Why Fabricologist Anonymous??

Some cheeky person emailed me and asked 'why did you call your blog that?'.. well i thought a picture is worth a thousand words, soooo.... I have never said I didn't like fabric, and more importantly 1930's reproduction fabric.. so here is a pic....

of about 25% of my 30's stash.. I didn't realise I had so much to be honest, until i was looking for a bit I miscut.. and of course I DONT HAVE ANY of that bit left.. will look odd you know, a hexagon flower with one petal not on it.. ARGGGGH!!!!!! This part of the stash is bits I couldn't fit into the 45litre tub, its a large suitcase! Uh Oh! there must be 100 m's of fabric in this suitcase... enough for about 10 - 20 quilts!

I have been having a HUMUNGOUS clean out of my patterns, I tend to make one patch quilts or simple quilts and here I have 5000 or so it seems patterns.... mostly applique and to be honest, I dont have time to applique anymore.. too busy with hand piecing, and sewing on sequins.. I have had a few bids on the ones I have listed on ebay, so hopefully the pattern stash will decrease! And kits??? what was I thinking! I have that many BOM's to do, I'll be grey (ok greyer) before I get a chance to even look at them, so out they go too!

Till next time...

Lissa

Mail has arrived!

g'day Petals...

well I blew the fabric diet last week.. whats a girl to do when she really really really wants something? go to the internet, thats what! I had been trying to track down some of the tape measure fabric and the twill cotton tape marked like a tape measure!

Managed to find the twill cotton tape from a site in America, so I bought 20 yards of the two tape measure prints, and only 5 yards of the alphabet one.. of course, I do not need 45 yards of twill tape, so I'll probably put some on ebay to sell.. I found the tape measure print from an aussie site, and of course, while I was looking I just had to have some of these 30's prints that I thought I didn't have (but turns out I did have a couple of them) no worries, I love fabric! So if you think you NEED some cotton twill tape printed as a tape measure email me and I'll be happy to sell you some! LOL

I also put a call out onto the yahoogroup I am in, and a lovely lady in West Aussie had some of the same tape measure fabric with a white background she was happy to swap with me! so I am a happy camper!

Tomorrow I am going to sew.. yes its fathers day, but Dags is on nights at the moment, so he'll spend the day in bed.. My dad is working so we'll call in and see him tomorrow night.. and organise dinner or something... I have so much I want to finish before I pick up Missy Moo's dance costume, that will need to be sequinned before the end of September! (she is wearing it October 2nd) so I will be flat out doing that! Speaking of Missy moo, how can one 10 year old child's room be so messy??? I threatened her with putting a pic of her pigsty on the internet today, so she was in there like a rocket cleaning it! 2 bags of rubbish and 2 bags of clothes that dont fit her anymore, and lordy knows what else she has stashed in that room, probably the electrician that never come back to finish off a job last year!

Well thats it from me.. take care...

Lissa

double doh??? more like HOLY CRAP!!!

You know what? at school, I know you wouldn't know it, but I LOVED MATHS!!! a LOT.. yep, super nerd here!... but today, I was sitting, doing some of my bendigo charm square quilt and I had an epiphany... I can't add up.. nope.. I just realised that setting the quilt out this way, although looks lovely, and if I use ALL of the charms this way on the front, my quilt will be over 100" square.. now, I have been known to bugger miscalculate making quilts before (who could forget the cobblestone epic that was supposed to be 50x50" but ended up over 80" square) but 100"???? oh my LORDY! what a catastrophe.. I have been sitting here for the past hour, musing over what to flippin' do about this hiccup!... *sigh*.. I have cut all the fabric, and it is stacked ever so neatly in its wee tub.. but sheesh whats a girl to do? I have a 4" square and a 4" x 1" finished rectangle as well as two 1" squares.. I might have to do a negative of the block I have already done, and use the 55 x 6" squares already made for a border?? bugger was about the tamest word I used! I also getting large quilts professionally quilted, well 100" plus I'd need to mortgage the house or sell a kid to pay for it!!!!

You know, while I was sitting there.. my second epiphany was... why didn't I think of this sooner??? I am, after all, adding about 3m's of unbleached muslin for the background HOW DUMB CAN YOU BE???? I had to race to the quilt shop to buy what was left CAUSE I WAS RUNNING OUT!!!!! DOH!!!!!

I think I'll have to lash out and make myself a dunce cap, cause possums, this week I will need to wear it a LOT..

Have a busy week planned this week.. Missy Moo has ballet exams in the morning.. then a costume fitting after school.. I have a busy day at work (ok who am I kidding? I have a day at work LOL)

Well I am off to sulk and figure out what the stuff I am going to do with all these charms I have cut up!


Lissa
wearing dunce cap!!!

DOH!! doh!! and double Doh!!!

Now I know I have a lot of fabric... and I usually remember WHAT I have.. but... does it mean the stash it out of control when you buy fabric you already own??? I have done this a couple of times before, but sheesh I did it again... TWICE this week! But do NOT worry readers, there is no fabric that is not welcome in this house (cept some of that Debbie Mumm stuffs I was in love with when I first started quilting... what was I thinking???)

