Celebrating in the Chook Shed Part 1

I can't believe it has been almost a week since I headed of with my Irish Nav Man Gerard(I wish... Butler) to find The Chook Shed. Gerard only got me so far and then it was onto Chooky's mud map. This is the dirt road that I headed down on my solo adventure to The Chook Shed.

Once we all arrived it was into the kitchen to finish off preparing dinner. check out this great bunch of gorgeous ladies that I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with.         Main course was Chooky's Salsa Chicken, the recipe can be found on her blog.

It was delicious served with sour cream, corn chips and wraps.

             Dessert was Bread and Butter pudding with freshly stewed rhubarb and icecream.

Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum.......

                     It was so lovely to meet Belinda and Maree and also catch up with Jenny and Jules again.                     All washed down with a glass of bubbly or two.

Cheers Girls....I wish we were doing it all over again tonight.              Then it was off to bed as we had a big day coming up.

This is where I slept in a gorgeous antique bed under Chooky's Nine Patch Quilt.

Sweet Dreams

Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3

Until next time, Happy Stitching

Kate

Off to THE CHOOK SHED!

Car is all packed with clothes, nibbles, bubbly,

gift, projects and sewing machine...

As soon as the clock ticks over to 4pm I will be in the car and off

to Chooky's house for 2 sleepovers and a 2 year celebration....

Can't wait to hang out with this special friend all weekend.....

Grin Grin Grin..... Can you tell I am excited! 

Have a great weekend blog buddies and see you all at the Party!!!!

Until next time, Happy Stitching

Kate

I had a Dream.......

I have always dreamt of owning a room that could be my very own sewing/creative space that I could spread out all of my projects and have the space to work in peace without having to pack up at the end of each session. A backyard studio was also something I have dreamt of but never in my wildest dreams thought it would become a reality. The last few years have taught me quite a few life's lessons and one is that I should live for the moment because you never know when that moment may change. I have also known all my life that if you work hard then you can have things that you want. I got a quote to close the end of my sunroom in but it was far more $$$$ than I expected or had to spare. I then found my little studio and after some wheeling and dealing with the shop owner for a deal that I could afford I decided to take the plunge. My dream is slowly becoming a reality, after lots of dismantling and moving to my house and then some construction this is where I am up to. Still in need of some guttering and down pipes for this stage  of the project and then for some electrical wiring and interior lining. The sunroom space would have been a lot smaller so I am happy that I have gone with this option, it is 5.3 metres by 2.8 metres and has a cute little verandah to sit and stitch on when the weather is nice. It was so much more economical than joining it to the house as it is free standing so does not require council approval etc... I can't tell you just how excited I am and hope that this will be the thing that gets my Mojo back for good!!!!
Jacky Mister thinks I should use his bedroom as my sewing studio and let him have it for his bedroom....
I told him that he is Dreaming!!!!!

 

Thanks for Stopping by and taking the time to read my post. I am hoping to start blogging more but my new laptop hates me when it comes to loading photos. Who'd of thought that I would miss my old dinosaur computer......

 

Until Next time, happy Stitching

 

Kate

Polished Floor Boards

My first little "Home Sweet Home" project I am going to share is the transformation of my floorboards. My house took 6 months to settle because the owners sub divided the block and reduced it from 2000 spare metres to 1000. Thank the Lord! 1000 square metres of yard is more than enough to keep me busy for the next 20 years. My house sits on the front half of the block and my backyard is spacious to say the least. I wish I could pick it up like a lego house and move it to the back of the block and put a circle driveway in the front. Sigh.....So many ideas in this head of mine, it scares me sometimes....ha ha!

The people I purchased the house from were kind enough to let me get in and start doing floors, painting etc before we settled so in December 2012 the floor boards were transformed. The house was fully carpeted with an old cream carpet and the kitchen had lino.

 

So first job was to pull all the carpet up ( I have it saved in the shed for a future project....but that will be another post) The carpet and lino was even stapled/stuck to all the kickboards on the kitchen cupboards. Was a big day for me but rewarding as I could see some progress finally.

Next step was to remove the part of the kitchen cupboard that divided the kitchen and dining areas as I wanted that room to be open plan. That cupboard had a firm grip on the wall and floor but I was determined for it to come out before I went home that evening....The kitchen will get a complete transformation in the future but at this stage it is a very ugly retro style and not at all me but thankfully as I grow older I am slowly developing patience.....I know that those who know me well will doubt that but truly I am. The pictures below show you the state of the boards before they were sanded. Some areas had Black Japan painted on them and others had paint splatters etc. A friend of mine was quite concerned that they wouldn't look any good but I told her to have faith. I am lucky that for an older style house it feels quite light and airy and was amazed at how much darker it was in the house with the dark boards. Tiredness was overcoming me at this point and I was starting to have a few doubts, but I had the bigger picture in my head of how it would look and tried to stay positive as I knew my funds would not allow me to change it again in a hurry.

