I Work Better to A Deadline

I find that I procrastinate if I don't have a deadline. I have purpose when I have a deadline, even if it is one of those imaginary ones that I have given myself, things just get done if I have a deadline. Well the Loxton trip is looming and I have started to finish a few things and get on with a few other things. My Making Memories Quilt top is finish (I cheated a bit and decided not to stitch all the blocks just most of the blocks and there are few that will stay as black lines but who cares it is finished). My quilt that I made from Leannes block is hanging from my cupboard to inspire me to put the final border on mmmm mitred corners ....... the only thing putting me off. I might just get on with it this weekend because I think next week I will be starting to do the embellishing class with Dale so I will be putting the felting foot onto the Bernina.

I had better get some batting as well so that I can quilt these two quilts it would be good to have them finished for the trip instead of just tops.

This weeks photography class was on portraits I hated it, I am really not enjoying photography though I have learnt a lot about the camera I just feel so inadequate. I didn't enjoy taking portraits I thought about it on the way home and I think it is because I kind of feel like I am invading the model's privacy. I now am waiting for the 250 pictures to download and the lecturer wants them printed off to show to the class and burnt to disk for the models if they want them. I don't think they'll want any of mine. He also wants us to enter something in the Adelaide Show don't think that will be happening either.




Had a lovely trip to DK's this week shopping for the Embellishing Workshop with Kay, I had spied this beautiful hand painted silk a couple of weeks before and we discovered 3 different colours of it trouble was it was $42/m. We decided we had to have all three colours and bought 20cm which we had cut in half as it was 1.4m wide. The girl was very careful cutting it (think it took her 20min) I have taken a picture don't know if it does it justice though.

Good Mail Day

Here are supplies for my Embellish Stitch and Enrich workshop I am doing with Dale Rollerson. I got the goodies from her website The Thread Studio. After I had ordered them I re-read the requirements and it says to limit the colour scheme whoops.

There are a couple of silk hankies and some wool n silk mixes. Very Yummy, plus I forgot to put the variety pack of threads in as well.

I have also been working on my Memory Quilt from my Loxton trip last year. Hope to get all the blocks sewn together tonight and if I am really good maybe the borders as well.

Permanent and Weight Update

My job is going to go permanent on Monday. Love my job love being appreciated for what I can do and love having it recognised, so now I am Office Manager, which is a bit of a laugh because I only manage myself and boss the boss around. I think he is scared too because I have told him once the archiving of all the files is finished I am starting on his side of the office.

And drum roll please I measured myself yesterday and I have shrunk by 30cm since starting my diet.

Shopping and Classes Classes and More Classes

I have been yearning for an embellishing attachment or machine for about 12 months now. They look like so much fun. Ended up getting an attachment for my Bernina for a good price and picked it up today so I have now enrolled in Dale Rollerson's Embellish Stitch and Enrich Online Class to learn something about it. Looking at the requirements list I am going to have to do a bit more shopping over the next couple of weeks (and those that know me know it will be such a chore). Might mean another trip to DK's down Port Road where I spyed some fabulous handpainted silks that were screaming at me buy me until I saw the price but am going to have to go and get a little bit because it looks like it might be just the type of stuff I neeeeeed.

Also put my name down for Mrs Martin's Quilt Shop Cyber Stitching which is held in conjunction with their Stitch In and will have patterns by Anni Down and Gail Pan so just had to join. Have been trying to get a number of girls to come over to my place for afternoon tea (don't know if that will happen yet) but at least I have my order in so I will be able to stitch the afternoon away.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day everyone. Have had a lovely morning so far with some lovely gifts that my kids picked out all by themselves from the school Mothers Day stall. Also got the Vicar of Dibley Box Set.

Diet update I still haven't been brave enough to get on the scales but I did take my measurements when I started and again the middle of last week and I have lost 14.5 cm (6cm of my waist alone and 2cm everywhere else). I haven't felt hungry and it doesn't seem to bad a diet once the detox is finished with. I get a "free day" each week and today is the day.

Paintstik Play Day

Here are the samples that were done in my Paintstik Prowess class on Sunday. These are iridescent colours and I think I have to get some of the matte colours as well. It is amazing how they the colours change depending on the background. The next picture is some playing around that I did the other night. I made the stencil by tracing a block from the book Affairs of the Heart which is a magnificent applique quilt but I thought it would just work as well with the paintstiks. The block has embroidery in the middle and I think I will have to do some around all the petals, might even add some beads as well. I am thinking I will make a small wall hanging maybe do a couple as a display. Sue from Essential Textile also put us on to some heavy weight interfacing (a little finer than Fast2fuse and heaps cheaper and easier to use) from DK Fabrics on Port Road. I purchased a heap I am sure it will come in handy for postcards, ATC and whatever.

Photography Failure

I am doing a photography course at WEA started last week and went again last night. We had to lay our photo's out and the whole class walked around. Most of the class had all these artistic shots, I felt mine were a bit lacking.... but after last nights class I think I know what I could have done to make my pictures at the exhibition easier to take, so next time I should be ready.

This weekend was rush rush rush. Nuts on Friday night, got up early and had breaky down the local cafe with hubby as kids stayed at Nana's and then off to the Native Plant Sale at the Show Grounds. Got some more Geralton Wax plants to put in and some Westeria (Native rosemary), which both grow like weeds in our semi coastal conditions. Sunday was a 4 hour workshop on Shiva paintstiks, what a great workshop, took far too much fabric and spent far to much money (on more paintstiks). And of course I want more paint stiks I have most of the iridescent now I want the matte ones (and there are more of them). Its was run by Susan from Essential Textile Art and it was just great. There are just so many possibilities that I want to explore. Will post some pictures when I unpack my bag and find them.

Mixed Nuts

I went to an Exibition tonight, it was called Mixed Nuts and 50 artists started with a plain white piece of fabric in the shape of a nut. I am amazed at the array of very different variations that they all came up with, there was a moose, ned kelly, a bear, goddess's... painted, stitched altered and more what ever you could do with this interesting shape. When I heard about it nothing sprang to mind but for these artist luckily something did.

The Exhibition is only on tomorrow from 10am till 4pm at NCN Interiors, 61 Rundle Street Kent Town. It is worth a visit if you happen to be in Adelaide.