My (very late...or possibly very early) Creative Space

Wanting to be creative.

Lacking the time.

Still working 4 days a week. Uggh.

Waiting for my colleague, who broke her arm to get back to work. (Still she's worse off than me - she can't do anything with a full arm cast on).

Add to mix - the MATH has gone to New Zealand.

For 8 days.

Skiing.

I'm owed BIG TIME.

Gotta put my thinking cap on to work out PAYBACK.

Prints Charming  Spring Sale in Sydney next week for starters.

With a rather LARGE budget.

I'm part of a little sunshine swap going on, so this is what's being made...I'm not showing all of it in case it's for you!

And it wants to be mailed tomorrow...eeeekkkkkk...
For more creative spaces and possibly less whingeing, head on over here .
Oh and you'll need to take a cup of tea and a packed lunch, as there are over 180 links to visit.

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

...and we have a WINNER...

On the left there, you can see a nifty little bag containing the names of the lovely people who left a comment on my "100 Posts" blog post.
That little bag is part of the "quilty" surprise that will be on it's way to the lucky winner...and those scissor fabrics are part of the rest of it...intriguing hey?
So - drumroll please...

...da da da dah...

...Ducks and Rabbits...it's YOU!

I'll email you and organise getting your prize to you.

Wow that was fun, but it was also hard not to give something to everyone who entered. I really wanted to draw each and every one of you out as a winner. It's just so nice having you visit.

I just may have to do this again...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Nothing like a deadline...

No there is nothing like a deadline to help me focus...

Here is the completed scarf for the birthday girl's party  tonight (notice the all important word 'completed').
Clare and I met when we were 18 and shared a flat in our last year of Uni - first time out of home for both of us. It's amazing to think back on those years and realise just how long ago it is...
She didn't want any presents, but I couldn't pass up the chance to make her something special, and especially in these colours, which have her name written all over them!

I'm part of Vic's brilliant Here Comes the Sun swap and have so many ideas for things I have already cut out 3 potential projects...mmm having to choose may be a problem...and I did order some fabric that screamed 'Springtime' at me...all by September 1.

And of course with the 100 Posts/1 year of Blogging giveaway (closing at midnight Sunday - if you want to enter), I have been making a few crochet brooches and I am adding a quilted/sewn surprise to the mix as well...which had better get finished in time to send off to the lucky winner...


So there are the deadlines...I'm off to find some focus...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

My Creative Space

Crocheting a granny scarf for a friends birthday this Saturday night.
The plan was to crochet 10 squares on Tue night, 10 on Wed and 10 today - first day off in 7 days...*sigh* - and join them tonight.
Like all good plans, it hasn't gone to plan...only 12 made...

...back to the grannys...the sunshine...and the mint slice!


So grab your piece of sunshine, biscuit optional, and check out some other creative spaces over at Kootoyou

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Have you seen my 100th POST GIVEAWAY ? Drawn Sunday 22 August.

I'm putting together a nice little prize package...

My Creative Space

This weeks Creative Space is about moving on.
That's a fancy expression for getting your teenage son to clean his room. He had so much packed into his wardrobe, that current clothes, shoes, etc, resided on his floordrobe.
Having no attachment to ANYTHING, he threw EVERYTHING into the THROW AWAY pile.
Luckly the girls have inherited my 'keep just in case' gene.
Here is what Miss Bee is loving at the moment:

...and of course I have to keep her company!

And here is what Princess is excited about:

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO...

...ing over to Kootoyoo to see what other players are excited about...

Have you stopped by my GIVEAWAY yet? I am celebrating 1 year of blogging and 100 posts (only got 2900 to go to get within cooee of Pip)

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

100 Posts - GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

Here it is
Post #100.

A lot has happened in the last year.
I have been having a lovely time.

Taking photos...

Writing stuff...playing with words...babbling away.
Showing you what I've made, what I intend to make...
Visiting some delicious blogs...
Learning about different crafts, design trends...
Ogling I-want-that fabrics... 

Making friends...
Giving you a little peek into our family...

SO I THINK A CELEBRATION MIGHT BE IN ORDER.

As a thank you to all you lovely bloggers who come to have a peek over this little picket fence...
I'm going to have a giveaway.


I'm new at this so I don't think I'll make it too hard, otherwise I may have to think too much!
Just leave a comment and I'll use some random method to pick a winner.
You can follow if you like and put another comment in to say you do.
Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you.
Thanks to those who are already followers. I get a lovely little surprise when I see that number change, but mostly I think "she's such a clever quilter, crafter, knitter, sewer, chef, and she follows me...WOW" So thank you for making me think I belong in your ranks...that's the best GIFT of all!


Now about that giveaway you ask...
I've learnt the value of recycling and saving so there will be a little 'rescued' calico bag to hold all the goodies.
I've learnt the value of vintage/old/op shopping, so there will be a few vintage items from my stash, a childs dress pattern and a ladies dress pattern from the mid 1980's.
I've learnt to crochet, so there will be a little crochet flower brooch...handmade by me.
Most of all, I call myself a quilter, so there will be something 'quilt-y', but I haven't quite worked out what yet - so let's say call it a surprise-in-waiting!

