I'm Back!

Well Qantas was up and flying by the time I was due to fly out and this was some of the view from my seat out of the window... 16.5 hours to fly from Sydney to Dallas, then a 7 hour wait to catch the next plane to Madison WIS

The next day I was taken shopping and this is what I saw on the way...

After Wisconsin, I flew to Indiana and was taken to Holmes County and saw lots of this:

and these:

and in Amish Villages there were lots of corn stacks like this... all done by hand:

The day after Thanksgiving was called "Black Friday" and that day is "THE" day to go shopping... the same as Australia's Boxing Day Sales.. so I shopped till I dropped at a Factory Outlet Block:

I also went to see many Christmas Light displays...this house had the lights pulsed to music on a FM radio station:

I went to real live American Football game... AWESOME!

Sat on Santa's knee!

Did some sewing for my host... I made this quilt for her while I was there... it was in Texas Cowboys Fabric.

and here is "some" of the fabric I bought while I was there...way over 400 yards!!!

Now I must find somewhere to store it, along with my already over crowded stash...

A bit sad that my 8 weeks off work is nearly over... have to go back on Tuesday 3rd January and to say that I am NOT looking forward to that is an understatement.

So until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

My travel planes to USA in the air!

I was enjoying my weekend yesterday afternoon, turned the TV on for the news and watched in horror that Qantas has grounded all their flight's, both domestic and international, indefinitely.... I am booked with Qantas to fly to USA on Saturday.

Fun and games now begin to change airlines. Qantas is refunding all "their" tickets (wonder when I will get that money back?), but I will lose the money I paid for the connecting flights with Delta in the States, even thou I am insured...insurance doesn't cover this.

So now I will have to pay full fare for my flights, as I got "early bird" fares when I booked in June.

At least I am not stranded like the ones who are travelling yesterday and today...I have a few days to rebook.

So much for staying loyal to Australian airlines!

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Long time, no post..SORRY!

I am so sorry that I have not posted a blog for quite a while, but with work commitments and getting everything done and ready before I go to the States, I haven't had time to take photos of something newsworthy for you folks out there!

So here is something I am working on at my boyfriend's place (no sewing machine or computer at his place!)... I am back stitching 12 of these little cuties and then will make up a baby quilt with alternate blocks in between.

Also, I am working on a quilt that I bought as a kit at the Newcastle Craft Show. I only have 3 more borders to add, so hopefully I will finish it and get it to the quilter before I go away.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Guess where I am going?

For those who don't know me, I live in a small country town in NSW Australia.

At the beginning of next month I am off to revisit some friends where they have these:



and these:

and I absolutely love these:

So have you guessed where I am going???

Until next post....

Cheers...Jewells

Quilts arrive in the Post

I received 4 registered parcels today from Toni and inside them were these wonderful quilts. They are all folded with the backs showing, so you can't see how nice they really are!
I stacked them on my lounge and will measure and label them ready for my Quilt Sale in December.

They are so cute and bright... I hope they sell for her... along with ALL of mine selling!

Until next post..

Cheers...Jewells

His and Hers Phone Covers

Today is a Public Holiday (Labour Day), so I thought I would experiment and make up my own pattern for his Phone Sock and this is what I came up with:

The one with the cute button is for me (thought it was to "girly" for a man), and the other one is for my boyfriend.
I am going to use mine for my camera, as it didn't have a "sock" and I thought it would get cold when I take it with me to the States in November.

Now I must get onto a quilt I want to make up that was one of the kits I bought "on special" at the Newcastle Craft Show in August.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

3rd & final quilt finished

Two posts in one day!

Yes, I have now finished binding the third quilt, so I can post the 2 smaller quilts off to my daughter for my grand children.

Now I can start onto something else... my boyfriend asked me to make him a "case" for his mobile phone. Must surf the net for a pattern...any ideas out there?

Until next post...
Cheers...Jewells

RAK received

I had a lovely surprise on Friday when the postman delivered a parcel to me.
Look what was inside!

