Before Christmas List

A self imposed deadline of December 24th, a mini challenge if you will with Emma. Lets get some progress happening! We have interstate visitors arriving on the 18th so I would like to have a semi tidy house by then.

1/. Finish the kids Santa sacks OR make new stockings

2/. Make 3 fun advent calenders to get the kids into the spirit

pic from eighteen25

3/. Finish the Pow Wow quilts.

4/. Gift 2 baby quilts, hoping to do this by the end of October. I cut them out on Saturday morning, a very simple pattern and the same fabrics so should be a quick finish. Note I said should be a quick finish.

5/.  My Tula Butterfly Quilt, would love to make a good start on it and finish it over the New Year. I have 8 days off from Christmas Eve to NYE so plenty of sewing time.

I bought the kit from here.

I think that's it, I have some other non sewing projects planned, some small home reno jobs and the planting of a veggie patch so with work and ushering at South Street plus end of year dance concert, rowing activities and the normal Christmas festivities I think I'm pretty busy.

Quilts I want to make

These are just a few on my to do list, which when added to my WIP pile and my UFO pile its kinda large. Again, working and farm life which I adore (the farm not work!) really gets in the way of quilting!

Hello Happy by Janelle Wind 

Pixie Sticks from the magazine All People Quilt by Sandy Klop

Feather Bed by Anna Maria Horner

Apple Crate by Angeela @ Fussy Cuts

Moda Love

These are just a sampling, I am pinning up a storm on Pintrest and love seeing so many beautiful quilts. And crafts. And Sewing rooms, so many lovely sewing studios really puts my nook to shame. And on that note, I'm off to sew a new baby quilt.

Photo Thursday # 10

~ Neville our neighbouring cow ~ Spring! ~ Kevin admiring my 9 patch ~ Reuben and JoJo ~ reproduction 30's prints, a suprising score from Lincraft ~ Freearm costume ~ ha ha! ~ Kevin loves going in the car ~ Cate and Milo ~ watching the overlocker ~ off to camp ~ foggy mornings ~ Oliver and Kipper ~ March costume ~ 1000 dot to dot ~ Happy 14th Stuart xx ~

New baby quilt

I am working on a new quilt, no pattern but I am making a tutorial as I go. It's coming together beautifully and I am impressed with my own rate of production! I am hoping to enter it into our local Agricultural Show so I have a deadline of November 5th. And then I will be gifting it to a colleagues new baby girl who is due to arrive in two weeks. 

Fabric's by Tanya Whealan, she has a blog but its not been updated in over 12 months. Sounds about right by my book!

Washing Day Blues

Our washing machine decided to stop spinning. And draining. The draining was fixed easily enough by flushing out the hose, but the spinning not so much. Its 10 years old and used multiple times a day. Which to me is surprising as we really only wear the one outfit all day? But there are school uniforms, maybe a load of whites, dance gear to be washed separate, then some towels, farm getup, guinea pig blankets...

But after a quick search it turns out you can still buy parts for it, and new motor is only $66, much more economical than buying a new washer. It will take 2 days for the motor to get here and there forecasting rain so so off to the local laundromat, sorry, Launderette. Fancy.

Just in case your wondering, it was $9 a load and tumble drying was $1 for 8 minutes, each basket takes about 24 minutes to dry, they are super industrial. And huge, each machine holds 3 baskets so for $36 I did a weeks washing plus towels and two quilts. I am definitely going to come here again.

And the added bonus of no washing machine, well time for more sewing.

It's Spring

Time to get back into blogging on a regular basis.

So much has been happening, lots of sewing and quilting, the neverending cleaning (ugh) and sorting. Multiple trips to the Salvos decluttering; the High School textile department scored with 3 garbage bags FULL of fabric. Still a way to go, but we have been on our farm for maybe 6 months and settled in perfectly.

Postage Stamp Quilt

I have had these mini charm packs for a while now, I got them quite cheap and had big plans, can't remember what the plan actually was lol.  I opened one last night to have a better look at them and laid them out into a simple 10 x 10 block.

Each charm pack has 43 squares however I opened 5 to get the prints I needed, being such a small size some were plain or only had a tiny part of the print, I needed the image to be as close to the centre as possible to allow for seam allowance.

Plan is now to sew them up into one block, add some sides and turn into a lap quilt for the lounge. No pattern used but when you google postage stamp quilt heaps of inspiration comes up and there are 3 completely different tutorials here, here and here.
I prefer number 2, basically pair and sew, but I will sew these in the 10 rows and join up, I am sure they won't all match up perfectly but I am ok with that.

Reuben and JoJo

We bought two donkeys for the paddock, Rueben on the right, the brown one, and JoJo the white one.

Both boys, they were sent down in a truck from the Northern Territory, up there they are considered a pest. About 60 were gathered up and sent to a local auction, thankfully they were all purchased by a local donkey rescue group and private buyers.

 

They are very timid but will come around with some love, they have halters on so we can move them easily if needed. Reuben loves apples, JoJo prefers carrots, were going out there every morning and night and they are getting closer to us, every morning there waiting at the gate for there brecky. Our farmer whom we lease the property off thinks were insane but hey, better than a lawn mower.

Baby Quilts

Two quilts in progress, a pink one for Ruby

 

 

and a blue one for Andrew.

 

 

A nice simple pattern, all fabric from my stash. There not overly baby prints, and some of the blues weren't ideal but once put together the light and dark colours look good.  

 

 

Tutorial from Crazy Mom Quilts here. Excuse the iphone photos, we can't find the camera charger since the move. We also bought toys, I was debating a drum kit and maybe a set of bagpipes, lol, I remember my kids getting some pretty loud and annoying toys, in particular this musical beat box that stayed at Nan's house!

And I'm back

yes, it's been a while, just shy of 12 months! We have moved again, to a rambling old home on a 400 acre working dairy farm.  Crafty posts coming up with some decorating and home reno's planned, lots of sewing and quilting, hobby farming to the max and generally living a simpler life. 

Meet Kevin, newest member of the family, he's going to be an excellent mouser. He is 3 jelly rolls and a honey bun high. Loving having a real sewing nook again, more photos to come.