AJ's Antics

My boy is now 4 months old! And he is still as wonderful as ever!! He is now longer than the giraffe!! Sleeping/Feeding/Routine: After a week of screaming and yelling at around bed time every night, I decided that Aden wasn't getting enough sleep during the day and was therefor over-tired and getting himself worked-up to frustration. I did some reading and taking with other Mum's and embarked upon a more structured routine to get Aden to sleep more during the day. It worked! Aden went from having 3 1/2 hour cat-naps during the day to 2 longer structured sleeps, with a 3rd afternoon nap if he needs it. We are still flexible of course as nothing even really goes to a strict routine with babies, but so far so good. Aden's day now goes something like this: 3am - Feed, back to sleep with no crying 6am - wake (has been as early at 5:10am...poor Mummy!!) play on mat and with Daddy while he gets ready for work 6:45am - wave bye to Daddy, nappy change and feed 7:15am - Outside wit...

I'm so excited...after a disastrous first attempt today and some unpicking...not a lot as I knew is was bad so I stopped...a new needle, some different cotton thread and a little bit of confidence.. (oh and a stippling foot attached properly...opps!!)...I am finally doing it!! What is it you non-quilters may ask... FREE MOTION QUILTING !! And I'm doing it! and it doesn't look half bad! Trust me to take a picture of the and only (fingers crossed) loop...*sigh*...oh well...I'm going to finish this whole quilt! And despite my fingers and wrists starting to ache and my teeth hurting from clenching them while I concentrate I'm determined to do a bit more tonight....I now know why Emma stays up so late...it is addictive!

Too big for my little super model!! Edited to Add: Yes Lily it is the 'Lazy Days' Hat

Helen gave us a Wadding tutorial that didn't quite work out the way she wanted and so I told her how I join pieces of wadding left over from other quilts. So here it is for everyone. Generally they are long thinner pieces that get cut off the side of the extra wide wadding I buy. But nothing goes to waste and I fold it up neatly (most of the time)and pop it in a 'green' shopping bag and store it on the shelf. I lay out the quilt on the floor and drap pieces of wadding over the quilt top til I can't see it any more. Like a jigsaw puzzle. I then work out which piece needs to be sewn to where and in what order. This particular quilt will need 3 pieces of wadding to cover it. I trim and even the edges of the wadding by using the rotary cutter and quilting ruler. Then I lay them over the iorning board so that the pieces butt up against each other but don't overlap at all. I find the ironing board a good hight for this and the wadding grips slightly to the ironing board c...

I'm so proud of my little boy! He was not getting enough sleep during the day and being way over tired by 6pm that we would have a yelling/crying match for over 1/2 hour each evening! After a week of very loud crying I had had enough and decided to embark on 'operation day sleep'! I did some reading, found a routine of 'feed play sleep play' that I thought would work for us and adapted it slightly to fit into Aden's daily pattern...with added sleep of course! Today is day 3 and .....we have day time sleeps!! Day 1 35 minutes in the morning, an hour being held and rocked as I was at Mother's group and no where to but him down at lunch time, and a nap in the pram while we walked the dog. Day 2 40 minute sleep in the morning, 2 x 45 minutes back-to-back with a 10 minute re-settle at lunch and a nap in the rocker for 30 minutes in the afternoon...too hot to walk Day 3 35 minutes in the morning, 1 hour 20 minutes (GO Aden!!) and a 10 minute sleepy cuddle as I ...

How cute!!

I have been sewing...just not quilty! Now that this Nappy Bag for Christina and a matching one for Emma are finished I can get back to quilting. Alexander Henry 2D Zoo Fabric in Home Decore weight for the outside. Full Moon Forest by Tula Pink - Green Squirrels on the inside

Table Runners make great Christmas presents...only if you get them finished!! A few of us have gotten together to motivate each other to finish them in time for Christmas. Here are a few tutorials I've found on the web to get you inspired...don't forget to blog what you make!! Crazy Quilted Table Runner Idaho Quilter Table Runner Mod Log Table Runner Mystery Quilt Christmas Table runner ....you can see what it looks like if you go the the last page Quilted Fireworks Table runner Simple Table runner Table runner Crop Circle Table Runner Table runner....with scalloped edges Christmas Pinwheel Runner Not a tutorial but some inspiration! Santa Cats Helen is winning... Number 1 and Number 2

Dad rang us up to say that he was staying at Arlie Beach for a week or so and did we want to come down for a visit...so of course we said yes! It now takes a bit of organising to get ready and for just a short 2 night stay you sure need a lot of stuff with a baby in tow!! Aden was a little champ in the car on the way down, I feed him before we left and he lasted the 3 1/2 hour drive without needing to stop...he was mighty hunrg when we got there though. Dad had booked us into a self contained room and they brought us in a port-a-cot for Aden. Poor Dad though, Aden cried everytime he picked him up! I know with us moving closer Aden will get to to having his Pa around and not cry so much! View from Dad's room that afternoon, while we had a few beers and some takeaway. View from our room (the floor beneath Dad's) the next morning. Aden was a little unsettled with the change in routine, so I cuddled him to sleep and then put him into the cot. He still needed a feed over night but l...

I received this lovely parcel in the mail last week but wasn't allowed to open it til today! And what a lovely quilt it is!! Car has done an outstanding job and made me the most perfect quilt! It is so me! Blue and white, diamonds, pinwheels and hand quilting...all of the things I love! I'm very impressed with the quality and workmanship...although I'm not surprised really all of the things she makes are great! Well Done Car. I love it!! She also included some of her favourite Christmas chocolates and a magazine! Thanks Car!! And Emma got the one I made! I made it using a block called 'Four in the Night' but I re-arranged the layout and edited the name to suit Emma's quilting habbit,'Four in the Morning' I added a picture of her home town at sunrise on the label...as I'm sure she has seen a few while quilting!