Anyways thought I'd share a pic of some of the fabric that arrived this week... bet you can't guess what SORT of fabric it is??

if you guessed Brights?WRONG!!! its 30's of course! LOL

I just had to share this pic with you as well.. I am beginning to think I am turning into one of those crazy cat ladies??? well I knew I was crazy but this cat is a bastardpain in the patooty.. I got this little table at a garage sale for $2.. yes, $2.. I LOVE it.. Its looks like a 40's thing.. has smokey glass on the top (that HAS to go) and its painted white iron thingo.. I got it for a pot plant on the front verandah.. the base of it is super cute, as there is a star done in the iron as well.. Dags hates it, so it stays anyways! I thought I'd repaint it white and put it in my teeny weeny hall with some flowers etc.. In summer I used to have fresh roses in the house (until I went to NZ on holidays and bastard Dags redid the garden for me.... so no roses anymore.. but the gardenia's are still there (they are my favourite flower) and I thought hmm I wonder what the bastard lovely cat would do if there is a vase with flowers on a table in this house??? well I used PLASTIC flowers, no water in the vase and used an old vase.. well I soon found out.. Seems bastard lovely cats like snoozing on tables.. and when they are busted, well they give you the 'why are you even talking to me look'??? So the fresh flowers in the house this summer are going to be a no-go! oh well, I might have to invest in some lovely silk numbers instead!

Well I am off to find my sun room floor, apparently its under that fabric I have scattered out there.. if you dont hear from me for a week, send a search party!!!

Lissa

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

Today is my First Blogiversary! Hip Hip Hooray!!

Well a year has gone awful quick, considering I forgot I had a blog for a few months. It was only when someone said 'you know, you never put anything new on your blog'...

Well I haven't been up to a huge deal. I am head driver this week, taking Missy Moo to Starstruck (3500 kids performing 6 shows this week in Newcastle).. Its run by the NSW Dept of Education.. Kinda like Rock Eisteddfod but just local, I think its been around for 15 years now? Anyways the kids have fun, the parents are worn out from being chauffeur's but hey, thats the joys of being a parent..

I haven't been up to a HUGE deal of quilty stuffs this week. I did manage to add about 150 hexagons onto my grandmothers flower garden quilt, so I was pretty happy about that!

I have been a little bit naughty this week, I broke my self imposed 'fabric diet' this week.. *sigh* But whats a girl to do when she see's some fabric that she just has to have? Well she should show some restraint or willpower, but alas I have neither so the fabric I ordered online has started to arrive.. Oopsie! I ordered from three stores, so thats three times I have to beat Dags to the letterbox!

Mystery Quilt

Thought I'd share a pic of a mystery quilt I did a few years ago... I made the top in a day, had a quick two second class on 'how to stipple' at the quilt shop, and off I went. This quilt was pieced, quilted and bound in a week! I know I am odd but I dont mind binding quilts.. I can usually bind a large quilt in a night... The whole time I am doing the binding I am thinking I can start something new! I am trying to cull the UFO piles (yes there is more than one pile) this year, and I have decided not to start too many new things! LOL @ Me.. I have started a few things this year, but can happily say they are all finished (cept the signature quilt and the two BOM's I signed up for).. but hey, apart from that I have finished a quilts this year!

Ok thats enough from me tonight! I am off to cut out some more hexagons for a change!

Take care

Lissa

And the Great Unveiling!

well I thought I'd better put a pic up of my ATC's.. well a pic of AN ATC more like it.. I am not 100% sure about this, but it was good to try and like I said in an earlier post, I still have the L Plates on! So if you have some feedback, I'd sure love it! Praise or critique is most welcome! I used a red toile (from holy stash as was the binding), some 30's fabric, and used the embroidery thingy on my machine to embroider hearts.. I have had the machine for at least 3 years and never used any of the embroidery stitches on it..

Also, I did a 30's charm square swap (me swap 30's?? what will I ever do with those????) here is a pic of what I got back.. I LOVE 1930's fabrics, there could be a ring in or two amongst this lot, but there is always a home for fabric in this house.. what I'll do with them, well thats the milltion $$$ question.. Especially as I have LAST YEARS swap still in the baggie! oopsie!

I had to treck to work today and work at one of our branches.. now, I know I am spoiled.. one job is at the end of my street, and the other is in the next suburb.. well I had to go a whopping 40kms to work today in peak hour traffic and road work traffic.. was a wee bit late... and had to reprogram some spreadsheets and print off a tonne of quotes cause the spreadsheet was tampered with.. you know, the PIXIES come in and fiddle with them when the guys aren't at work.. of course I have LOCKED them, but stupid here told them the pass word so they unlock them and fiddle.. and fiddle a LOT.. so I am a bit pooped at the moment, when I was finished at the branch, had to go to the main office and deliver some stuffs and do a 'foreigny' for the boss.. *sigh* some days its tough being me! LOL I would hate to have to actually ever work hard! I did call into the 'S' word shop up at Rutherford to check out what they had in stock.. the only quilty fabric I liked was only available as a FQ.. why o why do they do this???? they IMPORT the FQ's, so they have all these FQ's but no meters of the same fabric.. I asked and the girlie said 'we didn't get that one'.. they have only been open for about 3 months now.. I walked out with NOTHING.. a quilter who couldn't find fabric??????? whats the world coming too????

ciao

Lissa

Woo Hoo

Missy Moo got some good news on Friday. She tried out for a selective primary school and got in! This is like a 'FAME' sorta of school, Performing Arts... to say she is ONE happy camper is an understatement.. just found out its a 1hr 20min bus trip to the school (its 20mins away by car) but we haven't decided definately if she is going. She thinks she is! She tried out for 6th Class, as we thought it would be easier to get to High School from there, rather than trying out for Yr 7 with a few hundred kids. They had 118 kids try out for 40 spots and of that 40, there were 30 kinders, so she did good!

Missy Moo (aged 10) is a mad tap dancer, jazz ballet and classical ballet dancer... She does eisteddfods for the tap only at this stage, but I am sure she'd like to do classical and jazz, but we just dont have the time (or the $$$'s), dancing is NOT a cheap sport! She also took up Gymnastics this year, so does that one day a week... My boys, well "the Beast" (also known as Mary) is fully into Skateboarding and has hair that is almost as long as his sisters (and hers is waist length).. he is loving himself sick at the moment! the middle monster is into talking the leg off an iron pot, now I didn't think chatterbox was a genetic thing but in our household it is! He loves Rugby League, played it one year, but the other kids were HUMUNGOUS compared to him, and he didn't look like he was having too much fun! So he wasn't interested last year and didn't mention it this year (PHEW)...

