Got My Girls Back

Carl did a great job, they look stunning.
We selected a simple cream mount and an oak frame.

Carl was concerned that he may have to 'loose' a couple of stitches in the rescue, if he did, I sure can't tell.
Click on the picture for a much larger image, I didn't do my usual trick and resize.
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I'll be back to bag making over the next few days, one friend says she'll put some on her stall at a monthly produce and craft market. Another received one of my bags just after Christmas, full of crafty goodies, and a neighbour of hers wants one, and is prepared to pay! Cool.
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Time to go play.
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Gratitude's
1) My girls look better.
2) Being home on a miserable day
3) Hot sweet tea.

Still recycling.

I like the idea of this stuff!! It just came in the post this morning. I saw it in a magazine recently and just have to try it.
Quilt batting made from recycled pop bottles. It has a hint of green to it so must have lots and lots of green bottles in there. I know some people really don't like man made batting, but this has to be better than any other disposal method we have come up with. I'll let you know how it goes when I get around to using it.
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As well as my pop bottles I also ordered some fabrics, a fat quarter pack in silvers and sparkles.
Two blue charm packs,

and another fat quarter pack in pretty flowers.

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I may not have had chance to do much sewing last night, but I did do some unsewing! I put off the vacuuming until after I had unsewn this cross stitch.

I stitched it in 2005, it's a Lavender and Lace design called Catch the Wind. I had used it as a cushion front, and always regretted the decision. So last night I finally got around to pulling it apart and in just a few moments I'm off to see my framer and beg him to rescue it. I'm sure he can/will. Then all I have to do is find some wall space. I moved into a bigger apartment a year ago, and I still have no wall space. LOL

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I'm off to town, bye!

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Gratitude's

1) New Stash

2) A dry day

3) 2 days off and I'm NOT on call.

Recycling

Hunney and I went out together yesterday, something we don't often manage to do, unless it's the grocery shopping! We actually managed to do some 'other' shopping. He has three new shirts for 'Business Casual days' at work and a new T shirt.
I treated myself to a new bag. I found this beauty in our local fair trade shop. It's made from recycled sari material.
There were several different colours, but the turquoise caught me eye, so that's what I grabbed.
I may have to steal the design and make myself another. It's a great size, just big enough to hold my keys, cell phones and a money purse. I also got new jeans and some new boots.
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My little chef Joe was with us, he got a new game and a new shirt too.
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I grabbed another 100% cotton flat sheet to use as backing on something and a cotton duvet cover with pretty pink rose buds on, they both came from the hospice shop next door. No pic yet, they are currently going round and round in the washing machine.
It was a good day.
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Hunney and I just went online and bought a rowing machine, so on rainy days I'll be able to hop on that and burn a few calories instead of causing earthquakes dancing around in front of the TV. Another thing we bought yesterday is a full length mirror! I haven't looked in one of those for over a year! EEK! OMG did I get a shock, I've watched the numbers get bigger on the scales, but to actually see the results.........I think I'll put myself of a veggie soup diet! LOL Don't worry, I'm not that daft. I do want to exercise more though.
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I've done a grand total of zero stitches! And it doesn't look like I'll get much of a chance today, the ironing pile is looking at me, I really need to vacuum and my sewing table looks like a tornado went through! I need to find some more storage for my sewing stuff, that would help considerably.
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I'm off to get busy.
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Gratitude's
1) I go off call at 8am tomorrow.
2) Tomorrow I'll have time to sew.
3) A day out with Hunney.

Treasure.

In spite of my early finish at work yesterday, I got nothing done. Moments after blogging one of the girls from the shop downstairs appeared with a package that had been left for me. A while before Christmas I mentioned that I want to make a Cathedral Window quilt using batiks. The wonderfully generous Claire said she would send me some pretties to help out with my wish to have as many different batiks as possible included. Her package ended up so heavy that she decided to send it surface mail rather than airmail.
Well Claire, it's here!
While not all of the fabrics are batiks, they are all beautiful.

There are colours here that I would never dream of purchasing myself,

Which is a good thing, it challenges me to use them

Also included in the package was the Christmas Issue of Australian Homespun magazine, wow what a lovely magazine. There are some projects in there I will be trying out for next Christmas.

Thank you Claire, for your kindness and generosity.

I took myself through to the sitting room with the intention of reading the magazine, I did make a start, but had to give up when a whopper of a headache settled in. When Hunney got home, he played nurse. :-) This morning I flickered through the magazine and looked at the pictures with my morning tea. I'll have another bash at reading it later before I go to work.

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I used to get migraines 3-4 times a year, when I was with my ex husband. Since leaving him I hardly get them, maybe one every couple of years, I do however still get whopping great stress headaches at times. yesterday was one of those times.

