The wonders of the internet........

Today I had a visit from the postie, one that I forgot that I was expecting. LOL.....Nancy in Norway had told me she was sending me a Shed Warming gift....and today......it arrived!!! She has sent me an interactive CD postcard all about Norway, a thimble, and little traveling tissue cover and the sweetest little drawstring bag I have ever seen.

Nancy, I am assuming that you have made these gifts for me and I just want to say how much I appreciate you taking the time to do so. Your work is BEAUTIFUL and I would really love instructions for both. LOL. Thank you so much....I have had a tiring frustrating couple of weeks and your parcel arriving was a real pleasant surprise! Still cant believe that you would be so kind, when we only know each other from cyber space..........amazing!!!

I'm IN!!

I still dont have a ceiling....but I am working out of the shed.....let the pictures do the talking.

You know how I said I was almost done......

......well I wasn't. The more I looked around the house....the more I found! Just when I would think I had it sorted, I found more. I believe that this week I have FINALLY taken everything out to the shed that belongs there. I have spent the last couple of days straightening up my bedroom. For the first time in about 8 years, there is NOTHING under my bed. My shoes are back in the walk in robe......and I can even WALK INTO my walk in robe. I feel tonight a bit like I am sleeping in a hotel room it is so clean and tidy!

So the task for tomorrow is to get the Shed into the same order.....so that by the time the kids head back to school on Monday....ALL will be set to rights! Then PICTURES for you!! LOL

Thought you would like to know...

I am almost done..........

Moving in......

I am still short a ceiling....but am told that it is easy to install and makes little mess. So I have been moving in......slowly bit by bit around all my other commitments this past week. Oh and a whole day of rain, which was lovely, except when you are trying to shift thing out to you back yard. Gave up and had a nap in the end.....LOL We are moving in the last 2 pieces of furniture this morning...so hopefully I can shift the last of the "stuff" after that. I am yet to tackle the 1 task I am avoiding ....... sorting fabric....I have it stashed all over the house and am a bit worried about putting it all together....then "other" people will know exactly how much I have. LOL. Will post some pics bit later.

cheers

Just a quickie...........

Just a couple of quick pics to keep you going........we have to fit the cupboard doors tomorrow, and then the ceiling which is still at least 2 weeks away. I am assured that it does not make much mess to install it.....we will see. Ok Back to it.

Lynda

(not sure where my signature went??)

Not quite........but almost

There are some of you who have been following the progress of my shed since the very very beginning.....I am pleased to tell you we are now down to hopefully a week before I can start moving in. I have to take some pictures, but was just too plain tuckered out to do it tonight, that and it got dark. Will try to remember to do it in the morning.

cheers

Why I love blogging........

I am sure that we all have different reasons for liking blogs....one that is HIGH on my list is that they are an incredible resource!! Needed a problem solved last week and I found the answer at All Sorts!! Jenny Beck Harris is a wonderful Illustrator and all round crafter......and these fabric coasters are just genius!! I needed to make 30 of something out of fabric for my Term 3 craft night.....it needed to be quick and cute and affordable as I was giving them away. These hit EVERY mark and the ladies receiving them LOVED them. So thank you Jenny....for sharing these coasters. AMAZING that the tutorial went up nearly 3 years ago....and was just waiting there for me for right now. The MAGIC of blogs!! LOL

The Shed.....AGAIN

This is taking a long, long time! and it honestly feels like it is taking forever. But at this point every little step forward is like a giant leap. Pictured above is what we did this weekend: Firstly has you can see I have turned the car in to moving advertisement, very very cool. I have one on the door of the shed too. The next pic is of the slat wall we have installed under the window....there is a similar piece on the opposite wall. I still need to track down some hardware for that.....will be nice to have things up on display..... and lastly in lining of the front wall. The left side was mostly done last weekend....but the little bits in the middle either side of the door where fussy cuts: they were done yesterday. And today we did the even fiddler ones round the window and that giant angled piece above the window. We just have to cover the steel and do some trims on that wall now......

I am ordering a whole heap of plastic tubs tomorrow. The plan....to sort and label while I cant do anything else. Hopefully it will serve 2 purposes......to keep me busy and make me feel like I am doing something and SHOULD make moving day a whole lot easier. Will take a pic when they arrive......I am a little excited...does that make me strange??

