FIS Swap sent..............

An online group had a swap and the theme was Leanne's House............I had to make for Lizzie and this is what I sent to Lizzie......I know she likes reproduction fabrics so i used that in the border............

......I have had this stitchery in a folder from a magazine for quite awhile...........think it was originally in Country Threads and finally have got to stitch it.........I pulled it over an art canvas and loved making

it..........thanks Lizzie for sending me a photo of what I sent because I forgot to take one before posting.....

This also makes it as a finish for OPAM for March..........will email Peg and Kris to let them know now........

A gorgeous rainy day here.........just over 1.5 inchs of rain so far.............

Catch you later

Chookyblue

boring blog here.......

slightly over loaded with too many things computer, work, kids, appointments, visitors etc...........the only good thing happening here this week is the Stitch-a-long blog which has exploded..........so until I can post something interesting here just look there.........don't bother to comment on this post as replying is just another job to add to the list that I can't keep up with..........catch you later...........Chookyblue

Hannaberry where are you......

Hannaberry you have left 2 comments but as you don't have any details on your profile and you are "no reply" I cannot contact you.

click on view my complete profile just above this post and email me or leave another comment with your email on the comment

Hannaberry found thanks

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

Stitch-a-long.....

OMG what a response..........thought maybe 1 or 2 may join..........with 20 plus I have started Stitch-a-long.........everyone can join in and post too then............it is so exciting..........

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

Gardener's Journal stitch along...............

Want to join in????

After helping Kerri get her Gardener's Journal together and GDITC with Anni I am definitely keen to get into A Gardener's Journal. I have had the book since it first came out and now knowing Anni is going to be the tutor at GDITC again next year I would like to have that as my deadline.

Peg, Dale and myself are going to stitch along over the next 12 months. 

Peg has had a kit for about 5 years and she said she needs to get into it.

Would you like to join us. We want to stitch along together and get a certain part of the quilt done each month. No rushing ahead of each other just meeting the monthly deadline. Encouraging each other along the way to keep up. Good plan hopefully we can come thru with the goods.

Would anyone like to join us???  

BUT you would need to get the book to join in. Cost about AUS$30.  Available here

But you get the quilt with 25 stitcheries on it and at least 8 other smaller projects using some of the stitcheries so it is EXCELLENT value for money.

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I refuse to buy a BOM of patterns where they cost over $100-$150 just for the pattern of the quilt 

(and no other projects designed using some of the blocks...........)

Patterns are getting TOOOOO expensive. More inclined to buy less!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take Care til next time..............

Chookyblue
Edit: starting first month in April so people have time to pick out fabrics etc.............
I will pick what we are doing each month so we can work along together and keep each other motivated.

loose ends..........

wrapping up some loose ends here

a few post back i had the virtual world blog tour..........a few more girls did some posts if you want to go and see their part of the world.............

Gudrun in Iceland, Lynn USA, Kris Australia and you can also pop into Shiree in New Zealand

thanks girls for doing a post I have enjoyed looking at your part of the world.............Anna and I are still lol at people confused by the fact we were going on a "virtual" world tour...............some thought it was for real..........

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what do you think of the new blog look............blogger has some new templates and I had a play..............need to work out the header now as it isn't sitting in the middle but maybe I will make a new one...............but I got 3 columns and I love the idea........tried a few times before but it was dodgy and I could never work it out..............I do like a clean, clear, fresh looking blog easy to read etc..............

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One fun thing from our blogger meet is seeing is if we convert another one.............it has taken 12 months but we have finally got a new blogger..........go check out This Old Aunt Quilts and make sure you read the profile..........what a crack up............have fun Aunty...........good to see you in blogland..........I know you will love it...............

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don't forget I have a few blog help tips listed on my left sidebar now down a little bit..................I know people still use them now............

have a great weekend............ 

