I got me a Liebster!

Sounds like a German car. Or a new mobile phone. It is neither of those. I'll let someone else with better descriptive powers than me explain.

"Some time (in the recent past), somewhere (rumor has it that it might be Germany), someone (I guessing he/she was named Liebster) decided to do something nice for a whole lot of bloggers and started the Liebster Blog Award.


It’s an award you receive, but it is also an award that you give. If you receive a Liebster Blog Award you are asked to choose 3 other bloggers and send them one as well."

Thank you Wayne!



Now, my own particular award came from Jan at Isisjem who I *think* I first met on Flickr during a swap for, if memory serves, mug rugs. She said some very sweet things - the gist of them being that I blether about a lot of different nonsense, not just quilts. Which, if you've read any distance back here, is the truth. *g*

Again with the thieving of words, this time from Angie (see, this building a community thing is totally working - these are new blogs to me!)

"Ok, then, these are the *rules*: this award is meant to highlight small blogs. So the blogger receiving the award links back to the blogger who awarded him/her, and tags 3-5 people. For those I am about to award, I should also point out there is no obligation to continue this award. If this is not your cup of tea, don’t worry."

And since this is Oscar season (Go "the King's Speech" - woohoo for British independent film making!!!) in my bestest posh voice,

"the nominees are..."

Beth at ModernJax - Beth hosted the first online fabric swap I did, a scrappy Christmas block swap. It was a raging success (at least for me it was!) and opened a whole big wide world of online madness. Beth herself is funny and a bit geeky (yay!!) and has the cutest kid in the US. Fact.

Maria at Keep your 'lectric eye on me, Babe - Maria and I met through her Mom who is a fellow ORB quilter. Maria's a smart kid and is currently doing post-grad work in Oxford (yes, the Oxford in Enger-land) and is also funny and a bit geeky. Okay, a lot geeky. *g*

Julie at Forest Poppy - Julie was a fellow swapper in the Quick Christmas Bee last summer. She lives not so very far from me and takes the MOST beautiful photographs. She also has the most adorable family and has insanely fabulous taste in fabric.

Visit, enjoy, spread the word!!

projects, projects everywhere...

...and not a one to finish! I thought I was making some headway in the work-in-progress department with all the work going on with the Scraptastic Strings quilt. But it seems not. There's just piles of stuff everywhere!!! Still, it's pretty stuff, right?

I did make this, just coz I saw one like it on Flickr (I can't find the link - let me know if you recognise it, please!!) and loved it. Dead simple but a fun hour or so playing. I've tucked it away for when the Easter/green colour scheme gets whipped out in the next few weeks.

I received the last block from my Bee Mental 3x6 Bee. I have a rough plan for this one, it should be a simple top to finish but the quilting will be another story.

And when I got paid last week I finally succumbed to a "Hideaway" layer cake. At least I had a purpose for it though, eh?

I've been busy all weekend following a new pattern (can you guess what it is?) and making a mess all over the house. I'm normally closeted away in my wee room but brought my machine down to the kitchen so I feel more a part of the house. It was lovely doing some sewing, having a chat to Chookie, doing some pressing and trimming, making a cup of tea. All while listening to David Tennant read "How to Train Your Dragon" on my iPod dock. Which was bought for Chook's Dental Hospital visits (more on the latest one tomorrow) but is really, REALLY funny and I'm loving it.

One other not-finished-yet-but-working-on-it thing? I got my full appointment with the Scouts through last week. So I am no longer a provisional assistant leader. Go me! I've a ways to go before I'm all done with training but we'll get there!

the internet is a wonderful place.

Spouse had a particularly unexpected and slightly random internet experience earlier in the week. A small back story? A long time ago - not in a galaxy far, far away but in Thorney Island and not that long ago but during Desert Storm - my Spouse was a squaddie in the British Army. In the Royal Artillery to be precise. Well, actually if we're being precise it was in 21 Air Defence Battery. He had left before I met him and it's not something he talks about much.

On Monday at Cubs the SAS (the principle special forces of the army) came up in conversation. Now, I did know Spouse's battery were linked somehow to the SAS and it got me wondering about the history of his particular battery. So, I googled. Like you do. *grins* And the very first result was a battery website and forum! Excellent! I found the history I was after (it was interesting!) and thought I'd have a quick squizz of the forum. Well.

One section was for reconnecting with lost mates so, natch, I had a nosey. The only name I remembered from his mates was an especially unusual monikered young lad. And someone was looking for him! There were no replies to the thread and it had been posted in 2008 but still, someone had known him. Which meant that perhaps they had known Spouse, too. So I mentioned it to him when he got in (very late!) from work and left it at that.

