Vicki's Blog - Living life a day at a time

Mani's quilt

2012-02-05T10:20:00.004+11:00

I've been working on a quilt for a friends 50th birthday... yesterday I finally finished the top, laid it out for the backing and batting and machine quilted it as well!!!
A mammoth effort for me. Admittedly the quilt is not as big as most that I have made being only 46 inches square so it was not as hard to lay out and quilt.

Ready for quilting

Quilted and ready for the borders

Hopefully today I'll cut the borders and have the quilt finished during the week.

My Sampler quilt is finished!

2012-02-05T10:09:00.002+11:00

Yesterday I finished my sampler quilt. This quilt was lots of fun and I learnt so much about quilting while making it.

The quilt is a mixture of techniques and my first attempt at machine quilting. I am pleased with how it looks even though there are a few little mistakes in it.

Block 1. Pinwheel Block.

Block 2. Double Monkey Wrench

Block 3. Attic Windows

Block 4. Log Cabin Block

Block 5. Honey Bee

Block 6. Dresden Plate

Block 7. Drunkard's path

Block 8 - Jacobs Ladder

Block 9 - Block of your own choice

Quilting quilts

2012-02-01T11:55:00.004+11:00

The last few weeks I have been working on finishing off a few quilts. It's exciting to see my quilts nearly finished after working on them for so long.

Postcards from Paris quilt
I'm taking my 'Postcards from Paris' quilt to the quilting man tonight along with my friends quilt. We went and brought the batting together yesterday so we are both all set to go!

Postcards from Paris quilt - ready for the quilter

Olivia's pink quilt
In a determined effort to get some quilts finished this year I've been spending most evenings working Olivia's quilt and now only have one more row to quilt. As it's summer at the moment and we have had some really hots days with temperatures in the high 30's its been a challenge quilting and keeping cool. Thankfully I have air-conditioning so I'm able to sit under a vent!

I'm loving quilting Olivia's quilt. I've just using 'stitch in the ditch' over the top. Having a check pattern on the back is both good and bad - good that it gives me lines to follow ensure my stitching is straight but bad as it shows up any crooked stitching lines! Tonight I'll finish the last row of quilting and then be able to trim the batting and sew the binding on later in the week.

Olivia's quilt

Sampler Quilt
My first efforts of machine quilting!! I decided that my sampler quilt would be a good way to learn and practice machine quilting. I am really pleased with my efforts. there a few places where the fabric has caught at the back and a few wobbly lines but overall I am really pleased with how the quilting looks. A project for today is to trim the excess batting ready to sew the binding on over the next few evenings.

Ready for the borders

Charlie gives his stamp of approval!

A quilt Lucas

2012-01-10T14:45:00.000+11:00

Lucas's Spinning Wheels Quilt

I've started my next hand pieced quilting project a few nights ago. I have chosen a block from my Quilters Album by Jinny Beyer called 'Spinning Wheels' for Lucas, another one of my great nephews.

I'm using some of the same fabrics used in Jake's Sinning Castles and Lachlan's Spinning Stars quilts. I'm not sure why but the quilts for my great nephews are much more complicated that the quilts for my great nieces. Maybe it's because I haven't had to make as many.

With the pattern and fabrics chosen I have graphed out the block design from the book, created the cardboard templates and have sewn together the first block. I am yet to decide whether I will make the quilt just from these blocks using the different coloured fabrics in each block or whether I will add a sashing in between the blocks. I will sew some more blocks before deciding.

Spinning Wheel block being used for Lucas's quilt

Blue toned fabrics

The cream fabrics

Graphing the design ready for the templates

Cardboard templates

The first of many Spinning Wheel blocks for Lucas's quilt

New fabrics for quilts

2012-01-10T14:09:00.000+11:00

Fabric for some more Quilts

I have enjoyed machine sewing Jessica's quilt so much that I have brought some fabrics on sale to make two or three new quilts. I am not sure what pattern I will use but am thinking of simple squares and rectangles. Hopefully if the quilts are sewn neatly enough I may be able to sell some to friends... one day....

Hopefully enough fabric for two new quilts

I really need to finish off Jessica's and Mani's quilts before I start anything new but I have a feeling my impatience will win out in the end.

New fabric for a bright quilt

Hand quilting Olivia's quilt

2012-01-10T14:04:00.000+11:00

Olivia's quilt

Most of my evenings are spent hand quilting Olivia's pink quilt. I decided to do a simple 'in the ditch' stitch around the squares. I had planned to have Sarah, Hannah and Olivia quilts finished last year but that plan got delayed since meeting Andrew. Thankfully he is patient and best of all likes seeing me sit and sew. If I'm not sewing he'll ask me why I'm not sewing - a hint to pick up the needle.

Normally I just baste the quilts with basting spray but recently I started using the curved safety pins as well.

Olivia's quilt

Safety pins cover the back of the quilt

a section of quilting (needs pressing)

Mani's 'Shabby Chic' quilt

2012-01-10T12:53:00.002+11:00

Mani's Shabby Chic quilt

I started another quilt towards the end of last year for a girlfriends 50th Birthday. I have finally sewn the quilt together ready for the batting and backing.

I had trouble sewing the quilt on my old machine. The machine didn't like the changes in fabric thickness between the cotton and chenille.

I have now resewn parts of the quilt ready to be finished off. I am planning to machine quilt this quilt using a shadow stitch line around the blocks.

Lachlan's Spinning Stars Quilt

2012-01-10T12:46:00.002+11:00

I've been working on Lachlan's hand pieced 'Spinning Stars' quilt all of 2011 having started cutting the templates and fabrics in 2010.

Over the last two week I finished the borders and am now ready to put the batting and backing on before hand quilting it.

I have been keeping a blog of making Lachlan's quilt so if you'd like to read it you can find it at: http://spinningstarsquilt.blogspot.com.au/

I made my other great nephew a quilt called 'Spinning Castles' and have now started on a third quilt for my other great nephew Lucas. Lucas's quilt design is called 'Spinning Wheels'. I have been able to use the same fabrics in all three quilts just adding a few extra as I go along.

Jake's Spinning Castles quilt

Lachlan's Spinning Stars quilt

The first block of Lucas's Spinning Wheels quilt

Jessica's Matryoshka quilt

2012-01-10T12:36:00.000+11:00

Jessica's Quilt
Jessica's is the first quilt I have sewn totally by machine. It has been so much fun seeing it come together so fast. Thee have been times that I feel like I am 'cheating' but I felt the pattern was really more suited to sewing on a cine rather than my usual method of English piecing. I just hope that Jessica doesn't feel that I took the easy way out to sew her quilt.

For Jessica I am making a Rosalie Quinlan design called 'Matryoshka quilt'. I chose the fabrics with Ruth when I was in Canberra before Jessica was even born.

Cutting out the fabrics

It took me two days to cut out all the fabric for this quilt. Cutting the strips took the longest time!

I had a lot of fun sewing the blocks and loved the way they came together so fast. I was on holidays after Christmas so had lots of free time to sit and sew.

First blocks sewn together

Blocks pressed ready to be laid out before sewing together

Pressing the blocks took almost as much time as sewing them!

With 49 blocks sewn it was time to lay the quilt out and place the blocks. It was harder than I thought to make sure that I didn't use the same block colours next to each other.

Laying out the blocks

Like sewing the blocks, the quilt top came together very fast. I think I sewed and pressed it all in two afternoons - the fastest ever time for me!

Jessica's quilt

Charlie testing out the backing for Jessica's quilt as I ironed it.

Charlie giving the quilt a test run.

Charlie thinks this quilt is very comfortable - time for a nap

I am now looking forward to sewing the Matryoshka dolls onto the quilt. There are seven dolls - one on each row.

2012.. a new year and more quilts

2012-01-10T12:22:00.000+11:00

It's the 10th January 2012already and I've started the year with lots of projects from last year to finish and new one started and others not far away.

Just in the last two weeks I have sewn a quilt top for Jessica, put the bindings on Lachlan's quilt ready for batting backing & quilting, sewn a quilt for a friend, brought materialfor two new quilts and designed and sewed the first block of Lucas's quilt. Not a bad effortfor two weeks into the year!

One of the biggest changes for me this year with quilting is that I havedecided that machine sewing quilts is not so bad after all!

For Christmas I was given some vouchers so I am now the happyowner of not one but two sewing machines. A little decadent butit now means I have a machine for quilting and a machine for basicsewing and repairs.

I finally bit the bullet and decided to put away my treadmillwhich I haven't used properly in over two years (It's had more use as aclotheshorse than a walking machine!) and make myself a sewing corner in theback room.

My new sewing area.

I am looking forward to another year of creating quilts for my family and friends and am excited to see what I make this year.

My year in photos

2011-12-30T12:18:00.001+11:00

Flowers from Andrew 2011

Pictures of me 2011

Andrew & me 2011

Charlie 2011

A Year of Craft in Photos

2011-12-30T11:18:00.000+11:00

Mixed projects for 2011

Post Cards from Paris quilt 2011

Lachlan's quilt 2011

Roman Blinds for Andrew 2011

Sampler quilt 2011

A quilt for a special girl

2011-12-30T09:49:00.000+11:00

This year I have been a kids hope mentor. With my little girl I decided to make a quilt with her. Every week we sat and hand stitched our blocks together and at the end of the year she had a special quilt that would be a reminder of out time together.

Pinning the top to the batting and backing.

The finished quilt

A very proud little girl

Mani's quilt

2011-12-30T09:36:00.001+11:00

Mani's quilt

I was asked to sew a quilt for a girlfriend and decided to make it for her 50th birthday. Unfortunately I didn't get it finished for her birthday but I don't think she'll mind if it's a little bit (well a lot!) late.

This is only the second quilt that I have sewn on the machine. Machine sewing is definitely a lot faster than hand stitching! I've sewn the top using a quilt kit and have added extra fabric to make the border. I just have to put the quilt together and will machine quilt it using a shadow stitch around the blocks.

A wide border helps make the quilt a bit bigger.

Charlie just had to try out the top of the quilt

Update on my 'Postcards from Paris' quilt

2011-12-27T09:51:00.000+11:00

I have my Postcards from Paris quilt ready to be machine quilted in the new year. My family have given me some money towards finishing the quilt for Christmas which was lovely as the quilt will always be a reminder of Christmas gifts from my family.

Mary, a friend from my craft group has been using my pattern to make a quilt for herself. Mary has sewn her quilt using blanket stitch whereas I have used needle-turn appliqué. She has also used different fabrics and on some blocks added her own design. It's amazing how different and yet similar the quilts look.

Mary's 'Postcards from Paris' quit

Mary's 'Postcards from Paris' quilt

I am looking forward to Mary sewing her blocks together and finishing her borders so that we can take our quilts to the quilter to have quilted.

Quilting my sampler quilt

2011-12-15T08:11:00.000+11:00

I have put together my sampler quilt and am really pleased with how it looks. I've decided to try and quilt it on the machine - mostly shadow quilting around the blocks with some hand quilting around the teapot and Dresden plate.

My first attempt at machine quilting is going well. I have used basting glue but will also use quilting safety pins to help keep the pieces together.

In my last quilting class my teacher showed me how she lays her quilt over a trestle table and uses monster bulldog clips to hold the quilt in place while she pins the layers together. This method looks much easier than laying the quilt out on a large table. I have been using 3 dress making cutting board to make my table big enough to fit the quilt which worked well but leaves me very little space to walk around the room.

Another great tip for quilting was to use rubber dish washing gloves when your machine quilting. Simple but great as the material doesn't slip under your hands!

Charlie testing out the quilt

I'm hoping to get more machine quilting done this week and get the quilt finished. It would have been great to finish it before the new year but I'm not sure that's likely to happen.

sampler quilt top finished

Front of quilt - machine quilted

The back of the quilt - My first attempt at machine quilting

Borders completed

2011-10-30T09:22:00.005+11:00

I've now finished the borders on my Postcards from Paris quilt!!

It is ready to be quilted but this time I am breaking from tradition and am going to have it professionally quilted. I love hand quilting but with this quilt being over 80 inch square its far to big for me to manage.

Charlie giving the quilt his stamp of approval..

This is one of the biggest projects I've undertaken and I can't wait until it's finished!

I'm not sure how I will use the quilt yet but I'm thinking I will hang this quilt on the wall and use the Charm Tumbler quilt on my bed.

Andrew's jumper finsihed

2011-10-30T09:04:00.000+11:00

I finished Andrews jumper three weeks ago and gave it to him on our six month anniversary.

It was great to see him try it on and best of all to see that it fitted him. It's the first time I've knitter a shawl neck line and found it much easier than knitting a 'V' or 'round' neck where you have to pick up stitches.

proud in his new jumper...

