Levin Loves to Knit

Finally

2011-06-08T10:08:00.000+09:30

Here I am.

In my new cardi

What a year it has been so far and what a lot to digest. Where have I been....well, a couple of months ago I suffered a miscarriage and I have been struggling to blog, but to be honest I lost my mojo much earlier. Let me start at the beginning.....

In early February I found out I was pregnant.
Wow. 41, three kids aged between 17 and 7 and pregnant again.
41, three kids and just started her dream job (and the horrible studies to go with it), and pregnant.

Another new cardi - Tappan Zee

Honestly, initially I was devastated. I mean we have never managed to get into a strong financial position, we are still renting a house, still paying off a car, still pouring all our income into daily living. But working took the burden off a little and it was a relief. And yet it would stop because of a new baby.

After a big long talk with David, and telling the kids, my fears were allayed some. I mean having another baby was not the worst thing that could happen to us.
Still it took some time to digest. And I was tired.....boy was I tired.....and scared. Scared to give birth again - not that any of my births were bad - scared to be a mother again - scared about .... well everything. But the kids were so excited, and our families and friends were so excited and slowly but surely I got excited too - once I put down the birthing books.

Mother's day chrysanthenums

I had just got to the point where I was even feeling happy about it when all of a sudden I was filled with doubts. What if something went wrong. Why do I feel so detatched and negative about this pregnancy. Once I hit the 12 week mark, I intended to blog about it, but I always made excuses not to. I started questioning whether it was because I was older, and more scared, or whether it was mother's instinct - my body telling me all was not well. I discussed these feelings with a close friend, and then my mother and whilst my head felt reassured, my heart didn't quite get there.

24 hours later I started bleeding and 18 hours after that I had lost my baby.

Summer rain - so much fun!

Miscarriage is such a sad thing to go through. My baby had never really developed properly - it was never meant to be. But I still had all those feelings of guilt ... "was it because I was so negative", "did I do something wrong". Truth is that things had gone wrong before I even knew I was pregnant, so the short answer is 'no' I didn't do anything to make this happen. But at 14 weeks, I felt very, very sad.

Since that time I have come to realise that I have a wonderful life, three beautiful children, a gorgeous husband and a great job. To quote a favourite blogger... I am a 'familionaire'. rich with family and love.
Life has returned to normal, and in all honesty, I had all that I needed before I got pregnant, I didn't need another baby to make my life complete. It would have been nice, but not necessary.

Lady Kina - a wonderfully easy knit on ravelry

I have spent the last six weeks or so catching up on all that fell by the wayside over the previous 3 1/2 months and finally here I am. And I seem to have put all my energy into (catching up with study, and) KNITTING!! By my standards I have been prolific - four scarves/shawls and almost two cardigans. So there is an upside to everything.

Hopefully I will post more often, but to be honest, with work and study and kids and knitting, blogging may not happen as often. But I still read all your blogs, and I still think of you lots :) and I wanted to share this journey with you because I you are my friends.

L
x

Holiday Craft

2011-01-14T10:11:00.000+10:30

Come holiday time, it can sometimes be difficult to find things to do with the kids but today the boys are being very industrious.

Louis is using fabric scraps to cover a box that he painted a few years ago. The box is still good, but as he likes to point out "the painting isn't that good, cause I did it when I was a kid".....I'm not sure where he sees himself in the scheme of things, but in my eyes he's definitely not an adult. Although he regularly disagrees - as far as he's concerned he can do whatever he wants to......hmmm

Anyway, back to the post - he's using the scraps from the Japanese quilt I made him. He's taking his time and being quite meticulous. Once it's covered we are going to lacquer it.

Julian has slowly been collecting Scheich knights and last week he bought this dragon. As we all know, every dragon should have a cave so he started making one and is now sitting down to paint it :)

Which means I have time to get on the computer and blog about it and then hopefully I will also have enough time to pin my table runner together so I can start quilting today - yipee! That will mean another project finished.....one of many ufo's I seem to have stashed everywhere.....that's the trouble with spring cleaning - it unearths a multitude of sins ;-)

Cheers

Sometimes you are never too old

2011-01-05T19:32:00.001+10:30

We had to buy a new washing machine the other day. Isn't it typical - two days after Christmas ours broke down :(

A lovely man came to deliver and install it and as part of the service he took the old one away. He left all the rubbish though and it got me thinking how a few years ago the box would have been so much fun for the boys but I was pretty sure they wouldn't be interested in it now.....

Think again......
not only the six year old, but the nine year old have both had so much fun (and so many arguments) with this box. They asked if perhaps we could buy something else big to get another box.....
and where were their Christmas presents???? Safely tucked away in their room, not being played with!!

Happy New Year

2011-01-04T10:13:00.001+10:30

For as long as I can remember my mum and dad hosted New Year's Eve parties. There was always lots of people - adults and kids - and the night was spent playing board games and chatting and generally having fun. I remember as a kid having so much fun running around in the dark and staying up really late!!
Lately though, there have been less family as they are growing up and doing their own things, and the friends that used to come have moved on or away......And mum and dad are no longer up to hosting the parties.....so I've taken it upon myself to revive the days of old and keep the tradition going.

Here's Louis with the big stack of board games (just a few that we own). We tidied up the garden, lit the lanterns and got ready for a little gathering. We were lucky that a cool change blew through, dropping temperatures from the high 30's to the 20's.

This is the little nook where my dad settled himself until the sun went down. I love this spot in the garden - it's gorgeous on those really hot mornings when you take your breakfast outside and sit in the shade of those vines........

Here we are at night, enjoying a few games......there still weren't many of us but at the end of the evening we decided it was so much fun we will make sure to invite more next year.

Part of the tradition of New Year's is to eat Oliebollen - a dutch treat reserved for this occasion. I remember when I was growing up that my dad would spend the whole day making them - usually in 40C heat! He would sit under the grapevines with a deep fryer and I would love to watch him do it. These days he doesn't make as many but we still love them so he makes us a few :)

Happy New Year my friends - I hope that 2011 brings much joy and happiness your way

A gift from DaisyChain

2010-12-26T11:27:00.001+10:30

In amongst the chaos that was Christmas, when I was up to my elbows in cookie dough, a parcel came for me.
Louis was convinced it was for him!

Inside was a gorgeous bag and cushion from the very talented DaisyChain.
I had intended to photograph it as soon as I had finished my gingerbread dough and when I went to find it I discovered this:

How can you argue with that?
Louis might think it is his pillow, but I know better ;-)
Thank you Jenny :)
l
x

Merry Christmas to all

2010-12-25T09:20:00.001+10:30

One of my favourite photos of the night - my beautiful Emily and her big cousin Ben. Isn't her dress just beautiful.

Eagerly awaiting the present unwrapping. We have a big family with lots of brothers and sisters, cousins etc. It makes for a very special night.

Christmas morning - what better present can you get?!

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends. May 2011 bring much joy and happiness your way :)

Changes...

2010-12-02T08:17:00.000+10:30

There have been some changes in my life which have been all consuming!

This is where I have been spending a lot of time lately....

I've got a casual library job with the Prospect Library which has been all consuming. This is kind of hilarious given that I haven't done that many hours - but with my studies and my children.....and my desire to be perfect at a job I have never done before.....well lets just say it's all consuming :)

But I hope to blog more soon - once the kids are on holidays and I have more time at home. And I hope to post about my knitting adventures and other crafty pursuits. And I also hope to catch up on all of your blogs - because I haven't really been spending much time on the computer at all :(

Of course with the Christmas season upon us, there's a good chance you won't see me until the new year ;-)

Our road trip

2010-10-16T16:00:00.000+10:30

During the school holidays I decided to take my boys to Kadina to visit my sister, Dineke. Being a one car family (and David needing it for work), we had to take the bus which was probably the most exciting part of the holiday. Sorry, no pictures because I just wasn't that organised.
I did however manage to get shots of the beach at Moonta:

And a couple of photos of the boys and my wonderful mum at a wonderful little coffee shop in Moonta. We had the most delightful cake and coffee there.
And don't you just love the boys hats - my niece, Karen, bought them for the boys at an op shop - $0.50 each!
We were joined on our second day by another sister, Jo and two of her children. I love the way all of the cousins get on so well, from the very little to the very big. It's one of the nice things about being part of a close, big family.
Kadina is a great break for us - it's very relaxed up there, no hustle and bustle - just slow and easy. I'm looking forward to heading back in the next holidays :)

A little time for us

2010-10-10T17:22:00.001+10:30

After 16 years, David felt it was time for a little holiday on our own. This was inspired by the fact that David has just started a new job and for a little while (we hope) he will be doing lots of hours. Having children spread out over a few years meant that we never really got to have a break on our own. Not that we minded really - but I guess the time was right for us to finally have a weekend away together - just the two of us. The only small problem was that the weekend in question was right in the middle of the holidays, right on a long weekend :(

But, with a bit of negotiating and a lot of determination, we managed to find some accommodation for Thursday and Friday night instead (luckily David didn't have to work on Friday).
Thursday was busy - not only was I packing for the boys, who were going to my mother's for a night and my sister's for a night, I was also packing for us - AND I had also offered to look after not one but four other boys - which in the end meant that I had 7 boys under 10 in my house (the neighbour's boy decided to get in on the action too). Not that I minded - they all got on so well that it actually worked out to be a blessing (much better than having my boys continuously asking if it was nearly time to go yet.....).

