Away, Away

I'll be off the air for the next little while. Actually I'll be up in the air very soon. I'm off to sunny Darwin to loll around a pool for a week. We had a hankering to loll around a pool and could have very easily stayed in Melbourne and lolled around a pool but decided it was more sensible to go somewhere sunny. Can't wait, love Darwin. We are off to the Darwin Cup.

I'm keeping this short as I'm over tired, a bit cranky and really disorganised. I don't like being disorganised before going on a holiday. It ups my stress levels and when my stess levels go up it's not good.

Oh, and is it sad that just before I started this post, I googled 'patchwork, fabric Darwin"?? Rhetorical question folks, don't need you being free with your opinions on my sad habits. What's even sadder is the next poor sod to do exactly that (google Patchwork Fabric Darwin) will probably land themselves in the Land of Happy Stash................"Aha! I have you now my pretty"

God I am over tired.

Over and out.

Big Day Out

I took myself off to the Craft and Quilt Fair at Jeff's shed on Saturday much to the alarm of the other half who had visions of getting a phone call from the bank to say that there seemed to be unusually high activity on our account.

As he dropped me at the station, muttering something about having to sell a kidney, I vowed that I was not actually intending to buy fabric but I was keen on getting some "tools" or some good thread or somefink..........................True. That's exactly what I SAID. The fact I was toting a large EMPTY satchel may have been a non verbal contradiction of my verbal declaration. In any case, there's nothing wrong with good intentions.

So after cotemplating the queue - I think the queue to get on the ark was shorter than the one snaking it's way along the foyer of Jeff's Shed - I made like non athletic fast walker into the pavillion where the quilts were exhibited. I felt inspired, intimidated, envious, in awe and downright amazed. If you went, you know what I'm talking about. There was one paper pieced hexagonal quilt circa 1890's ( I think ) which had the notation "found in Sydney" some of the hexagons had been eaten away and in places the you could see the stitches - it was just beautiful and I think I stood there transfixed for about 20 minutes and then kept coming back for more. I watched some of the people wandering around and noticed lots of Mothers and Daughters and felt a real pang of sadness that my own mum wasn't there with me to marvel at the quilts. I'm sure she was in spirit. (Which, if she was, I'm guessing she had something to say about me spending $3.60 on a bottle of water)

I didn't really spend much time browsing the stalls but I did come home with two pairs of small applique scissors, a Daylight!!!!!!!! (I've long been coveting one of these ) and...............
for $3.50

and ..............

For $2.50

You wouldn't buy a bottle of water or an electronic ankle bracelet for that. The latter, apparently, is something the other half is considering purchasing.

Tagged!

I've been tagged by the lovely Lizzie Jane (sorry I couldn't help but include a footy reference. With the exception of the last two rounds, the Bulldogs are having too good a season for me NOT to say anything.)

Now I get to pass the 'tag' on to six more people - but first some rules:
1. Link to the person who “tagged” you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

Six random things about me:
1. I am the youngest of 9
2. My mother named me by getting my siblings to write down a name on a piece of paper and she drew my name out of Dad’s hat – Risky but it paid off. Thanks to my brother Tom!
3. I only started quilting after my Mum passed and that makes me a bit sad
4. I’ve been to New York but not Perth.
5. My husband won’t let my family discuss politics in our house (and with very good reason!!!)
6.I couldn’t ride a bike until I was 13.

The six lucky people that I'm tagging are:

1. Zia Koko – She is a gem!
2. A spoonful of sugar. A Mother and Daughter blogging team who always manage to inspire me.
3.Curly Pops I love popping in here for a look. You will too.
4 Vintage Magpie Quite a Lovely place - can spend way too long looking at her beautiful photos.
5 Lucy Locket Recycled her Pocket Another blog I stumbled upon and I'm glad I did
6. Tozz at Tozz’s corner (have a look at the hexagon quilt)

Needlework.

Yes, I had an ARI (Applique Related Injury) or at least that's what I thought! After a night on the couch doing this block for the Rosalie Quinlan quilt I woke up the next morning with a niggle in my shoulder. The niggle turned from a bit of a twinge into a full on pinching, excruciating eyes rolling to the back of my head pain that by 3pm I couldn't lift my arm forward or move it to the side............ I was starting to think I was going to be cut down in my applique-ing prime.

There was only one thing for it.

Phone the Chinese Medicine man for some accupuncture!!

Which I did, only to be greeted by a message saying the number was disconnected. ( a later reconoscance revealed that his rooms are now an 'adult entertainment centre' - They had outfits in the window that even with a good shoulder you'd need to be a contortionist to get into !). I was desperate and a quick google brought up an accupuncurist about 15 minutes from work who could see me 'straight away'. So off I went. I arrived in a sorry state and his first question was "Have you been doing anything strenuous?" Can you believe I actually responded with "Applique". He then asked "What??" and I had to explain that it was needlework, but 'ahem' "very strenuous needle work)". He then asked me to show him just how much movement I had in my arm. After much wincing, and demonstrating my mobility or lack there of, the very nice man said -"Go into the other room and sit in the chair". So I did. He comes in 5 minutes later with a foot stool and said "Take off your stockings and shoes and put your feet on this". OK, at this point I was thinking "um, but it's my shoulder". I had visions of me, 6 months down the track, sitting glazed eyed in a witness stand with a QC badgering me with such questions as "Ms Happy Stash, do you mean to tell me you didn't think it odd that he was asking you to remove your stockings????" and "At what point did you realise this had gone too far?"

