Boo Boo's and Belly Rolls

Yesterday's post was a little "feeling sorry for myself" and I know there are others a whole lot colder than we are in New Zealand so I do apologise!!  I have actually turned on the oil column heater (will have to sell my fabric on Trade Me to pay the bill haha) so at least my bedroom is warm at night now!! 

Last night I cut off 10" strips from about 20 of my batik fabrics to give to my sister on her birthday this weekend.. (hmm there is still a bit left!!??).... My sister is the one of the TWO best sisters in my World and I'm glad (but they're my batiks owwww) yeah, I'm very glad to share with her.  Anyway I have to live till 150 to use all my fabric 

I've folded them in half lengthwise and made a big jelly rolll... maybe it's a Belly Roll!!  I think I can spare one of them...    or two..

Off to my warm bed in my warm bedroom now to watch B and S! 

Decisions, decisions.. birthdays

June.. A month of birthdays and heaps of presents to buy...My sister R is 7 June and me 2 days later, then my grandson turns 5 and the same night in Hawkes Bay I have my friend's 60th to go to .  My little sister is on 9 July !!!  I've spent the last hour looking for ideas on the net as making presents can be so much cheaper and I know the girls will appreciate them.

So Sister R is a quilter.. I've decided to cut jelly roll strips of my collection of batik fabrics... oohhhhh thats so hard.. I'll give them to her as is, she doesn't get to see Milton Wright where she lives haha.   Was going to make her an apron for sewing but means I have to buy fabric!! 

Sister No 2 in July will be easy.  I will make her a knitting bag and a funky 'going out to the ballet' bag as she's often said she'd like one just big enough for ticket, phone and the back door key!!

Alex's 5th birthday.. not long to make a quilt but... thinking thinking....

Friends 60th.. a funky wallhanging would go down well. Like a Chrissy Shead design with lots of arty farty things sewn under black mesh or something..

Yesterday I had to admit defeat and take my washing to the laundromat.  Some of it had been hanging on the line all week in constant rain...the clothes horse inside (which sits on the table for lack of space) and my shower curtain rail have been covered in clothes..... Well, there are only about 7 towels, knickers, track pants and a couple of pj's.  $25.00 poorer!!!.. Woah... thinking I need to move ... this house has no shelter, the hot water cupboard is useless, high ceilings, no carpet  and no heating so my gas heater doesn't do much in the current freezing temperatures we're having.   And the Landlord.. well.. not interested.. he just wants to be paid!!

Whats good about this house.. the neighbourhood is quiet, no parties, a cul de sac so very little traffic.  My nieghbours are the best!!  In summer when the sun's out the front rooms and my bedroom are lovely.  Washing gets dry and the house is insulated top and bottom so no carpet doesn't worry me in Summer!  It's big enough for me and my sewing fetish too! 

Decisions, decisions  I have two months until my lease runs out...

Oh I hate being a single girl sometimes...

I wish my Mum or my Dad would do it for me like they did in the old days... (Bless you Dad I know you would if you could!!) x o x

I'd better go and start cutting and creating. .. it'll warm me up.. hehe..

A pincushion with a difference

Another giveaway - this cute little pincushion is a giveaway on http://alderwoodquilts.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-giveaway.html

Isn't it gorgeous. 

 I need a cute pincushion but it's one of those things I haven't got around to. 

I should make one from selveges.... !!! 

Maybe I'll win this one.. it's just so cute!

Eye Spy

Yesterday I went to Capital Quilters Retreat for the day.  I had a really neat time and got to know a few more members.  I made four more blocks for my challenge quilt (which I'm making bigger) and then I started the eye spy for my neighbours first grandchild due anytime soon.  The baby is a boy and I thought I'd make a real eye spy (only one fabric repeated) for the grandparents to have at their house when the baby visits. 

Last week Ady and Lisa shared some of their children's fabrics so it hasn't cost me anything.  I've ended up with enough squares for the top and four rows for the back which I'll also fill in with the black sports fabric in top left of bottom section.   Grandad to be loves his sport and evidently so does their son. 

I have squares to represent most things.. Grandad and Dad played  rugby, Grandma loves Christmas, Dad took a buzzy bee with him when he worked overseas.. even a square for me in bottom right  - the quilter!  There is a square for my neighours two cats and a dog for the other grandparents to be (the dog is in the rain which it often does here in Windy Welly.. hehe!

