Nays Place's

mmm 2 weeks of Annual leave - 'spring' cleaning or sewing

so I'm about to start 2 weeks of annual leave - todays my day to plan...so what should I do..spring clean (yes I know its Autumn/Fall) or sew...

We've been in the house for over 12 mths and still havent unpack and organised all the rooms. Can throughly recommend not moving at Christmas time and then going away for 4 weeks - but thats what happens when settlement planned in July only happens in November. The study is still full of boxes - the filing cabinet is still in the shed I've swapped bedrooms around already and still have to work out how to keep Miss Princess, Mr Fix-it and Mr almost a teenager to keep their rooms clean - if not clean at least put the clean clothes away and not leave them on to the floor.

OR

I can spend 2 weeks organising my fabric, projects and finishing off the numerous projects that I have or not plan anything and just go with the flow....I do have 2 projects that must be finished and one is a quilt for Mr Almost a teenager in fantastic Superheroes fabric for mid May and another 'Man Quilt' for DH for June - DH has put up with me sewing for many years but other than waistcoats out of the family tartan for our wedding; I havent actually ever made him anything - not even a shirt... even though I know I have one cut out in a box somewhere.

OR

I could organise my vegie garden and patio area outside my shed..I have been reading the blog Down to Earth by Rhonda Hetzel and shed has some great money saving ideas, recipes and gardening ideas.

So keep checking back to see what I get up to - promised a giveaway when I finished my shed

Hello Hello is anyone home.......remember me.....a finish, a start, upcycling and whats on my frame (at last)

Hi Remember me..... yes its been a while...quite funny I spend about 30 mins a night catching up on the blogs of the designers and people that I admire and quite often get frustrated cause they havent updated lately when it hit me - neither have I..OOOPPPPSSSS

Sorry however my sewing mojo did leave me for a while...my dearly beloved Grandma died late Feb and to be honest I went through all the normal feelings - she was getting quite sick and ill and on the one hand I felt tremendously guilty that I didnt do enough, that I should have done more whilst she was alive but on the other hand felt so extremely lucky that I'm in my forties I had the privilege of having my grandma or GG for the kids around for so long and that she has finally passed and is in peace now.

Fond memories - mystery trips to anywhere in the state, shopping for fabric fabric and more fabric, ginger nuts, putting a roof over my head when I was desperate, welcoming me and my friends at anytime and giving me the privledge to share her life.

I also had so many projects that I didnt know where to start so what did I do - GO AND BUY MORE FABRIC.....seriously it must be an addiction mustnt it.....so slowly but surely I started.

First I started with completed a raw edge applique project that was a club workshop with Waikerie Piecemakers - will post photos later but lets just say I have learnt to appreciate keeping vilosfix handy fresh and I love AURIFIL threads for sewing - some freehand embroidery happening and yes I am really bad at it but I am having fun.

By the way have you checked out their free BOM sewing sticheries - 12 designers and Aprils featured designer was the lovely Gail Pan. Check out her blog and her wonderful trip to Europe with Helen Stubbings from Hugs n Kisses.

Helen will be at Port Pirie with Melissa from One Day in May creations at the lovely Robyns shop Country Hart for a Weekend of Creative Stitchers. Robyn has just moved into larger premises at Port Piries and unfortunately I am unable to attend this weekend. bummer......they are great weekends and a lot of laughs - it is where I got to know Granny Loz, Amanda and last time I took Anne with me.

OOPPS just been informed by Robyn the move isnt happening until the end of May

Next on the list was to finish a stitchery for my auntie who has a weekend nearby - a converted church in the middle of nowhere and she has a church hall bench that needs something on it. Got the idea from Rhonda and Down to Earth.

Next I took a GIANT step towards overcoming a fear....I finally set up a quilt on the Quilting Frame that I have from Granny Loz. Not bad - its almost 12 months since I got it.....you think I would have used it before now but honestly reading the instructions and the photos didnt help. Loz did offer a lesson but trying to fit that in with full-time work, 3 kids and 110km distance between us I thought I had better try something.

So I went for it - I have been hoarding the kids flannette PJ's for 3 years trying to decide that I could make a quilt but how, what etc etc I had no idea. Unfortunately my local Quilt Shop ' Corner Fabric Store' doesnt stock flannels and I wanted a lounge quilt that I could use all year round and just throw it in the wash.