Just thought I'd share some pics of what I sew when I am not patchworking! Missy Moo's costumes have 1000's of sequins on them, so I am usually sewing on sequins! I actually dont mind doing sequins.. These are her first two costumes I made her, she looks so different now! Still has the gorgeous red hair happening, but has grown so much! I still have these, keep thinking I should whack them on ebay, but they are definately a labour of love, as i'll never get back what I put into them.. The slow costume was the first costume I made, ran out of sequins so I ended up doing a zig zag thing across the bottom, looked great on stage, the feathers were a pain in the bott bott.. the speed costume, was a monumental effort, the diamond shapes I sequinned on lookd great, but you couldn't really see them on stage! bugger!

Speed Costume - Waiting to go on! Slow Costume First Costume I made!

Well thats it from me... till next time of course!!!

How to Clean a toilet!

I just had to share this email I just got from a friend. Now I am a happy dog and cat owner, but this made me smile...

Instructions for Cleaning a toilet

1. Place 1/8th cup of animal shampoo into toilet bowl.

2. Take cat in your arms, and gently stroke it while slowly heading towards direction of toilet

3. At a suitable moment, throw cat into the toilet bowl, close the lid quickly and stand or sit on toilet lid.

4. The cat will now facilitate cleaning process and will process and generate foam required for toilet cleaning. You will know this process is happening by the noises cat is making.

5. After several minutes, flush the toilet. This will start the 'Power Wash' pre-wash, then flush again, for the main wash cycle.

6. Ask someone to open front door, and ensure that there is no one between toilet door AND front door.

7. Get off the toilet quickly and from a safe distance open the lid. The cat will dry naturally due to the speed that he leaves the house.

8. Cat and toilet are now clean.

I loved this, and I would love to know the author! so email me if you know!!

Now dont go dissing me about this, just thought I'd share a funny email. I love my b@stard at, and the dog has learnt to love him too..

Not much quilty happening here, did finish the binding on the lasagne quilt, still pondering a name for said quilt, and will get to the Bendigo Siggies this weekend.

Till next time...

Lissa

Quilt Show with a difference

As promised, here are some pics from our recent "Vibrator Quilt Challenge"... recap time... vibrating lunch pagers + hungry Quilters = jumpy quilters! when we get paged for our meal, we all jump as the pagers vibrate across the table causing a kerfuffle!

These are only a few of them... from left we have "Heather's Box - fits TWO pagers". Lisa's the "big O", Jan very classy leopard print number with a pinned on blue sporran, Pennie's "Blue Gum" (the pub we eat at is called the Blue Gum), but it was renamed "Ribbed for your pleasure" as she had made it into a sleeping bag for her vibrating pager and had quilted the back into ribs.. very tricky!

Next months challenge is to make an Artist Trading Card, out of Fabric.. I have made mine, but stupid here forgot to add the seam allowance, so its back to square one.. The challenge is to make two, keep one and swap the other, hence a collection according to my friend Lisa.. She thinks if you have two of anything its a collection!

Well we are back from Wellington NSW.. lovely place, but freezing cold! Missy Moo had a successful dance eisteddfod.. six dances, three firsts, two seconds and didn't place for her song & tap.. apparently you are supposed to sing in key and in time, fancy that??? I wasn't sure what was happening with the singing, but she had fun, and had a grin from ear to ear.. 750km's in two days for 20mins of dancing is a bit much, but the kid was happy and thats important isn't it??

I have done half the binding for my friends Lasagne Quilt, gotta think of a new name for it any hints? Its civil war repros, super scrappy, and scratching my head trying to think of a name for it. It is for my friends Birthday in a couple of weeks time.

Well thats it from me tonight, still tired after the drive yesterday! I dont know how truckies do it, the roads were appalling, maybe us 'city slickers' are spoiled with decent roads, but I couldn't beleive I was on a highway half the time with the size of the potholes. Lucky I took the big car and not the little one, I would of lost it in some of those potholes!

Take care....

You made What ?!?

Well here is a pic of said 'Vibrator Quilt'... just a rehash possums.. this was a challenge set out by one of the Syd-Scquilters Pennie... Now, before you go thinking 'what do these women get up to at their meetings?' I'll elaborate! The pub we have lunch at, has those wee pagers.. when your meal is ready, it vibrates and flashes.... last month, well the vibrating pagers cause a wee kerfuffle (dont you love that word?) and they 'danced' across the table as they vibrated. As there were probably 20-25 of us, a WHOLE lot of vibrations were happening! So Pennie set us a challenge to make a vibrator quilt.. hopefully those "kerfuffle causing vibrators" will stay put now! I have always wanted to do one of these, and Jodie @ Ric Rac (link to her blog is up there and it was in May) had a tutorial on how to... so off I went.. Now I know i'll never win any quilt competitions with this miniature quilt, its 6.5" square finished.. but I sure had some fun putting it together.. I called it "You Made WHAT??!" after two people had to ask me to repeat what I was making! Very funny! I think I might make another one of these in the future, I certainly have a stash of selvedges in this house! Thanks again Jodie for the tutorial on your site, much appreciated!!!

and success at last! Its amazing what you'll find when you TIDY UP.. I found five, yes FIVE tape measures.. that would suggest that only another 4 are M.I.A.! LOL I love the cow one, you pull its tail out and its the tape measure, very kitsch.. mum got it for me from one of her overseas jaunts!

