The last few weeks have been unseasonably warm, a wonderful way to end autumn. Yesterday the younger four enjoyed an extended lunch time visit to a couple of local parks. Master T's AR.Drone was almost as colourful as our native parrots - the Rainbow Lorikeets.
Warm sunshine, green grass and blue skies. We have so few deciduous trees that it was a treat to enjoy some autumn tones, to walk amongst the leaves and rediscover their crispy, crunchy sounds.
Sharing at Saturday's Critters, Our World Tuesday.
These fabrics have caught my attention - a couple of lengths from my pre-quilting days, some have been passed on, others are remnants from previous quilts or pieces I have just loved. A mix of organza, taffeta, oriental brocade, voile, polycotton and quilting cotton. Will they play well together? Are they too rich in colour? The bromeliads flowering at the base of our stairs suggest nature enjoys a riot of colour.... Do I need to intersperse them with black?
What do you think?
Sharing at WIP Wednesday, Fabric Frenzy Friday (featured).
Whether it be late in the afternoon or early in the morning, whether alone or in company, be the horizon is visible or not, if day looks like night and night like day - joy and beauty can still be found as long as you keep looking.
Sharing at SkyWatch Friday.
A quick walk to the river early this morning was about as far as I ventured from home today. Many and varied family responsibilities filled my time, yet I was inspired by magnificent photos of snow capped mountains, brilliant ideas for embroidery, print making and quilting. The designs, fabrics and faces of the Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburgh passed before my eyes. The internet brings a great wealth of ideas, information and a real sense of being connected with the world, right from my home in our Australian country town.
Coinciding with the huge US Quilt Market each Fall and Spring Amy Ellis hosts an online Blogger's Quilt Festival. Today I'd like to briefly revisit my Butterfly Dance quilt and participate in the Spring festival, sharing from DownUnder where summer pleasantly lingers into Autumn.....
This is a quilt which nearly wasn't. I had decided not to make a quilt for my friend's tenth baby, which was due late December. But when Erin had a beautiful a baby girl just days before Christmas, I could't stop thinking bout this brand new baby with a delightful name.
There is something about news of a new life which melts your heart. Soon I was pulling fabrics from my stash which needed to become a quilt to share in the joy of a baby as well as wrapping love and warmth around her as she grows beyond babyhood.
The last stitches in the binding were completed late on New Year's Eve. I couldn't wait to meet this newborn, and I wanted to have the quilt finished to deliver when we visited.
Eager siblings watch on as baby peacefully feeds while Erin unwraps the quilt.
There is great joy in making a quilt to give to someone you know, for even though a part of your heart and soul goes along with it, somehow you end up being a little richer for having given it away.
You can see more photos and read the full story in the original post here.
Sharing in Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival: Small Quilts.
My garden loves me more than I deserve - and I'm not complaining. Watching my Red Intuition rose produce beautiful blooms, one after the other is delightful.
Mother's Day brought more than just gardening assistance - they certainly delivered on the suggested chocolates - with plenty to share (which was the idea)!
Master J came home from uni for a few days to join his old school's Duke of Ed. camp. They bushwalked through the Minyon Falls area.
This is near the top of the falls - you can just see the Pacific Ocean on the far horizon to the left.
Minyon Falls is about 2 hours drive from where we live. The waterfall drops over 100m/yards and the natural bushland is beautiful.
While Master J was away on camp we bought an outdoor fireplace for some family fun. It's surprising how quickly two packets of marshmallows can disappear!
My order of Gutermann Extra Fine threads arrived, cleverly packaged to keep postage costs to a minimum. I'm thoroughly enjoying hand sewing with these threads - and have ordered three more colours.
Gift of Grace is the name of this rose. It was gifted to me some years ago but it has struggled along in a pot until recently. Now that it's been planted in the garden it is rewarding me with the biggest rose blooms I've seen.
We are enjoying a magnificently warm week for the end of autumn, so we enjoyed a quick visit to a local park today. The weather is just too gorgeous to not enjoy such wonderful outdoor surrounds.
Sharing at Our World Tuesday.
