Its a kinda magic!!!!!

Well - what a weekend it has been! Firstly we had the South Australian Miniature Enthusiasts annual show. Very good one it was. Hopefully some bloggers managed to get out and about and pay a visit. For those of you who didn't, there is always next year. Our theme this year was a French Chateau - quite magnificent. Here are a couple of pics of some of the rooms.
There was amongst many of the lovely and wonderful items on display - a little shoe shop by Shirley from Western Australia. Tonight Quilty Gal, her youngest daughter and myself went to see Queen - Its a kind of Magic show. Absolutely fabulous!! The whole group did a justice to the original Queen - so if you get a chance to see them - take it!!! The group sat down for autographs and pics at the end of the show - you don't get that very often these days. Thanks guys for a great night! (me and Craig Pescos alias Freddie Mercury:)

...and here we are again....

two weeks down the track - the machine has had a bit of a workout - just waiting for some more thread to come before I install myself permanently in the studio!!!
In the meanwhile....I have been finishing some little projects off that have been 'sitting' around for a while........so I now have my own dance troupe!!! I am willing to hire them out for shows, parties, anything really :)
I have also finished off some of my crocheting that has been hanging around for a year or two. So now just got a couple of cross stitches to finish and then its on with the quilting!! Yeh!!!
August 8th and 9th is the Annual South Australian Miniature Enthusiast Festival - see poster below for details - come and pay us a visit and see what little things in life we do!! Tis worth the effort.

A very special delivery....

happened late last week for me - something that has been in the planning for a few months...once unpacked, this is what it looks like!!! My new Gamill Longarm has arrived :)Had to try and contain my excitement for a couple of days as I had 'other' things planned than quilting and wanted to make sure that I had some decent time spend fiddling and seeing what I can do on this fab machine. So I spent a day practising on some calico - tried out the pantographs and free hand sewing - love the freehand - but then got a little bored with the 'practice'.... so decided to go for the 'real' thing and did two little lap quilts that have been sitting on the shelf for a little while. Not too bad I think at the end of the day.....cant show them on here cos they are for surprise gifts :)))

So its off to the studio for a little while to see what else I can do.....

Finally some time...

b...(Langoliers must be on holiday!) to do a post and draw the 50th Post winner !!!! This is the 'prize' A little dilly bag for carrying your cup (or bits and pieces if you like) some coffee and Haighs chocs for when the mid afternoon nibbles are needed :)And now to the draw ~~~~ Toot ta toot ~~~ and it is Helz :)) Congratulations Helz - will contact you for the posting details. Hope you enjoy.

This weekend I managed to get two quilt tops together. I have been doing this project with some ladies on a Thursday morning so thought I had better get a move on and get mine completed!! One is mums and the other is mine. They are little Christmas stitcheries with a 16 patch between. Mine will be a table cloth that's why the stitcheries aren't all facing one way :)This little pram is the latest addition to my 1/12th collection. It is a beautiful Heidi Ott pram - have been saving for a while for this one. It has real metal wheels even! and is made just like the real thing. Looks lovely sitting at the front door of my Painted Lady. One of our Snob and Slobs member completed this table runner - it is from Michelle Hills new book ' William Morris in Applique' - This is the first completed project since her house was burnt down earlier this year by arsonist's. Just proves that you cant keep a good quilter down!!!

Has anyone heard....

....of the Langoliers???? Stephen King wrote a short story about them....they eat up time...however lately I think they are ahead of me and have already eaten it before I get there!!!