BFN

Shed Update

Now I know I promised you a shed update tomorrow and as it is 12:08am, it is now technically the next tomorrow.....I also figure in theory as I have not been to sleep, it must actually still be today or the first tomorrow and it will remain so until I have been to sleep and I wake up tomorrow! By then I would have welched on my promise to update you tomorrow...........(can you tell it is late?? LOL) So if I do it NOW.......all is good?? Yes...you with me??

So shed....more walls clad. 2 sections are completed of a necessary 6, but a lack of materials had bought us to a grinding halt over the weekend. Husband has spent the day with the trailer on......collecting goodies from all over town. I think it is all here now bar the ceiling. The skirting's are also being custom cut and will be ready for collecting later in the week.

The picture I have included is of one of the completed sections. Including design wall......I plan on covering it with something...I am told flannel is the best. Can you see the power points?? LOL there are 10 double sockets in the room!!! Luxury!

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am........(feel a bit like screaming inside........) Just taking deep breaths......and practicing my patience. LOL

More soon I hope!

BFN

FINAL PIF Update....

I have been told by all my participants that they have received their parcels......YAY!!! So THANKFULLY I am now done with Pay it Forward for now. So to Pam, Jane, Jas & SueBK....thank you it has been fun making your gifts. I am glad you all like them so well. I am sorry to all other blog readers that there are no pictures at my end. I COMPLETELY forgot about taking any till I was on the way home from the post office......and obviously by then it was too late. Maybe the girls will put one up.

BFN

PS Shed update tomorrow, or the day after lol.

PIF

I have FINALLY completed my commitment to the PIF challenge.....with the posting of 4 parcels on Thursday. It was not until I returned home that I remembered that I had forgotten to take any pictures so I am relying on the recipients to post a picture if possible and I will link back to their blogs. I have already had Glenice check in with both an email AND phone call.....the postie was on fire and she has already received her parcel already!!!

Shed Update.....

Look, look......finally it is looking more like my studio rather than a shed. I know the walls & ceiling are not finished yet....but the pretty floor is down and the shelves are together waiting for their sliding doors to be built over the top. I now have to wait another couple of weeks for some more progress as husband is interstate working for a couple of weeks. This whole process is taking an extraordinarily long time and my patience is being tested to its limits...but I know it will be worth it in the end.

New Toy

I have a new friend.......

...................I think I will called him Bernard, Bernie for short. I don't think that I have ever told you of the frustrations I have had with my old machine. Which was really not my old machine...it was only about 5 years old at the most....but I have NEVER liked it. But as you know sewing machines cost a lot of money and it is very self indulgent to just say you don't like it and get a new one. So I have persisted.......for around 5 years. Let me tell you when my husband came home from the accountant with the message that I HAD to buy a new machine BEFORE the 30th of June....well, I needed little encouragement and began a search for the perfect machine. (Or as close to it as possible) I have heard many many tales of the wonders of the Bernina Aurora 440QE, and so far they are proving all true. I did have my sights set on the Bernina 820 (google it, it will blow your mind) but the budget just didn't stretch that far just at the moment. But having said that, when it really came down to it....there were only 2 features on the 820 that I really coveted and they were not worth an extra $4000. (If you are interested they were a built in walking foot and a 10"throat.) I am battling along with the Stitch regulator foot: I am told practice makes perfect when it comes to free motion. (Thank goodness I just got a new bolt of calico.) I have a couple of quilts here that I am itching to get onto, I guess I will get to the point where the calico will get boring, LOL.

BFN

And the winner is.............

I found myself a random number generator (http://www.random.org/) and have been issued with the number 25!!!! Comment 25 was from.................... Debby in the Netherlands......congratulations!!!

If you could email me with your address Debby I will get your parcel off to you by the end of the week.

Thank you everyone for your interest and words of encouragement. I will have the patterns in my ebay shop by the end of the week. Why not drop by and see it and the other goodies I have. (Patchwork Promises ebay store!!)

Oooooopss.....

.........I forgot to do the draw....LOL!!! Stay tuned back with a winner real soon.......

Its GIVEAWAY time!!

