Good mail..........

Remember last month we had all the Flood Auctions

well I went in a few raffles...........and I won a table runner in another auction from Sarah......

but look what else came in the mail..............all the way from the USA............

quilty,sewing,crafty girls sure are the best..............

Civil War Chronicles.......

I had looked at this quilt previously deciding should I sign up to a BOM............I decided I won't........

then in all the flood auctions Carole put a kit up for auction...........

I have known Carole online for probably the whole time I have been blogging............

Of course I had to bid on it.............there was another lady bidding too and when I put in my last bid I seriously though she would win it..............but I was SOOOOOOO lucky I won the kit.............

This is the whole quilt and a fab canvas bag to keep it all in.........

......slightly hyperventilating and freaking out here......

there is LOTS AND LOTS of little bits............I have to be so accurate...........

This is the first block.........I can't wait to get started but have a few other deadlines happening this month............

A huge thanks to Carole for making such a great donation to the flood appeal.............

she has a great shop Fibre Junction........or the blog.........with a love of civil wars especially........

...please check it out..........I have signed up for Jo Morton's Little Womens Club too with Carole.........

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I have seen Sue and Yvette working on this quilt is there anyone else...............they are up to block two........I have some catching up to do if I want to keep up with them..........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Sunrise jet streams...........

We saw up to 6 jet streams at the same time this particular morning.............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Woops I forgot........

I forgot to pick up my babies from the bus...........I have only forgotten once before..........the problem is the bus stop is just at a turn off along a road in the middle of no where and it is miles from home.........lucky I have an understanding bus driver.........they patiently waited for me thank goodness..........

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the mouse smell is contained..............the door got jammed with newspaper and I won't be removing it for awhile..........thanks for the suggestions..........I had a strawberry candle burning which helped.......

and sorry to offend cat lovers but there is no way in this world I would consider a cat......I HATE them......I like my little birds in the garden............

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we have enjoyed a few cooler days well cool for us..............low 30's..........back to the high 30's for the weekend and the start of the week............and still no rain.............just hot and dry...........

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I know a few girls in blogland aren't having the best time at the moment so why not leave a few extra nice comments on some blogs or send some friends a friendly email.  You never know if/when they may need it. It just might make their day.

There is often lots of things we just don't blog about........

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oh and what is it with mug rugs..............I just don't get it........what do you do with them all...............maybe cause I only ever have a cuppa alone........no treats...............and I see they look quick to make but they just seem to be everywhere at the moment............

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sorry no pics.......bad bad blogger i know.......bit hectic at the moment and my mind is in a thousand places............probably the reason I forgot the school bus...........

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

I hate mice.........

Stinker of a day in more ways then one.............

Just after I did the last post I was all organised to sew................I went out and did a couple of quick jobs..........15 mins max and came back in and I could smell the smell.............you know THAT SMELL the DEAD MOUSE SMELL..........it is distinct..........I've had some mice on and off for the last month or more but been catching them in the mouse traps.......we threw a pile of baits into the ceiling incase there was some up there.........

anyway I sniffed it down to the lounge and dining (sewing) room where we live most of the time and it was ROTTEN..............how I didn't smell it before is beyond me but it sort of went from NOTHING TO OMG I WANT TO DIE...............but it's so hot out side i want the air con on (I turned it off trying to local the smell) so we have pretty much pulled the dining room apart (only Maree would know how much work that is) and searched the lounge room too.............no mouse can be found.............smell YES but no dead mouse...........in the end I think we have sniffed it down to the wall cavity that the sliding doors go back into between the lounge and dining room and we can smell it but can't see it so it will have to stay there.............we have jammed paper into the gaps to try and lower the smell but OMG............NOT GOOD.........I have wasted 2-3hours..........don't come visit you will only get smelly cool air..........

 it is very bad but while it is hot the smell should also go quicker................PLEASE............

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

What blogs to show in your profile...........

Hi girls

Decided to put this quick help together.......

