PatchworkDreams

Well my day started early and it was a lovely day I was out taking photo’s in the garden at 7am before going to the beach!!!!!!

Isn’t

 he amazing, it is the Ulysses  caterpillar which will end up a beautiful Hugh blue butterfly. Notice his long antennas that are very soft like jelly, I took this yesterday afternoon as he pulls those antennas in when it looks like it is dark or till the sun comes out.

Our Gardiner's are perfect this year, they have loved the long dry and are flowering with Hugh heads and the perfume is incredible.

Even this lovely Lilly has flowered for the first time after giving it the seaweed????? It has a these lovely leaves.

The orchids are flower yet again for the third time this dry!!!!!

Tadpoles!!!! I have been watering around the house area and the rain-forest frogs think that the wet has come and our water catchers at the bottom of the down pipes from the house make wonderful nests for their eggs, we now have masses of tadpoles so we now have to look after them till they hatch, we can buy pelts that sit on the bottom of the containers and they eat them as they need with out the water becoming polluted. after this mornings rain there will be a lot more eggs laid now!!!!!!

and now it is pouring with rain, it was not forecast so it was a big surprise as we have not had rain for around 3 months and the rain-forest trees will be so happy and it will be wonderful for the undergrowth, not to mention all the people who suffer from asthma, the rain is heavy enough to wash away all the dust from the leaves.

Sewing?????  yes I have been sewing, have my machine back but it is not sewing 100%, working on Janet’s quilt but pulling threads and resewing which is frustrating.  Annabelle has had may be 6 different dresses as I was just not happy with them,  I think it is OK now????

Annabelle has been difficult; she has not liked the dresses I have made her, I think she is happy with this one it is number 5???????

I have spent most of my sewing the last week making Esther’s beautiful design Tulips which is from her free BOM this month, Esther is so very very generous with her art.

Esther's beautiful design Tulips see it at www.estheraliu.blogspot.com My Tulip bag is developing, now I need to make the drawstring top and straps and redo some of the bead work.

I cut the sleeves off the jacket (I'm making the bag out of a beaded jacket) and quilted them, cut out a circle added a bias binding then attached it to the bottom of my Tulip bag all by hand except the quilting.

Ladybugs made form felt. I cut out the body and head and stitched these down plus added the feelers, I used a blanket stitch, then cut the wings out and appliqued them on the same way, finally added the black dots using a double French knot with very very fine thread this has made Esther's cute wee Ladybugs very 3D.

Well it is 9am but still raining, but I think I will still go down tot eh beach, it is still lovely in the rain up here as it is so warm, it will be around 27C down there and if no wind I will still walk the beach and have brunch now as it is so late, fish and chips and a large coffee!!!!!.

Cheers All Glenda

Early this morning I wanted to take a photo of Esther’s Tulip design I’m working on, the sun was just starting to come over the range; within seconds the photo’s changed, the first photo below was taken only seconds before the lower photo, what a difference lighting does or sun rays!!!!!!

Taken first as the sun rays where shinning behind the ranges.

Taken just before the tip of the sun started to rise above the ranges.

I did not want to stop sewing this lovely block last night, I have ended up sewing the silk stems by hand and now glad I did instead of machine.

Cheers All Glenda

Last leaves sewn on last night by hand, I never managed to sew the stems down by machine but could not wait to do some more sewing on this lovely design so guess I will end up sewing the stems by hand too????

Leaves are made of 100% wool felt it is lovely to work with.

I hope to finish appliqueing the tulips on tonight.

I should really call Wednesdays

things I want to do

things I should do

and things I will do??????

I may use this brown sequin fabric over black velvet for the back of the bag time will tell????

This morning I printed a photo of my Tulips and I have popped it in to the zip-lock bag with-the templates of the tulips then dated and wrote who the design was by. May be I will make it again one day and I will have the templates all ready in freezer-paper to use.

Looks like I'm setting up for a play-centre but they are from the Opp Shop which I have brought home to clean, yesterday I washed all the covers and this morning started putting them back after cleaning the frames.

Yesterday soooo many books came in to the Opp Shop we sell them for $1.00 each I came home with 17 but 6 of them will go back today as they were not really what I thought they were. But I have some fun reading and looking ahead of me.

Books I want to read, I will take 7 years in Tibet with me this morning to read over brunch at the beach.

Pictorial books, I just love the two books of black and white photos, look at them close up, the bottom one says Just walk beside me, and the top one of dad and son says Joy is not in things it is in us???? I was reading these very very early this morning.

About to turn my appliqué of Sophie in to a bag shape, that is a Hugh cardboard disc that I cut around this morning.

