Books Books I just love Books

Yesterday I came home to a box at the doorstep ... oooh joy my books have arrived.   I had ordered 4 a little over a week ago 3 came and the last one should arrive in a day or so.  The first 3 I ordered were these and I added another from my wishlist the "Goddess of the Last Minute" by Robbi Joy Ekow.  


I always read Robbi's article in Quilting Arts in fact it is probably the only page of that magazine that I read from start to finish as she is hilarious and I thought wow she has put out a book maybe I can see some of her work and techniques.  OOPs turns out it is a collection of essays, oh well I will enjoy reading them.


I have watched the DVD from Quilting for Show it concentrates on how to finish you quilt if you want to show it.  As I don't intend on entering anything in a Quilt Show I might not have needed this book but you never do know what is coming round the corner and Karen's books are all fantastic with lots and lots of know how.


Color Your Cloth is going to be fantastic I have already told Leanne we need to have another Dyeing Play Day.  It uses Bees Wax as a resist ... which I happen to have 2kg of ... yes yes impulsive ebay buy lets not go there... So I am going to read this book cover to cover ... well maybe ... and see what we need and plan a day of fun in the back yard...  just don't know when I am going to fit it all in March is running out of days already.   


The Guidebook didn't arrive but will soon can't wait.

Where did the weekend go?

Saturday was a bit of a right off, I ended up sleeping for nearly 18 hours hit by some 24 hour bug.   

Sunday I decided to forego the walking hid out in the sewing room and finished Squid's bag for her sewing machine.  I had started it a week or so ago but struck a few cutting issues.  You know the types of issues I mean... not following the rule measure twice cut once... mental lapse cut the wrong size ... bugger.... have to wait to go back to the shop and buy some more fabric kind of issues.

Surprisingly Sunday's effort was much better.  I had actually thought about what I was doing and where to go next.  The bag was in my head it just had to be put together.  It fits the machine like a glove and once we do away with the packing, there will be plenty of room for sewing bits and pieces to go in it.  I am thinking of making a few accessories to go with it.  Maybe and owl pin cushion and a sewing scroll.  But squid is happy with the bag for present and since the cutting issues I have plenty of scraps to play with at least I don't have to go shopping again.  

The stretchy pocket on the back holds the foot and power cord, there are a couple of pockets on the inside.

With a bit of modification it could easily serve as a nappy bag (luckily won't be needing that) or a laptop bag (which is more up my alley).

MOO

The other week when I was picking up my daughter from school I bumped into her teacher from last year who received a cookie bag which I embroidered with one of Cindeberry Stitches designs on the front.  She said that she had so many comment's on the bag at Christmas time and how lovely it was.  I was telling my husband this and he said to me I should get business cards made up so that when someone says something good you can pull it out and you might get some business.  I had toyed with the idea when I first had my blog, but now I have the etsy shop it is probably a reasonable idea so I decided to take the plunge.

I had seen MOO cards before and thought that this would be the way to go as you can have lots of different images on the cards which is great for me because I use a couple of different mediums in my craft for sale.   So now when someone comments on my jewellery I can give them a card and I might get some sales from it, I can also hand them out to customers so they can spread the word.

The cards arrived in just over the week so they are very quick and you can choose up to 100 images.

Mad Hatter

This morning I went for my walk I am very pleased with myself have managed to go everyday this week.  Must admit this morning was a struggle but I just did it (the squid has passed on some germs).  It is amazing how much better I feel for it (apart from the sore throat).

Squid has had a couple of days of school (sore throat and head cold) but I pronounced her fit yesterday and packed her off and she was ok and I headed to Sit and Sew all ready to start making a Nicole Mallalieu Hat.  I had drafted the pattern was about to start cutting fabric when the phone rang and it was the school.  So my first day back to sewing was done... amazing how much better the Squid was once she got home grrrrr.  "My tummy was hurting and I needed the tummy medicine and I couldn't wait until the end of the day" (Tummy Health vitamins which she hadn't taken).

So I caught up on my ironing she watched TV, played on the computer and made a mess in her room.  Last night I started the hat.  I am about to put the brim onto the crown so far it is coming together really well but started to have problems at that point so decided to leave the joining it all together to today when the kids are at school and I am not tired.  Must say the instructions are fantastic and it is looking a lot better than I anticipated my first effort.  I have the adult pattern as well so I might just have to start one for me... maybe next week.

TA DA still have to do the lining but I am pretty happy with the result.  Next time I will use the Bernina as having a needle down position is essential and would have made life easier putting the to halves together. 

Sewing Lessons

Squid had a couple of sewing lessons on the weekend.  She learnt to thread the machine and she sewed lots of lines on the fabric.  Yesterday she wanted me to draw a picture of a boat on the fabric then she followed it with the needle and thread and she didn't do too bad a job.  All importantly she trimmed the threads (something that her mother never does)... and made a couple of holes in the fabric... she had fun should have made a tape of her singing away as she sewed.

