May

Things might be a bit quiet on my blog this month.  I have a lot going on.  My eldest daughter is turning 21 so planning and arranging her 21st is consuming me for now.  My mum has arrived as my support team.  There are endless lists and my mind is running non-stop.  Her theme is Caribbean Carnivale - it's such a happy colourful theme and we're having lots of fun sourcing inflatable palm trees, parrots and pineapples, just to name a few.  And costumes - lots of sequins and feathers are floating around the house. There will be lots of photos post event, but I'm not going to give anything away before then!

Poor Tilly's world was turned upside down on Monday with a trip to the vet to be de-sexed.  It was incredibly traumatic. There were 4 of us holding her down (after heavy sedation) to anaesthetise her, which took 2 attempts. Luckily the vet was a tall and strong man - I hadn't considered that when I booked her in, but it is a definite pre-requisite to be Tilly's vet. She is so strong and becomes a bucking bronco when out of her comfort zone.

So I'm afraid there won't be much sharing of crafty projects for now, instead here a few images from my morning walk.  It's an opportunity to look around and up and see glorious little things that remind me how amazing nature is. 

The leaves are the only autumn colour in my garden. They have featured on my blog before...they are so fleeting.  One day I will make an autumn quilt so I can wrap myself in their glorious glow.

 

 

 

This is a bud I passed....and sniffed and snapped a photo.  



And here is a part of a fence I pass on my walks.  I must take my daughter with me so she can sing it to me....I long to know its tune.  How unique is that?  I love people's ingenuity! I would love to know the story behind a musical fence...I ponder what song I would put on my musical fence?  How about you?




Post Op Tilly...totally depressed

Tilly welcoming the day!

What a gorgeous weather-wise weekend we had here in Perth.  Temps under 30 both days.  It was lovely to open the house up and let the sunshine and fresh air pour in, rather than closed up with the air-con on and avoiding the boiling sun at all costs.

 

I had a quiet weekend, mostly spent at home mooching doing loads of washing.  My daughters cleaned there rooms and the floor-drobe contents made its way to the washing basket.  I know, I am such a nice mother, still doing their washing!

 

I had time to get my Liberty Strippy Quilt ready for pinning and hand-quilting.  I'm just planning on straight rows of stitches in various shades of blue thread. 

 

Here it is ready for pinning, which I later achieved. I'm tacking it as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Tilly was yet again my helper. Following me around, sitting patiently while I hung out washing. Jumping on the vacuum cleaner, licking the dishes in the dishwasher - the dirty, tasty ones, nudging for pats, when they weren't forthcoming in the required time frame.  Yesterday she did some sunbathing in the spot of sunshine in the lounge room.

 

 

 

 

The weather felt more Spring-like than Autumn-Like.  I moved some furniture around and put the old smelly blue sofa out on the verge and put the white sofa bed in  its place and draped it in my aquablue quilt.  It looks soooooooooooo much better.  You can lie on this one - finally a sofa we can lie on- and I did just that for an hour reading my book club book which is great.  I finished another book on Saturday night - my first David Baldacci - Zero Day.  It was as if I was watching a CSI episode without the ads.

 

 

 

What else?  Friday night I went to see Pam Ann - a comedienne.  Quite funny in places - good for a giggle.  And Sunday a quick cuppa up the road at my besties.  All in all very nice.



 

 

I hope you had lovely weekends too!

Hand quilted Retro Vintage Square Quilt

Hand quilting all done....I just need to do the binding.... I have to say, I absolutely love the feel and look of the hand quilting, and I think I'm a convert from machine quilted tops.  Having thought myself a "topper" only of quilts - you know...love putting the top together, but my mind too full of other quilt ideas to take the time to hand quilt, so I've outsourced the quilting part, so that I can get on with the next top.  Not sure I'll be treading that path any longer.  I have 2 other finished quilts sitting waiting to be quilted and they will both by hand quilted - my Liberty strip quilt and my Babushka quilt.  Then there's the nearly finished hand pieced hexie quilt, oops and I forgot my Jane Brocket Hammock quilt, which I will hand quilt now as well. 

My stitching is very very rough, but I love it and think it suits the quilt down to the ground. I used a thick quilting thread in a red and stitched every second square.  I'm pretty chuffed with myself in case you can't tell :)

Last weekend I did a little bit of painting in the ensuite

with a little bit of help....

 

 

A dog's life....

 

 

"Oh thanks Soooze, did you put that cushion there just for me?"

 

 

 

 

Tilly, " gotta love a good pillow".

to...

 

''Where's my pillow?"