In my haste I forgot to pack my camera, so you will have to put up with my terrible phone pictures and you will have to trust me when I say it was wonderful. We stayed at The Vintage - which was absolutely beautiful- in the library suite (because that's what I'm going to be one day - a librarian). I loved all the books on the shelves - so pretty - and I didn't really bother with reading the books - I just gazed at all the different titles - finding treasures everywhere.

the view from the front of the house

the entrance hall

the Picasso print which I really liked

We had a two lovely days of long conversations that were never interrupted, long moments of sitting in companionable silence - reading, knitting, we visited galleries where we didn't have to worry about the kids breaking things, touching things and we ate under the stars, with a gorgeous glass of 'just bought' red and some lovely takeaway. But most importantly, we packed up on Saturday morning feeling happy and eager to get back to our family.

The lounge room (it was so lovely to recline on the chair and read)

Someone else's treasure pt II

2010-10-07T21:50:00.000+10:30

My sister used to clean for a lovely lady. Recently she sold her house and moved into a retirement village and as a result, we cleaned her house for the last time. It was sad to see the empty shell - the house used to be filled with treasures and lots and lots of photos - it was a pleasure to clean because there was so much to see. Anyway, when I had finished doing the inside of the house I went out to ask her if she wanted me to do some of the outside of the house. I found her in the shed and as I walked in I spied this beautiful sewing machine on the floor. Naturally I was beside myself and I exclaimed (read blurted) "isn't that sewing machine just gorgeous" to which her head popped up rather excitedly and she said "do you want it?". Apparently the only reason it wasn't in the bin was because it was too heavy for her to lift......can you believe it???!!! She told me it wasn't much use because the foot pedal was lost but I didn't care - this sewing machine would make the perfect ornament in my overly full house :)

I love other people's trash!

Okay, this is a pretty crappy photo - but you get the drift - they used to make sewing machines pretty - what a shame they don't do it any more!

cheers

Someone's trash = our new treasures

2010-09-10T19:46:00.000+09:30

Yesterday I was running late for the hairdressers but as I walked up the street I saw some old cane chairs out on someone's verge.

I went through this whole dilemma of being late and thinking 'should I tell David about them'? 'Will they still be there when they get back'. 'Are they worth it'? I tried to ring David, who was home, but my mobile didn't have any reception which was completely frustrating as I was close enough to yell and he probably would have heard me, but I guess I didn't want to look silly. So, I ran back home and suggested he have a look to see if they were worth taking. Fortunately, after all that hassle they were.

So here are our new garden chairs on a beautiful spring day in a beautiful spring garden.

I love the fact that our washing was dry and put away all before the sun went down!

All those delays meant I had to power walk to the hairdresser, but heck, it was all worth it!

Isn't spring just beautiful!

Cheers

Winter warmth

2010-09-10T11:09:00.000+09:30

It's been a particularly cold and wet winter this year. Normally we get lots of fine days with blue skies, but not this year. So it was heavenly to have a little moment of winter warmth before the next lot of rain came out way and what better way to soak up the sun....

The three of us sat in the sun and read, whilst David kept an eye on the chooks who were happily scratching down the back.

Here's to more sunny days

Escapees

2010-08-30T09:10:00.002+09:30

the other day we came back from kicking the soccer ball and i was typing on the computer when i looked up and found one of our chickens in the garden. i smiled - it's such a lovely sight......then i realised - 'hang on a cotton picking minute, we don't let our chickens out in the whole garden'. upon closer inspection i found it was not one, but all four in the garden - having a super time. they had such fun, and they weren't too naughty that we decided to do it again. it makes david super nervous - especially when they discovered the veggie garden - but for me, i just love watching them scratch around! there is nothing funnier than a bunch of chicken's bums in the air - and feet madly scratching away.

l
x

2010-07-31T17:13:00.000+09:30

this is a birdhouse that david and the boys built in 2005.

we recently had a bit of a storm and the birdhouse was blown off it's perch and it broke.....beyond repair :(

so, david and louis built another another one using wood that they scavenged (david is a great scavenger).

it took a little while to build but they finally put it up in the garden and louis was quick to make it cosy and comfy for the birds.

the next morning we noticed the sign:

too cute for words really :)

on my needles

2010-07-28T09:51:00.000+09:30

first of all, i need to thank all you bloggers that i regularly read for inspiration, because, boy do i need it to keep me motivated. i'm one of those crafters who loves the thrill of the hunt - new project, new materials etc... then i make a start and then i lose my enthusiasm :(
well, i started this cardigan a while ago. got quite far with it (far for me) then noticed it had not one, but three mistakes, so i pulled it out and started again. i was finding it very hard to regain my enthusiasm for this project but then i would trawl blogs and see what you guys were knitting and making and i would be reminded that it's good to persist....that the end result is what will make it all worthwhile. and that i could do it too - this is probably the hardest one for me to come to grips with - but i could make beautiful things if i try - i have the necessary skills, i just need the patience and determination.....
anyway, here's where i'm at so far. the wool is from bendigo woollen mills - luxuary 10ply (aran) in the colour 'lake'. it's lovely to knit with.

secondly i have to thank ravelry - for the pattern, for the inspiration and for just being there to remind me that it's all worth it in the end. if you haven't joined ravelry and you're a knitter or a crocheter or a wannabe you should join - they say the best things in life are free and this is definitely one of those things :)

l
x

holidays

2010-07-13T08:53:00.000+09:30

We are in the middle of the holidays here and life has taken on a slightly more relaxed mood around here. One of the things I appreciate most at the moment is mornings like these:

I love our mornings of lying in bed (excuse the bad photo) where we all read our books, or if they are very lucky (which they always are) I read to them.
Recently there was a public holidays and at 9.30am there was a knock on the door. Someone that I had studied with needed some help. She was shocked to find that I hadn't got up yet and for a moment I felt guilty - especially because not only were we still in bed, but the house was trashed!!! Anyway, later I thought about it and I thought "do I want to be remembered as the mother with the very clean house who was very organised, or the mother who was happy to let it all go to play". I choose the latter :) Don't get me wrong, my house was cleaned up the very next day when they had all gone back to school, but when they are around I've decided to relax a bit.

So, what do you do after a morning in bed......

You teach the kids self sufficiency with basic cooking lessons - today it's french toast and freshly squeezed orange juice. For the record, the eggs are from our chooks and the oranges from our tree :) and yes, I love that I can say that!!

Enjoy your day
l
x

holidaying....

2010-06-08T16:25:00.003+09:30

we've just been on a little holiday. now that david works as a contractor, he doesn't really get time off but he had to swap shifts with another physio and it meant he had a four day weekend so we decided to go away.

this is the second time we've been to robe in the south east (south australia). it's a lovely spot and if you go in winter, it's nice and quiet. mum and dad came with us too - it was a great opportunity for them to get away as well. we are lucky enough to be able to stay in a friend's house. it's a gorgeous place - steeped in history

Here's dad and louis making pancakes for lunch.......mmmm. i love watching my dad teach my kids things that he taught me.

and here's mum and david relaxing. mum spent so much time running around after the boys, taking them for walks on the beach, spoiling them with love and attention.

julian and louis bought themselves cap guns and recreated old westerns.....

we went for a nice long walk in beachport and discovered these dunes and and beautiful wild and wooly sea.

The boys had such fun with their oma and opa.

And we were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise on our last morning.

i feel so blessed to have been able to have this little break, to have been able to share it with people i love so much, to have taken a trip down memory lane, memories which are so dear to me.

life is pretty darn great

I'm here ....... with pics!

2010-05-18T15:00:00.007+09:30

Look what we found! It was so exciting to find my first eggs. It's amazing how absolutely perfect they are. I think my girls are very clever and I'm rewarding them big time with fresh spinach and lots of lovely seeds.

I've been doing a little knitting lately. I guess it's because the weather has become cooler and the thought of knitting seems comforting. My knitting skills are pretty average - but lately I've been reading a book which has explained lots of things to me and I've just been giving them a go. I mean if worse comes to worse, I can just rip it out. So, here are some of my winter warmers so far....

The photo is pretty dodgy - but what can you do when it's just you and the bathroom mirror? This was a lovely pattern from Ravelry called Windy City Hat.

I've also made some fingerless gloves from this pattern. It took me five attempts but I finally figured it out. I'm very happy with them - they were very easy to make and I love the cable pattern. Have I ever told you how much I love Ravelry????!!!! It's so much fun :)

I'm here

2010-05-11T08:33:00.000+09:30

Life's a bit tough at the moment. I went to see a naturopath two weeks ago and i was put on a diet and boy did I suffer some withdrawal symptoms. For over a week I've had headaches, joint aches, lethargy, irritability and anxiety......

But, the good news is, I'm starting to feel better.

This is the reason I've not been blogging - I was going to blog about a beautiful pair of fingerless gloves I made but my photos all turned out blurry and I was too despondent to try again.
I have been knitting a lot lately. I've suddenly realised that if you read the books and do what the instructions tell you, things work out (I have a nasty habit of looking at things and thinking they are 'too hard').
I've also been spending time with my chooks - they are so entertaining. Their personalities have really come out now and we are able to hand feed them which is so much fun. I never thought that I would pass the time by sitting and watching chooks!

Back soon with pictures ;-)

Cheers
l
x

a life in study

2010-04-23T07:07:00.000+09:30

Just before the holidays were lucky enough to get five of these:

which formed into five of these:

which became five of these:

And they flew away and lived happily ever after!

and introducing Sabine....

2010-04-16T10:30:00.001+09:30

The coop is finally finished - right down to the sign:

The chickens are very happy these days, spending most of the day outside foraging for food and being happy. And, we have introduced a friend, Sabine.

Sabine came from Karen's house and has settled in happily in her new home.

She is the cutest little thing!

We hope to get one more chook and then our family will be complete.

