Monday, December 20, 2010

SACKED!

It turns out Young CP doesn't have a stocking or sack so I thought I'd better amend that.
I bought a panel at good old Spotlight and added a few touches of my own.
 Now Young CP has his very own Santa Sack to lay out on Christmas Eve.
Lets hope that it doesn't get filled up with reindeer poop like my dad always used to threaten if we weren't well behaved.
I can't have been too bad. I never did get the poop.
I'm sure Dad would say there is still time....

Loving our tree with full decos, prezzies underneath and most importantly the letter to Santa balanced on the branches.

A successful sewing day and now I'm sitting and watching Glee which is definitely a new favourite show. Singing while quilting and binding the Purple Wonder.
This is the life!

Ab x

Friday, December 17, 2010

Green dreams

Green is my favourite colour and due a few purchases and now gifts I think bubs is going to be seeing green.
The wonderful and charming Deb bought this gorgeous green bib for the mini-me.
I love the Pukeko's (New Zealand birdies) running along the bottom. They'll make me smile and think of you every time I wipe up baby's spit Deb :o)

Sticking with the birdie and green thing...Green is very much a family thing - good ole aunt Pam loves it too. I've had this chicken planned for a while and for once one of my impulse creations has come to fruition. The chook is cut out from some fabric (not pieced) and I made the legs out of embroidery thread with buttons for feet.
I hope Pammy likes her pin cushion. It's a belated birthday pressie.

Now I've got a week off before Christmas to visit, sew and shop for last minute gifts and relax.
It should be a fun week.
Hope you're all feeling festive.
Ab x

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

BLOOD

Give blood. Do it. If for no other reason than because a crafty minx needs you too.
Who knows, it could be your family member or even you that needs to use blood from the blood bank in your country.

It's easy. It does not take long and best of all there are free cookies, cake and all-you-can-drink cups of tea.
Do it! I know we are all rushed at this time of year but while you sit there you can use your time wisely.
You could do some stitching.
You could write some Christmas cards.
You could write your letter to Santa.

You could save a life.

The perfect gift this Christmas. Aussie residents - Make an appointment 13 14 95.

Righto, hopping down off my soap box now.
Ab x

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Mondrian who?

These two blocks are for Sheridan as part of the Around the Block 2 swap.
Mondrian blocks.
They are not like anything I have made before but I quite like them.
It's going to be a fabulously striking quilt when it is all together.
I didn't think too long and hard about placement, I just played and it seems to have worked.

Ice cream time here - my reward.
Ab x

Ps. Chocolate choc chip in case you were wondering.


Friday, December 10, 2010

Luscious Largesse

Each time I think I look like a real pregnant person someone shoots me down.
Normally I wear a uniform for work so being out of uniform I stand out a lot.
I just got asked why I was out of uniform. Again.
 The naughty little smart arse in me (not the baby, the one that's always been there) always wants to give a cheeky answer - I paid my 50 cents/gave my can of food for the poor people so I could wear free dress (something we used to do at high school). I would have thought with this tummy it would be obvious but then again I do know how much people tend to miss details...
24 weeks
No, it wasn't Wednesday when I took the pics but it was just prior to bedtime so I wasn't going to rush off and put a bra on before bed. So Kate, enjoy! ;o)

Some more stitchery has happened but it's for gifts so no showing yet and half a block for the Around the Block swap I am in before I ran out of steam.

Hope you're all sewing well.
Ab x

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

A bit of pre Christmas cheer

Monday night was dinner with the sewing girls at a nice restaurant in Daylesford.
This is the stitchery I made for my KK gift.
And this is what I made!
I filled it with chocolates because a stocking must have something in it.
The stitchery is from Gail Pan and I'm looking forward to making the whole Busy Little Elves quilt one day soon.
I received a lovely prezzie which I'll blog as soon as I've taken some pics.


 This green number is for one of the ladies in the 1st Wednesday Block Swap. Crazy patchwork was the request and hopefully it's crazy enough. The heart has some green ribbon that came with the fabrics. I think this will be a very pretty quilt when it's all pieced together.

Today was supposed to be the annual jaunt to some patchwork shops with the aunts but with the wild weather we decided to postpone it. I'm hoping to get some more swap blocks done but I woke up with a really sore back so maybe more couch time instead.

Maybe I can get a little stitching done.... ;o)
Ab x


Thursday, December 2, 2010

Maybe not the intended use

When Bianca Jae made this mini quilt for me I don't think she envisaged it being a cat mat.
A.B likes to watch me sew. She often makes several attempts to get on my lap but when I have got up to cut or iron one too many times she takes up a position elsewhere. She is sitting on the table behind my machine here and just after this pic she curled up for a nice little nap.
Lucky bugger.

I have been stitching and sewing each night while Mr CP is away for a few days. It's nice to get lost in the threads without feeling like I'm neglecting anyone or missing imperative cuddles.

So far I have managed a block for a swap that was quite late after I mixed the material up with that of another swap. I've finished a gift for my sewing groups KK. That involved some stitchery which I am still very new to - a really pretty Gail Pan elf design. Tomorrow night I'll try and get a block or two of my Around the Block swap done. It's a sewing mission this week.

