New Beginnings

My new home is here... I hope that you will come by and visit.

Thanks for all your comments and interest, its been great fun. The new blog will be much the same with a bit more of this and that.

Deb

Christmas in the Park

The boys are off tonight to a great family tradition... Christmas in the Park. You take a packed tea and then sit in the boiling hot sun till it gets freezing cold and then listen to Christmas songs. It's actually heaps of fun, 100 000 people go and sit in Hagley Park with their friends. It's heaps easier now that there's cell phones, cause you can find you friends easier!! I'm gonna stay in bed. I'm thinking right now that it would be great to be a penguin mummy and shuffle the egg to the penguin daddy and then whip off across the ice for dinner!!

I think I have some photos from last year...

View from my bed...

This time next year this will be a distant memory. Just to remind myself, that yes I did lie around on beautiful sunny days on the weekend, just making a baby!

Plans...

Today I wanted to sew borders on these three quilts...

Make some plans for this lovely pile of fabric from Fabrictopia...

Finish this table cloth, this quilt and this wall hanging....

Make two of these tops, and two aprons...

but instead I am going to stay in bed, watch Grey's Anatomy, unpick the mistake in Chrissy's quilt and try and feel a whole lot better!

I'm going to do this...

Pop over the Esther's Blog, she has a lovely lovely BOM for free. I love RED and this looks like the perfect quilt to use it on. I'm going to do Red Work because I like doing that and I think it will look good with a bunch of red fabrics from my STASH!

Precious moments....

Daddy and Roo doing reading (don't look at the messy room!!)
Chrissy eating breakfast!

I LOVE WEEKENDS!

This weekend I made a new bed for Mondo, our black spoodle. He is thrilled to bits with it! I made the top for the quilt for Caleb and gave it to Shenleigh so I'll have to photograph that when it comes back!

I also helped Chrissy tidy her room. I've failed as a mother in teaching my child to be tidy. My goodness. How do people get their kids to be tidy? to be fair I'm not a paragon of tidiness myself, but I do pick up after myself. I hate to whinge about her, cause she is great really, but I just wish I could help her to be tidy. Anyway as she is about to move into the bathroom, yes the bathroom, (the shower is coming out and the bed is going in) I thought I would make her a new quilt....

It's mainly a Henry Alexander fabric called "madison" with some fat quarters for accent. I got the idea from the Last Minute Patchwork Gifts book and it works really well.

It's bright and breezy and it came together so so so so fast! She loves it.

I also used almost the last of the left overs and made this quilt with a Heather Bailey fabric called "Pop Garden" that I can't rave about enough! I got it from Fabric Worm and I love it love it love it!

Once again an easy peasy quilt, but I find I need to do some quickies every now and again and it gets the whole speed sewing thing out of my system and I can concentrate on careful sewing again! Both these tops can go to Shenleigh to be quilted I think!

I also sewed the bindings on the Ugly Quilt, which doesn't look ugly now and I gave it to Justin next door, and the Cousin's Christmas Quilt which is all ready for them now. Last weekend I had a real go at those Christmas presents (hence no pictures) and am really on track now with that. Today we have had a fantastic family day, went to a BBQ and had a lovely time with our friends.

David has been busy too, he's getting projects done outside, our property is starting to look like we love it at last!

ps We will still have the ensuite, so we will all be clean! Just in case you were wondering... but an unexpected baby has to go somewhere which means one child goes in the bathroom!!

Virtual Quilting Bee...

I came across this on One Shabby Chick's blog. There's nothing shabby about that Chick, my word, I love what she does! Anyway this is a virtual quilting bee and it looks like fun. Is anyone in the Australia/New Zealand area interested in trying to get a bee started? If we had 12 people, we would each get a quilt a year for the simple sewing of one block a month. Any takers?

By the way I hope this is not copywrited - please let me know if it is. I looked carefully on the blog and couldn't find a contact or any sign of it being a Secret Society!!

It's a girl!

