Jessica Grace Clarke 17 March 2009

Here she is the new addition to our family.

Miss Jessica Grace Clarke born 10.30am Tuesday 17 March 2009.

Now that's got to be lucky, St Patrick's Day...

Finished Project for March

Yay, just in time to go to hospital and have a baby. I have finished Sam's quilt that I have been working on since late last year.

Here are some pictures of the quilt and it's owner with his very photogenic poses.

I had a Jelly Roll that I purchased specifically for making his quilt and it is a simple Log Cabin type block that I put sashing around. It wasn't quite big enough to drape over the edges of a single bed so I added quite a large navy border and I was worried about how it would looke especially when I had to make the border wider on the top than the sides but after quilting and binding I think it looks great.

For the quilting I did a simple stitch in the ditch around each square and did some free motion waves around the whole border. It was only my 2nd attempt at freemotion and I am in love with it, I have got my machine all worked out and will be doing much more of it in the future.

I am also really happy with the fact that I had enough Jelly Roll left over to use as the binding, you can't see it much in the pictures but boy it really finishes the quilt off.

IT'S RAINING IT'S POURING

OK well maybe not pouring... but it did for a while. We have had 20mm of rain in the last 24hrs.











Some people that stumble across this blog may ask why all the fuss over a bit of rain. Well just take a look at the ground in the background of the pictures and you may see why.














We have been in a drought pretty much for the past 7 years. There has been the occasional good fall of rain in either Spring or Autumn, BUT, there has not been a good spring AND autumn for a long long time.





















Now, I haven't even lived here that long but my lovely husband can remember when it started and for so long now the ground has been getting drier, the undergrounds springs have been running less and less and the Dams just don't get full when it rains.

So what's the big deal about 20ml you ask. I am not sure but it is still raining and it has probably been about 6 months since we saw that much rain in one go so I think I am allowed to get a bit excited. As you can see from the photo's it rained so hard at one stage that the creek out the back of our house is almost a raging torrent (sorry bit of exaggeration there but it's about a foot deep now and I haven't seen it run like that for a couple of years.


Now all that needs to happen is it needs to keep raining for a day or so nice and gently as it is now and we will be very happy.

LATER THAT DAY
We had a massive storm last night and more rain, all up we have had 41mm of rain. Woo hoo.

I am a very lucky girl

I have been very remiss in not blogging this before today but things have been getting on top of me as I try to prepare for this new baby this is about to arrive.

Back on about the 6 Feb I was notified that I was the lucky winner of a giveaway at
Selina's Blog. Selina was generous enough to take part in "The Great Stash Busting Giveaway" organised by I'm a Ginger Monkdy. I couldn't believe my luck when I got an e-mail from Selina saying I had won her giveaway. I was a totally random winner but that makes it all the more lucky because as you can see from the picture below I am now the proud owner of some lovely vintage Chenille and some cute flannel and cupcake fabric. If I have a baby girl it will be used for her, otherwise maybe for me???









Then, would you believe it, I get an e-mail from Kristen at Sewmammasew saying I had won one of their fabric packs. I don't even remember entering any of the competitions there but I must have because they arrived today. I couldn't believe it that I have won a green FQ pack. Green is my favourite colour and they will make a lovely quilt when I can find the perfect project. I have never made myself a quilt, everyone else has one but I think these fabrics will be just right for one for me.










So I have lots of lovely fabric just waiting to be used. A huge thank you to Selina and the Sewmamasew crew for my lovely prizes.
I am now officially on a fabric ban. My poor husband just looks in the spare room and shakes his head. I don't have as much as some people but our spare room is not very big and I really have to get it organised this month before my mum comes to stay.

Finished Project for Feb

I didn't think I would get anything done as I was hoping to have a quilt finished but then I remembered I had been wearing this dress for a week and it got cut out last year and I finished it in the middle of the month. I look terrible as DH took this late last night and I am 8.5mths pregnant so I feel like a whale but never mind, you get the idea.

Family & Creative update

Just a quick update as I have been my usual slack self at giving the world our latest.



Some photo's for you
This is a quilt that I am making for Sam's first big bed. It will end up big enough to cover a single bed. It is quite bright at the moment so I am hoping to find some border options to calm it down a bit. If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to leave me a comment.













This next photo is just a beautiful flower that has popped out near one of our gates. It is an absolute miracle as it has only been watered by our very sporadic rain that we have had over the last 24 months but the plant is fresh and as you can see it has lovely flowers. I am hoping to try a new art quilt technique with the photo's I have taken.