I started unpicking cuffs, buttons etc etc, cutting PJ's from size 3 to my PJ's when I was pregnant - now Princess S is 6 going on 7 so you could say this has been a work in progress for a while. Cut the smallest PJ's into the widest strips possibly 4 3/4 " by the length of the fabric and kept cutting till I had gathered quite a large pile. If I couldnt get wide strips I then cut 2 1/2" strips thinking I could join them for the binding. So after spending 3 days cutting on and off between housework, I thought I had enough but what to do.

Then I remembered Jelly Roll Races - if anyone has seen the You Tube clip by Heirloom Creations. Basically what is 1,600 inches long when it starts and finishes 48” x 64”? The Jelly Roll 1,600 Quilt! Take your time to have a download and watch - one lady finished the top in 35 mins - seriously 35 mins...admittedly the preparation takes a lot longer. You join all the strips of a Jelly Roll together end to end and finish up with a strip 1600' long (approx 40 mtrs) -well by the time I finished my equalled 56 mtrs long......so after sewing for about 2 hrs I finished with a top about 165 cm x 340 cm long - and funnily enough thought this is only for me lets tryout the Quilting Frame...

Mmmm imagine reading instructions that says make sure all the writing on the draw up cloth is on the right hand side - thats great but doesnt actually tell you which way youre actually looking at it to know which is the right hand side and which is the left.....so guessing and yep you guessed it had one pole in backwards so the fabric wouldnt wind....broke 2 needles and then decided just to go with the flow - quilting is very very bad, not even, missing stitches, different stitch lengths but it is done - albeit I had to cut it in half as my machine is not big enough to take the quilt. Is this an excuse to buy myself a quilting machine, the kids are happy apparently they're getting one each.

Photos not working so will try again later ....sorry......

So I think my mojo is back am waiting on some fabric from Fort Worth Fabric Studio - saw a post by Claire Hilton about the excellent service she had received so thought I would go check it out. OMG found some car fabric with landrovers on it - my DH is a fanatic and has 8 in various stages of disrepair although one does actually run - I have been looking for fabric for over 15 years to make him a quilt and guess what it was on SPECIAL...and the wonderful Jodie reduced the postage as she could get it in one bag...gotta love this service. So need to hurry as his birthday is in June...

Have 2 weeks of holidays coming up so will finally get into Nays Place for some much overdue cleaning, sorting and finally getting organised...when this happens get ready for a GIVEAWAY......

 

Keep Stitching

 

Nay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A belated Christmas Wish to All.........

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS

The story was written by Shirley Joffs who lives in Logan, Utah.


Enjoy the season with all your heart.

Christmas Village, Ogden, Utah

The Magic of Christmas Lies in Your Heart

by Shirley Joffs Dec. 2011

( With apologies to those who may celebrate the winter holidays with other names, the intention of my story today is universal in spirit.)

As I pondered a Christmastime story, I found it difficult to focus on just one aspect of the holidays. M y feelings were a little like the season tends to get....stressed out, too busy, trying to 'get it all done', making all of the plans to make everything just perfect. In a moment of weakness, once, I tentatively suggested that we break with all tradition and just go to a warm climate for a week or two and do something entirely different The look on the faces of my children and grandchildren was of complete horror and disbelief.. ..so much for that idea. But now that the tree is up and the gingerbread cookies made, I realize that I really would miss the traditions too, and I begin to focus on the important aspects of the season that I really do appreciate, particularly as a quiIter since that is our common tie here... .and this is what I want to share.

I believe that it is unique to quilters to easily blend the past and the present. We are often drawn back to old quilt patterns, vintage fabrics, traditional uses of quilts, pioneer stories of how quilts were made and used and appreciated; on the other hand, we are excited by new patterns, new ideas and methods, beautiful new fabrics. We use both hand and machine quilting, but we quickly cut reproduction fabrics with our trusty rotary cutters or even cut out whole quilts in a matter of minutes with magical cutting machines. Christmas is a little like that for me I'm drawn back to days gone by, even as I shop for the I pad and put up the artificial tree; and while I hum traditional carols, I hear "Grandma got run over by a Reindeer" in the mall. We can't avoid some of the plastic world, but being a quilter, a maker of handmade treasures, an addict of the creative process of quilting, gives us a special opportunity to make holidays to remember for ourselves and future generations. So here is my wish for all quilters....


