INITIAL HEART SWAP 2015

 

This the 3rd year I have participated in the Initial heart Swap organised by Cheryll.

 

My swap partner to make for was Lyn who lives in New Zealand. What to make???

 

 

The light bulb switched on when I was getting blocks ready for SAL 2015 - I had pages of the pattern instructions everywhere on my table so I went and got my pattern folder (a gift from another swap last year) to put them all in and I decided that I could do with a few more of these; that's when I decided I would make one for Lyn - surely every crafter needs at least one!!

 

 

The inside.

 



 

Extras - a FQ and some butterscotch.

I really enjoyed making the pattern folder for Lyn - I used to do a lot of Crazy Patchwork ponce but it is several years since I have done any!! I was in my element stitching away and embellishing (found I need to get some more beads etc).

I know that Lyn has received her gift and is very happy with it so another successful swap for me!!

Just A Little Creative Over The last Week

 

No sewing done this past week but I have been creative in another way - crocheting!!

 

I have joined a CAL (crochet along) on facebook with Jodie (Jellywares On Marshall) from www.jellywares.com #rainbowCAL - using up all of my double knit yarns (and a few others that aren't too thick) to make a random rainbow rug!!! The squares have 3 rounds and are join-as-you-go. This could be a queen size blanket by the time I get through all the double knit yarns that I have - but I am determined to use it up (I can buy some nice new yarn then!!). I am trying to do 10 squares a day, which I have been achieving - a couple of hours at night in while watching television (I can't hand sew under night light anymore - that is a daytime thing now) and it is slowly growing.

 

This is a knee rug that I have made from some yarn 20% wool / 80% acrylic yarn that I have had sitting in a tub for a couple of years and I wanted it gone. It is really bulky and I used a 10mm hook - which my right hand didn't appreciate at all. I am pleased with how it came up and very happy that the tub can now store something else in it!!!

 

 

Yesterday morning we woke up to this!!! Rain, cooler temp - just a great day to wake up to. That all changed within a couple of hours but at least the temp stayed at a comfortable level!!

 

 

Then yesterday afternoon this appeared - WOOT WOOT - there was a huge storm blowing in!!!

 

 

Coming in from the south, dark and promising of an absolute downpour!!

 

haha - the joke was on us - we watched it go around us - towns 30 mins and 40 mins away from us copped a really bad lot of wind and rain and hail!!! And us - about 3 minutes of heavy rain and then the sun was shining again!! very grateful for the rain early in the morning!! Thankfully there was a cool breeze that came and stayed because today (and I just knew it was going to happen) we had a hot, humid 39deg Celsius AGAIN. Go away summer - I have had enough of being a sweaty wet blob - and I want to go outside and do some gardening and I want to feel alive again, and I HATE summer.......

And we have a week of mid 30's and higher - and as usual the weather report said it was 34degrees today and our thermometers here (all outside in shade) said 39degrees - I get so frustrated with that!!! We just add 4 degrees to the predicted temps now.

Enough of my moaning, time to get some shut eye - another week begins (and isn't February just flying by!!!).

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK EVERYONE!!

 

 



Grow Your Blog Party Give-Away Winners

 

Vicki from 2 BAGS FULL hosted the 3rd GROW YOUR BLOG PARTY which started on January 25th 2015. And what a wonderful party it has been - around 400 bloggers have taken part - so many from all around the world - such interesting, talented beautiful people from all walks of life - I have had myself a fine old time visiting so many great blogs.

 

My post for the blog party can be found HERE. And for the party I had a Give-Away - prizes for 3 lucky visitors that left a comment on the GYB party post. So, in no particular order, are the winners of the 3 prizes:

 

Lisa from http://lisavslounge.blogspot.com.au

Cherie from http://northyorkshirescraftguru.blogspot.com.au

Sharmane from http://countryfragrance.blogspot.com.au

 

Please email me ladies at creations.1@hotmail.com with your snail mail address so I can send your prize on it's merry way!!!

 

THANK YOU to Vicki for once again hosting this great party, and a

HUGE THANK YOU to all of my followers, both old and new, and to everyone who has visited my blog from the start until now - it is always a pleasure to read your comments and to be able to visit your blogs and share a little of your very own corner of blogland!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!!!!



Dirty Work That Someone had To Do

 

But not me........well, sort of not me.......I was there flitting about the edges, putting my two bob's worth in!!!

 

 

 

Last weekend on the Saturday, my 4 sons met at mums and emptied her garage/shed - it was dad's, he passed away in 1996,  and it hadn't been cleaned out since years before then. Mum had given her son-in-laws and grandson bits and pieces over the years, but a really good cleanout it hadn't had for probably 30 years.

 

 

Dad was a collector and an inventor - it was his generations thing

he could always make it cheaper than buying it - well..... sometimes

but he was always busy in that shed, and he did make a lot of very useful things over the years - most of which had been dished out to the inlaws and grandies - so we were left with the not so good and the extras that had been put in there since 1996!!

 

 

well on the way to emptying it out - this was about half of what was in there - luckily we had some muscle or it would still be in the shed - mum and I do not have the strength or stamina to move any of this in one haul!!

 

 

This told us we were making progress. Six hours it took us - the boys doing the hard stuff and myself sorting and directing (I am good at that). And the trailer was loaded, we all took some stuff home.... of course.... keepsakes and 'it might come in handy one day stuff'!!! Me included - those preserving jars and sauce bottles will be used very shortly, and the electric spinning wheel I found (mum had bought that for me a few years back). It's all done now and mum is very happy about that. And there is 5 shelves of things left for anyone else in the family to go through and take what they want!!

 

 

Some had the easy job!!! Mum and Bobby waiting for the boys to get the action going - a cuppa always helps pass the time!!

 

Mum had a great day sitting in her chair in the shade being the supervisor - the boys (being typical males) were stringing her along with silly comments; reminiscing about the things that pop used to do (usually breaking every law known to man), putting rude comments on some of the things they found and didn't know what they were for - mum couldn't keep a straight face when she was chastising them!

A good day had by all!!

 

GYB Party Give Away is being drawn tomorrow - pop back to see who the lucky winners are!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Sewing For A 10 Year Old!!

 

After a very busy couple of weeks I had a tools down day on Sunday - I think my body knew that my mind had decided I was having a sleep in on Sunday morning - it sure did - I did not lift an eyelid until 10.30am. And continued to have a lazy day. I am thinking this could become a regular thing on Sundays - it is supposed to be the day of rest isn't it??

 

Yesterday was back to school so an early rise, this granddaughter of mine does not like getting out of bed!!! (Our eldest son says she is just like her grandmother - meaning me - the difference being I do get up early when I have to!!). I then spent the day doing the boring bits of life (washing and cleaning) interspersed with some sewing.

 

 

A diary cover (because ma-Ma has one and was making some for gifts) and 2 drink bottle bags (the other one was in her school bag). She has 3 drink bottles for school and after school activities and I was tired of my hand towels getting lost. So I took 2 towelling face washers from a box in my sewing room and 2 fat quarters and made her 2 bags. The inside is lined with the face washer so the condensation is absorbed into it. I have one more to make for her and then make 2 for myself - I take my own cold water with me from home when I go anywhere - I got tired of paying for bottles of water!!

I have also been doing the hand stitching on the blocks in part 1 of the SAL that I am participating in - Natures Journey by Anni Down's - I hope to have them finished by the end of this week.

Tomorrow is a day with Ollie - dad is sleeping and mum has to work - Ollie picks the days dad is on night shift to not have a morning and afternoon sleep. We may be doing some gardening at nanny's tomorrow I think!!