A tiny slice of my life

This is a look at my life, and the many things I try to learn and do.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

What I have Been Up To ...

Well it has been seriously busy in the CLI household for the last few days.

I have made vinyl backed baby change mats number 3 & 4. That's the end of that job.

Mr CLI , Miss Fish & I did some serious gardening, well i sometimes did a bit of pruning the watching because this blipping shoulder restricts what I can do, the back garden bed is now weed free and heavily mulched with geraniums that I grew from cuttings, planted.

The front garden bed around our bedroom window and across part of the front verandah where I have my standard roses and lavender , is all now weeded and mulched.

On Saturday afternoon I did some serious cooking I made sausage rolls, pasties and with the 1 sheet of pastry left over I made 6 little apple turnovers which I served hot with ice cream and the leftover sauce from cooking the apples drizzled over it. Yum !

Yesterday I got to do my first ever Layla minding for the afternoon. Yippee

What better way to spend an afternoon that to cuddle your Grandaughter for the afternoon. As our house has very high ceiling 3 1/2 meters it was lovely and cool and she slept well. Oh joy :-)

So till next enjoy your day with whatever your doing.

Oh and yesterday this came in the post, my ISpy fabric swap parcel. Nothing makes a fabricholics heart beat faster than more fabric.

 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Craftsy - BOM with Amy Gibson

Craftsy is an online crafting lessons website. I fell upon it a year or 2 ago and have bought a few courses, sometimes they even have free ones !

One of the ones I got last year was a BOM - Block of the Month - with Amy Gibson from www.stitcherydickorydock.com

Now last week I decided to print all the info and patterns then my thoughts went to creating these blocks. I had this red, hot pink and grey fabrics - Sugar Flower by Lecien - just sitting there waiting for inspiration to come also a large leftover piece of moda cream fabric.

Then the light bulb went off why don't I use them for this quilt.

 

It was something quick I could create on the sewing machine and as I need to have several breaks - still in pain from the car accident - at least I would feel like I was achieving something. Which I call a " win win" situation.

There are 2 blocks each month for 10 months a total of 20 blocks.

I have finished both blocks for the first 5 months then one for the sixth, I thought I had finished the second block, but due to technical difficulties - me not ready the instructions a making the hexagons to big - I will have to redo them :-(

 

Then I jumped a couple of months and hand sewed the curved little blocks, then machine sewed them together.

So I am very happy with my progress.

Now l must stop procrastinating and finish piecing the backing for the licorice all sorts quilt and pin it together so I can quilt it.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Another Portable Change Mat ... but in Pink !

Well another change mat as been produced, not that there was anything wrong with the first vinyl backed one I made last week. Except without thinking I used a fabric for the front with cute little duckies on it, but the background was blue !

So a request Was put in by Miss Le Coiffure with a smile and oh so nicely could I please use the leftover vinyl and make another one using the pink fabric I had bought but forgot to use on the last one.

When I have made it she could then give the "boys" one to her friend that has a baby boy but she doesn't have a change mat. I don't know about it being a "boys" one because if you look at the backing it is all pink green lemon and aqua not what I would have called boyish.

Well what is a good Mum/Nana to do but make another mat. Which was this mornings job and is all done and dusted.

 

Very pretty in pink !

Monday, October 22, 2012

Spicy Red Capsicum Dip & Another Baby Item Finished

Well we finally had some nice weather on Saturday, so nice in fact that Miss Fish and I set up the out side lounges and watched Mr CLI work lol.

 

So for lunch on Saturday I fancied some dips. I made Lorraine Elliot's tuna one from her site Not Quite Nigella.

 

Then I wanted on a bit spicier, after a search on the Internet I came up with this one.

 

Now if you don't want to use the mayonnaise you could replace it with 1/2 cup of raw nuts and blitz till chunky.

 

Spicy Red Capsicum Dip

1 red capsicum with core removed and cut into chunks, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, several drops tobasco, 1 clove garlic peeled, 2 tbsps grated Parmesan , 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 dessert spoon lemon juice, 12 sundried tomatoes

 

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz till smooth.

 

 

Also I managed to get another item on my to do list completed. I started this blanket for Miss Le Coiffure's baby while she was pregnant.

I picked the colors before I knew the baby was going to be a girl, but Miss Le Coiffure likes the colors so I continued on and finished it.

 

 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

What Have I Been Up To ...

Well as I sit here in darkness, well not really but we have no power so there are dark places. I thought I would catch up with what I have been up to.

 

Yesterday the day started of with cooking. Mr CLI needed a jam slice for a meeting ! I never realised that meetings need jam slices lol

Then I moved onto a pile of fabric I had been hoarding and started to cut it into all different shapes and sizes for a BOM quilt that I have been following/watching since last November.

http://www.craftsy.com/class/The-Craftsy-Block-of-the-Month/50

I had run out the backing fabric, so I thought I would go into town and get some more and while I was in there get a script filled and check my Tattslotto, just in case I was a big winner. Hah hah

Just as I was about to go to the patchwork shop then go home. I got an SOS phone call from Miss Le Coiffure, could I get the ingredients and come to her house to show her how to make minestrone soup.

