500th post and giveaway

This is what I did today. I covered my boring white Ikea table with some oilcloth. I have been planning to do this for ages. I am finally getting organised! As you can see the table now works so well you (or Miss 13) can even do homework on it. I am absolutely crazy for red, white and aqua so I decided to combine these two fabrics (sewed them together even) and staple them to the table. I like it a lot. So, this is where I will be sewing the giveaway this week. Leave a comment on my 500th post and I will draw a winner on Friday. And the prize? It's good. Handmade by me on my new, bright table.

Red Club No. 2

Marg Low's Red Club today at the Patchwork Apple! It was such a beautiful day. It rained. And you know how much we South Australian's love rain! It was a truly lovely day. I went early and had lunch at the bakery. I sat in the bakery and watched autumn. Lots of red, brown and gold leaves falling and everything was grey. Then we stitched. The hexagon flower above is Prue's. She got hers appliqued onto the block! She was speedy gonzales! My hexagon flower is below. Not appliqued to the block!

Tomorrow is meant to be another rainy day here, just the kind of day to spend inside sewing I think.

Shaggy quilt finished!

Yes! It's finished! So pleased to have it done. I went to my quilt group, "Pink Ladies" at the Patchwork Apple today and finished the clipping. Mr 16 is pleased in a teenaged boy grunt kind of way. I am pleased because it's done, and because it will keep him warm now. Quilts are beautiful and I love to look at them, but it's very satisfying being able to warm someone too. Hmm....... next project please!

A quilt almost finished, and some pies.

Still working on Mr 16's shaggy flannel quilt. All the sewing is done, just clipping! (And clipping, and clipping!) Three more pies finished. (Can you tell I got sick of the clipping?) Off to the Patchwork Apple tomorrow. Can't wait!!!

More pies..........

I have been working on Mr 16s quilt, but I'm not finished yet. However, some handstitching has been happening. Pies in fact. These are the latest. The pies no longer seem overwhelming and I am enjoying working with the different fabrics. I am off to Marg Low's red club at the Patchwork Apple this week. I saw Granny Loz's red club report and can't wait to go do the same thing myself! Good week coming up!!!

Today's Sewing

Remember this from March? Mr 16 and I sewing shaggy flannel quilts? I finished mine. His is much bigger than mine was. (He is 6ft 3. Try fitting that under your usual shaggy flannel quilt!) He did all the cutting out and then all the quilting. He even had the first two rows of the quilt together. Then it turned into a UFO. We all know how that happens! So today I thought I would work on his quilt because it is cool here in Adelaide now and he wants his quilt. I will be working on it again tomorrow. Maybe I will even finish it!

A Crocheted Scarf

I crocheted a scarf on the weekend, I love to crochet! So much fun. It was a welcome distraction because I was unwell and had to spend the weekend in bed. I used Cleckheaton's 8 ply country wool doubled and a 10mm hook. This has made the scarf so thick and soft. Miss 18 has already claimed the scarf, but I am thinking I might list it in my etsy shop. I often think about my etsy shop. It has been inactive all this year. Partly because I haven't made much lately and partly because I really haven't had much success with it. I'm thinking though that I might give it another go. I am really wanting to pursue my art goals at the moment and stocking an etsy shop might just be the motivation I need. I love to paint, but haven't done any painting for quite some time now. I am also interested in art quilts, but have turned very few of the ideas I have into tangible quilts. Of course, I love traditional quilts as well and even "home sewing".

