How will I have my Hair?

Well, we landed safe and sound in NZ. Lots of time spent catching up with Tonys family. Just look what the nieces want to do with my hair for the wedding!!
Today I went out with Lee, we found my wedding dress and all of the etc's!! No sneak peeps, you'll see after Tony Does.
Hint!! It's BLUE!!

Going, Going,

Gone!

Lee and the girls, I'll see you on Monday.

Everyone else, I'll be on line soon.

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Only one Gratitude today.

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It's finally time to leave.

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Lou xx

ONE!!

I did it! I finally found time to sew. At the weekend I pulled out a Butterfly Fling Jelly Roll and did a little cutting, after I had pulled out the blue strips that is.

I played around and matched up a bunch of pieces,
And yesterday I made up some blocks.
I have a whole bunch more blocks to make and hope to get time later today.

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Just in case you hadn't guessed I have only one day left before we leave for our wedding in New Zealand. So todays image is one lonely but beautiful Whale Tale.
Tonight my Hunney and I will stay awake all night long. We'll pass some of the time by packing our cases and early tomorrow morning we begin our long journey.

Our itinerary over the next couple of days looks like this.

• Isle of Man to Manchester. 35 mins. Saturday Morning
• 11 hours on the ground, We're booked into a hotel and hope to sleep.
• Manchester to Dubai. 7 hours
• 3 hours on the ground
• Dubai to Sydney 14 hours.
• 3 hours on the ground
• Sydney to Christchurch. 3 hours. Monday afternoon.

It looks like 3 days, but when you take into account all the time zones we will cross it's really only just over 30 hours.

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Gratitude's

1) Blogger finally let me in! Although it is messing with my formatting!!

2) It's nearly time to go.

3) A day out with family and friends.

One final piece of homework.

Well I took my exam yesterday and have only one essay left to write. It looks easy enough and they are expecting only a short piece, so hopefully I'll get that done today.We were told yesterday by the course facilitator, that we have all passed, without even taking into account the marks for the exam or the final essay, we have all accrued enough points already to have gained the qualification! Whoopee!

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Meanwhile today you have this image. I thought it appropriate in the circumstances!

Because I'm allergic to gold, we have silver wedding rings and we'll be leaving in two days! Mustn't get too excited yet, just the small matter of one essay and one final shift at work. If I have time, I plan to sew a little today too. Maybe I'll have a quilty picture for you tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow I'm off out with a girlfriend, we'll do lunch and a little girly shopping, it's been an age since I did that, I'm really looking forward to it.

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Gratitude's

1) All exams are done!

2) Homework will be over and done, today!

3) A girly day out.

Edited to say........

The homework is all done, it took less than an hour. Time to play!

The Red Eye Flight.

I'm off to Warrington for my exam today and to collect my final slab of homework. So that will be almost the end of that. I'll try to get the homework completed before we leave, not much time though.....

Only Three Days!

You know I am remarkably calm, but always in the back of my mind there is / was todays exam, I think once that is out of the way I'll let go and start to get a bit more excited. I can feel that kid at Christmas feeling bubbling away under the exam nerves.

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AnnieO asked if I'll be blogging from the bottom of the world? Yes, I'll have internet access, so it won't be as often, but I will be blogging.

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Allie asked if I'm all packed yet? Nope, the suitcases are still in storage. I think it's that exam thing again. Hunney had his exam yesterday and still has three days of work to do. We'll be awake all night on Friday, plenty of time to pack. I have started to gather little piles of goodies here and there though.

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Gratitude's

1) The last day of my course.

2) Hunneys studies are done for this year.

3) Only three days left.

Are you tired of this yet?

A four patch block can only mean....

Four days remain!

Back to work today.

Which can mean only one thing. The day I scoot off to New Zealand draws ever closer. Only five days remain.

Today and Tuesday I have early shifts. Wednesday is my last trip to Warrington, where I'll take my exam. Then I have a late shift on Thursday and I'm done with work, for a whole month.

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I didn't do much sewing yesterday, I could have had a new top completed pretty much if I'd got stuck in, but had a lazy day instead. Hunney and I curled up and watched TV. We watched the F1Grand Prix, I felt so sorry for Rubens Barrichello, but, Way to go Jenson!! I don't know where we will be for the next race, on the road possibly, not that it matters too much, now that we know for sure Brawn GP and Jenson Button are the winners.

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Gratitude's

1) I slept like a log.

2) The count down grows shorter.

3) I had a lovely weekend.

Strange Phenomena.

Something weird is going on with my pin cushion. It's a perfectly ordinary pincushion, (Pattern courtesy of Moda Bake Shop) it lives on the table by my sewing machine and like most women I suspect it usually looks something like this.

Here's a side view. So what's weird? Well often when I come back to it, things have changed....
Look.....
The pins seem to have a life of their own......
Or maybe I have a pin cushion poltergeist....
This only happens when there are teenagers in the house!
You don't want to know what they do to this poor lil' guy.
LOL Seems my sons can have hours of fun with a pin cushion. I'll buy them one each for Christmas! LOL

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On to more serious matters. I promised you another bag, and here it is.
Complete with pocket and tassel. This one is a gift for a colleague. Oh! I quilted the lining in this bag, and the red one I showed yesterday.

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I started a new quilt yesterday, and have a few blocks made already. Just something simple and easy inspired by a design in the latest Homespun magazine. I had a few hours playing with a Butterfly Fling Jelly Roll. I'll try to remember to take pictures for you today. Yes, I have another day off work.

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For those who are wondering where it is..........
SIX days left! Yay! Only three working days, and one exam left!

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Gratitude's

1) A weekend off work.

