Rub-a-dub-dub, a kitty in the tub...

I'm really not sure why I did it. Was it because I am a sucker for any type of baby... or the threat that this particular baby was going to get hit on the head....? Either way, it is now safe and sound in my bathtub, having had a visit to the Vet. We are bottle feeding the little guy and giving him antibiotics - and today he is looking a lot more lively than a few days ago when we rescued him.

His mum is there with him, but she jumped out of the tub before I could take her picture, and all the other pictures of the little fella turned out blurry.. I'll try again tomorrow. I have to say, he is very, very, very cute :) Our other cats are not impressed, however. I have to tell them that they are just visiting, and will be re-homed as soon as baby is better.

In between bottle feeds I went to a "sit and sew" with the Ballarat Quilt group. I actually got a few things done! I will take photos tomorrow in the daylight. I tried not to sigh too much while I was machine quilting...... and I alternated with putting on some borders on Nirvana. More on that with the photos tomorrow.

Must go give the kitties a cuddle and head for bed. I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend :)

Fruit of the Spirit Free Block of the Month!

It is here, our block of the month! It is called, "Fruit of the Spirit ~ Words to Live By", based on Galations 5:22&23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

I love these verses, and thought they would be good to have lying around in a quilt or wallhanging. It's taken a while, but Alice and I are quite happy with the results so far. I hope you will enjoy them too.


The pattern and instructions can be found HERE. I thought we'd start it all off this year with "patience" because I have a feeling both Alice and I are going to need a lot of it the next few months - what with Alice moving and me trying to learn how to quilt, lol!

So, go ahead and download the pattern and get started :)

Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself. ~St Francis de Sales~

Do I have to quilt???

I admit it. I love patchwork. I love cutting up pretty fabric and sewing it all back together again. But quilting..... aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!

After my going to the quilter's class I was so excited. It all looked pretty good on my samples. I got home and thought, YES!! I can do this!!!

Well, last week I started quilting the Mystery Quilt from last January. I must be very out of practice, because I went all over the place with my "in the ditch" stitching, which last year I thought I had mastered. And as for freestyle quilting... well, I have found that there is a huge difference between playing on a small sampler, and attempting the same on a real quilt. Even my wonderful Nina is not magically doing it for me.... sigh..... but, I shall keep going.. I have no choice.. I want to finish some quilts this year :)

Today I ignored Nina and the quilt. Instead I worked on our free block of the month and the website where we are going to host it. You can have a sneak peak at our website.... and tomorrow I will get the block up :)

Our website is called JJ's Gifts and Crafts... and it has a history.. but more of that another day. For now, go check it out - there isn't much there yet, so it won't take you long :)

Till tomorrow....

Catching Up

I know Christmas is well and truly over, but I still wanted to share some photos of our decorations.... we did a bit of baking and chocolate making, and ate way too much! Elizabeth made this gorgeous chocolate village:


And our friend Robyn made us this Shortbread tree:

It was all very yummy :)

I got some nice pressies, one of which was from my sister. See the note that she put with it?!



I also got this little package in the mail from Di:

Isn't she sweet? Di sent both Alice and myself a Christmas card, bookmark and lovely handmade ornament with Believe stitched on one side, and 2009, Quilting is Blissful, Hugs Di written on the other side. Thank you Di, you are so thoughtful and caring :)

Di's parcel arrived just in time for Alice's quick stopover on her way back to the US. When I say quick, I mean quick. They arrived on Boxing Day, stayed two nights and had to head off again. But we had one full day, which we used very wisely.... :) We did a lot of tracing at the kitchen table with the light box:

..... and worked on a SURPRISE for you all this year :)

Last year we were blessed with a LOT of free Blocks of the Month. For ages we had been discussing playing around with some designs of our own, and finally came up with our final sketches. I started stitching them, and just need to scan the pictures into the computer and write up some instructions... and then.... you need to come back in a few days and start spreading the news... tra la la... a free block of the month... tra la la la....

Do you want a little peak?! Ok, bear with me, because my camera isn't so good.... but here is a sneak peak:


Hmmm.... what do you think? I think it might be nice... It will be even nicer when you see the whole block, and nicer again when it has sashing and borders :)

My plan is to get the blocks out in the middle of each month, say, the 15th? Oh my, that is the day after tomorrow.. I'd better hussle :)

Enough with the catching up, I'm going to get the scanner out :) See you again soon!!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year everyone! I really don't know where 2009 went... it just seemed to go by so quickly. I think a good New Year's Resolution would be to slooooooow down... :)

I am using Daniel's computer at the moment, because mine has died :( Dh is busy trying to get it going for me and, in between cursing Microsoft, I think it may be well on its way to being fixed. I guess having no computer has been somewhat good - I've managed to finish the main blocks for Veranda Views, and start on a new project that Alice and I worked on together last week.

I would take photos... but I have no computer.. and when I asked my dh if I could use his, he said he didn't want his cluttered with junk... hee heee! Fancy calling my photos of stitcheries junk!

I tried to download some pdf's on Daniel's today, and he doesn't even have acrobat reader installed! Strange child. AND when I tried to comment on some blogs, I couldn't because something else wasn't installed... sigh....! Oh well, things could be worse :)

Well, until my computer returns to life, I will keep stitching and hopefully get started with some 2010 finishes! Here's to a great year :)


PS

Di, THANK YOU for the package!!! Alice and I had fun opening it! I will take photos to share when my computer is back in action. xxx

Blogging Block

Ok, it's official... I have bloggers block.. I have nothing to say... nothing at all... so, I might as well give up trying to tell myself to go and blog and shut down for Christmas. I'm sure that come early next year I'll get inspired again, after all, in Jan this year I decided to start around 18 boms and it has only taken 10 months for that enthusiams to peter out... I think I will have to stay away from the internet next year though, because my goal is going to have to be to FINISH a quilt a month. That shouldn't be too hard since I have made a start on all of them.... right?!

Well, we shall see.... :) I shall be back, next year, full of motivation and excitement about what the new year will hold. For now, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and Blessed New Year!

I'm Sorry....

I've been really slack with blogging and with commenting.... I have been visiting a few blogs, but that's about it... I really have the can't be bothereds with everything at the moment. I am sooooo tired... do you think it is end of school year blues? I certainly am ready for a break.

We are heading off for the weekend to visit the inlaws before Christmas, so that will be a break for me - no cooking and cleaning :) I'd better take some stitcheries to do - maybe I can finish Veranda Views, you never know.

I went to pick up the patterns I won from Ballarat Patchwork the other day. I will try to get a photo of it (it is very cute!) and do a proper post when I get back. Please bear with me........ I will surely get my inspiration back one day, don't you think????? I sure hope so!!!