Well now, that didn't take as long as I thought it might! I already had 40 of the blue and cream blocks made, and yesterday I finished the other 60. I now have my 100 blocks ready to put together the blue and cream quilt top. Strike one off the list of goals for this month! :-)
I'm not going to put the top together just yet though, I have some other things I need to get to first. Yesterday I received an email from the magazine letting me know that they would like to commission the Winchester Weave quilt for the magazine, and my deadline is 13 December (hey, that's Amy's birthday).
The top of that quilt is complete and it's at the quilt store, I just need to get it back and quilt it, and then complete the directions. That means the goal of 'complete one quilt to binding' will undoubtedly be the Winchester Weave quilt. The on sale date for that magazine will be April 13, so keep your eyes peeled for Australian Patchwork and Quilting around that time!
See what happens when you have a few really busy days ... you get soooo behind. I have over 120 new posts waiting for me in bloglines, and I have been sporadic on the blog! Don't give up on me friends *hugs*
I promised the other day that I'd fill you in on 'the long story' about cupboardy. I worry now that it won't be terribly interesting, but here goes ... Cupboardy was from Little Britain. There was this hypnotist, and he was visiting his Mother in a nursing home. They were playing scrabble, and the hypnotist put the word Cupboardy down on the board. His Mum told him that cupboardy isn't a word. Hypnotist looks at mother and says 'Look into my eyes, not around the eyes, look into my eyes ... and you're under ... cupboardy is a word ... and we're back" Mother looks at the board and praises him on his good score for the word cupboardy. Nurse comes into the room and looks at the board and tells them that cupboardy isn't a word. Hypnotist tells nurse 'Look into my eyes, not around the eyes, look into my eyes ... and you're under ... cupboardy is a word ... and we're back" Nurse looks at Mother and says "You're right, he's not a very good hypnotist". Mother looks embarassed.
I guess it stuck in our minds, because when the cupboards were installed, hubby and I went around all day saying we're all cupboardy.
Quilt group yesterday, gosh I love it! I hand quilted some more on my Christmas wholecloth. It's one of those super pre-printed ones from Holice Turnbow. Let's see how the picture comes out.
I also managed to get all the half square triangles pressed, and made up all the little four patches for the 60 blue and cream blocks. Today I should be able to finish putting them together and strike them off the list!
Have a great day everyone, while I get busy catching up on everyones blogs!
What a busy couple of days I've had! There has not been much stitching going on in this house, and I'm kind of feeling withdrawal setting in! There may not be much quilting today either, as I'm working at the quilt store this afternoon, and hubby gets home this evening. Anyways, I just thought I'd share one of the things I got up to yesterday.I planted some more strawberries. We love strawberry jam in this house, and for a little while I've been making my own. We don't have lots of space for tons of plants, so I freeze the strawberries as they ripen, and when I have a lot of them I make up a batch of jam. This year our plants were past their prime, so I purchased some new ones a couple of weeks ago, and they have been going gangbusters! So I purchased six more on Monday and yesterday morning planted them out. We have the most houdini-like blackbirds you ever saw here, so Marty has rigged up this 'cage' with watering system pipe and a fruit net, and so far we've been able to keep the birds out. They are fruit bandits and must watch the fruit, while it's unripe it's safe, and the very second it's ripe 'boom' it's gone!
I did manage to get a little something done yesterday, but not much. I cut the half square triangles I need for the blue and cream blocks. 120 of them! I managed to sew about half of them together. I may do some more this morning if I get the chance. I'm just amazed at how fast people like Bonnie and Judy must be able to sew ... I think I get distracted easily ...Amy asked yesterday about the blocks and their 'diet block' status ... ummm ... it's like this ... they clearly weren't working as inspiration so I'm just gunna make them! Ohhh, and she asked about the long story ... I promise I'll tell you tomorrow, this post is becoming like a thesis ... I worry now that it just won't be that interesting *lol*Thank you so much to everyone for your kind, thoughtful and inspirational messages. I'm so sorry I haven't been able to respond to everyone individually, but please know they all mean so much.Have a great day x o x.
How did I go with my October Goals?- Mark and pin Winnie the Pooh quilt
- Make two gifts for Xmas
- Quilt and bind miniature quilt
- Piece repro top for shop
- Draw up zig-zag quilt
- Stick to fabric diet
Only that one elusive quilt remains untouched this month. I'll pop it back on the goals for November and see how I go. I wonder if subconsciously I'm reluctant to work on the Winnie the Pooh because I didn't match the fabric I ran out of as perfectly as I wanted to. Let's hope I can get it moving this month. I don't have any super pressing deadlines for November, other than continue to get ready for Christmas, so I can have a little play with what I would like to do this month.
Here are my November goals:- Mark and pin Winnie the Pooh quilt
- Make three gifts for Xmas
- Piece 60 blue and cream blocks
- Make four DJ blocks
- Complete one quilt to binding
- No fabric purchases other than Osnaburg or fabric to
complete a quilt
I think I may have set the bar pretty high, so here's hoping I can come close. Well, that's it from me. I'm off to buy strawberry runners, and put some stuff in the post from ebay. Have a great day everyone. x o x
If you're a watcher of Little Britain, you'll understand the title of this post. If not, it's a long story.Here is the before picture of (one side) of our kitchen. It's okay ... it's functional ... plenty of bench space ... just not a lot of storage space.I've showed the kitchen before, you've seen me painting it, and putting up the timber blinds. Now you can see the hole in the ceiling where we've taken out the extractor fan in readiness for the ducting for the range hood.But enough of before ...
