BaiSiNoLil

Angel Becky

2012-02-05T07:21:00.002+11:00

Another angel is complete .... Becky Bookworm is in the house!!!!

Another mystery block

2012-02-04T20:02:00.001+11:00

Here is block 6 of my Fat Quarter Shop BOM only a couple behind now .

My aim is to catch up on all my outstanding Boms by the end of February... Fingers crossed

Quick quilt :)

2012-01-28T17:39:00.001+11:00

This is the quickest quilt top I have ever made :)
Started on Tuesday and finished this afternoon.... Now have to wait for the backing to come from FQS

Early morning sewing

2012-01-24T06:47:00.001+11:00

I was up early this morning and inspiration struck !!!!
My Ruby layer cake is now sliced and ready to make the "Hidden Stars" quilt.
I'm thinking that this quilt will be for Miss Lily's bed .
Feels good to have it cut and ready to go, as I was having trouble deciding on which quilt to make . There are so many nice jelly roll/ layer cake patterns in my books :) Tis okay will just have to make another couple later on .....

Xmas story- Candle Pan

2012-01-23T15:22:00.002+11:00

I have had a lovely sewing day today with Deb.
Block 2 - candle pan is now done. I loved doing the little berries in wool , I love working with wool !!!!
Now onto Baubles :)

Angels Block 1

2012-01-22T21:23:00.002+11:00

May I present to you Angels Zoe and Prudence..... The first two in a line of Angels to be on show on this blog in 2012 .
I decided to go with Rural Jardin fabric for this quilt and I'm sure glad I did its just so pretty.
So far I'm up to date with Deb and my plan if attack on this quilt but it is only the first month :)
Back to school actually means back to busy around these parts which is okay I do like to keep super busy....so one more week of relaxation and then we are right back in the game ... Yay.

Christmas - Block 1

2012-01-21T07:01:00.002+11:00

I have finished my first needle turn block....yay!!
Its very fun and I can't wait to continue on with the rest of the blocks.

Shaggy Finish!!!!

2012-01-17T09:11:00.003+11:00

My finally finished Shaggy Blanket/quilt.
My thumb has only just recovered 2 weeks later from all the snipping.

I love this blanket its so soft and snugly it will be great in winter on the lounge.

This morning when i was taking pictures Lil wanted a picture taken with the quilt , how could i say no to that sweet little face.

Angels Story - Block 1

2012-01-10T03:58:00.003+11:00

This is what angels Zoe and Prudence looked like this afternoon...., they were already to be put together and ironed down.
I have since fixed them up so they are now waiting for the stitchery and button holing .
I have been slack with my night time hand stitching ,so will have to get back into that - starting today.

Just Because

2012-01-09T07:33:00.001+11:00

My darling husband came home from work yesterday with this beautiful bunch of flowers.....just because :)

They look so good on the dining room table .... He also gave me a smaller bunch from the kids which is on the kitchen bunch...aren't I lucky :)

Needle turn attempt

2012-01-08T08:11:00.001+11:00

Before starting my A Christmas Story quilt I had to decide whether I would needle turn or buttonhole the appliqués .... So I thought I better see If I could Needleturn .

So pulled out some scrap and made myself a pear. I don't think I did too bad for my first attempt

So Needleturn it is :)

Noah Lawrence

2012-01-02T07:45:00.001+11:00

8 years ago today I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy Noah.
Happy birthday gorgeous boy

Reading 2011

2012-01-01T22:18:00.001+11:00

Reading 2011
19.A is for Alibi- Sue Grafton
18. The Decision- Penny Vincenzi
17.A Love that Multiplies- The Duggars
16. Nanberry- Jackie French
15.A Stolen Life- Jaycee Dugard
14. A Little Bird Told Me- Kasey Chambers/Jeff Apter
13.Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes- Eleanor Coerr
12.The Girl Next Door- Elizabeth Noble
11. Sing you Home- Jodi Picoult
10.Jessie Mei Mei- SharonGuest/Stuart Neal
9.Kardashian Konfidential- Kardashian Sisters
8.Planning With Kids-Nicole Avery
7.The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins
6.Moth to the flame-Joy Dettman
5.Hopetoun Wives-Fran Cusworth
4. Breaking Dawn- Stephenie Meyer
3. The Third Day,The Frost- John Marsden
2.The Dead of the Night- John Marsden
1.Room - Emma Donoghue

Xmas goodies !!!

