The deep blue sea...........

this is the jelly roll Jenny gave me and Gail gave me a piece of yardage to go with it........I used the yardage for the borders...

I've decided to call it "the deep blue sea" the colours don't show the greeny bits too well but it reminds me of looking in water and the different colours and ripples etc you see in the ocean.......and the seaweed etc.............now I could be wrong as I don't get to the beach much........haven't been for a few years..............

60 x 70 inchs

I tried to make a post and rail years ago but when I cut the strips I cut the wrong length.......so pleased to finally have done another one properly..........

Someone asked what the jelly roll was..........the label is below...........the yardage was from the range I think as it matched perfectly with one of the strips.........

Ok now to think what to do for backing and quilting etc

Catch you later

Chookyblue

prezzies and cuteness............

The chookshed received some prezzies for it's birthday............

this bundle so soft and pretty from Kate......i'll enjoy working some magic with it.............

Jenny found this.............I loved it ...Mr Chooky didn't "love it"....lol

And thank goodness the Chookshed can't wear a scarf...........I got this gorgeous knitted scarf from Kylie - Indigo and Quince...........

She's a talented knitter that is for sure...........I just love it......so soft and warm............

and the cuteness even if it is a little blurry...........

It is extremely rare you would see a dog on here and you will never see a cat as I hate them too.....I know all you cat and dog lovers just put me on the bad lists but I have never liked them........I much prefer the feathered variety of pets......I put up with the dogs as they are working dogs..........Boy Wonder got a new pup........."Z" is his name because he was snug up on his lap sleeping when he got him blowing zzzzzzzz's.....

he is very cute sleeping in between our boots...........I was trying to snap the pic without waking him.....

It's been a great long weekend here...........not too busy..........some visitors.....Fairy Girl had a friend also but we didn't do too much.......not sure how many games of Monopoly the kids played but lots.........

Got the borders on the batik quilt so will be back to show you that soon..........

Loving winter.........

Catch you later

Chookyblue

Chooky's Virtual sewing party.......by Salley

The post below is from Salley...........she doesn't have a personal blog but we have been interacting for several years now.........she wasn't going to miss the party.....she even got an appropriate alcohol..........a label called The Black Chook....perfect I say............

She's had an issue with "Fabulon" has anyone else...........and then below the photo is how her men folk survived the weekend I think my name maybe mud in her household...............lol....very funny....

From Salley..........

An image of my hard work from the weekend. Beginnings of a Scrappy Trip.

Dont look too hard . . I had an infuriating time with them.....

4 months ago I was working on the same design . . .different fabrics . ... I would cut my 16" x 2 1/2" strips, spray them with fabulon, let them dry-ish, iron/press them, line them up and sew, cross cut and sew . . .  Hey presto  . . .total gorgeousness.

This time . . . cut the 16 x 2 1/2" strips, spray with fabulon, let them dry-ish, iron/press them, line them up and then SCREAM

Many of them had shrunk by 1/8 th inch sideways. Nothing was matching up and then no junctions would match up either.

So, I had to spray the fabric first/ iron etc before cutting my strips. A lesson to be learnt.

I believe many quilters use some expensive product to stiffen their fabric, but I'd never had an issue with fabulon before.....has anyone had any issues...........or what do you use????

Anyway, I have to thank you for a great weekend . . . . . 

I let the men folk know early enough that I was "not available" on the weekend . . .that I would do Sat and Sun lunch . . . but it was up to them to sort themselves out for the dinners.

Well talk about hilarious. Son took it in his stride and not only did banana pear Muffins, but also Spatchcock and amazing vegies on the Saturday night. Glad that his responsibilities were now over, the pressure was on hubby.

Who did not cope.

Who wasted too long wandering around Woolworths like a stunned mullet.

Who was handed a Jamie Oliver recipe sheet and still was wetting his pants. 
Who managed to collect nearly all the ingredients

Who did not enjoy the AFL on telly that afternoon because he was so stressed.

Who pulled the pin and ordered Pizza at 6pm

Oh well . . . it proved a point. And I got lots of lovely sewing done and cutting out and fabric pulling and generally just made sure I "did" my thing. 
Salley

comments aaarrrrrhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Previously I have done this post on comments and word verification and it remains one of my big hit posts...................but just lately more blogs I am commenting on have word verification set on there blogs..............

now I know I am not a robot leaving spam but I'm not a miracle worker or psychic either trying to work out what some of the letters are in those stupid things........now the one below I got this morning is not too bad but others seriously I have to go again and again to get my comment to go to you..........If I wasn't wanting to comment on your blog I would have just shut the page and not left the comment..........but since blogging for me is the interaction with you with me leaving comments and receiving comments it's driving me nuts...........

Also trying to comment on blogs sometimes on my phone is very difficult with word verification...........

Now I know you are all worried about spam.........and trust me I am too BUT.........most of the spam I get is left on older posts....if you set your comments as below you will survive I promise and you may actually get a few more comments left on your blog if you turn off comment verification.......

see below settings.......

Who can comment - user with google account

Comment moderation - sometimes

                                                                   - for posts older then (5) days

Email notification requests to (insert your email address)

Show word verification - NO

SAVE YOUR CHANGES

If someone leaves you a comment after your set number of days it will be emailed to you to either publish, delete or make as spam..........

