i am back in the world of the internet!

oh my gosh!  can you belive that i have not had internet since the 3rd of march (or a home phone for that matter)
what a nightmare - you can see why people never swap service providers for anything!!!!!!
but anyhoo, it is sorted now, and all is well

so to update all that has been happening.....

LITTLE HUMAN
- the little human just had his 2nd birthday - that went very fast somehow?
here with a pressie from his uncle

 here having a good time at his birthday party, complete with bump on head from earlier fall :)

and the bob the builder cake i made him for the party

he has also discovered jumping......lots and lots.  he loves it!  he goes to kindergym and they had a photographer there last week - this is him in full happy flight

PUGLET
- pregnancy going well - now at 32 weeks and feeling HUGE and tired all the time.  booked in for a mandatory c-section on the 26th of May, so only 6 weeks to go!!!! yay
all fine with the baby - one last scan next week to check on position of placenta, and then the count down is truly on!

CRAFT
all right - lets get to it!

- block swaps
this is a sneak peak of this months wonky star block to Minette for the quilting block swap

this is what i received last month from shauna - don't you just love this pattern!  soooo awesome - can't wait to put together all the beautiful blocks that i am receiving

this is a sneak peak of the block i made for cheryl for the christmas quilting block swaps.  she asked for a log cabin in christmas colours

and this is what i got last month from heather - the little stars and moons are actually santas - so cute!!

- easter swap
i was lucky enough to get in on Jewell's easter swap this year!  this is the parcel i sent off to Portugal for my lovely lady - containing, as specified, some chocs (haighs of course, in a travel suitable package!), an easter flannel, a craft mag, and an easter tea towel (eggcellent easter - he he , still cracks me up!)

- stuff for baby
finally finished the wall quilts for puglets room!!!!  they are up, but i still have a few ends to trim when i can be bothered :)
(for some reason my computer won't let me upload that photo to the blog...... not sure what that is about!  will try again next post?)

before the little human was born, i made him a blanket, embroidered with a duck in wool.  just a lovely project to make, but not overly practical once he was born.  he was a chucker and i couldn't be bothered carefully washing the blanket every time etc etc, so i stopped using it all together.  so this time, i decided to just make quilts.
i have finished the quilt top for both a boy, and a girl - ill find someone to give the other one to once we have had ours!

i have also made a nursing cover!  big thanks to Freshly Picked for the tutorial.  i am very happy with how it turned out.  i couldn't find them for cheaper than $50 on the net, but the materials for this one cost about $11.  very happy!  for those not familiar with them, it is for breastfeeding in public.  its like a wide apron with some boning in the front so you can keep on eye on the little one.  ive put some terry cloth in both corners on the inside for cleaning up spew, and a pocket in the front, which i imagine will be used for the little human to keep his trains in :)

i am also working on a baby sling at the moment, so will let you know how that turns out!

- presents
my gorgeous friend nat had a baby girl a few weeks ago, and i made this little wiggle-around quilt for her

- hexie flowers
well, i have taken the plunge.  after watching sue daly on a quilter's companion dvd, i thought i would like to have a go at paper piecing.  so i found a pattern from a mag, and just decided to have a go!  i have bought pre-cut papers, and a template for cutting the little hexies, and am finding it quite soothing.  and such a portable project!  i have taken them to my obstetrician's rooms many times to wait, and have found that before i know it, it is my turn!  i think they will also be good for the hospital stay with the puglet.....they are saying 7 days in, and i know that hubby will be out and about with little human more this time, so i may have some down time......perhaps ill sleep though :)

so i have to make about 120 of these (see below) and then join them together with more hexies to make the quilt....i haven't picked the fabric to join them all up....any suggestions?

whew!  i think that is it - all updated!
and internet still going strong - all good :)

thanks for reading and many pugs and kisses to you and yours
xx

winner winner winner!

hi all!
just a quick one to let you know that Cheryll of Stitching Cubby Hole is the lucky winner of the magazines!
random.org picked out number 6 for us - thanks random.org :)

cheryll, they will be on the way to you asap
xx

panda post present!

lucky lucky me
i got a pressie today in the post box from the lovely Sue

the package was panda themed - some lovely fabric, a haighs choccie panda (YUM!) and a lovely card.

i love it all - but even more because I LOVE PANDAS
in fact, the little human and i went to the first day that the pandas were on display at the adelaide zoo!  we had to cue for ages, but it was worth it

the little human was 9 months old at the time, and i bought him a special outfit for the occasion...

we did eventually get to see the pandas - here he is, with the panda in the background.  at the time they were still in quarantine so they couldn't come out into the open!

much cooler now, seeing them wander around - yes, we have been back another couple of times!

if you are ever in adelaide (well, in the next 10 years - that is how long we have them on loan for from China), they are well worth checking out.

so thanks again sue! will have to think long and hard about using that fabric!

pugs and kisses
crafty
xx

BEEN RECEIVED! Leena's Feb Christmas block

hi!
leena let me know that she received my block - and she was very happy with it which is always great!

