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

10 years of (mostly) joy!

The sun sets on 10 years....

10 years of often very hard labour!

10 years of constant cuddles..

10 years, the first 4 years of which he did not sleep all night for!

10 years of blonde rascal cuteness

1 year (the last) of being able to raise one eyebrow to get his own way!

10 years of constant activity

10 years of love

10 years of preferring not to wear clothes, or as few as absolutely physically and legally necessary!

10 years of noise, now often focussed as singing...and the ability to remember the tune and words to every song he hears.

10 years of the muddiest knees I have ever seen!

10 years of preferring to not be separate from his mother!!

10 years of forgetting me once he's with his friends!

The last few years of attempts to 'work" me with frequent compliments of, "have you lost weight, you sing beautifully mummy darling, wanna cuddle on the couch gorgeous..."

_______________________________________

Where'd those 10 years go???When did I stop having to watch Bob the Builder (and start doing it just by choice..hee. hee!!) Now I want those small years back, it all went too quick, did I make the most of it? Who knows, with no sleep, 'twas all a haze!

Happy birthday DS, I'd do it all again...well, not now!!! But theoretically 10 years ago!

Remember, this week you have a chance to win some cards....off to wrap presents, boy, hope I have a card!!LOL!!

Introducing my new giftcard range!!!

Hi, yes, finally getting to this! Lots of school holiday distractions at present.

These are the new giftcards, about half the size of my normal cards, 10.5 x 7 cms or 4.5 x 2.75 inches. Still professionally printed on glossy card. No envelopes with these. The pictures show how they look before they are folded. I am stocking these in 5 shops, in packs of 2.

Big news...anyone who commented in the last week since I began posting about my Quilt retreat, wins at least 4 of these cards posted anywhere in the world, I will try to email you all in the next few days. If you have missed out, don't worry, i will choose a few commenters between now and the weekend to win a pack of 10...or two!

So today, tell me why, in this day and age of instantaneous communication..why you send and /or like to receive a card..... or even what one you like.

For a closer look, these are all over at Tracey's country cards, along with the normal notecards with envelopes.

Ed's note: oops, forgot to say that for this week, you can buy 5 of these giftcards and have them posted anywhere in the world for $5!!! An extra card thrown in for Aussies to make up for the postal difference.

My quilts made on the weekend...and a chance to win!

I think we have seen all of the girl's quilts from the weekend, so here are mine. Three made from scratch, and then Kael's and the stack and whack were over half done when i got there. Lise, janine and Anne are helping me hold them up.

This is the stack and whack, with Heather Bailey fabrics.

Took a scrap bag of Robert Kaufman strips with. There were 30 x 2 and 1/2 inch strips in there, with a black border it got to quite a sizeable quilt top, I love how it looks like the black is curved. The colours are magnificent in real life.

In a previous post you saw Anne's daisy quilt top, this is mine, as different as could be. All blacks and reds, with the white contrast. I cheated, of course, cutting up charm squares was not on any agenda I held, so I cut out 5 inch strips instead, it ended up a good size as well, a good groovy baby size.

And finally, had the other things done by Saturday night so i tipped out my collection of chicken fabrics, (well, the ones I had managed to locate in the mad rush before I left anyway) and started putting them together into something for me

This was the layout about when the socceroos were starting their Saturday night game against Ghana...(was it?) I watched it until Kewell was red carded then decided the game was too technical for me, I like a free flowing and scoring game, kinda like my patchwork, nothing too "quilt policey"!!

A chook quilt was the intention when I began collecting these fabrics 10 years ago, and i have noticed more and more disappearing into other people's quilts, so this one is my turn. As you can see, by the time we left at lunch the next day, it was together...sort of...the sides aren't even, it will grow in width now it's home, there is more fabric to addin and I am determined to get a taste of it all.

The other thing I noticed when I was putting these photos on is how handy the backing width black on black was that I threw in the car...it has got in all the quilts...bar Kael's red and white.

So, what do you think, pick your favourite, tell me about your most productive quilt weekend or just say Hi here, or on any of this week's posts, and go in the chance to win some of my new card range, being launched later in the weekend. Yes, emails are accepted from my non lurking readers, I'll put them into the draw for you.

After over 100,000 hits and 450 posts I could probably do with a little motivation to keep posting!

As thanks in anticipation, here's some cute farm shots, just in case you have been missing the sheep!

Traceyxxx

Gratitudes...that I wasn't given 4 at once!!