......I have been to a few blogs lately and getting confused...........some girls have a couple of blogs listed and they may be very similar names........

.....which one is the one they blog on................the other may be a blog they started and never used etc.............or the other way is for me I have a blog where I try some things out...

.....I don't need you to see it ...........very boring...........nothing on it really.........

if this is you follow below

when you are in the "dash board"

on the left click on "Edit Profile"

where the red arrow is it says "select blogs to display"

click on this and then another box opens up and will show the blog names listed and just untick the blog you don't want to show..............."save the settings" then you're done.

how easy was that.............

don't forget there are other help things listed on my sidebar...............

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

It's a bloggy birthday..........

Wow 4 years ago I stepped out of my comfort zone here and into this amazing land of BLOG......

........I have met some gorgeous wonderful people all because I blog.............there is no way I would have met them - our lives would not have crossed otherwise...........I am so happy I made that decision...........

you all know who you are......XOXOXOXO............

.......so many special friends I will not try and name any for fear of missing someone...........

I have also made many friends via online only..........so many places in the world I want to visit......

.....the budget just won't allow me to venture off.............

SO THANKS for being such a great bunch of bloggers...........

I really only go to crafty blogs bar a couple of photography ones..........you are the best.

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so to keep some pics in the post I will share my choices for the new SAL (by the way it is full)

I just can't decide..........."Sparkle all the Way" by Robert Kaufman 

or "Be Merry by My Minds Eye" from Riley Blake.........

both are lovely.......

Hope your having a WONDERFUL weekend.......

.....HOT day here again..............actually pretty hot weekend forecast bring on autumn I say..........

840 posts later.............

Chookyblue

Beach House found...........

yippee...............the search was a bit challenging.......

.......I wished Moda wouldn't bring out gorgeous fabrics so fast...............you really only get one hit and if you miss it you're in trouble....some gorgeous ranges you just can't get anymore which is such a shame...........

....I didn't think Beach House by Blackbird was that old but it's like hens teeth..........

..........finally I found some and have just done the order so I can finish my quilt...........

now to stalk the posty.............I wish mail got delivered everyday............

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

playing again............

Being a "type 2" crafter means I have a habit of starting a new project.............

Yep I am at it again...............

Using a jelly roll and one of those Jelly Rolls books I got to this stage and have no border fabrics...............

Bugger.........will have to track some down.......only got a Jelly roll from Sarah when I brought this "Beach House" Blackbird Designs.........The blue is actually from "Garden Party" and for another project......but just seeing for the effect......also ....whether I frame it with a thin brown border............I have some jelly roll strips left yet.............Decisions decisions decisions..........

It's really dry here now and i had to do "brown" for the Snappy Friends post.........was struggling then realised everything around me is brown.....

....storms floating around but not leaving any rain........

And the dreaded umbrella grass has invaded me again.............not lots yet

but I am sure more is coming...........

Cooler day here today...........this is the 2nd day we have had this year under 30deg Cel.........

no wonder it is dry..........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

not the best day.............

What started off glorious had a bad patch............

The neighbours woolshed................

everything is so dry here believe it or not with all the rain in December we are so lucky this fire only burnt the shed down.

For those that know a wool shed these are the shoots (where you push the sheep down and out of the shed once they are shorn).........it looks very odd seeing them poking up in the air now..............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue
PS I remembered what I wanted to tell you................
The SAL blog has a couple of new girls blogging..........so please do what you all do well...............head over and give them a welcome...........
Tracee - Kitty Quilts is new to blogging so she could join the Stitch-a-long her blog sat blank for a week but you should see it now...........
Diann - Archimedes' Bathtub started a blog as part of college and has since wiped all that and started again with sewing..............

missed this - swap presents...................

With all the SSCS posting I missed showing some swap presents I made in 2 swaps..............

This is what I made for Bec....in my online group.........a christmas table runner............

A stitchery wall hanging  - this is from A Gardener's Journal  - stitched in variegated threads........I used some civl war fabrics to border it cause I know Bec loves them.............

