lzilulu's stuff......

spring.....:)

'morning chickadees,

on these chilly autumn mornings i always seem to find something that warms the cockles of my heart....right here in blogland!

i LOVE the bounciness of the bloggers in "that other hemisphere" as they wake from their long cold winters and welcome spring........

i am sure you will agree with me...just check out these two of my alltime favourite bloggers.......

we have a few mice here at the moment, but i have NEVER seen this happen. of course i have NEVER seen so much snow either...check out mia's blog :)

another favourite of mine is stina's blog...wouldn't you LOVE a job like hers?

now it's time for me to drag the duchess from under the doona on the big bed and evict the wildlife from the shed in readiness for the thursday ladies! i am very sure that my overlocker is dying...i mentioned to mr lzilulu last night that i was going to town today to try and buy a simple little replacement for her...he said "why don't you get that industrial one that you want?".....i quickly explained that i had to buy it from an accredited dealer and that our local dealer won't be accredited until may :( .....it was right then that i heard the most beautiful words in the world "well, don't forget to take the chequebook when you finally get it"....WOW.....now, there is ONE thing that i am sure to remember ;)

until next time, take care and be kind to each other

lotsofsloppystuff from lzilulu xox

a promise is a promise ;)

Yes, I TRY to keep MOST promises :)

Yesterday I spent a Day In The Country with lots of like-minded ladies. Kerry from Cottage on the Hill, Nundle and her band of happy helpers hosted yet another wonderful day of stitching bliss. Anni from The Home Patch, Bathurst was the guest tutor, and, as always, her designs were scrumdillygorgeous. I was excited to catch up with a special friend Sheryl. She has a great story about the day on her blog. Pop on over and check out her photos. My purse is random........

......and, as you can see, very UNfinished....be kind....I DID do a lot of networking, chatting and ooohahhhing over others' creations!!

The other project for the day was a wallhanging......

....(excuse the dappled shade from the grapevine)...the fabrics by Blackbird Designs are beautiful and have an almost Liberty feel to them. This project involves needleturn applique and stitchery....I have -sort of promised myself- that I will get my chubby fingers to do the needleturn...it seems that a long Millinery needle is best to use...it sweeps the edges under as you stitch...who would have thought???!

As you are all aware, I am a VERY slack blogger, but yesterday I made a promise to LOTS of fellow bloggers and non-blogging lurkers..(hello Julie!)that I would do a post, so chickadees, her it is :) Hope you enjoyed it, and perhaps I will be back soon!

'til next time, take care and be kind to each other

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

markets........

'noon chickadees......what you doing on this friday afternoon? here in lzilululand the weather is wet and miserable. NOT ideal for a market tomorrow and sunday.....but....i will soldier on and hope the weather gods are listening and they provide a little bit of sunshine....overcast is fine....chilly is fine but PLEASE, no rain :)

the Gypsy Willow Markets are on in Narrabri tomorrow and i have been a little bit busy doing some of this.........

.......and some of this

...all new this month.....

i will also have some this......

....and some of this.....

.... :)

if you read the sign, you will see that all the stuff is made by moi :) however, some of the designs are by other people. i am always very grateful to clever ladies who come up with these designs BUT i will not use them without their permission. getting permission is easy peasy...... i contacted them and asked them :) and i haven't had a knock back yet :) so far, i would like to thank Anni at Hatched and Patched, the Spoonful of Sugar girls, and Anna at Noodlehead.....some of the designs are by ME!!!

there are lots of "things" happening in our area this weekend so lots of people are hoping for some good weather. on sunday, the Old Machinery family day is on at eulah creek. this is a great day and always draws a huge crowd....and kidzklobba is going to be there :)

must away....i have some pricing and tagging to do....my LEAST favourite job of markets :(

'til next time, take care and be kind to each other

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

.......quilt exhibition.......

'morning chickadees,

i have been sitting in front of my computer, alone, DROOLING over this quilt exhibition....and thinking about the ways i could share this beauty....

sooooooo, please join me on a virtual tour of this exhibition in Norway....truly beautiful, simple, pretty and effective....

http://kviltstina.blogspot.com/

 

enjoy :)

lzi xox

the BAS bookwork is DONE...now i am going to kick back and do some knitting....weather is overcast, damp and chilly....ideal really :)

brrrrrrrrrrrr.....

often people ask me where i live....and when i tell them, invariably the comment is something like "oh! that stinkin' hot place in northwest nsw?"....well....yes, that's probably the place........

well, chickadees, let me show you what "that stinkin' hot place" looked like at 8am this morning................

..... a bit misty :)

....still a bit misty, with some white crispy stuff on the ground :)

...... a white crispy reminder that autumn has come and gone!

can you guess where the duchess was firmly planted until lunchtime???

.....yep, in front of the warm toasty stuff :)

....... for some reason i'm ALMOST lusting after "that stinkin' hot place"!!

.....but this frosty weather is perfect for churning out some more of these

...... my very first pair of knitted-by-me-for-me woolly socks :) {and OMG, those ankles are podgy!!}

must away...the steak'n'kidney is almost ready to eat :)

talk to you soon...until then, take care, keep warm and be kind to each other

sloppystuff  lzilulu xox

...the re-purposing of a kit...

'noon chickadees

what are you up to on this fine winter Sunday afternoon?

i've spent an hour or three in the shed sabotaging re-purposing a kit!

way back in March i spent a day with lots of other like-minded fabric fondlers in Nundle. we were all there as guests of the hostess with the mostess, Kerry from Cottage on the Hill. the lady who tried to keep us under control and show us lots of special stuff was Annie from Hatched and Patched :). she had a tough job, but we were all thrilled to complete at least one of the projects she set us for the day. she was also selling some of her wares and i was lucky enough to part with some cash and come home with a kit/pattern for a scarf.

i have been mulling over whether to actually make the scarf or not, and this morning i had an 'almost' epiphany and decided that i really needed a bag rather than another scarf for winter, so i set to work with needle and thread.....and the reverse sewer that sits very close to me at all times!!

this tote bag was the result of some sewing, some very bad singing, some even worse whistling, a little cursing every so often, and several warm cuppas.......

..... i THINK this is the front....stitchery says "on a cold winters day i love my cozy"........

.....because i think the other side is the front, then this side has been called the back......stitchery says "on a cold winters day i love a warm cup of ...... mmmm..."

the main fabrics are snuggly flannels, purchased from Kerry, and the appliques are done in scrumdillygorgeous wool dyed by Annie's husband. some of the fabrics were included in the kit.

oops... i will need to set this to publish in a day or so.....a couple of points of rain and a whole bunch of us lose internet service :(

will be back soon....until then, take care and be kind to each other

lzilulu xox

.....pick yourself up from the floor ;)

'morning chickadees........

after what seems like a VERY L::O::N::G hiatus, i'm back in the land of blogging.

have recently read lots of blog entries where the writers are questioning their reasons for maintaining a blog and it has got me thinking about my humble little piece of blogland. i am noticing an ever increasing amount of blogs with advertising, free giveaways, competitions to increase traffic etc and to put it bluntly...... I AM OVER IT :) ........so...... i am going to pick myself up, dust off the cobwebs and maintain this journal of MY life....warts and all ;)...........let's get this show on the road!!

have spent some time in the shed and on the recliner in front of the fire over the last few days. my new obsession love is knitting scarflettes, you know, the scarf you have when you don't have a scarf! i needed to use some small amounts of wool and i also needed a couple of quick gifts for some kidlets, so i got the needles out and these were the result...

