tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73540915260014952592024-03-13T21:27:27.669-07:00The long and short of itnaomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-18034488238679472022011-12-02T17:40:00.000-08:002011-12-02T18:39:22.703-08:00What we carry with usWe live in a wonderful street. Well we back onto a wonderful street. It is a tiny little Square accessed by an odd lane way. Most people don't know it is there and others who have taken a wrong turn stumble into it looking confused. The square is filled with an eccentric collection of houses and families to match. At the moment there must be at least 20 kids who live on the square and since Lewis was old enough to crawl he has loved pottering around the quiet cul de sac watching the big kids run, playing with the littlies or riding his bike. On sunny afternoons as I watch the kids run and play and I chat to the wonderful mums I often think 'bite me Ramsey St!'<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiBrgV63rAsF6_9xhgaJWvnaS6phjXjmO2bbcejKONh1SqjWBvL1XdJ0bgbXPrwwF8ur-2uCBwu1LpfR78zsjGpUbRMIuh92oU62iKFKmuvoR0bOO8F_lpERHfY-536fbrbkxlCCmltg/s1600/IMG_1521.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiBrgV63rAsF6_9xhgaJWvnaS6phjXjmO2bbcejKONh1SqjWBvL1XdJ0bgbXPrwwF8ur-2uCBwu1LpfR78zsjGpUbRMIuh92oU62iKFKmuvoR0bOO8F_lpERHfY-536fbrbkxlCCmltg/s320/IMG_1521.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681720732232455810" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Last night was the Gordon Sq Christmas party. Tables were dragged into the street and gradually filled with food, BBQ's were lit and most importantly, the jumping castle was inflated. As the sun set, the street filled. Drinks were drunk, food was eaten, tales were told, fun was had. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZwrHVr-DCORmVt7RmILenUfcBGhN4LYw52xf3OCkvFVZ-X9w7mh-2P5lyXCM_xghfkx4xpolxH3clC2XtSeD71u0tP-Y3QwBPVv4dwThHQC3P6vrPXfaMFqp9Wq3SC37bRmDEIPELfs/s1600/IMG_1523.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZwrHVr-DCORmVt7RmILenUfcBGhN4LYw52xf3OCkvFVZ-X9w7mh-2P5lyXCM_xghfkx4xpolxH3clC2XtSeD71u0tP-Y3QwBPVv4dwThHQC3P6vrPXfaMFqp9Wq3SC37bRmDEIPELfs/s320/IMG_1523.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681720738046113554" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With Rowan asleep in the pouch I watched Lewis. He watched the jumping castle wide eyed. After some sweet encouragement from the big boys (and mummy who had to get on as well) he overcame his reservations and discovered the joy of jumping.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFE_FlIMdDaYjvOe9KcCAJHyvWhld_kdHrijtxnA1gIkGXpd9Cf0tkzmmz5cMHSnZh0QSVP471tHwEE2hLZfp8s_x1Jy_vYaQ9OyOUGLAjVBY-ifYF3IhM0nuH0IKhlK8469LTAsuYsI/s320/IMG_1526.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681720738922126466" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></div><div>He jumped and jumped and jumped. He played, he ran, he ate (mostly chips), he soaked it all in. One of the fathers dressed up as Santa and gave out presents, the kids sang carols together.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5MxsBv7IK2P5ADqpPilUPyMWBy7O1YAsjFZTZkqZjQ8FXl6LBl53vUXl03gefkVh-xfBtKAp09creGNxoTrNjLJawWS1MJViyhe3tbQSSC1r_B3HO84AZDqO3tap-iCWIYOWwZwmhdk/s320/IMG_1533.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681721465553356610" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Z8oHODH67XL-Lu1DB6Ta3o52uW9aiP8GuBZ2tUESSnMXRpl7ylNu5tsu20NdgdHykXrZDCGr_nlYTzV36OBuXsHKAWn6KDRClV6FXXBSNE9priRnfIKUXmjirDGP7qUKLxScCIAwho/s1600/IMG_1534.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Z8oHODH67XL-Lu1DB6Ta3o52uW9aiP8GuBZ2tUESSnMXRpl7ylNu5tsu20NdgdHykXrZDCGr_nlYTzV36OBuXsHKAWn6KDRClV6FXXBSNE9priRnfIKUXmjirDGP7qUKLxScCIAwho/s320/IMG_1534.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681721459980993154" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As the evening settled in and bedtime came and went, Rich brought out a story book and a blanket and Lewis eventually fell asleep on a pile of cushions in the middle of the road, under the stars. </div><div><br /></div><div>I turned to a neighbour as I watched Lewis sleep and said 'Will he remember this? I hope he remembers' and she said 'He might not remember but he will always have it in him'</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope he does, I think he will. </div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXcGlmfagsvD0eAr_Xf_vvI9FMux5SmLnINGPgrjWRJNDVtnrKSaZaL5BNR11FJkdou1E6xNyHyfJJth506hQJz_KQp5p0MCP7h_PQzvXkVfm_QzEX3uEbfMV1cJ5LJDTLqq1DLzRJnE/s1600/IMG_1540.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXcGlmfagsvD0eAr_Xf_vvI9FMux5SmLnINGPgrjWRJNDVtnrKSaZaL5BNR11FJkdou1E6xNyHyfJJth506hQJz_KQp5p0MCP7h_PQzvXkVfm_QzEX3uEbfMV1cJ5LJDTLqq1DLzRJnE/s320/IMG_1540.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681721475601237026" style="cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px; " /></a></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-82557994622533523152011-10-05T19:55:00.000-07:002011-10-05T20:55:35.129-07:00Mac and me<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6113/6216224812_c3571e2a77_m.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 226px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6113/6216224812_c3571e2a77_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The first computer that we ever had was a Mac. It was matte grey/cream and boxy with a non colour screen and a colourful apple logo.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWKkhmPeR50X3quKw3eZSLdoYH9BBw7yZKu__LFGHThWwOzu6FH174g-yukZgr3bxLGC6SQ9hmbv5qRM-AZjCSS1vWI1xlch556Ox0oBwlTTRVIh-7hbIx1yais_a7R8gUEz01mnjdKI/s1600/apple_logo_rainbow_6_color.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWKkhmPeR50X3quKw3eZSLdoYH9BBw7yZKu__LFGHThWwOzu6FH174g-yukZgr3bxLGC6SQ9hmbv5qRM-AZjCSS1vWI1xlch556Ox0oBwlTTRVIh-7hbIx1yais_a7R8gUEz01mnjdKI/s1600/apple_logo_rainbow_6_color.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I distinctly remember the Apple, etched into the grey and slightly embossed. The computer must have come with stickers because that Apple image was stuck on various things around our house for years. I can't remember the year when the first Mac arrived, it must have been around 1984 when my brother was born and my dad was writing his PhD. I remember the enthusiasm that my father had for this piece of technology and as a child (4?5?), the enthusiasm was infectious. My sister and I used to sit in the little study in our old house in Sydney and draw clunky pictures using the mouse and then print them out on the old dot matrix printer.<br /><br />A few years later I made a plate at school. You know the kind that you draw and then they get laminated onto a plastic plate? I drew a futuristic looking punk sitting in front of a computer with a little coloured apple carefully drawn on it (good branding apple!!).<br /><br />I was at the perfect age when the yummy looking imac G3s were released. A pink, blue, yellow or green computer? Yes please! A fashion statement and Internet access? Bring it on!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/IMac_Bondi_Blue.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 169px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/IMac_Bondi_Blue.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In 2002 I bought my very own ibook with my own money that I had made making documentaries. I was so proud of myself. My ibook was shiny white and I bought a cool backpack with a special laptop compartment that had a label on it that said I was now part of the global digirati. At 21, with my laptop on my back full of itunes music, iphoto pictures and film ideas, I thought I was the bees knees. My trusty ibook travelled to London with me, adorned with Emily Strange stickers and was soon joined by an ipod as I said 'see ya later' to my disc man (so 90s). I bought my ipod in the Apple store in Regent Street, oohing at the anachronism of the centuries old shop building adorned with huge glowing apples logos.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.apple.com/uk/retail/images/store_photos/photo_regentstreet.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 180px;" src="http://images.apple.com/uk/retail/images/store_photos/photo_regentstreet.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A few years later (with a little help from my dad) I upgraded my ibook to the one I sit typing on. A sleek black macbook full of pictures of my babies, my music and plans for the future. My dining room table always has at least two mac books on it and at times, usuallly when my family is in town, there can be four or five.<br /><br />My latest addition is my beloved iphone 4. Rarely out of my hand, this device calls my friends, sends messages, checks my emails, takes my photos, browses the web and facebook, stops me from getting lost, stores several books I am reading and it even helped me time my contractions when I was in labour.<br /><br />Oh I have had my fair share of foot stamping moments directed at the apple corporation. A soggy ipod, laptops with very short lives, hardware that is a bit crap, the spinning wheel of death and I just had a conversation with my partner about the greed of the corporation and its lack of corporate philanthropy. But. But... When I heard today that Steve Jobs was dead my mind cast back to that very first mac in 1984 (ish) and I realised that most of my life has been stored on an apple computer in some way. From childhood drawings to school assignments, music, films, letters, invoices, photos of my wedding, my children's births...to quote Salman Rushdie 'He (Steve Jobs) was one of the great architects of the real'.<br /><br />I am a Mac.<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-58326467857986063722011-06-27T23:57:00.000-07:002011-06-28T01:05:25.562-07:00Happy Birthday QuiltNot too long ago my fantastic mother turned 60.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJT26qBDWQFlS-As8EM3cYYyFlAAnxcFZFzXuvYxPimCQnYss9gLKvKgQDugyQv1aLLyOrhUuZWvgjwafxv5kwlNenYOP3h9ZoHdUgRcFjyEZ6G2Ciwb5g26SACFnHo3_elgFodiBlgTI/s1600/IMG_0249.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJT26qBDWQFlS-As8EM3cYYyFlAAnxcFZFzXuvYxPimCQnYss9gLKvKgQDugyQv1aLLyOrhUuZWvgjwafxv5kwlNenYOP3h9ZoHdUgRcFjyEZ6G2Ciwb5g26SACFnHo3_elgFodiBlgTI/s320/IMG_0249.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623161881572274322" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My Mum</span><br /><br /></div>I wanted to make something really special for her birthday that she could keep and cherish. I have been planning this quilt for about 9 months. The morning sickness and exhaustion of early pregnancy put a major hold on any creative endeavours and then a Christmas trip to the UK and a post Christmas trip to a flooded Brisbane increased my delay in actually choosing a quilt to make let alone buying fabric and actually starting. In January I browsed through my friend Melissa Fox's quilting books and magazines trying to choose a pattern. Nothing felt right and eventually I settled on a Japanese style pattern with large applique circles on it. I then spent months browsing for fabric and found some great options but I just never committed to actually buying. In the end I decided that the pattern was just wrong for Mum. So, on the spur of the moment I went to my trusty fall back fabric store <a href="http://www.birdtextile.com.au/">Bird Textile</a>. I was so lucky, in the remnants packs I happened to find some AMAZING large prints that were too beautiful to pass up. I walked out with three beautiful large 'blocks' in blue and a few packs of green and brown remnants to make up the rest of the quilt. Next step, design a quilt.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtfSVOjLU0Ij9SnXq9-046KkNARFbb3A0N4YV45dJIuxR6qcMbYdWsfRdLVNghxJUX_LTw_A1Dg8PbmukwU0_YPlHlcFxtCJvHHCdXZwcv-5Z4llngSBSwcXkKtBWKDrvNiaJCW7c0Gw/s1600/IMG_0448.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtfSVOjLU0Ij9SnXq9-046KkNARFbb3A0N4YV45dJIuxR6qcMbYdWsfRdLVNghxJUX_LTw_A1Dg8PbmukwU0_YPlHlcFxtCJvHHCdXZwcv-5Z4llngSBSwcXkKtBWKDrvNiaJCW7c0Gw/s320/IMG_0448.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623165061588322738" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Two of the three main 'blocks' that I feel in love with at Bird<br /><br /></div>I browsed online quilt blogs for HOURS and stared at the fabric I had for HOURS and then I asked pretty much everyone around me for advice (even my midwife during an antenatal check up!!). I just didn't 'feel' how the quilt was supposed to look and I was unsure how to best feature and integrate the three main blocks that I had my heart set on. I started making Flying Geese from this great <a href="http://thelastpiece.typepad.com/the_last_piece/2009/05/flying-geese-tutorial-1.html">tutorial</a> and the quilt started to feel a bit more focused. I then saw some great traditional Japanese blocks online and decided that they fit in the style of the bird textile prints.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIZaDkUlQ_zpxeOCypgfyfvFcMvqkdmjbGSeVYWupAcXGuvqMdHgIdGdf7IY_5IFBI4ckrVxmb1E1LspeeRhWCgORG-MnHhEA0z1z_5VRCPH4mhmDgk7SjBZ9xUr6s3UF4PVa9z0jZeo/s1600/IMG_0447.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIZaDkUlQ_zpxeOCypgfyfvFcMvqkdmjbGSeVYWupAcXGuvqMdHgIdGdf7IY_5IFBI4ckrVxmb1E1LspeeRhWCgORG-MnHhEA0z1z_5VRCPH4mhmDgk7SjBZ9xUr6s3UF4PVa9z0jZeo/s320/IMG_0447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623166841520511954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyRD_7nVTK8kwAfXSlrFkHDgxHJCFM2pph44cvAo52uo_rceGY3bCT7s4liHWsjtPsmbNwYXJpoSFXpYvkt9x0gH_7GxsJNR6Bqf79fHGxxY1seq9n8g6smyTyMXzu4SR-wjxRqc2fmM/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyRD_7nVTK8kwAfXSlrFkHDgxHJCFM2pph44cvAo52uo_rceGY3bCT7s4liHWsjtPsmbNwYXJpoSFXpYvkt9x0gH_7GxsJNR6Bqf79fHGxxY1seq9n8g6smyTyMXzu4SR-wjxRqc2fmM/s320/IMG_0446.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623166839935311842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">These blocks were a challenge I can tell you! I had seen a picture but had no pattern or measurements so I made them up. I have a full page of scrawled maths in my notebook from trying to figure out how big to cut every strip so that, after the seam allowance was taken into consideration, they would end up being the 12" I needed to fit with my other blocks. Yeah that kinda worked... I then decided that they needed to be 'on point' to really work. This involved yet more maths, thank god for the Internet that helped me work out the formula to come up with the correct size corner triangles. whew. I am not 100% happy with these blocks. They look a bit like something else to me (even though they are not) I won't bias your opinion by telling you but see if you see it for yourselves...<br /><br />The quilt came together over months of bits of sewing here and bits of sewing there and bits of sewing done by the marvellous Sarah Mac (she made a lot of Geese for me). I knew I had to finish the quilt before the baby was born or Mum would be 70 before it was ever gifted to her. After a few whole weekend sewing efforts I hand stitched the last stitch last night...4 days after my due date. My husband thinks that I haven't been able to give birth until the quilt is finished...I guess we shall see now :)<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJTdRrbh2cTVGiuWuMEI0T7G0B-gNAdOxue7d9QMslHekn_-Ik7TpGvHCz0NJ4My8PQpItrST8pdp4KTRQEtwXVqtpJgNoA-cwFRjWz26rowqSVBGAp3jti1jeA8Ele_W009tx7qmVfc/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJTdRrbh2cTVGiuWuMEI0T7G0B-gNAdOxue7d9QMslHekn_-Ik7TpGvHCz0NJ4My8PQpItrST8pdp4KTRQEtwXVqtpJgNoA-cwFRjWz26rowqSVBGAp3jti1jeA8Ele_W009tx7qmVfc/s320/IMG_0619.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623173362113605266" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Gift wrapped at last</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjfy8skOfQj8AlyUwjnnYmtN1xlOrVdOBSufl-IKb645GlMmLvQBkvBt5nIJSL9srP550qSzVTrQh4LHj4qQG9AAgGJLpjKfp6nVfLSaNyc8W1NhDs0ZGi6-WnA_DoGQB6J-BzR9plj8/s1600/IMG_1392.