Quilt Airing Nundle.............

Cottage on the Hill NUNDLE 3rd Annual Outdoor Quilt Airing This Saturday 1st October  10 am to 4pm  In the paddock surrounding the Cottage Come and enjoy the over 100 quilts on display Devonshire tea will be served all day Fingers crossed that the rain over the last few days will clear and that Saturday sees the sun shining. Kerry will up date her Blog on Saturday morning to let everyone know what the weather in Nundle is doing www.kerryswainscottage.typepad.com My plan for today is to sew with some friends at home  so lets hope I can make some progress on my Tis the Season............ .........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

the great escape..........

highlights of the day..........good and bad...........

• Lots of rain so planned to loll around tidying etc in PJ's until lunch when road would be drier 
• phone call at 9am to say the cows had escaped and were miles away from there break 
• tell Fairy Girl to grab some food in a back pack fast.....(6 tim-tams, 2 muesli bars, 2 snack packs of BBQ shapes yummo.....)
• another phone call to say some of the cows were in someones crop
• mobile going flat
• mud flying everywhere while riding on the bike to the cows
• electric fence at break broken in several places - cows obviously been out since about 1/2way thru the night
• Fairy Girl singing me songs with new words esp for me......very funny
• MIL's at home to pass messages onto Mr Chooky since phone was going dead
• Rocks - used one to hit a post back into the ground
• approx 70kms on the 4 wheeler - numb bum
• Mr Chooky having wet sheep and finished early so knew of our troubles and brought pies and coke
• Unfortunately Mr Chooky also found another 12 cows who has wandered about 12kms away from the break

The escaped cows being headed back to break............took several hours...........

See the row of gulars on the fence not so clear as I snapped it on the phone........

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

Chookyblue

OMG it stuffed up and rained.........

Super eXcItEd here............last night it RaInEd 

I am sSsOoOoOoOo HaPpY.......

Nearly 2 inchs of rain (48mls) 

(photo sourced from internet)

This means we have now had just under 7inchs and we are 9 months thru the year............our annual average is 20-21inchs so we are a long way short but lets hope we get some more and maybe just maybe the cows will be coming home within the next month...........and we can stop feeding the sheep.............and boy that will be a happy day...............

the cows will stay in their break and we'll see what the weather is like at lunch time.......(me and black soil roads don't agree).......maybe we'll have to go down on the motorbikes to let them out for some grass.............see what happens.......

....house cleaning here I come............

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

hmmm.......

Yesterday I was back at the cows.............it was a #*^%^&$%(^ day everything was going fine......till I went to leave........flat tyre.......so me and Fairy Girl ended up on the motor bikes all day at the cows...........NOT my plan...........to windy to stitch..........the grasses and wind was seriously driving my hayfever NUTS........

Not sure if I am going to make the SAL deadline for TTS............my eyes were so yuk last night I couldn't sew............

the grasses above are the worst for me.......barley grass and the little thin one at the top makes me want to scratch my eyes out...........lucky I had the eye drops with me...........anyway as i knew my day wasn't going to be fun I decided to snap some photos of the beautiful things I saw.......I couldn't stitch and you can only play angry birds for so long and I had read all the posts in google reader........

"r ap e flower"

Milk thistle

gum blossom

not sure this trees name but i'll try and get a better photo of the flowers today............

here is the tree.......very pretty

a new baby for the mob........

a stray sheep who thinks he is a cow now........

Have a great day...........thank goodness I have the car today........

....it's going to be very windy once again.......but hopefully tonight some rain............

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

Chookyblue

hey........

Just popping in to say hi............I've have had a great week...........3 days at work (busiest week of the month) and then after work on Wednesday straight into a choir camp for 3 extremely full days and nights (24hrs/day) as one of 2 main parent supervisor of 24 mostly primary girls (in our cabin) with one other main supervisor and a few others popping in at breakfast or tea/bed time to help out our cabin which was a wonderful help........170+ kids in total take a lot of food, supervising and WATER..........we had a fairly warm week for spring..........the big concert was last night and the kids all did sing and perform so well.........a few tears here and there from some very tired kids over the last few days but all in all we had a great time.......yes I would be crazy enough to do it all again.............even if my knees and feet are killing me right now.....

