tsk tsk

mother's honesty

remember the monster truck quilt I made under duress? Well it not only impressed my son, but also the team at Homespun Magazine who asked if they could include it in their latest edition. There's also a little blurb about me too. Thanks Homespun. And don't you love a mother's honesty!!!! My mother said 'gee that isn't the most flattering photo of you'. thanks mum. Yes my hair is still wet and it was taken by my then 4 year old!!!!

What do you expect?

Is there ever a good photo of me?

she sews...and finishes!!

do you ever stop doing something you love because life gets in the way? Stupid question..of course you do.

For me it has been sewing. I've barely sewn all year. Two weeks ago I dragged out the beast and started a floor mat for a not to be named or mentioned baby that will be arriving soon. (Not me by the way! I'm not going back for more when I have seen the light again.) And typically I didn't finish it when I started and both the quilt and sewing machine have been new decor items in my dining/family rooms ever since.

Today I did it. Finished. It was easy. Took me longer to find my walking foot for the machine than it did to sew it together. I machine embroidered the top and back, kept the fabrics simple and both gender suitable. I used a lovely Japanese bone coloured fabric that has the most gorgeous texture throughout. It will blend perfectly with baby drool and regurgitated milk.

I finished the hand sewing whilst watching Miss M clean her kitchen. Hope your weekend was a healthy and happy one.

when you can't speak, you should sew

I have finally finished Miss M's quilt. I've been ill for a few days now with laryngitis, fevers and a migraine, and I am sooooo over being sick. Days like this I wish I had my mum closer to me. At least I have been able to finish this as she (Mis M) has been waiting so long for it. More photos can be seen here.

swimming and sewing

I've started the binding on Miss M's new quilt. I left the room for only a few minutes and returned to find this little helper making himself quite cozy. Maybe he wants me to make him a quilt too.  The weather is heating up so the kids convinced us it was time to wet their toes in our pool. We have started lessons again, so I'm hoping that by the end of this summer they will be swimming like little tadpoles!

don't you hate it when....

Saturday I spent most of it quilting. Quilting, quilting, quilting, quilting. Keep on sewing, don't give up. quilt. quilt quilt. Nearly finsihed. Almost there. In a minute kids. quilting quilting. last row to quilt. Agghh, now I quite like this. Just the binding to do.

Flip it over for one last check.

BUGGER.

Unpicking, unpicking, unpicking. unpicking!

autumn tones

I'll leave you with a less frightening photo for the weekend. Sorry to all those snake haters out there, I hope you'll come back to this blog again.
Earlier this year I made this quilt. Yesterday in the mail I received an early copy of the magazine, Australian Country Threads which outlines the quilt as a project. I'm so happy with the photo. Thank you Lynelle and all the other hard working people at the magazine for making it look so scrummy. If you are in Australia, it is a worthwhile issue to get as the very talented duo from Melly and me are featured.

Now this weekend I am learning how to hand quilt, so I better get going. Enjoy yours.

its a monster of a quilt

whilst driving to kindy the other day, Mr A got upset because he didn't like his quilt in his sheets bag. It was one my mother had made when he was born. Seems to be that when you are almost 5, things become uncool! With tears flowing,  I found mother guilt slowly sinking in and by the time we had turned the last corner of the street, I had somehow 'promised' I'd make him a new one.....one with MONSTER TRUCKS on it.  What was I thinking?

You see, monster trucks are BIG in our house, well for Mr A they are. So after some thought and a rummage through my fabric stash I had a plan.

And with the speed of a formula 1 racing car, we made a quilt. Yes WE. You see, he really wanted to help. So I let him draw the trucks on the fabric and hand sew parts of them with some coordinating thread. He wanted to have all sorts of colours , but I took some control here.  Then with my free-motion foot on my machine I sewed around his lines and added some patches of colour. With a bit of hand sewing from me to finish, the top was completed.

And with much luck, I had the perfect sized wadding and some mattress ticking fabric to complete this monster of a project. In the end I made a decision not to bind the quilt. I turned it instead (not sure what the technical term for this is). But I decided that I could spend the rest of the afternoon in my pjs hand binding this thing or have a shower and do something for me...after all it is Sunday.

This little project has come out a mother's guilt for a child's devastation of not having a cool quilt. I'm still shaking my head that I was so easily persuaded to do this. Call me selfish, but I kept on thinking as I was sewing away of all the things I could be doing instead.

But the look on his face when each new step was completed and finally at the end when he snuggled under it with MIss M made it all so worth it.

Miss M has put her order in for pony or mermaid quilt. But I already have started something a little more sophisticated for her......more soon.

Keeping warm

I plan on sitting indoors this weekend, drinking, eating and sewing. Winter winds are ever present. We are driving up to the hinterland  to enjoy some Granny and Pa time. This will keep me occupied whilst I sip some wine and help keep my neck warm if I do venture out for an afternoon stroll.

i need help

I remember as a child I would draw under my sheets at night. I loved to draw from a young age. I would try to hold the torch so I could see the paper but it was very difficult to do. One morning my mother discovered bright ink stains all over the sheets and when confronted and asked if I had been drawing in bed I said no. I mean how could she have known, it was a secret. Then she showed me the evidence. I was ashamed and also heart broken that I would never be allowed to do any midnight drawing under the sheets again.

Almost 30 years on and I have discovered that Miss M has the same passion as I did. She woke last night upset and needing to go to the loo. In the dimly lit room, all I could see were reddish splotches on her arms. I panicked. Then panic turned into anger...but really how can you be too angry at 1.30am. I kept my anger until this morning for my husband. Yes, it was he who left that red permanent marker in her room! The damage isn't  too bad. I expected to see it all over her room, but as bad luck would have it, there is only one small area on her hand made quilt...I mean it could have been the sheets or pillow slip.

Mostly I'm disappointed and sad because I don't know how to get rid of the stain from the quilt that I made Miss M. So far I have dabbed it with white-spirits (dry cleaning fluid) and washed it. Nothing. Next I will try to rot some milk to see if that lifts the stain. Otherwise I will just put it down to a memory. A moment in time. A story that I will be able to tell my grandchildren if the quilt lasts that long.

Any suggestions?

messy house

The house is a mess but the paint is looking great so far. Still awhile to go so we have made a decision to keep the kids with the nonni until next week. And I never thought I would say this, but I miss them so much. Especially in the mornings and at night time...which is strange in itself because these two times of the day are the most hectic with them, the times that I don't seem to cope very well. It didn't help today when Mr A spoke to me on the phone..or should I say cried. He was being naughty and decided that he didn't like being there anymore and "waaaa---nnnnnnnttt---eeddd....tototoooo...commm-eeee......hhho---ho--mmm-eee". But looking around at all the paint buckets, rollers and plaster dust confirms that we are doing the best thing. I have relocated myself to the playroom downstairs where there are less fumes and dust. I just don't get it. I have been waiting for such a long time to have this much mummy-free time and now that it is here, I don't know what to do with myself!