Chookshed stitchers & renos nearly done........

limited sewing time.............but I have been working on this sashiko........

As for zoom.......Yes I mostly start pretty early but I will not apologise for the time I start...........it is the best time to catch everyone if they want to join in............no it will never suit everyone..........but it works for me and yes I have to put effort in also to get on at that time............Have I ever got on and no one joined me...........NEVER............

This pic above was taken at about 6.30am.............below at about 8.30am my time.........the dynamics of the group are constantly changing..........people popping in and out...........

The sun was streaming in and it ended up being a gorgeous morning.........

(my screen is filthy here I see sorry)

newbies are always welcome............just need to be a blogger...........leave me a comment.........and if your not comfortable with zoom most of the girls weren't to start but its second nature now.........but wonderful seeing everyone as we chat away.......this time I did get some sewing done...........

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Nearly done with the Chookshed..........hope to hang the curtains back up today and cart the machines back out from the house............just some more cleaning to be done in there also............then re organise everything........

Its looks so nice now........ceiling lined and a fresh coat of paint on the walls too........even lashed out and actually put gloss on the window sills - they only had matt previously...........

just need more time which is not what I have at present but maybe later in August......see what happens.......

Lastly I was so excited last week when I got this egg..........

the girls have been off the lay for a few months..........but they are staring back now.......I had tried everything to encourage them...........

ok best run............

domestic duties call............

also wood cutting and gate welding/fence repair.........

have a great weekend.........

Catch you later.....

Chookyblue.......

Feathered friends....

the chooks are feeling the heat ........

they pant........

and hold their wings out like birds when they get hot.......

poor things have been so hot for months now........

I went to collect the eggs and feed the cooks this afternoon and found a baby Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike........

there was a nest in the top of the gum tree in front of the shed........somehow it made it's way into the chook yard............and into a cage...........we got it out of the cage and managed to pick it up and take it out of the yard and put it into a low tree branch...............Mum was hanging around in higher trees and they were constantly calling back and forwards to each other...........

she fed the baby a few times............hopefully this one survives and it can sort of fly so hope it makes it thru........with the extreme heat and the nest almost in full sun all day it is a wonder it survived.........one baby was dead on the ground last week........not sure if it just fell or the heat was too much but atleast this one is still alive...........they nested on a different branch in the tree last year too..........

Clearly no sewing is happening at present with all these random farm/nature posts......but it is another part of my life I love...........

Catch you later......

Chookyblue......

Keeping the love of blogging alive.............

extra SSCS swap..............

Caroline @ Caro's Blog contacted me after the SSCS had closed and she has done the swap for many years now..............she is a old blogging friend...........

So we decided on a direct swap............
is this not the cutest bag ever.....I adore the chook on the bowl stack........and the red/white border print is a traditional print which makes it more special..............

On the back is the cutest little chook poking out of the pocket.........

you can never have enough bags............I use them all all the time.............

thanks so much Caroline for the gorgeous gift...........

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I was posting this last week but with work and a quick trip away and a head cold/sinus/chest crap thing for the last week I am a regular snot machine.........I have not had a cold for YEARS.........and this one sure is hanging on..........

OK bookwork is calling.............and it i hot and unusually humid today......

air con is my best friend.........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.........

A chooky mini..............

While I was at Bathurst the gorgeous Dory gave me a parcel...........

She made this chooky mini............

I need to get something to hang it up with...............

She even used blue fabric with chooks on it................

Just a perfect present for a Chookyblue...............

thanks so much Chez....

Catch you later

Chookyblue

just can't help myself..........

these things are addictive............3 more done...........all nested together made of chook fabric.....

Susan and I have been discussing decorative stitches and she said she might do some on hers............so when I went out and did mine this morning I used 2 different stitches...........

I'm going to try and use them  more they are pretty......we also discovered we have the same machines so what she learns in her class she can share.........

all chook fabric which I think Nicolette sent me quite awhile ago..........

I made some different sizes.........

front red - as per pattern........

red back - think it was 6x10"

 blue one - 7x11"

I found it was easier to turn the thread catchers inside out to top stitch as I could fit them under the foot better and see where I was sewing............all was good until I hit a pin...........that took some getting out of the fabric...........

