Showing posts with label packing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label packing. Show all posts

Wednesday, 12 December 2012

A Moving WIP

We are moving house in three days! So there is a whole lot of purging, packing and moving going on...and no sewing at all.

Sneak Peak

However I can reveal a tiny snippet of a secret project I have in progress for one of the Wombat Stew girls. You can't tell much from the photo but I did use a scrap of Echino tea cup fabric (courtesy of Kelly of Kelby Sews). 


This Week's  Sewing  Stats

Completed projects  -  0

Currently in progress -  Wombat Stew Santa gift
                                               
Yet to start  - Sherbert Dreams Quilt
                            QCA Bee#1 Dec paper pieced block
                         
On Hold projects   - Craftsy BOMs from June, August, September, October and November
                                     - 4 Liberty Pillowcases 
                                     


DIY

All my painting ambitions had a reality check this past weekend when it took me 4 hours to undercoat just one of five sections of shelving on my new pantry. 

The new carpet is nearly all laid thanks to a company who could turn around the job within a week. I am sooooo grateful to them. 


This Week's DIY  Stats

Completed projects  - 1/5 pantry shelves primed

Currently in progress - pantry shelves primed

Yet to start  - kitchen rack


Moving House

I am more than over packing. I guess if I had a packing pedometer I may have moved upwards of 10 000 items in the past week (some of them three times when I have been indecisive!). I wonder if I will ever truly see the end of it!

Right now we have most rooms in total disarray. I have been tackling a kid's bedroom a day, since Monday, but they are not completed. Tomorrow I have to tackle our main bedroom and closet as well as the paperwork/files. Yuck!

The good news is that the kitchen is nearly all done apart from the pantry, fridge and medicine cupboard.


This Week's Moving  Stats

Completed projects  -  everyday crockery
                                          - display items
                                           - kid's books
                                           - kid's personal files for awards, school, 
                                           - kid's toys
                                          - kitchen appliances

Currently in progress - sewing room
                                             - stored sheets and towels
                                              -  plastic ware
                                             - pantry
                                            -  good crockery
                                            - wall photographs and art
                                            - shoes
                                           - swing set


Yet to start  - Kid's clothes
                         - medicine cupboard
                         - bathroom cupboards
                        - laundry
                        - files/paperwork
                         - everything else!
                         
On Hold projects   -  trampoline) my Father-in-law took it down yesterday and discovered that it was in bad enough condition to throw out - so we may have to invest in a new one for Christmas!)


Helpers

I have had some help, with looking after the boys this week, so that I can pack during the day undisturbed, Dean's parents are up from Sydney and parked their caravan on our new property. It has not been smooth sailing though. They mostly look after the boys from 9am-1pm. 

I've had two of my girlfriends come by to help pack. It helps to re-motivate me as packing is a solitary job mostly. My husband works nearly 11 hour days door-to-door but he has been ferrying things before work and some after work.

I have no incentive to cook after a day of packing so last night my lovely friend Goldie and her husband Matt brought dinner around for our whole family last night. Home prepared chicken fajitas. It was delicious food and great company and they helped us take two loads around afterwards. So very grateful for good friends.

Hoping to link up with...
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced


Friday, 7 December 2012

Packing the Quilts

My mum is a prolific quilter and our family (especially my three children) have been the beneficiaries of some 20+ quilts of various sizes. 


They have been folded up and stored on the bottom two rows of an Expedit 4x4 unit. But I am aware that this is not ideal for stopping dust, mice and fading. 

SO, bravely with three kids in tow today, I bought some vacuum storage bags and under bed storage pouches to better protect these when not in use. It took a while to refold each quilt to fit the bags and then pop them into the zip pouches.

I also took two loads of fabric and one  load of linen over to the new house. Our new linen cupboard is nearly twice the size of the rental one!


So my linen cupboard is nearly empty.



There are a few seasonal items (doonas, flannelette sheets, blankets) still under our master bed that hopefully might fit into the new linen cupboard. It would be nice to have nothing under the bed except monsters!









Wednesday, 5 December 2012

A Better Name for a Quilt

Lots of things going on this week in my life! We are moving house on Friday 14th December and so the countdown to pack and prepare is on. Not much sewing will happen from now on. But here's my WIP update.

Mystery Quilt

Yes - it is a very sad name for it. If you can suggest a better one, I would so appreciate it. I made it one weekend on a Quilt Course in Coffs Harbour earlier this year. Kristy had hers all done months ago but mine has languished because I am not really in love with the front.


But on the weekend I pulled out the leftover scraps and cutting mistakes and finally came up with a nice back to compliment the front. I even used some of the trimmed off grey fabric strips from last week's Katie Jump Kites back. Alas I like the back more than the front.




This Week's  Sewing  Stats

Completed projects  -  Mystery Quilt back

Currently in progress -  Wombat Stew Santa gift
                                               
Yet to start  - Sherbert Dreams Quilt
                            QCA Bee#1 Dec paper pieced block
                         
On Hold projects   - Craftsy BOMs from June, August, September, October and November
                                     - 4 Liberty Pillowcases 
                                     

Moving House


Then there is the packing WIP. It is a huge job not helped by the fact that our weather has been very stifling with heat and humidity the past week. No one wants to pack when it's 35+ degrees celcius.

