Jo Ferguson

We tried to take photos of the different generations that were present, I think we finally got it right, although there was some discussion about who should be in one photo, we almost left Julien out.

There are some clowns in this family, it took many shots to get a decent picture of my sisters grandsons, and heaven only knows why we were pointing in the group photo.

We even managed to get a baby bump photo of my younger niece and the bub she is expecting, she was at work when we took the family and generation groups but I got her and her lovely partner in a photo before the day was over.

A great fun family day!

I don’t think I should have started this…..

2012-01-14T00:20:00.001+10:00

Last week ‘someone’ posted a link to fabric boards, great little boards to wrap your quilting fabric on, like the ones the quilt shops have, only smaller. I checked out the link and decided I had to have some, I wanted my fabric stash to look nice and tidy and easy to see what fabrics I had.

Being a bit short of cash after the silly season I decided to use corflute instead of paying US$65 for 50 boards, I could get the corflute much much cheaper. Home it came all cut to the size I asked for, the only difference is mine don’t have the little ‘V’ cutouts in them, but I can live with that.

Today was my RDO, what better time to start the job! Here is my stash cupboard, as you can see it really needs sorting.

This photo was taken after I had sorted the 2 bottom shelves!

I filled 2 garbage bags with fabric and started on a third bag, some fabric was bits of fleecy leftover from making baby sleeping bags, clothes for grandchildren etc, I even found some fabric I had bought to make my then 5 year old daughter a winter dress…. this fabric has travelled up and down the east coast of Australia during many house moves for 34 years, today it went in the bin!

When my mum died almost 15 years ago, I bought her craft stuff home and stashed in the bottom of this cupboard thinking I would sort through it later, yeah right! I found coat hanger covers knitted with that nylon ribbon and lace, plastic tubing and a cutter to cut it with, you know the type (well if you are old enough lol) it screws on to the table and you push the plastic tubing through and chop.

Heaven only knows how many crochet doily books mum had, because I distinctly remember giving a lot to her local St Vinnies when she died, but I found a few more today, along with the cotton and crochet hooks, but I might use them… one day…. once again, altogether now… yeah right!

By now it was lunch time and I hadn’t started to wrap my stash fabric on to the little boards, I was really wishing I hadn’t started this job today grrrr! Before stopping for lunch I just had to wrap some fabric.

Doesn’t that look nice!

Time for lunch, and check my emails, oh better check Facebook too while I’m at the computer. Maybe try to find out why I can’t print to hubby’s new printer…… what’s that? Me procrastinating! Never!

Dinner time and I have one third of my shelf done, still have to pull the rest of the fabric out, sort it and wrap it, wonder why I bought all those autumn tone leaf fabrics, I obviously haven’t used much of it? Still wishing I hadn’t started this job today.

I really wanted to be working on the quilt for my new grand nephew or niece who is due mid year.

It is now 11:50pm, hubby and I have figured out the problems with his new wireless printer, that only took an hour <sigh>, we have moved the wifi modem to another spot on the desk hoping it won’t heat up as much, we have moved his shiny new printer to give him more desk space, I have thrown out an old laptop, a shredder that doesn’t work, an old calendar and anything else that took my fancy and moved cords and plugs around in the computer room.

Oh and guess what, my stash is done too. Well except for the fat quarter shelf, but that can wait, my larger quantities of fabric look lovely on their little coloured boards and standing upright in my cupboard!

I think I need some more reds and I didn’t realise I had so much yellow, I did know about the blues though…. gee it’s great to be able to see what you have at a glance, if I had done this before starting the baby quilt it would have been much easier to choose my fabric.

So tomorrow, it’s back to brights and animals and my first quilt in 12 months.

So whoever that ‘someone’ was, I now thank you, after having cursed you all day, I love the look of my ‘little quilt shop’ stash and I still have spare boards so any new fabric can be wrapped before putting it away!

I did learn something today, all my older fabrics were washed, sometime over the last 10 years I stopped washing them and you can’t tell in any of my quilts if the fabric was washed first or not, maybe I’ve been lucky, but I do wash all my quilts and throw them in the dryer as soon as they are finished, maybe that makes up for not washing the fabric first.

Time for bed, I am exhausted after my busy day!

Boxing Day

2012-01-01T13:53:00.001+10:00

Another celebration, this time with my son in law’s older children and his two grandchildren. This was more like the Christmases that I remembered from my childhood, lot’s of people, kids and noise!

