Sunday 14 April 2013

Good Ol' Nan.......86 years old

Yep, that's what my girl always say when Nan gets herself into a predicament. Good Ol' Nan. School holidays very rarely go by without Nan doing something interesting and just when we thought not this time, well lets just say nan did not let us down. We were all at Highpoint shopping centre, at least 35 minutes from home, when I missed a call from Nan, we tried to call her back several times but got the engaged signal. Nan has not hung the phone up properly again, so we keep trying over the next half an hour, eventually Nan calls back.  I' ve had a bit of an accident in the garden, " I've stuffed my hand I think". Okay I am on my way but I will be about 35 minutes is that ok, yep was the answer. Now DD14 was in movies at a birthday party and luckily DD22 and I had just had lunch with her girlfriend who then drove me home so that DD22 could wait for her sister. I arrive at my mother's and followed the trail of blood, only to find her sitting at the table with a blood soaked towel around her foot. When I said " I thought you hurt your hand" Nan replied " well first I put the garden fork through my foot then I fell over getting out of the garden bed, bugger it". All I could do was laugh, as I checked to make sure the bleeding had stopped and looked at her wrist, it was fractured. She said " what now" well we are off to hospital because your wrist is fractured, "are you sure". I think after 30 years nursing I know what a fractured wrist looks like. Her hand was at a very strange angle and swelling before my eyes and as she was complaining that she could not hold her pen to do a puzzle while waiting for me, it's a bit sore. So I go round up all the things I need to take with her , but then she is gone, as I look around I see her through the window standing at the car door. She even had put her shoe back on. I just shook my head and laughed, tough old buzzard this one. Anyway got to the hospital walked in on the foot she had stabbed, still waving her hand around as she answered questions, the nurses and Doctors were just shaking their heads saying this generation is tough. Eventually we convinced her that she needed some pain relief before X-rays and plastering along with Tetanus shot and wound cleaning. But then came the best part we went to the plaster room and I said to the Doctor can I just see if my DD22 has arrived as she is a student nurse and would like to see the plastering. Dr said " sure if she likes she can do it I'll teach her". Thankfully DD's had arrived and there was a great squeal of delight about palstering her Nan's wrist. So the lesson began, alignment of wrist acheived then plaster applied and plaster observations explained. Result very happy Grand mother and Grand daughter. Who knew that Nan's unlucky break would result in a lucky break for DD22.

Isn't it great when you find nurses and doctors willing to share their knowledge and encourage the next generation of health professionals


It will take Nan a while to live this one down.

Saturday 6 April 2013

Friday Night with Friends


Well here I am at last, have been a bit busy running around with DD14.
What did I get up to?....... Well last month DD22 was admiring a double hour glass 12 " block I was making for my swap buddy ( except she calls it a cotton reel) when she asked " can I have a quilt made with those". DD22 does not have many quilts because nothing seems to be modern enough for her. So I pounced on this and said well there is a jelly roll that has been begging to be made, have a look see if it is suitable. Surprise, surprise yep that's good. So before she changes her mind last night I stitched strips together and even got some of the blocks done. Today DD22 is wanting to know if her quilt is finished yet, no pressure, think I'll take my time make her keener.





Thanks to Cheryll for hosting and Thanks to you for stopping by :)

Sunday 31 March 2013

Happy Easter



Well I have had a strange March, not really achieving much but here are my finishes.

A friend of mine who had been admiring my mug handbag asked if I could make her one, so here it is.




Finally finshed this Christmas runner.

DD22 BF is still a big kid, he was so sad he could not have the last quilt so I made him a pillowcase. He loves the Cars movies this should stop him stealing DD22's Minnie Mouse pillow.


Saturday 23 March 2013

1st Friday Night Sew In




Morning, well it was my first Friday Night Sew In and I was so ready for this, desperately needed some soul stitching. Girls were forewarned, croissants with ham. cheese and tomato for dinner or help your yourself. Out to the craftroom I go, cranked up my new CD- Into The Bloodstream by Archie Roach, Archie is an indigenous singer songwriter and he to is one of the Stolen Generation. This new album really speaks to me, it is soothing and uplifting, or maybe that's where I am in my journey of healing. I am not a religious person but the gospel sounds are lovely.
Well what did I get up to?....
I started to piece together DD14 Grandpa's Little Treasures quilt top by Teddlywinks. 
Ta Dah....


