my Machine has a new dress.

Well let me start by saying I had always wanted to do a dresden plate block..which I did a while ago in lovely 1930's fabric (that was gifted to me)..I admired the block for sometime then it got cast aside-yeah I know bad girl....
That was until I sat it on my work bench and said"this will not be an orphan for any longer"..and so the brain started ticking and voila a new dress for my sewing machine was born..and I am crappy at taking pictures..took like 20 just to try and do this justice it truly has a nice crisp fresh look-perfect for the pending gloomy wet season that will hit us soon...
I have not reduced the size of pics so you can will get a huge view when you click on images.
Oh boy it was tricky working out the applique shapes I wanted, I ended up tracing a pair of embroidery scissors -button jar just fliked it-cotton reel was a tad challenging I knew in my head what I wanted it too look like and after several trying attempts I got there--pin cushion nearly done my head in,but overall I was happy with how it all turned out...

Could not have a plain boring back on it could I?
All good dresses need pockets and this one is no exception, tidy holes to hide things.....

Close up just in case you missed it.
And just 'cause I sometimes have an odd sense of humor, I miss spelled "then" for "den" cause it's a dresden block, and truly I must dress before I sew sewing in jammies can be so user unfriendly for me.

Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

I needed some machine needles

Arghhh I ran out of needles for my sewing machine so off into town I headed, thinking yep I will go too the Janome shop instead of spotlight that way I will not spend excess money on fabric, just get needles and leave right..nope wrong.The Janome shop was the most dismal place I have been in and just had no atmosphere at all..so somewhat rather peeved, I headed to spotlight just too get needles.
Well they saw me coming didn't they, there was a massive table with rolls and rolls of fabric marked down to $3-$4-$2-$6,and if you purchased the roll you got it for half the marked price-now come on would you look eh?
Got my needles yep I did, and then the fabric started screaming at me "come see come see"..


well first one off the rank was thisssss 245cm wide quilt backing,2.45 meters total =$6.30


Then from top too bottom of pile purple hippo's=1 m total $1.
Blue and maroon print =1.8m total$1.50
pale pink background with strawberries=1.5 total$1.50
pastel colour gingham check = 4.5m total $4.50
small purple print = 3.5m total $4.80
pastel stripes = 6m total $8.25
So I now have some other fabric LOL....and if you add up them prices($21.55) that's darn cheap eh?

Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

Mail brought tears

Just did a routine check of the mail box today and oh my goodness, there was a package for me
from Tracy(sunny corner farm-blog gone).
Last year I sent Tracy a RAK (random act of kindness) gift, I had read that Tracy enjoyed to cross stitch so I sent her a semco kit-which I think was called farmyard sampler...well blow me down with a feather if that completed cross stitch was in my package-along with a magazine-and I am admitting that it bought tears to me my eyes, just thinking that Tracy did all that beautiful work and then gifted it back to me-
I hunted around the house for the many empty picture frames that are stored in different places and voila found a frame sheeeeshh aida cloth is not very friendly when trying to get it straight, I have done the best I can (with my not too well working right fingers) but hubby will have a Mr Fixxxx-it look later...so without further ado here it is.
Thank you so very very much Tracy, your a gem yes you are.

Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

Wanna win some fabric?

Ah see now I got your attention eh?
Well pop on over to i have to say and have a peek at the yummy fabric remnants
that Randi is giving away-


To tempt you even more here is the pics Randi has on her blog.....
Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

Ohh it's so soft...

I had to go grocery shopping today blah arghhh icky..but when you combine it with some op/thrift store shopping it become oh me oh my wow.
Today I got this beautiful wool it is so soft-oh how I wish you could feel it you'd go ohhahhh I just know it. I have no idea what it is, but it sure isn't nylon-and maybe I might just make some sockies for me(oops yep must finish the other pair I started).


Oh yeah and the critical part of this purchase as with any was the price $2.75..doing happy dance.

Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

Ever get that feeling?