Also I was part of the Advent Swap organised by Fee..............my partner was Margaret.

These are some of the goodies I sent to Margaret. This pic is from Margaret's blog as I took pics of the christmas stitchery wall hanging and I can't find it. The christmas stitchery is from Anni Downs book A Christmas Story and is an applique that I adjusted to stitch.

I showed this previously but Margaret received it in the swap too - design Natalie Bird Tis the Season

I brought this little cross stitch birdy for Fairy Girl to have a go at. She has not tried it yet but I found some more aida and stitched one for my advent swap parcel. 

Not the best pic but I enjoyed getting back into my cross stitch.................

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Oh and while I am on a catch up remember I was having a giveaway for my 800th post...........(which seems so long ago now) but the lovely Jo - Lilly Pilly won the giveaway and could be in her mail box today..........look out Jo.........

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there was something else I wanted to mention but woops that though is gone..........maybe next post i will remember it.............

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Oh and if you're newer to my blog then don't forget I have the "blog bit's......how to" on my left sidebar.

I started them a few years ago.............every so often I add something.

the main one people use are "changing from NO REPLY" (which drives most people insane) and "adding a picture/image to the sidebar"

let me know if you want to know something and if I can help I will.............it might be something others want to know too..........you never know...........

Hope your getting some stitching done no matter where you are or what your doing.....

........you CAN fit 10-15 mins in and is you times that by 7 thats 1hr plus a week..........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

a quick top.........

When the gorgeous Leanne came to visit last year she was very naughty super kind and generous.........among other amazing goodies she brought me a kit from the shop she works at Hetties Patch................

"Hettie's Bigger Quilt to Start With"

and the most gorgeous range Martinique..............I blame this kit on the purchases i have made of it since............got more yardages and a layer cake to play with yet..........I was trying to be strong.........lol

Anyway now I can send it off with the Gardener's Journal Quilt to be quilted...........

I wanted to get it done much sooner but other things got in the way........christmas crafting etc, school holidays and finally i got some time at home with the kids back at school and kicked Mr Chooky out for the afternoon..........

after talking so much time with the Gardener's Journal it was so nice to whip this one up pretty quick............

In between I made a batch of scrolls............Thimbelina had some on her blog the other day...............I had been planing on making some for quite awhile but got pushed along with the inspiration...............and then I was reading Blooms' blog this morning and she had made some if Thimby's scrolls and frozen some for the lunch boxes..............well that definitely got me going............I just used the normal bread recipe (dough setting in the bread maker), some tomato paste, pineapple, ham and cheese - here we are..........ended up making 2 batches...............and lots are frozen in the freezer..........wrapped in glad wrap ready to grab.............

snapped this when I raced out before dark to grab a photo of the quilt.............the sun was down but this cloudy cause some of the last light..........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Top together..........

The spammers have been busy the last few weeks.................not quite sure how many different lotteries I have won in the US and UK.....BUT trust me I have won billions by now..................most have gone to my spam folder................thank goodness.............then yesterday I got an email from some idiot who wanted to buy my blog............as if it would be for sale.................some fanbox spam emails too ................bugger off I have more important things to do..............

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Off to the quilters...............the double narrow border won.............just softened it a little before it went to the lighter green wide border.............

thanks heaps everyone for your thoughts..............

So once this comes back I will have the binding ready to go.............I can't wait to get it back and it hasn't quite left my hot little hands...........

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I got another quilt back late last week so want to get the binding done on it............no rush though it has been in the making for about 3-4 years............blogs are bad reminders of exact times you were working on something..............bummer............LOL............

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Excitement is building for the next Stitch-a-long................numbers are restricted and it is just about full.................everyone is busting to get into Tis the Season (TTS) by Natalie Bird.............I think I have picked out my fabrics..........will share it in a few weeks on the SAL blog..............I just want to get the Gardener's Journal finished first.............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

so last minute.............

