Lest We Forget!

Today is April 25. As well as being Easter Monday, it is ANZAC Day here in Australia. This, above all other days, is when we pause to remember the efforts and sacrifices made by those men and women who have served in our armed forces past and present to protect our country and our way of life. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice of laying down their life in that service. I think that is particularly poignant this year with Easter and ANZAC Day falling so close together. Both remind us of sacrifices made on our behalf to give us a future.

It's also a day that makes me think of my Gramps. He's no longer with us and I miss him, but I know he was proud to serve his country in Papua New Guinea.

So to my Gramps and all others who have served in our armed services during combat or peace-keeping initiatives ...

THANK YOU!!

"At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.

Lest We Forget."

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing this Easter and ANZAC weekend, stay safe. Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!
CHEERS!
KRIS

I've Been Sewing In My Sewing Room!!!!

HIP! HIP! HOORAY!!!! Yessiree ... I am one HAPPY CAMPER (well ... not literally, since I hate camping, but you know what I mean!!) My sewing room makeover is FINISHED and I enjoyed some time in there on the weekend reacquainting myself with my patient and slightly neglected Huskie and it was FABULOUS!! In fact, I have a little finish that I need to add to my OPAM list, but before I show you THAT, I thought I would give you a quick grand tour of my new creative space. Oh ... this could take a while, so you may want to go and get a cuppa first ... and maybe a biccie or some chocolate ... perhaps an early Easter egg?!! :0)

OK ... here we go ... as you stand at the doorway, this is what you see looking straight ahead ...

Here's my little table and chairs, ready for friends to pop in for a cuppa while I'm sewing ... there's even a sweet bluebird cup/saucer/plate trio ready for the tea ... I bought it from the Lovely Lilly Linda after seeing it on her blog ... she has LOTS of GORGEOUS goodies to drool over and buy, so pop over for a visit! :0) It also seemed like a good spot to pop a rustic timber birdhouse that I picked up somewhere in my travels. You can see my personalised painting from the gorgeous Kerryanne and some of my pretty bags hanging below, ready to grab for a shopping spree with friends. :0) Oh ... and you've probably noticed I also managed to hem my muslin drapes to soften the look of the Roman blinds at the windows ... these still need to be played with a bit, but they were hung by my Beloved Geek Boy cos my dodgy foot wasn't reliable enough to be balancing on top of stepladders ... I'll play with them a bit soon and give them a GIRL'S touch! :0) I love the gauzy, dreamy look of them, though!!

Then, if you turn slightly to the right you will see ...

... my Eiffel Tower clock above the newly decked-out daybed, which is a great second guest bed that will be used at Easter when Mum, Dad and Tiffy visit. :0) I've had the lovely vintage cotton spread for quite a few years now, one of my antique shop finds that had been draped over a chair in the guest room ... looks great on the daybed now! :0) The cushions are ones that had been shoved into a cupboard and while I'll be making some new covers for them, they will still be dressed in natural neutral colours to compliment the yummy blue walls. The little blue and pink quilt is one I made a few years ago and looks perfectly at home now. Isn't it amazing what you can find around your home to play with and combine to decorate a room! :0)

Now, still standing in the doorway, if you turn to the left, you will see ...

... my shabby chic cupboard with the fabric inserts that inspired the whole colour scheme for the sewing room makeover. This houses my stock of Tag Along Teddies pattern packets, ready to fill orders when they come in. :0) And you can see some of the cute tins in my tin collection on top of the cupboard. Some are used to store buttons and some just look pretty! :0)

Stepping into the sewing room and turning back towards the doorway, you will see ...

... My as-yet neat desk ... give it a few weeks and I'm sure I'll manage to mess it up at least a bit! Tee! Hee! Hee! You'll see that the third shelf is up above the desk ... there's another hatbox to go up there and some more baskets, but they're in the lounge room at the moment waiting for me to get back to ironing and folding my stash fabrics and packing them in ... this is a bit of a longer-term task that will drag on for a while yet! :0) Do you spy a little splash of pink on the front window's blind???