Yes you know the one, when you are happily working away at something..yep that one where you feel someone/thing is watching you..I have had it often lately ..and this pic will tell you why.


See when i turned around and looked up there was Cya and Leave, keeping a watchful eye on me...


Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

More than a sneak peek.

Okie dokie here it is….

Nice a pretty for a girl-nope no baby’s on the way…just made it cause…I liked the way the fabrics went together and the quilt was randomly sew, no pattern thru.

Dang one of these days I will remember to iron first…

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Blue Blue Blah

Well if you've been reading you would quickly know that blue is a blah colour for me, I just don’t use it at all.

So imagine my quandary when asked to make a king size quilt and you guessed it she wants blues..

Well we went to spotlight & 2 hours later walked out with her fabrics choices-she decided once she started looking at fabrics that adding some other colours would allow her  accessorise options, phew it’s not all blue so too speak,and I am hoping these colours will look great once made up.I’m pretty confident they will all blend when made up in the same design as my Dry Season Quilt.

 

This is the stack 12 different fabrics in all…and the large piece of fabric on the bottom will also be the backing fabric. So if I disappear for a while you’ll all know where I am-stuck with the blues.

Cheers Vickie.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Project

Well I have been a busy beaver in my room true I have, so I thought it best I show pic so you will believe me.

Aww now c'mon you didn't expect me to reveal all did you.
Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

Dry Season Quilt

Yeah it is finally quilted ok it's finally messy meandered stitched, now for the binging..argh so much hand stitchin to do-

I am very happy with the way all the fabrics look together.

Just a close up of the messy stitch.
Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

Treasure

Some things I just see and say "Oh yes , I have to have that", and this lovely bowl(perhaps a soup thingy) was one of them.




It is a tad crazed (think that's the word) inside but otherwise it is beautiful-on the bottom it's stamped
Genuine
Staffordshire
Hand Painted
Shorter & Son
England
Oh here are some way better pictures-I suck at photography...

Anyways It is sitting high where i can admire it-would not use it for food or the like.
And you just want to hear this don't you...cost was $6.

Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

Change is good?

Kindly excuse any mess you may see whilst I redecorate, many thanks
Cheers Vickie
Thanks for dropping in.

$1 yep just one dollar

Oh wee oh wow, happy dance happenin-yeah small things I know…but hey look at this

Oh this is so soft and umm what’s the word pliable? easy to seperate..sooo soft-not sure what I will use it for yet..hmm maybe a santas beard and hair would be superb-ah blah I don’t do christmas stuffs-ah yes I could make one as a gifty..hmmmmm

and at just $1 I had to bring it home.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Swap items

Look at these wonderful swap items I have received lately, from online craft groups.

One was a Christmas in July swap where you sent your partner items beginning with the letters that spell Christmas.

C=chook pourer and bowl

H=Herb –wire chook pot holder

R=Ribbon assortment

I=heart photo frame(in love)

S=Stained glass chook

T= Trivet with a rooster on it

M=Mitts with chooks on them

A=A design by Ann Francie Dimmer=lovely needle case

S=Staionery made just for me with my name and chooks

Can you see a pattern her hmmm anyone would think I like chooks eh?you got it I do so long as they are not real. Great job Lauren I love it all.

Next swap was an apron or peg bag  swap-I couldn’t decide which I would like so I typed surprise me…

I was speechless when I opened it up to find Judi had made me 2 items woohoot…Judi had made me a peg bag and an apron..

Oh Miss Jenny are you reading this one..

eh looky here see I do love girly stuffs this is just so awesome-

This peg bag will not be going outside, I reckon it can live in my sewing room and look after some lace and trims for me..the fabric in these items is gorgeous.thanks heaps Judi I adore them greatly.

Cheers Vickie.

Thanks for dropping in.

I have sewn

Yeah it’s true I have done something these past weeks..just been slack in the bloggy dept…am going to endeavour to improve that from here on in….