10 Fingers, 10 Toes, a beautiful heart...

Thank you God for our miracle daughter.

We love you already and can't wait to meet you!

This is why we make quilts and cushions....

"Thank you mum," said the six year old, "The cushions are just what I need for my nest!" Cushions, quilts, soft toys - happiness for this six year old. Sorry the photo is a bit dark, but you get the idea!

The Ugly Quilt

Oh my goodness this turned out soooo huge. James is standing on the coffee table holding it up above his head. All I did was cut all the ugly fat quarters into strips and then sewed them into one long strip and then sewed them into lines. I'm not sure what we will do with it!! Hopefully it comes under the "One man's trash is another man's treasure" catagory! LOL!

Purchases from America

These came today from the Fat Quarter Shop, that was so fast. I'm so stoked with these. I'm not sure what this large bundle is called, we don't get them in New Zealand as far as I know, but it looks like it will be fun to use.

A Day Off...

Today I had a day off as a reward for all my hard work on the Enviromark audit! I use the absolutely last of all those left overs and made 5 cushions. The Welcome one, was a Candlewick embroidery that I had framed for Aunty Jean but it made a nice cushion too. So instead of the friendship quilt, I made Liz a wall-hanging, a quilt for the sofa and a cushion, two quilts for our chairs and these five cushions! I'm happy and it was great to have a nice day off.

Chrissy and I had some fun together too which was great.

For Shaz...

Sharyn really wants that frayed quilt I made and i did say I would give it to her, but I really want to make her a bigger one and the fray thing is not good! so I tracked down this fabric (which she loved) in Texas somewhere and I will be able to make her a beautiful quilt I think that she can actually lie under, not just over her knees. What do you think of this Shaz?

More left-overs...

Nobody likes the fourth servings of dinner, but these left-over keep right on going! I cut all the rest of them up and strip pieced them and cut them into 4 1/2 inch strips. Then I went onto Fabric Worm and found this fabric which I hope will match and ordered two metres to put between the rows.
Even with the NZ $ being so low and the postage, it is still way cheaper to buy it from Fabric worm. I wonder what it will be like and how long it will take to arrive.

Oooh pretty!

The left-overs quilt is finished. It's sooo pretty. I'm not sure about the frayed edges thing though, I don't know if I'll do it again, it's a bit out of my comfort zone!

Ugly Quilt

The other night I was lying in bed and I suddenly decided that I had way too many bits of fabric in my "stash" that I don't like! So the next day I picked out 16 of them and I've decided to make a strip quilt for the car. It's so funny how your tastes change and things you used to like, now - now way! Actually these don't look too ugly in the photo, but believe me, THEY ARE UGLY!

Enviromark

Some of you will know from reading my blog that I've been working on policy and such like for our painting company. This is the logo that we are working towards earning! Its called Enviromark and it shows that our company will (a) comply with all the relevant legislation, (b) have identified how to be more economically sustainable on an on going basis and (c) have the systems in place to keep up to date on an on going basis.

Although the writing and researching of all these policies is very tedious, the result means that our company will be running effectively and efficiently, especially (for us) in regards to Health and Safety and the Environment.

Tomorrow the audit!

Butt Lifting - lol

Chrissy earned $40 babysitting and so I took her to buy some new jeans. We got two pairs for $99 from Jeans West. She has the most amazing figure, look at this back view! hehe, she forgot to take off the label and we have been having a giggle about the label pointing to where you should look.

Being Productive...

I have been hugely productive this week. I don't know why. Actually I think it is the amazing pregnancy vitamins I started taking in sheer desperation - I can stay awake past 7.30 pm. So this week in the evenings I have...

1. Sewed together the Truly Scrumptious quilt (by Cinderberrys) and sandwiched it for quilting
2. Cut and sewed together a quilt like this and sandwiched it for quilting.
3. Cut and sewed together the top and the back for the cousin's Christmas quilt
4. Cut and sewed together (with James' help) Aunty Jo's Christmas present
   

Here is the dining table early saturday morning and ...
by 5pm here is a crazy log cabin for Martin, Melissa, Katrina and Sarah for Christmas. It's the second log cabin I've done, the first was last Sunday. I don't think I've really mastered it yet, but it's heaps of fun to try. Believe me this rate of progress won't last!

