My fabric stash

Georgia - I did a big tidy-up yesterday!

Nicole - This is actually only part of the stash. The not so exciting fabrics and large quantities of Ikea fabric and so on are in plastic storage tubs. The Ziplock bags contain the quilts I'm currently working on (well not working on actually). The green basket contains a couple of charm packs and fabrics that haven't been pre-washed yet.

The ironing pile!

Georgia - It might look bad, but it often looks a lot worse. It's not unusual for it to be spilling out of the basket and making an equally large pile on the floor. :-/ I have to admit that some things live in that basket on a fairly permanent basis.

Nicole - Yes well what can I say about it...maybe that this is only half of the real ironing pile? Good news is, is that the house isn't that messy, I just am permanently behind with my ironing!

I love this song

Georgia - Actually I love almost anything by The John Butler Trio. The fingernails in this video are a bit...eeeuwwwww!



Nicole - there's actually not much to look at in this video so you might as well close your eyes and just enjoy this great song. It's called Fish and Bird and it's by Tom Waits. I'm currently making an embroidery based on this song.

My latest crafty buy

Georgia - The latest thing to arrive in my mailbox was that pile of grey Kona Solids. That would have made a very boring photo on it's own, so I added the little pile of Hope Valley that they will go with. The latest thing that I ordered, yet to arrive, is this book.

Nicole - My latest crafty buys, some linen and some fat quarters of the lovely new Sis Boom fabric line called oh St. Croix, are still on their way to the Netherlands so I can't show them yet. I also bought Scandinavian Needlecraft last week and I love it!

A kitchen gadget I wouldn't be without

Georgia - Meet the 'Alligator'. It dices an onion with one big *CHOMP*!

Nicole - The only thing in the kitchen I really couldn't be without is my coffee machine but you can hardly call that a gadget can you? So... this thing here is one of the most used objects in the kitchen: it's a garlic press.

What I'm Reading

Georgia - Total fluff.

Nicole - It's a Swedish Crime novel. It rains a lot and the main character, a police Inspector called Wallander is grumpy and always troubled by something (apart from the gruesome murder cases he must solve) Also available in English and there is even a tv series now.

My Favourite Thing Made by...Somebody Else.

Georgia - My needlebook, made by none other than Ms Windmill herself. :-) It's filled with needles, safety pins, sewing pins, bit of thread. I love it, and use it all the time.

Nicole - Well that's a coincidence because I chose a bag made by Ms. Wombat! I use it all the time and it desperately needs a wash I just noticed. Don't pay attention to the terribly neglected garden featured in the background. There are major changes planned and hopefully it will look better in a couple of months :)

Something Arty/Decorative in My House

Georgia - An odd angle of a painting done by my sister. I took it this way so that you could see the beads that are stitched onto it. This is her website - http://artbycarlaadams.com/index2.php#/home/

Nicole- I love my ceramic Polar Bear, he fits right in with all of our other stuff and furniture from the 1930's.  I bought him at the Norwegian Salvation Army Shop. :)

Breakfast time

Georgia - Toast with vegemite (yum!), coffee still to come, and because it's school holidays at the moment I have some time to actually *sit* and enjoy with a book. :-)

I have to admit that I cheated and took this photo yesterday because my in-laws are visiting this weekend, and they would have thought I was a lunatic if I got the camera out and took a photo of my breakfast this morning. ;-)

Nicole - Well I didn't cheat but I forgot to take a photo! Luckily I'm a lazy housewife and there was still something left to photograph.  ;) I had a slice of bread with Chocolate Sprinkels (called 'Hagelslag' which means 'Hail Sprinkels' ) and a coffee. In the Netherlands you can buy lots of types of  chocolate or sugar-y sprinklets like these for your bread. 

Favourite thing made by...me!

Georgia - An old photo because I've given the quilt away. I made this one for Mum's 60th birthday last year. Making the quilt top was super quick and easy. The quilting took an eternity, and an awful lot of thread! I love it, and I've been madly collecting some more Nani Iro fabric to make one for MYSELF.

Nicole - It was hard to decide, not sure if I had any real favourites and wondering if I maybe should have chosen something I embroidered or had drawn. I chose this quilt because it turned out quite well, considering my lack of expertise and proper quilting tools. I used a not very accurate cardboard template for the squares *shivers* because I didn't have a quilt ruler at the time. And no rotary cutter either. I was also under the impression then that I had to iron the 1/4 of an inch seam allowance to the back of the fabric squares.

In my neighbourhood...

Georgia - ... somebody has this trompe l'oeil painted on a garden wall, and according to two little girls that I know, it's where all imaginary friends live. Magical!

Nicole - o.k. I confess, I saw Georgia's photo before I had made mine and I thought this made a 'nice' contrast to the pretty trompe d'oeil . I didn't even have to leave the house for it (but I did open the front door).

Something that means a lot to me

Georgia - These pearl earrings belonged to my youngest sister, Zoë. She died in an accident in 2001, less than 2 weeks after her 20th birthday. I wore these on my wedding day, as did my other two sisters. They're not only for special occasions though - I wear them a lot. :-)

and... HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE!!!

♪ ♫ ♪ Happy Birthday to You!

Happy Birthday to You!

Happy Birthday Dear Nicole,

Happy Birthday to Yooou! ♪ ♫ ♪

Nicole - I had the hardest time to think of a thing that has special meaning to me. I guess that is not a  bad thing? If I would have to mention one thing it would be my special teddy. My parents gave this bear when I was 2. :)

In my hoop

Georgia - I seem to have lost my embroidery mojo lately, but I did start this a couple of nights ago. A very sweet little pattern - can't remember who designed it though. ;-)

 Nicole - It's such a dark rainy day here so the picture is not very good, sorry about that!. Anyway this is the Fish & Bird embroidery I'm working on. I use the wood grain print on the fabric to 'make waves' and 'clouds'. Lot's of filling to do but I'm not in a hurry :)