At the end she pulled lots of faces for the camera the type that you want to keep for 21st's.

Why is that Shop Open?

I went for a walk this morning.  This is the first time I have headed out for a walk since my operation.  I ended up going further than I was going to as I realised halfway down the street that I had left the camera battery on the charger.  The beach wasn't at all exciting so I needn't have bothered.

The florist was open which is very unusual, the fact is this is Adelaide and only cafes are open at this time of the morning... then the light bulb came on it is Valentines Day.  Not that I am expecting anything gave up hoping for that a long time ago.

Last night I did some more of the Christmas tree was hating that bottom line and the spray glue again but now I have finished going all the way round the tree so it just to fill in the background now.  I think I might lay it out and mark off where I am going to trim it back too....the end is in sight and then I can get out the crystals oooooh can't wait maybe I'll do some more this afternoon.

Found It

Trying to find my Happy Place

Lets say that today had better be forgotten and the less said the better.  I was trying out my new lense which I bought MYSELF.  Don't know if it will improve my photography but it is apparently one to get.

These are all the lovely ornies that I received last year when I was swap mamma for the Valentine Prim Ornie Swap.  I've had them out since I took the Christmas stuff down just to have some up.  Miss the ornie swaps but probably don't have the time to stress about them, all the girls were so talented and came up with really different stuff I was always concerned that mine wouldn't be prim enough.  I have lots of chrissy ornies but I think I like the valentine ones the best. 

Window Shopping

I have been killing time sitting under the vent of the airconditioner which is struggling as it doesn't cope with humidity which we are in the grip of here in Adelaide.  I decided I might just have a look at some books in fishpond, anyone who knows me knows how deadly this occupation can be but I haven't reached for the visa yet, but I have picked out a few that I have added to my wish list for later purchasing.

When I worked at the quilt shop I use to review all the quilting books for the Newsletter and quite often they didn't even get on to the shelves before they came home with me, now I have to do my own research but it doesn't appear to have slowed me down any.

They are Color Your Cloth by Malka Dubrawsky I have been reading her blog recently and anything to do with Dyeing has me in.

This book by Karen McTavish on Machine Quilting.  I already have two of her books and they are amazing as are the DVD's but I think your DVD player has to be able to play multi regions to use it.


And this book was recommended by the lady who taught me to machine quilt and I just haven't got round to getting it so it is on my wish list as well.

Skirt No 2

By popular demand here is one of the skirts that I made this week.  The other one is in white, black and hot pink but I think I like this one the best.

Bokashi

I got it into my head that I wanted a worm farm for all out kitchen waste, but in the end it all was a bit hard and where do we put it etc.  Then at the local Organic Market where I get the best eggs and the most fabulous olives/and oil you are ever going to taste they had Bokashi Buckets to order which is a kitchen composting system that you put all your kitchen scraps in throw on the Bokashi mix and let it ferment.  There is apparently no smell, you can put anything from the kitchen in it including small amounts of paper and then when it is full you leave it sealed for a week then dig a hole in the garden and bury it to fully compost.  As my hubby has gone back to work I am now in charge again so I have just started it up this week so will let you know how it goes.

Sorry no picture of the skirt, I am sure Leanne will have her camera on Sunday so might get her to take a snap.

This is my first day at home on my own since before Christmas so I am having a ME day.  I am heading out to the sewing room not to sew but to start cleaning it up....even up to my standards (which are pretty low) it is pretty disgusting,  if I am not careful it will start falling out the door and when I go out there I don't feel very creative at all.  On Tuesday I had to bring the machine inside to sew which if I do too many times I am going to be in so much trouble it isn't worth thinking about.

Just got the next book in the Millenium Trilogy thanks to the voucher in the Women's Weekly...might start that tonight.


UPDATE: Spent little over an hour doing a big cleanup in the sewing room the floor is reasonably tidy and I through two bags worth of cardboard envelopes and paper stuff in the bin as well as another bag of rubbish.  I am going to have to go through my cupboards next but I will leave that for next month as I will need to do some heavy lifting that I am not up to doing at the moment but the table is pretty clear so I can quilt the tree now without fear of knocking stuff all over the place and the squid can bring her machine out with me next time we have a lesson.

Fabric Arrived

I finally received my package from Fabric Shack the envelope had met with a bit of an accident and Australia Post had to reseal it (it must have taken them a couple of weeks to do that though).  I was waiting on this package to do a couple of Make It Perfect Wrap Skirts.  So yesterday I chopped and cut up enough fabric for two skirts.  Have finished on and am halfway through the next.  I am pretty happy with the result but I did find the pattern a bit hard to read so Leanne gave  me one of her skirts plus the pattern already drafted onto interfacing which saved me doing all the measuring and made it very quick to cut out and I was able to work it out from there.

I also finished this stitchery yesterday which I gave you a sneak peak at the other day.

And Terry emailed me yesterday to say that her giveaway had arrived.