Lucky I've got someone to watch over me....

Ab x

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A Hankering

I had a hankering for gooey cinnamon scrolls the other day. I guess you could call it a craving. I was definitely determined to make what I wanted. I knew I had seen a recipe on Corrie's blog but couldn't find it so a quick email (and a very quick reply from her - thanks Corrie!) and I was set to get making.

This original recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman blog - this woman has good taste of the knowledgeable taste bud kind. I made a half batch of her scrolls as I am supposed to be emptying the freezer before we move, not filling it. I then halved what I made. The first night I stuck to the original recipe but made a lighter, vanilla icing that oozed and melted into the warm scrolls and a couple of nights later I added sultanas and currants and a little less butter. The first ones were the best!

These really hit the spot and are not hard to make at all - no kneading, just some patience required.

Some crafting is going to happen tonight. I love that anticipation of a bit of a stitch-in.
Ab x

Sunday, November 21, 2010

You may call me...

FAT GUTS!
That's at 20 weeks and I've popped more since then :o)
I'm loving my baby belly.
I say that ignoring the uncomfortable moments which I know will only get worse.

Not much crafting being done although I am doing some quiet hand quilting today while Mr CP sleeps after working last night.

Had a great day at the Australian Quilt Market with Fi yesterday.
It inspired me to get off my butt and get some things finished so I can justify starting more but there's some gardening and house cleaning that must take precedence over any patchy stuff at the moment. The CP's are on the move early next year so the current mansion is on the market.

Back to the quilting....
Ab x

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Anyone know?

Pic from Sew This Is My Life blog
Does anyone know what this little chestnut is called? (block in the centre) I love this block and am just wondering if it has an 'official' name. If you click on the pic and zoom in you get a better idea.

Let me know you smarty peeps who know such wonderful things.
Ab x

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Can't beat good advice

Some new practical shoes...


A bit of a wander with my ever-so-slightly pronounced tummy...

And then a day at the beach


The winner of my Dirty Thirty giveaway is Quilt Sue from Quilt Times!!! A lovely lady who lives in sunny England (obviously often wears bikinis) who advised as much time as possible in bikinis and high heels before I am past such things (note: she did add a warning that these things maybe shouldn't be done together...I never was one to follow good advice.)

Lets just say that google'ing images of pregnant woman wearing bikini and high heels is rather...enlightening :o)
Go on, do it.

I'll be in touch Sue and you can buy something to delight your heart.

Thanks for all of the birthday abd belly bloggy love. You all rock!
Ab xx

Friday, October 29, 2010

Belly Dancer



5 Weeks and the Day We Found Out!
18 Weeks
And to think some girl in a shop said, "Ha. You don't look pregnant." This will wipe the look of skepticism off her pimply teen face! (enjoy your career at Dotti, ya cow!) That's either a winter in a very chocolaty paddock or that's a baby belly!

God my belly was nice to start with even if I do say so myself. Now all you 'god-fairy-mother-aunts' better start praying with me that one day I get that back ;o)

Before you say it Kate no I am NOT wearing a bra.
I took off my new E cup bra as it was bras off o'clock.
To think they are still growing...

Don't forget the giveaway lovelies!

Ab x

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Dirty thirty!

Hello THIRTY!


Hello DIRTY!
 More messy than dirty I suppose. Does anyone want to come over and tidy my cutting table?
All is the spirit of gift giving and that.... ;o)
Mose well do the chair as well. A top or two to be quilted, a few threads to be darned in, a bit of this and a bit of that.

What no takers?
Fine.

Better have a giveaway.
How about $30 to spend on you.
The condition is, you MUST spend it on something you really want. Something from Made It or Etsy or your favourite fabric shop. Or maybe a market on something fabulous and handmade.
Seems fair to me.
(Winner must also clean aforementioned dirty cutting desk)

So what do you have to do? 
Give me your best advice for hitting the age milestone of thirty. Tell me the must knows, especially the ones you wish you had known.
Get it?
Got it.
Good.

Have a great International Day of Celebration of Abbe's Birthday Day!
Ab xx

Monday, October 25, 2010

Snow, sweltering sun and sewing

Saturday the 16th of Oct I woke up to this.
Yep, SNOW!
Much fun was had with snowballs and snowflakes.

On Sunday the 17th I flew to Darwin.
A whole week with my bloggy mate Bianca and this is the view from her yard!
More than 30 degrees and beautiful blue skies.
It was sooooo wonderfully warm.

Bianca took me on some sight seeing. We visited the war memorial at Adelaide River and then met up with another blogger, Kirsty. We enjoyed a lovely lunch (yum!) with her and then we made her do show-and-tell. Kirsty has an amazing eye for colour and is making some fabulous things.

We also visited Litchfield National Park where we saw some wonderful water falls, termite mounds and a flame tree or two.



 I also had the wonderful experience of crying with laughter when I turned around at one water hole to find Ms Bianca flat on her back in the water, camera in hand and look of surprise on her face. It took me more than five minutes just to able to pull myself together enough to ask if she was okay. Last night I thought about it again and started laughing out loud in bed. Ahhh laughing at with your mates...is there anything better?
 She might be a bit wet and soggy but she was still laughing as she told me to F off!

