The puppies went for a picnic on the lawn the other day, and they loved it. There was lots of running and tussling and some of this.. Ahh, the great outdoors!

But the favoured activity is still playing with Dad. Poor Macca gets over run, especially by this little girl with the white face, she adores him.

Dad! Hey Dad!!


Daaaad!

What a good natured dog he is.

Letting his daughter chew on him like this, and never a growl or a nip back.


I think this gal might be Trouble, but she's already been spoken for so it's someone else's worry!
Listen dear, you're going on the pill, OK?

Read more...

Now all parties concerned can breathe a huge sigh of relief, the wedding was beautiful. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and apart from a few hitches, everything went smoothly. The gardens at Carrick Hill were a perfect backdrop and there should be some great photos later. These are the only shots I took, before my camera died with a horrid prolonged squeal- what timing!

Isaac, Elisa's not quite two nephew was the ringbearer, and after the practice when the pillow was dropped, hurled, frisbeed and otherwise flung about, it was decided perhaps the real rings should stay in the best man's pocket. But Isaac himself seemed perfectly happy and not too fazed by the responsibility.

On the big day he came down through the arched trees at a fair clip, pillow clutched in fist and leaving the bridesmaids to follow more sedately.....


until he caught sight of the gathered guests and didn't know what to make of that. All those people weren't there yesterday!
He sussed it out, decided we were friendly and throughout the ceremony ran circuits around and around.... and around.

He was gorgeous, and nearly stole the show.

But my boy Rob was pretty gorgeous too,

and as for Elisa, well, I can't tell you how beautiful she looked. This picture says it all; stunning.


It really was a beautiful day, and a wonderful beginning to their life together.

Read more...

Tazzie's post here makes me think I'm not alone in my trouble with leader-ender projects. I imagine myself like Bonnie, sewing bits together for months, and ending up with a gorgeous huge quilt, composed of tiny pieces. Then I'd virtuously, and with becoming modesty, point out that I really hadn't noticed it's progress, because it was all Leader- Enders, and after a year of sewing other projects well, (slight blush) There it was. All put together, and I hadn't even noticed!

Oh yes, of course I religiously use leader- enders, but usually somewhere along the line I find that they have taken over. The main project sits abandoned while full of enthusiasm, I steam on ahead and finish the leader-ender. Then I have to decide on another project and deal with the guilt of getting carried away yet again.

So, I found myself stuck with a huge assortment of 1 3/4" by 5" bits, leftovers from the strips a shop cut for a fabric club. What a weird measurement, but as I didn't want to cut them all to 1 1/2", I thought I'd just make 9 patches from them. Easy, no thinking required.

Many ninepatches later, I decided perhaps I'd set them into 25 patch blocks, which necessitated more nine patches, with the light and dark reversed.

Yep, this is all good, things are coming along nicely, and I haven't wanted to rush ahead so far. I think I've got this under control at last!

Until I looked at the pile of blocks and wondered what to do with them next.....

I went through my file of ebay pictures, looking for ways to incorporate 25 patch units, and found this old tattered piece, and after a tricky bit of maths figgerin',




I came up with this connecting block.Really strange measurements on this one, no doubt because of the size of the original strips, but it's looking good anyway.


And then I just had to sew a few together, to make sure it all fitted,


and then perhaps a few more to each other, to check the pressing order, and....


Someone stop me! All I want to do is work on this now, and I can't.
I have other quilts to finish, and customer quilts and bushfire quilts, and there's only enough blocks put together for half the top anyway. I need to go back to the ninepatches and start plodding away again, all the while fighting the instinct to cut out heaps of 1 3/4" strips and chain piece this like a maniac. I will be Strong! I won't have this finished for at least another 6 months. You can quote me on that!

And can you remember a year ago, I mentioned something in this post? About how the wedding was a year away? Well, it's not! It's three days away now, and we're leaving for Adelaide tomorrow and it's time to put aside all thought of patchwork and sewing and concentrate on the matter at hand.

Now if you will excuse me, I've got a lot of panicking to do before then.....

Read more...

I have spent hours sewing on the donated scraps and over the weekend I got these happy blocks finished and set into a top. They really are super easy and I'm still cutting them out as I plan to work on another one. I could easily sew thirty blocks at a sitting, so I can see why these are so popular for charity quilts.

I added a couple of borders, and this is set to go on Millhouse next- once I decide on the backing.

The colours are pale but pretty, and I enjoyed working with something completely different.

Poor Bonnie is looking very hunted because every time she sits down the puppies swarm all over her. They are all eating puppy food as well, but the competition for the milk bar is intense and she's not keen now that they have tiny little sharp teeth. Oh well, only three more weeks of it girl, and then they can go off to new homes.

Read more...

Here is a video of the puppies, I love the little growls and squeals. Bonnie's getting rather sick of feeding them so often,but they're three weeks old now and some of them will lap a bit of milk from a saucer. I can't believe they're growing so quickly!

Read more...

I finished a top from some of the blocks that our patchwork group made and I hope to quilt it in the next few days. Keryn sent four more quilts off last week, and there are at least four more in the making. It feels good to be turning all these strips and scraps into useable bed coverings.

I've been going through all my project boxes and found two little tops made with one of Bonnies strip patterns and a heap of leftover blocks. I joined the two little tops together and then added the other blocks to make it a decent bedsize. Another top nearly finished, and an empty project box, everybody wins! I've just got to find a border fabric now to set it off.