You can now see that I folded the sleeve first then cut around the disc.

Now you can see Annabelle's friend Sophie plus the bag forming, with luck I will cut out the backing too today also, I brought home what once was a beautiful black velvet shawl from the opp shop yesterday, there is plenty of fabric with no marks and as the fabric is the very best I have scored as far as a Patchworker goes.

My first mango of the season this was my breakfast. Each year in OZ the first tray of mangos that is auctioned goes to charity, this year the tray sold for $76,000.00!!!!!!!

Waiting at my front door for me to take down to the beach, for reading, posting, and returning. So I guess I really need to get going it is 9.30am so it will be Brunch at the beach to day not Breakfast.

Managed to draft and cut out templates of Annabelle this after-noon but not happy with the colour of her dress it looks to much like her so tomorrow I will find some other material for her dress. This block will also end up a small bag for a wee friend 5 years old in Switzerland> it is called Wishing and I need to add the thistle downs floating above her. It is one of Michele's designs.

Will try and finish this this after-noon or tonight.

Cheers Glenda

www.patchworkdreams.com.au

glenda_jean@bigpond.com

On the 15th of each month Esther Aliu

http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com

releases 2 new designs each month this year free, they are of flowers and ohhhhh so beautiful. This month they are Snow-drops and Tulips

I started out with a black back ground tulips cut out of 100% wool felt.

I fell in love with the Tulip design and just had to start as soon as I was up this morning, thank goodness I have a free day. I’m going to use 100% wool felt mostly. I left the the patchwork for a while and put out washing, made a loaf of bread, and feed the dogs;  as I was walking back in side I saw this jacket that had come in to the Opp Shop with a mark on the front of it, unfortunately the mark turned out to be a scorch mark which I could not remove it, so I took the buttons off and was think what could I use the fabricfor??? but when????? as I have soooooooooooo much fabric all ready, so it was 1/2 way to been tossed out and the still thinking about it stage. Well it now has a chance of been saved!!!!!!

Now I feel like these tulips are happier than they were on the black.

Now I need to make the stems and more leaves.

Over the week-end I spent the whole time cleaning up the side veranda, more like trying to turn Chaos in to organised chaos out there?????? SDS’s house hold effects arrive any day from  and need to be stored till they arrive.

Side veranda in the middle of the chaos??????

Finally finished!!!!! how did I find so much space???????

Finished after 4hrs!!!!!  Now back to my Tulips thank goodness. My back is killing me. I have cut the stems out of one piece of iron on silk fabric, fiddly but worth it I think, also changed some of my leaf pieces I felt they were too strong.

I'm much happier with the block now. Maroon backing goes much better with the soft pinks and it is all ready embroider!!!!!

Dinner is cooked and it is nearly 5p.m. time for a coffee and rest and may be some sewing!!!!

Cheers Glenda

My goodness it is only 9.30am and I’ve taken so many photo’s all ready of things I’m doing.  My morning started out so quiet I could not work out why till on went on tomy front veranda at 7.45am and the rain-forest rangers were complete blocked out with mist. I could see down to the river and out the other side of the house
was clear but no hills or ranges. First time I have ever seen that except in the winter early in the morning. Well I guess there is a first for
everything.

My hills and ranges completely misted in??????? 7.45am

8am my ranges are back again and bright blue skies!!!!!!

I have moved my sewing spot for the summer

I live in the perfect place for sewing as I can sew out doors all year round.

I’m back looking out at the above view and just LOVE it every time I sit down out there I smile.

I have set my sewing area up all ready this morning hoping to make a felt Annabelle block to day this is for my DGS Xmas present.

I love working with felts and cottons now, specially when making small gifts, I have to choose between one of 3 designs for this Xmas present, oh dear I want to make all of them!!!!!  Also I have two pairs of my DH trouse’s to repair, I just need to sew a couple of seams so hope to get those done today!!!!! A small appliqué to sew on to the sweetest wee cardigan

Tiny old fashion appliqué ready to sew on to cover a couple of nasty stains??????

that has a stain on it and I found this delightful antique appliqué which will cover the marks perfectly!!!!!

I went out early this morning to put the sprinkler on to give the plants a drink; these wee day lilies are all waiting for the sun to pop open.

Day lilies waiting for the sun to help them open their petals

10am They have just had a good drink and now the sun has opened them?????

We are having mice problems yet again!!!!!!!  This is how I’m coping with some of my kitchen food????????

This is my BIG plastic wash tub or babies bath???????When I'm cooking I need a ladder if I want any pasta, herbs and spices!!!!!! But the mice can not eat them up there!!!!!!!