And this little chestnut is the stunning mini quilt that B made me for the quilt swap we were in. I love it and I think it'll look great in the baby's room no matter what flavour we have. Just need to get a baby's room....
The girl does mighty good points!

And guess what? You're mad and I'm not....
AND on Wednesday I am turning 30!!!!
I'm not quite having the large celebration I had originally been planning. I'm going to save that for my 31st when I have Baby CP ensconced with a babysitter so I can let my hair down (yep, already planning escapes) and really party.

I better have a giveaway as it will also co-incide with my 100th POST.
More details on Wednesday.

Better get some chores done so I can earn some slobbing time this arvo.

A HUGE thanks to Bianca and her munchkins for having me for a week. Funny who you can meet on the internet and amazing that they can turn into real and fabulous, life-long friends. Yep B, you're stuck with me!

Sew well peeps,
Ab xx


Wednesday, October 6, 2010

New shoes

I bought some new shoes a few weeks ago.
The Addidas belongs to Mr CP. Yes, he does have rather large feet.
But those other shoes are also rather small....


But that will be fine for this little whipper snapper.
It turns out we made a Baby CP.

Now before you all say 'I told you so' because of this book I bought, we actually DIDN'T know at that stage. Boy oh boy do we know now.

The important bits:

I'm due March 30th (eeek!)
We are not going to find out (I'm just happy it's human)
It's my excuse for less blogging and more sleeping (9.30pm is a late night now!)
 I'm excited!

Friday, September 24, 2010

That's not what I saw in my head.

I had a little plan in my head. I was going to mix randomly pieced blocks with some feature blocks but now I've gone back to it after a few weeks....BLAH! I don't like it.
I've taken out the big, feature blocks and decided this can just be something else.
Ick, it's hurting my eyes. All that wasted cutting and sewing. Damn.

This is going to be more what I want if not what I thought I wanted.
Get it?
Aren't you glad you don't live in my brain?

Ab x

Monday, September 13, 2010

Oh yeah, I meant to blog that

A hankering for hot cakes.

 Turned into this.
Yum!
Then we did a bit of this. We all need mags for inspiration sometimes.
Then I finished this top. About bloody time, I know. It has been sitting in rows for ages. Loving it.
I promise it's much brighter and fab in real life. My camera has a knack for bleaching colour from everything. I'm on the lookout for a big girl camera. Any tips of do's and don't would be greatly appreciated!
And yes I'm still working on the Purple Wonder. Sporadically.

And this is a tease because I am a tease....

Another relaxed day today. I'm being sucked in by the lameness of the midday movie then I'm going to sewing heaven (upstairs where my sewing space is) and gonna play.
Then I'll top of my day with a sewing session with some local ladies. Nice.

Sew well peeps,
Ab

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Come fly with me!

This months 1st Wednesday Block Swap was a pretty free brief - birdies! I've gone for three simple tweeters (nothing to do with IPhoned people updating the world of their every move) using the material supplied. It kinda makes me want a birdie quilt now....

Very sadly I've just found out my June block was never received :o( I put lots of effort in and Australia Post or some letterbox thief has let me down. Bum!

Edit: It turns out the recipient DOES have my block. Phew! All apologies Aus Post and postal burglars!!!

Mr CP is happily ensconced in the CP household and you'll need a crow bar to get us out because the house is FULL of stuff. Who knew two houses worth of stuff would be hard to fit into one little house?
Although I've sacrificed half the sewing space, I only gave up the boring side where I hung the clothes to dry anyway. It's a little squashy but I'm pretty sure I can still have plenty of sewing fun.

Ab x

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Doesn't matter what you call it

Fairy floss, candy floss, cotton candy. Either way, it's YUM!

And I just ate half a bag. YUM!

Mr CP was kind enough to heed my subtle hint when he told me he was taking Little CP to Luna Park.

Ahhh the heart fluttered with love when he arrived at my house baring floss.
Love him. Love heated, spun, pink sugar that's whipped into cloudy fluffyness.

Hope you are all finding your kind of sweetness,
Ab x

Friday, August 20, 2010

De-Funked

The weather has been brilliant for these guys.
 Just to the right is their 'lake' it could also be known as a rather large pothole in my driveway but since they like to paddle in it....Lake Noble it is.


See that funny grey stuff on the floor?
That's dust. Big, bad, hairy (cat and me), half a pecan, a paperclip and dirt kind of dust.
Amazing what you can find under your couch. I had a good clean up today as a means of de-funking and....

It worked!
I got to sewing straight after I *finished.
This is my first completed flower for Hexed 2010 - a little challenge a few ladies are playing in.

Amazing what a couple of decent sleep-ins, some chocolate and couch time can do.
I'm a new woman.
Thanks for all of the bloggy love.

Happy sewing lovelies,
Ab x

* 'finished' meaning I swept and vac'd most of the house. That's it. It's not like it's spring yet. Plus I didn't want to keel over from all the effort. I needed energy to Hex.