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjfy8skOfQj8AlyUwjnnYmtN1xlOrVdOBSufl-IKb645GlMmLvQBkvBt5nIJSL9srP550qSzVTrQh4LHj4qQG9AAgGJLpjKfp6nVfLSaNyc8W1NhDs0ZGi6-WnA_DoGQB6J-BzR9plj8/s320/IMG_1392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623173369661348914" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The full quilt</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpE1BotpOYTc-J5Fp3xLsLkl6TJ7hVxKpl5T5TxCq6AvfMzNf9OfPiDrYSqhD69mAhCn_-15hcnpQhtl2OXRNy9q8oMInJkNbheoAGUGyORqBINmed0E06bZH33BYmW_7SodIaD87y7I0/s1600/IMG_1398.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpE1BotpOYTc-J5Fp3xLsLkl6TJ7hVxKpl5T5TxCq6AvfMzNf9OfPiDrYSqhD69mAhCn_-15hcnpQhtl2OXRNy9q8oMInJkNbheoAGUGyORqBINmed0E06bZH33BYmW_7SodIaD87y7I0/s320/IMG_1398.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623173375089461314" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">oooh draped :)<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8W5VACFsUe1BIuYMs4vl8zMgKcYoBmsNnYxwaSVpyAnF7P3nrwZg-GhhnbTa80RNAdFfmE5WLmVBC-lYzKJBfMs-vKLVPiLuXK91s91iXtnE6rVPcp58emLSZePkO1-dE7h5ZnjL8p8E/s1600/IMG_1394.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8W5VACFsUe1BIuYMs4vl8zMgKcYoBmsNnYxwaSVpyAnF7P3nrwZg-GhhnbTa80RNAdFfmE5WLmVBC-lYzKJBfMs-vKLVPiLuXK91s91iXtnE6rVPcp58emLSZePkO1-dE7h5ZnjL8p8E/s320/IMG_1394.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623175283822439122" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">close up detail</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmZdscTF-IYMYrWQn9KSBhPuGbPzvBsidRJliMYnFc840wQB-lFcDUrPzUSiA9lRTHhXUFOXbpQtjSc0Hxwf0IoGz8rKJ7JvYUMWBsNX3gLdLObsoYhyphenhyphenvnk6PBSZI1PIfccLFhehy_qE/s1600/IMG_1402.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmZdscTF-IYMYrWQn9KSBhPuGbPzvBsidRJliMYnFc840wQB-lFcDUrPzUSiA9lRTHhXUFOXbpQtjSc0Hxwf0IoGz8rKJ7JvYUMWBsNX3gLdLObsoYhyphenhyphenvnk6PBSZI1PIfccLFhehy_qE/s320/IMG_1402.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623178110583545010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREfGScn-SLFWy2bjzOCoufIabII8g_34CgRkH0GRyB5oBOmc8YqpH1cYzwUyRW-jFB2NP3za4GP01JRQ2QEowOh8yk3Ox6gKLeyVtYm9YpHoUrQ_uQEx_CE4fpI3lKiATmcr4kYSp8L8/s1600/IMG_1407.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREfGScn-SLFWy2bjzOCoufIabII8g_34CgRkH0GRyB5oBOmc8YqpH1cYzwUyRW-jFB2NP3za4GP01JRQ2QEowOh8yk3Ox6gKLeyVtYm9YpHoUrQ_uQEx_CE4fpI3lKiATmcr4kYSp8L8/s320/IMG_1407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623178104546511858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21ptpXEY3m-x1EgdxlOo4R8-FhZZqLgMh9QHT4x3jnwZIhaMgWliGA1Xto5niOqgd-UdYr7BV_GDRIHF3OXanq4f_jl6cnyvgAl5fXSQC1JuE1pC-NDko5bDnE7pqihaFckFMrmZtOys/s1600/IMG_1416.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21ptpXEY3m-x1EgdxlOo4R8-FhZZqLgMh9QHT4x3jnwZIhaMgWliGA1Xto5niOqgd-UdYr7BV_GDRIHF3OXanq4f_jl6cnyvgAl5fXSQC1JuE1pC-NDko5bDnE7pqihaFckFMrmZtOys/s320/IMG_1416.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623175287243514786" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lovely Bird Textile binding</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTyJ5Estn_1VGnlQhvvJKwm0M9QckdwSd8ZdWA3KvqljEWvbduvpOcT8Pf8CXnk-X2D-32af_mK4wqdjQPf9I97D_popHfdilrp_u1To9pCb1zv_cMt9PG48FMidf0yd4hYZdtFYnMqI/s1600/IMG_1412.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTyJ5Estn_1VGnlQhvvJKwm0M9QckdwSd8ZdWA3KvqljEWvbduvpOcT8Pf8CXnk-X2D-32af_mK4wqdjQPf9I97D_popHfdilrp_u1To9pCb1zv_cMt9PG48FMidf0yd4hYZdtFYnMqI/s320/IMG_1412.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623175295270454018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A happy Mum with her new quilt</span><br /></div><br /></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-75117744613813687602011-03-17T18:36:00.000-07:002011-03-17T19:18:57.388-07:00Little BirdsIt has been a long time between posts. it has also been a long time between projects. Between blizzards, floods, birthdays and growing babies (inside babies and outside ones) I haven't had much time to spend in my spare room or in the blogsphere. I have also felt decidedly uncreative...until this little man arrived in the world.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJbgoaCmsKG7Nv3Xe3wdcx-AQsOab7_AcyQwYs_zolTLgTZgjpHPOCzxngVFPe-gdZ94XGLq0k_FVLr618HnMqLoZtb43NOVUn8IqGXbQGxypSdOUigc-li5gVyUYTY-6gkWYU_h0UAA/s1600/IMG_0309.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJbgoaCmsKG7Nv3Xe3wdcx-AQsOab7_AcyQwYs_zolTLgTZgjpHPOCzxngVFPe-gdZ94XGLq0k_FVLr618HnMqLoZtb43NOVUn8IqGXbQGxypSdOUigc-li5gVyUYTY-6gkWYU_h0UAA/s320/IMG_0309.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585229445433428386" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hugo Gilbert Tomkins</span><br /></div><br />If that fresh little being wasn't going to get me back in a sewing mood then nothing was. I was given this <a href="http://www.stashbooksblog.com/products/little-birds/">book</a> for my birthday in December and the quilt I made is from it. I changed the dimensions to make it bigger but generally I stuck to the pattern. Here it is...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJptoOnR9MbLrZMdPuy2QaveRt5gwpu1uDeO3qZsCcHonf6EdG_NAHS0NM75v_NEumcHAVOWAVI-Zy6Ei1OoDI9s5QV4uZH_Zm82JMeMbaAZDT9Zp_3kELdm4U4dCcAsgaNzBk55OlK2k/s1600/IMG_0294.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJptoOnR9MbLrZMdPuy2QaveRt5gwpu1uDeO3qZsCcHonf6EdG_NAHS0NM75v_NEumcHAVOWAVI-Zy6Ei1OoDI9s5QV4uZH_Zm82JMeMbaAZDT9Zp_3kELdm4U4dCcAsgaNzBk55OlK2k/s320/IMG_0294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585229451680524818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The fabric is mostly a Bird Textile scrap pack with a few scraps of Anna Maria Horner (the deep blue) and Tula Pink (the deep red) thrown in. The binding is also Bird Textile who now sell pre made binding (yay).<br /><br />This was a quilt of firsts for me. Most importantly it is the first time I have tried applique and free motion quilting<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy4RRo-FQ4bkWH4zoTI_Ob3ic2Efvg75CpsDSwRffLdbP43KTbDyUfJrR8rjAhYtABZlmKURujbmq2qkMQPFjRRmPQEwJ4tUSYH2i126r0iHvqXv1-_5BtY0T07hZYLbQMwx7jgwklY0/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy4RRo-FQ4bkWH4zoTI_Ob3ic2Efvg75CpsDSwRffLdbP43KTbDyUfJrR8rjAhYtABZlmKURujbmq2qkMQPFjRRmPQEwJ4tUSYH2i126r0iHvqXv1-_5BtY0T07hZYLbQMwx7jgwklY0/s320/IMG_0295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585229458116688498" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTGyUb9fwgsgpO2PDGBdqTHpFvlEewTechNQhzSaskkK0eu0ScBXMpl3FOjeJNtxLHtvuj626YnpWjrfUNN1Hy9nGveIGC1LgXHypCnfQ6AuBddBBDXR8G-RvQQcF9-1Dev99cNXIEa4/s1600/DSC09172.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTGyUb9fwgsgpO2PDGBdqTHpFvlEewTechNQhzSaskkK0eu0ScBXMpl3FOjeJNtxLHtvuj626YnpWjrfUNN1Hy9nGveIGC1LgXHypCnfQ6AuBddBBDXR8G-RvQQcF9-1Dev99cNXIEa4/s320/DSC09172.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585236199520772770" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Each little bird's body is appliqued on to the fabric with a fusible papery thingy then I free motion quilted around each body (to help secure it) and then added plumes and tail feathers etc. The style is supposed to be 'sketchy' looking and let me tell you there is no way it wasn't going to look sketchy!!! It is going to be a while before I try to free motion quilt a whole quilt.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-NNezmUmdaHGzFmc4mS1OCBBjKCf_fzdBi8HXHPMgJNgg2yD35AAGHku8fZuxldTF6MCOpu-LZ63_rPKFgVCs4s9LQTnLeBHJsH_jjEHbXqPcKK45OqJpA6yi-enOudaH2_DOz2dKdM/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-NNezmUmdaHGzFmc4mS1OCBBjKCf_fzdBi8HXHPMgJNgg2yD35AAGHku8fZuxldTF6MCOpu-LZ63_rPKFgVCs4s9LQTnLeBHJsH_jjEHbXqPcKK45OqJpA6yi-enOudaH2_DOz2dKdM/s320/IMG_0296.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585232926936778018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVv9GiwtBP8bnZTc0UvLxCJmoGQocN4i0xdviBuWjvGnNlz_8jNznTLEEWM1rFVg7ezpkvTS1doQqktV6geUMgdVF9eOvR1rjVUrEED6XnqK3lBOE0IPuYDHyS0rTNH17S5ffJA-5etIA/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVv9GiwtBP8bnZTc0UvLxCJmoGQocN4i0xdviBuWjvGnNlz_8jNznTLEEWM1rFVg7ezpkvTS1doQqktV6geUMgdVF9eOvR1rjVUrEED6XnqK3lBOE0IPuYDHyS0rTNH17S5ffJA-5etIA/s320/IMG_0297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585232931902712226" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">The back of the quilt and a close up of the little owl<br /><br /></div>Hugo is a Brisbane baby and I wanted to be able to give the quilt to his Mum in person during my recent trip. I was no where near finished when I boarded the plane in Sydney but the amazing <a href="http://quiltingforhappiness.blogspot.com/">Melissa Fox</a> lent me her machine and expertise for a day in Brisbane to finish it off. I have known Melissa for about 10 years now and we had a big laugh about the fact that 10 years ago we could never have imagined that our kids would be playing together while we sat and quilted together!! Melissa taught me how to machine bind the quilt which I have never done before and also lent me some lovely multi coloured thread (it is a special kind with a special name but I have forgotten, I'll find out if anyone is interested).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1e5vEhH3gZvSy9TutXdAkcSdkRBDiOusBaLkwa_WpoT0gMs_Cy3kYyipgAcCgAtXHuz05YlaSfCRsUtiFwsmnt2TDlK_l4BdPr9BAupfTxHA3FdIOHOb488YmJcVzpb1292CxYOfBWY/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1e5vEhH3gZvSy9TutXdAkcSdkRBDiOusBaLkwa_WpoT0gMs_Cy3kYyipgAcCgAtXHuz05YlaSfCRsUtiFwsmnt2TDlK_l4BdPr9BAupfTxHA3FdIOHOb488YmJcVzpb1292CxYOfBWY/s320/IMG_0304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585232947140063666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnNN0UNAx9Qvlulh9cOIIlJ6SVBJz8slejkmnaCJ3fdj4xba9lSP7YXIJdMk5_w7Hpfn1ShhkflyjZJXGI7gtAuuFvt-HBh68G76Yfo5vdZZw1cTO4EOYr7F-gVBMrS66TH1ui3kxfQ8/s1600/DSC09173.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnNN0UNAx9Qvlulh9cOIIlJ6SVBJz8slejkmnaCJ3fdj4xba9lSP7YXIJdMk5_w7Hpfn1ShhkflyjZJXGI7gtAuuFvt-HBh68G76Yfo5vdZZw1cTO4EOYr7F-gVBMrS66TH1ui3kxfQ8/s320/DSC09173.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585236203270068034" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-style: italic;">The binding and our kids having a stand off over pink luggage</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I hope Hugo likes his little quilt as he grows up, in this picture he is a little preoccupied to notice...<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoGQAFzmaQ8AeqmP56Nk7lw8qaS1xe-f5W0VmVo-ctCrG9e_uEhycMOo0_gDXsgrSyS0NvBQiRVKHuj5_KogOYbsE9Si8NgfAfJsIruiBWbKMYLRh-xHdpWz0piuPTerJ4q3-r7AiXmU/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoGQAFzmaQ8AeqmP56Nk7lw8qaS1xe-f5W0VmVo-ctCrG9e_uEhycMOo0_gDXsgrSyS0NvBQiRVKHuj5_KogOYbsE9Si8NgfAfJsIruiBWbKMYLRh-xHdpWz0piuPTerJ4q3-r7AiXmU/s320/IMG_0299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585232934090842338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Katie, Hugo's mum made this amazing mobile for his room and I think the quilt fits in quite well...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXf_FO01V3KhyCz6F_PT-hTb_3ESHh6Opj8N1wSoF5YMWqcHeaNp3IVUpSFHGZftfElpLb19mxADV7B-3z8VY68dCbxFjs-EjWAh98RUig1Hvkspy-k1vGeZsx14jwD5wSmFLVelCO6o/s1600/IMG_0301.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXf_FO01V3KhyCz6F_PT-hTb_3ESHh6Opj8N1wSoF5YMWqcHeaNp3IVUpSFHGZftfElpLb19mxADV7B-3z8VY68dCbxFjs-EjWAh98RUig1Hvkspy-k1vGeZsx14jwD5wSmFLVelCO6o/s320/IMG_0301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585236189030795170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzNskQAXt81CPzwc82IeGFncU-_cAVRHoxpQ3jQpy-rUxsh4Lnhiadl4i9j6wN_HITs13PRzilzvUvfTGtQTMY9CSw0XHJxYNk_6PtvEJryDMz2mcIqEmrSBuymBtB0B3_lFVOerWor4/s1600/IMG_0302.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzNskQAXt81CPzwc82IeGFncU-_cAVRHoxpQ3jQpy-rUxsh4Lnhiadl4i9j6wN_HITs13PRzilzvUvfTGtQTMY9CSw0XHJxYNk_6PtvEJryDMz2mcIqEmrSBuymBtB0B3_lFVOerWor4/s320/IMG_0302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585236191921407026" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-12598922795414201802010-11-07T21:55:00.000-08:002010-11-07T22:06:33.082-08:00ParramasalaIn my last post I promised pictures of the Indian patchwork that I made for <a href="http://parramasala.com/">Parramasala</a> so here they are.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruDVDHHnrd_8i9maXX66bXBfZzgNs0W8KGByRBTa5iwhR5maun6Nixrbu34j7hzds__BIK1FoYONCuHu_h0bMmRvfk-xLmULT3aRwqQ9cFTcm37CsEjnxARSoqj0s2sGJApiZFEIMUaw/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruDVDHHnrd_8i9maXX66bXBfZzgNs0W8KGByRBTa5iwhR5maun6Nixrbu34j7hzds__BIK1FoYONCuHu_h0bMmRvfk-xLmULT3aRwqQ9cFTcm37CsEjnxARSoqj0s2sGJApiZFEIMUaw/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537054232131566178" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">getting rigged into position<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5EBfwzovzn27c0mjkRVQjveqk5h84E9d_jNNSeIkMJA0yxEFVDkD-EsLctixWqwmmpsqKFp9CMGKjqm2l_zFjn5uBctZ20ewyb9Bigxxxxg0M1et9XQq7LC8o8gLW_YsO43In-SUhoc/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5EBfwzovzn27c0mjkRVQjveqk5h84E9d_jNNSeIkMJA0yxEFVDkD-EsLctixWqwmmpsqKFp9CMGKjqm2l_zFjn5uBctZ20ewyb9Bigxxxxg0M1et9XQq7LC8o8gLW_YsO43In-SUhoc/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537054233299278370" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">hung during the bump in<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UGJS49ph0gNgg5rbQohjHvap8UZAl6L__jvtv7iPDkgV_TGSo5nkykSiSmTPkEgi8gKzqqQT5oiYtuR_MvmlcVsb9lNlK2A-qURdEHi2fM43fQYPwEoM44KZdJGIcKl98dSgHCCqqJg/s1600/IMG_0081.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UGJS49ph0gNgg5rbQohjHvap8UZAl6L__jvtv7iPDkgV_TGSo5nkykSiSmTPkEgi8gKzqqQT5oiYtuR_MvmlcVsb9lNlK2A-qURdEHi2fM43fQYPwEoM44KZdJGIcKl98dSgHCCqqJg/s320/IMG_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537054236646530562" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">and finally in all its lit glory with performers on stage.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Well done to my friend Jenn for conceptualising such a great backdrop. I think it looks wonderful, it is so rewarding to see my work in such a practical application (and to actually see it all laid out for the first time!)<br /></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-4179178168760303572010-10-27T19:42:00.000-07:002010-10-27T20:17:10.578-07:00Pinwheel for giantsEver since I started quilting I have wanted to make some pinwheel blocks. I just never thought that I would end up making one as big as my house.<br /><br />My friend is working on an upcoming festival called <a href="http://parramasala.com/">Parramasala</a>. In order to dress one of the performance spaces she had ordered 20 2meter x 2meter pieces of Indian fabric. She asked me if I would be interested in sewing the pieces together into a patchwork backdrop of sorts. My first paid sewing work!<br /><br />I knew that the area that needed to be covered by fabric was about 14meters wide by 6 meters long but apart from that when a huge box packed full of fabric arrived at my door I pretty much had free rein. I wanted to do SOMETHING a little creative with the fabric but at the same time I was quaking at the thought of wrangling 14 meters of fabric through my grandmothers old sewing machine. 14 meters is BIG people. My solution was to create a simple pinwheel in the center.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKTXIZSIJuttoqsqaAposxFU4lcjI0X9xOmWu67DoRd-Tym5WJy9eEpmr9mxnkz8oCyf-aH-FJYpaT2zzh0HuEoGldtRuyYhQSIPtIbB6E2KYSG62AGl35WABMLvhW28PSrQ-8Es5YIs/s1600/DSCN4943.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKTXIZSIJuttoqsqaAposxFU4lcjI0X9xOmWu67DoRd-Tym5WJy9eEpmr9mxnkz8oCyf-aH-FJYpaT2zzh0HuEoGldtRuyYhQSIPtIbB6E2KYSG62AGl35WABMLvhW28PSrQ-8Es5YIs/s320/DSCN4943.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532926472558894802" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Laying out folded squares of fabric to check colours </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDHPQ3JrjiZZjKbE6bH4pVbRQKXdYVapKwthyBaV8A8dD6499SrDVa5dFUDQF-EoVRNq96fH1GPHMv3POZZbIt8xzpVtbBEqvz0I-yUNDte9s-csZbzf4SrUlURaQSCDCvK9vLzSos8U/s1600/DSCN4945.