I also have to brag. I never win anything.. NEVER.. I must enter every darn competition in every book and magazine that comes into the house.. well last month I entered a competition to win a Leanne Beasley book and guess what possums??? I WON!!! I would hate to think how much time and $$$'s I have spent over the years entering competitions but I finally won something! There is an AWESOME bag in this book and I am definately going to make it.. of course I'll have to go and buy some fabric and pellon and.... you know the drill.. might have to piece it and make it scrappy, I am still on the self imposed fabric diet at the moment, only trying to buy fabric to FINISH stuffs.. not start new stuffs!

Well the weather has turned again. Yesterday it must of been over 20C here (middle of winter), today its awful cool and raining.. but the rain is welcome!!

Happy Weekend to you all. I am off to attach some binding to the Lasagne Quilt! didnt' have quite enough binding so I am doing a two colour binding, probably will look crap, but at least the quilt will be finished!

Until next time...........

Lissa

Progress Report

Well I have been like a busy bee working on my retreat swap squares. WooHoo!

50 down, only another 82 to go! I dont think I'll make my self imposed deadline of THIS weekend, but I am going to keep on it! I have enough UFO's already, perhaps this quilt will be finished by the end of August!

I called into the quilt shop today, my "Lasagne Quilt" will be quilted by Friday, so I might get the binding on it this weekend. Of course while I was at the quilt store, I found some fabric I had been looking for and of course I had to bring it home with me. A friend has thrown out a challenge to make a vibrator quilt. Now, when I read that message I nearly had a coronary.... but please read on.. its a quilt for the vibrating pagers at the pub we go to once a month to have our stitch 'n' bitch.. not sure if I'll get it done or not, but I am always up for a challenge!

I had to do the EOM at work for the first time today, I was supervised doing this.. I have to learn how to do this cause the girlie at work is going on holidays and managed to go when the EOM is happening, so I get to do the next few supervised then I'll be on my own! ARGH!!!!! Hope FUF (F*&^ Up Fairy) doesn't visit when I am in the driving seat! My boss is pretty cool, he knows I'll ask a billion questions between now and then so I ensure I dont stuff up! I HATE STUFFING UP.. I mean, its only rolling the month over for our regions largest retail supplier of timber? no biggie eh??? LOL

I have been flat out getting ready to go out 'west'.. I have never been further than about 60kms inland from the coast here in Newcastle, I know, its disgraceful.. I'll actually be going about 400kms inland.. so it will be a bit of an adventure, Missy Moo is doing a dance competition, so wish me luck! Now dont to thinking I have never left the hamlet of Newcastle, I have travelled overseas, just never thought about going inland.. lazy??? Perhaps!! Downside of the adventure is that the temps out there have been 1C... with a top temperature of 12C.. hmm 1C??? I dont think my fridge gets that cold???? I dont own any warm clothes, so wish me luck!!!! I am just lucky I have my winter 'padding' to keep me warm!

catch you all next time!

Lissa

Wacha doin'?

Well I dragged out the Charm Squares from Bendigo retreat earlier this year.. What to do?? What to do?? I had a few ideas, then seen what others had done with theirs and thought my idea was a tad naff.. so thinking cap on, and I have done a nine patch variation. The theme was 'oriental' and the charms were 6.5" unfinished. I cut them into a 3.5" square, a 6.5x1.5" strip and an extra 1.5" square for the cobble stone block that I am alternating them with.. the block is 5" finished. They are all cut out and stacked VERY carefully and put somewhere safe from the pussy cat... I have put together about 31 pairs now so only another 100+ to go.. LOL I want to get the front of the quilt together by next weekend. Then there is a matter of the actual signatures for the back, that shouldn't pose too much of a problem! I wasn't sure about the background colour, but it is an unbleached/unseeded muslin.. perfect colour for hiding cat fur! LOL originally I wanted to use an idigo blue but thought although the cat isn't invited onto a quilts his fur seems to get EVERYWHERE! I dont have a design wall, so I had to improvise and use the carpet so the dark lines around the blocks are the mat on the carpet and the carpet! LOL

This week I was in a Christmas in July Secret Sister/Santa swap. My secret sender was Sarah from QLD and she picked out some lovely items for me... Thought I'd share a pic of what she sent me... I loved everything! I sent to Suzy in SA, I forgot to take a pic of the bag I sent her and the goodies but she did love what was sent! The chocolates disappeared within seconds.. I love lindt chocolates! The bag had a teeny weeny pair of scissors inside.. CUTE!

I am trying to get a few things done for August, I wont have much time at the sewing machine but a lot of time for hand piecing / embroidering so I am getting a few things together so there will be no excuss for not doing any sewing! I should get my quilt back from the quilters next week, so another hand sewing project there with the binding..

Missy Moo is starting a new dance for tap, a waltz, and of course... new dance = new costume and 1000+++ sequins.. so I gotta get organised, this costume is going to be mint gree ballroom dance style thing, so I am sure I'll be sewing on sequins until Christmas..

Lucky I dont mind sewing on sequins, except I haven't had a marathon session yet since we have had the cat! wish me luck, cause I am sure I am going to need it!

'til next time....

Lissa

A LITTLE RETAIL THERAPY

Well I have to admit, I didn't find A tape measure.. no problem says me! The best way to find the tape measures or anything else you have 'put somewhere safe' is to go out and buy a new one.. so that was the plan.. I went to a local store (Hi Alison) and they had a 25% off sale.. now I did restrain myself, and managed to get some fabrics to finish off a quilt top or two, the chenile top is now done and the backing is soaking as we speak.. left the store with my purchases and had a "DOH" moment.. forgot to buy a new tape measure... so no problemo..

