Wildcraft Farm

DAY 3 OF FREE STITCHERY, HINTS & TIPS ... who'dv thunk it?

Wow, 3 days in a row, I'm on a roll of consistency here ... and still I have more things to share.  But behind the scenes I'm really trying to work out how to upload a surprise for you to stitch, so I'll just do that duck thing ... swim gracefully on top of the water, and paddle like mad underneath.  Did that make sense?  It's been a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggg day, started at 5am picking up vomit off my daughter's bedroom floor (cream loop and pile, not so great to clean), did you know that if you don't make it out of bed in time and just lean over and "it" drops from the top bunk bed - it bounces?  Neither did I, let's just say that WON'T ever happen again.  But now I have a sicky, she tried school for the day, but came home very upset knowing she was too sick for horseriding (you really know she's sick if she thinks she's too sick to ride), been ill all night, so tomorrow I think I'll be a nursemaid ....... I've sooooooo much to do, but Mummy duties come first.

So once again I have pictures of my hints.  Anyone who has been to a demonstration or teaching day with me in the past 10 months will be in on my latest love.  I love it so much I have 2 on standby just in case I run out of one, or the nozzle gets bunged up ...

 

It's "Crispy" my spray starch, I wasn't sure if it is known as something else overseas, that's why I felt the need for a picture.  I use this to demonstrate some special items when I'm with a large group of like minded ladies, but it has another everyday purpose.  If you spray some of this on your fabric then iron the fabric flat - it is much easier to cut on your cutting board with a rotary cutter, also gives a perfect edge so when you are doing lots of piece sewing, you rarely need to use pins and the edge runs right along my quarter inch foot on my sewing machine, so all seams are pretty near perfect.  When you do a stitchery and you have no interfacing on hand, spray starch on and press beforehand and you'll have a slightly firmer fabric to hold on to - if the thread colours will easily show through I still use interfacing, but a light colour or tone on tone will often be fine ... I could blab on about ALL the wonders of "Crispy", but I'll save them to share another day, maybe I'll see you at a retreat one day????

Okay my next tip is ...

 

If you want to save your marriage, or your clothes ... make sure you have your own iron for the sewing room.  I only needed to have a little bit of vliesoflex on my good iron to ruin my husbands best white shirt, even trying to scrape it off when cooled still left a mark.  They are so cheap to buy these days, I think I got this one at a local supermarket for $12 (a cheaper alternative to the lawyers fees).  My second part of this hint is my wonderful portable ironing board.  I picked this up at a Hardware store for $15.  It folds flat to take to a friends house in the front seat of my car (when we all sew, there can be delays waiting at the ironing board), if my workroom floor space is limited (insert "untidy" here) I have even balanced it ontop of some magazines, it also sits easily on my worktable, plus I took it camping (in the caravan) on our last holiday.  It stores flat against the wall when not in use, but also makes a great extra table when I need MORE space ... definitely a great investment.

My third hint is one for the kid in you ...

 

I'm sure we've all played with crayons at some stage in our lives, you can easily pick up a little pack of 12 at the supermarket.  But if you go to the discount or Dollar shops you can find the big packs (I also have a couple of sets of 112 colours), they are only a few dollars a box.  Next time you trace off a stitchery, have a look to see if you can add just a little colour somewhere, maybe a heart in red, pink flowers .... just about anything.  Give the fabric a good press first, then (after doing a colour test on a scrap of fabric), gently colour in with a crayon, not hard, just soft rolling action.  When you are happy, get a pice of grease proof kitchen paper (or even photocopy paper will do) and gently iron over the crayoning, lift to check it has melted into the fibres, if you need to re-iron just make sure you don't put the same part of the paper down otherwise what you have melted off onto the paper will iron on to another part of your fabric.  Then stitch as usual and you have added a little colour .. what an original.