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

more from GDITC..............

been a bit of a whirl wind here since I got back..........here is my travelling partner for the trip to Nundle..........see she has her seat beat on.............Fairy Girl wanted to make sure she was safe.............She is not much use when you need someone to chat to to make the trip go fast but she is a great listener...........and she doesn't give cheek..........

        
here are some photos I snapped during the trip..........I know you like to see around Australia

the clouds and the mountains hills were beautiful...........

every thing is so green at the moment it is amazing........

and just to keep some fabric content in this post here is some of the beautiful wool
the colours are even nicer then here........gorgeous.......
hand dyed by Peter........."Four Ewes"......hand dyed felted woven wools....
....... email them here if you want some or to ask a question.........

Take Care til next time..............

Chookyblue

Girls Weekend - why does it have to end..........

Wow what a weekend........Girls Day in the Country at Nundle is hard work...........how much socialising can a girl fit in in one weekend...........HEAPS.........

.....Thanks to Kerry and her wonderful girls for all there work and Anni Downs Hatched and Patched was delightful and fun as per usual.........loved the projects more about them later............

Would it be a bloggers meet with out a pile of these and this not all of them.........the poor "tooth fairy" who took all the photos had a pile hanging around her neck also and to the right of the photo too but I thought this was amusing all lined up.............every make model and colour availble possibly.........

Here we are.......in no order but all the blog addresses are on my sidebar......

.......several girls from the Club Quilt blog, Itching for Stitching, Creative Studio, Angels Come to Play, Day Day's blog, Happy in Quilting, CardyGirl, Oh Sew Busy, Country Wishes, Dragonfly Crafts, Rileys Rambles, Heavens to Bettsy, My Legacy of Quilts, Kerry Swain's Cottage....

just can't think of Sharon'ss blogname at the moment.........

And to prove I got some sewing done on the weekend..............not a lot but I did get some done..............

More later..............I and SOOOOOOO tired............you will have to return to see the projects etc

Take Care til next time..............

Chookyblue

virtual blog world tour............

Dear Thimbleanna

Since you've been such fun with the virtual world tour I thought I should show you a little here..............well since by the time we get back to Australia and reach my place you will be exhausted you better stay awhile and I can show you around the farm............see you never quite know what you may find.........there will be yabbies on the menu but not this mumma...........we often find some with eggs and put them back into the dams but this mumma had little bubbas just ready to hatch out.............we have never ever seen one like this..........(zoom in on the photo if you can)

and the same day Bookworm found an extra on his way to collect the eggs.............his is cute isn't he.............and he was a little friendly turtle poking his head out to say hi..........he was promptly delivered back to the creek.............(about 15-20cm long)

There is lots of cow poops to avoid driving on the road out...........

the traffic gets heavy at times but please be patient............they will do more damage to your car then you want..........

and say hi to the emus on the way past.............

this is the closest thing to a mountain near by and it isn't very big...........

can't show you the bedroom as it is a bit of a mess at the moment but I promise to have it cleaned up before I leave and it will be ready for when you arrive..............quilt shops are at least 1.5 hrs away.........so a day trip if you want to go to some..........I am sure we could fit some sewing in and you could use Fairy girls sewing machine

See you soon Chookyblue...............

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to all the people who skimmed thru the last post .......LOL............some people actually thought I was really leaving for a world tour...............you obviously didn't read the 2nd paragraph of my last post..............LOL..........made for some amusing emails and comments.....esp a phone call from my sister.........lol..........thinking i was "really" going and why hadn't she heard about it til now..............and to those blog friends of mine who didn't get a mention in the post I would call in on you too but I only mentioned the people who comment on the other post.............oh and I do know where Washington State and Oregon are now (thanks Anita USA)...........and I am also having a stop over in Croatia.........

only problem now is I have quite a few more people joining me on the world tour...............guess you didn't want to miss out on the fun..............more the merrier.........

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Thimbleanna..............since you have been such fun and I just loved the post you did .........it was a hoot.....(and also the comments you received)......I want to send you a little thankyou gift............

below are some of my new cards.......

.....some of my older readers will remember I make cards and sell them I have been so slack and not shown any new ones for ages but here a 4 more recent cards and I am going to send a bundle of cards off to you for being so welcoming in my "virtual blog world tour" I know we are going to have a heap of fun together.......(flick me your snail mail address).......

did anyone else do a post?????

.

Take Care til next time..............

Chookyblue

PS to those who think I am a little crazy - get a life........have fun........life is too short......

