Remember the GIVE AWAY!

This is your last reminder to get to check out my give away here, here and here.  If you want to be in the draw you need to leave a comment on this post to enter.  Good luck!!!

I didn't end up going out to dinner last night as things came up for a couple of the girls so we have postponed until the social secretary can get dates out of all the others (Tarja and Jacqui that would be you!)  Instead I had a quiet night at home answering emails.

Today I had all sorts of things to do that kept me away from the sewing machine but I am back on deck tonight.  First up I put the binding on the second of Tarja's quilts.  Yay!  Now I can hand it off to Tarja for hand sewing! and all I have to do is make up the label!  Happy Happy!

 I spent the next portion of my time sewing the seam on this nice stack of fun napkins.  There are 14 all up.

 And here is a sneak peak of some of the fun fabrics!

Now  I plan to spend the rest of the evening sitting back in front of the TV while I turn all of these right side out and press them ready for top stitching!

Till next time...................happy stitching!

Taxying and Taxing Tuesday

Way too tired to sew tonight.  I spent the morning preparing things for an Aussie Hero Sewing Day tomorrow and then at midday I left home for about 7 and a half hours of driving all over the country side with the kids.  Pick up Guitar Hero and take him to do the test for his Learner's Permit - he passed. :-(     Next off to his guitar lesson but had to get there early to see the guys in the music shop to buy more of the never ending equipment that Fly Boy seems to "need" for his drums.  After guitar lesson drive part way home and kick  let GH out to walk the rest of the way while I went to collect Fly Boy from later rehearsal at school.  Back home for 15 minutes, feed dogs, stoke fire, head out again for GH to go to tutor.  Sit in car outside tutor for 75mins - thank goodness for my iPad and the ability to catch up on blogs even though it is dark!

Finally home around 740pm.

Phew!  It is good to be home!

Tonight I will fiddle around doing a little more relaxed preparation for tomorrow and watching TV.  Tomorrow we will all work flat out (won't we girls - mwah ha ha - that is my evil laugh!) and then I have a little more taxi duty before heading out for dinner with the girls!  Yay!  My handsome hubby will have headed off interstate for work (again) and so the boys can heat up the pasta bake I have made for them for their dinner - or starve - their choice.

Probably no sewing tomorrow night either.  I may or may not post, depending on how things go but I will be back on Thursday with one last reminder about the Giveaway.  Don't forget to check out what you can win here, here and here and if you want to be in the draw you must leave a comment on this post.

And just because I hate to leave a post without a picture here is the first quilt I ever made.  It is all hand done, with the thickest batting known to man, made in 1984 during a night school course where I first learned to quilt.  All paper pieced - including the sashing, corner stones and BELIEVE IT OR NOT those huge red squares!  I may have learned a thing or two since then!

I gave it to my beloved Nanna (aged 84 here in 1984) and I can't tell you how proud she was of it.  I don't think she ever used it, she just displayed it.  I have it back now as she passed away about ten years later and I doubt I will ever part with it. 

Till next time.................happy stitching!

Happy 16th boys! and 150!

From this

to this!

My little boys, Guitar Hero and Fly Boy have turned 16!!!!  How on earth did that happen!  And whose stupid idea was it that 16 year olds be allowed to go for their L plates in NSW!!!  So not ready for that!

I can't believe that these two are leaving school at the end of next year, that they will soon be driving and are only two years away from the legal age for adulthood and alcohol.  Good grief!  Lots to come in the next few years.  Here's hoping it is mostly good and, from my point of view, not too exciting!

Happy birthday boys!  

Oh and by the way - no home made cake for these two!  Donuts if you like!  Mum's cooking is boring!  

And another exciting mile stones - 150 followers!  I remember writing that first post and thinking maybe someone will follow me eventually!  I have really enjoyed sharing the ride with you and have certainly enjoyed your comments and encouragement and friendship.  Thank you all so much!

