It's DONE!!!

Well, after I wash the floor, it's done!

Ian and I have spent the last 3 days since Jen left finishing off the sewing shed. One of my craft friends said I should call it the Sew'n'Sew Shed. I'm thinking about it.

It took us a couple of days to build the dividing wall and then today we built the shelves.

Ian says "where do we go from here?"

The finished shelves, just need to take some pointy bits off.

Now I suppose you're all wondering why there are 2 shelves missing on the right. That's for my roll of wadding. Ian is now going to make a big toilet roll holder to go there and that will control the wadding roll nicely. I can't build the storage shelves any higher, that power point up top is for the air conditioner.

I have all my stash in those plastic bins with wheels, one for reds, one for blues and so on, and then I have a couple or three for my dressmaking material and then one for my teddy bear supplies and so on and so on. I think I have about 20 - 25 all up. I even have 4 that at the moment live under the cutting table and they hold my sewing threads and all my sewing books and folders and that's not counting my magazines. It will be great being able to put them on display on the bookshelf. Hope I have enough bookshelves?

We have broken up our hippeastrums (a friend's DH calls them hysterectomies ) and planted them and crocus' along the bank outside my entrance. The rest of them we planted out the end and back of the shed.

This is the view from the back of the shed. All that lovely green you can see is sugarcane.

and this view is from the front of the shed.

Tomorrow we line the storage side of the dividing wall and then I can move in with a clear conscience, cause once I start moving I ain't stopping till everything is put away where it's supposed to go and then I can start moving things into their proper places in the house.

...... and first thing tomorrow is to draft that pattern that keeps getting put on the backburner.

Busy, busy

I've had the loveliest week. My only sister Jenelle (Jen) stayed with us from Sunday to Thursday when I put her on the tilt train for the trip back to Brissie. We had Monday in Bundaberg where after lunch we visited my fantastic masseuse Kay Hock (nimble knuckles as Ian calls him) and we each had the most wonderful relaxing massage and he worked some of the kinks out. DSIL Lyn wants the same treatment next time she is visiting. I think she is tired of me singing his praises and wants to try him out to see if I'm exaggerating.

Well I've been up for an hour trying to get a few things done.

I've promised one of my niece's to draft a skirt pattern for her when I saw her at the beginning of the month. It has been nagging me so I think I had better do it and get it in the post. Belinda is just through her first trimester of her first pregnancy and is starting to show, she has decided that the most comfortable outfits for her are longish Aline skirts with a stretchy tummy panel and a big tshirt covering the tummy. So that is the next job on my long list for today.

The shed is coming along very nicely, yesterday Ian and I sheeted the dividing wall to my end but it is not fully screwed as yet, come to think of it none on the internal walls are fully screwed as yet. The shed walls inside and out are tin, trimdeck on the outside and corrugated on the inside where we used the grey underside of the colourbond to help lighten the room. With the lights turned on the brightness bounces everywhere. We have insulated the ceilings and walls, I have 2 ceiling fans and will be buying and getting an air conditioner installed in the next few months. Won't be moving in this weekend but today we are working on the storage shelves. I will take a progress photo tonight and post it here. It looks fantastic!!!!!

This week I have finished my Japanese Churn Dash blocks ready for swapping next Tuesday and my rag rug is finally photographed to show you all.

I used hessian for the backing and made it like a latchhook. I cut narrow strips of anything and everything and then pulled them through. I am so thrilled with it I have decided to make another one. This one was going to go in front of the laundry tub but now is going in the guest bedroom beside the bed, so I will need two. There I go again making more work for myself.

Jen and I pinned a hanging I talked my Mum into buying at S&C and now have to quilt for her. I started quilting it at craft last Tuesday morning. It will hang from the lectern at her church. I'm going to have to seriously look at the how to book for my camera. This hanging is blue albiet a dark one - it looks black and where are the reds and greens that are in the hanging? Another job on the list.

Progress Report

Would you believe all the electrical work on the shed is finished. If only I could just move all my stuff in and start sewing.

Ian and Ken finished lining the three walls in my end of the shed on Wednesday. The electricians came on Friday to finish everything off. I have power points everywhere even 2 hanging ones and the lights, it's like Queen Street in there and its a nice bright white light.

