October FNSI sign ups

Seems all I ever post about this year are FNSI details!  That WILL be changing.  Now things are getting back on track, I'm spending more time organising my sewing 'cave' aka 'the She Shed' - aptly named by Mr B!, and I plan on working through my ufo's and getting back to designing again.   Long term projects but I need to focus and the time is right.

Welcome to my new 'She Shed'

It's a panoramic view but I'll take you through it...

 It's nowhere near complete but I'm taking it steady..bit by bit.  I started with a pile in the corner before I'd started to set up the room.  I purchased a Horn sewing cabinet from a friend which I've set up in the corner with the ironing station behind me.  My cutting table/lightbox area against the window with storage below and the wardrobe, I've managed to take two of the doors off the hinges and I will be putting more shelves in there to store my fabric stash.

Mr B bought me a mobile trim storage centre from Spotlight for my birthday so I put it together, playing handyman person.  I quite enjoyed it!

I even had offsiders willing to supervise for minimal wages....

It's coming together and Nick approves, even though he said he guesses this means he's not coming home to live anymore!

I've even had a play in the garden, something I haven't really had time for in such a while....

seeing as it's springtime here in the southern hemisphere, I've taken to repotting some straggly looking plants that my two little 'beasts' like to chew, hoping they recover, as well as fertilising, re-soiling and mulching my other ones.  

And finally, I've been working on a new goal this month.....raising funds for research to develop better treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer in the Great Cycle Challenge.   I set myself a goal of raising $500 and cycling 100km on my exercise bike during the month of October....so far I've raised $787and ridden 79km so I'm pretty impressed.  There is a bit of pain in my knees and ankles but I figure that's nothing compared to what these poor kids go through.  

That's caught me up for a bit, now let's get onto the sign ups for this month.   October FNSI...I wonder if any of you will be 'Halloween stitching' for Friday night or are we all in the Christmas mode already?  Me?  I'm not sure yet...so much to do so I'll have to see where I'm up to in the She Shed!

In the meantime, lock Friday night into your diaries as a self indulgent FNSI and sign up down below.  I'm looking forward to it, are you?   

xox Sugary hugs :o) 

Christmas in August?

Tonight we are going to a Christmas in August fundraiser……I know, I know…..the tradition is either Christmas in December or Christmas in July, but the local Rotary group were so busy with community fundraising last month, they had to postpone till now…..and guess who they called up for Santa duty? Mr Sugarlane got the duties….here he is practicing his ‘ho ho ho-ing’ this morning! Should be loads of fun…..Christmas dinner with all the spoils, and ‘Santa’ giving out presents.  I’m really looking forward to getting some more ‘incriminating’ photos tonight! LOL  And whilst we’re on the topic of Christmas, I’ve mentioned I’ve been busy designing six new stitcheries…..Christmas ones…..I’ll be sharing them with you very soon…..but here’s a quick look…. I was working on them last night.  I’ll be making mine into a table runner but they can be stitched individually into bag panels, gift items etc…….but more about that later. Lots more has been happening here at Sugarlane…… some hexi making and now it’s beginning to warm up a bit and spring is certainly here in the north, I’ve been gardening and our crops are ready to be picked sooooo…. this beautiful bounty of rosellas, aka wild hibiscus flowers, (not the bird kind!) was harvested ready for jam-making tomorrow….it’s my favourite kind of jam! Not many left now! ….well, not at dad’s place anyway……I’m off to pick more from my garden because my plants are full to the brim too! Sugary hugs xox  :o)

Christmas in August?

Tonight we are going to a Christmas in August fundraiser……I know, I know…..the tradition is either Christmas in December or Christmas in July, but the local Rotary group were so busy with community fundraising last month, they had to postpone till now…..and guess who they called up for Santa duty?

Mr Sugarlane got the duties….here he is practicing his ‘ho ho ho-ing’ this morning! Should be loads of fun…..Christmas dinner with all the spoils, and ‘Santa’ giving out presents.  I’m really looking forward to getting some more ‘incriminating’ photos tonight! LOL 

And whilst we’re on the topic of Christmas, I’ve mentioned I’ve been busy designing six new stitcheries…..Christmas ones…..I’ll be sharing them with you very soon…..but here’s a quick look….

I was working on them last night.  I’ll be making mine into a table runner but they can be stitched individually into bag panels, gift items etc…….but more about that later.

Lots more has been happening here at Sugarlane……

some hexi making

and now it’s beginning to warm up a bit and spring is certainly here in the north, I’ve been gardening and our crops are ready to be picked sooooo….

this beautiful bounty of rosellas, aka wild hibiscus flowers, (not the bird kind!) was harvested ready for jam-making tomorrow….it’s my favourite kind of jam!

Not many left now!

….well, not at dad’s place anyway……I’m off to pick more from my garden because my plants are full to the brim too!

Sugary hugs xox  :o)

How does your garden grow?

Stitching together some garden goodness for a quick row by row swap this weekend…. made me think of checking on the progress of the ‘real’ garden.  Seeing as it’s spring here in the southern hemisphere, there’s lots blooming at this time of year…. the roses….. the tropical frangipani, and hibiscus…. the crotons, the red torch ginger, my pineapple (which I struck from sticking the pineapple top in the ground after we’d eaten the fruit!!!!), even the bees were working hard in my bromeliad! The pink flowering rosemary, the gerberas, a climbing vanilla pod orchid, and even the spider has his place (or her place!).   I like to call her Charlotte……or maybe Charlie if it’s a male???….I wonder if Charlie, my cat, will be offended???…doesn’t look like it! So far, the garden’s doing ok.    No silver bells or cockle shells though….but lots of pretty flowers all in a row don’t you think?!!! Sugary hugs