Knitting

This extraordinarily unusual cold weather has seen me wanting to knit more and more & my arm thinks that is bad-but I just have lots of rests).

Last night I finished a pair of  Moc-a-Soc’s for me…I bought the pattern from Bekahknits.

Oh they keep my tootsies so nice and warm..

Today I have spent the whole day sitting on my butt as my knee has decided it does not want to play the walking game with out being extremely painful.

So before I started on my next knitting project-I made myself a holder for all my needles and hooks and such.

Oh my don’t we all look neat and nancy—wow why do I have 2 or 3 pairs of each size I own..that won’t be happening anymore..also have 3 of each size crochet hook I own.

Fold the top flap down –protect them things from falling out.

Roll ‘em up and tie the ties..yeah yipee…

Cheers Vickie

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Ziah is growing

 

Look at me I am 5 months old.

Cheers Vickie

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Civil War & Farmers Wife Update

Civil War weekly blocks by Barbara Brackman .

Block 24 Ladies’ Aid Album.

Block 25 Calico Puzzle.

AAAAAAAAAAAnd I have done a couple of the Farmers Wife blocks too, there is a quilt along happening on Amanda & Angela’s blog-the colours are all so different.

These are the  blocks I have made so far, I am making the blocks as they are in they appear in the book 1,2,3 etc…as I know me and if I did it randomly then when I’d come across a busy/difficult one I would just pass it…hehehe…..

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for Stopping by.

Magazine Subscription right to your inbox.

Yes you read right and with patterns too, and for a bargain price of $4AU per month, delivered straight to your inbox-with newsy bits and free patterns. How awesome is that, yeah pretty good I think so too-jump on over to ELEFANTZ blog and get yourself all subscribed up. Yes that Elefantz  as in Jenny,  you’ve seen her creative designs and gorgeous work on her blog and in several magazines and perhaps you have also seen the  patterns  in her ETSY Store. Well how fab would it be to receiving a couple in your Email magazine for just $4 per month…

Oh yeah almost forgot there is another yummy part, Jenny will be sharing delicious recipes too.

Ok I know you probably not reading this anymore because you have jumped on over to ELEFANTZ to subscribe, let the fun begin.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Button BOM

Small steps when I can and this Christmas Fun Button BOM is getting done…

I have just realized that I didn’t even post #1 and I have just finished #2 of this gorgeous button BOM by Lynette Anderson Designs , that I bought from yep that shop.

Block #1

Them blocks are itsy-bitsy bits, and have tested my patience.

Block #2

Isn’t that wee birdie button so cute…

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by..

Farmers Wife Quilt-along

Yep I’m doing another QAL..

Have had the book sitting here for awhile and when I stumbled across this blog  Fussy Cut I just knew it was what I needed. Would also like to add that this is Edition 1 and if you have it in your possession you may want to check out this blog for corrections.

Since I am making the Civil War blocks by Barbara in Civil or civil like fabrics, I have decided to make the Farmers Wife using 1930’s prints.

This is my wee stash ( I know not enough for the quilt)1930’s prints are not easy to find up here, so if you have some sitting in your stash that you won’t use please let me know. If I run out of fabric then that will be the size it ends up.

Tada just had to whip one of these blocks up, the blocks are 6” finished.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

SAL Tis the Season finished.

I have enjoyed stitching and sewing this..and seeing all the different colours on the SAL blog everyone is using is mind boggling.

Big big thankyou to Chooky for the SAL group-I know I would not of completed this without the group, now I look forward to watching the progress of the others in the group.

I have made mine a table cloth and have the stitcheries going in 2 directions so no matter what way your at- you can read them.

The quilting had me stumped for a while but after looking at it I decided there was enough happening with the fabrics, so I just kept it simple.

I used a lemony coloured thread and the photo does not do it justice.

Head cold is finally leaving me, housework has gone untouched all weekend-but hey it isn't going to go anywhere is it.

Cheers Vickie

Two finishes

Desperately waiting for hubby to fix light box so I can finish my last block in the retro BOM by Lyn .(all the windows in the house are louvers so can’t trace that way..so rather than mope (yes I mope) and be idle I got active.

Hooray to me..two quilts finished today,ok all they needed was to be trimmed and binding added and a first for me I didn’t do the meandering quilting .

