Sunday Afternoon

Sleepy pups on a Sunday afternoon after a weekend spent helping Mum in the garden.

Dresden Plate Quilt Progress

I started putting together this on the weekend. It is made from a Moda Candy Bar and inspired by the free pattern that came with it, only I have added sashings. I still need to applique 8 half-plates for around the edges and piece them on and am thinking of piecing a star or something from the same fabrics I used in the sashings in each corner to tie it all together. I love Dresden Plates, they always look good.

I love a bit of hand applique and stitchery too, as it is something I can do while the pups are having a nap up against me and we can have some quiet snuggly together time.

Mess, mess, mess

Last weekend I finished those bright jelly roll blocks I started some time ago and put them together into a little lap quilt (shown below in sad, un-ironed state). I did intend to add a final border of 2 1/2" squares but somehow between last weekend and now, I have managed to lose half of the scraps I had left over! Would you believe it?



Well, yes you would if you saw the state of my sewing room!

I wish I was as organised as others and had everything in neat little drawers. Some of it is, but, well, there is SO MUCH that the drawers overflowed years ago.

I use my dining table as my cutting, organising and everything else table. The piles of fabrics and assorted scraps just pile up until people come over for dinner and then I hastily stuff it all into a plastic tub or bag and hide it away in my sewing room. Then I forget about it and the whole process starts again with new fabrics. So you see, I end up with dozens of bags and tubs filled with who knows what. Like this:



This tub included some stray blocks, assorted scraps of both fabrics and wadding, plastic bags, cord, a strange leaf, a bedsock and a pair of tights. So my task for today is to rummage through a few boxes and try to sort things out, or at least think of a great scrap quilt to use some bits and pieces up.



And lastly just a cute photo of Spice having a nap on the sofa yesterday. She is so gorgeous!

Just a couple of pics

Crocheted Jacket

I finished crocheting this little jacket for my neice Olivia today. It is from this pattern here, but I used two strands of a Lincraft brand 5ply acrylic - one strand in pink and one in purple, and also added a little flower in the pink. This was a nice and easy pattern to make, mostly worked in one piece so there was minimal joining to do.

And some puppy photos, just because Sugar and Spice are such beautiful angels, and they make me smile.

I bought some gingham flannelette sheets recently and I think the pups like them.

It's been a while

Well, it's been a while, more than a month I see from my last post but I'm still here! Things have been very busy with work, so I have just been a bit exhausted and haven't been getting much crafting done.


I'm still determined to finish up a few UFOs though and this morning decided to baste this flannel lap-sized quilt.





But Sug had other ideas, so I decided to stop and do a quick blog post instead. Hopefully she'll find something more interesting to do in the mean time. Or find a cosier place for a nap.




I hope her feet are clean!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my bloggy friends! Hope you all have a great day.

I've "had" Christmas with my family and friends already so we'll be having a quiet day on Christmas Day which will be great - it will be nice to have a sleep in and a relaxing day!

I couldnt't resist giving the pups some of their presents early. They got new indoor mats:



And new squeaky toys:

They still have some more toys and treats to open from Grandma on Christmas Day.

Market finds

I went to North Rocks markets with my good friend Lyle this morning and bought a pile of second hand books, some yummy sour dough bread and other things including this fly trap plant:




There are two Venus flytraps and another one I don't know the name of - in the top right hand corner of the picture. It has fine red hairs on it with a globule of a gluey substance at the end of each strand which I guess catches unwary insects. I have to stop teasing the Venus flytraps, or they'll starve - it is so hard to resist giving them a little tickle to watch them close.


I also got these gorgeous little knitted Christmas ornaments. This talented woman also had whole knitted nativity sets including camels, and some lovely reindeer as well:



Lyle also gave me my Christmas presents early, and as usual he spoiled me rotten. One of the gifts was this chameleon I have been admiring at Blacktown markets for ages. I'm trying to decide which wall to hang him on.



And lastly, just thought I'd share that the "no puppies on the new sofas" rule is going really well, as you can see .....

A bit of sewing

I did a bit of sewing yesterday for what seems like the first time in ages. I put together this little quilt top from a Mill House charm pack and jelly roll. I'd thought I'd bought some yardage of this fabric as well, so planned a couple of big borders, but it seems I didn't. I don't want to buy any more fabrics for a while, so I am going to have to search through my stash to find something else that sort of goes. I want a plain 2" border and then a scrappy 2" border - I have enough of the jelly strips left to make a border of 2" squares.

Sorry for the bad photo - it was a bit breezy and it was so bright I couldn't see the viewer on my camera, so just had to aim and shoot a bit blindly! It's lucky the quilt got in the photo at all!

Just a few weeks ago, I was complaining that with all the rain and hot and cold spells my back lawn was incredibly lush that I was constantly having to mow. I'd mow one weekend and by midweek the thick green grass was up to my ankles again. Recently, we had a couple of 40 degree (105 f?) days and it didn't take long for the grass to suffer. At least I won't need to mow as often, I guess.