... a glittery flutter-by! A gift from Marion to everyone who enjoyed the Girls' Stitch in last month.  And above the desk ...

... my birdcage cotton-keeper has had some more cottons stored in it and has been hung from a hook in the bottom of the shelf. Hmmm... actually,  this photo is a bit deceptive and doesn't really show the cage is hanging ... but it is! :0) And there's my trusty sketch-book and one of the little projects I was playing with on the weekend, waiting for its final touches. And my finish from the weekend?? It was already shown in one of the other photos ... did you see it?? Here's a close up ...

... A muslin potpourri pouch, featuring a French print patch. I found this pretty graphic at the Graphics Fairy ... if you haven't discovered Karen's lovely blog, you really should pop across for a look ... she has HUNDREDS of gorgeous vintage graphics available for free download ... WOW!! I could (and have!!) spend HOURS browsing. :0) The potpourri pouch is full of a gorgeous rose-scented potpourri mix and the room has a fabulous rose garden scent wafting around it ... and down the hallway to the lounge room! :0) Much better than paint smells from the previous few weeks! Tee! Hee! Hee!

And the last shot of my sewing room for now is actually a gift from my two dancing buddies, Lynda and Deb - THANKS GALS!!! :0)

A GORGEOUS raggy mat that is SOOOO soft underfoot. :0) So ... there you go. If I disappear for a while every now and then, you'll know where I'll be! :0) I still want to add a few more little French-inspired touches to my sewing room, but for now, it is already a lovely spot to spend some creative time  ... WELL worth all the time, effort and grumbling involved in cleaning, culling, re-organising and re-decorating it. Mind you ... GB may not feel the same way! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Right now, however, I think it's time to whip up some dinner to thank my Beloved GB for all his hard work ... especially since he's now moved on to the office with his make-over plans ... EEK! Let me tell you ... access to my computer is currently via stepping over all sorts of piles of 'stuff' in the office now and trying to clear a space on the desk big enough to fit the keyboard and mouse!! I had to peel back a painting dropsheet to find the monitor ... No rest for the wicked ... and BOY! I must have been VERY wicked! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Oh ... a big THANK YOU to you all for your lovely well-wishes with my dodgy foot. I'm VERY happy to say that it's definitely on the improve ... not 100%, but a LOT better ... especially after I finally spent a whole afternoon resting it yesterday! BLUSH! GB wasn't too sympathetic ... he said, "Funny how it actually improved when you finally slowed down long enough for it to rest!" Hmmm ... he might have a point there! Tee! Hee! Hee!

OK ... really going now ... hope you're all having a fabulous week so far and that the rest of it is even better! :0) And if you're in the neighbourhood, pop in and enjoy a cuppa with me in my sewing room! :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!
CHEERS!
KRIS

Fabulous Fabric Friday!!

Here I am ... I know I've been a bit absent this week, but I didn't get lost ... it's just been a bit of a muddled week and I've spent quite a bit of it like this ...

I did some damage to my foot a few years ago when I stepped into an un-marked phone line ditch in the dark and it's been a bit dodgy ever since. Then, on Monday, I was making a mad dash from the car through bucketing rain and I landed the wrong way on my poor dodgy foot and it has been objecting ever since. Lots of ice, support tape, soaking in warm water laced with Epsom salts and keeping my foot up whenever possible has been the order of the day this week. And I've been more "Hop-Along" Teddies than my usual "Tag Along"!! Tee! Hee! Hee! Hee!

