Spring swap is in the mail!!!

Oh boy, has this item taken forever to get done!!  Between either DD, me or both of us being sick (DD developed really high temperatures, fluid in the lungs and an ear infection last week ... if I hadn't gotten her to the doctor when I did we would have been looking at a diagnosis of pneumonia if I'd left it only a few days longer!! ... thus I haven't gotten much done this last week at all, especially in the way of uni!) and uni assignments that feel like they are slowly drowning me (yes, I am stressed!!), I haven't gotten much craft done in the last couple of months - I'm having withdrawals!!!

But, the most important item is now in the mail box to fling it's way across the country to my ***very patient!!*** partner Lisa!!!  I have included a number of other goodies along with my handmade item, and I truly hope she loves it ... I will post some photoes of this item when it has arrived.

Oh another note, I have noticed that I haven't shown the blocks I have sent and received in my various swaps for a while... plus, I haven't posted much crafty things lately, and it is always nice to see those things.

So, without further ado...

My August 6in swap partner was Vanessa (no blog).  The top two blocks are ones she made for me, the bottom two I made for her ... she requested friendship stars...

This next block I sent to my August Christmas block swap partner Pat, who made me a lovely log cabin ...

These were my very late July QBSA blocks for my partner Gina who requested stars or applique.  I originally began working on the block on the right ... an antique star tile ... didn't really work, but I thought maybe she could use it in something else.  I also made this Christmas Star on the left.  Lots of HST's pieced together to look fabulous, though I got very frustrated with trying to get the block right ... and now that I look at it I realise I had one of the HSTs around the wrong way!!! Aargh!!!!  Sorry Gina!

My August QBSA swap partner Robyn (who I get the chance to swap with again this month in the 6in swap) made me these lovely bright blocks ...

And for her request of teapots/cups/and saucers/mugs etc, I made this lovely pieced, embroidered and appliqued block.  Once I decided on what I was going to make it came together quickly.  All images came from a google search of relevant images, though unfortunately I didn't think to record the specific pages I got the motifs from ... the teapot was originally a redwork design which I drew out on the fabric with water soluble marker before doing the stitchery once it was appliqued on the central panel...

And a close up of the embroidery ...

 And the last blocks are the ones from my September QBSA swap ... The top two are blocks Elizabeth made for me ... how fantastic is that dresden plate block?!!  She has apparently never done this block before ... but I can't see it!  It looks fantastic!!  And I love the colour blocking in the log cabin!

Finally, my star blocks for  Elizabeth ...  She requested any star block in blue/purple/red/cream ... these two are the Sawtooth Star and Sharon's Star blocks.  Although the second was more fiddly, I really enjoyed this one!

I still have a few blocks that are late in coming ... and I promise I will get onto them as soon as I can ... however I still have a number of assignments that need to be prioritised higher than sewing atm, especially since I have a couple overdue too!!!  **Breathe ... just breathe....**

I have also done more work on my stitchery when I just need to get away from it and do something mind-numbing while watching an equally mind-numbing show ... but this is for my scissor keep swap, so pictures will need to hold off until it's arrived ... still awaiting my fabric to arrive for this, but I still have a few hours of stitching to finish before I can get stuck into this.

Now that November is upon us, I will also mention that I have made the decision to drop out of both the 6in block swap and the Christmas block swap due primarily to time, and the fact that I want to begin working on some full-size projects, namely the Dear Jane quilt and Anni Downs' 'My Favourite Things' quilt from her Some Kind Of Wonderful book, both for which I have joined in a sew along to encourage me in these endeavours!  I will still be a part of the QBSA swap as I do enjoy making these blocks, I am just very aware that I am consistently falling behind in these and it is not fair on my partners ... and the fact that I would like to make some things for myself :)

Anyway, must go.  Got one assignment in and finished at 5am this morning (leaving me with less than two hours sleep) and need to get back to the next one.  They may arrive late ... but at least I am determined that they will get submitted regardless, devil be damned!!!

