The Swan

Jenni's 21st Birthday - Part 2

Tuesday dawned and Jenni had to get up early for 8 hours of uni. Lovely way to spend a birthday.

John and I spent the day getting ready for the evening (including finding out our new second fridge was not working and the microwave blew up) when the Nannas, Elizabeth plus Jenni's closest friends and our friends were coming over for dinner with The Birthday Girl.

After dinner, there was The Cake

(from The Mighty Boosh, one of Jenni's favourite tv shows - suggested by Elizabeth and decorated by John), followed by a little speech from John and presents from us:

The box was hiding Ally Turtle made by Mick Barber of Divine Hammer (Eumundi)

Leanne Beasley's "Travel Quilt"

and

"Very Hungry Caterpillar" Quilt, which was wrapped inside the Travel Quilt.

This is the key John painted for Jenni but, in all the fuss of the night, we forgot to give it to her (we have some hooks to add to make it a keyholder).Later on Jenni and some of her friends went out.

Wednesday morning John and I drove Elizabeth back to Sydney, had breakfast at the cafe where Michael is the chef, then went shopping for a new microwave. Back to work yesterday and now slowly recovering from a hectic but so enjoyable week.

Ugly Duckling is now a Swan

Earlier this year Elizabeth and I went shopping at Material Obsession in Sydney. We came home with this unusual (for me) bundle of fabrics

These fabrics

were added to the bundle and this week I finished a Travel Quilt for Jenni (quilted on the [doover] frame) - I'll post a picture after her birthday. Leanne describes the Travel Quilt as "The perfect solution for using the fabrics you bought on a trip that don't blend in with your stash" - so true in this case. But, I have to admit, I'm really pleased with the overall look of the quilt and Elizabeth made excellent fabric choices because I can imagine Jenni choosing all of those fabrics for herself (for clothes or whatever).

Next quilt to sew up is Anni Downs "Happy Days" in these fabrics -

and I think I'll have enough leftover to make a smaller version of Janelle Wind's "Citrus Crush". I'm hoping I can find some pistachio or turquoise coloured jumbo ric-rac but don't like my chances. Two more quilts to quilt on the doover - am slowly feeling more competent.

And another one's gone ...

This is the first "Travel Quilt" finished with large meandering quilting - No 3 in Peg's Challenge. I'm really happy it's finished in plenty of time for Peta's birthday in early August. It's the second quilt I've completed on the frame (first one was a couple of years ago). This version of the quilt is one row wider than the pattern and I've managed to use up pretty much all of the fabric bought, so I'm very happy about that.

"Ruth's Quilt" is ready to be pinned onto the frame for quilting over the weekend. Might do a meander with a small loop and try a pantograph on the next quilt. Feeling like being a bit adventurous.

Anniversary flowers from Jenni and John. So beautiful.

Doovering

Over the weekend I decided the time had come to set up the quilting doover again - it's been dismantled since Christmas and I have a couple of quilt tops that would suit all-over meandering. I need all the practice I can get. This is the first of 2 Leanne Beasley's "Travel Quilts" I'm making - it's for our daughter-in-law Peta and is in Woodstock fabric.

Today is our 30th wedding anniversary. 15 July 1978, a beautiful sunny but chilly day (just like today), was the start of an enormous adventure. 4 days after the wedding we travelled to Holland where we were based for the next 11 months while travelling around UK and Europe and working for some of the winter. The adventure continued as our babies arrived and we've had the joy of seeing them grow into wonderful adults.

Early this year I received an email from the editor of "Homespun" telling me one of her staff had been reading blogs and had come across pictures of some dolls I'd been making. She then asked if I would send her some photos for the mailbag section and here they are in this month's magazine. I was the lucky winner of some Clover products.

These are the fabrics Elizabeth chose for her "Travel Quilt" and they arrived today. Think they will be going into the cupboard along with the other recently purchased fabrics because I've enough on the go at the moment.

Another "Truly Scrumptious" block is finished.

And these are the "Sweet Pea's Quilt" blocks (not sewn together), designed by Cinderberry Stitches. Tonight I'm hoping to trace some of the stitcheries onto the white blocks. I love these bright colours. This is for our new great-niece/nephew who s due later this year. I'm also piecing one in pink/white/cream for a friend at work, who is having a daughter in September.

Tonight, when I was leaving work to come home, this was waiting in the portico of our building. After the Ebay success and the offer of a wonderful trade-in on his current bike, John couldn't resist and bought his Suzuki B-King. He is one happy boy.

But, there's still a large number of bikes to be sold, taken to the wreckers or tip. I always live in hope.

Shopping Has Arrived

The other fabrics for Jenni's "Travel Quilt" have arrived. Jenni really liked the orange squirrel fabric in the first lot of fabrics and hinted she would like a bag so I bought enough to make her one; the blue/brown argyle is for the backing (she loves argyle check). I really like the red leaf fabric on the bottom left and the stripe on the bottom right. Another goodie parcel arrived today as well- love books almost as much as fabric. I've been reading/collecting the "Elm Creek" books since "The Quilter's Apprentice" was first published and each year a bunch of friends and I read the latest Jodi Picoult - but I'm a bit behind, still have to read "The Tenth Circle" - might start that tonight. "The Friday Night Knitting Club" looked like a fun read.