I liked the stitch above too...........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

presents.........

A few extra Christmas presents..............

Cheryl sent me this lovely table runner and gingerbread man........the runner has already been put to use and the little man is sitting in the tree.........

Janice was "forgetful" when she was supposed to leave this ruler somewhere for me to borrow............now I know why she was so "forgetful" and failed to reply to that email...........very sneaky but now I get to have fun with this ruler............thanks Janice.......

My Mum gave me this CWA cook book for Christmas.....more great recipes.........

and my stitching buddies gave me these chooks to add to the collection..........the blue one is magnetic so will go on the fridge..........

I've been busy sewing..............pics to come..........finally catching up on some blog posts.............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

more chicks...........

the last of the chick hatchings for now............a few weeks ago we had a few try to hatch but they died..........Saturday late Fairy Girl found 2 chicks in the nests..........she got a chick and Mr Chooky got the hen (much to his disgust - he HATES touching chooks) and they put them into a cage.......

they were missing the second one but then it fell out from the hens feathers.............I checked out the 2 chickens yesterday afternoon........very cute.......went to feed them today and thought I saw three............no I am just nuts and it is the bars on the cage confusing me...........cause I could then only see 2 when I looked again...........then Fairy Girl came over and she said OMG there are three chickens.......we checked together and yes definitely three..............oh thank goodness I am not seeing things after all.............

it must have been tucked up in mother hens feathers to.........they all look the same.............who knows what they will grow up to look like as the hens have kept changing which nest they were sitting on..............

it's pretty hard to get photos in this cage as the bars are close and get in the way............here is one of the chicks poking up in mum's wing below...........

there won't be any more for now as I threw all the remaining eggs out...........some are laying fresh eggs in the nests and the hens keep moving around so now all the eggs are gone...........most left were rotten anyway................

one of the nest stank but we realised why I just thought it was broken eggs smelling but there was also a dead chicken there too...........yuck............so now any clucky chooks will be put in a cage to make them unclucky.........

These are now about 8 weeks old............you can see the earlier posts here and here

these are about 5 weeks old...........all growing fast.........you can see the first post here..........

and see the green guy in the middle.......

.......it's a Mallee Ringneck............

I love being able to catch photos of the different birds in my yard........

I have some Willy Wagtail ones to share too..........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

more babies........

we had another baby hatch and 2 days later the white one hatched.......lucky we have another clucky chook who is keeping the remaining eggs warm sort of............who knows if any more will hatch..........

the little black one is so cute..........it has the black on it's back but most of it's front is white.............so who knows what it is going to look like.............I don't know who laid the eggs so it is going to be interesting to see what it looks like............"Bookworm" has already nicknamed it penguin............
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School holidays start here for 2 weeks..........I am so happy..............everyone home and no routine..........love it...........

Catch you later

Chookyblue

PS oh bugger I think the old interface has been removed for good now......   :((

Chicks.........

Look closely............

Mumma chook hatched out one chicken so we went to some friends and got 8 more and stuck them under in the dark.........she mostly thinks it is a good idea......we've got thru 2 nights.....i'll try and get some better photos of the chickens..........she had one black one but now she has a collection............2 each of silkies, barnevelders, white rhode island reds and gold lace wyandottes

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Secret Santa Christmas Swap............

I'll be back in a few days with the SSCS main presents...........I have been in several swaps and have some presents I have to show you all so once that is done I will be back to the main gifts of the SSCS...........

Most importantly this is what I received and sent in the SSCS..........

It has been wonderful surfing all the blogs check out your posts..........

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......I am pretty sure this is the 4th year for Nancy in the swap.....

.....Nancy is from the USA and she sent me this perfect Chooky present......

it even had chooks on the border fabric.........

lots of different chooks.........lots of different applique methods.......

the reddy border suits well on my lounge where I sit and sew etc..........

Pretty sure I won't be using it for awhile as this weekend hot SUMMER is finally coming....

38deg cel on Sunday is forecast............

..the little brown hen on the eggs is my favourite I think....... and here are the other goodies Nancy sent to me..........pattern, charm pack an book name labels..........

thanks heaps Nancy I love the quilt and goodies...........

and below is the runner I made for Anita.........

pattern by The Rivendale Collection - Sally Giblin............

