Weekend Crafting

On the 3rd Friday of each month, Wendy from Sugarlane Designs hosts FNSI (Friday Night Sew In).  I'm really trying this year to get myself back into a more simplified home life, and for me that includes being able to work on homemade items for us, our family and our home.  With that in mind, I'm trying to take advantage of the various blog links that might just help me to keep on top of my list of items.   I have a couple of knitted items that I am determined need to get completed - and I'm aiming for the end of February ...... The Stonehaven Sweater for hubbie, which I really would like him to be able to use come autumn has been one of those projects that just seems to drag along.  I'm a few rows short of completing one of the sleeves, which will just leave the other sleeve and the collar to have it finished.  I'm so vary thankful its one of those patterns that knits up with no sewing involved, just the yarn ends needing to be woven in.

Georgetown at the top & hexies in front

I'm also aiming to get the Georgetown Scarf finished ready for when my Dad moves down here in early March.  Coming from a warmer climate, he will need a couple of scarves for the colder months.

I've managed to cut out some fabric ready to make up a few hexies for my table cloth. The plan is to get to these in the next couple of days, and to also get a few more cut out ready for sewing up into hexies.  I'm really thankful to those who have said they will be happy to make a signature hexie for this project.  If you want to know more about it check out this post. 



Atlas in the front on the slide

This weekend we also got to celebrate a birthday ....... we have a couple of wonderful "(new/step)  grandchildren (our eldest son and his partner) who were sooooo excited to see hubbie and I arrive at the splash park for the 7th birthday party! 





Well, I'm off to get a bit more of the knitting done.  DH and I have just started a couple of weeks of holidays - a few things to get done around the home over the next couple of days and then we will head off for a bit of time away.........  take care

PJ (son) & Pete (DH) watching the kids at the splash park birthday party.

Swap Meet

Swap Meets used to be all about old cars and car parts and tools ...... and they still are to a degree, which is why DH loves to head to them and takes me along with him ........ now they also have lots of old things - everything you could imagine and more!  Also ....... the Fabric Van started to show up a few years ago ....... and as you might imagine, the wives are all very, very happy to accompany hubbie to the swap meet ........  This year I only bought a couple of fabrics as I'm really, really trying to use up some of the stash that has been there for such a long time!!  I really need to get into that stash and work out what's happening with all those smaller bits!  I somehow see lots of hexie projects ... or maybe some applique ??? 

So what else did we get from the swap meet?  The first find was this preloved little pot belly firetool holder.  I thought it was going to be much lighter till I went to pick it up and discovered its cast iron, so it won't be falling over and will look very cute next to the fire this year.  

 The next find was this meat grinder.  I do have a bigger one, but it's very rusty and although I've tried several times to oil it over and remove the rust so it can be used, it just does not give clean minced meat.  This one was still in its

original box would you believe, with the stickers on it.  With the ridiculous price of mince at the supermarket, I'm keen to give this baby a run........
Moving right along with the kitchen theme and ancient gadgets this glorious little wonder cried out to me.  I didn't think I would really be able to get it since I'd kind of reached my spending limit, but hubbie did a wonderful deal and while I was busy looking at other bits he managed to get this and surprise me ........ it's a very old coffee grinder ......and as you can see, he has even managed to get it screwed up on my kitchen wall.   What a bonus that it's in the cream and green which is a bit of a theme in my kitchen (see the old salt holder - it was purchased at an antique store in Tassie on our 20th anniversary - almost 11 yrs ago).  I also am lucky enough to have a whole set of cream and green canisters that we purchased from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland when we were on our 26th or 27th anniversary).  On the 23rd of this month we will have our 31st anniversary - so I guess this coffee grinder will be the item :)
Naturally with all those old tools and such, it was only natural that the garden would not be left out ........ yep, picked up this little old plough!   All in all, I'd say we had a fun morning.  We also managed to pick up an early birthday gift for eldest son (new power tool, which he was very happy with) and an old fashioned hand flour sifter for his partner (and newest member to our family).  She had seen one just last week for a hefty price, so was pretty excited to be presented with this today!

Hexie Power Friendship

You may remember that just prior to Christmas I mentioned I was about to start on a table cover for my craft room.  I decided that I wanted to have my blog name feature in the midst of it as a celebration of sorts since my 6th Blog Anniversary was on the 5th of Feb and we will have been in this house 6 yrs on the 26th March.  But as we all know, blogging is also about friendships - old and new.  So I thought it would be rather awesome to have some of friends (blogging and non blogging ) feature on that cloth with a hexie from them that becomes the centre of each hexie flower I make to add to the cloth.  So far I've had 2 lovely ladies send me a hexie - This one arrived on Friday from Anthea of Hibiscus Stitches.  I can't wait to have it surrounded by petals.  Anthea also hosts an EPP (English paper piecing) linky on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month ...... I seem to have missed finding the linky for this fortnight, but hopefully will be there with the others the following one.  I work every Tuesday, so I'm usually either too early, or a bit late to the party ........ one day I'll make it lol

Latest friendship hexie from Anthea of Hibiscus Stitches

Hopefully there will be some other friends who want to help to make my Hexie Flower Table Cover - I understand it's a big ask with no "prize" attached, but that's kind of the thing - you see, I want it to represent friendships that are not based on getting something or winning something.  If anyone is interested in making up a hexie - here are the details:  The finished hexie needs to be 2.5inches along the finished edges.  Embroider your name, your blog (if you have one), and the town, state (if in Aust) or the country  if your are outside Australia .  Since the hexies are the centre of each flower, I'd love if you could use either a white, cream, calico, pale lemon or pale yellow fabric ....... please!  This way they will all work together rather nicely. I'm Looking forward to putting these friendship flowers together ....... leave me a comment or send me a private email (sharmshere@yahoo.com) or send me a message on Facebook if you are interested .  Before I go, I thought you might like to see a bit of progress on "Georgetown".  I've added a 2nd ball of 12 ply Cleckheaton Artistry, although it's a different lot of shading, but I think it will work, especially once it gets the border colour on both sides of it.  I was originally thinking of using Grey as the border, but now I'm tending to lean towards a blue tone.  This will be for my Dad who is moving down here next month and will need a warm scarf for the winter.  Any thoughts on border colour??  I'm thinking a soft grey which I have in my stash might just work up nicely....      Sure hope to hear some of you are keen to make a friendship Hexie ......... Have a great day!