Post to post and thank about...

I am finally aclimatising to this drastic change in temperature although I did make up some silly excuse as to why I didn't want to go to the park with the kids today. The park?!! I mean really, it's cold out! Luckily we have an activity centre in the garden and DH took the two rascals out to play while I made dinner.

Here are the 'roses' (quilty stuff) among the 'thorns' (bills!) that I came home to receive.

A fantastic selection of pre-cut fabrics from Kate.



Yum, yum! Thanks Kate! Most of these will go in a quilt for my Mom. She would like a small quilt to cover her knees and she liked a quilt that Kate had made previously with 4 patches and lots of white on white. Can't remember the name now... The fabrics are inspiring me to get going firstly because they are almost all the colours she would like and secondly they are pre-cut (no excuses then!) I might add here that I am seriously considering doing Bonnie's new mystery quilt. So seriously I have already cut and sewn a few strips for the first part. It's a mystery quilt in more ways than one: i.e. why have I started yet another project when I have so many on the go already? Because Bonnie does great quilts? Well she does, but no, it's because she's using Shwe-shwe fabrics I've just brought back from SA and it was almost like I couldn't not do it!

Also in the post/mail... some Quilt labels I bought from Toni's Home Shopping Network. I am a bad quilter and hardly ever label my quilts. Now I have no excuse!



Toni (a.k.a. The Quilting Pirate) also sent 2 Batik FQ's which are lovely. Thanks Toni!

And the jewel in the crown. My PIF from Kerry. WoW!
A stunning and very useful sewing mat.



Even the backing fabric is amazing.


Kerry also included one of her own patterns. I just love stars!
Thank you Kerry!


Here's what I managed to stuff into my suitcase (among other fabric-y things, but I can't show them otherwise I'll be in trouble with DH)



These included more Amafu fabrics from the Hilltop quiltshop.



There's a little something pink sneaking underneath. Just didn't want the recipient to see it... yet!

Here are some pics of the travellers on our way from Heathrow, via the tube and a train to Leeds and then a train to Skipton, and then a kind lift home. This journey included missing 2 trains...



We hauled kids and bags for hours and miles. This should explain why I had to travel 'light'. Fabric doesn't weigh that much though does it?

In case anyone wanted to see the new specs



(photographed on a sleeping 'new' puppy belonging to my DSIL). Although they are plastic tfhey still have those pesky nose grips, but I am enjoying them. Dexter, the puppy is just the cutest too!

Not exactly Spring!

Brrr! We're back. My DM tells me it was 34 degrees centigrade in Cape Town today. I have no idea what it is here, but it's cold. In fact, it's freezing! We have returned home to our heating system out of order!!!! (We did have a warm welcome from our neighbours who greeted us with a cottage pie, milk and bread which was an unexpected pleasure and most welcome! Thank you!)

So until we have some heat I won't be posting pictures of the great stuff I got in the mail or the sneaky 'little' purchases I managed to fit in at the Hilltop Quiltshop in Swellendam just yet, because I'm in bed, fully clothed under a duvet and 2 quilts and I'm not getting out to get my camera!

BOM's will be back when I am

I have sadly fallen behind on my BOM's. (My blogging too, but I have such iregular internet usage that I'm actually just pleased I can blog at all).

This is the March Carol Doak Block of the month.



I still have November through to February to do!! But on my return I hope to make them in the same colour scheme and then put them together as a table runner for our home. I just love this fabric and I found out that it's made by a lady called Glenda Kirkiridis and her company is called Amafu. Glenda tells me that she has just sent some more of her gorgeous fabric to the Hilltop Quiltshop in Swellendam! Oh no!, this means I shall be tempted to make a detour on our long drive to Cape Town!!! I shall have to see how the kids handle the trip before committing to a visit...

When we get home (less than 2 weeks now!) I will also have to catch up on my Quilterscornerclub NYB BOM's!!

For the family in the UK who suffer through the sewing bits here are some gratuitous kiddy pics on a sewing/knitting related theme...

DS1 getting in the BOM picture...


DS2 asleep while photos being taken. Blanket made by Granny. There is another blanket (one each) which looks a lot more patchworky.



And on another note: DS1 and Mummy with her new haircut.



** - newsflash - ** A new haircut and now I need new specs too!! I went to see an optometrist today. I have to ease up on the contacts. My specs are so bad he was surprised I see anything. I had to admit I don't see much, but hey, I'm shortsighted, I don't expect to see much LOL. He asked if I knew why I was shortsighted. It reminded me of Little Red Riding Hood: 'Why, what big eyes you've got' he said. Turns out because my eyes are more open than 'normal' it means I am naturally shortsighted. You learn something new everyday. I went for a very funky pair of specs. I hope not too funky for me LOL.

BQL Bag challenge(d)

Here is my March BQL Bag Challenge made from some recently purchased fabrics from the Hilltop Quiltshop in Swellendam. I was really proud of myself that I have used fabrics that I recently bought instead of just 'stashing' them away for another day. These dyed fabrics were such fun to use! I don't think they'll last long. I will have to start dyeing my own fabrics (I must I must!!)

