Cow Paddocks Patchwork

Sun Halter Shirt

Ok Due to popular demand and with help from Debra when she visited the other day and "egging on" from Gayle & Jill here I am modelling the Sun Halter Shirt by Amy Butler using the gorgeous Gypsy Bandana fabric! Now yes I have chopped my head as you all know that my photos always have a silly look on my face and yes - THANKYOU MUM for pointing this out!- I do seem to have shoulders on my like a forward in a football team!

But what we all care about is the shirt!! And yes it is very unusual for me as most of you know I LIVE in collared shirts generally with long sleeves or at minimum a polo shirt!

So this feels quite different but lovely and cool!

 

Latest Project

I just couldn't resist this fabric when it came in - so I have made up an Amy Butler halter shirt - and I even had it finished in time to wear it to Hannaford. I found the pattern quick and easy to follow - now it does look much better on a person but I couldn''t wear it and take a photo - so here it is!

 

"The" Kaffe Workshop

 
Yes back from "my" weekend away - and it was sooooooooooo good. I handed over more of the Quilts of Love, actually got to look in shops, had a 2 day textile workshop, went to Highfields to the gorgeous Chocolate shop and Danish Floral Art shop........... ahhhhhhhh the life.

Then of course back to reality with a thud!

Bookwork, cleaning, homework, feeding calves etc

 But I must say the Workshop was not quite what I expected but more of what I had hoped ...in the sense that it wasn't about quilt construction (which was fine by me as the pattern wasn't difficult) but was more about design and colour etc etc which I loooved! Kaffe Fassett & another designer for Rowan Fabrics - Brandon Mably ran the class and gave a variety of opinions on colour and placement. It was a lot of "trying" things- some worked others didn't.

I met lots of lovely they drove something like 14 hours to get there - now that is dedication!!!  Plus of  course those ladies in my little neck of the woods (table workshop area that is ) Robbi, Helen, Terry-anne , Sally & Judy!!!! So none of us (me included) are allowed to whinge about driving distances to workshops after their effort can we?

I have included a few photos - not as many as I would have liked but for some reason many are quite blurry - might be due to the exhaustion by the end of the second day! Everyone produced some amazing designs with gorgoeus colours.

As with all workshops you always learn something whether it is from the tutor or other participants and I think any workshop is always inspring.  Now some have asked what I thought of "it" in general. - Now I think I can sum it up by saying I looooved the company, the fabric, the inspiration and the networking and I may...... consider doing another class with Brandon Mably should he ever return to Oz!

So here are some pics!

 

This is my "gelato" inspired quilt

This is my "jewel" - jules???? quilt!

Now I apologise as during the afternoon "critique" by Kaffe of all of our quilts we were all madly taking photos but I didn't get to meet everyone so I'm not sure exactly who these are - but aren't they gorgeous?

 
 

 
 

 

 

So here are some of the photos when we handed over the quilts to Toowoomba Base

Lto R - Rowena Barber - Marketing Manager WHK Accountants (Craft in the Country Sponsor) Me, Bec McMahon (Nurse Toowoomba Base)

 

Handover at St Vincents Toowoomba - Lto R - Jacqui Blackburn, Me & Rowena Barber - WHK

See - I did get nearly ALL of my hair cut off!

 

So thankyou again to all of the lovely people who made and donated quilts  of love......... and just a reminder that if you are looking to kindly donate again at this year's Craft In The country Quilt of Love Challenge - they need to be to me by the 16th March if you wish them catalogued and hung otherwise we will of course accept them on the day!

So back to it - we have had 2 lots of clover club since my return so hopefully will have an update on that plus soooooooooo much new fabric coming in! And as you can see I have another 2 quilts started - why are they so quick to start and so slow to finish?

A bit of what I have been doing

Yes just a little sneak peek of my little dabbling.

 

This is a bit of my first William Morris BOM block - I loooove my new Janome Horizon - and I love that I can easily taper my blanket stitch when I get to sharp points! And I loooove the fact that it loves rayon threads!

 

And my new machine also loves metallic thread - top and bottom - which allowed me to make this spider web stress free!
 

And while this isn't a great photo I enjoyed "playing" with some different leaf shapes etc to "get my hand in" for free motion work again! I soooo have been wanting to "play" with some arty farty stuff for sooooooooooo long. It gave me a little "fix" for the day.

Oh Farming Life...........

Yes now if any of you see me before it gets a chance to grow - I have short hair for I think just about the first time in my life - oh and I mean short - I am not exagerating - clippers up the back short - and I must admit - I'm not quite sure about it. I mentioned to the hair dresser that I think I might go "short" just so I wasn't tempted to put it in a pony tale - but wasn't sure on the style - well she said - lets cut some of the length off and go from there - well let me tell you there was no length to "play" with once that was done - so short it is. And while I think (with a hairdressers hand) it could look very stylish and modern - little L - reaction to  it was - gee mum you look like a boy!!!! Does have me in some concern!