Since Wednesday Ian was supposed to slow down, he is in agony with his arms and back, but he took it easier on Thursday and last night was in bed before 7.30, still working but not so hard. That's his idea of taking time off.

We had framework from Samford and he has used that to make the walls for the ensuite and the half wall between the store room and the car garage This afternoon when I arrived home from Sew What's Crafty in Bundaberg (more on that later) he had my whole dividing wall in and the door hung. Tomorrow we will be hanging the last of the lining in my sewing room. Then I can move in? ..... No!! Have to build all the shelves first.

BUT — I might, just might be in by next weekend. Fingers crossed.

Bundaberg has its own little stitches and craft show run by one of the local schools and a good job they do of it too. There was non stop entertainment on the stage. They drew the lucky door prizes all day, though I wasn't lucky enough to win one. As usual I had some retail therapy and bought the rest of the material for my club's churn dash swap and scquilters cobblestone swap Also picked up the stiffening for my Japanese woven bag.

The green and yellow will be for cobblestones, purple and green (yes it is purple) will be for churn dash and so will the sea and sand in the front.

I spent the evening last night making the cards to go with my healing hearts and were posted off this morning. I thoroughly enjoyed making them, I haven't had the time lately. I belong to a card of the month club and each month I get the fixings to make 4-5 cards, well I have the last 3 months sitting here waiting to be done. I've been too busy with the shed to even think of the cards. Once the study is back to a study only and I have some shelves up in here too, things will be a bit more organised ... and those of you who know me well can stop laughing!!!

The quilt

For the last two days while the blokes were busy in the shed, Lyn and I have been working like trojans on 'Trev's Quilt' and we have almost completed the top.

We have incorporated as many facets of Trev's life in the quilt as we can. Firstly, he's a fireman so we couldn't leave that out, we also put an Alsatian in remembrance of Sam (his favourite dog), crabs and fish for his love of fishing along with a few other little comical inferences here and there in the quilt.

We are very pleased with the final layout. We used the pattern from Patchwork and Quilting, 'Flannel Stars' by Carolyn Fuller. Of course we put our own twist into the final layout.

We realised after the photo was taken that the sawtooth border, bottom left was the wrong way round. It's fixed now.

We were lucky enough at S&C to find a fat quarter of fireman's material. We have put a 10"x4" block in the middle of each side in the last border. I now have to needle turn applique a fire and rescue symbol in each corner and then the top is finished.

But you should see what we're going to do to the backing!!!!

Shed Progress

Ian and DB Ken went into Bundy yesterday afternoon and came back with all the batts for the walls.Fooling around as little boys do!!!

This morning DSIL Lyn and I went off to craft and the fellas went to work. When we arrived back home after lunch we were greeted with one side wall completed and they were ready to start on the other. By tonight I had the 2 side walls finished and the back wall half done. Ian and Ken say it will be finished in the morning.

See my 'playschool' trestles. Ian and Phil made them for me for painting the interior of the house, I have 12' ceilings. They painted the rop rungs red for danger. But it is amazing how useful they have been and how when I want/need to use them they're never available.

Very proud blokes celebrating with a rum or two.

Sadly Ken and Lyn are off home tomorrow afternoon, leaving here around 3pm and then I reckon it will be up to Ian and I to build the shelves that go along the back wall and then to build the dividing wall between my half and the half of the shed that will be storage and car garages.

The electrician (Lance) has done as much as he can until the lining is all installed. I phoned Lance tonight to tell him he can come back anytime to finish off, I don't think I surprised him at all, he knows how excited I am.

Lyn and I worked on Trev's quilt today and have the centre of the top together and 1 border on. The second border is all ½sq triangles. They are all made and ready to be joined. The third border is the grey background. It looks really great. Shall take a photo tomorrow and upload it.

I'm still excited

This morning we woke up just after 6. Got up, put the jug on and then went back to bed, we decided we'd earned a sleep-in. I got up again just after 7, put a load of washing on, went up to let my girls out and realised I didn't shut them in last night. Luckily we didn't have any mishaps and they're all there this morning. I then made myself a cuppa, cut a piece of chocolate fudge tart for my breaky and here I am.