I’m not going to the beach today, I brought home a DVD over night one yesterday but had so may phone calls I have not seen the end so this morning I’m going to put it on and curl up with a piece of Red-work I’m working on for a replace meant block that went missing and I will watch it with coffee and another coffee!!!!

A Delightful redwork block I'm working on by an Australian designer Susan Hayes

I need to stop and watch that DVD but will add a couple of more photo’s and tell their stories later this after-noon??????

This unbelievable piece of silk sateen fabric arrived in the mail last night and this is the first time I have been able to see it in daylight????????

It is a cross between salmon and apricot sprinkled with a layer of frost??????

I comes from China around about 1960 or may be earlier.

Because it is silk sateen the colour keeps changing as the light moves on it from silver to deep salmon.

Then yesterday I was given these for my prem babies??????? I would of taken them to the hospital this morning but will take them Friday instead now but will wrap them today. Another today project!!!!!

Booties for prem-babies??????

Off to watch that DVD and have that very over due coffee. I missed my coffee this morning as I was out of bread so no toast so instead made some bread, that sounds like double dutch??????

Will finish this page this after-noon?????

Cheers Glenda

Found to day when looking for my heart shape templates???????? A 1930's block from the USA I was working on; I just need to sew on the last two corner rose buds!!!!!!??????

I bought a pile of precut fabric from the 1930’s on Ebay back around 1998 and in the pile was the cut out hearts, centres not the yellow, and the tips of the rose buds. there were enough for 12 blocks, I have made up the green pieces after lots of research on ebay, these are the closest I can get to what I Imagen the block would of been meant to be. This is the first block I had been working on.  I think I will keep it out and try and finish at least this one!!!!!!!

We have lately been having trouble with either a very large mouse or small rats?????? They are not taking the bait we are putting out, avoiding the friendly traps eating the cheese off the old fashion traps and running around the lounge floor of a night time, two nights ago I thought it was running across the floor in front of our feet while we watched TV, then I realised it was a spider!!!!!!!!! yes it was as big as the mouse come rat???????  Now I’m pretty good at relocating spiders but this fellow (Huntsmen spider) was the biggest one I have ever seen,  he was HUGH!!!!  We ended it killing it as it was just to big for me to catch and relocate, goodness knows what he had been living on while we were sleeping.  He would of cover the whole palm of my Hubbies hand no kidding; with an abdomen the size of a ping-pong ball.

On a brighter side I have finished one of my Heart Squares and it is on it’s way.

Healing Heart

Just finished 2nd Healing Heart ready for posting.

Have nearly finished my tiny wee hexagon bag, I would not like to make these for a living, they are so small and fiddly.

Very small hexagon bag 32 hexagons to make one 3 inch bag???????

My kitchen cleaning is still an on going saga???????  Today discovered there was a leak under the sink so now those 2 shelves have been completely cleaned and I have thrown out any thing I have not used in the last 2 years and I have a lot more space and can see what is there?????????

How long will they stay nice and tidy???????

End of another week-end.

Cheers all Glenda

I have a big smile on my face as it is raining?????? When you are in the middle of a dry season and you live on the edge of the rainforest rain makes you smile, not just for the relief the trees must feel

All the trees just been washed and another front coming so they will be very happy!!!!!

, but it washes away the dust from their leaves and it all smells so lovely and fresh again, then there is the added bonus of not having to water the plants around your house so a little more time for some sewing may be??????? Oh gosh the 3.30pm tourist train just went past

Cairns to Kuranda Tourist Train runs twice daily bringing tourist up to our village in the rainforest!!!!!!

3/4s of my Wednesday has gone and not a stitch done and I have a list of things I wanted to do this after-noon, from looking at a sewing machine for a young budding quilter to be who is 10 years old and has been sewing by hand for the last 2 years making dolls clothes!!!!! This machine was handed in to the Opp Shop and the drive belt is slipping. I looked at it a couple of weeks ago and just could not work out how to get at the motor, so it has been sitting at the Opp Shop and no one had bought it for $5.00!!!!! To have it commercially overhauled will cost around $75.00 plus!!!!!!

Large old heavy cotton table cloth ready to be sewn in to a bag to cover and put away a babies changing table for 6 months, sewing machine on the left to be looked at and see if I can get it going for a new budding quilter 10 years old, white dress that needs a hook and hand sewn eye added where it gaps for a young friend,

I’m in the middle of cutting up strips to add to a tiny block that has to end up 6 1/2 inches and be in the mail by Friday??????

Heart Block to be??????

Why am I so far behind for Wednesday, well this morning I took off down to Cairns just before 8am, meet my DS and DDL around 10.30am for brunch which we had at a delightful wee cafe called The Lilly Pod, company was great, service wonderful and the food divine, 2 1/2 hrs later I left them with a smile on my face, what a lovely morning. Home via the beach, yes I did go there but it was raining there to so came home instead.   Arrived home at 2.30pm so most of my day gone but I have dinner all ready cooked and just needs heating so I can may be manage to do some sewing but I don’t think I will get any of the red boarder added to Janet’s quilt top today!!!!!

Its amazing how just adding the narrow black boarder has pulled the colours together.

These colours remind me of this lovely flowers which is flowering even though it has been so dry.

Such a beautiful colour!!!!!!

I did manage to put some flowers in the entrance to the house, I do love live flowers in side as well as out!!!!!!

Entrance looks dark as it was raining out side when I took the photo.

I’m still working in my kitchen cleaning and throwing out!!!!! But having a break from it for a couple of days as I have a few other things on my agenda till Saturday.

Great news my dear old 40 years plus Bernina will be home tomorrow night.

I have managed to make the cover for the babies changing table and it is on it ready to be stored.  Sewing machine is running like a charm, I worked out how to get at the motor and Hubby dropped the motor and tightened it up again and she is sewing beautifully. We will have a very happy young lady next Tuesday and the Opp Shop $35.00 richer.  Have not added the red boarder but made a loaf of bread instead!!!!!

Cheers all Glenda

Some of those bottles I have been collecting for 50 years plus!!!!!!

I have spent the last 3 days cleaning my kitchen, it started out labeling my jars bottles and tins, I know where every thing is but no one else does!!!!!!

How far do these go back??????, one is from Cairo and one from Germany!!!!!!!

I love to make a pot of tea, I dislike teabags but will keep them in the house for those who like them over a teapot!!!!! I don’t collect teapots but who would of guessed seeing all these I found in the cupboards??????

Look what I found when cleaning up the kitchen cupboards and there's more!!!!!!

So where usually cleaning cupboards is not a chore we like it can be fun some times. I found all these old pieces of candles and thought may be I could make one big candle using an old partly used big candle as the base??????  Now where is great gran’s double boiler??????

I made the below yesterday and remade it to day and took photos to show you what I did!!!!

Under exposed but the only one I have when I started. One sheet of A4 paper which I lined with glad wrap and then wrapped around the old candle after scrubbing it with soapy water to remove most of the dust and grim!!!!!

Candle wrapped Great Gran's iron double boiler with candle scraps ready fro the stove. I wonder how old this wee double boiler is????? Keep some thing long enough and it is back in fashion!!!!!

My wick some jute string tied to a chop stick!!!!! and I have just started to add the melted wax.

Almost there this is sooooo much fun!!!!!!

I did use very thick oven mits all the time when working with the melted wax, if you spill some wait a few minutes then roll it up while it is warm and pop back in to boiler you can just keep using it.

You can see where I have added to days wax, I added a tiny piece of red candle, don't worry about the odd shape, bumps or dirt marks at this stage because???????

Because Wella a Bamboo mat covers it all, when the wax melts it will runs out through the gaps and you collect it for the next fun morning of making a candle!!!!! I love it, I burnt it last night in the kitchen instead of having the light on while we watched TV and I did hand sewing. Then this morning remade it to show you??????

Last night I did some more stitching to my tiny wee hexagon bag, I have made the out side of the bag now making the lining which is another 16 tiny hexagons.

My tiny Hexagon bag to be, outer part is finished now I'm making the lining!!!!!

That one wee hexagon is the bottom of the bag, all 6 hexagons attach to it????? It's a puzzle but it works???????

So all in all I have been having a fun time cleaning my kitchen and a little sewing!!!!!.

I have also found Great Grans egg beater???

Great Grans egg beater and it works better than the modern ones and is so light. Found in the draw and is now back ready to use after some elbow grease and Baking soda?????

Now this wee beater is the best hand egg beater I have ever used, it looks strange but works so quickly and it has been going for at least 80 years now!!!!!

De rusting???? Lined glass jar with tinfoil, added beater and covered with Baking Soda then poured boiling water to fill jar. Left for 5 mins and then cleaned under hot water with steelo pad, now as good as new!!!!!!! Did the same with the handle.

Cheers Glenda

Started out my day at the Opp Shop covering for some one away on holiday but shop was not busy so they let me come home!!!!!!  I climbed on to the garage roof and cleaned that of a years leaves and fronds, now it is ready for the wet season.

All the trees have lovely new leaves now and these are their last years ones.

