October Rolls In ... Next Challenge

 Not much happening in the land of sewing or any crafting I'm afraid ... I've lost my mojo and don't know where to even start looking for it ... think I'll just leave it alone and it will find it's own way home.

September Chookshed Challenge was my Scrappy Wall Hanger but with grandies visiting before and during school holidays ... bathroom reno ... Throw in an absess forming after what I'm thinking was a spider bite on my back while gardening with Grandson F ... much driving to and fro for medical ... and my wall hanging is still as is. He chose the violas to go with our tomato plants and later I snuck in some gladiolas.

I was eager to finish my first every granny square rug early in September and am very happy with how it turned out.  Great for wool scrap busting as I managed 3 rugs from 2 wool kits and only purchased the white wool for last row of each square and joining.

October Challenge is whatever project was left on my list which is "King Bed Quilt".  I'll keep plugging along on this one as I really want it finished and on my bed. Not to mention the machine has been set up on the dining table so I have room to work on the long rows.

Thank you Deana and Chooky for this Chookshed Challenge.  I started the year with flying colours and while I've let slide on a couple of challenges, I for sure would not have achieved what I have without being challenged.

Challenges and Progress

Happy Birthday to all the Horses out there  ... August 1st in Australia is the official birth date for our horses. This young lady is officially 5 today.

Now for the Chookshed Challenge.  My project for July was to quilt and bind a wedding quilt .... welllll ... the quilt was dropped off to the quilters on Monday so I'm claiming that as a win ... (I know... it's a stretch but it's better than still sitting in my cupboard)

August #3 -  to finish off my Happy Houses Wall Hanger.  These were from a swap way back in 2011 and I know if Chooky looks closely she may just recognise a house or 2.  Now I said join and quilt so I'll see how far I can get ... 

My 2024 Temperature Quilt has another row completed, Row 5 which took me to July 20 and a couple of below 0 temps ... brrrrr!

I still have some wool left over from the Round Knitted Rug and Zig Zag Rugs so now I'm working on Granny Squares to use up the remainder ... I did purchase the white.

There is another Scrappy Quilt in progress that I work on at our Patchwork Days so that's about it for me. Keeping busy on the farm, visiting grandies and crafting whenever xx

A Finish or 2 of Sorts

 The Chookshed Challenge was just what I needed ... thank you ladies. I've kept working on a couple and have finishes to share. 

Challenge 2 - 'Crochet Rug' - Finished

Challenge 4 - "Strip Insertion Quilt" - Finished Top

I have to admit to stalling on this month's challenge but I did work out the new crochet pattern I mentioned. 

And then there's Row 2 of my 2024 Temperature Quilt 

Of course the recent school holidays meant Sleepovers with Masters 10 and 4 who love helping with the cattle work. This particular morning tea menu was pikelets and mug cakes. 

So that's a little catch up on April and I still have time to work on the current Challenge #9.

Number #2 for Challenge

 Wow!  No thanks to the 'flu bug' that took it's toll on both hubby and I. He started a couple days before me but we've both been down and out for a fortnight. Then it's taken another week to feel like I'm back to normal ...

So what's been happening at my place? Nothing!  I did check at the start of the month which item was my #2 for the Chookshed Challenge and finally dug it out this morning.

I'm taking it with me to Patchwork Day tomorrow to work on ... I'll pop back with a progress pic.

It's a little hard to see but 2 of the colours I'm using are a cream and a very pale pink.

I have also had to change my #7 from Calendar Quilt to Scrappy Quilt after I finished the calendar quilt to a top ... but I have no shortage of projects to choose from.

Now for some Blog hopping ... Enjoy your Sunday

Zoom, Zoom February

While February rolls over and March is knocking on the door .... Mother Nature is being a b***h!

Where to start? I've been making some more masks as even Grandson J needs some for school.

My 2021 Blog Book arrived in the mail ... I've been having these printed since 2007/2008 but this one was the thinnest.

Murder in the Caribbean is getting close ... here is the layout and I've managed to join a couple of rows. I'm liking this one.

The crochet hook has been in action as I've run out of dish cloths.  This pattern is Waffle and a involves a new stitch for me ... 'Front Post Treble Stitch' ... simple to do after a you tube lesson.

Belvedere the Rustic Reindeer went to live with his new owner just in time for Christmas 2021 and his brother has finally come together and will live here. Grandson M was checking him over and may have had sticky fingers by the spot on it's cheek.

Chookyblue held a Zoom day yesterday to celebrate her 15th year of blogging. I had great plans of joining in for the day ... Thursday/Thursday night in town at Mum's ... come home Friday ... plans for Sunday ... so Saturday WAS going to be MY day ... until Mother Nature threw a tantrum! Hubby phoned Friday morning to say he'd had 10 inches of rain (250mm) overnight and had never seen the creeks run so high. Of course nothing compared to what is still unfolding further south but it stopped me getting home due to the bridge going under water.  I did manage to get home Saturday afternoon ... it took some very careful driving around back roads and finally through our paddocks to get to the house as the road into our place has washed away.

Finally after unpacking I closed my eyes to the rest of the house, set myself up with a headless reindeer, wool and crochet hook, and enjoyed a few hours with lovely ladies from all over.  The quilt I showed was from a local workshop in June 2012 and the pattern was the instructors called 'Ribbon Stars'. Bit of a record for me as the quilt was finished by the end of 2012! Thank you Chooky for hosting and I'm so glad I made it eventually.

Hubby is out checking fences this morning and later I'll head out and help with repairs. Time to grab a snack and a cuppa and hang out the next load of washing.

