Catch Up

Nothing new to show this week - lots of machine embroidery happening for Christmas presents but no photos taken yet, zooming away on scrappy spiderweb blocks and lots of cutting out. Not in the mood for hand-stitching lately - can't remember the last time I stitched at lunchtime; so I'm hoping that will remedy itself soon. I wrote up a "Christmas Sewing" list the other day - now that's a bit scary.

To add a bit of colour to this post, a of photo from pre-blogging days: "Gentle Arts" embroidered pail designed by Lesley McConnell of "Faeries in my Garden"

Where would we be without Electricity?

All at the same time yesterday morning:

• Clothes washing in the washing machine;
• More clothes drying in the dryer;
• Music blaring from the computer;
• Lights on in the house so I could see;
• Placemats being embroidered on the embroidery machine;


• I was sewing bright scrappy spiderweb blocks on the sewing machine;


• The iron was on to press the blocks; and
• The jug was boiling to make a cup of tea.

Wet, miserable day yesterday and the same today - great weather for a mental health day (if I'd taken one).

All of our children were at home for lunch on Saturday - the best time of the weekend.

No Christmas finish for this month - life in sunny down-town Primbee has interrupted the sewing/stitching schedule.

Wonderful Present

A bit of furniture re-arranging has been going on in our house, which means that the new chest of drawers can be put in place in the sewing room. The top drawer is being filled with quilts cut, traced, vliesofixed ready to start when the mood strikes.

We might put the quilting frame back in place over the weekend then the room will be pretty much finished (until the next bright idea).

I received this absolutely beautiful dinner set from my mother-in-law - it's called "Lotte" and was imported into Australia from Norway in the 1970's-1980's. I am so tickled pink.

Old & New Photos

We've been sorting through lots of old photos lately. This photo shows John's Mum and Dad (on the left) at the wedding of their cousin in the early 1960's. The others in the photo are John's father's brothers and their wives - love the hats.

John on his First Communion Day (about 1957) - such a cutie.

Very rarely there's a photo of me that I don't hate. This was taken last April (not bad for a phone photo).

I've started piecing the red/cream/white "Sweet Pea's Quilt" and it's looking pretty good - will take a photo when all the blocks are made. My camera no longer works and I haven't been able to find anyone willing to repair it. The girls have told me not to buy a new one, so I'll have to use John's camera.

Lunchtime stitching (hasn't been much over the last month or so) is still Girls Day Out - the flower shop but it will be put aside soon so I can stitch Sweet Pea. Have a look at Teresa's blog - her Girls Day Out blocks are beautiful.

A New Movie

Last night Mum, my dear friend Barbara and I went to see "Mao's Last Dancer" - loved it. I found the film to be not as confronting as the book. The dancing is fabulous and it was lovely to spot all the Aussie actors.

Lego for Grown-Ups

This box came home with me after an expedition to Ikea a couple of weeks ago.

Michael was visiting yesterday and I asked him if he felt like playing with Lego or doing a large puzzle - being The Good Son, he said yes and his younger sister offered to be the site supervisor/project manager. So we put on an excellent music dvd ("The Last Waltz" - The Band) and the building began.

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Here it is all together with no leftover bits (which amazed all of us).

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The chest of drawers will be used for fabric storage when I get around to sorting out the sewing room (again)

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and also as a cutting table because it's an excellent height for me.

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Stitching ...

A couple of little stitcheries finished for apron pockets - hoping to make an apron or two for Christmas presents and the peek at the stitchery below is for a secret present - I'm actually making three of these: one for me and two for presents.

Mary, Elizabeth's dear friend who was married earlier this year, is pregnant and Elizabeth told Mary I would make a quilt for the baby. I showed Elizabeth all the pretty baby quilt patterns I have and what did she choose? "Sweet Pea's Quilt"! This time in red and white/cream. I was hoping she'd choose a different quilt as this is the fourth SPQ I will have made. A friend's daughter is having a baby next year so I might make "Tail Feathers" for her baby.