Poor Sugar has been diagnosed with a thyroid condition so has started taking medication for that. She seems a bit brighter and more energetic already but she has been a little sick since starting it. I am not sure if it is a coincidence or not as she has always had a sensitive tummy but she's thrown up three times in the last week - and that's the ones I know about (because they were in the house). She doesn't seem to feel off colour though. We're due back at the vet in a week or two to check the thyroid levels again.

Sugar's New Coat

I finally finished Sugar's new coat and I think she looks very beautiful in it.

I think she likes it. But she's looking a little nonplussed here, as I dragged her away from in front of the heater to take a photo outside. I don't know what the outdoor temperature is, but indoors it is 7 C right now, so I can totally understand!

Doggy things

Winter is here in Sydney and the days and nights are starting to get chilly.

I've been crocheting a new winter coat for Sugar in all the colours of the rainbow (see below):


I hope I finish it in time for her to get some use out of this winter. I've also just bought a new kennel for her. They have a kennel but Spice normally gets in first and refuses to share, so I decided it was time to get a second kennel to keep Sugar off the cold ground.


I put it together yesterday but as yet neither has gone in it! While I'm home the dogs are pretty much always in the house with me, and sleep in the house, so I guess they might give it a try when I'm back at work tomorrow. Hope so!

Oh, shoot!

Oh shoot (this is not what I said out loud, of course, just the sanitised blog version), is it really Feb 1st today? Well I have to confess I didn't finish any of the projects I thought I might use for the one project a month challenge. While I should have been quilting and binding other projects, I have this weekend been working on the Cocount Ice kit, a quick and pretty design by Honeysuckle Cottage.

The fabrics were just so pretty:

And the design so quickly pieced, yet effective:

I couldn't help myself.

So, in retrospect, I am going to have to nominate the gift I made for the Valentines Swap as my finished project for January. But she probably hasn't received it yet, so I can't show a picture. But I really, really did finish something in January! Spice will vouch for me:

Would that face lie?

Another BOM

Ok, I haven't finished the last one but I have made two blocks from this one because I just loved the colours used and wanted to reproduce it. The only problem is I don't want to buy any more fabric, and I don't have many bright fabrics in my stash. I'll have to dig around and see if I can find enough to finish this one. Otherwise it goes into the UFO pile until I finish playing with some other new fabrics I have bought!

Jeremy wasn't feeling well this morning so he had the day off work. I came home after a hard long day to find this. Some people (and dogs) have a great life. Oh well, at least they all looked after each other I guess.

Spice

Just thought I'd share this photo of Spice I just took. I never get a nice photo of Spice, she is too active and also very suspicious of the camera so I am really pleased she stayed still long enough for me to snap her for once. She was rubbing herself all over the blankets here - don't know what she's been up to today but she is covered in grease, she must have been playing under Daddy's car. Now I am also covered in grease, because I didn't realise until after I had given her pats and cuddles.

Rail Fence

I have been working on this Rail Fence quilt this week and finished piecing the top today. It is a big single size one (64" x 92"). The drizzle stopped long enough for me to get a quick photo outside.

Sugar has been having a nap on Daddy's lap while he watches car shows on TV. It is that sort of day.

Happy Birthday Sugar & Spice

My babies turned 5 today! Yes, 5! I don't know where all that precious time went, it has just gone so fast. It seems like just yesterday I could pick one pup up in each hand. And now, well, I can't even shift either of them if they don't want to be shifted!

They had a special roast chicken dinner (with bones removed of course) this afternoon and are now running amok playing with their new squeaky toys.

Big Lap Dogs

Is this the biggest lap dog you have seen? Sugar and Spice both love having a nap on mine or J's lap. Sugar is very pleased with herself here. Not only is she getting a cuddle she is stopping her Daddy from putting his shoes on to go out.




Spice was jealous, so was having a sulk.


But then, Daddy moved here so they could all snuggle together.

Sunday Afternoon

I'm working on quilting a cot quilt today. I'm not much of a quilter, so am just doing straight lines. I hope it turns out ok - I find wool batting really difficult to work with, but am out of my preferred cotton batting, so I am just working with what I have. I guess I never stretch it properly when basting, as my wool quilts never look "flat" enough for me.

Sugar's leg seems to be a lot better today, so it must be responding to the anti-inflammatories which means thank goodness she hasn't broken the replacement ligament. She's still a bit sulky though and resting a lot. And still is demanding to be lifted up onto the bed as she can't jump up.

Sugar's Reward

Here is Sugar enjoying her reward for being so good at the vet today. Sugar had to have cruciate ligament surgery on her leg a year and a half ago, and has been limping badly the last couple of days on that same leg. The vet gave her some anti-inflammatories so we have to see if that works, otherwise we'll need x-rays to find out if it is arthritis, bone injury or whether she has broken the surgical implants.

Waiting for Daddy to come home

J was bored with me since I just want to sew this weekend, so he has gone off visiting friends and family. The pups are bored with me too, so they are missing him.