Category: Works in Progress

OK, I am starting to get a bit paranoid that there really is some kind of quilting conspiracy happening around here … quilting is everywhere!!  And places where it just really shouldn’t be!! 

Today I received the May newsletter for the Embroiderers Guild … and what do I find in there but the following advert:  “The Patchworkers’ and Quilters’ Guild of Victoria is holding its annual quilt exhibition at the Glen Eira City Council Gallery, on the corner Glen Eira and Hawthorn Roads, Glen Iris, dates 17-20 May, between 10am-5pm.”  Not only that, but I just flicked quickly through a few blogs on my Newsgator feeds that I lurk on, and wander over to read the new post by Beadlust – normally amazing eye candy of arty beading projects, today it’s full of quilting projects (like journal quilts) from a recent exhibition … hmmm, do you think someone is trying to tell me something?? LOL.

It’s almost like when I first bought my current heap of cr*p car when I moved to Aussie – my dream car at the time was a Mazda Protege 323 … I actually found one that I really liked on the same car lot that I bought the infamous heap of cr*p Nissan, but it was $1000 more than my Nissan, and a few years older, so I didn’t think it was worth the extra expense.  When I told Frazier’s best mate “S” about the car is really wanted (ie the Mazda) he talked me out of it as supposedly it was hard to get parts in Aussie for them as they’re imported and you don’t see that many around … now, “S” really knows his stuff about cars (or so I thought), so I took him at his word, and started looking at alternatives to my beloved Mazda (I actually think my last Mazda cost me less in about 13 years of driving than this Nissan has cost me in 3, and my Dad is still driving it to this day!!).  It was, of course, Murphy’s Law that the very next day after signing the contracts and driving my new heap of cr*p car that every third car that I drove past in the street was a Mazda!  Let’s just say that to this very day “S’s” name is Mud with a capital M (as well as for many many other reasons that are more personal, but I digress …).

These days, of course, I’m stuck with the heap of cr*p Nissan for a while longer yet … my goal is that I only have to put up with it for another 3 years, as that’s when I’d really love to be in a better position to upgrade to something I really love.  And there’s no points for guessing which car it will be … not a Protege, but definitely a ‘323’ (or as they now call it, a Mazda “3”) … this one is without a doubt my absolute dream car, and has been for a couple of years now – the colour is not negotiable, of course … if I had one of these I think I’d even sleep with it, I love it so much!!! My heart melts every time I see one on the road {{heavy sigh}}.  I really need to win Lotto!  Mind you, I suppose if I actually bought a ticket it’d increase my chances of winning somewhat 😉

Oh boy, I could sit and look at that picture all night!!!  But in fact I have much more important things to do … I have stitching to do!!  And I’d better hurry up and do it soon, as my energy levels are flagging rapidly – doing a 10-hour shift on a 5am start used to be so easy when I did overtime regularly, but it nearly killed me today … I’d better keep busy so I don’t get lulled into having a nanna nap, otherwise I’ll never sleep tonight.  I’ll update later when I have a progress piccie to share, as it’s Bordeaux night for me (I did another 1 1/2 hours on EGM last night, not that you can tell so I won’t bother with a piccie of that for now).

I can’t remember whether I’ve done this meme before, but the results turned out to be pretty accurate … and at least it didn’t mention quilting! 😉 

Your Element Is Water

A bit of a contradiction, you can seem both lighthearted and serious. That’s because you’re good at going with the flow – but you also are deep.Highly intuitive, you tune in to people’s emotions and moods easily. You are able to tap into deep emotional connections and connect with others.You prefer a smooth, harmonious life – but you can navigate your way around waves. You have a knack for getting people to get along and making life a little more peaceful.

What’s Your Element?

Updated to add a piccie of Bordeaux … I only had 1/2 hour left to stitch tonight as I forgot I needed to cook dinner … but the TV has been to blame thank for extra stitching time.  It’s the Biggest Loser final tonight – and I made the HUGE mistake of leaving the TV on while I set the video taping for Mum to watch later … and started watching it … well, I could hardly go to bed without seeing the rest of it huh?  I didn’t want anyone at work to tell me who won … so I’ll be Miss Cranky Pants tomorrow as I’ll be going to bed 2 hours later than I should be … oops 😉

It’s my hope to totally finish this band during next week’s session, but I’m not 100% sure I can reach that goal … I’ll have fun trying, though 🙂

Today is the one day of the year where the Aussies and Kiwis come together as one, to commemorate ANZAC Day.  If you want to read more about it, this is a great website here.  A snippet from their site is the following:

“ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia’s most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day.

Australians […and Kiwis obviously…] recognise 25 April as an occasion of national commemoration. Commemorative services are held at dawn, the time of the original landing, across the nation. Later in the day ex-servicemen and women meet and join in marches through the major cities and many smaller centres. Commemorative ceremonies are held at war memorials around the country. It is a day when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war.”

Today it’s been incredibly quiet around the office … the roads are sheer bliss to drive on without the usual hubbub of business traffic (it’s a public holiday today for those of us who are non-shift workers), and it was incredibly peaceful around the area when I enjoyed my lunchbreak at 9am … sheer bliss, and chance to offer a quiet bit of silent thanks and remembrance for those who fight for both our wonderful countries (both past and present). 