These following few pictures show the boards after they had the first run of the sander over them, you can still see the darker colour along the edges as he hadn't started those yet. Lucky for the man that was doing them, I had to work or I may have been his apprentice for the week.....Very lucky for him....Ha ha!

And this is how they now look....Yay!

he did an amazing job and it so suits the house, a lot of people were concerned that they would be cold but the gas heater that you can see in the fireplace in the lounge room(as ugly as it is, must of been put in with the kitchen...lol....It will also get a transformation....One day!) is very warm and heats the whole house and being double brick it holds it's warmth.

So what do you think? Improvement?

Thanks for sharing my journey of making a house my "Home"....

Until next time, do what makes you happy....

Hugs.....Kate x
PS Not sure why there is a big gap between here and the comments below but I can't get rid if it....sorry :)

Time for a Come Back

It's only 9 Sleeps until my friend Alison and I head off to Nundle for the 2014 Girls Day in the Country with Guest Tutor Lynette Anderson.

I am really looking forward to catching up with all the old crew and meeting a few new ones as well.

I just hope I remember which end of the needle to thread on the day.

Sewing and Blogging has most definitely been on the back burner for me over that last 12 months or so.

Reading Blogs has even been a luxury.

Not everyone knows that my 21 year marriage ended in June 2012 and prior to that my blog was my escape from reality.

Kind of a saving grace really, I moved to a rental townhouse in July 2012 where I lived for 8 months.

Last year on the 1st of March I moved into my very own new little home.

 It is a 1920 double brick bungalow on Peisley Street ORANGE NSW.

I have decided to blog about my projects at home as I am not sewing much at the moment and I hope you all enjoy sharing my journey.

It has great bones but just needed/needs a bit of love to make it a home.

That's one thing I have lots of so that has been my project for the last 12 months and probably the next 20 years for that matter. I never really grew out of having a cubby house so this is perfect therapy for me.

 My family and my home have always been my whole world and when it all gets taken away from you it is definitely a long road to recovery.

 My daughter Molly is 19 and has just moved to Newcastle for Uni  and definitely does not need me as much as she used to.

My son Jack is 17 and in Year 12 and lives between his Fathers and my house and is also needing his Mum less and less these days.

I really hate being a part time mum but I just have to deal with it as best I can.

I now work full time at my job at the School Fees Office and in July last year "Pickled on Peisley" was born.

My little home based market stall business that any profits I make go to my renovation fund for my little home.

In the 8 months since starting I have cooked over 1200 jars/bottle and made around 30 "Cookies in a Jar Mixes" Not a great hourly rate when all broken down and expenses taken out of but I can do it from home and it does give me pleasure sending out little jars of homemade goodness with a little bit of love thrown in.

Most nights at my stitching group I am cutting circles to go on top of my jars so I am still working with fabric and am fussy as to make sure the tops co-ordinate with the contents. Not at all obsessive compulsive....ha ha!

My little Bernina did make an appearance on the kitchen table last year when I sewed 4 lots of Power Puff Girls costumes for Jack and his friends for a school disco where they won first place....The boys tell me they were really the Power BUFF Girls...Ha ha....Jack is the one in the blue dress. 

I hope this will be the start of many more blog posts for me in 2014.

I really miss getting all those lovely comments from you all.

Until next time, happy stitching or whatever it is that makes you Happy

Kate

Trying to get motivated

Hi there Blog land, I just wanted to let you all know that I am still here and in search of my Mojo.

I just haven't been able to get it together in the sewing/Blogging department lately. I have had some lovely emails/messages from people wondering where I have been and if I am OK. I am OK and really appreciate that you are all looking out for me.......

I have pulled these flannel fabrics out of the bag and started to motivate myself for hopefully a quick finish to get me back on a roll. We will see how I go. I think this will be a nice Autumn snuggle quilt once it is finished. Simple strip piecing because the fabric will be the hero in this one.......

Speaking of Autumn, where did it go?

I am heading outside after I post this to rake up a tonne of gorgeous Autumn leaves.

Take care all of my gorgeous Blog friends.....

Until next time, Happy Stitching

 

Kate