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDHPQ3JrjiZZjKbE6bH4pVbRQKXdYVapKwthyBaV8A8dD6499SrDVa5dFUDQF-EoVRNq96fH1GPHMv3POZZbIt8xzpVtbBEqvz0I-yUNDte9s-csZbzf4SrUlURaQSCDCvK9vLzSos8U/s320/DSCN4945.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532926484105165298" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My numbering system</span><br /><br /></div>The real challenge of the project was not being able to look at anything that I had sewn together because of the size of the fabric. I literally didn't have enough room in my house to lay things out to see if the seams were in the right places. I had to draw a pattern on paper and devise a numbering system for each piece of fabric to try to keep track of what went where. How organised of me!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR40LCpWV09vx3PzQiGjV7xFOpEbPZ0UoJoLUlfwfjG1MD82UUlWF-AO9JjSQ3fhkZxQbR4TxDJdBaHGFuQRDObi7Gf7P9SeGCUHBv8K2-XxixrHkCJ2Itst23gSBDHvNEI6KiTrPn828/s1600/DSCN4947.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR40LCpWV09vx3PzQiGjV7xFOpEbPZ0UoJoLUlfwfjG1MD82UUlWF-AO9JjSQ3fhkZxQbR4TxDJdBaHGFuQRDObi7Gf7P9SeGCUHBv8K2-XxixrHkCJ2Itst23gSBDHvNEI6KiTrPn828/s320/DSCN4947.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532926492873798754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fist pinwheel block sewn together</span><br /></div><br />Still I really wanted to look at the pinwheel when it was done so I channeled <a href="http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/index.shtml">Christo</a> tried hanging it over my back upstairs veranda. Turns out just half the pinwheel was bigger than my house. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwj5NJW8Og-1xdb9jbBBTJ_6NZ2WMmz94EVw8LtaPWN11PMK08i5YgESzPe0B39_nkG43C1pdX7fwEsi47pB4bR1ZbSMuIsgWCSXjaCWihGzU4oRyq4ZrCewx0FD0PApYKE9DJnpfEfUA/s1600/DSCN4948.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwj5NJW8Og-1xdb9jbBBTJ_6NZ2WMmz94EVw8LtaPWN11PMK08i5YgESzPe0B39_nkG43C1pdX7fwEsi47pB4bR1ZbSMuIsgWCSXjaCWihGzU4oRyq4ZrCewx0FD0PApYKE9DJnpfEfUA/s320/DSCN4948.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532928767143972226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVKOqwTR2htOPaEKRYY5ma3xmtDjKauKlfVbF5r1xdVSOoRxHtHCPL38VYY19J_C_Vfs7j-MghF17Imjl5gU4KZq3MqwyylR6grLJm2OjZCiur6ljUiwhc8M8W6gE7ogPlG7ZIVmaT8/s1600/DSCN4951.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVKOqwTR2htOPaEKRYY5ma3xmtDjKauKlfVbF5r1xdVSOoRxHtHCPL38VYY19J_C_Vfs7j-MghF17Imjl5gU4KZq3MqwyylR6grLJm2OjZCiur6ljUiwhc8M8W6gE7ogPlG7ZIVmaT8/s320/DSCN4951.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532928777842351906" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My pattern</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv692-gMkoyD1TAfL6gGczUE8fE7-sPZKQwrABUFCNtyr9dk7Vw0mT7spDWxd5qnzcbqJ93rzafbwqSUylZ64hnQOdwceAwWKCCiy8xzfPLzy_SG24mmSkaaXeIMwuUtaCm0dz1DrH2c/s1600/DSCN4950.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv692-gMkoyD1TAfL6gGczUE8fE7-sPZKQwrABUFCNtyr9dk7Vw0mT7spDWxd5qnzcbqJ93rzafbwqSUylZ64hnQOdwceAwWKCCiy8xzfPLzy_SG24mmSkaaXeIMwuUtaCm0dz1DrH2c/s320/DSCN4950.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532928785529785858" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">R and L coming to find out why the living room had just been plunged into darkness</span><br /></div><br />After a few mishaps and a few unpicked (very long) seams I THINK the final product is correct. I still haven't seen it all laid out. My creation has made its way to the Stud Factory (best name ever) to get eyelets along to top so that it can be rigged. I will post pictures of it in all its festival glory soon!naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-20338291117602728032010-10-11T02:53:00.000-07:002010-10-11T03:14:38.867-07:00Sleep 'til you're hungry, eat 'til you're sleepyWhen it is Sunday and outside it looks like this:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJVzG0VJMo_j-hFzzP5LkpHTTAdixNHS-yYirR5DzPUwTXx99OX9IswemZmHnf7LntmR3Tziifdr6ji9NbpVbfWH71wXHWTLx-ceKr7fJt7OyK3zzhKDaBmL8DXi6Sv0menzedejpWIs/s1600/DSCN4941.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJVzG0VJMo_j-hFzzP5LkpHTTAdixNHS-yYirR5DzPUwTXx99OX9IswemZmHnf7LntmR3Tziifdr6ji9NbpVbfWH71wXHWTLx-ceKr7fJt7OyK3zzhKDaBmL8DXi6Sv0menzedejpWIs/s320/DSCN4941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526727965663712946" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />There is no choice but to do this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rdy_d83hOIjNoXk9s8VkMeRZh2wUFYRWg6lc5lYHgB0W87IF9CnkgFaBlsvTF5zUKSZpoh-k7TAHfM1Q0fugfkMr_EUBVvY8xXQ8LZi7HC6B0ZDYkdvudHbtxm_j9jsjaeHNgfKYWjs/s1600/DSCN4939.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rdy_d83hOIjNoXk9s8VkMeRZh2wUFYRWg6lc5lYHgB0W87IF9CnkgFaBlsvTF5zUKSZpoh-k7TAHfM1Q0fugfkMr_EUBVvY8xXQ8LZi7HC6B0ZDYkdvudHbtxm_j9jsjaeHNgfKYWjs/s320/DSCN4939.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526727985072639938" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">BAKE OFF!!!!<br /></div><br />Two lovely friends live a convenient 10 meters, if that, from my front door (in a house, they don't sort of camp at my front door, we just have a skinny street, an alley really). So when the rain was whipping the spring jasmine outside we both expressed our desire to bake and more importantly eat, baked goods. A few hours later I was lucky enough to open the front door and be met by these:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_n85Xc6mOIeQlsFYnAtaCpMdYqkKWJ9n1-Aydp6uuRlRUvVpYQyvQyTu-Vhua4n2wqv-2rai5oHVpUWgjl_xv-370z1X1qNLJUfJo1V8cngSpRiUmTxcHXmK9p6DEozsbzg_CpaGhbQ/s1600/DSCN4937.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_n85Xc6mOIeQlsFYnAtaCpMdYqkKWJ9n1-Aydp6uuRlRUvVpYQyvQyTu-Vhua4n2wqv-2rai5oHVpUWgjl_xv-370z1X1qNLJUfJo1V8cngSpRiUmTxcHXmK9p6DEozsbzg_CpaGhbQ/s320/DSCN4937.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526727975557090098" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />I made this:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4UFLvQW8vrlOoh4NecKovQ-hxJ84brceglmjT7X8xEwt8BtbFF9UBQ1SnkyDG83GpgcW-l54IF5ztBoTzL067UhjfvNaoBe_nkIACnuYFkJM1zW6CWFiLNsk-ghYnarB6_0N_Y6kP1Q/s1600/DSCN4932.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4UFLvQW8vrlOoh4NecKovQ-hxJ84brceglmjT7X8xEwt8BtbFF9UBQ1SnkyDG83GpgcW-l54IF5ztBoTzL067UhjfvNaoBe_nkIACnuYFkJM1zW6CWFiLNsk-ghYnarB6_0N_Y6kP1Q/s320/DSCN4932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526727982400946706" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />There was supposed to be an element of competition to the Bake Off but seeing as I was instructed 'not to win' by my opponent, I don't think we were taking the competitive side very seriously.<br /><br />But to give credit where credit is due my pecan pie was slightly undercooked and some of the oozey (but yummy) pie filling had oozed under the pastry as it cooked (how? I have no idea). On the other hand, Jenn's chocolate and salted caramel biscuits were LUSH. Plus, they were not made from a recipe, they were invented in Jenn's ( i do believe that 2 batches had to be made though before they were deemed edible). So I declare the winner of the Rainy Sunday Bake Off Round 1 to be Jenn Blake!!<br /><br />Who wants to join us for round 2??naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-41402026653764150012010-10-05T20:57:00.001-07:002010-10-06T21:40:13.329-07:00My Place: Henson ParkI live in the inner west of Sydney and I'd like to share some of the places that I feel have become part of 'My Place'. First up is Henson park.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TmyXqu_cvd1BQX0d7Ce5FfmekoOTopImou9svYUipa03JfPtDM2SaXDKEAp7QyaGO5BQfnLJgS48NxvzsRCkm3G0nvYzBD46Dv-VY2IG7HmXjslq4bTzYbzqavvN1MVg32X0VTmL-ks/s1600/DSCN4890.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TmyXqu_cvd1BQX0d7Ce5FfmekoOTopImou9svYUipa03JfPtDM2SaXDKEAp7QyaGO5BQfnLJgS48NxvzsRCkm3G0nvYzBD46Dv-VY2IG7HmXjslq4bTzYbzqavvN1MVg32X0VTmL-ks/s320/DSCN4890.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524778837782725394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The inner west of Sydney was full of brick pits in the early part of the last century. Henson park was once a huge gaping brick quarry. After the brick pit closed the quarry filled with water and became somewhat of a hazard so in 1937 it was transformed into a stadium. Henson park was originally built as a velodrome for the Empire games ( a forerunner of the commonwealth games). The cycle track was later filled in and became a grass oval and home to the Newtown Jets (NRL), who still play here today.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqgp9sSUBsNOvRQtNsJ-j58uK9U6P75ZVOwwSI_R4WpMnnmAE6dLa1XV9dsqjJVeWkTZuVww_R3hq2Z1BJ9WjogTTsJdQ2zhW8Kv-61XNqfKGI8_FQwF6BMgKGbpwuHF1MYkRYFYMHis/s1600/DSCN4894.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqgp9sSUBsNOvRQtNsJ-j58uK9U6P75ZVOwwSI_R4WpMnnmAE6dLa1XV9dsqjJVeWkTZuVww_R3hq2Z1BJ9WjogTTsJdQ2zhW8Kv-61XNqfKGI8_FQwF6BMgKGbpwuHF1MYkRYFYMHis/s320/DSCN4894.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524778839441848722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Henson park is a pretty amazing space, I find it hard to do it justice with pictures. When you enter the park from the direction of my house you enter right at the highest point. You can very easily imagine the days when a great yawning quarry was spread out at your feet rather than a grassy hill. The air has a very open feel to it and I always find it very relaxing to be in. When Lewis was a newborn I would walk laps of the park with him in a sling. I was reeling with all the emotions that come with being a new mother and the quiet symmetry of the park always helped calm me and my fussy baby.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfFOl9nMPTj1Ok2m2YoE3PHxcq8mmzTObKx748s8glHcKP25lVODJ_wK_lvS6FxxpIA6oUynmzIedfKUvA1NyKZ2xnXxp2nD_VqtQ4rLkkD98x5RZldGYYn578ChRC6wxjY-YqTpMAbQ/s1600/DSCN2337.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfFOl9nMPTj1Ok2m2YoE3PHxcq8mmzTObKx748s8glHcKP25lVODJ_wK_lvS6FxxpIA6oUynmzIedfKUvA1NyKZ2xnXxp2nD_VqtQ4rLkkD98x5RZldGYYn578ChRC6wxjY-YqTpMAbQ/s320/DSCN2337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524782074205787826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Trying out the sling at Henson park a few days after giving birth</span><br /></div><br />I love the late 30's architecture in the stadium, you see it dotted all over the inner west, old pubs and chimneys all made out of the local bricks. Henson park features a great old grand stand called the King George V Memorial Grandstand<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZJIG89PXoDlkIY_dSDZRixWpjaY4s6F89aezVpFZVV2voV4R_WDAFg7uKE3a93VjpT9emHb1gjxmFikAiGEFCfLcW02YIwP6RoLHP0CF3SuwaL75h_IEjuH0NxRBz8_rbl38yJNj9_I/s1600/DSCN4900.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZJIG89PXoDlkIY_dSDZRixWpjaY4s6F89aezVpFZVV2voV4R_WDAFg7uKE3a93VjpT9emHb1gjxmFikAiGEFCfLcW02YIwP6RoLHP0CF3SuwaL75h_IEjuH0NxRBz8_rbl38yJNj9_I/s320/DSCN4900.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524778845183649490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFpRuuF-DpQ70Ob1Zsc6xxaIrquRLNHlMbbD9IK1DZtRA-JdZBj7v5NNDRH36sEq3byq9CkQhE8JE5vDoitGPHMd-9CNDhHnLcePN8NWWruKcAonOyPwK6tmNBu1BbKOB962pgyDgo1U/s1600/DSCN4905.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFpRuuF-DpQ70Ob1Zsc6xxaIrquRLNHlMbbD9IK1DZtRA-JdZBj7v5NNDRH36sEq3byq9CkQhE8JE5vDoitGPHMd-9CNDhHnLcePN8NWWruKcAonOyPwK6tmNBu1BbKOB962pgyDgo1U/s320/DSCN4905.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524782086798180418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A lonely spectator<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">While Henson Park is still a functioning sport stadium it is also a favourite dog walking park. At dusk on most days locals come and let their dogs roam as they chat. It is very rare that I have visited the park and not stopped to have a chat with at least one dog or their owner. Henson park feels like it is part of our <span style="font-style: italic;">community</span>.<br /><br />It may seem underwhelming, an old oval ringed by concrete but Henson Park<span style="font-style: italic;"> feels </span>good to me, it is a space that I enjoy being in, an so does Lewis. Oh and of course it wouldn't be part of the inner west if it didn't feature...planes! Again this is hard to photograph but when the huge A380 lumbers into the sky above the park you really do feel like you could reach up and tickle its tummy.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMHNMtQ3DXps7b3wBdskI4mLea9QImVCwwSjONJ6NeWRF1bxLs4_yfo8LWgMVcBCHDL3aN_CEiHDVbO-oS_ErDqtZ9pxhup6P9FyKYcuzQwXZKFvHjpiK91-jkALguR6nTmAmOo2ZzTI/s1600/DSCN4916.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMHNMtQ3DXps7b3wBdskI4mLea9QImVCwwSjONJ6NeWRF1bxLs4_yfo8LWgMVcBCHDL3aN_CEiHDVbO-oS_ErDqtZ9pxhup6P9FyKYcuzQwXZKFvHjpiK91-jkALguR6nTmAmOo2ZzTI/s320/DSCN4916.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525155578942786530" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />I found out recently that Henson Park is also a Geo Caching location. Geocaching is a global treasure hunt where each 'treasure' location is identified by following a co-ordinate using a GPS. The idea is to locate a geocache (canister) and share your experience online. It is meant to promote community and the environment (somehow) and I guess teach GPS skills. I haven't really gotten into it on a large scale (though I am intrigued) mostly because I don't have a GPS (maybe if I get my hands on an Iphone4) but I was delighted to learn that inside a crack in a wall in my own little Henson park was a little treasure just waiting to be discovered!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEd7mm0RnRb1FnlrsWZNTUJwAPqfiVd1DTM9NfF6TzKf6iyZxDd3vVT6V6A0WZwi22wpwIXsV_YkhUfGw6OM_eCEjsp6cdK5lF0v41lAmp9L3eVJRBq75UV7-c1SUipsaBUmJvbuasBuE/s1600/DSCN4923.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEd7mm0RnRb1FnlrsWZNTUJwAPqfiVd1DTM9NfF6TzKf6iyZxDd3vVT6V6A0WZwi22wpwIXsV_YkhUfGw6OM_eCEjsp6cdK5lF0v41lAmp9L3eVJRBq75UV7-c1SUipsaBUmJvbuasBuE/s320/DSCN4923.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525153666407641858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyLNgzfevJPJWySRrM-izcrdpT6WR66xuBBNjZ7ArSlYKXc_SDQXdUFX6DTBCk6IIMvIDM1q0dfFPYZ2EZ12mndDVnSkYN6zDcEpo4nV5WXpH2UtUq9zOm1y97dKu7hs_MmBwYBIoO8s/s1600/DSCN4925.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyLNgzfevJPJWySRrM-izcrdpT6WR66xuBBNjZ7ArSlYKXc_SDQXdUFX6DTBCk6IIMvIDM1q0dfFPYZ2EZ12mndDVnSkYN6zDcEpo4nV5WXpH2UtUq9zOm1y97dKu7hs_MmBwYBIoO8s/s320/DSCN4925.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525155583985989970" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_eKckhkiV69SUlsmK7JyFJmv7JCeQo_xxufzoUEBK2HybZw2SW1bAJE51ohvJ8wtPqCSNY68dBfbK5t1XGKvc9S5J4n_uuMlQ-L8TTsSJiovk_ZmZzxEbWjGJCnpxVTtd3ivjVSxp7U/s1600/DSCN4927.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_eKckhkiV69SUlsmK7JyFJmv7JCeQo_xxufzoUEBK2HybZw2SW1bAJE51ohvJ8wtPqCSNY68dBfbK5t1XGKvc9S5J4n_uuMlQ-L8TTsSJiovk_ZmZzxEbWjGJCnpxVTtd3ivjVSxp7U/s320/DSCN4927.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525155588926793618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">So that is Henson Park. Part of My Place. Why don't you come for a walk there? Lewis and I will gladly join you!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTovI9bVUahhEWizFyly9nLfB9zuYMklNITbdJRrzehDOFq1mvN3skW_lZXIxkNjeZWTttg6XxFuMzRMxCC0eMSScN13_HlEETAwcovCuIgT7soLOURsuZWiflg7mPDmS-ZmTTBURrBN4/s1600/DSCN4919.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTovI9bVUahhEWizFyly9nLfB9zuYMklNITbdJRrzehDOFq1mvN3skW_lZXIxkNjeZWTttg6XxFuMzRMxCC0eMSScN13_HlEETAwcovCuIgT7soLOURsuZWiflg7mPDmS-ZmTTBURrBN4/s320/DSCN4919.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525153655317886450" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-13468326967671667132010-09-30T20:35:00.000-07:002010-09-30T21:04:13.411-07:00LOOK! A distractionAt the moment I am trying to make a quilt that is making me feel like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4bymoZ6LDHatkLFtuEw6gM881BfUHyTuJPckNo5ezJMOxOxzM3Ml-pnnTtY6nM0-QcnrnOJl33phmnIFCiyCQJJ2YTKvfeIDwnoEnj3duAhyndPkm1mSghIX2SDDIdyiJ7qYQVx-43o/s1600/DSCN4889.