I have a friend who has a friend (gosh that sounds like a tale).Start again.

My long time friend Jo who lives in Victoria has a friend called Barb, now a little while ago Barb bought a quilting frame & machine, but alas it was too big to leave set up in her house-soooooooo she sent it to Jo’s house to live….and they are having a ball with it..so Jo kindly offered to quilt my tumbling blocks quilt for me.

So I sent it down and also sent another way way old all hand pieced UFO.

(photo taken with my phone)

Today I got the binding all sewn on and I am in love with it.(have now got a template which will make further tumbling block quilts much easier..thank oyu Gloria for the lead on that one.

(photo taken with my phone)

This is that old it had thick polyester batting and had some hand quilting done as well, don’t recall much about it..but definitely had none of the fabric around..so I sued orange for the binding and it makes all the wee orange flowers pop.

Cheers Vickie

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Civil War Block

And I am still on track with my Civil War weekly blocks posted by Barbara .

Had  giggle to myself on Saturday night when I was reading the story with this block-as I had been sitting down in the lounge knitting, a pair of slipper socks-and I thought hmm wonder if Barbara has posted the new block yet , now you have to go read the story eh?

Block 22 Blockade- Ok I fiddled with this one and kinda made it a tad different.

When these are put together it sure is going to be a large variety of colours..

Cheers Vickie

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Civil war blocks

Oopsie I forgot to post pics of my last 2 blocks, I am enjoying this weekly block by Barbara and her stories that each block represents are great reading.

 

Block 20 –new England , I love how this one turned out-it would have to be my most favourite block I have made so far.

Block 21-Underground Railway.

I find it stunning how there is lots of people making these blocks but no 2 blocks look the same made up, with all the different fabrics people are using.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Found the photos yeah

Finally woohoo..

Remember I made the quilt out of Bliss Charms, and said I was going to get my money worth out of them well I believe I did just that..

My version of Oopsie Daisy Runner by Jenny..love it

And the other runner I just cut the charms @ odd angles and sewed with a kinda quilt as you go method..

Am very happy to have some nice fresh looking table runners around the house…

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Bargain

Firstly grrr, can’t find where my photos are of my items I finished couple of weeks ago..hopefully that will be rectified real soon.

Anyways I am on a bit of a knitting bug at the moment, and when I went down the street this morning I popped into the Salvos Store and had a rummage thru the habby basket…

I dug real deep right down to the bottom but alas I didn’t find any wool…buut I did find this.

Nice price yes.. but look there is more

There actually is five different colours x10 5”charms=40x5diff coloured 5”charm squares.

AND

What a happy camper I was…

Cheers Vickie

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Wasting Days

Yeah yipee the camera is working…

However you will have to wait for the craft pics-due to

me wasting time trying to do this-was not easy with my stupid knee.

Lots of cuddles in bed with Grandma.

I like my pram Grandma it’s real comfy, can we go now?

All smiles…and if you look at Grandma’s eye you will see that her knee has been robbing her of sleep (I am so over it)..

I will post sewing pics during the week.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh & A Giveaway

Headache- neck ache - back ache and yep the knee is still aching.

And my camera has gone and placed its legs skyward grrr,

EDIT EDIT see told you I was having a bad day….I actually purchased it from that other shop –yes I’m an internet shopper and love both these shops equally…Sarah and Pauline both provide prompt –efficient service..

I had set aside today to start my Christmas Fun Button BOM by Lynette Anderson Designs, Which I purchased from that shop again (gosh I love shopping there). I have had this for several weeks and then Christmas Fun #2 arrived and it too has sat on the side of my work bench. I asked myself why I had not started and just could not find an answer so today was the day to start…

And so start I did.

Stop hold that thought I knows why I was reluctant to start..the blocks are teeny weeny=sewing with bits of fabric under 2” square. Oh my It has taken me 4 hours and lots of mutterings to finally get CF #1 at the stage where I can sit and do the hand stitching.