I'm off to enjoy the sunshine and to watch the poulets.

au revoir

annoucing the safe and speedy arrival of our girls

2010-04-10T09:50:00.004+09:30

Yesterday we finally bought our brand new chickens.

For months, David has been working on the 'Château des poulets'. He's managed to build almost the entire thing from people's waste (hooray for hard rubbish).

Meet Claudia (above) and Giselle (below) - our new babies.

The boys have been having so much fun with them trying desperately to make friends with them.

This is inside their house - with their roosts and nesting boxes.

I can't wait to find my very first egg :)

Eastery Goodness

2010-04-07T09:49:00.000+09:30

early one morning........very, very early,

the easter bunny came to town

and boy was it exciting

it's what i love most about having kids

they bring back all the magic of being young

hope you all had a happy easter

on my needles and up my tree

2010-03-21T19:44:00.000+10:30

I found this gorgeous 4 ply hand dyed merino in my niece's long forgotten stash and I decided that it would look gorgeous as a scarf for her (or me) (or us). So, I sat on Ravelry until I found the perfect pattern that would challenge me a little more, but not put me off completely.

I'm not sure which photo reflects the beauty of the yarn - I'm pretty sure that both my dismal attempts at photographing it do not do the colour justice.

I'm enjoying knitting this up, although it is slow as I'm not too sure about unknitting lace and the pattern requires some concentration - not that it's hard, it just needs to be accurate.

This weekend the boys have pretty much been away from any screen type products - preferring to be outside and adventurous (it helps that we had to go to two parties as well). This morning I found them in the backyard making cubbies - one for each of them in our two almond trees.

In the backgound you can just see the almost finished chook house - affectionately called the chook penthouse as it is so large! I can't wait to get some chickens and to collect our first eggs.......

Hope you are all having or have had a great weekend.

Cheers

one cold, wet, wintry day

2010-03-13T10:15:00.000+10:30

Last weekend we had some rather lovely cold, wet (how beautiful that rain sounded), wintry weather - perfect for being indoors and for crafting.
Emily and I were knitting leaves for her sports day costume and the boys asked if they could make something and "did I have any spare wool"?
Silly question....

This is just a fraction of the wool I have stashed around the place. It's been put away for this exact reason - so that my kids will have something to play with.
To start with they decided to make gods eyes for David's birthday - something for him to hang up in the garden.

But then Julian asked if I could teach him how to knit again.

The look of pure concentration.

He got it - okay, there were lots of dropped stitches, and lots of made up ones - but he actually managed to do quite a bit of good knitting. He needs to understand the concept that he can't really knit without watching what he's doing though - not at this stage.....

Louis ended up trying to do some stitching, whilst the others were knitting. So there we sat, safely ensconced in our warm house, enjoying our grey, wintry day :)

the beauty of nature

2010-03-01T17:33:00.002+10:30

The boys came inside the other day and were talking about this flower in the garden that had another flower growing in it.

I will be honest, I didn't take much notice as I was cooking dinner but they mentioned it again later and I decided I had to investigate.

At first glance I didn't know what they were talking about - it was just a flower to me.

BUT, when I looked closer I could see there were little flowers growing on the big flower.

Perfectly formed little flowers within a big flower.

Isn't nature just amazing.

I am back to study once again - hence the lack of blogging. I spend a lot of time behind the computer, but not doing fun stuff. I miss the holidays already :(

But that's what life's all about, isn't it. You can't appreciate the good times without the bad.

I'm still doing a little sewing, a little knitting (my first pair of socks!!!) and a little reading (loving The Women in Black).

Hopefully I will be back soon ;-)

and now we are six

2010-02-02T10:57:00.000+10:30

little louis

- but not so little - at 10lbs - he really was quite big -

and he stayed big for a while

quite delicious really

daddy's little helper - especially in the garden

even now, he'd much rather be outside than in,

making cubbies, riding bikes and scooters, being active

he loves the water too - and he's simply not afraid

and ever so stylish - he loves buying clothes and is careful choosing an outfit

that's why he was so happy to get clothes on his birthday!

happy birthday louis

may life be all that you want it to be

I can't believe.....

2010-01-29T17:49:00.002+10:30

my little baby has turned 16 today

has got her learner's permit today

and is currently at the big day out today

when did she get to be so big?

happy birthday emily

and now we are back

2010-01-25T08:37:00.002+10:30

putting up the tent

it seems like a distant memory now and yet we've been back less than 24 hours.

it was a fantastic spot to camp - especially in summer

there was a pool for the kids and a fantastic playground - so they were never bored!

we caught up with friends on our first night - it was cold and blowy but we managed to have fish and chips at the beach and have a play in the water - well, the kids played whilst we adults stayed as warm as possible.

we saw the beach in so many guises - it's hard to capture it's true beauty but there was rain in the distance by the hills and yet the water in front of us was beautifully blue.

we had a little paddle but it was a bit cold and we weren't really prepared for swimming.

our campsite - louis took this photo in the early evening after dinner. that's david and me sitting to the left - relaxed after dinner.

we took a stroll up this path one evening, to go kangaroo spotting. we saw at least three kangaroos - one baby too.

can you see it? i know it's a bit dark but there is definately a kangaroo there and he is staring right at you!

our campsite was just across the road from the aldinga conservation park which you had to go through to get to the beach. it was a leisurely 15 minute stroll, marred only by the flies. we found this tree branch that had obviously come down and had started growing where it lay - amazing really.

ahhh - camp food - fried sandwiches made with homegrown tomatoes - nothing better after a long walk!

early morning - still waking

a breakfast of french toast - mmmmmm

the boys didn't realise they liked french toast!

day three - our last day :(

we packed up camp and headed for the beach. the kids were very excited to be able to drive onto the beach!

that's us in there - the waves were great for body surfing and jumping (note to self, must take boogy boards next time).

and here we are, tired but exhilarated! it was so much fun in there.

the holiday was great - it used to be a bit of a hassel having to pack everything to go camping, but the more you do it, the better you get at it - so it becomes second nature.

everytime we go away, i swear i am going to do it again sooner - it's great for the soul.

We're off....

2010-01-22T11:19:00.001+10:30

on a little holiday to here

we've packed our tent and our supplies

our books and games

and we are looking forward to a little R&R

be back soon with pictures with us in it :)

On being good

2010-01-15T09:56:00.001+10:30

One year, when Julian was very young and Emily was about 8, I put all of the Christmas presents under the tree. Emily then proceeded to pick up every present for her, squeeze it, shake it, smell it and then announce what it was. True, she didn't know the title of the book, video etc... but it still seemed a bit disappointing that she knew what she was getting.
As a result, I have not put any presents under the tree until Christmas Eve but this year the boys really wanted me to put them out, they were desperate for me to, they would do anything, they would be really, really, REALLY good.
So I relented - under strict instructions that they were not to touch any of their presents.
Which they didn't, but I did find them like this at one stage - bums up, with their heads firmly planted under the tree, not touching but searching for their presents.
I guess it's all part of the magic of Christmas.
l
x
ps - please note that the 15 year old has her head under that tree as well, highlighting that you are never too old for Christmas :)

i'm still here

2010-01-14T21:57:00.000+10:30

my camera has been out of action. why you ask??? well because louis got a game for christmas which required two 'AA' batteries and naturally they took mine. and yes, i realise that christmas was weeks ago - but you know how it is - when you remember the batteries you're not in a shop and when you are in a shop you are thinking about chocolate, not batteries.

anyway, i'm thinking of making some changes to my blog. i want a new name but i'm having coming up with something........any ideas?

also, emily has moved from my blog (which she rarely participated in) and has started her own. visit her here and say hello :)

till next time
take care, be happy
l
x

At last, I've finally made something...

2009-12-22T12:01:00.003+10:30

A doll's quilt for my niece.

This was so much fun to make as it was really quick and easy.

I've managed to make two Christmas t-shirts for the boys.

And I whipped up a skirt for me - thanks to a good friend who forced me to to cut the pattern out. Once I had started it, it was easy to finish. Sometimes I need a little push, or rather, a great big shove!

I found this fabric at Spotlight in the quilting section. It's so pretty and it makes me feel pretty when I wear it.

Now I'm off to do some Christmas baking.
Hope you are all enjoying the festive season.
l
x

it's early in the morning.....

2009-12-11T07:47:00.002+10:30

julian is watching abc 3 and louis is on the computer you tubing pipe organ music - is this normal behaviour for a five year old???
move over mazda's - louis has found his new obsession :)
l
x

First Semester Over

2009-11-28T08:26:00.005+10:30

I'm back - with my first semester of studies over and I must say I am feeling a little relieved. The study has been great, but it consumes much time and many thoughts. It's nice to have a break.
Last night I went to see this band at the Gov. They were absolutely fantastic live and The Gov is such a great space to see live bands. It's been a long time since I've been to see a concert like this and I had times when I felt a little old but it was great.

I love music that makes me feel happy - like this band does.

I'm hoping to start sewing again soon - I have to make some gifts for Christmas and I want to make a new skirt as well. Now that I'm not studying it should be easier to get behind the machine, but with the silly season starting up there's little time!!! There's a party every weekend these days.....

Hope you are all happy and well
l
x

In the holidays.....

2009-10-27T09:22:00.007+10:30

This is Louis

When I started quilting, Louis was one of the first to put his hand up for one. And then he happily browsed through books and magazines to find the one he wanted most (of course he changed his mind at least once a week after I started cutting and sewing).

In the holidays I finally finished his quilt (it's taken about a year) and he is very, very happy with it.

It's hard to see it, especially as Louis decided to photograph it himself (Emily took the bottom photograph) but I think you can get the general gist.

