Sadie the Cleaning Lady and bloggy goodness

At Chez Frou today I’m playing Sadie the Cleaning lady***… not a role I play easily, but it had to be done, while there are advantages to having tiles everywhere except the bedrooms, the disadvantage with two indoor cats is that their fur just sits there!   Well, it had gotten so bad the collected fur resembled tumbleweeds rolling through the desert…I kid you not…

So, I’ve been doing a clean up, something I detest with a passion… and in cleaning up found more things… sigh… (need another long weekend to sort out patterns, and knitting and cross-stitch)… might be some giveaways here soon!

Have some ideas about creating a space for me to do my crafty bits  ala Atelier Frou, but need to get the tape measure out and see if my proposed re-organisation is doable.

Can’t do housework without stopping, actually can’t do anything without being distracted, so the way I manage it is my 45 minute rule.  I set the kitchen timer and must do 45 minutes of housework at a minimum.  When the timer goes off, I’ve got 30 minutes to do something else – read, play with cats, blog or surf the quiltnet.   It’s how I managed to do all my study, and works effectively for me.

Below find some of the results of my surfing today…

May Britt at Abyquilt is running a Finish a Project a Month Challenge, that I thought about briefly – yeah, right!    But in looking through her tutorials, I like this little paper-pieced pincushion.

Kay McKenzie at All about Applique has a very cute freebie pattern in time for Valentines Day.   I first found this blog by a google search for red and green quilts leading me to this post and this stunner.   Site has lots of tips for applique techniques, which are easy to find using the categories sidebar on the left.

Not sure how I stumbled on Inspired by Antique Quilts blog, but she’s a girl after my own heart… look at this gorgeous red and white single irish chain quilt… I must hunt up some ecology cloth and give it a try as over the net it looks like a colour that will work well with 30s fabrics as well as older reproductions, and the Bella solid red look fantastic.   Wonder if anyone here in Oz is going to stock these?

Stephanie at Loft Creations has organised a Time for Tea Swap that is now closed, unfortunately, I found her just a bit too late.   But she’s got some links to some fabulous teapot themed things on this post including links to some free cosy patterns.   And another great pincushion tutorial here.   And if you look at her most recent post you’ll notice she’s a bit smitten with Bella Solids too!

And that post and the delightful teacosy featured led me to Anyone Can Quilt, and what do you know, her most recent post is about a craft room makeover… which is just define… a cosy little room, but a place for everything.   My friend Jayne had already found this post and sent me a link last week, so it’s a small world.   Love the fabric in hoops as decoration on the walls.

Reading back through all Sarah’s posts I found she participated in a Christmas Cottage Houses swap organised by Nanette at Freda’s Hive – another blog I discovered recently (I’m guessing it’s her swap blocks on display in her craft room post!).

I love house quilts, but have avoided making any but reverse applique houses (I’ve made a few of those – some for me as part of my Amish Style Row by Row, and some for a swap partner years ago – made hers in yellows and blues).   But have avoided pieced ones, because there are too many pieces.   But this pattern looks like fun.   And who can argue with red and green anything!

Now that leads me to Freda’s Hive – this is a great blog, particularly if, like me, you like retro, 30s style quilts and things.   I’m slowly reading through all the posts here, and taking much delight it in it.   There is a lovely Heart pattern available free for Valentines Day.   And some other fantastic tutorials including a cute Doll’s House Pot Holder.   Both Nanette and Cheryl from Polka Dots and Rick Rack have organised a Great Ideas for a Handmade Christmas 2009, where bloggers can post crafty gift ideas for people to make through the year.

For the Janiac’s reading here – the following treasures are for you!

Check out the progress on Karen’s 2nd (yes, that’s right 2nd) DJ quilt… love the red and white combo.   You can see a photo of her finished “Insanity” DJ No. 1 quilt here.

Oh well, back to the duster and mop bucket…

***For our non-Aussie readers, Sadie was a popular hit here by a very young and spunky John Farnham, who went on to have a career with Little River Band and a resurgence with Your the Voice.   You can see a video of the song here... check out the dancers!

Sadie, the cleaning lady, with trusting scrubbing brush and pail of water…

Worked her fingers to the bone, for the life she had at home, providing at the same time as her daughter…