Folded up a 8 man tent that I had checked out for the Opp Shop a little damaged but may have another’s year of camping in it!!!!!

8 man tent that hopefully has another years camping in it??????

Popped a load of washing on and hung one out!!! popped  a loaf of bread on and now it is midday and no sewing done but that’s because I keep putting off fixing the tension on the wee Janome.

Pappa has fixed the shell fountain again but it has a slow leak still, may need another coating of resin.

Fountain bubbling away again

Found a baby bath and stand and now just need to clean them and put them away till March 2013

Baby bath for new bub?????

Still leaves every where to be racked up before the wet season starts.

Cheers Glenda

WE are in to our dry season now and not much flowering except the Brom's and orchids.

Miniature cymbidium flowering all through the garden now.

Glenda to the rescue again, this will take me a few months to fix though??????

First stage!!!! all in pieces now ready for stripping and repairs done on the broken pieces of wood!!!!

Walked the beach before having break fast with my DS and DDL then we walked the beach again; HEAVEN!!!!!!

Trinity Beach this morning where I parked my car, many people were all ready swimming.

I walked to the end of the beach and then headed back, taken from the Northern end

It was picture perfect down on the beach this morning, only sorry I did not wear my bathing costume as it was so beautiful and the water so warm.

How beautiful the green sea grass flows on this rock sticking out of the sand as the waves pull back out to sea

Seen on one of the back streets as I drove tot he beach this morning.

Yellow at it's best!!!!!!!

I have two wee red-work squares to do for missing blocks in a group I belong too. One is nearly finished they a cute designs and I love working on them.

A missing replacement block I'm doing for some one nearly finished.

My girlfriend was over visiting a couple of weeks ago and saw this drunkards path centre of a bed quilt to be and loved it so I told her I would finish it for her; so there it lies where I hope it will motivate me back in to quilting???????  It is made from sun umbrella samples that were given to me by a Japanese lady who has a friend who makes sun umbrellas  in Japan!!!!!!! I machine sewed the circles on to calico squares then cut them all in to 1/4s then I had my drunkard 6 1/2 in blocks and had lots of fun playing with them all till I had this end result.!!!!!!

Lying on my back bed room bed where I'm hoping it will motivate me to finish it???????????????

While down at the beach this morning I meet another quilter who works as a volenteer at the local Opp Shop. We talked together for about 15 mins and it turned out we both made quilt bags. I came home and kept thinking about quilting, wrote my blog then sat down and cut out 16 hexagons for a wee project I’m meant to be working on, then thought about Janet’s quilt and went in to the cupboard to look at kimono’s for some fabric for it, there right at the top was the kimono I needed. I sat down and for 1 hour unpicked enough fabric to get a feeling for the boarder. It will work beautifully, I now need some black to add a 1  1/2 inch strip first then this boarder of Kimono fabric. I think I may have my quilting Mojo back!!!!!!!!  Just one talk with another quilt was what I needed??????

A little motivation can go a long way!!!!!!

May be tomorrow if I can get my wee Janome to sew I will start putting it all together????? My Bernina is in at the Dr’s and I’m lost with out it!!!!!!!!

A touch of black!!!!!!!!

So I may be back on the bike at last???????

Well that’s it for to day, finally back blogging but not sure for how long. Cheers Glenda

Things that make you smile at the beach!!!!

Driving Around Australia to help raise money in the Variety Bash.

Breakfast at the beach

Oh the joys of been a child??????

Girlfriend from NZ enjoying 27C after 7C over there??????

Our free public swimming area they call The Lagoon be sides the sea??????? It is full of salt water.

Under 10s water play area besides the sea. We took my 3 year old DGS

Oh to be beside the sea????? still part of the kiddies water play area.

Jade flower in Kiddies water play area.

Stunning tree flower in Water Play area but I do not know what it is called

Flowering in my garden today!!!!!

Cheers Glenda

Well it has been a week of gardening, or water-blasting  garden paths and block walls which have to be done every year as after 3 months of rain in temperatures around 35C they are covered in a black mould!!!!!!  I’m only 1/2 way there

I just finished water-blasting the driveway this morning and the block wall, I then painted the 32 on the driveway as we have no street lights and a lot of our visitors arrive at night time and it is so hard to find the numbers in our street, I'd just finished painting the numbers and we had a down pour the first in months and wash 1/2 the paint away!!!!!!!!!!! Murphy's Law!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so very little sewing.  Only fabric I have touched is a beautiful Scottish kilt that was handed in to the Opp Shop on Tuesday week ago, it had been very badly treated even used as a dog blanket and smelt awful;  the other ladies said throw it out but I just loved the colours, and I was sure they could be restored to there glory

Such beautiful yarns woven in to this tartan.

so I brought it home and soaked it several times then washed it in woollen fabric cleaner and finally gave it a good rinse in a good hair conditioner, it dried in to a beautiful bright fabric; after I  press it I was tempted to keep it but it never gets cold enough to wear it here. It almost looks like new now???????

