'Tis hot, darn hot!!!

Must not stay here long...20 due here for new year's eve pool party in 2 hours and I'm just home from the beach, got to above 38 degrees here with shocking winds.

Thought I'd quickly share some onset of summer pics from my garden, can't decide which butterfly one I like best, can you??

What about my dragonfly, thought he was cute!

The quilt went to my boy's retiring school teacher/ head teacher. My daughter had her last year and adored her, so we felt she was quilt worthy!!! Not everyone is...as you quilt makers know!!

Hope your New year's eve is wonderful...and safe!!

Tune in tomorrow for a little competittion to celebrate the new year and the fact I'm back to blogging...think there was a 4 year blogiversary I missed as well!!! Cheers, tracey!!

And out with the camera....

Just a note to start... WOW! I am amazed how many people have kept popping in while I have been gone! I was thinking that noone would notice if I disappeared, but I managed to reaccess my statcounter account today after the loss of my main computer, and all I can say is "Thank you!!" Also, with the loss of my main computer I have lost all my favourites that I had set up when bloglines was going/gone. I have noone's address unless I crawl and scroll and search and visit, so if you are a friend of mine from lots of years of blogging, a comment or email would save a lot of time and would be great to get you on this computer. Inoticed some addresses I did have on here are gone and that makes me sad....you're lost!! I'll see who's still out there! Also, Chookyblue did her annual Christmas swap, she has posted the near 100 ornaments so far and the gift photos are still coming, well worth a look!

I love the Spring.....soon I even hope it may change to summer (38 degrees expected here for New year/s a shock after highs of very low 20's all month!)

Lots of new babies and life in the last few months here

I'm a little proud of this one, it won best farm animal shot at our photography show, against tricky opposition!

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We have had some crazy phenomenons(to do with the crazy weather, I think) including these spider webs that appeared all around the local lake, very eerie!

More kittens as well!!! we will have to do something about the promiscuity of Magnum, she is lowering the farm's tone!This is one of her latest babies preparing to wine and dine a chicken!

Archie is asking people to join him in calling for the sterilisation of one whose children are disturbing his previously peaceful life!

And, why did the echidna cross the road?? So I could take his photo of course!! How cute is this fellow!
Last but not least, a gift idea for you... A good friend has kids my age and is spending ages every night at sports. The worst is the swmming training, the main seats are concrete bleachers, she was telling me this the other week so i made her a discreet quilted cushion/bag. Noone really wants to cart a cushion everywhere, but this is magazine carrying size, then if she just takes her stuff out it's comfy cushion. I lined it with chenille and it's fully reversible so if she doesn't want to sit on the outer she can just turn it inside out. She loved them and wants me to make more. The basic bag is my quited tutorial one in the sidebar links. I gave it a side handle here, up to you on the handles.

Have a great day, Tracey

Not dead!

How does it get to be 10 weeks from my last post? Lots of ways...my desktop hard drive died, most of the country got washed away in floods, including lots of our crops, so then they all had to get sown again, (and the water just keeps coming...where was it the last few years when we needed it!) time spent off the computer meant that another 6 kgs disappeared, getting me down to my lowest weight in the last 4 or 5 years, eldest daughter graduated primary school, boy took up proper cricket, with 5 associated hours of watching accompanying it...school swimming program came my way to run as did local photo competition and animal nursery, husband went away up north trying to harvest the almost unharvestable, did what feels like the whole district's photo taking, Sunday school nativity as well...and suddenly today is the day I finally have "nothing " to do!! So, hi!!

There has also been some sewing, this was made for my friend's daughter's wedding. It was all gift cards and money suggestions, and i am afraid that didn't excite me. i knew from watching her mother make the wedding cake that the whole theme was peaches and cream, so i managed to find some peaches and cream in my stash and make her this.

It is about a metre and half square, hanging on the oldest moreton bay fig in Adelaide, where we stayed to go to the wedding. The funny thing is, that about 4 days before, it looked like this...

-just a whole pile of layer cakes

.

-And 3 and a half days before the wedding it looked like this.

i got it together enough to hand quilt, yes, that's correct, hand quilt the butterfly/love hearts at wednesday night's cricket match...I was not letting 3 hours of enforced stillness go to waste, much to the other mother's amusement! And on the 5 hour trip to Adelaide On the Friday i completely hand stitched the binding and finished the last butterflies.

The bride loved it, especially(of course) because she had a whole house of money and gift cards...all very fine, but all very cold to cuddle up with new husband under!! (That's really a life lesson isn't it, money's all very good, but very cold to sleep with...)