To celebrate the launch of my patterns I am going to give someone a gift!!! I have a Pattern, handle and fabric pack for the Patchwork Carpet Bag to give to 1 lucky person. It is the same as always.......leave a comment and tell your friends. The winner will be picked by a random drawing Next Sunday the 14th of June. Entries will close on that day at 6pm!! Winner to be announced by around 10pm that evening.

Good luck!!!!

A week of ups and downs.......

Firstly there was the Ringwood Church of Christ bi-annual quilt exhibition where I premiered 3 things. My new sign......see how awesome it is. My newly acquired Credit Card facility. (Made a massive difference to sales) And 3, yes 3 patterns designed by ME!! (More about them later) I had such a FABULOUS time, and although it is work....it hardly seems like it. So that was the good thing.........

.......the not so good was the demise of my much loved and used laptop!! Serious hard drive failure....and at this point I am not sure whether to repair and try to recover the info or just start again??

But it does leave me in a sticky spot regarding Pay it Forward. You may think I am just saying this but I was going to FINALLY prepare my gifts for the 4 ladies that signed up with me. But all the address info I had collected is now ever so securely locked on my failed hard drive. I would really appreciate it if the following girlies can email their snail mail info to me, again. (Boy I hope you guys still read my blog!!)

Jasmine, Ozjane, SueBK, Pamela

Thank you.......

More excitement .....

I am very pleased to show you, my flooring and my cable........not much in one sense but tangible evidence of the slow but steady march forward!! I am very excited with the flooring, it is laminate panels which we can easily install ourselves. I have done a little test walk on the small portion Husband has layed just for fun ( as neither of us could wait). It almost has that walking on hard floor sound, which I love!! It helps me to imagine what the room will "feel" like, which if it is to be a space I get creative in.........well you know what I mean it needs to "feel" just right. LOL. Hope to be showing you the some clad walls after the weekend!!!

cheers

Look.......

.....a wall already, well the framework anyway. I know I promised more regular posts, but didn't think it would be this quick. Husband is very clever!! Yay!!!

Ok......so I am still here!!!

The 28th of March??!!!! I cannot believe I have not posted since the 28th of March!!!!!!! How bad is that??

Well this post will be a quicky, to catch you up on what has happened in the last 6 weeks or so.

• Ran a Successful craft night at my church, around 40 ladies in attendance....lots of fun, laughter and good food. Oh and craft. LOL Doing another one on June 10th, making a bracelet. Wanna come??
• Been to Queensland and back......2 weeks away in total, including 8 days on the Gold Coast. Did a few of the parks but loved Seaworld & Currumbin Sanctuary the best. Only visited 1 Patchwork Shop the whole time, in Dubbo!!
• Had a stall at the Bi annual Heathmont Baptist Quilt Exhibition. Was fun and successful. Met some lovely people, made a little money  but most made some BIG decisions.
• Have shelved myself as a Black Dog outworker. Not quit, just taking a break. ( Yes that is one of the big decisions)
• Having ANOTHER stall at the Ringwood Church of Christ Quilt Exhibition (May 28th, 29th & 30th) so am busy preparing for that.
• Am trying once again to write some patterns..............but procrastinating more than anything.
• And lastly the shed........!!!! The only thing that has happened on the shed is that we FINALLY got the notification that the building had been inspected and was ready to go. Husband is out hopefully getting materials for building the wall between his bit and my bit, and we hope to start on the wiring this weekend too.

Ok I think that will do for now......pics and more detailed info from now on....promise!

Here it is..........

............finally in all its glory!! Well the exterior anyways. We are at lock up, and have even had rain to prove that it is also water tight! In fact there is a 3000 liter tank at the back, that is also functioning and is about 1/3 full now!! We are well pleased.

It has been an intense month. Between my obligation to Black Dog, planning a craft night for my Church, and the everyday family stuff.........life has been a bit of a blur. Obviously if we were having it built it would not have taken that long. But when Husband has often been working 6 days a week, we have had to grab what ever spare min there was to build the shed. There has also been rain and heat to deal with, usually on alternating days but sometimes you would get slammed with both. It has been quite amazing watching Husband work on this. Although he doesn't build sheds for a living, he does work with steal and aluminum every day so it was simply a matter of applying that skill to a different project. Thankfully it also meant he had all the right tools to make the job a breeze. I have spent a lot of time at the bottom of his ladder making sure it doesnt tip. But I have also done my fair share of ladder time, far from my favorite thing.