The decisions on what to do today made DH Ian so tired that here it is 8.30 and he's still dead to the world.

My DB Ken and DSIL Lyn arrive sometime before lunch. I think Ian will get Ken to help him paint the side of the house, it's all undercoated and ready for the two topcoats. Sadly Ken and Lyn will only be here until Wed morning. Lyn and I will be madly working on Trev's 50th quilt. Will post photos to show how we are going with it. You saw one of the Ohio Star blocks in a previous posting. While I was down in Brissie for the S&C show, Lyn and I laid out all our blocks and got the top organised for putting together. I was supposed to get the exact draft plan worked out by now so that I know how many ½sq triangles to make for the second border. Oh well, all good things come to those who wait — so they say.

I hear movement from in the bedroom and the washing machine has finished and the sun is now shining so that solves the problem on where the clothes will be dried. Darn, the fairies didn't come in and do the housework, so I'd better get that done too before the visitors arrive.

I'm Excited!!

It's getting closer!!! and I'm getting rather excited.

I've had the electrician here for 2 days getting electricity over to the shed and then putting power points and lights and fans and the outlet for TV, phone and air conditioning where I want them. To make sure that I didn't make too many mistakes I chalked the positions of all my tables, machines and shelving and everything else I wanted in my sewing shed on the floor. Then when Lance (electrician) and workers arrived I knew where everything was going. I hope when it comes time to move everything in it all fits.

6.15am Thursday morning the crusher/cracker dust arrived. This is for the driveway into the shed. Here we have black soil and it means that when it gets wet we do one of two things, sink out of sight or get taller with the build up of soil on our shoes, tyres etc.


To fix that problem and instead of spending another few thousand dollars getting cement or bitumen laid we have opted for this dust which apparently sets like concrete. It is the tailings from rock crushing or breaking - I think. We got 2 quotes, one from Biggenden Quarry and the other from our local council. The quarry won hands down, delivered for $20 a ton + gst, the council wanted $38 a ton with delivery and gst on top and guess where they get their supply from. So we ordered a truck — 26.3 tons. Now with that amount you'd think we could spread it from the shed, round the roundabout and down the driveway to the road. But no, this is as far as it went, apparently it weighs really heavy.


Now if we can just shift the stuff sitting inside the roller doors we could park our cars in there. See that white pipe sticking out of the ground next to the right roller door opening - that's my power supply. The whole shed is now wired, Ian just has to line the walls in my end and then the electrician will be back to connect it all up.

I'm getting really itchy feet to start moving over and suggested to Ian that he get the pink batts for the wall insulation tomorrow when he and SIL Pete are visiting Ag Trend. I didn't get very far with that suggestion. So I'll guess I'll have to scratch the feet and wait a bit longer.

When we bought this property and first had the wiring checked we found that the cable going up to Ian's shed was a tad too small, so another trench was dug and in went Ian's new cable. Now he'll be able to do what he wants in his shed. He also got a power point put on the outside wall under the caravan carport for the van to plug into. Boy are we getting somewhere in this place finally, it all seems to be falling into place.

I finally got to the (temporary) sewing room this afternoon, because I still hadn't finished my Mother's Day pressie for my Mum. Last year when I was down in Buderim I went into Absolutely Patchwork at Maroochydore and spent some quality time with the fabrics. I also left behind a small amount of money. It was well spent, I bought the embroidery Kiss of the Sun by Sally Giblin. I finished the embroidery in plenty of time but didn't get quite enough material for the border, so put it on the back burner until I had more material. Well that arrived a month ago, so I have no-one to blame but myself for not getting it finished before this. Well it is finished now and would you believe wrapped and ready to post in the morning. I know, I know, it will be late for Sunday. I have a wonderful mother who understands that things like this happen, but would you believe I forgot to take a photo. Now do I unwrap it to take a photo?

You bet I do!!!!

Fabulous Time

I arrived back home just on midday after spending lots of money at Stitches and Craft.

I didn't even get down the highway to Gympie before spending $250 at Tairo. The butcher shop there has meat to die for and that's what you do when you get the total. I bought a half leg ham, 5kg bacon rashers, 5kg top quality mince, 4 tbone steaks, 4 cattleman rib fillet steaks (bone in) and 6 rib fillet steaks. I was just going to place an order and pick it up on the way home today, forgetting all about the May Day holiday, so took it with me to Mum and Dads and quickly packed the mince into usable packs and divided the steaks up before placing them all in the freezer. The ham and the bacon were vacuum packed so could just sit in the fridge.

