Monthly Checkup - July

Thought I might as well get this updated too while my connection seems to be holding... (should have kept my mouth shut! Have had to restart twice to get this done!)

Welcome to my July check up! I'll include everything done since my last check up in April. *blush*

Completed projects April - June - none! I totally blame moving. Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Projects started -Again, none. See excuse for completed projects.

Books read -14. Just short of 5 a month. (Last counted Celluloid Killers)

So, current projects as listed at the side of my blog.

• Blackboard Quilts - No progress. Still.

• Sampler Quilt -No progress!

• Luke's Frog Quilt - Still cutting – bit is my next priority! He has been so patient!

• G's quilt – quilted – needs binding and label.

• I Spy quilt – finished – needs labelling

• Designer Mystery Block quilt – all blocks made. Next to do sashing and complete the top.

Other things I really need to get onto this month are:

• Luke's Quilt!

Currently reading...

Finally a currently reading post with only one book! I really enjoyed The Miracle at Speedy Motors. Only problem with those books is I read them so quickly.

Onto the second last book in the Series of Unfortunate Events - The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket.
Only one more after this! I wonder how it all ends???

A finish of sorts.

Today I managed to cut and sew the last of my two Designer Mystery Block of the Month! I already have the finishing kit (sent over 12 months ago with the first block) so now all I have to do is get it all together! So I thought we would go on a bit of a retrospective of each block and it's designer.

First up was Brenda Riddle's Cross Stitch.

Second was Star Struck by Sandy Gervais.

Third was Peace in Flight by Joanna Figeroa.

Four was Double Treats by Bunny Hill Designs.

Five was Peppermint Star by Vicki Bellino.

Six was Sunrise Star by Margot Languedoc.

Seven was Sawtooth Patchwork Block by Debbie Beaves.

Eight was Star Party by Bonnie Olaveson. (www.cottonway.com)

Nine was Pinwheel Wonder by Deborah Schoof. (www.deborahs-designs.com)

Ten was Steppin' Up by Camille Roskelley. (www.thimbleblossoms.com)

Eleven was Anka's Star by Heather Peterson.

Twelve was Harmony by Me and My Sister Designs.

And all twelve of them together!

I've really enjoyed doing these blocks and have learnt a heap while doing them. I loved the fact that it was the only BOM quilt I could find that was pieced and not applique. I will put it together, but given that every time I pull out the machine, Luke asks if I am working on his frog quilt I think that needs to be my next priority!

Oh, I also finished quilting my friend's daughters quilt, I only have to bind and label it. Will put the binding on and then use that as my sit on the couch at night sewing.

We will now return you to your regular craft schedule...

Well it has been awhile since I sewed anything! As you can see by my side bar, my finished list is sorely lacking! I'm hoping for a better second half of the year! I have however finished something in the past few days and am hoping for another finish by the end of July – but more of that later.

My wonderful friend Emma, over at Sampaguita Quilts, was clever enough to be published in the Australian Quilters Companion. This issue to be exact.

I, in between moving and everything else going on had not got a copy. Emma had a few spare and sent me a copy which was absolutely lovely of her. Thank you Emma for doing this. You are a true gem!

This is the quilt she had published, I highly recommend her blog to you if you haven't already discovered it – she is incredibly talented.

At the end of April/ beginning of May I went to Canberra to visit my folks. While there, I had to visit some of my old haunts there – specifically Addicted to Fabric and Rosemont. I was searching for eye spy fabrics to make a quilt for my son's teacher before the end of the year. This was my haul from my Canberra trip.

Fat quarters from Addicted to Fabric and Rosemont

I'm not sure whether I got these from Addicted or Rosemont! I love them either way!

I got this pack of eye spy fabric and the eye spy roll from Rosemont. They have the best charm square packs!

I also travelled to Berrima to spend the day with my sister who came down from Sydney. We checked out a few craft/ pottery/ antique stores while we were there and I picked up some gorgeous mugs and jug to go in my new kitchen. Of course, I had to visit Berrima Patchwork and was lucky enough to discover they still had panels of the Very Hungry Caterpillar fabric. I ummed and ahhed about getting this so long that most places sold out. Discovering it here I decided was fate, so I bought it along with a few other things, including a lovely seascape fat quarter

Then my husband mistakenly let me go to IKEA by myself for the first time! Every other time we have been there (and there have been a few!) he has rushed me past the fabric section. There alone, I finally got to have a look and picked up these two prints.

I think the pink will become cushions for my daughter. Not sure about the animal print, although I have a few friends expecting babies...hmmmm

More recently I have finished off the eye spy quilt for my daughter's old daycare centre. It will go on my July finished list and as soon as it is labelled it will be delivered.

