Giveaway Alert

Would you like to help Carin celebrate 4 years of blogging?

Then visit her over at Conceived Without Regard for Reason or Reality and read all about it!
A lovely idea and some super goodies.

WOW! What a Weekend

Firstly I had to rest yesterday to get over my wonderful weekend.
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Our patchwork group had a little weekend retreat with some neighbouring girls, with the intention of learning to strip and curve. Here is my first set of strata with the second in progress. My pillow came in handy as an extra table.


Some of us also managed to throw in a little dyeing on the Saturday. There is my 24 colour wheel on the left. Yesterday I rinsed and washed and today is ironing day.



Day one I managed to dye and get all my strips stitched together ... day two I carefully began sewing some curves.

Seven blocks in all ... I have to admit I was beginning to slacken off by the afternoon.

9 more blocks and I shall have my very own strips and curves quilt top.

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Thankyou Ruth and girls for a lovely weekend of sewing and chatting. Hope to see how you are all coming along at next patchwork day.

10 Down ~ 2 to Go!

That is ... 10 months of my Calendar Quilt completed which leaves November and December to go.
All fabrics are compliments of a lovely friend who had a spring clean of her fabric bits and pieces, thanks Ruth.

Sharing Time

Seems like ages since I've been here ... what a week! Deadlines ... Mail ... Bugs

Bugs, seems once you get sick this year, it keeps returning for another bout. Everyone I talk to has been experiencing the same thing. You get sick, you just get over it and then either the same one or another bug grabs hold. DH has been fighting something for a couple of weeks and now my throat infection from a few weeks back is returning. Grrrrrrrr!

But enough of that, you don't need to share my bugs. I am going to share with you the high points of my week. A little while back, Fiona of Mothers' Cupboard had a sale and I found myself placing an order quick smart for ...

Fiona was also holding a giveaway and never did I imagine that I could be so lucky ... YIPEE!

Then this week when I was starting to feel yuk, this little pink parcel cheered me up toot sweet!

Thankyou so much Fiona for the chance to win this delicious jelly roll ... perfect colours for me ... and a charm pack to top it all off. More dreaming now of how to put them to good use.

Fiona is also one of the lovely Gum Tree Designers. If you haven't checked them out yet then you don't know what your missing. More goodness tomorrow with their next free Christmas design.

Deadlines ... yes. As usual finished this one Tuesday night to be delivered Wednesday morning for entering in the textile section of our local Art Exhibition. It's Deborah Baines' "Floral Fancy" found in 'Creating Country Threads'.

Couldn't help myself, I was enjoying this pattern so much. I also added some beads to the centres of three flowers and little yo-yo centres to three. I even did some hand quilting around each appliqued flower.

While not a winner on Friday night, it's a winner for me. Congratulations to the clever ladies who won placings with their entries and to the other ladies who entered.

Now it's on with the next deadline ... paperwork today and to finish off my Holiday Quilt Swap and Christmas Ornaments.

Is anyone else daunted by how quickly the end of the year is coming?

Happy Sewing and keep well.

Trying New Things

Having a quick hop around blogland this morning, I came across a 'new to me' widget on Kristie's blog.

If you look down my sidebar your will see 'Visits from my Friends' by the blogfrog. I'm just dipping my toe in the water here and would love to invite you to show up here.

My thought is that it's one more way of spreading the wonderful friendships that exist among bloggers. I would also appreciate your thoughts.

Boy Does Time Fly

Ummmm ... where did the last two weeks go? Anyone who finds them, please send them back to me!

Sewing deadlines .. more and more paperwork .. dust .. smoke .. dry weather. These are the things keeping me busy at the moment and it looks like October will be gone before I know it.
I've been grabbing snippets of time here and there to see what everyone else is up to.

This photo was taken by me before 6am the other morning when were expecting the second lot of dust to roll in. There has been a third time since.


There is a shining light at the end of October. I'm off for a weekend quilting and dying retreat ... hopefully I can get my fabrics etc ready in time.

I have also managed to post off two PIF gifts and my Stitchers' Angel parcel. My current deadline is for this Wednesday so hopefully I can share that next weekend.

Keep well and keep sewing.

Small Finishes

They may not be big projects but they are finished projects.

This little pin cushion didn't take long at all ... made from 5" squares.

I made an ebay purchase of these red/white squares and thought I could make a machine cover to go with my red machine mat. A simple, quick method but I'm very happy with it. The cover has ties either end to keep it in place.

After seeing the wonderful matching set of machine accessories over here, I then decided on the pincushion and yet to come will be a little scraps basket. You really must take a look at this lovely blue set.

Back in July I started this pin cushion for Mrs Martin's Cyber Stitching Day. Now that I've signed up for another day in November, I told myself that I must finish this project first. It's a very clever pin cushion on top and a needle folder on the other side. I already have some needles in residence.

Slowly but surely I am still working on Esther's Red Delicious BOM. Here is my block 3 ... I will keep working on this in between all the other projects.

Hopefully another finish for today, my third Stitchers Angel gift, but that one will stay a secret until they all go to their new home in ....?

Have you noticed a new link on my side bar? I'm taking part in Finn's New Years Eve Challange again this year. I aim to complete one large UFO by then and any more will be bonuses.

Happy Sewing

The Sweet Smell of ..... Dust?

Watching the news Wendesday morning was almost like watching a sci-fi movie ... all that red dust. We didn't have the eerie red but the dust made it here too ... (about half way up the Queensland coast).

We were driving home from town and could see it approaching. Just got home in time to grab some clothes off the line and shut all the doors and windows ... but it still got in.

This is the view across to the cattle yards from our verandah ... same time yesterday and today.

Here is the view to the South ... yesterday and again today around the same time.

Who Likes a Sale!

Me of course! If you too like a sale, then head to Fiona's at Mothers Cupboard.

Beautiful fabrics ... great books ...


If those delicious rolls don't tempt you ... then maybe a giveaway will. Take a look for yourself.

The Secret is OUT!

Yes, the secret is finally out. To hear all ... cyber hop as quick as you can to Jenny of Elefanz for the big reveal.


CONGRATULATIONS!

September Challenge

Are you up for a challenge?

Then click on over to Jenny of ELEFANTZ for more on her September Challenge. She also has a secret ... shhhhhhh!

Enjoy some Aussie Spring.

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY