Madness

We are away with the Kookaburras this morning.  We will be back on Monday.  I had my son lined up to look after the dogs and the house.  He isn't what you would call reliable.  Academically brillant but not a lot of good old fashioned common sense. Last night his house was broken into and now he can't come.  At the last minute my other son has said he will look after the dogs so I have to take them out there first.   I hope the dogs will be alright.  I hope I get back in one piece.  I hope it isn't as cold as my daughter says it is down there. 

I hope that I will be able to get into Rusten house, where my great, great grandparents lived.  It is owned by the State Government now and I see that they has just allocated money for it's restoration.  I don't know if I will have time to do all the things I want to do and see my daughter as well.

NSW premier Barry O'Farrell with federal MP Peter Hendy (left), Mayor Tim Overall and state member John Barilaro at the historic Rusten House.

On the day we get back we have to move downstairs.  I think we may be asked to move on the weekend while we are away.  It is all just pure madness. 

No more posts till next Monday.

Day 53

27th February

Is he looking out for the truck or the trees?

 

Baby Quilt

This is a quilt top made by a friend in my cottage patchwork group, Meryl.  I think it makes a great gift.  It is made up of an embroidered and appliqued panel joined to a strip pieced panel and these alternate down the quilt.  You could choose what ever colours you might like, not only blue or pink.

I am pretty sure this was inspired by a commercial pattern although I don't know who the designer was.

Day 52

26th February

Morning Exercises

WIPW

I thought I was making good progress on my new Kogin design but I have miscounted and I am in for a session of reverse stitching. This is part of a series of designs that I am experimenting with.  I am also thinking about starting a sampler using the beading stitches from TAST .  I've got the fabric out, even found some beads.  Well it's a start!

I always think what I am doing is so boring in comparison to the other work that people are doing.

You can see that over at Pintangle.

An unexpected gem

Some times a little piece of work turns up in the display cases at the Guild that just takes your breath away.  There was a little hand pened note with this one.

This little bag, stitched over 100 years ago, loved and used constantly , and still used, is beautiful.

It took me a moment or two before I realised that the background was all bullion knots as well.

I'm not sure if the thread is silk or rayon but the shading in the flowers, espcially the large roses, is a lesson in how to use colour.

Day 51

25th February

The bandstand in the park

There are still Sunday concerts, but it also has Wi Fi free internet access.

I need some me time

I am finding it hard to find time for myself.  The builders are always in the house which means the weekends are spent getting the housework and washing done.  But for the last couple of weeks I have also had classes to teach and visitors to entertain.  Then I got totally swamped when I had to act as secretary for three extra meetings on top of my usual load.  Each of those minutes came to about 20 pages each .  I have finished three lots but have one still to finish.  I am also struggling with an irritable bowel and up to this last weekend, the heat.  I need some time for me.

This week and next isn't looking any better.  I have to babysit, one day starting at 6:30am and an afternoon and night.  On Friday we are flying down to Canberra for my daughters birthday and I fly back again on Monday to be back in time for more babysitting and the rush to get kits ready for classes.  I am leaving my son in charge of the house and the dogs I hope they all survivie.   No housework or washing OMG how am I going to manage.  I think I will go shopping!

Before I go shopping though, I was looking through my photos and have just realised that when my husband sold some of the furniture he also GAVE them all of my tassels I had made to hang from the keys of the cupboard.  When quizzed his reply was "Well you should have checked before I sold them".  Men.

Day 50

24th February

Love this door.

Kogin Hishizashi Patterns

Hishizashi Patterns No 178  to No  195

Download No 178 - 195

I love these smaller patterns another eighteen for the collection.