Reflections

Reflections
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

For my reflections I have chosen reflections of the sky.
The first one is the sky using my car window - I found, once I started looking for reflections, that car windows are actually amazing.

Unfortunately I couldn't bring myself to taking photos of other people's cars in case they thought I had an ulterior motive. I could imagine myself being taken in tow by the local copper for snooping.

The second shot is a large puddle of water (almost a mini lake at the moment) at the lowest point of our property and the third shot is a closer one of the same reflection. The colour in the water amazed me.

Liz

ATCs

Atcs
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

Such a while since I blogged. Too much else happening in my life at the moment.
I have the grand children staying and though they are a delight, they take up time. Soon they will disappear back to Sydney and it will seem like a dream that they were ever here and once again I will fret because I miss so much of their growing up.

I have spent a little sewing time catching up on my ATC commitments. Here are a few more:
- a kimono postcard done with foundation piecing - gorgeous fabrics on black taffeta
- an ATC entitled Midnight Lace for a 'Different Fabrics" swap - I found this gorgeous piece of sequinned lace in Spotlight and was waiting for a chance to use it.
- two oriental fans for an "Oriental" swap. These were fun to make.

Now off to finish some butterflies, then a series titled "Checks". No ideas for this one.

This is one of my favourite sets. It is entitled "Oriental". Love the fabrics and the colours that were used. All of these cards were delightful.

Sometimes the cards are a little disappointing, but I guess that's the same with all swaps. We don't all have the same fabric and colour tastes, which is what makes life more interesting.

I am getting quite a collection of these little cards now and so far my interest is not flagging, though it can't last forever - can it?

Liz Needle

Frames

My reports are nearly finished - only another 8 hours to go. LOL. But, I am nearly there, one more subject and an overall comment - 25 times!!!

Time to choose my favourite frames. I wish I'd had more time to play with this theme as it was interesting. Had me looking at things a whole new way.

My final selection:

The Rose Arch. My garden is divided into separate areas - "rooms" I think Edna Walling called them. This archway leads us from one room to another and gives a glimpse of what is to come. I love the effect. In Spring and Summer it is entirely different as the roses come into prolific flower.



Cousins. I loved the effect of the dark background and the light forground with the two children playing in the pool. Has a nice summery feel to it.



Autumn Leaves. The garden again - it isn't difficult to see where my interests lie. Here I like the contrast between the dark tree trunks framing the tree in the background and the coppery autumn leaves in the foreground.

Now I'm off to see if anyone else has posted their final choices - much more creative than mine, I imagine.

Liz Needle

More Frames

More Frames
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

A few more frames - two accidental and one accidentally noticed.

Part of our city skyline. seen through a window when I was at the Central Market. Luckily I had my camera. Mosaic Maker has cut off one side - as it does!!

Japanese Gardens at Darling Point. One of my favourite places.

I liked this one of the kids playing in the blow-up pool.

Liz

Frames with a difference

Frames with a difference
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

Browsing through my photo collection, I came across some more "framed photos"; this time with a different slant.

The first one I included because it became obvious that Di and I had both visited Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island. I love this photo.

The second one is of Don's father and uncle - identical twins. Have to say I didn't actually take this one. LOL

The third one is of my mother, but I rather liked the baby magpie perching on it.

And finally the magpie(Oscar) watching the cricket, with Jason Gillespie in the frame.

Off to find some more "frames". I rather like this challenge - besides it's keeping me away from report writing.

Liz

Garden Frames

Garden Frames
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

Di's photographic Challenge has got me going. I seem to drive around the countryside seeing frames around every corner, but never in a spot where I can stop. Very frustrating.
However, I decided to walk around the garden for starters and found a lot of natural frames. Very rough, I'm afraid because the garden is wearing its winter doldrums at the moment.

1. The house from under an old flowering gum. I love this view. It's the first one I see when I come home each night
2. Again from under the old gum tree. I love the shape of this old tree - very interesting arrangement of branches and the misty look of the garden in the background contrasted against the boldness of the tree shape - there you go Di, how's that for analysis.
3. The rose arch in winter.It makes an intersting shape and shows off the garden behind.
4 This frame works better in summer when the trees are in full leaf, but I liked the effect of the yellow leafy frame above, echoed by the fallen leaves on the lawn below.

As I said, very rough. I didn't notice te gas bottle in the foreground of number 2, or the dog kennel and droppers, or the untidy furniture in number 4. Still it's realism.

Liz Needle

My creations

My creations
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

I have been really busy lately trying to get myself organised to start a new term. However in the holidays I did find some time for sewing, including making a number of ATCs for swaps.

