Work in Progress

It is happening. I've yet to work out the order of the blocks but have been playing to see how many more to do!

A friend told me about this neat Kaleidoscope site where you can change your photos into a kaleidoscope http://krazydad.com/kaleido/ Take a look, might keep the kids happy too.
9pm I'm making progress though have been a bit sidetracked today. Will only need to sew the rest of the strips together and then decide on a border. I'm thinking of a green border on two sides with the word Hydrangeas appliqued on. Maybe a 'paint chart' of the colours too.

My friend Carol came home today from their holiday to Fiji. Sounds like she had wonderful time though glad to be home. I am glad too

Time to quit tonight and tidy up a bit. My neck and shoulders get a bit sore after too much sewing. Might even try and find a pattern for my next quilt. I found some gorgeous tho unusual fabric in Arthur Toye's sale yesterday. At $5 metre I couldn't resist it.

Bad girl!

AS for the weight loss I think my scales might be stuck. I'm the same weight I was on Monday.. and I have been good?

A Productive Day

New Years Day was shared with three other quilters and progress was made!! At Last. I am now inspired and motivated!! My sewing machine came home and was set up on the table and I've carried on sewing. I chose a really simple pattern for my hydrangea fabrics and will hopefully have all the blocks finished by tonight, so check again for the photo later. I've set a goal to have both quilt tops done by Sunday. So back to it.

Here's a photo that my Mum had of the Golden Years Quilt I made for their 50th wedding anniversary. I need to hang it outside on the clothesline one day to get the whole quilt.

Have a great day everyone.

It's Over!!

2008 is over and I can only say I'm glad to see the back of it.

I started the year recovering from breast cancer
In february I was told I could no longer do my job and had to take a secondment into a new job in the legal team (way out of my comfort zone)
I spent about 4 months training away from home.
My dear Uncle was diagnosed with bowel and lung cancer so I went to care for my Aunt who had a stroke 3 weeks before his surgery. (Away from home). His surgery for bowel cancer was successful but there is nothing they can do for the lung cancer.
A week later I was called to hospital here at home as my Dad had had a fall a week earlier (my mum had said he would recover). He was going into a coma and ten days later he passed away. There is nothing to describe losing someone who as been a big part of your life whether it be a friend or family. I know I'm not alone but it is the pits!
Three days after his funeral my Aunt had a heart attack so I went back to help my Uncle through this. She was eventually transferred to a rest home and died a month ago. Aunt and Uncle have always been like my second Mum and Dad and even though it was hard to watch Aunty dying at least she knew who I was and could communicate. I feel happy she will be with Dad and she knew how much I loved her.
I have put on 12 kgs (which takes me back to the heaviest I have ever been) grrrr!!!!!

Today is another year. And it's going to be a good one. My birthday is 9, my Dad's birthday was 9, and I live at No 9. It's time to enjoy life and make the best out of every situation.
I will start looking after myself, healthwise and emotionally.
I will visit Mum, my Uncle and all my children and grandchildren more often.
But I will make more time for the things I enjoy in life like sewing, friends, movies and having fun.

2009 and to celebrate I'm off to sew with three of my close sewing buddies. A shared lunch.. better move it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU AND A WONDERFUL YEAR IT'S GOING TO BE!

My Time!

Yay, the club's library stocktake is complete. And only 6 books missing.. not good, but not bad either when there's over 1000 books!

And my garden is ready and waiting for new plants to fill in the gaps. I have plenty of succulents... had a fetish for them until I learn't quilting. A few have gone in the bin but I've still got enough to fill half my garden. This one started as a 6 inch cutting eighteen months ago and now it's flowering. It's gorgeous! Might shop for plants at the weekend but now it is time to sew. 4 of us have decided to have a sewing bee on New Years Day. What a neat way to celebrate the start of a NEW year doing something we enjoy and being together with friends. I'm really looking forward to it. Tomorrow I need to finish George's quilt and cut out another one (maybe this one from my favourite hydrangea fabrics) ready to sew on Thursday and Friday and Saturday and Sunday and then back to work on Monday. OUch my holiday is nearly over. Right, discipline.. make time to sew.

And diet.. yes I'm having chicken salad for dinner tonight. A friend is coming for dinner and to watch Coronation Street.. (yeah, I admit I'm nuts!).

Found some really neat websites with free patterns recently. Have a look at http://www.fatquarterworld.com/ I love urban couture.. and pathway batiks! Oh I must stop looking.. As IF? I need more ideas!