So - this is the 50TH POST!!! How about that??? So if you havent already left a comment, please do to be in the give away draw :))) Good luck to you all xx

Last weekend was the bi-annual Snobs and Slobs weekend away. A great weekend was had by all as usual.We managed to give a couple of old farts refuge for the weekend:) Good job they came with their own siren suits!The world was put right again for the next 6 months while we stitched (not a lot if any bitching this time round)Charades was played on Saturday night. This was Quilty Gals rendition of a book....can you guess which book??? Only one of the Slobs guessed the book - The Bible - so I think that means the rest of us are either heathens or thick!!!We consumed faaaarrrr tooooo much chocolate (wont tell you all exactly how much - but to give a hint - there was 7 of us and we ate more than 7 Family size blocks!!) How disgusting is that? even I think its bad and I am a chocoholic! :)
This was Friday nights supper...This was Saturday nights supper....Sunday we managed to lug our overfed bodies out of bed and get ready for an afternoon of retail therapy. We headed off to Kirkbride Quilts at Strathalbyn. I believe we all delved into our purses and made them a little lighter going out than they were when we went in! I bought one of Cinderberry Stitches patterns - Twelve Red Robins. Lovely little pattern to stitch (not quite finished yet tho) These little items are the ones that we purchased to do from our weekend away at the Inspired Stitches convention. I changed the doily and made it into a little bag for my little great niece (the girls sit and wait for a bus on the house stairs with their bags and goodies!!) Now it is time to get on with finishing some projects ready for the next posting. Happy stitching and stay warm xx

Winter is here...

...again I cant believe how quickly it has gotten cold here in South Australia this winter - or maybe oldtimers is kicking in and I cant remember it was always like this???!!!
Well, not much to say at this point in time other than roll on next weekend! Its the bi-annual Snobs and Slobs weekend away!!! Yeh!!!! Got the chocolate and wine packed - only got the toothbrush and pj's to go next and vwalla! That's all that's needed isn't it??? LOL
So next posting will be my 50TH post, so I have decided to do a little giveaway. You all know what to do - leave a comment to go in the draw and wait for the surprise to arrive!
Till then, have a good week stitching xx

What a weekend we had...

...lots of stitching and eating and drinking (coffee :) ) and more stitching!!! There was QuiltyGal (Claire), Kay (one of the Snobs and Slobs) and myself who joined in a wonderful weekend at Westminster School for the "Inspired Stitches" conference organised by Sarah from Quilt Fabric Delights in South Australia. We enjoyed the teachings and company of Janelle Wind, Rosalie Quinlan, Melanie Hurlston and Leanne Beasley along with about 100 other like minded women (well...maybe not so like minded as myself!) I would like to say a big thank you to the girls for coming to SA and spending some valuable time with us all. We then had a surprise visit from Gail Pan on the Sunday which was lovely too! The rains came down with the vengeance we haven't seen for quite a lot of months (or years for that matter) but we were all kept warm and well fed and watered over the weekend. So thanks very much Sarah for your effort in co-ordinating this event!! Below are some of the projects that were on display and up for the doing if you were so inspired!! I managed to get couple of pars to two projects completed (of course!!! I hear some of you saying) My Dear Friend needed a hand along the way so one of the delightful ladies on our table offered to help by hand feeding Claire her lunch on Sunday so that she didnt have to stop sewing!!! And just to clarify that I am "not" perfect ( as some may think) I did a boo boo on one of my projects and managed to sew three layers of fabric together in one of the stitcheries!! Might not have to back that one at the end.... The next pic is of fellow bloggers who were at the gathering... they are Leanne, Amanda, Lorraine, Dawn, Marcia, Chris, Me and in front Kelly and Claire Tonight, SW and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary!!! Can you believe it???? I ponder on where the time has gone......at least I have achieved one thing.....he puts his washing in the basket now!!! LOL
Will leave you with that thought, till next time, keep smiling and stitching......

Has it been that long......

....since my last post????? Gosh, how time flies by....well, here we are again....Easter has been and gone, soon it will be Christmas again!!!! Firstly, I would like to say "Happy Anniversary" to QuiltyGal It is 30 years this weekend since we first met each other....seems like yesterday. So thank you Claire for being my friend thru thick and thin, high and low....lets take a proverbial drink to the next 30!!!!