I find these really enjoyable and relaxing, though I think a number of my friends think they are a waste of time. Not being a terribly creative type, I find myself quite challenged by these little cards and am always quite proud of myself when I come up with an idea. Mine are not the beautiful 'art' type cards, but I like my pictorial ones and especially the quirky ones.

Wonder what everyone else is doing on their Blogs. Must go have a peek.


Liz

I did also finish a quilt top - my Civil War BOM in the hols - photo next time and am about to put the borders on the Jane Sassaman one, so I was fairly productive - for me!

Holiday Project - That Quilt!!!

Two posts in one day - unbelievable!!

Some time ago I fell in love with a quilt design I found quite by chance on the internet. It was a design by Jane Sassaman, using fabrics from her 'Paradise Garden' range. It really caught my eye, so on impulse, I sought out the required fabrics and duly bought them. Very excited when they arrived, but my excitement was somewhat dashed when I opened the packages. Not me at all. Bright, gaudy fabrics, exotic flowers and twining vines - not at all what I expected and looking not at all like the quilt I had fallen in love with. I put the fabric away and forgot about it.

Needing a new project thsese holidays, I pulled it all out and decided to give it a go. The pattern looked easy, large pieces, simple construction. Should get it done in a day.

Well, from the start, things just did not go right. First I had to make templates as every piece was fussy cut. And fussy cut out of fabric with a black background - oh, my poor eyes! And those colours - iridescent green, orange, pink, red - just not me. Busy, busy, busy!! I hated it. Nearly every edge a bias edge, twining vines everywhere that just didn't want to match up, pieces going in the wrong way, unpicking, unpicking, instructions that did not tell me enough and my husband helping by popping in and saying,"NO, that just isn't you."

Finally, finally, I had it together except for the last border - still not sure about that. And, blow me down, when I finally laid it on the floor and stood back, it happened! It came to life! It actually looked like the photo!! Close up - no, no, no. But at a distance, it wasn't too bad at all. And it's growing on me.

Maybe I will put on that last border and finish it off after all. It's still not me, but it is different, it was a challenge and I am quite pleased with the result. I should be able to find a home for it. What do you think.

Two main blocks. The colours are not good. The yellow background is really much more yellow



The quilt minus its final border. OK, OK, I'll do it.

Chef for a Day

Despite my good intentions, I have not kept up with my Blog as promised - too much time on my hands. I seem to achieve so much more when I am under pressure and have to keep myself organised to get things done.

The holidays have been slow and pleasant and studded with several new experiences. My son has won himself a position as head chef in a new restaurant recently opened in the Barossa Valley. Before they officially opened, the owner arranged for a TV crew to film the restaurant. This entailed a mad rush as the kitchen, while equipped with new large stuff like stoves, didn't have any utensils etc. They had a head chef, but no menu, food, stores or any other staff. Mark had a week to equip, stock, hire and organise a luncheon for up to 50 people.

It was all hands on deck. Rush orders sent out, a sous chef and a kitchen hand found and a mother (me) co-opted to help in the kitchen preparing for the big day. I had a ball helping with the prep the day before, then actually doing some of the easier tasks, like salads, desserts, cheese plates on the day. I think Mark was a little concerned having me there to start with. Not because I wouldn't be able to cope with the work, but because I might not snap to attention when he said go orif he gave me orders. However, I did exactly what I was told, although I couldn't come at the :Yes, chef", "Certainly, chef" that the others did. The luncheon went off like a charm, everyone said great things about the food and the TV crew were very impressed with the whole day .

Mark in his kitchen

Since then the restaurant has had its opening and promises to be a great success and I have had a taste of what it is like to actually work in a busy restaurant kitchen - not just watch it on TV. This week Don and I went for lunch - every bit as good as we hoped.

Views of the dining area and the bar

10 000 Steps

This year I have been participating in the "10000 Steps" Program and am amazed at how many steps I walk in the course of a normal day. It's very easy to join and certainly makes you aware of how little or how much exercise you normally do. The aim of the program is to encourage people to walk at least 10 000 steps every day.

The weather has been so hot that I haven't done any extra walking this year, but I plan to now that the cooler days have arrived. The only requirement is that you wear a pedometer and record your steps online. There are numerous charts to show your progress and a huge list of other walkers to compare yourself with.

Give it a try and walk yourself to health.

Liz

Scatterday X

Scatterday X
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

I'm back!!! Probably no-one is bothering to check my blog anymore. Have to change that.
Sport Day is over, the Quilt Show is over and there are only 2 weeks left of this term. The pressure is easing at last and I am back to Scatterdays!!

My offerings this week. Took some thinking for a while, but here goes:

1. Xylophone - well a type of xylophone that the kids construct and play at school. The keys are made from wood which is different from the more usual xylophone.

