Monday, November 30, 2009

Zig-Zag

Remember last week when I was inspired by the zig zag quilt over at CrazyMomQuilts? Well I had a few greens in the stash and the boy of the house loves green so I set to work and finished the top this afternoon.


I enjoyed constructing this and seeing how the rows came together made it go really quickly! I'm planning a trip to Spotties tomorrow for some quilting thread and backing and then plan on getting to work quilting this little one. Any ideas/suggestions on quilting designs? I'm thinking of just following the ziggy zaggy pattern and was thinking of a green variegating thread to pop a bit of the black out so it's not so dark. I can't get a decent photo of the colours but they are way brighter than they both appear in the piccies.

Remember Charley's quilt boo-boo? I became friends with my seam ripper this afternoon (much like the lovely Kuka) and have just finished putting it back together. Again, thread & backing tomorrow and then I'm going to start quilting. I'm thinking of a white/pink/purple variegated thread for this one and just plan on quilting horizonal lines on this one.

So that's been my day - loving my sewing machine at the moment although I think I'll have to give her up for a while soon. She really needs a service. Anyway, I'm hoping to get the quilting & binding done on these before Christmas so both the kids have got some handmade love from their mumma to open on the big day!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Christmas.... crafting and other stuff

I've just come from the shops after joining the crazy crowds to grab a few things for christmas gifts for my immediate family and it was interesting to see the different reactions/attitudes of different shoppers. From the stressed out, hurried mum who had five children with her trying to rangle kidlets and find the right sized shirt to the little old lady who stood in the christmas decoration isle for ages just looking and touching all the different deccies. It made me think about how I perceive christmas and particularly the gift giving aspect of the season.

I think I'm fairly lucky - I have a small, immediate family and a select group of close friends who I will be buying/making/baking for but even then I've found myself caught up and stressing. Is what I'm giving worth/as good as what that person will get me? Am I spending too much (ha! hardly likely!)/too little? Is what I'm making good enough? I hate that I have those doubts. In terms of family I'm not making much, they don't appreciate the time/effort/energy that goes into handmade so this year I can't really be bothered. Remeber the christmas sock monkeys of last year? They are disgusting. Absolutely foul. The stuffing is coming out, they are stained, stink and are just generally revolting so I've decided to make new ones this year with some swishy merino socks. I'm hoping that the improved sock quality will result in improved monkey quality but we'll wait and see.

Anyway, the whole point of my post was to nut out this christmas thing. Why do I feel the need to conform to the consumeristic christmas? Why do I have this anxiety that what I give won't be good enough? Why has this consumerism culture taken the joy and fun out of christmas and replaced it with self doubt and concern?

This christmas seems to be hard for me and it's not even December yet! I've got anxiety over the gift issues, concern over going away and how the kids will handle christmas away from the family and worried that this will be my last christmas with my nanna. I think it's probably the last issue that is weighing most heavily on my mind. I don't want christmas to come because I don't want to be a step closer to losing her ;-(

Sunday, November 22, 2009

So little time.... so much to try....



... because I'd love one of these




Blueberry Pie from Crazy Mom Quilts which I'm in love with and am thinking of in reds for my loungeroom. It's been brown/blue for years and I'm over it. Thinking new cushion covers & a new quilt over the lounge is just what I need.


... and one of these


Also from crazy mom quilts I'm in love with the zig-zag quilt. I love and have always loved zig zag quilts but as a beginner sewer/quilter the concept of triangles scares the bejesus out of me. The potential for stretching and skewing of fabric on the bias is just too much for me to take so when I saw this and the instructions for zig zag without triangles my eyes lit up! Again, thinking reds with a cream/beige for the lounge room.
Finally I'm in love with these pinwheels which I think would be great in pink/purple tones for the little miss of the house or in greens on beige/browns for the little mister. Tutorial for the block can be seen here.
ARGH - so much that I want to do but I just don't have enough time (or moolah!) to get it all done! Christmas crafting has started for me which I plan on posting about tomorrow - a bit of a conundrum for me but will get through all that later - for now I'm off to browse more awesome quilt patterns and dream!!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Photo roundup

I've been sewing in the past few days, finally overcoming my fear of stretch fabrics, and getting some new tops ready for summer. This one was just some fabric that was sitting in the stash and a super quick and easy pattern which only took an hour or so. It's a really lovely loose weave and it's going to be really cool in summer for lazing about the house. I've also done a black t-shirt with gathering in the front but it's in the wash so no photos just yet!