PSS chat next week I am off to Girls Day in the Country.......can't wait to meet up with all the girls again...........chatting, eating, drinking, a little sewing..........

PSSS if anyone is interested in the blog books I get, Blog2Print have 15% off at the moment I can send you the email with the discount code it ends 31st March........exchange rate is pretty good at the moment too with the US $$$$........

i'm leaving on a jet plane...........

don't know when i'll be back again.............(you know how the song goes)

Kris Tag along Teddies prepare yourself.............this is sure to be the longest post i have ever written............hope you have a cuppa coffee ready............

OMG well in my dreams anyway..............thanks to all the WONDERFUL bloggy friends who left comments on this post I thought it would stop there with a few comments.............OMG I have over 50 blog friends to visit.........and a few of you I don't know (blog wise) have even welcomed me into your homes in my virtual blog tour.........so i thought I would have a play with the comments and see where I would end up.................

I really enjoyed reading the comments....and I know quite a few of you did too.......some of you offered to kick kids out of bedrooms for me..........hoped i would get you to finish some UFO's and of course throw lots of coffee, chatting, sewing, visiting quilt shops and some local site seeing.................

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So where do we start................off to my good friend Maree's on the way to Queensland...........catch up with Joy and Tanya and pick up Jeanette as she wants to come along for the fun...............

Up to North Queensland and visit Wendy and fly over to New Zealand. 

In NZ I am going to see Shiree and she is taking me to Mt Cook................such a beautiful area she had some pics on her blog not too long ago............then back to Deb's place and Deb said she would organise a blog meet with some of the south island girls...........this would be so much fun...........

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After New Zealand we have a long flight to America.....not sure where Oregon is couldn't find it on the map............I know hopeless sorry Carolyn but I will find it and visit you and you said you would take me site seeing to lots of places........ and I also wasn't sure where Miss Red Geranium Cottage Sharon is either but we all know she would NEVER and I mean NEVER miss a chance to meet up with a fellow blogger.......the first stop is Southern California with Deb and a trip to Disneyland is on the agenda (the kids would be jealous), California to see Teresa, Arizona - Colleen, Texas I have 2 stops at Julie Q's and Barbara's, Arkansas - Nichole I will feel right at home there as she told me I had to like the country, children, lots of animals and lots of dust...........was she describing my place......except for the cats who might sleep with me.............geez Nichole thats where I draw the line.............me and cats DON'T go together.............lol....... Indiana we have to stop in at Thimbleanna's oh and she is packing her bags and joining the trip too........she didn't want to miss out on anything.....she was coming with me when we only had about 12 comments.........but we have to check out the Amish communities before we leave....onto Ohio to visit Terry, Amanda is in Kentucky then head down to Georgia to visit Val......Candace is in Florida then we head up to North Carolina to see Lynn who started all these crazy dreams anyway..........The Writer is in New Jersey and said we could play with her stash in the basement and she also has a quilting machine..........then my long time blog friend Nancy.......Near Philadelphia.....hope she isn't having a "cow" day when I arrive........lol........and finally last stop in the USA is Blue Ridge Quilting in Boston who offered to also take me to into the mountains and show me around............

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back onto the plane and landing at Toronto Canada.........Rose Marie who has offered a quilt showing of all her quilts and said I could choose a different one every night............wonder how long I would have to stay there to use them all...........this trip could take awhile...........then somewhere in the middle of Canada is Joyce...........covered in snow at the moment....but I will find you .......next stop is somewhere over the mountains from Vancouver where i will find CJ...........and I have seen some spectacular country while watching the winter olympics........I know I will love Canada..........

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From Canada we have a very long trip to the United Kingdom............Trash was the first to offer a bed and she is in England so it is essential I stop there and she might need and Aussie fix by then............and Loulee I will also be popping over to the Isle of Man............

