where did my weekend go?

Well I'd been hoping to share with you the lovely quilts and blocks that have been ariving on my doorstep but the weekend has gotten away from me. And I owe some of you lovely ladies a little thank you email for the quilts and blocks that keep arriving each day.............it's coming I promise. I am just squeezing 20 million things into each day and right now am madly cleaning out my sewing room to make room for my mum to move in this week. It is an embarrassment to sewing rooms around the world as it is in such a bad way. My mum even said she hopes there isn't fabric all over the bed when she arrives!

I know some of you have been waiting for an update. She has good and bad days and today was a bad day. Last week the dr's found 4 new tumours on her MRI, this is such devastating news but of course we had to expect this. She will have the gamma knife tomorrow and then whole brain radiation every day for the 2 following weeks. I've stopped looking up survival rates now or looking up the treatments and just take each day we have as a blessing and make sure that she is surrounded by love each day she is with us.

Seeing someone normally so intelligent and articulate not themself takes some getting used to. She was getting very agitated with the nurse making her bed today. Wait for it, his name was...................Elvis! I tilted my head to read his name on his security pass and then just had to ask him all about it. It was a good distraction for everyone in the room and from my mum getting cranky that he was only putting 2 blankets on the bed instead of 4 (the air-con is f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g!). Even as I added 2 more blankets for her she was getting annoyed that I wasn't tucking them in right.  At these times you need to be so patient, keep a sense of humour and stay calm, she doesn't mean to be that way. And then she told me she didn't want to come to my house if she was going to be a disruption, this just about broke my little heart. I insisted there was nowhere else I'd rather see her than here with us. 

And of course she loves seeing her littlest grand-daughter Elodie who comes with me everyday. Can you believe she is cutting her first 2 teeth right now...I can't! My little baby is growing up and meanwhile my big baby starts school in 2 more sleeps...........lots of photos coming of that big day!

we have some hope

Knowing that my mum was going to be moved from the public hospital, my Dad told me not to buy flowers yet. Then he said as soon as you buy the flowers I'm sure she'll be moved. Sure enough, I ordered an arrangement to be made up (just as my mum would like it from our favourite florist) and I was walking to pick it up and my Dad texted me to tell me that they were moving her that afternoon. Ta da, he was right. So now she is in the hilton of hospitals at Macquarie University Hospital....it's like going from an old hostel to a fancy hotel. She has a big comfy room and it is certainly much easier and a nicer experience for everyone. As much as I loved showing elodie off to the other ladies in the room at RNS... I'm glad we're out of there.

It's been a long week of waiting for neurosurgeons to assess my mum and they are still going. Today we will find out what the plan of action is......she is on a lot of steroids and from what I've read you don't want to be on them for too long but they are doing their job of reducing swelling, keeping her comfortable and in much better spirits. The decision will be either to operate (I really don't like this option, it scares me) or do the gamma knife again. It will be the 3rd gamma knife treatment for her and gives us more time without having the recovery and risks of a traditional operation. It is a new treatment in Australia and has a team of leading doctors involved.

She has some sweet moments, the nurse was going to shower her yesterday and left her in the bathroom and said I'll be back in 2 minutes with everything...my mum called out very seriously making the nurse come back in.......'how long will you be? 2 minutes? ok!' It made me smile (and the nurse, in a sweet way). She smiles a lot, raises her eyebrows, says yes and no and yesterday was telling my dad things she needed from home and would smile saying I can see it, I can see it...but finding the words for the shampoo and conditioner were just not coming. I really try hard to keep to yes and no answers and telling her things. It makes conversation easier.

She loves to see my little ones and smile at them. I think it's important to take them in with me so they can just be around eventhough it involves bags of chips and a trip to the vending machine to keep them entertained. The rice crackers and milk I packed weren't going to cut it in the visitors lounge and I was on my hands and knees picking up the chip crumbs from the new carpet in there as we left.  

We still pray, we cross fingers and we know she is in the best place to receive the most advanced treatment that she can. We feel blessed for this. Everytime I leave her I say 'bye, I'll be back tomorrow and I love you'. Yesterday she kept holding on to my hand as I went to leave so I just stood there holding hers. I hate leaving her. I will never forget my Dad telling me at the start of the week to treat each goodbye as if it was the last as she could go downhill very quickly. It broke my heart and was so hard to hear......at least now we are all feeling a little more positive and hopeful. It's a better place to be.................for now. And that is the update. Thank you for your sweet messages and concerns. Knowing that you have been through this or your own challenges or that you care has been so comforting. And I sing my little church songs around the house to keep me praying as I go.  

50 pairs of Zogg's goggles up for grabs

Sponsored by Nuffnang

So this year my big goal is to get fit. So I joined the gym and one of the main attractions was the lovely big pool. Yes, I have a pool at home but trying to get into the water when you have 4 little children in your care.......well it just doesn't happen. I am always looking after them and if daddy is home then the little people go in one at a time with him. I do love to swim but am not a good swimmer. Truth be told I can't even dive into a pool. But who did I marry? Oh only the captain of the school swimming team. Yep, you read it here. We are quite the match up. But the beauty of swimming is that you don't have to be good at it, I love doing lap after lap and when I was pregnant with keira swam several times a week until I went overdue with her. I wish I could say the same for the rest of my pregnancies.