*** I need to mention that the colour of the crayon is not always what it appears, so always test your colours first before putting on your precious fabric.  Also, you can build up colour by just adding more after you have ironed, you can even blend colours ***

Another thing I have done with Jessica and her friends is to masking tape calico (around all four edges) onto some cardboard and get them to draw and colour something they really like.  They then run out to play and I get busy ironing their works of art (but just like I mentioned above, don't be afraid to get the kids back in to go over their colouring if it's not dark enough).  I get a couple of metres of black DMC thread and a needle and then wrap up in a little bag.  When the Mum comes to collect their daughter I hand them over a parting gift.  Usually over a cup of tea, if the Mum doesn't sew, I'll give a quick lesson in running stitch (much quicker for the non-sewers) or back stitch - showing them with a lead pencil where to sew around the colour blocking.  Then they can just put in a frame, or if adventurous, make a little cushion for the child.  I've converted quite a few non-sewers over the years, if you only give them single thread running stitches to do, I haven't had a failure yet.  Plus the bonus is that the wax makes the fabric firmer so no need for interfacing or even a hoop.  Imagine if the Mums were stichers, they could go to town with all the lovely stitching possibilities.

I hope these hints have started planting somes seeds in your creative brain.  I love to share ideas, but if you have any I'd love to hear from you.  I know quite a few of you are shy and prefer to email me directly rather than leave a comment, either way, I'd love you to share.

Have an amazingly creative Thursday, I hope to fit something in during my "Mummy and the Sickie" day.  Take care, Janet xxx

PS - I just got final details about the retreat I'll be at with Libby and Cath in October, so if you want to see my "Crispy" bits and pieces in person, I'll give you all the details tomorrow.

FREE STITCHERY, TIPS Etc. Day 2

Well I am so pleased that day one of our week of Hints & Tips was so well received - I have actually left my dear husband on his birthday to come in here (to the cold room) and make sure that Day 2 got uploaded on time.

He and Jessica are reading Harry Potter together (I think it's book 5 now), so they are snuggled on the couch under quilts, in front of a roaring fire, the dog at their feet - so don't feel too sorry for him.  He did VERY WELL on the pressie front, and "he thinks" he has full control of the remote control for the TV tonight, men and remote controls, it's a very sad thing!

Okay, so my first tip for tonight originally came from a guy I met in a paint store about 15 years ago, I then read an updated version in a "How To" magazine, and I've tweeked it for the Quilting industry.  Do you have anyone in your life that lives overseas, interstate, or some distance away - maybe a relative, great friend, even a blog friend ... and some day there is a chance you may make something for them, either a full quilt, applique cushion or stitchery, well wouldn't it be great it you knew that the colours you selected fitted in their home perfectly?

So years ago this guy I met in a paint shop told me to take a few extra paint chips home with me, after FINALLY picking the exact shade of blue I wanted to paint our old home's interior walls.  Funny, it looked like white to me, but when I saw it in a 6 colour intensity swatch (the colour at it's lightest, up to darkest depending on how many squirts they put in the white paint at the store), I realised that they were very unique in their shading.  Anyway this guy said that when it came time to selecting drapes and carpets it would be handy to have some spare paint swatches in my bag, to ensure I got a complimentary colour.

So here's the tip - get your Auntie, friend, Grandchild, whoever, to go to their local paint shop and select some swatches that would easily fit in their home, ask them to send you a set in the post.  Then when it comes time to make their birthday/Christmas gift, just pull out the swatches and select fabrics and threads that are complimentary.  If you end up asking quite a few people to provide these for you, just hole punch at the top of the swatch and put them on a keyring with the person's name on the back.  Whenever you find a great bargain or some fabric, just pull out the paint swatches and see if you have any matches.  It's a bit of a variation on Day One's tip with the DMC threads, but this one is for the people who feel more comfortable going into a paint store.

Okay tip number 2 is something I can actually show you - I've quickly taken a picture to make it easier to imagine.

 

If you look along my inch ruler you can see that these frames are very small.  I picked them up at a garage sale for less than a $1 each.  I have quite a collection of frames, just waiting for the perfect project to pop inside one day.  Check out opportunity shops (Oxfam shops), garage sales, clearance sales, car boot sales, school fetes - you will be amazed what you can pick up for not much cash.  Don't worry about the colours, you can always paint, sand, stain or wax to compliment the project inside and the room it will live in.  They make great gifts, who wouldn't love a gorgeous stitchery inside a frame, ready to hang.

My next tip - okay looks like there will be 3 tonight - is for those of you who have little people in their lives, children, grandchildren, neices/nephews, neighbourhood children, students etc.  If they are far away from you, ask their parents to organise this task for you, or if you need to entertain some children on a rainy day, here's what you do.

Ask them to draw some pictures of things that they like, things they are good at drawing and something that you might like to "keep on the fridge".  I asked Jessica to do this just after she started school (age 5).  I had been tea staining fabric and she decided to tea stain some paper.  Once it was dry I asked her to just sketch a pretty picture she would like me to keep in my workroom to remind me of her when she was off at school.  This is what I was given, and has stayed on my noticeboard these past 5 years.

This little piece of paper is one of the most precious things in my workroom, I'd be devastated if I lost it.  So the next stage of this tip is to either trace it to make a master, photocopy and play around with the size, or scan onto your computer and resize to suit your needs.  Then as a gift to the child, or to their parents, simply pick a colour thread and turn it into a stitchery.  This can then be finished into a little cushion, or here is my idea for Jessica's picture ...

 

It just about fits inside the frame without even resizing, I'll just tidy up the flowers inside the dress, make sure the wings meet the body .. not too much because I want it to remain HER design.  If it turns out well these could easily be replicated for gifts for family members come Christmas time, maybe done as a redwork it could be a piece they bring out each year for display.

You could of course keep a small library of drawings collected through the years and then turn into a memory quilt with little stitcheries scattered all over a scrappy charm quilt.  If I was a Mother who didn't sew and a neighbour or friend gave me one of my child's drawings as a stitchery - okay there wouldn't be enough tissues in the box for the tears of joy.  It's such a simple thing, you have the talent, so go out and look for your next design, the artist may just be about to race home for school.

Hugs to you all, talk to you tomorrow ... Janet xxx

PS - I've decided to give away a stitchery at the end of this week, anybody know how I can upload the file so you can easily print off?  I'm sure it's simple, just not 100% sure of what to do.   TTFN (ta ta for now, in Tigger talk - sorry our new baby guinea pig is called Tigger and we've been TTFNing all afternoon!).

FREE STITCHERY HINTS & TIPS WEEK

Lately I have had the wonderful opportunity to share some tips and hints with some fellow stitchers, via email, replying to those leaving comments, phone calls and chats with my customers (store owners).  So I decided that I would go through my bulging file of tips and hints and share some of these with you for 7 days straight.  Some you might think are wonderful (I hope), some you may have heard of, and some you may think aren't ones you will do anything about, BUT, you never know if that useless bit of information could be something you can pass on to someone else one day (who would find it of benefit)!

So for Day One I thought I would give you a tip about colours ... of course my tips HAVE to come with a story, it just explains it better.

I bought a new lounge suite (that was already 50 years old) at a clearing sale a few years back.  It was my first time bidding at an auction, I was like a woman possessed, I WAS GOING TO GET THOSE 2 CHAIRS AND 3 SEATER COUCH, NO MATTER WHAT!

After purchasing this amazing furniture for an ultimate bargain price of $400, I found out that the owner had had the whole suite re-sprung, new duck down put in and handmade tapestry fabric flown in from Italy to have it all re-upholstered 20 years earlier, and then it sat in "the good room" and was rarely used - I love hearing stories of my great finds.  ANYWAY .... I wanted to make a quilt for the room the furniture now lives in, but there are so many colours woven into the beautiful print it was too difficult to define exactly.

So one day I struggled to take one of the chair seat cushions into Mrs Martin's Quilt Shop - Karen and I both laughing at the absurdity of what I had done (duck down it bloody heavy).

Fabric after fabric was layed across the cushion, but it was just too hard to find something. LIGHT BULB MOMENT .... I went into the DMC thread room, lay on the floor with my cushion, and just grabbed skeins of thread and lay them all over the pillow (with the promise to put them back in the right spot afterwards, don't you hate it when people don't do that).

Finally I came up with 9 skeins that were a perfect blend.  I left these with Karen to give to the tutor of my quilt class, who had promised to select suitable prints for my scrappy quilt, based on these threads.  She did a great job, working purely with the coloured skeins that I have continued to carry with me for years.  Whenever I want anything for the room - paint, frames, rugs, lamps ... anything, I just pull out my skeins and see if they tone with the colours .....

Now I think That's A Great Hint, try it in one of your rooms you want to redo or decorate, get a group of threads for each room if you want, I'm sure you will enjoy the purchasing just a little more (and it's surprising how many sales people you meet who have quilter's in their families that think it's a great idea they must pass on).

Ummmm speaking of that quilt, did I ever finish it?????? I think it's in my Work In Progress basket, at least I know the colours will not be dated when I finally get around to finishing it.

Speaking of scrappy quilts.  I have finally uploaded all the individual blocks of MADE WITH LOVE, check out the photo album on the sidebar.  You will find one odd looking picture, it's NOT of the quilt.  It's actually the quilt on my audition board, many many months ago, but I plan to finally show it off at the end of this week.  Plus the gorgeous label I designed.

Well I'll see you tomorrow for more tips (sorry this one was a little long winded, they won't all be like this, might get the chance to put in 2 tomorrow ... well I can't promise they won't be wordy!).

Have a wonderful day .... Janet xx

Birthdays & Buttons

August has turned out to be a very busy month, and I think we are only half way through.

My gorgeous baby girl decided not to take up my offer of remaining a single digit for another year, instead opting to turn 10 - or should I say THE BIG ONE OH!

As an only child I must confess that we let her have whatever she wants regarding celebrating her birthday, luckily for us she's not the least bit spoilt or greedy so we don't come off too badly.  This year it was decided that a RollerSkating party would be the featured event, which was a bit puzzling as she had only started skating less than a month before at her friend's party.  To ensure she didn't fall flat on her butt (the whole time) we arranged for my darling sister Tara (who is such a fancy skater she has her own runner/skate shoes) to give her a quick lesson at an arena off the mountain, the week before Bindi's party, mmmmmm didn't go too well, but she did get to bring home Tara's skates to have a practice during the week, one too many "butt to the floor" stops and the skates were put away with the thought that she'd just hang out skating on the carpet at the party.  So imagine my shock when she came home from the party begging to have one of her own ... she was now madly in love with skating (something obviously happened at the party!).  So for the next 3 weeks she practiced every night on my sister's skates (sad to admit that her feet are now nearly as big as Tara's and mine).  The screams could possibly have been heard vibrating on the surrounding mountains when she opened her main birthday present to find a pair of white roller skating boots with red wheels.  She practiced in her own boots for the rest of the week, then last Saturday 2 car loads of excited 10 year olds (and a Mother and Grandmother who desperately needed earplugs) headed down to the Rollerama Arena.  Whoever thought of having walkie talkies between the 2 cars travelling down off the mountain should be put in a car with squealing 10 year olds as punishment!

So here is my 10 year old on her actual birthday about to blow out the candles on her favorite "French Vanilla Slice Birthday Cake" that our local baker makes especially for her each year.

Then someone said, "don't spit on the cake" ...

 

In my photo box of favorite pics I would rather these candid pics of Jessica just laughing and seeing how happy she is, rather than a posed sweet portrait - this one may make it to the wall gallery I think.

This one is of the 2 best buddies, Jessica and Bindi who were very kind to stop for a moment so I could take one pic ... the rest are all of them plowing around the arena in the distance.

 

During the week before the party, Farmer Rowe said he would come down and have a skate too, but only if I did - yeaaah right!  I actually have skated in my distant youth (the ones that you strapped on to your shoes), not sure about him though.  So my Sister met us at the arena to give a hand to the "wall huggers", then started to nag me to get my skates on.  I picked up the wrong card and handed over what I thought was a voucher for skates, but the guy gave me rollerblades, I came back to my Tara holding these huge boots and asked her if she thought I could try these ... the b*&^h laughed at me and told me to go and get something I could actually skate in!  So after a few attempts at getting the right size I was off, with Tara holding my hand, I managed to stay up the entire time.  I should point out to those of you who have never skated with me before "anyone?", I do have a tendency to be vocal with little shrieks and loud oohhs and aaah and yikes whenever I feel a fall coming on ... so needless to say when someone rear-ended me and skated on, Farmer Rowe actually caught one of my shrieks on film ...

 

Go into your bathroom, get someone to kick you hard in the back of the heel and see if you can't create 3 instant chins when you yell!!!!!!!  I thought about not showing this photo, but it tells the story of who I am, a Mummy who got on some skates and thrilled my daughter by skating around with her, her friends and her favorite Auntie - Daddy didn't make it onto the arena, apparently something was sore!

Getting back to my other life ... you know the stitching one, I am pleased as punch to show off a quick snap I took of the buttons I designed for MADE WITH LOVE (my debut BOM quilt, for any of you who haven't been following it's progress).  I'm seriously thinking of creating them in different colours and offering separately from the quilt 'cause they are just sooooo cute (as a button).

 

I wanted them to have a "handmade" look about them, not mass produced - I think that together, Teresa and I have done a pretty good job.  They are made from resin, which I understand are more "washable" than porcelain, I've named them Snuggle & Wash (because first you snuggle them, then you can wash them ... okay I think I'm offically too tired that even I think my jokes are getting CORNEY!).

Farmer Rowe is back tomorrow, he's been Slalom Skier Extraordinaire this week, I sometimes forget that he's not 24 anymore, he might ski like a pro, but there are aches at the end of the day, apparently they all sit around the lodge at night comparing wounds and aches, which hurt more because they keep laughing at each other.  As long as he's had a good break (not a leg) that's all that matters to his little family waiting at home, who really needed him tonight when the "U thingamey" under the sink started leaking when the dishwasher was on ... I can be many things, but I leave the handman stuff to others.

Off to bed I think, loads of work to do tomorrow, then it's down to celebrating Farmer Rowe's birthday ... will August never end!

Have an amazing Friday, wherever you are .... Janet xxx

GIVE ME RAIN ... pleeeeeeeaaasse

I can't believe it is supposed to be the middle of Winter.  Yesterday I was in contact with people in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania - all had rainy days .. and yet again Melbourne missed out!  And then today we have had such a warm day, you would be forgiven for thinking spring was here looking at all the blooms appearing.  Then very late in the afternoon we did get a little downpour, of course that was when Farmer Rowe was outside cutting foliage for customers ... I've been promised a rainy Friday and Saturday, so fingers crossed for some lovely stormy days (sorry, but they are my absolute favorites, and Jessica has booked in a rainy day for her birthday on Monday, I hope her wish comes true).

I had the chance for a great catch up with one of my very first "ever" customers, who is recovering from surgery at home, so she had plenty of time for a chat (hi Joanne, good to see you have mastered getting into blogland), I told her if she got too bored to surf some blogsites, can you believe she has gotten so bored at times that even stitching is boring??????  How can that be so?????

Another customer/friend is about to go into hospital, and being such an organised lass she is already organising Wildcraft Farm samples to make up when she gets home from hospital, even offered to make up some of my newies that I designed last week when I was recovering from my oral surgery ... of course I said YES PLEASE!!!!!!!  I'm so grateful that I no longer work in the corporate world.

Spent most of my day doing that surprise I had hoped to share ... unfortunately it took a little longer than we expected, so I hope to finish over the next week, it looks so cute, I'll just have to share.  The lady who ran the scrapbooking workshop at my friend's home, also happens to be an avid stitcher, one of the girl's recognised her from a class at "Mrs Martin's".  I had brought along "Made With Love" to show my girlfriend on the quiet, she is not a stitcher but appreciates all the work that went into this 4 year project .. our scrapbook tutor (I'm so sorry, I can't remember your name, I'm a bit hopeless with names sometimes) caught sight of the quilt ... and 30 seconds later advised me that she MUST make it, where should she sign up?  Okay these are the kind of ladies I love to meet ... I told her that only a handful have actually seen the finished quilt and to keep it under her hat for now ... but I suppose I've just blabbed, anyway here's another sneak peak ...

 

I suppose by now you've noticed a familiar theme in the words .. all about the different types of love and feelings we have for those dear to us.

Two of my dearest are about to have birthdays.  Jessica will be 10 (yes, the big 1 0) on Monday and Farmer Rowe's is 9 days later ... his age is classified under the secrecy act of 1960!  I am sending him off for 5 days skiing with some friends, he works so hard at work, then here on the farm, he is madly trying to get a large igloo built in time for spring plantings of a new flower crop, and still have some time for his little family ... not that easy, so I really wanted him to get a break.  My dear husband is the guy who offers to help neighbours and friends without a moments thought (not always a good idea), whether it's carting their hay, feeding cows, looking after propertys while they are away .. or in the case of one neighbour 2 months ago, keeping him alive after a stroke while the ambulance tried to get to him in time (he's our hero).  His biggest fault is he doesn't ask for help when he really needs it, he's just a genuinely nice guy - so I hope he has an amazing action packed week of skiing (just no accidents - PLEASE).

Okay off to tuck in my gorgeous 9 year old for the 4th last time ... hugs to you all, Janet xxx 

Back In The Saddle

Yes I think I must be back in the saddle again ... 2 posts in 2 days!  It's good to be back.

Had one of my favorite type of days today (my favorite is when it's pouring with rain, sitting in front of the wood fire - and me stitching, preferably with best friend), so I was catching up on my chatting ... jaw seems to be nearly 95% better so I thought it needed a good working out today.

Some of my favorite chatting is with my darling customers, there must have been "something in the air", as all my phone calls today seemed to be from those with time for a catch up.  Looks like there will be more stores with the Our Family for those of you who didn't win one (this time), and there was lots of enthusiastic chats about "Made With Love".  Possibility of some rural and interstate teaching visits coming up, so as one of my favorite people ALWAYS says "it's all good"!

I ended my day with a trip to Jessica's weekly horseriding lesson.  Threw in the camera to get some updated shots of her.  She is doing soooooo well, I was telling Farmer Rowe, after her last lesson, that we pay all that money for her lessons and are rewarded with a smile so big you swear that smile has stretched nearly to her ears .. as she canters around and around the arena, going over the jumps layed out around the marked course, her happiness is priceless.

While I was taking the photos I spied some lovely blooms I thought I might share, the scent was divine

Then I heard this munching noise coming from beyond the deep flower bed, I popped my head up to find this old bloke munching on some supper ...

 I didn't have the heart to tell on him, he looked so content to pull the flowers down and have a nibble.  He is one of the retirees on the property, his working days are now over and he enjoys a life with other old guys in the front paddock where all the little brothers and sisters of the girls taking lessons can come and feed them and have a pat.

I needed the new photos of Jessica for a special project I am doing tomorrow at my friend Ang's house.  All I will say is I need 12  4"x4" photos and hopefully I will have my "masterpiece?" completed in time to share with you tomorrow ... famous last words.  So here is my favorite shot of the day, my baby, the one who went to bed tonight telling me only 5 sleeps until the BIG 1 0 (not 10, but one oh, like when we turn the big 4 0 ... get the idea!).  I asked if she would like another year being 9, no deal - she is growing so fast she is already in a ladies shoe size 7, her feet are bigger than some of my friends, unfortunately her shoes now come at ladies shoe pricing, and it's hard to get appropriate shoes for her age and usage.  Anyway here's the shot, doesn't she look content ...

She is growing so fast in maturity around the horses and ponies.  She was just whispering in Peppi's ear after grooming him, picking out his feet and getting ready to rug him for the night ... not so long ago she needed help with all the tack and lifting up the feet, not any more.  Me thinks this child is definitely ready for a horse of her own - now we just need to find the perfect one!

While selecting these photos I came across some of the "Made With Love" shots that I haven't shared yet, so here are a few more - full quilt to be revealed in about a week or so ...

 And this one ...

 

Can I just say that the individual blocks do not do the whole quilt justice, overall it looks devine ... yes I am totally 100% biased, but it is my first Quilt baby, and I am so in love with it.

Okay off to get my photos ready for my girls day out tomorrow ... ooops just realised I have another one on Friday, I'm getting together for lunch with Cath Baynes (Willow Valley Store) and Libby Richardson (Girls Day Out Quilt), we are brainstorming for an event later in the year - so glad I'm better, would have hated to have missed this week at work, I'm a lucky girl working in an industry I love and with so many wonderful new blog friends .. okay I think I'll leave before I make you all ill!!!!  Night night, Janet xxx

SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

Hi ... good news, I have the winner's names of "Our Family" Kit In A Bags giveaway from way way back in June.  Drum roll please ..... would the following ladies please take a bow

Amanda (commented 12 June)

Mary Jo (commented 13 June)

Vickie (commented 13 June)

Robin C (commented 14 June)

Karrin Hurd (commented 18 June)

Congratulations ladies, Jessica picked out your names, so if you can forward your mailing addresses I'll add them to the pile of goodies I have waiting here to be mailed to past winners.

For those of you who loved the stitchery, it is now available for sale from many of the stores listed on this blog, I have to update the details of my suppliers, but I know at least a few of them can help you out.

I would like to thank you for all your wonderful thoughts and prayers regarding my recent surgery.  I was a bit too scared to tell you what happened, it was awful and there were complications (my dentists said in 10 years of practice they had never had such a difficult and major double extraction ... these are the times when you just want to be boring and ordinary - one tried to remove, while the other held my jaw so it wouldn't break!!!!).  I've felt so much pain that I had to have 10 days off work ... ended up with dry socket (and I don't even smoke, can usually get that if you are a smoker).  Am about to go off and see if all is right with the world at my check up.  I actually did stop talking, but happy to report jaw now back in working order and pain has started to reduce.

One of the good things to come out of this (yes, I always try and find something good), was the amount of drawing and creating I have been doing on my "day's off", so many new things are now in the works, I hope to be able to share with you sometime in the future.  Lynette Anderson suggested I try and design in the dentist's chair, unfortunately my mind was a little pre-occupied, but I've certainly made up for it now.

Just realised last night that "Made With Love" didn't have a label, so quickly designed that and am stitching it tonight.  Little birdies have been telling me that lovely ladies have been ringing around trying to find out where to sign up for this gorgeous quilt, happy to report that it will be in a feature ad in September's Homespun, and hope to have more supplier details available by September.  The buttons are being cast tonight, so I'm itching to see what they will be like - it's all coming together, just need to finish writing all the instructions (more info on that to come).

Okay, best I go and do my teeth ... hope you have lots to smile about today, Janet xx

NOTHING ABOUT STITCHING, sorry.

I just wanted to quickly say hi ... I have a diary full of entries that I wanted to share with you all, but unfortunately our world at Wildcraft Farm has been put on hold (emotionally) these past 2 weeks.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) I am very much a "what you see is what you get" person, when I appear happy to see you and am happy to share with you your news - I truly am happy, likewise when things are not good, I don't fake it or lie - I am genuinely sad for you.  So it has been very hard to be "chatty and friendly" these past 2 weeks when we found out that someone very near and dear to our wee family is facing a devastating time.  I will protect their privacy, but we were hopeful that remission from breast cancer was wonderful and now it seems that things have been slowly shifting and now another battle has to be fought, this lady has had too many battles in her life and I know she will be up for it, just sometimes life sucks!

Which makes my own personal drama seem miniscule in comparison, but tomorrow I am having oral surgery - AND I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT!  If you are like me and a total woos(?) at the dentist I won't make your stomach turn by telling you all the gorry details, but just think of me tomorrow at 12.30pm (Melbourne time) for around 2 hours of surgery.  I'm only sharing because so many lovely bloggers have wondered where I've been - I can't even access my files to give you the winners of the Our Family prizes, hopefully I can do that this weekend and give you positive results that I've recovered!  The lovely Suzanne at Country Quilt Co. wants to know how a Chatterboxer can survive if she can't talk - I DON'T KNOW!  I do now that I'll probably be relying on my fingers to do the talking, so that should mean a good catch up in blogland ... some light at the end of the tunnel.  Lynnette Anderson says I should just lie back and think of lovely designs and projects to create and focus on those while all the *&*&^^*& is going on in my mouth .... mmmmmm I'll get back to you on that one Lynette, maybe if the lovely Vince was in charge! (Her husband is a dentist).

Okay I've wallowed enough!    "Our Family" is now officially on the market, orders started going out yesterday.  "Made With Love" is in the final stages of putting the package together for information to stores, and you too, so hopefully by next week I'll have more photos for you.  Oh and it looks like I'll be enjoying some time in Shepparton (country Victoria) in October with 2 other lovely designers, as we help the ladies at Anam Cara put on a magnificent day of stitching and friendship - more details to follow soon.

I'm off to eat my last bit of solid food for the next 2 weeks (I know I do go on a bit, sorry .... but I'm just freaking out A LOT!) ... my wonderful healthy diet has gone to pot, but happy to say I'm still 10 kilos lighter than I was a few months ago, possibly a liquid diet will assist somewhat .... hoping your Thursday is not filled with dentist's and drills, Janet xxx

APOLOGY

I need to apologise to all the ladies who entered the draw for the Our Family giveaway, I'll be doing that tomorrow (personally via email), but as a small way of saying sorry I've been away, I'm upping the prizes to 5 giveaways.  To those who have said "are you okay?", I think I've now got back to you all with the ups and downs here, but for a little while it has been my highest priority to be a Mummy first ... and now I can get back to the shared role of designer/blogger!

Here's a sneak peak of what I've been up to, I'll fill you in shortly on what's been happening, but first I need to go and send emails to all those lovely ladies who left comments.

So what do you think, I'm pretty chuffed!

Looks a hell of a lot different quilted!  I plan on showing a block each posting, it's soooooo big that Keri and I had a laugh (or 20) trying to snap it yesterday, she's promised to give me the photo she took of me doing my best Annie Leberwitz(?) impersonation, black bra and all!!!!!!  But only if I post on the blog.

Now comes the fun of writing everything, I've decided to run as a 10 month package, and there will be some bonus projects inside.  I know that some blog friends have already been enquiring directly to stores to see if they are running MADE WITH LOVE, I really appreciate your vote of confidence, it's a pretty big deal for me - so much so, that we've even designed buttons especially for it, hopefully some samples will be ready later this week so I can share.

Off to keep drawing, most nights I'm not in bed before 2.30am - this morning I was awoken by 100 kilometre winds and rain, no power for around an hour, lots of damage around our area, Jessica and I had to go and count all the cows and check all still had 4 legs and were in vertical position - the nursery next door to us had igloos (large plastic hooped houses) lift up and dumped down the paddock, smashed to pieces, pretty scarey stuff.

Missed you guys, talk to you soon, Janet xxx

BACK TONIGHT

Sorry, but Typepad and I haven't been "talking" for a few days - I've given up complaining about it, but I've been promised it just happens from time to time, nothing personal!!!!!!!!!!

I have a busy day ahead, BUT loads of things to chat about, plus winners of the Our Family giveaway, so I promise to check in tonight with lots of news.

Chat soon, Janet xxx