Gum Valley Patchwork

Desk Lamps

I have had these great little desk lamps in stock for a while now. They are LED lights with 3 settings, that are rechargable by using the USB lead. I have had white and black ones in stock but now I have red ones!

They are only $29.50 and also make great gifts for stitching friends.

Linda    :)

Hmmmm....

Okay......not quite sure where that week went to but it's gone. There wasn't anything written on the calender either! With under 3 months until Hannah and I wing our way off to the US, I am going to have to make a list of everything that needs to be done before the 24th April. Unfortunately maybe the housework and ironing (unless it's patchwork fabric) will take a back seat to the more fun things like stitching, finishing touches for the first 'Stitching by the Sea' Retreat, getting ready for AQC, as well as finishing off 'Elenor Jean' and much more. I have made a start on the last block for 'A Merry Christmas Garden' BOM....photos soon of Block five. 

Looks like we are in for another few hot days, so I hope you are able to stay cool.

Linda   :)

 

 

 

Over half way there.

I am now over half way through making my shop sample of 'A Merry Christmas Garden'. I finished Block 4 on Saturday, so I only have two left to do.

I haven't sewn the blocks together yet but you can get a good feel for what the finished quilt will look like from this photo of the four blocks.

I have posted out all of the Block One parcels to those ladies who have already signed up for the BOM, so watch out for the postie! For the local ladies, your parcel is ready for collection from the shop.....or let me know if you would like it posted out.

It's not too late to sign up for this lovely quilt as I have made up lots of extra kits......I plan to take them to AQC in April (unless they are sold out beforehand!). You can order online here. I have also posted the patterns to Brigitte in Austria and Yvonne in France, and Ester from Spain and Jo from Brazil are looking at getting the kits. If you are an international customer please contact me and I can let you know postage rates.

I'm off to do a little unsewing......I didn't even see what I had done in block three until I put the finished block four up on the design wall.

Two pieces of the same fabric so close together......I think that this will annoy me a bit too much to leave it! Now where's my unpicker?

Linda     :)

 

 

Out for a ride

Sometimes it nicer to hitch a ride than to walk.....

Linda   :)

Me and the Boss and a few thousand spaniards

Most of you know that I stitch every night while 'watching' the tv.....last night was just a little bit different. While Russell went to the Speedway at Simpson, I settled in for an uninterrupted night of hexagoning, with sole control over the remote. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind watching a bit of cricket.......but not    e v e r y   s i n g l e   n i g h t  !  .......and, more to the point, when the watchee in the other chair goes to the sleep. But not last night....oh no....after perusing the tv guide and finding nothing of value to watch I turned to my stack of dvds. Out came Kinky Boots, which I have watched several times but still love.....Lola is just great. Next was Mr Bruce Springsteen, Live at Barcelona. So with volume up, singing voice engaged and thimble on, I was in a very happy place!

Life is great isn't it

Linda   :)

Now I have to make a bag for it.

The girls and I gave Russell an IPad as a Christmas / Birthday gift a few years ago, and I thought that I would never need one as I have my lap top and phone. But as time went on I began to see how useful they are.....particularly when travelling...... Gail used hers when we went to the US together, and Hannah on her trip to South America. I have looked at IPads and Samsung Tablets but they just didn't have what I was after......mainly a usb port. So on our way home from a day trip to Melbourne on Monday, Russell took me to have a look at what options were available in Geelong. We left the shop with this little beauty....

My belated birthday present has a keyboard, detactable touch screen and usb ports. So with access to emails, facebook and my blog, I am all set for my big trip to the US in April / May with Hannah.

Be warned there will be blog posts with photos this time.....no more trying to do a post on my phone!

Linda     :)

Sticky hands = no stitching :(

Well I managed to survive a hot one yesterday, and after a sleepless night I am not looking forward to another hot day today. I wasn't even able to do any stitching yesterday as my hands were so sticky.....yuck! I did manage to get most of the bookwork done and the BAS is almost finished.....a month ahead of the deadline date.

Today I thought I would share the third block for 'A Merry Christmas Garden' BOM by Gail Pan Designs.

I finished it on Saturday and immediately made a start on block four, which I should get finished by the end of the weekend.....in a nice airconditioned classroom.....messy but airconditioned!

Linda   :)

It's here, it's finally here....

and I am not looking forward to it at all. I'm talking about Summer. Today's temperature is a forecast 40 degrees (or 104 in old speak). With no airconditioning at home and no relief until Friday there will be sleepless nights and fuzzy heads for the next few days. I have decided to catch up on all of my accounts and bookwork until cow time this afternoon. It will be t-shirt, shorts and thongs in the dairy tonight followed by a long cool shower! If you are facing the heat of an Aussie Summer keep out of the heat and stay safe......I will be popping my head out every now and then to check for smoke.....just in case!

Linda     :)

Cottage Garden Threads Thread Club

I blogged about this great new club back in November and I have already had quite a few ladies sign up. To refresh your memories here are the details:

"Pam and Katie, the lovely ladies at CGT have put together a spanking new Thread Club and I have signed up to take part. Every month participants will receive 4 threads as selected by the ladies (valued at $26.40); a stitchery pattern that will be part of a progressive sampler that showcases the threads used; a chance to win a monthly prize from Cottage Garden Threads; access to a members only online group; and 20% discount off the pattern for Pam's new thread case pattern. As an added extra I will be including small giveaways with each of the monthly packs. It is a 12 month program. The cost per month is just $25 (plus $2 p&h if required) and will start in February 2014."

Katie and Pam have just released the names of the guest designers who will be designing the stitchery patterns that will be included in the packs. It is a fantastic list of 12 very talented Australian designers:

Gail Pan of Gail Pan Designs

Melissa Grant from One Day in May

Lisa Cantley from Fig'n'Berry Creations

Brenda Ryan from Thimblestitch

Helen Stubbings from Hugs'n'Kisses

Rosalie Quinlan of Rosalie Quinlan Designs

Jo Maxwell from The Elephant Patch

Jenny Spencer from Stitching Sisterhood

Claire Gee from Matching Pegs

Libby Richardson

Leanne Knell from Petals & Patches

and Katie Dawson from Cottage Garden Threads

Phew..... What a list!

It is not too late late to sign up for this great club. You can order online here, or contact me directly.

Linda    :)

Like a woman possessed

I have been taking advantage of the quieter time at the shop and at home (although there is always something to do at home) to work on two big stitching projects. The first is the new BOM 'A Merry Christmas Garden' ....which you all know about from recent previous posts. This weekend I worked on Block 3......a cute present block

and some stitchery

and I continued to make a great big mess with fabric everywhere!

The other project I am working on is, of course, 'Elenor Jean'. I am on a mission to get it finished by early April, so I am stitching like a woman possessed. I have stitched about 1,500 hexagons in 3 weeks.....taking out days for Christmas and New Years celebrations I am rather pleased with my output......205 on one day certainly helped too! So here is a little look at what all of those hexagons look like.

I am also designing some new projects to take to AQC in April, but they won't be stitched until next month.....maybe!

Linda    :)