One restored Kilt

It was bought by a lady who runs a Scottish shop so it has gone to a good home!!!!!!.

One of our DGS is home on a surprise visit with his beautiful Mum, here he is helping his Grandpa!!!!!

A wonderful helper, he's going to be a real handy man!!!!

That’s it for this week.  I’m linking with others over on Esther’s blog http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com  Cheers All Glenda

It has been a funny day, started out cloudy and a little rain not a nice day at the beach so no photos.

Then I was looking for a box to pop some thing in, I keep little boxes for those things you don’t know where to put them, found the right one and WOW found 30 hexagons I had thought the box empty.

Found lost Hexagons I did not know I had lost !!!!!!!

I had made them for my This Goes With That I was making several years ago with Sue.   Last year I was determined to finish it as one of my completed WIP’s and when I put it all out I found I was over 60 short of hexagons I was real disappointed as I was sure I had most of the hexagon made, any way I set too and made those 60 hexagons and completed the quilt top!!!!

This goes with that Of Sue's 2008 started finished 2011

Now I have 30 hexagons for what?????  May be I could add them at the top or bottom of the quilt or on the back around the outer edge to keep the hexagon shape  of the quilt on the back????

To day Finished SDS bag

Making closing flap by using quilt as you go method

and it is now ready to post so another item ticked off my list to do before flying to Japan.

Closing flap added to Bag and I have used shoe laces as ties through button-holes!!!!

Now I’m back making my wee mini log-cabins I’m addictive to them.

Mini Log-cabins

Making these out of some shirt samples I picked up in a Opp Shop last month they will end up a Tieshoulder-bag too!!!!!!

Now I’m off to watch the X Factor and do some hand sewing. Happy stitching all Glenda

Is this the front of the bags or the back????????

All gifts for Japan and for Xmas are finished. One bag has all ready gone and another parcelled up to be left behind for birthday presents.

Or is this the front of the bags?????

These are my favouirti bags to make, they have gone to two special people in my life for birthday presents while I'm away.

Oblong bag is my iPad bag while travelling and to use around Japan when sightseeing as it will carry every thing plus I will need.

I have started another Annebella design by Michelle so I can do the sewing while in Japan.  I like to have some thing small to carry with me.

My sweet Annabelle blocks

I have been slowly working on my baby shawl but it seems to go no where now as it takes me nearly 2 hrs to do one round.!!!!!

Double baby shawl in a soft 3ply yarn

Have still several shirts to finish and have fixed the shoulder straps on DSS’s bag and just need to add a new flap.

Repaired shoulder Straps. This bag is 12 years old!!!!!

I finished cleaning the high chair to day and now is ready for hubby to repair to make it stable and then a coat of paint. I now have a wee very very old dolls pram to save????? It is made of plastic covered cane and is filthy, more black than white but I think I can save it.

One Cleaned old high chair and wee doll pram waiting to be saved too.

No beach photo’s as I pulled a muscle in the shoulder on Tuesday and not driving far at present.

Cheers Glenda

.

paola

Posting from iPad

Posted with Blogsy

Well there is not much to show to day sewing wise,  I was a driver to day for some friends to visit the hospital today and I worked on quilting the front of a Tieshoulder-bag while waiting.

Making another mini log-cabin Tieshoulder bag. I love making these bags and at present these are the colours that keep drawing me.

On the way home stopped off at a lovely young friend place and she showed me around her garden. She lives one street over from my home.  Cascading down from the trees above in front of her home  are a couple of boginvilla’s.

Bouginvilla in full flower.

Then as you walk under the arbour you see this stunning display.

Stunning display and a very special young friend.

We use to have this growing over our trees when we first moved in, the base was in our neighbours place and when new neighbours moved in they cut every thing down and we lost many creepers that covered our trees, it was very sad.

Beauty at its best. Click to enlarge it is worth it!!!!!

I think this is one of the most beautiful creepers I have ever seen.

I spotted this glowing high up. Our Morning Glory’s are very dark.

Morning Glory

Finally a bobbing native hibiscus.

One of our native hibiscus.

On Saturday while cleaning up the attic I found the very first Quilt I bought.

My first quilt I brought. Made on treadle sewing machine in the Tongan Islands. 20 years ago. Just been washed.