Forrest Family Christmas

The kids had such fun opening their gifts, then it was outside to play yay!

Bubbles!

Christmas Tree Decorations

I think the bigger kids had the most fun!

A lovely family Christmas

2011-12-31T00:55:00.001+10:00

Like many others we try to make time to see extended family over the christmas period. Christmas Day we spent at home with my daughter, son in law and grandchildren, for Don and I this was a great day, seeing the little ones faces when they opened their gifts ( big ones faces too for that matter ) was precious.

I received several new Santas for my collection and gift vouchers that meant I could buy a new macro lens for my camera. I have enjoyed trying that out over the last few days.

The green Santa was a gift from a friend, the beaded baubles were ones I had beaded last year.

Family and flowers

My granddaughter is about the only one that loves to have me take photos, although my daughter tolerated the camera too this year, the dog just looks at me now as if to say “you’ve got that camera again mum”.

Our Christmas started with a Birthday

2011-12-31T00:31:00.001+10:00

Our daughter and her family arrived in Queensland on the Friday before Christmas, we celebrated the Princess’s 5th Birthday on their first night.

Grandad had ordered this cute cake for her and we couldn’t wait to see her reaction, we weren’t disappointed, she was absolutely delighted with it.

The Princess turns 5

10 more sleeps

2011-12-15T20:23:00.001+10:00

I have been a bit slack with the Santa photos the past few days, so here is another.

2 Santas today

2011-12-11T09:48:00.001+10:00

I just realised I had missed 2 days of Santas so will add 2 this morning. It’s been a busy couple of days but I am hoping to get my Christmas Tree up today.

I found a great idea for a Christmas Candy bar on http://www.aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com/ so yesterday went out and bought some nice glass bowls (most are actually for pillar candles, so after Christmas I can use them for that) and red, green and white lollies, just have to make some of the bunting and a sign to hang over it, my grandchildren will love it, I’m guessing their mother may not be as impressed but what the heck, it’s Christmas.

He’s a funny little man, but cute.

Santa Rocks!

Another Day Another Santa

2011-12-08T20:56:00.001+10:00

Another favourite gift from my husband.

Day 4 Santa

2011-12-07T19:08:00.001+10:00

My husband gave me this cute little Santa in his car last Christmas, he is one of my favourites.

Day 3 Santa

2011-12-06T18:38:00.001+10:00

This cute little Santa with his lamp stands about 15cm tall.

Day 2 Santa

2011-12-06T07:15:00.001+10:00

Little wooden Santa, he wobbles on his feet.

I love Santas

2011-12-05T07:38:00.001+10:00

I love Christmas too, but I collect Santas so I thought I might share some of my collection. Each day until Christmas I will add a new one.

None of them are rare, or terribly expensive, but many of them are gifts from my wonderful husband, he usually gives me one each Christmas.

Love his big round nose.

Our Family Portraits

2011-12-03T08:16:00.001+10:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that we had some family portraits taken for my 60th birthday. Rachel from Juzz Photography in Canberra did a great job and we are all so happy with the pictures.

If you are looking for a good portrait or commercial photographer I can highly recommend Rachel Houlahan check out her web here or her Facebook page here

My family, son Keith at back with my husband Don and I,

daughter Sandra and her husband Keith with Katie and Jack in front

Sandra, Keith, Jack, Katie

Enjoying a stroll in the country

I love this group shot

Don and I with our precious grandchildren

Love this!

My children and I

This gift of photos would have to be the best birthday present ever, thanks to my family and Rachel for organising it.

Taking Photos

2011-12-03T07:41:00.001+10:00

I have been spending time learning how to use my DSLR camera, experimenting with the manual modes, trying to remember when to use Apperture or Shutter priority, if someone has a good way to remember I’d love to hear from you.

Sunday Morning, lazy breakfast with the paper.

My frangipani is starting to bloom.

I love the colours in this flower.

It’s amazing how a neglected plant can produce such a pretty flower.

Pretty plumbago.

Home Again

2011-09-29T21:40:00.000+10:00

We have just had a lovely week in Canberra with the family to celebrate my 60th birthday, also my daughter and my grandsons’ birthdays. We don’t do things by halves in this family. Three birthdays in a row and it’s been that way for 39 years now.

