and some sneak peeks

Well they have to be sneak peeks cause I ma in several swaps and I wouldn't want to spoil a surprise now would I.

And now sneak peek 2.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

hello blogland

Hi there, yes I am doing ok thankyou for the kind emails & text ‘s. Have had a yukky couple of weeks-a friend passed away last Sunday from Leukaemia (was only diagnosed in Jan 2010).I was visiting with her on Friday evening and she was very coherent but oh my   in so much pain –so ‘tis a blessing she is no longer suffering..

And have had some erkk health issues..slowly dealing with them.

I have been sewing –several items actually…but arhhh they are secret gifts so I can’t show them here-oh ok I’ll take some sneak peek pics on the weekend..

I have been doing a bit of hand embroidery..and was wondering how do you do it-like do you just hold the fabric ? Do you hoop it? Do you frame it? Me it depends on the size if it’s above 12”x12” than I frame it first..under that it is hooped..

I cut the fabric a tad longer than needed and then I sew it with the machine onto the  webbing of the frame.

And tada here it is already for me to start stitching..

Cheers Vickie.

Thanks for stopping by.

My Schnibbles top & a win.

I so love my Schnibbles Times Two book and can see myself making more from this book..

I made the Bennington small quilt and added an extra border then agonised for days over what to use for binding, after sitting several fabrics alongside the top and catching a glance of them for a few days I finally had one leap at me and am so happy with the finished result.

And whooly molly to my surprise hubby loves it.

I was fortunate enough to win Ilene's giveaway and these goodies arrived in the mail last week –I tell you the angel she is beautiful ,and the threads are my big like colours-once again thanks Illene.

I have found my sewing mojo come back in leaps and bounds you see all I needed to do was join a few swaps hehehe…

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Punkin’ Pooch giveaway

Oh this is the cutest crotchet Punkin’ Pooch –pop on over to Doris’s blog and leave a comment for a chance to win him,

cheers Vickie

‘Thanks for stopping by.

Photos at last and RAK for May-June-July & August

Finally have pics of some goodies I have received..

This beautiful Christmas table runner I received in a swap in a yahoo group ..it is huge and will be adorning one of our tables come December.

This beautiful mat..such lovely pinks SO me me me and now proudly sits under my monitor..

 And golly golly gosh some people have to much time on their hands (oops) maybe that’s just that they are very patient? Look at that pin cushion and the scented heart all made from fabric selvages…Thankyou Miss Fairy for the 3 above items and also the cutest wee key ring-scissor fob  tag that measures –2”x 1¼” and has my name stitched on it –‘tis so mighty cute but it’s at work so it missed the photo shoot.

Bad bad me has got sidetracked these past couple of months and totally forgot to draw my monthly RAK (Random Act of Kindness)..I have gone thru the last 4 months posts 1 by 1 jotted the names and done the draws..and now have 4 people whom to send a envelope to..

 

May = Lindi

June = Marian Edwards

July = Bev C

August = Jenny

Please forward me your snail mail addy.

Cheers Vickie .

Thanks for stopping by.

I have no pictures YET

I have been doing some stuffs yes I have, and strangely enough now that my computer is all fixed I feel my sewing mojo creeping back whoopeee to me.
I have in recent weeks pieced together a quilt top from my Schnibbles times Two book using 5" charms I love it.
I have also began knitting a cardi for the new grandbaby due in Jan.
There has been some lovely mail come my way, makes me feel all gooey when I get soft feeling packages.
My sewing/computer room is spotless and everthing is in it's rightful place.
Block 3 of In pop's garden BOM is complete.
And I promise my next post will have some pictures.
Cheers Vickie Thanks for dropping in.

yeah yipee happy dance

Yep dancing queen is me...new hard drive installed and new monitor and yeah all is working..have all my feeds agian oops like 4000 mass delete happened and now I can start posting without dramas and  travelling blog land again and see lots of inspirational masterpieces...
Cheers Vickie Thanks for dropping in.