I have also finished the top to Julian's quilt which I will attempt to finish in the summer holidays. And, I started quilting Emily's quilt that she started 20 months ago. So - I did get a bit of crafting done in the holidays, not as much as I would have liked, but a bit ;-)

cheers
l
x

Harvesting

2009-10-23T09:10:00.008+10:30

I love watching moments like this - father and son in the garden, harvesting potatoes, sharing knowledge, showing quiet enthusiasm.

If you look closely, you can see the potatoes on the sleeper. We had them with our roast and it they were lovely. I don't think there is anything quite as nice as a home grown product.

This is one of my favourite views in the garden. Where I am standing is where the washing line is so when I am hanging out washing, this is what I see. The green shadecloth is covering the sandpit and I have to admit, it looks much nicer without the shadecloth on but I couldn't be bothered hauling it off just for the photo. But, as you can imagine, it's a lovely spot to sit and watch the kids playing, under the shade of two big old almond trees.

This was David's last father's day present from Louis. We are in the habit of getting him a new garden ornament each birthday/christmas/or occasion. He has quite an eclectic mix of garden art, dotted around the place - it's quite fun trying to spot things in the garden.

Spring has sprung here in Adelaide and we are enjoying the most beautiful spring weather - and I'm delighting in how fresh everything looks - but I already miss the rain!

l
x

I can ripple!!!!!

2009-10-02T12:28:00.002+09:30

Thanks to the amazingly talented Attic24 (and a slightly irritating headcold) I can proudly say that I know how to ripple. It's something that I've wanted to learn but kept thinking 'that's too hard'. Well, I can safely say, it's not too hard and it's immensely satisfying.

Things have been a bit busy lately, and I haven't done any crafting for ages and whilst it's holidays at the moment, I find I'm spending a lot of time with the kids. This morning though, the boys went out with their big cousin Lily and as I wasn't feeling too good, I figured I deserved a little time to sit quietly. So that's just what I did - and this is what I achieved out of scraps of wool I found in my stash. I'm itching to try her tutorial on hexagons now. Check out her blog - it's so bright and beautiful, it just makes you smile :)

Below is what I plan to start on the weekend. I'm thinking a log cabin quilt, or something similar. It will be lovely to get behind a sewing machine again - it's been far too long!

The Holidays are here!!!

2009-09-27T09:52:00.001+09:30

Julian had friends over after school and I had been out all day and hadn't had the chance to shop for snacks so I had to resort to making something myself.
What could be better on a cold, blustery day than a plate full of poffertjes.
Mmmmmm yum
l
x

Why I'm not currently blogging

2009-08-20T10:36:00.002+09:30

Changes have occurred in my home.....big changes, exciting changes but time consuming changes. After almost 8 years of being a stay at home mum, I've decided to study with the view of one day getting a job I love. So, a few weeks ago I started doing library studies and I'm absolutely loving it. I sit in my lectures and I feel like I've come home. Library studies brings together my admin skills, my computer skills, my love of finding information and my passion for books altogether in one lovely job. I'm really enjoying it but I'm also finding it very difficult to get my head around being a part time student and a full time mum and so I haven't made anything lately or done any blogging :(

On another note - look what I got for my birthday.......

Isn't she beautiful. David bought it for me from the Classic Bicycle Shop and it's a bike based on the ones made in the 20's, 30's and 40's. It doesn't have gears (you should see me trying to get up the hills around here - hahaha). It's just a beautifully simple rather elegant ladies bike. I try to practice riding every day as it's hard going, but once I get a bit fitter I know it will be a pleasure to ride ;-)

Well, must go, study beckons and as it is a beautiful day I think I will do my reading outside!

Hope you are all happy and well
l
x

I'm still here.......

2009-07-31T17:37:00.004+09:30

My life is a soup kitchen.

There’s nothing fancy,

Nothing shiny,

Just wholesome goodness

That warms you on the coldest days

And fills you with a deep satisfaction

That no fancy meal could ever do

So on that note, I would like you to join me

For my soup kitchen 40^th birthday celebration

Bring a beanie

Bring some fingerless gloves

Bring your good company

Because you are a good friend

You are a pea soup kind of friend

and I want to celebrate with you.

On Saturday 1^st of August

From 4.00pm till later

Levin

xxx

I wish I could invite all you guys too - but distance prevents this, so have a bowl of soup this Saturday night, and think of me!!

just to clarify

2009-06-20T15:38:00.002+09:30

thanks for the lovely, somewhat concerned comments. my reason for a break is a good one - my sister is over from solland and I haven't seen her for such a long time so I want to spend as much time as possible with her. She is here for her 50th birthday which is tomorrow. soon after that i have to organise my 40th birthday and at the moment i'm feeling rather overwhelmed - but in a good way. i hope to still be able to read blogs - but if you don't hear from me it's not because i've forgotten you, just because i'm not spending much time on a computer.
hope you are all happy and well.
l
x

I'm having a wee break

2009-06-19T19:23:00.001+09:30

things are a bit hectic here at the moment ........ for good reasons.
back soon
l
x

Paperbag Swap

2009-06-08T10:43:00.003+09:30

Look what I got in the mail!

A beautiful little bag to hold a cup - so I don't need to use those nasty takeaway cups - thus creating less land fill which makes me very happy!

And this little bit of loveliness!

It's a folder to hold my work in whilst I'm out and about.

It has all these neat and natty pockets to hold scissors, thread and a needle booklet and a thread holder. It's very cleverly designed and absolutely beautiful.

I think Michelle has been very creative in this paperbag swap and I absolutely love all that she has made. I aspire to be as clever as this one day!

l
x

Have I ever told you how much I love the rain.....

2009-05-20T16:56:00.011+09:30

Those of you in the northern hemisphere, or anyone north of us really, will probably think I'm mad - but I love rain.

I love the sound it makes on the roof and I will, more often than not, stop conversations to listen to it.

I love to watch it fall outside - I can sit and stare out the window for hours - except that it rarely rains for hours here.

Weather reports with rain forecast make me happy.

I guess this is what comes from living in the driest state of the driest continent on earth.

These pics were taken from our brief outing at Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens - I say brief as we didn't realise it was going to rain and we were not really prepared for it. We managed to stay out for about 30 minutes but then we got too wet. It was lovely walking in it though - so soft and gentle. The scenery was beautiful and the smell was intoxicating........

I really love rain

l
x

I've got that sewing bug......

2009-05-13T14:14:00.000+09:30

I had been itching to get behind my machine and make things during the holidays and I organised a sewing day with two friends - but you know how it is when you have people over to your house - you end up spending most of your time serving, feeding and organising - and very little time actually sewing.

On top of that, Emily's friend decided to have a go at sewing a bag. She's never really made anything before but was very enthusiastic.
The following day I had everything ready to do some quilting and then the boys decided they wanted to sew. In so many ways I really wanted to be selfish and tell them to go off and amuse themselves but I just couldn't. I love the thought that my kids want to be creative and I strongly believe I have to encourage that where possible. So, no sewing for me on Thursday............

or friday for that matter :)
l
x

I can't believe i've finally done it!

2009-04-24T17:31:00.001+09:30

last night i put my final stitch on my pinwheel quilt.

this quilt was a huge challenge for me.

from the piecing (boy did i unpick a lot!!!) - to the machine quilting on my trusty machine

and finally the metres and metres of binding

but it was well worth every stitch :)

l
x

Picnic in Pt Wakefield

2009-04-21T16:40:00.003+09:30

On Monday we decided to visit my niece Karen.

Those of you from South Australia might know Pt Wakefield. It's a petrol station mecca and it's the last stop before Adelaide. I've been through it so many times - but I never realised there was more to it - just a long strip of petrol stations with lots of trucks and cars. Karen moved there quite recently and she is still finding her feet there but she mentioned a few times that she had found a happy spot so we decided to have a picnic lunch there.

One of the best things about Pt Wakefield is the bakery - yummo! We got pies and pasties and juice and sat down in this beautiful little oasis.

It's hard to explain, but the drive up was very dry and dusty and Pt Wakefield itself is very dry and dusty and barren so to find this little water inlet and to sit in the shade of some trees was just like finding a piece of paradise.

After lunch the troops had a bit of a walk and then it was back to Karen's for a coffee and a chat before making our way back home again.
You know it's been said many times before, but the simple things in life are often the best!
:)
cheers
l
x

lookity look it's a giveaway

2009-04-20T17:06:00.003+09:30

if you love giveaways as much as me (quite doubtful) then pop over here and leave a comment :)
l
x

Easter

2009-04-17T08:41:00.014+09:30

We have traditions in our family.

Every Good Friday, we make chocolates with Oma. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. This year we invited some friends along to take part as the number of grandchildren participating is becoming less and less.

Then on Easter Saturday we get our Easter baskets ready. This year we coloured in eggs and hung them around the baskets.

Here are our baskets ready for the hunt in the morning.

Then we get up very early.
In fact, this year the boys started waking up from 3.30am!!! Louis woke up almost every half hour after 3.30am and asked us if it was time to look yet. In the end we put the boys in our bed - Louis slept for a while but Julian didn't so naturally we didn't either }:(

When we eventually get up, we put on warm clothes as even though the days are warm at the moment, the mornings are very crisp (well, crisp for us).

And then the hunt is on!

