Finished Quilt for Grandie#5

~ my first finish for 2011 ~

~ this has been such a fun quilt to make ~

the individual blocks were on my blog HERE and HERE and HERE

~ it was lovely to have my DIL to help stitch some of the blocks

and choose the perfect backing ~

~ it's soft and snuggly ~

~ to wrap a huggly buggly ~

~ I quilted in the ditch around the pictures so you can find the shapes on the back ~

~ yup, I like love it ~

~ I will be very sad to see it leave this weekend ~

~ but it's going to a good home ~

The pattern is by Lynette Anderson and called "On The Farm".... I made a few minor adaptions eg instead of buttons I did satin stitch and one of the chooks I converted to a turkey....... (since they are on a turkey farm!)

Just letting you know.......................

I know a lot of people have already blogged about these wonderful activities happening to support people affected by the recent floods in Queensland...... my apologies if this is repetitive...

I have a friend whose home was inundated in Emerald and she (with hubby and 3 sons) have just finished cleaning up.... she phoned today to see if we were okay... and lots of people have written and phoned today ... We are fine, thanks and although not personally affected it is heartbreaking when these things happen, and somehow when it is in your own local community is seems personal.

Toni at Make It Perfect is organising an online auction to raise funds.... lots of bloggers have already written about what they will be auctioning - whether you sell something or buy something - it will all be greatly appreciated... you can go HERE to read more about it.

The Gum Tree Designers are co-ordinating a very loving activity of making sewing caddies with goodies in it for fellow stitchers who have lost everything in the floods.  You can go HERE to read about how to be involved.

Telling others about these is a great way to provide support too... use the buttons on your blog, mention it and add it on facebook... tweet about it... any way you can... it all helps...

I know everyone is thinking of them all and help in different ways - includes prayers, messages of support, gifts and financial donations  - and many of us will be already involved or donating... these are other options.  As I say "It all helps"....

Thanks.................xx

Tuesday Treasure

This is a picture Hubz took from our house after a recent storm - the colour in the air was amazing, with a touch of sunlight, the double rainbow and dark clouds.....

The rainbow signifies a promise by God that He is not going to flood all the earth again

We had a lovely trip to the sea-side though it was wet but warm.  I felt so happy to actually swim in the sea (I have long been too afraid to do so)  

The trip home is usually 4 hours, this time it took 9 hours because of the road closes and detours due to the floods.   Towns on the coast and inland are shut off.  Farmers crops and animals have been destroyed. 

It is a major disaster for Queensland. 

Yesterday our city was wrecked by flash flooding, two lives have been lost and there are still others missing.  Last night a nearby valley was being hurriedly evacuated and people were stranded on the top of their houses - this morning I hear there are 8 dead and another 72 missing.

 ~ and it is continutes to pour ~

I can't help but be sad 

Life and Hope in that Rainbow are my Treasures today

Thanks Melody for hosting Tuesday Treasure - it does make a difference evaluating and writing about what I treasure....

 

Tuesday Treasure 2011

Eeeek - 4 posts in 4 days..... I assure you this is not my New Years Resolution......

Thanks to Melody for hosting Tuesday Treasures...

This week my Treasure (well it's not strictly mine - but I really treasure it....)

.... is the coastal beaches ....

I will never, ever have enough of the sound of the waves, the feel of the sand, the taste of the salty air,  

....... I just love the seaside.....

..... and that's where we will be for a few days......

..... I can't wait.......

.... read you when I get back......

There has been quite a bit of interest in the Crazy Pincushion Sew-A-Long that I wrote about HERE - there is time if you'd like to join in.  I think it will be FUN.

.... before I go off TO THE BEACH I will pop over HERE and read what others are treasuring today....

The stitching continues.......

I find I am always a bit reflective with a New Year .......

Here in Queensland Australia so many people are struggling with mud and water from the floods..... personally we could not go into town for one day - a very minor thing and it was a bit exciting for us.  Hubz work has had some damage but it is only 45 minutes away and that little town is struggling with having drinking water ONLY - in spite of the water everywhere! We have friends further North who were evacuated and are presently 'cleaning up' - yucky, thick, slimey, smelly mud......And there are heat waves and drought affecting other parts of Australia, the big freeze in Europe and America, strange storms and other hardships.... many of them personal .....

