The quilt that came to be rudely known as The Big Brown Bugger is finished and this is it, hanging at Kayes, minutes after the binding was stitched down by a team of three of us. I think we did pretty well making a 103” square quilt in 5 days!
The machines were quilting right up to the moment that they were dismantled and loaded onto a flatbed truck. The van was packed with all manner of bags and bundles and we set off in convoy with the truck following us. Bruce programmed the NavMan to get him to the convention centre on the quickest possible route. He then proceeded to make detours to the printers and then the supermarket for lollies, using random shortcuts known only to himself, which sent the rather cultured Pierce Brosnan voice into freefall. “Turn Left at the next intersection” it intoned and Bruce said conversationally “No, I’m just going round here first...” “Turn LEFT!” the voice commanded and then as it was ignored “At the next opportunity do a u-turn and proceed back 100 metres....” It then proposed another route which Bruce again ignored.....I know it was just my imagination but I thought I detected a note of hysteria as we got further off course. Bruce loves to tease everyone, but you have to wonder what he gets out of stirring up a disembodied electronic voice.
Kaye rang Kathy in Perth as we were driving in to the show and was astonished to learn that she knew all about the brown quilt and had already seen it on Keryn’s blog, hours after it was done. It is amazing, and a bit disconcerting too.
This is the booth, with the BBB hanging as the backdrop, and we’ve been quite chuffed that people have recognised it and known all about it’s creation because of the blog entries. We’ve outed a few lurkers on this trip! And met Chookyblue, who bravely approached us and introduced herself, which was lovely.
How on earth can we go through all of these stands? I’m sure we’ll miss something.
and the "Shake Hands".
My brother is a keen woodworker and while I was in Western Australia I got to help with his latest project, somewhat unimaginatively named Harry the Horse. Doug had already built a smaller rocking horse which turned out beautifully, (even though it was made with the timber from packing cases) and making a full sized one was the next step.
We spent some companionable hours in his workshop sanding and applying the first of many coats of size and gesso. And as all the joints needed to be covered with strips of a fine fabric scrim, I even got to use my rotary cutter on this project.
When Keryn and I were little we loved to be with Dad in his shed if he was building something. We would decorate our hair with the long golden curls the plane shaved off, or make dangling earrings that bumped elegantly against the neck. We must have been a bit of a trial, always peering over the edge of the bench and asking "What are you making now?" If he didn't want to bother with explanations he said "A wigwam", which made me cross- even I could see it wasn't a wigwam. I still have many of his tools and I treasure the memory of his patience with us; he could have got things done a lot quicker without two little helpers. (A bit like 
One whole kilo! That's 5 metres you know! I'm pretty impressed, 5 metres gone from the stash. We won't mention the teensy bag of material from Western Australia that despite it's skimpiness still added at least twice that metreage to the general fabric pool.
It's a great block to sew, it really seems to fly out of the machine, and I've used the last of some precious fabrics to make it special. I'm thoroughly enjoying this block and don't want to stop making them.
Sigh.
Matt bought him a mouse with a string pull that makes it vibrate. For the first few times we pulled it for him, than he got sick of waiting and learnt how to do it himself. Now he holds it in his paws, pulls the string and the mouse climbs up by itself. At the last minute he throws it in the air and catches it in his mouth, then repeats the procedure again. The original mouse didn't last long and had to be replaced; he's a bit rough on his toys.
Who's a clever boy then?
Then I feel right at home, and I've got something to occupy myself with. There was lots of days where we stayed home, and I hate to think how I would have occupied my time if I hadn't had my portable sewing projects with me. Other people don't seem to understand my compulsion, and my comment "I like to be productive" was countered with "This is a holiday, you should Relax!" I shuddered at the thought of sitting on the lounge with my feet up, just not my scene at all. As it was I read nine books while I was there, so I wasn't chained to the machine. Non quilters just don't get it.
I worked on these two sets of blocks, that were cut to use up scraps at home. 
The lighter blue and cream ones will probably go in a seperate quilt and the others will have more scrappy companions- don't know yet as I was just getting rid of the bits and pieces. I'll be like Scarlett and 'think about it tomorrow.'
