My Welcome Mini

Here is my gorgeous Welcome Mini sent to me by Larrissa from Crafty God Chick. In the parcel as well as the Welcome Wall-hanging is a gorgeous knitted washer/flannel, some mint & lavender tea (might calm me down over Christmas???) and two lots of ymmy choccies, Lindor & Guylian.

Larissa very thoughtfully put my precious Little Brunnie & Hun-bun in my welcome hanging & lets face the facts, they are the owners & therefore welcomers to the house. The stitching is exquisite Larissa & I love paisley so it is deemed PURRFECT by all three of us. Thanks very much!

Another gorgeous addition to my little mini collection, looking forward to more next year if you are up to it Swap Muma Chez??? Thanks for all your hard work with this club Chez, we all have had such fun and have beautiful minis to decorate our homes with thanks to you! xx

Happy Days!
Tracee xxx

Made Me Think of YOU Chooky Blue

During my week in Ballarat I did a day trip to Geelong & the peninsular. It was a great day & I saw some lovely little towns & enjoyed the Geelong waterfront.

On the drive down I saw something that made me thing of our Stitch-a-long Swap mama Chooky Blue. They really tickled my fancy too so on the way back I decided to stop & get some pics of the girls for my delight & Chookies!

Bravo to The Happy Hens Egg Farm for their gorgeous girls!

Someone has worked very hard on these towering metal chooks.

My kind of art!

May your hens be happy too!

Tracee xx

My Ballarat Holiday

Hi all, back from my week's holiday in Ballarat & after 4 days at work this week it is feeling like a bit of a happy dream......

 

Many of you may will have seen posts on the pages of my gorgeous friends Shez from Enjoying Life and Melody from The House on the Side of the Hill. It was the first time I had met both of these glorious women & they are everything you would expect from reading their blogs - caring, sweet, extremely humerous, generous, loving & at times a little mad (zany mad definately not angry mad!). To say I fitted in well with that last attribute would be an understatement....

 

 

So what do three quilting bloggers do when they get a day together?

Hug, laugh,  talk, laugh, shop, talk, laugh, eat, laugh, talk, shop, laugh, talk, shop, talk, laugh, shop, talk, laugh, hug, hug, hug! Doesn't that sound like the best day.

We started our big day out at Spotlight, went to the local shopping centre (newsagent - quilting mags!), spents ages with Gail at Gails Patchwork Emporium & had a tour of the rebuilt shop, lunch at Such & Such giftwares & cafe, a visit to the stunning Ballarat Patchwork & the delightful homewares store next door, a visit to Eureka Patchwork & finally a visit to Lincraft. What a great day & the company made it extra special!

 

 

We did make the occasional purchase & in a later post I may tantilise you with some of the goodies I brought. With such precious cargo I had it all in my hand luggage trolley case for the trip home. I was one of the lucky people picked for the explosives residue check & the security man opened my hand luggage, looked at my magazines, fabric, patterns, braid, ric-rac, yo-yo maker & little already made yo-yos etc & asked 'What is all that?' I very indignantly said ''That's my sewing!' He couldn't do anything for laughing & sent me on my way with 'Ýou enjoy'. That I will....

 

So a big thank you my two special friends for your hospitality & can't wait until we can do it all again!

 

Tracee xx

 

 

 

 

Weekends With Brunnie =^..^=

It's a CATastophe friends! Things going pear shaped for Hun-bun & Brunnie!

Muma got out the suitcase. Brunnie say 'where we going muma?

'I'm going to Ballarat', muma says. What muma mean she going to Ball-a-rat - without Brunnie!

Hun-bun says 'don't panic old Brun cat, Dad's cat sitting'. Brunnie say 'but why muma going to Ball-a-rat, you brought muma a rat Hun-bun not many sleeps ago & muma not even like the rat, so why she want to go Ball-a-rat?'

Muma say 'Don't worry Brunnie, Pop look after you & Hun-bun and muma go to a town called Ballarat & visit with Aunty Shez & Aunty Melody'. Ahhhhh that will make muma purr seeing Aunty Shez & Aunty Melody, makes more sense to Brunnie now.

But why Brunnie not going to Ball-a-rat to see Aunty Shez, Aunty Melody & the girly whirlies??? Why Brunnie have to stay with Hun-bun & have no muma to snuggle with at night......

Brunnie leave a little parcel of fur in the zipper to remind muma of me while she away. Brunnie say 'hurry home muma & bring me a present!'

Heavy sigh...
Brunnie xx

SSCS Decoration

Hi all

While it is steaming hot over the Eastern States of Australia, Perth is having rain, hail, storms and cool nights. The hail stones almost made it look like snow last Saturday.

Now we have had storms for the last two days again & last night while I was finishing my last Christmas Angel swap present, we had a blackout. Even that couldn't stop me getting those last stitches done & I'm sure many a quilter in days gone by has stitched and tea dyed their work by lamplight only.