Lovely cake and dessert

We had a great party on the Saturday night, with our dearest friends travelling over from Wagga to help celebrate. It was great fun to catch up with them and also to spend time with Sandy’s friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen in almost 20 years, so hard to think of them all grown up with families of their own.

My daughter Sandra, grandson Jack and I cutting the cake.

Katie’s new necklace

2011-09-17T10:37:00.001+10:00

We are having a family photo shoot next weekend, my daughter and I were deciding what jewellery we would wear and my 4 year old granddaughter asked me to make her a necklace.

Here it is Princess, hope you like it.

Here it is with the shirt she is wearing for the photos,

I added chain to the closure so she can wear it as she gets older.

Wisteria in full bloom

2011-09-17T10:22:00.001+10:00

My wisteria has finally come into full bloom, it looks and smells beautiful.

Playing with my new Camera, again.

2011-09-11T11:30:00.001+10:00

I am waiting to do a class on DSLR camera photography, but as it hasn’t yet been scheduled I have been playing around with the camera, changing settings and trying to learn what they do.

I don’t have a ‘lovely’ garden but have been taking photos of the spring flowers and bushes that are starting to flower.

This lovely bush with the pink fluffy flowers hangs over the fence from the neighbours yard.

A white version of the fluffy bush about to flower, if anyone knows the name of this I would love to hear from you.

I love this tiny flower, need to work out my macro settings to better focus on the centre flower.

Yesterday Today Tomorrow, such a pretty bush. This second photo would make a nice wallpaper for my computer.

My Wisteria is starting to flower, this photo was taken yesterday.

Same thing taken today, should look wonderful in a few more days.

This wisteria plant has grown from a cutting that I took from the house where my grandfather was born, down near Armidale, NSW. Because I am not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination, I am so happy each year when this bush flowers. The family legend is that my g.g.g. grandmother (not sure how many greats but I think 3 or 4) bought a cutting of this plant with her when she emigrated from Cornwall in 1853.

The old house where pop was born is now a tumbling down cottage, held up only by the wisteria on one side and a yellow climbing rose on the other. I tried to grow some of the rose cuttings but they didn’t make it, so I am happy the wisteria did flourish.

Finally, my bottlebrush, I love the bright red of these brushes, the local birds love the tree too, unfortunately they always hear me coming with my camera and take off, before I can get a picture of them.

It needs a clasp!

2011-08-13T22:46:00.002+10:00

I love this new bracelet, but I am stumped as to what type of clasp to put on it. The beads are Miyukis size 11's and were a dream to work with.

Unfortunately, it doesn't fit me so will end up as a gift and I will make myself another one.

Joanne

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Trying out the new camera

2011-08-01T11:47:00.001+10:00

I have a lesson booked next week, but am having fun seeing what the camera can do.

This pretty flower is poking through my side fence.

My dog Toby is not sure about the camera.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I love technology!

2011-08-01T11:37:00.002+10:00

I haven't posted to my blog from my iPad before, so this should be fun.

I received my birthday gift very early this year. My hubby gave me a new DSLR camera, I have wanted one for such a long time.

My birthday is not until September and several years ago I advised my kids that I wanted a hot air balloon ride for my 60th, guess what, they actually listened and in September I will be flying high over Canberra, my favorite city in Australia.

My husband thought I should have my camera early so that I am used to using it when I go on the balloon ride, isn't he thoughtful.

My heading about loving technology, I took the photo of the camera with my iPhone and using an app called Bump I transferred the pic to my iPad by simply bumping the two together, took seconds!!!! I love it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Regents Park, Qld

A new necklace

2011-06-26T16:16:00.001+10:00

While waiting for some beads to arrive for my next beaded cuff I made this necklace with some grey glass pearls and silver beads, very cheap project, but still looks nice on.

I love these Peyote Cuffs

2011-06-26T15:05:00.000+10:00

I still love playing with Delica beads! These Mikki Ferrugiaro beaded cuffs have become my favourite thing to make of late.

This one is called Cherry Blossoms and I have changed the colours to use up some beads I had, I love the pink in this cuff and really wanted to use them for this design. Mikki's original design can be seen here.

The Rio Grande cuff is still waiting for a clasp or closure of some kind. I have tried several different options and have ended up pulling them out. I feel it needs some special black buttons with a loop, but finding those buttons is the problem.