.....and i LOVE the old tractor backdrop just as much as the neckwarmers.....mr lzilulu has acquired several old tractors and pieces of farming machinery over recent months and i love them all...........

while these were on the needles, the mind was going at a hundred miles an hour planning a neck warmer for moi.......so i quickly set to work and produced this prototype....

....it is SOOOOO snuggly and just the right length to avoid adding bulk to my very generous bust measurement! the third one is almost off the needles as we speak. i finished a charcoal grey one and the one that is almost finished is made from some scrumdillygorgeous silk/mohair/lambswool combination that has been in the stash waiting to sing to me!!

as you can see, i was on a roll and it was time to spend some time with Bernie Bernina. the 'baby gift drawer' is a little bare and when i saw these bibs at 'a spoonful of sugar', i just had to make a couple and these were the result........

......don't those apples look crunchy and so edible???

well, chickadees, must go and do some REAL work....flo is warming herself in her favourite chair in front of the fire, the chooks are scratching for worms outside the front window, rae is chasing some imaginary intruder, and mr lzilulu and his mistress are off earning some tax money for our treasurer!!......and me?...well i'm about to grab a cuppa and head over to the shed :) ...... want to join me??

will be back soon, until then take care and be kind to each other

sloppystuff from lzilulu xox

Do you Facebook?.....

'morning

 

I have just uploaded some photos of kidzklobba stuff to my
Facebook page....

 

Do you want to check it out? Simple....do a Facebook
search for kidz klobba by eClare and become a fan. Easy Peasy.

 

Would love to see you there :)

 

cheers

lzilulu

'tis the morning for trying

'tis the morning for trying new things :) am now trying to
post via email....lol....

lzilulu xox

'morning chickadees, just a quick hello as i explore this typepad thingo...i have been using livewriter, which i really really like...but, just this once i thought i'd check out typepad....saw this 'quick compose' option and thought i would give it a go!!

beautiful morning here...have pulled out a few weeds....swatted lots of mozzies and flies....been for a walk...now it's down to some serious domestic stuff before i head over to the shed to do some sewing for the february markets............

will be back soon with a story to beat all stories about the chooks....but firstly my apologies to my facebook friends and 'real world' friends, because it is a repeat of a story that you have heard LOTS of times over the last month!!!
will be back soon,
sloppystuff, lzilulu xox

kidzklobba.........

'morning chickadees....did you sleep well?......i did...the a/c purred all night and flo WAS IN HER OWN BED!!!

remember the "open weekend" i had back in november....LAST year.. *gulp*..? one of the reasons for the madness was to gauge the interest in workshops/classes etc in the shed and/or the retail of kid's clothes made by me....well, i was a little bit surprised to learn that the sales of clothes etc WON HANDS DOWN!!...so i have been sewing madly and loving every minute of it.

back in a past life when we lived in alice springs, i had a similar little venture happening.....s::u::c::c::e::s::s::f::u::l::l::y......but just wasn't sure that the same thing would work here in rural nsw......we are lucky to have several outlets for children's clothes, easy access to larger centres etc etc.....BUT...i THINK i was wrong!! am currently selling at the local monthly markets and through the shed.....it is sooooo nice to be "back in that happy place where i was 20 years ago" ie making and selling kid's stuff! i started with bibs only and called them bibs4bubs but the range has outgrown that so i have reverted to the old name of kidzklobba  by eclare.....hoping for all things wonderful in 20..10!!

some photos of things currently available.......

....sundresses that tie on the shoulders...

...sets for newborn boys......

...little girl boxers...... ..... overalls for boys......

...off to the shed to work on re-stocking a VERY depleted supply of bibs....

....be back soon..'til then keep well and be kind to each other

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

just wondering......

.....is anyone out there??

have had several reminders telling me that it is ages since my last post.....really??

well, this one is just to break the ice :)

before i go, am wondering if i should be concerned about this photo...do you think i might have lost my spot in the big bed???....hmmmmm..

....notice the very miss-matched bed linen?....am trying VERY hard to be a little more eclectic...it works for everyone else, why not me??

'til next time, take care and be kind to each other

sloppystuff

lzi xox

….are you coming? :)

eClare's patch and bibs'n'stuff

 

INVITES YOU TO AN

OPEN SHED WEEKEND

 

at 40 Stafford Drive (Whiting Estate) Narrabri

Saturday 14^th November 2009

10ish to 4ish

Sunday 15^th November 2009

11ish to 3ish

 

• information re opening times
• information re workshops
• information re sit'n'stitch sessions
• quality home crafted bibs and other items for bubs, kidlets and big people available for sale
• quality homecrafted clothes for bubs to 6year olds available for sale

   

   

  Free entry and free "serve yourself" tea coffee and biscuits will be available

   

For more information, phone liz on 0408681574

a few days in the glorified swag......

'evening chickadees...have been meaning to do a post about our camping trip....way back in September.....home alone tonight....mr lzilulu is working on the wheat harvest, so flo and i are just hangin' out together.......

after buying our glorified swag, mr lzilulu spent many hours and dollars setting up "the rig" ready for our first trip....

....the money spent to get to this stage alone could have bought us at least a month's timeshare at a 5star resort!

just a quick trip out west to broken hill and home again via bourke and lightning ridge......eight days in total......

at each stop we had a checklist of pre-requisites for a good campsite...these included.........

..... a clear area for a campfire....

....some hanging space.....

....a "long drop".......

....preferably one with a toilet roll holder....

.....a shady tree....

....a comfy spot for the duchess....

......a comfy spot for me.....

.......a fishing spot for him.....

.....some flowers at the front door....

.....a place to dine.....

......a hunter and gatherer.....

......a bedroom with a view.....

......beautiful sunrises.....

....some early morning visitors.....

to get to some of these spots we saw lots and lots of this......

............ :)

....and this...

what we didn't want to see was too much of this........

.....yep, black mud!!

but luckily we were close enough to this place.........

....to get a room for the night :)....and flo was welcomed by the owners :)

....did we have a good time???....you betcha!!....are we itching to go again?....yep......

i have been busy in the shed since our return and trying to get some stock made for the markets and an "open shed" weekend in november.......will post about that soon...

'til then, take care and be kind to each other

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

postie delivers......

'morning chickadees......only have a moment this morning, but want to quickly share my excitement :)

i went to the post office yesterday, expecting to collect two parcels, the appropriate number of "parcel waiting" notices were in my postbox......goodie i thought, i'll be able to get on with some sewing and knitting over the weekend.......B::U::T.......when i collected the parcels, neither of them was one of the expected ones :(

.....even more exciting than the expected knitting needles and a craft pattern, there was a parcel from my washcloth swapee......yippee.......

i strongly suspect that my gifter has been reading my blog (thank you :)......because she seems to "know me" ;)

wrapped in my favourite colour and tied with matching ribbon........