(Here I have to admit that I am a Project Runway tragic. I love everything about that show. Heidi, Tim, the whole shebang! The contestants are always fantastic. There are a few I haven't liked much, but mostly I like them all. Especially the girl who was the first eliminated in the current series on Arena (Foxtel). She was a conceptual designer and she explained the way she liked to work by describing her approach to fabric. She approaches the fabric and then asks, "Hello fabric. What would you like me to turn you into today?". How could you not love that!!! The only thing I have a problem with on the whole show is when the judges criticise a designer by saying that their outfit looks "home sewn". Yeah. Thanks for that Michael Kors. I don't mind if they say it looks badly done, but the euphamism of "home sewn" for badly done rubs me the wrong way. When did this cringe start? This is part of the handmade cringe which is being overcome in some places now. (handmade=badly done) Nowadays you just have to look at factory produced clothing to see bad work. Maybe what the critics are saying is that the design itself is amateurish. No matter. I <3 Project Runway anyway!!! Even though most of what I make is "home sewn"!)

That brings me to the ultimate question. Is what I do art or craft? Or do I do both? For me the answer is that it doesn't really matter. Making is what matters to me. Creating is what I am all about. So, I'm looking forward to more making and creating. Keep a look out for my revamped etsy shop too. Coming soon.......

Back to the pies

Last week I finally got back to the pies and tarts. I did get so sick of them earlier this year. So much so that at one point they went flying across the room. I figured that I needed a little break at that point. I have picked them up a few times since then, but they didn't go anywhere. Last week was different. I managed to finish a couple of pies so I figured I am good to go now. Hopefully they won't go flying across the room anytime soon!

I am working my way to my 500th post at the moment. Amazing, isn't it? I am astounded that I am approaching 500 posts. It doesn't seem that long ago that I didn't even know what a blog was! I am here now because my daughter was excited about the craft blogs she was reading and started her own blog. She used to talk to me about Two Little Banshees, Kitty Genius, My Paper Crane, and Inside a Black Apple. There were lots of others as well. I was a basic technophobe, but I liked what I was reading and looking at so much I had to become more computer literate. She sat next to me and coached me through setting up my blog and posting those first few times. My head was spinning every time I touched my blog! But it got better. Now I can even help you if you want some help setting up a blog! I think the main reason I got comfortable with the whole computer thing is because my Bradley bought me my own laptop. I feel so lucky. This nearly 500 post ride has been wonderful. So much inspiration. So many friends. So many opportunities to stretch myself and learn new things. I am looking forward to the next 500!!! So, look out for the all-singing, all-dancing, all-giveaway 500th post. A celebration of blogging!

Melbourne Museum

We had a whale of a time at the Melbourne Museum. (This is Mr 9 holding a whale rib bone) It was fun. We really liked the Imax there. We saw a 3D movie and it was completely 3D. (Of course it was! It was amazing!) After we had had enough we dashed outside to this.

Mr 9 ran. And then he and Mr 16 played. They liked it too.

Something old - snappy friends challenge

We spent the last couple of days in Melbourne. I know! Everyone else was there last week when the craft show was on. What can I say? I guess I'm just not everyone else! I was pondering this weeks Snappy Friends challenge, "Something Old" outside the Melbourne Museum. You know they have a lot of old stuff in there, but I wasn't particularly inspired by it. When we got outside this tree inspired me. You don't get that big without being old!

Isn't it a truly amazing tree. (I know, there were lots, but I had a real affection for this one)

And a post.
And a house. I also went to "Meet me at Mike's" for the first time ever yesterday. Bought a book I had as a child. It was very cool there!

iphone cover

I turned one of my Natalie Lymer Inspired Stitches stitcheries into a cover for my phone. This stitchery was one from Natalie's Cinderberry Stitches Gadget bags pattern. I've been meaning to do this since April, but only managed to get around to it yesterday. I like it. It took all of two and a half minutes (okay, exaggerating somewhat here) and it makes me wonder why I didn't do it before!

Green - Snappy Friends Challenge

I love the Snappy Friends blog. Such beautiful photography there! They have a weekly challenge going and invite all to join in, so this is my contribution. Green, at my house.

May

This is the bread and butter pudding that I made for dessert tonight.

I have had a busy weekend. May began. (The calender only just got flipped from April to May this evening. ) Mrs 25 (picklesticks) and her family moved house. A busy time. And I still can't believe that it's May!!! Hopefully this week will include some stitching!