I'll go the LONG way home and there is another quilt shop on the way (fancy that?? not as good as the first one, and staff not as friendly!!) found some crochet lace I needed and a few other things and made my way home.. and guess what? forgot to buy a new tape measure at that store! LOL.. I have been measuring using my cutting board, which is fine if its under 22".. but the top I dropped off at the quilters well I thought it was 76-80" well its not, alas, I cannot make a single quilt to save my life.. its 88" long by 67" wide.. This is for my friends birthday, I hope he likes it, as I am probably going to have to mortgage a kid or sell a kidney to get it quilted! Its a very simple quilt, made it in a day.. it will be commercially washed and dried as he is in hospital for a little while, so I didn't want to make an epic quilt.. had some drama's with the fabric I used for the backing, not bloomin' long enough.. it was EXACTLY the same size as the top, so I have had to add a few strips to the top and bottom of the backing, but hey, its a SCRAP quilt! :O) I seen this idea on another website awhile ago, and it was called a "Lasagne Quilt".. you use layers of fabric, I cut 2.5" strips width of fabric (some were FQ's) and off I went.. I used all stash fabrics, civil war repro's, except for the purple border, which I got from the first shop I went to today.. it was the first one I picked up and it looks great.. it has a teeny black pattern on it, so I am going to use black binding on it.. It should come home in about two weeks time, plenty of time for my friends birthday!

The other top I finished was the chenille quilt... I also managed to get some more from the first shopI went to today (Rags to Riches btw @ Cessnock, its a great shop, about 30mins from here).. How lucky was I?? Alison let me raid the secret stash for some more blue, it was a bit too girly pink for my liking.. but I am super happy with it.. chenille does have a little bit of stretch in it so a couple of blocks are a bit puffy.. This will be the first quilt I will bag, and then I'll tie it down with some of the 1000's of vintage buttons I have stashed around this house.. that is, if they are hiding out with my tape measures!

I just dragged out my Bendigo Retreat Signatures this morning, and I am not 100% sure on how to put them together, have seen a couple of WIP quilts from the same swap and my idea seems dumb.. the oriental fabrics are too cute too cut up too small (IMHO) and thought about using the tumbler template I bought awhile ago.. not tumbling block, but tumbler, looks like a thimble.. just had a go using a scrap, and I can get 1 1/2 tumblers out of each block, so this idea could be a go-er.. anyways, I better go and start my day.. its 11am and I am still in my flannelette lingirie..

Happy weekends to you :O)

Gotta Fess Up!

OK, last night, I was fiddling with my quilt after my post... and I realised.... the two new tape measure I bought not 3 week ago, well they have disappeared into the black hole of my house.. I swear, I must own a dozen tape measures.. mum bought me a cute cow one (I used to collect cows in a former life) and I thought I'll grab that.. of course it was in metric and I needed imperial.. so when I get time tonight, I am going to search out every blasted one of them and put them TOGETHER! Like in my SEWING DRAWERS.. argh @ me!!!

I actually managed to fit 6 hours of sewing in last night.. not too shabby when you consider I had put 6 hours of paid work in, some mother time and then the 6 hours sewing.. sometimes its pays to be an insomniac!

Well I am off to do something constructive... like my paid work!


Take care and I'll let you know how the expedition to find tape measures go.... I wont cheat either and go and buy a new one!



Lissa

HRH Cosmo Pussy Cat

Just thought I'd stick a new pic of the B@$tard cat. Now he has been behaving himself, but he has learnt to that if you cry, everyone pays you attention. He cries if I leave the room to cook tea/shower/work! He has also learnt if you cry real loud people come running, so you cry in front of the cupboard where the TREATS are kept and you might just get one! Maybe I should try that myself! although, I am not particularly fond of fish flavoured treats! :O)





Now he can't be comfortable in this pic, he often sleeps on the Taj Mahal of cat scratching posts like this and often has his tongue out.. very cute!












I have dragged the flower garden quilt I have been working on for more years than I care to mention (OK its more than 3 but I am sure its less than four!) thought I'd stick a pic of it on my blog so I can look back and see how much I have progressed. I have used 1930's fabrics (what a surprise eh?) and its slowly getting there! I am working on the border of it at the moment, have added some half hexagons and just deciding whether to add a float or not. the papers are getting a tad mangled so I thought it might be nice to start adding a border! I can seriously recommend anyone who is making or planning on making a hexagon quilt to buy a mercury template, they are the bestest thing since sliced bread. I cut out over 240 hexagons last night with it in less than 10mins.. neat eh?

I have also been busy working on a chenille quilt I started MONTHS ago.. I have most of it together, but realised it wasn't square (I have a thing about square quilts) so I found some chenille on ebay and a friend has some, so I should be able to finish it once the ebayer posts my parcel! The sun room looks like a snow storm hit it, chenille is horribly messy.. its EVERYWHERE.. cat keeps coming in with bits stuck to him!

Well thats enough from me.. hope you like the pics and until next time....
Lissa

I did behave myself!

g'day possums

I went to the Darling Harbour Quilt show last Friday.. I had a great time checking out the quilts (the winning one, MIND blowing 17000+ hours work in it).. but I came home with a lot of $$$'s. Dags (DH) gave me $$'s for my birthday and mothers day this year and I had that cash, and I ended up not buying a lot. Why? well I just didn't find anything that grabbed my attention! And, I have realised lately, there is only so much fabric you can fit into a house, and I have exceeded that amount about 3 years ago! LOL.. I put myself on a fabric diet earlier this year, only buying stuff I need to finish UFO's and I have been 'loosely' sticking to it. I did buy some Fat 10ths and Fat 1/4s at Darling Harbour, its very hard to get 30's fabrics here in Newcastle... I think I have some of every fabric that is available up here! LOL.. I must have over 500 different 30's fabrics now.. enough to make a quilt for the WHOLE town!




