Saturday, October 8, 2011

Some pig!

I mentioned the Prize winning show entries, well I just took some photos of a few things...
The pig. Hmmm, I am not sure where it's going to live now!


The appliqué- patient Grandma taught Jack how to do blanket stitch. Bless her! These were two of my favourite things that Jack entered...and possibly two of the easiest to photograph.


And here's a photo of my 'token entry' (I like to enter at least one thing in each year, if I am around, to support the local show)...the prize winning 'lemon butter'
The dodgy thing was, that the certificate didn't have my name on it, it had another local gal's name on it- she's a Tanya too, but totally different last name. I saw her at the show and she told me she didn't enter anything (so strange mix up to make), she was abit disappointed to hear the winning loot was a grand total of 50 cents! 



Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Work in progress

The 11 year old had asthma and was off school for 3 days during the last week of school. He wasn't unwell, but his asthma was too unstable for him to be at school- which meant that he was at home, looking for things to do. We have a small local agricultural show and the 'show schedule' was floating about- so J made that his reading material. And he got busy- circling, highlighting (making a generally messy page) of the 'under 13 section'. He worked out that a particular section had an aggregate prize, for the person with the most points over about 12 different classes.
I haven't got the list on me, but it was fairly ambitious!
"An article made from paper mache" was on the list...
This turned into a prize winning paper mache pig! He also put in a stitchery, applique, article made from recycled material, a card, hand painted article...and a few others. He worked really hard to finish his entries, getting abit disillusioned at the persistence required at times! He was so self-driven, I was impressed.
I did warn him that a win wasn't guaranteed, pointing out that he might be up against kids doing textiles in Year 7 who had more experience than him, but he was pretty confident telling me "even if that's true Mum, I am pretty happy with the quality of the things I have put up". He wavered once on the day it came to delivering the entries into the show for judging..."Will these things have my name on them?"- I explained that if he won or came second they would, but otherwise no "Why?"..."Oh, just cause if my mates see them with my name on them, they might tease me for doing girly things".
Happily for him he 'scooped the pool", came home with a $15.00 voucher and $8 in prizes ($1 a win)- technically minus $5 for the entry fees- 50c x 10)- and I wonder if he will be keen next year to head back and defend his title!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Four

The lost wristlet was eventually found, I had left it at my friends house, and I eventually reclaimed it.


The lost mobile phone was never found and I eventually bought a new one. I wasn't sure, I was umming and ahhing about whether I needed one. I think I said that before here.
I got one that does tricks (it's smart apparently). I have used the phone a couple of times and realise I like the extra bit of security of having it there, especially if I am driving. I also like texting and email access...not that that is necessarily a good thing! The 11 year old also doesn't mind the odd phone call to the mobile to find out when I might be home from work, whether I can please buy some gluten free cereal on the way home- important things like that. Sadly for him (sometimes) I am not a great phone answerer at the best of times and I still haven't learnt my way around mobile phone etiquette.
If my phone rings and I am at work, do I answer it?  and what about if I am in a parent teacher interview at school?- I am embarrassed to admit that I did answer my phone during the parent teacher interview, mainly because my phone never rings and it was a local friend so thought it may have been an 'emergency'- no, she just wanted to know if I wanted her to bring me a 'real' coffee home from town! I am still not great at ringing mobiles either- what if I am interrupting someone? Some of my friends only have a mobile now, so I have to get over that, you know, get with the times!


More about the wristlet...I am sad to report that it's "old sewing", I did have my machine out the other day but not much got done. I think I have a bit of a mental block about what to sew, hasn't really happened to me before, or at least, for ages. My crafty friends came out on Sunday night and while both of them nearly whipped up a whole quilt top, I, umm, sorted stuff out...which was good to do but not very creative!


I do love this little wristlet, and I do love how in Nikki's book she builds on projects, so when I show you my next project from the book (which is soooo close to finished I should just do it!), you will recognise some aspects of this little wristlet- she steps you into techniques gradually, I like that. 
In fact, I have recently heard Nikki being called a genius

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Hex

The hexagon got finished a while ago, but I handed it over before taking any photos. I visited it (well, it's new owner, really) last week and pulled out the camera for a bit of a snap.
Hexagon quilts are really hard to photograph...

The front is quite 'scrappy' and the back is also piece with the more muted 'Dick and Jane' range.
The pattern is from Anna Maria Horner's baby book  and it's called 'Sixth times a charm'...I didn't do the method she suggested but used her photo for inspiration and kind of winged it.


This quilt was made for a very special  baby, long awaited and much loved...and very very cute xx