These are the two projects for tomorrow.




This is the quilt that I started for my bed months ago when I delivered the one for my grandma. She bought me a new jelly roll and although tempted by lots of lovely patterns I decided to stick to the tried & trusted. Sounds silly but I'm going to like having a 'sister quilt' just like nannas. It took me two days to put the strips together but then I couldn't find denim anywhere and couldn't find a suitable substitute for the sashings. Yesterday I was just meandering through spotlight, as one does, when I stmbled across the very denim that I'd be searching for months ago. The roll did look very thin though - I wasn't feeling confident as I approached the counter. I needed 2meters and was hoping & praying that there would be enough. The lady rolled it out and there was 210cm on the roll. Yay! Today, the top is finished & I'll be contacting Raylee from Sunflower Quilting in the next week or so to organise the quilting of it. I love it!! The birthday girl, complete with red rings thanks to a raspberry split ice block!


Last weekend was lovely weather so we headed out to the markets and the little miss twisted my arm for a ride - who could say no to that little face?


I absolutely adore this pic of my two - I'd have to say that this is one of the best of them together. Love you guys!!


ETA - forgot to add the piccie of Charlotte's quilt top - thank goodness I took a photo and posted it - I've just realised there is a boo-boo! Off to find the quick unpick.....

Can't believe...

... it's been almost a month since I last posted...

Lots has happened in the past few weeks.....

... the little Miss has turned four. I can't find my external harddrive so can't find all the old photos but it's hard to get my head around that the little bub who was so eager to arrive and who I first met in a humidi crib with tubes and wires around her is the little girl who is about to embark on her preschool adventure, was so incredibly brave for her needles, who makes me smile most days and who is a joy in my life in more and more situations. We had a family dinner with the extended family and then just a little dinner at home with the three of us. She was spoilt as always!!

... the little Mister has started swimming lessons. Thanks in part to the school swimming program. Day one of the program he wouldn't put his head under the water, day 10 and he was a different child, 4 weeks into regular swimming lessons and he's diving to get rings off the bottom of the pool. He's definitely in no way a proficient swimmer but his confidence in the water is just amazing. It's been good for all us to get in the water - we all head down on Tuesdays now to have a splash about. Tires everyone out as well which is an added bonus.

... there is someone else who is sharing in our life now...

... uni is over - yep OVER - my undergraduate student life is finally and thankfully over. Graduation is exactly five weeks today!!! Student life is not entirely over though... I'm heading back in February to start my honours program. I've got my topic semi-covered, have written the application and have been talking to uni about possibly supervisors. It's an exciting time!!

... I have a job! I've been offered a place in the February intake of graudates for the new grad program. I've put in preferences for 10A (gastro surgery), 8B (ENT, cardiothoracic, maxio facial, opthamology & plastics), 7B (medical assessment and planning, PaTCH (paeds). I should know by christmas where they are going to send me. I'm looking forward to seeing where I'm heading on my clinical pathway. Given the honours though I plan on working part time, studying part time and losing any sense of sanity for any other time I have!!

... given the lack of uni, readings, assignments, essays, clinical and the general lack of routine and 'stuff' I haven't got much crafting done. I've got two quilt tops in the works and tops for each of the kidlets finished. I'd love to get them both quilted and finished for the kids for christmas and at least one of them finished for me before the end of the year. It's do-able but I've also been sewing some tops for me for summer.

Anyway, that's a quick wrap up of life here at the moment. Will post again soon with some photos of life around the place!