Moderated comments will not show up on your blog until you publish them............

i'll add this post to the "How to......blog bits" page

Catch you later

Chookyblue

PS I've got some sewing to show you from a non blogger who joined the party on the weekend.....
PSS CHECK YOUR SETTINGS AS SOME OF YOU HATE THIS BUT HAVE WORD VERIFICATION ON YOUR BLOG.

my party sewing..........

ok so your wondering if I actually achieved anything sewing wise...............

not the clearest photo as I had to crop it down....

I worked on the bottom 2 rows of this quilt......it was slow and fiddly compared to my next project below so I spent some time on it then moved on............

A present from Jenny................I decided to start working on this jelly roll............

sew sew sew............

more sewing..............

then some chopping and piecing........

the inside is together............Gail (thanks Gail) gave me a piece of batik fabric and it goes perfectly with the jelly roll............Here I have a strip pinned up against the quilt..........

thinking I will just cut and attach.........I don't have anything to go in between for a narrow border......

what do you think?

I've never worked with batiks before but I have really enjoyed putting this quilt together..............

Catch you later

Chookyblue
PS Oh and yes I will be having another Chookshed party next year.............no one said "no".........around the same time.............

vote.......

Found a new poll to put on the sidebar and it looks like it is working...........
CLOSED NOW........

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

what a party!!!!!!!

whats a party without decorations so I hung a few streamers and killed myself blowing up some balloons.........

spicey pumpkin soup with a loaf of homemade bread was a delicious lunch..........

Saturday was glorious and we sat on the verendah and ate our lunch......

we popped a bubbles too..........cheers..........

The "super fast finisher" cut out a quilt...........

these fabrics are so pretty.........

she got the blocks constructed but she wanted to lay it all out before she started to join the blocks together............heres some of the different ones to get an idea..........

"Mountain Girl" worked on a doll and had a few she had already made with her to show us.....they were very cute but I forgot to snap a pic........I think the pattern is from an old mag so I will try and see if I can find it..........I did snap a pic of the hexagon mini quilt she is working on............

Kate - Show and Tell put together these blocks.........

it looks great..............then she got her Lynette Anderson bag done from Girls Day in the Country but I missed a pic of that........

"Points Princess" worked on an old retreat quilt.........just needs to applique some stars on the cream strip.....

this pattern is from Fab Five - Abbey Lane Quilts book...........

Another retreat quilt this time Jenny's Bird on the Border

Calico Wedges by Kerry Swain

She also got the binding stitched down on this quilt............an African theme......it looks great and she put flannel on the back..........so snug.........

"the finisher" was making this quilt..........

it's from the book below and Dzintra was working on another quilt from the same book this weekend too......

Kate was extra good and gave me a foot massage........oh heaven.........

maybe she's making sure she can come back again............lol....

I missed getting a pic of  Farmyard Stitches beautiful stitchery but check out her blog and you will see the block she finished..............it looks great......

Sorry I haven't got back sooner but the weekend was big............we had such a good time together.......I am so tired today..........

thanks for signing the petition too.........it's very important............

&&&&&

I have visited heaps of blog posts about your weekend..............you may have been sewing on your own but your sure weren't alone............I had no idea so many of you would have joined in..........but I am glad you did and you got lots done............didn't matter what time zone you would have been sewing with someone else..........lots of Aussies and other countries too...........Canada, Norway, France, USA, New Zealand, Sweden and probably more..........

Some new to me bloggers joined in too so welcome and thanks for commenting so I can visit you too.......

Get around those blog links on the Chookshed party time post......... and see what all the girls got up to with you................maybe I could do it again next year..............what do you think..............I'll be back with a post about what I worked on too.............i didn't finished anything but i really enjoyed my weekend working on a couple of projects in between all the talking, drinks, eating and general Chookshed celebrations..............

Oh and I nearly forgot to top it all off on Sat night we got 21mls of rain and another 10mls just after the last of the girls left............31mls in total........so desperately needed.............and it sure does feel like winter..............excellent...............

Catch you later........

Chookyblue..........
PS UPDATE jut added a poll to the sidebar too...........

help please..........

We've had a busy evening last night sewing til about 8.30 before heading in for dinner.............everyone is doing really well..........more pics later and I have been trying to get around some blogs....you have been doing lots of posts and we still have people commenting who are joining in so keep checking the comments to see whos joining in the fun.................

just wondering if you could help with something please...............I don't usually post private family matters but some of you know this already...........my sister asked if I would post this.......

She has pancreatic cancer and the drugs she is on are not covered by the PBS (medicine subsidy scheme in Australia). She has been having chemo (3 weeks on 1 week off) for over 2 years now......one of the good drugs she is using and is really helping her is ABRAXANE................

It has been a great benefit to her............the first 8 weeks costs her about $10,000...................

If you have breast cancer you can have it at a low cost on the PBS but if you have pancreatic cancer you can't...........

There is a petition to take to the Government to get this drug available on the PBS for Pancreatic cancer patients too or any other cancer it may help not just one type.......

Can you please spread the word on you emails, facebook etc and sign the petition..........
they need more signatures to take it to government.............

http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/federal-minister-for-health-peter-dutton-please-approve-abraxane-on-the-pbs-for-pancreatic-cancer-patients

who knows you may be the next person to needs this drug or someone you love........
I found this article to read too...........

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