So when the very nice people at Zoggs sent me some new goggles and some fins to try out I got pretty excited. I'm going to look quite the part at the gym............until I actually get into the water! And these aren't your average goggles, 4 Flexpoint Predator Flex goggles are super flexible and super comfortable goggles. They flex in 4 points - on the nose, at each side and around your face to give you a comfortable and flexible fit. I have to say these are comfy. So many times you'll put goggles on only to feel like they are sucking your eyes out - you know what I mean, right? Then you walk around for the next hour with big red marks around your eyes. Not with these babies. Comfortable and bendy.

They also have mirrored lenses for swimming in all conditions, they don't fog up (oh thank you! nothing worse than stopping to de-fog your goggles) and they have curved lenses giving you 180 degree vision and a really easy to adjust strap! Again, nothing worse than getting in the pool, thinking your goggles are comfy only to stop - take them off - adjust them- put them back on and get swimming again. The comfy silicone strap can be adjusted while you still have them on. Basically, these goggles give you the latest in technology whether you're swimming for fun, fitness or competition.

And as if these top of the line goggles weren't enough we were also sent fins - official name 'Four Stroke Positive Drive Fins'. These went straight to retro daddy. And in fact most of the features about these fins went right over my head - supination, positive drive, Ellipsoidal shape....... so I asked retro daddy how they were and he loved them. Shorter than a flipper it's like wearing a sock with a fin attached. In fact they don't look anything like what I normally see in the pool.

Your foot is fully enclosed so that you get a better kick and a very comfortable swim. Apparently it means that the energy you put into your kick isn't wasted by water getting into the fin - it all goes to give you a better 'drive'. Apparently. And if you're serious about your swimming then these fins are designed to improve your swim with all 4 kicking styles (don't laugh - I had to double check with retro daddy what the 4 kicking styles were). It means whatever stroke you're doing (freestyle, breast stroke, butterfly or backstroke), the design works with you with that stroke. And retro daddy tells me that wearing fins means that you can swim for longer because your arms aren't doing all the hard work. That has to be a bonus,  mind you notice how I had no clue that fins did this! He's been quite the helper with this review.

So keep an eye for these latest products from Zoggs. They might sound all high tech but even if you're a bad swimmer like yours truly, it's nice to have comfy and practical swimming gear. And best of all........Zoggs is an Australian company. But wait, there's more! There are 50 pairs to give away over at nuffnang......just go here to enter.

no words

This one is for my christian friends and I'm sorry for my non christian friends and readers to be getting all religious on you. Yes, you are at retro mummy and I don't normally throw my religion on you here. But all I have to hold on to right now is my deep faith. I found this song through a quilting blogger last year and it is so comforting. It fills my heart and takes away a bit of the pain in there right now. Later today (tuesday) we will hear what the dr's have decided but my Dad's face says it all right now while my sweet mum doesn't know what is going on.

'Till he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand'

I have a sponsored post coming up and will be back later in the week. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sweet caring words.  I've known that this time would come but I'm not ready.

giveaway winner

Firstly,  thank you for your sweet words and emails. I've cried reading them all. Everytime I sit to read them, I cry. They were just so sweet and heartfelt. They would make my mum cry too. I'm itching to get to the hospital and see my mum tonight and as soon as retro daddy is in the door I'm out of here! She had her mri early this morning and the dr's are just deciding the course of action. I wish this wasn't happening to  us. My dad has been at her side since very early this morning and I know he won't have left her to even grab something to eat or drink. I know him well so am taking a few things in tonight.

and since we could all do with a laugh, I thought you might like to know the sort of garbage that makes it's way into my inbox every now and then. I've now decided there is a new rule for my giveaways.....if you email me something like the following then I won't include you in my giveaways. OK? But I know you lovely people wouldn't. I mean I'm not running the national lottery around here, just a mum and very small business owner sharing the love. She's obviously not a regular as I never (ever) draw my giveaways on time but I do draw them and I do always post out the prizes!!! Thankfully, THANKFULLY, I can laugh this off.........as in what kind of a  person writes this stuff.  I sent a polite email back (yes, surprisingly I was polite) explaining my weekend and she wrote back to tell me she had removed her entry in the giveaway. Phew, one less thing for me to do. There was no dear/hi/how are you Corrie just this charmer........

"... and I'll draw a winner on the 20th January!"

It's a lie! Corrie, you're kidding again? Did God allow Catholics (Catholic and proud of it!) lie? 700 people are waiting, and you - hairdresser, hairstyle. And so every time.

Luke 15:10 "... and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much"

Respect ...

So, moving on (yes please, can we move on from this!!) the winner of January's giveaway is................drumroll...................

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1

Max: 706

Result:
127
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

And 127 is Leah-in-the-Kia said... I would lOVE that! my girls would LOVE it too! January 6, 2011 4:32 PM  Well done Leah and thank you everyone for entering! Next giveaway coming in a week or so................

behind the smiles

My Dad took these photos for me this morning. I look so happy but as he was taking them I kept watching my mum behind him. She was having a bad day and not really with us, through no fault of her own. I haven't been able to share the last year of my mum's cancer journey, it wasn't really my story to tell, eventhough it's been breaking my heart every single day.  A few times last year my priest has spoken in his sermons about the cross we all carry around with us in life. Reminding us that everyone, and I mean everyone, has a burden - their own cross to bear. And so true when someone in your family has a serious illness....the person with the illness, their carer, the loved ones. It has been our cross to bear last year....the constant worry, the emotions, the what ifs.......

