Looks like someone's quilt for a favourite child.

There was a frog on the back too. Can you see its foot coming from behind the quilt.

I really like this quilt, quite simple however very effective use of fabric.

Another favoutite pattern - Dresden Plate is really a classic.

Some more from the Field of Quilts.

The more I see of these cobweb quilts, the more I like them. Even though the maker only used a minimum of fabrics, the illusion is striking.

A old favourite using butterfly fabrics as the windows.

A while ago when things were younger, my family holidayed down in the south west of West Australia and I learnt to snorkel. I snorkeled a lot, whenever the opportunity. Hey, I even snorkeled in the family pool. I was very enamoured with snorkeling. Snorkeling has become a bit of a legend with the younger Sweeties and of course they wanted to snorkel. Soooooo they learnt to snorkel and as a bit of a reward, the Hairiest Sweetie and I took them to a place that I snorkeled and 'hunted' abalone. The Hairiest Sweetie had never been there, and to say that he was shocked with the length of time it took to walk there, is a bit of an understatement.

So the youngest Sweeties snorkeled in one of my favourite places, where the Indian Ocean is just over the other side of that reef and there are schools of fish and flocks of terns that don't budge, and cormorants that wash in the water right in front of you as you snorkel. The oldest youngest Sweetie was laughing through his snorkel with glee and the youngest Sweetie thought that the 'waves' were too high and 'really, what was so exciting'. Hey, at least I have one convert. Watching them snorkel was one of those 'aaahh' moments for me and I really wanted to be in there with them and next time I will, because it really is so grand under there where there are so many fish and other creatures. As I said 'I can feel a snorkel moment coming on'.

I had forgotten just how strong and rich the colours are.

The lights were out but there was somebody home.









The limestone cliffs where lots of birds nest.

In retrospect, I think that the reason that snorkeling is such a fantastic thing for me, is that it is just like all the swimming dreams that I have. Some people have flying dreams - I have swimming dreams. Like flying dreams, only better.

The weekend before last the Floreat Fairies and their siblings/spouses went away for the annual get together. This time it was at Siesta Park in between Bussleton and Dunsborough on the west coast of West Australia. I was desperate to finish this quilt and used the opportunity when the others were swimming/snorkeling/crabbing/sleeping to apply the binding. As you can see I had some strange companions, however they didn't impede my sewing. And I must admit it was rather nice sewing outside with such a nice vista. There will be more photos of the quilt after next weekend as it is entered in the local show.
The things that we do to get things done. Thinking about it though, not one of the Sweeties made a comment or complained about the presnece of the sewing machine in the back of the car. I've trained them well.

Following the Happy Zombie fabric folding tutorial, I am attempting to turn this

into this.

It might be achievable. I am in serious mind that whenever I buy fabric (wash my mouth out with BLEACH! and all you Stashbusters out there didn't read that) I will wash and fold the fabric and immediately place it in the respective pile for it's colour or hysterics (historics). Sounds unlike me, however as the stash is scattered throughout the house and the donga (read studio) and in so many receptacles and places, I have trouble remembering where the particular fabric is. I can see it in my mind but have no idea where it is and I become so frustrated because I want it now. A life without this particular frustration would be blissful.

They are bittersweet days, the days when animals die a natural death at the end of their lives. Stanley the Spaceman died early this morning, beloved mate of Stella (dec.) and father of too many chickens and not enough eggs. Stanley the Spaceman? you ask. Well Stanley went into Stella and ....................... became a spaceman. Husbands come out with the greatest things. So back to Stanley, he would have been nine years old and had all the pluck and arrogance of small men. The youngest Sweeties were given Stanley and Stella as a Christmas present. As a fitting end we put him on an ants' nest. Years ago we would have had to buried Stanley with wailing children and a full Mass with an Irish wake. Life has become somewhat simpler, in some aspects. Anyone have a rooster that they need to find a home for? It will go to a good home and will die a natural death of old age.

Just a short break in transmisssion - look what arrived all the way from North Carolina. Such a lovely book. Bonnie has done such a smashing job.

When I took these photos the sun was quite high and much of the detail was lost, however I diligently went up and down the rows snapping each quilt. There were quilts in the hall, however the light was so abysmal that the flash would have had to be used and therefore flattened everything - I did take some pictures however I wasn't pleased with the result.

This is a lovely idea with the different quilts being made by different people, although I could quite happily shoot the sunbonnet sue. Let's just say that I didn't have a happy relationship with her when I was growing up.
These following photos are of the same quilt and the second one showing some detail. Apparently it was a round robin with people's favourite letterboxes that they had had over the years and the letters that came through them. A lovely idea.


There are six photos today - stuffed up so there is a bonus.

Just five more today. Blogger lets me add five at a time, so that is what you get.

More quilts from the Field of Quilts.

I think that this quilt is particularly gorgeous and really appeals to what my sense of patchwork is about.

Field of Quilts

We went to two shows in two days. The first one was the Perth Royal Show and the younger Sweeties had a ball. I think that we were quite lucky in that there was a Australian Rules Football final on so the Show was quite quiet and side show alley was almost devoid of people so there was no queueing - not that we queued for anything. The Hairiest Sweetie and I had a cup of coffee and three doughnuts each. There were six in the bag and we didn't tell the boys about them.

I think that this might be my next Peugeot.

The second show was the annual Boddington Arts Council Field of Quilts. Probably smaller than last year, however there were some great quilts and the people as always were great.

I'll show some more quilts here over the next week or so for some eye candy. I've just realised that the Royal Show was a week ago and I'm only just writing this. The days are just packed.