Anyways the problem was that I was so long overdue for a hair cut and colour mainly due to the following daily antics of life on the farm.

 Now I am not taking away from the devastation of the floods - but here is definately a tongue in cheek version of life at "Toomba" of late.

Grey hair seems to be multiplying especially after the following

Mustering with darling children that cannot ride horses and horses that have no idea (Apparently!) of what mud, melon holes (they are little round like puddles with water and grass in them but can be from a puddle whole size to that of a house in width and up to 4ft deep), and of course any wet soil that seems to be boggy!

So after convincing pleading and nearly getting cranky with horses and their riders about "making" them walk through it - we mustered 2 paddocks with the little darlings. Oh and I swear I need a medal for patients. Not to mention a wine - or the bottle!

Then me having to tear around after uneducated weaners (due to not being in the yards enough because of the wet) while DH minded the children on their horses. And yes I have to go through the melon holes and at a  fast speed while being reminded NOT TO FALL OFF because you won't get to a hospital becuase the roads are cut and there are no choppers/planes available to get me there!!! - So ENCOURAGING - NOT!!!!!

And then my favourite (ONLY) horse kicked Little Miss H's pony and there was tears, from little one and she wasn't holding horses and not riding etc etc and then we had a mob of cattle that wouldn't go in the yard as the bull was standing in the gateway and wouldn't let the cows in - Now don't get me wrong this is no big drama usually but when you have 2 children in the mix that can't ride with cows coming out at them willy nilly and them on reasonably smart horses you just wonder where everyone is going to end up!!!

Then of course the frustration of the horse and pony not wanting to walk through the mud and Mum - "I CAN'T MAKE IT DO IT - WINGE WINGE WINGE ..............

Meanwhile a half day job is going to take at least all day!!!!

And then there is the TOO HOT, TOO TIRED, CAN'T POSSIBLY HELP PUT MY SADDLE CLOTH BACK OR HOLD THE HORSE!!!!!

Why is it again that we want our children to learn to ride????????????

But I must admit other than their horses/pony not wanting to go through any sort of wetness - well in their defence we have had drought since the kids were born - and one of the horses isn't much older so maybe they don't know what mud is!!!

The horse did behave themselves other than being able to put it over the kids that they didn't really need to go through the mud. But other than that they were pretty good - much to the benefit of mum's stress levels as you go off in a canter to block cattle while looking over your shoulder to see that both children are together walking along safely with horses behaving - while husband is who knows where!!!!!!

 Then we have had 2 cows die due to 3 day - what you get when inundated with mozzies after rain - 3 days down and they get better - or DIE!!! that's about it really . So now I have the rankest craziest calf in the world to rear on the bottle - It has taken since XMas eve til last week to get it to suck - and who said I"m not patient! I can even feed it in the yard now - not having to catch it in the head bail - it was so mad that it would hit gates, throw itself down etc etc.

Then we had the bull that got caught in the fence and nearly chopped his leg off - the 6" x 3" x 3" deep hole is nearly fixed - he was happy about our medicinal assistance too!

Then we have the "quiet" cow that suddenly went troppo and helped Jeff right over the top rail in the yard - he was up there already - just in the nick of time as she hit the rail below him but she decided he needed helping right over.

Then we had the cow that was going to calve and would also rear "crazy calf" - we bought her in the other day - SHE HAS TWINS!!! So she won't be rearing any extras - and of course then she got mastitis in her teat - stripped it out but now it won't produce milk. So we have a cow with 3 teats and 2 calves. So I have been scruffing the 2 little darling calves - oh and yes they are     SO CUTE!!! And giving them extra as one in particular is missing out on his share of milk - he is the bull calf - does this explain anything - his sister beats him to it everytime!.

And Then we have our favourite Charolais bull the other day who had been fighting with the bull in the next paddock and looks like he has broken his leg up in the stifle.

Then we had 2 dingoes, and a dead calf and the list seems to go on at the moment - oh and yes they are predicting a heat wave - 40 degrees in the shade!!!! OH YEAH!!!

But in all this you know what - I can look on the bright side - my darling brother and his family are mustering at their place this week at "Trinidad" Quilpie (and my parents are going out to help) and they are predicting 45 DEGREES - so that is starting to get seriously HOT!!!

So there you go - we have it really easy!!!

Today the little darlings went back to school - and are already asking when are we going to have the week off so we can have our real holiday at the coast!! And I am SOOOOOO Looking forward to homework this afternoon. ............. I really do think I would rather scruff calves........