Since my last post we have had two additions to the family tree. Hubby has now two more 2nd cousins - one girl, Tiffany and one boy, Jordan. Born within 10 days of each other, all babies and mothers doing well.
Last weekend I participated in the "Relay for Life" at one of our local venues. It was a 19 hour team relay event to raise funds and awareness of cancer and research. To say that I was tired after the event is an understatement!! Had a really fun weekend tho, met up with some lovely people and bumped into some people that I hadn't seen for quite a few years. We (all the 25 teams that participated) managed to raise nearly $50,000 towards the cause.....so roll on next year.........here is our entry into the "Miss Relay Bikini"....unfortunately, we didn't win :(
This week saw the finish of another of the Snobs and Slobs finishing the Baltimore Quilt that was started last year, so Congrats to Lorraine :))) Looks beautiful as always..
Following the theme of the South Australian Miniature Enthusiasts show last year, Hubby was asked to make the raffle prize for this years show. So he made the carcass and Ann of The Dollhouse Gallery at Fullarton decorated the inside. This is the finished product below. The show is in August at St Peters. I will keep you all posted so that you can go and view the work and display first hand. Well folks, I guess that's about all for now....sorry its rather boring and no new stitching or quilting done on this post (work has taken over at the moment!) However, at the weekend, two other Snobs and Slobs and myself are off to "Inspired Stitches" so that should be good and I should have something to blog about at the end of it all!!!!

Renewed faith.....

in humanity!! What a week it has been! I have been overwhelmed by the offerings of goods and money for my friend whose house burnt down 10 days ago. You know, one (or two in this instance) bad people make you soooo mad and upset.......but then comes along many, many good people and the balance set right again. So I would like to thank all the people out there in the world who have given to my friend to help her in a time of distress and heartache. I would like to say that most of the people who have helped do not know my friend but have had no compunction about helping and I think that is what has overwhelmed me. Needless to say, my friend is also extremely overwhelmed (must be the word of the week!!!) and would like to say a big thank you to you all too. She is getting her head back together and sorting what needs to be done to find somewhere to live and settle again.
Unfortunately there are no photos this posting :((( But it Snobs and Slobs day on Friday, so who knows what I will have to show?????
So till then, happy stitching xx

In memory of Winston....

If you read QuiltyGals blog you will already know about one of our fellow quilters losing her house to a mindless act of vandalism. Said quilters brush fence was set alight in the early hours of Thursday morning. The outcome of this act is that she has lost her house and the best part of all her belongings, all she was left with was the nightie she was wearing when she awoke. However, her life was saved by her little furry angel - Winston, a beautiful cat whom she had only had for about one year. He woke her and alerted her to the fire happening outside. Sadly, he didn't make it out and the fireman found his little body near the front door.

I would of thought that the bush fires that have destroyed so many lives and homes in Victoria in the last few weeks, would have made even the worst pyromaniac think twice....but apparently not!!! As QuiltyGal said, 10 mins alone.........hmmmmm

But life most go on, and upward and said friend is now looking to the future and planning what has to be done. Rebuilding her collection of quilts to start with!!! At least she is thinking right :)

Little Winston will always be remembered and will always be with her.

Finally, time to blog!

Hello Bloggers!! It has been a while since I have managed to blog. As most of you will know by now, we have had a terrible beginning to the year in Australia. Flooding in Queensland with many properties destroyed and then the terrible bush fires in Victoria. Unfortunately many lives have been lost in the fires and many animals gone also. The worst part is that it was not a natural disaster :((( Out of this devastation a picture of love has touched nearly all our hearts. It is of fireman Bob and a wild koala now named Sam (for Samantha). Sam was caught in the fire and has had parts of her body badly burnt. The pic (which I am sure most of you have seen now, as Sam has been shown round the world) is of Bob giving her a drink. Tis amazing to see that a completely wild animal knows when help is at hand is willing to accept the help. She was taken to a rescue home and is being cared for there and is just the cutest thing ever. Certainly pulled my heartstrings for sure!!

