It Has Been A Long Time!

 

... and I have missed you, My Lovelies! I lead a very busy life these days and family needs have been great. I guess that will continue to be as Mother is now 95 and needs a lot of care and Hubby is 74 with quite a lot of health issues. I must say I had lost my mojo - I think that happens to a lot of us from time to time - but I must say it is back with a vengeance also!

Above, just a little Sneak Peek showing you the wonderful Clover binding clips, no more little blood spots on my new quilts.





My next project - it is going to be an Improv quilt. Here are my starter fabrics, just love the combo and I think I will add quite a few solids. It will be a Topsy Quilt and just grow, should be fun and let's hope a success too, lol!

After much deliberation this new baby has come into the home. I do have a wonderful Janome Memorycraft 6600 which is on the market. I have owned a Pfaff previously and love my Janome but with the prosthesis in my left shoulder, was having difficulty attaching the quilting foot. Both have built in scissors, which I find are such a blessing, so it will be interesting to see if I have made the right decision.

Here's baby Nate, now 5 months - missing him heaps, but I get to see him on Skype and I know it will not be too long until I see him again.
Hope you are all enjoying your weekend stitching or partying - this time of year seems to come around so quickly, so have fun!
Hugs - Lurline

.Glorious Sunshine!



Oh no! Once again I have problems with Blogger. I had just finished posting and lost the lot, through no fault of my own, boo hoo! Now I will be Saving every minute or so, better make this quick ...

Top pic is my contribution to our Creative Threads group who are organizing a raffle basket for Pink Month in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. I'm happy as with the Makeup Pouch from a tutorial by Flossie Teacakes - also donating a few fat quarters of pink solids. 







DD, Danielle, has been Instagramming my roses again - this one a climber Don Juan. She gets so much fun out of taking pics here, there and everywhere, and of course I love being the recipient of her work.

Off to make a start making dinner, then checking out my home made recipe for fungus on roses - hope it works! 

Happy Day everyone - sorry about the messy Post!





Promises Broken!

I did promise myself I would post daily for a week - no! hasn't happened. I've got lots of really good excuses, but let's get on with this Post!

  Less than an hour ago a lovely parcel arrived at my door thanks to Fabric Patch in Queensland. As you probably know, I'm in Western Australia and I can't say enough about those great girls on the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast. Do have a little browse of their site at some time. This book really took my fancy and as I am thrilled with it and the ruler - should make life easier! I wish I had time right now to get to the sewing room. The book has really great modern patterns, yes, some a little wonky which I love! Oh, see the new little pincushion I have made myself out of a little orphan block - my other one has gone missing, I'm sure it will come out of hiding one day.

Another pic of my gorgeous Brass Band - DD who does Instagram beautifully told me my last pic was boring - oh well!
Happy stitching girls, we have beautiful sunshine here at long last must savour it while we can - should pop out and talk to my roses, lol!



Turning Over a New Leaf!

Happy Day! I'm going to achieve a lot today - sort out technical problems, starting with clearing my desk an equipment and putting barbed wire around it so no one can venture into MY SPACE!

 Lots going on stitching-wise these days, so even if I post a bit of nonsense each day for perhaps a week, maybe I will develop some good practices. That commitment being made, let's start ... this little quilt all ready to go to Nate's new little cousin in Thailand.

 I just love the binding fabric and these clips too - no more pricked fingers and little spots of blood to remove. Now, I'm not messing about or I will lose the pic below - I'm thrilled with my new rose below. It is Brass Band and I love, love, love it - saw it as a forthcoming release about ten years ago in Brisbane. It sure lives up to its name! Happy stitching girls!

Some More Pretty Dollies!

Really I am just practicing, so let's hope I can do it without someone holding my hand!

Goodness me! Shocking editing - they really do look a lot prettier. The top r/h dolly has a pretty green Liberty dress. Still I must keep trying to improve. It is just so easy to Post this way but I can see I will have to do tweaking on my laptop at times. I still need to work out how to post My Signature.

