Winter is here

Well it's been a while between posts, but I've had some fun crafting this afternoon and thought what better reason to blog is there??

Winter had peaked its little frosty head in a bit early this year. The quilts are getting plenty if use, the slippers are on and the tea pot is getting plenty of action. But don't you just hate it when your only one cup into your pot and its going cold! By the time your pouring the third it's all cold and not at all meeting its winter night requirements. So, to ensure plenty of warm tea this winter I have made myself a cosy! And it's reversible, which I'm a little chuffed about. Will venture to make a trivet tomorrow.

This is it with the pink side showing

And now with the alternative purple.

I had so much fun with the free motion quilting, and am somewhat impressed with my stippling skills. My discovery the other week that the bobbin allows a different colour on the bottom vs top thread meant I was able to easily blend the quilting cotton!!

Well, now I'm off to have a shower and a pot of warm tea!!! Have had it sitting, warming with water and cosied while we had dinner. Another invaluable tip of tea drinking in winter - be sure to pre warm your pot and cup!!

All my quilts are home...

I've just finished off the binding on my wedding signature quilt and taken photos of it and my other 2 finished quilts ready to put in the show next weekend.

All my quilts are currently "home" except for the shaggy I made for my brother as a quick throw together. It's a great feeling being able to lay them am out and know you made them!! Or most of them as the topper of the wedding quilt was put together by the amazing ladies at Tuesday night craft!!!

I've posted some photos, but have been limited in my layout options as blogging from my phone!!

Preparing for the show...

My lovely husband bought a frame today for me to put my embroidery in for the show next weekend.

The quilt I made for my nephew has also been posted back to me and arrived yesterday to enter. Ill get photos of it and the one I made for myself and post up one day soon.

Getting excited now. I love the show!!!

I've just had to move this post as I put it on the wrong blog last night!! So now I have lost my picture :(

Something new...

A little excited tonight as I completed the final preparations for my next few embroidery projects.

Traced the patterns onto fabric last night at craft, stopped in today and bought the pellon this afternoon. All ready to get stitching and keep myself entertained in the afternoons while out of town for work next week.

Couldn't wait though and started one tonight!!

Last night was productive in other ways too as I was able to pin my wedding quilt ready for quilting this weekend!!

So many crafty things to do, so little time. And I really must plant my seedlings this weekend!

Belly Flop

Hmmmm... I started out this blogging venture nice and strong but have dwindled.

 Not a lot has really changed.

 My vegetable garden is still just a patch of dirt. I dug through some new soil not this weekend just gone but the previous one and moved the truss for the tomatoes and beans. I've bought some seedlings and have been nurturing them in their punnets, really must get them in the ground soon. The chooks are still laying well, and actually escaped out into the neighbours yard last week and were roosting on a stump in their back yard when we went down to put them away.

 We've been sussing out and refining our skills with the bread maker and are getting consistently good results. I'm loving waking up in the mornings on the weekend to a house full of the smell of fresh bread and then having hot fresh bread for breakfast!

 My crafting is coming along slowly. I'm having a go at appliqué for the first time on one of my current projects, and then Im still doing more embroidery (absolutely loving it!) and will eventually get around to doing this baby quilt on my to do list before the baby is born and celebrating its first birthday!! I wish I could set aside more time in the day to do more.

 And on the fitness front I have started back doing my exercise and hitting the gym. 24/7 gym access with Snap Fitness is something I have to admit I do enjoy even though I am only using it at normal times. I have re-discovered my complete lack of upper body strength and an determine to develop some!!

 Well that's a fairly decent update of all the things that haven't really changed. One of these days Ill log on on my computer instead of just through the iPad and look into pretty-fying a little more and adding so pictures.

Missing home...

Currently hanging out in a motel room and missing home a little. As part of my job I sometimes spend a few nights away from home servicing schools that are further away. I'm currently at the end of day 2 of my 4 day trip and would be happy to go home tomorrow. I find one night is okay, two is okay, but the third night I always want to go home. I've had a productive few days though and been able to get most of the paperwork and admin side of my school visits sorted while at the schools, so all going well I can keep it up, and spend less time working on it on Friday when I'm back in the office. Maybe even swindle myself and early mark! Though I doubt it.

We are starting to plan out next trip to the canarvans. The wonderful group of ladies I exercise with went for a long weekend last year and had an amazing time. I can't waitntondonit again, though it won't be until October. Will try and set up my camping supplies and build up my fitness and endurance so I can blitz the trip this time. I was very proud of my efforts last time. Did 20ish km walking for the day. My aim for October will be to run sections!!

I'm a little sleepy, but need to make sure I go to sleep so I'm not tired for tomorrow. I'd much rather stay up reading my new book all night, but unfortunately that's not an option mid week.mwill count down to Friday when I can do that.

A green thumb I will grow...

I started my grading venture today. I have a history of severe brown thumb to the point where I have even killed a cactus! So it will be interesting to see how this turns out.

I've bought some seedlings of a variety of different veges, a Cousin It plant and my lovely husband has organised for some garden soil to get delivered next week to mix in to what's already there. I spent an hour or so today turning over the soil that is there and set the sprinkler on it got a while. Will turn it over again tomorrow and then next week before I mix in the new stuff, then I should be ready to start planting. The chives and some parsley seem to have survived from the last attempt so hopefully they will continue to grow.

I don hope it all works and I am able to grow something!