Where have I been?

Port Douglas

 

Cairns

 

Everyone had lots of fun....

 

However we had lots of trouble with the internet connection  so no blogging whilst away and no reading of my favourite blogs either...however I was busy sewing.....

So what have I been sewing?

More Wheels.....

 


More Hexagons....

you will all be pleased to know that I have finished all the extra blocks....I did do a little happy dance when I finished the last one.

 

And Finally....what does your pin cushion look like?

It has been said that mine is a little bit obsessive and some people go to great lengths to mix up my colours when I leave the room :-)

A walk around the garden

Spring is here and my garden has come alive. 

With all the rain we have had over the last year everything has grown so big.  I am especially excited about my snow ball tree

the Lilac

and the lemon on my lemonade tree

My Banksia rose that has not flowered in 8 years

The fuchsias have come alive

I wonder if I will have  a bumper crop of roses?  I have just a few bushes

A New Bag

Having three kids means that before I begin anything I need a extra pair of hands....like holding hands crossing the road, holding hands walking together in crowded places....etc so having a hand bag really isn't an option.  I have been using a leather back pack...but due the enormous amount of things I need to carry around like: nappies, wipes, tissues, lollipops, shopping bags (envirosaxs...but more on that later), wallets, phones and cameras...my poor back pack died..the straps all split away at the seams ripping the leather....so time for a more utilitarian and heavy duty bag.....

Don't you love it...I fell in love with the fabric....probably not as many pockets as I would like but it is doing the job and I can sling it across my body and be hands free.  Did I say I love the fabric?  It is by Lily Bloom

Currently I am sewing .....

Here is what I have been doing......a lot of work in progress

Ninjas  x 2 (finished = very happy little E)

Georgetown Turnaround

                 

 

                 

                                          

 

Teddy bear quilt (for unborn baby "garybasia")

Life is very precious...

Well in the last month we have had a some serious life issues crop up. (and you can't get more serious than this).

Someone we all work with died at work at his desk.  He was in his forties and it has really shocked everyone.  Life changed for us all in a second.
 

And then much more confronting...Cancer.  One of our closest friend's world has changed in a week.  From getting up Monday morning feeling nauseous and thinking that he had hepatitis (Dr's thought then that was the problem) to being told he had to have scans, then biopsy's then the news on Friday of multiple tumors in his liver.....with about a million questions remaining unanswered...where is the primary, is this the primary metastases, calcium is leeching? why? tumors in the pancreas? Tumors in the intestine and oesophagus?  Three weeks later with major internal bleeding and hospitalization and now treatment and surgery there is some more light but still a million questions, opinions and options....and then  6 weeks later stopping chemo as the tumors are growing.

So all we can do is ........

I asked and continue to ask am I leading the right life for me? I have asked my BAM this question as well.  We have both answered no.

What do I want ...have my family close always and to sit around all day sewing but getting paid the same amount of money I currently earn at my job. 

I look at my dear friend Meredithe and know it is possible to do the things you love......
I look at Basia - one of the most inspirational women I know.....She gives me the "life perspective" that I easily lose when I get busy and then I find the courage to make decisions that are right for my family.

Right now the planets are aligning as they do every 5-7 years in my life and I know that what is around the corner are some big changes coming.

So how much sewing have I done?  believe it or not lots...you will see next post.

Georgetown Turnaround

On the weekend I went to Ballarat Patchwork to do Trish Harpers Quilt "Georgetown Turnaround". 

It was a brilliant day.  As usual Emma was lovely.  I love her shop so much.  The moment I walk in I just want to wrap myself in all the fabrics (not sure how Emma would react to this).  If there ever was a place that I could spend the rest of my life and never want to leave this would be it.  A island paradise is not for me... rather Ballarat patchwork.  I spent money I didn't have because I wanted it all to come home with me.  Emma only let me take what I paid for.....can't understand why I couldn't temporarily look after it all for her back here in Melbourne.

The class started at 10am (and my lovely BAM and all the "littles" (I love that Trish!!) dropped me off very punctually).  I didn't realise it at the time that Trish, in her car, and we in ours were playing "I'm the leader" all the way to Ballarat.  How I know this is because we had a very conspicuous green frilly cushion (long story) in the back window of the car and she kept on watching the car in front with the rather "attractive" pillow and she kept over taking it only for the green pillow car to over take her.

So back to the class.  It was brilliant.  A wonderful group of girls were in the class and we were all so engrossed in everything Trish was saying and doing that the first time I looked at the time was 3pm and that was only because my stomach was have a party with all the hunger pains.

So here is the first block.  I finished it already!!! Only about 18 to go.  (Wonder how long this one will take me?).

So what did I buy from Ballarat patch work....too much and not enough. 

Trish put me on to these needles.  Jenna Kimble's redwork needles.  All I can say is where have you been all my life. 

Trish also introduced me to another gem.  I now have a 0.9mm retractable pencil that can use the white lead refills.  Great for all the dark fabric marking.

And then there was the fabric....more on that later

I feel rather constrained when I look at this. 

Busy with the Hexgons

I have been focusing on the hexagons this week to try and get them finished.  However I am over it and I keep falling asleep.....this last push is the hardest.

I also started the Ninjas for Miss E.  I have cut the fabric out and that's it.  I hopefully will get back to it this week.

This weekend the snow trip is on.  It is very cold right now so hopefully the snow will be not too icy.
We are off to Baw Baw.

Next weekend I am off to Ballarat to do the Georgetown quilt at Ballarat Patchwork. 

I have inspiration for my next quilt.  After I finish the hexagons I am inspired by these things to make my green and blue quilt for my bedroom.  Can you tell I am/was a chemist.