We've gone through quite a pile of material, by the time you take into account backings and borders, but there's no danger we'll run out any time soon.

All the puppies opened their eyes on the day they were two weeks old, right on cue. The cuteness factor is appalling, and I waste far too much time cooing over them. I have to spend some time every visit gazing into each little face and making sure they know their granny loves them.

Bonnie's getting better about allowing Macca near them, and he's shown nothing but curiousity and a rather slapdash affection so far. He loves washing them, but his enthusiastic swipes tumble them hither and thither, and when I bend down to turn them up the right way he gives my face a good going over, just to show I'm cared for too. I really can't stand being licked, but take it in the spirit it's intended. He was so patient and kind with Bonnie when she was a pup that I'm hoping he'll display the same tolerance for his offspring when they start being obnoxious.

Is that you Dad?

Read more...

A blog reader, Amanda, sent us a beautiful top to quilt and I finished it this week. I do love all the pretty rose fabrics in this, and the pink sets it all off perfectly.
Amanda wanted a sneek peek, so I promised photos.
When I downloaded them I was horrified at the one showing the whole quilt, it looks like I've slashed it all into pieces! I assure you it's not Amanda, just my camera playing silly beggars. I promise I'll get another proper photo when I go back to work tomorrow.

I did a block pattern of Keryn's in the centre, then freehanded flowers and feathers all over the rest, and finally a rose pattern in the border, to go with all the gorgeous rose fabric.


While I was trying to chose a pattern for the border Keryn said "Don't bother, I'll just design one", and a bit later on I had it on the computer and was stitching away. That's one of the delights of having her for a work partner; she just comes up with designs at the drop of a hat.
The puppies still continue to grow, or rather their heads and stomachs are getting bigger. But their legs look like little afterthoughts just tacked on to the distended bellies. When they have need of them I suppose the limbs will develop, but everything is geared to Food Consumption at the moment.
This looks more like a pot-bellied piglet than a puppy!


I can't believe the positions they fall asleep in. How can this be comfortable?

Read more...

Keryn and I have been sewing for two days on the bushfire tops, and we're both at the point of hysteria now. I've quilted a customer quilt as well, and she's done printing and business chores in between all the frantic feeding of fabric through our machines. Two tops are done and another one only needs borders. Hopefully I can get them quilted in between customer quilts. We'll have five to send off before the end of the week, with any luck.

My half and half top is done, grown quite a bit from the original twelve blocks. I can see where that portion ends, but I don't know that anyone else will notice.

What an amazing lot of scraps in this top, and I didn't cut a single strip for it. Everything came out of the strip drawers. I cut the half square triangles from strips using the Easy Angle, and it made it so easy. I think I'll keep making these as leader enders, but I'll give them a rest for now.


The puppies have grown so much I don't think they'll fit in here next week!
Bucket of babies?
None of them are backward about getting their meals, and their manners are lacking somewhat. Lots of pushing and shoving and scratching at each other to get the best spots, and squeals and squawks if one thinks he's not getting his fair share.

Sometimes if you've been sleeping fatly in a corner and only just woken up to the fact that everyone else is having their tea and You're Missing Out! , you have to do whatever it takes to get what's rightfully yours. Including stepping on your siblings heads and lying on the table, so to speak.


Miss Manners would be looking on disapprovingly......

Read more...

If you don't like puppies, just leave now. I've got nothing else for you today.

They have gone from barely inflated, trembly creatures to plump little plush piglets in two days. They are packing on the weight, and it's impossible to look at them without crooning and wanting to cuddle them. (Maybe that's just me, but they're Gorgeous)
Bonnie has her family in the bathroom at night, and during the day they're in a box in the lounge room. But who could watch the telly when these fascinating scraps are squeaking, fighting over places and climbing around and over each other? What entertainment!

The easiest way to transport them is in a container.....

Bucket O' Puppies anyone?

Awww!!!!!

I'm ready to start putting the half and half together and I've got four customer quilts that need the threads tied and other piffling matters to attend to. But all I want to do is look at the puppies. (Keryn's going to get real sick of me whiniing on about them....)

Read more...

When Keryn was writing the instructions for her Half and Half quilt (recently featured on the cover of Homespun, dontcha know?) she got me to make a few scrap blocks to test the pattern. It was so easy I kept on and made enough for a small top.
I was going to put borders on it, but never got round to it. When the magazine came out I remembered the little top and how easy the blocks were , and decided to make it larger and donate it for the bushfire cause.I'm aiming for thirty of these blocks, which is quite a bit of piecing. Keryn's block is a quarter of this, with sashing in between, my version is four blocks sewn together to make a larger block and then set together edge to edge. I love designs that you can play around with like this. I have 25 done so far, and another session should see me nearly finished. Then I can set them all together and get it quilted. I can't believe the amount of scraps this has gobbled up, and yet I can barely see a dent in the drawers. Sheesh.

And in news just to hand, last night Bonnie went from this......
to this,


and finally had an insane total of seven pups. You can see Macca's stamp on them, that's for sure.

Staffies don't normally have litters this big, and it's her first time, poor girl. She's such a good little mum, but it's a bit overwhelming. Macca was introduced to them and was intensely curious, enthusiastically washing one of them until Bonnie drove him off. She's very protective of them, but loved having Matt and I coaching her throughout the labour. What a lot of attention, and she lapped it up. But her work's cut out for her feeding this lot, and not a runt amongst them.

Look at that profile! Anyone want a puppy?

Read more...