I did also buy a gorgeous book from Hatched & Patched. Now, I am not a christmas-a-holic, I do have two tree's (Dags had a cow when he seen the second one up last year, but he got over it pretty fast) but I dont go mental at christmas. But I just had to have this book, its got some cute projects inside and I might, just MIGHT make something out of it! Had a fun trip on the train on the way down to Sydney, the lady next to me was elderly and kept falling asleep and was snoring REALLY loud.. and she kept falling asleep on my SHOULDER! I bought TWO new tape measures cause I lose them constantly and I have managed to cut some with my rotary cutter, dont you hate that??? I would think there is about ten tape measures in this house! And I grabbed myself my favourite hand cream, I wanted a tube to leave at work.. and that was about it!

I have also been working on a Miniature RR this week, I put it in the post yesterday its on its way to America. I decided that my loathing of triangles was very apt after spending 4hours redoing 1" triangles.. thats one inch on the bottom.. and the quilt was just that widdle bit out, so I did the best I could (recipe said triangles for this round).. but all in all it looked good......from afar!!! I added the red triangles and red float..


Well thats it from me, have a great weekend, and I'll be sure to put some ramblings up real soon :O)


Lissa

Long Time No See!!

Well I have had a June and a half!

I have spent most of June sick with the dreaded flu, but I am on the way to recovery. How do I know this? Cause I finished some sewing! I got my quilt back from the quilters and to say I am happy with the results is an understatement! Wendy from Honey Pot Quilting did a fantastic job, here is a pic of a closeup of some of the work she did. Fab eh?


I have also started a new BOM called "Girls Day Out".. I have nearly finished block one. Here's a pic of the semi finished product...


I was planning on adding the fabric bolts out of the scraps I use for each of the upcoming blocks. There is a quilt on the hanger you can see I have embroidered.. I plan on using a cheater quilt panel, but I have to find one the right size!

Its been awful weather here in Newcastle, we have had over 490mm's of rain this month and the month isn't over yet, might crack the 500mm! Lots of flooding, power cuts and wind.. perfect quilting weather if you haven't been sick.

In my next life, I am dreaming of a sewing room... flat screen TV, Air conditioning, a mini bar, loads of shelving, natural light, no kids, no cat, no DH! *sigh*.. Oh and a sewing machine or two of course *W*

Well I am off to Darling Harbour Quilt show on Friday, and hopefully I wont go too mad with the Credit Cards, but hey I am not promising anything! :O)

till next time... Lissa

some more pics

Thought I'd better add some more pics.. this is a class I did a the quilty retreat I went to in April, not an OLD UFO by any stretch of the imagination, but I had put it aside for a whole month, all I had to do was add a button AND do some top stitching.. Lazy eh? turned out pretty good.. Very happy with kumihimo braid that I had made. Shame I haven't seen the kumihimo disc since I got home, as Missymoo has decided she likes making kumihimo too!



As promised, I have also put up some pics of the QAYG redwork I am doing. No instructions yet on how to do the QAYG bit, but I have completed 7 out of 78 hexagon embroideries so far! I plan on adding 30's fabrics with the white on white fabrics I am using. Pretty happy with the results so far!

Anyways two posts in two days?? a miracle if you ask me!

byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

yep, Tuesday again

What have I been up to this past week? well I decided to treat myself to a POM (pattern of the month). I am doing 'Tree of Life'.. its a QAYG hexagon quilt. the pattern suggested country sort of colours, now I love 'country' look, but thought hmmm hexagons (my favourite thing), embroidery?? ok, do that in redwork cause I hate changing colours 4000times for each stitchery and I have a massive stash of 30's, I'll use those.. so its a QAYG hexagon 30's redwork thingy! I have four embroideries done already, up to no.5.. the plan is to finish one a day this week.. wish me luck!
Thought I'd post a pic (now that I can) of the gifts I made my angel and mortal for the retreat I went to in Bendigo. The bag is the easiest bag pattern in the world, the needlebook is a Mums Moment design I bought at a quilt show maybe 5 years ago now? and a teeny weeny pincushion I made, its about 2" finished. I did also make a mug bag and a address book cover for my mortal, but forgot to take pics of those.. DOH!




Hubby got smart this past mothers day, and gave me $100 to spend at Darling Harbour Quilt show next month. I got some usual treasures from the mothers day stall, and wonder every year if my kids really KNOW me.. or they just get a glazed look on their faces when they see everything they can buy me??? LOL I know the gifts are bought with love. Although Morgan gave me my $5 back and said Happy Mothers Day! LOL Lara spent every last cent.. but then again, what do you expect for $5?? apparently a frog fridge magnet, a dream catcher keyring, a miniature hair brush (shame I have a huge head of hair) and a talc!

I am having a birthday this week, so DH said you want cash again? I said OK! LOL.. so I'll be having me some fun at Darling Harbour this year!

Will put a pic up this week of the redwork stitcheries I been doing. And also the miniature block I have made for a RR I am in (a miniature one)... centre is to be no bigger than 4" and no smaller than 2".. mine worked out to be 4 1/4" finished, so I am ever hopeful that I can use that! otherwise I'll be thinking of a new plan. I made the block three times (twice on machine, last hand pieced) and it still come out 1/4" to big, so I am blaming the pattern!

till next time....
Lissa

Tuesdayitis

Also thought I'd add this pic of the b@$tard cat and bailey the wonder dog. Now we know they are pretending to hate one another, the cat was actually snuggling Bailey but when we took a pic he woke up. He is still pretty evil. They are sleeping on the remnants of the cubby house Miss Lara had built for herself a week ago. Is it just me, or does everyone own messy kids? I have threatened the kids if they dont 'do' their rooms soon, I am going to post a picture on the internet for the world to see! Might be a good idea for a competition???



