Winners are Grinners

It was the boys Athletics day at school today, and I did the mad lunchtime rush to catch a bit of the action! I managed to see both boys run their relays and be awarded with their second place ribbons. Kane got a third too for "throwing things" - shotput I guess! Out boys are not the natural athletes - great swimmers but you know - we tend to run into gangliness... except Kane - he is short. So good on them!

Here are the posers, Callum and Kane.

I have had a frustrating week at work, and I have just whinged to my poor sister Chris who didn't ring to hear it all.. it was extra work, line manager (and friend) resigning and a laptop that may be politely handed back to the IT guy on Monday. Conferences in Melbourne for two days next week that I wasn't expecting. Okay, enough - I hear you.

Maya managed to play nicely while I tried to work it out. I have promised myself a bit of time on the sewing machine tomorrow to make a RABBIT and to sort out my mums birthday present from January. I'll have time next week on the train to work on it.

Lets finish on a happy note! It's the weekend tomorrow! Happy Friday!

Show and Tell Tuesday ~ Kane's Quilt

Todays show and tell is the Kane's Construction quilt I made for 5 year old Kane over a year ago. It took so long to find a quilt that was "him" but this one definately is.

Applique is not my favorite thing, but it does make great colourful kids quilts. There is so much detail on the quilt and it all hand button hole stitch. I am glad he likes it! Great machine quilting by Maggie Alexander too.

Sorry, just a quick post and back to work! Callum is off to his friend Mollys house tonight and Ayden is at sport so it might even be a bit quiet for awhile. Is that possible with a 2 year old and a 5 year old at home?

I hope your Tuesday is going well.

Happy, Happy. Happy

I am smiling nearly as much as these lions! They are done. Now all I need to do is write the pattern and create the pdf, and then you can make your own for the kids. Unfortunately the computer screen is playing up and I can't see the correct color, so sorry if they look funny. I'll check them at work tomorow and see.

I try not to talk about work too much but I my head is full at the moment trying to write speech notes in my head for upcoming presentations on International Womens Day at a corporate partners breakfast event. I have 5 colleagues who will be using these notes and a powerpoint to go with it. I've got that whole white page thing happening... and I won't be able to write a sensible pattern until its done.

The weekend has gone in another big blur. Matt took the three youngest kids out to the front garden to do some work this morning. It think he even managed to get something done! Its so dry that its hard to see where the garden starts. This was so great though, because it gave me some time to get the bags finished, and to supervise Ayden making date squares for this round of Duke of Ed skills.

I think I have now recovered from Fridays trip to donate blood. I am so squeamish.... errgggg. Well now its done for another 3 months.

It's time to toss the kids in the bath and get dinner ready. I hope that your weekend was lovely, a big dint was made in the housework, the crafting was successful, and the kids behaved!

Lucy - I have rabbits on my mind!

Great effort Ayden!

Today our 14 year old son recieved his first Duke of Ed award. A representative came up from Melbourne to his school to hand it over at assembly. I have to show you all because it was such a great effort. There were the fun things to do, like the extra camp he went on to Hanging Rock, and all the sports for the physical education component.


Then there was the volunteering component. Ayden could be seen almost nightly trailing around Ballarat's public spaces in a pair of big, yellow rubber gloves collecting litter. Lots of people said "Good on you!" but still not the nicest activity for a teenage boy. Then there was the sewing. Ayden thought this was good to learn, but there wasn't much option at the time in the skills department - he was stuck with me. So lots of straight line sewing on the cushion, and then making his "Dilbert" dinosaur called "Dinostomp" that won him his prize on the Melly & Me blog.

We think you are great Ayden!

In my few minutes I have been working on my Happy Lion Bag and hopefully 2 versions will be done on the weekend, then I can add the pattern.

And I might get to list a few handmades on eBay!

Have a great weekend!

Just so excited!

It's here!

Patti's parcel has arrived from Lucy's valentines swap! Can you see the desperate marks where I tore the packing tape off! So exciting!

Thank you so much Patti and Lucy. It's just so perfect. In this box of treats I found the grown up choc's - they won't last long, ideal heart buttons for me - love them and a beautiful pincushion that is so "me" roses on one side and polka dots on the other, and crochet that is just amazing around the edge. I am so lucky! The heart stickers I will be using on my Easter card in the next swap and the lollies for the kids - three went for me while I am taking these pics...

The biggest, happiest thanks from me, all the way to the UK!

On another nice note, Maya's cardigan is finished. 4 days of over 30 degrees and I was making a heavy wool cardigan. Now its done. Hooray.

And my new stock of Melly & me and Rosalie Quinlan Designs patterns arrived to go on eBay. I am just itching to do some sewing now.

See you tomorrow. Have a great day!

Show and Tell Tuesday

I thought I might do some show and tell Tuesdays. This is a picture of the first quilt that I made, over 9 years ago. Some of the girls at work encouraged me that I could do it, and gave me some magazines and headed me off to a patchwork shop. That was the start of the stash. This quilt doesn't come out of hiding very often as it is a "first go". Its hand pieced and hand quilted.

