Noisy visitors!

Not much stitching happening at the moment. Some sunny weather so lots of weeding and a visit from about 50 Yellow-Tailed Black-Cockatoos!  Very destructive and very noisy but beautiful.  They are eating the new pine cones.  Click on pictures to see better.

Stitching

Have started quilting my beast family to a backing. The backing is the reverse side of a large sun print of some leaves done by a (deceased) friend of mine many years ago, so it's nice to use this and think of her as I stitch. It means the piece is reversible!
It took a long time but I've managed to post THREE photos at once and get them all in the centre!  Will I be able to remember how I did it??!! 

A challenge!

A group of twelve friends (including me!) from Australia and New Zealand have decided to set ourselves a challenge. Very similar to the Twelve by 12 challenge but ours will be 12" x 9" in size. Every two months we will produce a small quilt with a theme chosen in turn by each of us. Our first theme is 'TWELVE', due at the end of September.   I decided to try something I haven't done before - quilt the background before adding the applique!  Much easier than trying to go round it!  I will show you the finished quilt soon. Hopefully I will be able to show you some of the others too. I really enjoyed thinking about 'twelve'.

Grey!

 

Another wet, windy, overcast and GREY day!  So a picture of a beautiful banksia in my backyard to brighten everything up.  The honeyeaters love them.  Come on Spring!!

Japanese silk

I've been working on a silk quilt for a few years. Hand pieced over paper using antique Japanese silks. The triangles are one and half inches on the straight sides. It will probably take me another few years to finish it! A very slow cloth! But that's OK, I enjoy picking it up between other projects. Most of the silks came from Wafu Works, a lovely shop in Tasmania. I notice Jan has started a blog  http://wafuworks.blogspot.com/

Froth and bubbles

There were soapsuds at the beach this morning after a wet and windy night!

Family

The Frondescence family have joined forces and are now together awaiting some quilting!
Have returned home to the cold and rain and several loads of washing!  Of course there is no food in the fridge either, so after that I will be looking forward to getting into my sewing room. 
Still taking me ages to load a photo onto this blog. Sometimes it works first go and sometimes it takes several tries. Now that we are home with better coverage perhaps it will be easier. Still learning!
Have also tried everything to try and reduce the size of my header photo - will have to get some expert advice!

Patterns in the sand

Little crabs take the nutrients out of the sand and then roll up the remains and poke it out the hole!  Looks like lots of french knots!  Only one more day of this beautiful sunshine and then back to the wintry weather again.

Unusual colour

A most unusual colour for a flower.  It grows hanging down from a large vine in the tropics, and is a lovely soft aqua with purple stems.

A Leaf Beast.

This is one of the little beasts I've been working on. There are three so far - they live in the leaf litter in the garden! I am adding more leaves and details before I put them together and start quilting.

Patchwork Beasts

Have been thoroughly enjoying an online class with Jude Hill from Spiritcloth - stitching patchwork beasts and being totally inspired by Jude and others in the class.
At the moment I'm enjoying a holiday in the tropics.
Still trying to work our how to post photos etc. I'll get there!

A Start!

Well, I've been thinking about it for a long time so here we go! Not sure what it will be about yet but hope to post a photo and say a few words a couple of times a week. Inspired by my recent online class with Jude Hill and lots of encouragement from Kerri. Thanks Kerri!  (Not sure how to put a link to those yet but I guess I'll learn!)