And lastly what would a blog post be without a photo of my 2 beloved boys. I was outside hanging out the washing and Sam was digging in the sand with his little shovel. Marcus was about and came to take Sam off my hands for 1/2 hr and I could not resist this photo. Some quick stats for everyone. Sam will be 2 on 6 April, upon measuring him yesterday we discovered that he is already 90.5cm high (that's 3 feet pretty much) with another 2 months to go before we can do a estimate of what his finished height will be. For those that do not know apparently you measure them at 2 years old and then double it and that is around about what they will end up.

WISP Finished

I have officially finished my first project for the year and now qualifiy for the first month of the year long challenge that I am participating in. See the sidebar on your left.

I cut these out last year when I was making the curtains for our windows and didn't get around to putting them together. So I think that counted as a WISP (Work in Slow Progress)

Just in case you are wondering what they are: DOORSTOPS. ..










I have made them out of leftover curtian fabric and I made one for the hallway, main bed and Sam's bedroom doors as these are the ones that tend to slam shut in the wind.

I got the idea from this tutorial: http://allittook.blogspot.com/2008/01/pryamid-door-stop-tutorial.html
It was quite easy, except that I forgot to put the little pick up thingy on the top but I don't need it. I will just kick them out of the way.
So, hopefully this is a worthy entry for my first month. I have about another 6 or more things on the go that I will be trying to get at least one finished each month to qualify for the WISP challenge and also to help me with my pile of procrastination projects.

ON A FAMILY NOTE:
Everyone here is well, Sam is growing and a real little character now. New baby only has 10 wks until it is due. Marcus is off fishing today, hopefully he will get a few more days in before the baby is born as I think I will need his help quite a bit once it comes along. I worry about poor Sam and how he will cope at having to share me after all this time.
I have been very busy tidying up the spare room so that if we have visitors they can sleep in there instead of in the Lounge room.
Oh and very exciting news. I have had my very first Wholesale order for Soap. I am a bit excited, also a bit worried. It is getting quite busy and I am trying to keep my stocks up so I can have a month or so off when bub comes.
Later.

Ending Procrastination

Yes I admit it, I am a procrastinator in alot of things that I need to do every day.
I don't usually make a New Year's resolution but thins year I am making one.
I will make a very concerted effort to end my procrastination. To do this I am putting in place a number of projects.

1. Last year I bought and read this book: "Speed Cleaning" by
Shannon Lush. She has a number of books out and I have found them all quite interesting and helpful. I am doing my best to follow a routine based around her theory and am finding that it is very helpful and I am having to spend less time on the housework. I promised myself that I would do this as we have moved into our new house and it will be hopefully easier to maintain a new house if I keep up with my routine. I also love the way she uses alot of natural alternatives in her books.

2. I have joined a group of bloggers that will hopefully help me get in a little more creativity each month. It is very low stress with no real deadlines except that I want to get at least 1 project finished each month. It can me as small or large as I like and I really believe that I can do this. Information can be found here: Monthly Challenge
I have added a picture link on my sidebar to remind me and let everyone know that I am taking this very seriously.

Now I am also hoping that these 2 things will help me feel a bit more organised after I come out of hospital from having our next baby at the end of March.

So ,yes, as a friend told me recently, I do like to keep busy. I do also have my soap business that is going really well but I am trying to get heaps of stock built up so that I can have a few months off once bub comes along.

Now all I have to do is figure out which one of the many UFO's I am going to do for January. Probably Sam's quilt as I want it finished to put in the local show at Jingellic and Tumbarumba.

Merry Christmas Update

As per usual I have been a very slack blogger. I have an excellent excuse though... in between having a very active toddler, a thriving soap business and a few other things I haven't had time to think about blogging.


Firstly I have some pictures of Sam that were taken this month. The first one is very cute and the picture I put on the 2 christmas cards that I sent out. Yes that's right I only sent 2 out this year, sorry everyone. I didn't even pose him for this, he just decided to get the hat out of his toybox one day and I managed to get some cute pictures.


























The 2nd and 3rd picture is Sam with Marcus and I in the Shearing shed. We did a bit of shearing at the start of the month. Sam loves to visit the shearers and try to sweep the floor.






























The last is something that happened when we had a super hot day a few weeks ago. I put some water in a bucket thinking he may just stand in it and get cool but I ended up having to take all his clothes off as all he wanted to do was sit in the bucket. I don't know how he fit in it but he managed and was quite happy to stay squashed up in the water for about 40 mins. He is just like me in that respect, loves the water.