....... and inside were lots of goodies, two beautiful cloths....one a knitted butterfly, and the other crochet, i suspect that this one is an exfoliating cloth 'cause it has little ridges...very clever....the yarn in this one matches exactly the yarn used in the cloth i received in the last swap....told you she had been reading my blog.....when i checked to be REALLY sure that it was the same colourway, i noticed that my original cloth is ever so slightly faded.....well, that's what happens when you use something over and over and over :).......

also included in this package of deliciousness were three packets of flower seeds and a yummy chocolate.........

........as you can tell, i took the photo VERY quickly, because the cherry ripe did not last for long.......

many many thanks to my gifter, who's identity will remain secret until after completion of swap ;).....but you know who you are :)........be assured that the cloths will get LOTS of use, the chocolate is GONE and the seeds, well i'll do my best to get them to grow, but i don't have very green thumbs :(

will be back soon with some more posts...... 'til then, take care and be kind to each other....

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

...to market or not to market?

.....the weather at the moment is wild, windy and dirty....and the local markets are on tomorrow (Saturday 3rd October)..... at this rate i won't be there :(.....BUT....all items will be available at "eClare's patch"..... 40 Stafford Drive Narrabri from early morning (8ish) to early evening (6ish).....so...if you are in the area...come and have a look, a cuppa and  perhaps buy something and know you are supporting a worthy cause....bibs4bubs....aka ME!!

items available include bibs, burp cloths, knitted washcloths for babies, knitted facewashers, soap socks, mobile phone socks, zipper purses, drawstring bags etc etc......all handcrafted by me.....

hope to see you soon!!

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

.....warmer days......

....brings out the gardening tools.......

am loving the time i am spending in the "garden"....i use that term VERRY loosely!!

my favourite tools of trade have to include these...

.......loving that lucerne hay, but need some more......

these babies are enjoying it too......

.......but, hard as i try, i just can't rouse on them :(.....i think it's all that silky feathery gorgeousness :)......

my brand new rose.....remember me.....was given to me by a special friend after a recent tragedy and it seems to like where i have planted it......just outside the dining room window.....and yes, i will ALWAYS remember you, Elijah.......

well, chickadees i REALLY must go and prepare dinner now....this has been enough yabbering for one day!

'til next time, take care and be kind to each other....

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

....a swag by any other name....

......is still a swag!

little miss flo has been spending far too many nights in the "big bed" and sprawling out like she actually owns it! i was on the hunt for a bigger bed for her 'cause we realised that she couldn't actually spread out fully in her designer dogue bed :) i was in an op shop when i had the lightbulb moment.....a swag just for her.....

......yes, an old suitcase with some soft bedding and some fluffy toys to simulate mr lzilulu and myself! i was going to take the lid off and do some fancy painting etc but mr practical (aka mr lzilulu) stopped me and informed me how handy it will be for our camping trips, just close the lid and throw it in the back of the 'ute......hmm.....with or without flo inside?...i'm not sure!

does she like it???......YEP!....does she go there willingly at bedtime???....nah :)

........she still tries to sneak into the big bed.......and i always seem to be the ogre who gets to extract her and put her in her swag.............

...be back soon!

lzilulu xox

....another washcloth swap....

i really enjoyed the washcloth swap that jodie organised.....and she is having another one......and.....i have signed up for it too....looking forward to it... any excuse to do some more knitting....

so, if you are interested, hop on over, quickly,to jodie's wonderful blog, that girl oozes with creativity and productivity, and sign up for some fun!!

apparently some people are having problems opening images in some of my posts......some have said that they have trouble with typepad blogs.....i personally didn't....until the other day when i had a similar problem with a typepad blog.i couldn't open images through my blogroll (bloglines)i couldopen them when i went directly to the blog.....so now i'm wondering if the problem is because i actually use windows live writer to do my posts?hope not because i LOVE using it :( please leave me a comment if you are having trouble.......

be back shortly with another post or two :)

lzilulu xox

...the demolition of.......

........a jelly roll....or what happens when bernie bernina and i get up close and personal with a jelly roll, some red spotty fabric, some red gingham, some white homespun and we have a marathon of sewing!!

yes, i have been sewing like a madwoman over the last few days trying to use as much of a jelly roll as possible. the yield included a small baby quilt, six drawstring bags of various sizes, two zippered purses, a roll for some of my knitting needles and assorted stuff associated with knitting, a baby bib and matching burp cloth.......

......yes, i was amazed too.....and just how much was left over??.... enough to fit in this pretty teacup and saucer.....

....yep, that's all!!

have i told you lately how much i am enjoying my retirement from the REAL job??? well, i am.......still....loving spending so much time in the shed...hoping i never tire of it.......

the retail corner of the shed is gradually filling with market goodies.....

....and more.....

....and STILL more :)

....the next narrabri markets are on saturday 5th september.....you still coming cilla mary (also known as pinknits)?....hope so :)

well, the retiree still has to prepare dinner so best be off...hope to get another couple of posts done before.....

until then, take care and be kind to each other :)

lzilulu xox

...happy birfdy to me.....

....yep, another year bites the dust! i had a birthday on tuesday and was completely overwhelmed with all the well wishes, visits, messages, gifts etc......very humbling too.....thank you.

on wednesday i received my washcloth gift from my swap fairy....on thursday the shed ladies continued the celebrating and we enjoyed a cake made and decorated by a special friend......

....isn't she cute?......edible, but not yet eaten, and not likely to be either!!

today, friday, i have been out for breakfast, been to the movies to see the proposal, been out to lunch and back to the movies to see the hangover....phew, will the celebrations never stop?....hope not :)

in this whirlwind of celebrating, i found a little time to try something with some old knitting needles....i used to make and sell these bangles at markets 33 years ago *gulp* and recently i saw some on a blog.....sorry i can't remember where....and it sparked a new interest in them.......

.....am quite confident that the aqua one is probably a "leftover" needle from all those years ago, which i found when i did a recent de-clutter....it certainly worked better than its' more modern sister....which was actually red to start with but now has a definite pink look to it.....

am off now to knit some more baby washcloths........loving that too......check out the things coming off the needles at pinknits......cute or what???

until next time, keep well and be kind to each other....

sloppystuff from lzilulu xox

ps. mr lzilulu is working on the glorified swag :)....more about that soon :)

brown paper package tied up with string........

.....has arrived!! i couldn't resist using this for my post title....apologies to Michael Crawford....i THINK his autobiography title was this or very similar....but i digress!!

yes! my swap parcel from jellywares wash/dishcloth swap has arrived.....

...told you it was a brown paper package tied up with string!

do you want to see what was inside??...be prepared for some scrumdillygorgeous eye candy!!.......

