Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Retreat, Sewing and Visitors




Wow what an awesome time October was for my family and I. We had my Mum visit for just over a week, the kids got to spend some time with her, but I got to spend most of the time with her…
We had so much fun sewing and shopping, going to QPAC to see “Jeresy Boys”…but we had the most fun on retreat with our CRAFT group.
Retreat
This year we had Marilyn from Long Beach come over along with her beautiful daughter Jolene…we all had so much fun together.
Marilyn and I

Mum with Marilyn

All us gals
We also had Sharon and Jenny from NZ, Amanda from SA , Rita (mum) from Mackay, Anita from Sydney…the usual local Gals like Khristina our esteemed leader, Lynda, Helena and Myself… we met up with Anna from Coffs on the Sunday for  lunch. Some of our beautiful Sewing Sisters could not make it this year sadly…we sure missed Diana and Lois, but they got to meet up with Marilyn and Jolene at different times in their journey.
Of course there are so many other Sewing Sisters in our group who could not make it because of the tyranny of distance, we wished they all could have been here with us.
We had Prizes Galore

Beautiful views

Fun working on new projects together

 Lots of yummy food

I totally enjoyed the time we all had together, it really does something for your soul when you spend time with people who have a common interest no matter where in the world they come from or what their belief’s.
We had lots of laughter and lots of fun…
Sunday on the top of the Mountain
On the Sunday of retreat we drove up to Toowoomba for the day to shop and meet Anna…We also stopped in at the Queens Park gardens to see all the beautiful flowers in bloom after their “Carnival of Flowers” the week before, beautiful indeed.
Lots of beautiful flowers

Mum enjoying the flowers

And Me...

Sewing
Well we did get some sewing done at retreat, but not too much. We were inspired by Marilyn’s wise advice, we shared our tips and learned from our mistakes.


Country Visit for Mum
On the day we returned home from retreat, Mum and I went off to my friends place out at Laidley to meet the new baby calf born at 1am that morning…I think Mum thrives on the peace of the country just like I do.
Honey

Hello I'm TJ

Rita the goat lady


Mum with Pandora

Mother and Baby doing well

Mum got to see my friend Judy and her children whom she had not seen for a couple of years…she also got to meet Pandora the beautiful dairy cow who thinks she is human.  
Jersey Boys @ QPAC
We were so excited to go and see Jersey Boys at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre 2 nights before Mum left…we had been anticipating a great show, but OMGosh it just blew us away…I think there were only 2 songs I did not know (says a lot about my age 46).

Hubby, DD2, Mum and I  made some memories that will stay in our minds and hearts forever…
Farewell Mum…
Well in “real” life the fun times only last for as long as your holiday allows and sadly Mum had to board that train back to Mackay.
 The girls all got their planes back to their homes and we have all been left with lasting memories of some really fun times together…well till next year anyhow, when we get to make more fun memories…
This kind of fun was only possible for me because I took a chance and made friends with an Online CRAFT group and they became like sisters to me…
If you ever get the chance to meet some of your online friends (as long as it is a safe and wise thing to do) it may be one of the best times of your life….

Happy Stitching…
Amanda

Friday, September 28, 2012

Have A Look...








Hello out  there…how are you all doing? I am having a lot of teething problems with learning this “pages” thing here on Blogger, I thought this was going to be easy, hah how silly of me.
Anyhow I have added a little recipe link if you go have a look at my recipes page…
Hope you enjoy.
Happy Cooking
Amanda

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Busy?