So I am sorry to everyone that didn't get a christmas card. I know that I am slack but I am thinking of everyone and hoping that you are all safe and well.

Have a very wonderful Christmas and safe New Year.

Doll quilt swap

The quilt that I made for the Essential Baby Doll Quilt Swap #2 has finally arrived at its destination.

So... now I can put up a picture of it for everyone to see.

The quilt was made for Adds who is a very talented quilter. She requested something to put on the wall next to her sewing machine. I hope that this met her colour requirements also. The embroidered words read: "Choosing & Cutting, Piecing & Stitching, Tacking & Quilting, Binding & Dreaming". It measures approx 16" square and has some pretty ribbon to use to hang it.

Doll Quilt Swap

I am sooooo lucky, I was allowed to open my parcel this morning for my
Essential Baby Quilters Doll Quilt Swap #2 and inside was this lovely creation from the very talented AJ . By the way this picture does not do it justice at all.


















It also included 2 pieces of fabric from the Amy Butler collection. I have never owned a piece of Amy Butler but have always looked and admired from afar so I feel like christmas has come early today.
The quilt has a beautiful folded fabric effect in the centre of the squares and the quilting is lovely curves to match the folding. The Fabrics are a bit more green that can be seen in the picture and the colours are just perfect.
I cannot thank AJ enough for all the hard work that must have gone into this quilt.





Now that it is Friday I would love to show a picture of the one that I sent to Adds but I am not sure if she has recieved it yet so I will wait until I am sure she has.

Sneak Peak

This is a quick look at a project that will be in the post by Friday.

I have been working on it for about a month and only have to quilt and bind it then post it to the (hopefully) happy receiver.

I also still have to give it a wash to get rid of the pencil marks.

I know I am not the best blogger but I am just so busy at the moment with heaps of soap orders and looking after a very active toddler. I will try to be better, I truly will but with another baby due on 25 March I may also just stay the same...

Sam Loves Mum's Custard

I have been very slack once again and not updated my blog for absolutely ages. As I have not been doing much sewing I have decided to show a photo or our little - or not so little anymore- guy.

Here is Sam enjoying my home made custard, it is my Mother in law's recipe and he just loves it.

And just because we love him so much here is another one, he is just obsessed with hats and sunglasses, which we think is a good thing with summer coming up. We just laugh and laugh.

Another lovely wedding

Well once again I have not been sewing as have been extremely busy looking after Sam and Marcus, but, last Saturday we went to another wonderful Wedding.



We made a dash up to Sydney to go to my cousin Peter's wedding. It was yet another beautiful ceremony and very fun reception. The bride looked absolutely radiant and big Pete looked very handsome as per usual. The DJ was really good and we danced the night away and everyone had a great time until we got kicked out at closing time.

This is Peter and Lucy taking over from the DJ.

16 Months on 6 August 2008

I thought I would do this update while my internet connection is working well.

Tomorrow is 6 August and our little guy will be 16 months old. How amazing that it has gone this quickly. He is walking, running, making lots of animal noises and starting to say some words.
Here is a list: Go, No (of course), Up, Oh Dear, Bath, Car, Dad, Mum, Yum, Pa (Grandpa), and this is the strange one he says Ratbag, it's really funny. He is very independent and likes to feed himself as you can see above, he does a pretty good job really.

We had some lovely rain in July and there was actually puddles for a week so one day when Sam and I went out walking he discovered them, boy did he have a great time.


As for us Marcus is busy feeding the Sheep and Cows. I am busy looking after the Ratbag and trying to get a bit of sewing done.

Half my stuff is over at our new house which we should move into next week so I am just preparing for a colourwash hexagon quilt that I have decided to make with a heap of charm squares that I had left over. The squares are 4" and the hexagons will be 3" and there will be about 100 of them or so of all colours and I will be hand piecing them.

Table Runner Swap received

I just got this most beautiful creation in the mail. I am a very lucky girl.

Thank you to the very talented Kylie for this lovely Table Runner, the colours a so soft and pretty and will go very nicely on the timber table that we will be using when we get into our new house, and the Prarie Points are very cute. It is beautifully madea and it will be on our new table all the time.