2011-12-27T11:05:00.001+11:00

My DH and kids spoilt me this year ... 3 kits from The Home Patch which I can't wait to make .
J also has brought me a light box which should be here this week.
No more holding things up too the window to trace....Yay!!!!
And wait there's more.... Some lovely clothes and an iTunes voucher for some music on my new iPhone
We had a great day out at the dam beautiful sunny weather :)

Reading 2011

2011-12-21T21:19:00.003+11:00

I am disappointed in how much i have read this year...... haven't even made it to twenty yet :( I guess having six kids and a sewing habit really cuts into my time :)

Just finished The Decision by Penny Vincenzi .... over the past 12 or so years i have read all her books.I really enjoy the family drama :)

Beautiful babies

2011-12-20T20:36:00.001+11:00

I was lucky enough to snap this picture with all my four standing still together.

They are standing in front of the gorgeous desk and hutch we rescued from community recycling centre . Nan and pa spent many hours sanding it back and painting it.... They did a great job .

Wow 11 years on .....

2011-12-20T12:09:00.002+11:00

At 1.35pm 11 years ago i gave birth to my second baby Sienna.

She arrived very quickly , so quickly that she was born at home :)

Happy Birthday Miss Sienna its been a great 11 years !!!!

One lonesome lily

2011-12-13T07:54:00.001+11:00

A picture of my day lillie that has bloomed today despite the wintery weather we are having in December.

New IPhone

2011-12-10T20:15:00.001+11:00

Yay just testing out the blogger app on my new phone.
This is going to make blogging so much easier.... Win win!!!!

Valdani Love

2011-12-10T19:28:00.004+11:00

Some new Valdani threads for my new hobby Punchneedle :)
These threads are so lovely to work with and whats a girl to do but
add some more colours to her collection.
So i "had" to start a new little punchneedle project which i will reveal when its all finished :)

Birthday Celebrations

2011-12-08T06:45:00.003+11:00

Heres a few of the photos from Miss Lils birthday last week.
An awesome day was had by all :)
The last pick is of the tower that she built from her new Duplo...she was very proud of it !!!

A quilting finish - Pennsylvania Dutch

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000+11:00

This one has been finished for a while but i keep forgetting too take a picture of it.
It was a Block of the Month for my birthday from my lovely husband.
It is the biggest quilt i have made so far and probably my favourite.

Calling Elvis :)

2011-12-04T13:51:00.003+11:00

Here is my finished Jigsaw .....
I find Jigsaws so addictive and pretty much am stuck until they are finished.
Now back to my sewing...

Jigsaw Sneak Peek

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000+11:00

This is the new jigsaw Bailey and I started on the weekend.
Can you guess who is in the picture???
I think i will frame this one and hang on the wall.

Shaggy Bliss

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000+11:00

Here are my pile of flannel loveliness....
Tally sits as 90 blocks completed and about 45 to go!!!!!
Hopefully have them all done this week and next week i can start snipping !!

Happy Birthday Miss Lily

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000+11:00

My baby girl is 6 today :)

2011 Seedlings

2011-11-29T11:50:00.000+11:00

These are the last of our seedlings that John has grown...
Most of them will go in the garden this week and soon will have lovely home grown veges..Yummmy!!!!!

Xmassy Fun

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000+11:00

Finished this cute little wall hanging from Anni Downs .
I have gifted it to my mummy to hand for Christmas in her house.
Might just have to make myself one if i get a chance :)

Weekend fun

2011-11-27T07:00:00.000+11:00

My girls are both sweet tooths and love summer and love iceblocks..... they are a summer staple around here. Not the best photo of Lil but she was enjoying her calippo so so much......

An Angels Story

2011-11-26T07:00:00.001+11:00

Here is another project ready to begin next year.
An Angels Story by Anni Downs and fabri is Rural Jardin from French General.
I have been trying to source a jelly roll of this fabric but with no luck so far :(

Forgotten Gardeners Journal

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000+11:00

My plan is too finally get this quilt finished , here is block H :)

More Mystery Blocks

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000+11:00

More from my Fat Quarter Shop BOM...
Blocks 2, 3 & 4
Some of these little pieces drive me mental in the making but i do like the finished product

Misty

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000+11:00

Here is our beloved cat Misty....
Misty has just turned 7 and was Siennas birthday present for her 4th birthday.
She is a very spoilt cat and is definately the queen of our house :)

Little Maccas Farm

2011-11-22T07:00:00.001+11:00

Since i just love Block Of the Months i signed up for a couple more:)
Little Maccas Farm and Noah & Friends both from the Cobar Quilt Shop.

Here is My chooky who just needs an eye, these blocks are fun and super easy . I have prepared 3 more that just need there handstitching done .

