The Pear is finished!!

Well I have finished the Pear!!

There is not much more to say except my Mum and Dad love it. So here it is....Enjoy!!

Bernie

The Pear 2

Oh dear!!

I'm not really sure what happened but I certainly do know where I went wrong.

To me it does not really resemble a pear. So back to the paper and pencil to make another template. One that's a little less "big bum" looking.

And yes I have recycled the stuffing but I decided to use new fabric for the next pear. :)

Bernie

The Pear

Wow talk about busy over the last few weeks!!
I have been extremely busy at work and at the same time preparing to say goodbye to my parents while they travel.
For this I decided to make them a little gift. A rather ambitious gift I think as I only have 2 weeks to get it done. Well 1 1/2 now.
I can picture just the way I want things to look in my minds eye but getting it to be like that in reality is somewhat harder. And so began the pear.

Bernie

No, I didn’t fall off the edge of the earth

I almost feel like I have been in isolation or something. Well from the internet that is. This hasn’t been an altogether bad thing but it has meant I have not been able to write here or read what other friends are up to via their blogs. Feels weird!!

Internet at home is still giving us grief after 2 weeks but I am able to get this up by other means. J

So what have I been up to instead of surfing the net? Where do I start!!  I had some annual leave from work (believe me no leave from life) and have managed to get away over Easter. I drew up a task list and I am very pleased to say I got all but one thing done and some little extras too. And what would holidays be without a trip to at least one craft shop.

Over the Easter weekend we did some camping and our eldest son decided it was time he had a tent of his own. Our younger son followed suit but I really think he did it just for a bit of excitement. By the third night he was back in the caravan with us. Which is more than ok with me, he is only 6. The Easter bunny still managed to find us and Oma organised a big treasure hunt, including clues and directions, instead of just handing the grandkids the eggs. Even after all the chocolate and toasted marshmallows the children were always completely exhausted in the evening and dropped off to sleep before we could even zip up the tents. I suppose running all over 5 acres of scrub will do that.

What a task list I created for myself for over my time off. It still involved being a mum and definitely did not exclude washing all the dirty clothes from our weekend away. One of my projects was to repair and paint a wardrobe for my youngest son. I must admit I love to paint but not pictures or landscapes. I love to paint walls and furniture. It always feels so good to give a room or a piece of furniture that fresh lease of life. Now all I’m waiting on is a little muscle to help me move it into the bedroom.

What else? I have almost finished doing the hand stitching on a queen size quilt I have been working on for a couple of years. Getting to go and buy the batting and the backing fabric for the quilt makes me feel as though I’m almost on the home stretch. That gives me the extra drive and determination I need to get a long running project finished. I’m normally the kind of person who likes short practical length projects so big projects take me even longer. But now I can’t wait to get this one done.

For now though I need to get some rest as I need to go to work tomorrow to earn the cash to finance all my projects, long and short term ones.

Bernie

A little time to get away and relax

Relax. Yes ok, I will.
I have just returned from a relaxing weekend away with my man. This would be the first time in a long time the two of us have been away together without the kids.
We ended up in Bright, Victoria instead of Wilson's Promontory National Park as was first planned. I think we would have got blown away and ended up with icicles hanging off our noses if we had of gone to Wilson's Prom.

Bright was beautiful, as it always is. The weather didn't cooperate until we were looking at going home. But you know I'm always going to nosey through the shops no matter what the weather is like. And guess what, in Bright it self there are two gorgeous little shops full of all sorts of quilting things and notions and embellishments. Ah yes, I was in my element.

Sew Bright Alpine Quilting

Sew Bright Alpine Quilting is a gorgeous little shop that sells fabric and a heap of embellishments. What I loved the most was all the quilts they had hanging around the store. It was such an inspiration to see all of them and all so beautifully finished. You can view Angela's store here. However I think being in the store just has a specialness about it.

I also had the rare opportunity to show my man what a machine quilting set up looked like and how much room it takes. Finally I think he has agreed to let me get one in the future (something I have always wanted) and will allow me to take over one of the rooms in the house. However as much as I would like it to be the lounge, I think it will be a bedroom when one of the boys move out.

Country at Heart

I also popped into Country at Heart, also in Bright. It has everything you could ever need for Christmas in the way of statues and quaint little ornaments for the tree. But it was the back of the store the I loved the most!!

I loved it so much I just had to share

This whole area of the shop was devoted to the autumn colours that Bright is so well known for. All the fabrics were rich rustic colours and woven wool fabris abounded. They had patterns to match with all the autumn colours and highlight the season so well. Once again browsing through the website does not come close to meandering through the corners of the shop and feeling the fabrics. But for those who can't get there in person you can visit it here.

I got back to our little cottage for afternoon tea and all that could be done after seeing all I did today, was stitch. So with a nice cuppa and the sunshine poking through before it set, I settled down to stitch for a little while.