The summer for us in South Australia has also seen the hottest ever period since the powers that be started recording the weather here. So since 1887 we have had the hottest summer - over 45oC for several days. The nights weren't much better either which meant we had air conditioning on and then of course the electricity systems were overloaded and some of the areas had to endure blackouts for several hours. It is still rather warm now, but much more sustainable and livable temperatures! Thank goodness :)))

Some of you may know that I started a new career in December....am now training as a Dental Assistant (nurse) and have decided to go to school to get my certificate. So now I have 12 months of study ahead of me....goodness knows how that will go as the old brain hasn't had to work too hard for many years!!!!

Anyway, early in January I bought a pattern for a clown. QuiltyGal and I went to the Spotlight sale (I know, I know, we had vowed not to increase our stash!!) and bought some fabric for said item. Well, it has taken about 4 weeks to nearly finish as I decided to make 3 of them!!! Just got the faces and shoes to paint on them now.

They started off looking like aliens from another world.....but have morphed rather well

The pattern is County Keepsakes - "Bellatrix" by Annie Smith

Well, I guess that's about all for now people....till next time....

Merry Christmas...,.

...to all out there in Blogland, even tho I am a little late in wishing you all. But will be early and wish you all a Happy New Year and may it be a safe and prosperous one for you all.

Well saying that yesterday was Christmas Day, I was allowed to open my SSCS that Chookyblue has very successfully run this year again. So THANKS for that Chookyblue. Below is the pic of my SSCS. I received a lovely quilt of my two cats - goodness only knows how Helena managed that! Some Swedish chocolate, two oldie worldie postcards, two little reindeer and a Swedish Christmas Decoration. So a BIG THANKS to Helena for the lovely gift!!! Looking forward to eating the chocolate later tonight in front of the air conditioner!!!

SW surprised me this year (doesn't happen very often!) but I got a Christmas present!!!!!!!! For those that know SW, you know what I mean, and those that don't know him - he is not a great gift giver :( But.....I got a Giant Big Kid - he is about half my height and weighs a ton. Looks lovely on my bed :)) Along with Sleepy (that's the Giant Big Kid) I also received a gold anklet which is lovely.

The day was spent with family and some friends. We ate, drank and had a lovely relaxing day together. Played on our Wii, which was a good laugh. If you ever get to watch four people playing Wii tennis - sit back and get the tissues ready as its an absolute hysterical thing to watch.

Well, got to go for now - time to celebrate Quilty Gals 50th Birthday!!! She is officially an "Old Fart" now!!! LOL so see you all later.

Here we are....

at the end of another weekend! With not many days to go till Christmas! I thought I had better start pulling the old proverbial out....so I have bought my ham!!! wooohooo....nothing else tho, just the ham. Will have to think about the rest on Friday.

The weekend has been rather relaxing tho I must say. Yesterday it was the Snobs & Slobs Christmas lunch at our usual venue Monkey Nuts at Lyndoch. Lovely food and lovely hosts. We did our usual - had Chris Chringle - this time the criteria was "2 x fat quarters". Each put said into a single bag and then we all took a dip and made something out of the owners fat quarters to give back to them. We were allowed to add any embellishment and any bits of fabric. The main thing about it tho was not to buy anything at all to add. We all stuck pretty well to this idea and as you will see by the pics, we all ended up with a lovely item.
First to receive her CC was Lynne (holding said up) Angela made this little stitchery hanging.
My turn next to receive mine, Quilty Gal did this lovely stitchery and applique hanging.
Then it was Angela's turn, Glenice made two lovely little Santa's - Angela has been admiring this pattern all year!!!
Claire was the next to receive her hanging from Kay. So she has some stars to brighten her nights!!
Lynne had designed and made this lovely table runner for Glenice.
And last but certainly not least, Lorraine was given a Tilda doll by me!! We were all very happy with our items and it made us think inside the square this year!!!