Exciting week - a little bit closer to finishing my Postcards from Paris Quilt

2011-10-22T12:32:00.002+11:00

This week has been exciting as I'm a little bit closer to finishing my Postcards from Paris quilt.

I finished the checkerboard and borders on the centre medallion block and have now sewn all the blocks together! Yesterday I cut out the final borders and am hoping to sew them onto the quilt today.

Butterflies

2011-10-22T12:27:00.000+11:00

This week I made some more butterflies using a pattern called 'Blossom' by Melly & Me. I've made these butterflies before but this time I decided to try and make them smaller so I reduced the pattern to 69% on my photocopier. I was not sure how they would work out or how I would go making the antennas as last time they caused me no end of grief.

To my surprise they have turned out fantastic! I think they are better in the smaller size than the original size.

One of these is for my great niece Jessica and the other for my home help ladies granddaughter.

I now have orders to make them for people so it looks like I'll be getting to know the pattern very well.

'Blossom' butterflies

Sampler Quilt

2011-10-05T11:03:00.003+11:00

I've now finished all the blocks of my sampler quilt - 9 in total. The last two finished were Jacobs Ladder and a free block where we could choose what we wanted.

Block 8 - Jacobs Ladder

This block can be hand-pieced or machine pieced. In the class everyone machine pieced their blocks but as I didn't take my sewing machine I hand pieced my block.

Block 8: Jacobs Ladder - hand pieced

Block 9 - Block of your own choice

Block 9: Block of our own choice

For the block of my own choice I decided to applique a teapot and cup and saucer onto a plain white backing.

Sampler quilt laid out to check placement of blocks

In the next class we are cutting and sewing the sashings and hopefully finishing the top of the quilt ready for the batting and backing. I am planning to try my hand at quilting on my sewing machine using my walking foot.

Postcards from Paris quilt

2011-10-03T14:49:00.001+11:00

I can't believe that I am up to putting the top of my Postcards from Paris quilt together.

Last week I completed the Centre Medallion and did the borders of the hat boxes and two of the other blocks. I still have the checker blocks of the centre medallion to sew before I can put all the blocks together. So far I have sewn the top and bottom row of blocks. Can't wait to finish the rest of it.

Centre medallion (needing an iron!)

roses with a floral top

Hat box 1

Hat box 2

flowers with lace

flowers with white & green borders

top & bottom row of quilt sewn together

Charlie thought it was time he tried out the quilt

The Roman Blinds are finished!

2011-10-02T09:53:00.002+11:00

It was a pretty exciting last weekend when we hung the last three roman blinds. After the first two I'd learnt so many easier ways of sewing them that I am really happy with these ones.

Taking down the old curtain fittings

Nearly up - kitchen window

first of the small sun room blinds up

Sun room windows

A great view from the sun room window - amazing how much more light comes in without the old curtains

Happy with these roman blinds on the sun room windows

Butterflies & Bags

2011-09-16T10:36:00.000+10:00

In between my other projects I've been busy making 'butterfly' blocks for a quilt and bags for children.

At church we recently heard of an lady come and talk about the Butterfly Children's Hospice that they had set up in China. One of the ladies at church decided that it would be lovely to make a big 'Butterfly' quilt for them to out on the wall so at Brink (my craft group) we are all making blocks for the quilts. I've made three so far and have one more to make.

September is also time for Christmas boxed to be filled for the Samaritan's Purse Australia. This year instead of filling boxes I've decided to make material bags, like a library bag, for the children so that they can have a bag to keep their presents and treasures in after the boxes break. I've made 15 so far and have enough material to make another 20 or more.

bags for Samaritans Purse Christmas boxes

The loungeroom roman blind is finished!!

2011-09-16T10:17:00.002+10:00

I can't believe that I have finished the biggest of the roman blinds for Andrew's house. It looks fairly good although I can see the slightly crooked stitching lines, little pins marks and of course all the creased from being folded up after a little delay with my hand and foot.

The blind measures 314cm wide and 133 cm long. I had to put five pulleys along the top for the cords and as you can't buy doweling that long I had to join pieces into the pockets.

I am so pleased that the blind is fairly easy to put up and down. I was worried that the width would cause a problem but I guess with t only being 133cm long there is not to much curtain weight going through each pulley.

I have three more roman blinds to make. After this one they have been a breeze to sew. The blinds are all sewn and the pockets for the rods are ironed and ready to sew... my planned job for today.

this is the old yellow curtain that I'm replacing with the roman blind.

Starting the mammoth technical operation to get the blind up

..almost there

..being swallowed by the blind

It's finally up.. a little creased but hopefully they'll drop out

one very happy man

Spring has sprung

2011-09-14T08:23:00.002+10:00

I love Spring and getting out into the garden. This year my Weeping Cherry looks the best it's ever looked. My weeping peach doesn't have as many flowers but the color is so vibrant.

I planted 3 camellias along my back fence - an Emperor of Russia, Carolyn Tuttle and Jennifer Susanne. They look great have already have lots of new buds.

I love gardening and had fund planting my new trees. Unfortunately my great gardening effort wasn't without incident - I had another fall which left me rather battered and bruised. I had a wonderful black eye that gave great color to my right eye and the side of my face. I have a suspected small crack in the scaphoid of my wrist and also have a another broken bone in my foot. This fracture in my 4th metatarsal (the last was in my 5th metatarsal) happened before the fall but wasn't diagnosed until I had a bone scan to see what was causing the pain in my foot.

My hand is doing well and the black eye has cleared up. My right foot however, has been reacquainted with the CAM boot. Cam boot and I are working on improving our friendship. Its definitely a dislike/tolerate relationship which needs lots of work.

Just for fun: I had a sit on Andrew's new John Deere tractor (yep with my broken hand and foot!)

Postcards from Paris - Vase of Roses

2011-08-03T10:16:00.004+10:00

A Vase of Roses - another block for my Postcards from Paris Quilt

Some friends have asked how I get the time to sew with my life so busy lately but it's because it's so busy that I've needed to take time out and do some sewing and knitting to relax.

I really enjoyed making this block and love how it has turned out. As I was cutting the materials I wasn't sure about the fabrics given in the pack as they seemed to be all to much the same but looking at it finished I really like the way it looks.

I'm working on another block which just needs some leaves and the edging sewn on and then have two more blocks to go. I might even get the quilt finished by Christmas if I keep sewing at this pace!

Quilting lessons - Two more blocks finished

2011-08-03T10:02:00.004+10:00

I've now finished blocks 5 and 6 from my quilting lessons.

Block 5. Honey Bee

This block is machine pieced and needle turn-appliqued by hand, using the freezer paper method.

Block 6. Dresden Plate

This traditional block is paper-pieced and appliqued

I loved making this block as it was what I know and is the method I use to make most of my quilts.

I have never tried sewing curves using paper piecing before so that was fun to try and not as scary as I'd thought.

One Roman Blind finished and hanging on the door

2011-08-03T08:53:00.019+10:00

I've finished my first ever Roman Blind and think it's turned out rather well... a bit proud of it I am! We hung it on the door on the weekend and it's amazing the difference it makes to the room. I'm now working on the biggest blind for the lounge room.

My dinning room looks like a sewing room with the table covered with 3 big dressmaking cutting boards. I've had to use ironing boards and whatever else I have around the house to help prop the boards up. On Saturday I borrowed my neighbours ironing board and Andrew brought his down for me to use as well. A bit of improvisation to make a cutting surface big enough for a 3 and a bit meter wide blind but it works.

I thought finding patterns for Roman Blinds would be easy but it wasn't. There are a lot of patterns on the Internet and some videos but I couldn't find anything that told me exactly what material I needed and how to cut and sew the material. I brought a simplicity pattern but that just made me more confused! After a bit of sewing and unpicking making the first blind I have been able to work out ways that have made the cutting and sewing much easier.

One really simple change was with the pockets for the rods. Rather than sewing the material right side facing and then turning the sleeve inside out, I now cut the material into strips adding a bit extra to fold the raw edges on both ends over then iron the whole strip in half. Once in half I then iron a small fold on each side of the strip and press it towards the centre. With the sides folded into the centre fold and pin the whole strip in half and then stitch as close to the edge as possible. Voila!! You now have a pocket for your rods without having to turn them inside out. The pockets are then sewn onto the back of the blind in the same way.

I used pulleys instead of eyelets on the mounting board for the cords to pass through. The cords seem to move more smoothly when putting the blinds up and down.

The other thing I'm doing on my blinds which none of the patterns I found suggested is to sew around the edges of the blinds on the right side. To me it gives the blind a more 'finished' look.
Well.... enough of this and back to sewing ....

Knitting a jumper and making roman blinds

2011-07-18T10:41:00.004+10:00

I know, I know, I know!!! I have more than enough projects on the go but I guess there's always a little time do do a few more.

A while ago Andrew had asked me to knit him a jumper and we'd seen some wool and pattern that we both liked but it was going to be quiet expensive and as I already have enough projects on the go we decided to leave it for now. Well.... on one of my regular shopping trips to Spotlight I saw that wool was on special so I decided to have a look. At 40% off I couldn't resist that kind of sale and brought the wool and pattern. I haven't knitted for a while and am enjoying picking up the needles again. So far I've knitted the back and part of the front. I'm hoping to get it finished by the end of winter but that is going to be a big ask even for me!

My other new project is making Roman blinds for Andrew's house. I've never made them before so this will be a big challenge and hopefully one I wont mess up!
Somehow this pile of material is going to turn into 5 Roman Blinds!

A catchup on my life so far this year

2011-06-17T08:02:00.025+10:00

More than half of 2011 year has gone already and as usual life has been busy with day to day things, special events and for me there is now a new man in my life.
March
My fourth beautiful great niece was born on the 12th February 2011 to my niece Ruth and her husband Josh.

I went to Canberra Jessica's dedication in March. It was lovely staying with Ruth, Josh, Sarah, Hannah, Olivia and Jessica. While there I also spent some time with my nephew Jonathon and his family, Melanie, Lachlan and Lucas.
April

I finished Jake's quilt just in time for his birthday on the 7th April. A few late nights getting it finished but it was worth it.

Easter 2011 is one I will never forget. On Friday (Good Friday) 22nd April at 3.25pm I received an email from a man. That email was the first of a few which were followed by phone calls and then meeting and having the most wonderful days together firstly at Healesville Sanctuary then Marysville. Lunch at Mary's cafe was followed by wonderful lunch at CloudeHill on the Friday.

I never thought than an email would have led to this wonderful man becoming part of my life..... life's so good.

June

Well... June 12th I turned 50! I decided that I wanted to celebrate my birthday this year as I had so much to be thankful for - being alive when really I should not have survived after my asthma attacks and the subarchnoid hemorrhage. I'd completed my Advanced Diploma after over 10 years of study, I have a wonderful circle of family and friends, a wonderful church & craft group and more recently I met my wonderful man.

My niece made me the most beautiful cake with a patchwork design which everyone loved and people are still talking about!
I had a party with 40 friends in the coffee shop at TLC.

It is a beautiful rustic place built of mud brick with wonderful hand made wooden tables and chairs. It was lovely being able to celebrate my birthday and my life with my family and friends together and seeing everyone chat and enjoying each other was really nice.

Butterflies

2011-06-17T07:34:00.007+10:00

With friends having babies I decided to make them a butterfly each.

I used a pattern called 'Blossom' by Melly & Me. I love their bright and colorful patterns and most are very easy to sew.
The hardest part of making the butterflies was turning the antennas inside out and then stuffing them.
These are my very bright colorful creatures.

The best part of making gifts like this is seeing them with the baby.

Here's baby Imogen with her butterfly.

Quilting lessons

2011-06-16T08:17:00.012+10:00

This year I have started quilting lessons for the first time since I was 16 years old. Through a 'Bear & Craft' Sewing group that I go to I've had the opportunity to have lessons which I attend once a month on a Saturday.
We are making a quilt simply called a 'Sample Quilt'. Each time we make a block using different methods. I am enjoying the classes and have learnt so much. Even sewing quilts on a machine doesn't scare me as much as it used to.

Block 1. Pinwheel Block.
This is a four-patch block that introduces the use of templates and accurate hand piecing.

Block 2. Double Monkey Wrench

This block included half square triangles and machine piecing (scary as!!)

Block 3. Attic Windows

This is a hand-pieced block teaching mitred corners and raw edge applique

Block 4. Log Cabin Block

This block showed us a classic and versatile machine pieced block.

Charlie thought it was time to give his approval of my block.

Jake's Spinning Castles Quilt completed

2011-04-16T21:22:00.010+10:00

Wow... I can't believe I finally finished Jake's Spinning Castles quilt in time for his 7th birthday on the 7th April 2011.

I completed the gold stitching and wiping off pencil markings at 1.45am staying up late so that I could give it to Jake for birthday.