Well school is back tomorrow and finally I have made the new pencil case.........

........Fairy Girl will be so excited when she wakes.......

.....I should have done it weeks ago but no no put it off til the death null................

Melly and Me fabrics...........love this one.............

How is the library bag going Dawn???

It is so nice here tonight...............first night for weeks and weeks and weeks we don't have the aircon or a fan on..............a change came thru about 6pm and it dropped to a glorious 25 deg it wasn't even 25 early this morning.............it is going to be a good sleeping night ..........I was up at 4.30am (well before sparrow fart) when I got dh up to go to work and didn't go back to bed..........had a nanna nap at about 9.30am but have struggle all day...........one of those days where everything caught up with me.............I am usually up early but that was a bit to much............

......nighty night..............Chookyblue

another dress.........

We had some friends out yesterday and someone had a birthday.............so

we had to have a present...............she picked out some fabric and I made

up this dress..........

.......Sort of combined effort from this top and this

dress...........still not quite right but getting closer to what i

want.............the wider binding wasn't so good around the top as it was a

but too wide..............maybe by the fourth one I will be able to get what

I want between the 2 patterns.

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

melting...........

The last 3 weeks have been 35C plus.............temp wise............35C is great when the other option is 40C plus and we have had some of those..............41C is forecast for today...............

yesterday morning when I got up and went out of the air con bedroom it felt like I walked into the sauna it was so muggy and warm yesterday morning............I went off to the big town town shopping and getting in and out of the car OMG...........it was HOT..............I was so pleased to get home.........

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this morning I got up and though oh it is going to be another AWFUL day...................I wanted to get my short walk in early so off I went at "sparrow fart" I didn't get more then a few metres out the door and looked out and could just tell it was going to be a beautiful sunrise................so I rang back in and took the camera with me..............

how gorgeous is this..............

sorry this is photo heavy.............

amazing how things change in only about 15 mins.

to the west

turned straight back around to the east..........

whispy clouds.........

then I still had the camera while walking around the garden turning on the hoses................

a late agapanthus.............

why a mushroom thinks it could survive in this heat.........

one of my favourites and very hardy...........crepe myrtles...........lots of summer colour...........

lots of sap is coming out of this ironbark...........

not the clearest pic as it was a little early and dull but the bark on this tree is very very dark...........

duranta flower............with a little bonus.........

The paddocks have dried off heaps and look brown and dry.........lets hope there aren't any thunderstorms...............just rain..........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

thanks and goodluck............

Hi everyone.........

Thanks for all the suggestions re the borders.............so much appreciated..........

I for once won't be answering all the emails but I really appreciate them all..............

Queensland

I hope everyone in North Queensland is safe but Cyclone Yasi predicted to hit is Catagory 5 and will cause mass devastation................the next few hours the cyclone will hit...............

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

border help needed ASAP.............

Hi Girls I need some help

I found this cream/green background which I am happy enough with............but I am not sure about the thin border...........finished 1inch.........

"GREEN"

"BROWN"

BLUE (really frames it)

or do a DOUBLE border blue then green

let me know what you think

ALSO

if you think they are not right please tell me I won't be offended.............

will leave them on the floor for tomorrow and see what I am liking but if anyone wants to tell me what your thinking good and bad please

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

the last of the GJ blocks................

Block F finished yesterday morning...........

I changed this one.......no dog beside the lady or cat on her lap.........YUCK...........and I changed the glass to a wine glass............now I can kick back and relax in the garden..........

Block I - finally I got the ladies finished........very late last night so then I had to wash out the marked pen and dried it with the hair dryer so I could finish piecing the block.........

and then of course I had to get the last blocks all joined together...........

At midnight I was not going to start thinking about borders..............tonight hopefully...............back to work today..........bugger..........

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the girls have been so motivating on the Stitch-a-long blog.............they are a hive of activity at the moment.............

we have 9 finished and bound quilts and approx 15 to the block/top stage

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue