Mail, Shopping and Other Bits

Look at what came today! Can't wait to sit down and watch this dvd of Deb's.

It comes free with this months Australian Quilters Companion magazine, so if your interested in free motion quilting - head to your nearest newsagent to see if they have it.

Mr Busy did this last week. We now have a 'midget' doorway between our house and the extension. It's great not to have to walk all the way around the house to go between the two; though as the eaves aren't done yet (and winter is fast approaching here in AU) it is a bit chilly...

oh, mending pile is on the left and ironing pile is on the right. The ironing pile has a pulse by the way.....

Looking through the 'midget' doorway into the extension - family/dining room and kitchen further down. The children and I have been doing bookwork for school here, in the lovely morning sun coming through the stacka sliding door. The mess is stored stuff that I am sorting through. What's being kept is less than half - now that is a load off my mind!

Had a parcel in the mail today from Kerry. We are in an online stitching group together, Friends in Stitching. Kerry made a bag for me in the recent bag swap. I made a bag for Jan (who made my christmas present from this group). Jan's bag is finished but I can't show you yet! and I can't show what Kerry sent me because it's not time to open it yet ...... though I did open the card to read.

(Don't worry Kerry, I haven't seen inside the book you said you made the bag from so I have no idea what is going to surprise me on opening night)

Fabric buying (and spending) has come along way with me, for ages it was 'gotta have gotta have'. Now I have learnt to be more choosy about what I do buy.

Recently I found a fantastic site in the US that sells mostly reproduction fabrics (a favourite of mine) AutumnRoseQuilting. I was so tempted to purchase a number of FQ packs. I spent a number of weeks pondering over this purchase and decided I didn't need to spend the money to have most of the fabrics collect dust here when I already have so much to sew. Instead of purchasing the FQs and other bits I chose three fabrics and ordered 1-1.5 yards of each. I did not purchase these from ARQ this time as I had a partial order from another shop at the time and combined it to help with postage.

The rest of the order included these two Nicey Jane fabrics that I have been eyeing off for simply ages, to make two market bags for my girls - like their brothers.

and, this piece of DolyDresses3 - to go with my little Dolly Dresses stash that I am using to make the Friends in Stitching BOM (taking turns to pick a 12 inch pieced block each month). This was my favourite fabric in that range. Just adore the blue and pinks in it.....

This is the Friends in Stitching block for May for the BOM.

Dawnie picked me to choose this months (she did last months).

I thought it was going to take me ages to pick one but the first one I clicked on to look at (liked the name) I loved, so it was easy!

This block is Colorado Beauty and is made up of 16 half squares in two fabrics. You could use a third fabric to replace the 'orange' in the central pinwheel too.

You will have to excuse the long post, and the long absence. Things have been hectic here to say the least.

Soccer, soccer training, dh home for the weekend and RDOs, starting AND finishing a quilt in less than a week (more on that soon!) and the other night I happened to run the kids Jack Russell puppy over coming home. So yesterday JessieGirl spent all day crying. DS 9yrs had to bury Goofy twice, to his dismay as DS4yrs old dug up Goofy to see where he had gone.....(not being naughty but curious as to what happened to the dog after it was buried). and I am attending a leadlighting course tomorrow with one of my closest friends! So sometime between dinner, ironing clothes and organising food for tomorrow and bedtime I am hoping to watch Deb's new dvd on freemotion quilting!

PS.

I have been trying to look at a number of blogs this afternoon but keep having trouble (slow connection this time of day??? not sure) so I AM thinking of you and will get to your blogs as soon as I can. looking forward to seeing what you have all been up to! Bec xxx