The three of us Mum, Dad and me arrived down at Ken and Lyns just before 3pm after a smooth trip down the highway. Thursday night us ladies were off to bed early raring to get into the S&C show bright and early.

Thursday morning and Lyn's 2 DD's were coming in to S&C with us. Off to the show and we were a little disappointed that the stalls were down in number. We looked through the brochure and marked the seminars that we would like to see and the four of us headed off in all directions. Lyn went straight to the Janome stand to see if she could trial a machine that she said had her name on it. I followed so that she didn't buy the wrong one . The demonstrator wanted Lyn to spend more than she wanted to. Lyn ended up choosing the model that is on sale for Mother's Day. It has everything that Lyn could want and more, she picks it up tomorrow. I think she'll be thrilled with it.

The Scissorman had a Size0 mat for $99 but I didn't know how I would get it home, so I went to the Olfa stand and bought a 36"x24" for $66, I would have loved the size0 but this other one will be just fine, plus I had the $33 to spend on other stuff.

I bought more stuff for my card making, especially for the Parchment cards. Last year Mum and I bought books and a few picks but left out the most important things - the grids. So this year we both rectified that by buying a pack of 2 and said goodbye to $70 then there was the refresher course and the purchase of the basic Parchment Craft pack another $30.

Shall I go on or do you get the gist of my time and expense in Brissie, though I must tell you about my great buy. Saturday night at the local pub restaurant to celebrate DN Belinda's 27th birthday I passed the bottle shop and they had this huge sign 1125ml bottles of Bundy Rum for $38.99. Up here where they make the stuff we pay $52 for that size so I bought 4 bottles.

The Outside Is Done

Today I'm off to Brisbane to spend 2 days and lots of money at the Stitches and Craft Show. I'm picking my Mum and Dad up at Gympie and they're coming with me. We are spending 3nights with my DB Ken and DSIL Lyn and on Fri and Sat us girls are hitting the stalls. I've got my list and the credit card.

I'm especially after a large cutting board mine is slowly dying, the poor thing has been constantly used since I started patchworking way back and is screaming for mercy. It is A3 size but this time I'm looking for A2 or bigger. Wish me luck because that size is not readily available.

We will leave Bris sometime on Sunday, completely exhausted and head back to Gympie where
I'll spend the night while Mum and I once again pore over our goodies before heading for home Monday morning.



This is the front of our home. When we bought the property 5acres of thigh high grass and a house that needed someone to love it. We did, warts and all. We have restumped - there was a 12" fall from back to front, reroofed, pulled walls out inside and then there is the exterior additions.

We enlarged the small back verandah and added the side verandah which you are looking at. We then shifted the front stairs to this verandah because the driveway comes up to this side and everyone was driving up to my back door which I didn't want. I took this photo from the bottom of the roundabout. We haven't finished yet, the railings still have to be built but in the meantime Ian has put green corrugated iron up as a barrier to stop us falling over the edge. My little Molly (the Aus silky) dropped over one day, at the highest part of course. Fell on her feet, shook herself off and continued on as if nothing had happened. Boy were we lucky! I could see huge vet bills ahead.


This is the 99.5% finished shed. Just have to install 2 downpipes and then Ian is off to council to make an appointment for the final inspection. Then we can start the interior work. Yesterday he made the comment that I should be in before Chrissy. I'm hoping to be in by Sept/Oct.


Now friends who haven't seen the property have been saying that I should share my shed with hubby. No way. Because this is a photo of his shed, 4 bays with another 4 bay carport thingy across the back of it. That huge structure on the side is for our caravan, which you can just see in the background of the house photo. Why so big I hear you ask? Because our van is an offroad so is fairly high and when Ian backs it up the hill into its home the back end lifts even higher, so we had to have the shed opening high enough to compensate.

That's all from me for this posting. I'm off to Stitches and Craft. la la la. I'm off to Stitches and Craft. la la la. I'm off to Stitches and Craft. la la la.