1st Friday Night With Friends

Last night I participated in the inaugural Friday Night With Friends ... Another night of crafting to run in conjunction with Heidi & Bobbi's FNSI, launched this month, and to continue (I hope) each month following on the 1st Friday of the month - giving us *two* Friday's of sewing "with friends" - what a FANTABULOUS idea!!!

What's even more fabulous?

...

I'm here *actually* posting about my evening's achievements, lol!!!

I decided to use last night to get a modicum of prep done for my SKoW quilt, if only to get the ball rolling.  Lol!  I got a lot more done than I expected, though it still looks like not very much, lol!

I started by laying out my current finished blocks on the mat, and cut out the remaining bases for my blocks.  I am pretty happy with the layout I have here, though my perfectionist streak tells me that the value percentages are all haywire, lol!!

And no, Furbie (our youngest) would *not* get off the umbrella block so that I could take the photo - she had to be in the shot!  Lol!  She's the cuddliest of our three kitties, though it does get a bit frustrating when she leaves us with all her black hairs all over things :) ... Oh, and we did have some LOVELY rain last night, from about 2am when I finally got to bed ... so maybe she was trying to tell me something?!!! *giggle*

I have pinned a label onto each block so I know exactly what they are for ... and then pinned each row together from top to bottom as I did the pellon earlier in the week.

I was also able to push through and get six blocks prepped for their needle turn, adding in the stitchery details with my micron pen so I don't have to go back and draw that up once the appliqué is done ... it's all ready to go.

Clockwise from top left : "A good book to read", "Birdsong in the morning", "Family",
"Butterflies fluttering", "Sunshine on my face", "Presents to share"

So, six blocks ready to get stuck into ... the rest of the blocks cut, ready to be prepped once these are done.  I am hoping to get as much of these six done as soon as I can since I was asked by a close friend if I would redo the (pathetic!!!) hand quilting on the quilts she purchased online for her girls - that's three single bed quilts, requested in two weeks!! LOL!  At least she's said she's prepared to pay me well for it!!  It'll be a big job, just from looking at the photos she sent me!! (I'll get more of a close up tomorrow when we catch up at church).

So, that's where I'm up to ... and a touch of where I am going headed over the next month.

Now, to go get some lunch, before getting stuck into some needle turn appliqué ... Oh, and I have floors to clean today too!!!  Better get a move on!!!

SKoW Update

Unfortunately I have not been able to complete the top, let alone my version of this amazing quilt, as our planned timeline has laid out.  I am so sorry for letting the ladies all down, and I am truly sorry that this will be a contributing factor if Chooky decides not to begin another Sew-A-Long - I have enjoyed seeing the progress of each participant in this SAL, and will miss watching them grow if this is the case.  I DO however pledge that I will continue with this quilt - and my goal, however extreme, is to have it done by the end of November.  I am determined to commit to working on this for at least a couple of hours each evening, in order to achieve this goal.

So, I believe that an update on where I'm at is in order.

I spent an evening printing out copies of all of the remaining pages in triplicate, saving one as a frame-of-reference for the stitchery elements (as I have no lightbox as yet, I am relying on sunlight, windows & masking tape to line up everything 'just so') ...

the other copies were used to cut up the different appliqué elements, and then laminated.

I have left them uncut at the moment, ready to separate as needed.  I then keep all the pieces for each block separated in their own ziplock baggies.

I have only been able to complete three new blocks since I last updated.  

I am using the needle-turn appliqué method ... which has contributed to making this process long.

My daisy [Jan] ...

My chocolates - yum [Jan]!  

I chose to use a silver sparkly metallic thread for the stitching on four of these chocs, just to make them look even more extra yummy!!!

My ice-cream [Feb].

My hot chocolate block is prepped and ready for it's needle turn and stitchery - tonight's task!!

And all my finished blocks together ... I still have one block left of December (since I decided to change the cupcakes to pavlova ... I have finally found a pic for this, and will also be prepping this tonight, along with all the July & Aug blocks).

I even have my pellon all cut and ready to size for all my remaining 17 blocks.  And some squares for the strips - though only creams have been cut as yet.  Although I did start with one range of fabrics, I have started adding others ... and with my perfectionist streak on overdrive, I want need to make sure I include some of each fabric in the coloured blocks.  As a result, I am leaving this until after I have finished the blocks - or at least until I have finished the first two rows.

So, that's where I'm at.  I am so upset with myself to have fallen so far behind - but yes, I will get there!!  My next uni course begins in December, and I have decided that I want this quilt finished before I start my studies!!

Weekly Goals, Oct 22 - 28

Okay, so last week I didn't put my goals down, but I DID...

• Take DD to the water park & kindygym
• Work out 5 days, working on Level 3 of Jillian's 30 Day Shred
• Clean & clear out 3 nights underneath my desk in the bedroom 
• Cooked dinner 3 nights
• Finished the 12in mini to the binding stage ... I decided at the last minute to block the mini - something I have *never* before done!!
• Cut my hair ... dramatically!

