Saturday 31 October 2009

We're having a heat wave.... A tropical heat wave...


Well the hot weather has arrived and we are so soft we are cooking. The temps have reached thirty two today. I want my winter back! It has hit Maisie hard she has just been flaked out all day (though I don't know if that is different to any other day..) She hasn't moved from our bed and my Girl's day out quilt. come to think of it, it is the same as every other day!
God help us once the real heat arrives in February!
Last night no 1 son came home from a dinner out with friends and they were sitting around listening to my and DH vinyl records. I thought most youngies didn't even know what records were! Poor no 1 son has been tortured by our music records and is aware. But they were all loving listening to our records. I thought the player was broken so I was rapt to find out it wasn't so today we have the air conditioner on and the record player going. I have tried to replace most of my favourites with cds so that I can still listen to them easily.
Not much crafting happening- I have been lost in books. I read Jane Eyre and now have borrowed Villette by Charlotte Bronte also, and the second book in 'the last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant' by Stephen Donaldson. I read the first, second and third chronicles of TC about 20 years ago and really loved them so am enjoying revisiting 'The Land' in this book.
The first book of the last chronicles came out a few years ago and I didn't bother to look out for the next one.

Here is something I am making.....while I wait for my next bom patterns to come out.
I love milk jug doilies. I usually keep one of each pattern that I make so that if I lose the paper pattern I can copy the actually doily. I also like to drape them around the kitchen and dresser.
Have a lovley weekend.
Tuesday is Melbourne cup day so it will be a lovely short week. Got to love Public holidays!
cheers
Marina

Monday 26 October 2009

what a surprise!!!!


Here are my absolutely magnificent gifts that I have received from the wonderful Bev. my stitchers swap angel.
I adore all of them and they have made me over the moon!

Here is a close up of the mug hug ( I wanted to enter the mug hug swap but had a few too many things on so am so lucky to have one.
A cute card- I don't know which one I am?
A close up of the beautiful felted wool applique rose. I didn't make this one for my swap partner as I didn't think I could do it justice so I am so chuffed to have the needle keeper and the pin cushion. The big green ric rac is gorgeous and all the fabrics in the gifts are so wonderful!
Check this gorgeous pin out! Does it look like it would suit my tastes- well it is blue , It is a teapot......
And she also included a fat quarter of blue fabric.
Thanks so much Bev.
I love them all.
A big thanks to Helen Stubbing for organising this swap again this year and for all the wonderful designers that designed the beautiful gifts for us to make for each other.
It is so great to be able to get to know a total stranger and put all your effort and talents into making something for them.

What a happy day!

Marina

Monday 19 October 2009

little dog

Here we are completely finished and I did leave the little dog till last........

.......this is why. It reminds me of my fox terrier, Peggy that I lost a few years ago. She was, let us say a unique dog. I loved her to bits but she sure did try to rule the roost. I lost her suddenly and it just broke my heart as it was totally out of the blue.

Here she is with our older boy Jack (the liver) and a much younger Monty, who will be 8 this year. She was just such a gutsy dog. The little dog in the stitchery has a red collar just like Pegs.

Saturday 17 October 2009

let there be cake!

This morning I hosted our craft group get together. We all enjoy having a nice morning tea so I decided to make an orange and poppy seed syrup cake, as I haven't quite tamed my new oven it came out a little overcooked on the outer edges so I also made my fail safe coconut syrup cake in case. They both tasted yum so it was a bonus. There was heaps left over so we will be having a cake fest this weekend.
Today I received my swap partner for a Christmas swap that I have signed up for. My partner is in the UK and her blog is at www.thebalancingkiwi.blogspot.com
Look forward to getting to know her and making her something christmassy.



Not much crafting been happening-have just been flat out this week andI have only managed a little work on my Summer nostalgia block. Block two has already come out. I don't know where that month has gone! Need to get a little hurry on I think.


Well to eat cake or not to eat cake, that is the question.


have a lovely weekend.
cheers
Marina

Saturday 10 October 2009

Saturday crafting....


Here is block ten of the Tisket Tasket block of the month all ready to applique. The original block had a halloween theme but as we don't celebrate Halloween in Australia I thought I would alter it a little to include a ginger cat. If they had tortoiseshell fabric it would have been so, but Maisie will have to be happy with this! she was quite put out after the last block had a dog on it so only fair one should have a cat.
While at tennis this morning I managed to make a good start on my stitching of the Dorothy Baker bom called Summer Nostalgia. I just can't wait to stitch the little dog but I want to leave him till last. I am toying whether to fill in the leaves or not. I did one and am not convinced as yet -will sit on it and see what happens (not literally lol).