Off to the shops to prepare for dinner now and the hopefully some appliqué tonight.

Until next time - 'bye - Lurline.

Today's Lesson!

Now, this is beyond my learning curve, I think ... dear SIL is being very patient!

I would love to make the above - when? - maybe when I have mastered Posting this way!

Happy Stitching!

Lurline

Pretty Dresses!

Lots to chat about, but computer problems - oh well, never mind. Pics not so good, we'll see how we go.

 Nine dollies made - lots of fun, but messy sewing room! That is one problem with scrap quilts, I'm sure you will all agree. I have made a few more since, but email is playing up with me too. I love choosing the fabrics for their pretty dresses.

Our weather is still very unpleasant. Spring must come soon. Here's DD at one of our local beaches and what a wonderful addition. Danielle would loved to have gone closer to this glorious creature but wasn't sure what his reaction would be. Aren't we lucky to be so in touch with nature!

I get so much enjoyment from blog-reading and really wish I had time to do more Commenting and Posting. I'm sure time will come one day, meanwhile I'll continue to enjoy what I can.

Happy stitching!

Making Paper Dolls!

Oh, I think I have Blogger's contrary ways sorted out, yay! Just been having a little play with Brandon Mably's Paper Dolls - just love them!

 Here's Dolly 1 - made from Kaffe Fabrics and a random background - lot of fun! I'm never going to grow up even if I have to grow older!

 Don't you love Denyse Schmidt's Florence? I have fat quarters in the coral ...

.

and the blue - I think  I prefer the blue - but then again ...

These days I'm a creature who loves her comforts! Though this is not us - here's a beautiful pic of a beautiful spot  where we camped at in East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Strictly 4WD 

country and possibly inaccessible these days as it is Aboriginal Land. I'm so happy I spent the 17 years there between 1977 and 1994!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

l

Getting Back to Blogging!

Wow! Busy days - I really don't mind this caring so much, nor time spent with my loved ones, but it leaves me little time for Lurline. Here in the West we are still having a cold, wet winter, so time in bed
reading is just a bit nice too! That is done very late at night.

 No ... not my work, just gorgeous though! Many years ago, I received this lovely little gift from Nanette of Freda's Hive. I have made a few mugrugs as gifts and don't have one myself - so this little quilt has been with me to quilting groups on the last couple of outings - so many comments and isn't it still just so modern! Once again, so many years on, a big thank-you to Nanette - she's still a shining star!

 Little Nate! So precious to us all - we are sooo proud. Hie is now nine weeks old. His Dad is with us at the moment before flying back to Barrow Island on Saturday. Aaron is working on the Gorgon Project there and is doing a Frontline Management Course in Perth at the moment. Nate is nine weeks old now and lives in Thailand with his mum Ooy, so in true Thai tradition Aaron shaved his head while he was there - very pretty little chap so lucky he doesn't have curls, lol!

I have joined a group on Facebook 'Growing Up in Gove' and my heart has bubbled with joy at the photos and memories of our seventeen years there. Nhulunbuy, the township of Gove, is on the tip of Eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory and houses the workers of a copper mine there. Gove is the home of the Australian indigenous people Yolngu. Just taking a bit of licence here to show you the beautiful white sands, blue waters, glorious sunsets - God's Country commonly known as Gove Disneyland.

I could prattle on and show lots more pics of my life then and now - however, this blog is about quilting. I'm finding Blogger seems more difficult each time I use it - perhaps I need to use some time in the wee hours studying up on Blogsy on my trusty ipad.

I hope some of you girls are able to enjoy this Post - though I'm not getting much done, quilting is still my passion - need I say secondary to my loved ones, lol! I've managed to delete my signature again, funny that, so Happy Stitching to You All - Hugs - Lurline!

Girly Flimsy!

A little cutie for a new baby girl due in September - she will be a little cousin to Nate, so we must keep her warm!

