Progress - on two fronts!

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I have finished another quilt top - this one for my aunt Keryn. She's a funky chick, who likes chickens, so I thought the Tossed Birds fabric from the Timeless Treasures Bon Voygage range was perfect for her. It coordinates beautifully with some of the Park Slope (Erin McMorris) range, so I grabbed some half yards of each (had to do a bit of searching to find it - I ended up getting most of what I needed from Fabricworm).
The fabric is so busy it needs some very simple piecing, so I went for 8" finished squares with a small 2" border of complementary fabric. I'm planning on doing a large edge to edge meander in pale pink. The backing will be the same as the border fabric. I've got a gorgeous white microdot on yellow for the binding, which I think will tie it all together nicely.

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I also mentioned I'd been doing some handquilting. While I'm no expert and my technique is terrible, I love the look and texture that close lines of quilting give to a quilt. I really wanted the caterpillar to pop out of the centre panel on this quilt, and it's certainly going to do that. The rest of the quilt is machine quilted in the ditch and outlines, but the centre will be entirely handquilted. I've tried with and without the hoop, and find the hoop does help make my stitches a bit neater as I don't have to hold the fabric - the hoop frame just rests on my arms/lap. No doubt if I persevere my stitches will become more even and smaller. I've booked into a handquilting class on 8 November, so that will probably help too. Just need to find the time to practise what I learn - my life story!

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And finally, my copy of Quilts, Baby arrived. Nicolette also posted about it over here. It's a great little book, with lots of inspiration not only for baby quilts, but for doll quilts too. Lots of different ideas to explore in there. Possibly for PIF gifts!

Birthday baking and cutting some grass

Danananananana

They say it's your birthday
Danananananana
And it's my birthday too yeah
Danananananana
We're gonna have a good time
Danananananana
Well happy birthday to you!

(Courtesy the Beatles)

Actually happy birthday to me :)

I had a lovely day. A mini-sleep in (until 7.30am), woken up by Romily, Carl and Tristan bringing me my birthday present - two books: Breath by Tim Winton and The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. Both much wanted and I look forward to reading them.

Carl headed off to work and after Tristan had a sleep and we got ourselves ready, I took the kids to Monkey Mania at the new DFO in Fyshwick. They both had a great time - so much so that they both had a two-hour sleep at the same time. Anyone who has/had two young kids knows what a blessing this is! A second birthday present :)

I spent some time catching up on blogs and baking my own birthday cake (Carl's done it the past two years, but I was more than happy to make one this year - especially with Romily's help decorating it). It's a Treacle Butter Cake with Coconut Ice Frosting (both from the fabulous BAKE cookbook I posted about here).

Then I put a lamb roast in the oven and spent a little while playing with my two gorgeouses. I also opened a bunch of birthday cards and a couple of parcels. Thank you Bill & Kate for the very generous voucher for a local day spa. Very nice! And a wrap and recipe organiser from Jim & Jacinta and the boys. Thank you!

And thanks to my parents and my father-in-law for contributing to Lily's Overlocker Fund. It's getting closer!

Also arriving by coinkydink today was my subscription to Meanjin. It's the third time I've subscribed and I hope this time I might get up enough courage to actually submit something!

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And I think I mentioned there'd been some crafting going on here (finally). Here is the design for my Spring Blooms doll quilt (excuse the magnets - I had to put it on the fridge to show up the design in the photograph!). I drew the design full size onto sew-in interfacing which I'm using as the foundation. The 'sky' will be foundation pieced and then attached to the grass, with the flowers raw-edge appliqued and the flower stems and petals embroidered. The grass is free-pieced. Here's a sneak preview! I hope to have the piecing and applique finished by lunchtime tomorrow and then to do the quilting and embroidery tomorrow night and Thursday. I should be able to get it bound and labelled over the weekend and then posted by Monday, which is the deadline. Cutting it fine, but with all that's been going on around here, it'll be a good effort!

Birthday treats

I was truly spoilt yesterday - and thanks for all your birthday wishes.


I had a lovely long sleep-in and then Romily helped me open my presents. We then had a lovely afternoon together, with the day topped off by my favourite dinner - roast chicken with roast pumpkin and potato and some token greens. Then the cake!


Romily was enraptured with the idea of cake and candles, but got a bit scared when it came time to blow them out. We might have to practice a few more times before her birthday in August.

I also received some gorgeous scarves, socks and beads from my parents and brother and sister-in-law. My present from my other brother is being shipped from Amazon next week and I can't wait to get it. I'll post about it when it arrives.

Carl and Romily also gave me Richard E Grant's latest book - The Wah Wah Diaries. Can't wait to read it. I love him! Not as much as I love my husband, of course!

Enjoying some time out

I've been forcing myself to read again. For pleasure. A chapter each night before sleep. It helps clear out the day's activities from my mind. I am also a little less stressed these days now that I have a job I love, albeit a very busy job that requires some high octane activity, so I find I am happier reading and not so fidgety. I stopped reading for a while there because I just wasn't enjoying it and couldn't find a book I liked.

I tried very hard to read Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, which came recommended to me by my darling husband. He thought I'd appreciate it, having been in the army and all. I tried, and tried, but I just could not get into it. I gave up after about 10 chapters. I just didn't like the style it was written in at all and who needs to be thinking too hard at the end of a long, tiring day?

So I ditched it and picked up Saturday by Ian McEwan while transiting through an airport last month. I read it in about a week - more than a chapter a night! I really enjoyed it - let me tell you why. It felt real. It felt like a story we could all relate too. It had characters that weren't entirely sympathetic but also very believable. I can't tell you how many books I've read where I get to the end and think 'as if'! The world created by McEwan was clear and familiar, although it is set in London. I've been there twice, but not to the area in the book. The front cover image helped a lot! I put it down very satisfied, although I did know where the story was heading, so I might mark it down a little for lacking in suspense. I must confess that it did get my hear racing nonetheless!

So, if you're after a contemporary novel, set in post-September 11 London that tells a good story about a very believable and flawed man, then I recommend you give it a try.

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Today was spent shopping and then decluttering. The first half of the day I enjoyed, although I do get a little down going to the shopping centre and finding just about all of my favourite stores are having sales and I can't afford anything that's a luxury right now. I did, however, manage to replace my torn and worn 15-year-old dressing gown! I also bought a couple of hooded velour jackets (hoodies) for Romily, who has outgrown all her size 1 hoodies, and some cute tights. I absolutely love shopping for her.

Then this afternoon we got serious about finding homes for several piles of books, papers and clothes that had been accumulating in our lounge room. It must have been the day for it as Tracey over at Ozcountryquiltingmum spent her day doing pretty similar mundane tasks!

While sorting out the clothes pile (Romily's clothes that are being 'retired' and some of my maternity and breastfeeding clothes), I discovered (to my embarrassment) a huge mending pile. Whoops! I guess I know what I'll be doing for the next few weeks in front of the telly! :o