birthdays and babies

This modern take on a cathedral window was discovered here - it seemed so easy to me from Christina's instructions - and it was SUPER easy! I made it for the big one recently.

We are still waiting around here for our imminent arrival. But, between a birthday for the now five year old (where did that time go?) and a stay or two in the hospital as well as insanely boring bed rest, I've not been around too much. Breaking the rules little to stop by this space right now but don't know how often I'll be about in the next month or so... We'll see if this little bubba is a sleeper???

Now off to have breakfast with this face and pick up Plod from the airport to fill him in on all the drama fun of the past two weeks while he has been merrily jaunting across the USA!

Finish it up! Friday check in...on Monday again :)

So, it's time to see how that list is looking... And I have to confess, I've not made anywhere near as much progress as I would like - I am always hopeful of time to stitch but I just don't seem to find the time that I dream of.

Anway, the list - here are the items I've progressed:
** Officer Plod's birthday quilt (for the significant birthday he had in February 2010! oops) - only one border to put on then off to the longarm quilter - delivered to quilter. Will need binding on return.
** Australasian Bee - bee blocks - finished one month, two months to complete:

** 1st Wednesday Block Swap - bee blocks - finished one month, two months to complete

** 3x6 Bee - bee blocks for 2nd and 3rd quarter - sent 2nd qtr blocks, 3rd qtr not proceeding - complete
** Binding on quilt for small (given to her unbound for Christmas) - stitched and on her bed again, this time with border - complete
** Red 1930's quilt (for me!!!) - quilt myself then bind - will deliver this to the quilter this week (shocking picture - this is before it was put together with the border)

** Bathmat - cut out, needs to be pieced and quilted - pieced and quilted, binding stitched to front, needs to be stitched to back
** Pillows for two friends birthdays (can't say who, they may be looking) - completed one pillow and found a different gift for the other friend.
** Heather Ross Munki Munki log cabin - finish blocks, piece, to quilter - more blocks assembled, many to go... 
** Baby quilt - to quilter and bind and then actually give to baby - at quilter, to be picked up.

Items still on the waiting list with no progress:
** Civil War repro quilt for my gran (nine-patch) - blocks are made, need to piece together and get to the longarm quilter
** Celebration of significant life event quilt for my Mum (large strip hexies) - cut out, need to piece and then off to quilter
** Birds quilt - piece my blocks received in the 1st Wednesday Block Swap
** Buildings quilt - piece my blocks received in the Australasian Bee
** Scrappy string quilt - finish blocks, piece, to quilter
** Lyrebird embroidery (design by Kate Ward)
** Vintage sheet star quilt (for my bed!!) - piece blocks, to quilter

Fabulous Friday!!!

Seriously. Fabulous. Day.

It started with an overnight low of minus eight and me being grumpy about getting out of bed - have I ever mentioned how much I despise the cold? Combine that with having been awake for most of the night with a small person in our bed having nightmares, I was feeling fairly pessimistic about what the day would bring. Oh, how wrong I was.

My friend Megan gifted us tickets to the ice skating rink set up in the centre of the city. The girls had never been skating before and I was feeling a little hesitant about having to get on the ice with them in my current "condition" - falling on my rear end with a baby in my belly, well... As it turns out, they didn't need me at all. They had SUCH a blast and I was the proudest Mumma ever! What fun. They started out with these cute little penguins for balance and the lovely lady in the shot there was a staff member who helped enormously by showing them how to move their little skates.

After a while using her penguin, the big one was confident enough to wing it on her own and she just took off. I laughed and laughed and they just kept going round and round, up and down that rink.

 

SO. MUCH. FUN. 

After skating we went for a hot chocolate and then arrived home to see this beginning:

I have been waiting FOUR years for this and today it came!!! It has taken me four long years to convince Plod that we need lawn. Today, it came. I am such a happy woman. Fabulous morning with my girls and brilliant afternoon with my lawn. I love today :)

And just because I am so excited to have turf, here is some more of it:

The garden has a looooooooooonnnnnnnnnnngggggggg way to go, but hey, I'm happy!

What did your Friday bring?

Time

Please tell me how it is that eight weeks can feel like such an eternity yet so very little time?