I have received my SSCS swap from a blogger new to me, Michell from Michell's Place in New Zealand. Michell has a lovely festive blog going at the moment so pop over & visit.

 

I have put my main SSCS pressie away for Christmas & opened my very large decoration present. It would be best described as a present extravaganza!

Not only is there a gorgeous little gingerman decoration but also a ceramic snowman decoration, a kitty tea bag holder (purrfect!), some embossed Christmas gift tags, a box of 25 kitty Christmas cards (even more purrfect!!) and a culturally Kiwiana New Zealand 2013 Calendar. Being Kiwi born I love having Kiwi calendars in my house & this one is gorgeous. Totally beyond spoilt I say!

Thanks very much to Michell for my lovely gifts, can't wait to open the sewn gift too.

I see I have just ticked over 100 followers too. I was planning to have a giveaway when that happened but with work tomorrow, payroll & paying accounts for the club I do Treasurer for tomorrow night and then flying out on holiday for a week first thing Saturday morning, I will have to leave it until when I come back. Thanks though to all those who have signed up as followers, those dear friends who comment on my posts & the readers who I hope will become followers, commenters & friends in the future. Watch this space in a couple of weeks time for a close to Christmas giveaway! 

 

 

Happy swapping!
Tracee xx

Beginning To Feel A Lot like Christmas....

Looks like most of us are busy Christmas crafting, either for swaps, for friends & family or to decorate for Christmas ourselves.

Last night I started a new stitchery (no I haven't finished all the others, yes the one I was doing is for a swap too & I will get back to it) as I couldn't resist the free Christmas Tag patterns Bronwyn Hayes from Red Brolly posted as a freebie yesterday.

Here's my effort during 3 hours of Criminal Minds last night (I did wander off & look at real estate for awhile too...).

If you haven't been to the Red Brolly blog, click here to go check out the four designs & download your own copy.


I have also finished a lovely Christmas tablerunner - so happy & bright, 1 for me & 1 for a swap.

It's gorgeous with the yo-yos at each end. I made mine with the large Clover Yo-Yo maker & they were superfast to make. (do you like my new polka dot slippers for summer?).

This pattern is called 'Believe' by Marg Low. I first noticed it here on Barb's blog, made in the very pretty Quite Contrary range of fabrics. I knew it would be the perfect pattern for my swap partner so asked about it & before I knew it the original pattern was in my letterbox.

What a sweet & kind thing to do.  So to continue in that spirit, if you would now like this gorgeous pattern, the first to say so in a comments will get it. Let me know you want it & I will reply asking for your mailing address & post tomorrow. There will be plenty of time to still make this up for this Christmas or ones to follow.

 

The boys had a lovely evening last night. First Hun-bun basked in the last rays of sunshine on top of the reticulation valves ....

 

 

Then it was heads down & tails up for a fish dinner. Yes, that is a towel under their bowls, they are very messy eaters especially Hun-bun who sometimes likes to trial his food on the tip of his paw, if OK he eats it from there, if not, he shakes his paw & puts sticky bits everywhere. Brunnie is just regular old man messy.

 

 

Then they were joined in mutual admiration for the gas fire. Fancy a 30+ day in Perth cooling down enough for jumper & socks for me & the gas fire on half for the boys.

 

 

This is about the closest I have ever seen my boys, they are not ones to snuggle together, much to my dismay. It was a little too close for Brutus's likely, Hun-bun has just closed his eyes after giving Brunnie a bit of a swipe across the back of his head - he can be a little bu**er that Hun-Bun!

 

Happy Sunday!

Tracee xx

FNSI - Mini Madness!

Hi all

Last night was the Friday Night Sew In for this month. I used this time to do some minimal quilting & then the borders of my Christmas Mini Swap pressie.

 

I think it turned out quite a treat & here it is on my special 'Merry Christmas' mini stand.

This is one of Nancy Halverson for Art To Heart designs from her Be Attitudes applique quilt. I love Nancy's design & fabric. Most of the fabrics used are Nancy's designs too. I have gathered little bits over the years as I find them from her Star of Wonder & Angels Amongst Us ranges so this is the first thing I have made with them.

 

My last task to finish this last night was just a touch of blusher to give Santa rosie cheeks. I hope he like mineral makeup?

Now I wonder whose place he will be winging his way to on Monday? I'll give you a hint - he's travelling East. Considering I live about 3 kilometres from the Indian Ocean on the West Coast that doesn't rule many of you out..... Oh well, I guess everyone who hasn't yet received their mini is watching for our friend, the postie.

 

I am one person who is not watching for the postie. My mini arrived nice & early on Thursday. I held off opening it until today. My partner for this swap is Marie from Life On The Block here in rural WA. We haven't met before so yippee a new blog to read.

