Girls Day in the Country

Thanks for all the lovely comments left for my birthday post.........

Just a quick post........

Girls Day in the Country in Nundle is coming around fast...........March 21 and 22 – Leanne (Leanne's House)and Rosalie (Rosalie Quinlan Designs) will be tutoring us again.........I am sure Kerry is madly planning the decorations and food - wonderful in 2008

(Leanne's Project 2008)

......last year I had a fantastic weekend...........meeting new friends, chatting with online ones in person, relaxing and chatting (opps did I say chatting already....lol........I did do lots though)......

.....as it is a little earlier in the year then last year hopefully we will not get too cold like last year on the Sat night out on the balcony............what a site.........I am sure every blanket and doona from the pub was out there wrapped around someone.........

(Rosie's project 2008)

I wonder what we will get to make this year.............any hints Rosie and Leanne?????

So who's going this year.............I know of quite a few but who else is coming along for a wonderful weekend....leave a comment here if your heading to Nundle in less then a month..............

(dh wonders why does it take you 3 days to do a one day workshop - it's all the chatting shhhh....)

Take Care Chookyblue.............

time flies when you're having fun..........

2 years has passed in fact since I started blogging..............I have met some wonderful people in person and online............quilting bloggers are amazing kind, generous people.........I feel privileged to know you...........

........so how should you spend your bloggy birthday?????????well I went sewing with 2 lurking friends and had a top day..........we decided to work on a quilt for someone affected by the fires in Victoria and it was great to work together, chatting away occasionally - I was the cutter and iron lady til I had to get the kids from school (more rain yesterday - to wet for ducks here)

This is where we got to..........these blocks would have all been sown together by now as I left the girls sewing and just over half way here and then for a border.............need to work out how to quilt it..........none of us are skilled in this area other then stitch in the ditch but will see what happens............will get together again in a few weeks and hopefully finish it off.........

if you made it this far here comes the giveaway.........sometimes it just pays to comment even on my boring post but I decided to do a giveaway on my last posts commenter's as they are my regular bloggy buddies who visit all the time and often leave me nice comments..............so who won you ask well as it is my 2nd blog birthday I chose the 2nd comment................Margaret your the lucky winner........email me your details

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But thanks to everyone for your comments, taking your time to visit my corner of the world and I hope you enjoy my sewing, photos and country life I share here...........to all the lurkers thanks for calling in I know there are a lot of you - only have to look at my stat counter to see that - maybe one day you will leave me a comment otherwise keep enjoying what you see here............

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

checking in..........

Just touching base......no crafting here.........did meet up with the lovely
Kris........(even if I did take the heat with me).......now I know why she spends
so much time at Highfields....... Quilter's Angel and the Chocolate Café
are beautiful......it is Kris' fault I walked out with fabric and ate yummy
chocolates.....the view is awesome..........

..also caught up with Jodie........it is so nice to chat in person then on the net.......thanks for taking the time to meet up girls..........
Busy week again this week so who knows when I will return........

We had heaps of rain this weekend so maybe I will get some blooms like the
one in the photo......the paddocks will turn to green again and I am pleased
to say we have had a couple of 20 deg cel days.......so so nice to have some
cool weather..........much better then the 40+ when I left........

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

Problems & a new to me blog........

Victoria's is strongly in my mind...........terrible losses there............words cannot describe the disaster there.............

I was chatting to Peg yesterday and she has discovered her blog is not being updated in bloglines............since about the end of December her blog posts have not appeared in bloglines...............not sure who else I have missed out on by this problem..............if anyone knows how to fix it leave a comment here or go to Peg's blog and leave a comment there.........obviously Peg can do a blog posts about this as it is not showing up in bloglines for you to read..........

On a more positive note...........

The new blog I found today is Quiltsalott........I will have to go back and look thru more posts but looks good...........check it out..........