I dont know what it is about Tuesdays, but I just dont like them. I have been flat out at work today (its a change I know) but thought I'd better add something to my blog. What have I been up to? well I did finish a raggy flannel quilt for my friend Scotty. Heres the pic, I hope it keeps his knees warm. He is in a wheelchair at the moment having rehab done, so hopefully he wont need it for too long. I finished it maybe last weekend of april? dont know awhile ago anyways.
Well thats it for me, might actually get back to work! :O)
take care possums!!!

I've been BAD

This quilt is the Signature squares from the Scquilters retreat in Canberra 2006. I have called it 'Not flying but Galloping Geese'. I discovered I suck big time and making points match up on triangles, but thankfully, it will probably only be seen here on the net! LOL so I think I am safe.


Oh dear.. I just worked out what I spent on Fabric this month AND quilting (I send my tops off for a quilty holiday)... boy, was that a scary number! I wont publish the amount here as I like living! but might have to pull the reins in this month. I have been flat out getting hexagons togethre for my granny's flower garden quilt. To say this is an epic is an understatement! I am about half way, but I have been working on it for um 3 years, so I am thinking this is along the lines of anothers scquilters quilt, the 2010 quilt! LOL I am ever hopeful that I'll have the top together by christmas, of course I dont know which Christmas, but it will get done!

Went to Sydney yesterday to visit a quilt shop that was having a sale.. shame the sale started May 1st and not April 29th! I am known for being punctual, but that was ridiculous! Found some 30's fabrics I didn't have so I was pretty happy with that. Speaking of 30's quilts. This is a quilt I made form swap blocks with scquilters (fancy that??) It is a block called 'cobblestones'.. when the blocks come home (they are all 30's fabrics) I thought I'll add another round around each block. My maths sucks, cause I forgot that you add 2" to BOTH sides, so my lap quilt is suddenly a queen size topper! oh well, you can't have too many large quilts can you??? I just 1930's fabrics, I know a lot of people hate them, but I just like the fact that they all seem to go together and therefore its a no brainer putting them together.

This little quilt was a kit I purchased at my first retreat ever, 2003 Melbourne Retreat. I made the top and then it was left in the UFO box (which really now I need a shipping container for the UFO's) for all these years. I bit the bullet and just stippled in micro stippling the black bits.. it looks great.. I also discovered that black fabric and white cats are not a great combination. The cat thinks any quilt is for him to sleep on, he slept on this and it looks like it was the lint thing out of the dryer, so will have to give it a clean up and HANG it before the cat finds it again. I liked this miniature so much, I have made another one for a gift and I have enough buttons to make a couple more for friends. Well thats it from me. 'Til next time.. ciao bella!

Boy am I stuffed!

g'day possums

to say I am pooped is an understatement! I have been flat out like a centipede skipping, going off like a frog in a sock, well you get the drift.

April seems to of been the month of finishing things. I finished three large quilts (bigger than 70" square) two lap quilts, a miniature, two bags, and I think that is it! Guess what? I finished the BOM that I had been working on since the dawn of time.

It is off to be quilted. I'll post it to the quilter this afternoon after work. I changed it a little as Ididn't like a few bits of it, but that gives it the 'lissa touch'.. which sometimes is more like the kiss of death! I am so glad I finished it. I did add a further float to it after I took this pic (please ignore the child in her glamour flannelette PJ's) just a little more of the cream that you can just see before the scrappy floral border. This quilt pattern didn't really have a name, it was by "Leanne's House" pattern, but I have called it "Lissa's Lodgings as viewed from afar" :O) I look at it now, and think yep, you can tell I pieced it in an afternoon.. now I would unpick a lot of it and redo it as a few seams dont match up, but hey.. its ALMOST DONE! Can't wait to see what it looks like after my friend WOO does her magic wand thing with it!

I am almost recovered from my trip away to Bendigo Victoria. there were 209 quilters this year, and I made a few new friends and renewed friendships with a few old and not so old friends. I am still recovering from the late nights, the drinking and the lack of sleep! Was it worth it? YES!!! there is no retreat planned for next year, but that wont stop me, I might just surprise a few people and turn up at a quilt show in some faraway land *W* so consider yourself warned!

I started a new quilt last night, it is in the latest homespun magazine, on the cover. I love blackbird designs patterns and this one is great, has enough applique to tip me over the edge, but I'll only get better with practice. I also have a few other things to finish. I am in a Queen of the UFO challenge. The point of the challenge is to NOT be crowned queen. It's amazing, the thread of a 'cyber coronation' has spurned me on to finish lots of things.. things that I wouldn't normally finish but I do NOT want to get to the top of that list! :O)

Well thats enough from me, will post some more pics when I find them on the camera! and I'll try and not leave it so long between posts on this blog, I keep forgetting I have it!

What I've Been Up To

I thought I'd better post a pic of Bailey the WonderDog. I am the mother of two furry critters; Bailey the WonderDog and the bastard Cat Cosmo.. We bought this cat house for the cat, but the cat hates it. I am unsure if it is because 1. Cats dont like cat houses, OR 2. the dog sleeps inside??? I wonder! LOL

I think every pet should have its own quilt. My theory backfired cause now my pets think EVERY quilt in the house is their's! Bailey has an 'accidental purchase' from ebay to sleep on... When it arrived I thought 'oh my lordy what was I thinking???' the kids have trashed it to death it has a few holes but Bailey loves it and to be honest, when it 'dies' I wont be sad to see it go. Cosmo prefers chenille or flannel quilts, and can be often found snoozing on a raggy quilt I made some time ago. This quilt has been washed to death and it still looks great...

