Dot's Bouquet is finished

I am really happy with this quilt I made for Car's aunt Dorothy! Number one, it's finished (and don't we all love a finished quilt?!), and number two, I am happy with all my choices. The fabrics, colours, pattern and quilting all seem to work together. (See the previous post if you want details about where I got the idea for this quilt from.) The fabric is from the Timeless Treasures Kiwi Mama Mia range.
I had to piece the back, after discovering my backing wasn't quite long enough - I even like how the back turned out! I'm pretty sure she'll like it - she'll appreciate the gift, even if green isn't her favourite colour!
Now that I've made quite quite a few of these comfort quilts and feel much more comfortable free motion quilting, I feel like I can tackle some 'keepers' for us. It would be nice, wouldn't it, to have something to show for all this quilting? I only have one quilt here that is made by me! The very first sampler quilt I made for Romily way back in 2006.

And just because, here's a photo of Mr Trista! He is wearing a deflated ball as a hat. Why not, I say?!

Shhhhhhhh! There's been quilt making going on around here!

I know, it's been a while! But I finally started piecing the next comfort quilt on my list - this one for Carl's only aunt, who's been having a rough time with her health lately, including a long stay in hospital. She's home now, but taking things slowly. As the weather starts to cool, what better than a snuggly quilt to keep your knees and toes warm? I've pieced all the blocks, and hope to stitch them together tonight. I'm hoping I can baste and start quiting by Monday - a public holiday here in Canberra. (Edited to add that I was very neglectful in mentioning that the pattern isn't mine - it's based on a pattern called Highlights that my friend Helen used in a quilt last year. I loved hers, so based my blocks on the general ratio used in the Highlights blocks. Mine are quite a bit smaller and I don't have so many different fabrics. I've also made only 'A' blocks and changed the layout to get the secondary pattern of squares of the main fabric.)
The weather has certainly turned here; we're still getting warm days, but it's noticeably cooler in the mornings and we're starting to get a bit more rain. So guess who has some new gumboots to go with the rain? Tristan loves his first pair of gumboots - Roary the Racing Car boots, replete with 'headlights' and 'wheels'! They are so cute, although not so cute as their owner!

18 months

Time flies when you're having fun, so the old saying goes. But I'm wondering where on earth the past 18 months has gone? And wondering how my child-bearing days whizzed by without so much as a 'by your leave'?

Here's proof that it has! Tristan has grown a lot since I took this photo at one month old (on his fab 'Winter's Garden quilt made by some lovely friends in my online quilting group).Playing 'peekaboo'!And one with his big sister, who he loves and adores (and sometimes shows his enthusiasm by whacking her with whatever whacking object he can lay his hands on, all the while cackling like a madman!).
And here's one of Miss Romily herself, after the party on Saturday, where she 'won' a mini-face painting set in pass the parcel. I promised her a butterfly when we got home. Then I tossed her into bed for a sleep - she's got a slight summer cold/cough and was absolutely wrecked - you can tell from this photo!