Miss E's Quilt

2011-11-21T07:00:00.002+11:00

We have another little friend leaving us in a couple of weeks and here is her quilt ready to go off with her :)
This gorgeous baby has been here sine she was 10 weeks old and is now 9.5 months..... She will be missed by all of us, but am sure she will have a great life with her Auntie :)
This quilt i brought at the Quilt show as a kit from Margaret's Fabrics. I love the Chenille its just so soft.

A Xmas Project Sneak Peek

2011-11-20T07:00:00.002+11:00

Hope fully to be finished this weekend :)

A Christmas Story

2011-11-19T07:00:00.002+11:00

In 2012 Deb ( Frog Cottage Designs)and I have decided to work on Anni Downs " A Christmas Story" and "An Angels Story".
We try and sew together on Mondays and hopefully keep each other motivated for the duration :)

This is the beautiful kit of fabric that Margaret from The Home Patch made up for us, such gorgeous colours for the Christmas Quilt.

I cant wait to start it , just have to finish a few other things first :)

Gardeners Journal Progress!!!!

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000+11:00

Here is Block H ... nearly finished stitching Yay !!!!!
Will piece the block together on the weekend.
Am enjoying getting back into this :)

Potting Up

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000+11:00

John has been sowing and growing a lot of his own seeds this year .... if even a quarter of them produce veges we will have plenty.
Noah and Lil love to help dad in the garden especially because they love to play in the dirt :)

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby

2011-11-16T09:51:00.000+11:00

I love the fabric, i love the name, i love the song ..... i just love everything Ruby :)
Miss Lily is almost 6 and i think its time she has a proper big girl quilt. I made her a Shaggy Quilt here . It was the first thing i made when i started my patchwork journey... its still used and loved and the flannel has only got softer :)
I have found a great pattern in my Layer Cake and Jelly Roll book and will start it when i finish a couple of other WIP's

Punchneedle !!!!

2011-11-15T19:21:00.004+11:00

On Saturday Deb and I went to The Home Patch for a class with Anni.
What great fun punchneedling is..... so quick and simple and it looks so nice.

During class i made a little star and heart too be made into Christmas decorations.
When i got home i made the Punchneedle tool holder. I wasn't completely happy with all the colours i used in it but i still love it.

On the day i also got a box of "Valdani" Threads , they are so beautiful and a lot easier than using DMC.

Punchneedle Class & Blog Girls Lunch

2011-11-12T17:28:00.002+11:00

I have had a great day today first of all i went to The Home Patch for a Punchneedle class with Anni Downs. I am so glad i went , its something i have always wanted to learn but put off because i thought it was to hard.
But it wasnt , it is so simple, quick and effective :)

After that I had Lunch with Deb, Allison, Donna, Kate, Sandy and Anita at Crepes Royale. It was so nice to meet some other bloggy girls in real life.

I will back with some pictures of my punchneedle when we get out new modem. Yesterday ours decided to die and Bigpond assure me it will take 3-5 days... until then i am "borrowing" my sisters Internet :)

Vege Garden 2011

2011-11-08T07:25:00.002+11:00

So this years garden is off to a start... this year i have been inside with the baby so John has done all the hardwork:)
We so far have planted Tomatoes, Corn, Spinach, Beans, Zucchini, Squashs, Watermelon and Pumpkin. Still planning on a few more veges .
I cant wait to harvest all this yumminess!!!!

Camping Pictures

2011-10-07T05:20:00.002+11:00

Here are some pictures of the kids on our camping trip.
They had a great time running around on the rocks , collecting firewood and generally just being free.
They were disapointed that it wasnt warm enough to swim but all managed to get wet anyway "accidently"

Flat Rock

2011-10-06T22:15:00.006+11:00

We spent 2 nights camping this week at A great little spot nearby
called Flat Rock.
The days were lovely and warm actually they were pretty perfect :)
The nights on the other hand were so so so COLD ..... sleeping in a tent at -1 or so temperatures isn't my idea of fun .
I think if we go this early into spring again we need -30 sleeping bags for sure and definitely some thermals :)
The river had a lot more water than usual and was flowing fast which is good to see.

JIgsaw Mania

2011-10-06T22:08:00.004+11:00

Today was wet and rainy so i spent a lot of the day coming back and forth from the cute jigsaw.
Bailey kindly brought it for me from the school fete for 5cents from the White Elephant store....Bargain!!!!!
My favourite part of the puzzle of course "Antique Handmade Quilts For Sale "

Cutting Away.....