How busy can life get?
Well if you are like me, it can become extremely busy at different times of the year…I think I added too many “things” to my calendar just recently.
I had a full day workshop/training with Hubby and another couple for “Prepare & Enrich” a marriage prep facilitating course to help with Pastoral care within our church…Yay, Awesome stuff, but very tiring for an old girl like me to have to use my brain (ouch it hurt).
After that (only a few days later) I had a 2 day workshop for
“Positive Partnerships” regarding ASD and how to best advocate for our son who has Apsergers…again my brain hurt. I only managed to get through a day and a half before I took quite ill and ended up in hospital for some tests…So what have I learned??? (well I hope I have learned) I WILL be very careful about how much I put on my calendar and try to make sure I don’t have more than one big important training/workshop etc. in a month…well maybe only one every 3 months is probably best for me.
On the sewing side of life…
I have been catching up with khris every Friday morning for sewing, with the exception of a couple of mornings when I was either at a workshop or having tests done.
I unpicked my Jelly Roll topper in about 4 different places to change it around a bit because I was not happy with how the colours bunched up. I also got some more fabrics from the States to finish it off  when I get the chance.
I have used some leftovers from a couple of different charm packs to start on some simple table toppers…still going with that.
I even managed to get the curtain fabric out that I bought for DD2’s bedroom and make a start on them…another WIP.
I am sitting here with a beautiful Spring breeze blowing through the window, reminding me that Summer is just around the corner and therefore Christmas is not so far away as well…(Only if you live in the Southern Hemisphere like I do will you have a hot Christmas)
I love spring, it must be my favourite season…in fact I have been spring cleaning and waiting for the day we can have a BBQ dinner with friends outside in the yard and just enjoy the outdoors without feeling freezing cold.

Friends Swap
I recently took part in the friends swap Khris organised and have not had a chance to show you all what I sent my swap partner…

F for Fabric…
  R for Ruby (by Bonnie and Camille)


I for I, Me, My…(it’s all about her)

E for Emergency kit to keep in your handbag

N for Needlecase


D for Dessert Chocolates


S for Stack of Cute Boxes
I had fun choosing things that I thought my partner would like…
Well I have had enough time sitting in front of this computer I need to get out to my sewing room and finish off those curtains for DD2.
I hope you all are well and having a wonderful time sewing and being creative.
Amanda

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Friends Swap 2012


 2012 Friends Swap


I have sent my Friends Swap parcel off to Carol over at The Patch Craft, and received hers a couple of weeks ago...
I am so slack at blogging this year it is not funny... here is a look at what carol sent me.
Sorry the Picture is just a bit blurry, I may have been in so much of a hurry to open my parcel that I was a terrible photographer.
Carol sent me :-

F- Flashlight key chain with my name on it.
R- Ruffled Scarf
I-  Coffee mug and try (I, Me My)
E- Erasable Pen
N- Notebook
D- Delicious Chocolate
S- Sewing caddy with pin cushion and scissors.
I totally love my gifts and really feel blessed to have been Carols partner...

I can't reveal what I sent Carol just yet but you can have a little look at the wrapped packages...
I printed out some cute little cards and wrote the letters on them with a description on the inside of what each letter stood for...
Hopefully Carol will have received her parcel by this afternoon and I can add an extra bit to this post or a new post with some pictures of what I sent her.

I really enjoyed this swap and hope that if you ever get the chance to join one of Khristina's swaps you would do so as they are a lot of fun when you get to bless someone else and learn a little about their life.
I am sewing most Fridays with Khris and my aunt so I will have some things to show off soon.
 had to pull apart some of the Jelly Roll quilt top I did because the colors being too close together or double ups were driving me nuts...I also managed to get some yardage from the States to match so will be continuing with it soon.

I hope you are all enjoying your sewing and home time
This Domestic Diva is signing off now until next time...

Happy Stitching

Amanda



Friday, June 29, 2012

Been Sewing...Can't Believe It.

My First Jelly Roll Quilt Top


I don't believe it  but I have actually done some sewing...I had a beautiful French General "Panier De Fleurs" Jelly Roll gathering dust in amongst my fabrics and I decided it was time to try out the Jelly Roll challenge...
I did part of it last week at our Sewing group and some more this morning at sewing group, but did not do too much because I forgot my 1/4 inch foot for my machine and felt weird sewing without it... I know I know, I'm a big sook...Hehehe.


