All Sorts............

It has been a busy week.  On Monday I helped two friends, Cynthia and Diana, pin baste a special quilt.  Diana's sister passed away 10 years ago before she could complete a quilt she started for her daughter.  now Diana and her mum are completing the quilt in time for the daughter's 18th birthday.  How lovely is that.  The niece doesn't know she is getting it so I suspect that a lot of tears will be shed that night but what a lovely gift!  Diana and Cynthia will be coming back on the 25th to quilt it.  I offered to do it but Diana, who I might add is not a quilter but has done a great job, wants to do it herself so I suggested that she do it here and then if she has any dramas she can yell out for help. 

On Tuesday I had my haircut and then met a friend for lunch -then rushed off to buy some fabric for the quilt I told you about here and then it was time for my music lesson, followed by Guitar hero's Music lesson then home to encourage homework and supervise Fly Boy's camp packing! 

On Wednesday I had a doctor's appointment and then rushed to my Quilt Group Meeting.  By the time I got there all the faces had been embroidered on the teddy blocks that I told you about here.  Decisions were made about how to make all the teddy blocks the same size and put them together.  On Monday Cynthia had taken home the eight blocks that I told you about here.  I had cut them out to go with four kaleidoscope blocks that had been donated to us and Cynthia had sewn them all so the rest of the group had been discussing what to use to complete that quilt.  A very productive morning for the group.

When I got there Andrea, who had seen my blog and knew about Sharon's doll blocks, got everyones attention and we all gathered around so see Sharon's reaction.  She loved the pretty one, no surprise there - it was right up her alley.  But she was really caught off guard by my lovely punk rocker!  Talk about a laugh!!!  I think she was relieved when she realised that my magenta haired lady was not going to be included in the quilt, but she loved her all the same and said she wanted to keep her!  I just enjoyed seeing the huge smile on her face.  I know she will laugh whenever she sees her and I like making things like that!

Another bonus yesterday - "Vintage Whimsies" arrived in the mail.  I haven't had time to read it all - there is so much in it, but what a lovely book.  Must have taken a lot of time to compile it!  I know the girls in my quilt group will enjoy looking at it!

 And lastly today!  This morning was spent driving two boys, two suitcases, one drum stick bag, three guitars in cases and two horribly heavy school backpacks to school.  The boys were heading off to Music Camp (Yay) till Sunday.  They had both volunteered to go along with the advance party (for some reason my son informed me that phrase, advance party, is hysterical - I don't get it do you?) to help unpack the truck and set up in ADVANCE of everyone else.  As they were travelling with the teachers I was saved a 90 minute minimum round trip to drop them off (Yay).  I did however return to school in the afternoon to collect aforementioned heavy school bags and school uniforms.  So lucky I did!  I told the boys to check that their suitcases had been packed and they both assured me they had -
They are in the bus Mum! 
Please check! 
They are in the someones car Mum! 
Please check
- oh here they are .....not packed.
Hmmmmm  No egg on my face!

At least by the time I left school to drive home I knew their luggage was packed, their musical instruments were packed and I had safe custody of their school bags and uniforms (so they won't get left behind at camp by mistake!)

So far I have had one text saying Fly Boy doesn't have any deodorant - I think he took it out of his suitcase and out it with his change of clothes and forgot to put it back - oh well I am sure he can borrow some!  I warned them a number of times that they better check they have everything as i am not driving out there!  They are Year 10 after all - big enough to learn a bit of responsibility!

So, what have I been doing with all my extra time?  Apart from smiling like a Cheshire cat at the peace (no scream music all weekend  - no "Mum what can I have to eat that isn't fruit, yoghurt, cereal, toast or homemade stuff?" and no "why do I have to get off the computer now - everyone else is allowed to stay on till dawn!!!!!!"

Apart from enjoying the peace I have been sewing, and sewing, and sewing!  and loving it!  This is where I am up to.  14 blocks completed ..............