First, that as you "cut", remember to let C stand for Caring, and carefully creating and choosing gifts that uplift, encourage and cheer others. I saw a wonderful suggestion for gifts on an email message, In addition to your beautiful quilts and fabric items, give services like a manicure, a day of house cleaning, a car wash, a date night for a couple that can't afford a sitter, a sewing lesson for someone who has shown an interest in learning, or a breakfast date for a grandchild. Services keep people working and show how much we care. My husband would be disappointed if he didn't get his certificate for a massage or a pedicure. It's something he would never buy for himself.

My second wish is that as you Handsew, remember to let "H " stand for Heart and Hearing and not "Hurry". So often I listen with my motor running. I'm thinking of what I'm going to say next, or I'm thinking of something else entirely. Really Hearing is an art that is a lifelong lesson for me. Hand sewing, putting on a binding, always slows my world down and helps me listen better. Better yet, being with grandchildren teaches the patience and hearing that I think I missed with my own children let hand sewing remind us.
My third wish is that as you "re-sew"... .as we always have to do, let "R" stand for rest and relaxation. I usually have to "re-sew" when I have pushed a project, tried to sew too fast or let myself get tired. There is something so restful about just staring at the Christmas tree and its reflection in the window. One of our family traditions at Christmas is to go for a slow ride with our children and now grandchildren, and look at ail of the different lighted homes. Sometimes we try to guess who lives there and what they must be like. For me, setting aside a day for a gift exchange and lunch with friends gives me a time to look forward to relaxing, forgetting for awhile all of the "doing" and just "be".


And my fourth wish is that as you Iron, remember to let "I" stand for Icing on the cake. So often we settle when we could excel, we appreciate when we could 'relish with gusto', we hum when we could really sing. Icing on the cake is about the really 'special' things we do. I make gingerbread boys every Christmas; I've made them for 40+ years now. I found the recipe in an old Sunset magazine and, with a homemade cookie cutter I can make the little figures dance, pray, do yoga, swim.. .whatever my family is into for that year. Those special things and activities get represented on the gingerbread tree.
Two years ago we were icing the cookies and Emma, my now 8 year old was helping. The icing tube went berserk and put a huge glob of icing on the cookie and without a thought I said "Lord A Mercy". We laughed so hard and then Emma said, "Nana, we should call the cookies with lots of icing, "Lord A Mercy Cookies".... So now they pick through the batch looking for Lord A Mercy Cookies because they love the sweet icing.

Life and quilting are like that too. When we make mistakes they can become blessings.
May you have a "Lord A Mercy Life Experience Daily" Think of Icing when you iron...


My fifth wish is, that as you sew, also let S stand for "show and share". I feel sometimes that I do a lot of telling and not as much 'showing' by example. Just as we stand up in Guild meetings and show and share what we have done and therefore who we are, we do so by our lives every day. On our trips to Disney World with our grandchildren, we would often see frustrated, tired parents screaming at their crying, sad children, "I've spent a ton of money to get you here so you WILL have fun, by George, so stop crying and start having fun!!!" Our sewing and our Christmas celebrations can be like that if we aren't careful. Spending a lot of money does not a successful experience make; hence the fun of a scrap quilt where we use what we have is like a quiet night of telling Christmas stories together. Or teaching a child how to make cookies by really letting them get their hands in the dough... .1 Immmmmm. could it be that those we love want us to show and share ourselves and not our expensive gifts with them...
My sixth wish is that as you thread the bobbins and needles, let "T" stand for Trust. It is so easy to get grouchy, even judgmental of the flurry that seems so far removed from the real Spirit of Christmas, but just as those trusty sewing machines, sergers and quilting machines serve us if we oil and clean and service them, we can Trust that the Spirit that is at the heart of Christmas, whatever our faith or belief, will be there if we seek it out. It often seems that the thread breaks or the bobbin runs out at the most inopportune time, but if we focus on the thousands of times that it doesn't we can trust So, on the occasion when we think that our Faith has failed us, let's fill up the bobbin again, thread the needle once more and trust.


