Jumping Crocs!

Hi, I'm Helen, I used to blog four times a week? Now it's like four times a month. Am I loosing that blogging buzz? I think about it every now and again and wonder why this is. A few reasons. As part of my current job I update and maintan the school website, so that may take the edge of my blogging bug. Other than that, just a combination of being busy, work, girls after school stuff, a bit of excersice and then sleep and the day is over to start all again the next day. And also holidays for us aren't staying at home anymore, well not at least for the whole holiday. We have just had two weeks off for the end of term three and look what we saw, jumping saltwater crocs!!!

We spent a week in Darwin, relaxing by the pool with friends, shopping, a movie, eating out, more shopping, visiting markets, more eating out and more relaxing by the pool! It was delightful. We did spend one day doing something touristy. I have wanted to go on a Jumping Croc tour for ages, booked one at last with this company here. It was so cool!!

When we got on the boat they did the safety speil and it was "all children sitting in the ailse seats please". Which annoyed the girls greatly as they wanted to see. Well, it didn't take long for them to work out they could see just fine in the ailse!! This is Daz's head in the above shot, shows how close they got and shows how there are no windows on the boat....

It was just amazing, as soon as we had travelled 500 metres down the river, two crocs just swam straight up to the boat, just waiting for the food. It was actually pig's heads that were being dangled on the end of the rope for them to eat. They are so quiet and then BAM, they flick their tail and propel themselves up and snap that meat and then splash down and have dissappeared into the brown water. If you fell in you'd be gone.

And after all that excitment we came home and I had three days to sew before we went back to school. I have decided to sew some table runners for Christmas pressies doing wonky stars. Using up scraps of white and Kona Sour Apple I think and some Christmas print recieved as a Christmas pressie from last year. I have two months to make about four. Doable? Of course!!

A Star Table Runner.

Is table runner two words or one? I finished this on the weekend. This is a detail of the back. I made one extra star for the back.

I added some extra stips and a fat quarter of a print in the same range. It measures 15 x 46 inches.

On the table in action. Can you spot the fault? No? Good, cause I'm not telling you!

The flat againt the door shot. Still not seeing that fault? Good! Next photo....

Just a simple stipple all over, easy, effective and fast quilting. This one is a "just because" present for a friend up here who has helped up recently with some teaching stuff for Grace. She is in her late 50's, the more subdued colour scheme will suit her house. You know what I mean!

Another Tablerunner!

Have finished the top of this runner. I am impressed with how quickly it has come together but really it should come together quickly as its such a simple design! Still trying to find a place to photograph stuff in this new house. On the laundry door here!

I have it sandwiched, ready to quilt. Milly has been spending too much time on the wii this weekend, so I booted her off and she came and drew at the table while I pinned away.

Quilt from Krommama!

I received squishy mail from America today, my mini quilt from Krommama arrived! Its just beautiful, I love it!! It is resting on my table as a runner at the moment, looks great! I love how we both made a mini quilt with stars without knowing it!!

This star here I feel like is a long lost friend as its the same fabric I used on my mystery quilt. And a Jan Mullen binding too! Very sweet!

And also some fabric scrap goodies, thanks Sarah! I especially love that paisley print on the bottom, lovely!

*sigh* A great swap indeed.

Krommama's Quilt!

Remember back here when I blogged that I had finished two maverick star dolls quilts? One for me and one for Sarah, Krommama on flickr not to be confused with Sarah who I am doing the swap with that I mentioned in the last post.... If you click on the link it goes to a great shot of her table with all her placemats on it and some yummy pizza! Anyway, now it has safely arrived on her table, I can blog it.

I was pleased with the back. I had enough sides left over to make up a square block big enough to put the label on in the square. Didn't think to take a photo when I had finished though....

Some detail of the quilting. I am loving that Jump Rope Katie fabric at the moment, I seem to be including it in every quilt sewn.

And here it is with its "twin". Mine is hanging above the ironing board at the moment, really need to move it to the wall.

Maverick Star Dolls Quilt Finished!

I finished this beauty on Friday. Well, I think it is a beauty! LOL Some time last year Sarah, of wonky houses flickr fame and I threw around the idea of having a little private swap, as you do. Then life and Christmas and stuff just got in the way and we both agreed "one day". Fastfoward to last month when the chat about flickr DQS#6 was happening and she was getting impatient to start, we agreed to squeeze our little swap in before the flickr one.

And having been caught up in the joy of making maverick stars for the Bushfire Quilts project, I went small stars! And all scraps except for the borders and binding.



As always I made two, one for me, one for the swapee! I made my one first so the second one for Sarah is much neater, more well made. Oh, such bad English Helen, more well executed in it's construction? It's better! Here's a sneek peek Sarah. I can't resist blogging it!

WIP Wednesday - Week 10 - Wonky Stars

Remember the mini wonky stars from last week's WIP? I have been playing with them and sewed them all together. All from my scrap box, I am trying to get to the bottom of the scraps but it seems never ending, you just make a dent and then it gets more stuff from another project thrown in.... These are looking wonky but some of them look too fat, can a star look too fat? And then somehow, don't know how as I am usually so careful about this, but I got a blur pen mark on a bit of the white. Only small, about 5mm's, it hasn't washed out though so deary me, whats a girl to do but keep this one and get started making another!

This was the view down on the dining table last night. Please note the colour cordinating new Olfa rotary cutter! Got myself a new one on Monday, both of my previous rotary cutters died on the weekend, I am in love with my new one, it just glides through the fabric.