My beautiful mum has melanoma and while I was pregnant with Elodie her Dr's found it had spread to her lungs, while waiting to start a new drug trial for her lungs they found it on her brain. She has received several treatments and chemo throughout the year. What I admire most about her, that she has never once complained. You would never know her pain, her burden. You ask her and she just tells you she's a bit tired. But she wasn't recovering as well as expected after her last treatment before Christmas. She is there with you in the room but she's not herself.  

And so this morning we went to my sister's house to take these photos and I knew my mum wasn't having a good day. We talked quietly about how we could look after her at each of our houses while my Dad is at work........she rolled her eyes that we were talking about her. Yep, you can't fool my mum. She thinks she is perfectly fine.

And then my dad helped me out to the car, my mum followed us out and stood by the gate as we'd all left her inside, and then it all happened, I'm not sure what it was but she couldn't move and just stood there, everyone panicked and a look of panic and helplessness came over her face. She looked so lost, I will never ever forget looking back from the car to see her there. Everyone rushed around and held her up, slowly took her to the car and my dad took her straight to the hospital. I cried the whole way home.  

So she's in hospital for a while till they can do another mri and see her specialist this week. Cancer is one of those things you think (and pray) will never happen to you or your loved ones. But it does. It happens far too often these days. And all I can do is pray and be grateful that I have my faith and my family at times like these. I came home from church tonight to a 'reminder' I hadn't drawn my fabric giveaway. So please bear with me this week...if you're waiting for an email, the giveaway to be drawn, a response from me........I promise to get there but just know that my thoughts are elsewhere. My cross is kind of heavy tonght....... 

my saturday

I think saturday could quite possibly be my favourite day of the week. It's the first day I get an extra pair of hands helping me out all day, the fridge gets topped up, we go out for dinner or grab some takeaway, I get my hair done (well, not every saturday). Don't you love the girl's expression! I love that time to myself to catch up on magazines, chat to my lovely hairdresser and leave with lovely blonde, straight hair.

there is also plenty of time to spend with elodie and soak up her cuteness. Honestly, I lose count of how many times I kiss that little forehead of hers. She just keeps getting cuter, her hair keeps growing upwards, her thighs are growing exponentially and she has the cutest giggle in the world!

and saturday nights are a great time to go into my sewing room and stay in there until my eyes are practically closing on me. Last night I called it a night at 1.50am and finished a quilt top that I am just in love with it. I can't wait to write it up as it was a really fun thing to do with a honey bun and will make a beautiful quilt to throw over my couch.......

and now it's sunday morning, retro daddy is about to leave for the office for the day to catch up on work (don't even go there, I'm cranky about it too) and I have everyone at home on my own, laundry to catch up on, toys to put away, a house to tidy and mass on my own tonight because as much as I love my children (and I do!) I just can't do church with them on my own.  It's my worst nightmare while they're at this age.

Hope you had a great saturday too.............

free motion questions answered!

well I'm glad you enjoyed my video, I still can't bear to keep the sound on and think I need elocution lessons, but it seems some of my international friends enjoyed it! And quite a few of you had questions so here we go. Remember, I'm no expert! I am kicking myself that I didn't get more practise in with Kellie came to teach. I was so busy organising and fussing around I didn't get a lot of time on the machine under her guidance! Ok here goes:

Celia asked what needle/foot am I using?

I use a quilting needle, Shmetz brand. Just look for quilting needles on the pack. The foot came with my machine and is an open toe foot. You can also get feet which are similar but enclosed. Just look for an open toe/darning foot. You will find these at sewing machine stores, quilting stores and of course old faithful Spotlight and Lincraft. Going from left to right is my 1/4 inch foot for piecing, walking foot for straight line quilting and attachng my binding (also great for polar fleece, cloth nappies etc), open toe foot, and a fancy foot that came with my machine for circles.

Emma asked what happens if I stuff up in the middle and start and end in the middle?

I would probably unpick it if I wasn't happy with the stitches. If you need to finish up then I make a little curve going in and a spiral and finish there. You don't have to end your stitching on the edges of your quilt but I find it's a great way to leave your threads over there on the side, sort of like parking them there and you don't need to worry about them. You can practice your design by doodling on paper but it's just to get the feel of what you are doing. I don't do it before I start quilting each time but it's good practice for a beginner.  

Yardage Girl (real name Nic) asked how do I manage larger quilts?

Well I've quilted single bed quilts on a smaller machine. I don't roll up my quilts under the arm of my machine like some people do. I actually stuff it through as I find it's easier. I put the bulk of the quilt to the left of me with the bunched up bit under the arm of my machine and go. Some may be in my lap but you don't want it weighing down on your work so you want the bulk on your table so as to not drag your work as you are quilting. Next video, how about me quilting a proper quilt.

Taylor Made asked can you do this on an older machine?

Absolutely! If you can lower your feed dogs - the little metal teeth under the needle on your machine then you can do free motion. You'll just need the right foot attachment and you're off. STOP! Apparently I am wrong, just ask Julie my friendly sister in law.....read her post here

Trish asked how to choose what colour thread to use?