This pic is of a quilt I have been working on what seems 'forever'. It is a Leanne's House BOM that I started in 2005? I dunno. Seems longer than that to be honest! LOL I do love it, but the embroidery is a bit daunting and me, being me, cannot stand BOM's, so I put the top together in a day and have been working on it and hiding it for the past two years! LOL I will finish it. It will look great when its done, I used the 'HOLY STASH' of my Robyn Pandolphs I have been using over the years. There are 9 x 16" blocks and they are all as busy as this one! It is booked into be custom quilted in April (yes april THIS year) and I am only about 60% done.. so that means, yikes 2 weeks to finish it! LOL not going to happen but lucky the quilter is running late herself! LOL

It's 32 sleeps till I get to catch up with my online friends! We meet up once a year and to say I can't wait is an understatement! I need a quilty kick up the bum and the retreat seems to do that for me each year (that and the quilt show at Darling Harbour!)

Mushrooms in the lawn?

I finished the bag in my UFO challenge. Our bastard cat went missing, and I walked past the bag, it was hanging on one of our french doors. The bag moved and hey presto! there's the cat! I think he likes it, how he got in it, I am unsure (maybe child intervention perhaps???) but anyways I had to wrestle to get him out, but had to take a pic first!



we have been so lucky in Newcastle that we have escaped the drought that the rest of the country is in. We laid a new lawn about hmmm 4 weeks ago and when I got up this morning to check out the rain we had had, there were mushrooms everywhere in the lawn! We have watered this lawn maybe twice since it was laid, so that shows you how much rain we have had. I am not skiting, but its a shame the rain doesn't go where its needed....





I have been busy working on some gifts for quilty friends, can't show you a pic at the moment as they are a 'surprise' but I'll post a pic after they have been received!





It is now 35 sleeps till our annual quilting retreat. I have done the signature squares, and will drag out the suitcase over the weekend, so I'll start putting bits in as I remember them! This year we are off to Bendigo, I have never been to Bendigo, so it should be fun!

Well I am off to start my day! wish me luck, as today is HOUSEWORK DAY! EWWWW!!!!

Busy Busy Busy

One of the internet groups I am in (Quilting Down Under) has had a Queen of the UFO challenge. The idea of the challenge is to finish and keep finishing UFO's so your name moves down the list. Problem is, everyone is trying hard to finish UFO's!

This miniature quilt I started when I first started quilting. I bought it as a kit in 2000 or 2001.. not sure, but it sat for that long without quilting cause I didn't know how to quilt it! I bit the bullet a couple of weeks ago and stippled the centre in small stipple and the outside in larger stipple. I cringe at it a little as my patchwork skills have improved in leaps and bounds since I started this, but I left the wonky bits as a reminder on how far I have come! The cat thinks its a mat for him to sleep on, so its safely tucked away from el pussy cat!




I have been so flat out lately, flat out like a centipede skipping... I am off to the scquilters (an online internet group for quilters) in a months time, and have a million things to do before I am allowed to skip town.

I have been busy making curtains and as I am halfway through I have decided I HATE MAKING curtains. Our darn cat thinks the curtains are a play centre for him, so I also spend a great deal of time removing him from them or squirting him with water! Darn CAT!
We have been busy getting work done around the yard, have had a few hiccups.... Like the stupid builder/pavers not laying them low enough so of course when it rains, our room gets flooded. Brand new carpet has stained from the water damage, NOT HAPPY JAN!

We (well its the royal we, more like my hubby) also laid 100m'2 of turf.. he did this the day he had a 40th birthday party.. so to say he was pooped at his party was an understatement. Why he organised this for the same day isn't making sense with me, sometimes I am sure he was sent here to test me! LOL And I do not think I am passing this test with flying colours let me tell you!

mumblings of a cranky possum

This is a picture of the 'new addition' to the family. Cosmopolitan the Birman cat. Now he is just too gorgeous for his own good, and never owning a cat before, I did not know what I was in for. Cosmopolitan is named after a vodka/cranberry cocktail. And Bailey the wonder dog is named after Baileys Irish Cream funnily enough. Cats sleep so much.. he doesn't eat enough to keep a sparrow, but I guess when you are only awake for 3hrs a day, well how much food do you need??

I had crap day at work today... so I decided to come home and FINISH something to cheer myself up.. now for all that know me, this is a MIRACLE! Not one piece of backing fabric was right, so I had to scrap piece a backing, it looks so-so. of course I pressed this and thought ah-ha, I need wadding.. of course there wasn't a bit of wadding big enough in the house either, after muttering away, and going thru more plastic tubs than I care to count (ok its 12) I found a bit.. woohoo!

of course its EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE AS THE TOP.. so its too small.. so I have dredged up all the scrappy bits you should throw away and found enough to add a piece to the other bit.. but now its too bloomin late to be crawling around on the floor trying to baste the sucker, so I am off to find another UFO in the pile that I can't jump over. Wish me luck, cause I know I am going to make a bigger mess.

We have a HUGE mess out in the yard, we have been waiting for so long to get our backyard landscaped. I had a nasty fall on Saturday, twisted my ankle and lucky for me, Lara was carrying the cat in his 'pet taxi' We had to take Cosmo the wonder cat for a needle.. Lara was very worried, as I couldn't get up and the cat was so lucky I'd just handed him to Lara. He would of been traumatised for life, MORE traumatised cause I am sure living here is enough to send you to the nut hut!

So tomorrow the excavator arrives, the builder will be here and my retaining walls will be built. We used to have a large yard, but with the renovations we have done (we have added a family room, bedroom and a large sunroom) as well as a double garage, the yard has downsized to 10ms between us and the shed. I am convinced my DH hates mowing so he keeps building on!