So Far..So Good

Even I am confused now!

I feel like everyone read my last post different to how I meant it....I wasn't complaining.....I love blogging, I especially love blogging about my life here in Tasmania at the moment...hence my companion blog, Cath@Home. I have something to blog about over there almost every day as well as hosting 2 Link Parties (which some of you will know is very time consuming - still I get a kick out of that). So, I don't really have room for fitting in a creative station there as well, which is why I continue with two blogs and even if I combined the two, it would still take up as much time to write the posts. Besides, I like to keep things compartmented....just a silly quirk in my personality. So don't worry about the blogging crisis....the crisis really is TIME. Time I spend on-line, visiting various blogs....not too mention Pinterest......whoa! before you know it....hours have passed while you discover how to 'make Orange and Vanilla marmalade' or 'how to peel peaches in 10 seconds' or, even, '5 easy steps to organise your craft room' which you I never quite achieve....you get the drift!
ps....I am going to answer the last post's comments via the blog this time.

k 'nuff said?

As far as my 'Resolutions' go....so far, so good

1. This is my 3rd post this week. ✓    
2. I have updated my facebook page....sorry for overloading your home pages! ✓   
3. Caught up with a number of blogs already....loving the list but it is still unfinished. ✓   
4. Have returned visits from comments....mostly for Cath@Home so far. ✓   
5. Still need to prepare some blocks for stitching. ✗   
6. Started on some piecing!....see below. ✓    

4 out of 5....not so bad for the first few days. Don't worry, I am not going to bore you with updates of my resolutions every week although I might re-visit them quarterly.....just to keep me on track.

Here's what I have been sewing this week:

 Take some luxuriously soft minky fabric

and some really cute 'baby' cottons from the stash!

combine the two....and....hey presto!...the start of another little quilt in the making.

I won't be showing off too much of this one because it is a secret.  I have lots of secrets at the moment and I will have to keep 'mum' about them all as I am not sure which of my family is sneaking a peak at my blog, but I will divulge when everything is set in place. Keep a close eye on this space!

Lastly, I would just like to remind you that my Link Party - What's For Dinner Wednesday is open at Cath@Home....you don't need a special post or even to include a recipe....just link up and join the foodie sharing party.  There is a prize involved!

Here are some reasons to take part in Link Parties:

Ok, here goes, I am pushing the publish button.......now!

Resolution

I don't believe in New Year Resolutions....in the past I feel they have set me up for failure but at the same time it is in my nature to have some sort of plan and ritual over the course of a week/ month or year....Lately, I have not had much to say, show or share at Bits 'n Bobs and I have only blogged 58 posts last year, which is down on the year before and the least I have ever blogged in a year. Not a problem with my other blog Cath@Home where I post almost every day..... In 2015, I blogged 130 posts over there and I let the memes and link ups guide my blogging,.....so I think I need to be more committed at Bits 'n Bobs....don't you?

There is something about January though that makes you want to make a fresh start and I do it every year....I do hope this will be something I can stick too. Now all I need is some encouragement!


 

DBM #15 - Happy New Year!

Hello to everyone, if there is anyone still reading my blog!, and a Happy New Year to you all....I hope 2016 sees your needles always threaded with lots of projects to create.

Twenty-Fifteen was a pretty slow year for me in the sewing department and until we start on building the new house with a beautiful big studio, it probably will continue to be more slow stitching as I cannot unpack all my boxes yet and a couple of machines are still packed in boxes. *sigh*

the sun sets on 2015

My sewing plans for this year is to continue stitching:

A Country Tea Party
I currently have blocks 4 & 5 that I need to work on. To be traced and Stitched.

Flowerville
I received block 5 just before Christmas which I can get stitching on straight away.

Brookfield
I am up to the 5th month of basket blocks which are still in their original packaging.

Australian Afternoon 
I have only done three out of 11 blocks for this one and it will probably sit on the backburner until the first three BOMs are finished being stitched.

Baby Quilts
We are off to another family wedding in late January so I am thinking it is time I get a jump start on some baby quilts.......just in case!

A Christmas Quilt
While I was decorating in red & white this year, I realised that I didn't have any table runners or cushion covers or decorator quilt for Christmas in any of those colours......so I would like to make one or two table toppers.....some cushion covers and possibly a quilt for Christmas 2016.

Now, what do you have planned....this week....this month....this year? What is on your Design Board?

• Link will be open until Sunday 10.1.2016.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me! I like comments too!

 

DBM #14 - Oh Dear & Oh Deer!

Oh Dear! Would you believe I forgot it was Monday today? We had some "out of left field" news yesterday and I have been mulling over that and completely forgot that I was supposed to post DBM today. All I have done this week, is sew little baskets and with yet another block for A Garden Tea Party arriving in the post, I will do some of that this week, if I get the chance.

We are travelling to Launceston for Christmas Day and I want to bake some treats to take and make some pots of cherry jam for neighbour gifts so I doubt I will get any stitching done this week.

Even though we are not expecting anyone here for the Christmas period, I still wanted to add a festive feel to the house....no Christmas tree but some decorations on the mantle and hallway table to make spirits bright.

Red and White are the main colours this year  because they were in the first box I found and I have featured my Reindeer in this collection for the mantle....oh deer! how many reindeer do I have? I last counted 10 but only 4 made the cut for this scene. The little green 'trees' are pine saplings that I found outside and I love the pop of green freshness that they add to the mantle. Hopefully next year they will be bigger and I can shape them into little xmas trees and add lights.

click on this image to view in lightbox (makes it bigger)

For the entrance table, I collected all sorts of  'xmas trees'....I am really not sure how many of these I have now and even bought another on sale last week although I haven't used it here. I bought the glass one (filled with baubles) at the sales last year......I have been lazy this year and just popped some baubles in it but think of the possibilities......I love Christmas decorating!

