love is...

... devoting 7 weeks of your life to support your daughter and her family as they transition to being a family of four.

a quilt made of Amy Butler Love seems an appropriate thankyou for such a gift, don't you think?

40th birthday quilt

back in November, my big sis celebrated her 40th. plans to meet in NY we scuppered as I was in the early stages of pregnancy and so I promised I'd makeher something special.

fast forward to a few weeks ago, and the promised gift had not yet been created. but her arrival in Melbourne for a fleeting visit from London was fast approaching.

I waddled around the Finders Keepers market and saw the lovely Ink and Spindle stand. I was inspired by their packs but opted to select 7 different fabrics from the FQ and other range.

3 power quilting sessions and it was finished!

the back is asymmetrical: 2/3 30s repro and 1/3 plain cream w a thin scrappy strip of the fabrics from the front.

I love the almost Japanese look of the back fabric.

my first attempt at machine binding was a relative success. I'd happily use that technique on quilts again, especially where the quilt itself has been machine quilted.

suggestions, please

my 4 year old niece has broken her arm above the elbow: any suggestions for gift/activities we can send her to keep her occupied?

what have I been up to?

in no especial order: packing to move house, breaking my foot, moving house, arranging demolition of old place, and finalising plans to build a new house. oh, and gestating our second child. that's tiring enough. I'm 23 weeks along, and looking forward to meeting "Pip" at the end of June.

Baby-Lo starts 5 hour kindy session on friday which I'm hoping will afford me some uninterrupted craft time. I can't wait!

a conversation...

todd-lo: "the fairies spoke to me"
me: "really, what did they say?"
todd-lo: "they said you should bring me some treats"

she not only knows the system, she rorts it.

5 weeks after the fact...

and I have some delicious stash to show for it. SD gave me, amoung other things, a voucher for Tessuti. that man really does know the way to my heart.

I bought 4m of Liberty Tana lawns (I'll link, rather than be naughty and borrow the pictures - trust me, it's worth clicking to see them!):

Willow Tree Grey
Isla Rose Charcoal
Daisy Pop Grey
Crysanthemum Black/Silver

(there's a theme in there, isn't there?)

I have no especial plans for them, though am contemplating starting a stash of grey lawns/voiles to make a summer weight quilt for our bed. yes: contemplating the second one, prior to completing the planned linen blend one that I've got on the cards. (the fabrics for which I proudly showed off at MQG last month).

more making

See - I do sew and craft. Sometimes.

this is a tried and true pattern - the 2 + 2 blouse from oliver + s

I simply adore these patterns: really easy to follow, so adaptable, and every time I do another one I learn a new technique. Time to whip out some of the others in my stash to extend my skills, I think.

the main fabric I bought from spotlight approximately forever ago - I love it because it reminds me of a Hundertwasser print. the purple trim I'd bought as a dodgy FQ from spotlight for $2.50. I'm not sure it's the best match, but really just wanted to whip it up from fabric I had to hand.