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4bymoZ6LDHatkLFtuEw6gM881BfUHyTuJPckNo5ezJMOxOxzM3Ml-pnnTtY6nM0-QcnrnOJl33phmnIFCiyCQJJ2YTKvfeIDwnoEnj3duAhyndPkm1mSghIX2SDDIdyiJ7qYQVx-43o/s320/DSCN4889.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522917388605868610" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and my sewing room look like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLd8L9hpUAsoEjU6-TPUZJQ2Rd0QMB12Cm0vg9H0aXJBwK-gMBj-RlGTQ95eeO7U_T-ggXuj9lO1ocdeYWFH4__a8AJvMLfd_ahhIahBzWGWh81Y5JjAGA9wqtM4w5ucx9CXDeEGAUUY/s1600/DSCN4849.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLd8L9hpUAsoEjU6-TPUZJQ2Rd0QMB12Cm0vg9H0aXJBwK-gMBj-RlGTQ95eeO7U_T-ggXuj9lO1ocdeYWFH4__a8AJvMLfd_ahhIahBzWGWh81Y5JjAGA9wqtM4w5ucx9CXDeEGAUUY/s320/DSCN4849.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522917396772515906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbw339xxXvMCtFEAzWrhbiOMP36CSPlVwudyUXVrBlYFuuq7CtpE64QPSMLSI1rGiT4jOGFvGtolMpVKcwIXcS2h0umxI8O9Pmdyk8O1QFT1Mlbw2TBFqz3Dfy-kLuSVP4ZClsCb4v5Hw/s1600/DSCN4850.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbw339xxXvMCtFEAzWrhbiOMP36CSPlVwudyUXVrBlYFuuq7CtpE64QPSMLSI1rGiT4jOGFvGtolMpVKcwIXcS2h0umxI8O9Pmdyk8O1QFT1Mlbw2TBFqz3Dfy-kLuSVP4ZClsCb4v5Hw/s320/DSCN4850.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522917403678880802" border="0" /></a><br />Yes I am actually trying the pattern out with paper first to see if I can manage it. More on this project later if I stick with it and don't jump out of the window first.<br /><br />So to distract myself from maths and angles that this quilt requires I have been making pretty little things....for pretty little people!<br /><br />First up a fabric flower that I have turned into a hair slide, this is winging its way to Brisbane for a special little girls upcoming birthday.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV__KaSxOW9yJijp1iEOawhHRQ7UR7ZSDHfbmmDLzUABqT5i89c5_xXHfPw53QhVZNF7hRwJXMPFvxx1omOh1OABtNRjMC860yHmsMao2mXeJh59IO12ns8pxJ4KiXTxeI1tt0hOKfGrM/s1600/DSCN4852.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV__KaSxOW9yJijp1iEOawhHRQ7UR7ZSDHfbmmDLzUABqT5i89c5_xXHfPw53QhVZNF7hRwJXMPFvxx1omOh1OABtNRjMC860yHmsMao2mXeJh59IO12ns8pxJ4KiXTxeI1tt0hOKfGrM/s200/DSCN4852.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522918629434652706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cAd7CLvYRrDjwzImktMZVWQ59bGdlW0QoDPXwJhkrfbc8maOGcu0PITpbavPOcc3kZDKqt0stPiXIL4-SSLeBGADBW6sLaqZSCf_QSDWjFJPK7_-VjQe-DmmEBcKkOxBeflUhQ1EuNU/s1600/DSCN4853.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cAd7CLvYRrDjwzImktMZVWQ59bGdlW0QoDPXwJhkrfbc8maOGcu0PITpbavPOcc3kZDKqt0stPiXIL4-SSLeBGADBW6sLaqZSCf_QSDWjFJPK7_-VjQe-DmmEBcKkOxBeflUhQ1EuNU/s200/DSCN4853.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522918632864810050" border="0" /></a><br />This is my first attempt and there are a few corrections I would like to make next time around but on the whole I am happy with the style. I thought these might make lovely broaches as well so watch this space...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFTDKlfNUSW_wPydlXrllegYsKSRZ0DmqbC6ompNKW6gc-D29u5BX8CBXXX0xpxpfAxQoYCsfkE9vs0WMWZLFn6xR-RvNlHhZg-PobvgR8lXRXcXT_rl3zap78li662LxIAfF4yyv4W8/s1600/DSCN4844.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFTDKlfNUSW_wPydlXrllegYsKSRZ0DmqbC6ompNKW6gc-D29u5BX8CBXXX0xpxpfAxQoYCsfkE9vs0WMWZLFn6xR-RvNlHhZg-PobvgR8lXRXcXT_rl3zap78li662LxIAfF4yyv4W8/s320/DSCN4844.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522920399271621890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have been wanting to try making a bag for a while now so my next distraction project was the perfect opportunity. I downloaded the <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2009/02/free-buttercup-bag-sewing-pattern.html">free pattern</a> from<a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/"> Made By Rae</a> and in the space of one Lewis nap time I was more than half way there! Half an hour yesterday evening was all I needed to finish this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjRp50DRrYOd-abouwj3gYG1rXqNjJOY0HHiG9Ds4i9nuzG-AM8VAwNxLmIR9PlpUx9KjSjGcHQlREgLv5yh7ykMenggshUa1-UCH0wO3v-1T-c8HULhxDoBj27EhysEmMnWqsRncChk/s1600/DSCN4859.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjRp50DRrYOd-abouwj3gYG1rXqNjJOY0HHiG9Ds4i9nuzG-AM8VAwNxLmIR9PlpUx9KjSjGcHQlREgLv5yh7ykMenggshUa1-UCH0wO3v-1T-c8HULhxDoBj27EhysEmMnWqsRncChk/s320/DSCN4859.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522920403126526898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It has pleats. It has lining. It has magnetic snaps. It has an interior pocket. I never thought I could make something like this. Thanks to Made By Rae for the great pattern and instructions. I feel ready to attempt a bigger bag soon so that I can fit in nappies, wipes, snacks, water bottles, keys, general crap...<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbnnpmvgNe-vlfDlYPt9fGL6xhQAQWXexst8ll839sMf1YRwbH1H6F097YkjwG9R2gWHylYOnSdCUoWdf2_bNqP8In300p400n12UfLhQRvnapjkhhTHLsY8PicXmTSJr0Xzro6BVT1Q/s1600/DSCN4876.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbnnpmvgNe-vlfDlYPt9fGL6xhQAQWXexst8ll839sMf1YRwbH1H6F097YkjwG9R2gWHylYOnSdCUoWdf2_bNqP8In300p400n12UfLhQRvnapjkhhTHLsY8PicXmTSJr0Xzro6BVT1Q/s320/DSCN4876.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522920412741552770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRYHycWqmd-s_HQQrO01r22l9kPRT0PWDq9CtEeATtHmPjLYTw6ns7WxN8_oS77YCMGB5kzgDsiWrQlXFoViFKJOIxL6xXzHh4St83nUQTopU1V-pV2UUXbrhVy6LZkJzWeXtKRaLR5o/s1600/DSCN4858.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRYHycWqmd-s_HQQrO01r22l9kPRT0PWDq9CtEeATtHmPjLYTw6ns7WxN8_oS77YCMGB5kzgDsiWrQlXFoViFKJOIxL6xXzHh4St83nUQTopU1V-pV2UUXbrhVy6LZkJzWeXtKRaLR5o/s320/DSCN4858.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522920409730151282" border="0" /></a><br />Lewis was quite taken with it as well and he knew just what to do with it!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">ps. I'm working my way through my Bird Textile scraps can ya tell?<br /></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-33333744262821546862010-09-25T18:48:00.000-07:002010-09-25T19:12:54.343-07:00I like big buttsLewis wears cloth nappies which mean his little bottom is slightly more padded than a disposable nappy covered baby bottom. For the most part we find trousers that fit him but most baby clothes these days are not designed for a cloth nappy bum. I came across this <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2010/08/big-butt-baby-pants-sewing-pattern.html">pattern</a> for 'big butt baby pants' on this great <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/">blog</a> and I decided to give it a go. Voila!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4XCjyfIKSwh_-HsK-kgciK0sIBhdO5Nn-N4a2qZqctBLsRlvd14Yd2G9f2b02JR_t0LGoWbPcL1PdRYikJDL_phUimiePPKSd0LlgfuACzUUQrUZYywE14FAK4pRe3V7oee3am4Ze30/s1600/DSCN4797.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4XCjyfIKSwh_-HsK-kgciK0sIBhdO5Nn-N4a2qZqctBLsRlvd14Yd2G9f2b02JR_t0LGoWbPcL1PdRYikJDL_phUimiePPKSd0LlgfuACzUUQrUZYywE14FAK4pRe3V7oee3am4Ze30/s320/DSCN4797.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521035914409864386" border="0" /></a><br /></div>I am not very good at sewing clothes but this pattern has great instructions. I used left over Anna Maria Horner fabric for Sarah's birthday quilt. I can't wait to make more!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQZNJbypEKXuvcVtoucllE7SysM4tpOZ1zS4wOBvf3nVXULP7GhE_GDgCNPEkSlDeFRgp43pmceVYdeoAjmRuoff5-2QSO25MrqIrCaR1Gp6L9RfJuJuKSjC7n5mB9HjfgvezP7sav0Q/s1600/DSCN4804.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQZNJbypEKXuvcVtoucllE7SysM4tpOZ1zS4wOBvf3nVXULP7GhE_GDgCNPEkSlDeFRgp43pmceVYdeoAjmRuoff5-2QSO25MrqIrCaR1Gp6L9RfJuJuKSjC7n5mB9HjfgvezP7sav0Q/s320/DSCN4804.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521035926578287394" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Lewis the model demanding grapes as payment.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-w552x3bjHJlzeJl7oU_COi7zwp_rxXek7z0D5SJL7I6EbjZgmAdXH2PALJTXs48hatzrxRFS-sIsqZNOYHL8CnQ_PZQNIDQZSkl0fTdPM2MulULBx2T8kYrQmwm9wsSFQCTHhDI8mM/s1600/DSCN4801.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-w552x3bjHJlzeJl7oU_COi7zwp_rxXek7z0D5SJL7I6EbjZgmAdXH2PALJTXs48hatzrxRFS-sIsqZNOYHL8CnQ_PZQNIDQZSkl0fTdPM2MulULBx2T8kYrQmwm9wsSFQCTHhDI8mM/s320/DSCN4801.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521035924119179330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Lewis modeling the added rear panel </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Lewis took them for a test drive this morning and proclaimed them good for skateboarding,<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_jw6zprvsKJfvZe4AnT3snavmvNpONwaZvz5rtdBjg0wy31OT1-WmPcKaATQ5MS_ZPmsS8lTwXj2rDswEpypoAGd6Ts8RfGt_4pUgD_N1A47REwp56p6Ynpo0heRy89d4B8F2_V4Ekg/s1600/DSCN4806.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_jw6zprvsKJfvZe4AnT3snavmvNpONwaZvz5rtdBjg0wy31OT1-WmPcKaATQ5MS_ZPmsS8lTwXj2rDswEpypoAGd6Ts8RfGt_4pUgD_N1A47REwp56p6Ynpo0heRy89d4B8F2_V4Ekg/s320/DSCN4806.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521037501926683474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">good for exploring the jungle,<br /><br /></div></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEKS3bm-KiUkOUCyaCBAtyTDKGhptnqSqkyKnrKzJbSQSqXLo_MWL3JpulK_UBTiIivo5rSt3w9-RwV5P7F9wfIgnPoIq8h41TESQLbPmLWH_H4-couh8kqpVWCcHaWcxNKxKRIMviNM/s1600/DSCN4809.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEKS3bm-KiUkOUCyaCBAtyTDKGhptnqSqkyKnrKzJbSQSqXLo_MWL3JpulK_UBTiIivo5rSt3w9-RwV5P7F9wfIgnPoIq8h41TESQLbPmLWH_H4-couh8kqpVWCcHaWcxNKxKRIMviNM/s320/DSCN4809.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521037507945842738" border="0" /></a></div>and good for a relaxing stroll<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55B4KO_n8ys05wJD1uggBHjM9rNMJBVez1CqH0n7lIxQQ6gyMxuGveJLYWLymVuczxhZTW8HYLoImUrLVM8xno79-cg0YdhAMMimFOTp7Ev6PDrYeeDvb6PHFuFjGlc8pnluI3L_U84M/s1600/DSCN4812.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55B4KO_n8ys05wJD1uggBHjM9rNMJBVez1CqH0n7lIxQQ6gyMxuGveJLYWLymVuczxhZTW8HYLoImUrLVM8xno79-cg0YdhAMMimFOTp7Ev6PDrYeeDvb6PHFuFjGlc8pnluI3L_U84M/s320/DSCN4812.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521037520868081234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I love the little cuffs...<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKNtLi128-itBwM5MU39fZTAJ8uzdjfX7a0UYBngx5dT-r0OZcb-vbnRdruXEAlsecenFGzvaNf3aZaVxNf30dKK5Vg7KTVjBfvH4e5ZSP4aGoleRPxIAigfMhP1hT2DNpxYTXcdIoNc/s1600/DSCN4810.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKNtLi128-itBwM5MU39fZTAJ8uzdjfX7a0UYBngx5dT-r0OZcb-vbnRdruXEAlsecenFGzvaNf3aZaVxNf30dKK5Vg7KTVjBfvH4e5ZSP4aGoleRPxIAigfMhP1hT2DNpxYTXcdIoNc/s320/DSCN4810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521037516699862098" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-47350218491328029652010-09-19T00:14:00.000-07:002010-09-19T01:07:08.856-07:00Pins and needlesInspired by the talented Kirsten Smith who blogs <a href="http://whenyouturnyourfacetothesun.blogspot.com/">here</a>, this great <a href="http://paperstringcloth.blogspot.com/2007/07/pincushion-tutorial.html">tutorial</a> she shared and a week away from my sewing machine, I ducked into my spare/sewing room while Lewis slept this afternoon and whipped up this pin cushion.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdPYrzqAv9y40l9Pj8b_U-WsyFungHVcV1OLHychSEpo8G0oxTaXjyYsbQ-2-zlIhsYvFdW6unvV8aX2ng95mDmtdVerYgqOBMbTF-WYNtLl7sU_p6JO-vGqo26AZygUrXbDHpFTDb_0/s1600/DSCN4762.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdPYrzqAv9y40l9Pj8b_U-WsyFungHVcV1OLHychSEpo8G0oxTaXjyYsbQ-2-zlIhsYvFdW6unvV8aX2ng95mDmtdVerYgqOBMbTF-WYNtLl7sU_p6JO-vGqo26AZygUrXbDHpFTDb_0/s320/DSCN4762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518521280516061922" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gahtqfdK3VawZK6EZDgVXHtu_PruEm_S1P97QTVckk_PmDVtkJ1dpWmZYMP507kGqz3mx0KK4UIKB-YQrVC_EyP2qMty1-0i3eAaybX1ia76DlxOTau4Xgv0Ic_k_nDrRcelXtZkqvo/s1600/DSCN4764.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gahtqfdK3VawZK6EZDgVXHtu_PruEm_S1P97QTVckk_PmDVtkJ1dpWmZYMP507kGqz3mx0KK4UIKB-YQrVC_EyP2qMty1-0i3eAaybX1ia76DlxOTau4Xgv0Ic_k_nDrRcelXtZkqvo/s320/DSCN4764.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518521262523073266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWaMsEoA9_fhb8bBzoLCCSDcIUH_NVBipPHwaRpazmgbahfKue4HRsVubR5kWx5AvRdbZl8Jw5ljWzQSH6LC32bYMe6H55sIH0jO6oQ7Nj6Q_mKIQMfaKo9JgoxGlg8C-0vcqry2Ea5Y/s1600/DSCN4763.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWaMsEoA9_fhb8bBzoLCCSDcIUH_NVBipPHwaRpazmgbahfKue4HRsVubR5kWx5AvRdbZl8Jw5ljWzQSH6LC32bYMe6H55sIH0jO6oQ7Nj6Q_mKIQMfaKo9JgoxGlg8C-0vcqry2Ea5Y/s320/DSCN4763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518521270593635170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My pins were living like this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWc9sUNDHQc6KctHREsxelEuooGWR9wA9Q-DO-AbnLWBdY8pefoJbIGoCYsGUTMF3r8ewntPA8wkOQ13oBLZP57J10VPYVYaZ7AKSeyuJ9KItJUT7xEW05408_k6egyHw0Rzy8Ybd-Ss/s1600/DSCN4766.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWc9sUNDHQc6KctHREsxelEuooGWR9wA9Q-DO-AbnLWBdY8pefoJbIGoCYsGUTMF3r8ewntPA8wkOQ13oBLZP57J10VPYVYaZ7AKSeyuJ9KItJUT7xEW05408_k6egyHw0Rzy8Ybd-Ss/s320/DSCN4766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518523312976312242" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />and are now much happier like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QHRbgTgxcfmbG-kSLJ3c0bIam7GzB35H4R8547F5HNHVoa2877gF5_CH4iv-mBIwYqTm7rqAIpm36i8zerzM1XrknWi-M5FnppInRzktqvdZ_uMxExxAe_0wZi6OkQDslpH9obb_8xw/s1600/DSCN4769.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QHRbgTgxcfmbG-kSLJ3c0bIam7GzB35H4R8547F5HNHVoa2877gF5_CH4iv-mBIwYqTm7rqAIpm36i8zerzM1XrknWi-M5FnppInRzktqvdZ_uMxExxAe_0wZi6OkQDslpH9obb_8xw/s320/DSCN4769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518523328063979506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbJ3psep9dKW0UJeK4dqMOk7bUiuFrgAdjhPxC6Zec2vh6FBKGxHYiKYfkGnfl4QAgsU0f6x-Kawgrvfwk6jSwJPjqeehIgReE9sSClLn-ZAyuIRFWX5tmSqB6HkdueQTnUdyc-SkVm4/s1600/DSCN4768.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbJ3psep9dKW0UJeK4dqMOk7bUiuFrgAdjhPxC6Zec2vh6FBKGxHYiKYfkGnfl4QAgsU0f6x-Kawgrvfwk6jSwJPjqeehIgReE9sSClLn-ZAyuIRFWX5tmSqB6HkdueQTnUdyc-SkVm4/s320/DSCN4768.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518523334750307810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I LOVED using some Bird Textile scraps and am already thinking up other projects to use more!<br /><br />We spent a wonderful morning today at the local school fair day. I wish I had taken my camera to share the cake stall, pony ride, sausage sizzle etc with you but here is the AWESOME jungle animal portable play mat that we nabbed from the craft stall.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnksjEuye3_QBjLdxB1yO-_d_a_n-6gflF-ydgorKhKuwRoEA4KNl5pq8mPU95cV6Q_sm54zu6FZrLbzK0m-MiPjC7p1SbKVANQRflhqXmic9cGv-dn4qHzMwNiEIb5aYsSB9oZlKkwE/s1600/DSCN4771.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnksjEuye3_QBjLdxB1yO-_d_a_n-6gflF-ydgorKhKuwRoEA4KNl5pq8mPU95cV6Q_sm54zu6FZrLbzK0m-MiPjC7p1SbKVANQRflhqXmic9cGv-dn4qHzMwNiEIb5aYsSB9oZlKkwE/s320/DSCN4771.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518525079496012786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbGWOdPsbljEb2-aK9wpaXtLdzqBQTXmEAcvTsN49ZCacP48VvKhQLRfbbq2AGdzBCzF8AsoBdacWGi3mfxgPED5uq-PIvYbcVi-aRhf7agJx5qXE7EBTbj9BG3cozSe8tlj65gjVVP0/s1600/DSCN4772.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbGWOdPsbljEb2-aK9wpaXtLdzqBQTXmEAcvTsN49ZCacP48VvKhQLRfbbq2AGdzBCzF8AsoBdacWGi3mfxgPED5uq-PIvYbcVi-aRhf7agJx5qXE7EBTbj9BG3cozSe8tlj65gjVVP0/s320/DSCN4772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518525087639360498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The mat open with the animals and tied up and ready to travel with the animals inside. Apparently the design is based on a type of Japanese bathroom bag. </span><br /></div><br />Here is the LOVELY pile of kids books (and a few adult ones) that set us back about 10c each.