Oh and if anyone wants to do Lurlines Happy House Swap there is still time to get your name in.........even Fairy Girl can make them so you can too...........go try one out they are pretty quick to make up........

and sorry there are no pics but go check out Snappy Friends............and get your fix there...........

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

A land of floods and fires.........

If you are overseas I am sure Australia would be making the news today.........Where I am it is just darn hot and dry and no change here for a few more days.............we have not had a day under 30degC since 27th Dec and nothing under 37 for more then 2 weeks.........not to many over 40 but consistenly hot.......

Down south there was extreme heat and bad winds and fires started and Victoria has had terrible loss of life (25 so far update 52 people now 80 +) and homes (100's650+ ), and properties.............yesterday was the worst type of day for fires...........and they had lots and lots of them..........about a dozen still very bad..........I am thinking of my bloggy friends down south.........and those who have lost life and property thru this disaster...........they have had a major change go thur and things have cooled down but the fires are still way out of control...........

North of Sydney there is a fire buring out of control and there is no change in the weather there today just extremely hot........

the northern parts of Queensland are having floods and more floods............Ingham is one of the worst hit towns.........but there is a huge area affected..........

My thoughts are with all those affected...........especially the farmers burnt out or flooded..........

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

A New Snappy Friend...........

Just a quick one.........I share a blog Snappyfriends with some girls and now we have a new snappy friend so if you want to head over and welcome Shelley...........you can normally find her @ Angels Come to Play........when you get there cruise back thru some posts...........I know you haven't seen them as our stats are not very big but you are missing out on some wonderful photos posted by the girls...........

Also I will do a tutorial for the bags...........just had a busy week and another one coming up........hopefully next weekend............

Sorry about the post with no pics but Snappyfriends will make up for it...............

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

Books..........

While I was at Hatched and Patched I got these 2 great books on sale..............

Bronwyn Hayes "Cotton Country Quilt"

And finally I got this Renee Plains book.........."Gifts from my heart"..........I have been dreaming about it since I saw it on Loft Creations blog............finally.....

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

PS you never know who reads your blog but someone from Blog2Print left a comment saying that you can now have up to 1000 pics in your book not 350 as I mentioned.........must be coping with demand.........

good mail.......

Before Christmas Nancy Near Philly was having a giveaway which I won........I said not to send it until after Christmas......I received it a few weeks ago but have not gotten around to taking some pics......far to hot here for a scarf at the moment.......see I would definitely not have been needing it for quite awhile.....a lovely scarf and some other pieces of fabric also in the scarf........thanks so
much Nancy........

The this little chicken came from Ranette's Daily Stitch.....thanks I love it.........she will sit on my sewing table next to my machine........

Finally this parcel from Pat of Bits and Pieces.........these
goodies....some lovely chook fabric...also not in the pic are some magazines
and chocolate......now I have some starch....thanks Pat....you are all very
kind......gosh blogland is good.......

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

Happy House Swap.........

Quick head over to Lurline's Place she is hosting a Happy House Swap........

....Aussie girls only at this stage...........you can email her too

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

bag day............

Today my 2B SIL came out to learn to sew............she has the same machine
as Fairy Girl so I knew how to use it....(not the she really
did)......hmmm.....what to make.......it was her birthday not long ago and I
told her I would teach her to make something and she could raid the stash
for her present........
We ended up making the following bag........my simple design.........of
course Fairy Girl had to be in on the action.........I cut them all and the
girls followed instructions well........

2B SIL's bag........gold star........she did so well.........

Fairy Girls bag...........I did the straps and a little smidgen more but she did most and I was very proud of her work..............and mostly straight lines.......(Ric Rac see that bit of selvedge in the bag handle - your corrupting my daughter.........lol)

she wants this to be her sewing bag..........(oh and she already has some WIP's - scary she wrote a "to do list" on her little blackboard)

and inside we all have pockets and magnets clasps............

and finally my first one...........I cut 2 and I nearly have the 2nd one done.........but it is time for bed.........these bags are about 14 x 17 inch's in size so nice big bags............

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........