I'll tidy a bit here and then find where I am up to............I know I need to sort out a couple of things for the SSCS.....with a quick look on reader I see much excitement for the swap......I have lots of posts to catch up on.............and my backup assistant for the Stitch-a-long blog Maree has helped me out there again this week updating the blog - thanks...........I MUST get my Tis the Season finished this week.......DEADLINE 30th Sept............

i'll try and get back here soon with some sewing news or you will all stop visiting my blog..............

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

Blog stalking........

For all the Secret Santa swappers you should have your swap partners details in your inbox.............let me know if you don't and i'll resend it............ Lots of blog stalking happening...............in the nicest possible way............ If you haven't posted for a bit get to it and pop up a post for your new visitors........... I only doubled up on 4 girls matching with someone they have sent to before and I have managed to change them all around so all is ok...........I just keep moving names and details around in the list until the countries are all mixed up...........I could go nuts if I thought to much about it like peoples styles etc...............so it is all very random..........so long as your sending overseas that my main concern.......... &&&& I'm not sure if you have noticed but the linked list of swappers is up ..........I did it different this time so all the links will be fine but just make sure your name is there............head over and check out all the blogs.........there are a few that are new to me too.............so go visit and leave a comment............you might make a new blog friend........ ......I know there is lots of blog stalking going on and present planning..........someone has already started their ornament............well done.............we only have a few months to make this year since I am a little later then usual starting the swap................I am so glad I did as your all SOOOOOO excited about the swap..............makes my job so much easier.............. .........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

Car sewing.......

A view in the front of the car........big mess of food, sewing, thermos etc.......busy busy.......preping my new big EPP project......very excited.....lets hope the momemtum keeps up.......

Also SSCS girls I have sorted the list since I remembered the laptop this morning and will start mailing tonight.....when I get on the net........ It will take me a few nights so I will post here again once it is done........lots of emails to send out.......

Also found some frame features on my phone so I played with the landscape pic.......

Have a fab day........

Chookyblue........

slight delay...........

UPDATE CLOSED
Sorry SSCS girls.....

....slight delay in the parners bit I just need a few more overseas swappers to balance out the swap so if you're reading this and your not from Australia and would like to be part of the swap then read this post and email me ASAP

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

emergency skirt........

Today sports at school is "world cup rugby day".........all the kids have been designated a country from the world cup...........Fairy Girl is Russia and has to wear red and white (since we don't have a russian outfit).............well since she didn't have a red or white skirt I had to whip one up last night..............the things mothers do............

Fairy Girl ratted thru the fabrics and found this red and white print with little apples............think I got it from Spotlight last year........cute with white leggings and a red top...........

Those in the Secret Santa Christmas Swap - the email has gone out so check your inbox.............

welcome to the swap for 2011...........

off to work...........have a great day

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

Chookyblue

Catching up...........

Another couple of nights away with kid commitments finally home again.....some rain while we were away too.............22mls...........approx 5 inchs for the whole year though when it is usually about 21inchs........also throw in a Christening, 30th party and confirmation life sure is busy............I got an afternoon home yesterday which was madly spent cleaning and tidying the house and washing.........then a few hours chilling out on the lounge watching the rugby curled up under a quilt......it's nearly a month since I had any time at home during the day.............

Off to the cows this morning.........hopefully just for a few hours while Mr Chookyblue runs some wires in a fence...........

Over the weekend the beautiful weather went back to mid winter..........freezing chilly winds...............

perfect weather for the little girl above to wear this woolen christening gown..........it's very special to me.............I wore this gown when I was christened.........my great grandmother (who was approx 80 at the time) knitted 2 of these (twins) gorgeous gowns for our christening...........

