It's almost done!

It's now Sunday night, Phil went back home to Brissie with his wife Kym late this morning and I reckon he's saying "thank goodness that job is finished." Ian and Phil finally finished the roof and ridge capping, complete with whirly birds and 2 roller doors on Thursday afternoon. These two photos were taken on Wed arvo.

The photos aren't very good as I took them from the back patio of the house in the late afternoon. These digital cameras are good but I don't think they can compensate for everything, like bad judgement on where to take photos from.

Friday was Ian's 59th birthday and they celebrated by NOT working on the shed. They headed off in the ute to find out where the back roads around here end up and they found quite a few goat tracks and some very, very basic homes, some not more than hovels on their tour. The properties are tucked in the most out of the way places and you would need tractors to get in and out of the gate in wet weather.

Talking about weather — we had rain. Woke up through the night to the sound of rain on the roof, nice and steady and we checked the rain guage this morning and we had 36mls, that's almost 1½" in the old speak. The grass was turning green as we looked at it. My babies (the bantam chooks) looked very bedraggled this morning, what's wrong with animals that they want to stand out in the rain when they have a perfectly good house to shelter in.

After Kym and Phil left I got back into my (temporary - don't you love that word?) sewing room and cut out 80 x 2½" squares to make into 20 4patch units and 160 x 2 7/8" squares to make into 40 flying geese units, which when added to the rectangles and the other squares which have already been cut will end up looking like this.

This Ohio Star is one of 80 that my SIL Lyn and I are making for my brother Trevor's 50th birthday quilt. We are well in the running to have it finished on time. Trevor's birthday is the 19th October. At the moment I'm playing dumb because he keeps telling me that his SIL is making him a quilt. Lyn has only been quilting for a couple of years and so far has turned out some fantastic quilts, while I have been quilting for over 20 years and still haven't made Trev a quilt of any description. Gawd, you'd think in all that time I could've at least made him a lap quilt.

Ian took it easy for the rest of today, he had a 2 hour nap, before getting up to watch a Sunday afternoon movie. Don't ya just love retirement!

Progress Report

The shed now has walls, my personal door into the best sewing room a girl could have, gutters ..... but

no roof. That photo was taken this morning, I can now tell you that ½ of the roof is on. YEAH!!!

You just can't trust fellas, can you? No matter how old they are they have to leave their signature somewhere.

Tanee's Pressies

This the shaggy quilt I made for Tanee for everyday use. You know, all those lovely things that babies seem to do.

A close up.

... and here's Layla, Tanee's first teddy. Made by me of course, knitted using Ostrich wool.

Progress

Well the fellas have been at it (erecting the shed, that is) a week tomorrow and I'm really pleased with their progress though Ian thought they would be further along, but he's forgetting how big this shed is. 18m x 6m. I'm sure that when Garage World previously erected it in Brisbane they took a week to do it and that was 2 blokes who new exactly what they were doing, and not making do with bits.

Last Tuesday Ian and Phil made an executive decision not to put any windows in, I'm not really worried either way, cause I'll just turn on my daylight fluros for the time being. I know that further down the track 2 sliders and a double decker set of double hung windows will be added to my sewing room.
You know what kids are like when they have to go on a long road trip "Are we there yet?" That is me though I'm saying "Can I move in yet?"

That space at the other end will be the personal door into the sewing room. The bays this end are for 2 cars and the third one is for storage, all that stuff that you seem to accumulate over the years, don't want to throw it away because you might need it.

This is the pair hard at work . Ian (left) and Phil, actually Phil is holding the iron while Ian is doing the cutting. This piece goes above the roller door.

This is my April Churn Dash block for swapping. I should have bought more of the dark purple, I just love it.

Katie phoned this morning, in agony again, the natropath's special diet for gallstones didn't work completely and she had another attack this morning. Funny how it seems to run in families. So far, her Dad (skinny rake that he is), me, her oldest sister and her grandmother have all have their gallbladder and stones removed, her Aunty Jen (my DS) is waiting to have the operation done in the next few months. Luckily Pete was home and took care of the babies while she took a strong pain killer, had a really hot bath and went back to bed for a nap. Katie seems to have all the symptoms, severe pain, vomiting, cramps — the lot poor kid.

Back to the littlies Dedication. This is Pete's Mum Lorraine trying to hang on to Dylan. Tanee doesn't mind getting her photo taken, but there's a pile of kids for Dylan to play with so hurry up. That mauve top really suits you Lorraine, but I already told you that. Katie bought Tanee a special outfit, embroidered jeans and a lovely striped top. Dylan wore a shirt that his Aunty Lyn gave him with a new pair of jeans. I think the cuff was rolled up about 4 times.

Lots happening - again

What a fantastic weekend, a dedication of my babies and the shed stands tall. This first photo is of DD3 Katie holding Taneesha (Tanee) with DH Pete on left holding Dylan with the Godparents of both children, Caroline and David standing in the middle. Selwyn said a lovely service for them at Kate & Pete's home at Gin Gin.

This next photo is of my two youngest grandaughters, DD1 Sharyn's youngest Jasmine who just turned 5 and Tanee. You can just see in the background one of the horse cushions I made for Katies birthday last February.

Sunday morning early Ian headed off to Brisbane to pick up Phil who has 2 weeks off work to help Ian with erecting the shed. While he was in Brissie Ian also picked up my new desk. It comes courtesy of SCQ Stacey at Springwood and is in really good condition and will be treated very lovingly, thank you Stacey. Would you believe Stacey does patchwork with my DSIL Lyn at Kuraby, small world isn't it?

This next photo is the rising of the shed. Monday morning with DH Ian and Phil hard at work.

