Missing my Love

I couldn't help checking in at a "hi-speed" internet post in sunny Queensland. I am missing my connections to sewing and fabric. It doesn't seem to be a big thing up here. Even at all the newsagents, there isn't a big range of craft magazines. I think I'd need some inside knowledge to find any crafty shops. I am having a good time by the beach and creating memories with family - reading Gardening magazines and eating toasted cheese sandwiches and marshmallows by the pool. See you all soon!

Pay It Forward - and Give Away Thank-You's

What a busy time I've had the last few days. Holidays are here at last and I'm all excited to be going on a family holiday tomorrow. I have been tending my garden in preparation and doing just a tad of sewing. Look at my new lovely vase and pretty Freesia's ... aren't they a beautiful picture. They are sitting right beside my computer and have me happy each time I've come into my room.

On Saturday we toasted Bon Voyage to What Katie Did. You can follow her travels with us if you like. We had the jolly party at Ric Rac's and there she presented my Pay It Forward gift which was just magnificent. Thank you so much Jodie. Meg, if you are reading this, Jodie and I have decided to combine postage of yours next week, thanks for being so patient with us Aussie Girls!

Jodie also made these delicious buckets for Master P for his new plane which was finally put up on his bedroom wall this weekend. He is thrilled with it and so is Teddy for having a new purpose in life!

When the postie came along today on his motor bike, he brought a parcel from my friend Donna at Thirties Green, and I was delighted to open it and "oggle" at some of the things she had found by the side of the road. Thanks so much Donna, I LOVE them.

I sat up last night until midnight watching the Pay It Forward movie and I cried and cried. Get it out on DVD if you haven't seen it. Lots of food for thought.

Travelling North

The closest my kids have been to camping in a long time!

On the weekend I travelled north to Mildura to see my folks. I had to take a day off work as it was a 6 hour drive to get there. The whole family went and the chn were very excited to be seeing their Granny and Pa and 2 Aunties and Uncles. Actually it was a bit of a rest for me, as my eldest son was only there 5 minutes and got on the push bike to go and see my sister, down the track, who lives on the same property. Actually both my sisters live on the same property as my folks. We have a farm of 100 acres on the Murray River just on the edge of Mildura. The kids love going there. For me however, there are lots of memories of childhood that I would rather not revisit, but it was great to see Mum and Dad.

My sisters both participate in the local farmers market and it just happened to be market weekend, so we got to check out the event we had only heard about. It was at the Inland Botanic Gardens which was an amazing place in itself. I must say my sis had a great stall, all very organic and home grown.

I bought some seeds for my garden, as I had promised my husband, that this time I wouldn't be brining home any plants from mum's garden .......ooops! that was before she and I did a spot of gardening together on the Saturday afternoon. I only brought 8 pots back!!

Sister no. 1 has an olive grove so the market is a great outlet for her olive oil. Sister no.2 has 5 camels, and raises vegetables from seeds. She contributes bunches of silverbeet, ocra, parsley etc. etc. They do a roaring trade once a fortnight, and it was interesting to witness it all in action.

My daughter celebrated her 10 birthday amongst the gum tree tops at Granny's and was very happy to be around extended family. Despite the miles, it was a good trip.

Friendship Quilt

My Quilting Group has been working on a Friendship Quilt all year, or rather many quilts. We all made our centre blocks back in February, and every 2 months we swap quilts around and add a boarder onto them. It's the first one I've been involved in and I am really enjoying it. Each time we swap the quilts over, we peek at other people's, but are not allowed to look at our own for the whole 12 months. It's very exciting wondering what people are adding to our individual ones. I have been working on Christines quilt. Of course it has been sitting in the box under my sewing desk for almost the whole 2 months and now that the pressure is on, I've been as busy as a beaver trying to get it finished. It's Wednesday night, and the change over is tomorrow night! I've DONE it! And just in the knick of time. Of course I can't show you exactly what I've done, in case she gets wind of this blog entry and peeks herself.
My sewing room is a complete disaster zone, but I really can't blame ALL that on Christine's Quilt!

Spring is Here and Busy Hands are Happy Hands

It is so hard for me to choose between sewing and gardening, especially when the sun is shining and there are floweres everywhere I look. I am LOVING all the blossoms in all the gardens and am very pleased to say I have plenty of my own even though my garden is only 18 months old.

My chooks are happy chooks and laying each day and their yard is no longer a soggy mess and they are busy going scratch scratch scratch and eating up the silver beet.

My deadline is fast approaching for the hand over of our friendship quilts. I am having a little bit of trouble with this one, but my family have decided to go to the Simpsons Movie this morning, so I am going to have a couple of hours "quiet time" to just nut it all out. I need to finish it TODAY! Oh ... but the garden ...

I think the creative genes are moving onto the children, as I am delighted to report that they have ALL been making things and busy rather than all the nit picking that had been going on when they couldn't go outside into the fresh air during the winter months.

My youngest was inspired by Better Homes and Gardens and has been building a plane with his dad for his bedroom. Just the finishing touches to go now. It's been a great father and son project! It is a little (or rather quite big) book shelf/shadow box, when finished.

My other boy decided out of the blue to make a person out of wood for my sister's garden. Some garden art ... now that's my boy! I'll certainly ecourage that. I liked it so much I asked him to make me one, and thankfully he was feeling flushed with success and has decided to work on mine today.....and my daughter was very quiet in the bedroom and I was wondering what she was up to, and she came out with a present for her mum, a lovely oragami lady. I love it when we are all making things and busy with our own projects. I feel at these times I must be doing something right as a parent - much more pleasant than the usual squabbling. Maybe they are all just growing up and getting just a little more sensible. A proud mummy was I yesterday. I will hold onto these thoughts and pictures to get me through when things go "belly up" as I'm sure they will anytime soon!!

I am still loving the bright fabrics and enjoy them sprawled all over my sewing room floor. It reminds me of projects of my own, once I meet my deadlines and obligations! Spring is definitly here in Ballarat, and Busy Hands are Happy Hands. Only 2 more weeks to go of school until another set of holidays and no reports to write this time either.................The house has suddenly gone quiet .....I think they have all gone to the movies. That is my queue to get sewing, so I must away and get on with it........Oh how I love the weekends!!

Lollipop Suffolk Puffs and a little bit of amy butler

I can't believe another weekend is about to close in - It has been a busy one and the washing is still whirring in the dryer so school clothes will be ready in the morning. It started on Friday after school when I took a trip to Ballarat Patchwork to deliver my cushion for the chocolate lollipop competition. Although I had 2 months to complete it, I was still up until midnight the night before finishing off a suffolk puff.

We had a trip to Melbourne yesterday for the in-law Fathers Day dinner. A trip to Melbourne is always a good excuse to visit yet another Patchwork shop, and I managed to squeeze in just a little bit of Amy Butler for my stash.


I was impressed with the bag it came in!

I had heaps to do in my sewing room today as I have started experimenting with some Kaffe Fassett fabrics and I am also working on a Friendship Quilt that is due in a couple of weeks. Not to mention other exciting projects that just pop into my head from time to time when I happen to see different fabrics! (and I have one PIF to send and one still to make)

Despite all these lovely temptations, Spring was in the air, and I just couldn't help myself and had to get out into my garden and enjoy the smell of the earth. I planted a Magnolia tree and dug out just a little more grass!!! Now I am quite stiff, sore and tired and about to face ... CONCERT WEEK at school. ARGH!!!!!!!

One more bit of excitement, was on Friday night when we went on a family outing to one of our favourite shops - Office Works! I found a lovely litte box for my sewing table. I think I will fill it with cottons. I just love little boxes.