I Have Finally Realised......

... that I can't do everything.This year has been a huge learning curve for me. I have tried to have a finger in every pie. Machine quilting, pattern design, teaching, dance wear, President of the Central Coast Modern Quilt Guild . As well as all the stuff that goes with being a Mum and Wife and keeping a household going. I have finally realised that I can't do it all. So starting from NOW I am a Machine Quilter that teaches one day a week and I will have more time to be involved in the Guild and especially more time with the Boys. There, I've done it!! It's official!!

Now some exciting news to go with my revelation. I have purchased a new GAMMILL quilting machine. "Squeal". It's on the boat from the States right now. I should have it early Feb. I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. I feel a bit sad that my old Design-a-Quilt will be going to a new home, but not that sad. It has served me well and given me the confidence to know that I can do this for a job. What a job hey. Doing something I love to do and being able to share it with other people. 

Gammill Vision 18-8

This is my new baby. Her name will be Millie ( I know that's not very original but I like it )You will be able to send your quilts to me to be quilted. Over time I hope to be offering not only all over designs but a bit more custom as well. My blog will have all the info about my service. ( I will be updating it over the summer holidays)

Happy Quilting

Leanne

Red Sky At Night Shepards Delight............

Some of the sunsets over our farm are just glorious.

This tree turns some amazing colours at different times of the year. It is the coolest dead tree. Even though it's dead it's full of life. There are so many bird nests in it and goannas sometimes climb it and hang out at the base of it. All different birds use it as a stop off to wherever they are going. Hawks perch up on it waiting for little mice to reveal where they are and then they silently swoop down to grab their bounty. Sometimes back into the tree to devour their catch.

Enjoy the Sunsets

Leanne

School Presentation Day

I am so proud !!! Oscar received the top class award for the year. Talk about a big old baby. The tears were flowing. I'm a proud mumma..........

Cheers

Leanne

Cousins

Paul's Sister Sheree and her son Sam came from Western Australia for a week or so. It was really great to catch up. We haven't seen them for a few years. Sam has grown so much. He and Charlotte ( another Cousin) came to stay the night. They all had fun out in the paddock doing archery and on the giant swings and the trampoline. All under the shade of our only big tree.

In the shade of the tree....

Ethan

Charlotte

Oscar

Sam

Archie

Cheers

Leanne



Block Swap and Charity Quilts

This is a block I made for Bobbie in the monthly block swap I have joined. This is the second one I have done and I am just about to send out my Dec one. It's fun to do and it's nice to have something sent to you by someone you don't know from all parts of the country and the world.

These are the quilts made by the members of the Central Coast Modern Quilt Guild. They were made for a local Women's Refuge and Wyong Hospital Pediatric Unit. It was a great project and I am so proud of everyone who participated.

Happy Quilting
Leanne

They Wish They had a Pool

With the weather warming up the boys are always wanting to get in the water. We live about an hour from the beach now so we can't just duck down for a swim.  We live off tank water so getting under the sprinkler is just not going to happen. We would love to put in a pool and we probably will soon in the future but for now this is what they have resorted to.......

They are just so funny and make us laugh, a lot.

Cheers

Leanne

Off to Market.........

Tomorrow myself and four others are on the early flight to Melbourne to attend Australian Quilt Market. I'm very excited!!!!

I'll fill you all in on the details when I get back.

Happy Quilting
Leanne

Oh My Goodness.............

I didn't think I could possibly fit anything else into my day. Guess what? I can. My husband would beg to differ. He thinks I have just replaced housework with more exciting things to do.

My full work days at the shop have ended and I'm back to just 1 day teaching. I was just starting to get fast at putting dance costumes together and it's come to an end ( for another year)

I have finished a couple of quilts.

I am still doing costumes for Ethans school musical, Alice in Wonderland. They are almost done.

I am also making about 6 quilts to sell at a mini market my sister is holding at her place. It should be lots of fun. A bunch of Mum's from Luca's school are selling all handcrafted items. I can't wait to see what there is to buy. I have to get them finished by the end of the month.Ahhh................ I'm always biting off more than I can chew.