 

Look at my lovely wrapping....

 

 

And yes, that Partride in a Pear Tree is fabric - yah!

 

 

Marie included a great shopping list - she must have sensed my love for lists..... Today I have made a sewing list, a Christmas list, a blog post list, a jobs for over the Christmas break list & a cleaning / chores list - see, I said I loved them! Loving that backing fabric too...

 

 

And here it is & that gorgeous pressies fabric is on the front as well as the back.

 

 

The stitchery presents & Christmas tree have gorgeous sparkly little beads on them too. A bit of Chrissie bling..

 

 

Here it is all set up for Christmas display...

 

 

Thank you Marie, it's a beautiful mini & I will love displaying it for Christmas!

 

Thanks to Cheryll from Gone Stitchin, who is a brilliant swap mama & has hosted 4 wonderful mini swaps this year. I hope we are on again for next year Chez!

 

It was another successful Friday Night Sew In too. If you go to Heidi's blog Handmade by Heidi, you can link through to 115 blogs whose creators were taking part, many from Aussie too.

 

 

Now I am going to attempt to take my washing machine apart. Get the washing machine guy on speed dial I hear you say! Maybe... I googled the error message so have a few things to check first to get it spinning & draining again, then maybe I will ring the wm guy.....

 

Happy sewing.

Tracee xx

Mirror Mirror....

Mirror Mirror on the wall (couch - doesn't sound right), whose the prettiest mirror of them all???

You are! My flowery, metally, creamy beauty!

My latest op shop buy - a massive 29 x 33 inches (74 x 84 cm) including the tin frame. The mirror itself is 20 x 16 inches (50 x 40 cms). All that loveliness for $50. In case you are a local & wondering, it was from Good Sammys in Balcatta.

That's me waving hi to you all as I take the picture too!

Now can I find a place for it in my suburban double brick & tile, just like all the others in the suburbs, Perth home - highly unlikely. It may have to be safely packed away in to the country farmhouse pile just waiting for the day we find our dream home......

WANTED - Weatherboard Farmhouse in Tasmania or Victoria - old, big rooms, 3 bedrooms +, preferably some of the work like rewiring & replumbing done, very happy to decorate and gut & replace bathroom & kitchen. Must have a second lounge room, separate studio or massive bedroom suitable for sewing room. Preferably on the outskirts of town, in a small town or rurally. Quilt shop & beautiful quilty bloggy friends not too far away would be a huge bonus too. I'll keep looking......

Here's my long time favourite from the Huon Valley in Tassie. It's perfect but a bit of a worry when it comes to getting work that far from Hobart - I can't see myself doing that well in a salmon factory, unless they want someone to keep a spreadsheet on the number of fish. Then again maybe it's a little too perfect, wonderfully renovated with great taste but harder to stamp my chaotic style on. I still wonder if something less perfect, with surface renovations left to do would be better for me to run amuk in..... So many choices.....

Pic from realestate.com.au Homelands Real Estate http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-tas-surges+bay-111752667

Now to go stare at my mirror some more, on an angle so I'm not just having to stare at myself!

Happy days!
Tracee xx

Weekends with Brunnie =^..^=

Hi friends

Brunnie still here - 20 years & 6 months and still going strong. Muma did say yesterday that if I didn't stop crying for food that she was going to kill me - she didn't mean it I hope & to be honest I think sometimes I forget I've already eaten. Muma remembers though, she says things like "Brunnie stop meowing, you are driving me crazy, you have had 2 breakfasts and one lot of biscuits & its not even 11am yet". I say - too late on the crazy bit muma!

 

Anyway, enough about muma starving Brunnie, a solution is at hand, we got MAIL! Muma loves mail, I loves mail, Hun-bun too silly to understand mail - he's a simple guy.

So mail came, a nice little box.

I looked & couldn't believe my whiskers! Was it for muma - NO! Was it for Hun-bun - highly unlikely! It was addressed to Mr Brutus Forster!

My friends at my favourite biccy makers - Purina - sent Brunnie a parcel! At first I thought it was all cardboard & writing for muma to read but on closer inspection I could small something exciting.

Purina sent Brunnie sample pack of biccies - Yahhhhhhhhhhhh! Non, nom, nom - yum, yum, yum!

Purina also sent Brunnie a toy ball of yarn made of card. Here I am playing - I am 20 & a half so I do more of stationary playing now than loopy playing like brother Hun-bun does. I's playing on the inside!

Thank you friends at Purina - it was a proud day for Brunnie!

Hope you all get happy mails too friends!
Brunnie xxx

The Week That Was.....

Hi all

It's been a big week, lots of work including our AGM on Wednesday which meant getting home from work at 10.30pm (followed by a nap in on Thursday morning). A bonus was being able to bring home one of the flower arrangements. The photo below was taken Thursday so now all the lillies are out & it is even more gorgeous.

Like many I am doing the mad secret sewing rush to get all my Christmas swaps ready. Lots of hand stitching & Friday night I surprised even my self with a machine sewing frenzy. I zipped through a couple of swap pressies, part of a table runner & a little bag for a precious little lady who has just turned six.

 

The bag is called Ruby's Party Bag, a free pattern from Moda Bakeshop's blog & website. You can find it here. It is the perfect tiny size for a perfect tiny little lass, one of my big hands almost fills it. I used three of Melly's 'Where The Wind Blows' fabric, the main one great for a fellow pinkaholic.

Today was the first meeting of the WA Quilters Guild's applique group, now known as The Applique Junkies. We met in one members house with 11 of us to begin with. Next year we will have a hall & welcome everyone so it should grow much larger. There was a great show & tell (with my camera sadly forgotten at home), needleturn, machine & blanket stitch applique in progress and of course plenty of food & coffees. At last, a quilt group that meets way North of the river in Perth. It is only once a month but was a great day.

I worked on 3 projects today, finishing the binding on a swap gift;

Finishing the blanket stitch applique on another swap gift;

And starting the blanket stitch applique on a third swap gift;

Quite a productive day amongst lots of talk, recommendations of places to buy, lots of comparing notes on the frustrations of free motion quilting & longarm quilting and even some discussion on applique, especially the dreaded needleturn which a couple of ladies were very proficient at - hope for me yet!

 

Now I am going to sew three Snugglybug blocks - good thing I don't think I will need dinner.

 

Please note: NO santas were harmed in the making of these swap gifts!

 

Happy stitching

Tracee xx

The Luck of the Kiwis!

I know the traditional form is the luck of the Irish but I have been a pretty lucky Kiwi this week.

 

At last I am following in my mothers footsteps. She was lucky - small bits of luck that makes you smile. That reminds me that my mothers favourite word for it was that she was a 'tin bum' when it came to scratchies, small lotto wins, small horse racing bets etc.

 

Now I am assuming 'tin bum' meaning an extra lucky person must be a Kiwi saying & I can guarantee it came from my Grandad who also loved a 'flutter on the GGs'. A search online shows that 'tinny' was the saying in Australia around the turn of the century (tin in relation to coins) & that 'tin backed' was even used. I then quote the last line on World Wide Words.com 'The variant tin bum is known in New Zealand.'

 

So why was I a 'tin bum' this week?

 

First I was lucky enough to win The DVD of The Hunger Games from Samelia's Mum blog last week & it arrived Wednesday. I have read the 1st book in the series by Suzanne Collins on which the movie is based & loved it. The next one is on reserve from the library. The teen book series like this, Harry Potter, Maximum Ride & The Day After Tomorrow are really my idea of fun - what does that say about me - I'm still in touch with my youthful spirit! I found the movie just as good as the book though the book was much more detailled so maybe I filled in a lot of blanks by knowing the storyline already. Great though & thanks very much to Anorina for this win.

Next I received an email from Jenny of Elephantz to say I was one of the winners for her Embroidery workbook giveaway. This arrived Friday. I can never have enough stitch guides. Thanks very much Jenny!

Now the other thing mum told me was that luck - good or bad - always comes in threes!

 

Also on Friday I also received my latest issue of Vignette (yum yum) from Sarah at Patchwork Plus and included was the Mauritian Bloom Pattern Holder by the lovely Rosie Quinlan. I emailed Sarah thinking it was put in the wrong envelope & got a reply to say, no I won her giveaway too. I am so far behind in my blog reading I didn't even realise. Thanks so much Sarah!

I also received in the mail a new book that is a new US release but I am currently making a swap gift from it so more of that later. To begin with it wasn't the best Friday - you could say I wasn't completely a tin bum - stomach cramps, aching legs, headache & lots of visits to the smallest room in the house. After a full night of this Thursday night I was a bit miserable, so the postie dropping a nice bundle on my doorstep Friday lunch time was very welcome & cheered me up a lot.

 

Brun did his best to help with lots of cuddles but all the jumping up through the night didn't do much for either of our beauty sleep.

 

 

 

Hun-bun tried to compete with the wins by bringing me a present today too - a RAT! For some reason he still thinks my yelling 'bad murderer Hun-Bun' through the screen door is positive reinforcement.

 

 

By the way - no rats were harmed in the making of this picture. He was still alive, just playing dead. Unfortunately I can't vouch for what happened at a later date. Hun-bun picked rat up & tried to bring it inside for me so I ran, screamed & shut the door on him & his present.

 

Oh & I am still not winning the fluffy bed stand off.... maybe next winter.

 

 

 

Wishing you 'tin bummedness' too

Tracee xx  Brun xx  Hun-bun xx   rat : (