Tuesday 26 February 2019

The Creation of Barney and The Three Bears

Sounds like a good combination doesn't it? But that is what I have been doing this last couple of weeks, and with a 'cyclone weekend' to prepare for, I got all my machine stitching done ready to sit down and hand stitch/fill bears if the power went out.

What a fizzer! Cyclone Oma decided to stay out to sea and other than massive swells and beach erosion, the Queensland coast survived fairly well unscathed.  I did however get all my projects for this month finished.

To start with, I needed a pillowslip/cover for a bolster cushion I require in bed to stop me rolling onto my back - Barney was created, and although he is not bad, I think I did a pretty decent job of making him look presentable instead of going to bed naked so to speak. Let me know what you think. Have to say though Pete is not at all impressed - I think he is just jealous that he has to share our bed with some one else. As you can imagine, our bed is now a little crowded.



With that job done, it was onto completing some bears I had started for a friend who had three new grandchildren in a week as mentioned in my last post.


Well, they with their sleep bags are now done ready for delivery. I am quite pleased with how they went and I hope they will be well loved.



Surprisingly I still had time left over for this month so ...... I got out the fabric I had purchased to make the bed-runner for our bed. The design was all set to go, and I must admit I was a little apprehensive making that first cut.



But once I got into it, I found I was quite enjoying sitting and getting into it. I am really, really pleased with how the stars came up.


 Now they are ready to position on the actual block and to stitch them on. The fact they look so good has inspired me to really keep going and get it done. Can't wait to start on the other panels that go in between the star blocks and then begin putting it all together.

I guess with this all done this month, I had better make an effort to do some housework - not one of my favourite tasks around here, but as there is no one else to do it, it is up to me .... ah well, just think what I will come back to when I sit down and put my feet up.

For now though my friends, it is time to sign off 'til next time ...

Tuesday 12 February 2019

Another 'Hang in There' Bear

As mentioned in a post a little while ago, I was asked to make another 'Hang in There' bear, and over the last week or so, I have managed to get him created.



The man that this was for was over whelmed that I would actually make one for him, and I know that it would have brought a smile to his face.

So now I am back to making some more bears for a friend who managed to welcome three grandchildren all within a week! Her daughter and son-in-law had twins (boy & girl) and her son and daughter-in-law welcomed a little boy. How blessed will she be? Anyway, I have started to make 3 little bears, but this time I am adding a sleeping bag with each of them in the same fabric that our friend made sleeping bags for the babies with. Hopefully all will work out fine.

I am just about ready to head into the lounge room, sit in my favourite chair where I can put my feet up, and do some hand stitching under the air conditioning. Yet again it is so, so hot with the temperature up around 36 deg. c and the humidity up around the 70% mark. To say I am dripping is an understatement.

For now though .......



Saturday 9 February 2019

Redunancy - The Good & The Bad of It

It started off some months ago when we thought we may upgrade to the 21st century and install a dishwasher. To begin with we were considering a dish-drawer type, but then realised that because our house is a 'family' size place, and when the time comes to sell and downgrade, a 'family' size dishwasher would be more advantageous. So tried to ring the guys who had put in the kitchen some 15 years ago, to no avail. A friend suggested her kitchen man, rang him, they came out that afternoon (unheard of in this area - same day service) and when we agreed on the installation price, it was to be installed the following week - ahh!! Mad dash to then buy the dishwasher we had decided on, and the installation  job was duly completed, and all was good. That was the easy part.


The beginning of the destruction of my kitchen


Almost ready for dishwasher


Done and dusted.


Having this done, it meant of course that Pete was being made redundant as my 'manual' dishwasher!

Now for the bad. We them decided it was time to buy some new dinner sets - this is where the saga begins. It was realised on putting the new dishes we had purchased into the dishwasher to wash them before we used them, that they were too big - the dinner plates were 27cm in diameter, and kept knocking the spray bar every time it went around. Not good - packed up the dinner sets to return to store of purchase, and set about finding ones that would fit. Problem was every dinner set I could find had dinner plates at 27cm dia. Getting frustrated by the minute on a stinking hot day, I rang the dishwasher customer service people only to be told that those dinner plates were too big (derr!) and I would need smaller ones, around 23-25cm in diameter. Nothing about sizes of plates is in the book that came with the dishwasher. Anyway, the only choices left were either Corelle dishes (at $164 for what I required) or a Stoneware set of loose dishes etc. at KMart for $36.  I love Corelle crockery, but just felt I could not justify the expense. Got my KMart stoneware crockery home - and the large plates miss the spray arm by 5mm! All good. Cutlery was also changed over as our knives (with bone handles) could not go in the dishwasher. Finally we appear to have it all sorted out, and we can sit back and enjoy having a dishwasher!

Whilst the installation of the dishwasher was going on around me, I sat with my feet up, a cuppa in hand, and did some stitching - well what else was I supposed to do? Another bear is on it's way to being completed, more next time. I shall go and try and finish it this afternoon.

In the meantime ......