The Ballet Project

That's an impressive title, but it's really just the hexies I take to ballet each time I go.  I sit in the car and quietly stitch while I listen to a podcast on my Ipod.  

It's getting rather hot now, too hot to sit in the car and so I have to sit in with the other mothers.  Mostly they just play on their phone, so I feel a bit silly but I guess I'm going to have to suck it up.  I get so bored on my phone.  This time is gold stitching time.

I've basted bag after bag of hexies, and soon when I finish basting them all, I'll start stitching them.  But I did like to see what they looked like upon stitching them together, so have made a couple.  They are so pretty, don't you think?  But everything is pretty in thirties prints.

That's it for now, see you soon!

Crochet crochet crochet

Hello lovely readers.  

I've had a busy last few days.  Drove to the nearest 'big town' for 'supplies' (crafty stuff I can't get easily from here) with my mother who wouldn't let me buy any more yarn.  Brought some fabric for Daughter One's Christmas present (a quilt), brought some borders for my Sunbonnet Sue.  Got some curtain fabric for our school (somehow I am the designated 'seamstress' and I have committed myself to stitching curtains though I haven't really a clue how to do that - I'll sort it with Mum's help, thanks Mum).  

Had a lovely day, and was totally exhausted when I got home.  Once upon a time I could shop all day.  I can see those 'shop all day' days looming with at least my eldest daughter who could shop for Australia.  Thankfully the youngest one isn't so interested but I fully expect that she'll grow into it.  

I've spent my afternoon sorting out some hexie projects that serve as my ballet project (you know, sitting in the car waiting for ballet to be over), and I've laid out my crochet blanket above to see how many squares I still need to make (answer, HEAPS).  

And that's been my day.  Nothing too much of note to report.  The weather's beautiful, I'm avoiding all news stations and I'm about to go out and pick my strawberries.  So life is good!

Sunbonnets–still not done

So I finished my Sunbonnets and hung them up:

And yes, it needs a border.  I know.

So it’s coming down again and I’ll just do that one last step.  It’s always the one last step that kills me.  I don’t have the right fabric (fancy that) so I need to order some, and then that one last step should be done.  Hopefully!

testing

I’m trying something new on my blog, just go about your business as usual!  Here’s a photo of a puppy. xx

Something completely different

Last Christmas (I gave you my heart…..), I saw loads of do it yourself Christmas wreaths around on the internet.   I'm sure you’ve seen them, they are made with Christmas baubles and hot glue. 

I managed to score some good deals after Christmas with the baubles (always, always buy your Christmas decorations in the after Christmas clearout!) and they sat in my laundry for ten months, until yesterday.

I don’t know why yesterday was the day, but I got down and dirty with my hot glue gun and I made this:

I’m stupidly happy with it.  I used many many glue sticks and lots of baubles, and it was so super easy.

Really, really simple.  There are loads of tutorials out there.  The one thing I think I needed was more larger baubles, the small ones (of which I have a million) are great for plugging up holes but the bigger ones just look fabulous.  Glue on the bauble, stick it on the wreath.  Glue on another bauble, stick in on the wreath.  Plug any holes with smaller baubles.  Rinse, repeat.

I never throw out those dead cutting mats, they come in so handy for all sorts of other uses!

Now I’m fairly sure I will have to constantly fix the thing, I’m not optimistic that the hot glue will cope with our Summer Christmas temperatures.  But I’ll worry about that when it happens.

I am now officially a craft blogger.  I should start up a Youtube channel!

I’ll be back to quilting tomorrow.

Sunbonnets

So…I finished stitching my sunbonnets!  It’s been a long time coming, but they are all done now!

I need to trim the alternate blocks, I found that each of them was just a little off. 

But I’ve trimmed all my sunbonnets back to size now, so all I need is a little time to stitch them together.

This took me such a long time to prep.  The stitching didn’t take that long and I think it’s done okay.  I’m still very much a beginner with needle applique but I did really enjoy it.  I think since I began I’ve learned a few shortcut tricks in my preparation (floriani and a gluestick springs to mind!) so hopefully the next time I do a quilt like this it won’t take quite so long.

All I need to do now is stitch the blocks into rows and the rows into a quilt and then another UFO is off the list.  BAM!  Hitting all my goals today. 

(apart from all the housework and garden weeding but that doesn’t count as a goal, does it?)