I'm a 111 kind of girl. Guttermann 111 to be exact which is a neutral/creamy colour and works well with everything. I don't match up to the colours of the fabric because I use a variety of colours and the neutral colour shows off your stitching and also looks nice if you have white/light colour sashing. If I was making an all white quilt or a quilt with lots of white sashing and a white back then I'd think about white all over. I don't use a different colour for the underneath either.  I buy mine in 1000m spools and buy 3 or 4 at a time and pop them in a little straw basket so I never run out of thread! Some people use 100% cotton thread for their quilting but I love the guttermann and am happy with the results.

Kristina asked where to buy batting?

There are lots of different types of batting. I started out many years ago using a 100% polyester which was nice and cheap for starting out but quickly moved to 100% cotton. It has a slight smell and a little tendencey to go a big flat after  a while. When Kellie came up I had to buy 30m of wool/poly and really enjoy using it as it hasn't gone flat on me when quilted and is really lovely to work with so that is what I'm using now. Now spotlight sell the stuff in big bags or by the metre in their quilting section but if my local store is anything to go by the ladies at the counter are flat chat. If you're a beginner, I'd say pop into your nearest quilting store and ask for 2m of batting and see what they have. You'll get more help in there - trust me! I did sell batting for a while but it's just too big and bulky to be carting to the post office on a regular basis with little children.

Jenny at Red House asked what machine I use?

I'm using a Brother QC 1000 and yes it is quite the business. I love her. She does everything and more and auto tension, needle threader and trimmer are the biggest timesavers in my life. Because it is a quilting machine it comes with all the feet you need (1/4 inch, walking foot, a few free motion feet) and also an extension table. There are less expensive Brother innovis models too but if you're starting out you don't need anything too flashy.

Oh and I picked up my baby 2nd hand on ebay from a reputable dealer for $1000- I love the touch screen too! For any option you can press the help button and it gives you instructions/explanation of what to use that stitch for - perfect for dummies like me!

So I hope that helps some of you! One of my goals for this year was to make more quilts and in keeping with that goal I'm turning a Moda honeybun into something quite cute.....to share with you. Elodie is now 'almost' sleeping through the night which means I get some quilting time but don't think it's all smooth sailing - just because she is down for the night doesn't mean the other 3 are.

 

my jazzy ironing board cover!

Righto, gotta run. Hair appointment this morning because short hair may be low maintenance on a day to day basis but you do need regular trims (and a colour)! But I love the break and especially since my hairdresser has ipads with the magazines on them! Just another reason I love my hairdresser!

free motion quilting

Ok, well here is my first little video for my blog. Oh dear, can we fire the voice over lady because her voice is sooooo a.n.n.o.y.i.n.g. Why do we sound so terrible on video? I'll also warn you that I sniff a grand total of 3 times during this movie which I am terribly sorry about. We did this first thing this morning when my allergies play up and I had no idea. We did do a few tries last night but the lighting was really bad. So go easy on me. And my favourite part of the video - oh it just has to be when I say and 'and that is mow I do my free motion quilting'. Goodness me, don't quit your day job retro mummy!

I've gone nice and slowly for you, I tend to go faster when I'm doing my quilts to get my stitches the right length but I hope you can see what I'm doing. Everyone has a different technique and this is just mine. I am no expert. But to sum it up, you are using your hands to move the fabric around and not letting the machine's feed dogs guide the fabric for you. You lower the feed dogs on your machine (those little metal teeth under your needle), grip the fabric with your fingertips which is why gloves are so handy (you can pick up gloves similar to the ones I'm using at the supermarket) and then you get going.

Now for a bit of troubleshooting,  if your stitches are coming out too long it means you could be  moving your fabric too fast so slow down a bit as you are stitching and aim for even stitches. If your stitches are too tiny then you need to move your fabric a bit more as you go. You are spending too long in the one spot so get moving. Also, check the underneath of your work, the stitches should look like the stitches on the top and you might need to fiddle with tension to get it looking right. You might also want to check you have lowered your feed dogs as once I was quilting, turned it over to see a big mess and then realised my feed dogs weren't down, derrrr.

So to practice, I just made a little sandwich and didn't baste it. You can cut out pieces of your practice to make coasters, placemats, bags etc. I also like to have some scrap sandwiches on hand so that before I sit down to quilt each time, I do a little practice to check everything is right. It can save a lot of unpicking. So what are you waiting for, go and get quilting! And of course if you have any questions, fire away! I'll answer the questions tmrw in another blog post with another little video (if I can bear to hear my voice again!)

more quilt tutorials

Well, we're now almost at 120 volunteers for Quilts for Queensland! Oh yipee, aren't you all wonderful and I just know we are going to make some beautiful quilts to donate! So, last night I put all of the information you'll need on this page so it's all in one place! And I know that you loved yesterday's tutorials so here are a few more I've found which also answer people's questions at the same time.

So Justine asked what tools do you need. This little video shows you the basic cutting tools you need and how to use them, once you've got them you'll keep them forever. My quilting basics are a cutting mat, a good rotary cutter (I use an OLFA, stay away from the cheapy Birch ones which are flimsy, fall apart and don't cut well), a quilting ruler, pins (I use quilting pins with little flowers on the end), 1/4 inch foot for my sewing machine, walking foot for my sewing machine if you want to quilt your quilts with straight lines and to attach your binding to a quilt or an open toe/darning foot if you want to give free motion quilting a go. I got most of those supplies at Spotlight and whenever you get a discount voucher it's the perfect time to stock up on these. You can also pick up supplies and feet for your sewing machine at quilting stores, online and on ebay.