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yu2Y2solh4uO9rxpqCcItsZ6joKO_NdQilfxqRGWnjE0GVmOE2xLvNZnJnNlv3xGPbqyuGITSIGpSqN-i1OFQanwlpr2enxXii-jeDfwk2gClFOtg71q5I_5LOB0ZInvg8yZSMxVNJE/s1600/DSCN4773.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yu2Y2solh4uO9rxpqCcItsZ6joKO_NdQilfxqRGWnjE0GVmOE2xLvNZnJnNlv3xGPbqyuGITSIGpSqN-i1OFQanwlpr2enxXii-jeDfwk2gClFOtg71q5I_5LOB0ZInvg8yZSMxVNJE/s320/DSCN4773.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518525101518579714" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />It was nostalgia central as Rich and I compared the differences between an Australian school fete and an English village fair and I was happy to learn that Rich won a cake baking prize as a child. Just another reason that I am glad I married him.<br /><br />What a good Sunday. How was yours?naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-61464298452316977482010-09-15T18:09:00.001-07:002010-09-18T02:41:56.135-07:00Cosy Nest for a delicious bubbaA beautiful little baby friend of mine turned one a few weeks ago which provided the perfect opportunity to use a luscious little charm pack that has been waiting in my drawer. A charm pack is a stack of 5x5 inch pre-cut squares from an entire fabric line. I love things like charm packs and layer cakes (10" version) because they are cheap and easy way to get a diversity of fabric and the pre-cuts make them super handy (less fiddly cutting!). I have read that Charm Packs can be used to make lovely bags...maybe one day soon! My charm pack was by <a href="http://tulapink.com/">Tula Pink</a> and was cuts of her collection <a href="http://tulapink.com/bio/nest-collection/">Nest</a>.<br /><br />The birthday girls is called Billie Miro Mystic Merrill and she is a gorgeous little thing whose bright, lively, vivacious attitude to life suited the fabric perfectly. Billie is already a bookworm (following in the footsteps of her poet father and journalist mother) so I decided to make her a quilt from the charm pack that she could curl up under or sit on with a good book ('Where is the green sheep' anyone?).<br /><br />I only had a week to make this quilt in so I wanted a pattern that was simple (no wonky blocks this time) but I also wanted the quilt to look interesting and quirky. There were 40 squares in my charm pack so I made a 4 nine patch blocks (traditional style).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9ry1ukawOKJ5-rsx4ClTJlEsHY9huwmSvYDmPB7CckER3DcpEisM2mX4LcDeoAcFIgmbDxqg9kQSi_uUMWqncgqaEN0Wcq8nadYmuIHmy308nOg6CNCk0ktD4DSGbGHsG3gXv9sxFYQ/s1600/basic-nine-patch.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9ry1ukawOKJ5-rsx4ClTJlEsHY9huwmSvYDmPB7CckER3DcpEisM2mX4LcDeoAcFIgmbDxqg9kQSi_uUMWqncgqaEN0Wcq8nadYmuIHmy308nOg6CNCk0ktD4DSGbGHsG3gXv9sxFYQ/s320/basic-nine-patch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517320829285863874" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Then I cut straight down the middle of these blocks, so I found the middle point of each the middle top square and cut directly down. I then had 8 new pieces which I twisted around and laid out on the floor till I had a jumbled but attractive ( I hope) pattern.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbLGvZ3oir4w47PhWkTXyGE_c-OTIf0m7Jy64IA26oc4qwgws6n0TNcoEljPG3rtvBUa9AtmT12IJULlfETjWFVlNFex41r_8cELCAFjp49fDo18H3XBvy47tCWTBaKyFzweCGz5bfd8/s1600/DSCN4638.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbLGvZ3oir4w47PhWkTXyGE_c-OTIf0m7Jy64IA26oc4qwgws6n0TNcoEljPG3rtvBUa9AtmT12IJULlfETjWFVlNFex41r_8cELCAFjp49fDo18H3XBvy47tCWTBaKyFzweCGz5bfd8/s320/DSCN4638.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517318228858232434" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />This technique took me about 2/12 hours from beginning to end, this included a stop for poached eggs with the boys and various interruptions for a one and a half year old.<br /><br />I then had four charm squares left over so I decided to cut them each diagonally into triangles and sew different halves together to make different colour squares.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5jXkkkz-X0T_YiOFpIfQ33BsrhesDOOahDXLiUT5nUCDnMnLOMjrwFcTgyn7ykqwyJHj95Av3JM2zXsW7RZfkaDBFj42GhzFPYJ5uOvLODacn_gOQisxfyuUTiRKxm6mIdv53Nw_Ax4/s1600/DSCN4639.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5jXkkkz-X0T_YiOFpIfQ33BsrhesDOOahDXLiUT5nUCDnMnLOMjrwFcTgyn7ykqwyJHj95Av3JM2zXsW7RZfkaDBFj42GhzFPYJ5uOvLODacn_gOQisxfyuUTiRKxm6mIdv53Nw_Ax4/s320/DSCN4639.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517325790898903394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>I found a lovely patchwork shop near to my house called <a href="http://quiltsmith.com.au/">Quiltsmith</a> which also happened to be selling the Nest collection half price so bought a few larger pieces of the collection to make borders and used the coloured squares I made to make border posts on each corner.<br /><br />I also chose this fabric for the backing<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBplJK30RPw1jpN9sP6YbNAG2oM1NoZXtaOwVjpCa219Deh7RBHBX_dlb-XsF8-p3hQpbYs6Xp6Y4XxOaHVKQVCc5zY-zGyCsCNjSsIy7t7p_UkIAxOUSDlXwLv_SvWD_VFx0drETD74A/s1600/DSCN4642.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBplJK30RPw1jpN9sP6YbNAG2oM1NoZXtaOwVjpCa219Deh7RBHBX_dlb-XsF8-p3hQpbYs6Xp6Y4XxOaHVKQVCc5zY-zGyCsCNjSsIy7t7p_UkIAxOUSDlXwLv_SvWD_VFx0drETD74A/s320/DSCN4642.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518025707956031762" border="0" /></a><br /></div>In the charm pack, the 5" squares meant that the amazing bird pattern was hidden so I HAD to display it in the quilt somehow :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ctMXmyr8aiRpKoMxiOXpwEixjFA5GAJD-HhAI5Qd8NTRdlIAR6WZiI78fdh4ArLw-Jz_H5G72qvG9ag1zyntDh9xPmFuUHnzM8kTTsUBf3xZ5FHq0WVdxhNjippNfn8kc-eGQJVFBpQ/s1600/DSCN4643.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ctMXmyr8aiRpKoMxiOXpwEixjFA5GAJD-HhAI5Qd8NTRdlIAR6WZiI78fdh4ArLw-Jz_H5G72qvG9ag1zyntDh9xPmFuUHnzM8kTTsUBf3xZ5FHq0WVdxhNjippNfn8kc-eGQJVFBpQ/s320/DSCN4643.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518025716200095330" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />I decided the try the 'stitch in the ditch' style of quilting for this project. I have never done it before so I was keen to try and also I love the pattern on the quilt top and I didn't want to have stitches running across them. Stitch in the ditch in when you quilt or stitch in the 'ditch' left from joining the patchwork pieces on the quilt top. The quilting is then effectively hidden in the seam that is already there. I found it surprisingly easy to quilt this way (although my quilting is not always invisible due to my inability to sew in straight lines) and I was super happy with the effect for this project.<br /><br />All in all this quilt was made across two Saturdays and the binding was happily hand stitched on while catching up on Big Love season 3.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday Bille Miro Mystic Merrill!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXpSV0t7VNrhb0eio0BUXZ6ebkj-mxM7tYcmsZ3NvZfcbWROh70eNHPfE9RpkMck-yXTYbS1cwdIPbPMnQZ76byzJYHyJwzOyGaOVD7Z0v4_m-6tcNAPkjSJBnjFJzMVkppydEUbcinE/s1600/DSCN4637.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXpSV0t7VNrhb0eio0BUXZ6ebkj-mxM7tYcmsZ3NvZfcbWROh70eNHPfE9RpkMck-yXTYbS1cwdIPbPMnQZ76byzJYHyJwzOyGaOVD7Z0v4_m-6tcNAPkjSJBnjFJzMVkppydEUbcinE/s320/DSCN4637.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517318240681176402" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_GA_8Q6aUyP8der_kfXqxrQB42m0Hud-Svh24iy8B3eJRQMg48QY8wJW0cQwEmfrruQLKofzHkHbumPP1doe37QKY-sBgHE9wGw5x76UdFfDI_C2yBphWqNbNy_CiSs8wpZghhRaICA/s1600/DSCN4644.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_GA_8Q6aUyP8der_kfXqxrQB42m0Hud-Svh24iy8B3eJRQMg48QY8wJW0cQwEmfrruQLKofzHkHbumPP1doe37QKY-sBgHE9wGw5x76UdFfDI_C2yBphWqNbNy_CiSs8wpZghhRaICA/s320/DSCN4644.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518027871199488322" border="0" /></a><br /></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-54621604092408989772010-09-13T00:30:00.000-07:002010-09-13T01:29:54.021-07:00Finished!With a healthy sense of irony, a stunning location and a talented quilt stylist, Sarah's Birthday quilt (aka fecund quilt) hits blogland.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkUJv_vKNPlLc0OKo1ct6dXbtDU_WW_KtuosBOYpDSQIxmGumsyKJSAqvJZVD7j3MtWISj3QJI7shuoLUAkdMWzhGItf8rFuGnqmLOoEwShE3iKFbJwFAkjK_-sKX3LCiWruBAeOHbbQ/s1600/DSCN4697.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkUJv_vKNPlLc0OKo1ct6dXbtDU_WW_KtuosBOYpDSQIxmGumsyKJSAqvJZVD7j3MtWISj3QJI7shuoLUAkdMWzhGItf8rFuGnqmLOoEwShE3iKFbJwFAkjK_-sKX3LCiWruBAeOHbbQ/s320/DSCN4697.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516306543135523474" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PQ19XyMs1zYy8QizAJE_DFaWfIx-j1KHgjYZ9DEl0BZcusWNg6nzeh1YCSsqqHG0nOE8YEUqV_ruNh5_UsNBiNTNNGFJ93V468viNU3HJmMSETHDr7zuT8GRG-1CpTBD3u5FDUw2dYY/s1600/DSCN4698.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PQ19XyMs1zYy8QizAJE_DFaWfIx-j1KHgjYZ9DEl0BZcusWNg6nzeh1YCSsqqHG0nOE8YEUqV_ruNh5_UsNBiNTNNGFJ93V468viNU3HJmMSETHDr7zuT8GRG-1CpTBD3u5FDUw2dYY/s320/DSCN4698.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516306558682138034" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JjNUBv1O4aysJOfYgqGyQeXYN5NinFsiouoQ0U_z-a7cAzNkFyMDmtpOe-mo65obJU4f1wkXXCBgAV3ohK1l8myYzNJgs2VEJXu6quTExvqJe0J12k27CYImPu2zi6lHEKZMIA-WLYY/s1600/DSCN4703.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JjNUBv1O4aysJOfYgqGyQeXYN5NinFsiouoQ0U_z-a7cAzNkFyMDmtpOe-mo65obJU4f1wkXXCBgAV3ohK1l8myYzNJgs2VEJXu6quTExvqJe0J12k27CYImPu2zi6lHEKZMIA-WLYY/s320/DSCN4703.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516306564903457490" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonlWurHk2aDKs7KRk2F62oB35NX7ZL4CqFPRwXsSkEUh2zLsXRIJJ2BLoqGHoJsAhTYYwb-CZv2X2Z9j5AkN9X0JS-5zyawitLHe_SwwAJTQDCpWZwWQw2FF77qufgsaAYAs25JXgHKo/s1600/DSCN4704.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonlWurHk2aDKs7KRk2F62oB35NX7ZL4CqFPRwXsSkEUh2zLsXRIJJ2BLoqGHoJsAhTYYwb-CZv2X2Z9j5AkN9X0JS-5zyawitLHe_SwwAJTQDCpWZwWQw2FF77qufgsaAYAs25JXgHKo/s320/DSCN4704.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516306584655854162" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Quilt Stylist Jenn Blake tries her hand at quilt modeling</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRaB8gw93HfM9Tm3Sbtjc8kjMrXPg-e1trXxp3m162Wl1C6i6H58WVewPcVzARlcrCJa8P48brcjDHPj2VU865X_1oEMjVtby202XZ206_jxyZKVrH1PZ-mhF9A0jrgmNHd0n5cv7YyYQ/s1600/DSCN4730.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRaB8gw93HfM9Tm3Sbtjc8kjMrXPg-e1trXxp3m162Wl1C6i6H58WVewPcVzARlcrCJa8P48brcjDHPj2VU865X_1oEMjVtby202XZ206_jxyZKVrH1PZ-mhF9A0jrgmNHd0n5cv7YyYQ/s320/DSCN4730.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516306576015428674" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Birthday Girl on her Birthday Quilt</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsQUu3uaa_210GSCxd-GyMihS6LNBPvM1JOdTNwAIJ9fFRygCISZXNlrnmZm9gN59F5Ti80HdkjF4VE8GlGtsP7zmnEmreVizX8y6TwAAwyEQ8bu_E9wl0jDZVvc_A5LQGWvc9Lfvwdg/s1600/DSCN4715.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsQUu3uaa_210GSCxd-GyMihS6LNBPvM1JOdTNwAIJ9fFRygCISZXNlrnmZm9gN59F5Ti80HdkjF4VE8GlGtsP7zmnEmreVizX8y6TwAAwyEQ8bu_E9wl0jDZVvc_A5LQGWvc9Lfvwdg/s320/DSCN4715.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516311887886597906" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And birthday quilts need birthday cake</span><br /><br />Happy Birthday Sarah xx<br /></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-86416988519128075232010-09-02T00:40:00.001-07:002010-09-02T04:45:04.886-07:00Wonky wonderfulnessHere is a sneak preview of a new quilt that I am ALMOST finished. I have been making this quilt in my head for so long. It is a present for a very special friends birthday (who I hope is not following my blog...I guess the fact that I didn't post anything for three months scared most people off).<br /><br />I wanted to make a quilt that really suited my friend, her quirk, her beauty, her....her-ness :) Over the past few months since I started quilting I have been going on a 'journey of discovery' (me browsing quilts on the Internet for hours). I have become really taken with <a href="http://gwenmarston.com/books/liberated2_75.jpg">Liberated Quilting</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com.au/images?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&q=modern+quilting&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=r4Z_TLLPIImyccv6-e0K&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDkQsAQwAw&biw=1152&bih=558">Modern Quilting</a> and the quilts of <a href="http://www.quiltsofgeesbend.com/">Gee's Bend</a>. Much as I loved the asymmetry of these designs I suspected that this effect was much harder to achieve than the traditional look! I came across a great quilt blogger called Quilt Dad. He has a 'wonky block' <a href="http://quickneasyquilting.com/search/label/orbc%20quilt-along.html">tutorial</a> on his blog which is so clear and easy to follow and also really easy to adapt my own style.<br /><br />Next...fabric. Easy! Yeah right... There is too much choice in the world (Internet). I eventually settled on a <a href="http://store.annamariahorner.com/gofofa.html">Anna Maria Horner Good Folks</a> stack of fat quarters. Even after postage the price is pretty darn good. I am so happy with my choice, the fabric has a sort of gloss or sheen to it that makes it look rich, lush, almost fecund (he he just saw The Kids Are Alright...anyone else seen it and get my fecund reference?).<br /><br />So enough with the words, here is my work in progress pictures of my new quilt (dare I call it The Fecund Quilt??)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Fio4aCMkC5F8IUA_fJJnxyHm4bRCr2an9l7vn_lxoWiO4X85q3RBMksKM304kanYFMNxpaE2Rd4lOOZKwNBFrH9CoJOlmKKKtEJDOp5atjfIikEtmkBBxsdJ2O5SbOWAyiFW9YWQrPE/s1600/DSCN4620.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Fio4aCMkC5F8IUA_fJJnxyHm4bRCr2an9l7vn_lxoWiO4X85q3RBMksKM304kanYFMNxpaE2Rd4lOOZKwNBFrH9CoJOlmKKKtEJDOp5atjfIikEtmkBBxsdJ2O5SbOWAyiFW9YWQrPE/s320/DSCN4620.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512278301543458690" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was the first block I made<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHojurlhjSzSL-XS0qrXUTCWODsgtrZV0ZVWl3_skzEHD5xBmq5T14sjh4F_XQUnV8oQj494wvKdgPPtv08H22v_UBBC__JUU5e0VQ-3BfUDd2ccYP6E_3e2Ge3prCNMtz6bn2wdGUhoo/s1600/DSCN4622.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHojurlhjSzSL-XS0qrXUTCWODsgtrZV0ZVWl3_skzEHD5xBmq5T14sjh4F_XQUnV8oQj494wvKdgPPtv08H22v_UBBC__JUU5e0VQ-3BfUDd2ccYP6E_3e2Ge3prCNMtz6bn2wdGUhoo/s320/DSCN4622.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512278315945213826" border="0" /></a><br />Pinned and ready to be quilted<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzAoLAGiso0rnpFR0Fh4Ij6pYIonV2QRpABmJ_yg9j0ASiSkGERfoo4cRkKsGn5FHVqTiL12jNvfYjpvtpSnV8NUdxNle6U8s_qiIyPuYohQ_DDm-7TQlMiliGhmzkIcU5N8v4iDxS3w/s1600/DSCN4621.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzAoLAGiso0rnpFR0Fh4Ij6pYIonV2QRpABmJ_yg9j0ASiSkGERfoo4cRkKsGn5FHVqTiL12jNvfYjpvtpSnV8NUdxNle6U8s_qiIyPuYohQ_DDm-7TQlMiliGhmzkIcU5N8v4iDxS3w/s320/DSCN4621.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512278307133711602" border="0" /></a><br />Taped up to guide my quilting<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7AKdqHqRu4V0gWNTPxSrhw_ez20I2_M3YlCuNUxhyERyiHzhw2CKxW5_a-dJL_iej2zY5ZmTLYQNTYk9UHrivT_ZJoqRYdKJ5u6XpRws5Tc6wvmuiLda-WyKhMBa4UAmcc70SVpnMw8/s1600/DSCN4624.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7AKdqHqRu4V0gWNTPxSrhw_ez20I2_M3YlCuNUxhyERyiHzhw2CKxW5_a-dJL_iej2zY5ZmTLYQNTYk9UHrivT_ZJoqRYdKJ5u6XpRws5Tc6wvmuiLda-WyKhMBa4UAmcc70SVpnMw8/s320/DSCN4624.