Quilty Ramblings

Wanderlust...

2010-07-03T22:46:00.001+10:00

find the "all new and improved" bloggy thing here

here I am

2010-04-17T17:48:00.000+10:00

just!!.....

have been laptop-less for 3 weeks now, I fried the motherboard on my old one (three weeks AFTER the warranty expired)

yesterday went to a not-so-local store and bought a new one

the day before, I had been to six stores and was patronised, told I was WRONG!! *only* those little 10 inch screen jobbies cost within my budget, had a guy try and sell me a $1500 laptop and when I told him that I had less than half the budget he lost interest, had a sales person who didn't speak english,and another sales guy who didn't check other stores but assured me that the entire chain had sold out of the laptop I wanted

One sales girl rang around for me, but her store lost me when the supervisor wrinkled his nose after I asked for a particular accessorie

back to yesterday, got home, and had the husband start re-intstalling all the great stuff I have so I can function on-line, Firefox, Open Office, you get the idea

anyhoo, I had the laptop for 3 hours, and there was an incident involving a collision between the mouse and the screen, resulting in a large white space, a useless laptop and somewhat lower anger levels on my part

to be fair, the main cause for anger was the single biggest disagreement (possibly even the first in almost eleven years together, ten of them wedded) that now has serious repercussions for the rest of our marriage, can't even call it a fight, takes two to do that

net result is that I have paid out to get a new screen, and I am still married, for now at least

I also found out that the after sales service for one company is non-existant

I don't have a credit card, and had no way to access my email and HORROR!! I don't have a fax, so said company put me into the too hard basket.

but, I am online now, and all is good in lap=top land

still.......

Gratitudes

I have a laptop again. three weeks is a long time
had the money to fix my new laptop
the husband is actually talking....if you knew him, you would realise that this is a BIG thing
kids thought it was bad that I lost my temper (didn't give them all the details) but good that they didn't break anything!!

.

Goodie!!

2010-03-06T12:28:00.002+11:00

RUN

DO NOT WALK

Jasmine is celebrating her first blog-iversary

She is GIVING away a WHOLE quilt......and its gorgeous

so, if you want a chance to win, or just a well-written and thoughtful blog, click her name and head on over.

....in other news, regular blogging will resume, I am still looking for something to post that doesn't sound like a whine.....

am grateful to have celebrated 10 years of marriage with the BEST guy in the universe

2010.....

2010-01-03T15:41:00.002+11:00

Ok, must have been snoozing....

well, not really. Just forgot my password

so, I didn't get to say "MERRY CHRISTMAS" or 'HAPPY NEW YEAR", but that's OK

It's a new year now, what will I do?

*try to blog a little more
*use moe of the fabric I have "on hand" instead of buy stuff (very important, I have things I need to save for this year)
*subscribe to one or two magazines, it saves a lot of $$ in the long term
*quilt for others, can trade quilting for some batting or backing, doesn't come out of my allowance
*sell the tub of "stuff" I have in my studio, either on ebay, or set up a page for the quilty odds and sods
*CLEAR OUT all the fabric etc. that I don't love any more (oh yeah, see above)

Note, I haven't made any resolutions.......well, actually, I did. I'm not telling because it lasted for maybe an hour : > )

anyways, that's what I'm up to

should try and put some pictures here soon, it's getting a bit boring with just words...means I have to empty the camera

Gratitudes

good Christmas, didn't go completely broke
quiet New Year's, although the dogs got spooked by some yahoo with fireworks, oh and the thunder storm was spectaular as well!!
January shaping up as a challenge (life-wise) but it WILL BE OK
everyone well
have budget/spreadsheets done for the year

Stash Report??

2009-11-14T17:49:00.002+11:00

OK.

I have been surfing the Stash Buster blogring

they have a system where they report in each week with a fabric in/out summary

I'm game to admit that....

12o FQ's Thimbleberries (30 yards)
100 Fat 1/8ths Fossil Ferns (12.5 yards)
4 yards Hunky Cowboy fabric
Backgrounds 3 yards, 16 inches

or...49 yards, 16 inches has made its way into my stash recently

outgoings are about half a yard

so, 48 yards and 34 inches of fabric are net gain *sigh*

think next year will be a fabric diet, after all, we don't need the insulation!!

What makes me happy

I have a LOT of "in progress" stuff, so I won't run out of sewing LOL
My quilting machine makes finishing quilts myself possible
have a ton of thread for piecing...save there
my children like to play in my scraps......save on amusements
studio is a dedicated room, close the doors and the mess "disappears"

.....on a sad post-script, my marine tank crashed on Wednesday, no warning. Fish were all fine in the morning, and deceased in the evening. My shelves will go back, but the studio will be a little less colorful, and I'll miss the sound of the water movement

I'm here

2009-11-06T23:25:00.001+11:00

just not in the mood for a chat

will have to get to it over the weekend, pictures to take and lots of good stuff to share.......

Fabric up for grabs.......