Wednesday morning - they have been busy. The 3 bays closest to you is going to be my sewing room. We mightn't have enough iron of one colour for the walls so I've opted for cream on the road end and far side and green for this end and closest wall.

What a Weekend

Oh boy am I b---- (tired). We had a lovely service for the dedication of Katie and Peter's littlies (Dylan and Taneesha) yesterday with about 40 family and friends coming along to help celebrate. My whole contribution to the party was making the meatballs, crunchy chicken strips and stuffed eggs but that was all, Katie made the rest - sausage rolls, filo triangles, mini quiches and then there were cheerios, dips and savoury biscuits. Katie defrosted the top tier of their wedding cake to use as the christening cake. It looked lovely and tasted very ok. I like mud cake but I like it even better when it is covered in cream. I didn't get to cover it in cream, instead I had cream covered pavlova and fruit which Katie's DMIL Lorraine made on Friday - yummy!!

Yesterday morning I was woken by two little grandies crawling into bed with me for cuddles, Jasmine 5 and Tamina 6. We ended up having a tickling fight. I won!

I put a beef curry into the crockpot in the morning, I knew that I wouldn't be wanting to cook tea for 7 of us last night, but we didn't get home until 8pm and we'd all eaten so much at the party that we didn't want any tea, so this morning I froze the lot into 3 containers to have whenever I feel like it. Love freezers.

DD1 Sharyn and Shane with their combined family left for home in Morayfield just after lunch today and on the way home they were calling in on my parents in Gympie. Sharyn phoned tonight to say Dad looked good. He had cataracts removed on his left eye last Thursday. I was a bit worried as to how they would hold his shoulder while the eye was being done, but Dad said they completely taped it in place before they put him out to it.

Ian left for Brisbane this morning just after 7.30 and arrived back home at 7.09 this evening. He picked up my new desk - didn't I tell you about my new desk. Stacey from scquilters had a large desk to give away and I needing another one put my hand up and was the lucky recipient. Would you believe it Stacey quilts with my DSIL at Kuraby.

Phil came back with Ian and tomorrow is S Day. S for Shed. It's rising from the ashes - well there isn't really any ashes but hopefully tomorrow they will get the framework up, that is if we can work out my shorthand.

Excitement Mounts

Its getting closer!! Sunday Ian heads off to Brisbane to pick up Phil - a good friend who has taken 2 weeks holiday to help us erect the shed. YEA!!!

So much has happened since I last wrote.
My 'puter has been in the fixit shop, picking it up today. Have borrowed DD3 (Katie) hard drive and set it up so I could at least check on a couple of ebay bids that were closing. Missed out on both of them. I'm after a Elna Lotus, now I just thought there was one model I have since found out there are at least 2 the SP and the ZZ. I maxed my bids just under $200 and they both went for nearly $300, which in hindsight was good, cause now I have to do some research into which model I really want. I know I'll need a walking foot.

Went over to Gayndah last Sunday and on the way home lost the car on a y corner on dirt road, luckily I wasn't travelling fast, just had my foot on the brake pedal and looked left to check if there was anyone coming when we got into the loose dirt. I think the Lord took special care of us that day because there wasn't any traffic in any direction and there were no trees of any size in the way, we just did a complete 360 coming to rest in the grass. No damage to us or the car in any way.

This Saturday is the Dedication (naming/christening) for Kate and Pete's two little ones. Am going shopping after art for a few groceries to help Katie feed everyone. Sadly the only ones who can make it from our family is DD1 Sharyn and Shane and her 3 - Anne-Maree 13, Matthew 11 and Jasmine 5. DD2 Robyn and Scott and their 2 - photo in last posting can't make it. Neither can any great aunts and uncles. One of Katie's cousins Belinda and her hubbie Chris are coming. Belinda and Chris are in 7th heaven. After 3-4 years trying Belinda is finally pregnant due in November (I think).

Molly (our silky) went in to depression mode again. Thought we would have to take her to the vets over Easter. The vet puts her on a drip for a couple of days and then she's as good as new. She cost us $2000 just before Christmas, most of that was the lead poisoning from Ian scraping the weatherboards. We were really close to losing her.

Ian has been scraping the other side of the house and we thought that somehow she might have picked up some more lead, but she has come good. I had ordered a pheromone(sp) from the vets but wasn't able to pick it up until yesterday, we turned it on and she has been so relaxed that she slept the day and night away. No scratching either, she had just about scratched herself to pieces and kept us both awake with all the scratching, apparently this is all a symptom of nerves. I don't know how Ian and I two of the most relaxed people you could ever meet could end up with a nervous wreck of a dog.

I'm off to art this morning so I have to get a move-on to get everything done before I leave.

All Sorts

We swept off the sand and took the plastic off the slab this afternoon. This was supposed to stop it drying out so quickly and hopefully prevent it cracking. So far so good. The lime can now rise to the top. Next week we will seal the cement. I have decided not to have any floor coverings in the 'sewing shed', just the sealed cement with a few rugs I can trip over.

Have started Taneesha's quilt, it has to be ready for the christening on the 14/04. No problem. Actually I'll have it finished this weekend. Have made it in the shaggy style where you have 3 layers of cotton/flannelette and sew it with the seams to the front, then you snip the seam allowance back to the seams and when you wash the quilt all the seams go shaggy. Simple but effective. Will post photos when it is done.

Have finally bought Sims2, installed it and the darn thing won't work, says I need something or other. After a phone call or two I checked and I have whatever it wants but the program just won't work. Talk about frustrated.


This is Skyelah and Jai — Robyn and Scott's children. I think they are fantastic, but I could be a little bit biased. Skyelah turned 7 last Saturday and Jai will be 5 in June.