Now once you've cut your fabrics, you're going to want to sew them together (well derrr, Corrie!) and in quilting we use a 1/4 inch seam rather than 1/2 inch. I think I was making quilts for a year before I started using a 1/4 inch and I like how this lady explains and shows you.

and I'm a jelly roll addict so here is how to make a quilt block using jelly roll strips. They have made 8 inch blocks and you could use them for a smaller quilt or keep adding strips and make larger blocks.

and if you're more of a triangle type of girl then here is how to make half square triangles (HST's) in a nice easy way. This lovely lady also shows you how to make different block layouts using these triangles too. If you need some HST inspiration, then check out Rita's quilts. So beautiful. She is a quilting machine and always has something beautiful to show off.

Ok, well I hope that helps some of you and provides some more inspiration too! Any other questions, just ask. Tomorrow I thought I'd show you how I do my free motion quilting as a few of you have asked me. It's now how I quilt all of my quilts and while I'm no expert (totally self taught) I do find it very addictive!

I love quilt tutorials

Well the first big email for Quilts for Queensland went out last night to over 80 ladies, wow, no wonder I was so flat chat trying to email everyone who was contacting me. I have a few more ladies to add to the list and if you didn't receive the email and want to help just leave a comment with your email address and I'll add you on. It is one mother of an email list! And can I just say that I am loving the quilts and blocks on our flickr page so don't forget to join in over there. I still get a bit emotional when I think about who these quilts are going to.

And I know we have some beginner quilters out there which is just so great! Teaching yourself to quilt will have you hooked in no time. And since I'm a self taught quilter, youtube is my go-to place. A place where you can do a search on a technique or block and find a great tutorial in no time. Here are my favourites and I hope they provide some inspiration and help to you. Pinwheels anyone?

Another great tutorial I love is this one for a quilt as you go quilt. She is making a table runner but I would use a jelly roll or strips as wide as the fabric (generally 112cm/115cm) and you are sewing through your backing and batting as well as piecing at the same time. This method is called quilt as you go and is speedy! I think this one is for people dying to make a whole lap quilt but not sure where to start or wanting something quick and satisfying. I'm going to give this method a go.............

If you love precuts and jelly rolls, then this is a really pretty one. I would just cut strips of white quilters muslin/homespun instead of a white jelly roll as that is what I have at home but if you can get your hands on the white jelly roll then of course use that.

So there you have it! I could seriously spend all day watching the Missouri Quilt Co. tutorials. I hope these help you! If you have great tutorials on your blog or someone else's just let me know and I'll add them to this blog post to help our budding quilters out there.

quilts for queensland on flickr

Wow, thank you everyone for a great response to Quilts for Queensland. I've had emails from europe, the states, new zealand, england and all over Australia. I am still working through all of the emails and comments and adding them to my spreadsheet (remember I was an accountant in my former life) so I don't miss anyone off - when I'm done I'll send out an email with a few things. We've also had a few offers from long arm quilters too (thank you, thank you) so if you have a quilt top you'd like to donate we'll gladly accept it and if you have some backing fabric to go with it.....even better! And will you look at Joy's block.....I love it! I love pinwheels!

amazing quilt block by joy

And then I had a brainwave while I was on the treadmill yesterday.....a flickr group! Then I was thinking how lovely would it be to have photos of people holding up their quilt block or quilt and I'll make a huge mosaic of all of the happy quilters. A way of showing all of the hands and love that went into the quilts.....and what if I turned that into a postcard to go with the quilt...........at this point I had to stop my brain thinking as I could keep going and going getting more extravagent with what I was going to do.....................but at least it did make my time exercising go faster!

 

nothing beats a nice pile of folded quilts!

And you might need to pop a kleenex or two in with your quilts and blocks because I was a bit overcome when 3 quilts arrived on my doorstep this morning. Thank you to these lovely ladies - Lisa Oliver and Judy Newman who popped these in the post to me. The colours and quilts are just beautiful. You've set a high standard for the rest of us with these babies. I'll be photographing them all beautifully and adding them to our flickr group too!

these are just perfect!



Don't forget you can join in at any time, there are no strict rules or cut off dates for lovely people to join in and hopefully tonight I'll finish my spreadsheet and get an email out...........so if you haven't already emailed me or left a comment with your email address just drop me a quick email to corrie_sebire@hotmail.com  and I'll add you to my spreadsheet!

this is her serious, 'I'm looking at you' face!

And if you're waiting for an email from me please just hang on a little longer, I'll get there - there are only so many crackers and snackies I can give to keep my little ones happy plus I am Elodie's cuddle machine and can't keep her waiting too long!

the auctions are up

Got a spare hour or three? Well you'll need it to check out the huger than huge big list of auctions organised by Toni for the Queensland Flood appeal...you'll find it here. And will you just look at Lisa's auction........new sewing machine anyone???????

yes, Lisa let me put the picture on my blog!



