Wizardy and stuff.

Sorry about the hiatus Annie but I'm back now. Unlike others I haven't finished HarryPotter 7 yet. My 15 year old son has, but as it is the last book I want to make it last so I'm only reading a little bit each night at bedtime. I know many people think Harry Potter is overrated but as a teacher I think it's great that the whole western world is hanging out to read a book. Let me think which would I prefer, my child home with their nose in a book or occupied with the multitude of less desirable things available these days? Hmm... think I'll take the book. On the crafting side of things I'm still working on the flower rug I am making for a friend. It takes a lot of time to applique one daisy each evening. I'm at the stage where I'm desperate to start another project and when I see things I start plotting what I could do with that piece of fabric or this ball of wool. My next big job is to embroider a blanket for a friend who has just had a little girl. I wonder how old she'll be before I finish it? Being back at work also slows the craft work down. My mother-in-law came to inspect my revamped sewing room/study on the weekend. Although she was impressed with my$4o sewing cabinet she is concerned that the room is too crowded and there won't be enough space for the knitting machine she wants to give me. I assured her I could quickly rearrange things to make room but she seemed doubtful. I'm looking forward to the weekend when a car load of friends head off to Melbourne for the craft and quilting expo at the exhibition centre in Melbourne. Jodie and Annie have been filling my head with pictures of all the lovely things I'll find. I didn't realise the logistics involved in attending an event like this with friends. I'm told that we all have to have each other phone numbers and synchronise watches in case of seperation. Comfy runners or hiking boots are the order of the day for footwear and Jodie is bringing the shopping trolley to transport all our treasure. I can't hardly wait. Only 4 sleeps to go.

There is a new addition to my sewing room, a baby gate. Number 3 friend, Tag, has been conducting raids, stealing and unraveling balls of wool and kidnapping teddies. Thank goodness for handy and quick acting husbands. My wool and bears are safe again

Brrrrr.....

Posting number 2 is here. My sister sent me an email today telling me how she had been sleeping on the beach in Hong Kong because it was too hot in the tent. This is a little difficult to understand as the temperature here in Ballarat it less than 5 degrees Celsius. The temperature today has barely been above 5. The school day began with snow. The children who were already in the classroom just wanted to go out and play in it but the poor kids who were walking to school were frozen and couldn't wait to get inside. The snow lasted until about 11 am and looked beautiful.
I have finished Annie's rug and am now working on appliqueing some daisies on a throw rug. When I finish these I have promised myself I will go back to piecing my first quilt. I stopped after I realised that I had cut one piece of fabric into too many 3 inch strips and will now have to sew some of these back together to make the nine inch squares they were supposed to be.
Shopping with my friends Jodie and Annie has proved very fruitful. We've found a manchester shop that sells 5m lengths of pure cotton for $2.50. Bargain! I also purchased my first embroidery hoop thinking it might make it easier to sew the daisies on my rug but I found it difficult to stitch accurately so I'm back to holding everything bunched up in my hand.
Tomorrow's top temperature is expected to be 5 degrees again I wonder if Annie wil wear 2 jumpers to school like she wore to gym last night. Stay warm everyone.

Hello Out There ...wooof...

I must be barking mad! I've let my friends talk me into creating a blog. I enjoy reading the blogs of my friends and listening to them talk about the different blogs they have visited. I had taken some photos to get started and was talking about it but nothing happened until The Flower Garden blogger came to my house and said right I'll help you get started. Now here I am. This blog is not my only beginning. I'm also a beginning crafts person, a beginner on the sewing machine, and a beginning quilter. My sister and some of my friends are very talented needlewomen but not me. I knit scarves because the patterns and the stitches don't have to be too complex. I like hand quilting but have yet to successfully piece anything. The simpler the better. The clever women around me have inspired me to take up new challenges so here we go. During the school holidays we have undertaken a fitness campaign and a campaign to get the mad one creating. After several trips to the local op shop I purchased the sewing cabinet pictured and set about turning my study into an altogether different place from the office area it was. As you can see I have an obsession with bears that began more than twenty years ago. I also collect some other semi interesting paraphernalia. What are not pictured are my other obsession (apart from my family) my dogs. I'm sure there will be plenty of photos of them to come in following postings. Special thanks must go to Ric Rac and What Katy Did as well as the birthday girl from the flower garden.