Like a migraine, sometimes they last for only a few hours, other times they can last for days. My doc thinks they are migraines, but I argue that they are not, they 'feel' different, and there is no pain in my neck or the base of my brain. Does that make sense?

All the pain seems to be in the middle of the left side of my brain and my eyes are light sensitive, hence the docs migraine diagnosis. The pain yesterday came in waves every couple of hours and eased off by bed time so I was able to sleep.

And boy did I sleep, after days of being disturbed by the weather, wondering if we would loose the rest of the roof and seeing water creep across the ceiling I was exhausted.

Add to that the fact that we are nearing the end of two weeks where I have been the only manager available as the three above me are either off island or off sick, it's no wonder I have stress!

Roll on Monday morning. I go off call and get to have two days off work.

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What am I going to do today?

I'll put the washing machine on and hang all that up when it's done.

I'll take a walk, I have another letter to post.

I'll iron my new fabric treasure and put it away.
I have a magazine to read.

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Gratitude's

1) Kindness and generosity.

2) A sunny settled day.

3) Hunney makes a good nurse.

Yay!

My roof is fixed, but there was more rain last night.
I don't think I'll be using this light until after it's been checked out by an electrician. There was water dripping off it this morning.

That's the corner of DD Kay's room up there at the top, it got worse with a second soaking, as did the bathroom.

I was amazed when I got home from work today to find that the roof was fixed. It's still very very windy and I honestly believed that no one would go up there today. I popped my head up through the skylight to see if any more damage had been done and got a wonderful surprise. 4 new ridge tiles. I just hope they settle nicely, too much rain will wash the new mortar away, and while the forecast is for improvements it's still not that promising.

I hope you all are safe, warm and dry.

Gratitude's

1) Brave builders.

2) Speedy work.

3) I looked up before I pulled the cord.

Love birds.

I didn't get my picture of the moon over the snow this morning, it was hidden behind a cloud and by the time it put in an appearance, Hunney and I were on the road. It was very pretty though.
Today was my day in the office, I was there very early, 7.30 am!! Much earlier than usual, but it meant that I had lots of peace and quiet to get on and get things done. I achieved everything on my to do list and also started to compile next weeks list. A very satisfying day. I was home again by 3 pm.
Even my time at home was well used, I got two long letters written, they were overdue and contain all the newsy family stuff. Lots of pictures too, of people, places and patches.

I completed my Red Delicious block.
Presenting Love Birds done as Red work.
Please don't look too closely, I need more practice at this.

I have the next block, Nightshade, all ready to go, but I think I'll have a rest tonight and do something else instead. I have a cute little valentines block all prepared to stitch for Hunney, I'll pop that into a card. I also have some charm nine patch squares that have been sat for an age awaiting my attention, and more charms, to make more nine patch blocks. I may pull them out and see if they talk to me. Or I may just go on up to the study and cross stitch for half an hour, Hunney says he's missing me.

Gratitude's
1) A successful day
2) Hunney, the spider sorter outer!
3) A ride to work with Hunney.

Early morning.

What is your first clue of what the day will hold?

When I got up this morning and wandered to the bathroom this is the sight that greeted me. Well, there was a tiny sickle moon, but by the time I'd paid a visit and gotten down stairs for the camera that was gone. I'll leave the camera upstairs tonight and hopefully catch that moon tomorrow.
The world actually looked a little greyer than this but I don't know enough about photo manipulation to correct it. I did click the auto correct button, but quickly clicked the undo button! All of a sudden it looked very green! Anyway, that white blob up there is North Barrule, the most northerly of our small range. I thought the morning light and the snow made it look so pretty.
Last week it was still pretty dark at 07.45, but look here, it's almost daylight. Spring is on her way. So for me, the day holds the promise of spring.

What else is in store for me today? Well last night I almost completed part one of red Delicious, so today I'll prepare part two and maybe make a start on that.
I also want to pop out to the post office and take a walk.

Gratitude's

1) No more rain last night
2) The wind is not so strong
3) A late shift.

Just what I don't need!

Did I say the storms had passed?
Well I was wrong! It blew and poured all night long and I spent most of the night listening to it.
Our bathroom was decidedly wet this morning! And when I got in from work this afternoon and peeped out of the skylight, here's why!

It's running down the timbers and getting just a little too close to the electrics for my liking!

Hunney left a message for the landlord this morning, but so far.....silence.

That aside, on to happier things.

I sat yesterday and did a little more work on my applique Red Delicious block, but the more time I spent with it, the less I liked it. So I set about setting up a second attempt, this time as a red work piece. This feels much better, I may even get brave and add some more details.

There is nothing wrong with the work Esther has put in, it's just me, I prefer the lighter stitched image. I have looked about at some of the other versions out there and they are all beautiful. Maybe it's just the fabrics I had available were not quite right, who knows?

I like my red work version and will stick to that.