The next morning at work I got a very excited phonecall from a very excited man. Spouse had been on the forum to find that most of the registered users were people he had served with. Contact had been made and I congratulated him on a happy accident.

"But Wife," he said,"you need to register and have a look, there's photos..."

"Of your mates? That's great!" says I.

"Naw, Wife," he tuts,"of ME!"

This is my Spouse aged 18 in the battery band. That's him in the front with the bass guitar.

The Chook was helpless laughing,

"Dad's got HAIR!!"

and funnily enough, my Mum's first comment was,

"Did he perm his hair?!?!" (Yeah, he did! It was the 80's after all)

I'm just glad to have something of him from way back then - although one of him in his dress uniform would be amazing! But seriously, getting back in contact with people you worked, ate, slept, lived with and depended on after 20 years of nothing? That's pretty cool and almost certainly wouldn't have happened without today's technology - you gotta love the web!

strings and little stars.

I'm all caught up currently in the quilting/sewing area. Well, when I say caught up, I meant there's nothing needing my immediate attention which is a rather lovely place to be. And it prompted me getting out my string blocks from the Scraptastic Bee and having a wee play. I really love how it's looking!

 The Moda "Breakfast at Tiffany's" strips I supplied (only a couple or three in every block) wasn't my first choice to send out. In fact, I think it was my third or forth but it has resulted in some very pretty, desaturated blocks that have a really lovely vintage feel. One of the bee girls (Kelly) supplied a HUGE bag of strips, too and Chook and I got them out today for a proper look. We've made 3 more blocks and the one Chook's pointing to up there is the first we did - she picked the strips and did all the ironing and some sewing, too! It took aaaages but she was having a ball! We have hardly made a dent in Kelly's stash it's so huge. So only 10 to go for a nice new snuggly throw in the livng room! The Jamie-Lee has been greatly used this winter.

I got some great mail yesterday, too! A wee while ago I won a giveaway on Lynne's blog.  The dearest little handmade stars. But she also included lots of other stuff!

 Paper, a magnet and postcard from her native Oz and the best sweeties!!! Not to forget the awesome croc oven mitt - he's by the same people who made my favourite koala one which is getting sadly worn out. I think he came from Perth on one of Papa's visits to his family. And now he has a pal!!

Isn't this wee star sweet?

Thank you, Lynne!!! You spoiled me - it was worth all those thwarted trips to the post office! *g*

you are now entering - the Twilight Zone!

Part of my Christmas from the spouse was tickets to see My Chemical Romance in Glasgow. We were there on Tuesday night and it was absolutely a-maz-ing. If not a little weird.

(pic not by me, obviously! bliddy Getty people...)

Firstly I bought a t-shirt. A band t-shirt. For about the first time in 20 years. I have an aversion to tees with the actual band name on them (that's too obvious for my tastes! Unless it's a really obscure band!) but there were two MCR ones that were just too cool. I was very good and only bought one.

Secondly the sound was really good! The SECC (fondly monikered "the red shed" by anyone who has suffered it's usual auditory massacres) is not known for its acoustics. In fact, the last time we saw MCR there they sounded like they were underwater! And we were standing right in front of the sound desk! This time, however, was grand. Not phenomenal (I'm not sure that's possible) but really good. Great even, in parts.

Thirdly. This is a big one. There. Was. No. Queue. For. The. Loo. I'll let that sink in.

I don't mean there was a teeny queue or just a couple people in front. I mean the loos were empty. Except for the tumbleweed and the wee wifey filling up the soap dispensers and loo rolls. *jaw drops* Spouse's theory is that because of the number of teenagers there the beer being drank (drunk?) was minimal. Meaning less need to wee. Therefore and ergo, empty loos. I liked it! It was weird, though.

Oh, yeah, this is us just before we left. Snapped on a phone camera so apologies for the pants quality. My Mum laughed at our not-typical late thirties/fortyness and we agreed that Chook is going to have to rebel by making us take her to see Justin Beiber. Or whoever is the teen heart-throb scream-along guy when she'd in her early teens. There were a lot of adults there who had obviously brought their kids!! Heh heh. Talk about fishes out of water.

(it has been pointed out that my spouse isn't as overweight as he looks here - he's also better looking, just fatally unphotogenic!)

I'm really stiff today, though. I was just standing (we had a fabulous view, too, and no big blokes stood in front of us! See? Twilight Zone) but had seized by the time we were leaving and I feel ancient today. And tired - midnight is too late on a school night! It was worth it, though. Especially since the last song they played  is another tick on my "songs to hear live before I croak" list.

Of no interest to anyone else but for my posterity, here's the setlist, too.

Look Alive, Sunshine
(Intro)

1.Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) 
2.Give 'Em Hell, Kid
3.Planetary (GO!) 
4.Hang 'Em High 
5.SING
6.Vampire Money 
7.Mama 
8.The Only Hope For Me Is You 
9.Party Poison
10.Summertime
11.I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
12.Famous Last Words 
13.DESTROYA 
14.Welcome To The Black Parade 
15.Teenagers
16.Helena

Encore:

17.Cancer
18.Vampires Will Never Hurt You

the scene!

Spouse and Chookie have a tradition that whenever he's on holiday from work himself with her (as in when I am working) they do "a make." Like the A-Team. In the past we've had a castle with a working drawbridge big enough for a four-year-old to play inside, a model castle with figures, a lifesize ride-on pony made from cardboard (I must look out the photos of ickle Chook ON Grace the pony) and last years car for a toy cat. This year? I think this year beats Grace the pony. Chook wanted a "scene" for her toy ponies to play on. They visited B&Q on Monday morning for thin ply for the base, my work for newpapers and cardboard and Poundland for paints and carwashing sponges. Then the garden was raided for chucky stones, sand, moss and twigs. I came home today to this.

That is one happy Chookie! The detail is phenomenal - the trail has sand in the paint to give it texture!! The tack room needs finished but they are all crafted out today (the big stable was Christmas from Granny!) The edges of the board will need taped as it's starting to catch already and the paper mache is in danger of tearing but the clever chap has made the trees removeable and the base is in 2 pieces for storage! What a guy.

my finished ticker tape quilt

Isn't it pretty? I free-motion quilted it and it worked pretty well (although some of my stitches are mahoosiv and my straight lines are pretty squinty!)

 There's that cool Opal Owl fabric on the back. I love it loads.

The pattern is Dee's Ticker Tape quiltalong for the Old Red Barn Co Flickr group.
The fabrics are a ton of scraps, Kona Bone, backing is Opal Owl, binding is (I think) a Christmas red from Fabric Inspirations.
Finished size - I forgot to measure it before giving it to my Mum!

A flying visit from me! We're off to see My Chemical Romance (again!) tonight and leave in half an hour. Killjoys, make some noise!!!

the deets:
the pattern is Dee's round 9 of the ORB quiltalong.
The fabrics are loads of scraps and Kona Bone and red for the binding.
It measures......I dunno! Forgot to measure it again before giving it away!

Happy Anniversary, Chook!

One year ago today my Chookie had her first riding lesson! From that first tentative (but eagerly anticipated and thoroughly enjoyed) half hour hack to this.

Tacking up Skye.

 Looking like a wee jockey.

 Yet still being an absolute demon at "around the world." Yay for spaghetti legs!

I do hope she's still there in another year. Although I made the mistake of adding up what her lessons have cost us. A lot. There are definite advantages to only having one child!

gaga for Gaga

Today was "Celebrity Day" at school raising funds for....actually, I haven't a clue what it was in aid of. But the P7's organised it and everyone was to come dressed as a celebrity of some sort. Chookie, of course, decided Lady Gaga would be her impersonation of choice. Have you any idea how hard it is to come up with a practical, easy to pull together and, most importantly, suitable-for-an-8 year-old outfit of Gaga's?!? We did okay, though.

Her mate is a St. Trinian's girl and apparently there were 3 Gaga's in her class alone. *grins* But they had a ball although there is synthetic hair all over the house. It's making me gag(A)...

I had my Appointments Advisory Committee meeting last night, too (waves to Mel!) which went okay, I think. So I am now officially a provisional assistant leader. I plan to be non-provisional as soon as I can! Spouse gave me a celebratory multi-tool. Who says romance is dead?

ticker tape madness.

A very good friend has her birthday today and I was stumped what to make her until I stumbled across this blog from Flekka Designs and her fantastic cushions. One in particular really spoke to me so I shamelessly copied it and Friday night was spent in a happy flurry of fabric squares and ironing.

I've never been happy with my straight line quilting but I think I cracked it with this one. The thread is Gutterman Sulky and I think it's thickness helps disguise the slight wobbles.

And in other madness? I'm making my ticker tape quilt in one piece and not in four smaller quadrants as advised.

I started quilting this morning. It's going to take a while. And some patience. And some drink. *le sigh*