of Pages, Prizes and Lucky Finds!

Firstly I have received my April/May copy of Quilting Arts and am so happy to see my Sui Generis (and other finalists work too) have been published at full page size! (Seems I had 1 issue left on my subscription!) I’m so excited as I imagined that if I was lucky enough to be included that perhaps they would be smaller images! Many, many moons ago I had some Interior Design work published (in conjunction with the Architectural firm I worked for at the time) but I never actually got to see it... I moved countries just before it came out, and this was way before the internet and email become so commonly used! So, I am truly over the moon about seeing this piece in print! (Can you tell?)

April/May cover

Quilting Arts magazine

Sui Generis

Inner Animal Challenge

Secondly, a huge thank you and hug for Catherine at Emergence for the gorgeous tulip bag that I won on her blog giveaway! It is truly divine… [and after a quick iron - which I only did as Catherine suggested it may be required! ;) ] I moved straight in and took it off to town with me yesterday! It has ample room for the kitchen sink that many of us girls like to carry around on our shoulder and is my favourite ‘colour’ black.

Catherine's Tulip Bell Bag

Blog Giveaway that I was lucky enough to win!

The workmanship (workwomanship) is just perfect and I will get much joy from using it. Thank you Catherine…!  I love it!

 

The fabric in the background of the photos above is a vintage piece I recently purchased on ebay. I had intended to cut it up.... but I've hung it across the doorway into the studio... and there it will stay! I may add a backing and a rod pocket or similar at the top but I adore it in our vaguely castle/medieval themed living area! I was drawn to the design and colours which remind me of crewel embroidery.What a lucky find!

 

I've more to show- be back later!

Dyeing addict...!

It really is no wonder so many people are addicted to dyeing…

An old linen teacloth and a little cotton top that my daughter Rose has outgrown..

I had a bit of a play with some orange and black dyes in the studio late yesterday afternoon (after a pretty full day in the garden-phew!)  I love not knowing exactly how it's going to turn out…! At first I was a bit disappointed with the spotting that comes from experimenting and not dissolving the dye first but it’s growing on me now... there is some nice shading and variegations.

An old embroidered traycloth - I think linen..

from the top: silk, muslin, cotton(or possibly cotton polyester),

silk, commercially dyed cotton, silk

I threw in scraps and household linens.... linen, flannel, muslin, cotton and silk. I love how they take the dye on differently. I didn't do any shibori or tying of any type this time- just left the pieces scrunched in a tray...

 Flannel

I don’t think any of them will be used as whole pieces... although I do like this little piece of flannel above. 

I must do that again soon...! I had so much fun.......... 

My Inner Animal!

OMG! I’m so excited! My little art quilt has been chosen as 1 of 20 finalists in the Quilting Arts ‘Inner Animal’ Reader Challenge!!

Pin from a pack of school book labels I bought for the kids... seems appropriate!

Wow! This is a first for me (I’ve entered two other challenges previously; the first being ‘The Rhythm of Life’ Quilt Challenge for Down Under Quilts Magazine and more recently the Cloth, Paper, Scissors ‘Mother Earth Art Doll’ Challenge) I’m ecstatic to say the least. I don’t know the protocol so here I am blogging about it! I’ll post my little animal quilt off to the US tomorrow…. And even if it doesn’t end up being published it feels wonderful to know that it will be included in the exhibition!

Part of a UFO I picked up again recently!

Dancing to the beat of my own drum with a huge grin on my face!

'Black' Iris, Herbs and Vegies

The dark iris buds have opened!

They are such a dark velvety purple and absolutely gorgeous!

Here's another yellow one. I love the surprises I’ve been having each day as the buds show colour and I find out which I planted where!

My favourites are pink irises….. but I’m fairly sure I don’t have one. I’ll need to keep an eye out at the nursery….!

We have 3 old and very heavy concrete laundry troughs which were located in various places in our huge house yard. They had been used as garden pots by the previous owners. Whilst Jon’s boys Ben and James are here we utilised their extra brawn to move them all into the vege patch, where I will turn them into herb gardens! They are all double troughs, so I have the equivalent of 6 new large pots! I added alpaca poop, compost and mulch to the soil. I’ll give them a week or so to fester nicely in the warmth and wetness before planting them up! It'll be nice to keep the herbs close together and they look great along the fence of the vegie patch...

The beans I planted a week ago aren’t up yet… hopefully they won’t be too much longer! The peas and snow peas are starting to produce… so we've been munching as we've been working. I don't think I've ever actually got fresh peas shelled, cooked and served to the table!

On the road again tomorrow; I’m driving the boys back home. I'll travel an extra hour to go to a large art store to get a few supplies!

Black Sheep

It was my birthday on Monday and my darling hubby gave me the most amazing present! You really will never guess what it is!

We have 23 acres with 5 dairy steers, 5 Highland heifers, 3 alpacas, 4 Chickens, a dog, 2 cats and now I am the proud owner of 6 sheep! 3 ewes and 3 lambs! They arrived Saturday and I am ecstatic!

Twins! Double Trouble!

Aren’t they the cutest things you’ve ever seen?

I bought a spinning wheel about 2 ½ years ago and have only had a tentative play with it (I had to buy some wool) It has been a dream of mine forever to have my own wool to spin and weave and knit!

We’ve had the alpacas for more than a year now and I really need to get them shorn! (and their nails clipped – note to self) I’ve been dreaming of a couple of sheep; one black and one white. Well, hubby went a bit overboard and we now have 3 different colours! They are Merinos so the wool should be fantastic!

Mum to the twins...........

The largest ewe is the mother of the twins and the darkest who is the mother of the smallest lamb wouldn’t let me get close enough for a good photo shoot!

Mum and Lambi!

The little black lambi is getting used to me though and was quite inquisitive!

Happy Birthday to me!!!