Very little quilting or sewing (sigh)

Although my studies will soon end, my real life will start!! So I am in the process of setting up a small business. So much to learn and do....

I had my working with children application form to fill out and had to include a passport size photo. Oh dear, why do those things make people look like crims!!!

I have decided to make a quilt for my niece's wedding in late November. If I get it done on time...good. If not, it is approaching summer so they won't need it until autumn (VBG)

Here is a little wallhanging that I hope to quilt up soon. I want to practice free-motion quilting so that I can finish some of the tops I have made. This looked like a happy place to play.  "I promise to be a finisher...I promise to be a finisher... I promise to..."

Hearts table runner

Don'tcha just love those toes peeping through!

For Valentines day I made this mystery heart table runner designed by Fran Vidal. She ran it on Inspectors club yahoo site which is closing after a number of years. Those paper pieced ribbons were done with a lot of rip, rip rips..Grrr again! But it has turned out beautifully and used up some scraps so I am happy. Still need to quilt and bind it. May be that will be a midwinter job. Fortunately for me my sewing room  looks out to the sunny north where I gat maximum daylight and sun on sunny winter days!

Study, study study, sigh!

Way too much reading and writing essays and too little time doing the things which make me feel happy and relaxed (except when I just cut that last piece of fabric crooked and now am 1"short grrrr).
I started on the centre of pieceful quilter's BOM a few weeks ago. Got it all traced onto the fabric and had to leave it. When I came back next day half of it had faded away and now it's all gone! I used the wrong pen thinking it would last. Now I have to start over...in June.
Noticed Judi Laquidara may be doing a mystery come mid-May or June. That could be interesting. Hmmmm!
My 19yo son in Thailand is coming home soon and I have asked him to buy me some good quality Thai silk. He said "What do you think I am Mum, a cheapskate?! Would you trust your son to choose some colours for you? He has never been interested in fabric and never wanted a quilt made for him, but he liked a carpenter's wheel quilt I made following a Dorothy Young pattern a couple of years ago (in oranges and greens and khaki browns- not my colours really). So I'm wondering what he will choose. I guess if I don't like the colours I shall just have to close my eyes as I touch them and I sure will be grateful for his kindness.
Until next time
Happy stitching
Diane

Labour Day Holiday

Today has been a day off. With my DH and youngest son Liam (12yo) and his friend, we drove to Bacchus Marsh Vic and then to the Leurderderg Gorge. Over the past couple of years we have walked along the river bed over stones because there has been very little rain. But in the past couple of days it has rained quite heavily so the river was flowing. Not deeply, but definitely covering the riverbed in muddy water. As we arrived a heavy shower of rain came so we made for the nearest shelter to watch as muddy water ran toward the river. The young lads decided to stop a rivulet with rocks and had good fun building a dam wall about 18 inches high. We had brought gum boots (wellies) along for them so they happily sloshed about (I love the word sloshed) . When the sun came out we went for a walk in the bushland along a walking track which had delightful puddles to splash in. I'm so glad they are still young enough to enjoy these simple pleasures. Sophisitcaion has its downfalls!

Back again at last

Being ill is so not fun...
However I'm on the road to recovery and am able to begin creative work again. YAY
I have been making 2 scenes using fabric and fibres and stitches ie landscapes. Both are works in progress as I am yet to do the stitch part. One I'm quite happy with but the other feels kindergartenish! Oh well if I keep going it may improve. What do you do to improve a piece that is just not quite.....?

Here is a picture of Governmet House in Victoria, Australia. It is only open to the public once per year on Australia Day which is January 26th. Our family had a picnic planned for the Royal Botanic Gardens next door, and when we saw that it was open we decided to take a look. The queue was so long to tour through the ground floor that we skipped that (Kids 4 &5 don't like to wait) and walked through the gardens instead. We peeked through an open doorway into the Ballroom, saw the swimming pool, tennis courts and croquet lawn. As we were returning to the Gardens next door, the airforce had the roulettes do a flyover. They rolled and dived and flew around for about 20 minutes. Thankyou pilots for a wonderful show.

Hope to post my landscapes by the end of the weekend. Now I'm off to start a BOM. I thought I would be doing the pieced blocks first but I'm actually going to start the applique centre block instead. I managed to get to the fabric store this week and bought a lovely shade of blue for the background. I'm not fond of cream/white as a backgroung colour. So soft blue it is!

See you soon

Diane

Feeling blaah

Came down with a rotten cold this week and it's doing a thorough job taking it's time to give pain to all the usual head and chest cold places. Sp progress has slowed on the mystery quilt although it is now all quilted. Just have to add borders and that could be tricky as I don't have much focus fabric to play with. It has extra latice work because I did a quilt-as-you go method. I like this design a lot and these colours I adore (I know this cos I keep seeing and buying similar ones. Must try a different colourway. Orange? Navy?)

Hope to have this done soon as college starts again next week. Yikes! But I won't put pressure on myself because I must get better first.
I have been given the opportunity to learn coaching and mentoring skills so that I can mentor younger women as they develop in their leadership roles. I am excited by this as it seems to me that so many of us have lacked that support/skilled assistance in planning for the future. At least I feel I just put one foot in front of the other and took the next step. First day is in early March so I will see where that leads to. See. Just putting in the next step as it comes. Maybe I will get m ore out of this course for myself than I could ever imagine. Now won't that be exciting?
Cheers Diane

Friday and progress is sloooow!

Taking time out for myself is supposed to get easier once the kids are back in school. No such thing at my house. JJ had her phone stolen (but they left the $200+ wizz bang 2 wk old calculator!) last week so we were out looking for new mobile phones. Apparently ppl change phones every 18m - 2 yrs!! so 4 years was great going! Anyone have trouble figuring out the maths for their quilts?? Believe me, looking at phones and plans is much, much worse! Sales ppl just tell you what they want you to buy mostly, but they were all very friendly (Grin ).
Liam had camp this week and enjoyed all the outdoor activities, especially abseiling. He can have it. I freeze when looking out windows of tall buidings let alone going over the edge of a ravine. Shudder.

He also tried jumping down 10 steps at a time at school later in the week and surprise!! He bruised his heel and is now hobbling. So no basketball match tomorrow and will they or won't they be in finals??
Quilting progress

I thought I'd show you this wall hanging I made a few years ago. Quite busy but I still love it. It hangs in my work/play room to give me inspiration!
The Ann Smith mystery quilt is progressing. I have been managing about an hour quilting a day or second day sometimes. I have it in columns now which are about to be joined. Then I shall see about borders. That will depend on how much of the focus fabric is left. Keeps the brain active thinking about these things and much better than thinking about bills huh?