My seventh wish is that as you Measure your fabric, M might stand for Mastery. I've told you the story of how I didn't measure my first hand-pieced rail fence quilt. I just blithely sewed strips together in a color pattern. Not one block was the same size... .a good quilter convinced me that I should not throw them all out, and she helped me "square them up", which I had never heard of. I keep that quilt in a visible basket to remind me that we all start somewhere. I make similar mistakes every day in life, but as the saying goes, "God isn't through with me yet" so I can"t let that stop me. How many times have we failed to notice that the ruler is not straight on the cutting pad when we slice through a beautiful piece of fabric. Measure twice, cut once was my father's rule in carpentry. Probably the most important mastery we will learn in life is the art of trying again and again.

My eighth wish is that as you Applique, you will "ask" for what you need, what you want, and what you love. Whether it is by machine or by hand, applique is that special embellishment that says you are willing to take time to do it. Asking to have our own needs met is that special way of valuing ourselves, avoiding becoming a martyr and the anger and confusion that it creates. I thought early on in my marriage that Eric should 'divine' my needs, that is, know them before I even knew them and meet them..if he LOVED me. Asking is simply fair communication.
I used to be a potter. I carved out a little tiny spot next to the water heater to put my wheel, in a dark basement, near the furnace. My friend visited and said, "Oh, no, this will never do... .you are too fine a potter to treat yourself like this, ask for more.. .a space with light, elbow room..." Wow! That was one of life's best lessons for me.. .It may be something as small as a good seam ripper, an iron dedicated only to your sewing room, a new blade for your cutter, or a quilt kit that you've admired, or it could be a "date night with a partner or friends" or even a hug when you feel down. Don't ALWAY S put yourself second or you might get what my Mom called 'sour' on life.


My ninth wish is that when you sit down to sew, you make "S; stand for "Sing from you Soul" Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I realize how happy I am when I am sewing. I look forward to it, I relish it and I miss it when I can't do it..,,. .sounds like love to me. We quilters are fortunate that we have something that we love so much. If we take it as a lesson, we can remind ourselves that everything else we do can have that same kind of love if we live in the moment. Some sage person said, "Wherever you are, be there." So when we S, stand up from sitting and sewing, let's remember to take with us that same delight in life, that same attention to detail, that same willingness to make and mend mistakes, that same love of creating something beautiful in our world and with the people we love. In all we do, let us Sing from our Souls. Eleven-year-old Jackie Evancho, the singing sensation who has been featured on PBS this month was asked what she feels when she sings. Her wisdom was amazing. She said, "Something just takes over and feel soooo happy and relaxed."
And then, oh, my, you should hear her sing.

Lovingly stolen from the Abbey Lane Quilts blog with good intentions...take care all and have a great 2012.

AAARRRRGGGGHHHH 4 weeks to Christmas......

Someone forgot to tell me that we've only got 4 weeks to Christmas - I'm not ready but then again I dont think I am ever ready for Christmas.

We've had a fantastic weekend firstly Friday night was the local Christmas Pageant at Waikerie albeit a bit wet it was fantastic to see so many people out. The Lions club do a magnificent job of getting it all organised. 20 bags of lollipop's later the Little Athletic club was already - great to have some many kids come and join me for this night. I can honestly say that my arm and should are still sore from waving so much.

Saturday saw me collect an extra 2 friends from Hallet had a work show at the Barossa so I looked after an extra so after a quick trip to Gawler for some Christmas presents then to Nuriootpa to collect the extra we all went to Loxton for there annual Loxton Lights up night. What a great night chips, donuts, wood oven pizza, fireworks and then the voyage around for the Santas walk and Christmas Wonderland at Loxton North.

This morning saw all 5 decorate the Christmas tree - mmm not sure about it but they had fun - definitely not quite as organise as Loz's but its up and that's all that matters - isn't it? No 2 then had a birthday party at the local pool so when we collected him after the party I took all 5 down to the river for another swim before ice-cream and then we headed home before they headed back to Hallett.

Phew another weekend gone, no sewing but a weekend spent with the kids doing kids things tiring but fun and now we're curled up eating Spag Bog and watching 'Annie' on DVD an early christmas present received today by No 3.

