recycle, reuse, reduce

Last week I was browsing the Internet via Google images and found some cute hand made paper beads. I studied the instructions carefully and decided I could make some too. So today instead of sitting at the sewing machine like I had planned to, I started making paper beads. I am happy with how my first attempt turned out. I usually save all envelopes that come in via the mail box to use as scrap paper for shopping lists etc, but I decided to make some paper beads out of them. The inside of the security envelopes are perfect with their patterns and colours. I also used news paper, and tried out some saved used wrapping paper. The wrapping paper was not so successful as it is shiny and tends to slip and slide while you are wrapping it around the wood meat skewer. I also gave a couple of them a coat of craft paint just to see if that will be worth doing too. Once they are completely dry, the next step will be to spray them with a sealer or varnish. It was fun doing something different for a change. It just so happens that on Better Homes and Gardens last night, they had a segment on making paper beads too, so I whipped out this morning and bought the mag so I could have it on hand. I hope you are all having a good weekend so far, cheers and blessings, Julie

I LOVE the TAX man

I was lucky enough to receive a decent tax return this year, so I decided to buy myself(ish) something really neat. Since my health is not good and only getting worse, I decided I needed one of these great electric lift chairs. I went browsing through Harvey Norman earlier this week and found this La-Z-Boy on special. It was a saving of $700 as it was on sale. The delivery guys just dropped it off and I 'christened' it by relaxing with a cuppa and a quilting mag for an hour.

I hope you are all keeping well and still avoiding the flu this winter.

Cheers and blessings
Julie

1st Birthdays, Bohemian Bags and Scrappy Pencil Cases

I have been a bit quiet over the last couple of weeks due to ill health. However, I am back up and running again and I have some 1st Birthday photos to share of Miss Chelsea. She is my sons daughter and she found out that she just LOVES birthday cake on Sunday.




My last post showed photos of one of my quilts (blocks at least) in progress and some funky fabric I had made from it's scraps. I worked out what to make with it finally. I have made 2 of these groovy pencil/tool cases. One for me and one for my dear mother. We can fit all our tools in them for when we go to our quilting groups. I put velcro across the top to close it to stop even the pins from escaping. We had many comments about them on their first outing and I am actually planning to teach a small group how to put it all together.


Last, but by no means least, I have made this tote - hold it all type bag. I bought this wonderful fabric from Ikea for only $5 a metre and as it is nice and thick and firm, I just knew it had to be a bag of some type. I have called it my 'Bohemian Bag'. I have made my daughter one too that she uses for a nappy bag and it holds everything except the kitchen sink. I have orders for 5 more bags from family members too, so it seems I am not the only one that likes to carry everything in one place. I actually use mine to lug all the bits and pieces to quilt group or pack it with a jumper, my diary, water bottle, camera etc for outings and just leave it in the car as a type of hold all. I designed the bag myself and it uses around 1.5 meters of fabric outside and the same for the lining.

I hope you are all keeping well and have steared clean of the flu or worse.

Take care, cheers and blessings, Julie

From little things, BIG things grow

You might remember back on Tuesday this week, I shared with you the start of yet another project? Anyhow, while cutting and pressing and sewing on that project, I created scraps of many colours, shapes and sizes. On the back of these scraps there was a trace of visofix. So I wondered what it would look like if I cut the pieces into even littler pieces and stated to iron them one on top of the other overlapping etc. Well, what a great way to use up scraps. In the end, I had created a piece of fabric entirely of scraps that measures 14" x 34". I have not decided what to make from my 'homemade' fabric yet, so perhaps you all could make a suggestion please?

Also I have added another photo of my latest creation in progress. I have called it 'coloured voids'. I am going to put it away until I go to visit my good friend up north so she can help me with colour placement etc. I hope you are all having a good week. It has just started raining again here in Brisbane. Have a great weekend, cheers and blessings, Julie

Oh dear...retail therapy, I just can't help myself

I knew Spotlight had some quilting fabric on special this week, so while I was out getting some prescriptions from the chemist, I decided to pop in and see what I could find. Oh dear, I found some interesting fabrics that will make some quilts that I have been wanting to do. I also found some cute fabric to make myself a new set of oven mitts as the ones I use now would have to be at least 10 years old and are burned and ripped etc. So over then next few weeks, I guess I have found myself some work to do in my studio and I will make sure I share my projects with all you lovely ladies. Cheers and blessings, Julie

Feeling better and getting some sewing done

Finally today I have started to feel like I am getting over this cold. It ended up turning into a mild flu over the weekend. Anyhow, today I decided to put the borders on my latest creation. It has come up rather nice and now joins the pile of other quilt tops waiting to be quilted.

Over the weekend while looking around the Internet at quilty things, I discovered a very nice quilt that I can see sitting on my bed. So today I started to cut out the pieces and have also started on row one just to see what it will look like with my chosen fabrics. So far I like it and can't wait until I have more done to get a better idea.

I hope you are all well and happy, cheers and blessings, Julie

Getting over a cold and pasta making

Last week I came down with a cold and spent 3 days in bed as I was already feeling down after having to finish work 3 weeks ago for other health reasons.

Anyway, today I decided I felt OK enough to venture into the kitchen. At first I decided to put a nice burgundy stew into my slow cooker and then I decided to make some yummy home made pasta. I am however, going to save my pennies and buy myself an electric pasta machine to save time and to prevent me working up a sweat turning the handle on my manual one.

The glass of wine in the photo is for medicinal purposes only...and if you believe that, then I could tell you anything, right? cheers once again

I hope you have all had a nice weekend and are keeping well and happy. Cheers and blessings, Julie

My long weekend continued (blogger is playing up)

Yesterday I went to visit one of my granddaughters, Miss Chelsea. She is walking very well now (11 months old) and does not sit still long enough for photos as you can see by her blurred image here with my son Brent and her mother Nicole.



Princess Mia came for a visit last night with her mummy (my daughter Melissa-Sue). She loves to take a bath at my place as she only has a shower recess at her mummy's house. After much splashing and playing, it was time to get out and get warm and dressed. Mia (10 months old) has decided she would like to come for regular sleep overs at my house. We will have fun going on adventures and visiting her Great gran on the Gold Coast.


I hope you all (Australian ladies) had a wonderful long weekend. Mine was full of family, friends and relaxing times. Cheers and blessings Julie

My long weekend

I took some time out over the long weekend and went to visit a dear friend of mine out in the country. We had decided to have a mini retreat sewing. I took 2 quilts that needed binding so they can migrate to their new owners and I also took the blocks I had made for my ex mother in law (nice lady) and decided it was time to put the quilt top together. With the help of my home-made trusty block and row markers, and help from my friend and her daughter, we had the blocks sorted into pleasing rows and marked in no time. I managed to get the top put together and have decided it does not need borders, so it is on the 'waiting list' for the quilter next time I head down to my mums. I also ran up a couple of twisted purses. They are fun and easy to make and I have included the instructions here for you.


Twisted Pouch Purse

Machine quilt a square about 9 - 10" in size and attach a 7" zipper to two parallel edges forming a tube. Then stitch the side ends closed. On one end, the zipper needs to be centered with the first seam and on the other end it forms the edge of the seam. Don't forget to leave the zipper open so you can turn it right side out when done.

I just LOVE eBay

I have been looking for some folding bar stools for my studio and never thought I would find any that folded so I could pop them out of the way when not in use. As usual, I turned to eBay to see what was around and started bidding on some bar stools. In the end I won this pair of folding stools for only $9.99 that are just perfect for what I needed.


I also have been looking for a large quantity of zippers to use in bags for My Market Stall and on eBay once again I found this bag of 100 assorted colours and sizes and won them for only $18.95.


I also went searching for some Pandora beads. I won these 50 mixed glass lamp work beads for only $12.50 and these 20 Tibetan silver beads for only $4.50 including postage. The beads are yet to arrive, but I have faith they will be here soon so I can enjoy making new things with them.


Has anyone else been lucky to get some real bargains on eBay? I have been selling and buying on eBay for a while now and always seem to find what I want and sell for a good price.

I hope everyone is looking forward to a good weekend. I will be attending the Textile Art Festival on Sunday with my mother, and hope to find some bargains there too.

Cheers and blessings
Julie

My New(ish) Studio

Does anyone remember this post? The HUGE tidy out of 2009

Well, as I briefly mentioned in a recent post, I have reclaimed back what was used as a lounge room in our tiny little house (no one used it once I had cable TV cut off because I never got to watch it and paid for that privilege?). So I gutted it and sent said TV off to my bedroom to live along with the DVD player and one sofa (I swapped my bedroom with what was meant to be a lounge room over 18 months ago because I wanted more room and turned my bedroom into the lounge room...complicated, I know, but it worked for us) So what was my bedroom, then a lounge room has now been turned into MY Studio.

Yes it does look a tad messy and overcrowded, BUT it is only me and perhaps one or two invited friends that will occupy this space at any given time....well who else is going to help me drink from that lil green bottle on my sewing table?

As you can see, my studio is packed with many things. I have my computer desk in there, sewing table, cutting table, craft table (complete with current project in early stages) and of course various storage containers and a leather sofa to take the weight off, sip the wine and watch the paint dry on the craft table.