Pffft ok that’s my whinge for the day…

Do you know Lyn from Bluebirdquilts ??? yes of course you do..well she has been blogging for 5 years and has an awesome blogaversary giveaway =lots of yummy reproduction fat ⅛’s just for the winner, oh yeah and there is a request with a difference…go on go have a peek you know you want to –but hey if you forget to leave a comment that’s fine , more chances for me then hehehe…

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Blissful sewing

Ah I just love the Bliss range and I sure got my money out of the 2 charm packs I purchased from that online trap wonderful store.

Thankyou to all who took thought and commented on my last post re the binding.

I ended up going neither of what I had suggested, as I really wanted to make another runner out of the remaining charms. And the thought of the white binding going off colour-well that just wasn’t on my agenda.

I am very happy with how this quilt ended up looking, it originally was going to be a pattern out of Schnibbles times Two however when I cut out 3 different block pieces (that would be the 3 centre blocks in this quilt), whilst constructing each block it worked out I was chopping off 1½” of charm –uh uh quick calculation what a waste. It was then that I decided I would just make this up as I went along…

During sewing somehow I got 3 yuk grease marks on this…I sprayed them with Eucalyptus before washing most of the marks came out, at this point of time I think I can live with the faint marks on it.

Uh uh no Miss Lindi this is not yours!

Sun is shining so bright this afternoon was hard to get a good photo.

This runner is just waiting for me to make up my mind about some stitchery detail.

Aww yep you guessed it moire bliss.

And this one is waiting for me to trace the stitcheries to add to it.

So bright and fresh..

And that’s a sneak peek of another project, oh it’s so pwetty…

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Help Please

Hi all,

I have come to the end of my Bliss project and struck a blank wall…I should not of looked in my closet nope should of kept that door closed.

You see upon opening my closet this beautiful green with white flowers jumped at me ….so I tried it on as final border and then bias would be white????

Then I tried white final border with scrappy bias from left over charms (bit worried about bulk in all the joining.

EDIT- if I didn’t use the left over charms for the binding I have a runner I can use them for.

Am all over the place now, so I though uh huh go to the Blog World get some input..please

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Button BOM & Bliss Pinwheels

Ah yes yipee tra laa laaa, my fabric that I ordered from Sarah for the button BOM  has arrived, so I can now start another project woohoo. C’mon now you all know I am bent and must have many on the go.

And and and remember I am working away with 2 gorgeous charm packs of Bliss.

Oh look at them yummy pinwheels all ready to be stitched together ,maybe tomorrow.

Update on knee is..Specialist wanted me to have another 2 weeks of work arghhhh..I said no please please let me go back for half days…he looks at me ummmm..I say c’mon otherwise I will have to come and draw all over your nice new walls…

Ah yes that hit the spot..I am allowed to go back to work next Tuesday, but only for 4 hours a day and a total of 12 hours a week-for the next 2 weeks (17/5).

Happy Dance ok alright Happy Limp happening.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Easter to everyone.

 

Where ever you are and what ever you  are doing, I wish you all a safe and happy easter.

Tonight we are going to a 60th birthday party, I mean like c’mon what do you get a bloke for his 60th eh? Well I put the thinking cap on and  since it is the start of our dry season-I whipped him up one of these.

It’s a novelty item “peter heater” he will get a laugh out of it.

Also got him a tweeny mosquito catcher thing that looks like a pair of twisted tweezers-can’t take a photo as it’s all wrapped up.

Where we are going is insect capital and I am frazzled as to what to wear, due to the swelling in my knee I cannot get any long pants on and no dear hubby I will not wear what you suggested “denim shorts and long pink & black striped sock’s” indeed NOT.

I have made 22 mini blueberry cheesecakes with flaky flake topping to take along.

Hmm yummo can we start with afters/desert please.

On the sewing front I have started making something with my gorgeous Bliss charms, I did start of making a pattern from my Schnibbles Times Two book but there was too much wastage so it has now turned into a bit of this and that Vickie Project and I’m loving it.

There you go a sneak peek..oh so yummy..so bright and fresh looking.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Retro BOM & Tis the season

Yeah yipee happy dance Blogger is going to let me play this late afternoon.

Firstly I have completed block 4 of the Retro Nine Patch BOM by Lyn ,

I am loving the brightness of these blocks.

I finally have managed to use the sewing machine and sew borders on my Tis the season blocks for April.

I am so liking the greens.

Thanks for stopping by .

