It's Been A Busy Week!

Not only did the Easter Bunny visit our little street last week but so did the Stork!  My gorgeous next door neighbours - Casey and Jonte - welcomed their newest addition, Hamish Jack and he was 4 weeks earlier than expected!  Well that threw a spanner into my creative works as I only had girly quilt tops made up on stand by.  Luckily it was nothing a quick trip to Spotlight and a few hours of sewing couldn't fix and by the time they came home on Easter Monday I had a custom made quilt ready and waiting for them :)  I used this tutorial then added an extra row plus some machine appliquing - http://neverenoughhours.blogspot.com.au/2010/08/fat-quarter-baby-quilt-tutorial.html

Another quilt I am working on at the moment is for my daughter Abbie (she already has quite a few but loves frogs so I couldn't say no when she asked if it was for her!).  I am using the "Perfect 10" pattern by Swirly Girl Designs (http://www.swirlygirlsdesign.com/products/quilt-patterns/) and finally cutting into my Sarah Fielke's "On The Pond" range of fabrics.  Each of the 8 bordered squares will contain a paper pieced frog which I thought was an appropriate use of such gorgeous fabrics!  The frog is a pattern I purchased from etsy (http://www.etsy.com/listing/62747138/kiriki-the-frog-block-paper-piecing)

So this new project, together with my son's Hunter's Star quilt and my ever growing WIP basket, is keeping me busy and out of trouble ... for the time being anyway ;)

Happy Sunday everyone xo

Say Hello to My New Friend :)

I have been so busy the past few weeks ... and here is the reason why!  Meet Qiyana (her name means clever and crafty) and she is a Janome Memory Craft 8200. To say I am in love would be somewhat of an understatement :)

She has revived my love of quilting and I have made 2 new cot quilts in the past couple of weeks.  This one is based on "The Crazy Quilt" by Missouri Star Quilt Company( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9QKruDO8tk)

And this one is based on "Goose in the Corner" by Happy Quilting (http://happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/starburst-quilt-long-goose-in-corner.html)

Now that those quilt tops are safely packed away in my UFO basket I have started on a quilt for my son Jordan.  His favourite colour is blue and I have picked a Hunter's Star block which I hope is manly enough for his liking!  This is what my design board looks like at the moment:

And there is a frighteningly large pile of squares which need to be sewn, cut, ironed and trimmed into half square triangles to make the blocks:

When it's finished it will be a queen size quilt ... he is lucky I love him as much as I do :)

Happy Easter everyone ... I'm off to make some more HSTs :)

Today We Are Making Lip Balm!

The postlady delivered all my organic ingredients yesterday so, with the help of my Princess, we spent the afternoon making lip balm!

We used these recipes as inspiration:

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/newsletter/11/january/lipbalm.php

http://www.crunchybetty.com/3-simple-homemade-lip-balms-your-lipsve-never-been-yummier

http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/08/a-recipe-for-homemade-warm-vanilla-and-honey-lip-balm/

Some worked out better than others but our favourite by far was one of our own:

4 tablespoons sweet almond oil
1 tablespoon macadamia wax beads
1 teaspoon cocoa butter
1 teaspoon raw honey
3 drops essential oil (we used lavender)

Smooth and creamy!  Feels fabulous on your lips, smells divine and every time you lick you can taste honey ... delicious!!  Definitely a winner :)

I will upload a photo as soon as I can work out how to turn it up the right way!

Everyone Needs a Hobby ....

Modern day life is so hectic ... rushing here, rushing there!  Traffic, crowds, hustle and bustle ... no wonder we are so exhausted at the end of the day.  Most people relax by couch potato-ing their way through a couple of hours of television after dinner.  That used to be me until I realised that it was such a monumental waste of time!  Winding down and getting ready for sleep is absolutely necessary but gluing yourself to the idiot box is definitely NOT the way to do it.  I am in the process of getting back into the habit of reading in bed before I go to sleep ... we took the TV out of the bedroom last night which was very exciting!  If you have read anything about the paleo/primal lifestyle you will understand why.  A completely dark bedroom with no electronic/technical interference ensures the best possible sleep and we had fallen into the bad habit of falling asleep watching a bit of TV.

As this is a year of monumental changes for me I decided it was time to ditch the TV as a form of mindless entertainment (not completely but drop it down the priority list significantly).  A couple of years ago I started quilting ... I taught myself using YouTube videos by Missouri Star Quilt Company for inspiration and guidance.  I made a few, I sold a few but, more importantly, I found something that I loved to do and that I found very relaxing (well, most of the time!).  Like with most things, I started off full of enthusiasm and slowly let life get in the way until I was hardly quilting at all.  So at the beginning of 2013 I decided to start quilting again regularly.  This is the quilt I am working on at the moment:

It's called "Hugs and Kisses" and the pattern is available for free download at www.allpeoplequilt.com. The blocks will be machine applique finished which is something I have never tried before so that will be fun!  I just adore the bright colours and the fact that you have to mix and match patterns which is something I struggle with.  I am loving the way it is looking so far!

I am also waiting on an order of supplies to begin making my own soap and lip balm.  Being a hippie, I am trying to make as much of my own consumables as possible.  So far I have made and am using my own homemade shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant and body wash and they are awesome!  I am hoping to be able to make lots of homemade goodies for presents for family and friends ... giving the gift of a smaller carbon footprint, gotta love that!