Brandy, the Christmas Pudding

A hundred years ago (well, perhaps ten) I had a kit left over from when we were in the shop.  Doll making was big back then and no doubt I started this one as a shop sample and then we got out of the shop and that was that.  She sat in one of my UFO boxes and waited patiently to be done.

We recently had an all day sewing day at our group, and even though I have 938383 million projects started, none called out to me to be finished.  I bit the bullet and brought along this design and apart from the face details and the painting on her shoes, I finished her!  Quickest UFO I’ve finished in a long time!

I think she’s very cute but I’m so not into dolls these days.  No doubt she’ll end up in a box somewhere, packed away.

I found it really hard to remember how to do the face.  Amazing how quickly one skill replaces itself with another.  I had to go search up my old craft magazines to see some pictures.  I knew I was keeping those old magazines for a reason!

So all in all, a pretty productive week.  I am V. pleased with myself!

Springtime

You’ve no idea what a month of weather we have had, both in October and previously in September.  Spring traditionally is a bit of a mixed bag, but this past month and a half have been off the charts.  Yesterday was 14 degrees, the day before the girls were ready for the swimming pool.  Mental.

Last night it rained (again) and when I woke up this morning, the sun was shining and everything was clean and clear and crisp, so I took some photos I thought I’d share.

You’ve seen my garden before, but have another look around:

After a dodgy, slow start, the roses are amazing.  They are all enormous this year.  Like roses on steriods.  It must be the weird weather, they weren’t pruned any differently than last year and they are twice the size.

Forgive the aged hand there (and I do actually have a thumb, it’s hiding) but I wanted to show you the size compared to the dinner plate sized rose next to it.

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous.  It’s our Rose Festival this week so they are coming out just in time.  Clever things.

We (my husband) cleaned up the strawberry patch last year and we barely got a strawberry from the bushes.  They were under threat of removal this year for a new lot, and I think that scared them.  Now we just have to keep the lizards and the birds away from them. 

Why is it the thing you need the smallest amount of is the thing that flourishes in the garden?  We eat so little parsley.  Look at it all!  I give it to the chooks but even they are sick of it.

I’ve always been able to grow silverbeet – this year’s crop was a bit sad but it’s starting to come good now.  This is another thing for the chickens – I love silverbeet but sadly I am the only one in our family.

 

If you lived in my town right now, all you would be able to smell would be orange blossom.  It’s overpowering and overwhelming and gorgeous but my goodness, does it play havoc with my hayfever!  I’ve been feeling particularly crabby lately and I’m sure it’s from the hayfever!  It smells like someone has dumped a big bottle of citrus oil outside. 

 

My beautiful apple blossom.  Have yet to get a good apple from this tree but I’m hopeful for it this year!  Look at those lovely blossoms

 

 

The grapes are thriving.  I just stand at the vine when they are ripe and eat.  They don’t even make it inside.

My almond tree is doing very well this year also.  Everything is blooming, growing.  It’s such a wonderful time of year.

 

 

 

And this year’s award for spectacular floral arrangement goes to our bottlebrushes.  They are amazing right now.  They are amazing every year.  Love them to pieces.

A little pink flower I’ve not seen before in our garden.  Must be something new my husband planted.  He’s forever adding new stuff.

And this is the front garden.

It’s just got away from us like you wouldn’t believe.  I’m about to go out there now and pull some weeds, though I suspect I’ll never be finished.  I’d much rather be quilting, to be honest.

And there’s my gorgeous spring garden for you.  It never fails to please me. 

Tomorrow, some quilting photos!

Some quilts (not mine) to show you

Sorry for the crappy photos (how many posts do I start with that?).

This month, and last month are hands down my busiest.  Bring on Christmas, it’ll seem like a holiday compared to the last few weeks.  I’ve been doing very little actual machine sewing but I have been working hard at my sunbonnets and very soon I will be able to show you the whole finished quilt.  But for now, I found some photos on my phone from a quilt show I went to on holidays.  First daughter wants a quilt like the orange/teal squares.  Second daughter wants a quilt like the row by row.  I just loved the jewel box – no matter what colours you make it in it works every time.

The kids go back to school on Tuesday and life will settle.  And I’ll be able to dive head first into what I hope will be a productive last term.  That’s the plan, at least!

How have you been?  Sewing much?