Dragons!

I could do with one of those, just to keep all the visitors in check.  Along with the 12 family members, who have invited themselves to stay for Easter, I know there will be others who will 'drop in'.  "We were just over to the island and thought we would drop in and see you".  I'm feeling a lot of trepidation about this Easter break and a dragon would help.

Talking of dragons, I had lunch with my daughter who does leather work and is making a new wallet for a customer, (along with her job as researcher and university lecturer.)  The first thing I thought of when I saw this piece was, DRAGONS.

The hide was like nothing else I have ever seen before.  Turns out that this is Emu hide, which you can't buy in Australia because the birds are protected.  She bought it in New Zealand where it is farmed for it's meat, feathers and hides.  It is the leg of the Emu.  It also reminds me of Dinosaurs.  Not surprisingly as the two are related.

I think I need to commission her to make one for me, although I could use a fire breathing dragon.

Have a happy Easter, I don't think I will have time to blog for the next few days.

WIPW

This past week has been spent getting my quilt top sewn together ready for quilting.

It is a queen sized quilt but I thought I might increase the size to king size.  Then I remembered I had a king sized quilt that is half quilted and I need to finish.  Also, I don"t think the extra size will enhance it much.  I have to sew a 20cm border all the way around so that it can be mounted on the quilting machine and piece the lining.  I rang the patchwork shop who said they have a 6 to 8 week wait on quilting, so that will make it June before I can get it finished.

My sewing machine is now ready for a service so I will have to get the old machine out again and running.  I can't remember where I put the walking foot for that one.  And I have a project, that I have put aside safely and can't find, to be finished for next month.  I will have to do both things in the next day or two because this weekend is Easter and I have 12 extras who have invited themselves to stay for the holidays.

Rember that embroidered coat I was going to make?

I have the fabric, and the design but I was just too ill last year to do it. 

NOW I have found one ready made in a shop. 

It is partly hand embroidered with some machine work as well.  Even the back of the coat is embroidered.

I worried about the cost for about a nano second.  It was expensive but I love it.  It is embroidered onto linen which means it is a good weight for our climate.

I even love the manufacturers tag that hung on it, I did remove the price sticker so I wouldn't get nervious every time I looked at it.

They had another short jacket as well and I have asked them to order it for me.  (If i die don't go looking in the Charity shop for it.  It fits my daughter as well and she has her eyes on it.)

New Book

I do like Donna Leon's books which are set in Venice.  There was a TV program the other night about the toll tourism is taking on the city.  I think this was raised right back in about book 8. ( This new book is book 28, she writes one book a year most of the time.)

The Title of the book is "Unto us a son is given".  The principal character is Commissario Guido Brunetti and with all those Italian lessons I took on line I can read any Italian that is quoted, that surprised me no end.  ( There is a nice article at Penguin about the main characters.)

As usual I have to slow my reading down.  There is a terrible temptation to read from cover to cover at one sitting.  But, as usual her reference to Classical Greek and Roman texts has me reaching for the books quoted to see if I agree with her interpretation.   These books are not deep and meaningful but are a pleasure to sit and read.

Quilting

I had a rude shock when I went to my patchwork shop.  I am going through cutting blades at a terrible rate.  I was told it could be my cutting mat.  I did a quick reckoning and realised that the mat must be getting up to 20 years old, with lots of use over that time. 

Where did all those years go?

I came home and gave it a good wash and it is now drying but I think it is time to replace it.

All those little boxes have now been delivered to my Quilting friends, along with a chocolate bunny each.

It is really good to know I achieved that goal and learnt lots of things along the way.  I must make one of those for myself.