This morning I had a wonderful surprise....first one was the postman at the front door!!! We NEVER get post in Australia on a Sunday!!!! and the second was the parcel he delivered. It was my PIF from Bev!!!!! Talk about a quick worker, I tell you! So Thank You Bev for my lovely parcel.... two reels of cotton, a pin cushion that looks like a bug, a needle case, a tea towel with my name on it and a little sewing bag. Talk about spoilt.

What a busy couple of weeks....

it has been. I have started my new job properly now, this is the first week of consecutive days as a dental assistant trainee. Tis quite a busy job, but am loving it. Have always brushed my teeth regularly, but have worn out several brushes this week already! hahahahaha
Going to my old job tomorrow for a rest!! LOL
My Secret Santa Swap arrived yesterday....and how good am I???? It is still sitting on the table unwrapped!!! I know I have to wait another 15 days before it is to be opened, which is very hard to do as the label says there is CHOCOLATE in the parcel!!! And those that know me, know how much I lovvvvvve chocolate.
Not much else to blog about tonight....so till later.....

Here we are....

c only 29 days till Christmas!!! The tree is finally up and decorated, bought a new one at the end of year sales last year. I wanted a big one and was only going to do the tree and put the dec's on it and around it, but didn't think about the girth of it did !?! So it wont fit where I wanted to put it, a bit of juggling the furniture around and I got it in place - not really the best spot but it will do this year. Looks better in the dark with the lights on too!!!Was visiting a couple of blogs tonight, mainly QuiltyGal and Bev's and decided to sign up for Pay It Forward :)

The rules are quite simple and easy. I will make something that I hope you will like, for the first three people who leave a comment, you must have a blog and you must be willing to pass it onto three more people. I will post anywhere in this wide world of ours. I have 365 days to make it and so do you - but lets not leave it that long to spread the kindness and love around.

An update on the dentistry :O Have done a few days of training so far - and its great to say the least, the days go quite quickly as there is sooooo much to learn and remember. Might have to make a quilt for the surgery!!! LOL can imagine the image of it now :)))

Snobs and Slobs are a happening thing this Friday - so no doubt the world will get sorted again for another two weeks at least. Christmas will be discussed, food will be eaten, coffee will be drunk and I am sure if it was possible we would all have a little siesta - but with so much to do I don't think that will happen.

So till later, take care and happy stitching...

Its been one of them months....

that seems to have come and gone in a flash almost! One wonders where time goes???? I think sometimes Stephen King's Langoliers are real!!?!?!?!?!?!

While I don't really have any pics to post today - I thought it would be nice to tell you all my latest news......I have a new job!!!!! Going to be training as a Dental Assistant!!!!!!!!!! Completely different to the job I do now, so really looking forward to the challenge. Guess not much quilting will get done for a little while :(

Well it is short and sweet tonight....start new job tomorrow..... will let you all know how it goes.....

A celebration was had...

..earlier this month. It was my Mum and Dads 50th Wedding Anniversary Yeh!!!! We went out for a family dinner to one of the local dinning places and had a lovely evening. Tis hard to imagine that you can spend half a lifetime together - there has been some thick parts and some thin parts - but they made it!!!

This was Ron and Florence on their wedding day - I printed the pic onto photo fabric and embroidered with gold threads and Sadi threads around to secure the fabric onto the background. Mum and Dad were very pleased with the final piece.

The rest of October was very unproductive in the sewing line to say the least so I don't have anything much to show here at all :((( Have to get on with some swapping gifts so will be busy the rest of the week.

Today we went out for tea to a friends place for tea. Very nice it was too - roast lamb - forget Tom Cruise!!! LOL Anyway, while I was there, I helped Greg set up his blog, so if you want to go over and take a look....there is a fantastic array of miniatures and houses here and if you have a day with nothing to do, go for a visit to Strathalbyn, have some lunch and pay Greg and Linda a visit. Even if you are not into miniatures, the houses on display are worth the trip to see. You never know, it might be a new hobby you might like!!!