I was living in the Tongan Islands and stumbled in to quilting by accident;  a women from USA was trying to help the local women set up a cottage industry making and selling quilts, she was importing the fabrics from the USA and one day at a meeting of ex-pats she showed these quilts to us, I fell in  love with this quilt and like many other ex-pats ordered one of these cottage quilts made by the Island ladies. This was 20 years ago before I was a quilter. This quilt has been washed once a year over the past 20 years and still looks pretty.

Last but not least I’m fixing up DSS’s patchwork backpack which I made him for his uni days 11 years ago??????

Has been truly loved. Very faded but still some life left in it. 12 years old!!!!!

Cheers Glenda Down Under but not for long.

Well there has been little sewing over the week-end as I’m making room for family to join us for a few weeks months or years!!!!!!!! in Jan 2013. I want to get as much done before I leave for Japan so there will not be so much to do when I come back as it is the start of the wet season. I have emptied out one room which was my sewing room storage area plus any thing else that need to go some where, do you have those items too?????? ???????????

Hmmmmmmmmmm where do I start???????

That's better!!!!!! Now you can move around Liam

This is for DGS (12)  room. Now I’m attacking the attic

My lounge looked like this for 3 days as I tossed things down from the attic. I'd clean it all up by night fall then start again the next day. But I have one clean attic now!!!!!!

to move every thing from my studio area in to there,  the Opp Shop is going to have plenty to sell on Tuesday when I go my car is full to the roof!!!!!!!!!!!! I have gone through my draws and any thing I have not worn the last couple of years is OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did the back room a few months ago so not a lot to do there for DGD 14.

Today I was feeling a little slow so had decided to have a quiet day, popped the coffee on and accidently for got the filter that goes just above the coffee grounds I use a French coffee pot.  I had just gone over to check my mail and BOMB then silence????????????  I can tell you I will never for get it again.

Coffee where you don't want it!!!!!!!!!

It took me 4 1/2 hours to remove every thing of the walls and clean the walls down and wash every thing within 3 1/2 meters!!!!!

Who made that mess??? Not I said little Red Hen!!!!!!

Fortunately it did not reach the ceiling as we have very very high ones??????

Now after 4 1/2 hours it is all back to how it should look??????

That's more like it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It even went all over my ironing board which had white toruses on it waiting to be pressed!!!!! Also went in to the room off the kitchen, it is unbelievable how far such a small amount of water with every coffee ground I put in went, there was not one coffee ground left in the pot???????????????  So the sewing I put by my sewing machine last night is still sitting there and will be till Thursday as Tuesday and Wednesday I will not be here. SO no more blogging this week till may be Friday.  Hope you had a better morning than I did> Cheers Glenda

This morning I saw Bunny’s new travel shoulder bag for her iPad and that got me thinking about carrying mine to Japan; no I don’t want t leather one but I do want to protect my iPad!!!!! Leather here lasts about 3 years only from bags show and coats they they start to shed!!!  Too much rain through the wet season and 100% humidity. Yesterday I saw one of my old winter grey woolen coats

Old winter woolen felt coat after riping out lining, washing in machine for 1 1/2 hrs in to tumble dryer on high for 3/4 of an hour and it still looks good?????? But I'm still going to make that iPad bag with it!!!!!!!

and thought that would make great felt for my patchwork, looking closer at it I realised it was all ready lightly felted, well today I decide to use that for my carry iPad bag.

How lucky can you be, the front coat pockets are the perfect size for my iPad nice and snug. I will use the shoulder lapels for tie flaps to close the pockets.

9am I started to unpick it and yellow flacks were going every where so took it right out side tot he drive way and started to ripe it a part, the soft foam they had used as a backing on the shoulders had turned to dust what a mess,

I unpicked the front and back of jacket and had enough fabric to use the material for the lining also, so it will be reversal and will not need wadding with two thickness of wool.

well it was kill or cure as I could not use it with that still any where in the fabric so I have tossed it in to the washing machine with Hubbies new shirts for work that need a spin before wearing,

iPad is a perfect fit. Changed the buttons to red in the end, I just had to have a little colour!!!!!!

talking of which they for got to put pockets on the shirts and they changed the light blue to navy which is very uncomfortable to wear at 35C in the tropics!!!!

Back of bag with pocket which I can pop the iPad into also

so he has no where to put his pocket computer that he uses all day in class, he never puts it in his trouser pockets as they don’t like been sat on or knocked up against an aircraft fuselage he has discovered in the past???????

