Quilts finished

I thought I would pop up the quilts I made for my 2 grandsons, aged 9and 11. I made them both with the same fabrics but placed the blocks opposite on each quilt. 

Apparently, they love their new quilts and show them off to all their friends ... which makes grandma feel very good. :)

One of the boys posing on his new quilt.

Been shopping again

I've recently been buying craft books and the first one arrived today. I love stitching and applique and after seeing this on a friend's blog and couldn't resist. After having a quick look through I know I don't regret buying it and I am looking forward to making lots of the projects in it.

I thought I would put up the links to The Great British Sewing Bee, a new 4 part sewing reality show currently showing on British TV.

I have greatly enjoyed watching the contestants make their pieces ... and have tried to learn something from their successes as well as their failures ...

Episode 1: The Great british Sewing Bee. Episode 1

Episode 2:The Great British Sewing Bee. Episode 2

Episode3: The Great British Sewing Bee. Episode 3


I will put up Episode 4 next week as soon as it arrives online.

Enjoy.  :)

Oh dear.  I've fallen behind again.  I know if I did this more regularly it wouldn't take me so long to write each post, but it is because it takes me so long that I don't write as often as I should, so a bit of a catch 22. 
Anyhow, I thought I would pop up a pic of the blanket I made for my new grandson.

I embroidered his name and date of birth on it.

The blanket is self-binding and made from 100% cotton flannelette ....I always like to use natural fabrics for babies and children.  These are really easy to make and the pattern is available from the Missouri Star Quilt Company.

As some of you may know, I went to Adelaide for a quilting retreat last month (March).  I met some wonderful women, learnt lots of new skills, saw some new sights and had lots of laughs and a fabulous time.  I came home with too much new fabric, of course, and some new patterns designed by some of my very clever new friends.  The first one I completed was this lovely project bag designed by Fee of Fee's Shabby Shack. This great pattern is currently sitting at No. 1 on Craftsy's pattern page. Well done, Fee, and thank you for a wonderful project.

 Europe and England

Amsterdam

In September last year my daughter and I went on holiday for 5 weeks. Our first stop was Amsterdam for 36 hours as a stopover on our way to London.

Amsterdam canal.

We flew into Schipol Airport at 5.30am, too early to book into our hotel, so after dropping off our luggage, we went in search of breakfast which we enjoyed while watching the traffic. Weekday peak hour traffic in Amsterdam is a thing to behold.  The amount of cars are less than a lazy Sunday afternoon in most capital cities I have visited.  It is the bikes that make up the majority of the traffic.  They have their own lane next to the pedestrian footpath and their own traffic lights.  It is easy to forget that there are bikes bearing down on you and as you walk across the bike path, which looks exactly like the footpath, you get vigourously 'belled' by oncoming traffic.  :)

8am Friday - from the breakfast bar.

Peak hour traffic ;)

More cities should implement this.

 In the afternoon, after finally getting into our hotel at about midday, and being able to have a shower, I wanted to do a canal trip to have a look around the city the easy way. So we went to Starbucks for a coffee, and then I took notice of my daughter's suggestion of the direction we should head off in, and off we went.  Note to self: when in strange city 1) do not listen to daughter; 2) buy a map. 2 hours later we were still walking the streets trying to find our way back to the city centre. Now, don't get me wrong, it was certainly a novel and educational way to see the city and we certainly saw some sights we would never have seen from a boat, but I could have done without the exercise after a long haul flight and 30+ hours of virtually no sleep, and she could have done without the blisters. In spite of all that though, we had some great laughs and some great mother daughter bonding time.

Beautiful.

Dam Square Monument

Hotel Krasnapolsky behind Dam Square

Dam Aquare

Thank you Amsterdam for some great sights and better memories.

The family grows.

I am very happy to announce the arrival of Xander Lee, my new grandson who came into the world on 9 February 2013 at 10.48pm.  This is my 8th grandchild and 5th grandson.  He is the first baby for my youngest son.

Xander and Grandma - 2 hours old

Xander and Daddy - 2 hours old

Xander with Mummy's hand - 12 hours old

Xander and his very proudDaddy - 5 days old

The laziest blogger on the block.

It has been 9 months since my last post and I'm hanging my head in shame. I have actually written stuff but for some reason I haven't published it, and the longer one leaves these things the worse it gets.  So, I have cleaned out all the past unpublished posts and we're off to a fresh start.

So, a brief catch up on the last 9 months , which I will publish in sittings, so a) any readers don't get bored;  b) so I manage to get the posts published;  then on to the present and a greater effort at blogging regularity.
 
I will start with a subject that features quite forcefully in the home. Those objects of my affection that make the most mess, take up the most time  and generally create havoc in my otherwise peaceful and organised life.

  

Feline Power!

 In my last (published) post I talked about the kittens.  They are now teenagers and bundles of mischief.  Their personalities are as different as their looks.

Felix

Felix - right way up

Tabitha - wants to be on TV

Tabitha - the mouser

Twisty Tuppence

Snuggled Tuppence

A sad thing happened on 3 November 2012. I  lost my old girl of 17 years. 

 

RIP Mink.  You were a sweet and faithful purr-person.

 

 

 

 

Then a couple of weeks ago, I had a message from a very longstanding friend who desperately needed a home for a mature cat. To cut a long story short, I said yes and so Mr. Prince entered our lives.

Mr. Prince

Mr.Prince is not used to a large family so some adjustments are in order, for him as well everyone else, particularly Obsidian, who thinks he is the boss ... and probably shouldn't be in a multi-feline home ... but despite interminent growling, hissing and the odd bit of flying fur, we are gradually all getting used to each other. And so once again, the purr-people in our little home outnumber the humans 6-2.