....colours are beautiful.....straight to the shower recess with this one!.....along with the soap in its' very own crochet bag.....pin cushion straight to the shed.....the very appropriate card straight to a display shelf!....and the chocolate??....well, let me just say that the kettle is on and the cuppa is almost ready :)....and i am home alone!

would love to reveal the giver's identity but just thought that perhaps i should wait until all gifts are at their new homes before i reveal....but....YOU know who you are and i send a HUGE thank you to you.....

my gift?...almost completed, will be in the post either this afternoon or tomorrow morning.....depending on when i go into town!

back to the knitting needles....until next time, take care and be kind to each other....

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

market stuff......

am off to the local markets tomorrow to try to flog sell some of my stuff......have done a few markets in my life and i still can't stop myself from wanting to make heaps of new things the day before the market...oh! the stress levels :) today i've just been cruising, went out for lunch and only had 2 hours at the sewing machine....... and some of the new ideas have been put to rest....until the eve of the next markets :)

i took some photos of a few of the things that i will have for sale.....

....so if you are in Narrabri tomorrow, stop by and say hello.......you are more than welcome to buy something too...

'til next time, take care and be kind to each other...

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

ps.....we have found a camper trailer and will probably pick it up this weekend....am soooo looking forward to using our "glorified swag".....

washcloth swap.......

i have decided to join in for jellyware's washcloth swap..... am busy trawling through what seems like HUNDREDS of patterns for wash cloths before i decide which one to make for my swapper......hope she likes what i choose to make.........

have only made a couple of washcloths, just diagonal garter stitch ones....for myself...and i must say i love using them.....no more bought ones for me!!

i was reading jellywares blog one day and she had a link to a cloth with baby feet knitted into it....it just so happened that it was the day that i was going to meet my brand new great-nephew for the very first time and i was keen to include something else hand made along with one of my bibs....out came the cotton and needles and i sat myself in a corner and knitted for what seemed such a short time before it was finished.......

......cute isn't it?

....am still trying to get over to the shed :)

take care..... sloppystuff from lzilulu xox

hmmmmm........

'morning chickadees....brrr....a little chilly in my part of the world...what about where you are??

remember, way back in April i was telling you about our brand new chickens?....and remember how the other nanna and i feather sexed them when they were a day old???....and remember how confident we were that we had all the same sex??....... either 4 hens or 4 roosters....remember??.... you don't?...oh well, we did.....BUT...time has proved us a little wrong....don't be too tough...it appears we only stuffed up got one wrong.......pretty good i thought, until the other nanna boasted to me that she was a professional feather sexer of chickens....admittedly it was when she was fifteen, a lonnnnnggg time ago, but i had a lot of blind faith in her skills.....the chickens are "all growed up" now and one morning a few weeks ago mr lzilulu and i heard a distinctive, albeit very immature and croaky, cock-a-doodle-do coming from our chookhouse....gulp....

but, as a nanna, how could i not still love him?....his colours are scrumptious and in fact i am sure you will agree....he is absolutely scrumdillygorgeous.....

.......he certainly needs some voicework though.........

i don't know about you, but i am a sucker for chook bums..... no, not the cooked variety....the ones that are on glorious display when they are pecking.....

...don't you love their ugh boots???

....while i was braving the elements to get these photos, guess where the duchess was?

....yep, snuggled in front of the fire, in her own special chair, wearing her wool lined driza-bone and a look that definitely says "do not disturb"......

i'm off to the shed for another day of cleaning up....why does a general cleanup/de-clutter generate sooooo much mess?

.....until next time, take care and be kind to each other....sloppystuff from lziluu xox

....a little update :)

'morning chickadees.......

i know it has been AGES since my last post but i feel my mojo coming back so watch out :)

june was an absolutely crappy month on a personal level but some life changing decisions have been made.....

i have been nursing for over thirty years and for most of that time i have been absolutely passionate about it....but...over the last few years i have noticed that we are moving further away from the patient and closer to being paper shufflers..... and.... I D.O.N.'T. L.I.K.E. I.T...... a family tragedy in early june really brought it all home to me....and...i have ditched my job....and...you know what??....i feel GREAT!

as you know i built a shed about four years ago for my sewing room...and i share it every thursday with a wonderful bunch of local ladies....and we have the occasional weekend workshop.......so....i have decided to increase the hours i spend in the shed and have it open to the public on more days.....exciting stuff....i won't be retailing fabric as we already have a great local patchwork shop.....but i plan to have workshops, retreats and general information exchanging.....hopefully not restricted to patchwork but encompassing other crafts as well....eg knitting, crochet, cardmaking etc....

this is where you come in....i need some help with some ideas....what would you like to do in a workshop?...how far would you travel?.....to a country town in northwest nsw?...........with good local motel accommodation and lots of tourist attractions?......to stitch in a shed on a rural block just 6ks out of town?.......please let me know....i aim to please :)

'til next time, take care and be kind to each other.....

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

i'm off to search the web for a camper-trailer to buy .....mr lzilulu is keen to go camping :)

...scrummy journal covers.....

another post...gee, this will have to stop!!

have been busy in the shed making some journal covers. have used Janelle Wind's pattern called Journal Secrets.....and now I'm addicted to them :)

.....and it seems that there are several ladies who want to make some too, so have organised a workshop for sat/sun 25th and 26th april....want to come??...easy peasy...drop me an email and book your place.....most of the patterns have sold so i will have to order some more as soon as easter is over...

....told you they were scrummy!

....i have also finished the wonky log cabin....washed and dried in the dryer, so now it is all wrinkly and cuddly......also made a red/white wonky stacked coin cot quilt for my niece but alas, it was delivered before photos were taken....oops...hate it when that happens.....

......the photo doesn't show the wonkiness very well, although it is subtle it is effective.....

must away....we are going to have dinner tonight with some friends and my job is to do the veges....better get cracking!

...remember this cutey  from this sweet girl?........she is still hanging on our bedhead and making me feel especially "eastery" at the moment every time i walk past :)

until next time, take care and be kind to each other....

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

.......cool autumn mornings....

'morning chickadees.......sure hope your computer hasn't blown up due to the shock of a post from the home of lzilulu!!

things have been fairly quiet here....still all the usual day to day happenings of an aussie household with some hiccups along the way but that is life.....

the most exciting event over the last two weeks has to be the arrival of these......

......yes, they are cute and the most incredible time wasters......i could, and do, sit for hours watching their little antics and observing the wonderful mothering skills of the surrogate mother.

floss was our little plymouth rock bantam....an only chook....as seems to be the norm here in lzilululand......she was "sitting" for a couple of days with no eggs under her, so i sent an sos to a friend who has a rooster and harem of those "stuck up curly frizzly bantams" and she quickly brought over four eggs and floss sat....and sat....and sat..... until all four eggs hatched...a day early even!!......they all have their own little personalities and VERY quickly established their own pecking order!!........the other grandma and i have "feather sexed" them and we have either four hens or four roosters *gulp*

this morning was a little cool and when i went to have my morning "fix" they were all still snuggled in their bed......couldn't miss the photo opportunity....

...can you see baby no 4 poking through floss's wing?...

......they all became a little more curious...