October FNSI ... sneaks

This month's FNSI was a lot more successful than the last few months, mainly due to me feeling a lot better  this time!  Admittedly, though I had all the cleaning done before 5 (friday is cleaning day), I didn't actually get DD into bed until close to 8pm ... meaning that I didn't have all that much time to sew, especially since I have a number of uni assignments due over the next few weeks!

Anyway, though I was mainly working on items for swaps (and can't really show what I was working on too closely) ... I can show some close-up sneaks...

Firstly, my main item for the Spring Swap ... yes, I know this is devastatingly late.  My partner has been wonderful about patiently waiting for this!!  The Summer swap's deadline for signups is on Tuesday, and I told myself that I need to get this Spring item in the mail before I allow myself to signup for this one.  Though I don't know yet, whether I will sign up, I do know that I want to get this finished by Tuesday at the latest ... just one assignment that has higher priority atm!  So, the very sneakiest of peeks ...

Beautiful 'spring' fabrics ... and yes, lots of hand quilting!!

Another item I did a little work on, though it was earlier on in the day, was a touch of stitching for ********* in the ************ swap ...

And, for the love of stitching, another peek ...

I am enjoying this one!!!

Anyway, I am off to keep working on this assignment ... I know it's gonna be late, but at least I know I can get it done ... whether on time or not, it's gonna get submitted!  (Gonna be late as I can't see myself staying up much longer tonight ... I'm wreaked!  Tired after being up late fretting over DD's temperature last night ... then again this afternoon ... then again earlier tonight!!) **YAWN!!!**

There were many others who participated in this month's FNSI ... head over here if you're curious to see what they were all up to this Friday night!  I'll be sure to hop over to check them all out sometime later this week, when I get a free moment (... or I need something less academic to read!)

EEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

One of these babies is soon to be in my possession!!!!!

The darling Dawn from As Sweet as Cinnamon had a giveaway last week for one of these and three dies (tumblers, chisels and apple cores)... and I was the lucky, LUCKY winner!!!!  Can you believe it??!!!  I don't yet know if I can!!!

My face has been the home to a VERY LARGE GRIN ALL DAY!!!

Can you tell I'm excited?!!!  LOL!!!

Thankyou, Thankyou, THANKYOU Dawn and Accuquilt!!!

... Guess I'd better pull out that sewing machine and dig deep into my sewing to-do-list and uni assignments so I can get stuck into playing when it arrives!!!

Got two 6"  Friendship star blocks, for my (very late) Aug/Sept partner, last night.  In the mail this afternoon...

Got lots more to do, so I'd better get cracking!!!!


EEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!

Why "Crafty God Chick"?

Earlier on in the week, the darling Dawn from 'As Sweet As Cinnamon' challenged us to divulge the reasoning or story behind our selection of blog name.  I loved the idea when I read it, but as you know I haven't been well, so I've mainly just been reading (some) blogs and (very) occasionally leaving a comment ... not even thinking of putting the thought into writing one.

I am feeling a little better, though I spent most of the morning and afternoon on the lounge closing my eyes ... dozing ... sleeping.  Thank God for my wonderful Mum who kept DD entertained most of the day!!  I just didn't have the energy to do anything!!!  I have actually needed to take a Panadeine Forte tablet in the morning when I've woken up, just to feel slightly better!!  (Pain wise!)  It unfortunately leaves me rather tired though!  Double unfortunately I have only one tablet left over ... they were from earlier on in the year when I had tonsillitis (actually, possibly on a few months back if I remember rightly!!) ... and I only had 4 or 5 left over.  Triple unfortunately, I didn't think to request another script for this ... so it is off to the pharmacy tomorrow morning ... once tomorrow's tablet is taken and has 'kicked in' ... to ask if there is anything 'over-the-counter' that I can take which will pretty much do the same job.  Nurofen isn't helping... maybe a number of Panadol will do the trick?!

Anyway... back to why I chose my 'name'.

A number of years ago I came upon a fantastic book by Holly Wagner who wrote a book (among others) entitled "God Chicks".