Again I sewed

Yeah yippee I managed to finish another item today woohoo to me…

This was a present for Mrs D’s b-day last month and I knew I wasn’t going to get it completed in time and purchased her something else..and today it pleased me to be able to hand her over…

  This pattern was in Patchwork & Stitching magazine  Vol10  No9, I had a bit of trouble working out the design but a quick email to Maryanne Dodson (the designer of the pattern) I was off on my merry way- however the embroidery made my arm get very cantankerous so I limited the daisies' to just  a few and Mrs D loved it...

Whilst I was inside sewing this was going on outside

what you see there is the roof section off my carport hubby is making me..he’s a good man.

Then this afternoon I got real busy and totally cleaned my bookshelf in my sewing room.

 

   all the Magazines you see above are surplus to my needs many are doubles and some are just ones that I know I will never use, I shall hold onto them for a while in case someone is looking for a particular issue..so please don’t hesitate to ask.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

I have sewn!

Yep yipee to me I actually have sewn not much but have finished 2 items for July…
I was in a Christmas in July swap and made my partner a cushion for her chair as a little birdie had whispered to me she needed one.
I tossed fabrics around and then just made up the pattern as I went along…
And best of all she loves it.
Then I picked up my beautiful stitchery that Lyn had sent me to do whilst I was recovering from my foot op..truly bad bad girl I am I actually misplaced the threads that Lyn sent me and to this day can’t locate them.  However I began this stitchery whilst I was sat with my foot up ..and then I went back to work and changed jobs and the stitchery just sat..well I was shocked when I picked it up I only had 4 letters of stitching to do to finish it..Thanks again Lyn this was lovely to stitch..
I finished it off sewing tiny gold beads randomly in the tree.

Not a very good picture as I have the fan going flat out and it is on dark,anyways I love the finished product and don’t you just love that hanger eh?
<-- Picture from Ilene's blog .
The hanger was a giveaway of several that I got from Illene , they were called bag handles but when I received them in the post –hubby said ah hangers for cloth eh? I looked at him like are you daft man, but arhhh he was correct I think they will all end up hangers except the actual bag handle frame/clasp with chain as I have fabric eyeballed for a bag to evolve including that handle.
Thank you again Illene for your generosity.
Cheers Vickie
Thanks for stopping by.

Stickers

Someone who views my blog has a husband who collects stickers?  But I can’t for the life of me remember who it is..please speak up,

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by

You know your good when

You know your a good person when a friend goes to USA and goes shopping (like anyone who goes away does)  and especially when that friend is a mate of your hubby and is 65….

I am so so lucky at what he bought back for me, the books I had requested and I had mentioned that I have a pounce pak here somewhere but can’t locate it..

He reckons I was like a little kid at christmas time pulling all the fq’s out of the bag..but wait there’s more

 

More fq’s and a lovely brown toning fat eighth roll..and yet there is more

This is the most gorgeous fabric and there is about 2½ metres of it---yep he knows I love chook stuffs…andddddddddd

Ahh there’s my books and some stencils and a brand spankin new pounce pad with refill-the one I have here in a safe place somewhere is 2nd hand –so now if I don’t locate it I won’t stress too much…

Oh yes I am a good person, and having this sitting on my sewing table all week has actually rekindled a need to sew …woohooo I am happy about that…

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Plant

You know what a happy plant is yes?..Yeah that’s right one that grows beautifully and looks awesome…Well I’m not talking about that kind hehehe, I’m talking about the one we call Happy Plant…

due to them growing hardy up here and a nice green large leaf we have several on the block..

Anyways the past week we have had a beautiful perfume on the block lovely smell inside the house and very very strong almost heady spin outside.We thought it was the frangipani tree but on looking at it it only had a few blooms so we knew it wasn’t that.

Then hubby says the happy plant has flowers-like he was really shocked he has never seen it flower nor had I so last night  off I went and took some pics…

well just look at that flower, sure looks different and I smelt it ermm yeah very very very faint perfume..so I was a tad puzzled..then an hour or so later the heady perfume started to float on the air again..So I head of downstairs and outside to check out the direction of smell and sure enough it was from the happy plant’s and to my shock the flowers had changed so I rushed back upstairs and got the camera…

Just have a look at that hey..what a clever plant

keeping it’s precious scented inners protected from the damaging daylight-and opening up in the evening to share it’s beautiful perfume..