2011-09-30T22:04:00.002+10:00

Tonight i sat down and finished cutting out all of my flannel
for my newest shaggy quilt.
Im so happy to use all the batting offcuts from around other quilts....i have ended up with a lot :) Im glad to have a way to use them all up and still end up with a nice warm quilt at the end of it.
Its a long weekend here so i hope to get stuck in and sew a lot of the 135 blocks i need :)

Rainy Sunday

2011-09-25T11:05:00.005+10:00

I was woken by a lots of loud thunder at about 5 am this morning....
Sounded lovely !!!!
Since then we have had about 53mm of rain which is much needed here..... so everything is squishy and drenched .
Thats the view from my sewing corner and the little dam thats in the paddock behind us which is now super full.

So a rain day calls for some sewing i think... i have sewn the binding on Pennsylvania Dutch and have some Pies prepared to sew together.

I love lazy sewing days :)!!!!!!

Tis the Season Quilt

2011-09-06T18:25:00.003+10:00

Here is my completed Tis the Season quilt!!!!
It is so pretty and i cant wait for Christmas to hang it :)

Mums Cushions

2011-09-05T01:44:00.007+10:00

These cushions are English Paper Pieced Dresdens Plates using Butterfly Garden Charm packs and yardage .
My mum has waited ever so patiently for these cushions and im happy to cross another thing off from my list.....
Up to handsewing the binding on my Tis The season quilt and it looks great even if i do say so myself :)

Blogger is being a real pain having so much trouble posting ...grrrr and lots of problems commenting on other blogs too.

Mr B's Quilt

2011-09-04T15:11:00.008+10:00

Much to Mr B's delight i finished his quilt.....

It was made using a Pure Jelly roll and a white jelly roll.
Its the second time i have made this pattern and this time i decided to be a bit more adventurous with the quilting and did a crosshatch pattern.
Its great i love how it looks and how the quilting makes it feel.

Family Shaggy

2011-07-17T08:14:00.003+10:00

Just Because i don't have near enough projects on the go ..haha i decided to start another one .
Every one in our family fight over using Lily's Shaggy quilt seen here
It was my first attempt at quilting and was completely self taught. The pattern in the magazine was for children to make so i thought i couldn't go wrong :)
So my is to make a super sized version with Bliss Flannels... i love flannel its just so soft and warm .
Another reason to make a shaggy quilt is too use some of the batting offcuts i have accumulated .. So win win !!!!!

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery BOM 2011

2011-07-16T19:05:00.003+10:00

I love FQS Block of the months- they come with nearly double the amount of fabric that you need.
So 2011 is going to be a flower theme :) The fabric range is Strawberry Fields and is just so pretty .

Productive day !!!

2011-07-16T13:43:00.004+10:00

Today has been a Super Sewing Saturday here with me !!!!
Finished off Tis the Season June blocks,
2 of 4 Dresden Plates to become cushions for mum ,
B's Quilt Basted and ready to quilt.... the picture is from before i started to pin.
Am off to start on the quilting very shortly, should get an hour or so in before we are off to the movies to watch Kung Fu Panda 2 a final holiday treat before the kids all go back to school/preschool on Monday.

Miss B's Quilt

2011-07-07T12:38:00.003+10:00

We had a little girl come stay with us for a few months this year and she desperately wanted a quilt of her own as most little girls do.

So i pulled out my blocks from The EB Newbie Quilters swap from a couple of years ago sewed them together with some white sashing and after a quick trip to spotlight for some pink spotty backing fabric i was good to go :)

I love how it turned out the block that all the Eb Newbie quilters made are just lovely!!!!!

I cant wait to get it to her I'm sure she will think its Amazing :)

Quilt Show 2011

2011-07-01T14:47:00.005+10:00

Last Sunday i was lucky enough to go to Sydney's Quilt Show and Craft Fair which was held at Darling Harbour Convention Centre.
It was a great day with lots of shopping and looking at some incredible quilts that others had made.
The top picture is a baby quilt with chenille from Margarets Fabrics, next is Sleepy sheep pattern by Monica Poole and Kit with some gorgeous fabrics .
Next is two "Bliss" Flannel Bundles which i intend to make a Shaggy Quilt for me from and last some patterns.
Cant wait for next year!!!!

May TTS and July To Do List!!!

2011-07-01T14:41:00.003+10:00

Here is my very last May Tis The Season Blocks !!!

I am going back to writing a to do list to try and keep me on track
*June/July Tis The Season Blocks
*Baste, Quilt and Bind B's Quilt
*Mums Dresden Plate Cushions x 4
*Finish Month 3 Pies and Tarts
*Prep Month 4 Pies and Tarts

I am probably being very ambitious with that list but i will give my best shot.

