the great divide.

The Great Divide. Generally it refers to an east-west divide of the mountain variety. There’s “them”, who live on the coast, and major cities (like the old joke goes, what does NSW stand for? Newcastle, Sydney, Woolongong!). And there’s “us”. The country bumpkin cousins, in the colder, drier higher altitudes.

But the great divide that the title of this post refers to, is more a man made one. A north-south divide. Of the canetoad and cheating footballers variety (disclaimer – I didn’t watch Origin *gasp* but the way my twitter and facebook feeds exploded, I’m still not 100% sure if we were talking about a football game or declaring war on our neighbouring statesmen). My brother-in-law is a *cough*Queenslander*cough*, and, I must admit, we don’t mind paying him out constantly a bit of a stir every now and then. But then. A transfer meant a move for my sister and brother-in-law. To the “wrong” side of the border…

So therein lies the basis of the design. The true inspiration was a visit to their home, where I noticed they had two clocks. One for Qld time, one for NSW time (insert preferred curtain fading quip here). And that got the old cogs turning, and hence was born a little mug rug for my sister. The river that marks the border between states. The clock with an hours time difference. The dark side and the light side. I think I’ll leave it up to her to decide which is which!!

 

It’s heading off in today’s post, so hopefully she should have it in a couple of days. She doesn’t know about it, so it should be a (hopefully!) nice surprise in her letter box when it arrives.

 

Today we are all battling the first big hit of winter lurgies. Boy2 is down, I’m down, Butterfly isn’t far behind. Next in line is Daddy and Bear, bother who have started with a niggle. Joy joy. We declared yesterday a movie and jammie day, and did a great deal of nothing. I managed to find myself at the halfway point of a doily I’m crocheting, Boy2 came and sewed with me for a bit and got the top of his Cookie Monster quilt done. Though of course Butterfly thinks she needs a turn on the sewing machine. Darling girl, you are 19 months. How about no? Today is more of the same. I’ve got covers setting for a handbound journal I am making for a friend, and if I get the covers and my doily done, I’ll be a happy camper. Two small children out for the count, an hour until we need to think about school pickup. Time to get busy and kick Tuesday in the butt, lurgy or no lurgy. But just a gentle kick. Let’s do this!

 

{Linking up today for the first time at Diary of a SAHM for I Blog on Tuesday}

progress…maybe.

So I started the quilt-in-a-day challenge. And given the various demands on my time, I got a fair way in. But then, the quilt sat, and sat and sat. And finally over the weekend, I got the binding attached to not only that mugrug I’ve been blathering on about for weeks, but also the star quilt. Perfect timing now the nights are getting cold, stitching it down will be a pleasant way to snuggle under a quilt while watching a bit of telly. I must admit, the stitching of binding is probably my least favourite part of quilt making. Though on the upside, today is Tuesday, so a bit of Big Bang Theory while stitching sounds like a pleasant way to pass the evening. It also means, aside from my swoon blocks which I have packed away for now, the decks are reasonably clear, freeing up the machine for small people who are keen to get their share of quilting time!

 

One small person is in bed, one at preschool, one at big school. With 2 hours until pickup, I’m rapidly running out of time to get much done. The girl and I have been out at a friend’s place this morning, and now she’s in bed, I’m thinking some lunch, a spot of housework and then if I can manage it before she wakes, a bit of down time in the sun. Maybe with those quilts, maybe some knitting, possibly some painting. I was quite excited to get notification that my fabric has shipped, so now I just need to wait so I can sew and prep charm packs for the shop. I also received a delivery of handmade paper from the States yesterday, and it is even more delightful than I expected, so I’m keen to order the remaining supplies and get stuck into some journal binding. I think my to-do list is conspiring with the housework to keep me away from my studio, both are growing exponentially. Time to knock them on the head. Mojo, oh, mojo, wherefore art thou?

swirls and hearts

A while back, I made a quilt in a day. 22 hours from purchase of fabric to final stitch in the binding. It was a crazy but fun project. When AJ mentioned she’d been working on one, I felt the itch again. A few of us banded together, and the ANZAC Day 24 hour quilt challenge was set in motion. I had a rough idea of what I wanted to make. A vague design in mind. But hitting up Spotlight in the holidays, I couldn’t find what I wanted, and ended up with something completely different. But workable. I thought. But then life intervened, and I got barely any sewing done over ANZAC Day. It’s still coming together, but I must admit I am quite chuffed with how the FMQ is coming together. Likely because I’m actually using a darning foot now on my machine. Instead of a, um *cough* button sewing foot *cough*. Yeah. That could explain a lot. With the proper foot, I can actually get a good rhythym and flowing motion, and aside from a few early problems with travel lines not quite lining up, I am really enjoying exploring quilting patterns. Lucky I have at least four quilts currently in the “to make” queue!

