I am here

ok Miss Slack blogger here, and thank you to those that have emailed me “are you Ok”..much appreciated. 

Life just gets in the way sometimes and a quick zip around some blogs and commenting were I can (seriously that blasted please confirm you’re not a robot verification drives me batty at times).

Adding a line here or there on Facebook seems easier than than actually doing a blog post..yes bad girl is me…

I have been struggling with m y needle turn applique –my silly arm keeps cramping up-so that project is becoming a very slow one.

Seems like it has taken me forever to finish these 2.

I purchased a Babushka stitched cushion kit  to make for my Sister in law to give to 1 of her granddaughters for her birthday in August.

 

It is quite a good size..oh yeah and I kinda  got some more red/black & white fabric too…hehehe

Stitching progress so far.

Have my thinking cap on for gifts for my partner in the COLOUR swap I joined- I am still shocked that this is the first swap  I have joined this year.

Cheers for now

Vickie

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COLOUR Swap

This is the first swap I have joined for 2012, hosted by Lisa sound’s like fun and we share fun don’t we..just click the image below and pop on over and have a looky see.

 

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by

hmmmm Needles-be careful

When it comes to hand sewing I have different needles that I use depending of fabric thickness etc, I am quite sure I am not the only 1.

In particular when doing needle turn applique I use Hugs’n Kisses applique needles-lovely & fine and sharp if the fabric is a tad thick then I use Joan Shay appli-bond  needles I get from Calico Crossroads .

Anyways last Saturday evening I was doing some of my SKOW applique,using my one of needles from Helen-Hugs’ n Kisses when I was invaded by these little wriggly black bugs that bite (the joys of living rural), anyways they started biting me so I was slapping here there and everywhere like a total madwoman and jumped out of my chair..half a can a bug spray later I sat down to get back to my stitching…Oh dang where had my needle gone, I looked in my work nope on my chair nudahh..ok it must be on the floor I guess I’ll find it with my foot. So I promptly got up and got a new needle and re commenced sewing.

The short version goes like this..

-Monday afternoon sore right boob, Monday night ..omg is that were the needle is?

-Tuesday morning progresses and  right boob pain gets worse so from work I take myself to the hospital (oh yeah Hubby was working in Qld so home alone was I).

-Was seen to within 30 mins-sent for an x-ray- Dr viewed x-ray yes the needle is embedded in your breast-then told I was being admitted

-Cannula was put in and Antibiotics started right away, they said they were operating that night, ok I can handle this pffft.Then I notice my phone battery is nearly dead-no charger..then they tell me nope we want to get more antibiotics into you before we operate so will go to theatre in the morning.

-I manage to call one a friend (Mango)and see if he can organize someone to go feed out pets..well bless him he went and did it for me and kept going until he heard from me that I was home-mind you he just had a knee replacement done 15 days ago..I have a nice bottle of Chivas here for him he saved me extra worry about the pets bigtime..

-Phone has gone flat around 9.30pm, nurses asked around the ward too see if anyone had a charger-no luck..thankfully I had given them hubby’s number when I first arrived because I did not know it..so was able to phone him from the ward phone-but I had no-one else's numbers..

-Well by Tuesday evening late I turned into a emotional roller coaster, hubby out of town..ma & pa outta town..I felt isolated big time..then Wed morning they say ok you will be going in sometime today..pfft that didn’t happen..then they moved me to another ward close to theatre for surgery wed evening..nope did not happen then Thursday morning I told them if it wasn’t done by lunchtime ( this picture is  –I was bawling my eyes out and very distressed) that I was removing the cannula and leaving, my husband was due home on the midnight flight I fully intended to collect him from the airport. Dr tells me I can’t do that I say just watch me,he nicely ask me to calm down pfft yeah right and off he goes..I go to get a tissue out of my bag only to see that the nurses had taken it away..ok few deep breaths-just about to yell bring it back and the Dr walks in –asks me not to cry and then tells me that he has pulled some strings and I will be going into theatre before lunch..they bought my bag back to me-I be guessing they realized I was serious and that I would leave.