I love, Love, LOVE this book!!  Every time I read it, whether just a chapter or the whole book again (we're talking at least a half-dozen times here!!), I get something new out of it that never 'spoke' to me before!

As the blurb reads ...

God Chicks come in all shapes and sizes, all colours and styles!   

God chicks are princesses, daughters of a King.  They are warriors with the courage to do what's right (even the hard stuff).  They are lovers, extending their hands and their hearts to their family, friends and a hurting humanity.  They are party chicks, celebrating life with passion and a smile.  They are whatever-it-takes chicks committed to accomplishing their God-given purposes in the twenty-first century.  God chicks are a force for change on earth... 

With God Chicks, Holly seeks to blow the lid off the boxes that women have sometimes put themselves in and encourages women to be the amazing, world-changing champions they were made to be. 

And she really does just that!  I am constantly inspired by the words in these pages ... and even if I don't ever become the 'chick' I believe I should be, then I know that I have tried my best to be the God Chick God created me to be!!  I love the terminology that Holly has used in this title ... the playfulness and cheeky-ness that comes across in her use of the often-derogatory 'chick' label.  I aspire to be the God Chick I was created to be ... the one so deliciously described in Proverbs 31:10-31.

And, well, "Crafty"(?!) ... I tend to be the crafty one in my group of friends, more often than not!  The girlfriends I have now (face-to-face, I-can-physically-visit-with-them friends) are more occupied with tending to their kids and husbands or work to find the time to create and sew!  To say that I now have some friends who I share this passion for handmade crafting ... it is truly a dream come true!!

So, that's me.  Crafty God Chick.

*******
I am linking this to Dawn's post here.  Head over to find out where quite a few other fellow bloggers came up with their names ... or join in the fun yourself!!

Don't you just hate being sick?!!

I'm sitting here in the library, trying to concentrate on my readings for uni ... not very successfully as I am coughing away every few minutes, sneezing almost as often, and wiping my nose so often you'd assume it was a tap left not-quite-shut-off (what a great mental image?!!! Lol) ... and so I decided (my mind is not quite with it atm) that it was about time I quickly update how I've been.

Unfortunately, the last month or so has seen me rarely well! I have been sick more often than I've been healthy ... And I've hated every minute! Whether it was a cold/flu, headaches or migraines, tonsillitis, or any number of other worries ... You name it, I've probably housed it! Last night I went to the free overnight clinic after having a really bad cough, congestion and almost losing my voice since monday ( normal doctor couldn't see me till next week) ... And I came away with a week's course of antibiotics, 2 tabs twice a day. I am hoping this will help me get over this bout really quickly as I have two assignments due ASAP ( one overdue) and then another Monday week. On top of this I am also behind in my sewing ... Again!

God bless my swap partners ... Seriously!!! They have all been incredibly understanding, and I just feel so bad!

Right now, all i want to do is sew and craft ... Unfortunately, there have been times that my migraines have meant I didn't even want to go near the sewing machine! And right now, this overdue assignment is #1 priority! Aargh!! Ibam definitely going back to one unit over Christmas!! And DD will be at childcare two days next year, rather than just the one!!!

Oh, on top of all this, my darling 3yo DD has been showing signs of attention seeking!!! You know, extra tantrums, going into places she knows are out of bounds, getting into food stuffs she knows she's been told 'no' or 'not now' ... FUN FUN!!!

I don't mean to complain, just to update why I've been pretty much AWOL lately!

I do have a few blocks, both received and sent to show, just need to be at my computer to do so. A lot of the sewing I have done, has been hand sewing. Hand quilting is my current project ... Lisa, I am getting it done!! Thankfully my most recent block requests have been easy blocks too. I have my fabrics and patterns ready for when I get a spare chance.

Must go... Sorry for the rant.

Have a great crafty week!

P.S. Can you believe I hadn't been anywhere as sick as this before we had a super weekend at church with a couple of honest-to-God prophets come?!!!!