Don't Look Now Workshop

So this past weekend was spent at Hetties Patch with a bunch of lovely ladies attending a workshop hosted by the very friendly and super talented Kellie Wulfsohn of Don't Look Now. I went into the workshop with much trepidation wondering whether I was completely out of my depth in both my own abilities as well as my sewing machines ability! But I am happy to report that I was certainly up to scratch and the old machine made it through as well, (although I now have my eye on a sparkling new Bernina 440 QE, oh please Santa I have been really good!!!), I think Kellie felt like she had stepped back into the dark ages when she sat down at my machine to demonstrate something, and the visibility when doing the free motion wasn't the greatest, so we turned my machine on the side so as to try and get better visibility - very unconventional! The whole process of working on the project was so relaxing and I was amazed at just how much I can get done when I don't have 3 babes wanting my attention as well. I was very happy with the progress on day one, and think I did pretty well. Lorraine had the shop open and available to us the whole weekend which proved to be very tempting, and so convenient to be able to just walk in and grab that perfect print or the exact shade of thread, I think I am obsessed with fabric at the moment and may have to start attending Fabric Buyers Anonymous!!

Kellie had most of her quilts and cushions and wall hangings available to us, and it was so great to see everything up close, she really has done some fantastic work and I can't wait to get started on some of her patterns now that I know I can actually do it! I am going to try and do the Monster Quilt for Oscar, but I will use the blues, greens and browns that I bought awhile ago in it, so it will be my take on her design.

I also can't wait to start on a few other of her projects, and I am looking forward to her releasing the new Christmas wreath design that she unveiled on the weekend.

On my own little project - The first day of Christmas, which was a partridge in a pear tree theme, I got all the applique work done on the first day and then did lots of practicing on the free motion quilting on day two and did a bit of "reverse stitching" when the old machine decided to have a few tension issues! So I completed the quilting yesterday and I am pretty happy with how it has turned out. Now I just have to decide whether I make it into a cushion cover or whether I frame it or something - decisions, decisions!

Made a few little purchases while I was there which will all pretty much go into some of the patterns that I want to make up, and a few others that I want to use on the back of another quilt that I have in my head.

So all in all it was a great weekend, learnt heaps, met some lovely ladies, Got lots of goodies - thank you Lorraine and Leanne for making the bags and badges, enjoyed some lovely food and heavenly cheesecake! (not good for the diet!), got loads of great advice about machines and technique etc, and of course got to meet Kellie! She is very inspiring and if you get the chance you should definitely try and make it to one of her workshops. I think I will definitely be coming again next time she is back in Adelaide.

Her First Day

Well, it has been a while since my last post, but I'm not sure there has really been anything too exciting to blog about. My Sister Erin and My Niece Erin have been down from Coolum to stay, so that was nice to see them. The kids loved having Mia around and it was nice to see Erin interact with them in a more affectionate way than I was expecting. Wish she was more like this with me, but it is a work in progress and is always improving - ( our strained relationship is due to her being the middle child in my opinion and perhaps she has never gotten over the fact that I came along and ruined her day? - it's ok for me to say this as I am pretty sure she is not reading this and if she is well that's ok too, nothing she doesn't already know)... But what does a 13 year old do with her 3 year old cousin????? Well she gets out the GHD's and straightens my beautiful baby girls beautiful curls!!! Needless to say Stella loved having straight hair and thinks she might like this on a semi-regular basis, HA! yeah right - not on my watch!

Indi has been lacking a bit in the weight-gaining department (not so her Mother!) but after lots of monitoring and testing and visits too the doctor and the clinic and the pediatrician, I think she is finally starting to pick up, tomorrows weigh in will be the test, but hopefully my little 19 weeker is on her way to 5KG - come on girl you can do it!

Oscar is moving up to his "Big Boys Bed" this weekend and then Indi will finally get the cot and will be able to move out of the port-a-cot. I am looking forward to getting her room a bit more established once the cot is in the room.

And today my little girl Stellsie started Kindy! Wow time flies. She was super ready for it though and though there was lots of tears when I dropped her off - not from her though, from Oscar who didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay with Stellsie too. Poor little man. I am definitely going to look into getting him into Day Care one day a week, just so he gets some extra stimulation and interaction with some little people other than Stella. I too would love a day or two where I don't have all 3 of them, wow I won't know what to do with myself if they are both out of the house. - Ha, who am I kidding it would be bliss, and I would have heaps to do!

I have been buying up a storm on lots of beautiful fabrics to start a whole array of quilting projects, can't wait to get all my parcels in the mail - I will be sure to post once they all arrive. I could just look at beautiful fabrics all day long. I am justifying all the spending as it being part of my birthday present which is coming up soon, and also hopefully I might start selling some cot quilts and other bits and pieces once I get going. I have signed up to do a Doll Quilt Swap, so once I find out who my swap partner is I will get started on it and will keep you updated on my progress. My Cocoons are still going well, have had a bit of an influx in the last week, so have been kept busy knitting, but am glad that I have had a bit of a stock pile at the moment so that I am not knitting breakfast lunch and dinner!

Anyway, should get to bed sometime before the clock strikes 2:00! But I think there are a lot of us that are up late, I often get newsletters and blog updates sent to me at all sorts of ungodly hours of the morning, and I just go - yep I know how it is!