here is the whole thing

pugs and kisses
xx

FNSI report

hi all!
i was very happy to get some good sewing in last night for FNSI.  I did it all on the couch due to aforementioned little human injury :) but still got some good hand work done

i finished all the blanket stitch around the puglet's jungle quilt animals.  i still have the lettering to go, SO fiddly!  but all good.  i haven't bothered with pictures because i haven't attached any more fabric or anything yet, so they don't look exciting :)

but i did manage to attach all the binding to the little human's first quilt to be used as a quilt!  this is it - he 'picked out' the fabric at our LQS and then just added some green triangle print to break it up (he wasn't keen at all when i cut into his beloved fabric!!! but he came around when he saw the quilt top finished)

here it is all finished!  we are preparing to transition him to his big boy bed sometime after puglet arrives (we have a bassinette in the meantime) and i am hoping that a quilt made with love from mum will help (fingers crossed!)

anyhoo, hope you had fun too

pugs and kisses
crafty
xx

p.s. don't forget to have a look at this link http://craftypug.blogspot.com/2011/02/some-craft-then-story.html if you want to be in the magazine giveaway!!! open to all
xx

BEEN RECEIVED! Jolanda's block for Feb

i had the great pleasure of swapping with Jolanda in Portugal this month for the block swap
she let me know today that her block arrived
this is the whole thing

i was also lucky to get hers yesterday!
a beautiful wonky star, with gorgeous centre fabric, matching card and locally grown tea!
thanks Jolanda!!!

pugs and kisses
xx

some craft, then a story with rewards....

hi all!
we have RAIN in adelaide today - actual proper rain, not just mist that makes everything muggy!  it is lovely - little human and i have already been out to stand in it - ah!

well, as promised by the title, first some craft....

i have long promised the most favourite of all creatures, duckie, a quilt.  little human picked two fat quarters from my 'kids' tub in the stash, and this is the outcome.

little human had to make sure duckie was ok.  i made it double sided and machine stitched the binding on for hopeful added strength :)

i also used some of my winnings from Shauna's giveaway (thanks again!) to make this dolly quilt and pillow for the little human's friend Morgan.  her 3rd birthday party is in a few weeks. (the model is the little human's dolly, known as baby)

and yesterday, i was lucky enough to get this gorgeous block from my swap partner for this month in the Christmas swap - Fiona.  isn't it lovely!!!  and complete with handmade christmas tag too

if you haven't been to the Christmas swap blog site in a while, head over there - there are some winnings to be won!

also, tonight is FNSI!!!  check it out at Crafty Vegas Mom

i haven't found time to make my way around the blogs much lately - very disappointing. i hope to be inspired by everyone's creations soon!!!!

now to the story.....

i love my little human - i do.  he is nearly 2 now, and is growing into a lovely kid with a good heart and a sense of humour.

but sometimes, the two year old comes out in him, and he is a cheeky monkey

you see, on wednesday, i was at the shops with the little human. he is now at the stage where the pram is apparently for babies and so he walks along side, holding onto the safety strap. when he gets tired he sits down and rides for while. all good. he occasionally gets distracted and lets go and wanders off a few metres, but is usually pretty good at coming back when threatened with having to sit in the pram!

so on wednesday, all is going as usual. in fact, he has been so good that when we have done all our jobs, i say that we can go to the shopping centre playground for a run around. great - he runs around like a crazy thing, jumping, sliding, climbing. runs in and out to me for hugs, all normal.

then, for some reason that is unknown to me, he decides that he should run out of the enclosure and down the mall at full speed without looking back.   he gets about 10 m from me before i realise that if i don't get him, he might do a Forest Gump and just keep on runnin'.  so i leave the pram, my handbag, the shopping and sprint after him.

thankfully i get him before he gets hit with anything or smashes into a little old lady etc, and i carry him back to the pram, strap him in and head for the door.  he realises at this point that the play is over, and he goes into meltdown - 'more play, more play' at the top of his lungs, in between screams, sobs and cries.  i calmly repeat the mantra - we don't run away from mummy, so no more play.  we are going home.  this of course does nothing to calm him down, everyone is staring at us and he is hysterical for the next 1/2 hour

eventually we get home, get playing something else and all is well.  i smile my mum smile and laugh a little mum laugh at toddler behaviour.  ha ha ha

i then realise that i am in EXTREME pain in my lower abdomen, and work out that i must have pulled muscles whilst in hot pursuit.......apparently the 6 month pregnant body is not designed to be quick over the 50 m dash.

so, i have spent thursday and today on the lounge, feet up, with the lovely hubby home from work and looking after the little human.  the pain is getting less, and i am sure by the weekend i will be back to my normal self (just no running!)

the reason for telling the story - one, so you can laugh at me! and two, while resting, i have been having a look over some old magazines, and enjoying the different projects in them.  i also realised though that i have quite a few, that while interesting, are full of things i will never make.  and so.....

A GIVEAWAY IS IN ORDER!

the prize is 3 Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazines, complete with pattern sheets, delivered to your door (well, postal address anyway). for those interested, they are vol 18 no 11, vol 19 no 1, and the latest edition vol 20 no 1.

there are a few ways to enter the draw and have more than one chance to win....

entry one, just leave a comment to this post and say you would like to be in it to win it!
entry two, let me know you are a follower, or become a follower and let me know
entry three, make mention of this giveaway on your blog and then post that link in a comment

that easy really! open to all, and open until 5pm Sunday 27th of February 2011 ACDST (ie the time in Adelaide, SA, Australia). winner will be picked at random using random.org based on comment number

well, back to the couch to put the feet up again.....hope you get a chance to aswell at some stage today

pugs and kisses
crafty
xx