Aren't fabrics gorgeous.  I love scrappy because there's always something you didn't notice last time (taking a photo first is a really good idea  I can see a few that need changing around to balance the colours.. . )

I'm famous

My bra bag featured on the Selvege Blog this week.  Karen Griska wrote the book where I first got the idea of using selveges in quilts etc.  Today I received a parcel of selveges from Karen.  I entered a competiton on her blog....    http://selvageblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/karen-jones-selvage-bra.html 

Aren't they gorgeous???  I must have a look for Moda Fabrics as the selveges are so pretty and colourful.  Gumboots, Suns, Leafs. I've never seen anything like it on fabrics here in NZ.  Thank you so much Karen.  Remember if you're saving your selveges to leave about 1/2 inch at least of the print fabric so that you have a bit of colour between them.

Check out Karen's new blog too.  There's an online quilt gallery too.   http://quiltdujour.blogspot.com/2010/05/little-dress.html

I've finished two more swap blocks, one of a Kiwiquilters swap and another for retreat this weekend. 

This is one I posted away yesterday.  I didn't make them all but the bottom right one I did.  There are four other ladies in the swap so the owner will get quite a variety back. I didn't like any of the fabrics I used, they were in my ugly pile.  But when you make it up and put them with others they don't look half bad!!!

Right I'm off to cut up some squares for an eye spy quilt.  My neighbours are expecting their first grandchild soon, a little boy, so I'm making a quilt for them to have around when he comes to visit.

Prizewinners and Happy Birthday Carolyn

This is the winning entry for the challenge quilt called Scrappy Block.  It's only about 9 x 12 inches .. really clever and a lot of work!

And these are two Merit prize winning quilts.  Aren't they fabulous. 

It was amazing how many different ideas came from one piece of fabric.

I had a really great day with Jennie from Palmerston North. Thank you Jennie for coming to see the show with me. Some weekends I don't think I open my mouth unless it's on the phone haha so I hope I didn't talk too much!!  

Happy Birthday to my dear old friend Carolyn (Little Bear Studio) For Sunday 16th.. whoops the 'old' is as in 'I've known Carolyn all my life'.. we're not old.. hmmmm.. not yet!! 

(That's me on the left.. Hmm I grew too fast and haven't stopped.. )

Carolyn was born three weeks before me and we lived next door to each other in Dannevirke.  those were the good old days when your neighbours were like family and all the kids in the street played together after school.  We were lucky enough to live over the road from the swimming pool in Dannevirke and Carolyn's mum would often take us over for a swim when we were young.  Sadly we all grow up and I haven't seen Carolyn for a long time (I think it was January 1987??) but old friendships never wain.. whoops there I go again.. hehe.. Isn't the internet great that you can keep in touch with friends hundreds of miles away that you haven't seen in a long long time. 
Love you Carolyn, Have a wonderful day whatever you do.

A WINNING bag out of a bra!!!

And it won!  The challenge was to make a bag out of a bra.  This was my entry judged today as the winner (there were only five entries sad to say) and all gorgeous.

I've used selvege wording on mine (as I would being the selvege queen) all with innuendo's of boobs and bras.  The one's you can't see are Dimples, Cabin Fever, Girlie Girls, and more. It wasn't easy sewing them on.. I should have spent more time and done them by hand but it will only be an ornament!

I had to put the red button here because stoopid me tried to iron the selveges straight onto the bra and it melted!!  But the little cream selvege says Cherry Hill so worked out well.  I had a lot of fun making it but why do I suddenly get the ideas at the last minute.  I so don't do late nights or early mornings.. 2am to bed, 7.30 up again.  Dumb. 

This is my lovely friend Mrs C's entry called Cherries on Top.  She can use this bag.. it is gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous .. so much talent and hard work.  I was thrilled when Mrs C won a prize for best first time entrant quilt.   

This was my other challenge entry.  Remember I showed you the fabric.  Well you had to make a quilt less than a metre square using that fabric.  Mine needed quilting in the centres but I want to get that professionally done and I'm going to undo the binding and add on borders using quilt as you go method. 

And these are some of the other beautiful entries. 

