About Me
- Kris
- I am a mother of eight and grandmother of four who loves to make and create. Rosemary Hill is the name of our home where we live, work, learn and create together
Friday 28 September 2012
Red and White Bunting
It is a very grey rainy day here in my part of Melbourne. My favourite kind of weather. Yesterday was warm. So warm in fact that my kids and their friends had a water fight. (Lily's favourite kind of weather. We think it would be really nice if we could have one grey day, then one warm day, and so on. Then we would both be happy about the weather all the time.) Ok. So it actually wasn't that warm. Let's just say it was warm enough for kids to have a water fight. But that warm air did have an effect on me. It made me realise that it really is getting close to Christmas! Living in Australia warm and hot weather just scream Christmas to me. So today I am working on bunting. In one of my favourite colour combos!
Tuesday 25 September 2012
Christmas Ornaments
Wouldn't these look pretty on a tree? I'm busy making Perler bead ornaments. It's really kid's play, but I must be a kid at heart because I am having so much fun!
Monday 24 September 2012
I could do with some sunshine!
This photo was taken this afternoon. One moment there was sunshine, and the next I took this photo! I finished the Sunshine quilt top and had my Bradley model it in the yard. It's ready for basting (I've already cut the backing!) and then I am going to do some awesome free motion quilting on it. I have recently purchased a couple of online Craftsy classes. I did an online class in February this year with Rachel Hauser which was taught via a blog with video tutorials. I quite liked that style of teaching. I tried all sorts of things I had never done before. It was value for money I thought. Then I heard about the Craftsy classes which are taught via video tutorial. I bought a class called "Quilting Big Projects on a Small Machine" (I am nothing if not ambitious!) to try it out. Once you buy a Craftsy class you always have access to the video lessons which means you can work at your own pace through the tutorials. So I bought three more classes which included "Machine Quilting Negative Space"and now I feel FMQ confident! (Hopefully I will be able to do some awesome free motion quilting) Watch this space for something finished.
Sunday 23 September 2012
Lily's Peppermint Butler Bag.
Peppermint Butler on Lily's hip - off to church. |
His tails. |
Yesterday's Produce.
Sunshine top almost together. |
Oh. And I don't have a headache today. Yay! Apart from the food shopping I also managed to hit two fabric shops yesterday. As I worked on the quilt above I felt a sudden need to purchase some backing. I think I thought that the top was almost finished and I might feel a sudden need to baste and quilt it so I had better be prepared. So funny! Perhaps I just wanted to go to a fabric shop. (Now that does ring true, doesn't it?) I managed to find backing for this quilt and another. Then I popped into the next fabric shop. They were having a sale. (Yep. Spotlight. When are they not having a sale? They had 30% off quilting fabric.) I managed to pick up some fabric to make Christmas pressies for my side of the family. Handmade Christmas here I come! It's funny how the purchase of some fabric makes me feel organised and productive. Imagine how over the moon I will be when I actually make something. Jess and I chatted yesterday about the whole Handmade Christmas thing and it turns out she is waaaay more productive than I am. She already has a stack of presents waiting to be wrapped. It's hard to feel eclipsed by your own children because mostly you just feel proud of them and glad that they have turned out to be so awesome. It is pretty great being the mother of awesome children!
Saturday 22 September 2012
A tree
a tree, partway through the painting process |
Friday 21 September 2012
Brown paper packages tied up with string..... (yes, a few of my favourite things!)
My Bradley had some appointments in Adelaide this week. He stayed with our daughter Jess (picklesticks) and her family. When he came home he brought a brown paper package tied up with string (and a button. It's funny, but Julie Andrews never mentions the button) from Jess. It contained a key ring that she had made, and yes, it's now one of my favourite things.
Most of our family members love to make all sorts of things. Making is very important to me. One of the reasons I fell in love with my Bradley was that he made things for me. He crocheted a nose-warmer with a pompom on the tip for me early on in our relationship. (Well, it was winter, and my nose was cold!) I thought it was a beautiful and thoughtful gift. He remembered that my nose was cold, and he handmade something to fix the problem. My friends thought it was ugly and handmade, but I loved it and wore it. (This was the '80s people. There was nothing worse than handmade in the '80s! Not for me though. Growing up my mother made most of our clothing, her clothing and decorated our home all with handmade items and I loved it all!) Since then he has made many things for me. It's all so "Little House on the Prairie". I read the books before the tv show started and I loved that Pa would make gifts for Ma.