I had one block to piece, but the peepers were weary, and both me and one of our four legged girls were covered in loving. ( my girls refer to the endless threads that drift around our house as pieces of loving ) So into bed I fell. First thing this morning out to the top I went and attached that last block, yes cheating seen it is now Saturday, but you know somewhere in the world it still is Friday.
When the top was revealed DD22 BF asked if he could have this quilt ( as he does every time one comes off the machine )  he was very quickly told " get in line buddy, the next ones mine" by DD22. His face falls, I have never know a boy so desperate for a quilt of his own.
Shhh...... just between you and me a quilt for him is now in the planning. I will have to design it first as he is a real country boy and deserves a country boys quilt with at least his beloved ute on it.
Well off to netball now hope everyone had a great sew in.
Toodles.

Sunday 10 March 2013

Soooo.... over this heat, just like everyone else

Yep, the heat makes us cranky sometimes because it makes our life just a bit more challenging due to our health issues, but oh well we're happy to be here and most days can get out of bed. Well my DD22 is struggling with that, but this to will pass. Yesterday we decided that we would go to the movies in a desperate bid to keep cool, DD14 chose movie, so off we went to see Silver Linings Playbook with our free movie tickets. It was great, highly recommend it, thought provoking and laughed alot out loud as usual.

Prior to this I have been trying out some new cards, as I have been a bit slack on this for sometime. So here are a few.














I have also started work on Sylvia's wedding sampler from Elm Creek Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini. I have all of the novels so far, love them and thought it was about time I made some of the quilts. I am making a scrappy version from my stash. I think I have made about 15 out of 140 blocks. No hurry just an in between project, here are some.



Saturday 2 March 2013

Friday night with Friends



Well it was my first Friday night with Friends and i was a bit unorganised but here we go. For starters I finished off the last of the blocks for DD14 Grandpa's Treasures quilt. So bears got some faces and the bees got done then I finished off the ivy





 
















Then I put together my class project from the Craftsy site Hand Stitched Collage Quilts now I am ready for embellishing, YAHHHHH!!!

Thursday 28 February 2013

Has anybody seen February? It's gone.....

Oh my I do not know where February went, I will just have to start over again. It had taken me a while to get into our craftroom this month mainly due to DD22. When DD22 gets in the creative mood and works in there it becomes a snow dome even though she finished her creation the room is not the same, will need to address that. DD22 was creating a wedding canvas as a gift for her friends, can not show finished item yet as it has not been given. I think it is beginning its journey to Adelaide via Warnambool this weekend, stay tuned.
Due the heat I have not been able to do too much but I have been watching some online tutorials one being Thread Art on Craftsy and here is my first creation from that.

I also made myself a skirt











 On Valentines Day DD22 got a bunch of lovely coloured tulips ( her favourites ) from BF, they got even more beautiful as they opened. We also decided to have chicken schnitzels for tea so off to our local butcher who cut chicken breasts into schnitzels for me. How lovely heart shaped schnitzels for Valentines Day. YEAH!!!

Oh yes there was also some more cupcakes by DD22, beautiful and they flew off to her work






Well that is about all for now, Bye!

Saturday 26 January 2013

Frugal seems to be on everyones mind

Well it seems that frugal is a hot topic at the moment, maybe due to the economic state of the universe, every second person seems to be thinking about it or acting upon it. Simple is another word that seems to go hand in hand with frugal. Whilst chatting to our coordinator at our neighbourhood house this week simplifying life was her mission for 2013. This chat made me think of how I had slowed down my production/ work on my creative projects and had become more engaged with it, in the thoughts behind my work, but especially the rhythm. I am enjoying and savouring the rhythm of stitching whether by hand or machine or using sewing needle or knitting needles. I feel this has come about purely as a result of not purchasing one project after another, not acting on whim and having to really think and plan what I am doing to maintain my goal of being frugal. So already I have discovered a very big plus from being frugal and simplifying my craft life. Along my journey another word keeps popping in to my minds space and that is nurture, so nurturing is being added to the mix. Nurturing myself, my family and my home, stay tuned on that front. I feel that being absorbed in the rhythm of my stitching is already nurturing my soul, that has to be a great start.

Slowing things down and really looking at life must get added to the mix. I was at my craft group for the first time this year, we had been given the new program and everyone was watching me read it. When suddenly after someone made a comment I truely looked at it and the cover and there to my delight were some of the buttons I had made in clay class. Everybody laughed when I finally realised, talk about not seeing the forest for the trees.