Here is the after picture! Got cupboards!Only a few more bits and pieces to do. We just need to repair the ceiling where the hole was, and fit the little hidey-box around the flue for the range hood, and we're all done. The last thing for me to do will be fill the cupboards with stuff!Super fun! The kitchen is all cupboardy!
Late yesterday afternoon I was feeling soooo tired. I checked on the kids, and they were playing happily, so I thought, a little kip would be just the ticket! Half an hour later I wandered out of our bedroom, and thought the house was very quiet.Hubby had gotten home in the meantime, and was in the backyard with the camera. Apparently while I slept, a helicopter started buzzing around our neighbourhood and the kids wanted to check it out. Amy, hoisted Cam (who is 4) onto the roof! *horror* Well, then he didn't want to come down! Marty had to coax him to the edge and get him down. We of course had to tell the kids that it's not a good thing for them to be up there, and I learned never to sleep while the kids are not!
This morning was fun, we went to the Adelaide Christmas Pageant. It's an annual tradition and just super fun. We live in a city of around one million people, and on the morning of the pageant, around 350,000 people line the parade route.
Cameron has never been to the pageant before, and he loved it! I've only included a small selection of pictures, I took a lot of them, as the pageant is about an hour and a quarter long! Nipper is the first picture. Nipper and Nimble are a pair of rocking horses, and each year a little girl is selected to ride on the horse.
This is another of the floats, I thought it was cute I should have paid more attention, but I think it's Toyland. On the top there is Humphrey Bear, he's an Aussie institution, and has been around since I was a kid. I haven't really been paying attention, but I'm not sure if he's on TV anymore.
This is the Bandstand float. It has a jazz band swinging away on there. The reason I included this float is because when I was seventeen, I was on this float! It was red and gold at that time, and we had to wear these cute glittery red and gold outfits (with pleated miniskirts!). I was a dancing girl at the back of the float way up high. It was really fun and really scary all at once! As a child I had always wanted to be in the pageant, and when I left school I worked in the office at the department store that sponsored the pageant, so I was so happy to be included. Every time I see this float it brings back memories!
This last picture I included for my friend Linda. I remember Linda showing me a place near her beach house where Monarch Butterflies are at a certain time of the year, and this float always reminds me of those butterflies.This has been a huge post, so I better sign off. Our friend who is installing some more kitchen cabinets will be here any minute. I'll show you the result tomorrow!
Hi everyone, I was so exhausted yesterday after my big day out at the quilt show that I just didn't get to the computer. But, here I am, refreshed after a good nights sleep, ready to declare ... "I got second!!" I'm just thrilled, I really didn't know how I'd go, we have some super talented quilt makers here, so there is always stiff competition.Here is a picture of my quilt with her ribbon, I did have more of the other quilts in the picture, but I had to crop them out. In the guild booklet from the show it tells us that we're allowed to take pictures, but we are NOT allowed to publish them anywhere, in publications, or on the web due to copyright laws. I sure don't want to get into any copyright trouble, but I figure it should be okay for me to put a picture of my quilt here, as it's my copyright.My friends and I had the very best day. I picked up my friend Verna, and met up with my wonderful friend Jenny in the queue to the show. Our friend Lorraine joined us shortly after we got in, and we spent ALL day in the quilt show and cruising around the vendors. Lorraine emigrated here from Scotland early this year, and has not been to a show like it before, she was just loving it! I showed remarkable restraint, there were so many things I could have purchased, but I only purchased two patterns, a Better Homes & Gardens 'showbag', some sock wool with a pattern, a small piece of 'pink ribbon' fabric, and a cute tassel.One of the patterns was an Amy Butler bag pattern, and I plan to use the tassel on the zipper of the bag, the other pattern is a lovely applique design by one of my favourite local designers, Colleen Archbold. I know her, and Verna and I bumped into her at the show, so we embarrassed her terribly by getting her to sign our patterns *ggls*. The BHG showbag actually comes in a really cute striped totebag, and has some issues of the magazine and lots of other products. I always love to get it, cuz a girl can never have too many bags! The pink ribbon fabric was for Amy. Her Godmother has struggled with breast cancer. The outcome is looking good for her, and we're seeing her next week. When I dropped Amy off at school, she asked if I saw any of the fabric, could I please get some for her. We'll make something sweet up for Karen with it.Well, that's my day, we had the very best time, I'm thrilled my my place in the competition, and I was so very happily exhausted at the end of the day. Thank you everyone for your wonderful words of congratulations, you're all just lovely people. *Huge hugs* for you all!
Sitting at home last night ... just minding my business, and I got THE call. "Are you available to be at the presentation on the first day of the Quilt Exhibition?" "Ohhh" I said, "Yes, I was planning on being there ... have I placed?" "I can't give you any more information" she said "but it would be wonderful if you could be there."Well, I have had a huge smile on my face all day ... and of course I'll be at the Quilt Exhibition, with a gaggle of quilting friends ... and bells on!!That's tomorrow, and I promise to let you know all about it when I get home!Super excited Tazzie ... signing off!!
Well now, that didn't take as long as I thought it might! I already had 40 of the blue and cream blocks made, and yesterday I finished the other 60. I now have my 100 blocks ready to put together the blue and cream quilt top. Strike one off the list of goals for this month! :-)
