Another Bag day....this time with friends
Once a month with my Tuesday class we have a set project that is achievable in the day and today we made bags. There were a dozen ladies at class today and they all made this very simple but effective bag using 17 squares for the outside. Here is a photo of half the bags, the others were still finishing off theirs when I took the photo, and sorry ladies I know I promised not to take your photo, thats why none of them are smiling at the camera.

I know there will be a few more of these made, especially with Mothers day not too far away.

I have a project I have to work on tomorrow evening so will be back to post a picture if......I get it made, the dead line for this project is, 1st March, lucky I work well to deadlines. ( I actually set the deadline for the group) will explain more later,

Good night and thanks for popping by.

Kerry

Retreats commenced for 2007

Its been a week since I posted and all though I have been busy with my business I haven't really achieved a great deal otherwise. It was back into routine preparing for my first of many 2 day retreats that commenced on Saturday.

A big warm welcome to Daneille, Paula, Natalie, Pam, Rene, Julie, Helen and Annie who all joined me for the first time, do hope you all enjoyed your retreat and are all happy with the quilts you made. Annie and Paula are hiding their more difficult design in the photo. All the quilts looked great and well done to Julie who hadn't sewn for many years and to Pam on making their first quilts I am sure it won't be your last.

Some of the ladies added ric rac, braids and gorgeous pom poms to their quilts to add extra texture, and Pam I love your idea of the bows, looking forward to seeing them attached.

I am sure they will all be back to visit me next year as they have already started their saving funds. I look forward to your return.

Kerry

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

For all those eager blog watchers waiting for me to draw the winner of the bag, Geoffrey and I did it at breakfast this morning and the winner is Chris Gracias (Australia) and the second winner, who will receive a Cottage on the Hill bag is Julia (Wales). I will email both of you, so you can give me your postal addresses. Congratulations to you both and thanks to everyone who left a comment on my blog to go in the draw. I will do something like that again someday.

Today has been a bag day, Monday is my day off so I spent the day making 3 bags, the first 2 are out of Leanne Bealsey's new book "Romancing the Road Trip". I picked the fabrics out for the first one the day I received the book back before Christmas, I have been looking for a red Buckle for it ever since, then this morning I decided I would cover one I had with red fabric, then coated it with PVA glue. I am really pleased with the outcome.

The second bag is so simple, it takes about 1/2 hour to make and by using the bamboo handles you could have a dozen different bags. The pattern is also in Leannes book or go to her blog for a free pattern www.leanneshouse.typepad.com The third bag is one that Faye from Sydney showed me how to make back in January, easy, easy, just 17 squares of your favourite fabrics, I have used a Moda charm pack of Bound to the Pairie 2, which I just love. We will be making this bag next week in the Tuesday Class.I also managed to do a double scrapbooking layout using 2 photos from Nicoles year 12 Formal back in 2003, along with Crate papers out of the Feburary passion pack from www.apassion4scrapin.com.au I thought I might enter them in Feburary's competition, if you want to vote for me jump over to her web site. I love days like this when I actually achieve what I have set out to do, I feel very inspired to keep sewing but there is a pile of ironing waiting for me and lots of book work.

Once again thanks for dropping by and sorry I could give you all a bag.

Kerry

Happy Birthday to my Blog ---hip hip horay

Hard to believe one year has passed since I first set up my blog, it was after I was speaking to Janelle one day and she told me to check out her new blog, I was amazed at how easy it all was, even for me who new very little about computers and the world wide web, boy I have learnt heaps and now feel confident to try most things on the web. The past year has been an amazing journey, and what a great way to keep track of my life. I have been flicking through some of my old postings, remembering different things that have gone on in our lives and the thought of sharing them with friends new and old brings me a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. Thank you to all those who have taken time out of their own lives to keep a watchful eye on mine, and to all those people from around the world that I have met through my blog thanks for your friendship and being part of my life.

I look forward to being able to continue my blog for a long time yet, so keep popping over and remember I would love to hear from you all, so post a comment and go in the draw for the bag plus I have decided to add another prize to my give away, so that means there will be 2 lucky winner. I will draw the names out of a hat on Monday, so stay tuned to see if you are one of the lucky 2.

I will leave you with a couple of my favourite photos that I have taken in the past 12 months, both were taken in New Zealand, on our weeks holiday in September.

Until my next post - the big draw, stay safe and well.

Kerry

My Last school swimming carnival

Yesterday Geoffrey and I headed into Tamworth to be part of the Farrer Memorial Agricultural High Schools Prefect Induction, Sebastian was elected a Prefect as well as Parkes,Sports House Captain. This is a photo of Sebastian (left) his school Head master and Paul one of his best mates, don't they look good in their school uniform.

