Sometimes

Sometimes the simple yet glorious sights and sounds of nature are all that's needed to make the soul soar.

And if I happen to capture the moment on camera, all the better.....


Noisy Corellas flying over the river into Tuesday's sunset.



Sharing at SkyWatch Friday.

The Perfect EPP Thread?

There is a new thread in my life! A few weeks ago I shared with you my thoughts and comparison of Sew All polyester thread by Gutermann with Bottom Line by Superior Threads, concluding that I preferred the Gutermann for number of reasons, despite the fact that it was thicker than Bottom Line thread. 

Shortly afterwards I was contacted by Gutermann, to inform me of a relatively new thread in their range - the Extra Fine Polyester. Gutermann Australia sent me two reels of Extra Fine for me to trial in my EPP.

I have been delighted with the qualities of the Extra Fine thread. It is decidedly finer than the Sew All but not as fine as Bottom Line. To be expected it's not as strong as the thicker Sew All thread yet is similar in strength to Bottom Line and also Gutermann's regular cotton thread. It is definitely stronger than Aurifil's 28wt cotton thread. I have not had the Extra Fine break at all during my sewing.

Guterman's Extra Fine has all the same tactile properties I prefer in a traditional thread over the wispy, slightly elastic/nylon feel of Bottom Line. This is just my personal preference, as detailed in the post mentioned above.

My stack of EPP flowers for my Fresh Fields quilt has gradually grown a little taller over the last few weeks, as has my pleasure in stitching with the addition of the new thread.

The Extra Fine polyester is designed for machine use, particularly for very fine fabrics (like Art Gallery, Liberty fabrics or synthetics), decorative stitching and of course for fine hand stitching such as in EPP and appliqué. 

As soon as I tried Gutermann's Extra Fine I wanted to know where I could buy more and what colours it came in. It is quite new and as yet hasn't been rolled out in the US. I know of one Australian online shop, JM-Embroideries, which stocks the Extra Fine in all 60 colours and they ship worldwide! No doubt many other retailers also stock this thread. It comes on a small reel but it holds 200m, making it cheaper per metre than the regular Gutermann Sew All polyester. 

I feeling like I'm treating myself to a little luxury every time I stitch with this beautiful fine thread, and if you look closely enough you can notice a small difference in the finished stitching too. It is indeed a welcome addition to my collection of threads. 


Sharing at Work In Progress Wednesday, Slow Sunday Stitching. 

A Windswept Calm

From church this morning, a few kangaroos dotting the grassy flat

Calm people don't let negative thoughts control their lives. 

They look at failure as a learning opportunity, and personal growth as a daily event. 

As a result, they improve in some way every single day.  

Daniel Wallen

Just as today's brisk autumn winds are making music in the sky, so this season as a family is somewhat windswept. Peace will come in due course. In the midst of this there is definitely opportunity for personal growth every single day - and to appreciate the beauty which only the wind can make.

Quilt Inspirations

Red Bridge and Wisteria by John Millington

Pyramid Rock Waterfall by John Millington

Claude's Bridge, Tribute by John Millington

Forest Pool by John Millington

A visit to our local art gallery to view my cousin's work last week yielded far more than I had anticipated. Patrycia's work was thought provoking and her co-exhibitor, Jan Pilgrim, had some amazing three dimensional fibre art to share. Both are local artists which happened to grow up in the same street as each other in Sydney. 

However it was the work of another local artist which really caught my eye. John Millington's exhibition titled Bridges to Abstraction was filled with bright colours, sharp lines and beautiful images. The quilter in me was fascinated by his use of colour and shape and the effects he produced.

Unfortunately I cannot share more than the images above as I have recently discovered no photography is allowed at the gallery. Above are photos of the images on gallery's literature which I collected. I hope to return for another visit before these exhibitions are finished.

Very old entryway to a local chemist/pharmacy

Children's wear at our local Target store last weekend

I'm discovering quilting inspiration in unlikely places and now that I have a phone with a useful camera, I can quickly capture these for future ideas. So nice to find inspiration in the real world to supplement the ocean of ideas online. Where do you find creative inspiration in the "real" world?

April's Unseen

Experimenting with making stamps from rubber using lino cutting tools

A welcome statue outside our new library

While taking photos of my Musical Stairs quilt top I found this

Good Friday marked the beginning of a withdrawal process from using topical steroid creams for my husband. This was the state of his forehead after 24 years of steroid creams for "eczema" and on the rebound from a long tapered course of oral cortisone which enabled him to participate in our February family holiday. His face and hands are currently the worst. In fact he has had great difficulty using his hands for the last 10 months due to "eczema", being unable to drive etc.

A few days later, covered in petroleum jelly, beginning to look and feel worse and to swell all over etc, we celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary. (Thanks to our children for the cheesecake, lovely dinner and homemade card!) 

Hopefully by this time next year his skin will be well on the way to healing. A good deal of my time is now spent caring for him as the symptoms worsen, it is a long and brutal process on both the body and mind but eventually brings complete recovery.

 Homeschool is due to start again this week - quite a challenging mix of responsibilities. One day at a time.... 

My girls are growing up - Miss O (12) at church

There are only a few signs of autumn in our area

Miss E explaining her creation at a lego competition held in our local shopping centre. It is a lighthouse to protect the people and animals from the sea monsters - a little too creative for the judges I fear.

Looking down river on an early morning walk - with my husband currently unable to work our routines are ever changing

Friday's new adventure!

Still smiling!

I hope your April has had some happy memories too! Life isn't all roses but there is always, always something to be thankful for.