April Tis the Season :)

2011-05-19T07:01:00.002+10:00

These where actually finished in April i just have been slack in blogging :)

Pies Progress

2011-04-26T17:24:00.003+10:00

Finally i feel like i am making headway's with my pie and tarts quilt.
The top picture is my first pie from Block 3 ,Pie number 21 :)Only 79 more to go....
I decided to start putting a few pie blocks together and appliqueing the tarts on, so hard to decide which blocks look good together, but i the end i love the look of them.

School Holiday Fun

2011-04-12T18:48:00.002+10:00

Today the little kids did some crafty stash busting with a bag of fabric scraps,
They had a ball sticking it all on cardboard and there are some lovely creations :)
Sienna is still plodding along with her wool applique purse and its starting to look great!!!
Bailey had fun doing a new jigsaw puzzle we got ...
I love school holidays!!!!

Pies and Tarts Block 2

2011-04-10T16:42:00.002+10:00

Finally finished all my little tarts for block 2 ... they are so cute and sewed up quickly once i sat down and got going on them!!
So now onto Block 3 which i hope wont take me as long as the first two have :)

Rainy Sunday

2011-04-10T14:53:00.004+10:00

What else to do on a rainy Sunday but sit and sew :)
Miss Sienna has started making a wool purse and is the process of appliqueing the little pieces on... She started with a cat her favourite animal.

I am finishing the last few tarts in Block 2 ...
Since i have my new cabinet and everything is so organised i am feeling really inspired and really want to get things finished..... I love being crafty!!!!
Off to make a cuppa and finish the last one so i can come back and blog about it :)

Nellies Neddlecase :)

2011-04-10T07:13:00.003+10:00

I finally finished this yesterday afternoon :)
I really really love working with wool and had a lot of fun stitching up this
little one.
Mostly if was stitched at our Monday Sewing group which i now go to with a lovely group of ladies :) Now I Love Mondays!!!!

Early Pressie!!!!

2011-04-08T20:10:00.004+10:00

Today i got an early Mothers Day Present.... I am so excited its exactly what i needed to store my WIPS (Works in progress).
Needless to say it didn't take me long to fill all the gorgeous colourful drawers.
A big thankyou to John and my lovely kiddies !!!!!

New Digs

2011-04-05T20:15:00.002+10:00

Ashes, Ebony , Georgia an Ally our Rabbits and guinea pigs have a new house :)
The rabbits are let out in the day to roam around so its only for sleeping for them :)

Blog Book

2011-03-29T14:55:00.002+11:00

I have had this blog for a few years and finally decided to get it printed off into a book at Blog2Print
I am so glad that i did , have loved looking back through it!!!!

Baby Kandi's Quilt :)

2011-03-27T18:29:00.004+11:00

I was informed By Lil that Kandi needed a quilt ..... of course she does she is a very important member of our family .Kandi came to live here on Lilys birthday in November 2010 and is very very loved and pampered over:)
I used some of my "Bliss" candy bar and white muslin for the top and some Bliss yardage for the backing and binding.

Tis The Season Blocks 2 & 3

2011-03-25T20:00:00.002+11:00

March blocks complete and a whole week to spare ...Yay!!!!!

Noahs Quilt

2011-03-08T20:59:00.002+11:00

Noahs quilt is finished and on his bed and he is now a very happy little boy .
This quilt is from Anni Downs book "A Boys Story" its such a simple design but i think its lovely.

The stars are wool and appliqued on using a wool thread.

The weather here is very Autumny and perfect for a lovely sleep under a new quilt.

The Future and The Past

2011-03-05T18:03:00.003+11:00

This picture came today in an email titled "Who said Photography isn't art" and i had to share it.....
I hope that it is me a Nana in many years to come and it also reminds of great times spent with my nan watching her craft. She is a very accomplished crafter who has dabbles in many different crafts... All of which she excelled at :)

Block 1

2011-03-05T17:59:00.002+11:00

So here is my first block for Tis The Season... These little guys just stitch up so quickly and are just so cute :)
Hopefully will have the next two in the next couple of days......

Tis The Season

2011-02-26T20:50:00.004+11:00

So i have joined in the 2011 Tis The Season Stitch A Long.... in an effort not to fall behind today i traced March's Blocks.
The Fabric i am using is Lumiere De Noel by French General fabrics, so im already to go and cant wait to see everybody elses works in progress :)

A Gardeners Journal Blocks E and F

2011-02-26T15:30:00.003+11:00

These 2 blocks have been a long time coming ... sort of lost my momentum there somewhere along the way.
I can safely say im sick of sewing 1.2 inch squares but besides that i really enjoy the piecing of these blocks :) I still have a little stitching on Block F but am going to get right on to that after this blog post .....
So that leaves me with Blocks B,D,H and I to go and 2 days left until the new Stitch-a-long starts , oh well i tried and am determined to get this finished soon .