These have been this week's projects...delivered Christmas Eve by the skin of their teeth! They are quilted santa sacks..and santa could almost fit in them, ok, well, a small child could use them as a sleeping bag. They were a paid job that has covered nearly a year's worth of hancock's purchases in one lot of sewing! They're also fun, i love the idea that these little children will drag them out every year, fo maybe the next 70 years, to celebrate Christmas.

Hope you all had a very Merry christmas with family and friends, hope you aren't all freezing in the Northern winter, that looks major!! It's not freezing here, you just need to be able to swim..over roads!

I'll leave you with some of my newest babies, and promise to be back again much sooner...cheers, Tracey

shopping!

Hi, our dollar has reached parity with the US one, and Hancock's of Paducah had a free shipping link on facebook last night. Had a look, they have some great stuff on sale which basically means that we can get it here at that price, ie,specials @ $2.98, $3.98, $4.98 etc!! Have to spend $75. If you can't find the link or ad for free shipping, drop me a line for details.

Rain, rain, everywhere here...life is beautiful! well over an inch, SO perfect for all our late sowing, seems that rolling was well worth my efforts, the crop is all coming through already!

Gratitudes today, these gorgeous children, one who has spent all day baking for shearing! Rain....the fact the man I like at the camera place had the good sense to "die" at a school yesterday where a well trained teacher bought him completely back!!... and free shipping!

Aprons, and shaggy quilts..and tractor work!

The rain has finally stopped long enough to allow the rest of planting season VERY late! This past fornight has seen us get the barley and linseed in and last night was cropping 'cutout"....only a few weeks from the hay season! Due to start shearing here in the next few days, so it is seriously all hands on deck!

I spent a couple of days in the tractor, rolling the newly sown crop...not necessarily what I'd like to be "sewing" but that's what pays the bills! Have to roll everything this time of year, it helps keep the moisture in coming int a time when there wont be as much.

Here's my work environment ...with Georgette heyer historial romance audio books and the latest janet Evanovich loaded on the Ipod and a bottle of water, the only thing missing was the ability to have the tractor drive itself so I could stitch at the same time!

And here's the view...

Tricky thing is not falling asleep! All that sun coming in the glass and just going around... and around... Was very concerned about falling asleep and waking up embedded in the cyprus trees! Not sure Dh would have seen the funny side of that...for at least 10 years!

Some sewing has been managed, lots of aprons..my sister has worked out these are a great gift for all her girl's friends birthdays-

I love this paper doll fabric, about the only place I could still find it online (because I've used my stash and want some more!) was at the fat Quarter Shop. Just a little aside here, with the Aust. dollar almost on parity it's probably time for some feedback. There are a lot of good websites for fabric and I have tried my share.....Hancock's are good -and try to minimise shipping as well, but the fabric does take ages to come to Australia, often over a month; there's an "e" one out there with a great range, but boy, oh boy, watch the postage; same with one that has the almost the same name as the shop I am getting the paper doll fabric from...but with "quilts". But Fat quarter shop ALWAYS deliver, usually to Australia in a week, and they do their best with every aspect of minimising shipping while maximising your shopping. Australian girls, if you have any more good sites to offer while the dollar is even, feel free to comment!! But we wont specifically name names if we criticize!

Have made 5 baby shaggy's in the last few weeks as well, seems to be baby season. this is back and front of one that got handed over this week.

On the farm it's new baby season as well. Here's first duckling and chick here to welcome in Spring... May it be sunny enough to lift the spirits and make to flowers grow, and wet enough to finish off these late crops! have a great day! Off to bake for shearing!

Join me to ban dressy functions for the over 40's!!!

When I was 20, there was nothing better than dressing up and going to a formal or semi formal event....New dress, shoes, hair taking an hour and makeup on, even though in those days little trowelling was required to cover up!!
Now, at "over" 40, the idea of attending a function like this is just a pain 'cos....
- I forgot to get miraculously skinny this week and now I have to go out with a heap of 20 something netballers. And no, it is not good enough for the soul just to keep imagining they wont be skinny when the netball stops and the babies come!!
-I can't be bothered wasting perfectly good fabric-buying-money on a new dress when there are a few I fit into already in the cupboard (that are only worn once or twice and not cotton so I can't cut them up- so may as well wear them!!!)
-The one dress that doesn't make me run screaming to the pantry to madly throw all the food out requires a FAKE TAN! Do I need to say more!
-It is cold here..and I want to be warm and cosy all night. I don't own a formal dress that keeps me warm and cosy and I draw the line at a Cardy! Fake tan does not keep me warm!