This quilt has been a long time in the making. I chose the pattern and material in September 2008 however didn't start sewing it until May 2009. As with all my other quilts, this is quilt is sewn all by hand as well as hand quilted with circles on each block. I embroidered Jake's name and the date I completed it in gold thread on one edge of the binding.

I loved sewing Jake's quilt and having him watch and check it's progress when he visited was extra special.

Having finished Jake's quilt and seeing his face when I gave it to him inspires me to get moving and finish the other quilts that I have on the go.

Charlie loves trying out quilts whenever I lay them out on the bed to photograph them. It's become a tradition for me now to take a photo of him on any quilts I am making.

Making clothes

2011-01-12T13:30:00.006+11:00

I've been expanding my sewing the last few weeks and have now made a little dress for a friend's daughter Jade. It's a simple sundress and probably the easiest one you could sew! I have enough material to make 2 other dresses for Jade and 3 little sundresses for 2 other little girls from the left over material.

I also brought a pattern and material to make some little overalls for Rillian. I haven't had time to sew much the last week but hopefully I'll be able to do some this weekend.

The first day of a new year......1 January 2011

2011-01-01T23:24:00.017+11:00

Today is the 1st January 2011 or as some people write 1/1/11.

Last night I thought about the year just past - it was full of personal challenges and ongoing health issues, happy & sad times, new and old things, work and holidays. In amongst everything I always had a craft project or two or three on the go.

Last night was also a time to think ahead to the new year. I have wishes, hopes and dreams for how I would like the year to be but I will take and embrace what comes to me as it happens - the good and the bad. I don't know what this year will hold for me but I do know that I will continue to work on my quilts and other craft projects.

I've started the year off by finishing a quilt and a needle felted beaver today. The beaver is the second one of an order I had from a guy who wanted a beaver on a key ring. I'm pleased with how it has turned out and hopefully it will suit it's purpose as a mascot for hiking through the Victorian Mountains.

I made my first ever quilt by machine! Yes - by machine!! I never thought I'd ever sew a quilt on a machine but this one is for some friends who I'd promised to make a quilt for their baby, Rillian when he was born.

Not only was Rillian's quilt sewn by machine I only used fabric from my stash and batting which was leftover from another quilt. I went through my boxes of fabric and took a big selection around to Rillian's parents and asked them to choose the colors that they liked. I wasn't sure how the quilt would look but am pleased with how it has turned out.

Charlie thinks the quilt isn't too bad either!

I really enjoyed making Rillian's quilt and feel inspired to make more quilts using up the fabric from my boxes. I might even make more by machine.

With Rillian's quilt and the beaver finished, my main priority for this year is to finish Jake's quilt and then the girls quilts. I am hoping to finish Sarah, Hannah and Olivia's quilts by the end of February so that I can take them up to Canberra after their baby sister is born.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T08:56:00.042+11:00

This year has flown by so fast that I can't believe it's Christmas already. I celebrated Christmas last Saturday with some of my family and had Christmas lunch and afternoon with my Nephew Philip, his wife Melissa, my great nephew Jake, my mother and Melissa's family. I'm looking forward to a relaxed day today after the busyness of the last few weeks. I have spent far too many late nights cooking and sewing. Christmas eve I was up until 2am (yet again!) making mini Christmas puddings, mini mince pies and some special chocolate crackles.

I am also looking after a dog for some friends for a week. He's a big Labrador who is well behaved but just a lot bigger than my Charlie. I took them for a walk last night - they look like a mismatched pair sitting side by side at the curb.

This year I decided to make presents for some of my great nephews and my great nieces. It was a good in theory but something I should have thought about starting earlier in the year. I spent many a later night sewing rabbits, sheep and bags. I haven't made many toys or bags before but really enjoyed making these things.

I made these rabbits called 'Pocket and Floss' by Melly & Me. I gave one to a lady at work who had a little girl. I gave her 'Pocket'. I gave 'Floss' to my cleaner's little granddaughter for Christmas. She is looking after her grand daughter full time while her daughter is trying to get help for a drug addiction.

'Black sheep, White Sheep' also by Melly & Me are for Lachlan and Lucus. For some reason I had in my mind I was making cows.. well I guess at 2am it does get a bit hard to know what your making!

I saw a pattern for bags earlier in the year. I loved the bright colors so decided to make these for Sarah, Hannah and Olivia. The pattern is called 'for the girls.. Little Frilly Bag and Love your Heart Bag' by Janelle Wind.

It was lovely to get this photo sent to me of the children with their presents.

Where to start.. so much happening and so many things on the go

2010-11-22T23:17:00.033+11:00

I have returned to work after 10 weeks off with my foot. I had a large screw and a graft in an attempt to heal the fracture. The operation was 2 years and 6 days from the date of the accident. Unfortunately the last x-ray taken six weeks after the surgery didn't show any signs of the bone healing so it's looking like I'll need further surgery on it. I have another x- ray and see the doctor in December so will see how things are going then.

I found this operation and I think the build up to making the decision really took a toll on my body. It wasn't helped by the delay in getting back onto my arthritis injections which meant I had a flare up at the same time. I felt emotionally and physically drained so after talking to my surgeon I decided to get away for a while so was lucky enough to be able to go to Canberra for two weeks which was a fantastic break before returning to work. I loved staying with my niece Ruth and her family, Josh (husband) and the girls, Sarah, Hannah & Olivia. I felt very welcomed and with staying an extended time it meant I got to know everyone much better. It was also great to spend time with my nephew Jonathon and his wife Melanie and my great nephews, Lachlan and Lucas. I also loved meeting Lucas and had lots of cuddles.

I have been working on so many things recently. My time has been spilt between working on Jake's quilt - I only have 1 and a bit more blocks to quilt, Lachlan's quilt, my block of the month, needle felting animals & sewing doggy hats to sell, making a rabbit for a baby's present and preparing another quilt ready to sew by machine.

It's a bit overwhelming when I look at everything but I really do enjoy everything I make - it would be much better if I didn't have to work or do housework as well!

Here are a few snapshots of things I'm working on.

I'm hooked on needle felting

2010-09-24T11:21:00.006+10:00

I'm hooked on needle felting. It's a great change from sewing although a dangerous craft as the needles are so sharp. My fingers have been jabbed quite a few times.

Yesterday I decided to buy a few more supplies which have made it much easier to felt. I brought a 'needle pen' which has three needles in it making it faster to felt. You can take needles out for finer work and use one or two needles. Instead of the foam I brought a brush as well. I also brought a book on Needle felting called 'Needle Felting Magic by Barbara Allan. I'm looking forward to it arriving so hat I can learn some more techniques to make other designs.

Last night I made a little dog with a ball and a beetle. I am please with the dog but the beetle needs a bit of work!

My needle felted 'Little bear'

2010-09-20T22:53:00.006+10:00

I finished Little Bear tonight and am really pleased with how he has turned out. He may not be perfect or meet the high standard of bear makers but I really like him.

Little bear measures about 8cm sitting and is made by dry needle felting using a merino wool. I broke three needles making this little guy so will need to keep a supply if I am going to make more things.

I'm enjoying needle felting although it is hard on my hands so I can't do it for too long at a time. I'm now on the look out for my next project. I would love to do some lady bugs so will have to buy some red and black wool.

Quilting circles on Jake's quilt

2010-09-19T22:21:00.010+10:00

I've been quilting the circles on Jake's quilt. When I first started the quilt I didn't think that I would be quilting the circles which were on the pattern - they seemed far too hard!

There are 4 whole circles and two partial circles on each block - all 4 cm apart. I've cut out templates which I use to help position the circles evenly.

I am really pleased that I decided to quilt the circles and love the way they are looking.

I've completed the circles on 2 blocks with another 7 to go.

Dry Needle felting

2010-09-17T14:21:00.006+10:00

I had a chance to try dry needle felting last weekend and loved it.

I'd recently seen two people making an old man and a bear by dry needle felting and really wanted to give it a try. I was really excited when I had the opportunity to try it myself.

My first effort is this little angel which started out as a ball and grew as the afternoon went on.

Yesterday I went out and brought the needles and wool and started to make a little bear. I've made the head so far and am pleased that it does resemble a bear's head....

Some good news

2010-09-17T13:51:00.005+10:00

Life has been racing by lately with lots happening but the biggest bit of news is that I finally have had an operation to put a pin and bone graft in my foot - 2 years and 6 days after the fracture happened!

Thankfully TAC accepted my claim which I am so grateful for as it has meant that I was able to have the operation done privately and a lot sooner than if I had to go through the public health system. I am now at home recuperating from the surgery. I wont know until I have another x-ray on the 7th October if the surgery has been a success but so far everything is going well. Unfortunately I have had to stop my injections of Humira for my arthritis as they make me more susceptible to infections so I have been in a lot of pain in my joints. Hopefully I will be able to start them again in a few weeks.

The second big bit of news is that I have finished all the subjects for my Advanced Diploma of Accounting. I started the course in 1998 so it is great to have finally finished after 12 years of study. A lot has happened in the 12 years since I started - many hospital admissions with asthma, subarachnoid haemorrhage, operations, moved house to name a few things, so I am really proud of myself for not giving up. I've applied for my certificate so should get that in a couple of months.

My first block of the month block and Blue Willow quilt completed

2010-06-08T23:38:00.012+10:00

I am excited to say that I have finished my first block of my Postcards from Paris quilt. I had started a different block but seemed to be having so much trouble with matching the fabric pieces to the pattern. after much frustration I realised that the templates proved for the flowers did not match the flowers on the block pattern. I have set that block aside for the time being and started on the next block which is of a postcard. I am so pleased with how it has turned out. I have traced the applique layouts onto the blocks I have received and cut the fabrics ready to sew. I have now started on my next block which is of three long stemmed roses in vases.

Jacinta's Blue Willow quilt is ready to be hand quilted.

I laid out and basted the quilt at Brink last week making use of the trestle tables in the church.

It was great having the space to move around the tables without hitting the walls as I do at home. I also enjoyed having the help of Mary, one the of the ladies at Brink who I've come to know this year.

I am currently working on Lachlan's quilt and my Postcards from Paris block of the month both of which I am thoroughly enjoying sewing.

Hopefully I'll be able to sew some more over the next two weeks while I recuperate from my second carpal tunnel release operation. The surgery tomorrow is on my left hand so I'll just need to work out how to hold the material in my left hand while I sew with my right. With 10 days off work it would be so nice to be able to spend the time sewing.

A catch up on my life lately

2010-06-08T22:22:00.017+10:00

I can't believe that it is a month since I posted anything. I have been so busy with lots happening at home.

Here's a bit of a catchup on me in no particular order - just as things pop into to my head.

My hands

Just over a month ago I had 'carpel tunnel release' surgery to my right hand. The relief was almost instantaneous. I found it hard not using my hand or driving for two weeks but the hardest thing of all was not being able to sew! I didn't quite make the required time and started to do a little bit of sewing while I was still bandaged.

I am having my left hand operated on in the morning (Wednesday 9th June). Hopefully I will have the same result as I did for my right hand. I wont be able to use my hand or drive until the stitches come out in two weeks but this time I should be able to do a bit of sewing. At least I think I might be able to - I just have to figure out how to hold the material in my left hand while I sew with my right hand!

My eyes & other health issues

I saw the eye specialists last week and had a great report from the tests. For the first time in over 12 months I had 'negligible' change in my peripheral vision and my pressures had dropped to 8 and 9 , the first time ever under 16! I am hoping that my vision has now stabilised but the doctor told me not to get my hopes up as I may have a big change next time. I don't have to have another field test for another 12 months so I don't have to think about that for now.

Generally I have been pretty well lately. I've had no infections for a few months which has been great. The main thing has been getting my pain under control. I reduced my morphine after having my right hand done but have struggled a bit to control the pain in my joints. My feet have been the worst with an inflamed ankle needing a cortisone injection. I don't know if the pain is from my psoriatic arthritis or is the result of the extra pressure from walking with a broken foot for so long. I think in truth it's a bit of both.

My foot

It has been 12 months now since I first started wearing my CAM boot and in August it will be three years since it was broken by the lady standing on it on the us. I'm onto my second CAM boot which has needed some running repairs. The table leg makes a good weight for holding the soles in place while the liquid nails dry. I really need to get a new boot so I'll have to sort that out with the doctor soon.

I found out in March that I should have made a claim through the TAC (Transport Accident Commission) for my injury but as it is over 12 months since it happened and I have no real proof of how it happened it is seeming unlikely that the TAC will cover it. I haven't totally given up hope yet but am praying that whoever makes the decision will see that I am telling the truth. I don't care for compensation I just want my foot fixed so that I can walk properly again and take Charlie for his daily walks. I've really missed my nightly walks.

Study

I have two assignments to complete for my Advanced Diploma. I failed one test and was able to repeat the questions I failed as an open book assignment which was great. I still have two I only have one more other assignments to finish before the end of term. Next semester I will do my last subject - Audit, on-line as the TAFE is not offering the subject on campus.