Of course, nothing good lasts forever – now I’m home my peace is well and truly shattered … the neighbours that own the property on my right have been seeing how big they can get their power bill this month by using every single garden power tool they can lay their hands on.  What started off as slightly annoying hedgetrimming with the electric cutters for an hour, soon turned in a continuing rhapsody of weedeater, lawnmower and the latest masterpiece instrument, the leaf blower!  I’ve been home for almost 3 hours now, and he’s barely stopped to take a breath … geez, I’m sure he must be due for a smoko soon!!!  I wonder if he thinks he’s in the northern hemisphere and that Spring has arrived … personally I’d like to wrap him IN a spring coil right about now so his hands can’t touch a power tool for the rest of the day!  Ooh, ooh, wait … there’s silence … could it be true?  Nah, must just be smoko time 😛

So, how do you spend your day when you’re working on a public holiday?  Personally I enjoy the extra 8 hours allowed to be sitting at work in my scruffy jeans … that in itself is worth being in there (and of course the extra pay won’t go astray)!  I actually got to bed on time last time and was settled in under the duvet at 8pm … I don’t even remember getting comfy, so I must’ve flaked out straightaway and didn’t wake up until the alarm went off at 3.45am.  I’ve felt absolutely fantastic all day!  I think my lack of energy etc really must get linked quite seriously to my sleep patterns – if I can get a full 8 hours sleep it makes so much difference!  As for the rest of my day, it was ‘steady’ on the phones … regular callers throughout the day, but not really ‘busy’.  I went into work prepared with my biscornu to stitch some more on, plus some quilting magazines to drool over … I can’t believe I pulled the magazines out first, and spent all day flipping through them.  Oh boy, I think I’m going to have to feed this urge very very soon, and I think I’ve worked out how to do it – I’m going to drag out some of my beginner quilt books that have some tiny projects in it, like a bag, pincushion, cushion etc, and try something small first from my scraps.  Then when I can afford to get some ‘real’ fabrics, I’ll start work on my ‘proper’ quilt.

As for my ‘main hobby’, I did actually manage to get a sum total of 1 1/2 hours into Egyptian Garden Mandala last night, to officially kickstart my rotation again.  It’s actually quite pitiful just how little I managed to get done in that time (mind you, I kept getting distracted by the TV) … it just looks like I tied a couple of bows on the corners!  I’m actually showing the progress piccies more for my own record, so I can see how much more will have been completed after the full 10 hours of rotation.  Of course it’s about to be Bordeaux time, so it’s going to be pushed to one side again soon – poor EGM, it’s only just come out of hiding and it’s being rejected again … it’s going to need counselling soon!! 😉

 
Before ……………….. After
(the latest piccie is probably the closest to the actual fabbie/thread colours)

Talking of which, I’d better get cracking and get the needles out again – I’ve got a couple of hours overtime over the next 4 days (1 hour tomorrow, 2 on Friday, then 4 hours each on Sun/Mon yippee) … it means my 6-day week has now turned into an 8-day week, and my 5-day break next week will now be a 3-day break, but pay-day will be looking good! 😀

It’s been an interesting week in many ways – after the stresses of last week Mum and I cleared the air on Friday morning and went shopping … I found a top to wear to the eXcel function at Target of all places for a very cheap price, meaning I also didn’t have to undertake the lengthy drive to Dandenong.  We then had lunch with Fraze in the city before heading to Myer department store where I found a pair of black shoes for my outfit … I feel so much better now!  I’ll take photos later of the whole outfit if I get chance 🙂  It was a really lovely last day for Mum, and one that we enjoyed immensely.

Unfortunately the flight loadings weren’t looking too fantastic, so Mum had to be dropped off at the airport before work on Saturday – I could’ve cried when the alarm clock went off at 5.30am, and I have to say it was the longest shift in history to get through to my 5pm finish time … but poor Mum was sat at the airport for 4 hours before her flight – I’m not sure which was worse!!  Eventually, though, she got home OK … and I have to admit the flat felt very empty when I got home that evening – but I got busy and cooked up a beef in red wine casserole, did a load of laundry washing, and some parcelling up of RAK’s, and it helped to fill in the time.

 Talking of RAK’s, I was glad to hear over the last week or so that my last lot of post I sent to people have now all been received … I’ve been scouring wishlists and sending off charts from my “I no longer love it” pile and sending them off to someone else that will give it a more loving home 🙂  Some of the recipients have been on the blog-circuit, but others are from The Wagon BB – TW’s Lily Maiden and Spring Faerie are now being loved, as is HIH’s Steeple Sampler, and Barbara & Cheryl’s City Collection, plus Marbek’s Regency Angel … and there is a small pile of the next round ready to be posted out to new homes … plus a few others that yet have to be parcelled up.  I was originally thinking of putting them on Ebay or Trademe, but to be honest I can’t be bothered with the hassle of either (although the money would have been nice LOL) – it feels so much nicer to give them as a small RAK knowing that it will be well received 😀  Here’s the latest round ready to go … will one be coming to YOUR door? 😀

I’ll finish with a quick update piccie of my Peacock Needlecase … still nowhere near being finished, and unfortunately my hissy dramas over the evening outfit threw all my plans out the window, and I’m now waaaay behind schedule with this project as I haven’t touched a needle in just over a week.  But I still have two weeks to go before the class, and miracles do still happen … right? … OK, maybe not 😉 (sorry for the crappy photo … and for those of you with eagle eyes, yes I still have one row of chain stitches on the bottom right-hand side yet to complete)

Only one more day before I fly out to Sydney, then I’ll be out of blogging/email action until at least next weekend.  Tonight I had a phone call from the best friend in NZ – which was a wonderful pick-me-up, and definitely what the doctor ordered … and in two short days I’ll be living it up with her brother and beautiful SIL in Sydney – yippee!! 😀

Hope everyone is healthy and happy … I hope to get back to reading what you’ve all been up to when I get home 😀