2009-10-25T22:16:00.004+11:00

Well, a fabric give-away that is.......

http://pumpkinpatchprimitivequiltshoppe.blogspot.com/2009/10/its-happy-halloween-giveaway.html

27 fat quarter pieces of delicious Red Rooster's Pumpkins & Spice Fabrics by Whimsicals

I suppose they are best described as prim, but would play quite well with a ton of other fabrics

pop over to Brenda's blog and say hi, or blog about her fabrics and enter the draw

....you know, I really could find a whole quilt in those fabrics.......think stars, baskets, maybe even a log cabin

What makes me smile

generous bloggers
barbeque for dinner
children who go to sleep early, no afternoon naps
getting in some serious applique time
making headway on UFO's

oh, and on a sad note.......

Our Charlie cat (affectionately known as Velcro for his unerring adhesion to my lap!!) passed away on Tuesday

We aren't sure how old he was, he came to live with us after a quilting friend was diagnosed with cancer. She asked us to look after him.

He was somewhere around middle/old age and lived with us for 3 and a half years

Hubby buried him on the site of the Christmas Cubby, so he will have a big memorial to mark his place.

Virtual Quilt Show

2009-10-14T17:03:00.002+11:00

Hello.......

have been gone for over a month!!

family stuff got in the way of quilting

anyways, I'd like to point out a great on-line (virtual) quilt show

http://parkcitygirl.blogspot.com/2009/10/quilt-festival-fall-2009.html

The same blogger organised a similar show in the (American) Spring, and it was really fun to look at all the links, "meet" new bloggers and see some really diverse quilt styles

What makes me Smile?

Miss (nearly) 5 preparing for school......um, it's not until NEXT year honey!!

Looking at all the yummy quilts in the Virtual Quilt Show

Master 13 applying for an Extension Programme at school

I started a new quilt (Sylvia's Bridal Sampler)

Nearly finished knitting a new pair of socks

aarrggghhhh.....another post already.....

2009-09-07T19:32:00.002+10:00

It's not my fault, really......I was just reading some blogs, and well, following links all over blogland.......(as you do)

I stumbled across http://lekaquilt.blogspot.com/2009/08/lekaquilts-giveaway.html

pop over and go into the draw for a make-up sized purse.

just a "quickie"....

2009-09-07T01:37:00.002+10:00

Pop over and say "Hi" to Khris

She is celebrating 50,000!! visits to her blog

.....and giving away a delightful doll as a prize

so support a fellow blogger, and spread the love

What made me smile

Father's Day, lots of presents for Daddy

mmmmm, Banana Muffins for play lunch

Master nearly 17 doesn't start work at 5 a.m.

added a Christmas countdown to my blog

the house isn't too untidy....

A Funny for Tuesday

2009-09-01T12:27:00.000+10:00

While browsing a knitting forum I found this animation. While I'm not QUITE this obsessive, I can see where she's coming from

Click here

and on the sewing/quilting front, I have two blocks to finish for guild tomorrow night, and a lap-sized, I Spy quilt top (easy, it's machine pieced!!)

Now, I'll go back to waiting for the electrician to come and install my new oven, I've been looking forward to making pumpkin scones since we bought it

What made me smile?

Found out that the hubster had strained a muscle, nothing more serious

Reading blogs from aroud the world, quilters really do speak a universal language

Sometimes there ARE funny things to watch on tv........

Having plenty of fabric on hand to whip up an I Spy quilt

All three little girls lined up to get their hair done, we use a LOT of hair-ties

New Beginnings

2009-08-25T22:39:00.000+10:00

Welcome to my blog

I am a regular reader of many blogs, and decided that I really should contribute....or at least waffle on and pretend to contribute something :>)

There are a LOT of bloggers holding various competitions, and you get extra entries if you mention their give-aways on your blog, so.....now I have a place to tell you if there are any give-aways, and of course, waffle on about (mostly) quilting.

For my first post, I think that I'll tell you about a newly started quilt

I have been a hand appliquer forever (17+ years), and except for the odd foray into machine blanket stitch, every thing was appliqued by hand. I tried satin stitch and zig-zag, but I would MUCH rather do needleturn applique

Last week I was at the "S" store (you know, large chain incorporates craft, manchester etc.) I bought a "Dresden" Ruler, it's a dinky little wedge shaped piece of plastic. I saw some pieces that had been cut with it and made into blocks. It looked really easy and I liked the result. My inital thought was of chopping up all those 30's repros lurking in the studio. Admittedly, there are 20 pieces in each "plate", but they are a whizz to rotary cut. I also purchased a beige-y/biscuit-y homespun for the background.

I not only joined the wedges on the machine, I also machine appliqued the plate to the background, using monofilament thread no less!!

For more rotary cutting fun, I already have the Companion Angle and the Tri/Recs rulers (as recommended by Bonnie Hunter at http://www.quiltville.com and I am a convert to her "leaders/enders" concept,also helps that I mostly piece by machine. I'm thinking that applique-ing Dresden plates is a good next (baby) step machine piecing wise.

What else?? I am getting a new piece made for my home quilting machine/frame. My husband tripped over and grabbed onto it and broke the end off one of the roller-holders. So I haven't had the means to finish any quilts lately, but I hope to have the new end piece back and fitted during next week, and perhaps this newest quilt will be "done-done" not a U(n) F(inished) O(bject)

What made me smile?

we are (mostly) healthy, the hubster is having stiffness issues (old injuries and cold weather really don't mix)

having miss 2.5 love me "hunred hunred"

master 13 got a 98% on his Science Exam

master 5 turned 6

I have great broadband connection....between 1 and 6 A.M.!!