......what better easter gift could we wish for???....well, maybe some chocolate will appear on sunday.....

happy easter to all

sloppystuff from lzilulu xox

....feeling numb.......

the bushfire crisis in victoria is just getting worse and worse. i woke to the news of over 100 lives lost.....just doesn't seem real.....or fair....

i got to thinking (i do a LOT of that!!)....just what can i do to help....yep, i could become a volunteer health worker, if only i lived closer.....i could busy myself making a quilt, which would make ME feel a little better but really, it would probably just overload the already overwhelmed volunteer relief organizations and become a logistical nightmare to deliver them.......

so............ this is what i am going to do

• make a donation through the red cross (tick)
• gather a group of stitchers, collect some donations and hot foot the proceeds to our local anz bank branch (already organized...will use my regular thursday gathering in the shed for this one...)
• "pass the hat around" at work and hot foot the proceeds to the same anz branch
• challenge fellow bloggers to "do something" and share their ideas of how to help best......contact me (hit the email link under my profile photo) or leave a comment, by clicking on the comment button at the end of the post.......

....are you up for the challenge? hope so..........

...'til next time, take care, hug your loved ones and spare a little thought/prayer for those Aussies in such great need at the moment....

sloppystuff  lzilulu  xox

....another addiction....hmmmm

 

afternoon chickadees!

as i sit here in my airconditioned comfort, i am thinking of all the poor people affected by the horrific fires in victoria....my heart goes out to each and everyone......an updated report has just confirmed the loss of 50 lives....

last weekend i attended a cardmaking workshop, presented by this very talented young lady. today, with VERY limited resources i made a card.....and i think i may have stumbled across another addiction.....bummer!

don't look too closely at the photo......i am very aware that i cut the overlay a smidgen too small.........but i promise to try harder next time. this one needs to be in the post tomorrow....actually it should have been reaching its destination tomorrow but never mind......

.......the "ribbon tie" is actually a piece of selvage, rather apt for the recipient, who is a quilter......

thank you alana for sharing so much of your knowledge last week, i could easily have stayed for days.............

until next time, keep well and be kind to each other

sloppystuff  lzilulu xox

.....scratching the stitch itch...

'morning chickadees....

am pleased to announce to myself and other interested people...i have scratched my stitch itch for the first time since the mad rush that was Christmas....what a bummer that i have to return to work next week!!

bernie bernina and i got up close and personal with each other yesterday...have been itching to stitch some more wonky log cabin blocks. i found a great tutorial here before Christmas. after using it for the Christmas tree skirt, i just KNEW i wanted to use the block for my "fresh and white" project...so, i did some stash scavenging and came up with the following blocks.....my "guidelines to self" included.......

• red/white spot for all centres
• white for all outer logs
• palette of red, aqua, pink, white with just a smidgen of that gorgeous "apple-y" green.......

...this is what they look like so far....

....yep, i'm loving it.....

to all my shed ladies who read this blog...and i know there are a few of you, because i ram it down your necks notify you of updates on a regular basis...are you ready to scratch your stitch itch yet??? how about we start the new year with a weekend workshop?? let's meet on Sat Sun 24th/25th january 2009?? yes, i know it's the australia day long weekend....but isn't it a good ole' aussie tradition to get together with your mates and do something you REALLY love????....pencil it into your diaries and i'll check with mr lzilulu...just in case he wants to whisk me away to the bahamas (LIKELY STORY!!)...so now you want a theme for the workshop???....how 'bout we embrace another aussie tradition and call it "anything goes"??? ALL blog readers are welcome....just rsvp in the comments section or shoot me an email...let's see how many real and how many virtual attendees i get....

must away...off to my lqs to add to my stash of reds....and try not to let too much else fall into the basket!!...well she is having a summer sale so what's a girl to do..... shop for groceries or shop for fabric??...tough decision......

'til next time, take care and be kind to each other....sloppystuff lzilulu xox

...more goodies

....was reading Susan's blog this morning and her reference to coffee fabric reminded me of this gift i received for Christmas....

...isn't it cute??...although i'm not ADDICTED to coffee i do like an occasional skinny-chino with a dash of hazelnut syrup, so i have put the appropriate amount of coins in it.....just in case.......

another Chrissy gift was a necklace made by one of my three very talented sisters...using some favourite to me vintage buttons.....

yes, i know i said it is a necklace, but really, i prefer to wear it as a bracelet...think it has something to do with not wanting to suffocate all those scrumptious buttons in my more than ample *gulp* cleavage.........

you know the drill...until next time...take care and be kind to each other.....sloppystuff...lzilulu xox

...lots of goodies...

'morning chickadees

remember "way back when" i was bribing pleading with you all to leave my blog via this blog so that i could win some of Emma's goodies???....remember?....oh!well! even if you don't, i do! apparently i was going really well with my scheming plan and it looked like i was going to be the greedy winner....until i was pipped at the post by someone else. i took my loss with the appropriate fair sportsmanship but luckily for me Emma thought otherwise and she bundled up some goodies and sent them to me...TRUE STORY!!....yep, there really are some generous people out there in blogland......

the parcel arrived in the pre-Christmas rush that usually happens around the world......i DID rip it open at the post office and was gobsmacked....but...i didn't want the contents to get mixed up with all the other Chrissy goodies...you know that "day after Christmas" feeling of "*&^% who gave me that and what goes with what??".....so i re-wrapped it and put it in a safe place to re-savour at a quieter time...well, that time came a few days ago, and i was able to drool over each and every one and re-purpose them all......

i warned you about their cuteness didn't i????..........

...the hanging heart ( with pretty smelly stuff inside) found a home here...

...yes, not far from the shoes!!

the hanging bunny has settled into her new home not far away, hanging on the bed-head in our pink/green bedroom...the bed-head is an old gate that my father in law made for his sheep yards MANY years ago...but i digress!!

am not sure if the cupcake is SUPPOSED to be a pin/needle keeper, BUT it works for me.....

.....amongst all the mess that would be my sewing area!!

...and the boob pin??? well, it gets LOTS of exposure....

....so, Emma, thank you sooo much for your generosity..... i feel extremely fortunate....

....my recent blogging hiatus was due in LARGE part by my "pissed-offness" with Typepad...it was just taking tooo long to write posts, the photos tooo long to upload and then it crashed before publishing just one time too many......BUT.....windows live writer is my new bestest friend and the blog mojo is well and truly alive and well...and i still get to keep my typepad account so i'm definitely a happy camper!!

until next time, take care and be kind to each other.....

sloppystuff  lzilulu  xox

thanks to sheryl no blog....yet!....

many thanks to sheryl....who REALLY should start a blog...surely she could find the time between caring for her husband and four little ones...the youngest being only five weeks old! and churning out some awesome needlework!.....oops, i got a bit sidetracked there...anyway, thank you sheryl for pointing me in the direction of here, so i can thank this very clever lady for the Christmas tree skirt tutorial. i STRONGLY suspect that the same lady has influenced me re the desire to create my fresh/white quilt.......

sloppystuff  lzilulu   xox

...just a little sewing

i de-christmassed the house yesterday and took the opportunity to take a photo of the new Christmas tree skirt i made JUST in time for this Christmas just gone.......