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512279717245896994" border="0" /></a><br />taking over the kitchen table<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-D23PxjXvDzslqw9SOAX5KFDnpfkdhx77p-IXxfYZosdjomJj4s6MQ1rz-nMtmlnC5hsX5g_50Z9ciuO5rhdsqBMyo3gee0kwQ_vkj3RXCgY36aalsKo168Ph-lUrcsVEDN7hTP1Y0Ps/s1600/DSCN4629.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-D23PxjXvDzslqw9SOAX5KFDnpfkdhx77p-IXxfYZosdjomJj4s6MQ1rz-nMtmlnC5hsX5g_50Z9ciuO5rhdsqBMyo3gee0kwQ_vkj3RXCgY36aalsKo168Ph-lUrcsVEDN7hTP1Y0Ps/s320/DSCN4629.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512279729990698098" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbQK_MwehztZxpbBK3VjrX69FwpNVlmzaog0A8-BtDwbT0EG4AWOC0xgae_6OybNj9ecRlxxQdvCghHmxOiOode0aZqZBHoq_ucoH32O3OOJssdIlTGOUEqyzjbmCjrVvFXv-En8l05E/s1600/DSCN4630.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbQK_MwehztZxpbBK3VjrX69FwpNVlmzaog0A8-BtDwbT0EG4AWOC0xgae_6OybNj9ecRlxxQdvCghHmxOiOode0aZqZBHoq_ucoH32O3OOJssdIlTGOUEqyzjbmCjrVvFXv-En8l05E/s320/DSCN4630.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512279744704107442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Pictures of the finished product to come!<br /></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-27306748950809437132010-09-01T23:34:00.000-07:002010-09-02T00:33:31.106-07:00The Yen Quilt<div style="text-align: center;">Well I have finally gifted this quilt so I can display it without giving it away!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ8ASighvDo_qRtFvp8i0u3FoKZSmbzmCSgfyZd9Qoj2mp6JgKKTJJHifiYP3kowqN5jpEp93_Dh_rgBnGhZ0NSawk13bgoJj_Lnl_fvYIbVP2tqMlaTF_an10-atUMBsGLhWGBT3Yj4/s1600/DSCN4594.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ8ASighvDo_qRtFvp8i0u3FoKZSmbzmCSgfyZd9Qoj2mp6JgKKTJJHifiYP3kowqN5jpEp93_Dh_rgBnGhZ0NSawk13bgoJj_Lnl_fvYIbVP2tqMlaTF_an10-atUMBsGLhWGBT3Yj4/s320/DSCN4594.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512201722425671842" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This quilt was based loosely on a coin quilt that I saw in an online preview of a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jelly-Roll-Quilts-Pam-Lintott/dp/0715328638">Jelly Roll</a> quilt book. Basically for what I can gather a coin quilt is a quilt that has stacks of 'coins' (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">rectangles</span> of fabric) in various different patterns. They can be stacked on top of each other or at irregular spaces and they are joined with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">sashing</span> of a contrasting material. I had decided to use remnants packs from <a href="http://www.birdtextile.com.au/">Bird Textiles</a> to make my quilt so cutting 'coins' out of these remnants worked perfectly. Given that I find Bird <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Textiles</span> to have a real Japanese feel to them I have decided to name the quilt my Yen Quilt (get it? Coin. Yen. yeah?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtRpuTSHu2EIMC8XH4LdaoTKJXRq7tJg8eocNyuk4BbT3PmMjkYcUK5QuD73bS8Ech_lcEtbQOFt07eNlETkQrrwqYM0Hbxd0_v4qAlN2klhRWFUCSXjFyn_bSC_kPEKfQM_xxAb_7tA/s1600/DSCN4254.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtRpuTSHu2EIMC8XH4LdaoTKJXRq7tJg8eocNyuk4BbT3PmMjkYcUK5QuD73bS8Ech_lcEtbQOFt07eNlETkQrrwqYM0Hbxd0_v4qAlN2klhRWFUCSXjFyn_bSC_kPEKfQM_xxAb_7tA/s320/DSCN4254.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512206773368967538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSetFvqWCPj8Nf8nfNxGYgT12x24sP9HrwHukvIwX75R_DeFoguFfqKPxk7-thN_SPyzZ61K_mhTVl_3baAQ1mr3_9213A5HJT8zoNmgA6nUlDIrncLtEpzoNLl3H0-RCck18ytJkPCQ/s1600/DSCN4255.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSetFvqWCPj8Nf8nfNxGYgT12x24sP9HrwHukvIwX75R_DeFoguFfqKPxk7-thN_SPyzZ61K_mhTVl_3baAQ1mr3_9213A5HJT8zoNmgA6nUlDIrncLtEpzoNLl3H0-RCck18ytJkPCQ/s320/DSCN4255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512206778152824722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When the quilt top was sewn with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sashing</span> in I knew that I was going to struggle to quilt this myself of my home machine, so I phoned a friend. The amazing Yvonne (mother in law of my friend Sarah Mac) quilted it for me using her long arm machine. I think that the intricate stippling really makes this quilt, it is such a contrast from the straight lines of the pattern. I am pretty fixed on the idea of quilting my own projects in the future but I am <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">soooo</span> happy with Yvonne's work on this one.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHztwPY23ZEHuBn07aroh23Fvd1qjRlF93tGMcfJ8PzQNpA8_3khmfK6VNQlEsPQuWLncZq0Mr3dT6DwqdfAqNcLyv4xmDULhj7r0hTq5B5GVCHfdfuoeYYsZiJsdjYPJVKtNdpQuoDo/s1600/DSCN4469.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHztwPY23ZEHuBn07aroh23Fvd1qjRlF93tGMcfJ8PzQNpA8_3khmfK6VNQlEsPQuWLncZq0Mr3dT6DwqdfAqNcLyv4xmDULhj7r0hTq5B5GVCHfdfuoeYYsZiJsdjYPJVKtNdpQuoDo/s320/DSCN4469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512208523898951490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzkm6Vqj5KaLZdLchiXxahBYEm_fpDvZlx4paFJ_ziqGAWarV1xNMiPl1MLpuWJICD9gQN-IePZ2dPPMcFLVqpw4UX7I85sPZR_w4dhr4x7F1SITnkEMcBJ9HOtoWoOclE0dNWie0nRg/s1600/DSCN4470.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzkm6Vqj5KaLZdLchiXxahBYEm_fpDvZlx4paFJ_ziqGAWarV1xNMiPl1MLpuWJICD9gQN-IePZ2dPPMcFLVqpw4UX7I85sPZR_w4dhr4x7F1SITnkEMcBJ9HOtoWoOclE0dNWie0nRg/s320/DSCN4470.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512208546476421138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is Lewis 'helping' me prepare the binding.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZS_c1rYAvWlcZ-CDnGYlaOZ0fMxJf8IU90pO-vUgO828WHJOzOXC6VLxWrxKbcvC4wP7xRSoth_ODNc-iYwkajcedM8NCIVeoXqFHQfr-fy3o7CtstiGmZ3lwLD2vHb3nJCkWdrNuHw/s1600/DSCN4475.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZS_c1rYAvWlcZ-CDnGYlaOZ0fMxJf8IU90pO-vUgO828WHJOzOXC6VLxWrxKbcvC4wP7xRSoth_ODNc-iYwkajcedM8NCIVeoXqFHQfr-fy3o7CtstiGmZ3lwLD2vHb3nJCkWdrNuHw/s320/DSCN4475.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512208560100602594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYoqbHtclsyzsAiJUEmYqWyc3WhTfwRKGy_uUlQMdfav5HZzfOU3U95LqyN81tdRNhabuXPCE9_-UbhZ0hqDfqXGeULKOXSQYNyYw-kejirv8FpZaZqId4dPKJJvGaNENuoM30CfBLeY/s1600/DSCN4597.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYoqbHtclsyzsAiJUEmYqWyc3WhTfwRKGy_uUlQMdfav5HZzfOU3U95LqyN81tdRNhabuXPCE9_-UbhZ0hqDfqXGeULKOXSQYNyYw-kejirv8FpZaZqId4dPKJJvGaNENuoM30CfBLeY/s320/DSCN4597.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512213296041642674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JoZ_t5sFH4zTR6DkGGHo5a47NpRvcFy_WRgrDPynFjSADhskQf47VQlm6d7b1W6h5ijqvgYLtGHf6GE14k-hgcYQ9lyj2iWz0Cv6TIMYlIYl_L6Qm-n1GI4X9CX6Itwnk78_k6QNMX8/s1600/DSCN4595.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JoZ_t5sFH4zTR6DkGGHo5a47NpRvcFy_WRgrDPynFjSADhskQf47VQlm6d7b1W6h5ijqvgYLtGHf6GE14k-hgcYQ9lyj2iWz0Cv6TIMYlIYl_L6Qm-n1GI4X9CX6Itwnk78_k6QNMX8/s320/DSCN4595.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512213287120018114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-68964841877964583882010-05-21T03:08:00.001-07:002010-05-21T03:11:58.121-07:00<h2 class="date-header"><span></span></h2> <div class="date-posts"> <div class="post-outer"> <div class="post hentry uncustomized-post-template"> <a name="394984565846060868"></a> <div class="post-header"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><em>{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. via </em><a href="http://www.soulemama.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"></span></a><a href="http://www.soulemama.com/">SouleMama</a><br /></div><div class="post-body entry-content"><div style="text-align: center;"><em><br /></em><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbhT7tRrVkLDd8_d9_kWDrH5s4CuMEttGB7bt7mokBeGJHgtlfARVoql9ma7EtHKPv39swxCpF4fsEKI0-CKx6Py0AXYtswmphBBZcFKDT-c6QirbXCqtw604JWA9Vzf8k5t4qgbm3Iw/s1600/DSCN4338.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbhT7tRrVkLDd8_d9_kWDrH5s4CuMEttGB7bt7mokBeGJHgtlfARVoql9ma7EtHKPv39swxCpF4fsEKI0-CKx6Py0AXYtswmphBBZcFKDT-c6QirbXCqtw604JWA9Vzf8k5t4qgbm3Iw/s320/DSCN4338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473663584065807362" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-88843881715491934232010-05-20T04:57:00.000-07:002010-05-20T05:11:42.757-07:00Help please!I need everyone's opinion on something. I enjoy working in a team because I can bounce ideas off people. So please step up and bounce back :)<br /><br />I am working on a coin quilt (google image it, you'll get the picture) for a dear friend. My intention was to do black and white with a splash of red. I have added the red and now I am not so sure??<br /><br />(nb there will be white borders between and around the patchwork)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdE-BQtu1dNk5VuYqaiQpY1k-S4M4P7XQeY2-0RlLoSU-lkhrp4-0-zP5eFsEnmD_n64aKrsWheex0yNkAegpa9ad6K83Lzg3EJWT0CJLZS8Pvx5KHEOI43aVYKqIhAkv8ubyaLkBsB8/s1600/DSCN4301.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdE-BQtu1dNk5VuYqaiQpY1k-S4M4P7XQeY2-0RlLoSU-lkhrp4-0-zP5eFsEnmD_n64aKrsWheex0yNkAegpa9ad6K83Lzg3EJWT0CJLZS8Pvx5KHEOI43aVYKqIhAkv8ubyaLkBsB8/s320/DSCN4301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473322276038630034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQOEhPcpwrvG_jfmkFMlwMM4AEPDToNF0tLSDE2kzGKXRIszZM4Ivhpmaypr4jWX-feIU6EwB-FDeX9uBWUVoMtm06DkebsPMU60QRmvdSTOA3oYZGeHBNdr-MIic6WOSm8dEwwR2YTo/s1600/DSCN4299.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQOEhPcpwrvG_jfmkFMlwMM4AEPDToNF0tLSDE2kzGKXRIszZM4Ivhpmaypr4jWX-feIU6EwB-FDeX9uBWUVoMtm06DkebsPMU60QRmvdSTOA3oYZGeHBNdr-MIic6WOSm8dEwwR2YTo/s320/DSCN4299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473322288168588882" border="0" /></a><br />Black and White only option.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWx_swFqIOlkYJo4ep277mFWuLEbGhc9dySUl0xBOoMAUD_DyNKnRG-zl3FIp7nJvx2CRdWpcBlBXJWMJef5bO4gJwN4HAo5wl5na9INPZg_WcSovtVZnt9iK7q5dCR8PmCJiq1FCezk/s1600/DSCN4304.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWx_swFqIOlkYJo4ep277mFWuLEbGhc9dySUl0xBOoMAUD_DyNKnRG-zl3FIp7nJvx2CRdWpcBlBXJWMJef5bO4gJwN4HAo5wl5na9INPZg_WcSovtVZnt9iK7q5dCR8PmCJiq1FCezk/s320/DSCN4304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473322297198987570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpE-3tFi4QRUyouvj5sImF2pGPastDrVH7I3xbEvuxagfXEowYQRDAcG7qmE-dC5iX0YEzqSi9ZFc8Q92iOAx-sN6IT9NwSIo3ILuvj2gFBdFcrsG6rxVYr39IE3WXac81vNAYvcxAEw/s1600/DSCN4305.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpE-3tFi4QRUyouvj5sImF2pGPastDrVH7I3xbEvuxagfXEowYQRDAcG7qmE-dC5iX0YEzqSi9ZFc8Q92iOAx-sN6IT9NwSIo3ILuvj2gFBdFcrsG6rxVYr39IE3WXac81vNAYvcxAEw/s320/DSCN4305.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473322305843918770" border="0" /></a><br />Splash of red option<br /><br />So what do you think peeps?? More red? Lose it totally? HELP!<br /><br />(side note: all the fabric is from <a href="http://www.birdtextile.com.au/">Bird Textile</a> remnants. How lush is it?!)naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-62157016876644836352010-05-15T17:20:00.000-07:002010-05-16T02:40:39.415-07:00Festivigate!Its a little bit Cath Kidson, a little bit 'market chic' and its ever so vogue...its bunting!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkrH0Zlbk5fuXfHvEA-kz2vOI9pMLF8SuzoHD_jbHtUTvDqP5Ox-WJ0isY5gxi5YNnjC1_KIxaHVnHVW-8IZvQbFbAL5b9TZ251ZEwJRcXb46bRbfldTzu-4sIPnBo2vS59h3MJaWLdI/s1600/DSCN5453.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkrH0Zlbk5fuXfHvEA-kz2vOI9pMLF8SuzoHD_jbHtUTvDqP5Ox-WJ0isY5gxi5YNnjC1_KIxaHVnHVW-8IZvQbFbAL5b9TZ251ZEwJRcXb46bRbfldTzu-4sIPnBo2vS59h3MJaWLdI/s320/DSCN5453.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471797318107320146" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The bunting hanging by the hedge is mine, I am not taking credit for the peace flags<br /><br /></span></span></div>I decided to make bunting for Lewis's first birthday in the hope that it will become a family ritual of 'birthday bunting'. A ritual in which we prepare and decorate our house for a birthday in the same way that one would for Christmas. I still feel excited when I see my Mum pull out the old Christmas decorations and I hope that my bunting will create a similar shiver of anticipation in my children.<br /><br />Bunting is the perfect way to use up fabric scraps, or in my case use up Sarah Mac's fabric scraps (thank you Sarah). I also did buy extra fabric from Spotlight. They have an excellent new quilting range with some gorgeous prints and they sell some of the range in the form of 'flats': Little squares of fabric for $2.50 (my kinda price range).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrVlcF70R0-_NIPKiIamOEden2AiNrgyNHEfizamv0AotUW8FhPWy4QeTlfiUTiod8L_AevO11Zb8YYzjqvzbhaaeM0P3BFOE3IRqX5UYczXoemjtZ2VxDIlT59AKxLCrnweJN8rwJwc/s1600/DSCN3860.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrVlcF70R0-_NIPKiIamOEden2AiNrgyNHEfizamv0AotUW8FhPWy4QeTlfiUTiod8L_AevO11Zb8YYzjqvzbhaaeM0P3BFOE3IRqX5UYczXoemjtZ2VxDIlT59AKxLCrnweJN8rwJwc/s320/DSCN3860.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471778867209596130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So to bunt is super easy. First you make a triangle cutting template (mine was out of cardboard), then using pinking shears (thank you again Sarah) you cut as many lovely colourful triangles as you wish.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjCgPjnZVTC5vciRLu9tAeRBeuGPHHuIS3T_83CK5xRq94ycsOLJiq-psGf8NLbLUx2yz9Cf2493I_zaU8y70iR-puvddGOpAnmHKlOQ7fzK-WsOdRzDsRAapUCAGNL-m6pqqflsyChw/s1600/DSCN3861.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjCgPjnZVTC5vciRLu9tAeRBeuGPHHuIS3T_83CK5xRq94ycsOLJiq-psGf8NLbLUx2yz9Cf2493I_zaU8y70iR-puvddGOpAnmHKlOQ7fzK-WsOdRzDsRAapUCAGNL-m6pqqflsyChw/s320/DSCN3861.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471778875336979746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eROAW_ZxyrXTl7vjHn2jv_bg9z8FALQnGUrzCstOPV4SnJ4ORwTFpUV-gBNj5J4RSDEeofzGt0j2lEY06M5aLfHmP-ZVmsX0p2dGxybhNgl0vN8VrfIFuRqR974WeaA9S62y2ZZHbBw/s1600/DSCN3858.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eROAW_ZxyrXTl7vjHn2jv_bg9z8FALQnGUrzCstOPV4SnJ4ORwTFpUV-gBNj5J4RSDEeofzGt0j2lEY06M5aLfHmP-ZVmsX0p2dGxybhNgl0vN8VrfIFuRqR974WeaA9S62y2ZZHbBw/s320/DSCN3858.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471776073988495986" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F2poWCUC65ANN6JwWh5W6cGvZeRKagUleg69ZN3IbvQWAKmz4Eusqa376BitHd1QGrvXKiRU7kZAKb9fUuTnkDk9oGW0jhiYpERmPk0bs86fY3dZsdFu6cnJ6zGOfD3t3-enPOAVvhU/s1600/DSCN3862.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F2poWCUC65ANN6JwWh5W6cGvZeRKagUleg69ZN3IbvQWAKmz4Eusqa376BitHd1QGrvXKiRU7kZAKb9fUuTnkDk9oGW0jhiYpERmPk0bs86fY3dZsdFu6cnJ6zGOfD3t3-enPOAVvhU/s320/DSCN3862.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471778878228280866" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Next you need to make a binding. I followed the bunting tutorial on <a href="http://stitchriprepeat.blogspot.com/2007/06/festive-bunting-tutorial.html">this great website</a>. Basically it is really easy. You need to the width of the material that you are using for the binding to be 4x the finished binding width. So if you want your binding to be 1/2 inch thick then you need to cut a strip 2 inches thick. I cut several lengths from one piece of fabric and then sewed them together to make about a 6m long strip.<br />You then fold the sides of the fabric in to the center point and iron them into place ( your bunting should now be 1 inch thick).<br />Then you fold the the whole thing in half and iron it into place (it will now be 1/2 inch thick). Now you should have a lovely ribbon with no scraggly bits.<br />The bunting tutorial on <a href="http://stitchriprepeat.blogspot.com/2007/06/festive-bunting-tutorial.html">Stitch.Rip.Repeat</a> is VERY good so if my explanation was hard to follow do go look there.<br /><br />Now you just need to tuck each triangle into the fold in the binding you have made and stitch it all together.