Here we have the needle in a nice surgical jar..hubby has renamed these needles of mine “surgical applique-so sharp you won’t even feel them go in”

Now I realize this post has ended up a bit long..but seriously I would not wish anyone to go through this-so please if you loose a needle find it..

Yes I collected hubby from the airport, and then yesterday he took me shopping to Big W and Spotlight (line was huge at Spotlight)-I said it’s ok we can go nope he patiently stood beside me and waited till we were served.

And he is keeping a close eye on me making sure I am not doing to much, I am not to lift or stretch much- seriously I never realised before how many bodily movements that the breast actually moves with (if that makes sense).

I have stitches now and a lovely bruised right one, stitches will be removed this Thursday..

If you managed to get this far thankyou & I wish you and yours a happy and safe Easter.

Cheers for Now

Vickie

Thanks for stopping by.

Comments not showing

Thank you thank you so much for the emails telling me my blog was not showing comments..hopefully I have remedied the problem now,  if you receive a reply that seems from way ago you will know why...

Cheers Vickie Thanks for dropping in.

Sewing photos

Yeah finally I am posting some pictures and it is an ungodly hour for me to be awake but I had a terrible dream so shot out of bed turned every light switch on that I passed & 2 tv’s & internet and pc’s had to turn pc’s on cause that is where all my friends are….

this jumble mess is a bag of zips I got from the local oppe for $1-I thought it would not hurt at that price to grab them as I seem to be getting back into sewing clothes lately and I just never know when I might need a zip.

Recently this The Oz Material Girls Pattern Shop had a special on , so I thought what better way to try some clothing  pdf patterns out. This one was a Fuddie Duddies-The Fuddie Duds Pant 3 length's in 1 pattern boys & girls great size range in the one pattern 6mnths to size 8.

I enjoyed making all these toddler boxer shorts that will cover the behinds of 5 different children, lucky little tykes if’n I do say so myself.

The little pinafore was so so easy fantastic pattern..I so wanted to see how good the pattern was I just quickly pulled some fabrics and made it up in a flash (ok 2 hours). Then ½ hour another night for the button holes..pattern from the same place and by Nanoo Designs..

Both these patterns were super easy to follow..

Oh and last photo for this post is my cover I made for Tabby..

Some pwetty fabric I found in the scrap bin @ Spotlight, and one of the crochet flowers I got in my advent swap from Julie and a gorgeous Riley Blake button for bling…

Tada the view when it is open..object here being that I wanted padding for the screen so that’s why I made it fold over upon itself.

I am endeavouring to get back to doing a blog post at least once a week.

Cheers Vickie

‘Thanks for stopping by

time has just whooshed me by

I have been amiss in updating my blog…no particular reason why.

I’ve been unable to do much hand sewing which has annoyed me big time, as I was so enjoying my Some Kind of Wonderful project..it is still wonderful but just happening very slowly..have you seen the many variations on the blog they are awesome..

Managed to sew & quilt a table runner for a friend and now have the binding –yuk yuk – to do..

Hubby and I went out to buy some timber (my idea) on Sat, we he detoured and we ended up @ WOW Sight & Sound-who are in the hands of receivership..there was many bargains but nope didn’t really need them ..hubby did get me a Toshiba 7” tablet..whom I have called “Tabby” ..I have been wanting an e reader for awhile but just could not seem to find one that said pick me..so now I have a wonderful tablet & reader all in one and we are getting along just fine…Hahaha to hubby who had a secret mission to spend all funds before we got to the timber yard—it didn’t work , we then went and bought the timber…

I made Tabby a pretty cover..but alas batteries are dead in camera and I can’t find the lead..so I will do a picture post real soon..