Dear Jane Cross Stitch

2011-02-21T20:10:00.002+11:00

I have seen this cross stitch on a few different blogs over the last few months and finally caved in and added it to my collection .
I found it HERE at The Village Patch.Check it out they have so many beautiful patterns .
I havent done any cross stitch for a long time and never one this big so it will be a challenge .

Rainbow Knitting :)

2011-02-17T21:57:00.003+11:00

I have cast a new knitting project ..... the plan so far is for it to be a blanket . They may change depending on how bored i get with it or it may end up in the drawer and come out for a few more rows every month or so.
My inspiration came from a blanket that a friend brought over to show us and Sienna and I just fell in love with ..... it was so colourful and soft and made me want to lay on the lounge and watch movies under.

Cadens Quilt

2011-01-22T07:00:00.003+11:00

My newest nephew Caden was born in late October so im not too far off with his quilt, he has it well before winter :)
Such an easy quilt that sewed up really quickly, as with all my quilts it took my ages to sew on the binding because it really is just such a boring job.

First Zucchini of the Year

2011-01-17T19:44:00.002+11:00

So it has finally warmed up enough in the last couple of weeks for some veges to really take off....
2 Zucchinis tonight Yay!!!! There are lots of tomatoes on the bushes waiting to go red.... It wont be long.
I spent time this evening watering, tying up tomatoes and pulling out weeds, very relaxing and rewarding when we get to eat the yummy veges!!!!

Counting my Blessings :)

2011-01-13T09:20:00.002+11:00

I am feeling very lucky today after watching all the devastation that is taking place in QLD. The flooding up there is unbelievable so many lives lost so many houses ruined..... so so dreadful.
I am happy that that is we live in a safe place that at this moment is free from disaster, i have beautiful kids that don't fail to put a smile on my face everyday.

RIP Tiger and 2 new family members :)

2011-01-10T19:01:00.003+11:00

It was a sad day on Friday (7 Jan )that we had to say good bye to our faithful friend Tiger , she lived to the grand old age of 15. She had just had enough and couldn't walk anymore so now she is in doggy heaven :(.

A week before that we added to our zoo with two new miniature lop bunny rabbits. So introducing Ashes and Ebony, they are very cute and really placid.

A Night in Sydney

2011-01-10T08:07:00.004+11:00

John and I had a lovely night away in Sydney this past weekend. It was so good to recharge the batteries and have a little time away from the kidlets.
These pictures are the view from the rooftop pool ..... was so so nice.
We stayed at Old Sydney Holiday Inn which is right in the heart of The Rocks.
We walked a lot and ate some yummy food, we had dinner at Pancakes On the Rocks which was beautiful!!!!

A little bit of sewing....

2010-12-28T14:49:00.003+11:00

Sewing had taken a backseat to Christmas for the past few weeks but today i started to quilt Caden's quilt.
It was nice to get to the machine :)

Beans Beans Beans !!!!!

2010-12-28T14:45:00.003+11:00

A few days ago we got our first crop of beans :) Havent had a chance to eat them yet but we will be tonight .
We have had oodles of rain and hopefully we will get some heat and sun and get the rest of the veges growing faster .

Christmas Lily

2010-12-18T12:27:00.002+11:00

Two years ago my darling husband gave me a Christmas Lily for Christmas ( obviously) it really is the gift that keeps on giving.
So today the weather here is extremely windy, stormy and quite cold and of course the lilies decided to open up today, so i snapped a few pictures .

Nothing too Crafty

2010-12-15T19:27:00.002+11:00

I haven't been too much crafting here over the last couple of weeks ...... this jigsaw has been taking up a lot of my spare minutes.
My husband is an avid Holden fan and has had this jigsaw for ages but never got around to doing it , so i thought i would give it a go :)
We plan on getting it framed and hanging it on the wall sometime after Xmas.
I actually forgot how much i liked Jigsaws so i might do a couple more in 2011 , it is very relaxing.