And my Valentines Swap Package has arrived at Patti's house in the UK! I am compulsively checking the front step and the back step for mine, but its not here yet. Check out Patti's blog Just another row for some pics. Here is the one I took before I posted it, just in case. The little chocolates are Bilbys, instead of rabbits that I thought might be nice to see in England.

I thought this pic was SO FUNNY! Yes, Matt did sit me down and tell me that maybe it wasn't THAT funny but I am still laughing about it and it brightened a big day at the office yesterday. And if it doesn't show properly - It's a Possum, a big fat furry Possum!

Have a great Tuesday!

What weekend?

Another weekend has gone and disappeared. I'll show you some of the things I have been up to.

Maya's doll and bear quilt finished. I am so pleased to see this done. You might be able to see some of the orphan blocks that I cut up to help add the 2 and a half inch squares. I also had Ayden chain piecing scraps that I passed him on the machine so that I could trim them up and use up those little scraps.

A trip to Lincraft to get some fabric for Ayden to make his Magoo pattern that he won on the Melly and Me blog. They were having a half price fabric sale. Some wool and buttons for Maya's cardigan happened to drop into the basket too, but I came out only spending $20 so I was pretty happy about that.

White choc chip buscuits made for the kids lunches, and again assisted by Ayden to help his next level Duke of Ed award skills.

I joined the Lucy Locket Bunny Hop Bunny Swap, and even managed to upload Lucy's banner - yay!

I added some patterns on Ebay http://feedback.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=rachel011&ftab=AllFeedback&sspagename=STRK:ME:UFS I don't know how to do the links nicely yet, but this goes to my feedback (hopefully) and I you can look for my things for sale from there. Anyway, I am Rachel011

The first drawings for my free pattern Happy Lion Bag are drawn, and I have started on the free pattern writing for my stitchery bag tag or gift tag. I made this to go along with my "Its an adventure bag that I blogged about.

Kane wasn't well today, and it was hot here in Ballarat. Matt had gone to a clearing sale with his mate to buy some nursery gear from a former strawberry farm. I hear that there is a 6 and a half metre propagating setup in his trailer... I was feeling a bit house bound. We managed to do a swap at around three and Matt stayed with Kane and did some matchbox car tracks and the other three and I went off to the Eureka Pool for a swim and a chance to catch up with their friends. I'm ready for a good sit down now!

I hope your weekend was great!

Sweet things...

Some more sweet things from my son Kane. Kane made this heart at school yesterday for Valentines Day and has so carefully written "I Love You" in his best prep writing. I miss him everyday since he is my 'little boy'. He started school on 29 January and here is his pic on his first day.

I spent half yesterday worrying about 14 year old Ayden. As a fundraiser at school the kids can buy a rose and send it to someone. He was so brave and bought one for the girl in class that he likes AND he signed it. Now I remember being in year 9 ... and I hoped it would all go well. He came back smiling so I guess it was okay...

There was a big box of chocolates for me too from my husband x.

Thank you to everyone who has left a comment for me. I haven't worked out how to find your email addresses yet so I can reply but I will get there, and thanks Lucy for the link! I won't feel like I am talking to myself so much now! Thank you to anyne elso who would like to link to me - I'll be adding more as I get a few minutes.

And as promised here are some pics of my work in progress.

Pictured is the cardigan I am knitting for Maya from a very dated book from about 1993, my Leannes House "Living the Dream" stitchery quilt that I have had cut out since December waiting for me to sew it together. The stitchery is my Red Brolly "Sunshine in your Pocket" quilt that I pick up every now and again.

Enjoy your weekend everyone. Its swiming lessons for the boys at 9am, then 6 year old Callum is off to a party at 10am, and Ayden "the horder" and I am going through stage 2 of clearing out his room. And maybe some craft!

Random things..

I've got so much to show you, but I just getting the hang of blogging :)

This just melts my heart. Kane is learning to read and here is is hanging monkey for the letter M.

And here is Maya just back from creche looking all scruffy and playing with her walking "happy feet" penguin. A quick snap from today.

This is what I picked up at Ballarat Patchwork this afternoon. The class I have just signed up for "Lime and Soda" and a fat quarter for my free pattern I will be uploading soon for the happy lion bag - yay! The book is fantastic and I am hoping for a few minutes to flick through it tonight. It's "The Crafters Companion" and its got great patterns from some of those blogs we love.

And this is my "Its an Adventure" bag that I designed for a stitchery bag competion for Australian Homespun. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

And a work in progress. This is a quilt for Maya's dolls and bears. I am trying to use up some of the little scraps I have. I have made two quilts from these brights and its nice to see the bits and pieces almost gone.

I'll get the hang of it and try another post tomorrow!

Pancake Day

I really tried!

Today the boys Junior school held its pancake day. I organised myself like mad to make it there by lunchtime, along with the camera for my first pics for the blog. By 11.30 it was all done, even the cleanup and I had missed out.

I did manage to get Patti's package all ready to go for the Valentine swap through. Hooray!