 I have used bits and pieces from my stash and inspiration has come from a lovely blog, Plum and June. It measures only forty inches square, so hopefully quilting will start tomorrow!

 Dear granddaughter Heidi has been over again with twin brother, Byron - they are pedalling home now and I've told them to let the little angels sit on their shoulders to guide them home safely - yep!

 they say. Here's Heidi - growing up so fast ...

.... Saskia, too. Big fat cat these days and oh, sooo, beautiful!

Their Mum plays with Instagaram - here's a pic she took of one of my roses. Clever girl!

Now, if I align this pic to the left, I will lose it - so I will leave well alone. Happy Sttiching!

This and That!

Hi Girlfriends! I'm thrilled with the quilting Barb John has done on my Dresden Quilt. It has yet to be bound and then I will spread it out for it all to be seen. I love the quilting and it all looks just as it should - very vintage with lots of original feedsacks.

 Just a little sneak peek at a baby quilt WIP - fingers crossed, more to show soon!

Knock-knock at the door this morning - a lovely bundle of Bungle Jungle fat-quarters. Of course a future quilt for Nate.

 

 Another pic of our gorgeous little boy - 5 weeks old today and I am missing out on watching him grow. Never mind, the little family are all well, healthy and happy - bless them!

 Oopsy, smashed big toe! I had the big glass rotating plate from the microwave fall on it - so proud, I didn't swear - well, not too badly, LOL! I should have it x-rayed today, but think I will stitch instead.

I'm having quite a bit of trouble with Blogger these days - maybe the blame is being cast in the wrong direction - I am not sure?

Also, I would love to see pics of the Melbourne Show winners - so if anyone can let me know where they might be on the internet, I would really appreciate. Quite a few girls from my local quilt group flew over, so it will be lovely to catch up for the show and tell!

For now, Happy Quilting - hugs - Lurline!

Back to Stitching!

What a fun day I had yesterday! Doing what I enjoy - made a lovely start on Citrus Sweet Love, first block of BOM by Treehouse Textiles and one of Australia's favourites, Cathy of Cabbage Quilts!

Gorgeous to play with these prints, accuracy needed on seam allowance - I set my Janome 6600 on 4.7 to achieve the desired scant .25" seam allowance and I also pressed all my seams open. This is a bit more time consuming, but achieves a lovely finish when dealing with 1.5" cuts.

Back to my other world - here's our gorgeous Nate, probably 5 days old after he had come out of the humicrib and in a special nursery - I took this pic through a viewing glass as I still wasn't allowed in to see him. It was only the second time I had seen him - they did allow me a glimpse when I first arrived.

At home with the little quilt I madce for him covering him - it's not showing up too well. Do I think he's the bees knees? - of course I do, lol!

I may have mentioned Aaron is a fabulous cook - this dish is Larb Kai - ground chicken, warm salad with lots of beautiful fresh herbs, served with eggplant, cucumber, snake beans and sticky rice. I'm not a great rice fan so I ate mine San Choy Bow style in lettuce leaves, the gorgeous juices running everywhere. Oh, I must have some lunch, my mouth is watering.

Have a happy Sunday!

Nate!

Our beautiful new baby - yes, I'm home again, sadly leaving my little family in Thailand. Nate was born 19 June and had a struggle to start life in this big, wide world - when I left on Monday, he was home, happily progressing, loving and needing attention, very healthy appetite, a perfectly normal little fellow. As the aircraft started its descent into Perth airport the tears started to flow!

I have lots of really beautiful pics, but have had difficulty downloading - so have lots to show in time to come.

 There is so much natural beauty in Thailand and DS is a plant lover - this was snapped on our visit to a plant market, no, we didn't buy it, lol!

Upon my return there was lots of mail to open - this particular one the first of BOM Bring Me Flowers. I didn't do very much stitching at all while away and have spent time since arriving home catching up with family here - today, the start of tidy-up and unpacking. Let's hope the weekend brings stitching time.

I've enjoyed catching up with lots of blog news while away - hope you are all having a happy day today!