.....i really like the wonky log cabin block....and the bright fabrics....and the white....am keen to do a small quilt using the same ideas...

i need to thank someone in blogland for the tutorial for the tree skirt.....BUT....at the moment i can't think who it is *sorry*...perhaps some of you can help me here!!

am off to the shed to get some crafting happening....is horribly hot here today so the air conditioner will be working overtime!

talk to you soon, sloppystuff lzilulu  xox

.....adit to shoes post

"gabbie no blog yet" left me a comment exclaiming "what, no shoes at the back door?".........well, she's shamed me into just one more photo....

...also in the photo is an old rusty iron bedhead....a snake killer...a driza-bone...a stockwhip.....and flo's entrance to her abode......

talk to you soon....

lzilulu  xox

....shoes, shoes and more shoes....

'morning chickadees...yes i'm back again and so soon after the last post. am using windows live writer and gee it is soooo much easier and quicker than typepad......

kerry had a post the other day about the number of shoes she had...this struck a chord with me and i grabbed my camera straight away to take pictures of the "abandoned" pairs of shoes throughout the house....

......these were in the bedroom *gulp*

....outside the bedroom door.....

....in the family room.......

i then made myself a coffee and set about counting all my shoes but i'm sure you will agree that the project was far too daunting and i just gave up.....

.....well, mr lzilulu does own two pairs so don't be too tough on me.....

...off to do some sorting and de-cluttering...think i'll start with the shoes....

until next time take care and be kind to each other

sloppytuff  lzilulu  xox

....oops, missing in action....

'morning chickadees.......long time no talk......life has sort of got in the way of pleasurable pursuits such as blogging......

....but....

...after checking my stats and realising that an average of 17 people visit my "almost defunct" blog every day, i feel i'm letting 17 people down EVERY day by not posting...and you know how good us women are at taking guilt trips don't you?????...so i'm off to a fresh new year start and will be up and running with more posts very soon.......

until then, take care and be kind to each other

sloppystuff  lzilulu  xox

flo's woes............

'noon chickadees....omg! am i ever loving this windows live writer!!...trust me, i won't bore you with too many more posts but must tell you the story of flo's woes.....

we "dog-sat" a gorgeous little boy called oscar over the Christmas period. we loved every minute of it but he managed to turn our whole world a little topsy turvy........

......as you can see, he is VERY endearing......

.......there was mutual love between he and the two girls (flo, and rae the cattle dog)...they played together without any hassles.....the exuberance of the three of them together caused the chooks to stop laying.....mr lzilulu loved him because he did little tricks for him eg rolling over every time he said "bang"......

...and only resumed a standing stance after a gentle tummy rub from mr lzilulu.....and no, he would not do the trick for me....but i still loved him because....well, because he loved us, that's why!!

.....flo became very withdrawn after he left......off her food and generally "not her usual self".......we persevered for a couple of days thinking it may have been from too much Christmas ham....but when i realized she had a raised temperature my "worry wart mother persona" took over and off to the vet we went......$65 later we weren't really any the wiser, the vet couldn't really find anything wrong with her but due to the fever and "slightly red tonsils" we left the surgery with some antibiotics and orders to return in three days if there was no change....

...she remained withdrawn, sooky, off her food and showed little improvement over two days despite antibiotics.......

.....then she started some bizarre for her behaviour...she started gathering her soft toys and became very possessive of them....

....she'd hide with them in unusual spots...

.....then the lightbulb moment happened.....a quick phonecall to the vet and a few chuckles later all was confirmed...our poor flo was lovesick and probably going through a "phantom whelp"............

...now that she is improving and we are seeing more of the "old flo" we are having some serious laughing sessions about it all......

......we have questioned the paternity....this one is probably fairly obvious....mr lzilulu is SURE he saw Santa in the neighbourhood recently...

....but...this one???.....we both agree that flo DEFINITELY has some explaining to do............

until next time chickadees, take care and be kind to each other...planning some time in "the shed" tomorrow so may even have a crafty post to do then...

sloppystuff  lzi  xox

willy (or willie) wagtails.......

...the willy wagtails have been very noisy lately, especially at about 3am right outside our bedroom window....hmmm...this usually means that some nesting is happening, but try as i might, i just haven't been able to find the evidence.....

...for the last few days everytime the girls and i go out on to the front verandah, two adult birds go ballistic...and still i haven't been able to find any evidence of nest or babies....until...a moment ago...yes.....sitting on MY table was this little treasure....too cute!

 

....a few moments later it flew off into the blue yonder...take care little one...

were the girls interested??.....don't think so.....

rae completely ignored all the fuss.....

 

...and flo???...well she was just happy to sit on my lap and look for ants on the bricks......

 

you have to love a couple of dogs who don't show an interest in harming little birds...

.....can you see a little bit of evidence of a developing garden???...pssst...don't tell mr lzilulu about the sprinkler going....he's working very hard helping with the wheat harvest.....(check out chookyblue's harvest photos)...and i'm doing lots of watering *wink*......even the neighbour commented this morning *gulp*....

will be back soon...i have a date with bernie bernina...finishing off a small bed topper to match the pillowcases i made last week....thanks for the inspiration vanessa :)...but first, i'm going to have a GIRL look for that willy wagtail nest......

...before you go, don't forget to click here ;)

take care and be kind to each other.....lotsofsloppystuff...lzilulu  xox

a quickie.......

 'morning chickadees....a really quick post today with a special request. one of my favourite bloggers is having a giveaway, and quite frankly i WANT. TO. WIN.....this is where you come in.....when you leave me can you P.L.E.A.S.E. go STRAIGHT to her blog from here, so i can get lots of brownie points and be in the running for some greedy gift receiving......thanks ;)

lotsofsloppystuff  lzilulu  xox

....a Sunday well spent....

'morning chickadees.....this weekend just gone, four local gardens were open as part of the australian open garden scheme....some friends and i went on a daytrip and visited them...the eye/nose candy was to die for and i easily picked my favourite.....a real oasis in the scrub.....i drooled for hours and took a few photos (!!!!!)....came home and showed mr lzilulu the slide show.....we had a healthy discussion about our "garden" and he agreed that i too could have a similar pretty vista surrounding mary alice cottage......*gulp*....he even said i could use the cheque book *double gulp*...he could live to regret this statement *!!!*....he tentaively offered himself as some manual labour help "time permitting"....hmmm....think that may be a challenge....well, he did "fence off" an area of some self sown veges last week, so i just might be able to borrow him for short spurts of labour intensive jobs!!

.....enjoy the following photos of my dream house/garden....

...the front entrance...

.....behind me was a wide walkway of climbing iceberg roses....

....the "backyard".....

  ...the water is a permanent creek...the ducks are fat and content....

...some more photos of the back, sides and front.....drool.....

   

 

 

 

 

 

...this water feature was on land that was once a tennis court....

 

...these old majestic trees hold court in front of the house.... 

 

...well chickadees, i hope you enjoyed your stroll through the garden.....i heard from a reliable source that my "second from baby" sister spent some happy hours at this house in the scrub when she was a young girl....do you recognise it???

