An old favorite

I have recently been looking at quilt photos and noticed how my taste changes. 4 years ago I made the bottom quilt after completing a machine quilting workshop with Adina Sullivan, then 3 years ago I made the top quilt to help me give up smoking and Iadored the bright, vibrant fabrics. No pastels, country or pales colours for me. Bold and brilliant only. Now as much as I still love these quilts and have never been able to part with them, my colour preferences have totally changed to romantic florals and tamer colour ways. I wander if I will go full circle back to the brights

levi

both my boys have left home. Scott lives at the top of Australia in Darwin, Rolands at the bottom in Adelaide and Levi (our dog) and I are somewhere in the middle at Tennant Creek. Levi really misses the boys so I am helping her to make these lovely wall hangings. One each for the boys. I probably should say men, given they are 27 and 23 this year. Anyway after Levi posed so beautifully with her poster, I printed the photo on to fabric. I will now sandwhich, quilt, bind and put a hanging sleeve on each one.

personalised journals

I have been busy making these personalised journals and address books for family and friends. I purchased plain cheap books, then covered with scrap booking papers and embelished with lace, stickers, ribbon etc. Have have turned out lovely

brickwork

This was a truely fun piece to make. It brightens a rather dark hallway at my home. The bricks are machined peiced and flowers raw edge appliqued

heart applique

I made this quilt a couple of years ago. It really is one of my favorites. I just cannot part with it, so I thought I would show it off on my blog

swaps

I recently participated in two swaps. A pink and brown swap and an Aussie swap. Both girls spoilt me rotten. Thank you janelle and Anastasia

baby bags and mats

I have been busy making baby play mats, this cute little bag folds out to a play mat . The cute yellow play mat could become a wall hanging once baby gets to active. Tracy from http://www.desertrosedesigns.com.au; has a professional style of baby bag

for sale at a reasonable cost that is a bag, sleeping bag and play mat all in one. Great gift for new mums. I purchased one from Tracy for my godson and his mother wanted three more for her expectant friends.

the bravest

This very handsome devil of a horse is actually a copy of a zigsaw puzzle that I saw in a catalogue. I fell in love and traced around the 2" diagram. Then using a friends photocopier enlarged the drawing to 18" x 24". Next step was to hand paint the orange yellow fabric, then using reverse applique to finish. The indian is exactly the same method except the pattern started out as a tattoo

cheers from Tennant Creek

Hello Liam. I miss you heaps. Hello Rose, Fern, James and Lilly. I cant wait to see you all. Love Josh
The house of Henwood.
Lake Maryanne. Not often full to the brim but with some help from the monsoonal rains it is very full.
And it rained, and it rained and it rained.

making my own stationary

Today I cut up strips of fabric, used two sided tape to attach it to A4 paper. Then I added some buttons and colour photocopied them to make this lovely stationary.
Next I am going to print recipes, patterns, home remedies etc on it. Once that is done I will laminate and include in gifts to family and friends

Quilt for Oscar

If you double click on the image you will be able to see the quilt I have just finished for Oscar Edward Crisp. Oscar's mum Sarah Hughes asked me if I would make a quilt for her baby boy and this is it finished. Oscar is not due to be born for another 4 weeks so we are not sure if he likes it yet. His mum is having a baby shower on Saturday so I will present it to her then. I machine peiced the top and machine quilted the nine patch blocks then hand quilted around each of the teddys. I used stem stitch to personalise and embroidery Oscars name.

Allergy to prescription

Well here I sit feeling quite sorry for myself because I am unwell. Last night I had to get my friend Janelle to cart me off to hospital. What started off as a sore lower back turned into a very scary night. Last tuesday I started experiencing lower back pain, which I didnt think to much of. I had some anti-inflamatories so just thought I would take them for a few days. However come Monday this week the pain wasnt subsiding and I was starting to take panadol as well but nothing seemed to work. So off I went to the doctor who prescribed slow release tramadol. At the pharmacy the pharmasist asked if I had taken these drugs before and as I had not he warned me they could have side effects of vomitting etc. If any symptoms produced I should stop taking and see the doctor. Me being me who never has a reaction to anything took a pill at 9.30 am and went back to work. By 11.30 am I was feeling drousy and a bit strange so took myself home and spent the next 4 hours on the couch unable to wake myself from a deep sleep. Next started the vomitting, the later the day the worse I felt so off to the hospital I went. The hospital staff took my pulse and it was 42 beats per minute instead of 60 to 100...so next the ECG, bloods etc and an over night stay in hospital. Everytime I would nod off to sleep my pulse would go done even further to 38 beats per minute. My heart appears to be fine but I have to travel to Alice Springs to see the specialist just to be safe.I will never take a prescription again without cross examining the doctor. Appartently he could have prescribed a 4 hour dose of the same medication to see if I was going to have a reaction. PS the good news!!! No back pain for 24 hours. Its back now but I think I will just suffer it

We really are a lucky country

How lucky am I. I have friends Tracy and Peter Henwood in Jamestown in South Australia about 1800kls away. Tracy rang to tell me mutual friends from Tennant Creek, Janelle and Brian had visited with her for a hour or so on their way home from holidays. Tracy has sent some bottled fruit that they have preserved home for me with Janelle and Brian. In the past I have also received home made jam which was delicious. This morning I got a phone call from another lot of friends Trish and Charlie in Borroloola near the Gulf of Carpentaria about 800 kilometres away. Borroloola is a very popular fishing spot. Anyway Trish rang to say Charlie had been fishing and caught a Baramundi and she was sending it down to Tennant Creek for me on a plane that was leaving within the hour and could I be at the airport to pick it. This is asking the girl that lives in the middle of the desert, where fresh means frozen bread, where the only fresh thing is air and where the only place to go fishing was with a pack of cards. Could I be at the airport !!!! So there I was when Alex the pilot landed at 10.45 am with my freshly caught, beautifully filleted fish. And just to top it off there is enough for 8 dinners for me....am I sharing, not on your Nellie. lol

whole cloth handquilted

These examples of my whole cloth quilts that i ahve handquilted have been done for my sons as family heirlooms. We call them our baptismal quilts. One for each of the boys, Roland and Scott for when they give me grandchildren. Dont keep me waiting to long guys! In the mean time my beautiful godson Kadyn used one at his baptism. The top quilt is Scotts as he was living at home when I quilted this one so he has put dibs on it.
The bottom picture was the next step up and this quilt is single bed size. I still havent mastered getting good clear shots but I think if you click on the photo it will enlarge and show better detailing

The quilt off my bed

This quilt is one of my many favorites and takes pride of place on my four poster bed. I really enjoyed shopping for the fabrics and making the pattern up as I went along. When I began all I was sure of was that it had to be blues and purples. I am very pleased with the finished project