So, I'm waiting until the little people are in bed tonight, making myself a nice big cup of coffee and settling down to start bidding and buy raffle tickets. You'll find my two auctions in there too......here and here.  What a great response and thank you for your bids so far! I can't wait to hear how much has been raised as a whole!

and if you're waiting for an email or reply from me it's coming! My inbox is bursting at the seams so I'm going to go through it tonight and get some more details out about Quilts for Queensland.

chit chat at the checkout

Now this really is a classic conversation. I know I've said it before, but people do stop me all the time to enquire as to whether my children are all mine. Now it's just a normal everyday occurrence around here. Personally, I would prefer it if you told me I had beautiful children or that they were beautifully behaved. But this lady last week really took the cake for inappropriate chit chat at the supermarket checkout and I laugh when I think of her.....

florists in training

I get to the checkout and she's in front of me, staring at all the kids (this is totally normal, so I ignore it and keep chatting to them), she keeps staring and so it starts

her are they all yours
me yes, smiling sweetly
her but they are all so clean
me..........................................if this was a tv show we could insert the crickets chirping and a half smile...............yes
her and they are so quiet
me...............................................yes, well not all of the time
her you're not having anymore are you?
me well I'd like to
her you don't see many people with lots of kids anymore
me well I think it's more expensive to have children nowadays
her no, my grandmother had 12 children and they had no money back then, the depression
me well I think in this area there are school fees, mortgages and people want to give their kids the best
her no, they had no money back then, it was the depression but now of course we have social security, it's easier now, thats the difference, social security. Social security (I lost track of how many times she said social security to me but it was at least 6 times)
me thinking is she implying that I must be on social security because I have 4 children and want more
me well we don't get any benefits 
her turns to the checkout assistant - No don't give me a bag, No I don't want a receipt either, save paper and plastic.
her turns to me and says bye and good luck
me half smile

So there you have it, some people really do speak before they think! Where to begin...I could have a field day dissecting this woman's conversation with me. Well let's begin, she expects 4 little children to one woman to have snot everywhere and be really dirty when they go out? Am I right? Well my children are always dressed nicely and always look clean. I do have standards you know, lady.

floral arranging is my new rainy day craft I think!

next, we have social security - what was she implying? that I have 4 children because of social security? Did she think she was paying for my children?  I should point out that I feel lucky to live in a country that has a fairly extensive social security system. I know plenty of people who receive benefits in some form or another and who knows when any of us may need assistance at some point in our lives. I might not need it but I was raised and taught the importance of social justice but it is not something I bang on about to a total stranger at the supermarket. I kind of lump it together with my political views as a no go zone. I felt insulted and a little embarrassed.

australia's next top model - daddy did her hair in case you were wondering!

of course hindsight = a beautiful thing and I got in the car and thought of all of the things I wanted to tell her! Anyway, I had forgotten about it till this morning when I was having a little giggle to myself about her. I love my family and would keep having babies if retro daddy let me and I just don't think of us as a large family! But I'd love to know what YOU would have told her .............

first quilt for queensland

Well I'm writing this so I must have survived zumba.......in fact I l.o.v.e.d. it! Not as hopeless as I thought I'd be and ladies of all shapes, sizes and ages in there. I'm feeling a little sore today but I had plenty of body to shake it when needed! Definitely got a date with zumba again next week.

And after some recovery time (i.e lying on the couch and asking other people to do things for me) it was time to get started piecing my first quilt for queensland. I left grandma betty in charge of the little people and with a bit of time to myself decided a quick quilt using a jelly roll was the way to go. To make one you just lay out the strips, start at the top and join 2 strips together, then add the next strip to these 2 and keep going adding 1 strip at a time. Before you know it you've used up most/all of a jelly roll.

Trim the sides down so they are straight, I actually took an inch off so I could lay the quilt down on some fabric measuring 115cm wide for the back. I did have one little whoopsie that required some unpicking after midnight and then I was off again. I find free motion quilting is fast, forgiving and looks so pretty. I trimmed the batting and backing to match the front and at 1.30am called it a night. I actually fell asleep wearing my gym clothes I was so tired! Ha, can't believe I just told you that but you know sometimes I just have to let you know I don't have it all together here!!!

Sunday morning while Elodie napped and cartoons were on, I pulled out the binding (premade binding is a huuuuge time saver). And as I try to become proficient at sewing binding on with a machine, I used a blanket stitch to sew it on. I'm far from perfect at it but looks very pretty.

Thanks to a blog reader for suggesting that stitch to me last time I did a quilt.  Next time I'll attach it to the back first, then fold over and then blanket stitch. Maybe that is what she told me. I'll get there but I've got to say it's a much faster way for me to finish my quilts which is very important now!

And that is that! One finished quilt, the first quilt for queensland. This one is going up with retro daddy tomorrow and a care package for his colleague, Corey  (I know! great name!). They are still cleaning out their home and it will be at least 1 -2 months before they can live in it again. I hope that the little package I've put together (with huge thanks to Lisa, Sharon, Skye) will cheer them up this week.

the finer details

Wow, thanks everyone for getting involved and offering to help out! You guys are just amazing and after posie left here last night after a few hours chatting, I opened my inbox to find 20 gazillion emails from you all. I love how you want to help out. Heck I just love you guys. It seems we all feel the same way about doing something very personal. For some (or a lot) of us we are home with small children making volunteering in person very hard or impossible to do.

Anyway I went to bed and realised I better get some finer details out there to help you out so here are some Q&A which will hopefully help out. If you have anything to ask or suggest just let me know and I'll add it.

great youtube tutorial on making wonky log cabins

When do you want the blocks? when you've finished making them! I think a 3 week deadline (early february) to receive blocks and late feb to have all of our quilts done and ready to go. If you can't do a block or two in this time don't worry, we'll get there. It's just a loose guide especially as Keira starts school in February so I could be kidding myself! Whatever happens, we'll get there!

