I was just reading Quilt Fabric Delights newsletter and Sarah mentions that it is only just over 70 days until Christmas…………got me wondering – has this year just gone so fast because we have been so busy or does it just feel that way because I am getting older!??

Anyway, it also reminded me that we need to do our Operation Christmas Child boxes.  I can highly recommend this fantastic project which provides Christmas gifts to children overseas who would otherwise not receive any gifts at all.  My girls love to join in packing them as well and it’s a great opportunity for them to learn about other children who are not as fortunate as us.

Yesterday’s crafting was a Working Bee to make the Prep girl’s costumes for the school concert………lots of chatting and laughing along the way made for a fun afternoon.

Today I visited the Art Deco Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria……..it was fantastic.  The workmanship on some of the pieces was amazing.  Amongst my favorites were sequined evening dresses and coats……exquisitively beaded.  There was also some nice jewellery and furniture that would look good at my house!  If you live in Melbourne and get the chance to visit over the weekend (finishes on Sunday) then it’s well worth it.

Our fourth group of guests have just stayed at Sewjourn – and like the other 3 lots they have had a great time – so much so that they too have rebooked for next year straight away!  We get to go this weekend but then there’s bookings each weekend for quite a while………….

My pile of 1930s fabrics in the process of being made into a yoyo quilt.

This green fabric is one of my favorites.

Last Friday, daughter No. 1 went to the Royal Melbourne Show with friends and the other girls and I ventured into the city (along with half of Melbourne it seems as the AFL Grand Final parade was on – I think we were the only Melburnians not dressed in footy colors!)  We caught the train in, dropped off my squashed engagement ring at the jewellers (that’s another story!), looked at some shops, had lunch, a tram ride, ate Trampoline icecream and then went on the ferris wheel at Birrarung Marr……lots of fun!

What a gorgeous city we live in!

Monday, the ‘official’ start to the school holidays we met a couple of friends, one from Ballarat, at Ardrie Park.  It’s such a great park – the younger children can go into the fenced off play area whilst the older ones can run to their hearts content – and they did until the rain was heavy enough for the mums to call it a day.  We ended up at Chaddy and spent ages in Borders where I picked up the latest copy of Australian Quilters Companion which has a DVD by Meredithe on how to use perspex templates for quilting – well done Meredithe!  The only crafting the girls did on Monday was draw a design to embroider.

Tuesday, we had two extra girls for the day – lots of fun.  The day started with a 3D jigsaw…….everyone really did work well together.

Then we progressed onto cooking.  It was good fun – I love cooking but haven’t really done that much (apart from quick and easy family meals!) this year.  We started with muffins (chocolate and caramel of course)

Then choc chip cookies (full of M&Ms)…………Kate did have an apron on but still managed to get covered in chocolate…….

The finished products looked good……..and were very yummy too!

Next on the menu was Pizza Scrolls for lunch.  Everyone was keen to help rub the butter into the flour!  These were simple and delicious – even if we did forget the cheese!

Afternoon craft activity was making cards – all 5 girls were occupied for hours!  I had a small play with my Stampin’ UP! stamps – especially the new jumbo wheel which is fantastic!  I think I could get quite hooked on this.

Today was a lazy day – did go looking at sewing machines – I would like to get a basic one for the girls to use……..any suggestions?  I have seen a couple of eBay but just not sure.  The girls drew their embroidery patterns onto calico but that was all the crafting that happened today…………there’s always tomorrow.

All my friends know that I am definately a fabric girl not a paper girl – Scrapbooking although very popular has never really taken my fancy but a couple of weeks ago I had a Stampin’ UP party for my sister who has recently become a demonstrator and I think I am hooked.  I love their range of stamps and papers and have already made a couple of cards with my goodies………trouble is the sensible part of me knows I don’t really a) have time for another hobby b) have the space in my house for even more crafting supplies and tools or c) have the money to spend on yet another crafty pastime…………  But then I don’t always listen to the sensible part……….  I sort-of justified my purchases by the fact that I am going to use gorgeous paper and stamps for my Information Book at Sewjourn so that’s a WIP.  Another plus is that my girls all LOVE making cards and with the school holidays here it’s a great activity for us all (we are staying home these holidays, all looking forward to just being here and chilling out after such a busy year and being away so much of the time so we have decided that these will be our ‘Crafty Holidays’!)

A couple of my friends have put their purchases to good use though this weekend……….it’s such fun having crafty friends and sharing ideas, projects and (for these girls anyway) finished items. 

Bonnie made these lovely bags for her daughters 18th birthday party on Saturday night…….it was a French Theme.

And Suzie made these goodie bags for her daughter’s birthday party on Saturday afternoon – it’s not a great photo because they’d already been handed out when I arrived so had to prise them off a few 6 year olds who watched anxiously and wouldn’t let me have them for long enough to be really artistic!

I did manage to snap this photo of her lovely kitchen display on the way out though…..didn’t realise until I was posting it now though that she has Sewjourn business cards on display!!! (Thanks Suzie)

I can’t imagine not being surrounded by craft really - my Mum has been crafting constantly for as long as I can remember as do her friends, my sister and a lot of my friends too.  Now my girls seem to have caught the bug……….I assure my husband there could be much worse addictions!

There hasn’t been a lot of crafting going on around here lately…too busy getting everything ready at Sewjourn and trying to catch up on work but 3 hours at a gymnastics comp this afternoon meant I managed to get lots more yoyos done………the curtain is starting to take shape now!  Thanks Bonnie and Dale for helping out also.

And well done Ella……great effort again!  A win for the last comp of the season!

On our girls’ weekend up at Sewjourn we made coasters from here.  They were quick and easy to make and look fantastic.  Guests staying at Sewjourn are invited to make a coaster to leave in the studio – there is a fabric marker there for  those who wish to sign/date their coaster.

Well the clock is really ticking down now with less than 3 weeks until our first guests arrive and this is what the bathroom looked like when I arrived up at Sewjourn on Friday night!!! 

And the lounge room looked something like this……

Hmm, deep breaths and don’t panic!  But Mal has worked really hard again this weekend and it’s starting to take shape.  The painting is finished, toilet installed and the vanity is looking great…….just need the shower screen and tiles done and the vanity installed and we are there!  The bath is almost ready to go back in the first bathroom now that the floor is tiled …….a few hooks and towel rails to go up and the timber venetian to hang and that will be finished too.There’s still lots of ‘little things’ do though so it will be a pretty frantic couple of weeks.  Looking forward to our girl’s weekend this weekend though – have lots of fun things planned and everyone is really excited.

Daughter No. 2 competed in the State Gymnastics Finals yesterday - they came 2nd on bars and 3rd on vault – good effort especially since she had been home from school sick all week!  Well done girls!

I got a nice surprise tonight winning Moka Kids competition from the market I went to last weekend.  They make gorgeous memory boards, photo frames and jewellery holders. Looking forward to receiving my prize!!