I am feeling like I have forever until I can meet this tiny person growing everyday, whose being is very real to me and whose presence is being felt more and more in this house. I want to meet our new baby, I want to know the answer to he or she? And what they look and feel and smell like. I want her or his daddy and sisters to be able to touch and hold and love this little person.

So why when it comes to "getting ready" am I more than a little anxious? Washing a few beautiful hand knits yesterday made me realise the extent of just how unprepared I am for this bubba. There is no bassinet, no nappy change space, no feeding chair. There are boxes of clothes and blankets still packed away which need to be washed but more than anything, this mumma needs to get her head around having three babies!

And eight weeks is too long to wait yet absolutely no where near enough time! Birth for me is a beautiful, wondrous, miracle and meeting my bubba is exciting and there is a whole lot of love in those first few days and weeks, it is a time of joy and discovery.

I am also aware of the reality of the big adjustments one tiny person forces us to make. We have two smalls who will still require all the love and attention they currently receive and yet there will be one more little person in our family for us to care for and live with and give to. We will, all five of us, need to find a new rhythm. And I am spending a whole lot of time wondering about how this will all work... And at the same time, being so super excited, delighted, impatient about getting closer to meeting and welcoming this amazing new life...

I would love to hear your thoughts - comments are great but if you don't want to publicly share, please email me: relish (at) live (dot) com (dot) au - it could be just the wisdom I need to get me there ;)

Filling the days

We've been on winter school holidays here so not much time for my crafting. We've been filling the days with:

** Small person crafting (remember that tidy sewing space - the floor is now covered in children's acrylic paint):

** Discovering the magical words and worlds of Enid Blyton:

** And, birthday party planning for a soon to be five year old:

I suddenly realised just how big my big girl is when she asked if she could write her birthday lists. She drew boxes to make separate lists for friends, gifts and party plans. And the cake? A rocket flying to Saturn - of course! And I can always bring it back to fabric - I have some of this fabric stashed away so I've taken inspiration from that to draw a cake pattern... I'd really like to make some bunting but that is as far as I can think - any suggestions for space themed decorations, food and party games???

The girls are back at school (albeit only two days per week) and Plod is back to work so I hope to have some time to get on with finishing a few projects - but today, it's a long anticipated and much needed haircut for me - sheer luxury ;) I am going to take the plunge though and try a new hairdresser... He comes highly recommended but I am biting my nails about the visit... I feel like I'm having an affair when I try a new hairdresser and if this one doesn't work I can't go back to the old one because she'll know I cheated on her... Oh the drama of it - wish me luck (or at the very least sharp scissors!)

Swaps received

I promised you some time ago that I would post pictures of a few items I have received in flickrland swaps. You've already seen the amazing bag I received in the Goodie Bag Swap so here are few more little delights.

The talented Kat sent me this perfect sewing machine cover along with a whole parcel of goodies - I couldn't believe how well she picked my taste - do go over and say hi to her and check out her blog post on this swap here - she is super talented. Kat also included some tea, a whole bunch of fabric scraps, a wristlet pin cushion and a new ruler as well as the most exquisite hand made card. It really was a mail day made in heaven!

I also participated in the Doll Quilt 10 and the My Favourite Mini Quilt Swaps and again, I received perfect parcels with the cutest ever quilts.
DQS10:

 My fave mini:

 And here they are, brightening up a little corner of my room:

I love post like this

WOW!!!

Yesterday afternoon I arrived home to a card in my letterbox saying there was a parcel at the post office to collect - I am waiting on a few etsy purchases so I guessed one of these had arrived. I had no idea that the parcel would in fact be SO, SO, SO much better than that.

A while ago I participated in the pretty little pouch swap (organised by Michelle and Kelly - awesome chicas) and I sent off my package to my partner a little early. After much postie stalking, nothing arrived.

Eileen was my angel. And never was a better description given.

This lovely, lovely, lovely pouch arrived yesterday and I am super happy with it - it is perfect. I love those repro prints and the hexies (can you believe she says this is her first hexie project!) and also in the parcel was a gift for my girls - a summer crafts DVD as well as a pattern for a cute little frock I can whip up for them.

While the goodies are adorable and I am very grateful for the cutest pouch, the "extra" I most loved was the note included. It was a heartfelt, sweet and kind note that was so very personal and I am touched beyond words. This generous lady made my day.

I love my pouch and I love this online world of incredible women. What a way to end a day :)