&&&

To all the girls who have emailed me I think I have replied to all of you.............i'll put the list up as soon as I get a chance and you'll get an email shortly..............thanks for keeping the secret still too.......much appreciated............

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

Chookyblue
PS oh and I nearly forgot I got to have coffee with Patricia...........(thanks for getting them) was lovely to catch up even if briefly.............we'll have more time next catch up hopefully.............

all good things come to an end..............

Gotta take the good with the bad............lucky I was on such a high on Sat and got radical and put the SSCS up yesterday morning........(lots of emails to reply to)..........yesterday was a shocker at the cows...........about an hour after I got there I got sick and thank goodness Fairy Girl was with me on her motor bike as she kept the cows in check.............I was up and down all day..............but we got thru the day..............on the way home we found another lamb............poor thing trying to get a drink off it's dead mum (couldn't get up after lambing)..........so i rolled the dead mumma over and got the rest of the milk out of her other teat so the lamb got some colostrum and brought it home..............Fairy Girl was so excited .............so meet "Nathan" (back right)

"Coke" at the front left and "Lambogini" (who you haven't met) front right and back left is "Daisy.

You met Coke and Daisy here.......now they are about 3 weeks old.........the older 3 are going so well...........

"Nathan" needs a bit of special care and we'll see how he goes............

A rare blossom in the garden...............seriously lacking in water................

Today the cows were not well behaved...........one jumping into a cropping paddock a few times..............what a nightmare............lucky a girlfriend called in with a thermos so I could have a cuppa tea...........I forgot mine running out late this morning.............so that was a good bit of today but the only good bit...........oh and the girlfriend who picked the kids up from the bus stop and dropped them to me.............

###

When I got home I was tired and dusty - the cows went in early so i came home and the kids are now out helping Mr Chooky feed the sheep...........lets hope they don't find another baby to bring home..........

but when I am hot and bothered and dusty a shandy works wonders..........

oh a shandy and a nice shower to clear all the dust away............

made such good progress on the EPP on Fri and Sat but nothing since...........

the blue, brown and cream one is affectionately nicknamed the octopus (even if there are only 6 legs)............

Better run and cook dinner.........before I fall asleep on the lounge...........thank goodness for town work I say..........not back at the cows until Sunday or Monday.............yippee.........might be mia again..........

Send me your rain............PLEASE.

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

Chookyblue

blame the champagne.........

.....................CLOSED..................




Maybe the champagne from yesterday went to my head..............I did have a lovely afternoon with my neighbour and I was working on some paper piecing and she some cross stitch while we chatted and sipped our champs........anyway I decided it's now or never so while I am still at the cows for a few days I can deal with the emails and next week I should be at the cows again for a few days so can try and sort everything out............
So it's time for the unmentionable to be mentioned................if you have followed my blog for many years you know exactly what I am talking about..............
some of the emails I have received in the last week or 2................

Is it time yet?  I don't want to miss this one, as I've decided it's the only one I'm going to do this year.  Yours is the only swap that I have been totally satisfied with every year .  Too many others, the product you receive is not nearly as nice as the one you sent.  But your swappers are the best--every year has been wonderful! 

Ahem (clearing throat)  It is the end of August.  In case you've lost your calendar.

All received in good spirits..........but now it's time for the Secret Santa Christmas Swap 2011............

2007 - 80+
2008 - 156
2009 - 118
2010 - 108

2011 - ____?

If you want to see what happened previous years go to my labels and choose Secret
Santa Christmas S w a p or SSCS08, SSCS09, SSCS10  (or just after xmas there are a pile of posts of presents each year)
The rules are simple

### Make a beautiful gift (love, time and effort required) - you

can make whatever you want eg, bag, wall hanging, stitchery, table runner,

Christmas theme (optional) ...send something you would love to receive... 

(not something you whip up in a couple of hours)

### Make a small decoration that can be hung on a Christmas tree (simple or fiddly up to you)

### Don't tell anyone who your SSCS partner is please. This is a secret

shhhhhhhhh!!!!!! A different person will be sending to you....

