What's Your Name

I saw this on Gina's blog and thought it looked like fun!

1. ROCK STAR NAME - Mitzi Triton
2. GANGSTA NAME - Rum & Raison Thong (Flip Flops)
3. NATIVE AMERICAN NAME - Blue Cat
4. SUPERHERO NAME - Purple Bailey's
5. NASCAR NAME - George Edward
6. STRIPPER NAME - Charlie Fudge
7. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME - Bryce Brisbane
8. SPY NAME - Autumn Rose
9. CARTOON NAME - Strawberry Shorts
10. HIPPIE NAME - Sausage Blue Gum

How did I come up with these names? Well the guidelines are
1. first pet name / current car
2. favourite ice cream flavour / favourite type of shoe
3. favourite colour / favourite animal
4. second favourite colour / favourite drink
5. first names of your grandfathers
6. favourite perfume or scent/ favourite candy
7. 5th Grade teacher's last name/ City that starts withthe same first letter
8. favourite season/ favourite flower
9. favourite fruit / an article of clothing you are wearing now
10. what you ate for breakfast / favourite tree

Sewing and Nature

Well I had the most lovely day yesterday when my best friend and her beautiful daugther came for a sewing day. Sometimes you just need these days, no planning, it just happens. I finished my November Postcard but photos of that when it has arrived. Then made a good start on another Christmas Table Topper ... see previous post for similar item and giveaway. As DH and DS are out all day, I get another sewing day. The dishes are done, the house is tidy, so I have the whole day ahead of me. What a wonderful feeling.


I can breath again now, my ALQS2 has arrived safetly to the home of Barb. It's always worrying, waiting for them to make their journey far across the seas. Thanks to Kate for organising, it must be such a mammoth task keeping it all running as smoothly as possible.



When the October issue of AP&Q arrived I had a quick thumb through and as soon as I saw this little quilt I thought it would be perfect for my parnter. It was designed by Ruth Buchanan to celebrate Australia's floral emblem the wattle and has lovely yellow Suffolk Puffs. I exchanged the yellow for a burgundy to suit my partners preferences and now I'd like to make another for myself with the yellow this time. Another project for my 'wish list'.



My thoughts have been with those families who have suffered much damage from the raging storms this past week. While we still wait for some good rain to fill the dams and creeks and freshen the grass, we don't want the destructive winds. Nature can be harsh but it can also be beautiful.

I truly admire the photography of some of the girls' blogs I visit and attempt to be better with my own pictures but I have a long way to go. Yesterday afternoon I noticed this view through my kitchen window so grabbed the camera and ran up the back. This is to the South West of us.



This was taken earlier in the week looking to the North East.


My computer is on a 'go slow' this morning so I'll show more photos next post. Time to get sewing.

Quilting Wishes

I'm Back With a Giveaway and Show & Tell

I didn't mean for me to take this long in getting back, but that's how life goes. Since my 100th post I've enjoyed our quilt retreat, met some deadlines, been to town, busy at work, another day in town and attended our local races yesterday, plus all the usual stuff.

So without further waffle ~ I'm having a giveaway to celebrate my first 100 posts!

Just leave a comment on this post and I'll pop your name in the hat to win this Christmas Table Topper (28" square) or one very similar. I'll ask DD to draw a name from the hat on November 30.

Before I could enjoy our retreat, I needed to finish my quilt for ALQS2 but I will wait to show a picture till after I know it has been received.

The Christmas Topper was my project for the retreat and I finished hand sewing the binding at home this week.

This is my table at one of the tidier moments.

I also managed to make another Quilters Mug Bag for a gift. It just needs the top binding hand stitched and a draw cord. See here for the finished drawn effect.

We had five very industrious ladies who spent a wonderful weekend sewing, chatting, relaxing and enjoying the good company.

I've still managed to read some blogs and make progess on my #1 item for Finn's Challenge. I might only manage this one, but that's better than still being on the WIP list.

The heat today is something shocking, fingers cross for some good drenching rain tonight.

I feel like there's something else I wanted to share but can't remember now, so there could be another post following soon. I'm off to prepare some hand applique for my November postcard.

Quilting Wishes

Swap Mail and Giveaway

Yippee, my little quilt for ALQS2 arrived in the mail today.

It's gorgeous and I love, love, love it. Alicia from lucysquilts has done such a wonderful job on this little beauty. The colours work so well together and the pinwheels are 3D, how clever!

