{thirty one} THE END!

We made it to the end of Blogtoberfest 2011.  Thanks for playing along, for reading and commenting and blogging.  Such a busy month in the world of blogs and good fun too!

I may take a day off from my blog, I may not.  Now that Blogtoberfest is over there is no blogging stress.  I made the target 31 days in a row of blogging.  No need to mention the fact that my content may have been a bit thin over the last week, I know it!

edit: did anyone notice that I spelt Blogtoberfest wrong in the sign Possum is holding up?  Sigh, I am glad it is the end of the month!

{thirty} happy

Second last day of Blogtoberfest!  I am happy to have made it this far without missing a day even if it wasn't the crafty kind of finish I had hoped for. 

 I don't think I have had a finished project to show off now for awhile but I have managed to prattle on regardless.

{twenty nine} pigs

According to the history of this game it was started about 3000 years ago in Piglonia and the average game took about 6 days to play because the pigs used to run away and hide in their mud bogs.

I don't blame them, if it is true...

I found this game for 50 cents at a local market stall.  I doubt this is an MB games best seller, but it is a bit of fun every now and then.  Pass the Pigs, please :) 

Do you think I am scraping the bottom of the barrel for Blogtoberfest inspiration?  You could be right!

{twenty eight} focus

I don't see Blogtoberfest on the list, or Blogger either...

Exam prep is underway here (as soon as I publish this post).

{twenty seven} knitting socks

I bought this Zauberball on a recent(ish) road trip North.  I really like the colours and have plans to turn it into a pair of socks, presuming I ever finish the pair I am knitting right now...

There is still a lot to go.  I need a big road trip so I can have some extra knitting time in the car.

{twenty six} thankyou water

I am not a person who usually buys drinks in town.  We mostly have water bottles from home with us because we are boring like that.  If I do need to buy water this is the stuff I now look for.  Thankyou Water!  It is for sale in these stores near you.

It is an amazing concept and a good way to help developing nations access what we take for granted, clean water.  100% of Thankyou Water's profit funds water projects in developing nations.

My only complaint is the use of the word thankyou. 

Thank you.

{twenty five} group work

I don't feel like I am represented on this picture.  Where is the person who sees the value in trying a cooperative learning task and wants the group to all contribute as intended for a desirable group outcome?

I am having trouble convincing the group that a cooperative learning task can only work if everyone has a discussion about the topic and moves on from there.  I have no authority over the group which adds to the challenge, but I don't want one person to write an essay and then get someone to check spelling and fob it off as a group activity.  Who will learn anything from that?

Rant over (for now!).

{twenty four} swing

The new (old) tyre swing is in the orchard near the cubby house and sand pit.

Such a great spot to spend the afternoon for us all.

The simple things really are the best!

{twenty three} MPAY

This week I am joining in with My Place and Yours over on Vic's blog.

The theme for this week is 'my pin cushion'.

Chicken via a swap, Felted cupcake via a lucky door prize, Apple made by me, Cupcake via a swap.

I have a few I love, but I don't really use them when sewing, with the exception of  this pin cushion. Shame I didn't think to pull it out of the sewing cabinet and snap a new photo, but follow the link because it is a bit special!

Just a little over a week of Blogtoberfest fun left for 2011!  I have not missed a day of blogging yet, but anything could happen in the last week!

{twenty two} Blue

Due for another haircut is my blue eyed baby.

Lucky for me Blogtober gives me an excuse to post these photos I took a couple of days ago.

This boy is a joy.

{twenty one} catch up

The assignment has been submitted and I can turn my attention to the next one due in two weeks.  The Mr has been absent over the past two weeks is back home and all is well.

Maybe I can turn my attention to window washing?

Do you think he is looking in and thinking about the dirt on the windows too?
How do children get windows so very dirty in the first place?

{twenty} creative space

A quick fix craft here due to the level of busy mentioned in my last post.

A key fob kit from Earth Girl fabrics that I picked up at Sew it Together.  You can buy it in kit form such as this was, or pick and choose webbing colours and ribbon to suit separately.

Simple, quick and SUPER cute!

More creative spaces here.

{nineteen} study

Two assessments due and exam prep to start...

At least I will have a good excuse if I fall off the Blogtoberfest wagon!

{eighteen} Sawn rocks

Further to our climbing and camping trip at Mt Kaputar National Park, we also stopped in at Sawn Rocks on the way home.

It was an easy walk of 1.5km return from the carpark so perfect for the children.

Sawn rocks is one of the best examples of the geological formation known as 'organ piping' in Australia.

I suspect the children were more interested in the creek flowing beneath the main feature and I was waiting for one of them to 'accidentally' fall in.

Can you see the matching shapes on the ground that show where the rock formations sat once upon a time?

It was an amazing stop.

{seventeen} kids craft

I have some fabric crayons and a couple of extra screen printed panels from The Red Thread also bought at Sew it Together.  I had been saving them but thought they might make a fun activity for the children and this seemed like the most age appropriate craft option for them.