And no sewing happening here..am struggling to keep my eyes open for long..and am just brain dead from my new job..am sure things will settle down in a few more weeks..

Oh yeah and my )(*^%*&^$(*&^%$)( desktop computer is having on hellauva hissy fit..needs to be brain washed and re set grrrr….so it’s Lappy (laptop) for me yuk yuk triple yuk….

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Swelling

Hmm now that got your attention eh ?

Not me  err ok yeah my foot is swelling but not as big as this.

Yep that be a tummy beginning to swell as it journeys through pregnancy…And that be my 21 yr old daughter…(who lives in Qld) (shh do you think she is pushing her tummy fwd just a tad) … I was like 5½ months before you could even tell I was pregnant…
Anyways so that’s my news..oh yeah and bubs is due 19th Jan….

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

hello blogland

Hello all and many thanks for all the inquiring emails ( re my non blogging), it is so wonderful to know when you don't have friends close by that there is a network of them a keyboard stroke away........and please accept my apologies if you have instant messaged me and I have not replied as msn has decided that I don't need IM to function 100% of the time this past week or so, arggggg.I am here sewing mojo has gone out the window for the moment . Have started a new job, blah back in the traffic every day grrr-oh yeah as a passenger I might add hehehe bonus to having a job that's on the way to hubby's work...there is a downside however-when he gets help up at the office that means I am hanging around like a spare at a wedding waiting to be picked up.
Foot has some issues that are annoyingly painful-test's last week should shed some more light.
So what have I been doing hmm well last weekend I got out in the garden early and weeded then spread hay,then a wonderful friend turned up in the afternoon with a surprise for me..man I was so stoked as I had just finished all the garden and here was Mrs D with some thing for my garden..

Don't he just look grand.
Umm oh yeah we had cracker night on Thursday night that went off really well, there was no injuries at our gathering and the neighborhood was very well behaved as far as lighting crackers after 11pm-think we had about 4 go off up to 11.45pm very good indeed.
Ermm as you can see we had just a few crackers eh?..oOopsy and yes for those with quick eyes that is a fire control panel..hehehe

Tested out the video on my phone, gosh watching playback them crackers sure go off with a bang.


And I've been doing some shopping, but alas when one can't drive to far it's internet shopping I a go woohooo yeah for the internet...ordered some fabric to make this pattern I won in the OPAM challenge.

Umm ordered some books ..some stencils & another pounce pad (cause mine is in such a safe place that even I can't find it)...oh and I'm off to order some threads I just remembered I  forgot..
Oh and I have some news to share in a few days time oh and I also have RAK to draw..ok off I scoot for now...
Cheers Vickie Thanks for dropping in.

Denim challenge

The last 2 days I have broken 5 needles in my sewing machine grrr arghhh why-maybe rushing –maybe denim fabric –maybe I don’t know…but soo frustrating but I kept at it as I wanted to finish a project..and I did

 

Bag front and bag back..with some appliqué hearts and a snazzy red belt….And what a funny size you may just be saying but ahuh this bag has a special purpose…This bag is to hold other bags yep you got it..like them green monsters that come shopping with me and other totes that house the groceries till they get home,

And here it is packed neatly  okay stuffed with bags…

Oh and guess what?..The reason the needles were breaking is because I had not set the machine back to straight stitch after doing the blanket stitch on the appliqué, here's betting I won’t make that mistake again..This is me done for the denim challenge thanks Jenny for inspiring me to use them jeans they will haunt me no more.

Cheers Vickie

Spice Jars

Due to food allergies I have gone back too the old fashioned way  more natural way of cooking food instead of buying premix packages of wot not, I am using herbs and spices –fresh when I can.

Anyways today I was going thru my jars of spice in the spice rack and man I was straining my eyes really hard to see the use by dates, holy some of them expired in 2006 anyways I decided I would empty the contents after I could decipher the use by date as gone and rinse them out and reuse them as I had seen Jenny do awhile ago on her blog.

