I'm featured in a blog!

So exciting, Em's scrapbag blog is featuring a photo of my latest spot quilt.

http://emsscrapbag.blogspot.com/

A lot of the things we do - quilting, writing, painting, whatever is done in isolation. No idea whether people will like what you do. Of course the husband and kids say nice things, but it's such a good feeling to have your photo picked up and featured!

The boys and their trampoline

Making rolls

The boys made bread rolls for lunch today - aliens, sharks and pics of how their dad will look when he's 80 (three strands of hair).

Today's easter egg hunt

We have an Easter egg hunt every year for the boys. Today granny, Mark and I hid eggs in the front and back yard. Usually, it's just the back yard, but we wanted to make it a little harder this year.



I love that I can wedge little eggs between the bricks.



Spot quilt close up.

IMG_1968
Originally uploaded by Linseed2010

One more close up. I just straight stitched the circle onto the square. It's already looking a little raggedy, but happy with that look. It's a quick quilt so the boys have something else to snuggle up with. Oh and Freddy Moran, Gwen Marston-inspired points.

Spot quilt

Spot quilt
Originally uploaded by Linseed2010

Here's another close up of the quilt.

Quilt top, ready for quilting

IMG_1967
Originally uploaded by Linseed2010

Here's the final quilt top, fourth border sewn on.

Close up of spot quilt

Close up of spot quilt
Originally uploaded by Linseed2010

Here's a close up of the spot quilt I'm working on. I sewed on the fourth border today. Now I just need to concentrate on backing fabric, and I can drop the quilt off at the quilter.

Andrew and Ben's wooden eggs

Andrew and Ben's wooden eggs
Originally uploaded by Linseed2010

The boys made these in woodwork at school. The one on the top is Andrew's made when he was in year 6 two years ago. The one on the bottom is Ben's made weeks ago, now that he's in year 6. They're rubbed with a beautiful citrusy oil, and smell wonderful.

Spot quilt - one border to go

Spot quilt - one border to go
Originally uploaded by Linseed2010

Andrew held the quilt up for me today. It was such a sunny day, and the colours of this bright, bright quilt are a bit washed out... The last border is ready to sew now, and then will take it to the quilter. I'll ask her to quilt circles or bubbles, she'll have a great pattern to use.

Tiny Thing Conversion Factory: Pandas to Gnomes (1)

Tiny Thing Conversion Factory: Pandas to Gnomes (1)
Originally uploaded by Mochimochi Land

So cute. Pandas go in one end, gnomes come out the other. The things you see on Flickr!!

Scrapanade

Scrapanade
Originally uploaded by Happy Zombie

Love this one. The blocks are scrappy, yet there's a pattern to them, and the fabric all belongs together. Inspiring!

Sewing my spot quilt - and today's puzzle

Ben made a word puzzle while I was sewing this morning. It's all about "cold" words like snow, icebergs, the Titanic. He said he was feeling cold. Maybe it's time to switch on the heater! Poor kid.

Love how he's written Copyright and the symbol at the bottom of the page!

In the middle of sewing my spots quilt.

Here's the spotty quilt. Couldn't seem to fit the whole thing in to the picture. Now for the borders.

commit to sit

commit to sit
Originally uploaded by Viv J M
What a good idea! I have a day off with the boys today and have been planning all sorts of things we need to do. I think I'll ease off, and we'll spend some time sitting in the garden enjoying the sunshine. We noticed one of the guinea pigs yesterday lying on her side in the autumn sunshine, just enjoying life! Never thought I'd take inspiration from a guinea pig.

Circles quilt

I've also started a circles quilt. I've been wanting to do one since I made one in a quilt swap for Alex. Then on Sunday I realised I have enough dot and circle fabrics. I want to get this one made quickly - it's getting colder and the boys are always looking for snuggle quilts.

Kitchen quilt

I've started a new quilt. I'm using a collection of kitchen fabrics I bought at a sale.

Rubber Duck

One of Ben's presents for this birthday two years ago was a small plastic duck. It deflated about a year ago. Today, Ben chopped it up and made a shop out of it's little parts - it's hair, it's belly button. The hair is 10 cents a gram, and Ben said he got out the scales and weighed them. He's certainly my quirky boy...

Eric Bibb - and a night out

We went out on Tuesday night! That's remarkable in itself. The kids stayed with my m-in-law and we went to see Eric Bibb - soul, gospel, blues - with a few friends.

I've found a clip on YouTube which has the Swedish guy who was back up on the night. He was funny too. Quipped, don't you want to hear some Swedish songs, and played a bit of Abba. Then it was our 15th wedding anniversary today. Nice way to celebrate.

Blankets in the car

Today it was officially cold. And I know that because the boys took their blankets into the car for the drive to school. They were wearing shorts (!) and I somehow I think that's why they were feeling the cold this morning.

My mum made these quilts for the boys when they were tiny. Ben's is called Bears and Squares. Andrew's has has two different fleecy fabrics, mum made it for him before he was 1. Good to see they're still being used.

All I could get of Andrew was a train-covered lump.

Chocolate

We went out to dinner on Sunday night with granny. The boys ordered a chocolate tasting plate. Took a photo and then it was demolished - like a horde of locusts!

Ben's door

Ben has filled up most of his door with notes. Some about keeping out of his safe (he's bought a safe to keep his lolly collection safe), some about Andrew - his big brother - staying out of his room. One of them is about happy thoughts...

Tennis and kookaburras

Wonderful moment today. I got the boys to tennis early so they could have a warm up before the lesson. They went down to the court and kookaburras started up their cackle. Just wonderful.

Ben's playing cards



Cupcakes aren't very smart...







Ben had a day off sick this week. He spent some time in the morning making a set of playing cards and we played a few games during the morning. Then he made more playing cards and we played again in the afternoon. It was a nice chance to spend time just sitting in the sun, watching the guinea pigs and taking it slowly.









Today's fabric loot

Today's fabric loot
Originally uploaded by Linseed2010

Bought some new fabric on the weekend. I've already started using the white chairs on red.

Pumpkin pickin' time

Hmmm Ben must have been listening when I was talking to grandma Julie a couple of days ago. Grandma asked if I'd been cooking any of the pumpkins in Ben's pumpkin patch. I said I wasn't allowed to! Ben didn't want them touched.

Anyway, while I was sewing this afternoon, Ben picked every pumpkin and brought them all inside. I took a photo of them all - I guess it was almost time to pick them. And I'm making a batch of pumpkin soup with the first one now.

We'll have a few weeks of pumpkin gnocchi, pumpkin pizza, and roast pumpkin salads.

Ben grading the pumpkins from biggest to smallest.

heaven and earth

heaven and earth
Originally uploaded by CampFollowerBagLady

Here's the full monty - just lovely.

heaven and earth

heaven and earth
Originally uploaded by CampFollowerBagLady

Just saw this quilt on flickr - love, love, love it. Not sure why - the colours, the great spiral quilting, the craziness of it, the little stars in the middle - think I just answered my own question...