A not so sad farewell

2011-04-17T13:46:00.001+10:00

It seems strange to feel that attending a funeral for a much loved cousin resulted in a lovely day, but that was the feeling I was left with last Friday after my cousin Shirley Elliotts’ funeral.

Both our husbands were in the RAAF so we never saw a great deal of each other after we grew up and married and travelled to different parts of the country, but we spent much of our childhood together. We had many happy visits to Guyra with our Aunt and cousins.

I hadn’t seen Shirleys’ sons for many years and even though the occasion was a sad one, the chance to catch up with her boys, meet their partners and their children and grandchildren made the day more of a happy reunion than a sad one. Her lovely sons had sons of their own, some of the grandsons are now fathers of girls, Shirley would have loved having great granddaughters.

In this time where everyone has such busy lives, I am now more determined to catch up with family more often.

Rest In Peace Shirley.

Some new beading

2011-04-17T13:27:00.001+10:00

I haven’t been doing much quilting over the past 6 months or so, mostly beading. I recently found some gorgeous bracelet patterns by designer Mikki Ferrugiaro so far I have made 2 of her designs and I have just started on a third one.

Rustic Jungle Cuff – using the bead colours in her design, however I did make my bracelet 4 rows narrower than the original as the width doesn’t sit comfortably on my arm.

Pinstripe Floral – using my colour choice for the flowers – click for designers colour choice I haven’t yet decided on the clasp/closure for this one, this one is the width of the original design, doesn’t sit well on my arm so will probably go to my daughter.

I love Mikki’s designs, I think I will be buying more of her patterns.

Off to play with more beads.

Ta Da!

2010-11-20T12:13:00.001+10:00

Well it feels like a Ta Da moment for me!

I have finally finished my grand daughters bed quilt, it has only taken a year (or maybe more) because of a broken wrist and flu’s and bronchitis etc.

The pattern is called Candy Girl and it is from The Janelle Wind Collection http://patchworksplus.com.au/products/Candy_Girl-67-39.html

I have made some changes to the original design, I added a striped border because I wanted the quilt a little wider.

I removed the white scalloped trim on the coloured blocks as I didn’t like it when I put it on, I think it may have been the fabric I used, but I love the quilt the way it has turned out.

I made the label using EQ7 and printed it on EQ printer fabric, I wanted Katie to have a lasting memory of my husband and myself as she gets older.

Now to wait the 5 weeks until Christmas so I can give my Princess her quilt.

A quilt top finished!

2010-08-01T12:28:00.001+10:00

Finally after what seems a disastrous first half of 2010, I have Katie’s single bed quilt top ready for quilting. I am very pleased with the top but am now stuck on ideas for quilting it.

It will be machine quilted as I have recently suffered another injury to my left wrist that I broke in February and although this is only a soft tissue injury it still means I am wearing a brace again and have about 4 weeks of physiotherapy ahead of me, sigh!

I thought I would outline quilt around the flowers and quilt in the ditch around the blocks but after that I am not sure what to do, any suggestions would be welcomed, bearing in mind that I can’t put too much stress on my left hand doing it.

My Daughters Mothers Day

2010-05-23T16:53:00.004+10:00

My daughter and her family spent Mothers Day with some friends in the Monga National Park, the photos taken by Sandys friend Rachel looked lovely, I just had to do something with them, so I made a Smilebox scrapbook. I wish I had been there with them, what a lovely peaceful day it must have been.

Personalize your own scrapbook

Rachel has recently started her own photography business and has had several photos published already. If anyone in the Canberra region is looking for a great photographer check out www.Juzzphotography.com.au

A relaxing weekend on the Sunshine Coast

2010-04-27T22:22:00.001+10:00

I haven’t updated the blog for months, I fractured a bone in my wrist in February and have been in a cast or brace ever since, 9 weeks yesterday and still at least another 3 weeks to go. As a result, there has been no beading, quilting or any other craft work happening at my house.

I have finally managed to do some hand sewing this past 2 weeks, so the paper pieced hexagons have come out of the cupboard and progress is being made there.

Don and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary last Monday so treated ourselves to a long weekend at Alexandra Headlands. We stayed at the Breakfree Resort, they had a deal with pay for 2 nights get the 3rd night free, an offer we couldn’t pass up.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

We enjoyed the weekend and the resort, right across the road from the beach, lot’s of restaurants and take away foods close by. We are hoping to take our daughter and son in law and the grandchildren there later in the year. The little ones will love the pools, they run the full length of the resort, it really is a great place for water babies.