I'll post the winners photos tomorrow night.  For now it's time for bed.  I have a heap of housework to catch up on tomorrow before my friend Jennie arrives from PN.  And Sunday my best friend Carol is coming to the show.  I am so looking forward to this weekend. 

I finished it

I finished my challenge.  Started making a bag out of bra at 1.30 on Saturday, ( I jsut didn't like the bras I had so I went off to Coinsave and found a better one for $9.00).  I went to bed at 2am Sunday after making a booboo and having to cover it up with applique flowers  grrr and then up again Sunday 7.30 to carry on.  I glued the bra on to the bag.  Hope it holds... I think it looks pretty good myself but I do wonder why I leave everything till the last minute.  Can't wait to see what others have done.  I'm not sure if I can post photos of it before the show so I'll wait till Saturday.

Today has been hectic.  Had to decorate our pods at work and that looks great too.  One of the girls painted a huge tree and made another using a coat stand and the inners from gift wrap rolls.  We've made it into a park.. complete with teddy bears picnic.  I've even been collecting baby photos of staff and we're going to have a competition.  Don't know what the prizes are but I think our team might win!@!  Will take photos tomorrow. 

But right now I'm off to bed.  I have tidied up my messy sewing room/lounge but the vacumning can wait till tomorrow.  Believe me I'm knackered if I'm going to be before Brothers and Sisters and The Good Wife...

100 lines

I need to write 100 lines.. " I must not leave things till the last minute".. haha.. Nothing is going as I had imagined with my bra bags so I'm off to the Warehouse to find another cheap bra and that 'll be it.  I only have 24 hours so if it doesn't work this time that's it... hehe..

Jobs for today

A label for my Quilt
A bag for each of my quilts that may or may not be shown
finish the Sunbonnet Sue swap block (oooohhh you know why I've been putting it off)!*
finish a bra bag, at least one...

Washing done
Dishes done
Vacummning can wait

Crappy overcast day outside so I can sit in here by the heater and BLOB! 

Recycling

I'm only here for 10 minutes .. discipline.. discipline.. hehe.. Had to check my emails and my selveges are on their way from USA.   woohoo... Karen Griska couldn't believe how excited I am.. nuts yeah but isn't that what addiction does to you???  Luckily there's treatment coming up at a retreat soon.  I can only afford one day .. at this stage.  Mental note to myself - buy a mothers day lotto.. maybe I'm on a winning streak.

Have a look at http://mousechirpy-polkadotpineapple.blogspot.com/.  She's been recycling rubbish and made a gorgeous little box/card thingy.. so clever.. I've been thinking that a 'Womble party" would be good for a group.. everyone brings their 'rubbish' and put it in one place.  then all the group can pick out 3 or 4 things, someone takes a photo of what they've taken, and they have to make something out of it for the next get together.  What fun!

When I was back in PN I suggested a UFO Challenge.  Members had to bring to the meeting a UFO that was older than a year to show.  Not knowing that we were going to give them a challenge to FINISH it in 4 months.  I believe there were several that got finished except me.. I left town!!!  Haha one way of getting away with it huh. 

Well I'm out of here again.  After 14th I'll be able to put up photos of my challenges but it's all secret stuff till then.  Take care everyone and if I haven't left a message on your blog it's not because I haven't been peeking.. I sure have.. no I haven't.. well I haven't been here.. you can't see me ... really you can't!!!!  hehe

Shhhh don't tell me off!!

I'm only on the net for a quick check on emails etc so don't growl at me.. I really shouldn't be here.  BUT HEY I'VE HAD A FABULOUS SURPRISE TONIGHT.. I checked the lovely Karen Griska's blog "The Selvege Blog" and I've won a pack of selveges from her.  Woohoo, wicked.. dancing for joy!!!  This place has been lucky for me, I've never won so much in my life as I have since I moved here.  

 I LUVVVVV SELVEGES.. ADORE THEM.. PLAY WITH THEM OFTEN.  They are so interesting.. the names.. the colours.. the number arrangement be it dots, squares or otherwise.. and I really really really love the misprints. Friends send me parcels of them and I get so excited - I am such a nutta huh!! I procrastinate about using the special ones but I'll tell you a secret... shhhhh   We have to make a bag out of a bra for our Club exhibition and I'm using some special selveges.... shhhhhh .

Thank you for all your messages last night.  I went to the optician and I have an allergy in my eyes which is what is aggravating them and making me extra sensitive to light!! Phew, I thought I was a hypercondriac (hmm??? not sure bout the spelling).  So drops for a week and hopefully it will clear up. 

Making great progress on my challenge quilt.  Done 95% of the quilting and sewed the binding on at work today.  (and so lucky I had needle and thread at work.  One of the solicitors split her skirt so good old me was able to tack it up for her.)  My good deed for the day.  So feeling good about deadlines.  Sewing tomorrow night at a friends house and I still have until Sunday 4pm to hand them in. 

Next week I need to make a calico as the Club are going to use my quilt frame for the exhibition.  And my neighbours are expecting a brand new grandson soon so I think I'll make them a play quilt to have at there house when he visits. 

Right my two minutes in here is up and I'm back to my sewing machine. 

Another giveaway

Look at this beautiful collage.  Rebecca is offering it as a prize to celebrate the opening of her new internet shop.  And you can send your own photos and she will make it especially for you.  What a fun thing to make.  OHHHHHH I DON'T HAVE TIME... So go and have a look and be in to win... or don't .. then I have more of a chance hehe..

http://rebeccaforvintageliving.blogspot.com/

I rang the NEW Doctor in the Hutt this morning to make an appointment.  I filled out an application in early March and sent it in.  They opened on April 1st.   Today they said they have lost my application however they had sent me a letter acknowledging it and I checked with my old Dr who had a request for my file and has sent it to them.  So where is it????

Now I have to fill in another application and hope like heck they find my file there somewhere, AND I won't be able to get an appointment until the end of the week at the earliest!! 

So tomorrow I'm going to the optician to get him to check my eye/s.  There is certainly some bug in one of them, it's the wrong time of year for hayfever.  And it's getting hard to see when it's sore.  I feel sick too.. not sick enough to eat but I don't feel SICK at any time.

Okay, and now you can't see me.  I'm outa here and back to my quilting.  I've nearly finished quilting my challenge project and so will do that tonight, sew the binding on and then I can handsew at work.  And I am so keen to start the next challenge.. a bag from a bra!   I have two really neat ideas.. will I get two done???? All entries have to be handed in by 4pm on Sunday... eeekk..

Later my friends.  Hope you are all well.  Had a quick peek through your posts. 

Tote and Gloat 2010

True Colours

I went to Tote and Gloat yesterday in Palmerston North.  It is a feast of quilts and arty stuff that quilters make!!  Once again too many ideas and not enough time but it's so inspiring to see what can be done.  The challenge was to make a quilt inspired by Music or the name of a song. 

Beethoven's 5th symphony.. 'Da Da Da Daaaaaaaaaaaaaa'

Little Boxes

Have a look at my friend Tizart's blog as she won a prize for her entry too.  There were a lot of other entries.. this is just a few.  I couldn't think of anything... maybe I didn't think hard enough but when I saw what had been entered they were so amazing.

Here's a few others I really liked that were on show.

I took some of my quilts up.. one's that I'd given away but borrowed back for showing.

My Favourite Things made for my late Aunty Shirley includes photos of her favourite things at home.  She had gone to live in a rest home because of ill health but died 3 weeks after the quilt was finished.

Uncle Doug's Goldfish made for his 80th birthday last year.

Have a look over at http://amamus-amatis-amant.blogspot.com/ The Hectic Electic.. there's a neat giveaway to all the bakers out there.. Mrs C is wanting to boost her followers and given away things to make cupcakes.  Mrs C's blog is always interesting.  She is a very talented lady and currently making replica's of old dresses seen in museums.  So sign up to be a follower and go into the drawer.

This post is written in a hurry as I am up to quilting my challenge entry.  I started this afternoon, spent an hour on it and then an hour plus to unpick it .. tried putting invisible thread in the bobbin but it pulled it in too tight.  I am not a quilter .. dumb as... but must keep going.  The quilt is gorgeous if I do say so myself but a lot to do this week. 

Sadly I seem to have an infection in my eyes - one eye is worse than the other??? , Not sore but it keeps jumping and they feel like there's grit in them but I hasn't cleared up despite rinsing them.  Wondering if it's hayfever or something?  May have to go to the Dr this week..as it's getting frustrating.  Back to the quilt..have a great week in case I don't get time to visit again,.