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!!



JANUARY IS GONE ALREADY!!

A quick thankyou to all of those who have visited my little corner of blogland through the Grow Your Blog Party - there are over 400 blogs to visit and enjoy!! If you are visiting as part of the party my GYBP post is here

The last day of January already where has the month gone?? The last week has been busy with back to school - Karah is now in Year 6 and the first week has been good for her.

 

 

We have also been busy getting her dancing requirements and the first classes of the year (Tap, Jazz and Acrodance). Next week we will also be fitting in touch football.

 

So with 3 evenings a week being at after school activities it means that Ma-ma has to be very organised - thus today meals are being prepared to go in the freezer for those nights we are late home - cook some mashed potato or rice or pasta as soon as I get home and we will be dining within half an hour!!

 

 

First meal off the block - Beef casserole - a bit more to add to it yet but smelling good at the moment!!lol Sweet and Sour Chicken along with Curried Mince are next on the agenda!! Tired of grabbing take away on the way home.

Friday morning saw me having breakfast with these two - Oliver was having a serious discussion with Nanny!! He gabbles away non stop - mum answers with the really, is that so and he is happy!!

 

 

I did get some creative time to myself - I finished 9 Journal/Diary covers that have been sitting in my sewing room for a couple of months looking at me. That certainly felt good.

 

 

I have been working on hand towels that have been looking at me for a couple of months but just not quite finished yet!!

Last weekend I spat the dummy and went and hired a pressure cleaner - after very little being done around our house and my mothers for the last 12 months both houses needed a really good clean. Our house in particular was covered in webs and spider were multiplying at a fast rate. My dummy spit didn't do me any good because the pressure cleaner was too big for me to handle. Anyhow the MOTh came good and spent 3 (yes I said 3) hours cleaning our house down!!!

 

 

This shows you how bad the spiders and their webs were!!!!

 

 

Now we have to wear sunglasses so we aren't blinded by this new look house!!! Not only looks great but feels so much better. Now I am on another throw out in the house!! I have plans of painting inside this year and also replacing the 40 year old carpet with floating floor boards so the more I can remove the easier it will be!!

 

 

Time spent last weekend at mums cleaning up another part of her back yard. That is my sidekick, Little Nathan, back again helping me. Hopefully I will finish the backyard this weekend and then move out to the front yard - that is going to take a bit longer - lots more garden beds and weeding out there.

 



 

3 hours weeding and we could see the garden bed soil!! Success!! I have mulched it down heavily with rice straw since then. When it cools down we will be doing a big plant up of geraniums, lavenders, succulents and a few roses in all of the garden beds for her. All hardy plants that don't take a lot of maintenance but are green and flowering on and off throughout the year.

That is about it for me today. To bed early tonight - I hope to put in a few hours in mums garden again in the morning.

have a great weekend everyone!!

GROW YOUR BLOG

 

GROW YOUR BLOG PARTY

 

 

http://vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.com.au

 - just click on this link to visit the 400+ bloggers who have joined in - it is a great way to find new blogs and meet wonderful people from all over the world!!

 

GIVE-A-WAY - at the bottom of this post I have a little give away - anyone who comments is eligible - so keep reading, comment and you are in ith a chance of winning a gift from me!!

 

Welcome to my little corner of the blog world. My name is Kerrie I am a daughter, mother of 5, and grandmother of 11 (5 natural, 6 step grandies - al great fun and very precious young people) - if you stick around your will meet them all on and off. I am a 'have-a-go-at-anything crafter', particularly love sewing, knitting and crochet - lots of other crafts have passed through the realms of my corner over the many years I have been creating (since I was about 8 years old).

 

 

The most recent photo ( I avoid photos as much as possible) of me at my son, Rheis' wedding last November.

 

I live just out of the town of Griffith, NSW in Australia. We are in an irrigation area here which make life that little bit easier when the state is in drought - it also enable the production of all types of crops, livestock and manufacturing (grains, fruit, vegetable, grapes, sheep, cattle, poultry, and all associated manufacturing and supply industries). 

 

 

The women of my family. The top photo is one taken of my sister, mother and myself at my son wedding in November. The bottom photo is of my two granddaughters, Abbey & Karah. We are now bringing up Karah as he

r mother (our daughter Naomi) passed away in July last year - and aren't I finding it hard going back to being a mother of a school age child!!!!

 

A few of the items I have made during the last 12 months. My crafting/sewing time has been cut back quite a bit now that I am running around with school things, sport and dancing again. I also spend a lot of time with my mother - she is 82 and has not been well for a while. We do sit and crochet together when I am at her house with her.

 

We live on 50 acres - my husband, Greg, works a full time job as well as growing Lucerne that we sell. We also sell grains, chaff (that we make) and rice straw (a lot locally and a lot we take down to Canberra). We have all the paraphernalia that goes with a hoarding farmer husband!! The usual animals of course - dogs (too many) cats (way too many - no mice or rats though), horses (only 1 is ours, the others belong to our sons), sheep (out in the paddocks of course).

Our life is as simple as we can make it - we have our own meat, grow most of our winter vegies and a few summer, we have planted fruit trees which are just bearing fruit this year (yummo) - I always try to cook all our meals at home but the pressures of raising a 10 year old and looking after mum get a bit much time wise at times and the good old takeaway pizza or fish and chips appear on our menu occasionally.

That is probably enough about me for now - don't want to bore you all silly!! Please click around my blog posts - and me, well I am off to start checking out some of the 400 other blog party goers!! Luckily Vicki is leaving the list and links up for the rest of the year so I can keep going back until I have checked them all out!!

 

GIVE-A-WAY

My giveaway to thank you for visiting as part of the Grow Your Blog Party is pictured below - 3 giveaways in fact. Anyone can be in the draw just by commenting on this post (you do not have to be a follower!!!)

 

Prize 1: Diary/Journal Cover with 2015 Diary;

Prize 2: Diary/Journal with 2015 Diary

Prize 3: Appliqued Tea towel and 2 Face Washers

You only have to comment once to be in the draw for all 3 prizes and as stated earlier you do not have to be a follower to enter!! The winners will be drawn and announced on February 15th.

The close off time for entering will be 12am (midnight AEST) 14th February 2015

 

Oz Day and Fabric Chosen

 

My parcel from the lovely Janice arrived yesterday and what wonderful swap presents were inside. I was Janice's 'To Make For' partner in the Australia Day Swap organised by swap mumma JEWELLS - we had to send our partners a gift for each letter of the word AUSTRALIA.

 

 

All the little parcels beautifully wrapped and individually tagged!!

 

 

A - Apron; U - Unicorn Stickit notes, S - Stitchery pattern, T - Thread Catcher, R - Red & White Ribbon, A - Apple Applique, L - Lollies (yummo and now all gone), I - Ink - 2 pens, A - Aboriginal FQ.

Such a clever girl is Janice - THANK YOU so much Janice - love them all and enjoyed opening each parcel!!!

 

2015 SAL NATURES JOURNEY

I have joined the 2015 Sal being organised by CHOOKY

 

 

Today, after a road trip to Narrandera where I purchased the background fabrics, I plunged into my stash and chose my applique and squares fabrics!!!

 

 

The colours in Anni's, while they look great, are just to pale for me, soooooo I decided I would go bright, bold and beautiful!!! lol!! And that is what I did. The background fabrics are the spots on the right, and the applique/squares are the brights on the left.

I have left them arranged like this on the bed and been back to look at them a couple of times and am happy with them each time - so the decision time is over - now to get started!!