Miss Lily

2010-12-15T06:46:00.002+11:00

Miss Lily recently turned 5, hard to believe that my baby is 5.
Lil absolutely loves baby!!!! So my baby nephew gets lots and lots of love from her.
Yesterday at preschool they had there end of year Xmas Party and she was so excited to bring home her portfolio and the book that Santa had given her.
Her book is "The First Christmas Story" and is a lovely story , her portfolio is awesome the effort and time the teachers put into these is amazing, they are very much appreciated and will be well looked at for years to come.
She was very excited because she asked Santa for a pram for her baby and he said yes if she is very good..... Lucky Santa has that one all wrapped up :)

Finger Buns

2010-12-14T21:52:00.003+11:00

This was one of my creations today , believe it or not i have never baked bread before.
So i decided to make these yummy scrummy finger buns, in hindsight i should have made a double batch because they didn't last long.
Next time i will work on the shape of them a little more but really it didn't affect the taste at all.
I used THIS recipe , it worked a treat and has gone straight into my recipe book and I'm sure it will become a favourite.

Xmas Gifts

2010-12-14T21:45:00.003+11:00

I am super un organised with teachers gifts this year . my plan was to buy terracotta pots and pot flowers in them but i left it a little late.
So this evening i baked some Choc fudge slice and lemon slice and wrapped them up in some pretty cellophane.
We made a total of 12 packages for teachers, teacher aides and all the preschool teachers, i hope they like them.

Block 2 Pies

2010-11-21T18:33:00.004+11:00

I found it difficult to take a decent picture of the last 7 appliqued blocks together so excuse the crappy photo (they really need a press) :) Crappy photo or not i still want to keep documenting my Slow Progress

I found a new way to baste the fabric on the pieces which is so so much quicker , so hopefully block 3 wont take me 6 months.
Sue Daley the creator of Pie and Tarts posted THIS tutorial using SewLine Glue Pens .
It is awesome i already love English Paper Piecing and this makes me love it even more

Vege Patch 2010

2010-11-16T12:25:00.003+11:00

We have nearly finished planting out our Vege Patch.
This year we have Potatoes, Spinach, Strawberries, Carrots, Capsicum, Zucchini, Beans, Peas, Spring Onions, Red Onions, Lettuce, Apple and Green Cucumbers, Squash, Watermelon, Pumpkin, Corn and 6 Large Tomato Plants and have 2 cherry tomato plants to go in :)
We have effectively doubled the size of our vege garden this year and i cant wait for the yummy veges we will have in abundance in a few months.

Spring Gardening

2010-10-24T15:57:00.003+11:00

Its very rainy here today but our plants are loving it ...
DH this year tried to grow some things from seed and it has gone really well.... in our little hothouse/tray we have Zucchini, Spring Onions and Lettuce all growing beautifully :)
My Christmas Lily has made an appearance again , cant wait to see its beautiful flowers too.
In our garden beds i have planted beans, peas, capsicum, pumpkin and strawberries but its a bit wet to take pictures down there today .

Pennsylvania Dutch Block 12

2010-10-24T15:52:00.002+11:00

Im a bit excited to have finished all the blocks on this quilt :)
I need to get into gear and get the sashing and borders done in the next couple of weeks.

I Heart Flowers

2010-10-11T18:53:00.002+11:00

My gorgeous daughter Sienna spent her walk home from the bus stop picking me these lovely flowers.
She snuck them into the house and arranged them into an old coffee jar before presenting them to me ...... lovely girl!!!!!

Pies oh lovely Pies

2010-10-10T20:54:00.002+11:00

Here are the final 7 pies of Block 2 Pie and Tarts ready to be appliqued onto there squares.
I love all the fabric used in this BOM so bright and out there. Now onto the tiny little tarts which come together really quickly.

To Be Read Books

2010-10-10T18:18:00.007+11:00

After my WIP of sewing projects i decided to do a list of books that i have here ready to be read......

I'm going to TRY and not buy anymore books until this list is considerably shorter ( very hard task :P)

1/ What Alice Forgot- Alice Moriarty
2/ Death Mask- Kathryn Fox - Finished
3/ The Dead Of The Night- John Marsden-Finished-
4/ Breaking Dawn- Stephanie Meyer - Finished
5/ The Winding Ways Quilt- Jennifer Chiaverini
6/ The Runaway Quilt- Jennifer Chiaverini
7/ Atonement- Ian McEwan
8/ Faces- Martina Cole
9/ 7th Heaven- James Patterson
10/ The Story Of Danny Dunn- Bryce Courtney
11/ Covet- Tara Moss
12/ Road To Paradise- Paulliina Simons
13/ The Girl Next Door- Elizabeth Noble
14/ The Best of Times- Penny Vincenzi-Finished
15/ Women of The Outback- Sue Williams
16/ Centre Stage- Judy Nunn
17/ We of The Never Never- Mrs Aeneas Gunn
18/ Rules- Jane Beaton
19/ Perfect Skin- Nick Earls
20/ The Cross Country Quilters- Jennifer Chiaverini
21/ Red Desert Sky- John Lomax III
22/ Heritage- Judy Nunn
23/ ToyBoy- Holly Hill
24/ Knit Two- Kate Jacobs
25/ One Fifth Avenue- Candace Bushnell
26/ Eat Me- Linda Jaivin
27/ Now or Never- Penny Jordan
28/ Territory- Judy Nunn
29/ The Glitter Game- Judy Nunn
30/ White Gardenia- Belinda Alexandra
31/ Australia Street- Ann Whitehead
32/ Hopetoun Wives- Fran Cusworth-Finished