This week I haven't really made anything. I think I have the making equivalent of writer's block, or I'm just a bit out of sorts. So far all I have made is a mess all over my sewing desk. However, Sophie has made a cardigan, a hat, a dress and has been working on two rugs. Maxim built a skateboard and has been working on a carved Santa. Lily has been working on her Princess Bubblegum costume and has been carving a sword. Asher has spent the week building lego vehicles and buildings. Hmm... I had better get my act together!
Wednesday 19 September 2012
Pinboards
A photo from my pinboard |
My wonky churn dash block |
Saturday 15 September 2012
All things Christmas
the nativity Sophie designed this week |
my desk with Christmas fabrics "poured" on it |
Thursday 13 September 2012
Quilting...
quilting tonight |
Monday 10 September 2012
Finished!
I started playing around with these fresh squares last Thursday and managed to get this cushion finished today. I have had so much fun playing with these 2 1/2 inch squares. I recently had occasion to learn how to pipe a cushion (thank you YouTube!) so I put this new found knowledge to the test and piped this cushion. It makes a really nice finish for the cushion I think. I am so happy to have something finished. There's nothing quite so cheerful as a finish people! If it was possible I would finish something every day.
Saturday 8 September 2012
Water Globe...
water globe, or snow globe complete with LED lights and snow blower |
It's hard to see inside the snow, but it has a white Christmas tree inside. |
Friday 7 September 2012
Fresh Squares
I read something on facebook this morning that said, "When life gives you lemons, eat M&Ms." I have a bucket of them at the moment. (Yes, Coles is still selling those buckets of Aussie green and gold M&Ms they had for the olympics cheaply.) My only addition to the quote would be, "And sew. A lot." It seems that I just can't get enough of 2 1/2in squares. Those granny square blocks have made me crazy for 2 1/2in squares. This is a new project I have started. (Probably my quote would include M&Ms, sewing, and new projects!) It's all good though, because it is only a small project that I am hoping to finish today. Back to the sewing machine.
Wednesday 5 September 2012
Liberated Churn Dash Tutorial (via Sarah Vee at Sew Joy Creations)
Sarah's tutorial can be found here.
Monday 3 September 2012
Basting done and dusted!
Two quilts basted! |
Sunday 2 September 2012
Basting
I had planned to baste today, but didn't quite get that far. I did get the batting down from upstairs which is further than I have got any other day this week. Tomorrow might just be basting day. Instead we did Father's Day type things and went to church. It takes quite a bit to celebrate Father's Day here because my Bradley is a father eight times over. Well, we have been married for a million years now you know. Actually, we are closing in on our thirtieth wedding anniversary which is nothing short of amazing. Seriously. How can we possibly have a thirtieth wedding anniversary when we are both still in our twenties? It's quite mind boggling!
This is my Bradley shooting hoops with number one son quite some time ago now. He still goes to shoot hoops with son number three. (There are only three boys amongst our eight children) It keeps you busy all that hoop shooting! He has spent most of this evening chatting on the phone to our Adelaide based children. So, I hope your family's all had a great father's day. And tomorrow I might just baste a quilt.
This is my Bradley shooting hoops with number one son quite some time ago now. He still goes to shoot hoops with son number three. (There are only three boys amongst our eight children) It keeps you busy all that hoop shooting! He has spent most of this evening chatting on the phone to our Adelaide based children. So, I hope your family's all had a great father's day. And tomorrow I might just baste a quilt.
Saturday 1 September 2012
Little Pieces of Sunshine
It's the first of September and Spring is in the air, which seems to validate my choice of sewing project this weekend. I have been sewing little pieces of sunshine all day today. The sewing has been punctuated by a trip to the supermarket, and answering the door to Lily and Asher's friends as they have drifted in and out to draw, paint, do homework and watch tv with my kids. (Right now I am typing to the sounds of Finn and Jake from Adventure Time.) Hopefully "Little Pieces of Sunshine" (the new quilt) will be together by tomorrow night. Then there will be six quilt tops waiting to be basted. Must get onto that!
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