Flap of bag nearly finished needs quilting>

So yesterday he asked me to make him pockets from one of the shirts so from 5 we will be down to 4 new shirts for work, it will be back to wearing his own dress shirts I’m afraid, just as well I’m altering them turning long sleeves in to short sleeves I have 5 left to do that will give him one months of shirts he will not have to iron each morning!!!!

Almost finished Pocket on front is big enough for iPad also for a quick put away when using.

Coat survived the washing machine and is now in the dryer, I can not wait for it to dry as I’m on a roll to make this bag, the dryer will just make it a tighter felt??????

Have used mens ties for the gusset and straps again. Ties are sewn on by hand, back to sewn on but front of ties still just pinned. With luck will finish it tomorrow. Now 10.35pm!!!!!

Flap covers pocket for extra security if iPad is been carried there.

Pulled down the pagoda awning in the swimming pool area

Cover in Bar B Q area last summer

this morning, it was covered in black mould and looked so grotty and not letting any sun that came in that area, will buy a new one come summer time.   Now 11pm spent the last hour cleaning up the swimming pool area as it looks now. It is around 24C by the pool and I have just come back inside and it is still 17C here!!!!!!!  I have summer or winter in a walking distance of 10 paces???????

Now we have the sun in again a great place for drying the clothes in the winter ?????

Janet it is all ready for you and Bev now???????

Dogs have been enjoying the sun this morning after 9am and loving me been outside with them.

Rocket now 14 in fore ground and Kittysue just been cropped 5 yeas old. Great great pals.

This morning it was so cold Kittysue did not go with me out side to feed Rocket which she all ways does, well believe it or not Rocket would not eat his breakfast he went to the lounge door and looked through the glass at her, finally she came out side and he went back and eat his breakfast??????? Who says dogs are stupid!!!!!.

Has been a busy day but one iPad bag almost ready to use!!!!!!

Cheers Glenda

A very early start this morning and off to the beach

A ghostly river as I head across the bridge before driving down the range where it was warm and so sunny.

Do you ever feel smug because you have finished a job that should of been done months ago and then find out several weeks later that it is still not completed?????? Well I found one of those chores this morning after coming back from the beach

7.30am Lots of footprints from yesterday and a few from this morning, even people in swimming but far to cold for me been a local and it is winter even if it is 23C!!!!!

My front Patio terrace has been occupied the last couple of months with Solar panels and what goes with installing them and finally on Monday they were all sitting on the roof where they are meant to be and I could have my Patio terrace back again, well this morning I put back the sofa and chair I like to have out there to sit on when sewing or sleeping in the after-noons,  my dad called it resting his eyes?????  When I moved the Patio Chairs to go down stairs I discovered the chair swabs

My sofa and sewing chair back on the front Patio terrace and 3 swabs I thought I had finished????? but I did finish my foot stool this morning one in salmon!!!!!

I had covered  a month ago still had the pins in where I was meant to hand sew them up, 3 of them!!!!!!!!!

I had planned on working some more on my Persian throw see yesterday blog if you want to know the story of where I found it?????

Persian silk needle punch throw that I'm putting a very wide silk Obi binding on. Click on photo to enlarge and see the detail work in this beautiful fabric!!!!

to day,  but it is all ready 1pm????  After finishing the terrace setting I had to try it out so sat down and had a coffee and worked on a red-work design of Bronwyn Hayes

Red-work 8" block. Finished this one last night and now working on the next one

for a missing block from a online group, I have offered to make two up. I do love her designs and it is so relaxing been back doing some red-work as it is a couple of years since I did any, I’m doing them while watching the Olympic games in the late evenings!!!!!!.  While sitting in my sewing chair out there I realised my mandarin tree

Leaves on the right have been whiped with milk and water and look so lovely and shiny again.

was not looking so good;  it is covered in soot mould, yep even the trees get mould up here????? SO I spent 30 mins whipping some of the leaves with a cloth dipped in milk and water, I have done about 1/4 of them but they will be able to breath now, will do a few leaves each day this week.

I washed the babies mossie net

Babies mossie net for over a cot.

this morning now we have the cot and net we just need the baby??????

What else did I have planned for today??? kumquat jam

Kumquats on there way to be come jam!!!!!

Finally I want to make a red felt Xmas tree decoration today as a swap gift I would like to sew this late this after-noon while watching some of the Olympics. Made my Xmas tree decoration

Xmas tree ball in wool felt and pearls.

Was so busy making it I forgot to turn TV and watch the Olympics!!!!!! No jam made yet??????

Off to link this with Esther Aliu’s blog now

http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.com So if you have time pop over and see what Esther is up to and others. May be link there too.

Cheers Glenda