Where do I send the blocks? that will be included in an email to you

Do you mean 12 inch or 12 1/2 inch blocks? I'm confused. Thanks for asking! Ok so I would love it if the quilt blocks you give me are 12 1/2 inches. This means if you're looking to do a pattern it will say 12 inch finished block - which means when the whole quilt top is put together your quilt block measures 12 inches. In other words 12 1/2 inches less 1/4 inch seam allowance all the way around! I hope that clarifies it for everyone. If yours are measuring 12 inches don't worry we can put them together in one quilt and trim a few larger ones to co-ordinate. Please make sure this is a pleasant, happy, warm and fuzzy experience - this is not MasterQuilt!

 
I've never made a block before? No problem - here are some great ideas below. Julie and I also thought we might offer a few suggestions too.....mine will come....you know when I get a spare 5 minutes. And please note that these suggestions below are for making a block/quilt to donate and not for auction/sale where copyright will apply. Always do the right thing by the pattern designer and ask first if you want to auction something by another designer.

lovely oh fransson tutorial - just keep going till you get to 12 1/12 inches

oh fransson scrappy hedgerow block tutorial this is the size we want
quilt dad's wonky log cabin tutorial you've got love quilt dad! lovely clear instructions with this one!
scrappy heart tutorial perfect size
foundation pieced block something a little different
Delaware quilts blocks of the months huge list of blocks and instructions for just the size we are after

I'm not very good at quilting? Neither am I, have a go, use nice fabric and make something you would love to receive.

I want to help you quilt the quilts! Yay! Now that I realise the organisation involved I am going to need some quilters! If you have batting at your house/access to batting then I'll just post out the blocks to make a quilt. Here is a quilt I put together for the bushfire victims of Victoria, everyone used different colours and designs but all quilting cottons. I backed this one in polar fleece which makes them nice and quick and you don't need to quilt it. I backed it with fleece and knotted some embroidery thread into the corner of each block!

I have backing fabrics! OK,  no one asked this question, I just made it up because I'm guessing we all have some fabric in our stash that we don't love too much anymore or forgot what we were going to use it for. It could make a great backing pieced together with other fabrics so pop it in with your blocks.

What fabric should I use?...OK, again, I made this one up........if you're making blocks try to use 100% cotton where possible as the quilts will last longer and it will ensure our quilts are made of the same fabrics. A cotton/linen blend is fine in there too. If you're making an entire quilt yourself use what you like.

Do you have a button I can share on my blog? Yep, here we go.

For a thumbnail version just copy and paste the code in the box

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5170/5354856263_effe735a91_t.jpg" width="100" height="95" alt="qld quilt button" /></a>

and if you prefer a huger than huge button just copy and paste the code here




<a href="http://www.retromummy.blogspot.com/" title="qld quilt button by retro mummy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5170/5354856263_effe735a91_m.jpg" width="240" height="228" alt="qld quilt button" /></a>

Ok well I have a date with a zumba class this morning, I've decided I must try it out and see what all the hype is about and will definitely be the totally unco-ordinated lady up the back of the class going the opposite direction to everyone else. I love this youtube video- watch the lady in the green tee - that will be me! I know it!

this isn't my zumba class btw, I am not the guy/girl in black with the sweatband!

Quilts for Queensland

Ok it seems that I now have some sewers and quilters looking to make quilt blocks and quilts so let's get this show on the road. Nothing says we care about you more than a handmade quilt. Something to cuddle and snuggle under, to brighten a bare house as lives and homes are rebuilt and just make you feel oh so very special. So here is what I'm thinking for our quilts......

1. make and send me 12 1/2 inch square blocks (so that we have a finished block size of 12 inch once we've pieced them together) for girls, boys and adults. These blocks could be scrappy log cabins, traditional quilt blocks, hand pieced, appliqued.............whatever you choose! Make 1 or make 10 it's also up to you. If you need some inspiration look what lovely things I found here and blogs are another source of inspiration.

2. make lap quilts....I find these easy to whip up and they are the perfect size for babies, little ones and to throw over a couch or bed. I'd ask that you finish the quilt and attach a lovely quilt label from  you with some sweet words of hope and encouragement.

one of my lap quilts that was made for my grandma betty

Logistics? I am happy to receive all quilt blocks and sort them out here. What I will do is have a quilting bee or two here putting them together AND if we get more blocks than I can possibly handle then I'll ask for some lovely quilters out there to help me out and I'll post everything out to you.

lap quilt of 1 charm square pack with a border

Donating the quilts? I'm going to ask my gorgeous Queensland friends to help me with this bit and see what is going on in their community, school or church and the best way to get these quilts out to people who really need them. Retro daddy flies up to Brisbane each week so he'll be my quilt mule which will save us on postage! Yay retro daddy and he doesn't even know that bit yet!

What about auctioning quilts? If you have a quilt now that you want to auction to raise money then please visit Toni's blog where you can find more info with all proceeds going to the Premier's Appeal. If you would prefer to make a quilt and auction it off at a later date (because quilts do take time to make) then we could do this! Just let me know if this is what you want to do and thanks Bianca for the suggestion.

Phew, ok so where do you sign up. Leave me a comment here with your email address or email it to me (corrie_sebire@hotmail.com). We'll make a list of whose in so we can share our progress on our blogs and we can email more details. I'll also give you a button to put on your blog (when I make one). You don't need to have a blog.....just a big heart! That's all! Have I missed anything? Let me know...............

