Monday 29 June 2009

one down!


Well I can mark one off the list of to do's.
I have managed to piece together my Girls day out top. Wooohoo!
I am really happy with it. There are a few little things that need to be finished off, I missed a little bit of embroidery and I need to applique some roses around the centre shop, which I was debating about but I figure I have done this much work over the last 12 months a little more won't hurt.
I used Lecien fabric for the borders and am worried as they are fraying quite easily. I will need to be careful with handling and when I quilt it.
With the school holidays a success will usually encourage me to bring out the too hard basket and this horsey project has surfaced again. Last holidays I unpicked and resewed the blocks so that the embroidered blocks and the panel blocks were supposed to end up the same size but surprise- they didn't and I am lost with the busy-ness of it. Will leave them out for a few days and see if any inspiration hits. As always any suggestions more than welcome!
Off to finish my paper bag swap items! Deadline looming.
cheers
Marina





Sunday 28 June 2009

pretty good weekend

Well it is Sunday night and guess what? I don't have to go to work tomorrow!!! I just wanted to say that out loud, sorry.
On Friday I popped intoJemima's patchwork for their sale. I had one thing in mind- my border fabric for my Girls day out quilt. Veronica helped me pick out a lovely border fabric that will subtly frame my quilt. I came straight home and cut the inner border, outer border and binding strips.I can't wait to finish it off. I have just finished the last two embroidered pieces that I had forgotten to do and now I can finish the centre third. I am excited!
here is the fabric I picked. It may not look much on its own but it looks lovely next to the quilt.
I also picked up this lovely purple oriental fabric for an experimental project. It looks lovely.
Took Coffee to dog club this morning after a 2 month hiatus. Really I have just lacked motivation to get up and go. He had his first lesson in class 3 and he worked really well. He is such a good boy and so placid. I just need to overcome the nose hitting the nice smells on the grass. Bit hard with most dogs, let alone gundogs. Was very happy with his performance today He works so well especially considering the amount of training he gets. That is the next thing to get motivated about!
Cheers for now
Marina

Thursday 25 June 2009

holidays here I come!

Well today was my last working day (well paid working day) for the next two weeks. WWOOOOHOoooo. Am I a little happy.
I have a visit planned to a patchwork shop in Lancefield with a friend and a visit to Jemima's for their EOFYS -end of financial year sale.

Helen Stubbings has a new BOM for Christmas and is having a giveaway.
Pop over and have a sticky beak. It is really gorgeous and would look perfect next to last year's christmas wall quilt! Can you have too many Christmas quilts?

Happy days!

Sunday 21 June 2009

On top of the world....




Yesterday Hubbie and no 3 son and I went for a drive to the Dandenongs. This is a lovely place to visit, very scenic and lots of lovely unusual shops.

We drove to the top of Mt Dandenong and the view was just super. We could see the city and the Bay, even though it was a bit overcast. At night it would be spectacular to see all the city lights and the surrounding suburbs too. We went shop hopping as Joe wanted to check out a shop that sold old books and he found something to buy. They also had old records and I just love flicking through them, often having a giggle at the cheesy records my mum had when I was a kid. I remember asking a student at work once if they knew what records were and they didn't have an idea what I was talking about! How sad. I managed to find an old Cobbers double album in mint condition to replace our old worn out one at home. What a treasure!
For those that don't know the Cobbers are an Australian Bush band and their songs are just fantastic. They bring back memories for us of when we were teenagers and this kind of music was quite popular. My husband used to go to Bush dancing before we met. I love to collect records of Musicals too. Last time I went op shopping I found a Sound of Music record in immaculate condition so home it came. I think the kids went OOHH Noo what did you bring that home for. I will make them listen to it just for punishment and to show them some respect! lol
Happy Sunday.
Marina
ps forgot to mention the lovley blue and white turkish ceramic trivet. We found a shop selling Turkish ceramics in Olinda. Talk about lost. Where we live we have a very large turkish population and I have never seen these ceramics for sale before here. It was just beautiful and there were so many blue and red plates. They were just magnificent I just had to have something small to take home.