2. X-Ray of my son's spine. Looks OK to me.

3. X-plate. Tried to find one with 3 Xs, but we are not up to them yet.

4. X-Man - my very favourite X-man, the lovely Hugh Jackman.

In the course of looking for X-words, I discovered that I am an xanthrocroid and could be described as xanthous, but I am not a xenophobe. Rather I am an xenophile. Furthermore X-rays have shown that I have a rather large xiphisternum or zithoid process. Interesting what turns up.

Liz Needle

Yeah!!! The Crows just won!

Great Show

Well, the show is over! And a very successful weekend it was. The final total hasn't been announced yet, but we grossed around $3500. Once the expenses are taken out, we should have a tidy sum to send to Autism SA.
The setting at Victor Harbor was just superb - the only green patch for miles around. The weather was not fantastic - hot, but it didn't seem to stop the customers and we had a steady flow for the two days.
The quilts, even though I say it myself, were beautiful, and we had some terrific feedback. The company for the weekend was brilliant and the Retreating angels thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
All in all, an excellent weeeknd.

Mr Karl Zander of Autism SA opening the show on Saturday. He planned to just pop in and do the job then get away. I think he felt very out of place. However, an hour later he was still there looking at quilts and chatting to quilters. Very impressed with what he saw.









Yours truly chatting while on gate duty










Angels and assistant angels having a well earned coffee break with the winery owners Neville and Adrian Scott



Liz Needle

Heatwave

March 11th

Finally back to blogging. I hope you haven't all run away in disgust. My life has been very loaded down with things lately. First a husband who has not been well, though tests have shown so far that it is nothing life threatening and medication seems to have him under control - I wish I could. LOL.

School with the challenge of 6 delightful, but demanding Vietnamese children as well as 20 equally demanding Aussie 12/13 year olds has also proved more of a task than I expected, but we will get there, I know.

Finally, the reason why I haven't been blogging much - the Retreating Angels Quilt Show next weekend. I have been madly finishing quilts, sewing on bindings and attaching labels and hanging sleeves. Did I tell you we are in the middle of a heatwave and I am sitting under mountains of cuddly quilts doing hand sewing!! Here is another of the finished quilts. This one was a set of friendship blocks, finally put together.

The blocks were made for me by members of the Woodpatch quilting group. Many of them needed a lot of fixing, so they were put away safely and only came to light when I cleaned out my sewing room last winter.

I sent it off to Tracey Browning of Constantine Quilting, then hesitated when I realised the cost involved, especially as I wasn't all that impressed with the standard of some of the stitching in the blocks. However I am glad I went ahead because it is a pretty quilt and looks great in my blue bedroom. Check out the quilting.

I mentioned a heatwave. Adelaide has had 8 days of temperatures over 36 degrees - equalling an all time record. Yesterday we had a cool change - only 35 degrees, but today it was back up to 39.2 . And until next Wednesday every day will be over 35 degrees.

No wonder our gardens are beginning to look like waste lands with water restrictions continuing.

Bushfires today through the Adelaide Hills, supposedly started by lightning. One is within 5 kms of my daughter Jo at Williamstown. Fingers crossed they get it under control. I guess we have been lucky so far this summer, but the scrub is as dry as a tinder box and we are all fearful that if a fire takes hold it will sweep through everything.

Off to find a long cold drink.

Liz

Mandy Sue Designs

Today my second daughter, Mandy, published a blog to advertise her lovely hand made jewellery. From being a child who was totally uninterested in craft work of any kind, she has as an adult, tried all manner of crafts and is in fact far more creative in her thinking than her mother who has been a crafty since she was about 4 years old.

Now she is launching her jewellery in the hopes of making something from her hobby. Go have a look at her blog. She'd love some feedback. You'll find her blog site under "My favourite Blogs" - mainly because I haven't yet learnt how to add a link.

Have now finished the binding on my third quilt this year - a Dresden Plate friendship quilt. I've had the blocks for a number of years and finally have the quilt finished. Photo later. One more quilt to finish before the Retreating Angels Quilt exhibition in March. Watch this space for details.

Liz

Oh dear!! I have been tagged twice. Does that mean I have to find 14 weird things about myself. I'm not actually that weird - rather mundane in fact, so I'll just stick with the 7 facts,

Here are the rules:

1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

I bet everyone has been taken by now!!

My 7 weird facts

1. I have no desire to retire. I love working. (People tell me that is really weird)
2. My best party trick is standing on my head.
3. I like to take a long hot bath with a glass of wine and a book very late at night.
4. I always tear off a 3 piece length of toilet paper and very neatly fold it into 3.
5. I rarely leave the house without applying my mascara.
6. I have a thing about pens. I only ever use one type - a uniball micro tip.
7. My husband couldn't think of a single weird thing about me.

