It’s the End of the Month

Here it is the last day of the month and no finish for OPAM.  It’s not that I haven’t been sewing, just no finishes to show.

Well, we can’t have that, so when I got home from work I thought I’d better make something little so the sidebar isn’t empty…..but what?

Then I thought of “Pink Phone”. 

I have a rather uneasy relationship with mobile phones….ie… I am completely hopeless with them.  I forget to charge them, and when I finally do, I proceed to leave them in the car. I have no idea how to  send or read a text and can only call someone if their number is written down in my little black book. When I went to Queensland when Dad was sick I was caught out in a tiny town and no digital cover, only Next G.  As I was intending to drive Dad home, freshly out of hospital I had to buy a better phone and ended up with “Pink Phone”. 

There is very little choice in a tiny Queensland town and the salespeople don’t know how they work.  I couldn’t get any help off the web, as my computer wouldn’t work there either.  So I ended up not being very good friends with this phone, except for the fact that I was able to change the back cover to a pink one.

We are gradually getting to know one another and I’m doing my best to keep her charged and in my bag so it would be nice if I made her a little cover.

Jenny has put out a bit of a challenge for repurposing.  I supposed I could do something along those lines.  A while ago I found some more linen clothes in an op shop and they have been languishing in the cupboard.  I bought this blouse thinking it would team with white for a French look.

I might do something one day to incorporate the lovely pin tucks, but not tonight.

I then went rummaging through some fabrics and came up with this combination.

Then it was just have a bit of a fiddle.  I used the same principle that I’d used to make a tissue cover a couple of years ago.  I used the thin iron on pellon, as I didn’t want it to be too bulky.  I’m rather pleased with the outcome.

The linen wriggled a bit and was probably a bit light weight, but the pellon stabilised it nicely.  The pearl button is just one I found in among my collection of button jars and the hat elastic came from a swing tag.

“Pink Phone” fits in nice and snug.  Now I just have to learn how to use her.

I think I might make a few more accessories for my hand bag using this fabric combination.

So now, at 11pm on 31 January I can add something to my sidebar for OPAM.  Yay!

Reaching a Milestone

Yesterday we had a big celebration for Mum and Dad’s 50th Wedding Anniversary.

I must admit that when we celebrated their 40th Anniversary I wondered if they would realistically  reach this milestone, as they were late starters, so it made it all the more special.

They knew the party was happening, there was no way that I could keep that a secret, but they didn’t know that their bridesmaid and flower girl would be travelling from Queensland to join them. 

It really made the day.

I had fun making a little display of Mum’s wedding dress and a few photos.  Mum made all the dresses (she was a dressmaking teacher at the time) and her wedding dress still looks as good as new.  It was designed to suit the old cameo brooch.  She was so tiny back then and the dress would only just fit on the mannequin for display.

They were joined yesterday by lots of friends and family and I think everyone really enjoyed the day.

Australia Day Outing

I hope everyone had a wonderful Australia Day, even if it was a bit damp.

We had grand plans  of getting a group of us together and motorcycling to Carcoar for their Australia Day Street Fair.  However, as the weather was looking somewhat inclement it was decided to take the car.  In the end there were only two couples, so they just came along with us.

Of course, it didn’t rain at all on the way out there, as Mick kept reminding us.  We could have brought the bikes after all.

Although it was not raining, it was a grey old morning and the usual crowds did not eventuate.  We still had a nice look around the lovely old town and all the stalls.  The things you see wandering the  streets.

There were lots of bric-a-brac stalls and I had a chuckle at one to see items that I had sold at our last Swap Meet, twelve months ago.  The dealer still had them and I was interested to see that her prices were only a little more than what I had charged.  I saved my pennies, except for a lovely scarf at a garage sale.

A feature each year is a re-enactment of the mail coach being held up and the subsequent gun battle.  You wouldn’t want to mess with this feisty old bird.  She is one of the goodies.

Here are the baddies.

If she can’t shoot you dead……

She will jump on top of you and thump you dead.  Like I said, don’t mess with her.

Next we had a look at the toy museum.  This was the first time we have found it to be open when we have been in the area.

My favourites – Kimba and a Rubiks Cube.

Gollies, although none like my old one.

Mick liked the ray guns.

This is for you Fiona, quite a collection of pencil sharpeners.

After fortifying ourselves with scrummy scones with jam and cream we hopped in the car to continue our adventure.  We had no plans, so ended up heading over to Canowindra for the best fish and chips lunch. 

To our delight, it started to rain.  Now there was a valid reason for travelling by car and Mick couldn’t carry on.

We girls had a lovely time exploring the gorgeous gift shops.  This one was especially lovely, although I was strong and didn’t bring anything home with me.

Meanwhile the well trained boys waited patiently.  Yes, that is rain making the photo grainy.

We only looked through the window of the patchwork shop, as it was closed. However, there was a very intriguing item of patchwork in the window.  I took a photo, but it didn’t turn out very well.  It was a combination of recycled tweeds, denim and corduroy.  Now that has definite possibilities.  I do like the look.

After we delivered our friends back home we had one more stop off before we headed home.  My camper trailer quilt has been quilted already.  That was much faster than I could have hoped for and it looks great.  Now I just have to add the binding for a finish.  I’ll aim for January OPAM.  I’ll have to see how I go.

A Late Gift and Forgotten Photos

I was just a tad late in sending Loulee her Christmas gift and there was no way it was going to make it for the big day.  It did, however, take quite a bit longer to arrive than I expected. 

I made another shoe bag from Anni’s latest book.  I think Loulee should be able to find an opportunity to make use of it. I also sent over a quilty calendar, but forgot to take a piccie before I posted it, so you will just have to pop over and visit Loulee.  Her kitchen smells devine at the moment.