And the remaining partially constructed.  I will iron them all in readiness for the next stage of sewing before I go to bed (coz I don't have to be up at 530am tomorrow morning!  Yay!!!) and then in fairly short order tomorrow all the blocks will be done and I will be sewing them together and deciding on the border!

Well that is about it for me tonight.  time to get the iron going and then turn in.  Till tomorrow my friends,
Happy Stitching!!!

Giveaway

Gorgeous fabric giveaway on over here.  What have you got to lose?  Happy stitching! and good luck!

A new beginning

This year is supposed to be the second year of completing UFO's but it is also my year to get started in free motion quilting.  Every second Wednesday I go along and join an informal class run by Amanda where we each take our own project to work on.  Next class I am going to start a new quilt which is one of Amanda's patterns.  It is a quilt as you go quilt and will give me a largish quilt with 16 blocks in it.  I intend to practice free motion quilting on each of those blocks.  It will actually kill two birds with one stone.  As well as giving me the chance to practice my FMQ, it will also give me a purpose made quilt to throw over the nice new red sofa we bought to go in the boys' TV room.  I need something good and serviceable.  Something that can withstand greasy chip fingers, and cans of Lift and Fanta and the like.   Probably nothing can really but this will have to do. 

These are the fabrics for the front - the black and white ones came from my stash, the coloured ones I had to buy - 16 fat quarters are needed for the front.  I have included a number of music fabrics as both my boys love to play  music - keyboard, drums, acoustic guitar and electric guitar!

16 fat quarters are also required for the back.  Once again lots of music fabric but also a doggy print - my boys love their dogs and geometric fabric just because!

I am quite excited about starting this quilt - love the colours and fabrics and looking forward to doing the quilting!  Not so looking forward to doing the hand stitching that will be required but you can't have everything!

Well, that is about all my news for tonight.  Only two sleeps till my boys go on their music camp for three nights - I am only being honest  when I say I am looking forward to not having to listen to "screamo" music (if you don't know what it is count yourself VERY LUCKY!), I will enjoy NOT having to get the boys up for school on one morning, not having to feed them all weekend and never being able to provide them with enough junk food to satisfy them!  Apparently the healthy stuff in our house (and that includes my home made cookies etc) is not filling or satisfying!  Ahh the peace - I can hear it now - as I said - two sleeps.    I will however, really enjoy going to collect them and watching the end of camp concert - always worth seeing!  AND I will enjoy all the lovely sewing I can get done in their absence!

Till next time - Happy Stitching

I Won!!!!!

Yippee!!!  I won!  I just had to write an extra little post to let you know that I won a giveaway from Robyn G at Daisy Quilts.  This is my first giveaway prize from blog and I am so excited. What I have won is a copy of the book "Vintage Notions" by Amy Barickman.  How lovely!  I will let you know when it comes.

Till next time.....  Happy stitching!

2,000,000 stitches and I enjoyed the last few......

I think my machine is ready for a service.......again.  2,000,000 stitches since it's last one and that was in December!  I guess I have been doing some sewing!  How do I know she has done 2,000,000 stitches?  Because a little symbol starts flashing at me telling me that she has.  Cool huh!

And why did I enjoy the last few stitches so much?  My quilt group is making a friendship quilt for one of our number called Sharon.  It is called a "circle of friends" and I have shown you some of the blocks made up till now here.  Then here I told you how I was making an extra doll for Sharon and intended to make two - one nice and pretty, just like she is supposed to be, like this

The second doll is to be a joke  - to give Sharon a laugh!  I wasn't sure what sort I should make and finally settled on either a pregnant lady or a rock chick!!!  I decided that I liked the Rock Chick best.  I decided she had to have wild hair, tight black pants and a plunging neckline. 

And here she is!

Back when I first posted my draft patterns LaDonna suggested I include a tattoo!  Great idea!

Here is your tattoo LaDonna, well two tattoos and thanks for the suggestion!