I really enjoyed making this and think I will be stitching another for myself......

....well I can dream can't I..........fabrics are Moda Garden Party..........

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

sheep and weekends shouldn't go together......

toooo many weekends lately we have been doing sheep stuff..........just couldn't do it any other way........this was a photo i snapped this morning - crisp, bright and early............my poor body was aching this afternoon.............even managed to tackle a sheep that jumped out of the race here...........thank goodness there weren't any videos around as it would have suited funniest home videos..........lol.........and wasn't terrible elegant............ I would have taken more photos I just didn't have time to stop and take them.......

if anyone so much as mentions the word "sheep" next weekend look out...........

the garden sculptures continue to change constantly..............so much of my garden is buried under "umbrella grass"............

a chooky blog has to have some chooks occasionally - here are my new girls and boy..............this is my handsome black "ancona" rooster

hopefully I will be able to breed him with these 2 gorgeous girls..........black ancona hens......aren't they just the prettiest girls......so fancy.........the photos were while they were still in the cage I brought them home in as today they were a little shy and hiding under the trees...............

and while I was there getting the other chookies I just had to get a couple of these red ancona hens too...........

a random feather...........

one of the few beautiful things I managed to find in my garden..............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Blog wins.........

Well as I am catching up on things from the last 2 months here are some prezzies I have received in the mail (back in February sorry girls) this was a blog win on Julz blog.........she has made her blog private for the time being as she was having a few hassles........if you used to visit her blog just email her and I am sure she will let you be a visitor again.........but you need a login and permissions from Julz..........

she wrote out a yummy recipe for me also............will be trying that real soon...........yes this mini eggs have lasted this long Julz.........but they are gone now.........

she also stitched this beautiful needle case and pincushion.................as it has fairies on the fabric you know who has temporarily taken these..............beautiful............thanks............

I also had a blog win on Shelley - Angels Come to Play..........Shelley is a lovely lady and I also got to meet her at GDITC...........not only did she send me this beautiful coat hanger (also another one I am currently using) but..........

I got a copy of Shelley's new pattern Sweet and Pretty Coathangers...........very cool.........you know those UGLY wire coat hangers now I can make them beautiful.............contact Shelley via her blog or website...........

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

goodies in the mail............

Still some presents and a BOM from February/March sorry girls..........

This bundle of goodies came from Carole at Quilting Adventures thanks Carole

my pincushion BOM from Quilt fabric Delights...........the next one has arrived just no pics sorry.................

Some more chooky fabric this time from Sonia at Me and My Thoughts..........

and I am sure Sonia would have made this beautiful card because she is a scrapbooker too..........it even has chooks on it...........thanks so much Sonia.........

.........take care til next time.............
.......Chookyblue..........

good mail........

With all the rain last week the mail man didn't visit.........so no mail all week..........when I went into town on Friday there was a pile............parcels, junk mail, letters.............

first up the pincushion BOM..........this month Melly and Me - Sarah was a little late this month as she was waiting for some part of the kit to arrive..........not a problem she sent us an email to let us know about the delay.......love the fabrics.........

and this is the pincushion topper that came this month........I may be in love with these cute things.........

Then Jacquie (Tallgrass Prairie Studio) sent me this little quilt..............it is tiny and so very cute I have loved these since I first saw them on her blog..........

Teodo Appunti Patch sent me some SSCS cards and some xmas fabric........perfect timing as I don't have much I can find and I planned a project on Friday before I got the mail...........saved by the mail...........(by the way her dh thinks she has completely lost the plot finding little birds in fruit scraps but hey I am with her)

see the little angel....cute...

Then a huge apology to Stephanie - Loft Creations for my email..........have you ever sent an email to the wrong person............it's okay she fumbled along with the replies (probably though I had lost the plot) anyway she sent me this wonderful package.........yep more chooks........I love them........I chook bag...(containing football to fill for shot so quite a good size)....see that cute little chicken near the bottom of the bag...........Thank Stephanie.............

this little Bareroots pattern...........cute little chickens.....

and some more chooky fabric...........blue and chooks what more could I ask for..........

Take care til next time...........Chookyblue...........