There is even a hunt at Oma and Opa's place and one at Grandma and Grandpa's place. We have an Easter breakfast at Oma and Opa's house with lots of hot cross buns, and some dutch treats and, of course, chocolate. Then we head to the Barossa Valley and have lunch at Grandma's which is a traditional roast lamb - and perhaps a bit too much good wine :)
We love Easter alot :)One of our very special Easter traditions is that we can have chocolate before breakfast. On Monday morning Julian came in to me and said "technically it's still Easter as it is called Easter Monday today. And so technically as it is still Easter we should be able to eat chocolate before breakfast again"......
Technically, he should consider a career in law as he is very good at finding loopholes!!!

l
x

Missy Mack's Paperbag Swap

2009-04-15T14:25:00.000+09:30

I'm thinking.......maybe a.......

I'm participating in Missy Mack's Paperbag Swap. I need to make my swap partner something from these items. I have some ideas, too many ideas in fact. I will have to narrow it down somewhat :)
cheers
l
x

The Engagement Quilt

2009-04-10T09:40:00.001+09:30

There's a story with this post.
A few months ago, David came home with an invitation from a friend at work - it was to her engagement party. I had just bought some beautiful Heather Bailey fabrics and so I decided to make her a quilt.

About halfway through making the top I asked David if he thought she would like it to which he replied "Yeah....I think so". That was confirmation enough from me - so I kept furiously sewing - I was a woman on a mission.

When I had almost finished the top, he happened to comment that a lot of work went into it. I agreed and said that I really hoped she would appreciate it and not just put it in a cupboard somewhere - to which he replied that it might not be her taste. So, we mulled it over and decided that it probably wasn't best to give it to her. We don't really know her that well and what David knows of her suggests that she's not really into handmade (not everyone is....) So, I kept sewing but we bought her something else instead.
Anyway, every time I started working on the quilt, I referred to it as 'the engagement quilt' and a friend remarked that it should be kept for the next person who got engaged......

I have been inundated with offers.
My niece Madi was prepared to find anyone to get engaged to in order to get the quilt - "you just have to be engaged, not stay engaged....right??"
My other niece Karen, who lives with her boyfriend was prepared to get engaged for the quilt. But then Emily came home from work and told me that the quilt was for her - that she was engaged to someone at work - but I wasn't to mention it to him as he is a little shy - in fact I wasn't to talk to him at all........hmmmm "But Emily, shouldn't I, as the mother of the bride, meet your fiance"?
and she said
"Just give me the damn quilt - OK!

So, the quilt has been put away until someone gets engaged - or married.

cheers
l
x

2009-04-04T15:06:00.001+10:30

There has been a lull in my blogging again - I've had a really busy week and I've hardly found time to get behind the computer. Anyway, this is a look at my latest project - my new winter bag. I came up with the colour scheme on my way down to my quilt class. I love the fabrics - love, love, love them. My fabulous quilting teacher helped me, once again, with making the bag. I think I remember how to make it now. Feel free to click on the photos to get a better look - they are not the best photos though (sorry).

Well, I'm off to do some more sewing now. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend as much as I am.

cheers
l
x

On the weekend

2009-03-26T08:10:00.001+10:30

Once again, we had a busy weekend. Being part of a large families means lots of birthday celebrations (we had two parties this weekend). I had one of those annoying colds where you are not sick enough to go to bed but not well enough to be enthused by anything. I managed to get a moment to do some more quilting. Whilst I was behind the machine, this was happening around me.

My sister, Dineke, came to visit and worked on some handquilting.

Louis sat with us and made paper people.

There's nothing nicer than having company whilst you sew :)

cheers
l
x

So what have you been doing lately.

2009-03-17T13:16:00.003+10:30

Well the answer to that question would be.......Quilting!

This is the strippy twist quilt that I started ages ago which was supposed to be my summer quilt for our bed. Well, summer has passed for now (although we are in for another warm spell) and it's still not finished. Admittedly I never mentioned which summer it was for......
It's a big job and I try really hard to do a little bit at a time. I've nearly finished stitching in the ditch (and over the ditch - lol) of all the big squares and then I plan to quilt a small square inside.

And as this is such a huge job which I like to avoid where possible I've taken to making more of these:-

I give you the pot holder! The simple easy project that takes very little time and stamina.
This time I tried out free motion quilting which was super fun. .

There were a few incidents where my stitching went a little astray but overall it's not too bad

And yes, I've been using all my new pot holders - cause somewhere in the back of my mind I know there's an awful lot of fabric in my stash to make hundreds of potholders......
cheers
l
x

My Rainbow

2009-03-10T20:05:00.002+10:30

I saw this over at Chookyblue and thought I would give it a go.

Your rainbow is strongly shaded white and blue.

What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You appreciate friends who get along with one another. People depend on you to make them feel secure. You share hobbies with friends and like trying to fit into their routines.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

It's weird, but I think it's me.

Pop over and have fun
l
x

I think she's got it!

2009-03-06T10:43:00.001+10:30

I'm not the sort of crafter who brims with confidence and just tries things out. Usually I need a pattern, some moral support and and expert on hand. BUT, yesterday when I pulled this off the washing line I realised something had to be done.....

Now that's a pretty disgusting, 16 year old pot holder. I think no one would argue with me when I say it's time for the bin. So, armed with an ample stash, lots and lots of wadding off cuts from quilts that I've made and a lovely quilting machine, I decided it was time to make my own and try out my quilting bar.

This is the result and I'm very happy with it. The quilting bar is fantastic - I almost managed to get perfectly straight, equally apart lines (does this make sense??).

And I love the fabrics - so fresh and funky. I sewed them up yesterday afternoon and finished handstitching the binding last night. I think I might become a fan of the quick project :)

Of course you all realise that these are way too beautiful to actually use.......

l
x

A wonderland in No man's land

2009-03-01T12:36:00.006+10:30

I've had a strong desire to make my own relish for some time now. This seems to be the year that I get myself organised to do all these things that I've been putting off for years. I'm often beaten by my 'it's too hard' mentality and I'm sick of it :)

So, this morning we headed off early (ok it was just after 9.00am) to the Torrens Island Market. It's an amazing place - it almost seems like it's been plonked in the middle of nowhere. I'm pretty sure that at the end of the day there is very little evidence of it but when we turned up it was a hive of activity.

We got some bargains, and I scored a box of tomatoes for $10 - there must be at least 10kilos there. That's going to make an awful lot of relish.

Jani and the boys at the stalls.

The markets are right near the sea - making it a lovely spot to just sit and watch.

So, tonight once we get home from a birthday party, I will have to skin that 10kilo of tomatoes and tomorrow I will relish the experience of making my own relish!
So, if you live in Adelaide and you love a fruit and veg (and fresh fish) bargain - head on down. They are on every Sunday from 6.00am until 1.00pm.

l
x

In my heart of hearts......

2009-02-28T16:03:00.004+10:30

I would love to own;

one of these

and these

and the house i live in:)

i'm not in any hurry, just one day, when the time is right!

l
x

Mmmmmm peaches :)

2009-02-20T12:37:00.001+10:30

I love peaches

I've been wanting to try my hand at preserving for years now but have always been a bit too scared.

But the other day I decided to bite the bullet and just do it!

Now we have jars of yummy peaches to savour in winter. We also have some dried peaches and we had some peach rollups but everyone seemed to love them (even those who are certain that they hate peaches) so we don't have rollups anymore. We do, however, have stewed peaches in the freezer waiting to be turned into peach rollups :)

Mmmmmm, I love peaches

l
x

I've been tagged

2009-02-15T21:03:00.002+10:30

I've been tagged by Emma at HazyJane.
I'm supposed to open the 6th picture folder on my computer, then open up the 6th picture and blog about it. Well, this is it - it's a picture of Julian and Louis playing in the water park near our place. This is one of their favourite parks as you can play in the water, jump from rock to rock and, if you're really lucky, fall in :)
Really, how much fun can a kid have???

The photo is not the best and in doing this exercise I was reminded that I really need to go through all my pictures and delete those that are duplicates or not that good.
sigh
yet another job to add to the endless list.

so who do I tag?

karen
abby
lisa
nicolette
mirre
leanne

if you don't want to play, you don't have to - it's just kinda fun :)
l
x

Kindness

2009-02-13T16:38:00.001+10:30

It's too easy to think these days that the world is a sad place - there is so much greed and violence and anger but occasionally things happen that make you think that perhaps there is a little good in the world.
Now most people would know about the Victorian Bushfires and at my son's school there has been much discussion about it. One boy in Julian's class was very distressed about it and wanted to know if there was anything we could do to help. So, as a class they brainstormed and came up with having a casual day and charging everyone a gold coin donation to wear casual clothes.
I don't know how much they ended up making (probably lots if they were like me and didn't have any small change) but I just think it is so good that there are kids out there who understand kindness.
I just wish we didn't have to have a tragedy to find out how good people can be.
Stay safe and treasure those you love.
l
x

My baby.....

2009-02-03T13:34:00.005+10:30

Now don't get excited - the temperature hasn't dropped below 35C but I had to blog about this momentous occasion.

Yesterday my baby turned 5! We have some rather strange regulations here in SA so he had to wait until his birthday to start school. All the other kids have had a week at school to get to know each other and the routines etc.. anyway, I was really worried about him starting school but he was so brave and so happy at the end of the day that I think he will be okay!

Here's a picture of the birthday boy eating his cake. I feel a little guilty as I would normally make sure I have his favourite home made cake - but it's been so hot and I just couldn't stand the thought of turning oven on in my hot, hot kitchen so we had an ice cream cake instead.

Not that Louis minded!

Okay, that's it for now - they are forecasting a mild change on Sunday, so maybe I'll be back then........
l
x

Too.......hot.......to......type........