 

The sky is grey and threatening. Slow drizzle masks the view through the now-damp window. It’s the kind of day to stay inside and get crafty. I’m busy working on a foundation-pieced mug rug, and I’m also hoping to get the stars on the quilt above quilted, and hopefully the binding pieced. If I’m lucky, even attached. I’m working on a painting, but oil is SO SLOW to dry, so it will have to wait a day or two for the next layer. I want to draft up a dinosaur softie and stitch it up. We’ve read and sang and legoed our way through the morning, and Butterfly has just toddled off to bed for a nap as the rain gets heavier and the beat of the drops of the roof lull her off to sleep. Buster is happily playing in the toyroom, and I’m going to sneak off for a coffee and maybe even make myself some sugar pastries and ignore the washing that needs to find it’s way onto clothes horses while watching another episode of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Youtube gold. I’ve promised him we’ll make some cookie monster cookies for afternoon tea. A quiet day, in a busy kind of way. Hello Thursday, nice to have you along for the ride. Let’s do this!

Stitch, stitch, stitch…bugger…unpick.

So I had a good run at my Swoon block yesterday. I got to the end, pressed it flat, and despite the imperfections, was please to call it done. Then I looked again. Hang on, something’s not right. Bugger. One corner had not only been stitched in upside down, but the smaller components had also gone in back to front. Out came the unpicker, and 10 minutes later, a correct swoon block emerged!

 

In between Swooning, I also managed to whip up a little friend. A few friends and I had been giggling along to the adventures of Beyonce over at The Bloggess, and wondered whether we all chipped in, how much postage might be to Australia. But it was enough to get the inspiration turning, and I dug through the stash, and soon appeared, Cerise.

Cerise is the official mascot of the Sisterhood of The Travelling Chicken, and I am blessed (?) to be her current hostess. She’s cheeky and demanding, but awfully fun to have around. Head on over to her blog to keep up with her adventures.

 

Good Friday came and went, church, a play in the park with friends, a picnic of fish and chips. Those cheesecake eggs were the bees knees. Shall blog them later. Today it’s been a quiet-ish day. A spot of shopping, a bit of tidying, some blogging and working on my intercessions for church tomorrow. Bear has been keeping me company in the studio and doing some painting. I was thinking of doing another Swoon, or making a bag, or maybe some painting. But I’m feeling kind of lazy, so maybe just a movie and some stitching down of binding. And raiding the fridge for the last cheesecake egg. Shhhh…. Hope you are all having a wonderful Easter x

swoon me up, buttercup

It’s all the rage in the quilting world at the minute – Swoon. The mega-block mega quilt. And so when a sew-a-long was suggested in my online quilting group, I thought I’d best check it out for myself. It looked nice, so I bought the pattern, and started playing with fabric combinations. But it makes 24″ blocks. Yowsers. Big blocks aren’t my style, especially for a quilt with no purpose other than to be sociable and make a quilt! So I rethought my plans, and ended up downsizing the pattern to make 6″ blocks, from which I will make a dolls quilt for Butterfly. Yesterday I started cutting and laying out my first block, and started with the piecing. I think once I find my groove, it’ll come together quickly!

 

 

 

I also managed to squeeze in another quick little project at nap time – a friend was chasing a ruffled nappy cover and wondered if I made them to sell. I said I didn’t, and pointed her to my two stand-by sites for such prettiness, but no luck, so I promised I’d have a go at making a pair, and aside from a couple of small imperfections, was quite pleased with the end result!

 

 

Post nap, Butterfly had a blast hovering in the studio and playing with some scraps, before we popped Dolly in the pram and went for a wander around the street, and had a delightful little chat as we adventured. I love the days where it’s just me and her. I love my boys too, of course, but as the third, her time alone with me to date has been very limited, so it’s nice to share some one on one time with her as well. Though after two boys, it’s like learning to play all over again!

 

We’ve had an easy morning today, after a rough night – Butterfly with a cough, Bubba Boy with a tummy ache. Coffee is my friend. We had an assembly to see Bear get a Principal’s Award at the end of his first term of Kindy. Bubba Boy and I have hung out and read stories and practiced numbers while Butterfly slept off her restless night. Both are now in bed asleep, and the housework calls. So does swoon. And a little painting is tickling the edges of my brain begging for escape. I’m stalking the postie for a parcel or two due to arrive. More coffee is desperately needed. *yawn* one day until holidays. Bring it on!

mug rug

{mug rug made for Joy in the recent swap}

Phew. The end of a busy day is tantalisingly close. Two in bed, one to go. Drop offs, outings, pickups, classes, work, cleaning, cuddling, playing. Little Bear, as expected, has gone down with a bug. Butterfly isn’t far behind. One more jobs and I’m calling it knock off time. Better blogging tomorrow, promise.

lay wif me, pwease.