2) Imaginative kids.

3) DS Jonny is home for a few days.

New Bag.

But before I get to that! Seven days, yes only seven days left until we leave.

A week today at this time in the morning I'll have left the island and I'll be in Manchester. Hopefully I'll have stayed awake all night and I'll be exhausted and sleep all day over in the hotel.

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So, that out of the way, here's a look at my new bag. Do you remember that fabric I showed the other day? You know the curtain samples my colleague gave me. Well the two red pieces spoke to me and here's what they wanted.
It's quite a spacious bag, plenty large enough to hold a couple of A4 (Foolscap) ring binders. I did have a small stitchery made which I planned to pop onto the front, but it just didn't look right, so I abandoned that idea. I didn't shape the bottom, I've left it flat. The lining is quilted and there are two huge deep pockets in there too. The fabric has a lovely rose pattern on it.
I've promised a bag similar to this to another of my colleagues, so guess what I'll be doing today. It's my weekend on call, so I'm not working but can't stray too far from home either, a perfect excuse to sit and sew all day. I feel a paler version of the above about to happen. Maybe I'll show it off tomorrow.

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Gratitude's

1) Quick and easy makes.

2) Days off work with my Hunney

3) Quiet mornings.

Eight Days

One week today I have a day off work, I booked it especially so that I would have a whole day to have a good clean up, change the bed linen and get the laundry done. Hunney and I will need to pack. We plan to stay awake all night to begin the process of adjusting to being on the other side of the world. A week tomorrow we'll be on our way.

Yes, it's now only eight days until we leave. Not that I'm counting! ;-)

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You all know what Moda tape looks like don't you? It comes wrapped around Moda Jelly rolls and fat quarter bundles. What do you use yours for?
Or do you just chuck it out? I love to use mine up. It makes great handles. Hmm, a sneak peek at another SSCS gift. I wonder what it could be? LOL

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It's a morning off work for me. Hunney is home, he is revising for his exam on Tuesday, the day before my mine! I have a little piece of stitchery going, which I plan to use on a bag. I should have time to make good progress on that today, maybe even get it nearly done before I have to head off to work.

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Have you been looking at the Online quilt festival. There are some beautiful quilts. Keep on checking back, there are new people joining in every day. I love the simplicity of this one. So sweet. The central medallion of this one is stunning. Please don't be upset if I don't link to your quilt! There are over 600 entries and I only point out what is my favourite at that moment! LOL In 20 minutes I'll have changed my mind.

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Well if I'm going to make serious headway on my new bag I'd better move myself.

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Gratitude's

1) The count down is getting shorter.

2) Hundreds of inspiring quilts.

3) Hunney made me a cup of tea. :-x

Nine.

Only 5 more working days and one exam!

Eyes Right!

Just 10 more days.

Yippie!

(Sigh) But I have to go to work now.

New (To Me) Stash!

Do you remember earlier this year a friend and colleague gave me some fabric to make her a bag? Well this time she gave me a bag! A flippin' great big bag, full of fabrics. She has a friend who works in a furniture store and had been given a pile of curtain samples. Lucky me. I feel a few more baggies coming on.

These are not the greatest of pictures, it's an overcast day, but the flash just wasn't giving true images, so I took pictures with and without then played around until I got something close to true!
These are quite aqua in colour, my favourite I'll be doing something with these two, they deserve to stay together.
And the top two here are beautiful too, such a yummy colour, the very top one has a rose design on it.
I have plans for some of these browns too.
This big flower is just begging to be a feature on something.

There is also a book of silk samples,
With some adorable embroidery already in place.
Sorting through all those samples has given me a break from looking at the Bloggers Quilt Festival. Have you had a look yet? Did you add your name and one of your quilts to the show? I have really enjoyed looking at all the beautiful quilts and getting so much inspiration. LOL I'll never remember all the things I've seen or which ones are my favourites, I have a new favourite every time I go and look. Seems I missed a bit too, it is a competition! There are prizes. I wouldn't want to be a judge, that's for sure. So many beautiful quilts from people all over the world, of all ages and experience, so many different styles.

Todays favourites include this post....and this post and I always adored this one.

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I've found time to finish my SSCS, I've purchased one or two items to add and now I'm onto extras, you know, the just because items! LOL. My partner hasn't posted in a while, I hope she is ok and just busy making something for her partner!

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I'm going to go a drool on my new fabrics. I'll get my seam ripper out and take of any backing fabrics and open up any hems while I'm at it.

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Gratitude's

1) New Lovelies.

2) A Morning Off Work.

3) 11 days!

Online Quilt Festival

The wonderful Amy over at Park City Girl is once again hosting an online quilt festival. I thought I could join in this time. I want to share a quilt that was designed and made by myself and my son.

Joe wanted a dragon quilt so my sister and I hunted around and came up with a black dragon fabric and a grey dragon fabric, then Joe and I got together using a program called Quilt Wizard, we added a couple of extra colours and came up with a design which pleased him.

He was a very attentive assistant, snipping all the threads, passing things and helping to pair pieces up ready for the next long round of chain piecing, a concept he took to very quickly.
This was one of the very first quilts I ever managed to label.
It's quilted mostly in the ditch, though Joe did design some fantastic flames which I put into the borders for him.
Thank you for visiting our quilt and I hope you enjoy the rest of the tour. Why not post about one of your quilts and add your name to the already very long list of entrants. Anything goes, so it could be large or small, appliqué or embroidered. Hand or machine work. It's all about having fun and seeing some beautiful quilts.

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Gratitudes.

1) A design assistant.

2) A thread snipper.

3) He loves it.