2009-01-28T21:27:00.000+10:30

brain's scrambled, enthusiasm is low - i'll return when the temperature drops below 35C.
l
x

summer lovin

2009-01-19T20:14:00.000+10:30

you know, i think there's nothing better, as a parent, than watching your kids have fun, listening to the squeals of excitment as the next wave comes in and seeing how brave they can be in uncertain situations. Moments like these make summer worthwhile for me.
cheers
l
x

mmmm apricot jam

2009-01-16T19:58:00.000+10:30

I really wanted to make apricot jam this year but I couldn't get hold of any apricots (well not cheap ones). But the other night, when I was right in the thick of getting ready for interstate visitors, and really too busy to make jam, my father came over with a bag of apricots. Fantastic! BUT, they had to be made into jam quickly. So, I quickly cut up the apricots, sugared them and left them overnight whilst I scrounged jars from my sister and the next morning, when I should have been mopping and dusting I made jam!

Do you know what I like most about my home made apricot jam? It's knowing that inside this jar is just apricots and sugar - nothing artificial - oh and maybe a bit of my sweat! lol

There's really nothing better on hot buttered toast!
l
x

PIF from Granny Loz

2009-01-14T21:05:00.001+10:30

Look what I got in the mail! Granny Loz has been very busy and very creative.

This calico bag may not mean much to you, but to me it means a 5% discount next time I visit the store and after eating the peaches and apricot coconut thingies I'm definately going back. "What peaches?" you ask - "I can't see any peaches!" you say - well that's cause I ate them before I could photograph them. mmmmmmm! They were delicious.

Inside the bag were these little goodies - a cute tin!

This groovy bag - which Emily and I were both fascinated by!

and finally

Isn't this bag goregous - and it was perfect for taking my camera and phone and water to the beach yesterday - all nicely zipped up and safe from the sand!

Thank you so much Lorraine!

l
x

A little bit of paradise

2009-01-04T20:21:00.004+10:30

Our campsite at Port Clinton (that's our white car in front of our beautiful tent!)

Sunrise

Sunset

I'm not really a camper - well I never thought I was. My idea of camping was hiring a cabin, with an ensuite and heating/cooling. But, the boys were keen and so last year we borrowed a tent and I went camping for the first time in probably 24 years (obviously I was very young the last time I went camping lol). Well, we recently bought our own tent and camping gear and we decided to go camping just after Christmas and not just any old camp, but we wanted to camp by the beach! We were so lucky that these people could squeeze us in as there aren't really any places available this time of year on the coast. In fact when I rang to make a booking for earlier in the week she just laughed - and when I asked her where else I could try she suggested maybe inland, very far inland! lol
Anyway, this particular spot served us well as it was nice and close to my niece Karen, who has just moved into her own house so we were able to check it out. And Karen loves the beach so much that we decided she should come and have a bbq with us which she did.

The view from our tent - just beautiful

Early morning beach visit

Here are the boys playing in the water. This beach is amazing as it's really shallow for about a kilometre which is great for little ones. But, when the tide goes out, it goes out for about a kilometre too - making it a loooong walk to water.

Karen taking photos on the beach in the evening.
We had a lovely time just getting back to basics - no tv, no computer no nintendo - just the beach, the playground and each other.
Like I said, a little bit of paradise.
l
x

Christmas in Dutton

2009-01-01T20:32:00.001+10:30

We had our Christmas dinner in Dutton this year.

Here's Louis playing with his auntie and grandpa.

Getting the ball out was a little pecarious but lots of fun.

This is where we ate with gusto, lucky to be outside on a warm balmy evening.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy 2009! May all your dreams and wishes come true this year. We are hoping for a healthier year, and one that is just as happy as last year was for us.

We are off camping and will back soon but until then stay happy :)

cheers
l
x

Thank You Anne Marie

2008-12-29T09:43:00.002+10:30

Christmas was even more exciting this year as it was the first time I've participated in a Swap. Now, I have to admit, I'm not normally patient enough to leave a present for about four weeks without unwrapping it - but I did it!
Look what I got - aren't they just beautiful. I can't believe how beautifully meticulous it all is. I have moments of being pretty impressed with my quilting, but when I see work like this I know I'm a long way off - such skill! Fortunately I'm aware that Anne Marie has been quilting longer than I have so I have something to aspire too.

A macro shot of the stitching and hand quilting.

She also sent some chocolates which I can tell you now are very yummy. On Christmas day it was quite warm here and when it's hot I don't feel like eating chocolate - but lucky for me it's cooled down and I have been eating chocolates to my hearts content over the last couple of days. Apparently Anne Marie sent the chocolates for the boys, but being the good mother that I am I am sparing them all that sugar and fat and eating them myself (only joking, I am sharing them).

This is a mini quilt which I will hang in my hallway.

And this is the end of a table runner which looks just beautiful on my kitchen table.

So thank you Anne Marie - I love my present.
And thank you Donna for being an absolute champion and organising it all.

Happy New Year Everyone
l
x

It's Christmas Time!

2008-12-24T11:30:00.000+10:30

Yesterday I baked gingerbread to make this Christmas tree and today we decorated it. I'm happy to say that most of the lollies went on the tree, with only a few ending up in the kids mouths and a few too many ending up in David's mouth.....hmmm!

This is the first year we have made this tree and it was lots of fun. I borrowed the idea from a friend of mine whose mother makes them every year. I hear that this year they are making a gingerbread castle!

Emily's Oma (grandmother) gives her an IKEA gingerbread house which she decorates herself (note that hers is much neater than ours!!!).

This month has been busy and the last few days have been ridiculous and I still haven't finished - I'm not sure why I leave it to the last minute to get so much done. Much as I love Christmas, I'm looking forward to Boxing Day which I've re-named Pyjama Day as it's the day when we all stay in our pyjamas and do very little. Here's hoping Santa brings me a good book and a big box of chocolates.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and look forward to catching up in the new year.

l
x

She made it herself!

2008-12-06T13:11:00.002+10:30

Emily is getting into the Christmas spirit. She is at her most productive when she is up to her ears in assignments and swatting for end of year tests. This is the snowman that she made one night - isn't he gorgeous!

cheers
l
x

Gratitude 15 and probably the most important one

2008-11-20T09:10:00.003+10:30

When I started these posts, I knew that I would have to post about my mum and dad because I am ever so grateful for them. It's hard to put it down into words though and I guess I've left it for last as I find it hard to express how much I am grateful to them.

My mum is a wonderful woman. She has touched so many people's hearts - she has had six children of her own, taken in foster children, single pregnant girls who were waiting to give birth and had nowhere to go, she has feed the homeless and opened her house up to those who don't really have anywhere to go. I had moments of resenting this when I was young, but I'm now happy she did this, as it has made me more tolerant today and a little bit grateful for all that I have too. My mother has worked tirelessly for all of us, making sure we are happy and I guess trying to make our lives a little better than hers was. So thank you mum - I for one, really appreciate all you have done.
My father is also special - he has made me 'think' about life. He has helped me challenge ideas and understand the world. When I was little, he was the one who explained thunderstorms, told me about the stars, told me about the great philosophers, made me appreciate classical music and history. I vividly remember big, strong, warm hands that made me feel very safe.

My mum and dad make a wonderful team - my dad is the thinker or dreamer and my mum is the doer.
We never had much in a material sense when were growing up, but we had much in the way of family, experiences and now memories. Thank you so much mum and dad - my life has been great!
l
x

I made it myself

2008-11-17T14:20:00.000+10:30

Not to be outdone by his older brother, Louis decided he wanted to make something - so he made a t-shirt for himself.

He drew a design on a piece of fabric using fabric marking pens and we bonded it on and blanket stitched around it. It's a van with roof racks on top (that's his latest fascination). With a bit of encouragement he drew on a tree (far left), a stream, some flowers and a sun. He's pretty chuffed with it!

I haven't blogged much lately. I'm in a panic about Christmas and find I don't have time to blog cause I'm concentrating all my energy into faffing about. I need to get inspired, and quickly cause Christmas is almost here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you are all happy and well.
l
x

Gratitude 14

2008-10-30T16:28:00.000+10:30

This post is more from Julian than from me, although I'm grateful too. Today we are grateful to Mixtape Magazine! Julian has been asking, for some time now, to do some sewing and I was always quick to put him off. It's not that I didn't think he should learn, but I just didn't think it was important for him to learn. I think somewhere in my subconscience I fell for that stereotype that only girls sew. Which is really not me!!! Honest :)

Anyway, I got my Mixtape Zine the other day and it had an article about a guy who loved to sew and he wanted mothers to teach their sons to sew too. When I got home from school, Julian again asked me if he could do some stitching and this time I said "Yes, absolutely you can - I'll get some stuff ready now".
He was a little shocked - his response was "really???!!!???"
He decided that it would be fun to make fruit and I decided it was probably best to use felt, embroidery floss and a nice big needle. Julian chose the fruit and the colours and did the stitching. He had so much fun and did a good job too.

His little brother, Louis, also had a bit of a go, but to be honest, I think he's a little too small for this kind of thing. So here's Julian with his bowl of fruit. Next we are making Christmas decorations and then we might just have to make a bag........well, the list is endless!