In honour of the boys' 16th and my 150th follower I am going to add another little something to my giveaway - how about this bag pattern!   I think you could fit a lot of goodies in this when you go shopping.

You can't have my little angel though, I bought her from a catalog when I lived in the States and I love her.  I really miss catalogues by the way!  I loved lots of them but Gooseberry Patch was one of my favourites.  Sigh.  They don't even have a catalogue now so that is the only consolation!  But I digress....

You can check out the rest of the goodies here and here.  Make sure you leave a comment here if you want to be part of the draw.

And now I am off to quilt........

Till next time................happy stitching!

Qumnuts Women's Refuge Quilts

Hey all.  I hope you all had a happy day today.   Mother's Day means different things to different people depending on your specific situation.  Whatever it means for you I hope you had a lovely day.

Don't forget to check out my Give Away.  You can check it out here and I have decided to add something to it.  This is a really cute little purse kit.   I am sure you will have fun making it up.

Selvedges have become a really popular material to work with but not all of us are using them for one reason or another.  I have a lovely friend, called Erika, who would is collecting hers and is wondering if anyone out there has any they don't want.  She would love yours if you are not using them and she is happy to cover the cost of the postage.  Erika does a lot of sewing for charity so it would be nice to be able to help her out.  Leave a comment if you want me to you in touch with her.  I know she would appreciate it.  

This is what I have been sewing today.  These are two polar fleece track suits for my niece in Melbourne.  I have got them to the stage where I need to check measurements but I can't call my SIL tonight as I know they went out for dinner.  I will put these aside till tomorrow night.

 This isn't my favourite kind of sewing but I have to say that this is lovely soft fleece to work with!

 Last week I promised you I would take some pictures of the Women's Refuge Quilts that the Gumnuts have been working on.  Most of these came from half finished or half started projects or fabric lengths that have been donated to the Gumnuts for charity or have been left over from past projects.

This one was put together by Andrea.  The blocks are left overs from another project.  I think it has come together really nicely.

Irene made this cute little D9P quilt starting with the cute bunny fabric - I think it might be a "Bunnikins" print.  I think Irene said they were samples.  

 

 This is another Irene effort.  The trucking fabric was a strip print and the 2 1/2" strips in between rows are all it needs.  Some little boy is going to love this!!!

 The border print on this and the solid squares interspersed with the D9P blocks come from a couple of second hand children's curtains that were given to Del for us to use.  Andrea made the D9P blocks and put them all together.  I just love this quilt.  It is just a gorgeous gender neutral kid's quilt.

My boys turn 16 tomorrow - heaven help me!  Fly Boy goes for his L plates tomorrow and Guitar Hero on Tuesday - am I allowed to hope that they fail?  Maybe not but their chances are not good as I don't think either of them has studied the road rules so we will see.  But who can blame me for not wanting to embark on their 120 hours each or driving lessons?  Hooley dooley!  I am so not ready for that!  Think of me!

Till next time.......................happy stitching!

Just a quickie!

Just a short post tonight  for two reasons.  Firstly because the only sewing I managed today was to sew the binding on the 1930s baby quilt but it isn't sewn down properly so it would be a pretty boring photo. Secondly look at my keyboard.  The A key is broken - sigh!  Luckily tomorrow I am getting a new wireless keyboard so until then not too much typing is happening!  Honestly, do you know how often you type the letter A?  Far too often if you ask me!

Check this out.  Seeing as there is no sewing to share I thought I would share these.  Kid's special expensive pots and pans!  Who in their right mind would have enough money to buy these?

 I mean they are really cute but they are really expensive at around $100 a set!  

Or you could do even worse and buy the Bart Simpson set - not a Bart fan at all here - (sorry Ros (my Bart loving SIL)).

Am I right?  or am I just a party pooper?

 And just in case, in years to come you hear my kids complaining that there are no good photos of them around - here is the proof that I tried!!!

Till next time..........and till I get a new keyboard..........happy stitching!!!