Being Inspired...

I am in love with this book. Truly people, rush out and buy it, if its the only book you buy. Oh my I'm so inspired!Look at this quilt in red and turquoise. Just look at it...

Hmm, the turquoise is not a colour I have much of in my stash, but here is a start, I'm sure I can rectifiy it.

Books...

I love Amazon, although I don't love the fact it won't sell me quilting magazines because I live in New Zealand!! But look what the postman brought me this morning!! Four new beautiful books to immerse myself in.

Working from home...

I started this project on my birthday. Its the Truly Scrumptous Quilt, I can't remember who it is by. We photocopied the embroidery pattern straight onto the fabric because we thought the black and white would look cool. It's so fake! but I love it. I went to buy some batting today because I thought I would hand quilt it, but I didn't buy enough - grrr so will have to sandwich it another day.

Here's my wee boy who is feeling poorly, I think he has a throat and ear infection but have to wait till 4pm tomorrow to see the doctor - poor wee darling.

Here's why working from home is not all bad! I spent most of the day sitting on the sofa with small boy cuddled up to me while I wrote policy (and read blogs).

Getting side-tracked...

This morning I have a wee man who is not feeling that well at all. In our house when someone is sick they say "Mummy Me" (daddy's can mummy too) so I've brought my laptop into the lounge and I'm writing a Register of Environmental Legislation, a David Robertson Decorators Environmental Policy and a whole lot of other stuff before the audit next week.

Anyway of course you have to check your emails and read a blog or two as well to counteract the tedium of writing such documents! Check out "Anyone can Quilt"... Sarah has such an inspiring blog... and the most amazing fabric stash! Apart from the fact I love the title, it's a fun blog to visit.

Hugs and Kisses

I just received my pattern for this quilt. I brought the iron-on transfers. I thought that it would be a good project for when I get hugely pregnant!! Its from Helen at Hugs 'n Kisses. Pay her a visit. She does lovely lovely things. Now... I wonder what fabric I should use!! It also came with a free pattern for a cute bag and a bookmark with this saying...

Yesterday is a dream, tomorrow is a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope... look well, therefore to this day.

Sanskrit Proverb

Sunshine and sunday afternoons!

Yesterday I was feeling good and even went to church in the morning which was great. In the afternoon Liz and I went to the Art Centre to get a quilt hanger for this wee wall hanging which we decided looked better in her house than mine. When I came home I was looking at all the leftovers, there were loads because orginally it was going to be the Friendship quilt (by Natalie Bird??) and I had an idea. Three hours later - presto, a altered logcabin quilt for Liz to throw over her sofa and add to the cottagey feel of her sitting room. I had so much fun doing this. I was inspired from this book (yes another book I bought) which has a really funky quilt in it. Actually you should go and visit Anne Marie's blog. It is very inspiring indeed. Anyway I just used the log cabin block and it looks great. Sometimes I just like to just make something for little or no reason!!

Finishing off odds and ends

I'm loving this book. I brought it a year ago and have just started using it. I'm inspired to make some little christmas gifts like this...

I was also inspired by Manda and made this picnic rug out of my trademe purchases, I put polar fleece on on the back for those beach occasions when you need something warm to wrap the wet kids up in to go home...

It must be something to do with being pregnant, but in the last two weeks I've been finishing off projects. It's amazing how many projects just needed a small amount of time to finish off. I've put the binding on 3 christmas wall hangings, my friendship wall hanging, my left over orange crush wall hanging and also finished Rhys' quilt. Its feels so good to tidy up all these loose ends!

Rhys quilt was just a metre of dinasour fabric that I thought he would like and I added two borders. It looks great (Shenleigh made a great job of quilting it) and it actually quite large. Rhys will love it.