Cafe Apron

I finished this pretty reversable apron recently, from some fruity material.

I am not sure if this will be a present or for me. The shop that has the best fabric does not cut it into fat quarters so it is just not enough to do stuff with. But I will made some more headbands from the apple print, there was enough left over for two.

We had issues with the dog jumping the fence and following Erin to school. The day we told her to shut him in the house he jumped onto my desk, opened the window and pushed the flyscreen out to freedom, trashing my sewing in the process. Wal has since put 2400 sheets ontop of our fence and he is trapped. He is missing his neighbour AJ, the labrador whom he used to spend all day with, jumping over and back between the yards.

We spent Sat night and Sunday at Jerangle, even though it is November it got down to about 2 degrees on Saturday night. Quilts are still very much in use.

Bye for now,
Scotia

Walking before work

I was in early one day this week, I have to come early every day now, but some days I don't need to start until around 10 or 11 so I will walk.
I can do the 'bridge to bridge' which takes about 1 hour for 5 kilometres, but as the bridges are rather windy and it was only about 2 degrees I walked around the lake.
I was in my beanie and jacket but it was beautiful.

I walk past the carillion, and as I go by it rings the half past.

I walk under Kings Avenue Bridge.

Past the National Gallery's sculpture garden.








I went to the small park and turned around.

And walked back to my Library.

I think I work in one of the most beautiful areas in Australia.

What I've been reading lately...

The joys of the public library are inspiring - free books!
I have been borrowing a mix of fiction, home design books and some quilting books, whatever I see sitting out on the tables or in the newly returned rack.

I have finished The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini, part of the Elm Creek Quilts novels.
I first read The Union Quilters set in the American Civil War, and found it really touching and interesting. This is the second novel of the series that I have read and set much farther in the future, still a good read, and yes it is about women quilting but the characters are engaging.

Now for the bad stuff - Full Blast by Janet Evanovich. I have always found Evanovich's novels, especially the Stephanie Plum series funny, fast paced novels. Full Blast, written with Charlotte Hughes is one of the WORST books I have ever read. I read quite a bit, I am a librarian, this is bad stuff.
In the words of one of the most annoying characters ever written, Dee Dee a forty year old moron who starts every sentence this stupid word but all too relevant to the book 'Eeyeuuw!' Seriously!@#! A 2 million dollar car with feelings called Muffin that talks (just like Nightrider)!

I believe I have read everyone one of the Stephanie Plum novels plus assorted others from Evanovich. maybe the fact that it is written with someone else is the problem - only two people could conceive this crap. I want to complain and get the public library's money back for purchasing this. I felt compelled to write a note to leave in the book, warning the next unsuspecting patron to not waste their valuable time reading this as the public library in the ACT does not have the capabilities for leaving notes on the records.
Another review from Goodreads.com: Really found the book rather annoying. I listened to it on tape, and suspect it was more the voices than anything else. I may have enjoyed it more if I read it. I just could not get past the ditzyness of all the female characters. I found myself hoping that they were the next victim more than anything else.Yes I agree!

I have written two blog entries for my work blog about what staff are reading at the National Library called Page Turners: Worst things happen at sea by William McInnes and Sarah Watt and Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson. 

Plus I have joined a Jane Austen Book Club. I have finished the first book Emma, which I don't believe I have read. I was kind of shocked at the language used to describe the 'lesser' people ie. farmers or poor people and wondered how this was received by the people reading the book when it was published, presumably the majority of people reading it were not landed gentry and part of the digusting not fit to look upon set! Anyway our next meeting is this Sunday at my library. Yes, I get to work there all week then visit on my weekends! Oh well.
Cheers

Recent craftiness

Over the last few weeks I have done some small projects:

A sewing machine pad, because the table is really cold on your hands (with chicken pin cushion)

Some headbands I saw on Pinterest, I have made three but will make some more for the cousins, christmas pressies etc.

Hat stand with thanks from Epbot, I want to make a couple more for my other hats. My mum bought me this lovely purple cloche.

Still slowly working on my quilt as you can see in the pictures. Lots of things happening.

Recycling

They have given our State free recycling on televisions, computers & printers. We have been stockpiling old tv's and computers and I finally dropped them off on my way to work one morning.