Cheers for now

Thanks for stopping by

Word Verification Frustration

Arghhh grrr..it has taken me 30 minutes to visit 4 blogs and leave a comment..no my internet connection is not slow-it is the new blasted word verification..so I have now turned word verification OFF on my blog and all comments will await my approval for posting on my blog..I am not a robot but golly I can’t read half of the blasted codes either…

 

Ok stepping down of my soapbox now,

Cheers Vickie

A Change is good

I have not touched my sewing machine in a week, I have been unable too do any hand stitching either and think that is what made me not want to use the machine..anyways this weekend I was back at the machine..

But I did not wish to sew quilty matter so I looked in my fabric closet and chose some fabric and  I made these..for 2 little girls..

Added a tie back the same colour as the skirt’s to both.

I think them Riley Blake buttons look awesome…oh yeah the buttons are just sitting there as I can’t sew them on.

I love pink and green…

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend,

Thanks for stopping by,

Cheers Vickie

Have you seen

Oh wow I just had to share with you all this goreous fat quarter bundle giveaway over here...go visit Emily and see for yourself.
Cheers Vickie Thanks for dropping in.

A whinge & Swoon blocks

Oh my where did the past 2 weeks go? This is what happens when one is deprived of sleep, my mind becomes very very forgetful..MY tinnitus has been really bad past couple of weeks, soon as I am in bed and everything is quiet I have the whole dang orchestra playing..and it has been 2 am before I have been drifting of too sleep –last Thursday I felt myself kinda falling apart so took Friday off and took some sleepers (I can’t take these during the week as I am not quite with it in the morning’s)..I caught up on much needed sleep but know the pattern will continue whilst the orchestra keeps playing, we are going to see if we can get some wireless earplugs for mp4..as I tried with the ones I have but the roll over dang pull plug out..

There has not been much progress on my Some Kind of Wonderful blocks as my arm has ben giving me grief..gee what a bag of whines I am today.

I did manage to make another Swoon block to replace the block that was too bright..ermm ok I have not shown that picture..I shall remedy that right now..

I made 9 blocks

And this is what they looked like just laid out on the bed..that bright pink 1 just popped a tad too much and I could not place him elsewhere as he was a brown star and there was only 4 brown star places..so I rummaged around and found some more fabric..

And made this 1 –ah yes think that will look so much better.

Placed them all on the bed again and yep much better,and no 2 fabrics are the same, now I can concentrate on the  sashing..with Hubby interstate this coming week I may just stuck at me machine hehehe..

Cheers Vickie

Thanks for stopping by

Swoon………

I have been trying to collect a mixture of pink and brown fabrics as this is the colour I wish for our new bed quilt to be..I toyed with the idea of just making random 12” blocks but then I saw the Swoon post over at Katy’s and then I saw a post at Lindi’s and I  started thinking Swoon
 
and I thought some more and some more even and then thankyou Miss Lindi I have joined the Swoon-craze..yep I am sure it is an addiction..

Made 1st block..hmm oh yes I’m in love

Number 2 block well yep lots of cutting but after sewing with small bits of fabric I feel this is a breeze…

Ok got carried away and had to make another..

Decided the cut offs were growing too rapidly so started sewing them together, these will end up as a runner for the dresser and probably toppers for the bedside tables too..

Oh and look there is my 4th block..
Precise cutting from fq’s is required for these blocks and I have scrapped 2 fq’s as they were not cut straight-so I am now measuring my fq’s before I start to cut..
The blocks appearing on the flicker group are awesome and they all look so lovely and  different ,
Cheers Vickie
Thanks for stopping by.

Sewing room floor

When I  cleaned up my sewing room 2 weeks ago,I popped my rubbish bin up on a stool and just had never got around to taking it off..Well it has just come to me that it can live on a stool forever.

Look at my floor just a couple of threads no scraps of fabric nudaaaaaaaah, because with the bin on the stool I actually hold the waste and pop in into the bin-instead of a general sweep off the edge and hit and miss kinda thing.

And before you all go “but hey you have to sew to make a mess”. well I have been doing the Swoon sewalong with Kate ,I have been swooning along rather happily will post some pics soon am making 4th swoon block now.

