SNAFU or FUBAR???

Either way, it’s fixed. 

18 hours of unpicking !!!  Big thanks to Lynda who helped out with unpicking. Took 3 hours to re-quilt.

So what have i learnt?

• Don’t get cocky – Pride comes before a fall
• Pin like you life depends upon it (I pin baste, not spray baste)
• Don’t assume that just because the front is perfect that the back is too
• Don’t quilt anything bigger than cot size for anyone else
• Always have a good unpicker, they’re not all created equal
• It is possible to unpick a whole quilt of stippling, not fun, but possible
• Test out your new equipment on your own quilts first

So, now that I’ve learnt from those mistakes I can get on with some other work. Yay.

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Still here………

Not a lot going on.  Not enough sleep, which is a combination of Cameron going back to waking early again and the change to daylight saving.  Probably due to poor sleeping lately (freaking gale force winds disturbing the sleep). I don’t function so well when I don’t get enough sleep.  Ask my family.

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the jobs in my list.  I know I’ll get them done, just need to have a bit of a freak out first.  I do tend to over commit myself a fair bit. 5 quilts to finish in the near future, not including any of my own ones (not even WIP’s), plus a swap for some kids clothing.  I really need to sit down and prioritize.  It doesn’t help that it’s the first week of the school holidays.  While I like that fact that the mornings are an easier start during the holidays, I also get no working time by myself.  Bugger.

I did something for myself last week.  I’ve joined Weightwatchers.  I don’t want to be fat anymore, and if I get any bigger I’m really putting my health at risk.  So far it’s all going well and I’ve even started exercising again.  I don’t like to fail so I know it will work for me, changing my lifestyle that is.  I just had to convince myself that I wasn’t missing out on anything, rather that I would be gaining something.  A bit like when I gave up smoking (Over 5 years ago now !!!). It does take a bit more time, adding in exercise and really thinking about what I’m eating, but I’m worth it

So that all that’s been going on.  Some weeding on one fo the rare fine days and a very little bit of sewing, some bee blocks (that’s September all finished) 2 pairs of fleece pants (one for Cam and one for Charlie) and a pair of short for Cam downsized from an adults 8 to a childs size 4.  They are very cute on him.

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Calling all quilters…

Catalina is calling for quilt blocks to help out the traumutised children affected by the 7.1 earthquke in Christchurch.  Can you help out??

Check out her blog and post. Quilt blocks to comfort and cheer.

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Just when you think the worst is over

and that Spring is here, we get another wintery blast.  Check out the views from out place this morning.  Snow was down at least to 300m above sea level.

At least is wasn’t a frost.  My poor wee pea and bean plants seem to have survived the gale force winds of the past week but I think a frost would be the end of them.  There has been so much rain that for the first time ever we had a bit of a lake in the big paddock.  The ground just has no more ability to soak up to amount of rain we are getting.

I got two blocks made this morning.  They are for a quilt being made for a wee sick girl who is the daughter of  one fo the ladies in our Australasian quilting bee. 

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Knitted goodness

Well, I didn’t knit them, you know I can’t knit (especially after the boy broke one of my needles).  I received my lovely first ever pair of handknitted socks in the post this morning.

Arent’ they lovely??? And the fit is perfect.  This is the rest of the knitted lovelies that Emma made for our swap…..

A love bites scarflette, handwarmers (which I’m wearing now it’s so freaking cold) and a Caliometry (headband, ear warmers thing),  which gets a lot of use

Thanks so much Emma for the fabulous swap.

And a few weeks ago I swapped some fabric for a knitted Little Hoodlum for Cameron.  It’s looks awesome on him. Scuse the crappy phone camera pics.

Thanks to Casey for knitting this up.  It’s getting a lot of wear   The pattern is really great and goes up to about a size 10, can be made in a range or different styles and yarns.  The pattern was designed by  Julia Stanfield and you can find it by doing a search on Ravelry for Little Hoodlum. 

I’m just debating whether or not to get a second Little Hoody made for Cam for next year, I’m not sure I will be able to convince him to wear wool in another year.  Does your 5-year-old wear wool??  I have the yarn ready and a knitter jacked up, just not sure if I should go ahead.

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Chirp

Yay, a finished quilt.  It’s been a while since I’ve had a finished quilt on here.  I got the top done last week and procrastinated for a few days before tackling the quilting.  I was hoping the customer would want some straight line quilting but she asked for all over stippling.  I was still scared to do the stippling after the last quilt I stippled and the disaster that resulted (I still have another 2 or 3 hours of unpicking to complete). Well I can report that the quilting went really well, I did an all over loopy design which I think works well with the fabric.  The fabric line for this quilt is Chirp by Katie Hennigar.  Very cute! I’ve backed it with Egyptian cotton interlock.  Lovely and soft, makes a great alternative to flannel and quilts up fabulously. It’s a bit bigger than I had planned, 48 inches by 80 inches (142cm x 204cm).

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Helping out

Thinking about how you can help out the people in Christchurch who have been affected by the earthquakes?  Felt has set up a shop called Feltaid, with donated handcrafted items to help generate funds to help those in need.  A great way to help out and get some Christmas shopping done as well

Go on over for a look, there might be something there that takes your fancy.  I’ve donated the “Far Far Away” quilt.

Feltaid

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A bit of work

I’ve done a bit of work so far this week, not as much as I should have though.

A quilt top ready to quilt, for a customer.  I was planning on quilting this tomorrow, but I forgot that I promised to be parent helper on a Kindy trip so it will have to wait till Friday or the weekend now.

Some blocks for September bees.

Asterisk blocks for Crystal.  Gorgeous prints, love how subtle the contrast is.

And a pinwheel block for Krista.

Still a few more bee blocks to make, better get cracking

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Spring gardening

I love gardening in the spring, well with the exception of the digging part, but Ian usually takes care of that.

This is the winter garden, it’s still in full swing.  Silverbeet (chard), beetroot, Celery, Kale, Spinach, Leeks, Garlic, Shallots and Cabbages.  Still not a lot of luck with the cabbages.  We were able to grow some good plants after covering them so the cabbage moths and caterpillars didn’t decimate them, but they are still not heading properly and will likely go to seed now.  If anyone wants to share the secret of growing cabbages that would be great.

Here’s pea garden #1.  Cameron’s old sandpit tractor tyre   These peas were planted direct.  They seem to be pretty happy.

Pea garden #2. We love peas.  I’m using the old rose arbor for the peas to climb up.

The peas in garden #2 were planted in pots and transplanted.  Hope they survive okay.

Broadbean seedlings, couldn’t put them in any earlier they would have drowned in all the rain.

My new bean garden.  Finally got some Scarlett runners growing.  Didn’t get any last year (probably due to a combination of snails, weeds and rats, hence the new garden).  I’ve planted seeds of purple dwarf beans and borlotti’s around the edge of this garden.

I’ve started tomatoes and tomatillos in the planting shed today and some cucumbers on the weekend.  All this hard work gardening deserves a bit of play

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Zoology Cot quilt

All finished and ready to post.  I made this quilt for a swap.  So far in return I have received a pair of fingerless gloves, a caliometry and a love bites scarflette.  A pair of handknitted socks are in the post as we speak   Can’t wait to see them.  I’ve been hankering handknitted socks for ages.  I’ll post pics of all the knitty goodness next post, promise.

Cot quilt pattern based loosely on Oh Fransson’s Charm Squares Baby quilt pattern.  I’ve closely straight line quilted it for maximum texture.

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