A Dream Come True

..... and I have my darling hubby to thank for it.

Yesterday I had 3 friends over and we spent the day working in the s'n's shed.

We have all started making our 'Rose Trellis' quilts and very different they are going to look too.

Rhonda's

Evelyn's

Sue's

and mine.

We all worked hard as quilters do, working the mouths as hard as the machines with lots of laughter and talking. Evelyn and I are making the quilt as per the instructions, while Rhonda and Sue are making their quilts Queen size, so have a lot more sewing to do, so by the end of Friday -

Evelyn's quilt

and mine. I would have got a lot more done but I had to fussy cut the large and small roses and dang it all even though I bought an extra 30cm I now have to buy enough material to cut another 8 large bouquets. Luckily Wendy from Iddybiddy Designs has been able to help me again and the extra material should arrive here Monday or Tuesday. At first I thought the rose bouquets were a bit wishy washy in colour but putting the two greens with them has really bought it too life.

We put off going to Peach Trees this morning until tomorrow. As most of you would know we have had a lot of rain in the SE corner of Qld and Ian didn't feel like packing the caravan in the rain. Luckily we didn't go cause when we arrived home from having lunch with Kate and Pete our dear friends Kym and Phil had unexpectedly arrived to spend the night. So in between talking, laughing and having a drink or two I have got most of the stuff ready to put into the van in the morning and then we'll be off and will be returning Monday week. So will update you all on the roads and our camping trip then.

Now I have just found out that two of my darling grandies read this blog with their mum every week so here's a special hello to Skyelah and Jai. Love you all heaps.

Lots Accomplished - Yeah!!!

Great things have been accomplished since the s'n's shed was finished.

DH Ian made the extension sewing table yesterday. Its the same height as the Horn sewing cabinet and it gives me plenty of room behind the sewing machine to spread out those quilts that I'm going to be making at great rates of knots. It also allows friends to bring over their machines and we'll be able to have lovely days sewing and talking and laughing as quilters do.

When I go into Bundy on Thursday I'll buy some cheap vinyl at 'The Warehouse' and I'll glue it onto the top. That will make a durable covering for it.

Don't faint, but my ufo pile is getting smaller. I am sewing the binding down as I type on my 'Around the world with Diamonds', well I started doing that this morning at craft and will finish it next week while we're camping at Peach Trees.

I started this quilt in 1999 at a class run by Dawn who used to own The Patchwork Tree at Alderley in Bris. My DF Leonie quilted it for me about 2yrs ago (I think). Will take the label with me, embroider it and sew it on too and it will be FINISHED!!!!! That's me peeking over the top of the quilt.


In the year 2001 also in Brissie, I belonged to a group of ladies that met through scq and got together once a month. We called ourselves 'The Old Chooks' or something to that effect and what better block could we swap. So finally here is my 'Chook Quilt' complements of 12 old boilers. Now ladies don't get upset you know I only mean it in jest. LOL

It will now reside in the 'to quilt' pile which is growing very quickly. At last count there are 9 tops to be quilted. I'm procrastinating again.

You will also be pleased to hear that 'trev's quilt' is now ready for the quilting machine too. I would put a photo up here (an I have one too), but the one and only time he looked at my blog was when I put up the photo of the front of his quilt. Who would believe it!! so I'm not taking the chance of him seeing the back until I'm good and ready. Plus too I can't wait to see his face when he gets to see it. We could almost use it for the front.

My cobblestones arrived in the mail today. They are very well put together, which is lovely to see. When you don't know the sewers sometimes you are a little disappointed in the workmanship, but these blocks are just lovely.

I knew it!!!!!

they were definitely tooooo greedy. They came home with nothing, except empty pockets cause they were at the pub too long. 3 hours in total and no seafood, no case of beer, no bottle of spirits.

I did get flirted with, but I spose you can't really count that cause he (George) was a lot under the weather, he blew Marg a kiss when we left, so maybe he was really after her. Oh well I was awful glad DH Ian was there anyway. Still we had a beautiful fish and chips meal and a few laughs and a couple of drinks, for me that's a recipe for a good night out.

Last Friday a bunch of us girls (4 in total) headed down to Hervey Bay to buy the rest of the makings for our "Rose Trellis" quilt that we are all going to do together. I bought a lovely pastel rose from the 'quest for a cure' range from Wendy at Iddybiddy Cottage. DF Evelyn found a lovely bright yellow iris for her roses and will use cream not green for her trellis. DF Sue bought a beautiful Marcus Bros floral for her roses - red on black and she will use black instead of cream for her last border. DF Rhonda had a lovely hydrangea fabric in her stash and she has bought two beautiful greens and will use yellow for her border. Four completely different quilts are going to be made. But I do wonder what the heck I have for brains in my head, cause I organised for the girls to come over next Sat to start cutting out the quilts. Next Sat I will be sitting under the stars at 'Peach Trees' Jimna. Have to change that date, I won' t be missing out on those stars.

Today I finished the heart hug for Leanne and will post it off probably Tues. Have already posted the one for Alyssa. Moved my cobblestone pieces from the cutting table to the sewing machine ready for sewing together tomorrow and have put the backing of 'trev's quilt' on the cutting table ready for measuring and cutting the final border, have three sides left to do. Then it's off to the quilting machine. No more procrastinating.