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufTDcViUvj4MAwJI3_I0SbklH0EsQjfr4zFb7GEpOfhZJGDYxgEhXmTNRsosY2btaiy7D6VSYNag9IGZdt6mH9YA9DayXDnO9IkKlgnnkriML3903GpeVpRua_RosKoL9daGryJ6UcMg/s1600/DSCN5455.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufTDcViUvj4MAwJI3_I0SbklH0EsQjfr4zFb7GEpOfhZJGDYxgEhXmTNRsosY2btaiy7D6VSYNag9IGZdt6mH9YA9DayXDnO9IkKlgnnkriML3903GpeVpRua_RosKoL9daGryJ6UcMg/s320/DSCN5455.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471797331825990514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzykRabpuVhpsuq3qtuV7fjv2CRG8QNznkE6_pIQw8Xzjiz5OzaVQd5rpwbOErwPW3ASAxy50gqdBl16xEEfglGUHNETTotgSewpTBIw0Pkwyt-v8GjKkfGqLn5WIADfX1RiT8GBbaIj8/s1600/DSCN5454.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzykRabpuVhpsuq3qtuV7fjv2CRG8QNznkE6_pIQw8Xzjiz5OzaVQd5rpwbOErwPW3ASAxy50gqdBl16xEEfglGUHNETTotgSewpTBIw0Pkwyt-v8GjKkfGqLn5WIADfX1RiT8GBbaIj8/s320/DSCN5454.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471797328038725618" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />This was my second attempt with a sewing machine and I chose to do a zigzag stitch. Its amazing how you feel like an accomplished seamstress when you can sew a straight line! I was thinking 'project runway here I come!'. The long and the short of it is that I am very happy with my bunting and I hope that it serves many family birthdays to come.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvhq4cfK80ja6Y6HBGDWA-KF_7hHsRA2K2ESVGdVEbl7AEs9ABEB7ZKv-XORFbDDFhgi4wMWKOq9muGBnS62iQVnkAeQ-gCEO_9R1xiW0Gx9ujadT_pun4SQnMw82Y39Eo8PfHX5IJ0o/s1600/DSCN5456.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvhq4cfK80ja6Y6HBGDWA-KF_7hHsRA2K2ESVGdVEbl7AEs9ABEB7ZKv-XORFbDDFhgi4wMWKOq9muGBnS62iQVnkAeQ-gCEO_9R1xiW0Gx9ujadT_pun4SQnMw82Y39Eo8PfHX5IJ0o/s320/DSCN5456.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471797339226642994" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />So go forth and festivigate your room, your house, your garden, your life :)naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-3949845658460608682010-05-14T04:17:00.000-07:002010-05-14T04:20:57.477-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><em>{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. via <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/">SouleMama</a><br /><br /></em><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX00rIAaZVc3rcgphu2qmtyEp0eVIhfXMZNwCnx2Ze_LvBehdUSqW21_xKCu-7oqCkcKsLcQ4k1I8JWTAYXq4j3-yhO0l4uqxuSqrIMMPcWBOrKChyphenhyphenphxIv5IoykHFZxPsa4AUD14Z8Ps/s1600/slide.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX00rIAaZVc3rcgphu2qmtyEp0eVIhfXMZNwCnx2Ze_LvBehdUSqW21_xKCu-7oqCkcKsLcQ4k1I8JWTAYXq4j3-yhO0l4uqxuSqrIMMPcWBOrKChyphenhyphenphxIv5IoykHFZxPsa4AUD14Z8Ps/s320/slide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471083548563203154" border="0" /></a><br /><em><br /></em></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-64500257279278112452010-05-11T19:48:00.001-07:002010-05-16T03:45:29.504-07:00Perfection?I think that it is about time that I introduced you to the best thing that I have ever made. Meet Lewis<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrU7sGqPJFfUPetailelp-X4_BlwcJiynFcwP_y2gXDki7gJzPhyy3DGJq9ylK4dnDvZI3gqNOnQosNkgUaseYYLwpcmBGOOe53P_4aIJvOvGi67-aNoy_3apOzBkY-E2cZvf51lgCufA/s1600/DSC03876.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrU7sGqPJFfUPetailelp-X4_BlwcJiynFcwP_y2gXDki7gJzPhyy3DGJq9ylK4dnDvZI3gqNOnQosNkgUaseYYLwpcmBGOOe53P_4aIJvOvGi67-aNoy_3apOzBkY-E2cZvf51lgCufA/s320/DSC03876.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470210397130216418" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Obviously I had a little help with this miraculous creation. Meet the wonderful babydaddy and husband man Richard<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2-ILJE3hK_K8DH3z59vJAd5Aupyu4IAPd61726q3cvWFRk7_Sr2mAN5iPXzqwh7rV8Sm5Y67ul4pDI9MapUDcS5ZwavYqFJ8IwY28R5iXk1OyfCkAKq3d2JP0MVq241zWN6JWCv454Q/s1600/DSC03670.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2-ILJE3hK_K8DH3z59vJAd5Aupyu4IAPd61726q3cvWFRk7_Sr2mAN5iPXzqwh7rV8Sm5Y67ul4pDI9MapUDcS5ZwavYqFJ8IwY28R5iXk1OyfCkAKq3d2JP0MVq241zWN6JWCv454Q/s320/DSC03670.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471650224450557682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And here is my little family, the most exciting on going creative project ever.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfmAupVYciEbCltCOSVUIGutgDlvRVk6_iDSpurV_2uEJZtG9xcD5yYU9wvVsh01xkiKOp85M0NNogGozLduDzVuQZRGwF4To-suuiHrB3I7EV2-4UG15P0LgFqrkL58clzd2eK_43bA/s1600/DSC03675.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfmAupVYciEbCltCOSVUIGutgDlvRVk6_iDSpurV_2uEJZtG9xcD5yYU9wvVsh01xkiKOp85M0NNogGozLduDzVuQZRGwF4To-suuiHrB3I7EV2-4UG15P0LgFqrkL58clzd2eK_43bA/s320/DSC03675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471650235074973506" border="0" /></a><br /></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-79085554718633577872010-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:002010-05-10T00:10:13.942-07:00Lovely fabric and a lovely Mumma<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufTA77RXRxHJYJ3Xufds8vOMqP1XBytudlzNTa7NsnsmPzx80sQP5aLTBpBP9SzJRUCtArWQJ9-oeNM677L3oUzRDDzu1usVwdLDLCkemVxcBR5i3aAbd2HpZ2wKFefZQIlxl1vGC4XU/s1600/DSCN3997.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufTA77RXRxHJYJ3Xufds8vOMqP1XBytudlzNTa7NsnsmPzx80sQP5aLTBpBP9SzJRUCtArWQJ9-oeNM677L3oUzRDDzu1usVwdLDLCkemVxcBR5i3aAbd2HpZ2wKFefZQIlxl1vGC4XU/s320/DSCN3997.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469534083595455826" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">This is the result when I used a sewing machine for the first time in 5 years. More to come with my new found sewing machine skills but in the meantime thank you Kirsty for helping me with this little birthday gifty. (And yes I know, the birds are upside down but what do the Armish say?? Only God is perfect!! You may be hearing that a lot on this blog)<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYDNSV4VvA9FvqDv2jvD8KkxbxNlF871-V1bPH-dkYsWBdB9kRoBA6lVkQrBNuC1SulDTXuOxhf0zIr-5giM5k31IHDiUwUSO5o0YZqXfXKXf0vyCbCTzwpZzLyKOlOhD7ixK_3cObLo/s1600/DSCN3996.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYDNSV4VvA9FvqDv2jvD8KkxbxNlF871-V1bPH-dkYsWBdB9kRoBA6lVkQrBNuC1SulDTXuOxhf0zIr-5giM5k31IHDiUwUSO5o0YZqXfXKXf0vyCbCTzwpZzLyKOlOhD7ixK_3cObLo/s320/DSCN3996.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469534074748140130" border="0" /></a></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-91207116955165670112010-05-08T16:07:00.000-07:002010-05-09T23:41:01.920-07:00FeastI love to cook. I love to cook all kinds of things but what I enjoy the most in the <span style="font-style: italic;">planning</span>. I love the anticipation of a dish, of expecting guests and sifting through all the different menu options. I'd love to know more about food matching, about what flavours make a sensation across courses not only in one dish.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9veGzrfMMhhat_72KrpPJcxHF7EF0LyWktCRhYCEMR46WhXG4md3lE5YMBNYAAX5swZyUPyNNcZY7s4wNxC8hNCwXjglQ4ySrUaUH1wbN0c1nQfO6iX8KV4tBiRgk7GyekxObEeP-a4/s1600/DSCN4064.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9veGzrfMMhhat_72KrpPJcxHF7EF0LyWktCRhYCEMR46WhXG4md3lE5YMBNYAAX5swZyUPyNNcZY7s4wNxC8hNCwXjglQ4ySrUaUH1wbN0c1nQfO6iX8KV4tBiRgk7GyekxObEeP-a4/s320/DSCN4064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469516926131232450" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Over the Easter weekend had the chance to indulge my menu planning hobby by making a brunch for 8 of my friends. I had a delightful proceeding week leafing through my small but treasured collection of cookbooks until I came up with this menu.<br /><br />Hot Cross buns<br />Shaksuka Eggs<br />Spinach, feta and lamb Gozleme<br />Haloumi Cheese with lemon and oregano<br />Chocolate Guinness cake<br /><br />For blogging purposes I and going to focus on the buns, the eggs and the gozleme. The haloumi cooks itself and the cake is a pure recipe from Nigella so if you want that...get the <a href="http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=525197">book</a> :)<br /><br />The hot cross buns were the inception of my whole plan and they were also the only disaster. I bake bread quite often and I am reasonably good at it although I have managed to kill a sourdough starter twice now by forgetting to feed it. I have been reading a lot about the different products that go into bread and other baked goods and I am trying to move away from using flours that are enhanced with improvers or bleached. I have also been wanting to bake with fresh yeast as opposed to dried (which works perfectly fine). It turns out that it is really hard to find fresh yeast in Sydney (or at least the inner west) that hasn't already been frozen. I finally found it at the wonderful <a href="http://www.murdochbooks.com.au/bourke-street-bakery-9781741964332.htm">Bourke Street Bakery</a> (Alexandria branch).<br /><br />The point of all that is that I was armed with my coveted fresh yeast and gagging to make light, delicious hot cross buns. Well folks if this is your aim then don't use Nigella's recipe from Feast. They aren't light and fluffy and they don't rise. There is a slight possibility that the fault lies with me and not Nigella but I do now remember my mother trying to make the same recipe years ago with the same result: Nicely flavoured rock cakes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DILMoPWNiThaENCMyuLBZXFs57mhsIERRQCB3kV4Fa8kmo6K1jj9jbdZUFMBrEu_6qAS4l4M5cuFHo9tefEMz0HMJur66mvOQbyHGzVoIyUbzmlsuUuSl6_SPgLOzJYyJa0YLoNxAPY/s1600/DSCN4053.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DILMoPWNiThaENCMyuLBZXFs57mhsIERRQCB3kV4Fa8kmo6K1jj9jbdZUFMBrEu_6qAS4l4M5cuFHo9tefEMz0HMJur66mvOQbyHGzVoIyUbzmlsuUuSl6_SPgLOzJYyJa0YLoNxAPY/s320/DSCN4053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469511241529795410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The name Shakshuka Eggs comes from a Pete Evans recipe book but this breakfast dish is found all over the world under different names and with slight variations. I first tried this dish at Woodford Folk festival at an Eritrean stall where it was served with couscous. The basis of the dish is tomato baked eggs and the seasoning is what varies across Africa, Italy and the Middle East. For my eggs I choose to make a Moroccan style tomato sauce.<br /><br />Fresh tomatoes<br />Tinned tomatoes<br />Paprika<br />1 cinnamon stick<br />cumin (ground in a mortar)<br />onion<br />garlic<br />honey<br />coriander (fresh or ground)<br />chili flakes<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I brown the onion, cumin, garlic, chili and paprika in the bottom of my pan and then add the toms, honey and cinnamon. I let all this cook for as long as possible, a good few hours with plenty of stirring and flavour tweaking then I add the fresh coriander leaves close to the end.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZja-eqpXMMyGiMnyCGAs-XaG0eMqmv4aanNu1Ul5iTLv_OzOukOqLUEhdDEdqZw-9Bzt82fh4Fbl3VvhmJU5NLciFt4KmpTRj3kFDTVMNE1h43n99TvDNsxyy1fVf5sPgkfgTc8TYBMw/s1600/DSCN4057.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZja-eqpXMMyGiMnyCGAs-XaG0eMqmv4aanNu1Ul5iTLv_OzOukOqLUEhdDEdqZw-9Bzt82fh4Fbl3VvhmJU5NLciFt4KmpTRj3kFDTVMNE1h43n99TvDNsxyy1fVf5sPgkfgTc8TYBMw/s320/DSCN4057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469515692401960930" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><br />The rest of the recipe is as easy as abc. You pour the sauce into your ramekins or oven dish, make a small indentation with the back of your spoon and break the desired number of eggs in. You then pop them in the over for about 20mins (the eggs take longer than you think to bake) and serve. We ate it with fresh sourdough which was LUSH!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2rCTtT73sy57QYAC49a5m5nYsA8yR4iQIjyyPDNDkOit9AXFGZ58OIMrjW27S6-rhqfL4v7aZ4TY00QwiCnB6tQzz6APRS9yuy7ohVMXTF0J6BZgVceYEXkZn0ueyVqAvijt_rSAQVc/s1600/DSCN4066.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2rCTtT73sy57QYAC49a5m5nYsA8yR4iQIjyyPDNDkOit9AXFGZ58OIMrjW27S6-rhqfL4v7aZ4TY00QwiCnB6tQzz6APRS9yuy7ohVMXTF0J6BZgVceYEXkZn0ueyVqAvijt_rSAQVc/s320/DSCN4066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469515708389370514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Gozleme is a Turkish savoury dish. It is like a cross between a pizza and a calzone. At almost every Australian market that you go to now days you will see a gozleme stall full of Turkish ladies wearing white head scarfs furiously rolling out the dough for these delicious parcels. I love the flavours in the fillings but I often find the market ones too oily and when you watch the liberal application of oils during the cooking process you know why! I came across a recipe for them again in my Pete Evans book <a href="http://www.bookoffers.com.au/my-table-pete-evans/">My Table </a>. The book was given to me by my sister and I have used to time and time again and I find it to be full of interesting yet practical recipes. The gozleme are a little time consuming to make but the end result is an absolute winner. the gorgeous combination of mint and feta in the vego ones in luscious and the lamb and cumin mix in the meat filled ones is magic.....yum!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84rZqTA2c49sb3WIbVqO3tW01d0A0aNz_SecuOmsmPlrixnXWmsBag_Q7i85NUh74Af3_f7IBc-0YPfIC-R3B_DDI6xC3gYLDI3klcNWdYaiWj03ifsfyfCZ0EkI6BAJnAIKJXbi92zY/s1600/DSCN4061.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84rZqTA2c49sb3WIbVqO3tW01d0A0aNz_SecuOmsmPlrixnXWmsBag_Q7i85NUh74Af3_f7IBc-0YPfIC-R3B_DDI6xC3gYLDI3klcNWdYaiWj03ifsfyfCZ0EkI6BAJnAIKJXbi92zY/s320/DSCN4061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469523109933401010" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My friend and sous chef Claire Meech rolling out the dough</span></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(and my husband washing up...bless)</span></span><br /><br />I pretty much stuck to the Pete Evans recipe with out much alteration of my own. You can basically make these filled with what ever you want though. The dough Pete makes is simple, you mix natural yogurt with self raining flour and a pinch of salt till it is smooth and then you let it sit for half an hour. You then roll little handfuls of the dough into circles, pile some filling on half the circle and fold it over like a calzone.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHNJEEZAwEjmdcjNtmIHLtipewYJ4dErs-903l2jHS9n0MoZaRpOvBkAQm807ROqkG5zws32YMninxz1NMerY-sOMbdoJJGZizZsSNh-LnIrTBs7lQZFgaiXMJZ4ioswYNm8VWJsaFq8/s1600/DSCN4056.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHNJEEZAwEjmdcjNtmIHLtipewYJ4dErs-903l2jHS9n0MoZaRpOvBkAQm807ROqkG5zws32YMninxz1NMerY-sOMbdoJJGZizZsSNh-LnIrTBs7lQZFgaiXMJZ4ioswYNm8VWJsaFq8/s320/DSCN4056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469523136185843026" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In regards to the filling, the only limit you have is your imagination. I filled mine with a vego mix of feta, mint and spinach and a meat option of cumin lamb mince (with a touch of tomato juice for moisture) with feta, spinach and mint. I heated a large frying pan sprayed on a touch of olive oil and cooked each side until black spots appeared. Add a squeeze of lemon and YUMO!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx1yUKoOPRjD6jITQm8jZzJf7YtjBmC2mhw3GntJvxBjTD8JTebTNGuyKwf2bZMAhalAyFM-6yrhtQsf5m0NKNvc2I0iWdvWXW-BrCgHhPIEyP8TjnBZPgZTTKDvWun3-DRAU6Dt_BDI/s1600/DSCN4067.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx1yUKoOPRjD6jITQm8jZzJf7YtjBmC2mhw3GntJvxBjTD8JTebTNGuyKwf2bZMAhalAyFM-6yrhtQsf5m0NKNvc2I0iWdvWXW-BrCgHhPIEyP8TjnBZPgZTTKDvWun3-DRAU6Dt_BDI/s320/DSCN4067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469523127866264914" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><br /></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-9018278741090581602010-05-06T17:55:00.000-07:002010-05-06T23:16:12.813-07:00Babies come with hats<div style="text-align: left;">I have been a crafty lady lately. Sometimes I ask myself why I didn't start making things while I was pregnant. I had almost two wonderful months to myself before Lewis was born last year and I could have filled those days with all the projects that now fill my head, jostling to get to the front of the line and actually be created! Instead I filled those months sleeping (bliss), walking on the eastern cliffs (also bliss) and watching the entire series of Buffy....ok so those two months were pretty perfect....