However ... a dodgy foot wasn't enough to keep me from spending my usual Thursday and Friday sessions at my Home-Away-From-Home to help with the quilts for flood victims in the Lockyer Valley. The first of the quilts will be presented on May 7, so we're all beavering away to help make that happen. And it just so happened ... well ... that's what I'm telling my Beloved Geek Boy anyways!! Tee! Hee! Hee! ... that today was the first day of Marion and Steph's three-day "Just Because Sale"! Woo! Hoo! Fabric sale!! I am SOOOOOO there! Tee! Hee! Hee! I promise I DID help with the flood quilts too ... but really couldn't resist adding to my stash ... I promise I won't even mind ironing and folding them to go into my baskets! :0) Wanna see what followed me home???? Of COURSE you do! :0)

MMMMMMMMM!!! Pom Pom de Paris ... the latest offering from French General for Moda Fabrics and despite there being a lot of PINK in the range ... I have fallen in love with it! Stop sniggering, all you Pink-Girly-Girl friends!! Tee! Hee! Hee! Once again, these French General fabrics have that lovely 'olde worlde' feel to them ... like Grandma used them to make a quilt and they're now faded to a soft patina by years of use and washing ... well-loved! :0) I have a quilt design in mind to use these and can't wait to start playing with them!!! I also found ...

Some yummy Charlevoix fabrics ... DELICIOUS!! :0) Don't those cherries look good enough to eat ... or is that just me needing to go make dinner?!!? Tee! Hee! Hee! These sweeties are going to be made into a sewing machine mat and cover for my newly renovated sewing room. My new desk is timber and lovely and solid ... but I want to protect it a bit from scratching when I move my sewing machine back and forth. And since my poor Huskie has never had a proper cover (that tacky plastic one it came with doesn't count!!) I decided to do something about that. I promise to show you the results!!

Now ... if you're within driving distance of Quilters Angel, I'd HIGHLY recommend you make a visit this weekend, cos the sale extends through Saturday and Sunday ... you will NOT regret a visit! :0) Plus ... the Village Green is always a fab place to visit ... pop into Jo's "Jaybelle" shop and see all her lovely things too ... that's where GB bought my cast iron table and chairs! And if you're NOT within driving distance of Quilters Angel ... Don't despair!! You don't have to miss out!! Marion has organised a sale special for online shoppers too ... hop across to her blog to check it out ... tell her I sent you across to say 'G'day'! :0)

So ... that's my fabric splurge for today ... but WAIT ... there's MORE!! :0) When I got home, there was a little parcel waiting on my verandah for me from the lovely Lynette Anderson! OOOOOOHH!! How EXCITING!!! Lynette had told me to stalk my Postie cos she was sending a package and inside was ...

Some fat 1/8ths of her yummy new fabric range, "Scandinavian Christmas"! OOOHH!! Hobbly Happy Dance!!! :0) The little note she sent says: "Hope you can find something to make with these." Oh ... I DEFINITELY think I can! :0) THANKS LYNETTE!! Lynette's new fabrics will be in Australian quilting stores in June, so keep an eye out if you're looking for some fun fabrics to start making Christmas gifts and decorations! I'll show you what I create with them when I get to play! :0)

Well ... that's about it from me for today ... I promise I'll be back on the weekend to show you some more update photos of the sewing room make over ... it's looking a lot more like a room and less like a jumble sale now! :0) But right now ... I think it's time to go put my poor sore foot back on its pillow for a little rest ... and perhaps I'll just fondle my yummy new fabrics and dream of the projects I'll make with them! Tee! Hee! Hee! Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!
CHEERS!
KRIS

I'll Get You My Pretty ..!!!

... And your little dog too!! Sorry ... sleep deprivation is making me a little wackier than usual! You know those times when you can sleep in ... but you wake up early and can't get back to sleep??? That was me this morning ... GRRRR!! So my brain is feeling a little more scrambled than usual ... I'll forgive you if you can't really tell the difference! Tee! Hee! Hee!

So what am I going on about with such an odd title? The sewing room painting is FINISHED! YAY!! Thanks to my wonderful Beloved Geek Boy, the windows got their final coat of paint this arvo, so now I'm starting to add the PRETTIES! :0) I still have some cleaning out/sorting out/culling/de-cluttering to do, but I've made quite a bit of progress, so I feel I can give myself a bit of a break and start to play with some of my pretties. I dare say that these will be added to as I 'settle in' to my made-over sewing room, but it's not really 'home' til there are a few pretties around, right?! :0) So ... very excited ... I FINALLY got to put my Christmas and birthday gifties from GB into my room ...

