pink and black arabesques

Some gorgeous fabric I got from Kelani Fabric Obsession stall at the Craft Fair - boy o boy was that stall doing a rip roaring trade!!! Elissa the owner and her husband helped me out with my purchases - they were lovely and very helpful but oh so busy! I hope they are having some R & R after the show - they needed it!

Ballerinas and french script on pink linen - so delicious! We have to get out the French/English dictionary to translate - it is fun trying to work it out.
This of course is for the Francophile Ballet Dancer in the house

This card is actually a pattern inside for the Mackintosh Rose - great gift for crafty types!

I couldn't resist this pattern also - crochet scarf made with Perle 8 cotton - the sample was so delicate and delectable - I bought the pattern just to say thanks to the seller - I know I can get granny square patterns off the internet - but I felt good paying for this - someone has put time, effort and a great concept into a beautiful product - why not reward that?

The front cover picture depicts the scarf made in some other wool that Perle - it looks too thick - you may be able to see the scarf on the back cover - much finer and just a touch more special. It uses 10 spools of Perle 8 Cotton - off to Amitie for their fabulous range of colours.
More patterns - this time Nikki's pattern that everyone seems to rave about - I haven't had a good chance to sit down and study - but I like the idea of the purse kit - great kids' pressie ideas and the clutch will be lovely to go out to the city with.



I'm feeling rather hungry, so here is a shot of THE most delicious, scrumptious dessert - Chocolate Almond and Date Torte - Super super super easy - really, it's true!

Thanks to Sharon @ Handmaiden for her great list of super desserts - I am such a dessert eater - favorite course for me! I made two - one for a dinner party with lots of 'foodies' and one for Sunday Brunch with family - everyone raved about it, all weekend long and I have had texts from people wanting recipe.

Squeak!

Someone arrived on the doorstep and I could not turn her away - she made a little squeak and 'nuf said - she belongs here!

That's my Squeak on the right - Leah from Handmade Bits and Pieces made her and posted her to me - I am having to fight my children off from cuddling her to bits - I want a cuddle sometimes! She is big and round and furry - just like my real squeaks!

Photo from Leah!

I am such a fan of vintage chenille - her softies are absolutely adorable - go visit her etsy shop and you will agree!

Melbourne Craft Show

I was too excited to eat breakfast on Thursday morn - cos I was getting the kids out the door off to school, to scooting myself onto the train to visit a lovely group of ladies at the Craft Fair at Jeff's Shed!

Cathy from Cabbage Quilts invited me and even waited for me inside the door - lovely gal with the most beautiful blonde hair!
We also met: (front row) Rita from Red Pepper Quilts, Lurline (from WA, no less!) from Lurline's Place, Kate from One Flew Over, Andi from Patch Andi
(back row) Karen (Rita's sister - a professional quilter!), Miriam from Yellow Roses, Cathy and Me!
A quick coffee and lots of chat - Lizzie from A House in the Country and her friend Jen came later, from Ballarat.

Photo from Cathy's Blog!

I spoke to Jan from Sewjourn helping out at Somerset Patchwork stall - busy busy lady - she still needs a good cleaner for her place in Lancefield, if anyone is needing some extra pocketmoney - and then bumped into Louise from Lululollylegs! Gee, crafty women are ace!

Of course I forgot to take my camera - and now it won't hook up with the puta - so I won't show you my goodies just yet - will wait for Super Hubbie to fix issue - lets just say sore feet could not damper my day - seeing all the women on the train coming home fishing in their bags for their new BOM patterns and their scrap kits and their wool and their brochures (just like me!) made me smile!

DQS7 Favorite favorites

DQS7 Favorite favorites
Originally uploaded by MimiPark

Doll quilt Swap 7 is up for members!! Come on Aussies - get in it quicksticks! I know you want to, so just do it - I have been so blessed with my swaps (some not so good, but the good ones are so over the top good that they make up for any shortfall!)

It is great fun to be part of this huge group of little quilt makers all over the world! i already have ideas of what I might do.....



I did just steal this montage from MimiPark - she had already put some beauties together, and it is too late in the night for me to go to such effort as to get my own...lazy girl!

Made my own....

Take a pipe or two, bit of a join, add some granny sheets........Any guesses??

Add a block, add another one, bit of a strip, add some pins........

Ta da!! My first design wall!!

i'm on a roll with posting tonight, so nobody stop me....

really truly needed a display wall for my patchwork...

so many projects I couldn't do anymore of because I didn't have a wall....

Now I have a wall!!

Thanks Hubbie - you rock!

Snow after Fire

Our girls had never seen snow - 'gasp' - so when the invitation came to go with friends for a day-trip to Lake Mountain during snow season - we went!!

Just me driving made me feel a little nervous - about a 2hr drive each way - but we got there and we got home ok!

Stopping through Marysville was sobering - virtually nothing is left of the already small town, just paddocks and cleared blocks and the knowledge of something awful happened in its past. A few businesses are running out of portables and vans, and people are living in tents. Strangely, a few buildings did survive, namely the Crossways Historic Inn, which held some lovely memories of a family wedding there a few years ago. It didn't look singed at all!