I will buy a couple of small frames and put them in their rooms.  They are both very excited to have made something for themselves with the 'special' fabric.

I love the different stages they are up to.  Possum likes to colour in all the spaces because she has not finished her craft if there is room for more.  Blue likes to do it all by himself and you get in trouble for trying to help at all.  I hope these will be a good reminder of these baby years for us all as they grow.

{sixteen} Secret Santa

A small screen printed panel from The Red Thread.  Wonky stitches and perle 8 thread.

I need a frame to suit it and I can pat myself on the back for starting to think about small gifts to put away.

The Red Thread was also a sponsor of Sew it Together this year which is where I picked up this little panel.

{fifteen} polly pratt

I was really lucky to meet Anna of Polly Pratt at Sew it Together earlier this year.  Polly Pratt was one of the sponsors of the event which makes me very happy as you may remember I bought one of her dresses there and wore it to the children's Christening back here.

Then there was a sale and I picked up another shift dress.  I love this vintage style horse print on the linen!

Then there was another sale...

I don't feel guilty because Anna is lovely, and she sponsored a great event.  And I love great clothes and am a sucker for a sale too!

{fourteen} medallion quilt

The challenge for the second round of the medallion quilt along had been set as squares.  I left it awhile to consider my option s and decided on a 9 patch block.  Easy math may have been a consideration!

I bought some grey to let me add a border to frame each new round.  I wasn't going to buy any new fabric for this project but I decided I had to.  Glad I did as I think it sets it off well so no guilt here (or not much anyway!). One side is 48 inches across.

There are still three rounds to add and I have no idea what the theme for each will be.  The 9 patch blocks did add a lot of size in a hurry and I hope I didn't overdo things and use too much of the fabrics early on.  Time will tell!

{thirteen} creative space

I picked up this tea towel in an op shop the other day.  I think I will turn it into a bag like the Dubbo Zoo tea towel below.  Curly Pops has a tutorial if you want to sew one yourself.

They make great shoe bags when you travel, and might even be useful if you get lost in Dubbo while at the zoo.  I have a Timbertown bag somewhere, but I can't find it which is annoying.  If you are lost at Timbertown, don't call me...

More creative spaces here.  More Blogtoberfest fun here.

Two memes, one stone!

{twelve} random thoughts

Procrastinating is easy when you should be studying, or doing housework.... unless the assessment is due tomorrow at which point in time you decide to do the housework as another form of procrastination...

Children lull you into a false sense of security and you pat yourself on the back for being a good Mum and having happy kids and a calm house.  Then you are home alone for a week and they let you have it. Pow!!

Sometimes it is hard to be happy, but chocolate helps.  I eat too much chocolate.  I would cut back on the chocolate but I fear my intake of bubbly and beer might rise as a consequence.  At least I can still legally drive after a box of chocolate.

I wasn't going to blog today because I am feeling a tad restless and not quite myself, but I am myself enough that I know it would bug me tomorrow if I wigged out and missed a day of Blogtober so as a result my random thoughts are it for today.  

Sorry.

{Eleven} SIT - Prints Charming Skirt

Back in March I went to Sew it Together in Sydney. As part of the fun we visited Prints Charming and went shopping and stitching.  Everyone bought a scrap pack (or two) and a sew-along was born thanks to Karen.

my scrap pack laid out

I bought the Sew What! Skirts book and drafted my first paper pattern to suit my measurements.  Great book and I learnt a lot in just this one project so am looking forward to trying a few of the other styles mentioned.

I finished the skirt awhile ago, but as is typical I only just got around to hemming it when I decided I should wear it to Church on the weekend.  I backed it in plain stretch denim I bought while in Sydney too.  I wasn't sure about the stretch element but it does sit nicely and feel good.

I need to add a couple of darts to the back to get it to sit better, but all in all I am VERY happy with how this turned out.  I might look into a less bright scrap pack to make another of these skirts at some stage.

{Ten} Pre-School

Possum's first morning at Pre-School today.  She was excited! This term will just be 3 hours on a Monday to get her used to the routine and Pre-School life before next year when she will have to go two days a week (yikes, am I ready for that?).

There was painting, singing, reading, playing, craft, follow the leader, morning tea, as well as a certificate and a new book to commemorate her first day.  Not bad for a three hour window!

{nine} Sunday Stash

A bit of a collection today for a Sunday Stash.  Denyse Schmidt!

First there was the Picnic and Fairgrounds collection.

Then came Winding Roads.

This led to the need to make a new friend overseas so I could add the US exclusive fabrics from these ranges to my DS collection.  The above photo is a combination of Sugar Creek and Picnic and Fairgrounds not available in Australia.  Thanks Alecia!

It has me excited about a quilt to come when I see all these together.  A Mosaic Block quilt? A Spiderweb Block quilt? Both?

I am now just waiting on the soon to be released Salty Aire Collection before I start sewing :)