Did you notice the new back drop in photo? Well for the past week DD14 and I have been crawling around her room laying these new floating floorboards, no easy feat I can tell you. It took us quite abit longer than the average Joe Blow as we have to adapt how to do things because of physical limitations but we got there in the end. We are very happy with our first attempt. DD14 is now moving back into her room, already it looks like a young teenager's room instead of the little girl's room that it was. 
Sad but lovely at the same time.





Sunday 13 January 2013

Trying to get organised for 2013

Well for the past week I spent a few days recovering from our holiday( as you do, or at least I do ) then for the others I have been busy totally up ending my craftroom, a total rearrange. this also leads to a rearrange in my bedroom as I also have a sewing space in there. I hope to have it finalised by the end of the week before the heat sets in, but as I have DD's birthday and DD14 also has a friends birthday party the day after I may be pushing it.

This year I have decided to really concentrate on developing my free motion quilting skills and to learn thread painting both of which will take lots and lots and lots of practice. So I have joined a few sites to hopefully help with this endeavour. I also want to start to explore creating art quilts, these intrigue me and I am drawn to the multi media aspect of them, I would love to hear from anyone who is starting a similar journey.

I am also tidying up and updating my blog and trying to learn new skills with it, I am still very basic here. Soon I will add WIP, UFO and KART lists and add new buttons of sites I have joined. But as with everything in my life this happens slowly and can often be interupted.

I will close this post with a picture of my new apron, very indulgent on my part, my girls thought it was strange I won't buy new clothes but I'll buy an apron. But I saw this at Lorne, mulled it over for a few days and then splurged with some of my Christmas money, got to love it, I do.

I think I need to improve my photography skills to.







Friday 11 January 2013

Sooo....... excited it's hilarious

Well my year of being frugal is off to a great start. I had been hanging on to a $10 club points reward voucher from Lincraft for so long it was about to expire. I have also joined to do Leah Day's quilt along this year and needed about 1 meter front and back for the project, I had already bought black homespun for another as yet unstarted project and did not really want to take from that project. Whilst out shopping with DDs tonight I noticed Lincraft had a half price sale, so in I trotted to have a look. Well seen it is half price I'll buy the 2 metres and 1 more for good measure ( you like that oldie ) and I had better use that voucher. So the girl cut my homespun then put through the voucher and then told me it would cost me 47 cents then rounded to 45 cents. Yep that's right 3 meters of black homespun for 45 cents. Gotta be happy with that. When my girls found me I was doing my happy dance.

2013 The year of being frugal


Reuse, recycle, repurpose or make do.

Hi everybody, I hope that each of you and your families had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Sorry that it has been a while since I last posted but I had some health issues to deal with...but anyway back on deck and now I have some glasses YEAH !!!!! can finally see again. Whilst I was having some down time I reflected on my crafting and decided that like everyone I needed to tighten my purse strings and find more frugal ways of doing things. When you multi craft and have daughters who also dabble the cost and supplies can get quite out of hand..... so we have a plan.
We decided to keep a tally of costs and to only purchase what we need rather than what we want, well we all know that is how it should be but..........
Some of the guide rules are as follows:
  • only buy goods when they are on sale, so yes this will mean a bit of planning and forward thinking
  • we must use what we currently have in our stash 
  • no purchasing of magazines for the next 12 months..... oh heavens this one stresses me out the most, but I will just need to go through all the ones I have
  • we must find the most cost effective ways of doing craft projects
  • we are allowed 4 comfort buys a year ( one for each season) to spend on any item full price or not
  • we must try not to stress out about the rules
  • new rules can be added at any time
I would love to hear ways that each of you have saved money crafting please share them.

I will let you know I had already done some forward planning, I requested gift cards for my favourite craft shops for Christmas so these do not count but I will be applying the same rules to stretch my craft dollars.

We have just come back from a weeks camping holiday at Lorne where we had a great time being with friends. We go with DD's BF's family and neighbours and it's lovely. Lots of time to rest, do hand work, squiding, lying on the beach and playing beach cricket, this years holiday was the best I have had in a long time ( and to think I didn't want to go because I was too tired). it was just what the doctor ordered.
DD's catching a wave
DD now 14 at Teddy's Lookout
DD's just drifting
 DD14 at Erskine Falls
DD21's BF doing his best "merman" impersonation.

I would also like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Eyeza who turned 30 while we were away,
Lot's of love from the Girls and I.