The front two iMacs are mine! The iMac G5 broke down a long time ago (burning smell etc.) and the little orange iMac still worked but isn't worth anything and was just taking up space. I still have an old graphite iMac. I was really disappointed with my G5 - it had issues from day one which our local Mac shop failed to fix. I took it back after one failed repair after a while and they asked why it had taken so long for me to bring it in. Well, my answer was I bought a Dell - their after sales care was a hell of alot better, if it needed repairing under warranty, guess what? They would pick it up from my home and return it to my at my home. Every time I took that Mac to the repair shop I had to lug it in and back and pay $100 for the privelege. 

Anyway, our original TV was living in a purpose built unit that Wal had made for it, which did not fit the new tv (old style) or any flat screen. I hate to throw it out as Wal made it, so I have claimed it as a craft cupboard. I had previously used it to block the archway from the dining to the lounge, the dining room is my study. So my new cupboard will house all my craft, sewing stuff, and where the TV is will even house two sewing machines.

 So it will be flipped around it is place and cleared out of all the cd's etc. I love that fact that it has been repurposed. I want Wal to make a bookshelf to hide the back of it, we'll see.

Quilt Number 2

I finallly finished Mia's quilt, it has a simpler design with the border, back and edge being the same fabric, which is a reproduction from the Victoria and Albert Museum in England.


I used 1 Moda jelly roll, Good Fortune, then bulked it out with white strips I cut, and all the left over bits.

The pattern came from here: http://quiltville.com/scrappytripspf.html

It was machine quilted by Kay and Mia picked a varigated thread and a dragon fly pattern.

It would have been bigger with 2 jelly rolls but you live and learn.

I have done the top of the quilt for my niece Nadine for her 21st, I just have to get the back done in plain calico and then I will also get it quilted by Kay.

The fabric for my quilt has been purchased and should arrive in the mail tomorrow.

Jerangle has been foggy and cold, this weekend particularly so, but no rain.
It is the official start of the ski season for New South Wales which means that every weekend from now for the next few months traffic will be a real pain for us to get out to our block and back again. The latest I will now leave to come home is 3pm, as it is dark by 5 and I hate driving the highway bumper to bumper in the dark.
Scotia

DIY Day

Our wardrobes have been pretty bleh since we bought our house and today we finally fixed them up.
 A month ago I did a design for our wardrobes and Wal got them made up at his work. He built everything a week or so ago and today we installed them, after ripping out the old timber work and painting.
 

My wardrobe before

 My wardrobe after

Wal's side

We paused to have TexMex breakfast bake

for which I got the recipe from Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Bear culinary mystery series.
I am going through a culinary mystery phase and have just started Kerry Greenwoods Early Delights series.

I think I would have liked it much better if it didn't have vampires in it, even though they were fakes. I am a bit over whacking in a vampire to increase sales - Early delights has a goth club with vampires as a plot line and the other residents are a bit one dimensional.

I started the second novel and will see if it gets better.
Bye for now.

Quilt number 1

I started quilting in the last 6 months and have found the joys of jelly rolls.
My first jelly roll quilt is for my youngest daughter, with the pattern from Moda, http://www.modabakeshop.com/2011/08/cartwheels-quilt.html

I used Ameila from Moda for the fabric, and cut all the white strips.

Here are some making shots:



And the finished product in use:



I got it machine quilted by a local quilter called Kay, and Erin picked out the pattern and the cotton. I am really happy with the finished product and hope she will have it for years to come.
That reminds me, I need to sign and date it.

This is what happens when you ignore your pets while quilting:


Scotia

Christmas at Jerangle

We arrived at Jerangle on boxing day with lots of family accompanying us.
Mia and Erin loved having their cousins Hope, Mitchell and Paige to play with and saw them on an off until the 9th of January when they flew back to Queensland.

We also had the Clarkson's from NSW. I don't know what everyone was looking at here.










My mother came up for lunch with my sister and her family, and Jonathan arrived the same day as Ian and Shena.
I forced Wal to rehang my calendabra over the table and to hang his birthday ply deer head.

Activities included archery, quad bike riding and driving the tracks. Wal repaired the front gate and tidied up around the place.
Hemi


Scotia