birthday flowers

Well I had a lovely week last week celebrating my birthday. After the dinner on Weds ending with a migraine, my lunch on Friday was so much fun.  We were the last people left in our local restaurant, as they waited for us to leave so they could set up for a private function that night. 
And while i did not take a photo of all my birthday goodies, I will show you these, given to me by a friend; arent; they gorgeous?

In the meantime I have done more work on the christening gown, and hope to have it done soon.  I didn't buy enough edging lace for the bottom so off I will go for more. I can't wait to see it finished.  I think it should be really pretty.  (sounds immodest saying that doesn't it?)

Last night was spent working on binding a quilt for the shop where I now work. I go back to work on Thursday so should have it done by then.  If you are lucky i will snap a quick picture before I take it back.

a busy week

Wow, it feels like ages since i have been on here.  (And I see that it has been!)
I do have an excuse though; well several I guess. In the last two weeks I have bought a new car, gotten a new job and had a birthday (one of the big ones that end in 0 but don't tell anyone okay?)

So first things first; we have a new car ordered for me which I am soooo excited about.  DH usually gets the new cars and then i get it when it has a few years and lots of kms on it and he gets the next new car. But my car is having a few problems so when the man of the house suggested we get a new one, I was not going to say no.  So hopefully next week it will be sitting in my driveway.

As for the new job, I have been quietly looking for work but so far no luck. While I was in the wool shop two weeks ago buying the wool for my frilly scarf, I boldly asked the lady who owned the shop if she had work, and she said yes!  Easy as that.  So i worked one day last week on the day that she is shut, found out we liked each other so now I am working three days a week.  It all happened so fast.  So i have had two days in the shop this week, and am having so much fun.
I knitted another scarf last week but this is for the wool shop display, so it now hangs proudly with two others.  Doesn't the white look so smart?

And yes, iIhad a birthday on Monday. I didn't want a party but have been doing things with friends; I went out for dinner on Weds night with my craft group, that was lovely (except for the migraine I had by the time i went home; I was so sick that night; sorry to everyone who came out to dinner for me; not sure how much good company I was).
Today I am having lunch with my friends here in town.  I am looking forward to that too.

As just quickly; as for any sewing; that has not been too much of that happening, but I did get some lace that I have been waiting for so I can finish my christening gown. That came yesterday. I also have been playing with ideas of what to do with my little stitcheries that i started a little while ago. A friend has lent me a pattern with four more little designs, the perfect size, so I might now do those and add them to the five I have and make a nine square quilt.  So while the hands have been a little idle, the mind has been going overtime.  Hopefully I can show you something completed very soon.

weekend knitting

We have done nothing much over our long weekend for the Queen's Birthday. I spent last Friday and Saturday knitting this scarf which I am very happy with. It is out of some wool made by Rico, called Can Can. it starts off looking like a wide wool, and then stretches out into a type of mesh. Very clever.

And so easy. Seven stitches, just rows and rows of knit and then you end up with this.

I might have to keep my eye out for a different colour. This was the last ball the wool shop had; evidently it is very popular and flies out the door when they get it in.  I do like these colours but would love one in shades of pink as well.  It is very soft, and I am told, very warm to wear.  I have just enough left on the ball to make another one, so I might have to make that one up and then give it away as a gift i think. (I dont need two of the same colour).
Lincraft has a range of similar wool in their shops but trust me; you want to spend the extra money and get this wool; it is softer and much nicer.

bag lady

Would you believe after i had all but finished writing this post, I pressed a button (which one???) and lost the whole lot.  As i have no hope of recapturing the brilliance that was the original post, i will now have to try to paraphrase.

I am not sure how many bags one has to have to qualify as a bag lady but as i keep making them and now have more than I need; I think that qualifies me!!
I have spent the last two days playing with my new bag pattern that i got last week from Joypatch designs.  It is a cute little bag and I have had a lot of fun making it.
What i should have been doing this morning was more new car hunting but as one of my kids decided to come down with a chesty cold, staying at home and sewing became the order of the day.  Dont give him any sympathy; he is too sick to be at school, but not necessarily sick enough that he doesn't give me cheek!!  Hopefully, after two days at home he will be at school tomorrow.