I also have about 6 customer quilts to get done before the second week in Dec. I don't think I will be sleeping for the next month. 

Best get back to it

Happy Quilting
Leanne

Dug the Digger & Springtime........

With all the work that has to be done around our little farm we thought  we should get a machine of some sort to get it done. Rather than pay someone else to do it, Paul and the boys can have some bonding time on Dug. He is our new excavator. The only problem is that it has been raining ever since we got him 4 weeks ago.

I grew up around earthmoving machines and I can even drive/use them. My Dad had heaps of machine while I was young. Being the eldest of us four kids, I was the one he always took to work with him on Saturdays. I used to sit right beside my Dad, with my earmops(earmuffs) on. He used to let me drive when we were in a safe area.
Dad's can't do that anymore with all the OH&S. I guess that's a good thing for safety but not so good for Dad's and kids.
The boys have had a little go on Dug and they can't wait to help Paul with all the work he is going to do.

On another note, all the grevillea plants have just had a beautiful flush of flowers. The sound of the bees is so loud. The is also a smell of honey all around. There must be wild bee hives around somewhere.

 Have a nice day
Cheers
Leanne

Block Swap Australia & V8's

I have just joined my first block swap. It's fun to be meeting new people out there in the blogosphere and swapping our blocks. I look forward to receiving my first block from Larain.

Things have been kind of cruisey around here. I have been getting a bit of patching and quilting done but I haven't felt rushed like I normally do. I go back to work next week so things are bound to change. I also haven't done the costumes for Ethan's school musical yet. There aren't as many as I thought so I'm not rushing those either. Next thing I know it'll be a mad rush to get things finished. Oh well, I've had a nice break and I feel really chilled.

Tomorrow is Bathurst car race. The race that stops our household. Paul is a crazy Ford nut and we all have to watch the start of the race in complete silence. It's funny really. I am actually a closet hoon myself. I love the roar of the V8's going around the track. I think we might make the pilgrimage next year to "The Mountain". The boys have never camped the weekend at the track before. I think they are old enough to handle it now. It's alot different there now compared to the 80's when it was complete anarchy.
Tomorrow will be spent between the couch and a sewing machine of some description ( straight sewer or quilter)

Happy Quilting
Leanne

I'm Back!!!!

Sorry it's been a while. I just got so busy that something had to give. Computer time had to be the thing I stopped for a while. It was that or I didn't sleep.
I have been working for Ange doing dancewear. It's crazy time of the year for dance studios, so I'll have work for a few more weeks yet.
I am on holidays with the kids at the moment. It's nice to not have to rush around in the mornings. I can just potter around and stay in my jammies as long as I want. That's not to say that I've been doing nothing. I have been getting some quilt tops finished, some quilting done, costumes for the musical at Ethans school and a formal dress for a neighbour. Wow, it's sounds a lot when you write it down.

Little Strip Quilt made for Guild Charity Quilts 

We have been having lots of fun too. Paul is on holidays as well so we have been doing lots of family things. My sister and her boys came to visit last week. We went to Treetops Adventure Park for a couple of hours swinging in the trees. The boys and Paul were all harnessed up to go into the trees, across rope bridges, zipping across the flying fox cables ( zipline ) and heaps more fun. They were all exhausted.

Boys with all their safety gear on

Archer

Oscar flying high

Paul

Ethan

The weather has turned a bit sour so we've been to the movies and played some board games. With just under a week left of the holidays there is plenty of time left for motor bike riding( the boys just got new quads) and for me to get some more sewing done.

Happy Quilting
Leanne

Back On Track....

After my wierd week things changed for me. As well as my beautiful Tuesday patchwork class I have picked up two days work at the shop sewing up dance costumes. I would like to thank Ange and Jody for that opportunity. It has been great. Although, the full work days took a bit of getting used to. But now I'm back on track.
I doesn't rain, it pours!! I also had a bunch of quilts come to me for quilting . I love quilting. Seeing the flat quilt come to life with the beautiful texture of the quilting. It always feels so nice when it's finished.
I have also been designing some quilts with the hope that they will be published. Even if they aren't the patterns will be available for purchase.
I have been so busy that I haven't even had time to take any photos, so here's one of some of my stash.

