August update

 Well its near the end of August, we have a few birthdays in August, Brad on the 14th and Dave on the 23rd.

I picked up my big machine from the doctor in Tamworth this week, I missed it and it's features, who would have thought that having to lift the foot manually would be so hard to remember..... Big machine is stitching beautifully again, it was stitching so tiny I couldn't quilt anything.

So when i was in Tamworth I went to Spotlight and they had these patchwork fabrics for $8 a metre so I grabbed a couple of each for backings and the stripe for binding.

I read this book over the last few weks it was hard to put down.

I have been making relish and sauce from the last of the tomatoes, and burning marmalade made from some gifted cumquats. I don't think I'am a jam maker.

August

 August used to be the windy month in Wollongong, here in Gunnedah it is just cold. Although it was wet and windy on the weekend and the house was cold, seeing as we had been in Wollongong for the mother in laws funeral for the last week.

It was freezing in Wollongong but we caught up with family and friends. We went to all the right spots, the fruit market, wholesale butcher, kmart and big W. Yes we have a K Hub here and a Big W in Tamworth but the Wollongong ones are better. This is the view down the road when you leave the highway to go into Wollongong.

Right now here in Gunnedah, there are warnings everywhere and roads blocked due to the river flooding, we are 2 blocks away from the water, so no need to panic.

Chookshed Stitchers Challenge July didn't have enough done so no pics, I was busy with other things.

 Deanna has drawn No 7 for August! my number 7 is the 20 Blue baskets quilt, all needleturn so only2 blocks completed , this will take me years.... I should have machine appliqued it but I like the idea of needleturn.

I was going to Wollongong by myself originally so I didn't take any crochet only a bit of hand sewing but I bought a few balls of wool in Kmart and a crochet hook in Big W and I started a C2C rug, it will be a donation when it's done, it's a tad bigger now. 

I was going to see The Book Of Mormon in Sydney with Shane and Chandi, it was very funny, very rude, very clever. We had an incredible Vegan meal at Vandal in Newtown before the show, Shane and Chandi being vegan they had been there before. We had an 8 course set menu sort of Tapas style, my favourite courses were the pickled watermelon tostida and the Zuchini flowers stuffed with almond cheese.

That's all thanks for reading

I made a Bag!!!!!

 I finished my version of By Annie's  Divide and Conquer, this was to be part of my May chookshed challenge and it took all that time to finish it.

I love it. It ws to be for my EPP things and maybe it will at the moment it is still sitting on the coffee table on my EPP PROJECT BOX.

This is the small size when I got the fabric I couldn't get enough of the lining fabric to make the large size, never mind. There are 2 pockets on each of the front and back outer pieces 2 vinyl pockets on each side inside and 2 double sided mesh pockets so there should be enough pockets.

      Just saying it's very cold and wet here today

July Number 9

 Deanna has drawn number 9 for July! My number 9 is Scrappy Crossroads from one of the many Lori Holt books that I have I am thinking it is Scrappiness is Happiness, I could walk to the next room to check but I'm not. My quilting goal for July is the Whirligig Quilt but it won't get done . 

For June I have been plugging away at my EPP BOM fom 2015, it is going to be very pretty I think. I have almost finished my Divide and Conquer bag for May. By Annie bags come together beautifully but they are a lot of work.

It is very cold today and windy it isn't often windy here which came as a nice change after living in Wollongong, here is a pic of my car in the driveway after a bit of wind last week

In other sewing news I have finished my quilted jacket and I love it.

In the garden the tomatoes have almost all finished there are a few plants that are growing amongst the blackberries, I have made 4 lots of green tomato pickles and I think 5 batches of pasta sauce and there is a double lot of passata in the pot today, I am over tomatoes but I am glad that we don't have to buy them they have skyrocketed. We are being inundated with snow peas which are selling at a ridiculous price of $34 a kilo. I have frozen enough for us for the year I think.

See ya

June news

 We had a great long weekend,King's birthday weekend just gone. Brad and Sophie came up on Friday evening, Saturday while the husband was at work Brad and I made some green tomato chutney and a lemon meringue pie. Sunday we went out to a friends sons property to help clear a huge pile of wood, that's how nice we are... firewood for us. 

It was freezing, Winter was definately here. While we were there we had a little target practice, which was fun.

This was Month 1 of Pick  Petal, then my trial block for Month 2, I have decided to do Month 2 on the machine I have cut all the pieces, all 260 to make the 20 blocks of this design.

This is my EPP set up in the lounge room, I'm doing a BOM from 2015 I may get all the blocks done this month and I may not.

I'm making another batch of pasta sauce today and that will be Chicken Cacciatore for tomorrows dinner.

I am now going to tidy my sewing table it's a mess.

 

May summary

 OMG May is over today I cannot believe how fast the months are flying by, always a sign of old age I know, never mind I will stay old rather than dead.

So May was bag month for me but I have been doing a lot of my Hugs N Kisses epp so I have been doing something. I have got a pouch and a project bag made and made steps on my By Annie Divide and Conquer bag.

Deanna has drawn the Chookshed Challenge number for JUne and it is number 5! My quilting goal won't get done as my machine isn't stitching nice so no quilting till it's service, my sewing No 5 is EPP which I have been doing each nightand maybe I will finally cut the side pieces for my Smitten so that it will be straight along the sides.

What has been happening in the garden? the tomatoes have finally decided to start producing along with the Rosellas and oranges and of course massive zucchinis.I have madfe 5 pots of tpmaot sauce in the past few weeks and zucchini pickles and 12 jars of Rosella jam, this is a new favourite, and a large pot of pasta sauce and a few jars of basil pesto. I am getting ready for marmalde and lemon butter. 

May is bag month

 Deanna has drawn number 8 for this month, my quilting goal is to quilt my panel quilt and my sewing goal is to make a bag or better still 2 bags, I have cut By Annies Divide and Conquer, but I also want to make a Catch All Caddy and All Aboard train case, you can never have too many bags can you. 

I made a new project bag yesterday after a zoom session with the chook sewers, because tomorrow at Coolah sewing morning I am starting Jen Kingwells Pick a Petal quilt, so it is only right that the project bag be made from Jen's fabric.

It is a beautiful autumn day here, we are off to the club for the meat raffle and then going to the local football game, which is across the road.