...i am now going to turn off this waste of time, seek out the chequebook and hit the garden centres ;>).....

...oh, one more promise from mr lzilulu....he promises he will move the sprinklers instead of turning off the taps when he suspects i am overwatering!!!....that will be a hard habit for him to break, so i hope he is up to the challenge!!

'til next time, take care and be kind to each other

sloppystuff from lzilulu  xox

time spent with bernie.....

'morning chickadees.....one of our "special to us" girls is having a birthday tomorrow, so bernie bernina and i spent some quality time together yesterday and between us we managed to start and finish her birthday gift.......

...a pair of summer pyjama pants...

  

.....with a co-ordinating top....

    

...a bag to store them....

 

....and gift tag..

   

..i have also been making some summer jarmie bottoms for myself and managing to get a couple of bibs out of the scraps....

   

......well, the tax paperwork now beckons, so better put the kettle on and settle down to some hair-tearing-out bookwork......will really appreciate the lunch date i have today.....

until next time, keep well and be kind to each other

lotsofsloppystuff from lzilulu xox

...introducing charlotte.....

remember chook chook???...well...her idyllic life came to a brutal end a few weeks ago....the neighbour's dog chased her down, plucked her and left her to die....very tragic, and a very unpleasant sight when mr lzilulu and myself arrived home to a scattered pile of feathers.....

the shed ladies were appalled and extremely sympathetic...well, she was a part of their lives too, spending at least some of MOST thursdays sharing their lives....

....and making herself quite at home in the shed amongst the power leads.....

to cut a long story short, one of the shed ladies remembered my chookless situation when she heard the story of a chook in a neighbouring town....it seems that this chook belonged to a little girl and she was very spoilt and had ABSOLUTELY no idea that she was a chook *!!!*...the little girl and her family left town.....and charlotte s.t.a.y.e.d. b.e.h.i.n.d.......she boarded with a family who had lots of chooks and for some reason they didn't like her and chooks can be very mean to other chooks who "just don't fit in"....for some reason they thought she had a superior attitude and tried to point out exactly where she was in the pecking order...of course charlotte couldn't understand this behaviour...remember...she didn't KNOW she was a chook.....

fast forward to yesterday...the phone rang...would i like to adopt charlotte??? it took all of a milli,milli second to say YES!PLEASE!....and another 15mins for Frances to deliver charlotte to her new home....oh!chickadees! she is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and we at lzilulu's place are smiling again!! much to her disgust i have put her in the chookhouse....only for a couple of days until she gets used to things....trust me, i have been spending lots of time in there with her...reassuring her that all is well with the world and i am sure that she will thrive....she is so quiet and friendly....still in the training stages of how to get up on the roost....i actually lifted her onto the roost last night..and how to get down from it...she obviously likes a sleep in...it was well after daylight when i went out and LIFTED her off the roost *!!!*...hope she  is a quick learner 'cause i'm not sure that i could factor that sort of duty into my daily "to do" list!!!

.....she happily posed for the following photos.....

 

  ...as you can see, she has a perfectly good ladder to access the roost.....hmmm.....

....and well you may ask...what is THIS???...a bracelet??...surely not!! OH! YES! it is a beautiful beaded bracelet....made by her little friend....so cute...and apparently she painted her toenails too *smile*....not sure that she has come to the right place for such fluffing!!

 

....well chickadees, must away..have lots of monday jobs to do and time is slipping away....but firstly, will i use red, purple or pink??????

 

...and what's this i see?? flo and rae choosing their colours??...must be...

 

....and this was their reaction when i told them i was only doing charlotte's nails.....hmph!!

 

....until next time, take care and be kind to each other

lotsofsloppystuff  lzilulu  xox

it must be......

.....spring!! here in lzilulu's part of the world, spring is bursting out all over, and to prove it, i'll show you some photos!

....firstly, one from last year.....

....aren't they cute?? one had just flown off before i grabbed the camera....how on earth did they all fit in that little home?? willy wagtails seem to like it here and build a nest somewhere most years...haven't found this year's nest....yet....

....i love the "bursting" of the grapevine leaves/fruit....i swear that last year i actually HEARD one pop....true!!

    ....isn't the sky crystal clear and ever so blue....hard to believe that we had two inches of rain only a few hours after these photos were taken...not a cloud in the sky at the time...then...woosh, down it poured....gotta love spring showers....

........a few photos from around the garden......

         

.....i picked the first bunch of roses this morning.......

 

...i love all of these springtime visions but my all time favourite has to be this.....

....yep, gotta love it when mr lzilulu cranks up the mower!!

STOP PRESS....we have just found this year's willy wagtail nest...or at least the beginnings of it....on top of a light fitting IN mr lzilulu's workshop *smile*...at least it will be weatherproof!!

...two posts in one day...has to be a record for me!!

will be back soon...still have news/photos of a wedding and a workshop to share...and other stuff too!!

'til then...take care and be kind to each other

sloppystuff  lzilulu  xox

it's time.....

....to turn over a new leaf....have lots of "posts" in my mind, so now it is time to put those words into action...if typepad co-operates, there could be lots of posts in the next few days!!

let's start with some photos i found on my camera this morning...i hadn't seen them for awhile ;>)........

flo is, by nature, a cuddly sort of creature and likes to find cosy spots to rest and she likes to be close to me...most of the time....

...this is what i found one day when things went very quiet....

...yes, i know...it took me a while to find her too!!....but then she "fiddled around" and evicted her bedmates...

 

.....she likes to keep an eye on me while i am sitting at the computer....

 

....when she tires of this, she seeks out places to rest.....like this one....

 

....or this one...... 

....and sometimes she does a little exploring.....

 ......yep, she is precious!! and brings me lots of joy....

will be back soon...until then, take care and be kind to each other..

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

confession time.........

'morning chickadees....OK...it's confession time here in blogland.....who was the person who STOLE SEPTEMBER??? if i offer a R.E.A.L.L.Y BIG reward will you "come clean"?????? putting all jokes aside, september has certainly gone and i can't remember a thing about it :>(

will be back shortly with another post.....P.R.O.M.I.S.E......as soon as i get over the jetlag of the start of daylight saving...oh dear, that could be april 2009! i sooooo hate daylight saving....the morning is half over before it begins...and even my almost brand new computer KNEW that it started three weeks earlier....grr...i thought she was my very best friend...hmph!!

'til next time, take care and be kind to each other

sloppystuff lzilulu xox

......home again.....

 'afternoon chickadees.....

well here i am again...home from my trip to tasmania...had a wonderful time...with many thanks to my sister and family for sharing a week of their lives with me.....

my main reason for the trip was to see my niece perform in a production of CATS....was it worth it??? you betcha....indigo seemed to spend a LOT of time at rehearsals and this required time spent at the kitchen bench maintaining her energy levels....usually with a little help from dad.....

...not long after my arrival it became very apparent that there was a new boss in the house..and i don't mean the dark haired one...although some may argue about that one!!

...everyone warned me that it would be freezing cold in tassie...i had trouble believing it could be so when it was sooo cozy inside....