I also got this in the mail yesterday- Block one of my heart and home bom. Aren't these fabrics just gorgeous. I just love them.
I read the pattern and am hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew. This pattern will have to have all my concentration so that I don't muck it up. I will leave it till I have a whole day to potter. There should be one of them before next months block comes, shouldn't there.
Off to a trivia night tonight with my good friend and her hubbie and kids. We love a challenge, shame there is no buzzer! only joking..
Happy weekend
Marina
ps parcel no 2 has arrived in the US, only one more to go! Apparently Kymberly hasn't received swap packages for the last two swaps she entered so she is very happy to have received my goodies.

Thursday 8 October 2009

back to the grind

Well the first week back at work is nearly over. Boy could I do with a nanna nap.
Here are the pics of my Dutch table toppers. The red is quilted and ready to bind and the blue one needs to be quilted and bound. It may have to wait till next holidays. The smaller ones I made are both bound just some stitching by hand to do.
I am quite happy with them as they are lovely and bright. The dark and light reds and the dark blues are from a range of fabrics called Redwork Bluework revival. I really love the fabrics and if I wasn't 'blued' and 'reded' out I would love to make another quilt in this range but for now the leftovers can go away and wait for their second chance at inspiring.
Maybe with some stitchery........



I have started my Summer nostalgia block and need to get started on my block ten of the Tisket tasket bom. Hopefully this weekend....
We have a trivia night on Saturday. The boys are going to come with us - they help make us a good team and we have fun together.
The library books have been read and returned and I enjoyed it a lot but the back to work routine has edged out that luxury for now.......
I am thinking of reading Jane Eyre......I always seem to get caught up in a genre.
I have been blog surfing and found a lovely Christmas swap. And seeing as My stitcher's angel swap is complete, why not. Parcel no 2 has been received and no 3 should be in the post tomorrow. It was well received, thankfully.
cheers for now
Marina
Hopefully that will be all the red and blue for a while!

Saturday 3 October 2009

At the sewing machine....

Yesterday was my last day of my holidays and I was determined to spend it doing what I wanted. No 3 son went to lunch and the pictures with a friend of his so I seemed to have the whole day to myself. My arm is so sore from the hand quilting that I just needed a break from that and I managed to put the book down too.
I thought I would drag out my blue and red dutch squares and make the complementing squares- the fabric has been there for quite a few months. I have decided that these tops will be table toppers as they seem to be a bit busy to make a quilt. I have bagged up the rows for the toppers and had some squares left over so thought I would just make a small table runner type thing from 9 blocks. I am almost happier with these than I am with the larger ones. I will try to sew up the bigger ones today and then decide if I like them as much. It will be nice to have made something with these fabrics. The bigger tops are 5 x 5 I know it isn't much bigger but it does seem to make them seem so much 'busier'. I am determined to machine quilt, I will cross my fingers and hope this turns out ok.
I even managed to make a yummy dinner of Chicken Chasseur thanks to my friend Maggi.
Everyone loved it and commented how nice it was. They cracked up when I told them about the casserole base packet. All fair in Love and war.......It was really nice. Thanks Maggi.
Have a great weekend.
Marina


Thursday 1 October 2009

Lost in Austen


Monday I made the big mistake of visiting the library with DH, I felt like reading and I thought I would like to have a little bit of a Jane Austen immersion. I found the dvd of Sense and Sensibility and had to order in a couple of books much to the mocking of my teenage boys. "Oh I love a period drama, what channel is that on? OOhh I love that Mr Darcy (Colin Firth's Mr Darcy of course)......"
I read Pride and Prejudice in year 10 (a lifetime ago) and have always loved this book, thanks to a very inspirational English teacher.
There is only one thing wrong with me reading.....Once I start, I get lost in the book and all else falls by the wayside. My tedious job of hand stiple quilting has been replaced by images of Col. Brandon and Mr Ferrars, and now that I have started the book the image of Mr Darcy has pushed his way in there too. Miss Elizabeth and Miss Jane leave me alone I must finish the quilting before the holidays are over, no I don't want to have afternoon tea, your witty retorts are too much...... I promised myself I would finish....
Tonight they have the Chronicles of Narnia on tv too.
Too many choices TV, Jane Austen, or hand quilting?
Aaaghhhh
Imust go to the sink and do the dishes first, I do my best thinking at the sink. If only one of the boys would hold the book up while I did the dishes....
cheers for now
Marina
ps my first parcel for the Stitcher's angel swap has been well received by Kymberly in the States, Phew that is a relief. Second one hit the post today then only one more to go.

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...