Progressing Nicely

The quilt for Suse has now been quilted with feathers and swirls and is awaiting binding.

As always in my head, where time doesn’t actually exist and I never have to vacuum or prepare dinner, I’ll be finished by tomorrow. In real life, however, it will probably take me another week.

Not long now, Suse.

To Boldly Go…

I don’t mean to talk it up too much, but…

I may just be the best wife ever.

One dozen Star Trek cupcakes to celebrate my Pete’s birthday tomorrow…

Happy birthday, my darling. Live long and prosper.

I Like Giraffes

It’s true. I really do.

 

I am not sure why, but they really appeal to me.

Perhaps it is the way they can be both awkward and graceful…

Giraffes feature in lots of my quilt designs. I love to draw them with long legs, long necks and floppy ears.

A giraffe found its way onto this cushion. As soon as I saw the orange and red checked fabric against the blue paisley I knew it was perfect for a giraffe.

So that is what it became – a checked giraffe on a bright blue cushion.

I like giraffes. I really do.

You can find this cushion for sale here on my website. Should you prefer to make your own you can find the pattern available for sale and download here.

What is Forty-Three?

Forty-three is a delicious lunch…

eaten by the ocean on a magnificent day…

in the company of a beautiful man.

Forty-three a dozen cupcakes made especially for me by a clever lady.

Forty-three is rich moisturisers fortified with sunscreen and beautiful red hair-dye liberally applied.

Forty-three is me!

This is your…

quilt.

More work has been done on the swap quilt.

Applique has been added…

Borders have been adorned…

Not long to go now, Suse.

Challenge me…?

Have you ever wondered how a challenge or a swap between bloggers starts?

Well, I started one just the other day… by being a smart-mouth.

I was bemoaning on Twitter that I was cold. Now I know that living in the tropics should exclude me from complaining about the cold, but temperature is relative. When it hits 12 degrees overnight here, it is cold. We build our houses to be cool; high ceilings, few internal walls and doors and certainly no heaters. SO… I had a whinge that I was cold.

Suse of pea soup lives many thousands of kilometres south of here in a place that really does get cold. She read my whiny cold post in front of a roaring fire whilst wearing many hand-knitted shawls and told me to toughen up.

So I quipped to her that I was not enjoying the benefit of a hand-knitted shawl.

She was straight back to me with a tongue-in-cheek offer to make me one.

Now I don’t know if she really meant it. She’s a busy lady. Maybe hand-knitting a shawl for a whingy, reptilian North Queenslander would not be her idea of fun. But I called her bluff anyway…

and offered to trade her a quilt for a shawl.

This is how one corner of you quilt looks so far Suse…

hope you like it.

Such a Proud Mother…

Today my pride in my son knows no bounds.

Today he found a way to thrill my heart beyond its bounds.

Today he did something that I had only ever dreamed would be possible.

Today

he

spontaneously

vacuumed…

I kid you not.

He was neither asked, nor expected to vacuum. In setting up his newly repaired computer he noticed the desk was dusty so cleaned it thoroughly.

That’s not even the best bit…

When he had finished

he packed up the vacuum cleaner

AND

put it away.

The smile has not left my face all day.

On the Move…

alternatively titled: How to Make an Almighty Mess One Day Before Hosting the Ladies for a Night of Stitching…

This weekend my Pete bought a new TV. He has been angling for one for quite some time. Until now I had managed to distract him from the idea because I knew a new TV meant a new TV cabinet… and a new TV cabinet meant a shuffle of furniture…. and a shuffle of furniture meant that it would be even more obvious that WE HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF!

In this way my Pete and I are a very bad combination. I don’t like to spend money and make big changes to the status quo. The old TV still works, why would we even need a new one? My Pete loves to buy new stuff, but hates to get rid of old stuff. SO… he not only wants to get a new TV, but he still wants to keep the old one. His idea is that it can just fit into the studio – where I work and where I sew.

A compromise was sought. I would agree to making a purchase and the old TV in the studio IF he would agree to getting rid of an old wall unit and his old drawing board. These are both currently in the studio.

Don’t think this was an easy compromise. We both had to think long and hard about it, but he has agreed to this. Although, now I think I should have made him sign something official because he is still attempting to cram the drawing board into one corner of the room. His puppy dog eyes are working on Ashy and she thinks I’m being horrible to him by asking him to get rid of it. He last used it in 1996.

It. has. to. go!

Right now we are mid-re-organisation. Stuff is everywhere. Stuff is bagged and ready for the rubbish dump. Stuff is piled and ready to give away. Stuff is on top of other stuff waiting for empty drawers to be wiped and re-filled.

OH – and the ladies are coming over for stitching in just over five hours… sigh.

I just wish it was already finished.

Fifteen years…REALLY?

Tomorrow Pip, the ever grubby, will turn fifteen.

How on earth did that happen??? (the rapid passage of time, not the permanent ring of dirt left in the bath-tub)

Every day he finds new ways to make me proud.

(His school photo this year was taken before shave for a cure.)

One of the very nice benefits of keeping a blog over a number of years is watching his growth and change.