Auction 2: Don't Look Now Pattern Pack

Here is my second auction for Toni's Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions. We have 8 of Kellie's Don't Look Now patterns....these include her most popular designs and a must for any quilter whether they are new or experienced as Kellie provides detailed instructions of every step along the way. Ranging from patterns for cushions to quilts this is a gorgeous addition to anyone's pattern collection. Also included in the auction is 1m lite steam a seam 2 and 1m white quilters muslin which are used in all of Kellie's patterns.

here's how to play (thanks Toni for the rules)

1. Bidding will start at $70 (Australian).

2. You can place a bid by leaving a comment on this blog post with your bid amount and email address. Please make sure that your bid is higher than the previous bidder.

3. Your bid must be in whole dollar increments.

4. This auction is open to everyone and I will cover the cost of postage (here and overseas)!

5. The auction begins NOW and will END at midnight on Monday 24th January 2011.

6. At the close of the auction, I will contact the winner (please make sure your bid comment includes your email address). The winner will pay the winning amount directly into the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and send me proof of payment via email. Once proof of payment has been received, I will post your goodies

7. Thank you for taking part and let the bidding begin

Auction 1 - Moda Charm Square Packs

OK, here is the first of my three auctions for the Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions! Can I just say again, thanks Toni for an awesome job organising this amongst the crafting and blogging community! So I've raided all my hiding spots to find a lovely assortment of Moda charm square packs that I had set aside for myself. 6 charm square packs by Moda - It's a Hoot by MoMo, Sunkissed, Bliss, Plume, Lily & Will, Dream On and 2 packs of 100 large paper hexagons. These charm squares would make 6 gorgeous cot/lap quilts or you could use the paper hexagons and make one mumma of a colourful quilt.

here's how to play (thanks Toni for the rules)

1. Bidding will start at $70 (Australian).

2. You can place a bid by leaving a comment on this blog post with your bid amount and email address. Please make sure that your bid is higher than the previous bidder.

3. Your bid must be in whole dollar increments.

4. This auction is open to everyone and I will cover the cost of postage (here and overseas)! 

5. The auction begins NOW and will END at midnight on Monday 24th January 2011.

6. At the close of the auction, I will contact the winner (please make sure your bid comment includes your email address). The winner will pay the winning amount directly into the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and send me proof of payment via email. Once proof of payment has been received, I will post your goodies

7. Thank you for taking part and let the bidding begin

how to help

I'm usually a daily blogger but I've just been feeling too guilty blogging about our happy little life down here in Sydney at a time when people have lost lives, homes, animals and livelihoods. And it's not just people who live in country towns, we're talking about people living in or around one of Australia's capital cities. It's still unthinkable for me....watch this footage here which gives you a taste of how Brisbane is looking this morning and listen and watch this, it breaks my heart.

So what can we do? That's my big question today. If we're able to help let's do it! Let's get involved and show we care in our own ways. Some of us have time, some have money, some have skills, some live nearby and some live on the other side of the world. Here is just a small list of ways we can help.......it is certainly not exhaustive so please, pretty please, if you know of other ways to help then let us know in the comments and we'll add it to the list:

Donating to the Premier's Appeal - if you want to donate $$$$ directly then this is the best place to donate. Just go here and more information is here

Queensland Flood Relief Auctions Toni's auctions have already started and you can keep track of them all on her blog here, more will continue to be added as Monday 17th Jan is the main launch date. All proceeds are going to the above appeal so you can be assured that money is going to a reputable appeal. I will be asking that winners of my auctions donate the winning bid directly to that account.  Reading these emails from one of her reader's, Jan, is just heartbreaking.

Food for the SES volunteers this lovely lady has made a list of places where SES volunteers are and where you could drop off some food and yummy things to keep them going. Of course don't leave your home if you shouldn't or get in the way of essential work. Her blog post includes a list of SES centres.

Register to Volunteer ring this number if you want to register to volunteer or have items to donate 1800 994 100. Thanks Leonie for letting me know this one. Another link is here

BrisStyle thanks Bells for letting us know about some crafty ladies on Etsy raising funds. Just go here

Brisbane Helping Hands lots of items needed and drop off points in Brisbane. just go here

and one of the guys in retro daddy's team has lost his house in Brisbane, they are a young married couple and took a canoe out to see their house last night to find water up to the second storey. Retro daddy was texting him last night to let him know that work will provide their temporary accommodation in Brisbane which must be a small relief to them. In the meantime, I'm wracking my brain of what to put in a care package for them! I'm thinking a quilt, handmade teatowels, cushion covers, coffee mugs, gift voucher for an online store. Please tell me what I should put in there as retro daddy will be flying back up there next week. If you want to help me with the parcel just drop me an email (corrie_sebire@hotmail.com)

And lastly my quilters, what do you think. Can we get some quilt blocks done to make up quilts to donate? What do you think........if you're in let me know. This is more of a longer term project but I'm sure quilting groups will be doing the same and I have the hugest bolt of batting here and white muslin when we're ready to put them together. I'll be back with more details of block size etc later..............

And please, let me know of other ways to help and of course let's not forget that we can pray and keep these people in our thoughts for the long road ahead of them. It breaks my heart when I hear that people I know through my blog and store are affected or at risk. A special prayer also going out to everyone in Goondiwindi today who are now at risk of flooding................

Images from here