Bit of this and a bit of that!

I spent time today doing lots of cutting out. I cut binding for the 1930's baby quilt, which I might add I quilted last night.

 I stitched in the ditch around the pinwheels and stippled (very bravely) the D9P blocks!

I cut a couple of laundry bags for Afghanistan including a cute little A4 size one to go with Belvedere's Quilt.  I wasn't going to make one for him as he is a turtle after all but an Aussie Hero Friend delivered a quilt to me today and when she saw Belvedere's quilt she asked if I was going to and .....well..... one thing led to another and before I knew it I was getting out my turtle fabric and rotary cutter!

Here is Belvedere's completed quilt....

 And here is his turtle laundry bag!  Just the right size for him I think?  

 And here is his "bosses" laundry bag.

I also cut out two polar fleece tops and tracksuit pants in size 5 for my little niece in Melbourne.  After that it was time to rest the hands as cutting with scissors is not good for the arthritis! 

Luckily the postman came and delivered a new book - bought this with a gift voucher my sister gave me.

Looks very interesting!

I think this is one of my favourite patterns.

And to really make life interesting the A button on my laptop broke!  Not happy!  Blah!

Before I go - is this fabric any good to anyone?  There is about half a meter (or half a yard of the Houston Texans fabric and about three 6 1/2" ish strips of the cowboys fabric.  I have no use for it so give me a shout if you can use it.  I am happy to send it to you, just leave me a comment.

And one last thing before I go...

Check out my Give Away!

Till next time.................happy stitching!

Gumnut Goings On

The Gumnuts came today - only a small group today - Del, Irene, Lyn, Audrey and Cynthia M.  We actually did some work but before that look what Del showed us!  Last weekend she and her hubby went into the city for dinner and had a bit of time to kill beforehand so they checked out the Markets at the Rocks.  Look what she found!!!  Too cute!  And only $5.  Now I have a rather significant oversupply of buttons and I would love to make some of these!  Or better still, next time you go there Del................

 Check out the size of these pinwheels!  They are about 18" - six were sewn together and they now make two lovely lap quilts for the Women's Refuge Quilts.  Irene has taken them home to add a plain narrow border and some corner stones.  I should add that these blocks, some made and some in pieces, were in three bags of "scraps" donated to us by some of the ladies at Country Pickin's, my "local".

  I should add that these blocks, some made and some in pieces, were in three bags of "scraps" donated to us by some of the ladies at Country Pickin's, my "local".

This also came in the bags.  The centre panel from the hexagon flowers out to the border of small squares all around measure 44" and was donated as is.  The strips of small squares were donated too but they were sewn together in groups of 16 each.  We sewed together end to end and added them to the centre separated by some 2" strips of white.  We ended up with another great lap quilt for a the Women's Refuge.  

Tomorrow I will take some photos of the other quilt tops that we have gathered - two from Andrea and two from Irene.  We are going to end up with more than the twelve that we are aiming for!  No worries mate!

On to a different subject!!!  I have the nicest bloggie friends!  So many have been so encouraging since I started Aussie Heroes, including my overseas friends.  One of them, Ellen, sent me a parcel on the 4th of March.  She didn't tell me what was in it other than it was her way of supporting Aussie Heroes.  What a Gem!  She lives all the way over in Ontario in Canada and her parcel took FOREVER to get here but at last it arrived.  She did send some fabrics for Aussie Heroes including some lovely red string blocks which you can see over at Aussie Heroes but look what Ellen sent for me!  Isn't it gorgeous!   Love those pretty flowers and butterflies and love the pretty "spring" like flowers.  They look so pretty all folded like this so you will have to wait till I start sewing with them to see them in all their glory!  I am already thinking what I am going to make with it - something for ME.

 Thanks so much Ellen!

Make sure you come back tomorrow - it is GIVE AWAY night.  There will be something for YOU!

Till next time.............happy stitching!