Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to Mothers whoever and wherever you are - I hope you are all being spoiled! This is for my Mum! Ed and I have enjoyed a lovely couple of days away visiting the town of New Norcia, 190k away from where we live in Perth. It is the only monastic town in Australia filled with history, heritage and serenity. It was first established by Don Rosendo Salvado in 1847, beautifully maintained and preserved.

A beautiful Abbey Church - one can really feel the European influence in the architecture!

Paintings by local indigenous people - very inspiring and meaningful!

Long verandahs - part of the 2-hour walking tour! It was quite a warm day and lots of walking, so I was very thirsty and nursing one very sore arm last night!

More beautiful paintings!

We stayed the two nights at the Avalon Homestead - beautifully spoiled by Delveen and Peter and then drove home this morning!

Bushfires ravaged the area of Toodyay there a little while back - so sad to see the devastation of the houses and land, most of it cleared away by this stage.

My girls and their families have phoned to suggest they come over to cook dinner this evening - wonderful! - I will pop over to get some sparkling wine to celebrate, this day only happens once a year!

♥

Enjoy your week ahead!

My Very Own Dollies!

Life is so much easier without arm restrictions and look - at last - I have simplified Dancing Dollies © - it has been on my agenda for many years and I played around when I couldn't stitch, with ruler and templates slipping and sliding. Now I have made a block substitute for GT&SB! Next on my agenda - a cot quilt! For all you kind girls who have asked for a pattern, hopefully it is within the foreseeable future now!

No Quit Police around here - I use good quality polyester thread for my applique stitching, I've tried them all and just like the result the best - though I must try Aurafil! I often use freezer-paper shiny side up, pin it to the background then blind stitch it. That's where the little forceps above come in handy - I make a little opening on the back to pull the freezer paper out.

Keep the little advertising cards from your quilting magazines - a lovely weight in cardboard to make little circles to draw up for the heads of the dollies! Happy day!

'Bye, 'Bye Sling!

It's gone - whew! - that was a long 6 weeks! I think I must be my doctor's favourite patient, he's very happy. Implant, muscle and tendon repair - a couple of months of exercises, and I'm sure I can cope with that - whoopee! I can drive my car again - tentatively, but I'll get there taking it sure and steady!

Hmmm, very bulky and restricting wasn't it?

I have been burning the candle at both ends, feeling a bit low and last night I thought it through and decided to have a blog break to get away from the computer and seriously into stitching again. Now, this morning after another computer interruption I looked at my Outlook Express Inbox and thought ' this is where part of the trouble lies!' - so many gorgeous Comments and I have read and loved them all, could I just once again be excused from making Replies? - I'm so unhappy about this - I just feel I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel if I don't get off to a new start - also, I have done so much browsing and not Commented, so please forgive me. This is so much a part of my life and I'd like to carry on if possible - there we go, hope it is okay to carry on! I've also unsubscribed to quite a few sites!

See my sidebar - this is the first edition of Fat Quarterly - PDF Download AU$8 - the whole 79 pages of it, must say I am impressed! I particularly love One Flew Over Kate's Windows and Frames Quilt - stunningly simple and the quilting is just amazing - congratulations Kate! Also, please visit Allison on Cluck.Cluck.SEW if you would like more eye-candy!

Though I haven't used a lot of her fabrics, must say I am a real Amy Butler fan - look at the free patterns I have stumbled across - love them!

I must be the oldest 'groupie' in the world - still love a handsome face and big muscular arms - my first I-Wish man was James Dean and second Patrick Swayze.

The reason for my late nights - I have been re-watching the miniseries North and South and loving it as much as the first time around. I have been so fortunate to visit the east coast of the USA and learn so much about the Civil War! Those beautiful plantations and antebellum homes!
I have always been so impressed the way the United States has preserved its history and am very pleased to see Australia has gone that way, too

Yuk, messy! My Studio - will I be able to tidy the mess? - as you can see, I have been able to pull boxes out and scatter fabrics everywhere. Let's hope I can put a bit of law and order into the place and family might help my put the boxes away again, lol! I've also had a big morning this morning and feel I am getting on top of everything in quite a few ways!

