We Are All Happy!

The puppies are always happy to see our mail-lady - not as happy as I am though! Thank you so much Kathie of Inspired by Antique Quilts. Kathie is one of my oldest and best friends in Blogland and I am so honoured to be the lucky Owner of one of her quilts - the additional red fabrics is for a border - now , in the recent past I have joined in the controversy of hand versus machine quilting this one will certainly be fine hand-quilted - oh, I am so happy - big hugs, Kathie♥
The pretty little print in the background is from Patchwork on Stonleigh, just a bit too gorgeous to pass by!

Let's get back to Kathie again! She has sent some quick pain relief in her parcel also, lol! Lots of new 10" Kaffe squares here - what a thrill. Really though, today does feel so much better - I'm off to the shop to buy something nice to cook for dinner - it will be good to give the Master Chef a break! Hope your day is happy, too!

Beautiful Sunshine!

We have maybe a half hour until the chill sets in - lots of heaters on and quilts dragged out in this part of the world - makes me feel like vintage style quilts to cuddle up under - let's see what the rest of winter brings - it would be nice to think I could get a nice applique underway!

A few more rows, maybe - I'm aiming for a cushion top at the moment - a lot of fun and happiness there with the clear bright colours - the Clover Yo-Yo Maker makes it all very mindless ( relaxing, is a better word, lol!)

See my copy of Brigitte Giblin's Clamshells in the background - I also ordered Lizard of Oz's papers there a while back. I hope to have a little trial over the weekend to see if I qualify to join Sue-Ann's Clamshell Club I have always wanted to make a cot quilt! Google both our Designer's sites if you would like to find some patterns.

I hope we have more lovely sunshine in the morning - maybe I will get to have a little play on my machine. It has been a very 'up and down' week for me - makes me really appreciate the good times! Its been nice checking out some blogs, welcoming a few new Followers (a big Thank You!) and please pop over and visit our new Blogger Helen at Cats Meow - Helen is a gorgeous girl and an accomplished quilter - I'm sure we can drag her into a few projects over time !

Have a fun weekend!

PS - Gee it is lovely to say hello again!

In My Little Corner of the World!

It seems like a little while since I've been here - quite a lot of Reading and Inspiration - very little Commenting and Replying (Sorry!). I have been trying to sew - flopped - aargh! Oh, I've been extra wicked, too -I have missed two Fat Quarter Birthday Swaps also - 'hey - that's enough, Girl - move on, no matter what!'

. One gorgeous folk art platter from Intercourse, Pennsylvania to Perth, Western Australia - love those leaves on the tree.

. Below it, a jug from Ikea - local, but simple and lovely.

. Back right - have any of you received a pressie too precious to use - just too gorgeous and made for me by Chookyblue. Ah, ha, I do use it and quite a lot, too - for little sewing tools, the odd business card I know I will use, a tiny fabric swatch I know I will need to match!

It is so lovely to get away from the real world for a little while - this is the most beautiful milk jug cover I have ever seen - see how the tiny beads are slipped on the thread and crocheted to form the star design - there could be no background design more suitable than Liberty of London!

A late lunch again, some birthday present posting (I'm so sad and sorry, Barbara, Christine and of course you too, Maree - I feel I will be blacklisted in Blogland,and here I am telling all the world about it!). Please forgive me for all my wicked ways!

Nancy Nine Patch!

I love antique quilts - back left, here is an original that has inspired me - pop over to True Blue Quilting Nana to see Nancy's wonderful treasure - perhaps around 70 years old - thank you Nancy for allowing me to keep this little beauty alive!


I've had a few hours of fun this yesterday afternoon and feel sure I will achieve the look I want. I have chosen Retro-Thirtyish, now is there such a thing? Fresh, bright and pretty - and really there is quite a challenge in this not so simple 9-patch - perhaps not the best way to get into the swing of things, we'll see - maybe a simple 9-Patch would have been enough, this will be quite different with all those little individual squares to make the secondary 9-patches that join the blocks together!

I have chosen 2" cuts (finish 1.5") and I will be trying my best to spend a little time each day to try to pull this quilt together. She will be called Nancy 9-Patch - there we go, now that is a commitment. She will be a scrappy of course - I'm popping to the machine now to try to get a little more done - let's see if she is suitable for a Quiltalong - no two quilts would look alike!

Ta-ta for now!

You Are Going To Love This!

I have one very Lucky Girlfriend! And aren't we so lucky to share this at our Sewing Day last Tuesday! Gwen's Best Friend bought her this fabulous pic for her - read on and enjoy!

Here is a some work of the Earth from Above by Yann Arthus-Bertrand! - spectacular! The above I took at Gwen's place with my new camera - no flash required, so how great is that! These are wonderful cotton fabrics drying in the sun, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India!
See those tiny figures and their shadows in the lower left-hand corner!

This one I have snuck from the Internet! To see more of Yann's wonderful work, Google Images for Yann Arthus-Bertrand. I have spent literally hours browsing - great pain-killer on this very chilly day! There is so much written and pictorial interest surrounding this wonderful artist, so please have a little look if you are that way inclined.

