SKoW update

Hi guys happy new year!!! Just checking in with the blocks I have to complete, once I finish stitching these I'm ready to join rows!! I have my quilt booked in for February with Belinda at Eucalypt Ridge Quilting. Xo Suze.

Stitching away

Hi all...have been busy doing some Christmas sewing, which is great fun, but unfortunately I can't show you :) Have put a few decorations around, been playing a few Chrissy CDs at work...it's beginning to feeel a lot like Christmas!! I have also been doing an Advent swap with my partner , Pat from Narromine. I think that has made me feel a whole lot Christmasier ( don't think you'll find that in the dictionary...) by opening a present every day so far this month..it's been GREAT!!

Santa I made years ago, on the sliding door...

Vegie bed...made a salad yesterday with red and yellow tomatoes, basil, parsley, oregano and shallots :) Petunias are for colour, not eating.... ;)

My pride and joy...one of our "Little Gem" magnolia blooms. They are beautiful and scent the garden with a lemon-vanilla smell that's divine...

Hope your lead up to Christmas is not to hectic, I'm trying to be more organised this year with my hand made gifts, ie. not be fininshing them at midnight on Christmas Eve.....have a great week! Suze.

Feelin' hot hot hot...

Hi all, nice and warm again today...42 today and again tomorrow. So needless to say Christmas tree will not be coming out of the shed! Maybe Sunday. Have been watering early this morning and hanging out washing, at least it dries in half an hour :)

I sent my SSCS parcel on the 23rd ( on time-yay ) on my way to the bloggers meet and lunch in Bathurst last weekend. What a fantastic weekend!!

Bloggers lunch 24th November 2012

SSCS parcel...embarking on a long journey....

 The bloggers catch up was organised by Chooky and Khris, we met at Hatched and Patched in Bathurst then had lunch at a restaurant called Chai Wallah...it was such a good day. Lovely group of ladies!! It was the first time that I had met most of them and by the time Kate and I left I felt like I had made a lot of new friends, thanks again.
 

My purchases from Hatched and Patched, 2 plants from the markets and my "swap" gift from Anita, " Cowgirl Cookies"..they look too pretty to bake!!!

 On my way to Bathurst I called in and dropped off my Advent Swap gifts to my partner, Pat, in Narromine. This is such a lovely swap, you open a parcel each day in December 'til the 24th, then on Christmas day you open your extra special hand made gift!! I can't wait to start. On my way home on Sunday I called in to Pats' and she gave me my pressies, it was nice to catch up.

My Advent Swap gifts for Pat :)

Have a great day, stay cool....xo Suze.

Our girl!!

Last week HMB had her year 12 formal- it was a lovely evening, they are a great bunch of kids. Here are a couple of pics, sorry they're taken on my phone at home before we left so not the best quality...

Hayley May

This is a "photo of a photo" so I'm sorry about the shine marks on it, but this is H with her brother EJB at the formal..my two beautiful kids are just growing up too fast...E starts an apprenticeship next year, so no more schoool for me!! Just feels like last year that we started, where has the time gone?

I know I'm biased, but she is a cutie ;)   love you Moo.... xo

A little bit of SKoW

Slowly but surely I am working my way through the SKoW blocks...I have completed the following three- and need to stitch on my pins and stitch down the hexagons and tape measure on the sewing block. Husband and son have gone to Sydney for the weekend, so I plan on setting up on the dining room table today!! Ironing board, cutting mat, machine and fabrics...I can't wait!

Changed words to " our garden "

Bear the labrador and Hazel cat :)

Kate and I...

Changed words to "quilting" and made hexies...just need to stitch them down, the tape and add my pins!

I have five more blocks to go. I am keeping the travel bag, but changing the other four. Last night I traced three blocks onto vlisofix, so will be getting them ready to stitch today. Have a happy weekend guys!!!

Cheers, Suze.

PS- Thankyou to Chooky for running this stitch a long. It is my first time and I have enjoyed it immensely. While I am dissapointed in myself for not meeting the deadline, I will not stop stitching!! I am not renound for finishing...cough cough...shutup Kate....but am on a mission as I am booked in to have it quilted. I have enjoyed reading everyones posts, commenting and receiving comments from other quilters. It feels really nice to be part of such a warm, friendly group of like-minded people. I hope that one day I will get to meet some of you, but until then will keep in touch via posts. Perhaps another stitch a long next year if it happens....please let it happen...  I have enjoyed stitching and sewing again, for probably the first time in 2-3 years, so for that "Thankyou." Love to all xo