Thanks Mixtape!

cheers
l
x

gratitude 13

2008-10-25T12:55:00.006+10:30

we live in the driest state, on the driest continent.
i've heard this so many times growing up. now that i'm grown up i realise it's true and sometimes i find it a little scary. right now it's really dry out there and it's not even summer. our lawn is crisp and you need sunglasses on to look at it. very dire. i'm hoping for a little rain - actually i'm hoping for a lot of rain and soon.

anyway, on our camping trip we saw lots and lots of dry landscapes. it was hard to imagine, when we turned off the road at a sign that said 'Mannum Falls', that we would see any water. after a hot, dry, dusty walk we found gold!

i've always loved water. i remember i was obsessed with this book once as it had kids playing in a pond in the park. i love the beach, i love running creeks in winter, i love waterfalls. and i loved finding this at the end of our trek - bliss.

i should add though - i hate cold water. i'm a sook when it comes to swimming. it has to have been over 35C for a few days before i will get in a pool or the beach. brrr!

so today my post is in gratitude of water - it's very precious here and it's very much appreciated by me!

l
x

btw

2008-10-18T11:59:00.000+10:30

if anyone is interested in the pattern for the below quilt, it can be found here:-

strip twist quilt

i've just got me another jelly roll and am going to make this quilt double the size so it fits on my bed. yipee!

cheers
l
x

Gratitude 12

2008-10-16T11:40:00.001+10:30

Today I am grateful for Jelly Rolls.
Click on a photo if you want to see a bigger picture!

They take the hard work out of chosing fabrics which is helpful for me as I'm not that colour confident still.

I have been working on the quilt at my quilting class. Nearly everyone in the class made one - and it was great to see how different fabrics work with the pattern.

I love this particular fabric range. I've forgotten what it's called but is so funky and fun. I don't think there's a material in it that I don't love.

It's not quite finished - I still have to do two borders, back it, quilt it and bind it. I was going to give it away..................but I've kind of fallen in love with it. I find it so hard to part with my quilts................ sigh

cheers
l
x

Gratitude 11

2008-10-10T17:56:00.005+10:30

Today I am grateful for:-

Friends
who help
and support you;
encourage you to take risks
but keep you safe;
who make life just a little more fun
and who can make you laugh out loud;
but are also there to hold your hand
when things go wrong.

and who help you pin lots of big quilts ready for quilting
(the ones you have been avoiding for some time!)

These photos were taken at a recent quilting evening I had with the girls. It was lovely to catch up, drink a little red wine, have a little giggle and do a bit of sewing.
We should do it more often.

cheers
l
x

Gratitude 10

2008-10-08T08:55:00.007+10:30

I'm grateful for long weekends and camping and for my sister and brother in law who lent us everything we needed for the trip. David had warned us that he needed a bit of time to put the tent up as he wasn't really sure if he remembered how to do it. We all had a moment (or several moments) when we thought we might not get it up and if we managed to get it standing that it may not stay up for long. But it worked! Amazing!!

This was our first camping trip as a family and it was great. Okay, it's true to say that we froze at night, and it was hard cooking, nothing was ever easy to do, and everyone kept tripping over the ropes, but it was a great experience and the boys loved it.

Early morning breakfast - eating cereal out of boxes - nothing better really - although there were charred pancakes later which we mighty good too!

We cheated a bit and cooked dinner in the camp kitchen - mind you it was still pretty rustic. Food tastes good when you camp - somehow your senses seem heightened - or is it all the exercise you have done which create a massive appetite!

Anyway, a wonderful time was had by all. There were a few fights between the boys and Emily didn't really enjoy the whole camping 'thing' - perhaps it would have been better if she had a friend with her? She thinks it would have been better if she had a cabin for herself!!

So we returned home feeling very tired, a little bit sore but with plans to set ourselves up so we can camp again in the near future!
l
x

gratitude 9

2008-09-27T14:33:00.005+09:30

warm saturday mornings

bliss

reading, eating icy poles, just lazing around

i'm grateful for those times when you can exist just in the moment.
no time to worry about
money,
deadlines
politics
or the likes
just to laze
and be warmed by the sun
ahhhh
plenty of time to worry later.

l
x
have a great weekend

gratitude 8

2008-09-26T10:13:00.007+09:30

today i am grateful for presents - big ones, small ones and all the ones in between.

a few weeks ago i met leanne for coffee at cibo's where she presented me with this:-

isn't it beautiful. i have to say, i am in awe of her skills - something for me to aspire to! not only is it beautifully made but she has stitched a gorgeous design on everything.

and it was filled with goodies too.

one of them i had to retrieve from emily's room as she feels i have way too many pincushions and she could do with one of her own. to be honest, i was happy to share with her (although she did get her own present!!)

but, i'm sorry to say leanne, that much as i adore your present - the best present of all is when louis snuggles up to me and tells me he has a present for me and gives me a great big kiss. that's one of the best presents of all.

l
x

gratitude 7

2008-09-22T10:18:00.006+09:30

today i am grateful for quilting. for my wonderful teacher who taught me how to quilt, for my wonderful family for giving me time to quilt this weekend and for my friends and family who have made it possible to go to quilting lessons. i am very, very grateful as i really love doing it and i really love the satisfaction i get from it.

i spent sunday finishing off the quilt that i started ages ago.

as you can see, i decided to go with the sashing as when i had finished off all my blocks and put them together i realised that it would be really hard to match those points together. once the top was together though, i really liked the effect and i'm very happy with it. i'm sorry about the photo - i tried to rotate it, but it didn't work. hmmm

So, the next big question is, should i put a border around it or just bind it. unfortuantely i won't be able to get anymore of the blues that are used in this quilt and i thought that rather than matching another blue, i would perhaps try and pick up a soft green that's in some of the fabrics (see below - oooh and don't look too closely at the sewing as my points still don't match).

so, once again, it's over to you out there to tell me what you think - border or no border - blue border or green border???

l
x

Gratitude 6

2008-09-21T09:47:00.003+09:30

today i grateful that the hawks won last night. my husband is a very happy man!!!
l
x

gratitude 5 (oops missed a day)

2008-09-16T16:13:00.004+09:30

Today I'm grateful for our vegetable garden. I get immense pleasure from foraging in the garden for edible things for dinner. This shot shows off our spring onions, lettuce and carrots. It also showcases 'Pierre' our wonderful french scarecrow - well, we think he looks French. He's still in his winter gear - but with the weather warming up it won't be long till he dons his summer outfit - stay tuned. We also have some potatoes and various herbs growing. In the middle of it all is a tee-pee of sweet peas.

David is a mad keen gardener. He took it up when gave up golf. He has a wonderful compost heap made from recycled pallettes and he was given a worm farm which he has established and he's been putting worm juice on our indoor plants and they are looking fantastic. It's amazing stuff really.

So, I'm off now, to pick something fresh for dinner - hmmm what can I find???

l
x

the 4th thing i am grateful for

2008-09-14T20:24:00.002+09:30

sorry - i'm blogging on my laptop and have hardly any photos on here and when i try and search for images i get nothing - not sure why but i can't see the images. anyway....here's another wordy post rather than a photoy post.

today i am grateful for libraries - in particular my local library. i have to confess i'm a bit of a shopaholic with a very limited income. about 10 years ago i discovered that libraries are a good way to feel like you are 'shopping' without having to fork out money. bliss - of course it helps that i love, love, love books. so, many a weekend is spent poring (is that the right spelling) over books at the library and looking for great reads, sources of inspiration as well as finding books that are just pretty to look at. and the best thing is that if you don't like the book, well you can just return it but, if you really, really like the book - well you can go right out and buy it!

my library is full of very helpful staff, including my gorgeous and talented niece, madi. if i want a book and they don't have it, they will try their hardest to get it in from some other library from within the state. amazing!!!!!we went to the library yesterday and i got 20 children's books as well as some books for david and i. so, on that note, i'm off to read!

cheers
l
x

gratitude 3

2008-09-13T20:21:00.001+09:30

today i'm grateful for warm spring days.
we've just come out of, what seemed to me to be, the coldest winter ever! but we've had a few beautifully warm sunny days and today was just perfect. it was a lovely warm 28C - perfect for washing the sheets and bedding. but it gets even better as i didn't wash my sheets - david did! i love that tonight i will slip between fresh, clean, sun dried sheets that will smell a little of spring.
i'm also grateful for the beautiful smell of jasmine that is carried on the warm spring breeze today - we are lucky to be inundated with jasmine at the moment. i also have a vase of sweet peas (my mum and oma's favourite flower) in the hallway - so i can smell spring everytime i walk up the hallway! isn't life great!!!
l
x

gratitude 2....

2008-09-12T18:37:00.002+09:30

today i am grateful for you. for all my bloggy friends who have inspired me so much and have become my virtual friends - there are some of you (you know who you are) who have become good friends to me. lately i've been a little remiss - i've found it hard to keep up with blog reading and commenting and i've definately been a little slack on the posting front but please know that i'm still thinking of you lots! there was a time in my life when i felt a little isolated and at times a little lonely and then i found all of you and life turned around a bit. now i'm lucky to have found a friend (that will be another gratitude post later) who lives nearby and has two boys the same age as mine and we are all good friends - but maintaining friendships takes time and that time has to come from somewhere - hence the lack blogging.

today i was lucky enough to have coffee with leanne at cibos. the weather was warm and sunny and it was so lovely to catch up. she made me the loveliest gift which i promise to photograph and post about very soon - i would have done it today but my batteries ran out and my time ran out :( - stay tuned though!

so to all of you - here in adelaide, australia or overseas - thank you.

l
x

Happy Birthday Julian....

2008-09-11T09:53:00.003+09:30

This time seven years ago, I was coming home from hospital knowing that if I didn't give birth today, I would be induced tomorrow.
I didn't really want to be induced, so David and I walked all over Prospect during the day, urging that little baby to come out. We ended up walking up to the school to pick up Emily and walking home. By the time I got home I was very, very tired. I remember remarking to David that I hoped I wouldn't go into labour now as I didn't think I had the energy to give birth anymore. He suggested a nap. I woke up to a contraction. I wasn't sure if it was definately one, but sure enough, six minutes later the next one came. Then I had two at five minutes apart and then they came thick and fast. Now, I was two weeks late and due to go to hospital any day, and did I have my bag packed???? Big panic - throwing things in the bag - stopping for two minutely contractions, thinking I was never going to make it to hospital - we still had to drop Em off at my mum's place and then get to the hospital. We made it though, and I made it upstairs and not long after that Julian was born. My first contraction was at 5.30pm and he was born at 8.55pm. He may have taken his time coming, but when he decided he wanted out, he didn't muck around!