Remember awhile ago  I enlarged and stitched this Wonky Houses designed by Jenny from Elefantz… Well it has sat on my work table since –I would spy it every now and then and think hmmm what will become of you-and then the light popped on and I got sewing….

And there we have it one Wonky House toaster cover.

Mental note to self iron item before taking a pic.

Now ona  totally different scale of things, a lady I know had a b-day last Monday, and I decided in all my wisdom to make her a frog-cause she is mad about frogs like I am chooks….

I had this pattern that I bought awhile ago-it’s 3 diff animal pincushions..so i decided I was making the frog…ermm well this blasted thing took 2 days to make and has bucket loads of fart-fiddly hand stitchin.The pattern lacked many instructions. From somewhere inside me came the determination to finish this beasty and I did…Hubby thinks it’s kewl for a frog LOL….

When I took it downstairs to show hubby it tried to runaway and jumped in this stump…

Then on the way back upstairs in jumped in here

Suffice to say it is now packed in a bag ready to go to it’s new home.

Cheers Vickie.

Thanks for stopping by.

Some crafting

I have been playing with the hot glue gun..gotta love that thang..

One on the left is an 8oz jam preserve jar and the other is a 16oz mason ball preserve jar.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

A blog win oh my goodness.

Isn’t this so cute..funny how I have made several of these but have never made one for myself-lucky me won this one-yes me I won something-

from Lissa @ frabricologist anonymous..it was wrapped in this lovely fabric photo does not do this fabric justice it truly is beautiful umm oriental style.And inside the bag was this.

Gotta love them charm squares …and the crème smells good enough to eat..Thankyou soooo much Lissa.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Territory Day

Territory Day/Cracker night is a fun filled evening that is slowly  being pushed to be scrapped thanks too idiots who let crackers off without care and injure innocent people and light fires and leave them unattended- for the majority who take care and enjoy the celebrations fun is had.You can only buy crackers on the 1st of July between from 9am till 9pm.So many don’t even know why the Territory Day celebration is for…1st July 1978 is the day NT Govt dared to be different and self government was attained….

Ok enough of the lesson here is a couple of pics from our celebrations that are held at our place every year.

Above pics of ermm about half the firecrackers we had..got a tad carried away and forgot too take a pic at the start.NOO I did not buy them all everyone who attends brings a bag or box of crackers and they are all placed out and you just grab and play –safely of course.

 

umm confession to make I was having so much fun I forgot to take pics of the big boom sparkles…

  

Ok I musta looked up …LOL isn’t the moon lovely…

Cheers Vickie

Thanks' for stopping by.

Secret Sewing

Well ok not really secret, but well I liked the quiltalong that Dana from  Old Red Barn Co was doing, so I decided I’d follow along at my own pace and in my own time(not much of that lately)..anyways I had to go with whatever fabric I had so I was thinking hmmm…it’s dry season what colours do I see,I see brown and green and pink and red-so I pulled some fabrics from the cupboard and said right just cut it….

   I did not hesitate the cutting as I know I would of started going oh but that don’t go with this blah blah you know how it goes eh?        

Now when I went too start sewing this cat CYA had other ideas,she was not going to move and if looks could kill that sure is a killer look eh?

Gosh it almost looks like ermm dare I say technicolour scrap heap.

The photos don’t do it any justice

It truly looks ok..the pic above showing the cut fabric is a good pic of the colours..the individual blocks ended up measuring 11”when sewn up and my quilt measures 6 blocks by 8 blocks and when completed it may just live on the horrid lounge (brand new and I never knew I would have a reaction too microfiber) –always have to have a cover on  it….

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by

FOG in the top end

Well some will find it hard too believe with our day time temperatures always being around the 30 degrees mark, that we do get fog during dry season I just had too take these pics to share…and this was at 8am.

I know there  is a road out there somewhere.

Wow I usually can just see the house up behind us, but with this fog no chance.

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.