Happy Quilting

Leanne xo

Oscar turned 11

My gorgeous boy, Oscar, is 11.

I really splurged on the cake!

Aren't they beautiful? My 3 gorgeous boys.

Cheers

Leanne xo

A Weird Week

The boys went back to school this week after two weeks holiday. I thought everything would just return to normal. But it didn't.
Monday was nothing unusual. I layed out a quilt top ready for piecing together and finished a cushion that I have wanted to make for a while from this tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew.

lots of half square triangles joined in rows

Tuesday was  the beginning of a new working relationship between Ally and myself. Ally is helping me with the ever growing Tuesday patchwork class. It's great to have her there. She has a very bubbly personality and everyone loves her. So, Welcome Ally!

That day I found out that I will no longer be working Fridays. I was a bit upset a first but as the week went on it turned out to be a blessing. I have picked up Thursdays sewing dancewear for Angela.

Thursday was great. It was just us 3 girls sewing together. We got heaps done. We have to though, with dancewear it always needs to be done yesterday.

Friday came and I got a call out of the blue. It was my friends Jo & Tracey, who I've known since Ethan started Pre-School in 2000, they were just down the road from our farm and wanted directions to get here. I haven't seen them for ages. It was wonderful to see them. We had a cuppa and a catch up. It really made my week.

So sometimes things are just meant to be.

That was my weird week.

Happy Quilting

Leanne

Some Finishes

These are the two quilts I bound this week.

This is for my niece, Annalee. who lives in Western Australia.

The pieced back

For my little Archer.

These prints are from Prints Charming.

Happy Quilting

Leanne

40...40...40...40...40...

No matter how many times I say it, it doesn't sound real. Yes, I am 40 years old. I don't feel it and I don't think I look it ( however it is we are suppose to look at 40 ) but I am IT. I bet my parents are feeling old about now. Their first born is 40.

I had a great day. I started the day off binding two quilts and doing some circle work on my new machine. Have I told you how much I LOVE it?  My sister and her boys came to sympathise celebrate with me and stayed with us for the night, and my parents came for dinner. I actually cooked it myself. So nothing really changes. We had Coles BBQ chickens, my famous potato bake and steamed vegies. To end it off, a black forest birthday cake. YUM!

This is me at 40

My 4 Boys

My Sissy

( i don't know what's goin' on with my wig)

My Lovely Mum & Dad

My Sister came bearing gifts (see below ) and Mum and Dad got me a webcam.

Some really cute necklaces

California Dreamin'

A gorgeous Vintage Hand Embroidered Turkish cushion cover. We found this at the Sydney Craft Fair.

Thanks to everyone for their best wishes.

As they say

"Life begins at 40"

So bring it on !!!!

Cheers

Leanne

I Got Real Busy.

After feeling rotten at the start of the week, the end of the week turned out to be great.
I finished 3 quilt tops

Quilted a top. I designed this quilting pattern myself for my quilting machine. It worked out really well.

And got a NEW MACHINE!!! How exciting. It was kind of a last minute decision. I got a Husqvarna Mega Quilter. I always said to my boss, Jody, that if ever that machine came on sale that I would get one. In the 4 years I have worked at the shop that machine has never been on sale. I just HAD to have it....

I picked it up on Friday. My boys went to stay with Ma & Pa for the weekend, so I sewed up a storm. While Paul watched the car racing, I annoyed him with the constant whirring of the machine. Because it is an industrial machine it goes super fast. I sewed up 366 HST ( Half Square Triangles ) in no time at all.

When I picked up my new machine, Jody had a little surprise for me. It is my 40th birthday this week and she had a gift for me. A 1/4inch foot for my mega quilter and 3 quilting books. I was from all the lovely ladies I work with at the shop, so Thankyou to you all for my gift. ( I can't believe I am turning 40! )

I am expecting another busy week with customer quilts and some of my own to get up on the frame. I've 2 quilts to bind and another to stitch together. So I better get going.

Happy Quilting
Leanne