So there they were all lined up in the drainer when dushdang I noticed an embossed use by date on the bottom of the jar…arghh that was a heck of a lot easier to read then the printed one on the jar surface..

So that’s my interesting day…

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Denim-OPAM-Foot

Once again Jenny has given me the inspiration to get something done…you see these

Well they have been hanging around in my sewing room for umm lets just say a while every now and then they would get in my way scream at me “my turn-me next” , but alas they were just relocated yet once again…
Well Miss Jenny’s challenge for June is to make item/s with denim, so yeah yipee I’m inspired to cut and sew..

Moving away from the denim for a minute

OPAM Challenge=one project a month.

Oh soo was doing the happy jig in my mind (cause the foot was a tad to tender to be jumping around)the other day when I found out I was one of the winners for May OPAM challenge run by Peg & Kris , thank you so much girls for inspiring us all to finish off projects.

Foot update-thank you a million to you all for the well wishes.

Have had the stitches removed from my foot, which is enabling me to put more pressure on the sole (which is what the Dr told me to try and do).Pain is minimal unless I over do it, and I just have like a stinging pain where the sutures were –so I guess it’s just the tissue mending itself.

Look I’m back again-but you didn’t miss me as you didn’t know I’d been gone…

Looky what I made yeah hoorah for me I sewed…

      a thread / wee scrap catcher, we will ignore hubby’s comment that a bucket would be a better size…The appliqués were pre done shapes that I received in a swap and I knew they would fit great on this project.. and all I had to do was iron them on.

I got a bit umm fussy one might say and had to line it as it just didn’t seem complete..My other denim projects are rolling around in my head and will sewn real soon I feel.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

April RAK

To say that Doris was happy with her gift is an understatement.

As Doris is not a sewer I could not very well send her fabric or a pattern so i made her a bag to carry her crocheting in. Pop on over to here and read the post and see more lovely pics of the bag.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

My Foot

Firstly thank you to all for the lovely emails asking how I’m doing…All is going as well as can be expected the wound looks lovely and clean, there is heaps of bruising coming out. The pain is bearable most of the time and a ice pack is aiding in alleviating immediate pain.The worst part is I am unable to sit for long at my computer or my sewing machine as my foot starts to swell rather quickly, so it’s sit in the recliner for a bit and do some stitching and then off to the bed and do some reading-and I just buzz the buzzer that hubby has rigged up if I need anything I am unable to get, hubby rigged up the buzzer cause he knows I hate hollering.

So I am being a nice quiet person-yep true I am –and it suks just so not me..

No sewing pics  to share and the foot is not pretty enough to share on here, so here’s Cya trying to  climb the blanket on the chair.

And on another note I was reading Bev ‘s blog the other day and wow it’s her 200th post ,made me jump over here and check my stats WOW I am over 300 so I best think about a giveaway soon,

cheers  Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Off I go

Ok now you all behave whilst I’m gone you hear…Off to the hospital, just a short overnight stay to have another operation on my left foot..grr grumble moan moan..sure hope this works…not looking fwd to being grounded up in the house but at least I will be able to get out onto the verandah..and I have a lovelry stichery to do while I’m confined to the seat of my chair thanks Lyn you are a darling..

Now don’t you forget Jenny is having that super fab giveawaypop on over and tell her you came from here..(today Jenny’s daughter Blossom is sweet 16) happy b-day Blossom---

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Beaut Giveaway

Oh wow oh my it’s gorgeous-actually everything I have seen Jenny create has had me going ooh and ahh and now in celebration of Jenny ‘sdaughter turning 16 tomorrow(26th May), she is having an awesome giveaway….if you click this button to enter -Kindly mention my name in your post on Jenny’s blog many thanks,

Well stop oggling over the picture of goodies and click the picture…Plenty of time to have this made in time for christmas.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

And

Some days I just wish I could be like the cat and find a tight place and hide.

