It's My Birthday

Yep, a red letter day and I share it with:
T.S. Eliot
George Gershwin
Bryan Ferry
Olivia Newton-John
Serena Williams
and I guess many more. Happy Birthday to you too.
I have had a pampering session this afternoon (thanks to lovely Claire, owner of Juno, and Derrick for the present) so my face, shoulders and feet, feel and look much better.

My Oldest UFO Finished!

Many years ago, at least 8, not more than 10, I swapped some New Zealand fabric with a lady in Australia and another in Canada. The New Zealand fabrics at the time were not very exciting, and it was disappointing to the Australian lady to receive them. But I used them in the center on a foundation pieced pattern called Amish Geese by Liz Schwartz, and I think that they still look good. I added some Polynesian fabrics from a local store. The quilt was too small so I designed the outer border as rays of light - then it got all too hard.
Rose City Quilters had a challenge about 3 months ago to finish our oldest UFO. It was time to drag it out and do some serious work on it. The corners were the hardest and the 1st one has a mistake, but it can't be perfect, now!

The blue sashings I overdyed some cheap fabric and the burgundy was discharge dyed (not that you can see much of it). This is the detail of the outer border and the migratory Canadian Geese.

It is a lap quilt size and I have named it Pacific Migration.

Lemons + Eggs = ?

I made these pots of lemon honey, lemon cheese, or lemon curd? I don't know what to call it, so I'll guess we'll just eat it! It will go very nicely with pikelets.

Sunday afternoon tea!

Our eggs and lemons, of course!

The First of the Lambs

Thank goodness yesterday was a lovely warm day for these 2 to make their entrance into the world. The dark ewe on the left is Coco, mother to Rosie, the white ewe (they are both Romney). When I arrived home I couldn't tell whether one or both ewes had delivered, but this afternoon I had a closer look. I think that Coco acted as midwife! Certainly her udder doesn't look like it's in action, even though both lambs have tried sucking from her - also she is calling to them and they respond! Rosie had been with the ram earlier than Coco, so I was expecting her to deliver way before the others.
Happy families indeed!

Here is the 'boy', I was able to give him a cuddle!

Another Project Finished

... well almost! It just needs the buttons, which I am hoping will arrive in the mail soon. This is a bag to carry a large cutting board, sewing extension table, rotary cutter, patterns, fabric and whatever else. This is the outside:

I used curtaining fabric for more stability, but also used pellon on the outside (phew! that was not easy to quilt, hence the minimal amount). Also made the handles from the stalks of the flax flowers. I have varnished them a couple of times for durability and to stop any splintering.
This is the inside:

Again, curtaining fabric. The long center pocket holds a 6" x 24" ruler, on the right is the cutting board pocket and you can see the rotary on the left. I actually have a velcro stopper for this pocket so the cutter doesn't fall out. Plenty of pockets for scissors, needles, patterns and fabric. The pattern for this bag (a.k.a Gypsy Rose Bag) comes from The Cloth Shop.

Spring Is In The Air, Everywhere I Look Around

as the song goes!. Here are some leaf and blossom buds from our orchard:
nectarine

apricot

peach

pear

and mandarins which we are still eating, mmmm!

A Parcel in My Mailbox

and it's not even my birthday! This was a little competition my friend Kirsty in Australia was running on her blog. Some beautiful braid, gorgeous buttons (my favourite is the ducky), a lovely piece of '60s fabric and a pin cushion made from an old doiley. Ahh! Kirsty, it's so lovely, thank you.
We have had some lovely 'spring' weather over the past week so Derrick and I have been able to get out and mow the lawns - actually it would be so much easier if the sheep could do the mowing, but you can't trust them not to eat everything else first, then the grass. Hopefully they will be having a pre-lambing shear this weekend, then it's a matter of waiting for the lambs.