I was in a RAK swap (Random Act of Kindness)and this is what I received from Bec. Aren't I a lucky ducky?
The "Fine & Flirty" is not only a pattern, but a kit with all fabric and beads included, the sewing project purse came with the pin cushion, tape measure & tiny cross stitch kit in it, then the box of nice smelly things and bag will certainly be used soon.... THANK YOU Bec!

Until next post..........

Cheers...Jewells

BOM Quilt...2nd one finished

I finished the binding on my second quilt. (2 down, 1 to go).
This quilt was a BOM, where I made a block for someone each month and they sent me a block in return. My only request was "Blue & Yellow". I arranged them and added a few borders to turn it into a Queen sized quilt and this is what I ended up with:

I really like how it turned out and it will be one of the quilts I will be selling at my Quilt Sale in December.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Rhubarb Jams

Yesterday, while going to Garage Sales, I saw a sign on a front fence saying "Rhubarb for Sale"... so thinking I would love some stewed rhubarb , passion fruit and custard, I had my boyfriend do a "U Turn" (insert exasperated groan from him) and we went to the front door and knocked loudly.

There wasn't an answer, so we decided to try the back door... we found a VERY old man down the back, pottering around. I asked how much his rhubarb was and he said, "$2, $3, $4". So I gave him $4 and he took us to his rhubarb patch... man those plants were on steroids!!... he kept picking and gave me an armful!

I came home, looked up the computer for "Rhubarb Jam" and found 2 recipes, and here they are:

"Rhubarb, Apple & Passion fruit Jam" & "Rhubarb and Fig Jam". I have tried both on a piece of fresh bread and they are YUMMY.

I didn't end up with any left over for stewing, so I have asked my boyfriend if we could go back to that man's place again next Saturday to buy more (insert another exasperated groan from him here!).

I have also finished binding the queen sized quilt, but it is raining cats and dogs at the moment, so I can't photograph it.. only one quilt to go!

Until next post....
Cheers...Jewells

One done, Two to go

I just finished the first of three quilts that I have to bind. This one is for my grand daughter.

My daughter bought 2 panels and asked me to make them up as is ("don't add any borders") as she wants them to put on the end of their beds, so they can grab them and sit on them, drag them about or wrap themselves up in them anytime and anywhere and if they get grubby or damaged it won't matter. For this one I found a bright pink backing and used the same fabric for the binding. For the wadding, I cut into an old double bed "Onkaparinga" pure wool blanket (that has been machine washed many times).. perfect for this sort of thing.

Until next post...
Cheers...Jewells

3 Quilts to be Bound

The quilter dropped the 3 quilts in to me at my work yesterday, so today at lunchtime I trimmed them and tonight I will sew the bindings on the front, then the long slow task of hand sewing the binding to the back:

The blue/yellow/white quilt is from a BOM swap I was in.. I added borders and made it into a queen sized quilt.

The other 2 quilts are 2 cot panels that my daughter bought and sent them down to me to make up for my grandchildren.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

My Garden

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to add to my blog, but I have been busy making more Lemon Curd and Marmalade, and I am sure you don't need to see more photos of them... I had to make a special BIG batch of Lemon Curd for a local Cafe for a function this weekend... my name is getting out there for my jams!

Anyways... I thought I would go out in my garden and show you some of what is growing:

This is a Bird of Paradise bush... I have been told by the gardeners in my town that I have the largest bush in town... not bad seeing I had my boyfriend CHAINSAW it down to an inch of it's life 3 years ago.

Here is a close up of the beautiful flower on it:

Next is an Azalea.. it is a variegated pink one.

Now here are my passion fruit.. my oh my they are whoppers!.. one passion fruit yields half a cup of pulp... this is the first year since planting it:

Next is my Nasturtiums (I call it Penny Weed, much to my Mum's disgust).. I keep pulling it out by the roots but it just keeps on keeping on!

How do I get such great results?... I have a wonderful boyfriend with a green thumb and loves gardening.... so he looks after my garden and I am meant to water the few pot plants I have near the back door...