♥

Off to have some lunch and into the mess - thank you for being so understanding, I'm just sorry I have let it get to this stage and shall try really hard to keep up with it all now!

Revamped!

Goodness, another Post so soon - I should be stitching, but Browsing is so much more comfortable these days!
Do you remember me showing an old cupboard and talking of having it painted red - Blushingham - well here it is plus the canvas of My Angel - extreme? - well maybe, but I am feeling so good about my new-look dining area! Australian designer china gracing it - Robert Gordon has been stored in the shed for over 5 years!

Sorry to bring up this subject, Christine of Once Upon a Quilt ... Now, Christine is a collector of honey pots and has an amazing collection - and I have been known to collect a few antiques in my day, says she The Minimalist! I really adore this rare little antique treasure, did have a little thought of posting it to Christine, but that little thought flitted out of my mind very quickly! Maybe I should add a codicil to my Will! Hey, this is really the TRUE colour of Blushingham - very pretty!

A gorgeous day for mail today - all the way from Pink Penguin in The USA - do visit her blog and Etsy site - thank you so much, Ayumi! Gorgeous girl, if you haven't visited, please do, you will be thrilled!

A very little sneak peek for Someone Special - French General Rural Jardin Chanvre Blue arrived today - I hope you Repro Enthusiasts approve it for the background of a very special quilt! I feel sure Kathie of Inspired by Antique Quilts will aprove - what do you think, Kathie, will have a little chat one day soon? One day all will be revealed!

Not much stitching happening and I really shouldn't be showing my designing in progress - but I really feel I have achieved a long-time-wish ... let's hope it all comes up nicely in fabric - and yes, all my own work - lets not talk about Copyright issues here - I'm over it! If one has the ability, let's just share!

This is my little? hindrance - my boob is sitting on a big fat cushion built into the sling - never mind, not too long now! Happy weekend everyone!

Joie de Vivre Returning!

There's a light at the end of the tunnel - only one more week to go and then, fingers crossed, my sling comes off. Here's a few more blocks I have found from GT&SB and I know there is another cutie hiding somewhere ...


And how about this? Another block partly prepared - not a great achievement, but still a little progress!

I've had two lovely days out and about - odds and ends on Monday, our State Guild on Tuesday and Secret Quilters in the evening. Lovely to get with all the girls again! Then when I arrived home Battle Hymn had just started - DH enjoys Fox Classics - now usually I pooh-pooh them! - watched it all the way through and felt like I was watching a chick-flick - a few little tears and nobody, nobody can convince me Rock Hudson was not heterosexual - he must have acquired Aids from a blood transfusion - such a beautiful, sensitive, gentle man, lol! - sorry you young ones, out of your league and I so rarely reminisce! For all Aussie fans of Patrick Swayze, North and South starts on Foxtel next week , my all time favourite I-Wish Man - loved the miniseries, too!

Oh, dear not often I ramble - love these little Darlings and think maybe I can substitute a block in GT&SB - can I manage a start?

Lastly for today - I have been managing a little Perle quilting on Dino - he must be happy that a finish is not too far away!

I'm off now!

Now Don't Be Mistaken!

Isn't this gorgeous! Green Tea and Sweet Beans - a BOM I am doing! See my Sidebar!

Oh, I have been naughty! I just love this quilt and am months behind!

This is my effort to date - maybe I have finished a couple of more blocks - lots are waiting in the drawer, so I think this could be the perfect time to try to finish a few more!

♥

I tried doing some bookwork without my sling this morning - nuh, it didn't work! I'm feeling so despondent and that is not a good way to be! I did have a lovely chat with Chookyblue ... this morning an that's a great way to start a day as many of you know! I'm going to see if I can chat now with Christine in Brisvegas - seems she is not on top of the world and that is so not like her!