### international postage essential

### You need to have an active blog .....posting a couple of times a

month.... so your partner can sneak a peek and get ideas of what to make for

you and they know you are active.....therefore existing

###  Sending (not before 19th November) deadline is 25th November to

ensure your partner gets their present before Christmas (reason for

swap)

### Make sure you "thank" your Santa - very important and post about your present when you receive it..........

### If you are difficult to contact you may be dropped from the
SSCS.....several times between now and the deadline I email out and you MUST reply...so if you are going away for a week or 2 just let me know

### If everyone can follow the above it will make for another very successful
SSCS..... less headaches for me.........

### Any problems make sure you contact me sooner rather then later

Please don't sign up

if you are not prepared to send (non-senders are named & shamed)

if you’re too busy

if you’re not committed to making and sending quality handmade gifts

 ###

If you want to join email (chookybluesscs at gmail dot com)(not my usual address) I need your (you can leave a comment on this post too if you like but email me the details)
Name, Address (including country), email and blog address

eg.

Joe Blogs

54 Blogs Lane

Blog City 2781

AUSTRALIA

joeblogs@gmail.com

www.joesquilts.blogspot.com

 {no titles – easier for me to cut and paste in that exact order}

Swap partners emailed as soon as I can get it done

PLEASE DON'T BLOG ABOUT THE S W A P  UNTIL IT IS CLOSED....

if you have only come here to join the swap and never visited before this isn’t the swap for you......this is for my regular visitors......


Let the fun begin...........

Chookyblue


PS if you have been in the swap before tell me how many this is for you...........some it will be the 5th swap...........

It's a hard life

Sometimes there are special treats......stitching away too.....
Chookyblue

Birthday swap.........

Several weeks ago I celebrated my birthday................in an online group I am part of we have a birthday swap and this year we had to make a small gift for the birthday girl and the gift had to start with the town your from............my gifts came from Lynda at "P"

I was so excited as I got to meet Lynda at the Quilt Show in Sydney a few months ago.............

She made me a gorgeous PUNCHNEEDLE PURSE, with POLKADOT tin containing and emergency sewing kit (perfect for the car) and a lolly pop PEN and PAD................love it all...........

some close up pics.............

thanks so much Lynda I am stoked with my beautiful gifts............

I was back at the cows today and will be for the next few.....it was blowing a gale today so I sat in the car most of the day.............lucky I had prepared those paper pieces the other day as I was able to work on a project stitching some together............

.....Mr Chookyblue is doing Saturday sport.......so i'll be there for a few more days while he gets some work done at home.................not sure if he loves me at the moment..............we had a terrible and I mean TERRIBLE horrendous smell really in the house last night worse outside near the doorway.....I thought it was a dead mouse to start with but it got WORSE FAR WORSE then a dead mouse....................I made Mr Chooky go find it today......and it was a dead possum.........we have had a possum living on the roof for months and months...............I told him to trap it and take it away but he never did that..............several days ago the possum got stuck trying to get into the ceiling and died............i'm sure he wished he trapped it now.........woops.........

&&& 

on another note quite by accident - in a random conversation with a neighbour I discovered that a girlfriend from school was staying with her family only a few properties away.............I never knew it was her family when I was at school and we have lost contact since finishing high school...........so 20+ years later we caught up today which was very exciting...........we have girls about the same age so they will meet in the next day or 2 and I am sure we will catch up again for a few more cuppas over the next few days............her "town" girls enjoyed turning the cows back for me...........to think for all those years she has spent weeks and weeks visiting so close to me and neither of us knew............

&&&

hope something special has happened to you lately be it a parcel in the mail or a chance catch with an old friend...........

&&&

Oh nearly forgot....I discovered a couple of brand new bloggers so go give them a welcome to blogland..........you know how exciting it is when you get comments when you first started blogging..........

Thimblestitch and Lavender Blue Stitches welcome girls..........

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

Chookyblue