Tomorrow's goals..

spend no more than 20 mins max on computer;

complete George's top ready for quilting;

cut out one to sew on Thursday;

find my UFO's and spend 1/2 hour getting one sorted

Goals for next four days

Finish George's TOMORROW;

Have fun New Years Eve and see this bloody awful year GONE;

Finish a UFO top;

Start my new quilt;

Stay on my diet (except for a few wines tomorrow night hehe);

Buy more plants for garden;

And enjoy every day like I'm gonna enjoy every day of 2009!!!!

Happy Days

Another day in the Garden!

I really really want to sew but another day outside in the garden might restore my 'plain old tidy organised backyard' from the safari adventure it was.

Day 4 of my holiday, Day 5 will be a stocktake of the club library books and after that my time!!!! Yay, I do want to finish George's batik quilt, and do another row or two of my mystery quilt from the quilted forest and then start my hydrangea one.

AND DIET! The time has come to take this seriously.

So here I go back into the hot sun here in Palmerston North, hat on, cream on, sneakers and shovel waiting at the door.

My Kind of Christmas

I've pinched this off someone's blog. Really like it.

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate. But here it is Summer!...cool white wine.

Does Santa wrap presents or set them under the tree? Presents are always wrapped.

Colored lights on tree or white? Both

When do you put your decorations up? this year, it was about 5th December. I wasn't going too but my Dad loved Christmas and being Santa and I can imagine him saying "Life goes on"!

What is your favourite holiday dish? Roast Lamb and mint sauce

Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Christmas at my grandparents. They loved their garden and had very little lawn. In fact it was around the clothesline and they had to take the clothesline down to put the tent up for Christmas lunch. There were 17 grandchildren all up and Nana made steamed pudding with all the 3p coins in. There was always Santa too who delivered Nana's presents. How precious those memories now.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Friends at school told me it was your parents but I never let on I knew or I wouldn't get a stocking full of presents. When I was 12 I was allowed to help Mum wrap presents up on Christmas Eve.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No. Definitely not. I love opening them all on Christmas Day.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Balls and ornaments first thn tinsel. 2009 I'm going to make special ornaments for everyone in my family, keepsakes. Christmas is here next year. I want to make it very special.

Snow! Love it or Dread it? I think I've seen it three times in my 51 years. It's very pretty but I wouldn't like to live with it. I don't handle cold very well.

Can you ice skate? Never tried. I don't have very good co-ordination so doubt I'd be any good.

Do you remember your favorite gift? It would have to be something my children made for me. I still have a lot of them.

What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family get togethers.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Nana's Steamed pudding and custard (with the 3p bits in of course.)

What is your favorite tradition? Writing a letter for Santa and leaving him bikkies and drink. For my grandchildren this year we made skid marks on their lawn and left bits of carrot.. haha.. How precious is their innocence.

Which do you prefer, Giving or Receiving? I enjoy both, but I do love to give presents especially sentimental ones like fixing my daughters 34 year old doll and making her new clothes. She was so surprised.

What is your favorite Christmas Song? Christmas Day by David someone.

Ever recycled a Christmas present? Um, I was going to pass on some hand cream (how many jars does a girl need?) which obviously was passed on to me because it was already past it's useby date!

What would you like for Christmas....
If you were feeling greedy? Enough money to be debt free.
If you weren't feeling greedy? Good health.
If you were being practical? Have my conservatory roof lined so I could use it as another room (It is too hot to use it even with shade cloth I put up today)
If you had a present for one day only, (then had to give it back)?
Stupid I know but I'd love to have a hug from my Dad who died 3 months ago today.

The gardening is nearly finished and my little garden shed is clean. but I have a skip bin outside which is rather full already. How disgusting to have so much junk!

Christmas is Over

What a whirlwind Christmas is haha. It's all over now. I feel like a big pig after 2 Christmas meals yesterday and today brunch with a girlfriend ... christmas leftovers (seafood chowder, crumbed mussels and home smoked salmon on toast).. oh It was so delicious!! Christmas day was so full on with my four grandies but I have been so spoilt this year. I got wicked pressies. Nette gave me some Estelle Lauder 8 hour cream and hand cream and $$$$$ towards symposium in EAster 09. Haylee gave me some wools and hand dyed yarns and a neat sewing box within a box within a box.

Isn' it so cool. I can't wait to load it up with my bits and pieces.

My grandson bought me a beautiful Santa globe musical ornament. He bought it with his own money (8 yrs old) It is so precious.

Well, off to bed. It's been tiring this year, travelling, long days. I am so glad to be home and having a few days to potter around. My Uncle looks better than he did and he seems okay. Keeping himself busy and lots of friends around. Tomorrow a skip bin arrives and I'm going to tidy up my unloved garden. I've only been home about 9 weeks since Easter and the weeds have gone nuts! Will take some before and after photos tomorrow.

Nite everyone and Happy New Year coming up.