There is something intensely gratifying about growing food. It's not like other gardening. For me, it so much more satisfying. With the first frosts appearing, we are just coming to the end of a very late tomato season and the last harvest came in.

The patches were a little bare so t have been full of renewed energy and life. The vegetable gardens are looking good but smelling awful (thanks to composted moo poo and seaweed solution). We've been busy planting broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, garlic and a myriad of seeds including silverbeet, peas, beans, beetroot, parsnips and parsley.

While we were on holidays recently, we ate so very many fresh raspberries and crisp, just picked apples. That has inspired us and included in our plantings were two apple trees and ten raspberry canes - we are all eagerly anticipating the rewards
!

Knitting, like so many craft/gardening/cooking projects, has been on the list for a very long time. Sewing however, really is my thing. My machine and I are very good friends but I'm equally satisfied with hand stitching. My Mum is an amazing seamstress and as a result of her skill and teaching, my whole life I've been able to sew. I sat beside her as a child and learnt by osmosis, soaking in the technique, and now the stitches come naturally. I know and understand sewing and I'm reasonably competent at it.

And knitting? Well Mum doesn't knit. Nan did but would never teach me because "I'm left handed" (still not sure what that means - perhaps I would have knitted backwards - can you knit backwards?? That might be interesting to try...

So I've never been there, mostly through fear of failure. Yes, crazy, I know - it's just yarn and sticks and it can always be unraveled. With that in mind, I've been trying to knit and I'm being kind to myself, talking to myself like I do to my children when they learn a new skill. Letting me know that it won't be perfect and that's an unrealistic expectation that anything is ever perfect. I first practiced on holidays with some beautiful yarn that is a wool and silk blend and it's slowly turning into a scarf (above - the little flashes of colour come from sari silk - recycled and spun into the wool).

Then I got bored with just a knit and I want to try something else. Megan has lent me a book so I'm going to try a real project. Check back in, oh perhaps three years from now, to see how it's going!
And because I'm playing with yarn, the biggest small decided she wanted some too so she could finger knit:...).

Blue, orange and turquoise...

**  Playing in the sewing room...
**  Finding orange dots on blue...
**  Pulling fabrics from stash...
**  Wondering where this little bundle will take me...
**  Thinking the walls are a little bare...
**  Hearing a mini calling...

Hey there

So, having a baby kinda took the wind out of my bloggy crafty sails. Five and a bit months in now and the time has flown. Three bubbas into this Mumma gig and I'm finally feeling like I get it. I'm actually a parent now. A grown up. Yes, I'm a little slow on the uptake - it has taken me three babies to realise this.

I have been taking in and savouring the newness of this bubba and not wanting to let any moments pass me by. I am enjoying having a tiny being in our house. And adoring watching two bigger but still so small beings interact with their baby. And watching the biggest being with all our babies.

Not a great deal of crafting has happened so I have found myself on twitter and instagram (@relishaustralia) and reading (if not writing) blogs.

It's been five months of:
** beautiful gifts from kind, thoughtful, generous people who deserve a whole post of their own (one day soon, I promise).

** illness, hospital visits and health matters
** summer holidays, beach play and Christmas

** first days of school and first lost teeth
** nursing, nurturing and nourishing

** photos taken with a phone as the camera is never handy
** giggles, cuddles and bottom humour (oh yes, these sweet little faces are laughing at their own fart jokes right now)

** birthdays and celebrations
** wishing for more (yet not spending enough) time in this room

** joy, sorrow, laughter, tears, friends, family, fun, love, chaos. Life.

It's been five months of challenging, beautiful life.

See you soon with some stitchy goodness (and by soon I'm hoping you realise I speak Mumma to three small people time)...

Baby Violet

On Monday 26 September, at 2am  our family welcomed a beautiful, healthy baby girl, Violet Catriona and she is perfect in every way. Violet weighed 3390gms (7 pounds 7 ounces) and is 51.5cm long. She was born peacefully in water; an absolutely amazing birth for all of us. We are starting to settle in to the rhythm (chaos) of five in the house!!!

Her sisters are thrilled with their baby, particularly given all along they had been calling the baby Violet. Three precious, gorgeous girls – we feel truly grateful!

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