It was inspiring to look at what others have created and to dream about what could be and purely relaxing to sit in the sunshine and stitch. Overall the weekend was great and I find that my love for crafting has had some rejuvenation along the way.

Bernie

All put together, well sort of !!

I have had a rather busy time over the last week.
My husband has been building a retaining wall behind the garage and I have been piecing together a quilt top. Guess what. . . .   I won!! (Not that it was a race)
I have finished putting together my quilt top and minus a small patch of appliqué, I am ready to start quilting.
My darling husband has not been quite so successful. Even with my continuous help there is still a fair amount to be done before it is finished. But believe me when its finished it will be a fantastic achievement. However right now we are both exhausted! Who would have thought a retaining wall could be such hard work.

Bernie

I love Craft Night

Last night was "Craft Night", as so affectionately called by a rather crazy group of us who get together once a month to craft. There are all sorts of handcrafts brought along by the ladies and all sorts of conversations had. (Sorry what's said a craft night stays at craft night.) I must admit that its something I look forward to for the whole month. Getting to get together with like minded people, chilling out and doing what we all love - craft.
So what do we do? Well there was knitting, crocheting, patchwork, cross stitch and sewing and lets not forget the cutting out for the next project. The mix always seems to differ and the amount done always varies based on the conversation being had. 
Last night, we were in for a treat. We got to see Mrs S's newly finished house. It is gorgeous!! But what had some of us really excited, was the craft room. Mrs S has a purpose built craft room with space for everything and more. What caught my eye first was her gorgeous glass jars with buttons in them.(pictured) 

They were perfect sitting along side jars of ribbons and pins and buckets of markers and brushes. Everything is visible and the room is well lit. A good size work bench for the sewing machine and all the cutting that needs doing is easily accessible. Mrs S you have done it. You have created a fantastic space for craft. 
However there was only one chair in there and I don't think even dragging other chairs into the room would have allowed the 8 or so of us to sit and craft. So around the big kitchen table we gathered.
We talked quietly serious and then laughed loud and at the end of the night, I wondered if I would have a voice at all in the morning. I love that there is no agenda, no rules and no kids. Just us ladies and our craft. 
What great friends are made when craft is the common thread.

Bernie

Would you give up?

How often do we give up when things are just too hard?

I'm sure we can all relate to this feeling at some stage or another through out our lives. But sometimes giving up is the worst thing that can be done. Babies don't give up when they are trying to walk. So much so that we call this stage "Learning" to walk. This goes for so many things in childhood like talking, writing, reading and even riding a bike. For me it was even sewing. Oh how many times I found it so hard to sew when I young but I kept at it and now I would say I'm pretty good at it.

Imagine if he quit!!

But what about those things that go on for years. Yep raising children. Would you give up on that when its too hard like at age 2 or at the end of the holidays when they really need to get back to school because they are climbing the walls. I suppose we have to turn the tables a little and think of it a little different. They are learning how to cope with the changes in their routine and lifestyle and the lack of mentally stimulating activities. Believe me I'm not going to give you any solid solutions for all of us going a little nuts over the 6 to 7 weeks off that the kids have. Maybe we just need to give them a good dose of mental stimulation and some firm routine.

I just think it is really not the best option to give up on things that just need us to have a couple tries. (With the exception of things that are addictive of course.) So will you give something you're having trouble with a couple more tries? I know that I'm going to keep trying with my quilting. I'm going to learn to machine quilt and not quit at it. My first attempt was a bit tricky but I'm not going to give up. Thankfully this is fun and therefore enjoyable to learn. If I give up on this I will never "Learn" new skills.

What are you going to continue to learn?

Bernie

Maybe not just another Saturday

I have had a fantasticly (is that a word?) creative day today. I woke up feeling rather inspired to create. And create I did.


Ok, I didn't get a great pile of garments or quilts made. To tell you the truth I couldn't actually start with my sewing until about lunch time because of swimming lessons with the boys and other domestic duties. But I got lots of sewing in and just about finished 1 top from a pattern that I purchased in 2007 and never got around to using. I'll show you all when I'm finished.


I was creative in a slightly different way as well before a broke out the sewing machine. I have discovered some pretty funky paper designs recently, care of Amy J at Delightful Distractions. However I really do not want to move into scrapbooking. The designs are the kind you would expect to see on the pages of note pads. The challenge was how to turn them into funky little note pads.


Now I must admit that a have a bit of a weakness when it comes to notepads and and little notebooks. I just can't resist them!!


After a little research I have found a method that is working. So I have raided my darling husband's garage for a couple of simple supplies and created a couple of notepads too. All that was needed was some protective cardboard, two small pieces of wood and two small quick clamps. Oh and the most important thing, silicone!
Yep, Silicone. You must take extra care not to get the silicone on your husband's little quick clamps. You have to be pretty quick to get it off before he realises.


Now this little note pad I did get finished. Well sort of finished. I must be patient and wait for the silicone to totally cure. 
Ahh....   Patience is not really something I have an abundance of.

Bernie