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a little bit of Europe........Portugal to see Sandra..............then my friend Margaret in Spain.....she was a swap partner many years ago.........we still keep in contact and she says I get the best of both world..........ocean views out the front and mountains out the back.........I love it when she has posted photos of her part of the world..............then off to the French Alps area Annecy.........sounds very exotic doesn't it....thanks for the kind offer Christine I would love to check out your new house too........then another long time blog friend Teodo in Italy........Milan, Rome, Venice and Capri the excitement is too much...Teodo offered to show me around......Thimbleanna and Jeanette are you keeping up here..........a quick stop at The Hague in the Netherlands and we are off to Iceland.....Gudrun the only blogger I know in Iceland............Gudrun doesn't think we will get much sewing done though.....lol....

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then off to Norway.....look out Annemarie and May Britt..........they have offered to take me on some tours around Norway and Annemarie offered a trip to her little cabin and the girls both suggested some skiing.............cross country skiing.............OMG how funny is that......firstly I have only skied once in my life and it was about 16 years ago and I was hopeless........lucky to manage the easiest slopes.........but I will give it ago again...........lol..........but you have been warned prepare yourself.....lol..........Eva in Sweden invited me over and Hannele in Finland said I should stop in since I am so close.............and last port of call before heading back to Australia is Moscow Russia.............see you didn't know people read my blog in so many different places.................goodness me sometimes it amazes me where people come from.........thanks Tatyana i would love to visit Moscow.......

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from Moscow we fly to Australia stopping in Western Australia and visit Shari where I get to sleep in the purple bedroom........and go to lots of quilt shops in Perth...........maybe just maybe we could get a UFO completed........then over to South Australia.....goodness me some talking is going to happen here as my 4 best bloggy friends in SA have offered me a sleep over...........Lorraine, Leanne, Kris and Jenny.........Barossa Valley, the beach, restaurants, quilt shops basically eating, shopping and wine tasting..............heaven .....and we can go to the zoo and see the Panda's............gosh i hope I don't have jet lag when I arrive...........

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down to Tasmania and Kate offered to pick me up from the airport.........sewing machine and bed are mere steps form each other.............off to see Jo and she is sure I could crack the whip on some projects in her HUGE craft room and also enjoy the beautiful scenery and foods of the area and I know there are some great quilt shops in Tasmania too...........

up to Victoria........to stop in at Clare,  Libster and Jan and head home to NSW where I would have a  quick stop with Fiona and Peg to tell them all the news of the trip...........

Phew now I am home.............how much fun does that sound.............heaps

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Sorry no photos but this is where you come in

.............I couldn't care less if you link to me or not but if you would like to put up a post titled "virtual blog world tour" with some photos from your part of the world............make sure you include scenery, favourite shops, a UFO your working on then we could all have a virtual blog tour..........tell us a little about your area - share some photos...........just tell us the state/country your in.........and leave a comment here with your blog address so I know where to find you...........get out there with your camera and snap some photos.........

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.. PS I forgot to say the Jenny also suggested when i win lotto and go on my world tour I should also take a film crew to make a documentary about my round the world trip visiting my blog friends.............can you imagine the fun we could have with that.........!!!!!!

finally snaps from the trip........

Here are some of my favourite photos from my weekend away............random shots along the road

abandoned farm house.......wonder what stories it could tell....

grain silos....

standing in Victoria over the river is New South Wales

Lots of long straight roads......

very dry down south.............

oh here we are...........who owns what feet........

milking time............

waiting to go in.........

ultra fresh milk.........

spider I found on a bridge..........

lots of irrigation channels down south............

a bridge over a channel...........

Kerri got her Gardeners Journal top together...........

oh and someone has a serious jelly roll addiction...........I will not dare tell you how many more of these I saw but OMG serious problem........lol.......should have stuffed a few into my bags before i left...........

you just never know what you will find along the road..........big John Deere fans we had to stop and take a photo of this creation........very cool...........

a wonderful time meeting friends and exploring new areas..............

Take Care til next time..............

Chookyblue

more book shopping.......

Forgot i hadn't published this post have already planned 2 projects from this book..............each quilt is shown in 2 colourways................they look so different..........

Christine Book Designs................an oldie but I love her stuff.........when I saw it I had to get it............

for my friends going to GDITC at Nundle yes I will take these 2 with me...........

.....10 sleeps til Girls Day in the Country weekend..........

Take Care til next time..............

Chookyblue