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.

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.

 In need of some down time...

I had decided this week that I needed to ground myself as I had been doing too much over last 2 weeks with hospital days and classes at Hidden Creek. So the plan was to rest and only go out for 2 afternoons that way I could do some work in the garden but the sudden heat put pay to that. I also think a quiet couple of weeks may be more appropriate. But this does not stop the planning I have decided that November is all about Christmas, gifts, decos and such. Some of these items will fully make it to the blog but others will have to be mystery shots as these will be gifts for my girls. I am not sure if secret Santa snooping will lead them to the blog, but just in case. Despite busy times recently I have still managed to squeeze in some sewing, so here are some pics of what's been going on.

A friend of mine had recently got some new scissors and asked me to make her a cover for them out of my scrap, I had no pattern so just decided to make it up as I went along and then made myself one.

 

Pat's favourite colour is purple

           Grandpa's little treasures has got a couple more blocks done.

Oh my he's missing his face.

               My sampler quilt is getting bigger with addition of blocks.

More mini chocolate cupcakes went out into the world via DD21 as she had finished her hospital placement for her uni course and these were a thank you to the great staff for having her and all of their support and help.

Screen printing........ Why not have a go?

Today once again I was at Hidden Creek Neighbourhood House ( my home away from home) having a go at screen printing. Our instructors are brilliant and very, very, very patient. First we learn to cut our own stencils by hand, this can be a slow process depending on how fussy or creative you want to be. Last time I hand cut a tree and enjoyed it but this time I wanted to concentrate on the printing side as I had forgotten almost everything I learned before. So I chose a simple teapot da dahhhh....

Hand cut stencil

I like to use -ve and +ve parts of stencils

A stencil I cut on my cricut at home before going

Never know which is -ve or +ve part

Now here are some of the prints I made today some are just on calico to practise ( I need alot of practise) and maybe these will find their way into pot holders I think, we are always looking for one. Others are on tea towels, I am very happy with the end results seen I am just a rookie.

Remember my oversized quilt buttons......?

Well today's class I underglazed them, yes I know they are somewhat loud/ bright, this a learning curve so it will be interesting to see how they turn out. I was also thinking that when I get the quilt button sizes right maybe I could put them on my quilt cards and then the recipient could then take button off card and use it on a quilt. What do you think?

Next week Christmas decorations, have to get my thinking cap on for that. 

Not much sewing done Sunday, however........

Baking that's another thing. DD13 was baking and decorating cakes for her year 8 fundraising stall being held Monday as part of their humanities class. Class members came up with ideas to raise money and then presented different charities they thought were worthy. Part of the criteria was that it was to be a smaller charity that does not get much focus and is solely dependent on donations. The Red Kite Foundation won out in the end. Here is what DD13 made to sell for $2 each 40 cakes all up went to school. 

Then as there was extra mix over minnis were made and DD21 decorated them and took them to her part time job for Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

Just a bit more loving in the world.