My wonderful man patiently followed me around during a meeting with friends at the Village Green before Christmas and saw me eying off this GORGEOUS table and chair set at Jaybelle's. If you're visiting the Village Green complex at Highfields (which I do often cos that's where Quilters Angel is!!) you really don't want to miss a visit to Jo's fabulous shop! :0) GB bought me this cute table for Christmas and the matching chairs for my birthday ... I think I'll keep him! :0) Now, if I'm working in my sewing room (and the way things are going, once I'm all set up I may NEVER come back out! Tee! Hee! Hee!) I can have a friend of two in there with me and they'll have somewhere to sit. The chairs fold flat, too, which is very handy if I need to clear the space a bit. You'll also see the windows now have Roman blinds to keep those pesky street lights out and to hide from the neighbours. I still have to add some gauzy curtains to soften the look a bit, but this was step one today! :0). Next on the "pretties" list ...

My FAVOURITE-EST painting EVER!!! :0) The lovely Kerryanne painted this for my birthday the year before last, when I first said I wanted to make over my sewing room and I have been DYING to put it up ever since!!! :0) Isn't it just PERFECT against that blue!!! Thank you all over again, Kerryanne!! OOOOOOOHH!! Starting to get excited!! I'm planning to hang another little something painted by the clever-clogs Kerryanne ... but have to spread out my play money!! Tee! Hee! Hee! Next to be added to the new room ...

Oops! The photo is a bit blurry cos I was holding the camera above my head to get a better pic ... guess that didn't work! :0) Ooh! La! La! A touch of Paris flair! I'm intending to add a few little French-influence touches to the sewing room, so this seemed like a good place to start. There were three different French/Paris designs to pick from and I had almost settled on this one when I asked GB's opinion ... he picked this one too, so it was unanimous! :0)  Another 'pretty' to be added also has a practical use ...

Hmmm ... don't know if you can see very well, but those splashes of colour at the bottom of this cute cage is actually my collection of vintage wooden cotton reels ... with cotton, obviously, hence the colour!! I'll be adding more cottons and threads to this cute cage and it will hang from the underside of the bottom shelf above my desk for easy access, whilst freeing up desk space ... see ... pretty AND practical! :0)

So ... there you go. Progress in the sewing room ... That's what's kept me busy today, after Thursday and Friday were spent playing with the gals out at Quilters Angel working on the flood relief quilts. The quilt tally is now over 160 finished quilts!!! And a date has been set for the quilts to be handed over, so that's exciting. Well done to everyone who's been helping with the Quilt Drive and a special WELL DONE!! To Marion and Steph for all their hard work!!! :0)

Now, though, I think I hear the kettle calling my name, so I shall toodle off for a cuppa before I head for bed ... gotta try to catch up on some of my beauty sleep that I missed this morning ... Let's face it ... I need ALL the help I can get! Tee! Hee! Hee! Hope your weekend is off to a flying start!! Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!
CHEERS!
KRIS

Guess Who's Done A Guest Post??!

OK ... so you probably don't REALLY have to guess! :0) As I said yesterday, I was invited to do a guest post for someone ... that someone was the lovely Annie at Ruby Slipperz ... Adventures in Oz. Now ... Annie means the land of Oz from the movie "The Wizard Of Oz" cos she's a big fan ... but today, there's a little, medium ... OK ... LENGTHY guest post from the OTHER Oz ... the 'Down-Under' type Oz! :0) Why not pop over and take a peek at Annie's blog and see what I had to say ... cos you know I've ALWAYS got plenty to say! Tee! Hee! Hee! Oh ... and don't forget your cuppa! :0) (And yes, I DID warn Annie's blog visitors that they might need a cuppa before they read my post ... it seemed only fair to warn them! Tee! Hee! Hee!) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!
CHEERS!
KRIS