Happy Birthday Julian. We've been so blessed to have you in our lives.

Which leads me on to the next thing. I read on Karen's blog that she is participating in the '30 days of gratitude' blog posting. Now I don't know where she saw this, but I think it's a great idea and I've decided to do it too - my first entry being dedicated to Julian. I am so grateful that he came into my life. He's such a wonderful boy with an amazing sense of humour, so deep at times and very sensitive. I've loved watching him grow into what he is now and I can't wait to see how he will turn out when he is older.

Hopefully I will be able to post everyday for 30 days - but given my track record I wouldn't hold your breath!

cheers
l
x

This one's for you, Chookyblue.......

2008-08-28T16:36:00.008+09:30

After reading Chookyblue's post about how she was given flowers I felt rather envious. I rarely get given flowers and when I questioned David about this he said he grew masses of flowers for me in the garden. And it's true - and what's more, now that the sun is coming out, they've decided to bloom. When I shared this with Chookyblue she suggested that I share my flowers - so here they are.

These lilies were originally planted by David's grandmother in her garden and we managed to get a few of the bulbs for our garden.

The anenomes are looking beautiful at the moment.

This is our big patch of ranunculi - I don't know if you can see it but they are just starting to come out but there are masses of flowers coming - I can't wait!

I think that ranunculi are my favourite flower - oh and poppies - and freesias (for their scent), and orange blossom - mmmmm I love orange blossom.

This last photo is what we have to look forward to - this was last year's crop.

These are my flowers to all of you!

Cheers
l
x

Warning......Construction in progress

2008-08-26T15:51:00.008+09:30

Just before the holidays, our old, old shed had to come down as it was a potential hazard. David, the avid recycler, decided to use as much as he could from the old shed to make a cubby house for the boys. His aim was to make it completely without having to spend a cent. Unfortunately he had to buy a couple of posts, but other than that it's made from things he's scrounged from around our garden and my dad's shed.

This became the school holiday project.

The boys tried to help as much as they could - it was quite fun to watch them enthusiastically telling David what to do!

The lookout tower - no doubt they will be spying on me in the kitchen!!

As you can see, David has used the old iron from the shed to clad half the cubby.

This is how it looks today. The boys have moved in and made a huge mess which doesn't bother me as I'd rather they mess that than my house - lol!

Finally a carved name plate for the door. David did the carving telling the boys in no uncertain terms that they absolutely, definootly shouldn't play with the carving tools as they were very, very sharp. A few minutes after he came inside, Julian came running in, looking very sheepish, needing a bandaid. Now he knows that dad really, trooly meant it! ouch!!

cheers
l
x

A very cute giveaway,

2008-08-21T12:52:00.004+09:30

With, sorry, not much time left to enter!

I found this giveaway at Gisele's Blog. How cute is this mug??? There are plenty to choose from but this was by far my favourite as I'm a big lover of tea parties!!!

So pop by her blog and have a go - remember - you've got to be in it to win. Although.......if you don't enter, I might just have a better chance of winning! :)

cheers
l
x

2008-08-21T12:52:00.000+09:30

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src="http://www.giselejaquenod.com.ar/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/tea-party-400x400.jpg"
alt="" />

To sash or not to sash???

2008-08-12T18:41:00.005+09:30

That is the question!

I bought some fat quarters in Kadina when I was there for our quilting weekend and I've finally decided to use them.

I'm using a block that I've just recently learnt how to make in my quilting class.

I decided on this particular block as I thought it would join together well and avoid the need for sashing.

But, my quilting teacher thought it would look better with sashing in between and a block of different fabric in each corner.

Now I'm confused so I'm throwing out to you guys - should I sash or should I not???

cheers
l
x

ps sorry about the crappy photos -i felt inspired to blog and quickly took photos whilst cooking dinner.

I'm back.........for now

2008-08-07T09:48:00.011+09:30

I'm not sure what's happening at the moment - we seem to be stuck in an endless cycle of sickness in this household - when one gets better, the next gets sick :(

I'm finding I've very little time to blog, read blogs or craft. I miss you all though and I'm hoping to get back into it now.

Today is my birthday - yipee! And today is our wedding anniversary - 15 years today!! We are still happy - and probably more in love than ever.

This week, whilst David has been off work with tonsillitis, he has been very busy with Louis, who has been off kindy with a cold. This is what they made me:

It's a new telephone address book that David covered and Louis drew on. I absolutely love it!

I got a lantern from Julian for when we go camping in the next lot of holidays. brrrrr I hope it's warmer by then!!

I've been admiring this bowl for many months at a local shop. It's such a beautiful rich, warm red and it looks just gorgeous stacked with winter fruit.

Thanks Emily - I love my bowl!

And finally, this beautiful, beautiful book. I can't wait to get started on some of the patterns - they are just gorgeous.

For our anniversary, which we don't normally celebrate with gifts, David found this gorgeous bottle (15 years is crystal or glass) and he made this beautiful card (roses are the flower for 15 years of marriage).

So, I'm off now, to organise my gift for David and then it's off to lunch. I look forward to catching up with your blogs over the next few days and getting back into a better blogging routine.

cheers

l
x

Having a wee break

2008-07-28T14:02:00.000+09:30

Back soon - just need some time to re-energise.
l
x

Baby it's cold outside

2008-07-10T14:40:00.002+09:30

It's been freezing here in Adelaide this week. We had our coldest day in three years on Monday - it only got to 11C. I know that it's not cold by European standards, but for us it's been very, very cold. We ventured out on Monday in the rain to do a little shopping but since then we have been stuck inside - partly because of the cold but mainly because the boys have colds and I have done my back in. Hmmmm all I did was lean over to wipe down the table and the next minute, I can't move. Pretty scary really and I panicked at first as I couldn't breathe because of the pain. I eventually managed to get to a phone to ring David who advised me to lie on the floor which was all very well but I just put some scones in the oven and I had friends coming for lunch! I did what I was told though and since that time I've been resting, stretching and walking a bit and slowly but surely my back is getting better. phew
We are planning to go away for a few days from Saturday, so I will leave proper posting until I get back (proper posting means a post with pictures and cheery stuff). Until then, take care.
l
x

After School Goodness

2008-06-27T16:06:00.005+09:30

I don't know about other children but mine are not interested in eating at school. I've tried really hard to come up with brilliant lunch time snacks but apparently eating interferes with play time so they need something that is really quick to eat. That used to be wholemeal bread with nutella until a new child with a nut allergy started in Julian's class and now he can no longer take that. I've come up with 100's of suggestions, I've been given 100's of suggestion but finally I've given up. He now takes a muffin for recess and a salada with butter for lunch. That's all he will eat - anything else and it comes back with him after school. This stressed me a little and then I figured, he has a healthy breakfast and I give him healthy snacks after school and then he has a good dinner - that will have to suffice.

This is today's healthy snack. It's what we call the Froozie. It's a cross between a Freezie and a smoothie. I generally put in any fruit that seems good that I have on hand. Today's is made up of pineapple (frozen), raspberries (frozen), orange (sweet and juicy), and mango juice. Blend it all up until it's smoooooooth. Because of the frozen fruit, it's really very cold but it tastes like a little bit of summer and it goes down a treat.

Sometimes we put yoghurt in it too - but today we didn't have any :(
I can almost see the vitamins and minerals pumping around our bodies!!

cheers
l
x

quilt number three........and counting

2008-06-19T19:38:00.008+09:30

Here is quilt number three.
I made this from a jelly roll that my niece, Madi, bought me at Hettie's Patch. I wanted to do something a little more challenging than my previous two quilts but not something too taxing.

In hindsight, I think I could have made better use of the jelly roll but it is lovely (even if the quilting is very haphazard). I also could have made making the nine patches easier by sewing strips of the jelly roll together in 3's and then cutting them - maybe next time!

Mum and dad came over to look after Louis for a little while today. When I got back I found my dad ensconced under it, reading a good book. So, if it's good enough for my dad, well then it's good enough for me.

Emily's finally finished her quilt top that she started a while back. It would have been finished sooner, but school got in the way. We are waiting until she starts her holidays to buy the backing and wadding and start the process of pin basting and quilting. I think it's going to be a big job, but she's up for it!

This is how the finished product should look. She plans to stitch in the ditch and then stitch just inside the square as well which should keep her busy for a while!

cheers
l

x

ps a big thank you to donna for her yummy scone recipe. i made them for my mum and dad today and they went down a treat! my mum, the scone and pancake queen, loved them and wanted the recipe for herself.

Pleased to meet you

2008-06-15T18:59:00.004+09:30

It was so lovely to meet other local bloggers at the Biggest Quilting Bee at Hettie's Patch. From left to right: grannyloz, the stitching room, me and em, ausrose and quiltygal. I have to say I really appreciated the opportunity to meet these girls that I have developed an email/blog relationship with. Anyhow, I was way too busy chatting to take any other photos (or eat anything), but if you want to pop over to Hettie's blog you can see photos of the beautiful quilts that were displayed. One day I hope to have something worthy of displaying.

I was a very good girl and didn't buy any fabric - but Emily, who doesn't get many opportunities to shop there, had to buy a little something.

Emily with her Parisienne fabric which she has great plans for. She just needs to find a few more fabrics to go with it. This girl is gonna have to get herself a job to support her habit. lol.
cheers
l
x