Cheers Vickie

Bargain

Well I not talking about the meaniepause that’s for sure..cause that isn't no bargain I can assure you and now it’s complicated - worsened with another little medical mystery..tooo much Iron in my blood –yeah ok I know I should be spitting the nails not digesting them…

Anyways that’s just a wee heads up for my absence….I did manage to go to the local oppe shoppe on Saturday and I purchased just 1 item-yep true..and I spent a total of $4.oo actually the item was only $3.99 really why they do that is annoying you know you are going to pay $4.00 they know they will get it too ..ok enough splattering

2 whole unopened rolls..yeah …

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Another finish & RAK for April.

Happy Mothers day to one and all…

My day today is sewing for me yipeee….Gosh I just had to back track a fair way to find when I started this project and it was March 3rd 2009 it was a stash buster project by Judy ..and way way out of my comfort zone but I persevered and completed the top and then it sat in that place…

Today I decided it was time to complete it and now I have  it completed…

And I may even use it.

My RAK (random act of kindness) for anyone who left a comment on my blog in April is Doris

congratulations' Doris…email me your postal addy and I’ll have something off to you soon

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Oppe shop finds

We went shopping today, not the normal run of the mill crowd shopping  but the leisurely thrift store op shop shopping-what a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning….

Well look at the first book and not a page had been turned my shopping partner found it and for a nice price of $4…the second book is fantastic it’s from 1965 and has real understandable instructions for heaps of embroidery stitches-just what I need.

Lovely fabric finds this lot totalled $3.50 the fish print (1 metre)is a beautiful Japan print ,next is some lovely kiddie cotton (2 metre) and then 1 metre of calico..and last bit is beautiful..close up pic below.And the wooden hanger cause I love that style and the wee plastic bag has 6 wooden buttons in it

   This fabric is a real soft pink colour with the beautiful flowers on it-heck knows what I will use it for but golly it’s nice I couldna leave it there eh?

And look at this solid timber and like hey I know it’s blue but I could not leave it it was screaming at me buy me buy me..And so I did for the  sum of

see the top is a removable lid , and my stitchery fits in there perfect..not sure what I will pop in the front yet, but hey for $10 I’m not fussed…

Oh yes and my shopping partner was my dear hubby-what a man eh-and yep he got him self some gadgetty things too..

cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by

Oopsie Daisy Stop

 

Today I again indulged and made something for me…….

Tadaaaaaaah Oopsie Daisy Doorstop, designed by Jenny and published in Creating Country Threads Vol 10 No 8..and such a joy to make..

Normally I would of chosen fabrics like Jenny used, however I am determined to step out of my comfort zone with many projects this year…

The reverse side..and yep I have stitched the handle down in places..due too a certain 4 legged creature-that would of taken this for a walk had the handle been left free…

Thanks Jenny for another awesome design..now on another note hubby needs a upper cheek slap bigtime as when I showed him my doorstop he cackled laughing saying "it looks like an alien” too which I replied have another beer…

(Shhhh don’t tell him but on looking at it in the pic I guess it does have a kinda alien look to it, but we shall just keep  that to our selves).

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

OOPSIE DAISY

OOPSIE DAISY that's me today I'm oopsying with some daisies, back later with some pics
Cheers Vickie Thanks for dropping in.

Made for me..

Today was a carefree day to do what I want and totally I mean that –by finishing that blue thang I feel freeee…

I sat this morning with a couple of magazines and was browsing thru  the pages when this page jumped at me

Oh yes that’s right I remember seeing this on a blog

it read something along the lines of yeah “I’m in print”-way to go Dawn-  of Dawn Hay designs…-I soo need a nice new cover for my ironing board….

Yes I can go buy a cover but ugly fugly they all are and so many of them are blue….

I quickly realized I didn't have the requirements to make the cover like  Dawn had, but I could fudge it yep I can…

So I dug deep into the “one day I will use this box”  and found a lovely embroidered block I received several years ago and a sewing I went. 

ahh so much better than the old tatty one….

 

 

hehe see the chook such lovely stitching and so much better on here than stuck in a drawer.

Thanks heaps Dawn for the inspiration –whilst mines not as pretty  as yours it sure will get some use….

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.