Late Birthday Fat Quarter Swap Picture

I am lucky enough to be part of an online quilting group on the EB Website. About 15 of us have organised a Fat Quarter swap this year and what happens is that on your birthday you get 1 fat quarter from each of the others. We had the opportunity to give suggestions as to what fabric we would like and some people are generous enough to throw in a few extras as well.

Here is a picture of my lovely loot. It is a bit late, my birthday was on 5 June but they didn't all come in time and we went on holdays a few days after that anyway.


Thank you to all the lovely girls. If you wish to know more about the lovely ladies, please visit their blogs, you will find they are a very kind and talented bunch.
http://joystitch.blogspot.com/
http://the-humming-cat.blogspot.com/
http://sampaguitaquilts.blogspot.com/
http://www.gomama-sewing.blogspot.com/
http://patchwork-of-mini-grey.blogspot.com/
http://pugglelogic.blogspot.com/
http://www.waterfallcascade.blogspot.com/
http://craftedbykylie.blogspot.com/
http://kyliesstitchnsew.blogspot.com/
http://ajsantics.blogspot.com/
http://www.snailblazer.blogspot.com/
http://xenabonjovi.blogspot.com/
http://mandsnest.blogspot.com/
There is also 1 more, Cylie. I can't seem to locate her blog at the moment but will update when I do.

Wedding Rings & other things

Well the big trip to the USA is over and we had a lovely time.

My little brother is now married to the most beautiful (inside and out) lady called Mary.



We spent 2 weeks in the very hot and steamy Baltimore before the wedding and it was just lovely to see my little Bro after 2 years and to get to know Mary. We shopped alot, Marcus and James went Fly fishing and we did alot of walking. We have all come back with a bit of a tan, including Sam who has the brownest legs.

We got to meet all of Mary's family and close friends as well as alot of the wonderful friends James has made since he moved there. Mary has a wonderful circle of family and friends that have welcomed James with open arms and we have no doubts that he will be well cared for as long as he remains so far from home. They were very welcoming to all our family, they entertained and fed us very well. A special thank you to Mary's parents and The "Versace" family (ha ha ha), who put on a couple of special dinners for the whole tribe.

It was also time to catch up with 3 of James's oldest friends. Dane who he has been friends with for 20 yrs was his best man, he now lives in the US and has a wife who is expecting their first child. Mark who he has known for about the same amount of time and his wonderful girlfriend Rosie who we all shall miss but especially Sam and Dan who he has known for almost as long. They all came to share in the celebration and it was made all the more special because of it.

Then there was all the family, Mum and her 3 sisters, Uncle Big B, Dad & Sonia. It was just a rocking time had with all the gang there.

I am sure that James's family (especially his Aunts) will be the talk of the town for quite some time.

The wedding ceremony was the nicest I have ever been to (except for my own of course). It was a full Catholic ceremony in an old church that has been restored to all it's glory. I have never enjoyed a church service more.

I was in absolute raptures when all of a sudden lifting the roof off with the hymns there was a quartet of singers up in the balcony with the pipe organ.

The wedding present that I made for them was a huge success. A queen size Double Wedding ring quilt made using 2 Moda Jelly Rolls. It took me 6 months with a bit of blood, sweat & tears (no exaggeration).




The Happy couple on their wedding day in all their finery and their quilt.

10 mtrs of Binding

I haven't shared anything crafty for a while but this is one of the final steps to finishing a project that I have been working on since since October last year.


The edges of the quilt are curved so I have had to make my own binding cut on the bias and there had to be approx 9 mtrs of it.


So here is what it looks like all nicley rolled up and waiting to be sewn onto the front of the quilt. I can't show you the front... yet... but the binding is sitting on the back to show you the quilting that has been done to it. Those of you who have seen the pics of the front will know which quilt I am talking about.





Bec

A Game for some lovely photo's

I got this idea from AJ. & Helen's. blogs and few others that I frequent.

Here is what you do.

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Mosaic Maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

1. Rebecca, 2. linguine, 3. My Dream Vacation..., 4. ♫ YO Yo yo, there's no place like a green penthouse... so i told the genie i wanted to be well hung. ^o^ ♫ nah... wildlife from singapore♫, 5. Matt Damon, 6. If Life Gives You A Lemon , Make Lemonade, 7. My Dream Vacation..., 8. Molten Choco Marshmallows - Doux Crepes, 9. the singer, 10. Thank you to all my flickr friends, you ROCK! Happy Sunday all~, 11. Call of the Raven (formerly Nature's Special Effects), 12. Untitled

Isn't it great.