Friday 19 June 2009

paper bag swap arrived

Well my poor paper bag swap from Helen arrived this week and what a sorry state it was in. It had incorrectly gone to a house across the road and as we don't know each other's name they must have returned it to the post office. Somewhere along the line someone must have used the package as a football. All the contents thankfully were still inside despite the hole in the tough bag and the only casualty was a broken slab of chocolate. When the chocolate was made visible everyone arrived on the scene 'Ohhhh have you got chocolate? You are going to share aren't you?' Talk about sooky la la's well I had to share then didn't I, I don't want to appear to be a bad mother....
(here is a close up of the fabrics and thread. goodies in other pic)

So thankyou Helen for your lovely parcel. As soon as I saw that fabric I knew what to do with it I hope you will like what I do with it.
I will post a pic of my treasure once one of the princess' wake up (one did night shift and the other went out socialising till the wee hours) and help me with plugging in the camera cord. Hubby blew up the computer earlier this week by plugging in a memory stick so I am a little cautious. He blew the power board and the mother board, I am not sure if the amount of dust inside the computer had anything to do with it? Well it was very sad without the computer and even sadder once we parted with the money to fix it. Them's the breaks.
Cheers for now
Marina

Sunday 14 June 2009

what do you think?

Now that I have nearly finished my girls day out quilt, and don't see myself making another one I was wondering if it would be proper to swap the pattern with someone. I don't like to keep patterns forever it just takes up room that could be occupied by a new pattern.
My patterns are originals and not copied at all and I would love to do another bom.....
Perhaps someone may like to do the 'girls day out' quilt and they have just finished a bom and no longer require their patterns- it could be recycling. I also have 'A quilter's journal' patterns by Leanne Beasley though I am missing one pattern.
Please let me know what you guys think......
Cheers
Marina

Saturday 13 June 2009

going great guns

Well it is that time of the week again.
Did pennance at tennis this morning. If you end up on the bottom of the ladder you have to host the finals and man the canteen and umpire- so I spent the morning handing out hot dogs and dim sims as I can't handle the pressure of umpiring. At least there is a four week break between seasons.
Have managed to finish my May and June basket blocks. They are so easy to just pick up and do. I love them. I am up to date with them now so roll on next month.

One of the blocks was meant to have a little bird at the bottom. I didn't add it in but I may if I find some fabric that will suit.
I am anxiously awaiting my paper bag swap which Helen sent last week. I can't wait- she has picked some lovely fabric will post a pic once it arrives.

Two weeks to school holidays.........can you tell I am hanging out!
cheers
Marina

Monday 8 June 2009

a very productive weekend

Gnocchi turned out great and have had a weekend full of good food and good friends and family.
Craft wise all planets aligned and I had a great sewing weekend.
Here are some of my Girls day out blocks, I have sewn up three quarters of the top. I just need to cut some more fill in squares. The buttons will get put on once it is quilted.

Here is my disappearing nine patch top- yep finished this on the weekend too.
Now is this the cutest tin ever. My sister in law gave it to me for my birthday along with a gorgeous blue willow platter. I just love it.

This will be a short week, work wise, hooray. It will be the weekend before you know it.
Have a lovely week.
Marina

Saturday 6 June 2009

star trekking & gnocchi making

I love going to the movies but unfortunately by the time the planets align and I get to go, the movies have already finished showing!
But not this time- no. 1 son and I went to see Star Trek last night. (No one wanted to go see it with me except for him, how sad am I)
I loved it, it was great - I think a lot of the subtle references to the series and in jokes were lost on no. 1 son as he never saw the original series and isn't a real fan of the genre. The special effects were well done.
My good friend, who I normally go to the pics with is going to organise for us to see Angels and Demons next week. Should be a good flick too, I like Tom Hanks and Ewan Mc Gregor.

Off to my other friends this afternoon for a gnocchi making & eating session. Making gnocchi is one of those 'memory' things that I remember doing when all the women in my family would get together and we would spend the afternoon making heaps of gnocchi so we all could have a good feed of them. I have lovely memories of us all having jobs delegated by my nonna and a production line happening. I inherited my nonna's gnocchi board so it will be put to use this afternoon. Perhaps it will make a new memory to keep.

My birthday tomorrow and we have a lovely long weekend, coincidentally the holiday is for the Queen's birthday-how appropriate!

Mojo is happening- I have prepared June's tisket tasket block, sewn up my disappearing nine patch and put on borders, completed another item for the Friends swap and prepared more border fabric for my Girl's day out blocks. I am getting there. My next job will be to quilt the three tops that I have finished.
Happy weekend
Marina

Time is flying....

 Seems like my blog has become a little neglected again, this doesn't mean a lack of crafting though. Progress has been achieved on most...