Autumn / Winter

 

So far we have had a bit of winter weather in autumn and a bit of autumn weather in winter.  It is all a bit topsy turvey  around here and one never knows what to dress in for the day.

Grandad raked the leaves and Lilian had fun helping him.

This type of weather makes us think about food all the time.  Well, it does me anyway.  What better for dinner than a hot steaming beef casserole.  Oooh it was yummy.

The other pastime I am really enjoying most evenings is hand quilting.  My ‘Leaf Flowers’ quilt is coming along nicely and all being well I should have it completed for the Toowoomba Quilter’s  exhibition in September.

Organised? Who, Me??

As I have mentioned before on this blog I am challenged when it comes to being organized.
It just never seems to happen.  Especially in the sewing/crafting space.  My excuse has always been I need MESS to create.  Lately I have been looking at the blog called “Blissfully Organized” and dreaming of being just that.
The mess and confusion was actually starting to get to me, so when my dear, organized friend Shirley had listened long enough to my moaning she decided I needed help.  
THE BEFORE PHOTOS
                  (Overflowing box of selvedges!!!)     
THE AFTER SHIRLEY PHOTOS
    
There is still more to do but she has put me on the right track now and all I have to do is be a good little girl and put everything back in it’s place  (hard part).
Thank you Shirley and I think you have missed your vocation.  You should be a professional organizer.   Mwah to you, Shirley      

Frustration Mounts

My frustration with my sewing machine is mounting to the point where I am on the verge of purchasing a new machine.
This is my machine and is about 20 years old.  Up until the last couple of years it has been brilliant.

Then, every now and again this started happening.  Looping on the back!!  Grrrrrr!@@##$$!!!

Last time the repair man looked at it, of course, it worked brilliantly for him and he suggested I was threading it incorrectly.  What was I doing any differently?
It usually happens after doing quite a bit of sewing.  Sometimes an oiling and a ‘little rest’ helps it and it will just start up sewing properly again. 
Then today……after re-threading the bobbin a couple of times, it decided to sew again.  Go figure.  It must be the way I am holding my tongue or is it that there is some fine tuning to be done on my bobbin threading on this machine??  Will have to ask the mechanic about it next time I get it serviced.
Does anyone else have this problem with a Pfaff??
After I got the machine revved up I was determined to repeat the japanese block using a cream homespun fabric.
As I am definitely not a  ‘piecer’, imagine my delight when it nearly came out at the correct size of 9”!!       Happy Dance

No – it is not perfect, but it is mine.    At least the cream fabric didn’t warp and stretch but it is annoying me with it’s fraying.  Maybe I won’t be doing too many pieced blocks for my Japanese quilt after all.      

On another note – our SIL bought some sand crabs on the way home from Brisbane and we enjoyed crab sandwiches (on fresh bread) for dinner on Sunday night.  Yummo!!
It is a wicked day here today – and I don’t mean the new speak wicked – I mean wicked as in awful.
South westerly winds bringing the chill factor down low and overcast periods.  Maybe sleet?  I don’t know because I am not going outside for love nor money to find out.  My poor hubby is working out in it, so will ask him when he gets home.  In the meantime, I am going back to the sewing room to hibernate!!

Zentangle is fun!

We have an Art Quilt group attached to our Quilt Guild.  It is only a small group but we have some very talented ladies amongst us.
Chris showed us zentangle on Saturday, and it was so much fun.  Easier than I thought.
Here are some of the things Chris had to show us.  Love those shoes!!

Chris with a zentangle quilt piece she has started.
I got a 3 inch square done and started on a book mark.

You start with a pencil line ‘string’ and then just start doodling.
(My first piece)
Oh dear, looks like another thing to get hooked on!!! 
There will be more zentangles done around here for sure.

Doing my Block

After the family left today I dashed into the sewing room to do a Japanese block for my up-coming sashiko quilt. 

It was a struggle due to the @@##$$! cream fabric which was a monstrosity.  A very open weave fabric which, of course, had a propensity to fray badly and stretch out of shape.  I bought this fabric because the osnaburg fabric I was originally going to use was too open weave.  I should have saved my money!!  Next time I will back the fabric with some special interfacing I bought recently so I could use the osnaburg.  I sure was doing my block!!  Don’t think I will use this block in the quilt.


The block called Yamato kasuri igeta comes from this fabulous book which I love – author, Susan Briscoe.  I plan to do many more blocks and sashiko pieces from this book.

Family snaps from today.  Our daughter, Bonnie, visited for the weekend from Brisbane.
(Left) Bonnie with Dad who is out of hospital now and feeling much, much better.
(Middle) Gorgeous Bonnie in the squatters chair.
(Right) Bonnie and Lilian on the swing Grandad made for her.
A beautiful Autumn day here today with warm sunshine and just a hint of crispness in the air.

Mother’s Day

I miss my Mum.

This is my gorgeous niece Gabrielle.  She is 18 and is studying to be a nurse.  She is going to be a beautiful, caring nurse.

There is 80 years between them.  Dad 82, Lilian 2. 
Dad is currently in hospital but should be home tomorrow.  It made his day when Lilian came to visit.
We are blessed to have such a beautiful family.

February–Going around in Circles

February saw me going around in circles and trying to fulfil duties in all 4 major areas of my life.       
Here it is- “Going around in Circles”.   The four areas divided up by selvedges  are  Home, Office, Play and Family.  The motifs have been printed onto fabric on the ink jet printer using freezer paper behind the fabric.  
It is only about 8” x 10” and looking a bit wonky here in the photo, but I don’t think it looks that wonky in real life.  And, just like me in the month of February,  it is a little frayed around the edges!!