Those ornate Bali style storage cabinets x 2 that you can see are full of glasses and crockery I do not use and books and trinkets from my various travels....I am toying with the idea to pack them away, give them away, hide them under a bushel, whatever and use said cabinets for more storage thus clearing up some more floor space etc.

I am excited to have my Studio, as it is the first time I have had what I deem 'my space' to hang out in that I do not have to share with anyone unless I choose to.

I would love to see your studios, allocated space too, so get busy and post some photos.

cheers and blessings
Julie


PS As usual, click on the photos to see them larger :)

Looks Like I Have Worked out Blog Land

Hi everyone, I was rather stressed this morning when I last posted. This evening it seems that I have worked out how to change my template in blogger and still keep the items on the left hand side. I have been able to retrieve all my favorite blog sites and I have found a pretty background that is 'just me'.

I hope to add more items of a quilting nature soon as I am hoping to change my work hours to suit my lifestyle and needs.

Blessings to you all
Julie

OH DEAR...look what happened!!

I was playing around with my blog settings trying to get a pretty background. Some how along the way I must have saved some settings and now I am stuck with this back ground and have lost all my wonderful contacts. I did not realise that setting a new background also sets a new format to the outlay.

Could all the wonderful ladies who either follow my blog, or were on my favorite blog list, please send me some type of contact so I can add you all back again?

I am still to find the perfect background, but when I do my page will look pretty again.

Thanks ladies and blessings
Julie

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY & High Tea

I would like to wish all the mothers reading today a Happy Mothers day for tomorrow.

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

I took my own mother out today to celebrate and our first stop was a morning tea of lemon meringue pie and raspberry baked cheesecake and coffee at the Coffee Club at Robina Town Centre. YUM

Lunch was high Tea at The Old Teahouse Gallery and afternoon tea was ice cream at the local McDonald's. We had the best time here, as you can see with our little stand full of goodies.

We then headed off to the local fabric shop to see what we could find to build up our quilt stash. Usually when we shop together, we buy half a metre and share it. Today, as you can see, we forgot to stop ourselves putting more and more bolts onto the counter. We both went home with nearly 2 dozen fat quarters. Did we have fun? YES we sure did. I also bought my mother a beautiful Gerbra plant so she can have flowers most of the year round.

From This...To This...For This

I was out at my local flea market Sunday morning getting the usual fruit and veg when I stumbled across this room divider/screen and knew it would make a neat & compact design wall for my sewing room. (I must post some photos of my new sewing/office room...I confiscated back the lounge room which no one used anymore) I paid only $5.00 for it and struggled it back to my car and headed over to Spotlight to pick up some flannelette to cover one side of it. So far it is a work in progress, as I bought about 50cm too less flannelette and will need to come up with some handy dandy way to finish off the top and bottom edges. However for now it will serve it's purpose and folds neatly in three behind my sewing room door.

FROM THIS

TO THIS

FOR THIS

I got one quilted over the long weekend

I headed down to my mothers house on the Gold Coast with great intent of getting at least 4 quilt tops from my stash quilted. However the quilting machine had other ideas and kept breaking it's thread every 10 inches or so. So it was slow going just to get one quilt top done. Anyhow, I think it turned out pretty good and it will be a gift to my sons girlfriend for her birthday in July.

Other than that, I went to visit one of my dear friends in the country town of Canungra and spent the most wonderful day with her just looking at the surrounding hills and watching the clouds roll in bringing an afternoon shower of rain. My mother came back home with me Sunday arvo and we visited Miss Chelsea on our way through from the Coast. We also had Princess Mia stay over night Sunday and spent some quality time together which we both love to do.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and stayed safe. I look forward to seeing your photos too.

Cheers and Blessings, Julie

Catch up on last weekend...where do the days go??

Well as promised last weekend, I am posting some photos of my other granddaughter Miss Chelsea. She is nearly 9 months old now and is a lovely little girl full of smiles and cuddles.

Also last weekend, I started on a long awaited quilt for my ex-mother in-law. (Yes we get along just fine) She asked for African animals and prints etc. So after searching through my stash, she found these found these fabrics, which I decided would look good as cobble stones. Well after a couple of hours of cutting and sewing, I came to realise there was not enough of any one fabric to be able to make it uniform in any way, so here is the result...patchy, mixed, but pretty. I have made 49 blocks and will add borders of about 6 inches or so. I know she will like it, as she tends to like things not to 'order' or 'form'. This weekend I have laid it out on my bed and with the help of my new find the Block Monitor, I will have it together by this afternoon all going well.

I will post another photo of it as time progresses. I hope you are all having fun sewing and making things for your loved ones. I only wish I have more time to do so these days.

Cheers and blessings, Julie