So, this week I have my parents coming home after a 3&1/2 week trip around the centre & eastern parts of Australia, so I have a HUGE list quite a bit of cleaning to do to make sure this place looks alright before they get home on Wednesday (this place gets dusty as soon as someone drives up or down the driveway!! ... plus, the grass has just shot up while they're away, so I need to work out how to use the lawnmower, lol, and if I have time, the ride on lawnmower!!).  I also have most ALL of the SKoW blocks to do, needle turn appliqué & stitching ... and somehow be a mum in amongst all of that!!

My goals for the week ahead ...

Health

1. Work out 4 days this week; Level 3 of Jillian's 30 Day Shred, followed by Level 1 of her 6 Week Six-Pack workout dvd.

2. Drink 2 litres of water each day.

Spiritual

3. Spend some time each day with God.

4. Listen to at least the first 10 hours of Chuck Missler's Learn the Bible in 24 Hours series.

Home-making

5. Cook: Chicken Stroganoff (Monday); Lasagne (Tuesday); and a Roast Turkey & veges dinner with a cake for my sister's birthday dinner on Thursday.

6. Work through my HUGE cleaning list by Wednesday afternoon.

Craft

7.  Finish all the SKoW blocks.

8.  Make two QBSA blocks - for my Sept & October partners.

Mothering

9. Take DD to the water park & kindygym.

10. Spend time reading to / with DD each day.

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Living & Active Challenge Wrap-up

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I am both glad and frustrated that this challenge has come to an end now.  It has been the only challenge I have successfully stuck-out in the last year and I am hoping that this is the turning point that I have needed for a long while!  I have worked out at least 4, if not 5, days each week over the last 5 weeks.  I have gotten stronger, lost inches around those 2 inches below my bustline - and probably other areas, but not as significantly - and I am *finally* starting to lose some of my weight.

Week Five's results :

Exercise - This week we started doing level three of Jillian's 30 Day Shred.  Oh boy - am I *dying* or what?!!  On Thursday I was even a little sick when doing the super mans!!! 

We worked out on Monday (level 2 ... wanted to get in the full "10 days").  

Tuesday I ended up going around to my workout partner's place to help her scrub her repurposed kitchen ready for the builders to see to determine measurements/fitting for their new house.  I was there two hours, in a squat/standing-bent-over-with-my-bottom-in-the-air-so-as-not-to-touch-the-filthy-verandah :) position the entire time, scrubbing these filthy drawers & cupboard doors (they weren't cleaned by the previous owners, and then stored in a storage unit for 11 months... we had to use jif!!), and refilling the bucket with fresh water as needed ... it may not have been a Jillian workout, but I sure was sore, stiff and tired by the time I had to head home!!!

Wednesday through Friday we *killed* ourselves doing level three.  Not fun - though there are a few exercises that I will be getting heavier (I'm thinking 2.5-3kg) hand weights for when I get paid later in the week.  By the end of this particular workout though, my thighs & calves, shoulder muscles and abs are all SCREAMING!!  

We are going to continue through this particular workout this week, possibly adding either a cardio or abs based workout (also by Jillian) to the mix by the end of the week.  Next week we  plan to continue doing two workouts (with a drink break in-between) and then follow this up with a week of rest ... Give our bodies time to rest, recuperate and repair before throwing ourselves into the Jillian's Extreme Shed and Shred dvd.  FUN!!  I am hoping to have gotten down to the low 70s, if not into the 60s by Christmas (huge feat, considering I am still currently around the 83kg mark, lol!)


Memory Verse -  A big and important one ...

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"                   ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:23

I have really enjoyed adding this verse to my repertoire of known verses to call upon in times of need!  I can still remember the earlier verses in this challenge too, which is great!  I will certainly be challenging myself to incorporate this 'scriptural verse' memorisation to my daily and weekly plans!  It is *so* important to have Our Lord's words available to us to call upon in times of desperation and temptation - both of which, along with depression, I struggle with on a daily, if not hourly, basis!!

Diet & Weight Loss Goals - I decided to forgoe the grand plans, and just aim for working on my water intake to begin with ... Over the next few week I'll *up* my vegetable soup and protein intake (rather than carbs & stuff I really shouldn't be consuming if I'm wanting to lose weight!!).  So my goal this week was to drink at least 4 cups of water each day ... bearing in mind that the cups I usually drink out of hold approx. 450mls of water - so 4 cups brings me close to 2L.  I was able to achieve this ... and this is another thing I am hoping to continue to work on.  

Thankyou so much to Clare for hosting this challenge ... and to those who've been either participating, or following along with my progress.  It truly has helped me stick with it!!

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** I have a HUGE list of sewing projects to complete (and some of, send) over the next couple of weeks that are left this month.  I wonder how it is possible that it is October already - and even then, how it has become the 15th so darn quickly!!!  I pray that I will be able to be diligent with my time, and persevere through the to do list to the best of my (with God's strength) abilities.