The tree topper angel is new this year too....when I spotted her, I knew it was time to replace the old one which we haven't used for a couple of years because she is too heavy for our new xmas tree. I just realised...the snowglobe with the reindeer is technically reindeer #11! Oh deer, oh deer! I am thrilled with how festive these two areas look....such a shame only me and the farmer will experience it but that is life! I am already getting excited for next years decorating and may treat myself to a little trip to find more bargains.....after Christmas....ho ho ho!

Now, what would you like to share here today.....anything needle and thread and for this week only, your creative Christmas decorating.

Let's see what you have on your Design Board this week:

• Link will be open until Sunday 27/12/15.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.....or anything Christmasy!
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me! I like comments too!

   

DBM #13 - A Tisket, a Tasket

Firstly, I am so very sorry not to have been live yesterday.....they have been doing maintenance work on the internet connections around here and somehow we were completely disconnected from the network. My farmer spent ages on the phone with them trying to make them understand that the issue was theirs and not ours....this has happened before! It seems we have been reconnected today so I better get my blog updated incase it drops out again.

Brookfield
Another packet of baskets arrived this last week so I have been trying to catch up.....a tisket, a tasket....I stitched a little basket...or two....or three...well I am up to month 3s batch so catching up quickly....I am going to concentrate on these this week until I am up to date with the BOM

Flowerville
Yay, I have completed the stitching for Block 3 and the next one hasn't arrived yet so I am UP.TO.DATE with something!

I have the next pattern for A Country Tea Party taped to my light box ready to trace which I plan to do today....I was thinking about leaving the stitching until I am completely up to date with the baskets but I can't promise my fingers won't start itching to stitch it. What do you think these cheeky teddies are up to?

Now,  lets take a look at my Design Board this week.

as you can see, Blue Fusion and Little Bird Quilt are still sat on the board....ever hopeful, as am I, that there will be progress.

How about you? what are your stitching plans this week? Remember it is anything involving needle and thread and for a limited time, Christmas Decorating.....surely your Christmas Tree is up by now....so....from now until Christmas....feel free to share your Christmas Decorating too

Let's see what you have on your Design Board this week:

• Link will be open until Sunday 20/12/15.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.....or anything Christmasy!
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me! I like comments too!

Linking up with

 

DBM #12 - Its Starting to Look Like Christmas

Where has this week gone? Way too fast, infact I almost missed Monday and posting DBM #12!

This is such a busy time of year with Christmas Functions, Christmas shopping and all that, I suddenly thought during the week that I would like to add some Christmas Fun to our home with a few strategically placed ornies....nothing too much since we will not be here for Christmas and no-one is visiting until the New Year....I still want to find a few nik-naks to finish it off and my Farmer found a sweet little Pine Tree sapling that we are going to replant into a pot for a Xmas Tree.....I can't wait for him to do that.

 I have done some stitching and which I debuted in my last post....well I have done a bit more on that as well

I have finished the little house.....my chain stitch has improved enough for me to feel better about using it in the curved shape of the roof.

and on the heart set in the door

Now I just have to finish off the flowers and the little bird sitting on the roof.

This will be an easy peasy finish for this week......and then.....well back to the usual wishful thinking projects. Not much change to the Design Board

So, how about you.....have you got anything to share as we get closer to the 'Silly Season'? From now until Christmas....feel free to share your Christmas Decorating too

Let's see what you have on your Design Board this week:

• Link will be open until Sunday 13/12/15.
• link anything that you are working on this week or over the past week....needle and thread is all it takes.....or anything Christmassy!
• Please add a link back to Bits 'n Bobs as part of your post (why not get the button code to paste into your post)
• Please make the effort to visit other link users and leave them a comment to make their day! Don't forget me!

Linking up with:

A Late Friday Report & FNWF

The farmer and I are going out this evening so I will be a late starter for FNWF but this afternoon, I am doing some stitchery while I watch an episode of Mad Men.....can't wait to see what Don Draper is up to next.....be still my beating heart!

So I have a few options....shall I stitch on the latest block of A Country Tea Party....the latest block arrived during this week.

or should I build some more basket blocks for Brookfield....would be good if I could clone myself...think of how much more I could get done. The 5th package should be arriving any day now!

I am leaving Australian Afternoon out of the equation for the moment as I want to keep up with the BOM's arriving monthly in the mail.....

No, I think I will stitch on with Flowerville while I drool over Mr Don Draper...Oh so Debonair!

I started the stitching on block 3 on Tuesday when I joined the ladies at Frangipani Fabrics for their Christmas Breakup Morning Tea....as you can guess....not that much stitching was done. Here is what I have achieved so far.

None of my other projects have seen the light of day....I have been far too busy processing cherries...we now have a huge amount in the freezer, several jars of Cherry Jam and several jars of Cherries in Light Syrup....I am going to try my hand at making Marachino Cherries next and if I remember the vodka, I am going to infuse it with cherries .My mum and I once got quite tipsy together on Cranberry Vodka....It was very YUM, so I am quite keen to try it with Cherries.

I will get around to visiting all those who stitched along for FNWF, but it might take me awhile.....there are still cherries to pick and I may very well be 'jamming' all weekend. Here's a pic of the batch I made on Wednesday.