Liz

Scatterday S

Scatterday S
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

Oh dear!! Last minute rush. Haven't had a spare moment this week to think about Scatterdays. Thank heavens we have a garden!!

Golden - golden SQUASH. We have some growing, but we forgot to pick them in time, so they have , like Topsy, just growed.

Fruit - SWEET melon. I refuse to call them rock melon. They were sweet melon when I was a kid and my dad grew them and they are sweet melon now. Who on earth called them rock melon anyhow? They don't look like rocks! They don't grow in rocks". They are sweet, succulent, satisfying and salubrious.

Itchy stuff - SOAP makes me itch. Any sort of soap. I itched and came out in a rash as a baby and I itch now. In fact if someone could find a soap that doesn't make me itch, I would be eternally grateful!!

About 6.pm today I logged on and immediately realised that I had not done my Scatterdays. I had in fact been busy marking assignments and madly sewing down bindings on my quilts for the Retreating Angels exhibition in March. (BTW if any one wants raffle tickets for the celtic quilt, let me know). I quickly unearthed the camera and raced out into the garden - the very dry, half dead garden. Luckily there are a few things surviving in the veggie garden so I was able to get some photos.

My poor garden is suffering. We have lost our glorious Waratah, several rhododendrons, two flowering currants, a dogwood, a number of banksias and melaleucas and numerous perennials. Amazingly the roses, camellias, magnolias and hydrangeas are hanging on - but for how long, I cannot say. Surely we must get some rain soon? All I can water in the time allowed are the tree ferns and small stuff close to the house. It is indeed heartbreaking and I really feel for the oldies who only have their precious gardens to keep them going. My mother would have been devastated, but stoical.

I am praying for rain!!

Liz

Scatterday I

Scatterday I
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

Had to think about this one - at the last minute as usual.

Yellow - Irises from the garden. They are actually more yellow than this photo shows.

In the air - Insect. Well it was in the air, but I had to wait until it landed before I could actually photograph it. I did try, but went dizzy trying to track it as it was flying.

Australian - Indigenous species. A baby emu chick.

Another Australian - an idiotic, impatient, impossible, impulsive, irritable, impetuous, impudent, impoverished, imperious, intelligent, illogical, immoveable, impecunious, impenitent, irrascible, impertinent, irreligious, incorrigible and quite irresistible, incomparable and irreplaceable individual

Liz


PS. Having dragged my Civil War quilt everywhere for the last week and harassed all my friends, the voting shows that the green border has the nod, much to Don's disgust as he loved the red. However, when I tried the red on all four sides, I had to admit that it did overpower the quilt. So, unless some of the original red border magically appears, it looks like it will be green. Thanks everyone for your input.

Civil War Quilt

Nearly there with this BOM that I have agonised over. A few weeks ago I was asking if anyone knew where I could get some red and beige stripe from the Nancy Kirk Civil War range. No luck with the red, but I was able to get some of the stripe in green, but somehow it lacks the zing of the red in the original.
I have found another red though and this may do instead. Have a look at the photo and tell me what you think. The quilt has a strip of the red on the left and the green on the right. Which one??? Thge colours in the photo are not as rich as they are really - had to use the flash to get a clear shot, but you get the idea.



Liz

Stars in My Garden

Stars in my garden
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

Finally, the quilt is finished and I am really pleased with the result.

The pattern is a design by Lori Smith. I have hand appliqued and machine pieced the top and it has been beautifully machine quilted by Tracey Browning of Constantine Quilts.

It is huge - far longer than the height of my veranda as you can see. And who is it for, I hear you ask? Moi!! I am even going to paint my blue bedroom gold or green so that it will feel more at home.

Liz - feeling very satisfied with herself.

Scatterday Z

Scatterday Z
Originally uploaded by lulubelleliz

Well, I nearly didn't make it this week. First week back has been hectic to say the least and late Friday night I decided that I would have to give Scatterdays a miss. Then I had second thoughts and sat down with my trusty Websters and discovered that i wouldn't even have to leave home to find any number of Zeds.

I must admit I did get a bit carried away with my own cleverness, but just had to include these piccies. I did leave some obvious ones out though - like zucchinis of which we have an overabumdance at the moment.

Zebra that I saw at the Zoo when I patted the cheetah.

DH Don - a Zamindar (owner of an agricultural estate) and his brother who sports a Ziff (beard)

Zilch - a photo of nothing and a Zero

insect Zapper and of course a Zipper

Zits - a comic strip I just love and Zodiac sign

Zecchinos (sequins) that I Zoomed in on and Zinc cream, beloved of our cricket teams.

I thought about Zabaglione, but I had no Marsala left and a Zig Zag stitch and orange Zest and Zinnias and a Zebra crossing, but figured i had done enough showing off for the day.

Now back to school work - the Zenith of my priorities at the moment.

Liz