I loved a sign made at the foot of a cleared block - "I'm coming home" - made me smile inside.


Driving up to the mountain after Marysville was equally as strange - hill and valley after hill and valley were all black or brown - everything was burnt or looked 'cooked' - no sign of regrowth could be seen Anywhere - I hope it is just because of the cold - I hope Spring shows its regenerative power soon.

The striking colours of white, black and blue have been etched into my head, and I really feel the need to get that image into some kind of textile art.

We found a wombat!!

See the fencing in the background - the trees are so fragile, there is no exploring today.

Still not enough 9-patches...

But wait, there's more!

These are my lot going back to Chaletgirl - Swap Mama

The yummy yellow dot is Chaletgirl's Feature Fabric (FF): I teamed it with some great Kaffe fan fabric and some Babushka dolls who randomly float across a purple haze (what-the?)

These ones have some 'Nest' rows of bright and cheery mini eggs
and some mesmerising full-on colour spot:

The FF is from Donna: love my purple birds - one of my first stash and still have heaps! Yay!
The red is really gorgeously rich and deep, soft and warm - love it!

There is also a really interesting discussion between friends about whether a fabric is female or male (another what-the?!) Lara thought this FF was 'ladylike' and I commented that I felt it lent towards being 'masculine' - the discussion is not that serious, but I am curious as to whether you think that some fabric 'feels' like a certain gender or not...hmmmmmmm....

This FF from Loulou is a little more tricky to pair with - but I found two in my stash which, I think, go really well - photo does not do it justice!

Mine!!!

Bronwyn's Block Swap Quilt in-progress
Originally uploaded by chaletgirl13

This is how my Chaletgirl Block Swap Quilt is looking so far - half way finished and I am wriggling in my chair with excitement! I love how it is looking and can't wait to see it in the flesh!

Of course, I meant to blog this one last - but it is first on the screen - d'oh!! Click on the photo to get a bigger picture and all the flickr details.

Scroll down a bit to the first block swap picture to get the run down.

Next:

Lara's Block Swap Quilt in progress
Originally uploaded by chaletgirl13

Lara's Block Swap Quilt - great Kaffe green FF - strong colours of purples, oranges and reds stand out to me in this one - I think Lara likes it a little ;)

Next:

Lynn's Block Swap Quilt in progress
Originally uploaded by chaletgirl13

Lynn's Block Swap Quilt - using AMH FF - unusual choice but will become a very dramatic quilt and great to study all the combinations!

Next:

Beth's Block Swap Quilt in-progress
Originally uploaded by chaletgirl13

Beth's Block Swap Quilt so far: this is also using some AMH fabric - I loved this fabric so much when I got her blocks that I wanted one just like it - pictures to come of that - it is 'busy' but really interesting to me!

Next:

Bianca's Block Swap Quilt in progress
Originally uploaded by chaletgirl13

Bianca's Block Swap Quilt - great FF - two different blue ginghams - love the effect! - Reminds me of a Country Women's Association tablecloth with scones and jam on top! Yum!

Next:

Becky's Block Swap Quilt in-progress
Originally uploaded by chaletgirl13

Becky's Block Swap Quilt: the FF is a lovely subtle pinky mauve - a very pretty feminine fabric and think that is how her quilt is going to turn out! Sweet!

Next:

Susie's Block Swap Quilt in progress
Originally uploaded by chaletgirl13

Susie's progress:the pale Feature Fabric helps all the others to stand out and be counted!!

Chaletgirl's Block Swap Progress

Helen's Block Swap Quilt in-progress
Originally uploaded by chaletgirl13

Thought I would show everyone how we are all doing - and we are doing just fine!!! (with emphasis)

There is still one or two more to be put on Flickr but I couldn't wait - I wanted to show everyone how good they look!!

This first one is Helen's Block Swap Quilt : this is the halfway mark for many of us - Helen's is very pink - I think she likes pink so that is good! So much fun spotting our own blocks and seeing how they work in the whole picture!

Do you like to dress-up?

I love a good dress-up - don't believe me - see here!

I love a good costume - in another life, I would love to be the Costume Mistress for the Australian Ballet - or something like that - so when I found these little old books on the For Sale trolley at the library - I snapped them up -I don't care that they are yellowing at the edges (I know how they feel!)

Historical costuming is really fascinating to me - because it is not just let's pretend, but clothing that was worn everyday by everyday people, in all situations. Here are a few of my favourites:

The Book Cover is of Year 1250

Years 1100 - 1200 Love the shoes:

Yrs 1200 - 1300

Years 1755 - 1760 Love her cheeky smile!

Years 1720 - 1730 Acck!

Year 1740

Year 1750

A classic I had to 'nap' mainly because of the following picture!

Isn't this frontispiece a dramatic painting?

I also picked up this book: again, historically interesting, though pretty much out-dated, I have always had a soft spot for Kate Greenaway. Apparently, no-one ever actually wore the clothing she illustrates, but almost created a fashion trend for people to dress their children as if they were a Greenaway drawing!

Who knew that that slimy slippery moss-covered front path means that I love my children!

I think I understand why 'Dead Leaves' means Sadness!!??