Now the problem that arises with that it was midday and she lives 30 minutes from the town I was in and I live 10 minutes from there. So. Had to get ingredients, get my fabric - without any looking get to her house , show her how to make the soup the travel the 45 - 1 hour, depending on traffic and be home by 3 pm.

As Miss Fish gets dropped off after work sometime after 3 pm I am always home by 3.

Well did I make it , yes I did I was home at 2.59 pm, having done the shopping , organised soup and managed to eat some lunch.

Well out power is back on so I can on with the day, till tomorrow Hasta La Vista Baby ...

 

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Portable Baby Change Mats

The two new mats

Well little Miss Layla thinks that when you are removing the dirty nappy and puting the new one underneath her, it is a good time to do a big wee. Lol

So as a consequence I got an SOS from Miss Le Coiffure that I needed to sew another change mat, so that there is always a clean one.

Also Miss Le Coiffure wanted a really thick one with the vinyl fabric on the back for her to put down onto public change tables.

the vinyl backed one

So Nana to the rescue, yesterday I made the one with fabric on both sides but I did use a piece of flannelette for the top half for the little head treader on, and this morning I wrestled with the very slippery vinyl fabric and created the other change mat.

Now these are very easy to make as they are basically 2 pieces of fabric sandwiched with batting in the middle that you quilt together then put binding on. These are best all sewn using a sewing machine as little Layla has shown they will be going through the washing machine quite often.

You don't even have to do free motion quilting. Just straight lines at different angles using a longer than normal stitch will suffice. This is what I did on yesterday mat and today's being so thick I sewed down the centre lengthwise then in the middle of the distance either side to divide the mat not roughly 4 equal lengths. Then I stitched in the middle width wise then halfway before the edge then near the edge to create a doona effect.

The free motion quilting on the first met

As I used 1cm (1/2") thick polyester batting it couldn't be quilted more closely , but what I have done is sufficient enough to create a soft and thick mat.

Note if you do use the vinyl fabric, it is called rain coating here in Australia at Spotlight. Have it facing down onto your sewing machine table with the cotton fabric facing upwards towards you. Also you will need to lengthen your stitch length, I made mine 3.5, and you will need to pull the mat through the machine a little to keep it moving.

Now you can make these as fancy or as simple as you want. The first one I created the bulk of the top of the mat using leftover baby charm squares with a piece of flannelette at the top for the head to be laid. Then I free motion quilted it following the curves of the backing fabric.

The second mat with flannelette at the head.

As for size you can make them what ever size that suits you, the first one I made was quite wide and I made it so it would roll up then be secured using a strap with Velcro attached, it actually is to wide to sit in the nappy bag. So yesterday's one I made narrower and attached velcro so it could be folded into a little square much easier to fit into the nappy bag.

The fat vinyl one I also folded into a square and put on a strap to secure it with Velcro.

The basic measurement I used was the top 22" x 36" (56cm x 92cm) with the backing and batting 25" x 38" (65cm x 98cm). For the binding I measured the total edge add 12" (30cm) and cut it at 2 1/2" (7cm) wide.

I used a wavy stitch which I lengthened when I sewed the binding down after I had folded it over.

Fancy stitching on the first mat.

For the binding on the vinyl backed mat I sewed it onto the top side, then cut of the excess making sure I trimmed the batting away quite close to the stitching line so to have less bulk in the binding, then folded it over and sewed it down.

 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Giveaways ...

I receive a few emails from other fabric loving ladies from all over the world.

 

Isn't the Internet such a fun thing I can sit in my chair and read about what other quiltaholics are doing around the world.

One of the ladies I read is Bev from 44th Street Fabrics and she is having a giveaway of fabric, below is the link.

http://44thstreetfabric.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/dot-and-chevron-giveaway-55-yards-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+44thStreetFabric+(44th+Street+Fabric)

Here is a picture of one of the fabrics.

 

Little Miss Layla has put on astonishing 360 grams from Friday last week til Wednesday of this week, her Mum gave her the nick name Miss Piggly Wiggly. Lol

Til next time this new Nana is going to have a restful day.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Sunrises and Sunsets

 

Were have I been in recent days.

Well I have been busy on Nana duty at my daughters so I have been seeing a few sunrises and sunsets.

I had forgotten how a Baby disturbs your sleep !

Anyway I can hear a little cry so I better see if I am needed.

 

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

She's Here ....

Well we're have I been for the last few days, googling over this precious little cherub.

 

She decided to come into the world early Friday morning, 28th September, after the nurses said " she won't be here till perhaps lunchtime". So the gauntlet was thrown down and just like her Mummy Miss Le Coffuire within an hour she decided to make a hasty appearance. Lol

She did catch the midwives out !

So I have been on hospital visiting, washing clothes and buying very very little baby clothes as she is only 5 Ib 14 Ozs about 1.3 kgs which is the size Miss Fish was at birth and as you can see by the photo she isn't little any more.

Is Layla precious = yes

Is Layla gorgeous = yes

Is Layla just kissable = yes

Now I might be a biased lol.

Well I am off to do more googling, sadly Pa Mr CLI has had only one cuddle on Friday morning because he had a meeting during Friday with people coughing and sneezing their germs - wouldnt you think with the whooping cough epidemic + other dangerous germs people would stay home with their germs. So he came down sick Friday night, so he is a really sad Pa :-(