So...
...pass me the chocolate....
fixes everything!
And join my new dressy function ban!
ED. Note!! AND the fact that i hate that I am spending more time choosing the right suck-it-in underwear than the dress!!!

Bits and bobs...

After missing so much blog time I seem to have a good few photos floating around to share!

Aprons have been the in vogue item, I made this one a month or more ago for a friend of my sister, my girl has made one that it hopefully close to arriving at it's stitchery swap destination...and here is the one she received from her lovely partner, Angel.

Perfect for her, she is the cupcake queen! I will show the one she made when it arrives at its home.

The kittens have been fun, the final one is still here, the long haired black is the one who has stayed to look after us.The others all have homes.A cute family...hogging my couch!

My lovely friend Robyn was here stitching this a week or two ago. A very long labour of love, I thought it was worth sharing, it's a cross stitched Christmas stocking, it hasn't got its black shading stitching yet, but doesn't it look great!

And, it wouldn't be my blog without some farm shots, SO many rainbows this year, quite like this one!

And more overcast skies, this times with galahs in my tree.

And, to leave you on, this little fellow was voluntering to be next when we were lamb marking. Pick me, pick me!!

Hope you are getting some sewing done, cheers, Tracey

ps sitting up watching the AFL footy show tonight, well done to Shane Crawford who has run almost 800 kms in the last 10 days for Breast cancer, over $400,ooo raised. Well done Crawf, you are a legend! Between him, and Jim Stynes cancer battle story, I am feeling quite emotional! Inspirational men...

The warm..and the wet!

Where do those weeks go?

But look, at least one completed quilt to show you, this needs to go in the mail for Quilts for Leukeumia, I love the red and white!

Can't believe it has been so long since I was around the computer! Work finished...boy, I give a lot of credit to all of you who work full time with kids...and quilts,..and husbands..and whatever else as well, it's crazy! Then we headed off for a much needed break to sunny Queensland! Helped lift everyone's spirits, it has been awfully wet here, the crops are all sodden and have been underwater now for over 5 weeks...not good! The rest of the state is having major rainfal as well, lots of flooded towns. That's the joy of this country, "of droughts and flooding rains!!" Such apt words Some years too dry, some too wet!

Here's the warm weather...of Queensland... me.Me and my boy on the beach

Me and my boy "helping" dad cook the BBq on the rooftop, unfortunately it had a distracting spa!! And i am sure I am only holding a can of softdrink and a book!

And here is what home looks like...

This should be a cropping paddock!

And this!

And this should be a road!!

Lucky the holiday was fun because the DD is not a a happy camper about his farm!

I haven't taken too many pics because it's too depressing and NOT what we want to remember! But, of course, many on Australia and Pakistan are far wetter and far worse off, Pakistan really puts a loss of income into perspective.

Hope you are all well, Tracey

Back online...finally!

Guess what, I have been away in Africa on Safari...missed me?

Saw this...and these....

Okay, okay, we actually visted the Werribee Park Open Range zoo actaully. No time for overseas trips for me!

No, real reason I have been away...again. Never live in the internet eqivalent of the outback!! Well, only 20 minutes from a largeish town really! But we only get mail 3 times a week and I have been off line on and off for 10 weeks, and 6 weeks basically off. I now have my 4th modem in 6 months (industrial strength!) plus a big antenna on the roof...and if you have read the Stephanie Plum books you will remember their views on the cable companies from the book with the taxidermist, well, I am with them!!!

So, what's new...well, I have just worked my first full time week teaching for lots and lots of (probably pre baby) years! I have 3 weeks to go, so not a lot of quilting at present, binding to go on this weekend, then something to post!

A few more shots form the zoo...

Loved the next 2 photos, they made me feel skinny!

More news, turns out I shouldn't have blindly believed the man we got DD's kitten from last November, turns out Magnum never developed the right things in the right places, but ended up the proud owner of these....

Now, we knew the real Magnum was pretty impressive, but would like to see him manage this!!

Of course, we are adoring them, we weren't quite so excited about her commencing the birth process on the kitchen floor, Dh drew the line and put her outside, she had them on the door mat with 2 very interested young observers not missing a minute of the process! We transferred her into a cosy basket and she has spent the rest of the time being a devoted mother in the middle of my kitchen! Why, oh why, does everything end up in my kitchen?

Daisy niece loved "boos, boos" we had a hard time teaching her how to be gentle! But SO cute!!

Anyway, hope you are all well,and yes, I know I owe emails..I have only managed the odd 5 minutes on other computers. Here's to extended service! Tracey