As for what is going on now, as I type, sitting in my machine, most probably a 1/3 quilted, is the quilt of love for my friends daughter. We have been lucky in that it has been a while since she has been in hospital, so I figure I shouldn't tempt fate too much longer. I have decided to free motion quilt some butterflies and stippling so expect it to take a few days to do. It will, however, end up on my July finished list!

So now I am almost up to date. I will try to do an update of my projects later this week. Tomorrow I am taking 3 children (only one of which is mine!) to the movies, so don't expect it then. I won't promise anything as we all realise that would be foolish! Hopefully though I will update more regularly from here, especially if we can get a stable net connection to this machine!

Happy quilting all!

Currently reading...(and have already read again!)

Forgive me bloggers, it has been 6 weeks since my last post and I know I promised better. I sit here, very shamed faced. Today you get a double dip - an update on my reading and the crafty blog I promised last time. I do have an excuse. While we have sorted out our phone issues and my husbands computer has a stable connection, the one I use drops out frequently making posting very frustrating, but I promise to persevere today until I manage to post everything!

So to start with, this is what I have been reading!


At the moment I am reading The Miracle At Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith. This is one of the many books in the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency books. If you haven't read this series, do yourself a favour and go get it. I think however, I have managed to miss one and will need to buy the previous book, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive.


Before that I read Celluloid Serial Killers: The Real Monsters Behind the Movies by Paul B Kidd. Yet another book to feed my serial killer obsession. Paul B Kidd is an Australian authors and one of my favourites for this genre. I now want to go and rent all the movies he talked about!

The next bunch I am not sure what order I read them in so I'll just make it up!


Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman. The second book in her Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II trilogy. I love the way Penman writes. She truly makes history come alive. I have a friend who is an English history nut and she tells me Penman stays pretty close to the mark.


Cruel as the Grave by Sharon Kay Penman. Her second book with the fictional character of Justin de Quincy who is the Queen's man, investigating situations for her. For me, not as enjoyable as her purely historical stuff, but still a good read.


In the Winter Dark by Tim Winton. I've decided to read through Tim Winton's earlier stuff and this is the first I grabbed off the shelf. Typical Winton, dark, confronting and beautifully written.


The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket. Almost at the end of this series and I must admit to being interested in how it all ends!

So there is my book catch up! Next the craft one!

Currently reading...(and have already read!)

Long time no post! Put it down to moving house and problems with Telstra with regards to our phoneline and generally access! Much has happened, including a trip to Canberra which involved some fabric buying which I will post about later when I have been able to take photos and have a decent enough connection to upload them! At the moment I'm at the local library and will hopefully be able to update my reading list.

So, I am currently reading

Common Murder by Val McDermid This is the second of the Lindsay Gordon books. Written earlier in McDermid's career than the Wire in the Blood book, I am finding the difference noticable, but still enjoying it.

OK, as for the rest, we will work backwards! Before Common Murder I read



Breath by Tim Winton and



Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

I read these at the same time. Breath was in my bag and Wuthering Heights on my bed side table. I found Wuthering Heights too hard going to read all the time and once I bought Tim Winton's Breath, I had to start it. Reading Wuthering Heights was actually inspired by the book I read before that (I'll get to that in a moment) For some reason I had always thought it was some great tragic love story, and I suppose it was in some ways, but really a gothic horror. I don't think there was a character in the whole book that I actually liked!

As for Tim Winton, what can I say except *sigh* I love the man's writing. Books that you pick up and open just to read how beautifully he writes.

So before those two there was

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

I loved The Book Thief by Zusak and this did not disappoint at all. I loved the whole idea of this book. Ed recieves messages on playing cards, tasks he has to complete without knowing why. Another quality Australian author who just writes beautifully. This inspired me to finally read Wuthering Heights as Ed ends up reading it aloud to an elderly lady.

Somebody Else's Kids by Torey L Hayden is another book I picked up on a whim at the library. At the time I did not realise it was a true story, but I'm glad it was. Torey is a teacher who specialises in kids with special needs. She has written a bunch of books about her experiences with them and will be reading more of them. From what I could work out, she taught in the US in the 70's and early 80's, so a different education system to ours and a very different time in terms of educational philosophy, especially in regards to special needs children. As a teacher, I still got a lot of it, not the least was how far we have come!

Finally in the time I have been missing, I read

Handle with Care by Jodi Piccoult I am a Jodi Piccoult tragic! If she has written it, I have read it. I like her books, they are easy to read and generally make you think. My dream, however, is to one day read a Jodi Piccoult book where I don't hate the mother for obviously favouring one child over another, always to the detriment of both kids!

So that is the book catch up. Hopefully the net will be up and running at home soon and I can do a fabric/ sewing update!

Simple Skirts GIVEAWAY!!!!

Simple Skirts GIVEAWAY!!!!

Head over to Grosgrain and check out these gorgeous skirts! I'd love the yellow for Kira - if for no other reason than it's not pink!