My new floor

Last week I had the floor in the lounge room, dining and kitchen replaced under insurance. I had a flood in the kitchen from a dishwasher leak so as the floating floor could not be matched I had to get a new floor throughout. I was so happy that the company agreed to save the old boards so that I could give them to Philip & Melissa Astle to re-use in their bathroom and kitchen. The guy talking up the boards was so pleased to help that he took them up so carefully that we only lost a small number of boards. Apparently these boards normally get thrown out at the tip which is such a waste of perfectly good flooring.

My furniture was stored out in the garage for a week. The company organising everything were great in providing people to move my furniture in and out of the unit. I just had to pack everything which was a big enough job in itself.

I did talk the guys into letting me keep my chair, computer and TV in the lounge while the floor was being replaced.

The photo with my chair shows the old floor, the other photo is my new floor.

Taking Jake to basketball training

The most of this term I enjoyed taking my great nephew Jake to basketball practice on a Tuesday afternoon. I enjoy the time I spend with Jake - he's such a good boy to have around. I went to watch play a match a few weeks ago and was amazed at how fast Jake and the other boys learnt the game.

Brink

I really enjoy my Tuesday mornings at Brink. Last week I laid out my 'Blue Willow' quilt and was able to put the backing and batting on. We are able to use the trestle tables in the church so by putting three together we have a great large surface to use which we can easily move around. A few weeks before hand I helped another lady layout and baste her quilt. I love the way that people get in and help each other.

Myself and Mary with her quilt on the table.

I try and keep Tuesday mornings free just for Brink. I love the time to sew but also the time to meet other people. I have formed some lovely friendships with some the ladies that go each week.

Well, that's a bit of a catchup on my life of late.

Lachlan's quilt

2010-05-01T19:09:00.010+10:00

I have started Lachlan's 'Spinning Stars' quilt.

Melanie asked me to write down how I make Lachlan's quilt so I've decided to keep a separate blog showing each step of how I make the quilt.

The blog is called 'Lachlan's Spinning Stars quilt . Step by step instructions'.

So far I have made four entries starting with a bit about why I sew by hand with the material tacked onto cards, preparation of material and cutting out my templates.

Anyone is welcome to read the blog however because of the detail I would think only people who really want to know how I make this and all my quilts would really be interested.

For anyone who would like to read the blog you can click on this link: www.spinningstarsquilt.blogspot.com/

Postcards from Paris - Block One

2010-04-05T21:40:00.017+10:00

It has taken me a while to get started on the first block of my Postcards from Paris quilt.

I wanted to set aside a whole day just to work out the pattern, trace and cut the templates and cut the material. I also found reading the pattern very daunting and was wondering if I had bitten off more than I can chew with this pattern. I think this also didn't help me get started.

With a few days home over this Easter weekend I was able to set aside time and got started. I am really pleased with what I have been able to get done over the past couple of days.

I have traced all of the templates, washed the main fabrics used for the backgrounds on the blocks and have cut the fabric for the first block. I've also traced the layout for blocks one and two on the background.

Now that I have cut the fabric and traced the placement of the designs I think the applique of the pieces will be a lot easier.

My Blue Willow quilt is growing

2010-04-05T20:52:00.018+10:00

Here's a photo of my Blue Willow quilt. I only have one and a bit boarders to sew on and then the binding to sew. I have the backing material and batting all ready to put on the quilt.

I am not sure what pattern I will use to hand quilt the top. I may just stitch around each block but will have to make sure the quilting is close enough together to hold the batting in place once it's finished.

I wasn't sure how to place the block for this quilt. After much deliberation I decided to have them all facing the same direction and set about sewing the blocks in place.

As I was sewing the last two picture blocks in place I had started to think that I should have sewed half the blocks in the opposite.

I was just about to sew the last block in place and I decided that I would unpick half of the blocks and turn them in the opposite direction.

It took me all evening to unpick the blocks I wanted to turn. I unpicked 5 blocks in total, turned them around and sewed them in place again.

It was fiddly work unpicking the stitches and sewing blocks where I had taken them out in the middle of a row but it was worth the effort.

Charlie must have a sixth sense for quilts. Every time I lay a quilt out to photograph it Charlie jumps up on the bed and sits right on top of it!

My pile of quilts to hand quilt is growing. I will have plenty of sewing to do when I have the bone grafts done on my foot in a few months time.

Some projects and photos

2010-02-23T23:40:00.026+11:00

Olivia's quilt

I have nearly finished the top of Olivia's quilt with only one more side of the boarder and then the binding to sew before it's ready to sew the batting and backing.

When I laid the quilt out on the bed to take a photo Charlie jumped straight up onto the bed and sat right on top of the quilt. He seems to think he is the official quilt tester.

Jacinta's Blue Willow Quilt

I couldn't wait to start the Blue Willow quilt so last night after tacking all the material onto the templates I sewed one of the triangle blocks together. I love the fabrics and am pleased that I went for the large squares so that each fabric design can be seen. With the blocks being so large compare to my other quilts it will probably take less time to sew this quilt than Olivia's.

My peg bag
I have been wanting to make a peg bag for months as I don't like the plastic ones and the material ones either rip or are too small.

I go to Brink, a craft group on Tuesday mornings so along with another lady I cut off a pattern and we made a peg bag each. Apart from making the hole at the front too big I am happy with my new peg bag. The bag had it's first workout today and held together so that was good.

It was fun making the peg bag - maybe I will make some more for presents ..

Siobhan's birthday present

My niece, Ruth made beautiful folios for her girls for Christmas. I saw the pattern at the quilt shop a few weeks and remembering how lovely Ruth's were I decided to try and make one for Siobhan for her 4th birthday.

A Blue Willow quilt for Jacinta

2010-02-19T21:31:00.024+11:00

I have started on another quilt which I am calling my 'Blue Willow' quilt. This quilt will eventually be for my niece Jacinta.

Over the past year and a half I have been collecting blue and white material and now have enough to make it into a quilt.

I found two patterns that I liked of which one was called 'Blue Willow' and the other 'Memories of Provence. Deciding on which pattern to use was hard. I liked the idea of making the Blue Willow quilt as it matched my material selection but with the pattern pieces being small you wouldn't see the bigger patterns on the material.

I've decided to use the 'Memories of Provence' quilt pattern. It is a simpler quilt but with it's large blocks (9 inch 23cm square) it will show the designs on the fabric. I have some navy blue and white material for the triangles.

I've cut out the fabric, cardboard templates and have started to tack the fabric onto the cards.

With the large blocks I think this quilt will be very quick to sew.

I love making all my quilts but the fabric in this quilt is probably my favourite.

Olivia's quilt 'Pretty in Pink'

2010-02-14T01:20:00.011+11:00

I can't believe how fast I've sewn Olivia's quilt. I have sewn all the blocks together and have now started the first boarder. Having the fabric already provided and cut into squares saves so much time. I love the minke fabric used in the quilt - especially the rich deep pink colors and the softness of the minke fabric.

I am waiting for an operation on my hands. I have been diagnosed with 'severe carpal tunnel' syndrome which is causing me quiet a bit of pain, especially at night and aching in my hands and arms during the day. Since Christmas I have been finding it increasingly hard to sew as my hands go numb but I've kept sewing as much as I can. I have to have both hands operated on but will have the right hand done first as it's causing me the most grief.

It will be so good to have the operation however it will mean that I wont be able to sew for a few weeks afterwards which I am not looking forward to.

Olivia's quilt started

2010-01-23T10:56:00.007+11:00

With Sarah's quilt top finished I have now started on Olivia's quilt.

I guess I can say that I officially started it on Wednesday when I took the material squares and cardboard backings with me to the Australian Open and sewed the material onto the backings.

I nearly finished sewing all the pieces onto the cards while watching three centre court games -

Svetlana Kuznetsova V Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Kim Clijsters V Tamarine Tanasugarn and finally Rafael Nadal V Lukas Lacko. It's the first time that I have taken my sewing with me but each year I have wished that I had as it's a long day sitting and just watching the tennis.

I finished off the last few pieces last night and plan to start sewing them together in rows while watching the tennis on television this afternoon.

This is the first quilt I have made using a kit. After always selecting and cutting material myself it feels a bit like I have cheated on this one as all the work of cutting has been done for me. As I loved the material in the kit, some of which would have been harder to buy separately I decided to buy it this time. This quilt uses a new range of fabric called 'minke'. There are blocks of pink, white and deep pink interspersed throughout the top. Minke is a very soft fabric with a velvety feel to it and has little bubbles on it.

Cushions

2010-01-23T10:05:00.004+11:00

Here's a photo of the cushion I made for Heather for Christmas. I also made one for my mother in pink.

PS: Heather sent me this photo of the cushion I made.

Sarah's quilt top finished

2010-01-23T09:40:00.005+11:00

This week I finished the top of Sarah's quilt sewing on the last border and the binding.

It looks great - I love the color and the chenille fabric.

I have not used chenille before but it was easy to sew by hand. My lounge chair and floor were covered in bits of chenille as it came off the cut edges. Even Charlie had bits of chenille fluff over him!

I am not sure how I will quilt the top yet At this stage I'm thinking of sewing around each block but this may change when I start the quilting.

From 2009 to 2010

2010-01-07T21:24:00.033+11:00

I can't believe that it is now January 2010.

Looking back on the last 12 months 2009 has been an eventful and busy year.

January 2009 was the start of a new year but it also was the start of a new phase of my life.

Life changes

On the 26th January I meet Richard and Andrea, Siobhan and Harley Kitchen. I had previously given things to Andrea on freecycle (toilet paper and a calendar!) and it was from a posting I made on the cafe in regard to Alpha courses that I came to meet Andrea and her family in person. I was invited to dinner where I also meet Harley Kitchen again. I'd meet Harley when I was in High School in Bendigo in 1977. We chatted over a lot of things and at the end of the night I was invited to go to their church, TLC on Sunday. I went and have since met lots of people and have made new friends.

Going to TLC has made my life busy again and I'm enjoying the people and church. I've been able to meet a lot of people through the dinner groups and Brink.

Over the year I have had the usual ongoing health issues as well as being diagnosed with a condition causing me to loose my peripheral vision, a fracture in my right foot which still hasn't healed and only one hospital admission for an infection.

I've been working two days a week and continued studying part time although I ended up deferring my second semester subject because of my health.

I am not sure what 2010 will be but hopefully it will be a good year. I am hoping to have surgery to fix my fractured foot and am hoping that my sight does not deteriorate too much more. I start back at Brink and studying in February.

Craft

This year I have concentrated on making quilts but have also made a few other things during the year. I love having lots of things on the go and love finishing things off and giving them to the person I've made it for. Here are the projects that I have worked on in 2009:

Finished projects

cushions for mum and Heather
doggy hats
stitchery for Nance
Jake's curtains
Sewing knitted squares into blankets
Olivia's 'Settler girl' knitted cardigan
Jake's board shorts

Nearly finished

Jake's quilt
Hannah's quilt
Sarah's quilt
Lachlan's knitted vest

Jake and Hannah's quilts have the batting and backing on are ready to be quilted. I am up to sewing on the last boarder on Sarah's quilt and still have the front of Lachlan's vest to knit.

My aim for 2010 is to finish off Lachlan's vest and have Jake, Hannah & Sarah's quilts finished so that they are ready to be entered into a quilt show in September. I am also hoping to have Olivia's quilt finished but since I haven't started that yet I am not sure it will be finished by September.

Jake, Sarah, Hannah & Olivia's quilts

2010-01-07T21:24:00.032+11:00

I am loving making quilts for all of my great nephew and nieces.

Last year I have mainly concentrated on making quilts for my family. I have completed the tops of both Jake and Hannah's quilts and have started the quilting of the circles on Jake's.

Sarah's quilt is looking great. I am sewing on the chenille borders and have the backing material and batting ready to put the quilt together.

I have cut out the cardboard templates for Olivia's quilt and I brought the pattern and material as a kit the fabric is already cut into squares. I have had to make a slight adjustment to the size of the squares so that I can stitch the material more easily onto the templates. It's amazing the difference 1/4 of an inch makes!

I am waiting to find a pattern for Lachlan's quilt so hopefully I will be able to find one soon and start his quilt by the end of the year.

A friend of mind has asked me to exhibit the quilts in a show in August. I am not sure that they will be completed but they can still be shown if they are not.

Postcards from Paris - Block of the month

2009-12-15T23:35:00.005+11:00

I am really excited - I've decided to make a block of the month quilt called 'Postcards from Paris'.

I've never made a Block of the month quilt and have been wanting to make this quilt for a few years now so the other day I decided to order the blocks and make the quilt. My mother is giving me money toward the first block for Christmas and I'll also put some money I received from my brother and Heather for Christmas towards another block.