Hence this is my Mint:

My idea of plants... if they thrive on neglect, then they are my type of plant!

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

RAK received from Maree

In today's mail I received this lovely parcel from Maree:

and after I ripped it open, look what I found!

2 patterns, fabric and matching thread...THANK YOU for the lovely gift.

This was part of the RAK (Random Act of Kindness) I was in.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

I think I have cracked the code!

Testing, testing, one, two, three
Will you publish a photo for me?
What is this? a photo appears
Joy oh Joy, no more tears!

Above is a present I received in the mail today... it is from Christine who is in RAK. I opened it and look what I found!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!... the material pieces (esp the cream one) are simply gorgeous, the apple hanger will be so handy and the cottons are great and, well it is ALL great...thanks again.

Now while I am handing out the "thank yous".. a BIG HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Chookyblue who has given me a step by step way to post through email to get my pictures uploaded onto blogger.

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!! YAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So until next post.......

Cheers...Jewells

Still no photo uploads

THIS IS SOOOOO ANNOYING!!

WHY HASN'T BLOGGER OR GOOGLE FIXED THIS PROBLEM???

IS THERE A PLACE OUT THERE I CAN CONTACT??

I CAN'T EVEN FIND A BLOGGER HELP DESK TO ACTUALLY "TALK" TO.

I KNOW OTHERS ARE ALSO HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.

ONE VERY ANNOYED JEWELLS

Google Download Problems

I have been trying for 4 days now to download photos to go with what I wrote, but I keep getting that "error 502" message...so I went looking, and someone said in a comment ages ago to empty your "cookies"... being not real computer gifted I took ages to work that one out (with a phone call to the computer guys here in Hicksville).... made no difference... Back to square one.

So I then decided to "defrag" my computer.. another phone call to the computer guys... all done and still no difference.... another phone call to computer guys and they told me to put the photos onto a thumb drive and bring it down to the shop and they would see if they could do my blog there..

So off I trotted to the computer shop with thumb drive in hand, and they sat down with me and tried to add the photos to my blog... no luck.

They then went into different screens and saw that my photos were compatible to the blog and all sorts of things, then they went somewhere else and found a lot of comments "all over the world" that people are currently having trouble downloading photos.

So it is a GOOGLE problem.... about time they fixed it as it has been at least 4 days that I know this is happening!

Until next post..

Cheers..Jewells

Can't upload photos

Here we go again... I have been trying for 3 days now to post something with 4 photos..no can do..I even tried just one photo...still nothing..

It comes up with

"502. That’s an error.

The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request."

Can anyone help me??? PLEASE!!

...getting mighty upset

Jewells

Oranges and Lemons

On Friday night I sat down and wrote out a heap of Jam labels for the cooking I was going to do on this Monday's Public Holiday and dated all the labels 1/8/11 (1st August).

My boyfriend picked ALL the fruit off my lemon tree and my navel orange tree on Saturday morning, so armed with clean bottles, cooking ingredients and utensils, we ended up spending yesterday afternoon and all day today in his kitchen.

We made over 30 bottles of Orange Marmalade:

4 bottles and 2 half cup containers of Lemon & Lime Butter:
Over 12 bottles & containers of Lemon Curd (Butter):
And when I came home from his place late this afternoon (Sunday), I made the last of the lemons into Lemon Cordial... it is soaking now to be bottled tomorrow.

I was sooooo pleased with myself, knowing I had used all my fruit, no waste.


I was just finishing the washing up from the cordial making, when there was a knock on my door. It was my neighbour and she presented me these 2 bags:

OH NO!!!!

Until next post...

Cheers.....Jewells

My daughter's new Luggage Label

My daughter is "RM Williams Mad".

She has RM Williams jeans, tops, jumpers, car seat covers, steering wheel cover, car mats, key ring... got the idea?, as I said, RM Williams mad.

So for a bit of fun, I bought a pair of shabby RM Williams moleskin jeans from the local Op-Shop for $5, cut off the leg (to make the label out of it) and unpicked the leather badge, sewed it onto the made label, then....




downloaded the logo from the net, printed her name (blanked out here) and viola! a one of a kind luggage label.