Oh, and by the way!  I even made sure she had some cleavage!  Just a little extra padding!  I showed my boys today coz I was really pleased with her and they both told me it was so inappropriate!  Guess I must have got it right!!!!  Hee Hee!!!  Personally I love my little rock chick.  If Sharon wants her, she can have her, but if she doesn't I am going to give her a really good home somewhere in my office.

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

 

Scrappy Saturday - yay!!!

Well whose idea was it to make a quilt from my green scraps this month!  Oh yeah!  Mine!  Well it finally happened.  I finally got all the half square triangle blocks, all 400 of them, sewn, cut, pressed and trimmed of annoying little corner bits!  Today I spent quite a bit of time organising them in to 16 piece blocks so that I minimised the duplication of fabrics.  Had to have some double ups, but only as many as necessary. 
Here they are stacked up in groups of 16 ready to be sewn into blocks

And here are the first five or twenty five blocks.  Five rows of five blocks will make it about 80 inches square but I need to increase it to 88 x 96 inches.  I think I will be doing a border but what sort I have no idea.  I will wait till it is all put together and then choose.  My boys go on camp from Thursday night to Sunday arvo so I am planning to have all 25 bocks finished by then. 

Wish me luck!  And now, to bed.  Two teenagers with five assignments between them to mostly start and finish tomorrow - it is going to be a long day of listening to them complain!  I need a good rest tonight!

Till next time.........Happy stitching!

Busy day

Started with some grocery shopping - highlight of my day, NOT.  Then back home and got the laundry on - another highlight - then the fun began.  First I sorted out my Aussie fabrics - some mine and some donated by the girls in my quilt group.  I am starting to plan what I think I can manage to make for Ireland.

I sorted some fabric for aprons and then just worked out what I had.  I am also planning to make some bags so I want to experiment with a good shopping bag pattern before I cut too much out.  I will do pot holders too and then some Christmas decorations.  Please someone remind me to do some Christmas aprons and pot holders too.

Next I cut fabric for 8 new blocks to go with four blocks that have been donated.  I have chosen two different stars, simple easy ones to put together.  That will give me 12 blocks and that should be enough with sashing and borders for a lap quilt for Queensland.

Finally I got to spend some time quilting - in fact the whole afternoon pretty much.  I am not showing you the whole quilt until it is finished and bound but here is a bit of the quilting that I am happiest with.  I think I am going to enjoy this free motion quilting once I build up my confidence.

Finally tonight before the boys went to bed I sat and cut half square triangles apart and then when I got sick of doing that I ironed what I had cut and then cut some more. The photo about is of  ironed blocks and below are all those I need to iron....tomorrow.

My goal is to have then all ironed by Saturday so that I can start sewing for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge's Scrappy Saturday!  I am going to work on them during the day tomorrow in dribs and drabs as I want to get back to working on my applique UFO.  I can't iron them all at once or my elbow will get sore so I will do a bunch at a time.

I have decided that I don't much like my after school schedule but I am not sure what I can do about it.  This is what my week is like -
Monday - leave home at 430pm, home at 630pm - maths tutor for Guitar Hero!
Tuesday - leave home at 230pm, home at 5pm - music lessons and band practice for both boys and me
Wednesday - leave home at 510pm, home at 630pm - Airforce Cadets for Fly Boy.  Luckily another mum drops him home at 10pm
Thursday - leave at 3pm, home at 430pm - drop Fly Boy to bible study - luckily he gets dropped home
Friday is not so bad except that I can't go anywhere myself coz I am dropping both to Youth Group at 8pm and collecting both at 1030pm
Saturday is FREE!!!  Can you believe it!  In fact I thinking of decreeing Saturday parents' day.  The kids can stay home at least in the evenings.
Sunday there is Church at 5 till 630pm.
Blah!  Hi my name is Jan-Maree and I am a taxi driver!  Ho Hum!  All I can say is thank goodness I don't have to fit another child into that or I would never be home to cook dinner!

Alright I feel better now that I have had my vent.  I have got a little bit of time before I got to bed so I am going to sort myself out so I an get lots done tomorrow.

Happy Stitching my friends..........