Celebrating Dons 70th Birthday!

2010-01-30T10:24:00.002+10:00

We had a great night on 14th November for Dons 70th. Lot's of family and friends to help us celebrate. Our dearest friends travelled from Wagga for the party and it was so great to see them. We were both sad that my sister and brother in law couldn't make it due to the fact that Gail had suffered a stroke and was in hospital, good to know she is recovering very well and should be back to normal in a few months, hmmm Gail and normal don't seem to go, sorry Sis :-)

Some of the photos were of the day after, the grandchildren cooled off in the plastic tubs we had used for drinks.

My beautiful grandchildren

2009-11-22T00:31:00.001+10:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Another trip to visit my family…

2009-10-25T13:52:00.001+10:00

September is birthday month in our family, I usually take myself of to Canberra so my daughter and I can have our birthdays together and of course Jack now has his birthday at the same time. I went on my own this year as Don was bowling at a championship in Sydney for a week.

Jack turned 5 this year, I can’t believe how the years have flown! He wanted a DS for his birthday and got one, talk about keep him quiet, he had that thing in his hands for the entire 10 days I was there.

The party had to be inside this year as the weather was more like the middle of winter than the first month of spring.

Katie was her usual self, opens the mouth when the eyes open of a morning and doesn’t close it until the eyes close at night! But she is delightful, great to have a conversation with. Here she is dressed for Jacks party in the little red dress I made for her, love the boots!

Katie was Grandmums Girl while I was there, one day she was off playing with her toy horse and dinosaur – I thought in her room – she came out to me and told me there was surprise in my bed.

She had put her toys in my bed so I wouldn’t be lonely without Granddad….. a moment a grandmother won't forget, pity they have to grow up!

Gold Crochet Rope revamped

2009-10-25T13:21:00.001+10:00

I made this crocheted rope a few months ago but was never happy with the closure so it has been redone with some lovely tulip end caps that I ordered from America, the same large crystals put back on and a bigger slide bolt (not sure what it is called) clasp, then the gold filigree pendant added last. Love it now, it just needed more!

A friend turned 21 this week, so I quickly made some earrings to go with and gave it to her for her birthday, she loved it too.

Beaded Bracelets

2009-10-25T13:12:00.001+10:00

I fell in love with the Glenwood Bracelet designed by Nancy Cain so I emailed her and asked if she would sell me the pattern as she didn’t have it available in kit form at the time.

This is my first Glenwood bracelet, cranberry red delicas with black and gold delicas and 3mm jet swarovski bicones as the feature bead in the centre.

and the closure is 6mm jet swarovski rondelles

The bracelet is so easy to make and comes together quickly, I have made 2 more but only have a photo of one of them.

I was a little disappointed in the beads with this one, in the pack they looked chocolate brown with teal highlights, but made up they appear to be a greyish colour. The highlight delicas are a gold AB finish with burnt gold 4mm bicones. The finished bracelet looks great anyway.

Katies flower bed

2009-08-28T15:31:00.001+10:00

I had to have something quilty here for one of my online groups Friday Flaunt!!!

I have made some progress this last week on Katies first bed quilt, finally finished making all the rotten circles for the flowers and have most of them stitched to the background squares. I still have to make the leaves and the striped blocks are supposed to have a white scalloped piece down one side.

But there has been progress!!!!!

Have you ever….

2009-08-28T15:16:00.001+10:00

made something when you really couldn’t find inspiration?

My daughter handed me these beads following a trip she and her dh made to Melbourne, she asked me to make her a necklace and earrings with them.

I have had them for ages, must be over a year now I think, and just couldn’t figure out what to do with them. Finally bought some chain and started to play. This is the result, it looks better with only one leaf as the pendant, but as she had paid for the swarovski leaves I felt I had to use them :-0. Perhaps when she gets them next month she will agree and I will take the other 2 off.

The weird thing about this is the beads and the leaves appear to be the same colour when they are sitting on the bench, but when you put the necklace on, the beads take on a blue tone, you can see a little of this in the photo, but it looks more noticeable against the skin.

At least it is another UFO done!