Hi. My name is Little White Dove, and I am a quilt addict. Well, more correctly, a blanket addict. As nice and snuggly as doonas are, I just can’t feel warm without the weight of four or five blankets. Growing up, we always had a couple of wool blankets, and a quilt made by my mum, so maybe that is where it comes from. Maybe it’s ingrained from my (increasingly far-distant) childhood. I remember in our first home, there were tall poplars across the street, and even on a sweltering January evening, I would insist on being covered by at least a sheet. In case the trees fell down, you see. Because we all know that if a tree falls on your house, a thin cotton sheet will be the difference between life and death.

 

Or maybe it’s something even more basic than that. My two eldest children are wildly divergent in their bedding tastes. Bear, at 5, so much more like me in his general personality, is much more like his father, and will kick the blankets off, even as the July frost grows thick on the ground. And in the same way, Bubba Boy, like his daddy in so many ways, and yet, at bed time, his mama’s influence shows through, and on the hottest of evenings, where even pyjamas seem too much, he will insist on at least one blanket, and if he can get away with it, a doona as well.

 

And so, when it came time to redecorate the children’s room after the renovation, I immediately began planning quilts, plural. One per boy, possibly two. And yet husband insisted that doonas would be much better. In the end, we compromised, and each boy now has a quilt cover and a bed topper quilt. The quilt cover is made from backing-width flannelette, with a feature segment of orange corduroy,  and a small amount of patchwork, and the quilts are a basic D9P, with the green flannelette as the backing. So lovely and snuggly.

 

Though a tad warm when a certain little three year old softly calls out, and strokes my face as he gently asks, “Lie wif me, pwease, mama?”

 

 

(and yes, I am aware the binding hasn’t been stitched down. I’m kinda lazy like that!).

G7

Dear Jane,

The final stitch fell into place, and the small child hovering at my elbow jumped excitedly. “Mummy, mummy, you’ve finished! Your Dear Jane is done, and it’s soooo pretty!” It seems my boy and I have had a bit of a mis-communication, but he has become fascinated with the DJ journey, at all of 5 years old. Next up, he is constantly tracking progress on “Oh Hi Ah Star” (Ohio Star – F7). I get the feeling he’s failing to grasp just how big a project his mummy has taken on. Though his faith in me is very encouraging.

Did your foster-children enjoy watching you quilt, Jane? Did you start when you were newly married and dreaming of babies of your own? How many tears did you shed as you stitched, wondering when you might be blessed? Or maybe you were happy as you were, not particularly concerned whether children were part of your grander plan.

I stitched a lot of this one by the light of our camping gas lantern, or as children napped in the tent, sheltering from the summer heat. It was quite pleasant, being unplugged from the electronics of the world, stitching away. I’m going to start unplugging more, I think, rationing my internet use. Funny how we have things “easier”, but seem to have less time than you must have, to stitch and chat and visit with friends.

 

 

So, without further ado. Indianapolis, AKA Dear Jane, AKA G7.

 

 

dear jane…

Dear Jane,

 

Your quilt has inspired many. And some of those girls, inspired by you, have in turn inspired me. I wonder what you’d think of my chosen plan for your quilt, to sew it in modern colours, not being 100% faithful to the original? Switching out background for more colour. Keeping the same three colours constant throughout. Yesterday I drafted G7, and last night, cut those first, tiny peices. I’m planning on creating it by hand. Check in again in anouth 5 blocks or so. This will be my evening craft, something I can do without needing a computer or machine. Where you used candlelight to light your work, though, I’ll likely use the TV. There’s something about the juxtaposition that entices me. Modern colours, old quilt. Modern entertainment, old methods. I wonder what you’d think of all these ladies copying your quilt? Did you plan it as a masterpiece, the crowning glory of your craft? Or was it just a was to make the mundane more interesting?

 

I’m a stationery hoarder, Jane. I love fresh notebooks, empty and clean, full of promise of wonderful creations. And yet, I can barely bring myself to use them. What if my words, or my sketches, or my doodles, aren’t worthy of the beautiful vessel in I which I entrust them? What if I waste a journal I love, on a project I don’t? And yet, as I smoothed open the first page of the linen bound notebook, a gift from my mother for my birthday, I felt no hesitation in using it as my DJ journal. Isn’t that strange? But at the same time, so right. A beautiful journal, to record my journey, and give a history to a quilt that I hope will one day cover myself, my children, my grandchildren. A quilt I can look at and feel the emotion of the moment of each block. See there, Clementine, I’ll say to my tiny granddaughter as she sits on my knee. That block there I peiced as your mummy started school. And that one? That was the last block I peiced, finished the week after she married your daddy, and your nanny’s heart was so happy, and yet so sad, I thought it might just burst.

 

A history waiting to be written, and a history long past. Strange how life circles around like that, don’t you think, Jane?

 

sensible…

Quilting, on a day that is blistering, and promising to be one of our hottest of the season. Potentially not my smartest idea. Working in my favour? Bamboo batting instead of wool (though any gain there is negated by the flannelette backing), and the size of the quilts – small snuggle lap quilts. I sandwiched them last night, using spray for the first time. Hopefully I can get a good run at them today or tonight, and I will go close to getting at least one quilted, as the quilting will be fairly simple.