4 weeks mmm 3 quilts and 4 noticeboards, 4 DS covers and 1 I-phone cover to make better get a move on then ..

Have fun and keep sewing and still having trouble uploading photos so no happy snaps today

Nay

Gail Pan, Natalie Ross, Granny Loz and QuiltyGal to name a few

WOW WOW WOW WOW

What a great weekend I've just had spending time at Port Pirie with Robyn Welsh at Country Hart and a 2 day workshop with Gail Pan and Natalie Ross.

Anne and I left late friday night and arrived in Port Pirie around 10pm and we had so much fun talking that we forgot to check in with husbands and kids who were waiting for us to check in to ensure that we had arrived...oh well...let the adventures begin.

Saturday morning Anne got up and went for a walk and I hit the showers we hit Country Hart after a bit of retail therapy at Target.  On the table a little gift or two was waiting.  Great to catch up with Granny Loz, Claire, Anne, Sarah, Julie, Naomi B, Robyn, Abbie, Sonia and the lovely ladies from Crystal Brook (aka the Brooky Girls)

Robyn, Abbie, Steve, Naomi and Joan and Robyns wonderful team of helpers once again did a wonderful job - arent we so lucky and spoilt...

Claire being just a little bit silly....

Gail and Natalie had 2 projects for us to do saturday and again on sunday.  Lots of stitchery and sundays projects were Christmas orientated - can you believe it is only 7 weeks away.  Believe it or not I actually finished the stitching on Nat's IPad bag - thats a first.

Saturday night saw us share dinner at the International along with Gail, Nat, Robyn, Abbie, Loz, Claire, Anne, Sarah, Glenys who was celebrating a special birthday, Naomi, Joan, Alison x 2, Maxine, and the rest of the Brooky girls (sorry cant remember everyones names).

Back to rooms for some yummy Havenhand chocolate and cheese with Anne and the girls.  A few stories about Quilt Market, designing, impersonations of Barry from Nat and it was a fun night.  Got to bed around 1:45 am couldnt sleep after the Girls left so did some more sewing.

How lovely is Gail and Natalie - a weekend of fun, laughter, sewing and stitching.....

Gail Pan and one of her lovely quilts....

Nat and her wonderful smile - did you know that she likes chocolate!!!!!

And our wonderful table of 'Naughty Girls' in the back corner......

Robyn is hosting another weekend in April with Melissa Grant from 'One Day in May' and Helen Stubbings from  Hugs n Kisses - if anyone is interested......

Keep Stitching

Nay

Whats your name and why........

Morning All

Visiting Peg from Happy in Stitching she mentioned that Dawn from as Sweet as Cinnamon was having a query as to what you have named your blog and why.......

Well the story behind Nays Place is really quite simple - Nay is my nickname and what most friends and family call me -  came about as in my Grade 7 class at Murray Bridge there was 2 Naomi's and 1 Niomi all in the same class - and Naomi is such a mouthful when people are trying to get your attention ' eg on the netball court - 3 syllables compared to 1).

I have always wanted to start my own business - fabric shop, craft shop, cafe, combination of both for over 20 years and whilst I haven't achieved this as yet - my decision with calling my business 'Nays Place' is so that if anyone was ot come and visit instead of saying that they are going to the fabric shop, cafe, etc they could say that they were going to 'Nays Place' and it sounded like you were visiting a friend rather than going shopping.....mmm naughty I know but I've always found it funny.

Glad today is Thursday and the end of a short week due to the Long Weekend last weekend.  3 days of and I crammed as much in a possible - shifted and replanted Apricot trees, roses, gerbera, geraniums and wisteria.  Dug holes for framework for the wisteria - this is to grow over my outside area next to the unofficial 'Nays Place'.  Plus doing all the mundane things like washing, watching the AFL Grand Final.  Sunday was busy with a delightful lunch at Overland Corner with some fellow Landrover enthusiast and then to Loxton for my Uncle (and godfathers) 80th birthday.  Great time to catch up with some rellies - amazing how the older we get we don't really change but the kids grow up so fast and so quickly.

Another busy weekend planned with an unscheduled trip to Adelaide to catch up with some dear high school friends who we havent seen for a while.

