My little artists and FWQAL Week 13

I forgot to upload the photos of my gorgeous little artists from yesterday.  It was a great day for them, and it was amazing to see some of the costumes others had come up with. I saw a preppie dressed up as a paintbrush and another as Mr Squiggle!  Very clever.  Of course there were quite a few kids with injured ears doing their best Van Gogh impression.

My loving artists...

and the back

Nate's bff was asked his favourite artist and he said it was "vicks and mango"  but he also liked "Pavlova Picasso"!!  ROFL   how cute is that!!

Now for my Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt Along.  It is Week 13 and I have been trying to make up for the 6 or so weeks I didn't do any blocks at all.   The only block I have missed so far is block 57 Morning.  I haven't been happy with the paper piecing templates that I have seen so far, I think I may have to redraft it myself to make it a bit easier.  I only have about 6 blocks to go now and I am up to date with my BOM.  I will get some more soon so will have another 5 to do then.  To make the 145 I need for a king size quilt I have to make an extra 34 blocks.  I have about 5 or so of those finished so when I get caught up with the BOM it will be a great chance to get some of those blocks ticked off the list.

Block 41 Friendship Star
I did this earlier by had missed photographing it somehow.

Block 69 Practical Orchard
this was an easy block to piece and I love how it looks

Block 70 Prairie Queen
not as happy with the colour combination in this block.

Block 71 Puss in the Corner
so pretty 

Block 72 Railroad
more of a challenge to piece but I love the end result

Block 73 Rainbow Flowers
easy to make and very cute

Block 74 Ribbons
I am going to do a second version of this block, I really enjoyed making it.

Block 75 Rosebud
This block uses one of my favourite fabrics, I just love how it looks.

Block 76 Sawtooth
The red fabric is so pretty and I love how it looks in this block 

Block 77 Seasons
Easy block and very cute I think

Block 78 Shooting Star
Lot of odd shapes in this one, and it was not easy getting every seam to match!

Favourite Artists

It's Book Week in our state this week so all the schools are doing special days to celebrate.  Our school is having a dress up day tomorrow.  This is all well and good but they have decided that the theme for the big dress up should be "your favourite painter or painting"  WTF!!!  Um excuse me but what kids do you know that have a favourite painter or artist?  My boys love star wars...harry potter...etc.  Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh are a little beyond their scope of interest at the moment.   

They still have to come dressed up of course so I did the only thing this non fine art knowlegable mother could think of, i gave them a white t-shirt each and got them to paint them back and front.

So they are going as their own favourite painting.  Too cute.  Will post a photo tomorrow when they are all dressed up.  

FWS QAL week 10?

I have lost track of what week we are up to in the FWS QAL as I have been very slack and haven't really done much at all.  I am really happy with the look of the blocks and can't believe how much I am enjoying paper piecing them.   I always thought it would be too fussy but its just quick and fun.

These are the blocks I have done since my last post.  Enjoy!

block 4 Basket weave
I had already done this but wanted to do a pp version

Block 10 Bowtie
another block redone by pp

Block 63 Ozark Maple Leaf

Block 64 Peace and Plenty

Block 65 Peaceful Hours

Block 66 Periwinkle

Block 67 Pine Tree
really like how this one turned out.

Block 68 Postage Stamp

today I cleaned my house!

Not a truly exciting topic to be sure but its been a while coming.  Our little rental has been a huge mess since the big star wars party.  Stuff everywhere!
Then we have all been sick, in one way or another so the whole house has just sort of gotten out of control.

So today after dropping off the kids at school I got to work.  I washed and folded and even put away clothes!  I cleaned my bathroom and loo...not my favourite job I have to say, especially in a house full of males.   I vacuumed and swept and now my house looks fantastic.

Funny enough having the house back in order has also brought back my sewing mojo. It has been seriously missing the last few weeks.   I got back into my Farmers Wife Sampler and did another 3 blocks.  WIll post photos tomorrow if I get the chance.

Now its after midnight and I am really really tired and need to go to bed.  This SAHM feels like she earned her keep today.

Its been a while...

Have been flat out for the last few weeks and haven't stopped to blog.

Our youngest N had his 6th birthday party and we decided to go all out with a Star Wars theme.

Hubby spent a lot of time finding masks and coloring pages to download.

I made both N and his brother M Padawan outfits.  Sounds really hard but was just 1.5m of fabric, tore a strip about 20cm wide of the length of it, cut a small slit in the top for a neck space .  The 20cm strip became a belt to hold it all together.

The boys were thrilled.

The birthday boy

big brother

 The party was a blast....35 little kids with light sabers, the noise level was incredible...Haha.  The party and its aftermath has kept me from doing much sewing at all.

We did get a new bed though.  Have been sleeping on a king size bed we inherited a year ago but the bases were not in the best shape and we were both suffering from bad backs.   So we made the most of the end of financial year sales and bought a brand new king size mattress and base.  It is fantastic.  Funniest thing is that our old bed wasn't flat on the floor, no legs so it was really low.  This bed is really really high, I have to almost climb into it...very princess and the pea.


 The quilt on the bed was made by my mum, sister, sister-in-law and a great friend as a wedding present to us 8 years ago.  I did sew the binding on...my only contribution.  The centre blocks are baltimore style applique, done by a friend who also teaches quilting.

This is another project I have been working on.

It's not for me.   A dear friend of my late mums has also become a friend to me.  She is unfortunately suffering from a form of Motor Neurone Disease that has changed her from an independant woman in her early 60's to being reliant on others from almost everything.

She had started making this as part of a quilt for herself but changed it to three wall hangings for her three children.  B has some gorgeous japanese buttons to decorate the wall hangings with. The blocks were mostly finished, just needed putting together and quilting.

I have already made her two of them, for her sons but hadn't been able to get her daughter's one done.  The two boys hangings were more blues and aqua and were brighter and stronger than this one.

It was lovely to be able to help her out, she is a lovely lady.


I have done more of my FWS blocks but haven't photographed them yet.   Will get around to it though.