Finally a Christmas present I didn't show off earlier because it was tucked away in a corner. Hunneys mum sent this all the way from NZ. Isn't it sweet, it gives off such a beautiful soft light.

It sits on top of a very tall book case in the sitting room and is just right as a corner light while watching TV. I love it.

On the grounds that I spent most of the night wide awake listening to the weather, I cancelled my appointment today and came straight home, I'll put my feet up in the sitting room and see if I can get a snooze before Hunney gets home.

Gratitude's

1) The bill for the roof is for the landlord.

2) The whole roof didn't go

3) Quick and easy stir fry for tea.

With Knots

Having watched a fantastic demonstration on YouTube I finally mastered French knots and was able to add them to my stitchery.
Verandah Views, Under the willow now has berries.
Needless to say, I didn't stick to the listed colours, preferring to once again dig about in my box and choose what seemed right.

A Christmas Wish, designed by Gail Pan also has it's golden berries.

And, in the course of explaining to my DD how important it is that she add her name and copyrite to her photos and art work I taught myself how to add my own name, to my own pics. Cool huh?

Now I just need to keep on stitching, lots and lots of practice will make my sewing much neater and my French Knots much easier.

First i have to Blanket Stitch Red Delicious.

Gratitude's (My second lot today)

1) Another new skill.

2) DS Joe made lunch

3) All the ironing is done.

I did it!

I made knots!
Not granny knots, not Loulee knots!
I made French Knots.
No more substituting beads for French Knots in future.
I'm off to finish my stitchery.

Gratitude's
1) Learning a new skill.
2) Another day off.
3) The storms have passed.

Still no knots!

I still didn't tackle those French Knots! Maybe this evening. While I was digging through my scraps box for bits of red I came across these blue squares and a vague idea formed, well it got this far. Not sure where it's going next, maybe I'll add some of those Spring squares and produce some more of these blocks, maybe join them all together and add a huge applique flower? What do you think.
Speaking of red scraps, it seems I've actually got quite a bit of red and was able to make a start on Red Delicious yesterday before going to work. It feels very heavy to me, I wonder if that is something to do with the light quick stitchery I've been doing.

I plan to do all the blanket stitch by hand, I'm really enjoying having something to play with.

We're off out soon, DS Joe has a Christmas voucher burning a hole in his pocket and I need to go get a new over the shoulder boulder holder!

Gratitude's

1) A day off with Hunney

2) The grocery shop is done

3) Another dry day.

Love on the verandah!

I had some time to stitch last night, so part one of Christmas Wish is complete except for the French knots. I found a great tutorial on Youtube, but decided I'd wait and have a practice this morning. I really want to master French knots and have a bash every so often. Maybe today is the day.
Or maybe I'll just go find some beads again! LOL So as there was so much evening left I traced and got on with part one of Verandah Views. All that remains to be done here is the Lazy Daisy petals for the flowers and some french Knots for the lupins!

I think I'd better iron it too.

So it's official, I have four stitchery projects on the go! OMG!

Part three of Red Delicious is due any time now and I didn't even make a start yet! I toyed with the idea of doing it as Redwork as I really am enjoying the stitchery, but I really think later in the year I'll be glad of a break from that and applique will be a nice change and I'll still get to do some stitching as I blanket stitch all the pieces.

Already this morning I'm procrastinating over the French Knots, so maybe RD will get started today.

I've done my housework for the day, I have a quick chore to do in town and then my time is my own until 2.45pm when I have to go to work. I'm off for a walk, then I'll play.

Gratitude's

1) A late shift!

2) A dry day. Walkies!

3) Hot sweet tea.

The postie has been.

So guess what was waiting for me when I got home from work?
A neat bundle of lovelies.
Yummy.
I got some more green, kinda christmassy, but will do for anything.
There is some more of that creamy white, with a nondescript pattern.

An adorable blue, with the prettiest of roses.

Cute bunnies, all hopping about on a lovely green lawn.

This one is called Prairie Blue, it was in the kids section, I've been eyeing it for a while.

Cherries on a lovely fresh green, it looks much greener in real life I promise.

And more of the same red I bought yesterday, with the stars on! I must be going ditsy! I have about 3 meters of it now! Never mind, I'm sure it will get used, it's like the green, not just for Christmas.

And because I spent way too much money, I got a free stash pack too, all in lovely spring fabrics.

If anyone wants me, I'll be playing with fabric.

In answer to Ikle Kaiy's question....You are a DD because you are my Dear Daughter!! I could call you something else if you prefer, but I assume DD is OK for now? And no, you can't have any of my fabric! It's mine! You're lucky I let you in my scrap basket, they're mine too! LOL Waddaya want with the red stuff anyway?

Gratitude's

1) A ride to work with Hunney
2) New stash to play with
3) Time to sew.