Then after lunch we joined many other parents and friends for a long afternoon by the school pool at their annual swimming carnival, it's Sebastians last year at school so this was our last. We have had many wonderful memories gathered around pools over the years. This is a photo of Sebastian and Paul leading their house in cheering for the team members, they love dressing up, Sebastian in his coloured wig, bikini top, sarong and painted face - guess what colour their house is!!!!! Anyway it was a great evening, the boys all did their school proud.

21 st Party all over - Wow what a great night

Well where do I start, the last week has been very hectic, Geoffrey and I left for Sydney last Wednesday stopping in to visit Janelle on the way, it was great to see her. Then after a stop in at Peters of Kensington (great shop) we eventually made in to Carmen and Chris' home for the night (they are the parents of Liz, Nicole's travel companion) thanks for an enjoyable evening. Thursday morning early we met the girls at Sydney airport, it was great to see them and catch up on all their adventures over the past 3 months. The 5 hours trip home soon turned into a very long day with a shopping list that we needed to complete before our return home. Nicole had been hoping to have a dress made in Hong Kong for her party but because of Chinese New Year there was no hope so she purchased some gorgeous silk fabric for me to make a dress for her and one for myself to wear to the party (Saturday night).

So Friday sometime I started the dress making, thank goodness the two patterns we picked out were both easy ones, this is a photo of Nicole and I along with Geoffrey, at the party with our new dresses on, they looked great if I must say so myself.

After an enjoyable evening Friday night, with a few of Nicoles school friends staying over it was time to finish off the dresses and make the birthday cake ready for the party. Her party was in Tamworth and what a great night we all had, about 120 family and friends joined us to celebrate her 21st Birthday (it was actually 26/12 while she was in England), the theme for the night was a dash of Oriental, there was lots of finger food to nibble on, champagne and drinks all round, fantastic music to dance to and lots of fun and laughter. It is so hard to believe that my little girl is 21, I am just not sure where the years have gone to. It was so wonderful that so many friends and family could make the trip to Tamworth to share this special time with us, we have heaps of photo's to remember the occasion, I have made a mini album to put them all into so will have to do that one day.

Here is a photo of the cake, we got 3/4's of the way through the evening and realised it was still in the cool bag so after a rushed job this is what it looked like, 60 small chocolate cakes in little oriental boxes with a heart on the top layer. After a late night, Sunday saw lots of the guests arrive for lunch at home which was very nice to have them visit before their long trips home. Nicole has many wonderful friends, so I decided to make her a small quilt using lots of photos of them all, this is her with the start of the quilt top I presented to her at the party, everyone signed the patches, so now I will add lots more photos before completing the quilt which she will have for ever to remember the night.

So after a huge weekend I am ready for a good nights sleep, Happy 21 st Nicole.

Kerry

PS reminder about the draw this week for everyone who comments on my blog to celebrate it's first birthday.

My mind is blank


Well I am just having one of those moments when I am not sure exactly where to start. Last week was a very sad week for my family as we lost a close friend and work mate to cancer, he will be sadly missed around here as he started working for Geoffrey's father at the age of 14, some 40 odd years ago. In true Nundle form his funeral was huge and his send off was shared with a few (or should I say lots) cold beers and lots of stories about his life, 3 cheers for the shearer in the purple suit, we will miss having you around.

I seem to have been really busy creating but haven't got much to show for it yet, I started on a quilt last week using the Angel Among Us range which is coming up well, will post a photo when the quilt top is altogether.

A friend gave me a very cute bag for christmas and inside was a small journal so I was working on it yesterday and decided to make it into my 2006 Christmas Journal, so here is the front cover and one of the pages from inside, these are my two men in my life, 17 year old son Sebastian and my darling husband Geoffrey.

Yesterday Geoffrey and I spent lots of time in the Garden, even though it was a very hot day, we just had to plant out lots of plants I had sitting here in pots. After building a new shed outside the yard last year we decided to extend the fence line again, so hench the garden was then extended out to met the new fence. I will post a photo later when everything starts flowering.

Nicole is due back from her 3 months overseas this week, we will be picking her up at Sydney airport. At present she is in Hong Kong spending the week sight seeing and shopping. Just two days after she arrives home we are having a party to celebrate her 21st, this should be great to catch up with lots of her friends and their families, then it is back to uni for her next week. Last year of her nursing degree.

I fully intend sitting here today by the computer writting my Feb. newsletter, this will be available on my web site www.cottageonthehill.com.au for anyone interested in reading all about what is going on in the shop over the next few months.

And remember my blog is one year old on Feb. 16th, anyone leaving a comment will go into the draw to win the page pictured a couple of posts back, so all those that visit my blog leave a message it's easy, simply click on comments at the bottom of this post and follow the directions.

So until I post again, thanks for dropping by , have a great week

Kerry