I was a bit challenged making this bag and so a bit of reverse sewing was unfortunately required :O(

Oh, well at least it's made an I'll enjoy taking it to the supermarket with me :O)

On the road again

We spent 2 days and nights this week in Oudtshoorn which is famous for the Cango caves and Ostrich Show Farms, but somehow we didn't manage to visit any of those places LOL.

We stayed at the most amazing place called Red Stone Hills near Calitzdorp. It offered bird watching, hiking, swimming and horse riding (or my kids case 'horse-sitting')




((Calitzdorp is known for its great Ports so we stopped for a brief tasting - very good))

We wanted to take the kids to an ostrich show farm, but managed to miss it (luckily there were ostriches at the farm we stayed on) and so we ended up at the Cango Wildlife Park. On our way there we saw a tortoise trying to cross the dirt road.


DH picked it up showed it to DS1 and then popped it safely on the other side.

This sign seen on our travels should have had a tortoise on it!


Here are some pictures from our visit to te wildlife park...

This guy was nicknamed 'The Undertaker'...

And this White tiger was a beauty!

These were the biggest bats I have EVER seen!


I have another new hobby:


Appliqueing (by hand) names of my friend's children on little bags...

More travels, a quiltshop and road trip ramblings...

We have just returned from 2 days and nights at the hot springs in Montagu.



It was wonderful and because DS1 gets up pretty early I took him for a pre-breakfast swim both mornings. (DS2 came along on the second morning) We were always among the first people there besides the pool cleaners. Nothing like a warm dip before the sun comes up!





It's quite a drive to Montagu from Knysna and there are 2 routes: the R62 which is much longer, but more scenic or the N2 which is quicker and not so scenic. I convinced DH that if we went the N2 as he wished we would have loads of time to visit a quilt shop I had read about on the SA Quilter's Guild website. He obliged so off we went to the 'Hilltop Quiltshop' in Swellendam (a roundabout way to Montagu, but not too much out of our way). Sorry no photo, but this is what I bought. I did remarkably well as Carool who owns it doesn't stock a lot of fabric, but she did have these fabulous African prints...


(...and a few rose prints too)

The next day we strolled around Montagu, but a lot of the shops were shut (being Saturday afternoon.) I had read about this little fabric shop called 'Lapland'. It had this gorgeous hand made sign outside...



Inside they were stocktaking, but kindly let me have a little look. It stocks mainly dressmaking fabric, but I found this cute African fabric and a few iron on badges for DS1's clothes (Just had to get the Union Jack!)



Also in Montagu... an art gallery with a Christmas tree


decorated with teapots and teacups



Security is an issue in South Africa, but here's how to do it 'Montagu-style'




I came home to discover the cleaning lady had thrown one of the boy's quilts in the machine. It washed remarkably well according to DS2's inspection LOL


This quilt was made by my friend Ria and the boys both love it.

Travel (b)log

We've been away for two and a half months and I've not really shown anything touristy, but today we went to Blue Hills Bird Farm between Knysna and Plett. My favourite were the Toucans (all the way from Bolivia).






I picked up lots of beautiful feathers. And we all had a great time.

'Hearts (a-finally) a-flutter'

I have finally managed to make my BQL bag for February.


I was getting worried as I have no access to a printer and still only intermittent internet access. But in the end a male friend of ours kindly printed it out and handed it over with a very bewildered look on his face LOL. It was a great pattern and I was quite pleased with how it turned out. So was mother as it has been swiftly claimed as her knitting bag!

On the home front... DS1 was sent home from school with a temperature yesterday.
He seems better now, but I'll keep him home this week as he just wants to spend time with his Grandmas anyway.

And DS2 is running me ragged!

The swing of things

I have not been posting much as you may have noticed. 'Crazy' Grandma and 'Grumps' have arrived safely from the UK so we drove down to Cape Town to meet them. Then we spent a few wonderful days in Franschhoek eating lots of yummy food at lots of different restaurants. The highlight being lunch at La Petite Ferme restaurant with stunning views over the Franschhoek valley. The lowlight being crickets jumping on the dinner table at another not to be named restaurant!

As always we visited the Aquarium while in Cape Town, the boys just love it and the sharks don't really mind that we're there!

I have been working on squaring up the monster with the fabrics that we bought at The Quilting Bug.
DH has informed me in no uncertain terms that he does NOT like this quilt. Mom if you're reading this, sorry, but there you go. I will not be discouraged and will try and finish the darn thing LOL.
This is not my colour scheme, but I find it so interesting and a challenge to get it done (Never mind all my UFO's back in England!!!)

I have also been working on my rose hexagon scrappy quilt.

A week or so back I visited a shop in George called Quilttalk (can't find a website) and bought a few small pieces of rose fabric which are already incorporated. If anybody reading this woud like to swap rose fabric for African fabric, please email me (sewkalico at yahoo dot co dot uk) or leave a comment. 4" squares or larger are what I'm looking for and I can swap Shwe-Shwe fabric or anything African...

As I am suddenly able to upload photos, here are some of the boys for my family and friends (who don't sew, but read this blog when they can bear it LOL)

This one for Aunty Jane....