In spite of this I found myself sitting there sans stockings wondering what was going to happen next. Nothing dramatic, as it turns out. He just stuck a needle in my shin and proceeded to question me about the rigours of applique. You'll be curious to know that it was only at THIS point I began to feel ridiculous. After about 5-10 mins. he said "ok can you move your arm?" . Could I move it??????? I was flinging it around like an eastern bloc gymnast impersonating an extra from Flashdance!!!!! I was elated until he explained that he couldn't keep the needle in there permanently and He need to do a bit more tweaking. I have long been an advocate of accupuncture, but I've never struck one like this. Anyway after about 45 minutes of him sticking some more needles in my shoulder, setting fire to some stuff that he stuck on the end of one of the needles, some cupping and a few more bits of metal being jabbed into my ankle, I was 'cured'. Like Lazarus throwing down his crutches, I was a revived woman.* I asked him if I had to steer clear of applique and he said he didn't think it was the 'mending' (yeah don't go there- I wasn't about to get snippy with him about the nuances of sewing given he'd just 'cured' me) but rather I'd got a chill in the shoulder.

As I drove home from the miraculous acupuncturist I marvelled at his needle work. It's amazing what you can do with them there needles!

* Now, before any of you decide to pick me up on the Lazarus reference I was intentionally mixing my biblical metaphors for no other reason than I thought it was funny. No correspondence about my limited knowledge of scripture will be entered into.

Lordy I feel like a fraudy..........

Which is exactly what I said when Jen** at Frazzy Dazzles awarded me this.



I have been a slack blogger and I initially wondered if 'brilliante ' was some obscure language for 'she who only blogs when she can be arsed' - but upon investigation, apparently not. I'm feeling flattered and a tad guilty. However as most of my posts tend to revolve around the unfinished project, it's kind of fitting that I'd dropped off the blogging twig for a few weeks.

Anyhow, there are a few little proviso's upon which this award is dependent and in order of appearance they are......:

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog. (tick)
2. Link to the person you received your award from. (tick)**
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. (tick)
4. Put links of those blogs on yours. (tick)
5. Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.(tick)
6. Write an acceptance speech in the style of the Academy Awards, thanking every body’s mother, father, sister, brother, aunties and uncles and the kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant!(tick)

So my seven deadly blogs are (in no specific order)

11.Angry Chicken Cooking AND stitching - does it get any better?
2. Turkey Cookies - I promise there is not a deliberate poultry theme going on here! Jess has a lovely blog and I manage to waste a bit of time here.
3.Applique Today....... I stumbled upon this the other day. If for no other reason than .... her tutorials on needleturn applique.
4. Wee Wonderfuls All kinds of wonderful is found here
5.Barb's Creations I hope Barb doesn't mind me putting this here. Barb is a woman who loves her craft and decided to give blogging a shot. It wasn't that long ago that she didn't know how to put photos up and now she is just chugging along nicely.
6. Quilty's Corner I love popping in here to see what Clare is up to.
7.and last but not least and I know this is probably cheating Frazzy Dazzles. I call in here on a daily basis and it was Jen who provided the inspiration for Happy Stash. (again see footnote re linking to her website)

Acceptance Speech

Ok. I need to get a grip here. I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners of my stash (Spotlight/ Lincraft). I'd like to thank the academy and Jenny at Frazzydazzles for having so much faith in me. I'd like to thank my employer for paying me a salary that I can squander on fabric that sits in my cupboard. Without which, I wouldn't have a blog. I'd like to thank the man in Dimmeys who failed to understand the concept of a stash, therefore providing me with material for this entry. I'd like to thank the woman in the Patchwork shop in Essendon who gave the idea to put a bunch of celery on top of the bag of newly purchased fabric, making my husband think I'm overdoing it on the fruit and veg bill, rather than spending the equivalent of a mortgage payment on fabric. Had to change tack when he contracted scurvy - some things just weren't adding up. Anyway I think I've said quite enough!

**I was tempted to link to a site like "Liturgical Dancing for Beginners" or "Banjo Fantastic" but then that would be just plain rude and ungrateful. - note to the best of my knowledge they are not real sites. I just made 'em up

All quiet on the quilting front..........

I've been somewhat quiet over the past week or two. Lots happening and none of it quilt related, I'm sorry to say. It's not for want of trying mind you, just not enough minutes in the day.

So in the absence of anything remotely blog worthy happening here,I'm going to post the link to Jen at Frazzydazzles who is having a very gorgeous MONSTER give away to celebrate her 100th post.

I challenge ANYONE not to crack a smile at her monster! If you have a look back through some of her older posts you will see that some of her monsters are very very naughty monsters.