I decided to sort out my sewing room a bit more to feel happy enough to get sewing again in my own space, and then finished off the Jelly roll top this evening...
I was not too happy with the way the colours bunched up, I was so careful with making sure I alternated with one dark and one light as well as alternating reds and blues...But darn it, some of the blues bunched up anyhow...well I am too tired to even think about how I managed that just yet...I am sure to have a good look at it before the next Jelly Roll top is started...I think I may drop some of the solids so as there are only one of each solid.
I am going to finish this off over the next little while, I am not sure yet what to use for the borders...Any suggestions for the best colour?
I did enjoy making it of course.

What to sew next?? we will see.

Happy Stitching...

Amanda


Thursday, June 28, 2012

Friends Swap 2012






I forgot to mention I have joined the gorgeous Khristinas Friend Swap for 2012 …
This is a first for me so I am looking forward to it.
For all details you can have a look at Sew Prim Khris
I managed to make a scarf for DD2 today.. it is one of those crazy new ones that can be made in one day (or a few hours) if you don’t go nuts doing it.
Sorry no photo yet…
Have a look at the video tute here
It was really fiddly and annoying to do but at least I can say I have done one...I do have one more to do, for myself that is.
Well I hope you all are having a wonderful time enjoying life.
Happy Stitching
 
Amanda

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

91 Reasons To Buy Fabrics...

Hey Ladies I have been MIA for a time, Sorry about that...you know how it gets when you are so busy with life stuff that you just can't find the time to Blog...

A lovely Friend in our CRAFT Online group recently sent us this amazing little list of reasons to buy fabric, it is so cool.
Have a look through and have a good laugh. you may find a great excuse to give Hubby next time he complains about spending money on fabrics...I personally love number 3...
I shall put a link back to where she got it from for the sake of giving credit where credit is due...
Enjoy...