I'm not the best photographer . . . the sun was going down . . . and everything is sooooo dry, my lawn crackles when you walk on it. The first photo is taken on the lawn, it really is brown. The lumpy looking photo is taken on a bale of mulch hay. I need to get that on the garden as soon as possible.

Thankyou to Kate for organising, this is my first time with ALQS and I've enjoyed it heaps.

I can just hear the rain starting on the roof now, so fingers crossed.

I also noticed when I went to post that this is my 100th.

So .... Yes .... I will be having a giveaway ... pop back when I post next to find out more about it. I'm off to a quilting retreat this weekend so I probably won't be posting till after then, hopefully with lots of pics.

(This is the 3rd time I've edited this post, I can't keep the line spacings where I want them.)

Quilting Wishes

Time for a Change

Bear with me. I feel like a bloggy change and not sure what I want so this could be a work in progress or a disaster where I revert back to what I started with.

The frogs are croaking loudly tonight so I hope they know what they're croaking about, we could sure do with some rain. It's been a long time between drinks for the ground.

I should be sewing but my attention span is so short that I'll probably muck it up. So a good nights sleep and a fresh start in the morning will be the best approach.

Quilting Wishes

Swap News

Life is still in top gear so not much of the quilty stuff going on at all.

Just this morning I finished off my postcard for October ... before dashing off to work ... and popped it in the mail on my way. It is an even 6" x 4", just doesn't look it in the pic.



In Monday's mail I received this little beauty. Our theme for October was birds and/or insects.


Margaret (no blog) has her quilt ready for ALQS2 (photo taken with phone). Her Kangaroo's Paw will be on it's way across the wide blue yonder this week.


I'm off to a quilting weekend in 10 sleeps so I can't wait. Two whole days of quilting with friends.

Quilting Wishes

A Break In Sewing

Wow, life seems to have stepped up a gear or two lately and there has been no sewing what-so-ever. I barely have time to check a few blogs now and then. I do have the plan for my ALQS2 in my head and an idea for my October postcard up there to, just need the time. Perhaps this Friday when I can get a few hours at patchwork group.

Wednesday afternoon while feeding the chooks, I noticed the moon and grabbed the camera. Two shots and then the batteries went flat.

Thursday afternoon I grabbed a moment to head outside with the camera (after recharging the batteries) while waiting for the storms that just went around us. My two girls like to wander about with me and race up the trees just because they can.

DS surprised us with a visit this weekend so this morning when I wasn't required at the cattle yards, I did some baking. DS takes one cake and some biscuits back with him for the week, and I've made up a care package of biscuits to send to DD at Uni.

When I finished the ironing, I pressed some pieces of fabric ready to cut into 2.5" strips for a table topper I'm making. If I'm lucky I'll get those cut this afternoon. Another busy week ahead.

Quilting Wishes

Gardening in the Shower

Yes you've read the title correctly, I've been gardening in the shower. A shower of rain that is.


I got home from work yesterday around 4pm to find that the power was off. Quite a large area was without power and they didn't have an estimated time of return. It was so overcast that the light was fading fast so we pulled out the camping gear and candles, cooked a quick meal, boiled a pot of water to add to the bath, and we were "in bed with the chooks" as the saying goes.


So this morning I've been catching up on all the things that couldn't be done last night.


Getting back to the title, it's been showering on and off this morning so inbetween showers, hubby and I headed out into the garden to take advantage of the heavy clouds promising more rain to come. We've planted two new trees, transplanted one and removed one. The plantings involved the tractor and post hole digger as the ground is so hard and stoney, so while the tractor was in the yard it was time for the removal of one tree that has struggled for too long. Hopefully transplanting the other will give it a better chance at a life.


Of course we weren't quite finished when the next shower of rain came across, but it was a pleasant change to the heat and dry.


Just thought I'd share these King Parrots with you (pictures from google). When we were having lunch today, I spotted the female heading down a hole in the tree next to the house and the male was flitting about on the branches above. Obviously a nest down there so I'll be keeping an eye out for the young.

Female

Male

While you're visiting, link on over to May at Abyquilt for a smile or two at her Oct 10 post.

I spent a lovely few hours with the girls at patchwork yesterday and while I didn't actually get any sewing done, we did quite a lot of planning which involves a weekend of sewing so we're all excited about that one.

Quilting Wishes

Giveaways Galore

Recently I came across this blog. Debi has organized a Fall into Fall Giveaway where
over 40 wonderful quilters are generously giving away lots and lots of goodies. So check out the link to see all the participating blogs and pay them a visit.