♥

Happy stitching!

Happy Weekend!

Hope you all have a fun time - I still haven't tested my sewing skills to any degree, so I really have nothing new and exciting to show you!

I have been doing lots of browsing and that in itself is fun - lots of bright, fresh ideas out there! I did have a lovely day last Tuesday at Diane's with Girlfriends! Pattie brought along a jar of yummy cookies - now how good is this? - what a way to 'bring along a plate' - all adorned in a beautiful red spotted ribbon!

Hmmm, here's me whingeing about wanting/needing a new camera! I think this glorious plant has photographed pretty well with my a la cheapie Canon Ixus 70 - it was a dull, drizzly day and the plant was on a darkish front porch and I was out on the footpath! Now, just maybe, I should be spending my money on lots more beautiful fabrics for one-day, lol!

Happy stitching!

Folklore!

The weekend is nearly over and I have a few busy days ahead - thank goodness! Four weeks have passed, now another two weeks and two days to go. Every day I get great feelings of determination and then the head rules the heart - what if - what if I undo all that brilliant work!

That being the case, what can I show you? All you repro girls who love the brights will adore Folklore ... French reproductions from early 18th century. I decided to brighten our bright, sunny day by opening the pack of fat quarters!

I think they are just divine! The few browns on the right hand side are there for auditioning purposes. It has been a long time since I have seen a repro range that has thrilled me so much! I hope you enjoy the little I can offer at this stage. Still doing my DSLR homework - I think maybe Olympus is the forerunner at this stage - great reviews and the smallest - I chit-chat away in front of DH and ... silence! ... maybe he's thinking how expensive a divorce would be, lol!
Happy sewing!

I've Got The Blues!

Auditioning! Oh, I think they will be perfect!

Rita's Flying Geese - colour selection as above 'blue' - maybe I will get this whole quilt out of my stash! Maybe I will have to solicit some help with the rotary cutter. I so admire the simplicity of Rita's quilts, she is a true artist and knows when finished is finished - do you know what I mean? Check out her straight line quilting - so beautiful!

Again, my best little friends have spent the day with me - how lucky can a girl get! I must admit the boredom is setting in a bit - no, no, must not let it! I've had little rays of sunshine here and there and it doesn't take a lot to brighten my day! Lots of lovely fat-quarter gifts and little surprises - thank you all!

♥

I'm on a mission - long story - the pic of the little angel I showed you before I went to hospital is being enlarged and made into a canvas - seems like I'm not the only one who loves it so much! My mission? - I badly want an SLR digital camera - Canon? - I would appreciate ANY comments or advice - a whim and a luxury? Well, maybe! DH has become The Opposition!

♥

Happy weekend!

Hugs - Lurline♥

The Motivator!

Look ... all finished! Beautifully quilted and bound - thanks so much Barb and Julia! I wish I had a you-beaut camera to do it justice! I had such a lovely time at the retreat when I made this flimsy and look at it now!
Here you can see it in it's true glory closeup - love the funky flowers in the quilting - all in keeping with the Kaffe theme!

I hope you are all enjoying your Easter as much as I am - yesterday 'my best little friends in the world' and I went to the movies - all very accidental, we ended up seeing Bounty Hunter - Byron chose and I think he had seen the great car chase in a trailer - I knew nothing about the movie, so I said 'okay - let's go!' Hmmm, must agree with DD Angela who thinks Gerard Butler is just super gorgeous and as I don't really remember seeing Jennifer Aniston in a movie before (oh, I must have!), I now think she is the finest example of the girl next door, such natural beauty - oh yes, would love to see that couple together in real life! Gee, it is great I can still enjoy a chick-flick! Poor kids, though - they took it all in their stride - I guess anything for an outing with Nanny!

♥

I'm back to looking forward to each day - DH and I have just put tonight's dinner in the slow cooker ... I wonder if maybe I can do a little machine stitching?

♥

Happy Easter Monday!