Okay, back to the bag. I have spent the weekend playing with some panels of little embroideries to incorporate into it, between the strips of fabrics. I always swore I would not embroider anything that would be well used after embroidering a lap rug with some gorgeous ballerina teddy bears. Sadly, after maybe six years of almost constant use, the one strand of cotton thread gave up the fight and has now disappeared into virtual nothingness.  So, I have defied my cardinal rule. But in my defence; my thoughts about this bag always came up with one word; "pretty" and so what else could I do?  So it has four panels of little sprays of flowers. The two on the front are out of my head, the two on the sides came from trawling the internet for ideas.
so, before I bore you all senseless; here is my bag. A warning though; Joy was very clear about the need for bag weight wadding which i didn't have and decided I could live without.  And it does work without, but does have a tendency to sag.

It wont get a chance to sag when it is full of the christening gown that I am still in the middle of.
Here is the embroidery on the front..

And one of the side panels:

And finally, the inside:

See the pockets around the side: clever huh? 
A very nice friend a couple of years ago gave me some plastic to play with in my sewing. I have used it a couple of times and as I have some left I used some on the bottom of the bag to keep it a bit cleaner and hopefully not get tattered.  Thanks for that Linda!!


Halfway through the making I was worried that it was going to be a bit on the small side. And while it is not as big as I had imagined, it is certainly big enough. It is a good size actually and to be honest, I usually avoid big bags; the bigger they are the more rubbish I put in them.
I just want to say before I end this how clear and easy to follow Joy's pattern was. I am looking forward to making one or two of the accessories that come with the pattern; needlecase, scissor fob etc.  I have a piece of the pieced fabrics which is the perfect size for a needlecase (which I am sure, like the bag, I do not need more of! LOL!!!)

Well the sun has finally come out here; it has been bitterly cold today. A good day for staying in and doing not much of anything.  I hope it is warmer where you are.

P.S. Weds:
I was having trouble yesterday getting good photos with the right colours; in some it is too light and in others too dark. This was taken this morning and is maybe a little better.
BTW it was 4 degrees outside when i got up this morning. No snow but i see it snowed over towards the Dandenongs. Brrrr, a very chilly winter coming up by the looks of things.

(Yes, this shows it much better. That corner is still not standing up though is it??)

Here it comes again!!

Well, after waiting a week and a half, I now have both of my bag patterns here; they came a day apart. Very odd. So off one goes back to where it came from.  So, while i wait for an opportunity to go and get two or three more fabrics for it, i have been busy going through my stash to see what i have and what i might need. I am also busy planning how i can incorporate some embroidery into it. I have decided to do some white strips with soem embroidery running down them.   I really have enough on the go at present but couldn't resist  this. It is a great bag and if i wasn't doing anything extra it could be whipped up in an afternoon. 
So this is what i have so far...

I love the green and pink combination and haven't really used it on anything much before so I think this will be pretty.
Before i go I will share some sunset photos i took a couple of days ago.  I love sunset photography and I am often out and about in the evenings but never with my camera.  So a couple of days ago I took the boys out to show them something in the local area that I had found and then was lucky enough to beout at the exact right time to snap these:

I truly love living where we do. I wouldn't move for all the tea in China!

It came; at last!!

Finally, after a week and a half, my bag pattern finally came.  i did have to email and enquire about it, after which Joy very nicely sent me another one. Thanks Joy.  Unfortunately, no photos of it as son no.1 has taken my camera to school. Hopefully next week there will be photos of a finished bag for you to see.  Now i need to find some more material and get a zip and off i go. i have some pretty pink and green materials that I can use but I need some more. Hopefully it will be pretty. (Pretty is always my goal!!). Maybe when I am running my son around on Saturday and Sunday to various events i can find what i want.

Well, I am not sure where the sun went but we have had three or four of the most beautiful Autumn days; a little late but better late than never. it looks very cold outside again today. Brrrrr.
Just a short note to say thanks for everyone's messages of support.  It was a tough start to the week but life does go on and things are looking more settled and I have found my smile again.I am looking forward to a better week next week.