SO.......Term 1 has been about the build, term 2 is all about the fit out and MOVING IN!!! We are on hold for a couple of weeks. Holidays are coming up whoohoo, I think, we have a long drive ahead of us. (More about that in another post)

Sorry I have been away so long, but I think the Big Red Shed is evidence that I haven't been sitting on my behind!! LOL

At last, some real progress

       Well here it is, almost in all its glory. We have the frame up, the door and most of the windows in. Husband has also finished the line of water proofing around the bottom.  We are having a very quick dinner and then we hope to get at least a couple of panels of cladding on tonight. I stand in it and cant still quite believe it will be mine!! I am now wondering about window coverings, floor coverings, furniture!!! POWER POINTS, where shall I put the power points, I know I want lots!! Hope to have a pic of the finished exterior by next weekend.

What a week.....

I have sat down to write this at least a dozen times in the past week, but it has been incredibly hard to order my thoughts. There is no one in the world who would not know what has happened in my home state of Victoria this past week. I dont even know where to begin......there is a complete sense of desolation hanging over our community. Last Saturday I had family running from the fires in country Victoria, thankfully they and their properties came out unscathed.  Many did not. Here in Melbourne today it is very smokey, the sun is glowing an eerie golden yellow, reminding us all that the danger is not over yet. We have a significant portion of bushland behind our home, and I think I have lost track of the times I have been out to sniff the air and look for flames. Everyone is on edge, especially those of us who live in bushy areas. 

I have friends and family assisting in the relief effort, and that at least does something to relieve the sense of helpless that those of us not directly affected feel so deeply.  I continue to pray for all those who have lost homes and loved ones and hope that much will be learned to prevent this from happening again.

More Concrete & Parcels......

Here finally is a picture of the finished slab. Not very exciting I know but a huge milestone in what is becoming the soap opera of this project. Husband is home, but of course it is going to be 44 degrees here today, so there will be no real work done. He is off buying brackets, as that can be done in an air conditioned car.

Nancy is back from her trip and informed me that her parcel has arrived safely, so that is all 3 received now. Thanks again to everyone who joined in the fun, I am just sorry I couldn't give a prize to everyone.

At the left of the photo you can just see some huge trees. They are part of a protected reserve that surrounds the Blind Creek Billabong which is just behind our house. It was one of the features that attracted us to the area, but of course on a day like today it becomes a point of concern. Over the 10 years we have lived here, we have had several deliberately lit fires in the reserve, one burning a significant area of the bushland. That fire was only about 100m behind our back fence. But I am in the middle of suburbia, and the risk to my property is realatively small. I cannot even imagine what it is like for friends and family who live with an ever present high threat of fire at this time of the year. So to all of you who are literally sweating out the arrival of the cool change, I am thinking of you and praying that this feral day passes without incident.

BFN

Concrete..& Parcels

I didnt realize it had been so long since I posted. To all those who have enquired, yes the concrete went done as scheduled on Tuesday. I then had to spend the next 2 days watering it so it would not dry too fast in that ridiculas heat we had last week. It felt so wrong, but I had been told water or it will crack. I have no pic at the moment. I did try to post one last week but the google uploader was misbehaving and now I cannot find the picture. Husband who has been in Perth working for 2 weeks, will be home Friday, not sure how long it will be before he starts building.

In regards to parcels, May Britt & Lissa have been in touch to say their packages arrived safely. Has your come yet Nancy?? I cannot understand how you could not if May Britt does?? 

I now better get myself packed up for the class I am teaching tonight, apparently I am getting 4 new students!!! It is exciting and scary all at the same time.

BFN

Big Red Shed Update...

Well Saturday morning we FINALLY saw some action in the back yard. The boys turned up to box up the slab and put the plastic and reo in place. I am told they will be coming at 7am Tuesday to pour the concrete. I have almost been too scared to say it out loud just in case. Only time will tell, but hopefully by tomorrow night I will be able to share pictures of my floor!

Cheers

Packing.....

I am packing parcels, yippee!!! But only for Nancy and May Britt at the moment. Lissa Jane........where are you???