<br /><br />The point is that I now face a daily battle to keep my house under control (there are those close to me who may say I fail in this regard), my active little boy entertained and indulge my growing crafty side.<br /><br />My sister Jacqui taught me to knit not long after Lewis was born and I took to it like a duck to water. That is not to say that I was good at it right from the start or am even good at it now! On the contrary my first works were impossible tight, odd looking creations filled with dropped stitches and lots of swear words. What I did take to in a duckish manner was the <span style="font-style: italic;">feeling</span> of knitting, the <span style="font-style: italic;">slowness</span> of it. I love the click click of the needles, the connection between the mind and the hands and the way that it invites people to come sit with you for a long leisurely chat as the rows multiply.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Soggy Bob was a happy result of these early knitting lessons from Jacqui. Knitted by Jacqui as part of my instruction, he comes from this <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Play-Your-Baby-Expertise/dp/1856752712"> Steiner book. </a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYf4j36YU32GDmPL6LAouk6-xONp_gX6esn3wtQNURe3gynbhhdglXSX1BB4HcMLqE-zNPzs94TKQsdch7wQPvFiIAbD3NPHW8ncbURgh0cCQrsjUoQcot0LKefbECbptxXBjSUKnkRi4/s1600/DSCN3020.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYf4j36YU32GDmPL6LAouk6-xONp_gX6esn3wtQNURe3gynbhhdglXSX1BB4HcMLqE-zNPzs94TKQsdch7wQPvFiIAbD3NPHW8ncbURgh0cCQrsjUoQcot0LKefbECbptxXBjSUKnkRi4/s320/DSCN3020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468329274586468114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Lewis showing appreciation for Soggy Bob the sheep and Jenn's shoe at the same time<br /><br /></span> </span><div style="text-align: center;">Our Christmas trip to England produced a new knitted labour of love. I knitted Lewis a Christmas stocking complete with a knitted Christmas tree decoration. For any knitting enthusiasts out there I may try to post the pattern I made up for the tree closer to the festive season. The stocking was special because it holds stitches knitted with love by many helpful hands. During the trip I happened to be surrounded by many experienced knitters who were rather appalled at my abilities and speed...so they helped :) Granny B and Nanna Jenny helped A LOT as did our wonderful friend Liz who demanded that I give her the knitting just to see if the lovely rose wood needles I was using were the reason for my snail like progress ( turns out they weren't). I love the feeling of community and collaboration that this process invoked, it reinforces for me that the <span style="font-style: italic;">process</span> is just as important as the result when it comes to creating. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEwNMe6DOdylOfNVCdxQ8OmnpCfN7ObtZ4HKDvsoAwCwl-DpY9Zx0oI6nvDirEENPaXb1znx9LEyjqMKn-cgMcqnUarZtm1Pzx1oxlOPQLeFrju7hmbXfbV_by3FKsm4Ogy6w3pGOxJw/s1600/DSCN3485.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEwNMe6DOdylOfNVCdxQ8OmnpCfN7ObtZ4HKDvsoAwCwl-DpY9Zx0oI6nvDirEENPaXb1znx9LEyjqMKn-cgMcqnUarZtm1Pzx1oxlOPQLeFrju7hmbXfbV_by3FKsm4Ogy6w3pGOxJw/s320/DSCN3485.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468332815500270978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmz1JCvTOge2PmSigegu6rtYbDdk3w3Q7idqQAwQA1ni5c3_RrnqqxYbkK1uHlKy2XhZUgruPfoJKRDq6p5s6Rj-Ll6cS0NtbG7qKZHx0rVjbnWnmMrZXHqU-ufE_oMNEOC_x68uyaio/s1600/DSCN3434.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmz1JCvTOge2PmSigegu6rtYbDdk3w3Q7idqQAwQA1ni5c3_RrnqqxYbkK1uHlKy2XhZUgruPfoJKRDq6p5s6Rj-Ll6cS0NtbG7qKZHx0rVjbnWnmMrZXHqU-ufE_oMNEOC_x68uyaio/s320/DSCN3434.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468333608589661474" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lewis unpacking his stocking at his first Christmas</span></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">and</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Granny B's friends popped in for Christmas Eve coffee and joined the production line</span></span><br /><br />A month or so ago I reached my knitted pinnacle so far. I have two not one beautiful babies in my life (well I have far more than that!). Lewis has a special friend Mabel Wren who is his senior by one week and I have a special friend in Mabel Wren's mother Sarah Mac. I wanted to make cozy hats to keep these babes heads warm this winter so these little hat were born.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwaMUQnYC55QAJwA2XMAs0qSGIKfCdIbir-5WKH3E9ZVPBsgvT1SiDMwm6gBY3HCxbxfL2Hy4UmB0HmbfN2AGfkcVuoeN20PHrH9MaPjkcIG8Mqk4704hDSG-3ZU3-KCktjFyHDRq0RY/s1600/DSCN3984.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwaMUQnYC55QAJwA2XMAs0qSGIKfCdIbir-5WKH3E9ZVPBsgvT1SiDMwm6gBY3HCxbxfL2Hy4UmB0HmbfN2AGfkcVuoeN20PHrH9MaPjkcIG8Mqk4704hDSG-3ZU3-KCktjFyHDRq0RY/s320/DSCN3984.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468338333632346802" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX72kJa6L7s0VOR1X6xf8sJcD7EYhq9dHPId4RR6f-rJGMTEV0QTTT8b0vM5QOEsoQ1kL3gE2YkuF91bKNpA4pMbra1uJYMcs7Q1_Ez3fIv4APyVjmkBz5zDAwuzWL8JsL2PPhLLO5Y2o/s1600/DSCN3989.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX72kJa6L7s0VOR1X6xf8sJcD7EYhq9dHPId4RR6f-rJGMTEV0QTTT8b0vM5QOEsoQ1kL3gE2YkuF91bKNpA4pMbra1uJYMcs7Q1_Ez3fIv4APyVjmkBz5zDAwuzWL8JsL2PPhLLO5Y2o/s320/DSCN3989.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468338345834748258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucSswu_fToxnQT8JVfy7HvZTibfUcOn5uBz9UVP1af8NlxGvCussb0GoN5XCgeTW9CP40HJZifKtcjhh6DBU4zSUR3FZVF3M1C2lLwk7-6ygA6JeK86KyjiCOrdifKueLuDrdYaEOuew/s1600/DSCN4001.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucSswu_fToxnQT8JVfy7HvZTibfUcOn5uBz9UVP1af8NlxGvCussb0GoN5XCgeTW9CP40HJZifKtcjhh6DBU4zSUR3FZVF3M1C2lLwk7-6ygA6JeK86KyjiCOrdifKueLuDrdYaEOuew/s320/DSCN4001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468338359097635426" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hats with ears what more can I say??</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">To make these hats I watched this <a href="http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-knit-a-simple-baby-hat-150774/">video tutorial</a> and then did a whole lot of adapting of my own. Basically I just knit a rectangle, occasionally hold it up to a nearby baby's head to check for size and go from there. I'm not big on patterns and being exact me...<br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-60490797909847535042010-05-06T17:30:00.000-07:002010-05-07T03:28:15.718-07:00A resurrectionTo blog or not to blog? I read blogs, I recommend blogs, I learn from blogs. On the whole I am a fan of the blog but I fear I am a slack blogger. So I have decided to resurrect a blog that I started in 2007 which was to be about my London life equip with a camera phone and turn it into a journal of Sydney life, motherhood, cooking, creating and trying to stay fit (to run the city to surf or not??).<br /><br />I will start my blogs new life with a homage to a great blogger and inspirational woman, Amanda Blake Soule of <a href="http://www.soulemamma.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Soulemamma</span></a><a href="http://www.soulemamma.com/"> </a>Every week Amanda updates with a 'this moment' post:<div style="text-align: center;"><em>{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. </em><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Now I am a woman of words and I am going to disrupt Amanda's wonderful idea and make it my own by adding words. Just a line...I like to explain things! :)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt_NtE_upUA86WB7Os3ZbEhs2QcQ47MNK3Fst8dXoxHgp_6QF1Scoa-HfV1jI8xbl9xiOX-VWS5knIWScwzyosrQ2kKtfpKPwDEuAX-MtcxP05y16zRVSpAsMdXLBbuhlmeE9CzpcD3Y/s1600/DSCN3824.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt_NtE_upUA86WB7Os3ZbEhs2QcQ47MNK3Fst8dXoxHgp_6QF1Scoa-HfV1jI8xbl9xiOX-VWS5knIWScwzyosrQ2kKtfpKPwDEuAX-MtcxP05y16zRVSpAsMdXLBbuhlmeE9CzpcD3Y/s320/DSCN3824.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468322737987639938" border="0" /></a>Is there a more satisfying site than bright, white nappies drying in the sunshine under a clear blue sky?<br /></div>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354091526001495259.post-66059199179138270402007-07-03T07:34:00.000-07:002007-07-03T08:10:32.698-07:00Back to work...After a lovely one month break I returned to the Isle of Dogs for a second series of Psychic Private Eyes. I plan to update you a bit later with some pictures of my commute (mostly by bike) into work and also of the area that I am working in because it really is pretty amazing...but that will come later.<br /><br />So out first series of PPE has now started to broadcast not only in the UK but in about 191 countries. We have also started to get emails from places like Romania (where we rate very highly) wanting us to 'come my mystery to find solve please'. Well I'm glad they like the show somewhere.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGgmVTGv_iNYeS70KGG1fXboJJLtctvgxvqs2kdWQheEyE_lpuSicvKvLL5HzE01gPIw-RcdHreS2mNpgFzCbk9hCzU7SDofqlz2t5W7E-o7p8L30EKRjeI1C07NdTWvzR7nBqPHZu4M/s1600-h/DSC00334.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGgmVTGv_iNYeS70KGG1fXboJJLtctvgxvqs2kdWQheEyE_lpuSicvKvLL5HzE01gPIw-RcdHreS2mNpgFzCbk9hCzU7SDofqlz2t5W7E-o7p8L30EKRjeI1C07NdTWvzR7nBqPHZu4M/s200/DSC00334.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082983604440769122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">My feet with a poster of the show behind</span><br /><br />Most of the old team from the first series have come back so it is nice to have an office full of friends to come to everyday. We also all pretty much approach the show with the same attitude and sense of fun!<br /><br />My first episode was not an uplifting one and I'd rather not dwell on it bu my second took me to the west country with a lovely new directer called Jacqui (very weird to hear people referring to Naomi and Jacqui!)<br /><br />The story was about a man from Bath called Phillip who went missing in 2000 in 2003 his foot was found in the mouth of the Severn river in Bristol. The theory was that he had fallen into the river somewhere near bath and his foot had come away from his body over the years and travelled down the river to Bristol. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDb4GF9sZblgGMZyPjzDFYfgTUYNZMcVSyf2VAp5N93smbaG6N-b8u7z6QtHO3hNAK4ZNaOt2imhTB-nTxzbFJo8frbvPNeK0mySEsCMjF-qCzkrkt-l64YnSjGnUqLXz5SUDSrnesUvY/s1600-h/DSC00432.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDb4GF9sZblgGMZyPjzDFYfgTUYNZMcVSyf2VAp5N93smbaG6N-b8u7z6QtHO3hNAK4ZNaOt2imhTB-nTxzbFJo8frbvPNeK0mySEsCMjF-qCzkrkt-l64YnSjGnUqLXz5SUDSrnesUvY/s200/DSC00432.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082984377534882434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The Severn Bridge close the one of our filming locations...it goes all the way to wales</span><br /><br />After an enlightening and rather gross conversation with a underwater recovery policeman I learnt that it is actually not that uncommon for feet to come away in water...I also learnt lots more about bodies decomposing in water which I won't share!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XnfF6bwqIsHvYSGX-Tss1gUStT7qKNwRu8apVYOjmzKL1fVIgn3HRsePRpBLpqF2-1v7mDiufzF6UBNgSiDxbQ-huAU6j219Lk5hyvZV77luaBl7WyUsY0yGXX7aQQrJm0k476PeKdk/s1600-h/DSC00430.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XnfF6bwqIsHvYSGX-Tss1gUStT7qKNwRu8apVYOjmzKL1fVIgn3HRsePRpBLpqF2-1v7mDiufzF6UBNgSiDxbQ-huAU6j219Lk5hyvZV77luaBl7WyUsY0yGXX7aQQrJm0k476PeKdk/s200/DSC00430.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082984794146710162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The B&B we stayed in outside of Bristol</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Jacqui and I spent a week in Bath and a few days in Bristol. When we went it film the interview with Phillips Sister and Mother I was faced with a challenging moment of my career when I had to hold a very active baby while trying to operate the camera...very difficult! Especially when the baby thinks that you might breastfeed him!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTR6UCxxd-VKnvIkhpy2djc6ctHUahnuIv3sH_5rd0rIdWFdWk2mssBVSRnRmC-5yTLYOabMyugq82ssIkI40FbwKbMR3uDsgQVxw8NVUcUhIMiCNYSm9byUXtM9uJF3K1r-TPdpcRp6o/s1600-h/DSC00428.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTR6UCxxd-VKnvIkhpy2djc6ctHUahnuIv3sH_5rd0rIdWFdWk2mssBVSRnRmC-5yTLYOabMyugq82ssIkI40FbwKbMR3uDsgQVxw8NVUcUhIMiCNYSm9byUXtM9uJF3K1r-TPdpcRp6o/s200/DSC00428.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082983608735736434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Baby trying to help with the camera work</span><br /><br />We took TJ (one of the psychics) down the river on a boat which was a fun process and I also got to go through a lock with a lovely couple who had a canal boat that they live on every now and then...Great Fun! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTkLOuEQ9OCJgMg87xDsFeL3a0UsBNTDOC0V5-0VLCKxler7M7QRB9cN2Xjga0xP7rYPSSWmGxwuoNoldz2_pGi_GE0nlXg0XliQhcP27IHBwV3YUwefiDYOQBj1-kBTwC3Z8ZAtKLqk/s1600-h/DSC00008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTkLOuEQ9OCJgMg87xDsFeL3a0UsBNTDOC0V5-0VLCKxler7M7QRB9cN2Xjga0xP7rYPSSWmGxwuoNoldz2_pGi_GE0nlXg0XliQhcP27IHBwV3YUwefiDYOQBj1-kBTwC3Z8ZAtKLqk/s200/DSC00008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082986086931866274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDONIJjyanu0zZQ_Wf49IPGYgUpslLR1QAxOJ9MKLZqj3Qc-KdarfOplBmSiKA4YaZr932rFMZuQPnyFHPh8begg9-TJpC4JfuiQkPvsTbtwmhlLve45mnwl1v8eONww9e6cztoTBXSc/s1600-h/DSC00472.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDONIJjyanu0zZQ_Wf49IPGYgUpslLR1QAxOJ9MKLZqj3Qc-KdarfOplBmSiKA4YaZr932rFMZuQPnyFHPh8begg9-TJpC4JfuiQkPvsTbtwmhlLve45mnwl1v8eONww9e6cztoTBXSc/s200/DSC00472.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082987169263624930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VdXKkKIX5I0vGI1_p_HksPjEN6iV8UhxHzqFfL7PPpIkP6TctVRWnhgVtVeI6T8XU4PM03US0Wk6AFKmI_j2HC7z7z1UDxXSrZRdho8DgMF6AMNQPnhAK4F1YXGD_4l1QLUs1hS9rLs/s1600-h/DSC00006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VdXKkKIX5I0vGI1_p_HksPjEN6iV8UhxHzqFfL7PPpIkP6TctVRWnhgVtVeI6T8XU4PM03US0Wk6AFKmI_j2HC7z7z1UDxXSrZRdho8DgMF6AMNQPnhAK4F1YXGD_4l1QLUs1hS9rLs/s200/DSC00006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082986091226833586" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10ZWLc_xD0jA7mhN66geAZw9NvwsiKrAjGpzomHwivvhVbHXukx89ftg9yUSWbTlL_e0oQymGm1OhF0VvMPm6Lt6BCpFdzXRfpobFM0JYGL4bUwdHMOflPfrHGrn1e94lWHa4cq1_DYw/s1600-h/DSC00473.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10ZWLc_xD0jA7mhN66geAZw9NvwsiKrAjGpzomHwivvhVbHXukx89ftg9yUSWbTlL_e0oQymGm1OhF0VvMPm6Lt6BCpFdzXRfpobFM0JYGL4bUwdHMOflPfrHGrn1e94lWHa4cq1_DYw/s200/DSC00473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082987160673690322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxCH3Asi4rghlpX7sfl7glZ8K8OiXmSbXhARyLOMWhxQEYNotTcFB8PzNw2ZzyqEZRCdKYTCUWNKgcpQSGPokGnPfPR-W2bRq8kSPK1PTzFlXo6K_2w9Q7WWFsUpnggAqHw4LLGEzRlQ/s1600-h/DSC00468.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxCH3Asi4rghlpX7sfl7glZ8K8OiXmSbXhARyLOMWhxQEYNotTcFB8PzNw2ZzyqEZRCdKYTCUWNKgcpQSGPokGnPfPR-W2bRq8kSPK1PTzFlXo6K_2w9Q7WWFsUpnggAqHw4LLGEzRlQ/s200/DSC00468.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082986099816768194" border="0" /></a>naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18174800173107092746noreply@blogger.com1