This week has slipped by with no production - again! - lots of inspiration there though! I have a big black cloud hanging over my head in the way of medical bills - it is enough putting up with the inconvenience of being unwell, but worse still trying to sort out the red tape, lol! Maybe I will bite the bullet now and have a little think in the Sewing Studio tomorrow! Happy weekend everyone!

PS - oh, I am going for careful, gentle little drives in the car - I feel like a bird set free - I promise I will be extra careful!

Here's Hoping!

Have I turned a corner - maybe! - less pain, more enthusiasm!
Another start at another lot of Granny Squares - must apply myself and keep on moving! Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino is just so gorgeous and soft - as I have mentioned before, my squares have been inspired by Attic24 (I do have some old tricks I find hard to change!) - I'm about to try her method of joining the squares together!

Look what I have - I'm not feeling at all enthusiastic about installing it - seems all a little too much for my learning curve at the moment! I would love any encouragement I can get from you Girls - I'm a total Newbie and wonder if I have bought a monster!

This doesn't go down really well with Nanny - my little Heidi-Ho has joined AusKick with Byron. She does do ballet, too, so maybe not so much of a tomboy - all of my girls have been Girlie-girls!
She has informed me she was telling Byron that is not the right way to hold a football - 'I wasn't going to kick it, Heidi - I was just carrying it!' - poor Byron - I have told him to tell her to get back to her ballet,lol! Have fun!

Whew!

I don't think I should talk about the past week too much - let's stay on a happy note! My shoulders? - let's just say I had some fairly decent sleep last night - was sadly mistaken and don't see my surgeon until next Wednesday and I am choosing not to speculate about the outcome! I have a computer up and running, now let's cross fingers - I have an exchange camera Olympus E-PLI with inbuilt flash - seems beautiful, but again, I am too frightened to be too optimistic! Down to business - I had some applique pieces prepared for GT&SB - here they are and two fat-quarters I bought at the show - along with a donkey pattern that was it!

Another block finished - without too much difficulty I might add - perhaps I will become a quilter again!

I had seen this gorgeous book around in Blogland so ordered it - I am thrilled - now to decide which blocks to use for a small rug. I have a lovely range of DK wool!

♥

I am going to lunch today with a few Girlfriends! - really looking forward to that as I am not quite the socialite I would like to be these days. Oh, when will I get to drive that car again? Again, enjoy your weekend, maybe a little stitching and crocheting for me. Off to have a little browse at your Posts - hope everyone is fine and happy!

Happy Weekend!

Not for me sadly - just a little learning curve going on here, it won't beat me!

Now I don't have a computer - oh, I'm so sad! I'm using David's laptop to say a little hello to everyone. I just hope I have all the data on mine still - a techo will be out Tuesday morning, if I don't decide to chuck a Charlie in the meantime and run around the streets begging for help!

Happy Weekend everyone - do some more stitching for me please!

Popping in to Say Hello!

It is a week since I last posted and really I don't know what to say! Friday last week I visited the podiatrist in the afternoon, rolled on my left shoulder (the original bad one!) to get off the bed, toppled over and dislocated my right shoulder. I have lots and lots of severe pain and don't know where I will go from here - I came out of hospital Sunday afternoon and I'm waiting to hear from my orthopaedic surgeon now!

Meanwhile, best wishes to you all - I really have very little interest in anything, so you will all have to puddle along and make up for my lost time. lol!

Playing With the Baby!

I had a Girlfriend drop in this morning and am expecting another Girlfriend to drop in this afternoon and here I am playing! Should be tidying and folding clothes - how boring! Was to have gone to a Cancer Morning Tea today and am really belting myself up - often I find things 'too hard to do' these days - oh, when is it going to get better! Lots of clicking going on with my new camera - I do love it! I have made a few little Klosjes - I am not enjoying making them, but keep at it Girl!

I sent to Fresh Squeezed Fabrics for pinky off-cuts - here's the bundle - I'm really happy with them - thought maybe this year I would a softie for Holloween from this pattern, so ordered it, too! Great service, so I'm happy!

Another great little find - 6" squares of Liberty Paisley - associated with Kaffe Fasset! I just adore the range - fabulous colour - oh, I could put them to so many uses!

A stroll outside with my baby and I still have beautiful red roses smiling at me - a little neglected and probably the last bloom just before winter - rain is supposed to start this afternoon!

I told you I was buying bubbly for Mother's Day - the Girls and I enjoyed this little splurge - a fine Australian sparkling wine with hibiscus flowers? added - I think they are really rosellas!

Last but not least - my big boy, Ronan! He was an orphaned Siamese Fighter brought home to me by DD - he's the friendliest fish I have ever had and as you can see has a very healthy appetite - I so enjoy him!

I can hear you all saying 'thank God!' if you have managed to stay with me - maybe tomorrow I will start playing with my sewing machine again - hope so! Happy day!