In spite of all this I find crafters get on and craft ....... it is a great release for all of us..... bloggers blog and find our friends help walk us through difficulties, cry when we cry and laugh when we laugh......

Today I took down our decorations - to me they help celebrate the birth of Christ and bring families together, celebrate the end of one year and the start of another...... taking them down is a step to an orderly year.......

~ I try to be orderly - every first week of January! ~
 
I haven't done much blog reading and writing - enjoying the family and also having a slow computer for a short while....

I want to tell you about a new BOM by Jenny of Elephantz called Give Thanks.... it is really lovely (as all Jenny's patterns are so I will be doing this one and I already have someone in mind to make it for.  

You can go HERE to read more about it. 

 

In the meantime my hands have not  been idle...... and DIL has helped with the blocks for her baby quilt....

 

BEWARE - LOTS OF PICTURES...

 

~ every barn has a cat ~

 

  ~ this little piggie went to market ~

~ DIL did her first applique stitching on this one ~

(DES likes his Holden ute)

  ~ the geese are flying overhead ~

~ the horses trot past the house ~

 ~ can never be only ONE cat ~

~ the geese are honking ~

~ washing needs to be done ~

(another by DIL - she is a BONDS underwear fan)

hasn't DIL done fantastic work

(it's really not fair - took me months to get to this consistency!!!)

~ all the blocks on the table ~

~ starting to put them together ~

~ a personalised post-box ~

~ there's chooks in the yard and cows in the field ~

~ very Australian fencing round the farm ~

~ the blocks are sewn and the layers are pinned together ~

~ so now I have to clear some space and start quilting ~

DES and DIL have gone off to the coast for a couple of days so I can spread out and quilt

~ I am always a bit frightened at this stage of a quilt ~

~ maybe a glass of wine will relax me ~

~ I might need two ~

Crazy Pincushion Sew-a-long

This Last year (oops) I participated in a couple of swaps and stitch-a-longs and had such fun with them.

Many (if not all) of you know of Kaaren's (The Painted Quilt) beautiful work. 

Kaaren is presently hosting a Raggedy and Friends BOM (which I have started - but not kept up!) in spite of moving across country and settling in a new home

Now I have started playing with wool I am wanting to try and make one of her Crazy Pincushions. 

These are pictures from her site....

Lovely, aren't they?  And they needn't be made of wool - you can use fabric!

You can see Kaaren's tutorial HERE

I have spoken to Kaaren and she is happy if I host a round robin/stitchalong using her idea and instructions...

I am thinking of this for this year .... anybody want to play? 

My thoughts are groups of 5 people and we send them on to each other to add a part.  The first person makes the base according to Kaaren's tutorial and then we send it on.
Many of us will choose to make our own design but Kaaren has some shapes made if you prefer - add a bit and pass it on - the last person finishing the item and sending it back to the original owner to live.....
Bloggers from anywhere are welcome.  I know there are some of us who cannot work with wool and it would be great to have a group who use cottons...
As it is not a HUGE project item I think international postage will not be too awful and a couple of weeks plenty of time to add the piece.

Please let me know by the end of the month if you and any friends would like to join in.... I would like to start this late February.

Kaaren also has a pattern for a Christmas one - so if you want to do one for then - it's not too early is it???

I have never hosted something like this..... even if you don't feel you can join in the pincushion making I would really appreciate any hints, ideas, instructions, etiquette etc with regards hosting

2011 is here.......

Happy New Year Wish

My Happy New Year wish for you

Is for your best year yet,

A year where life is peaceful,

And what you want, you get.

A year in which you cherish

The past year’s memories,

And live your life each new day,

Full of bright expectancies.

I wish for you a holiday

With happiness galore;

And when it’s done, I wish you

Happy New Year, and many more.

By Joanna Fuchs

....... thanks to all of you for reading my blog-posts .....

..... for your encouragement, your comments, your advise and support....

..... the smiles, the belly laughs, the ideas and motivation.....

THANKS and HAPPY NEW YEAR