While I was hunting out the photo, I discovered some other piccies that in all the hustle and bustle of Christmas I forgot to share.

Firstly, we have had some visitors to our raspberry bushes – sulphur crested cockatoos.  Not the best photo, but you can’t get very close to them.  They did leave some berries for us.

Then, a week before Christmas we had a storm go through.  This was the view to the north east from our house.

I think this is the brightest  rainbow we’ve ever seen.  It just glowed.

Then, when we looked the other way from the back verandah, towards the south west, this is what we saw. Just spectacular.

What you can’t see above is what was on the ground.  The next photo is exactly the same, except with the camera focussed on the ground, not the sky. So totally different (and  with a rather weird, over exposed effect).

See the two roos sitting watching me.  You will have to zoom in.  I love to see them around.

We were so lucky to be home to see the wonders of nature after the storm.

Working on a WIP (Or Maybe a UFO?)

Back in March 2010 we went to Albany in WA for the Ulysses AGM Rally and bought our Camper Trailer to tow behind “Snubby” the silver sidecar.

Shortly afterwards I found some lovely fabric and started to make a quilt for the bed in the camper.  It is a really simple square in a square block.  I made the comment “I nearly have the top pieced, so will be able to show it soon”.  That was at the end of May 2010.  Do you think it qualifies for WIP or UFO?  Yep, I think that equates to UFO.

I had some scraps left over of the fabric, so have made a Baseco Bag and bookmark,  tissue cover, Lavender bag purse and table runner and made the comment that I’ve had more fun with the scraps than the quilt.  There are still more scraps, so I’ll have to have another play with them one day.

Meanwhile, the quilt languished in a box – all pieced except for the borders.  The borders were cut and joined into strips, and the binding was cut, joined into a strip and pressed, ready to attach to the quilt. All sitting in the box.  I just didn’t seem to have the sewjo to finish it……..until now.

The Ulysses AGM Rally is in Mildura at the end of March and I have to have it finished by then.  Also, we are travelling to Mildura via Nundle for the Girls Day in the Country.  Yes, Mick is coming along too, although he has declined to join in with the stitchy day.  He will have a lazy day reading and wandering around Nundle.  That is an extra reason to have the quilt finished.

It didn’t take long. 

It is now with my friend Val to be quilted.  I will just have to add the binding, but I’m a bit strange.  I don’t mind sewing on bindings.

I’m quite excited at the prospect of it finally being finished.  I’m not very good at finishing UFOs as a rule and haven’t made an actual quilt for about three years.  About time I had one finished.

Vege Update and Charging Station

I’ve been a bit of a slack blogger lately and have a few bits and bobs to catch up on.

Firstly, the frost did zap the veges rather well.  However, there is still a little bit of green growth underneath, so with a bit of luck, they may come back a bit.

Now onto the fun stuff.

A couple of weeks ago I was browsing in Pinterest (what a great way to waste time) for organising ideas when I came across a charging station for all those electrical gadgets we just must have. (Although we have less than many.)

Now I’m definitely not organised, and I should spend more time “doing” rather than looking for inspiration.  Anyhow, back to the story, we have a double power point above the kitchen bench that is used for charging gadgets and all the leads live in a big tangle in a big bowl in the cupboard below.  I had once seen an idea of keeping leads in a big biscuit barrel and even have a big canister to use for that purpose (when I get organised) – I digress.

Anyway, there were some really clever ideas for charging stations and I was drawn to a couple of simple ones, one of which was a ribbon box and the other was a shoe box covered in pretty paper and with big eyelets in it.  I thought “I can do that!” and went shopping for a power board with surge protector.  Next stop was the $2 shop to get some pretty paper, where I changed my mind and bought another pretty box instead.  It was great that I had the power board with me, as I was able to get one just the right size without having to guess.

Next, we went low tech.  Mick got his wad punches and punched four holes in the front of the box for the connections and three big holes in the back of the box, one for the power cord and two extra for ventilation. No eyelets, but that doesn’t matter one way or the other.  Some quick little tags to label the holes at the front and Ta Da!  One cute tidy charging station rather than a tangle.

Another idea I saw on Pinterest was using a roll top bread box.  Now I may just be on the look out for one for the future, rather than a cardboard box, but it will do for the time being.

Brrrrrr

Look at that…

Yes, that is frost!!!  In January!!!  In the middle of summer!!!

Not happy!

I’ve been out hosing the tomatoes, zucchinis and other frost tender veges.  Hopefully I’ve been able to save them, but I’m not all that confident.

People laugh when we tell them we have had frosts as early as February, but I’ve never seen one in January before.  There is always a first.

Some Kind of Wonderful – Making a Start

For the first time I have joined in Chookyblue’s Stitch-a-Long.  I’ll be doing my appliqué using blanket stitch on the machine, otherwise it would never get finished.

Firstly, I found my fabrics and a rather cute box to use to store the project in.

The creams came mainly from the stash, but I cheated and visited Anni’s shop to buy the coloured fabrics.

Nothing more happened until Boxing Day when I finally made a start. I cut all the appliqué block backgrounds, traced the pieces onto vliesofix and cut whisperweft until I ran out of both and then stitched until I needed more matching threads.

Now that I’ve been to the shops, I spent all day yesterday  working on the quilt, without doing a stitch.  I do have all the appliqué blocks prepared to just stitch and have enough little squares and strips cut to keep me going for a while.

At least the first block is now completed.  Hopefully, I’ll be caught up by the end of January.

I’ve really enjoyed playing with all the blocks and can’t wait to have some more finished.