Cheers Vickie

Civil War Blocks

I have been forgetting to post my civil war blocks the free weekly pattern from Barbara, I am enjoying doing a block each week.

Now I must of boo-booed my measurements with Block 13 and wasn’t even going to post the picture-I may not even use it in the finished product.

Block 13 Little blue basket.

Block 14 Fox & Geese.

Block 15 Fort Summer.

Now the 4 diagonal pieces were to be red to symbolize lines of fire from the shores,(as told in the story by Barbara) however I had no red. However I am very happy with how this block turned out.

On the knee front-pain is reducing, still is hard to get a full nights sleep.  The muscles above my knee are slowly starting to work..yipee.  And and I can now stand (albeit very gingerly) to have a shower, oh ok sorry too much information..

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Bummed (not meant to offend)

Well truly that’s how I feel..with my options for comfort being limited to being on my butt in the recliner or flat on my back (yuk yuk yuk ) on the bed.

And my butt is complaining. Can only spend a very short time sitting at the computer, I do have a lap top in the lounge but I’m just not in to laptops lol.

And I can’t go jump in my car and drive down the street, as I still have too  much pain on movement.  I am doing some passive exercises that will hopefully allow me to drive on Thursday.

Ok  I’ve had my whinge.  The results from the surgeon were good, it was what he thought a medial meniscus tear and he also found a piece of cartilage floating around..so he scrapped the tear and removed the floating cartilage.

He gave me a sheet of colour photos of the inside of my knee, showing me the floating bit and the tear…seeing the photos made me feel a bit squirmy – and I was like wowed at the same time.

I start physio Thursday and I  have to stay home from work till I go back to see him on 27/4, hoping he lets me go back then.

I noticed late yesterday I was feeling really down and sooky.  Have stopped taking the prescription meds and this afternoon I have noticed my inner being is feeling better.

Thank god the weather here has turned a tad cooler with a nice coolish breeze during the day, saving me from having to turn the air con on.

Stitching little bits, and flicking through magazines has been filling in some time. Oh yes and I have been sleeping-sleeping-sleeping as I am a big believer of the body healing itself during rest.

Ok enough of my rambles for today.

Thank you all for your kind wishes.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Grounded

Yep I am grounded….no I have not been naughty.

Had my arthroscopy on my knee On Friday 8th. Knee is swollen and looks outta shape-I am being good and walking little bits and weight bearing..applying ice packs when needed and taking pain medication 6 hourly.

Am doing a little bit of hand sewing when the mind isn’t to foggy.

Can sit at my computer also for a bit when the mind is not in an altered state.

Don’t know what the surgeon did to my knee, but will find out when I go see him tomorrow.

I am very fortunate to have such a wonderful husband tending to my needs.

Oh and hey I am grounded to the house and the veranda as I can’t get down the stairs LOL.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Open for business

Oh wow don’t we all love a new shop, Tess from Raggedy Station has opened a new store –Homespun & Beautiful- and to celebrate she is having an awesome giveaway.

(Pic form Raggedy Station blog)

So go on I bet you can’t not go take a look,

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Tumbling on & on

Not much been happening here.

I had much fun not (try laying blocks out when your knee is BLAH) laying the tumbling blocks, I have constructed so far on the floor to see how they were shaping up and I was stoked to see I had made enough for the size I wanted

 

I have sewed a couple of rows together and some ok many muttering happened during this sewing process- they is a pain.Well for me they is anyway..Hopefully I can continue on after work during the week and end up with a top by the weekend.

Oh was fancying something yummy so last night I made a yummy cheesecake. The look On Hubby’s face  when I took it out of the fridge put the top layer on and then popped it back in the fridge was priceless…he thought he would be able to sample it last night.

Recipe said to use canned cherries but as I am not a fan of cherries unless they are fresh. I opted for a can of raspberries.

Oh yeah and the update on my knee is, I go for day surgery  for an arthroscopy (yeah I remembered the word) on the 8th of April blah blah –then I will be grounded again ,seriously though I am dreading the day I have it done ‘as I have to walk up 14 steps to get into the house. Am hoping I don’t have to be grounded for too long, am lucky I will be having the same Orthopaedic surgeon who has already operated on me 3 times, I trust him.

Od and Delta have recovered from their operations and are back in full swing.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by