Prize pack awaiting the quilt-y surprise

Just one more thing, I'll leave this open till Sunday, August 22 at midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time. 

Thats the 1 year anniversay of quilary1.blogspot.com as well. Wow two celebrations in one, I might BURST with excitement.

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...


Edited: August 22 midnight AEST and this giveaway is now closed.
Thank you for your interest in entering...

The Medicinal Properties of Material

Cold, grey, miserable day.

Rain falling.

Drag self out of bed to go to work.

Knock at the door.

Sunshine.

Smiles.

Bounce in the step.

*grin*

Sparkle-all-the-way!

The medicinal properties of material.

Thanks and hugs to Leona for 'sparkle-ing' up today.

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Weekend Worrier...er I mean Warrior

Thank you for your comments after my last post. I was cheered up just to know that you cared enough to think of me.
After my little whinge, I decided to get myself more organised.
I didn't get more free time, just made me use the free bits I had a bit better.
The weekend still got eaten up by stuff I had to do: 

• go to a 10yr old netball final (they won - Grand finals next Saturday morning(the bad mummy in me is groaning at the thought of one more netball game*smacks hand*)).
• go to a brother-in-law's 50th.
• clean the bathroom (job I hate the most!).
• wash ( 4 full loads , onto the line, and bring them in again. and just between you and me there will be 5 children folding clothes while they watch tv tonight!).
• umpteen day to day "circular" jobs: eg fill dishwasher, put dishwasher on, empty dishwasher.

I rushed everything  so I could announe that from 1pm onwards on Sunday,

I WOULD BE QUILTING.

Here is what I was working on today.

This is the square-in-a-square border of the Mariners Compass quilt. 

I have 96 of these to make and I didn't realise how much work is involved in them.

I have to cut 96 X 2 3/4" light value centre squares. Then cut 192 x 2 5/8" dark value squares and cut them once for half-square triangles.

They end up slightly bigger than 3 1/2", so they then have to be trimmed to size.

Don't you just love a little bit of maths with your quilting? I know I do!!!!

I also was going for the 'light centre, dark outer' look, which I think I've achieved, but now don't like the dark value 'cause it's...well...too gloomy looking.

I spent some of my time cutting medium value triangles and mixing them up with the dark value ones. I am much happier with the way they look.
I even managed to think ahead and take photos to show a shortcut that evolved when I got sick of pinning and unpinning each of the triangles.


First, fold the centre square into half and finger crease each side. Then repeat with the other side.

Line up the first triangles with outer edges matching and the point in line with the crease on the opposite edge.

Sew this down, open out the triangle and finger press. Then repeat with the opposite side triangle.

Do this for the 3rd and 4th sides, keeping the seams pushed flat with your finger.

See these little corner triangles...

Well you MUST cut them off...

Otherwise you end up with a sad looking seam...and I really don't want to start more un-sewing

So there you have it. A sort of  square-in-a-square tutorial.

This isn't the end of these little beasties...I have to trim them to 3 1/2 inches, so they will fit in with the borders...and I still have about 50 to go! I hope to knock them off tonight - fingers crossed.

98 blog posts sitting on the wall, what would happen if another one was published? There'd be 99 blog posts sitting on the wall...

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

Slowy going craaazzzy...

I need a day off. I am really and truly, slowly but surely, going nuts.
In the last several weeks, I have had an entire weekend completely taken up by being in the emergency dept of St George Hospital and then The Children's Hospital (courtesy of Minkys collision with a palm tree where she ended up with large palm spikes in her palm). Then there was the swelling and infection. It's all good now, but that 2 days of my and her life neither of us will get back!.
I have spent whole days at sports days and dance eisteddfods...by choice...but boy oh boy do I miss my quilting time.
I have been working 4 day weeks instead of my usual 5 day fortnight and I can feel the walls closing in...(that's not a comment on my workmates - I work with really lovely colleagues)...but boy oh boy do I miss my quilting time.


Anyway, enough of this whingeing!
Here are the missing pictures of some lovely goodness that I received in the post from the lovely Brenda and Katia

Brenda even added in the paisely brooch 'cause she knows my weakness!

I can't stop holding this hexagon!

And can you believe it *blush* I also won this beautiful jelly roll from Leona. Guess I'm going to be humming that silly postman song again for a while.


I have missed the boat on the 2010 Sewing Challenge for May, June and July. I am aiming to get something made for the smocked challenge, but I already know if I keep up this many work days, for sanity's sake it just won't happen *sigh*


I am still planning a little giveaway for post number 100...which is now only 3 posts away.
I was desperately trying to avoid 'drivel' posts that just made up the number, but at this rate I will be lucky to get sensible posts written by my 1 year anniversary.


Now I've done this little catch up post, I am going to make good use of this evening. Wish me luck!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...