More crochet rope - Turkish Rope Crochet

2009-08-28T15:06:00.002+10:00

The crochet bead rope bug is still with me, I enjoy the process of crocheting beads, it is a great project and so easy to do sitting in front of the TV at night.

This rope alternates 3 seed beads with a bugle bead, I found some cute little bell charms to use as end caps and the gold filigree heart has a swarovski heart hanging inside, that almost didn’t happen as it was very fiddly getting the crystal heart inside the filigree one. Simple earrings to with it, the same crystal hearts on a gold shepherd hook . I think this will become a favourite piece to wear.

30 January 2010 - I have just discovered this rope stitch is called Turkish Rope Crochet. There has been some discussion recently on the Beaddreamz list about Turkish Rope crochet, several members had posted pics and I went surfing the net for instructions, then last night when reading them I thought that I had done something like that before, sure enough this was it.

Harper and his quilt

2009-08-13T09:05:00.001+10:00

My nephew posted some photos of his son Harper with the quilt I made for him earlier this year.

Now all I need to do is convince Nathan that it is a quilt and not a rug :-)

This is the first quilt that I have used black fabric in, I really like it, I think there will be more quilts with black in the future.

Beaded Rope Crochet

2009-07-17T12:45:00.001+10:00

I finally managed to teach myself bead rope crochet! I have been trying to learn this technique for several years now without success. I have been able to crochet all my adult life, but the darn beads were my downfall.

I have read all the beaded crochet books I could get my hands on to try to help me, then the last book from the library suggested that if you are crocheting a 6 bead round, to make the 6th bead a different colour, what a revelation for me.

This is my first finished piece, I love it, the beads are size 8 2cut seed beads, I used two colours and alternated them.

This is my next project, using clear beads and red crochet cotton, every sixth bead is a drop bead and it creates a lovely spiral around the rope.

I love the way the variegated red cotton shows through the clear beads.

I am not sure how this piece will be finished, perhaps a necklace with some clear crystal drops hanging mmmmmm…..

Katies first bed quilt.

2009-06-17T18:07:00.001+10:00

I am very excited as I have just ordered a new bed quilt pattern http://patchworksplus.com.au/products/Candy_Girl-67-39.html

This is for my granddaughters first bed, so I have some time to make it as she is still in a cot. My daughter said Katie will go into a bed at the end of the year, so I have plenty?? of time to make the quilt.

I have to say the business owner, Sarah, was so helpful, this pattern was actually on her site as a prize for a give away, but when I wrote to her she agreed to sell it to me.

This is a new online business so please check it out. I like to support Aussie patchwork shops.

Scrapbooking Time

2009-06-08T16:31:00.001+10:00

Most of these photos were taken when I went to Canberra in April.

I have spent some time today putting together a layout for Jacks scrapbook.

Typical of a boy, he wouldn’t just sit on the the swing, he had to climb all over it and ended up being hit by the swing beside him, one black eye and a split lip later, he agreed that he probably shouldn’t have been acting like a monkey!

Princess Katie was modelling her new jumper and hat that I knitted and a little dress I made for her. My son also made it into this album, I rarely get a nice photo of KJ, so this one of Katie and ‘Uncle’ had to be included.

Of course Sully the ‘grand dog’ had to have a photo as well.

Not my finest achievement!!!

2009-06-07T19:51:00.001+10:00

Last month I did a class with a lovely bead tutor, Lynn Manning, she does the most gorgeous freeform beading. After seeing pics of some of her work I decided I needed a lesson with her.

I had the lesson and really enjoyed myself, but I have decided that freeform is not my style.

This is the finished bracelet, despite Lynns wonderful encouragement, it is not to my liking. I think I will stick to more structured designs. Maybe I could send this to that website that hosts the terrible beading competition.

Some time for Beading

2009-06-05T13:40:00.001+10:00

I have made a number of beaded jewellery pieces this year and thought I should put them on my blog.

These are the two latest bracelets, the blue one just finished this morning.

Made from size 11 two cut beads on the clasp, size 12 japanese blue seed beads, 4mm Swarovski bicones and 6mm fire polished beads. The button was one I found in my mothers collection and would be about 50 years old.

This is the same design (Yashiki Satoki called Romantica – from the book Beadweaving Brilliance by Kumiko Mizuno Ito) it looks quite different as I have used larger cube beads on the clasp and they take up most of one side of the wrist.