Keep stitching and I will post some more photos soon - still unpacking fabric didn't realise that I had so much.

Nay

Can we make this post 49a - Jo from Lilly Pilly is having a giveaway

Hi all

 

Just been blogging and found Jo from Lilly Pilly www.scrapnstitch.blogspot.com is having a wonderful giveaway with products from Lynette Anderson, Marg Low and Theodora Cleave.  Go on you know you want it go and visit Jo winner picked on Monday.

See you for now

Nay

And this is the Garden that Nay built.....

So to continue showing what I've been up to over the last couple of months - you might remember some previous photos of an outdoor area that I was creating for those days that the sun is shining and that stitching just has to be done outside......

The almost finished view - the dirt patch will have pavers onit but these are currently being used as the kids cubby house!!!!! 

 

Along this side I have recycled some roses from friends mums house as well as some that I have dragged around the state - in front of the wood I have lavender that I'm hoping will grow into a lovely perfumed hedge.  The logs are recycled from the pile of wood that was there when we bought the house - my DH obviously liked the idea as he added the top rail whilst I was at work - what do you think about a lovely Banksia Rose growing along there - have one that is so in the wrong spot that needs to be replanted.

Heres a close-up of what I'm talking about....

 

Along the other side the area doesnt get a lot of sun as it sits under some huge Athol Pines - hence why I dont have gutters and a tank on Nays Place.  R from work gave me the plants for this area - hopefully I will not kill them - added the trailing Grevillia in the corner - its a ground cover that I hope to cascade down the tyres.

 

The path to the kids cubby house are the tyres filled with white stones - to mark a defined pathway for them so they dont climb my garden.  The tyres are recycled from a local business who was only to happy to allow them to be rycycled and it was a cheap retaining wall. 

More story to continue........

 

Keep stitching

Nay

 

 

And this is the shelf that Nay built.....

Well its been winter and with work, rain, weekends busy with driving kids here there and everywhere the progress on Nays Place has been a lot slower than I had hoped but I can say that I have spent a few weekends getting acquainted with DH's power tools and wondering whether I can cut my fingers off or not by trying to build the shelves of all shelves to go into the Taj Mahal of sheds.....

So with a little help from M & K (well actually a lot of help from M - without her I think the shelves would still be a pile of timber sitting in one of the sheds).  So without further ado - here are the shelves that Nay built....

 
Found the timber in one of the sheds on the property and decided to go with the flow and have the pine look - love the look of natural pine - so once I got rid of the dust and other unmentionables - I just had enough to make the above shelves. 

 Let me tell you the measurements though to give you some idea of how they just fit on one wall of Nays Place - 5.6 mtrs long x 1.5 mtrs high (18'4" long x 4' 11" high) and I'm not going to guess how heavy it is but my shoulders are still sore from trying to move it against the wall.  Yes it is one piece - not sure that I will do that again.

Don't look too closely as I haven't finished sanding it and I have some architraves to fix to the front to try and hide the not so straight screws and nails but I'm pleased with the end result and even more pleased to be able to say that " I DID IT MYSELF" (well with a little help from my friends).

The clock is still to go up you can see the hole in the wall between the windows but I forgot the shed is built from bore pipe and and it will take a bit more effort to push the screw to hang the clock in. 

The sayings above the - window are " Live Well, Laugh Often and Love Always "  and " Dance like no-one is watching" I love these - the kids bought them for me for Mothers Day and have been waiting patiently for me to put them up, and yes that is another power point suspended from the ceiling - I have them everywhere. 

So now I have the shelving in so I can start bringing all my boxes back in......YEAH.....

Not long to go, finished Netball a few more weeks of football left and hopefully before Athletics start I can get everything unpack and have my space as mine.

Keep stitching

Nay

 

WOO HOO I'm so lucky look what I won.....

Just got home from an evening of meetings to find an email from Jo at Vintage Lane Stitches to find that I was the lucky winner of her 100 post blog competition.

This is what I have won

 

Don't you just love it - aren't I so lucky THANKS Jo....cant wait love Roses, love Annie from Hatched and Patched Love Cath Kitson -  this giveaway looks like something I would go and buy for myself.

WOO HOO -

 

Keep stitching

Nay