WIP

2010-10-10T11:18:00.005+11:00

I have been going to do a WIP List since KAYSCHA posted hers a year ago but haven't got around to it :)
So Today MAREE threw out a similar challenge and so i have gone ahead and made my List........
Some things i haven't started so technically aren't WIPS Yet but if i have started or have a kit or the fabric ready to go it went on the list :)
Its in no particular order just as i came across them

So here we go....

1/ The World as it Should Be- Bookmark
2/ The World as it Should Be- MY World Needlecase
3/ Prairie Flower Pincushion
4/ Noah's Star Quilt Finished
5/ Down In The Garden BOM
6/ Life Is Beautiful BOM
7/ Pennsylvania Dutch BOM
8/ Pies and Tarts BOM
9/ Wool Pin Cushion
10/ Baby Nephew Quilt Finished
11/ Mums Dresden Plate cushions
12/ Melly and Me Butterfly
13/ My home cushion
14/ Square Dilly Bag Kit
15/ Cat Wall Hanging
16/ Friends forever Cushion
17/ Welcome to our nest Wall hanging
18/ A Gardeners Journal Quilt
19/ A Family Gathering Quilt
20/ Gail Pan Threads And Things Bag
21/ Lily Doll Quilt Finished
22/ EB Newbie Quilters Round Robin Quilt
23/ Gail Pan A Christmas Wish
24/ Making Tea Wall Hanging
25/ Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt

Only 25 Things not too many at all :)

A Gardeners Journal Block C

2010-10-10T08:05:00.003+11:00

This Block has taken me so so long, I'm so happy to have it finished. The house was a mammoth stitching effort but i love how it looks finished !!! Blogger isnt playing nice and wont let me show the House Straight but anyways :)

Kate Voegele - Wish You Were

2010-10-06T12:38:00.001+11:00

One Tree Hill is one of my all time favourite shows and i just love this song xox Kate Voegele is an amazing song writer and has an even more amazing voice, if you haven't heard her before check her out.

50 Books in 2010

2010-09-25T08:25:00.004+10:00

Well i have just clocked up book number 28 so i highly doubt i will get to 50 !!!!!

So i am revising my goal and am trying to get to 40, completely doable ... I hope.

This morning i finished Sliding into Home by Kendra Wilkinson, a really easy read. I was always intrigued as to why these gorgeous girls where "Girlfriends" to a really really old man. Surely money and fame where so not worth it. The book didn't really go into the Playboy Mansion stuff too much, So i still think its very degrading and dont understand why anyone would put themselves in that position :s

I guess i liked the book she is a fairly like able character and quite funny :)

Pennsylvania Dutch September and To Do List for next couple of Weeks!!!!

2010-09-19T17:17:00.003+10:00

Finished this one in record time cant wait for the last block so i can get this quilt finished, i think it will become our lounge quilt as it will go nicely with our blue lounge.
I had to snap a Pic of my favourite fabric in the quilt so far too.

By the end of the school holidays so in the next three weeks i hope to complete this list :
* Gardeners Journal Block C( tiny bit of Stitching left )
* Gardeners Journal Block H- already traced and ready to go
* Applique Block 2 Pies from Pie and Tarts Quilt
* Applique 43 Starts on Noah's Star Quilt
* Cut out Baby Quilt ( see Below)

My baby sister is having her 3rd baby in a few weeks and i have searching for the perfect fabric and i found this super cute fabric from The Fat Quarter Shop.
I'm not 100% sure of the pattern I'm going to use but i like Elia's Quilt on Crazy Mom Quilts .

Pennsylvania Dutch Block 10

2010-09-11T13:37:00.003+10:00

Block 10 is done, i cant wait to get this quilt together its so nice.
I also have dreaming and thinking about what to make with all the leftover fabric that comes in this BOM. The Fat Quarter Shop are so generous with there fabric most of the blocks have nearly double the fabric needed.