I got to spend four days last week with my youngest son, Nicholas.  We attended his March Out parade at Singleton.  He is now a part of the Australian Infantry and as such was presented with his "Skippy" badge (pictured above).  There is some significance to this badge - the Kangaroo symbolises always going forward, never going backwards and the Boomerang is symbolic for every soldier to return home.  It was a great day and I am a very proud mother.  We got to spend the weekend with him in Sydney, before he started the next phase of his training on Tuesday.

Here he is with his grandfather and myself.  I think they are feeding him ok.  I feel like a dwarf standing beside him!

Nicholas and his friends on the ferry at Circular Quay.

Sunday was spent at Freshwater beach before leaving to come home.  I am starting to fall in love with Sydney.  It is a beautiful city and that's saying something from someone who was born and bred in Melbourne.

I have had a finish on the sewing front.  This is what I made out of the little four patches I showed in my last post.  It is a quilt from the book, Jingle All The Way by Renee Plains of Liberty Star.

A couple more circles have been made for Irish Circles.

We are well and truly into Spring here in the southern hemisphere and I couldn't help admiring my roses late yesterday afternoon.  They are all starting to bloom.

This is the Clematis that grows beside my front door.  The flowers are beautiful this year.  It's amazing what some decent rain does for the garden.

Have a lovely week everyone.

Sue-Anne xxx

WIP's

Some more circles at various stages of completion,

Another project started,

and another project started.....

Washington Sidewalks top finished,

(Carolyn, the Proprietor)

A roadtrip with the girls to a new quilt shop, Veronica Violet's in Rutherglen.

And below, a beautiful old antique quilt top that was brought to Saturday sewing.  I thought you might be interested in seeing how small pieces were joined together and  odd pieces were included to make up some of the blocks.

Sue-Anne xxx

9/11

I will never forget this day.  I was sitting up watching Sandra Sully on the late news when they went to the breaking news in New York and I saw the horrific footage of that second plane crashing through the World Trade Centre.  At first I thought it was the Y2K bug screwing with the instrumentation of the planes, how could we possibly comprehend that another human being could deliberately commit such an evil and cruel act.

Sue-Anne xxx

Quilts in the Barn Exhibition

We had another wonderful road trip down to Melbourne yesterday to attend Quilts in the Barn.  This year's exhibitor was Jo Morton and her quilts were magnificent.  Here is a very small sampling of some of the quilts that were on display.

This quilt was one of the many antique quilts laid out over tables inside and outside the barn.   The weather was perfect, Melbourne put on a beautiful sunny and warm Spring day and after viewing the quilts, we sat outside and enjoyed a cuppa and a piece of homemade fruit cake.  We bumped into Elyte on the way out and Shirley, I got my hug!

Elyte and I.

L to R - Michelle, Elyte, me, Linda, Jan, Helen.

The Quilted Crow girls were there with their shop, selling lots of Jo Morton fabric and I came home with this piece.  You know how it goes, you just have to have it.

After leaving the Barn, we made our way across the suburbs, stopping along the way at various quilt shops and these are what came home with me.  I got home just after 9.30pm so a very long, but very enjoyable day.

A huge thank you to Linda and her many friends that have helped her put on this magnificent exhibition.  It has definately become an annual event for us "Friday Girls".

Sue-Anne xxx

I woke up this morning with the news of a bombing in Norway.  As the day passed, the news kept getting worse and worse.  What is wrong with this world?  I don't understand these people that choose to go to war with innocent victims.   My heart goes out to all of Norway at this tragic time.

Now I have been told by a couple of my dearest friends that whilst they love Nic, they are sick of seeing his picture everytime they click on my blog and that it is about time I did another post!!!  I haven't really got a lot for Show & Tell.  I am still working on Irish Circles and got distracted with another project, because I saw Jan and Christine's versions and had to make one myself.  The pattern is called Nancy Horsfall's Baby's Cot Cover. 

I still have A LOT to do but at least I have my fabrics sorted now and can get into the fun part of applique.

I did a little fabric shopping yesterday and came home with lots of blues and a little black.  

I just had to show you this picture.  This is me taking Buddy for a walk but unfortunately Max likes to come walking too.  You have to imagine them walking together down the street.  It is really really funny, Max  races ahead and frolics until we catch up and then smooches up to Buddy as if he is his long lost friend.

I was also lucky enough to sneak in a quick trip to Sydney last weekend to see Nic.  We went to Tooronga Zoo and this is what we came across when visiting the Meer Cats.  As we are in the middle of winter here in Australia,  the best way to warm up a cold tummy is to sit in front of a heat lamp.  He did not move the entire time we were watching - so cute.....

Sue-Anne xxx

What a Month We've Had!

Last week saw us attending the March Out of our son Nicholas, with the Australian Army.  He has completed his basic training and is now in the process of learning his new trade of Australian Soldier.  We were so excited to see him and our time with him went far too quickly. 

Here he is with his brother.  Of course we are very proud of both our boys and I can see a proudness in Nic by the way he carries himself now.  Amazing how they can grow up so completely in such a short time. 

His quilt was completed a couple of weeks before and I couldn't wait to give it to him.  It is now with him to keep him warm and remind him of home.

Chris and Amy arrived home from their honeymoon a couple of weeks before the March Out and here they are at the airport with Lucy (their baby).  Amy's sister Kate made a sign and brought her to the airport.  I don't think I have ever seen Amy so excited as when she realised Lucy was there.  5 weeks is a long time away from the people/dogs we love.

Remember this quilt?  I finally got around to having it quilted and got it back yesterday.  Rose did a wonderful job with the quilting and now I have to make another binding.

I have also been doing a little machine piecing and this is the start of another quilt, Washington Sidewalks.  This was a pattern from Patchwork on Stonleigh's fabric club.

These are the latest Irish Circles blocks. 

Sue-Anne xxx

Melancholy

It has been very strange, these last few weeks.  We are all feeling the effects of Nicholas not being here - poor Buddy is lying on his bed  feeling sad that his "Big Bro" isn't home and I have decided (shock horror) that I don't like having an Empty Nest.

And after waving the newlyweds off on their honeymoon, things have been very quiet.  They are having the time of their lives travelling through Europe and as they visit each new country, I think of all you wonderful bloggers I have become friends with over the past year. 

I been distracting myself with some sewing.  This quilt top is from the latest book by Kathleen Tracy and is called "The Soldier's Cot Quilt" .  How appropriate for my soldier boy.  I will give this quilt to him at his March Out parade next month, to keep him warm and remind him of home.

And speaking of Civil War quilts and soldiers, this is a quilt I made a long time ago for Christopher's 21st.  It is called Civil War 2 and is designed by Susan Smith.  I finally grabbed it back before they left for their honeymoon so I could get a couple of photos of it.  Oh my goodness, there was a LOT of sewing in this quilt!

I haven't spoken about Browne Sisters Sampler for a while but I have been putting a few stitches in every now and then.

And these two album blocks (one from Jan and one from me) are on their way to Linda from Quilts in the Barn.   They are going to be part of the raffle quilt for this year's Quilts in the Barn exhibition.  The guest artist is Jo Morton and every block will be made from Jo Morton fabrics.  Can't wait till September!!!!

The weather was beautiful over Easter but it has finally turned.  It is snowing at Falls Creek and I can feel the icy chill in the air.  I think I will go sit in front of the tv with a quilt over my lap and sew a few stitches into my clamshells.

Sue-Anne xxx