I get the first two blocks in the second week of January and can't wait to start.

Doggy hats

2009-12-15T23:21:00.005+11:00

Over the weekend I made 14 doggy hats to sell. I make them for the lady who owns a pet grooming shop. She cuts Charlie's hair and sells all sorts of things for pets.

The hats are easy to make and once you get into a routine you can sew quite a few in one afternoon. As I hadn't made any hats for a while I made a variety of colors and sizes. I get paid $10 per hat.

The money I get from the hats will go towards my quilts and mostly to help pay for the 'Postcards from Paris' block of the month quilt I am going to make next year.

Charlie is my model trying them on to make sure the sizes are alright. He must be getting used to trying hats on now as he doesn't try and pull them off anymore.

Nance's stitchery finished

2009-12-08T18:56:00.006+11:00

Sometimes I feel as though I have so many projects on the go and don't finish anything so it's nice to say that along with Jake's curtains I have also finished the stitchery that I was making for Nance.

Nance is a lovely lady at the Church I have been going to. Her hugs are renowned and she seems to always know when you need one of them.

Nance saw this stitchery at Yarra Junction and thought it was funny. I decided that it would be an ideal thankyou present for her so went back to buy it and made it up for her.

Thankfully she still liked the stitchery when I gave it to her last week.

Jake's Curtains finished

2009-12-07T08:28:00.004+11:00

A few weeks ago I finished Jake's new 'pirate' curtains. I'm really pleased with how they turned out and making them has given me the confidence to look at making curtains for my home.

I made curtains for my last house - a mammoth job as the lounge room windows were floor to ceiling and along the length of the lounge room wall. I've wanted to make curtains since I moved in to my unit 8 years ago but have kept putting it off remembering how much work the last lot I'd made had been. I've now added curtains to my list of things to make next year.

I love spring and the flowers it brings

2009-10-25T13:08:00.023+11:00

Spring has to be my favourite time of the year. The weather is warm but not too hot and everything is still green before the summer comes and dries the grass again.

I love being out in my garden. It's only small but I find pottering around and pulling out weeds really relaxing.

Yesterday I potted up some vegetables for summer. I planted a pot of mixed lettuces, cucumber, pumpkin, beetroot, rolly polly carrots and a couple of tomato plants. Last year it was nice to be able to go out side and pick fresh lettuce so hopefully this year the plants will grow well and I'll have a lots of vegetables to pick from.

My little potted veggie patch

Some of my favourite flowers in my garden.

Current projects on the go and another one waiting in the wings

2009-10-21T20:08:00.020+11:00

Sitting down tonight I was thinking what I would do. I have so many craft projects on the go at the moment that is hard to know which one to work on.

At the moment I'm working on Jake, Hannah and Sarah's quilts, 'pirate' curtains for Jake, a knitted vest for Lachlan, doggy sun hats to sell and a stitchery for a friend . This list is not including all the other 'unfinished projects' sitting in baskets waiting to be finished some time.

I am quilting circles on Jake's quilt. It takes me most of one evening to quilt just one circle so I think it's going to take me a while to do the whole quilt.

Jake's quilt

The top of Hannah's quilt is nearly finished. I just have the final binding to sew on and then I can do the batting and backing so that it's ready to quilt.

Hannah's quilt

I've been sewing the blocks for Sarah's quilt and have finished about half of them.

Sarah's quilt

The back of Lachlan's vest is finished and I've knitted the band and a bit of the front.

Lachlan's vest

I've been working on a stitchery for a friend as a thank you present for her. I am hoping to have it finished by next Sunday so that I can give it to her then.

a stitchery for Nance

Tonight I finished curtains for Jake's bedroom. I'm pleased with how they turned out and hope that they are the right length for the window.

Jake's 'pirate' curtains

I've also been asked to sew as many doggy sun hats for the lady who cuts Charlie's hair. I get $10 per hat so am planning to put the money towards a quilt that I would like to make sometime for myself.

Charlie trying on a pink hat

Last week I went with Melanie to Gail B's patchwork shop and saw a quilt that I really loved. I decided that I would make this quilt for Olivia.

With all these projects on the go I certainly don't have time to get bored.

An update on my eyes

2009-10-19T22:37:00.005+11:00

Last week I saw the eye specialists again. The field tests showed that I have lost more peripheral vision in both eyes however the results may have been compromised because the technician kept adjusting the machine during the tests.

I also had another electrical test to check the optic nerve which again showed that the optic nerve is not damaged.

I've been told by the specialist that it is unlikely that I will ever know what is causing my peripheral vision loss and that whatever it is there is no cure or treatment and I wont get the sight that I have already lost back. The doctor has also said that it is unlikely that I will loose all my sight but just how much I will loose is unknown.

Having regular tests, waiting months for appointments and still not having a definite diagnosis has been pretty stressful. After speaking to the specialist we have decided not to do any more tests for now. I will have the field tests repeated in six months time and if there is a further loss of peripheral vision then further tests will be conducted.

For now I am relieved and pleased to have a break from tests on my eyes for the time being. It is hard not knowing what the future holds with regard to my sight and it would be good to have a diagnosis and prognosis but for now it will be nice not to have to be thinking about what the next lot of field tests will show.

A vest for Lachlan

2009-10-19T22:01:00.010+11:00

About 27 years ago I knitted a Fair Isle vest for my nephew Jonathon. The pattern was in a book called 'The Australian Wool corporation Traditional Knitting with Wool'.

A few months ago I found the book in my pile of knitting patterns so decided that it would be nice to knit the same vest for Lachlan, Jonathon's son.

It's been fun knitting the vest especially knowing that I knitted this same pattern 27 years ago.

I'm knitting a size 4 so the vest is a bit big for Lachlan now so hopefully he'll get some ear out of it next winter.

Last week Jonathon, Melanie and Lachlan were in Melbourne for a visit. It was lovely spending some time with them on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I can't believe how much Lachlan has grown and how talkative he is.

My 30 year High School Reunion

2009-10-18T09:21:00.025+11:00

East Doncaster High School 30 year Reunion

Form 1B 1974

On the 10th October I attended my first ever school reunion - East Doncaster High School 30 year school reunion. It was great to meet up with people I went to school with and to see my best friend, Sally from high school again after 33 years.

I went to three high schools with East Doncaster High School (EDHS) being the first one in 1974.
In 1976 my family moved to Costerfield when I was in Form 3 and I went to Flora Hill High school in Bendigo and then in 1978, form 5 I moved to Koonung High School when my parents separated. Instead of completing for 6 I did TOP (Tertiary Orientation Program) which was an equivalent qualification at the time at Swinburne TAFE. I still have my name registered on the 'Friends Reunited' website so it will be interesting to see if these schools hold a reunion at some stage in the future. Even though I attended 3 different high schools most of my memories from my high school years are ones I have from EDHS.

Over the years I have often thought about Sally. I hadn't had any contact with her since I left EDHS in 1976 and had no way of contacting her. A few years ago I registered my name and details of a website called 'Friends Reunited' in the hope that one day I may be able to contact her again. I was surprised and excited in June to receive an email asking if I would be interested in attending a school reunion in October.

I really enjoyed the reunion and catching up with different people. I was a bit nervous beforehand wondering if everyone was going to get drunk and wondering if I would know anyone and if anyone would remember me however everyone was really friendly and no one drank too much.

One of the things that really stood out to me was how people seemed to be genuinely interested and cared about each other. I wonder if this comes partly from being the first students to start classes at the school, giving us a special bond of being the first students to attend the school. Also, with most of the students having gone to East Doncaster primary school everyone already knew a lot of the other students.

Whatever the reason I really enjoyed the night catching up with people that I hadn't seen for over 30 years.

This is me in form 1.....

and me now....

Form 1 art and craft projects

There is nothing like a reunion to make you think about your life, where you lived at the time, what life was like, who your friends were, what you were like at school and what others thought about you. It also made me think how little we really knew about each other and what our lives were like away from school.

With these thoughts prior to the reunion I wondered if many people would remember me and if they did what their memories would be. I was always very quite at school, one of the 'daggy kids' so I was really surprised at how many people did remember me and that I was remembered as being a nice girl who was always happy to help.

Prior to the night of the reunion I was able to 'met' a few people on Facebook and am now enjoying the continued on-line contact with different people. I am also looking forward to more regular contact with my school friends

I CAN DRIVE AGAIN!!!

2009-09-18T09:31:00.002+10:00

Yesterday I had a phone call with some good news. I have been given the all clear to drive again.

I haven't driven since the begging of May as there was doubt about whether I had the required amount of peripheral vision. Special field vision tests for driving came back as 'borderline' so the decision about driving again was up to the Vic Roads Medical Review Board. I will have to have another review in 12 months but for now I am legally allowed to drive.

I was at work when I received the phone call so I had to wait until I got home to go for my first drive. As soon as I got home I got into the car and went for a drive around the streets and then to the supermarket. I still have the CAM boot on my right foot so I just take it off when I drive. It's a bit of a fiddle but a fiddle that I am happy to put up with.

Just knowing that I can drive again is fantastic. I don't know what the future holds with my eyes and if I will always be allowed to drive but for now I can and it's fantastic to have the freedom that being able to get in the car and drive somewhere gives you back.

Spring is here

2009-09-06T10:52:00.009+10:00

I can't believe how fast this year has gone. Just in time to welcome in Spring my Weeping Peach and Weeping Cherry trees came out in bloom on the 1st September.

I've had the last four days at home sick with a sinus infection. With all the time at home I've been doing a lot of sewing. I've cut the template for quilting circles on Jake's quilt and started stitching around the first circle. I have finished all the blocks on Hannah's quilt but had to order a bit more material for the boarder and binding. Hopefully that will arrive this week and I will be able to finish the top ready to quilt.

As the tops of the quilts are finished I have now started working on Sarah's. I like to have a quilt that I can take with me when I go out to appointments or to Brink, my craft group. I've cut all the cardboard templates and material so am ready to tack the material onto the templates. I haven't worked with chenille before so am finding little bits of fluff all over me and the couch!

How long is 6 weeks?

2009-09-02T20:40:00.003+10:00

I can't believe that it is six weeks ago that I was told that I would have to wait to see the Neuro-Opthomology Clinic at the Eye and Ear Hospital. Back then I was told by a doctor that 'all treatable diseases have been ruled out, that I had a degenerative eye disease and would go blind and that it didn't matter if I had to wait six weeks or six months nothing could be done to help me'

Back then and hearing this news and then having to wait six weeks to for an appointment it seemed like an eternity.

In the last six weeks I've seen the specialist privately and had some tests. Today I got some results and after seeing the doctors I still don't have a diagnosis or a decision about driving however the doctors are now sure that I have some kind of rare disease of my retina. Apparently these diseases are not treatable however they are 'self limiting'. This means that it is unlikely that the degeneration of my sight will continue.

The tests results to determine if I can drive were 'borderline'. I now have to wait for the Road Traffic Authority Medical Review Board to review the results and make a decision.

The doctor told me today that I will need to be patient as getting a diagnosis may take months and there are many more tests that I need to have.

My next appointment and tests will be in about six weeks however six weeks now doesn't seem that long away.

Praying for results today

2009-09-02T08:54:00.012+10:00

I can't believe how long it has taken to get a diagnosis. It's been a long and bumpy ride with my emotions going up and down like a roller coaster. I see the doctors again this afternoon and am hoping and praying that today I will finally have a diagnosis and answers to my questions.

I don't think I would have got through the past few months if I didn't have my quilts to help take my mind off the uncertainty of not knowing if I will drive again or if I will eventually loose my sight. Some days I have sewn so much I've made my hands hurt!

Jacob's quilt is looking great. The backing is on and I've been cutting out a template for the quilting. I've decided to hand quilt circles in every block similar to the original pattern. I've never quilted circles so I am looking forward to the challenge.

The other weekend I had my family over for dinner. I showed Jacob his quilt and was delighted to hear him tell his gran nan afterwards that he 'loves his quilt'.

It made me think again and ask myself 'why I am making these quilts?' I am making them for my family so that when I am not here they will have something to remember me by but most importantly I am making them because it is something that I really want to do.

I find a pattern that I want to make and then think of who I'd like to make the quilt for. Making a quilt for a particular person makes it more personal and I find myself thinking about the person so much while I'm sewing the quilt.

Well, I have my sewing bag packed with Hannah's quilt to sew ready for the train trip into town and the long wait at the hospital.

I've been praying for good results but after the months of waiting today I'm praying that I will have a diagnosis regardless of the results.

Jacob's quilt is taking shape

2009-08-03T19:21:00.012+10:00

Even though I have so many unanswered questions regarding my health and especially my eye sight, one thing that doesn't change is my quilt making project.