I know - only 2 days since my last posting

... and only 1 more sleep until we have fish and chips. This is how DF Hans and DH Ian put it at happy hour tonight.

Each Thursday evening the local Tirroan pub has battered red emperor with chips and home made coleslaw for $8pp. I must admit whatever the fish is, and I don't know one from another, it is the most yummiest and huge.

There is also a lucky door prize. A seafood tray. We have been there about 10 times and have come away with the door prize on 8 of those visits. There is enough oysters, crab and prawns for the four of us to have for lunch on Friday. Well three of us, seeing Ian only eats fish. Poor him!!

The local pony club also holds two raffles on Thurs night as well and the prize is usually a bottle of spirits. One week we took home the seafood tray and a carton of beer (in lieu of the spirits).

The fellas are now getting greedy. Each week we head off to the pub at 6pm just in time to buy tickets in the last raffle, tomorrow night I have instructions to drive them down there at 5pm, then Margie and I can arrive for tea at 6, supposedly by then they will have already won the both raffles. Personally I think they are going to get us kicked out.

Wendy from Iddybiddy Cottage emailed me last night and said that she had 1metre of the Versatile fabric that I needed. When I spoke to Wendy this morning she was mailing it out this afternoon. Thank you so much Wendy. When it arrives I will cut out the border and the chook quilt will be ready for photographing.

Today I had to go over to a friends home (Evelyn) and give her a hand, but I was hoping to get back around 3pm to spend the rest of the afternoon in the 'sns shed'. No luck, I arrived home just after 5pm, cause that had nothing to do with both of us spending time internet window shopping.

Evelyn also gave me her pink and green top to quilt. I am a little bit nervous quilting for other people. I personally don't think I have had enough practice on the quilting machine, but both DSIL Lyn and Evelyn say 'just for practicing'. I really am procrastinating with this machine. I have 7 of my own tops to do plus 'Trev's Quilt' before I start on theirs, but they both say 'no hurry next month will do'.

Up to date

Well, late this afternoon, or early evening to be precise I finally finished putting the chook quilt together and decided that to finish the top off completely I would put a 2" unfinished border round the quilt. Guess how much material I have left.

Not enough!!!

I need 30cm minimum of this material. It's called Versatiles by Jane Edwards and made for Sullivan Intl. 2004. If anyone can help me I would be grateful.

I had to take a photo of our fogged in view. This photo was taken through my front window at 8am this morning. We couldn't even clearly make out the cane trucks going past, they were like ghosts.

Forgot!

Next door started burning the cane tonight and DH Ian was asked to help.

The fire is so fierce and so quick by the time I got the camera out it was nearly all over. I shall try and get a better photo next time.

Busy, busy, busy!!!

Don't ya just love life. Ours is certainly an adventure.

Since I last posted we had an impromptu trip to Townsville and back in an imported US motorhome which now belongs to dear friends of ours Reg and Lori. Our place was the first stop on their way back north to collect their belongings before heading to Victoria and parents who are not too good. They want to spend quality time with them before its too late.

You are looking at 37' of luxury


The interior is all stained wood, the finish is just lovely. It just needs some TLC to get it back to perfect again.

The lounge on the left of the photo also folds down to a double bed and that's where DH Ian and I slept. It certainly was a fun 5 days.

I and Rhonda J. from Krazy Krafters have put the finishing touches on the cat quilt to be donated to Kolan Gardens next month. One of the moggies now has a collar and bell and the label has been embroidered and sewn onto the back of the quilt. Voila one finished quilt.

I've also been tearing my hair out trying to put together my chook quilt. In 2001 in my before life I was in a group of ladies who met on scquilters and we met monthly in each others homes. We had a swap as quilters usually do and we each made 9 chooks any shape on any size block. Well what a dilemma, but one I'm sure the other 8 quilters have beaten. I'm probably the last one to put mine together and of course none of them would go where I wanted to put them, but I do see a light at the end of the tunnel and after making and discarding several blocks have finally started to get the quilt to look like one. Shall put up photos when I get a little further advanced.

This was my youngest GD after her birth last February

This is her now - 6 months later and with 2 and ¾ teeth, being held by a very proud mother.

Have been having a ball out in the sns shed. I get out there and forget the world, except that I have a tv which I listen to.

Tomorrow we go and put our signatures on a contract for a new caravan. This time a Jayco poptop. We are trading in the Roadstar Trackvan, Ian found it just too heavy to tow and I found it just a little too high to get in and out with my gummy hip and leg. This should be more to our liking — fingers xrossed. We have to wait until the new one arrives sometime towards the end of Sept. So our last trip in the Roadstar will be in a couple of weeks when we head off to Peach Trees State Forest for a week, with my DB Ken and DSIL Lyn. Peach Trees is at Jimna near Kilcoy in Qld, a lovely little park where in winter you freeze your b....s off. One time we were camping there, in a tent I might add, and my DB Trevor's car was white with frost, we couldn't see the red paint underneath.

Since our friends Hans and Marg have been staying with us, a total of 8-9weeks now but who's counting, the fellas have been very productive, we now have 2 more outside walls of the house painted, one more to go, but that won't be for a while. We have to source some second hand weatherboards, we're not paying $5.65 a linear metre for them. That's just highway robbery.