.

I always seem to buy some fabric, start the quilt, see what I think it needs and then build on. One of these days I'll purchase the whole lot of fabric required to finish the whole project.

No quilting yet on the 4 and 9 patch but Friday is getting closer, unless of course I decide to add the border to the horse quilt instead. Nothing like having several projects on the go and working on which ever takes my fancy. (Please excuse the blury pic, I was in a hurry)