FNSI With A Saturday Zoom

What started off on Friday night in lovely company, grew and grew yesterday while zooming with more lovely company.

Thank you Wendy for hosting ... only a couple of rows Friday night as I was feeling exhausted after another hectic week at work. We seem to be running from one task to the next these days with little time to catch our breath.

I really needed a rest day Saturday ... no better way than just sitting, chatting and enjoying great company. So as soon as I could I joined in with Chooky and blogging friends in a Zoom. It really is just like being at my local patchwork group of gals ... sharing, inspiring, light banter and good friendship. Big Big Thank You xx

And I made some good progress on my crochet rug.  Using up wool kits from BHG one hook at a time.

May WOOFA

This month I've been crocheting along, a couple of rows most nights and my rug is slowly growing. I found a plastic tub makes a great storage for the balls of wool and the rugs sits on top.

Then almost a fortnight a go, I finally made a start on my Daughter's wedding quilt. Currently sewing all the pieces into rows. I will have to take an update photo tomorrow.

Thank you Cheryll for keeping us on track xx

Friday Night with Friends and Wool

 

Finally a little mojo has returned .... from where I do not know.  So along with Cheryll and friends, I will be joining in tonight with an old UFO and my crochet hook.

See you all soon x

Mama Mia ... FNWF

Friday night went something like this ...

Settled down in the lounge, Millie on my lap of course, crochet on the go. Yes, earlier in the week I put my thinking cap on and got back into the hook and pull through.

Enjoying virtual company of friends and tapping my toes to the awesome songs of Mama Mia the movie, when the house was plunged into silence and darkness. Enough of a storm to create a blackout but only a few drops of rain. Nothing to do but feel my way around and into bed. Yesterday I found a moment to finish the row I was on.

Thank you Cheryll for bringing us together on a Friday night.

Here are a couple other finishes I haven't yet shared.  My next wash cloth ...

This quilt top was completed on the 30th Sept, right on time. "Ruth's Quilt"

Back to  the off farm work tomorrow, squeezed in between feeding the cattle and checking waters. An upside of driving round the paddocks so often is seeing all the new babies ... will share a photo or two next time.

June Out The Door

As June rushes out the door I'm just scraping in with a couple of finishes to share in between sanding and painting our kitchen and dining room over the school holidays ... lots of prep needed!

The first is a snow white wash cloth to add to a baby shower gift for one of our teachers.

My second finish is a crochet rug for myself.  I purchased the kit through Better Homes and Gardens magazine in April ... so I can finish a project now and then.  Of course I read the pattern wrong and had to adapt the pattern to make it bigger.

Life on Little ???'s Farm has come to a standstill but I at least now have enough different pink fabrics to finish the last 4 animals.

Time to dash and get some dinner on before the natives get restless.  This cold and windy weather does nothing for my internet connection and neither does rainy weather, all of which we've been experiencing off and on so there's not much blog visiting going on either.

Happy Creating     >^..^<

Just a Little Brag Post

Yesterday was our local show and while I spend the day helping out in the office, it's always nice to have a couple of entries in the pavilion ... the more the merrier and we always have an excellent display of flowers, cooking, craft and much more for our little show.

I was lucky enough to catch the judges eye with these two entries.

Needlework Section

Photography Section

I'm afraid there hasn't been a lot of time for anything else much ... I did start another new project, crochet this time (just can't stay focused for long) ... and have been adding a couple of rows each night. It was a kit using 3 strands of no. 8 wool and a 15 mm hook.

The cool change in the weather has been nice but I'm not liking the yukky throat, tickly cough and hot eyes this morning ... I'm off to crochet some more ... the rug is big enough now to keep my knees warm while I work.

Happy Sunday

Keeping Busy and Frozen Fun

Last weekend would have to have been the coldest weekend yet ... just when some of our group were going away for a weekend retreat at Gayndah. Cold or not we had a fantastic time learning, sewing, chatting with old friends and making new friendships. I thoroughly enjoyed working on my scrappy quilt with tutor Jacky Hens and have managed to complete the first 30 blocks ... next are the border blocks.

Cutting ...

Sewing ...

Finished blocks.

I am going to work on the practice of having only 3 main focus projects on the go at one time (I can only try as I like jumping from one to another).  Of course 'Little Maccas Farm' for baby Jake is my 1st project. 'Billy Goat' is the 12th and last animal block and now it's onto the centre block.

My 2nd focus project is the above scrappy quilt and my 3rd project is the crochet knee rug. Now that I have had a refresher course (thanks Mum) if I keep doing a row here and there I won't forget how the pattern goes.  It's growing .....

Happy Sunday     >^..^<

My Week in Pictures

Sunday - trimmed block #11 ... Mum and Dad arrived for a few days visit.

Monday - Mum and I went into our patchwork day. I revisited a crochet started ? years back.

 Mum made 6 cards from a kit purchased from the Brisbane Craft Fair.

Tuesday - Weeding and planting some new broms. 

DD arrived for a few days visit.

Wednesday - DD started making a shaggy quilt for her nephew.

Thursday - Shopping, visiting and introduced baby Jake to his Great Great Grandma.

My grandma (97 years young), mum, myself, DS and DIL and baby Jake ... 5 generations!

Friday - Millie thanks Junior (DD's dog) for visiting and playing with her. Come back soon!

Quilt almost finished - about 1/4 of binding to go!

Saturday - warming by the fire ... toys and all!

Later when the day warmed up ... "Will you play with me Jayne?"