I posted it to her and she received it today. One VERY excited nearly 30 year old daughter... now she wants more, one each for my 2 grand children and also my son in law... but due to the fact I don't have anymore of these jeans and I am sure copyright would kick in if I made more than one.

Until next post..
Cheers...Jewells

Random Act of Kindness (RAK)

I dragged myself out of bed today, feeling miserable and snuffly with a head cold, debating whether to go to work or not, then I thought of my desk full of work, so off I trudged that weary way to work (you know the song, I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go)... and look what the post LADY had already delivered for me!!

(The photo I took of the gifts BEFORE I unwrapped them has disappeared, never to find again!).

There was a great book on stitchery, a GORGEOUS seam ripper, stranded thread, a chocolate (already eaten) and a simply BEAUT-I-FUL needle holder.

I am in a swap called, RAK (Random Act of Kindness), were there is 17 names and every month some of us sends a gift to either one or many of the other names on the list, then the receiver of the gift repays the RAK within a month to the person who sent it to you.

Just take a look at the stitchery! It is soooo cute!

and then when you open it up, there is this irresistible owl fabric. I am so happy.

Who was the sender?, I hear you ask...well it was Sandy and I want to THANK her for such a wonderful surprise and gift.

Until next post...
Cheers...Jewells

Tea Towels Galore

Here are 18 of the tea towels I made over the weekend.



The piece of fabric I had, yielded 23 tea towels, and I finished making 19 (gave one to my boyfriend to keep) and have 4 more to make into Christmas tea towels. I couldn't make the last 4 as I was at my boyfriend's place for the weekend and I hadn't taken out any Christmas fabric for the decoration.

I might get in and make the Christmas ones tonight, then I put them all away for my Quilting Sale in December.

Until next post...

Cheers..Jewells

PS: 10pm tonight... got the last 4 made!

Christmas Apron I made

While I was at the Darling Harbour Quilt Show in June, I bought a kit for an apron. I just fell in love with it and the simplicity of the pattern.



The whole apron is made up of a fat quarter (the red fabric) and a metre of contrast fabric (the bone with candy cane fabric), and it didn't take that long to make... well I did start it after dinner on Friday night and finished it before going to bed.

I bought the pattern from Tirau Quilt Cottage in New Zealand and the kit cost NZ$15.

Must admit that I cheated a bit by not mitering the bottom (seam is on the side, not down the middle), and when I turned it inside out I didn't hand sew the gap closed, (I top stitched all the way around instead).. but I am VERY happy with the way it has turned out.

Over the weekend I have been making heaps of tea towels... with the help of my boyfriend... he cut, and pressed while I sewed... and if he knew I have told anyone he helped me... well...... you know!!!....... I have to give them a final press and photograph them for a later post.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Luggage Labels

Way over a month ago, (or was it over 2 months ago?), I used up the last of some Winnie the Pooh fabric I had, by cutting it into pieces to make up some luggage labels.

Well last night and tonight I managed to sit down and make them.



I can now cross them off the list and start on something else.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Old Magazines

My daughter sent me a parcel today and in it was these 2 magazines:



The ENGLISH WOMAN is dated 1st April, 1961 and the WOMAN'S OWN is dated 31st October 1959... certainly proves that fashions come back as there is a knitting lift out that I could knit and wear today!

Must go and curl up in front of the fire and read yesterdays news!

Until next post...
..Cheers...Jewells

Knitted Teddy Bear

I have been thinking about knitting a teddy bear for a while, and when the lady who relieves me at work when I go on holidays, told me she is having another baby and it was a girl, (which is quite a surprise after having 2 boys), I decided that it was time to find the pattern amongst my patterns/material/wool etc.

I finished it yesterday and here it is!



I had knitted this pattern before and I now remember how difficult it was using such thin needles and the unusual way to increase stitches, but it was worth it in the end.

It is going to be so hard to part with it.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells