FNwF and Friday Frolics....

My first Friday Night with Friends and Friday Frolics ... was a bit like Schrodinger's Cat - neither successful nor unsuccessful!  For those of you who are wondering who Schrodinger and his cat were and why I am referencing them - Sheldon from The Big Bang explains it best (or click on the link above).

(TraderVic and I are huge fans of The Big Bang Theory and are quite addicted to the show - it is on repeats here in Oz every night, so we are able to feed our addiction regularly - lol!)

Anyway, I digress - onto the stitching.....

Now, the successful part was me completing a FFO from last year - Wee Santa 2016....

Design: Wee Santa 2016

Fabric: 28 ct Mocha linen

Floss: My own choice of specialty threads

Framing: By me in a Mill Hill frame

My dear friend, Wendy, from my LNS, taught me a neat trick for getting the design to sit nicely when you sew it over the cardboard - you have two lengths of thread and weave them like shoelaces.  It worked like a dream, the stitching is sitting really flat and looks perfect - thank you so much, Wendy. xxxx

Now for the unsuccessful part... in true Friday Frolicking fashion, I chose a WIP at random from my ever growing pile of WIPs, UFOs and BAPs ....

Morning Song by Just Nan, I last posted about it on this post.

So, here is where I was up to before yesterday....

... and after, looking rather more crumpled and not much progress at all!

Design:Morning Song

Fabric: 28 ct Cream or Antique White linen

Floss: Suggested DMC threads

Okay, do you want to hear my excuses?

1. Plait stitch is really tricky to do, especially in a light green - I found it really hard to get a rhythm - there was a lot of frogging happening.

2. It was really, really hot yesterday, so the house was shut up tight with the air conditioner on, the outdoor sun blinds down and the plantation shutters shut - so the lighting was poorer than usual which affected 1. above.

3. Frantic morning video chats with DS2 in Sydney. DS2 video chats me on my mobile:  

DS2: Dad, where's Dad? I need Dad!  (Note: no greeting)

Me:  Why do you need Dad, is everything all right?

DS2: No, our ceiling has fallen down and I don't know what to do! (Note: DS2 is 24 and lives in a sharehouse in Sydney and there were terrible storms in Sydney overnight)

Me (and TraderVic):  Oh, my goodness, was anyone hurt? - Ring the SES (State Emergency Service) and ring the agent.

DS2: No, no one was hurt, we were all in bed (it was 9am), I tried the agent, the office is still shut for the Christmas/New Year break. What is the number for the SES?

Me: Does the agent have a head office or a mobile number?

DS2: No.

Me: (On the computer in Melbourne, remember DS2 lives in Sydney) The SES number is xxxx and the real estate agent's mobile number is xxxx. Ring both of them now. You may be told by the SES that you can't stay.

DS2: We have a back up plan if we have to move out, I'll ring the SES now but I can't bother the agent on his mobile.

Me: Yes, you can, he needs to know, so he can let the landlord know!!!!!

DS2: Okay. Talk again soon.

Me: (later that morning). How is it going?

DS2: Ses came

And said it will be fine

So land lord is getting people to come fix it

Me:You got onto the agent, then? Do you have to move out?

No we can stay

Yep glen is sorting it out

Me: Great, aren't you glad that I found his mobile number for you - just saying! lol! 

DS2: Thx mummy (Remember he has just turned 24!)

(Later that morning I get another call)

DS2: it is still raining and now the living room is flooding.

Me: Have you shifted the furniture? (couch, dining table and chairs, TV, etc.)

DS2:Nah! It is only a millimetre or two.

Me: What if it keeps raining and you don't have contents insurance?

DS2: Nah, she'll be right (very typical Aussie attitude), it's only a little bit of water and rain.

Me: I give up!

I am not sure what else has happened as DS2's mobile phone has now broken down - so I have to Message him via his best friend's phone who is staying with him for a few days before heading back to Melbourne and DS2 starts a new job on Monday. It never ends with your children, does it? lol!

4. Daytime naps needed to be had due to 2. and 3. above and the fact that it has been really hot overnight so little sleep has been had.

5. TraderVic, DS1 and DDIL and I all played a lively game of Monopoly_Melbourne Edition in the evening, which severely cut into my stitching time.

So, there you go, all sound like reasonable excuses to me! lol!

Just to finish off, the cats are feeling the effects of the hot weather, too. Milo and Nobu are engaged in a Mexican Standoff ....

... and Furio has just given up!

Poor furbabies, mind you, they could sleep in the cool, air conditioned rooms but no!

So, that was my first Friday Frolic for the year. Rather an eventful one, now that I think about it!

If you want to see what everyone else got up to for these Stitching events, click on either or both of the links below:

Friday Night with Friends

Kitten Stitching and the Friday Frolics

hugs, 

P.S. Please don't forget to check out my first little giveaway for 2017.

Christmas is Coming, 2016 .... Part Two

My dear friend, Linda, has lent me this book to read for Christmas:

How Mrs Claus saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn

Doesn't the book cover look so pretty with my red and yellow roses?  Together, they make a lovely Christmas display.

On a further Christmassy note, I had a lovely seafood lunch on Sunday by the Yarra River at Waterfront Restaurant with my "Tennis" Group or Mother's Group.  We have been meeting for over twenty-six years now.  We don't really play tennis, we just used to meet as a playgroup in the club rooms of a tennis club - hence the name - but we do get teased a lot about our lack of tennis prowess and playing!

.... and to continue the Christmassy theme, I finished-finished my Baby's First Christmas Ornament - as you know, I am always very anxious about my finishing ability but I must admit, I am pretty pleased with how this one has turned out.

What do you think? Will it past muster?

On another note, we have had the 'cat wars' here as DS1 came home on Friday night (yay!  So lovely to have him home) with their cat, Nobu (DDIL is due to arrive this Saturday).

Best to say that Furio and Milo are feeling a little put out and Furio and Nobu are duking it out for who is Alpha Cat! lol!

Now, guess who is trying to get close to me whilst I am doing some authoring for a publisher??    Furio, of course!

Close!

Closer!

Ooops! Mum has got cross with me and pushed me away.  Okay, I will go stick my head in under the monitor - that should be comfortable! lol!

Okay, that is it for me for now, 

hugs, 

P.S. Sorry, no pic of Milo this post, he is very skittish with the new cat in the house - next time, I hope!

Very late TUSAL and some stitching progress

Oh dear, this is a rather late TUSAL post.  Here is my little jar.  I love the way that you can see by the layers what I have been working on.  Last month it was the soft colours of Cinderella, this month it is largely the red of Noah's Ark

I have made great progress on Noah's Ark.  I just need the baby to be born so that I can complete the details which are to be stitched underneath the animals. (Don't worry, that is not a pink stain on the fabric it is just the design on my doona showing through)

I also had another start this week:  January Wordplay by With thy needle and thread.  I am stitching it on the recommended 35ct Abecedarian Linen - I thought that I might have trouble with the smaller stitch count but it is going well so far. I have seen so many people stitching the Wordplays that I just had to join in, too.

And as usual I will finish with a picture of Furio - this is him guarding the house from the builders on the roof where they are working on the house next door (you can see them putting the blue tarp on where they have been working).  I swear - Furio was growling at them! I think he thinks he is a dog not a sweet little kittycat! lol!

Off to stitch now,

hugs,

Kitten and kids photos plus an awesome giveaway

Hello lovely bloggers,

I just had to share some photos of my DYS and DD and Milo and Furio - they were having a good old cuddle this afternoon.  (Sorry, a couple of them are a little fuzzy)

 In these next three, Furio and Milo had been fighting - you can see Furio's tale whisking around madly in the photo below:

The Victor!

Furio won, as you can see, as Milo has gone skulking off.

But DD made him feel better with a cuddle.

Off to do some more blog stalking and maybe some stitching.

Don't forget  that if you would like to get an extra entry in my giveaway, please say so when and if you comment on this post.

Also, Patty at Hanging on by a thread is having an absolute awesome giveaway of a My Memories suite software program and an ornie.  Check it out on her lovely blog here

Hugs, Kaye xoxox

Spring has come and a late TUSAL update

Hello lovely bloggers,

Spring has sprung in Eaglemont, I was able to pick some gorgeous roses from my garden, today.

Today is that last day of my lovely four day weekend - where I have done as little as possible - just rested and pottered around.  It is a public holiday today - Melbourne Cup Day.

The Melbourne Cup has been raced since 1860 and here in Melbourne, we get a public holiday, whilst at 3pm when the race is run most people stop to watch it on TV. It is known as 'the race which stops a nation'

I finally remembered my TUSAL jar, so here it is:

(the little boy on the merry-go-round horse in my photo is my DES at about age 2 - he is now 23!)

 And, of course, I have had to include a kitten photo, here is Furio trying to put up his tent!

 I also found some of my baking mojo - yesterday I made an apple-raspberry pie - it was pronounced very yummy by the family!

Lastly, I would like to remind you that if you would like to get an extra entry in my giveaway, please say so when and if you comment on this post.

Have a great week, everyone,

Hugs, Kaye xoxox

Lots to report and a Happy Dance (Take 2)

Hello lovely bloggers,

Well, I have lots to report this post.

My Happy Dance (Take 2) is because I picked up Baboushka from the framers the other day.  Here she is, I am really pleased with her (please ignore the shadow on the right hand side.  I have decided to give her to my Dear Sister for Christmas.  The green matt is sueded - it looks really great in the flesh, so to speak.

I also have a couple of progress pics:

Some progress on Isabella's Garden

September TUSAL - the purple on the top is from Isabella's garden

 A new start:  Mirabilia's Christmas Courier by Nora Corbett,  now I did not buy the pattern all chewed up like this - that was my naughty cats - Milo and Furio.  I cam home from work one day and found the outer envelope and one page of the chart (luckily it was a photocopy) all shredded up!

And here are the two of them - looking like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths!

First progress on Christmas Couriers - the greens look really vibrant in real life.

 Lastly, I wanted to show off my new doona cover set - pretty isn't it?

Well, that's all for me now - off to do some stitching.

Bye for now,

Love, Kaye xoxox

P.S. I also meant to tell you about the storm that we had in Melbourne yesterday - a month's rain in one day!  The most rain in September since 1955.  All of the planes were grounded because of the thunder, lightning, rain and hail.  It is now really cold - only 9 degrees celsius - Brrrrr!!!!

K