Cheers for now Vickie

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CW Blocks now a top

I have been sewing sewing and sewing and updating on FB, oops bad me nearly forgetting to update my blog.

So I went along with 7 rows of seven blocks-as I could not find some of my blocks, I kept looking for them as I was sewing along but to no avail..

Blocks sashed together into rows..blasted cat would not move..

Rows being sewed together.

Not taken in the best light, but now all rows joined.

TA DA final border added and laid out on our kingsize bed..I am loving the fabric I chose for the border and just for something different I mitred the corners-but in no way did I try to match the fabric on the pattern.

Now I honestly don’t know what to do with it, I think it is too huge for me to quilt it..so it may just have to have a nice rest in a closet for awhile..

Thank you to Barbara for these wonderful blocks each week and to the wonderful ladies that posted tutorials with their blocks as they made them, I know them blog posts  helped me out on many a occasion.

Oh yes and wouldn’t you know it on a final clean up of my sewing room today I found the rest of the blocks, aw well I now have some nice blocks to make some pot holders.

Cheers Vickie

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Civil War Blocks

It sure has been an educational journey sewing these blocks each week (ok I didn’t make one every week but I made them all-barr 1), the stories that Barbara put up with each weekly block were excellent..thank you Barbara for sharing these blocks each week..

 

Block 50 Grapes of wrath

Block 52 Christmas Star

Block 53 Union Shield

I would also like to thank the others that participated in this weekly event and posted how to on their blogs with pictures – it sure made making the tricky ones easier to make…

Ok now I will look at some assembling…hmmmm

Cheers Vickie

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December Done

Happy New Year..I pray you all had a saw the new year in safely....
Yeah the batteries finally charged so I could take picture of my completed section..was not easy to get it all in I might add..



And the loooong picture..

I am enjoying the needle turn more and more, but man the piecing of them wee bits eek –and also them strippy borders will challenge me to the end as I’m one of them matchy types and am trying real hard to mix it up some, I changed my Suitcase tags to some of the places that I have visited that will stay in my memory for ever.
cheers Vickie

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Gifts I have made that have now been received.

Yipee finally I can show that I had been very productive making gifties..

 

these 2 items went way way away to Oddbjorg ..I used one of Jenny’s patterns and just altered it a tad for the runner..and the ornament was a me practicing umm forget the name..you know when you sew with paper—paper piecing maybe? 

 

This lovely stitchery I found for free on the internet and popped it in a bag face for Julie, and I sewed buttons randomly on the back..

 

The above bag of gorgeous pinks is what I made for Melody , I know how much Melody loves her dogs so I grabbed some pics of each one off her blog and sewed them into the bag-may just have to do a similar one for me using pics of our dogs.

This gorgeous birdie (free pattern on the net) flew all the way to Victoria just because I wanted to make it and send it.

And this runner and coasters I made for the admin girl at work, she liked them very muchly..

So you can see I had been a tad tied to my sewing machine for awhile…

Oh dang I forgot to take a pic of the sewing bag I made for Miss Fairy, please miss take a photo and send me,

cheers Vickie

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SSCS arrived..

What a lovely package too arrive at my PO Box on Friday Dec23, all the way from Nederland, it was my SSCS (yearly swap hosted by Chooky) parcel from Annelies. I was allowed to open my decoration right away and look what I got they are gorgeous..

 

Being a good girl see the main gift still wrapped and below are the gorgeous angels and a wee extra – cute notebook..

Isn't that just the cutest tag..

And look at  them they are so dang cute..

And then Christmas morning I opened my main gift, wowsers I was speechless-yes it does happen at times.

It is beautiful wall hanging (with hanging pockets on the back)..click on the picture and view the hand quilting all around the border.

And look at that label, I am so fortunate to be spoilt by Annalies this much and such gorgeous work..once again thank you so  much Annalies and Chooky for hosting the swap.

Cheers Vickie

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