91 Reasons to Buy Fabric

1. It insulates the closet where it is kept.
2. It helps keep the economy going. It is our patriotic duty to support cotton farmers, textile mills, and quilt shops.
 3.     It is less expensive and more fun than psychiatric care.
 4.     "Oh, it's not for me! I'm buying it for a friend!"
 5.     My cat/dog needs a fresh, new pile of fabric to sleep on and roll around on at least once a week.
 6.     Because it's on sale.
 7.     Okay, it wasn't on sale, but by the time it was, all the good stuff would be gone.
 8.      A sudden increase in the boll weevil population might wipe out the cotton crop for the next ten years.
 9.     I'm participating in a contest--the one who dies with the most fabric wins.
 10.    It keeps without refrigeration, and you don't have to cook it to enjoy it. Also, you never have to feed it, change it, wipe its nose, or walk it.
 11.    I need extra weight in the trunk of my car for traction on snowy, icy roads. This is important, even in Florida and Southern California, as you never know when the weather will change.
 12.    Because I'm worth it.
 13.    It's non-fattening.  It has been confirmed by registered dietitians that a fat quarter has 100% fewer calories than a hot fudge sundae.
 14.    I am working on building a complete collection.
 15.    Like dust, it's good for protecting previously empty spaces in the house, like the ironing board, the laundry hamper, the dining room table . . ..
 16.    It's a medical test to see if your husband is still alive. If he is, a fabric purchase will make him start fussing about more fabric in the house.
 17.    When the Big Earthquake comes, all the quilt shops might be swallowed into the ground and never seen again.
 18.    Because it's there.
 19.    It's prettier than salt and pepper shakers.
 20.    It won't break.
 21.    A strong interest in fabric purchases will leave you no time to spend  in the pool hall or out stealing hubcaps.
 22.    It's much cheaper to cover the floor with fabric than new carpeting, and you can change the look more often.
 23.    The devil made me do it.
 24.    Stress from dealing with the Fabric Control Officer (my husband) made  me do it.
 25.    It's the only remotely artistic thing I have ever done.
 26.    If all else fails, you can use it for cleaning rags.
 27.    I'm might set up my own fabric shop and I'll need a starter inventory.
 28.    To keep the bed from falling down--we all know that most quilters store part of their fabric under the bed.
 29.    To save a beautiful fabric design for posterity. They might stop making it, and it would be lost to the world forever.
 30.    Neighborhood children might need just the right color for a scavenger hunt.
 31.    I need something new for show and tell party games.
 32.    My friend has more variety than I do, and I have to keep up with her.
 33.    Because I can't live without it.
 34.    It fights the empty nest syndrome--my youngest child is getting married,  so I have another empty room to fill with fabric.
 35.    Because this fabric just talks to me and calls my name.
 36.    It comes in whatever size or quantity you want.
 37.    It's important to invest in cotton futures.
 38.    I'm too old to have sex. (This was suggested by a quilter's husband.)
 39.    I have new shelves for fabric storage, and if I don't fill them up, they won't look right.
 40.    They get angry when you steal it.
 41.    It will go with some I bought last year.
 42.    It's so pretty, and I'll use it some day.
 43.    I want my daughter to have a proper inheritance.
 44.    Well-known medical fact:  prevents washing machine withdrawal symptoms on light laundry days.
 45.    Keeps the people who make cardboard inserts in bolts of fabric employed, thus supporting the national economy in yet another way.
 46.    Assists the little birdies with their nests when scraps, threads, and little whispies are allowed to blow in the wind.
 47.    Opens up new opportunities for curators and quilt show judges to ply their skills.
 48.    Opthalmologists recommend quilting to support the sagging eye glasses industry.
 49.    Without fabric I would have nothing to do with my rotary cutter and my mat and my sewing machine and my iron and my thread and my needles and my quilting books . . . . . (and my time).
 50.    I'm setting a good example for my children.
 51.    There's just one more piece I need, and I'll know it when I see it.
 52.    Buy it now, before your husband retires and goes with you on all your shopping expeditions.
 53.    Someone else has cornered the market on hog bellies.
 54.    It does not promote tooth decay.
 55.    Nobody told me not to.
 56.    It's raining (sleeting, snowing, hailing, thundering, sun's too hot?).
 57.    It's not immoral, illegal, or fattening.
 58.    It calms the nerves, gratifies the soul, and makes me feel good.
 59.    Buy it quick, before all the good stuff is gone.
 60.    Surgeon General says: "Ten yards a day keeps the blues away."
 61.    Step 32 of Master Plan to drive husband crazy.
 62.    Everybody else does it.
 63.    "Oh, what a feeling!"
 64.     A yard a day is all the quilt shops of America ask.
 65.    If you don't buy it now, you may never see it again.
 66.    If I don't buy it, my husband won't have anything to complain about.
 67.    It was awful! I was trapped in the quilt shop, and the only way out was to buy myway out!
 68.    Unless my fabric stash is reasonably impressive, people might think my family is destitute, and my children would be embarrassed.
 69.    A large fabric stash is the sign of a creative mind.
 70.    I owe myself a reward for that half-pound I lost last month.
 71.    "Because I don't have it yet!"
72 Like dust it's good for protecting previously empty spaces in the house like the ironing board, the laundry basket, the dining room table.
73 Its not immoral, illegal or fattening. It calms the nerves, gratifies the soul and makes me feel good.
74 A metre a day is all a quilt shop asks.
75 I NEED IT.
76  Just a moment I AM THE BOSS - I  don't need any reasons.
77. Because I can't live without it.
78. It fights the empty nest syndrome--my youngest child is getting married, so I have another empty room to fill with fabric.
79. Because this fabric just talks to me and calls my name.
80. I have new shelves for fabric storage, and if I don't fill them up, they won't look right.
81. They get angry when you steal it.
82. It will go with some I bought last year.
83. It's so pretty, and I'll use it some day.
84. I want my daughter to have a proper inheritance.
85. Well-known medical fact: prevents washing machine withdrawal symptoms on light laundry days.
86. Opens up new opportunities for curators and quilt show judges to ply their skills.
87. Without fabric I would have nothing to do with my rotary cutter and my mat and my sewing machine and my iron and my thread and my needles and my quilting books . . . . . (and my time).
88. Buy it quick, before all the good stuff is gone.
89. Everybody else does it.
90. If I don't buy it, my husband won't have anything to complainabout.
91. A large fabric stash is the sign of a creative mind.
And what's yours?
 (Compiled by Frances Tankersley of Jackson, TN  from contributions by members of the OnLine Quilters Guild and Quiltersbee; used by permission) 

Can you add any more to this? 

 I am hoping to be here a little more often,
until next we speak...

Happy Stitching
Amanda

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Wow What a Weekend

Well I have had a top weekend and this past few days...


I went to visit my dear friend Judy and see her newest member of the "Family".
Pandora is a gorgeous Milker and has such a sweet nature, she just sat there and let us pat her and scratch her head...I even gave her a little neck massage...she is truly a sweety.
wow does she give good milk...it has been many years since I have had "Farm Fresh" milk from a cow...I had some in my tea and even brought some home so I could cook up some goodies with it.
We had some fun trying to make some butter while I was there but it was doomed from the start I think because we had too much liquid in with the cream (see success later in post).

 All of the goats decided they wanted to get some pats as well and swamped us as you can see in the pictures.
The big white boy in the front left of the picture is TJ and he became my shadow because I gave him a really good scratch between the hip bones where he can't reach...so adorable.

I am looking forward to some adventures in cheese making in the near future.

Boy how I love the freshness and smell of farm fresh milk....

Whole wheat...
I have a whisper mill that is on loan to me for the next 20 years or so from Judy's sister. I have had it for 8 months now and not had a chance to use it. well after a refresher trial at Judy's house I managed to make my own flour from some organic whole wheat I got from a health food store in our local shopping centre.

The Whisper Mill


Fresh Whole Wheat Flour
I decided to make some Almond and Chocolate muffins with my home milled flour and farm fresh milk...


They were a big hit with the family...the tastiest I have had for a long time.
On Monday morning we decided to skim the cream from the top of the milk because it had separated quite well and make some butter.
I just put the cream in my food processor and turned it on...
I got so excited when watching it separate from the butter milk that I forgot add some salt...oh well it just became unsalted butter. we saved the buttermilk and froze it for another day.
but the Butter looked and tasted so divine it won't last long in our house.

In the end we got about 100g-150g of butter from approximately 600ml of cream.
I scraped it out of the food processor and wrapped it in grease proof baking paper so I could squeeze pout the last of the buttermilk. after that I just stuck it in the fridge to harden up a bit.
hubby had it this morning in his sautéed mushrooms for breakfast, he says it is awesome and very delicious...
wow what a heap of fun we have had.

What have you been cooking lately? What do you think of farm fresh...do you yearn for the outdoors and beauty of farm living like I do? but sadly live with a bunch of city slickers (hubby and kids)...
Oh well one can always dream...

Happy Living

Amanda














Saturday, April 21, 2012

Winners are Grinners...


Prize Draw...

For the Handbag book...Number 3 came out which is a woman very close to me (Mum) I know this seems a bit suspicious but I assure you it was quite legit...

Love your Lunchbag book ,can not wait for October,love you, see you then.
(have the nana room ready) (:

I Went through and those that said they wanted the Handbag book were given a number in order of their comment post.
So Congratulations Dolly Cloth/Rita/Mum...
it will be on it's way to you.


The Apron Book...Congratulations Mimi...


I am now following your new blog and it looks great!!! I love the apron book - thanks for the chance!!

 please email me through this blog with your address so I can arrange postage asap.


Now for those who did not write a preference I just put you all in for the Home Hints book...

the Lucky winner is...

Hi Amanda,
I love the new look and especially the new name. So glad that you are still around in the blogging world.

Tracee, please email me through this blog with your address so I can arrange postage asap.



Ok all done Lovely Ladies... I hope you enjoy your books, please comment me in the future when you get your book s so I know it arrived.

Happy stitching, Cooking and Home making to you  all