I am so pleased to have finished sewing all the blocks for Jacob's quilt and last night finished sewing the top together. This is probably one of the hardest patterns I have had made so far. Each block has the central octagon which is then surrounded by 20 wedges. Each piece had to fit exactly into place otherwise the wedges would not fit together.

Laying the blocks out before stitching them in place was a challenge. I have used different fabrics for each octagon however the wedges have been made from cream and floral fabrics which have been used in different combinations in the blocks. When I was laying out the blocks I had to keep making sure that the cream and flora/patterned fabrics were not placed next to each other. After nearly an hour of moving blocks around I think I've managed not to place blocks with the same fabrics next to each other.

I've sewn all the blocks together and removed the cardboard templates. At the moment the quilt is laid out on the kitchen table ready for me to baste the batting and backing in place.

The quilt pattern in the book has circles 1 inch apart radiating from the centre of each block. I am not sure if I will be able to hand quilt as many circles as detailed in the pattern but I will give it a try.

I am really pleased with the way the top looks and can't wait until tomorrow afternoon to finish the basting and start quilting.

The interesting origin of an old saying

2009-08-02T22:23:00.005+10:00

After posting a question on one of my favourite websites (Melbourne Freecycle Cafe) I now know the origin of the saying '.. must have killed a Chinaman'.

"Historically, as the Chinese have had a presence in Australia since colonial days, there was once great folk superstition attached to them. A sure sign of fortune was attributed to encountering a Chinese person as one engaged in a bet, and it was supposed that killing such an individual would lead to a disastrous run of bad luck.

Verb
must have killed a Chinaman
1. (Australian) Figurative explanation for bad luck one is suffering.

Usage notes
• This term may be considered offensive to Chinese. Because of negative historical connotations, the term Chinaman is no longer in appropriate use, and persists only in this expression or similar dated expressions.

Quotations

1925, L. M. Newton, The Story of the Twelfth: A Record of the 12th Battalion, page 132
It appeared as though someone in the Battalion must have killed a Chinaman, as the weather continued rough and stormy, with strong wind.
1992, Maurice Shadbolt, Monday's Warriors, page 49
'What troubles you?'
'Luck. I must have killed a Chinaman. Or maybe broke a mirror.'
2004, Cycling News, 14 January 2004 link
"The left hand side of my body has really been hammered the last six months; I must have killed a Chinaman in a previous life or something, I don't know," mused Vogels.

References

"must have killed a Chinaman", in The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, Eric Partridge, page 393

"I must have killed a Chinaman", in A Dictionary of Catch Phrases: British and American, from the sixteenth century to the present day, Eric Partridge & Paul Beale, page 218. "

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/must have_killed_a_Chinaman

We use or hear these old sayings and proverbs every day and more often than not never think about the origin so I've found it really interesting to learn the history behind this saying.

It's been another long week of uncertainty

2009-07-30T09:05:00.004+10:00

I keep saying that 'hopefully today or this week I will have some answers' - I still don't.

There's an old proverb that says 'a watched kettle never boils'. Waiting for a diagnosis is a bit like watching the kettle to boil. I have been getting on with everyday things but the not knowing is always in the back of my mind.

Last week I went out for dinner with some of the ladies from the research project. It was great catching up with everyone and having some time to talk and get to know each other. I'm looking forward to getting together again some time. On Saturday night I had dinner with the people in my dinner group. I really love these nights - lots of good food, great company and so much fun. We only have one meal left together as a group and I have my name down for the next round of dinner groups. It's a great way to get out and meet people and I'm looking forward to meeting more people.

Last week I also had my second MRI to check for a tumour. It have now finally been cleared of having a tumour which is great but the good news is totally offset by the news that I have a degenerative eye disease. The week has been pretty tough with having to come to terms with the news that I don't have a tumour and that I have a degenerative eye disease, the attitude of a doctor and the still not having a definite diagnosis.

I have been given an appointment at the hospital but an 'urgent' appointment is six weeks away. Six weeks is a long time to wait when I still don't have a diagnosis and there are so many questions that I want answered. Rather than wait another six weeks I am seeing the Neuro - Opthomologist in his private rooms this afternoon. I am really hoping that I will get some answers this afternoon but am aware that maybe I wont.

On Tuesday I also had another bone and CT scans on my foot to see if the bone is healing at all. I have been in the CAM boot now for over 12 weeks and while my foot does feel better than it did at the start I am still having a lot of pain where the fracture is. I should get the results of the scans today as well so will know if I will have to keep wearing the CAM boot or if I will need any further treatment.

My appointment with the Neuro - Opthomologist is at 2.45pm this afternoon. I am feeling really nervous about the possibility of not being given a diagnosis again but I'm also feeling nervous about actually getting a diagnosis that I really don't want to hear.

To help keep my mind off the appointment this afternoon I am going in to work for a few hours. My friend Andrea is going to come with me today so it will be good to have some support as I think that whatever the news it's going to be hard.

So it's with a deep breathe in and lots of prayers that I face another day of wondering if I will finally be given a diagnosis.

One more week of waiting......

2009-07-15T15:31:00.014+10:00

Hopefully this week will be a week of answers.

On Sunday I will officially be allowed to go out again. My week of quarantine will have finished just in time for me to go back to work.

The fracture in my foot hadn't fully healed so I have had to continue to wearing the CAM boot. On Wednesday I see the doctor again so I will find out if I can take it off or if I have to keep wearing it for another few weeks. It's been 12 weeks now so I am hoping that it wont be too much longer until I can take it off.

On Tuesday I have my second MRI to see if I have a pituitary tumour. Hopefully I will have some answers a few days after the scan so that I know what I am dealing with. I'm probably the only person in the world praying that I have a tumour as the thought of going blind scares me more. In addition to the problems with my peripheral vision I have also been having trouble with my short term memory.

Apparently short term memory loss can also be a symptom of a pituitary tumour. I had a neurological assessment last week which has shown that I have 'significant problems' with taking in new information. I've had trouble reading and haven't read a book in over a year. I'm always forgetting that I have to do something or ring someone. I've really struggled with studying and while I passed the subject I found it hard to remember anything said in class. At work I often forget to do something that my boss has asked me to. The worst thing though has been burning things on the stove. So many times I've put something on to cook, totally forgotten about it only to find a very burnt saucepan when the smoke alarm goes off. I tried lots of things to help me remember that I have something cooking on the stove. I set timers and then when the timer goes off I forget why I have set the timer!

I've been told there is nothing I can do to help improve my memory (another reason to hope I have a tumour) but I have been given some strategies to help me remember things. I now keep a book with me and write down anything I have to do. I also keep a book at work in which I write everything I am asked to do or need to follow-up. I have also been advised to postpone my studies as I struggled a lot last semester. I only have two subjects to go until I complete my Advanced Diploma of Accounting so I found it hard to accept that I needed to withdraw from the course this semester. The question remains however, 'what happens if it is not a tumour?'

As I start to count down the days until I have my MRI (3 days to go) the 'waiting' then begins all over again. Waiting to get the MRI results. If I have a tumour I'll be waiting to see the neurosurgeons and then waiting for whatever treatment will be required. If I don't have a tumour then another long wait begins for an appointment to see a Neuro-opthomologist at the Eye and Ear Hospital to find out if I will loose my sight.

How are you meant to feel while you wait for tests and appointments? How are you meant to feel when your told that you might have a brain tumour? How are you meant to feel when your told you might go blind? How are you meant to feel when your told you might have permanent short term memory loss?

No one tells you.

Are you allowed to feel angry with God, with yourself, with your body or with the world? Are you allowed to feel angry that your life has changed? Are you allowed to feel frustrated waiting for appointments? Are you allowed to feel as though you can't cope with anymore things? Are you allowed to feel sorry for yourself? Are you allowed to have bad days? Are you allowed to cry?

No one tells you.

In quarantine for a week.

2009-07-15T13:21:00.022+10:00

I am in quarantine for seven days!

I can't believe that on top of everything else I am now being treated for a suspected case of the swine flu. When I get sick Sue, my sister always says I must have killed a china man. I'm not sure where that saying came from but I think I must have killed a whole village of china men!

One good thing is that I have plenty of time to work on my quilts. I only have two more blocks to do on Jacob's quilt and then the hard work of laying it out and hand quilting it begins. I have a lot more to do on Hannah's quilt as the blocks are smaller. I have been sewing the material onto the cards so that I can sew some more blocks together.

Rhonda, (my other sister) has chosen a design for her quilt. I am going to make it an 'Asian' theme in black and white cotton prints and black and red silk. I have been buying pieces of material off EBay and found a beautiful piece of silk like material in black with a red 'Asian' design over it.

The quilt will be a fairly simple design with a larger centre block of black and white geisha women surrounded by a border of red satin. This will then be surrounded by smaller squares of black and white fabrics then a larger border of the black with red print satin. It will be a challenge sewing the satin material by hand but one I'm keen to try.

I've decided to make a different quilt for Sarah. I saw a pattern in a quilting magazine that I loved more than the quilt I had first chosen to make. Like with Hannah's quilt I had to have the material sent to me, this time from Adelaide. Quite by accident the material for both Sarah and Hannah quilt's is from the 'Max New' range of fabrics. I hope that Sarah (and Ruth) like this pattern and the material. I guess if they don't I'll just have to keep it for myself.

Using time to sew

2009-06-14T11:05:00.008+10:00

Over the past few weeks I have had many doctors appointments which usually mean lots of time waiting for doctors and a lot of time traveling on trains getting to the appointments. Rather than sitting twiddling my fingers wondering how long I will have to wait I take my bag of sewing and work on my quilts.

On Thursday I went to see the eye specialists at the Austin Hospital. I spent over two hours traveling on the trains and nearly 3 hours hours waiting to see the doctors. It's hard having so many appointments but rather than sitting doing nothing I try and make the most of the time traveling on trains and waiting to see the doctors sewing.

While waiting to see the doctors on Thursday I was sewing more blocks for Hannah's quilt totally unaware that I had an audience watching me until one lady came up and asked me what I was making and asked if she could show one of the blocks to her mother. The block was then passed around the waiting room with people making various comments and talking about things they sew or knit.

It was interesting to see people, both men and women who had been sitting silently next to each other for nearly an hour start talking to each other. It was as though the room had suddenly come alive all because of a quilt.

In going to see the doctors at the Austin hospital I was hoping that I would finally have a diagnosis but that was not to be. I was told that that I had been sent to the Austin Hospital from the Eye and Ear Hospital as the doctors had expected to find an tumour or aneurysm however as my MRI results showed neither the cause is still unknown. My eyes themselves are healthy which apparently indicates a problem with the optic nerve. I am now waiting to see if I have to have more tests including another MRI and a lumber puncture. I'm also waiting for an appointment to see a neurologist to investigate if there is any damage to the optic nerve.

I feel a bit like I am in limbo waiting for a diagnosis so that I know what I have and what I can expect in the future.

Hannah's 'Raspberries & Lime' Quilt

2009-05-22T09:04:00.011+10:00

As well as working on Jacob's quilt I'm also sewing Hannah's quilt. I usually have two (sometimes more) projects on the go at the same time as often one pattern is more complicated than the other. I like to have a pattern that I can take with me and sew when I'm waiting at the doctors, on the train or at Brink the craft group I go to.

I love the colors of Hannah's quilt. The green and red on a white background give it a fresh crisp look. Most of my quilts are in the traditional floral and country prints so it's been nice to make something a bit different. As soon as I saw the pattern in the Country Patchwork & Craft magazine I wanted to make it for Hannah and set about getting the material.

The pattern is called "Raspberries & Lime" by Anam Cara Patchwork and the fabric is by Max New Australia. I searched all the local patchwork shops for the fabric but in the end I had the fabric sent to me from a patchwork shop in Sheparton which is in country Victoria. I didn't buy the pattern as I was able to work out the templates and sizes from the picture in the book.

I've cut out all my cardboard templates and material ready to sew each block. The quilt is made up of two types of block patterns. One block has a big square with a thin strip of stripped material around the edge and the other block has a small square in the centre surrounded by smaller squares and rectangles. Both blocks are as hard as each other to put together as the thin strip is quite fiddly to sew onto the square.

I've made up eight blocks now and have sewn them together. It's great seeing another quilt coming together.

Hopefully by the end of winter I will have both Jacob's and Hannah's quilts finished and will have started on the next ones. Which ones I am yet to decide.

A great time of year for sewing

2009-05-20T17:05:00.013+10:00

I love this time of year. The days are warm and just right for doing some gardening, going for a walk or just sitting outside in the sunshine. This morning I took Charlie for a walk down the street and this afternoon it was nice being able to get outside and do a bit of gardening.

The evenings are long with the sun setting early - by 5.30pm it's dark outside. I love the long evenings as I reckon that there is nothing better than getting into my pajamas early, cuddling up under my quilt with Charlie beside me on the chair and sewing.