....i had to venture outside early in the morning for a reality jolt.....

.....well, yes, it was snuggly weather.....

.....luckily the day we visited entally house was bright and sunny....and ALMOST warm!

.....i did do a spot of shopping in launceston...is hard to pick my favourite purchase but my new shoes from route 66 would have to come close to the top of the list.......

......another highlight of the trip (trust me, there were lots, so be patient!!) was a roadtrip with my sister down to hobart and beyond....the beyond was into the huon valley and meeting up with one of my online quilting friends....it was so exciting and a bit like going on a blind date...my sister and i developed a secret escape code in case the visit went pear shaped...well, you can't be too careful when it comes to meeting axe murderers, as mr lzilulu calls all my online friends....little does he know!!!within a millisecond of meeting gabbie and sharing her home, food, view and shiny new car, both my sister and i felt very relaxed and comfortable in the knowledge that the secret code thingo was definitely overkill!!!

......we chatted and giggled like a trio of schoolgirls...she certainly lives in a beautiful part of the world but the winding roads and hills did play havoc with this black soil plains dweller...as can be seen by the green tinges of the photo of us two comparing our double chins........trust me, i win hands down!!

 

...us travellers returned to hobart and spent the night at the salamanca inn, where we rested well  before visiting the salamanca markets the next morning......had a brisk walk around the harbour and a drink in an irish pub before bed....watched "the bucket list" on tele before lights out....and after a hearty breakfast the next morning we braved the elements and "hit" the markets....WOW...are they worth a visit.....parted with some cash.......oohed and ahhed at the atmosphere and yes, saw some snow on mt wellington...brrr....

we stopped on our way through cambell town and did some more shopping (!!!!!!).....a local artist has taken on a project where he has produced bricks/pavers with names/info re convicts who came to australia all those years ago... these bricks are being laid in the footpaths along the main street....his aim is to commemorate all 70,000 convicts and at a guess he has probably laid over a thousand bricks so far.we were looking at these as we ambled along and imagine our excitement when we discovered the record of OUR convict ancestors, jane meredith (who stole 42pounds *shock horror*)and Dr Parmeter (transported for bigamy *naughty boy*)....with some creative manoeuvring of bodies and cameras we managed to get a family portrait.......

......as you can see, jane was dr parmeter's housekeeper....well chickadees, we are living proof that she became more than his housekeeper :>)

typepad is starting to play a "go slow" game with me so think i had better sign off before this post disappears into cyberspace.....

....before i go i would like to share a photo of my sister, the bag lady.....thanks for sharing a week with me XOX............yep, we had some "you crack me up" moments.....

 

until next time, take care and be kind to each other.....

sloppystuff  lzilulu  xox

...long time no see.....

'afternoon chickadees, it's a cold sunday afternoon here in lzilulu's part of the world. the sunday roast is cooking, the dogs are sleeping, the chook is still not laying, mr lzilulu is tinkering with the tractor....it doesn't get much better than this.....or does it???

i know it's a long time since we were in touch, but i have been busy...true story!! bernie bernina and i have been spending some quality time together over the last week or so......

first of all, i had in my hot little hands a bundle of mary engelbreit's friends and flowers....so what would you do???...wip up a simple quilt wouldn't you?? ok...so that's what i did too.....i was keen to use the "new to me" bamboo wadding so i needed a quick project and this fit the bill perfectly. my verdict? the wadding is D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S......it really does drape like silk, is easy to work with and has a slightly higher/softer loft than cotton....i will certainly be using it again.....

...a close up of some of the freehand meandering quilting to show the loft....

...with the colder weather i have had the knitting needles moving...have been hearing lots about the "magic loop" method of using circular needles so i was keen to try it. i knitted a few beanies in the round for practice....am now totally in love with the method and despite EVERYONE telling me how easy it was, i found it REALLY frustrating until i managed to get my head around it ......and yes it really is super easy.....

....with all this mojo happening i decided to "do some thrifting" and visited my local st. vinnies store. i found a beautiful pure silk skirt and jacket and spent no time turning it into a scarf....

.....a man's woollen jacket came home with me too, and inspired by Elizabeth,and using her WONDERFUL pattern, i made this clutch purse. Elizabeth's pattern is excellent and i can see lots of my friends getting a little purse for christmas this year :>)

....while all this was happening, a pile of selvedges was beckoning to me, so i had a little play and using Heather's free tutorial i made a pincushion......

....so, as you can see, i haven't TOTALLY wasted my time while i was away from blogging!!

must away now and pack my suitcase....yes, i hop on the big silver bird in the morning and wing my way to Tasmania to visit my sister and her family......AND.....i get to MEET a member of an online quilting group....this will be so exciting. she is worried that she won't recognise me, so i sent her a recent photo.......

....come to think of it, it is a few years since i have seen my sister too so perhaps this photo will come in handy for her when she picks me up from the airport....at 5PM TOMORROW!!!!

...until i catch up again, keep well and be kind to each other

sloppystuff, lzilulu  xox

houseboat heaven on the murray......

 'morning chickadees.....we have returned from our L*O*N*G roadtrip to mannum in south australia.....where we met up with a group of south australian friends......

.......boarded this houseboat on the murray river.....

......and so began three days of bonding,drinking,eating,playing,sleeping,drinking,eating,gathering,fluffing,drinking,eating............

.......there was plenty of this...

....and plenty of this.....

.....which, when put together, leads to lots of male bonding standing around.....

....we had a variety of skippers...

....we enjoyed the onboard live entertainment..............

......we had some early morning visitors.......

....we played some card/spoon games.....

....some of us, who shall remain nameless, played some masochistic games.....something like how much pain can i endure by pegging pegs to my face.....or i think that is what it was called....i'm sure i could think of some more appropriate words to use......

....at night we sat around our very own campfire, eating of course and perhaps enjoying the odd port or two..

....some one of us did some fishing....and some canoing.....

....it seemed that the men spent a lot of time looking for suitable mooring objects......

......i will miss this view for a L*O*N*G time.....

...i will also miss the people until we meet up again....where to next?...perhaps the dandenongs....in S*U*M*M*E*R........

i left the barossa valley on a high note.....

....we travelled to mallala and stayed two more nights with our friends and got to catch up with some more of their family members who we haven't seen for too many years.....we then spent three days zig-zagging our way home......we were near cobar, narromine, warren, coonamble, quambone....and couldn't help wondering if i actually went past the front gates of some fellow bloggers.......

....before i sign off, i really must thank a couple of people for the wonderful trip.....firstly, barney, for turning 50.....

....hope you enjoyed the surprise factor of us turning up....we sure did!!!

.....lastly, but by no means least....i must thank sonia for all the organising and managing to keep it all a H*U*G*E birthday surprise for barney.......

......now it's back to the mundane day to day domestic stuff.....and planning my next getaway.....to launceston in tasmania to visit my sister and family.....next month....mr lzilulu says it will be far too cold for him to visit tasmania so guess that means that i will just HAVE to go alone...... ;>))

'til next time, look after yourselves and be kind to each other...

lotsofsloppystuff  lzilulu  xox