Handmade gifts

Thought I should do a quick post to show off the last of the handmade birthday gifts. The lovely Jodie from Jellywares had a birthday the week before mine so after learning to make"hexies" after my trip to Orange I made this....a new "loaded" pin cushion! It was fun to make and I think she loved it ;)

This is the gift Jodie gave to me... A beautiful persimmon scented candle ( isn't it groovy!! ) and this sweet little wrist bag...just love the fabric!!! THANKYOU Jodie xo

And this little cutie is my niece, Xanthe, 5 months old. Awww makes me all clucky;)

Cheers to all have an awesome weekend!! Suze xo

Happy birthdays

In the last school holidays HMB, EJB and I finally got to visit my bestie Kate and her beautiful kids in Orange. Long overdue, it was soooo good to see them:) It involved dinner at Hogs Breath Cafe and a little celebration for HMB recently turning 18, do you know they bring you cake and sing happy birthday??? Imagine my horror ;) when they plonked a plate down in front of me too!!!! The "beautiful" Kate had also let them know that my birthday was the following week....anyway it was a lovely evening with good company...desserts AND cocktails!! Below is a pic of H, E and Molly, with the rocky road ice cream- it was huge!!!....but we ate it...,

I was lucky enough to join in with Kates' sewing group for a retreat day. It was heaven...sewing all day..no interuptions- except for lunch, afternoon tea and we even had dinner there;) They are a wonderful group of ladies..Kate is so lucky to call them her friends. While we were there Kate surprised me with an early birthday gift...I am so lucky to have such a talented and generous friend!! I LOVE IT!!!

I will set it up in my sewing room, but the light was better on the dining table for picture taking...my sewing room also looks like a bomb has gone off....need to spark it back up so it matches my cute new sewing caddy. What a great gift!!!

Have a great weekend!! xo Suze.

Getting there...

I changed the chocolates block to Autumn, not so into choccies, but wanted to keep similar colours, so Autumn it was- my favourite season...

Below is my home block..so cute...please excuse the creases on my blocks...they have been travelling with me, I feel a bit creased up too!!!

I have used mainly Nancy Halvorsen fabrics on my blocks. I added "paper daisies" on the daisy block...when we were little we used to go hunting for them!! They make me all nostalgic when I see them around now...they make me smile and think of my Aunty Chris. xo

I do love a good cuppa...and a chat on the phone to Kate;)

...and just because they were so pretty....these were smiling at me when I was hanging out the washing..

Have a great weekend...Suze.

Tick...a few more done

Hi all thought I'd show you two more finished blocks. Great to see some finished tops and quilts...hopefully will be me soon!! Will have quite a few more tomorrow as I like to take pics in daylight. Cheers Suze.

Cracking on!!

Hi all just checking in with some of my blocks for SKoW that whips hurrying me along:)

Spring is in the air..so is the dust!

This is the "main street" of my home town, Cobar yeterday around lunch time...what a horrible day!! The dust was terrible, I was at work  ( Cobar Quilt Shop ) and my washing was on the line....it is now back on the line after being re-washed today :) It is supposed to be windy again tomorrow...poor school teachers...they say kids are feral on windy days...I know it's not good for my hair-style ;)

On a brighter note...Spring has certainly arrived. The blossom on our fruit trees and various others around the house is sooo pretty. The leaves have started to sprout on the Manchurian Pears...so pretty. The bees are buzzing around happily. EJB suffers with hayfever terribly...so onto the Zyrtec for him, it sometimes gets so bad that he thinks he should have to come home from school...nice try E.

Thought I would throw in a pic of Bear...he is covered in dust...after laying out the front in the RED dirt..why do dogs do that?? There is a perfectly nice lawn there! I put a spare dog bed that we own out there, so guess where he is now...yep, on the dirt. I give up Bear-boy.



Have been soing some stitching on my SKoW..so thought I'd show my first finished block. I have quite a few others to show, will do over the next few days. I changed the book block to something more me, can't see me reading P & P, so Roses it is....

Cheers!! Have a lovely day, wherever you are. Suze.



still here :)

HI guys, just had a little reality check as to the date and my lack of blogging. Life happens, I know but WHERE HAS THIS YEAR GONE? Just checking in to see if I can still remember how to blog...and to say that I just got my SKoW bag out of the cupboard and onto my lap ;) yes I heard the whips cracking...and need a gentle hint to make time to do these things. Hope you all are having a beautiful August day where you are- a glorious one here, house work done now off to work for a few hours and counter tea for dinner to celebrate a family birthday. Can't ask for more than that!!! Cheers- Suze.

My time wasters...feels like this was taken last week, but was actually nearly eight years ago. HMB is in year 12 in the middle of her trial HSC and EJB is applying for apprenticeships..my last year of school :/