This Week's Moving  Stats

Completed projects  - dvs and cds from lounge room
                                           - board games

Currently in progress - kid's personal files for awards, school, Support programs
                                               kid's books
Yet to start  - good crockery
                         - plastic ware
                         - everything else!
                         
On Hold projects   - kitchen appliances (friends may come and help with this)


DIY Begins
We exchanged contracts on the house two days ago and since gaining access I have been preparing some of the exposed timber for painting.

We need to lighten up the interior of the house somehow. There is a LOT of exposed stained timber and all the walls are brick. So I have chosen an internal colour scheme not unlike the one I chose for our new build in Sydney. 

I am starting in the pantry with the pine shelving. I bought my first power tool - a hand held sander. Unfortunately is is missing the adapter for the filter and so makes plenty of dust. The prep work is time consuming and so is painting the primer on all the timber pieces. I think I will be lucky to finish the smaller shelf this week.


This Week's DIY  Stats

Completed projects  - pantry shelves all sanded

Currently in progress - pantry shelves primed

Yet to start  - kitchen rack



So how are you going this week? There are lots of give-aways on blogs this week but I have no time to enter them. 

My boys finished up the school year today - yikes! So I have them at home whilst I pack the rest of this week and before their grandparents come up from Sydney to do some caravaning with them for the next week. School does not return until late January 2013. 

I am linking up with WIP Wednesday!

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Saturday, 1 December 2012

November Round Up

It's been a big month for purging and organising but a little month for sewing and quilting. I don't really mind though. Sewing has been a respite from everything else going on.

Home Organising 101

Bathrooms
Mudroom
Master Bedroom
Family room
Dining room
Lounge room

Purging

Pantry
Master closet
Baby clothes
Kid's clothes
Toys - Fisher Price Little People, Thomas trains, Bob the Builder
Children's books
Games, puzzles, stationery

In 14 days we move to our first permanent home in 10 years of marriage.  This is what it looks like. It's on 5 wonderful acres and has 3 chickens in a chicken house.

So December will be a big month for packing, moving and unpacking again. Yuck! After 6 rental properties and move nearly every 18 months, I hope to not move for a good many years!


'To Do' First December 

I have not added anything ambitious to my sewing list for December.

Quilts to Make

Mystery Quilt - to make a back, baste and quilt
Sherbert Dreams - to start

Blocks to Make

QCA December Bee block - paper pieced feather for Kate

Sewing Items

Wombat Stew Secret Santa gift

Home Organising 101

Master Closet
Sewing Room
Kid's closets

Packing

books
dvds
cds
linen
office
garage
LEGO
toys
clothes
Kitchen appliances, plasticware
Games, puzzles

oh and the whole house by the 14th December!

Linking up with Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts



Lily's Quilts

Wednesday, 28 November 2012

Packing and Binding

I have been finishing up the SLQ of my Katie Jump Kites quilt this week. I got around to trimming it up.
Then making the binding and machine sewing it to the quilt on both sides.
I have to thank Kristy of Quiet Play for suggesting a new way to finish off the end of the binding using a French Binding technique by Molly Flanders. So so so so much easier!


This Week's Stats

Completed projects  -  Katie Jump Kites 

Currently in progress - Mystery Quilt back 
                                               
Yet to start  - 4 Liberty Pillowcases 
                         
On Hold projects   - Craftsy BOMs from June, August, September, October and November
                                     - Sherbert Dreams Quilt
                                     
I have also started packing for our MOVING DAY on the 14th December.
Well actually my girlfriend Courtney came by to pack up all my books and she has kicked me into the next phase even though I am still purging in the Master Closet. Thanks Court!

This Week's Moving  Stats

Completed projects  - books from lounge room

Currently in progress - dvs and cds
                                               
Yet to start  - kid's books
                         - everything else!
                         
On Hold projects   - 



Linking up with WiP
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced


Thursday, 1 November 2012

'To Do First' November

This month I hope to get 2 quilts finished and a new one started. I am also hoping to borrow my mum's Janome embroidery machine because it has a longer arm which makes quilting so much easier.

Quilts to do


'Mystery Quilt' - make back, baste and quilt
'Katie Jump Kites' - baste and quilt
 'Sherbert Dreams' quilt - start

Blog Hop
I am on in early December.

Blocks to do


Sew Seasonal 'Ornamental' blocks
QCA November block
Wombat Stew November block

Sewing to do

Embroidery tree ornaments
Needle case

Home Organising 101 - with A Bowl Full of Lemons

Master Bedroom
Master Closet
2 Children's bedrooms
2 Children's closets
Garage continued
Office
Family room
Dining room
Lounge room


Purging

Garage
closets

Packing - We are moving in mid-December to our first non-rental home.

Books
dvds
cds
office
Garage
linen
clothing
LEGO
toys
games and puzzles
kitchen appliances, plasticware, recipe books


OK now I feel overwhelmed.