I've been making the most of the long evenings spending most of them working on my quilts cutting out material and templates ready to sew them together.

I have now sewn four blocks of Jacob's quilt and still have a lot more to go. It's exciting seeing Jacob's quilt taking shape.

Dealing with great news and the alternatives

2009-05-16T09:37:00.004+10:00

I saw my doctor on Thursday night and came away with mixed feelings. On one hand the sense of relief knowing that I don't have a tumour or aneurysm and wont have to have surgery on my brain was enormous but the feeling of relief was tempered by the realisation that I don't like the other alternatives either.

The 'alternative' means that I probably have a degenerative eye disease. The biggest and most immediate impact on my life is that I am not allowed to drive. What the future holds with regard to my sight is unknown at the moment and another few weeks of waiting for more tests and results.

Not driving is a big change to life style and my independence but at least I am well and whatever this is it is not life threatening and doesn't require major surgery. For that I am so very thankful.

Waiting for test results

2009-05-13T20:45:00.006+10:00

This past week I have felt like my life has been in limbo waiting to see what the future will hold. I have lost peripheral vision in both eyes and am not allowed to drive because of it. I've also got a fracture in my foot (a lady trod on it on a bus last year) so am finding it hard to walk and have been been wearing a big boot thing instead of plaster on my foot.

I've been told that I may have another aneurysm, a tumor or some kind of degenerative disease where I may eventually loose my sight. I don't like either option and am praying that maybe there will be a third option. If I do have a tumour or aneurysm then I'm told it can be treated and I may get my peripheral vision back and be able to drive again. If it's not either of these things then it is unlikely that I will drive again.

Not being able to drive in itself is a life changing thing. Like a lot of things in life we don't realise how much we rely on being able to get in our car and drive down the street. It's only been just over a week and I really miss not being able to get into my car and drive to work, to the shops, to church, to craft or to friends houses.

Tomorrow I get the results of my MRI and bone scans. I don't know what news I want to hear. I just want to know what I am dealing with.

It's the not knowing that is hardest and scariest thing to deal with.

A new journey ahead

2009-05-03T14:02:00.007+10:00

I try and live life a day at a time but there is always something planned for the next day, next week, next month or even next year. We live life assuming that there will be many more days ahead where we can fulfill our dreams, finish something we have started, visit someone, go away on a holiday or even do something mundane like bath the dog, vacuum the floor or clean out the study.

I have a dream to make a quilt for each person in my family. Somehow because of this dream I have thought that I have many more days and even years ahead and that I have plenty of time to fulfil my dream.

On Friday I was given news that made me realise again that life isn't endless and that I don't have forever to make the quilts for my family.

I don't know what is ahead for me in the coming days, weeks or months as I face this new challenge in my life. I'm scared for what I already know. I am scared of the unknown. I am scared of not being able to fulfil my dream of making a quilt for everyone.

I pray that the doctors have got it wrong, maybe the machine wasn't working properly, maybe it isn't as bad as they say. Maybe tomorrow I will wake up and find it was all just a bad dream.

For now though all I can do is my best. Deal with the things I have to, accept the things that I cannot change, make the most of what I have and what I can do and trust that somehow things will work out fine.

As for my dream - all I can do is continue sewing every stitch of every quilt with the same love and care that I always have but maybe now with the realisation that I may not have 'forever'.

Life changes a day at a time

2009-03-31T06:38:00.010+11:00

Sometimes I think that life is like a garden - seeds are planted, over time they grow and it seems that suddenly you have a garden full of plants and flowers .... some expected and some you didn't know you'd planted.

Like a garden, things in our life change daily but often it's not until we sit down and think about everything we realise how many changes we have had in our lives. For me the past few months have been a time of new developing new friendships, finding a new church, reconnecting with old friends, going to a new craft group and starting a new job.

I would never have thought a posting on the Melbourne Freecycle Cafe for information about an Alpha group followed by an offer of some potatoes would have led to the forming of new friendships and finding a new church but little did I know that a question posted on the 15th January was going to lead to such a big change in my life. It was from these postings that I met Andrea and after a few emails back and forth about the church she went to, I was invited to tea and met her husband, Richard, their daughter Siobhan, and some of their friends.

In addition to the emails back and forth I was also given the church's website to look at. This is where I was amazed to see the face of a man I met at a school christian program when I was about 15 years old at school in Bendigo. This man, Harley gave me a booklet with his name on the back. I had never forgotten him even though I had not seen him since that day. I'd kept the booklet all these years.

The co-incidences continued as it turned out that Harley is the brother of Dave, one of the directors of 'OI' the 'church/sect' I had left 18 months before after going there for 37 years. One long chapter of my life ended talking to one brother and a new chapter began with talking to the other brother.

I made a big decision and went to my first meeting at Truth & Liberation Concern (TLC) on the 1 February 2009. After leaving behind 37 years of my life - my friends, beliefs and all the things I was used to I am now rebuilding new friendships, discovering what I believe and enjoying life again.

As well as starting new friendships the past few months has also been a time of re-establishing some old friendships. Through Facebook I have meet up with people who have also left OI. We are all at different stages of rebuilding our lives and it has been so valuable being able to talk to other people who have been through the same experiences.

Since going to TLC I have also started to go to the craft group Brink. It's run by TLC but is very much open to the community. People go there to knit, sew, paint or just to meet other people. I love going and spending a couple of hours a week on sewing my quilts, knitting and meeting new people.

Tomorrow I start another new chapter in my life. I will be starting a new job as a part time (2 days a week) bookkeeper for a computer retail store in Ringwood. Things with my boss in my current job aren't going very well. He suffers depression and has gone away on a 'holiday' leaving his family and business behind. It's been hard to say that I can't and don't want to work for this guy anymore but for my own health it's been a decision I've had to make. Until he comes back and a decision is made about the viability of the business I'll continue working there for one afternoon a week.

The past 3 months have been full of so many changes - I'm looking forward to seeing what the days, weeks and months ahead hold for me.

Sewing up blankets for Chicks with Sticks

2009-03-18T12:27:00.011+11:00

Just before Christmas last year I was thinking about things that I could volunteer to do in the community. I looked at a lot of different things such as dog walking for elderly people, helping deliver meals on wheels, providing administrative support for different organisation, and driving people to appointments. There were so many things that I would have been qualified to do and would have loved doing but everything required someone who was really able to guarantee that they would be able to take a person to an appointment, walk their dog or deliver meals. I felt that with my various illnesses I was not able to guarantee that I would always be available when required.
A few weeks after thinking that there really wasn't something that I could do a lady posted a request on a cafe website that I use asking for people to sew knitted squares into blankets.

I felt excited as this was something I could do and it was a way of doing some kind of volunteer work for the community.

I sent an email to the lady offering to sew up the knitted squares into blankets. My offer was accepted and I was given two huge garbage bags full of knitted squares. Some squares are big and some are small. The squares were to be sewn into a size to fit on the top of a single bed.

The lady was a member of a group called 'Chicks with Sticks' which knit blankets and sets of hats, gloves and scarves for homeless people and people in nursing homes. The group meets every week but as I work I haven't been to a meeting yet.

Chicks with Sticks website:
http://www.freewebs.com/chickswithstickseasternsuburbs/index.htm

I've now made four blankets from the larger squares. I tried to sew the squares together but have found that it was easier and neater to crochet the edges together and then crochet around the edge of the blankets to finish them off.

I'm enjoying making the blankets knowing that they will be used by people who need them and am so pleased that I have found some kind of volunteer work that I can do from home.

Putting together the smaller squares will be more of a challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do with them.

Three little 'Settler girl' cardigan's finished

2009-03-09T11:01:00.008+11:00

Yesterday I finished knitting Olivia's cardigan to match Sarah and Hannah's. I've never knitted the same pattern three times in a row and have really enjoyed knitting these cardigans for my great nieces.

As I still have Sarah and Hannah's cardigans here from the exhibition I decided to take a photo of all three together. I think the girls will look really cute in their matching cardigans.

The pattern is called 'Settler girl motif' and is one of my favourite patterns. I've knitted this pattern for different little girls over the years so with these three cardigans finished I've now knitted it 7 times.

I've enjoyed knitting the cardigans for the girls and hope they enjoy wearing them.

The Exhibition launch - 12th February 2009

2009-03-08T10:15:00.027+11:00

On the 12th February I went to the launch of the exhibition, DVD and book. It was a great night and amazing to see the work of all the ladies who participated in the project. We were all presented with a copy of the DVD and a book which was signed by the authors Enza Gandolfo and Marty Grace. The exhibition ran from the 11th to 27th February 2009.

It was special having my mother, my sister Sue and her husband John, my niece Melanie and great nephew Lachlan and two friends from TAFE come to the opening with me.

It felt surreal seeing my craft work in glass cases and the quilt, my penguin and Jim's Bowl of Roses hanging on the walls. The curator did a great job presenting every one's craft.

On the last day of the exhibition some of the ladies were able to meet together for drinks and we're planning on catching up again in about a months time. Even though we had not meet each other before the opening night it was like we had a bond in our craft work that drew us together.

Participating in the project has been a wonderful experience and I'm so glad I was chosen to be part of it.

The book

Description taken from the Vulgar Press Website

" Enza Gandolfo and Marty Grace
It keeps me sane: Women, craft, wellbeing
$29.95
9780977504787 (pbk.)

This book is has its origins in the The Everyday Creativity of Women Craftmakers, a narrative research project exploring the roles and meanings of craftmaking in women’s lives. This research aims to document and communicate contemporary women’s stories of their engagement with craftwork; and to explore the links that women perceive between their engagement in craftmaking and their wellbeing. The research was funded by Victoria University and Spotlight Pty Ltd, a large Australian retailer of fabrics, wool and craft supplies.

In the book we explore the meaning of craft and craftmaking to women and the key themes that have emerged from the research including: creative and self expression, wellbeing, community and intergenerational links and pleasure and passion for the craft itself. There are 15 individual women and one group highlighted in the book with images of their craftwork and their stories and ideas about the meaning of craft to them."

The DVD - ...it keeps me sane...

The DVD which runs for around 15 minutes was filmed by Daniel O'Brien abd Monica Liu and shows extracts of the interviews conducted with the ladies who participated in the project by Marty Grace and Enza Gandolfo.

The DVD focuses on how we view craft, what it means to us and the role it plays in out lives.

The thing that stands out the most in the DVD is how we all have different crafts that we are interested in we all do it for the same reason.

The DVD will be used as a training tool by the lecturers at the Victoria University.

My craft hanging in the gallery

Here's a small video of some photos from the exhibition..

Pages of me in the book..
(just click on photos to enlarge them)

A pattern for Olivia's quilt

2009-02-05T11:45:00.007+11:00

I've decided on a pattern for Olivia's quilt. I've had a pattern in mind for a while which has different blocks of stitchery with either bears or Sunbonnet Sue with sayings embroidered on each block. Each block is surrounded by a border and then smaller blocks of different fabrics.

In October last year I was showing Ruth the pattern I had in mind and she suggested that I might be able to use some stitchery blocks that her mum (my sister, Sue) had made. The stitchery blocks are all different Sunbonnet Sue designs with kittens. They will be great to use in Olivia's quilt. The stitching of the blocks is so neat. I hope I can do them justice and make a special quilt for Olivia.

I'm not sure if I'll add embroidered sayings like in the pattern and if I do, if I'll embroider sayings onto each block or make separate blocks of embroidered sayings.

Some of the sayings from the patterns are:

A friend is one of natures masterpieces
True friendship is a knot that angels have tied
Friends catch your tears as you fall
Friends are the most important ingredients in the recipe of life
Friends are Angels on earth
Friendship is the greatest gift of all
Friends leave foot prints on our hearts
The language of friendship is not words but meanings
Friendship is music to the soul
Friendship is the thread that ties hearts together
Friendship is like a sheltering tree

The sayings are really nice so I'd like to include some but I'll decide when I start making the quilt.

I've been knitting Olivia's cardigan to match Sarah and Hannah's. I had hoped to have Olivia's cardigan finished already but it's been so hot lately with the temperature into the 40's last week and 30's this week that I haven't knitted or sewn much at all lately.

Recently I was given a magnifying lamp by a lady I met on a website called 'Freecycle' . I've been looking at getting one for a long time as using a magnifying glass helps seeing the small stitches when sewing my quilts. It works really well so I'm pretty pleased to have been given the lamp and can't wait for the cooler weather to come so I can get back into sewing again.

The Exhibtion ...it keeps me sane...

2009-02-02T20:45:00.001+11:00

The exhibition of craft work created by the women who participated in the research project starts on the 11th February with the opening and launch of the book and film on the 12th at 6pm and runs until the 27th February 2009.