This started out as a simple spiral necklace, but I didn’t like the colour of the spine beads (light shiny gold) so I went back over them with another spiral of black beads. Don’t you love my ‘model’ couldn’t find anything to hang it on until I remembered some balloons left over from the grandkids visit at christmas. It was also my first attempt at beading a cabochen, which was not a cabochen but a pendant that I took the bale off.

This twisted herringbone pattern is from Bead and Button Feb 2009 magazine. I used the same beads as I did for the spiral above and whilst the two items look very different, they go well together. The colour scheme came from a blouse I bought last summer, not colours I would have thought to put together normally, but they work very well.

Not a good photo I admit, the spiral is delicas, the bracelet design is called Under and Over by Wendy Turri, in The Beaders Handbook, I can’t see an issue number but it says display until January 13 2009.

Work in Progress

2009-05-16T12:49:00.001+10:00

Now that the baby quilts are out of the way I can get stuck in to some yummy quilts, both for me!!!

My wonderful husband gave me a Moda Jelly Roll and Layer Cake for Christmas. The fabric is ‘Portugal’, and I love it.

The smaller blocks have been stitched together, now I am trying to decide if I want to sash the larger blocks, also need to decide what I am doing with the border. I planned for it to be a lap quilt, so it needs to be about 6” larger all round.

2nd Baby Quilt finished

2009-05-16T12:25:00.001+10:00

The quilt for my grand nephew is now with his grandmother and will be handed over to him in 2 weeks when my sister flies over to Jersey.

For some unknown reason, this is the only picture I took of the quilting. I was rushing to finish it as I had to go to Canberra to visit my family and while I was away my sister was going to be in Brisbane and needed to collect the quilt, as it was her last trip here before going overseas to meet her new grandson. I don’t have a pic of the finished quilt, but I know my sister will bring home heaps of photos of Harper with his quilt.

This was the first time I had used wool/silk wadding, it was so nice to hand quilt, probably a bit expensive for a baby quilt, but as this bub lives in a cold climate I thought it was worth it. I will definately use that wadding again, the finished quilt was so soft and snuggly.

My first baby quilt for 2009

2009-02-02T22:24:00.001+10:00

I love this cot quilt, such an easy design to put together, simple 4 patch blocks alternated with a plain block.

It was turning out a little too pink for my liking, so I decided to add the embroidered centre block with a wide green border around it to tone down the pink. I had no idea what applique was going into the plain blocks until I had the quilt put together. I decided on the flowers to give the quilt a lift.

The teddy in the middle was a hand dyed silk thread candlewick block which I stitched about 5 years ago when my first grandchild was on the way, when he turned out to be a boy the blocks went in the cupboard. It was nice to be able to use one of them in this quilt.

This quilt will go to its new home this week, it is for a work colleague who is due to have her first baby next month.

Quilting again….

2009-01-10T15:44:00.001+10:00

I am finally quilting again, after what seems a long break. In reality it is only a couple of months since I started this quilt for my nephew and his wife who are expecting their first child in 10 days.

I must admit to being hesitant about using so much black in a baby quilt, but with the bright ‘I Spy’ blocks, I think it looks great. The advantage to black is it can go on the floor or grass as a play quilt without worrying about it getting dirty!

I just have to finish stitching the alphabet letters then I can quilt it. The original design by Chris Wilson is hand quilted in large stitches with yellow perle cotton, I am not sure yet if I will do that or perhaps machine quilt it.

This pattern comes from the ‘Colorful Quilts’ book by Australian Patchwork and Quilting.

A Favourite Photo

2009-01-06T20:44:00.001+10:00

I think of all the pictures I took of the grandchildren this christmas, these two are my favourites.

Who could resist those eyes on the Princess and Jacks smile is so sweet, just like him really, his temperament is the best, loving, quiet and cuddly. The Princess on the other hand is full of attitude and I think she will run rings around her brother.

The house is so quiet….

2009-01-06T09:40:00.002+10:00

The family have all gone home, the decorations and the tree have all been packed away for another year. I am back at work already, so I guess Christmas is over.

I have been searching through the many photos that I took over Christmas for some nice ones of the grandkids, you know the type I mean, something that depicts the season, the fun and laughter and love… I wanted to do some digital scrapbooking and make a page for each of Jack and Katie’s scrapbooks.

Despite taking over 200 photos in the two weeks that they were here, I can’t find any photos that stand out as what I am searching for.