Here are just a couple ~

Zana's Ninis

OH NO It's the FRO
http://ohnoitsthefro.blogspot.com/2008/09/its-time-for-fall-into-fall-quilters.html

Holidays Almost Over, Some Finish, Some Progress

We've had a lovely week with the two kids and a friend at home but it will soon be back to just the two of us. I have managed some sewing inbetween housework, bookwork and feeding everyone.

The little wall hanging was completed for our Girls Night In last night. Everyone who attended had a lovely evening. Once again Kerry did a wonderful job in organising this fund raiser for Breast Cancer Research.


#1 Finn's NYE Challenge ~ I now have everything ironed onto the queen bed quilt and all I have to do is secure them with a blind stitch. I'm still undecided as to whether I try to quilt it myself or send it away for quilting.

#2 Finn's NYE Challenge ~ I've been doing some more machine quilting on the Rainbow Wall Hanging and worked out a pattern for the last blocks so it's progressing along as well.

My PIF Gifts reached their destinations during the week, that's a relief to know they've arrived safely. Thanks Gina and Nancy for playing along, it's wonderful to meet such lovely ladies. To follow the rules of PIF to the 'T', I still have one spot left if there is someone who would like to play along. First to ask to join via a comment here, will be the lucky third although I can't promise it will be one of these bags. See here for the full rules. You will have 365 days to send your gifts on.

Friday week ago I received this very sassy lady in the mail, my September postcard. Now to think of an idea for October.

Also time to start on my little quilt for ALQS. I have a pattern and some fabric, hope ?????? likes my idea while keeping with her colour preferences.

Time to hand the computer back to DD. She's been extremely busy with research and assignments while home so I've let her have the run of it. Though I've still managed to keep up with most of your blogs when she takes breaks.

Quilting Wishes

Fabric Postcards and 200th Giveaway

I may be getting close to my 100th post but Myra is reaching her 200th and is holding a giveaway to celebrate the occasion. Click on either link and pay her a visit to say hi.

My postcard is on it's way to it's new home. Funny to think we can pop a piece of fabric in the mail and off it goes just like a letter. I wished it well on it's journey. They are to reach their destinations by the end of each month so I should find another in my mail box very soon.




Can you believe, I think I might have RSI in my right shoulder from all that mouse controlling while reading everyone's blogs. It ached like crazy last night. I'm now teaching my left hand to control the mouse, not going too bad either, LOL.

DD will be home shortly for Uni holidays and DS is taking a weeks annual leave to lend a hand on the property so our home will be back to 'the old days' for a week or so. Looking forward to it! She might even get to finish one of her WIP's.

I was wondering when does a WIP become a WIP so I'm adding an extra list to my sidebar of projects I have the fabric and pattern for, "Ready and Waiting" to begin. More for my own memories sake really. If I can see them in print, I might get a wriggle on and finish some more WIP's so I can start some new projects.

I'm still making slow progress on my queen bed quilt for Finn's New Year's Eve Challenge. Another small wall hanging just needs about 2o inches of hand stitching the binding and it's finished.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend and

Quilting Wishes

Some Finishes and Roses

I've been grabbing a little sewing time here and there and have managed a couple of finishes. Not NYE finishes but I am very slowly progressing on those.

Today I made another postcard for my swap. The theme was 'In the Pink' but no pic yet because it needs a little something to complete it. However it will be posted to arrive before the end of September as per the swap rules.

Last night I finished the hand stitching on the second of my PIF gifts. I'm pleased to say that they will be in Monday's post. Pics when they arrive.

Here's the mug bag and matching mug mat that I made for Veronica as part of Linda's Bag/Bucket Swap. I had a lot of fun taking part and isn't it amazing how many different styles of bags/buckets there are out there. Thanks Linda.

Sadly the quilt-as-you-go log cabin workshop that I was to attend this Thursday, had to be postponed. Talk about disappointment. Guess that means I'll make more progress on some other finishes now instead. I've packed all the fabrics etc for the log cabin in a container ready for a new date.

It's as hot as today, waiting for the storms they keep predicting. I have two weeks holidays ahead of me so hopefully that will include some good sewing time. It also has to include some bookwork and GST that uses up valuable sewing time, hmph! Housework too! I'm sure I can find an even balance between them all.

I'll leave you with some more of my roses. We had a gardening day yesterday, lots of culling and weeding to tidy things up a bit.

Double Delight

Blue Moon

Quilting Wishes