So in between the fun and laughter and watering the garden - I have done a tiny bit of sewing - sew I just MUST SHOW YOU!!!

 

Exciting Huh?

Here is a bit - but technically it isn't sewed yet just fused

 

This is the first block in the William Morris BOM

So til next time - just keep stitchin!!!

My Injune Challenge

Yes finally I have gotten around to taking a photo of my challenge for Injune. As you would have seen in the previous posting the Injune ladies really out do themselves each year. Now with the theme Funky Wave - I wanted to do something "arty" so I took the challenge fabric and created something that I picture when you think of Funky - sixties, way out, phychadelic, way out Wave - of course wavey fabric, wavey lines, wavey stitching.

So here you have it - I know it's not for everyone - and I stretched it over a canvas!

 

So I drew the swirly phychadelic shapes, then raw edge appliqued them, cut out wavey strips an fused them on and then raw edge appliqued them then did wavey machine stitching lines over the top - these were with both matching threads and variegated King Tut threads. Then I had stitched with a running stitch some wavy lines also with some swirls too! It seems a little more brighter or "out there" in the flesh.

These challenges are a great way to get the groups enthusiasm going and the creative juices flowing!!!

 

And Winners Are!!!

Yes a few weeks ago we had a little guess what the project is - well we had one totally correct answer from Debra from Roma - it is DEE DEE DOLPHIN BY MELLY & ME DESIGNS!!!! Congratulations Debra a little prize will be coming your way!!! And for those commenting on the blog's new look - drawn out of the hat was Melissa from St George - Well done - and thankyou for your input!!! You too will be receiving a little something!

And here is the finished product!! Isn't she cute!
 

My latest Project - Pink Ribbon Cancer Textile Art Piece

In my spare time - what was that? Oh yes that impossible thing to find - oh to have more!!!

So I have decided to have a little dabble in some textile art to whip up a piece to donate to the Injune Ladies for them to frame and auction at their Cancer Girls Night In Fundraiser. So hopefully it will raise a considerable amount for this worthy cause. So if you like it ( and please be aware this is "in the rough" stage) it will look so much nicer framed up, contact me and perhaps we can organise some more information on the auctioning of it!

It has been constructed using the conftti technique to give the different shading in the ribbon, stitched - of course! melted angelina fibres (which you can't really see here) to give a blingy sparkly effect over the entire piece. Then fabric/paper flowers have been added with extra sparkly bling in the middle!!! I can't wait to see it framed up. So if interested the Injune Cancer Girls Night In Fundraiser will be happening on Saturday evening the 16th October. If you would like further information on attending the fun night or bidding on the textile piece just email me!

 

I think a Competition is in order!!!!!

Hello again,

yes it has been very busy with the school hols, kids on horses, at gymkanas, shop bits, keeping kids occupied etc. Not to mention the relentless housework and cleaning said horse equipment and horses!!!

But in between all of that little Miss H and I have been working on a little project and we even got it finished. Now I know a couple of you may have had this mentioned to you so unfortunately you won't be able to partake BUT for everyone else I will give you a couple of clues over the next little while and the FIRST person to guess correctly will receive a FREE FAT QUARTER!!!!

So here it is!

Pretty Vague isn't it? Well you will just have to keep guessing!!! I promise I will have another clue for you soon. But I will give you a hint - Little Miss H picked everything - the fabric etc, the design, and it is for her!!! Now to get the correct answer you need to tell me what it is and it's name and designer. Yes I know it seems hard but I think it will all come together quite quickly in the end!

The Poppy Bag

Yes as most of you know life here is always hectic - and just when I thought I had no time - yes I needed to make a bag to use at the show as I was wearing Red & Black! So late Monday afternoon once we had taken some bits to the show I decided to make a bag to use the very next morning! So here it is - I used the lovely new poppy fabric with the black background and the red outline of the poppies! AND I had so many lovely responses to it at the show!

And here is a little pic from the show!

I am brave putting a photo of me up here! I absolutely hate hate hate having my photo taken. But here I am at the show with my Rose Canvas!

Now I have some very important news - well it's realitive importance is perhaps open for debate ! But I loooove clothes! AND FABRIC of course - well clothes are made from fabric aren't they!

So I am giving my absolutely favourite boutique in the whole wide world a plug! You just must must must go and see Marie Campbell at Cheeky Girl Fashions in the main street of Miles. She is so lovely and helpful and honest! She has the most gorgeous clothes from jeans, collared shirts, through to formal wear and I can always find something. Plus now she even has shoes! Her hats are just gorgeous and I must admit with my hat fetish I have lots! So drop in and say hello and tell her I sent you! You really will be amazed at the quality of the items and the service you receive!