The exhibition is being held at Level 17, Artspace, Victoria University, 300 Flinders street, Melbourne.

The exhibition is called ......it keeps me sane... women craft creativity wellbeing. An exhibition of women's craftwork from The Everyday Creativity of Women Craftmakers. The researchers are Marty Grace and Enza Gandolfo and the curator for the exhibition is Belinda Cody. Daniel O'Brien and Monica Liu were the film makers who came out and filmed all the ladies last year and have edited the interviews into the final film.

I feel really excited and am looking forward to meeting the other ladies and seeing their works as well as seeing the book and film. I'm also looking forward to reading the results of the research project. It's been hard seeing myself on DVD as I've felt very self conscious but I'm pleased that I was I able to participate in the project and have enjoyed the experience.

Last week my pieces for the exhibition were collected. I had to give some of the things a bit of a dust and do a few minor repairs. It's seems weird to think that the next time I see them will be at the exhibition. As well as some of my things a cushion, cross stitch and ribbon pansy picture made by mum are being shown as well.

Melanie sent down Lachlan's quilt and Ruth sent down the cardigans I knitted for Sarah & Hannah for the exhibition. I knitted the Rose pattern cardigan for Sarah and now it fit's Hannah.

I'm looking forward to the opening on the 12th and being able to enjoy the night with family and friends who are able to make it on the night.

Jacob's board shorts, tomato and trip to the museum

2009-01-27T22:33:00.025+11:00

I've just made two pairs of board shorts for Jacob. The other week when Jacob was here for the day we went out to Spotlight and looked through all their pattern books to find a pattern for some board shorts. After we found a pattern we went and purchased some material. Jacob chose two pieces of material he liked and then last Tuesday we sewed a pair. I finished the second pair today ready to show Jacob when he comes in the morning.

I haven't sewed any clothing, apart from some minor repairs and taking up hems on jeans for a long time. It was really nice being able to make Jacob some shorts and having him choose the material and then helping me sew them up. I also got to use my new sewing machine for the first time. I brought a new Brother Sewing machine at the Christmas sales. It's only a basic model but is ideal for the amount of sewing I do.

It's been really nice looking after Jacob over the holidays. Most days we stayed at home usually doing a bit of gardening, cooking, feeding the worms or doing jobs down the street. On the 13th January I took Jacob to the Melbourne Museum for the day catching the train into the city. It was a fun day seeing all the different exhibits as well as seeing the 'Walking with Whales' circus and an Imax movie called 'Fly Me to the Moon'.

Last Tuesday Jacob picked his very first tomato from the tomato plant he planted, watered and looked after. There's a few tomatoes on the bush but so far only one has ripened enough to pick. Jacob was really proud of his tomato an couldn't wait to taste it so we ended up having a very early lunch. Thankfully after caring for the tomato plant and watching the tomato ripen Jacob decided that it tasted pretty good.

Tomorrow is the last day that I will be looking after Jacob for the holidays as he'll be starting preschool soon. I'll really miss not having Jake over come every week.

Another Year Ends and New One Begins

2009-01-01T09:45:00.012+11:00

I can't believe how fast this year has gone. We say this every year but I'm sure each year really does go faster than the year before.

In some ways I feel as though I haven't done much this year but when I look back over the year I have done and achieved a lot.

The major thing for me was recuperating from the subarchnoid hemorrhage. The 28th March was a good day as it was the day I was given permission to return to 'normal' activities. It was like my life had been on hold up until then. I was now allowed to start driving again. I was also allowed to return to part time work and get back into my garden. Getting over the aneurysm hasn't always been easy. The surgery was painful and the recuperation period was long. I still find that I get tired and have some short term memory loss but I consider myself so lucky as I am alive and able to live a normal life.

Driving and gardening were temporarily put on hold again later in the year when I had cataracts removed. The first was removed on the 18th April and the second 11th June. Before having the cataracts removed was I classified as having night blindness which meant that I was not allowed to drive at night. I am now allowed to drive at night and only need glasses for reading.

Even though I had the subarchnoid hemorrhage and the cataracts removed overall it was a good year health wise for me. My psoriatic arthritis has been well controlled and I only had two admissions to hospital for asthma.

On the 28th March I also flew up to Canberra to meet Olivia Grace Drew and attend her dedication. I stayed with John and Sue and spent time with Josh & Ruth, Sarah and Hannah and had a meal with Jonathon, Melanie & Lachlan. It was good seeing everyone again and being able to go to Olivia's dedication.

When I returned from Canberra the next day I started back working at the factory. My boss had held my job open for me since December which was really nice but it also meant that I had four months of bookkeeping to catch up on. It was tiring working again and I found the conditions in the factory hard as the factory was so cold and dirty and my boss was hard to work for. In July I decided that it was time for me to leave and look for another job. Around the same time I was offered a job working three afternoons a week so I was able to resign from my job at the factory and start working for Computer Troubleshooters in Bayswater.

During the year I also continued to study for my Advanced Diploma in Accounting. I completed two subjects, passing both and deferred one subject until next year. I now only have three subjects to go until I finish my course. This year I have decided to only study one subject a semester. My class doesn't start until May so I'm enjoying not having to study for while.

This past year I have spent a lot of time on my two favourite hobbies. I have loved getting out into the garden and especially enjoyed growing my own flowers from seeds.

Quilting has been my main passion over the year. I decided earlier in the year that I wanted to make a 'remembrance' quilt for every member of my family. The quilts are all hand sewn and about 60 inches square. It's a big project to undertake but one that I am excited about doing.

I finished three quilts during the year. In January I finished a quilt for my mother and in October I finished my brother Peter's quilt as well as a matching quilt for his dog Harry. In December I finished my own quilt which I had started the year before. I have started Jacob's quilt and have the patterns and material ready to start quilts for Sarah, Hannah, Megan and Jacinta. I have chosen a pattern for Olivia but haven't collected the material yet and while I have an idea of a quilt for Rhonda I haven't found a pattern or material that I like.

I also started knitting again last year after not being able to knit for a few years because of the arthritis in my hands. In July I finished a 'Cowboy' cardigan for Lachlan and in October I finished matching cardigans for Sarah and Hannah and I've almost finished Olivia's cardigan to match Sarah and Hannah's.

In June I participated in a research project called 'The Everyday Creativity of Women Craftmakers' which is being conducted by the University of Victoria. The research involved interviewing women about their craft and what it means to them. It has been good to be involved in this project and looking back at the things I have made and what being able to make things has meant to me. I am looking forward to the exhibition in February and seeing the results of the research when the project is completed.

At the beginning of each year we all look back at the year past and make resolutions for the new year. I've looked back at what I have achieved and done over the past year and can think of so many new year resolutions that I could make however for me the only resolution I want to make is to continue to live one day at a time.

My Calico Doll & Bear Collection

2008-12-09T15:47:00.020+11:00

When I was not able to do very much sewing by hand I decided to try and make some dolls from calico. I made these dolls at different times during the year in 2006. The dolls and their clothes are all sewn on the machine.

All the dolls are made from calico and then stuffed with a dacron filling. Some of the material for the clothes are 'left over' pieces from other projects while other pieces I brought specifically for the doll.

'Martha and Annie - Crafty Friends' were my first attempts of calico doll making. I found the pattern in a Patchwork and Stitching Magazine. In the book they were pictured together so I decided that I had to make both of the dolls and found some matching material to use for their dresses. For the hair of these dolls I used a boucle wool. The little dog and bear 'brooches' on the dolls are buttons that came from Peru.

'Betsy' was my third calico doll. I made her because I loved the bright colors of her dress and the woolen coat. Betsy's hair is made from nylon doll hair which comes in a bag already curly.

'Miss Primrose in her Garden' didn't quite turn out as the pattern intended. She was meant to be 60cm but somehow she only ended up 28cm tall! Being so small meant that it was a bit hard stuffing the dacron filling into her arms and legs. find a had and basket small enough was also a challenge. Her hair is made from boucle wool and for the 'seed' packets in her apron pockets I scanned and printed out photos of real seed packets.

This bear is also made from calico and stuffed with a dacron filling. I call her 'Victoria Bear' but her pattern name is Samantha Bear.

Unlike the calico dolls this bear has a different finish to the material. The calico has been painted with a solution of Parisian essence to give it the brown color and then once I had embroidered the mouth and nose I painted everything with an all purpose sealer. When all the material was fully dried I then painted it all again using a Gloss varnish. This gave the bear a 'hard' wooden feel to it. I then made all the clothes and dressed the bear.

I haven't sewn any calico dolls for a while now but I've seen a lot of patterns in my quilting books of dolls that I would like to make one day.

I've finished my Summer quilt

2008-12-08T08:57:00.012+11:00

It's taken me just over 12 months to finish my summer quilt and I'm really pleased with it.

I'd been collecting the fabrics for a while without really knowing what I was going to make with them. It was when I found the piece of pink toile with the birds on it I remembered seeing a pattern in a book that I really liked and decided that this was the quilt I wanted to make for myself.

Like my other quilts, this quilt is made by hand using cardboard templates to help me sew the pieces together. Instead of knotting this time I decided to try using a running stitch to quilt the three layers together. I am pleased with the result and enjoyed trying something different.

The pattern I used is called 'Antique Roses' and designed by Charmain Corbett. I'm not sure what happened but the quilt has turned out a bit bigger than the pattern in the book! Deciding on what to do for the edging became a collaborative effort. I had originally intended to use the burgundy color but then thought the maybe a dusty pink would be good so I took the quilt into my neighbour for her opinion. Looking at the quilt we decided that maybe it needed something on the corner squares as with the dusty pink they looked a bit insipid so I searched my fabric stash to see if I could find some material that I could use to sew some hexagons onto the corner blocks. In started to sew on the dusty pink binding but after nearly sewing it on one side I decided that it didn't look very good and really needed the darker color. I took a some photos and emailed them to my mother so see what she thought and also took it back into my neighbour. The consensus was that the darker edging was best but I still hadn't decided what to do with the corner blocks so I decided to wait and see what the quilt looked like with the burgundy binding sewn all around. With the binding finished I've decided not to add anything to the corner squares so with that decision made the quilt is finally finished.

I've already started on my next projects - Jacob's quilt and Olivia's cardigan.

Two new beautiful flowers this morning

2008-11-12T08:24:00.006+11:00

This morning I went out to water and discovered two new flowers on my poppies. The red and white one is called 'Danish Flag poppy' and the red and purple is a 'Flemish poppy'.

Vicki's Blog - Living life a day at a time

Mani's quilt

My Sampler quilt is finished!

Quilting quilts

A quilt Lucas

New fabrics for quilts

Hand quilting Olivia's quilt

Mani's 'Shabby Chic' quilt

Lachlan's Spinning Stars Quilt

Jessica's Matryoshka quilt

2012.. a new year and more quilts

My year in photos

A Year of Craft in Photos

A quilt for a special girl

Mani's quilt

Update on my 'Postcards from Paris' quilt

Quilting my sampler quilt

Borders completed

Andrew's jumper finsihed

Exciting week - a little bit closer to finishing my Postcards from Paris Quilt

Butterflies

Sampler Quilt

Postcards from Paris quilt

The Roman Blinds are finished!

Butterflies & Bags

The loungeroom roman blind is finished!!

Spring has sprung

Postcards from Paris - Vase of Roses

Quilting lessons - Two more blocks finished

One Roman Blind finished and hanging on the door

Knitting a jumper and making roman blinds

A catchup on my life so far this year

Butterflies

Quilting lessons

More Post Cards from Paris blocks

Jake's Spinning Castles Quilt completed

Making clothes

The first day of a new year......1 January 2011

Christmas 2010

Where to start.. so much happening and so many things on the go

I'm hooked on needle felting

My needle felted 'Little bear'

Quilting circles on Jake's quilt

Dry Needle felting

Some good news

My first block of the month block and Blue Willow quilt completed

A catch up on my life lately

Lachlan's quilt

Postcards from Paris - Block One

My Blue Willow quilt is growing

Some projects and photos

A Blue Willow quilt for Jacinta

Olivia's quilt 'Pretty in Pink'

Olivia's quilt started

Cushions

Sarah's quilt top finished

From 2009 to 2010

Jake, Sarah, Hannah & Olivia's quilts

Postcards from Paris - Block of the month

Doggy hats

Nance's stitchery finished

Jake's Curtains finished

I love spring and the flowers it brings

Current projects on the go and another one waiting in the wings

An update on my eyes

A vest for Lachlan

My 30 year High School Reunion

I CAN DRIVE AGAIN!!!

Spring is here

How long is 6 weeks?

Praying for results today

Jacob's quilt is taking shape

The interesting origin of an old saying

References

It's been another long week of uncertainty

One more week of waiting......

In quarantine for a week.

Using time to sew

Hannah's 'Raspberries & Lime' Quilt

A great time of year for sewing