'BIG BLISTERS' EUROPEAN TRIP

Today my 'Big Blister' arrives back in Auckland, New Zealand after a trip of a lifetime. Her dream was to visit Italy and it probably stems back to a book she read in her early years, a movie she sat glued to or a friend who had sparked the imagination in a recount of their trip, but finally, she made it.

She and two Friends itinerary was laid out in such detail that the travel bug clicked in by just picking it up for a quick perusal. They landed in Rome and toured the South, tripped over to Greece, back to Italy before departing to Croatia, Austria and back down through the depths of Italy. Her last week was to be spent on her own savouring the sea air before heading back to Auckland and the every day mediocrity of life. I simply cannot wait to find out all the details and will keep you posted.

THE MAGIC OF ITALY, FRANCE & LONDON

Our beautiful 'Babe' is home again after completing an exhausting trip through Italy, France and London. It is SO good to have her home. She was homesick!! Yeah! She missed us! Whoopee!! This is when being a parent is truly blissful.

The photographs are numerous and spectacular. The places, sights and sounds will be memories for ever. Maybe the memory of eating pasta every day will wain even though at this stage she has sworn off it for life. We still have to create a photo album capturing the best of them but that will take place at a later stage. I received a beautiful Italian leather handbag which I have proudly used almost every day since receiving it.

Trying to catch up with our Miss Germany's in London was apparently a bit of a trial as their trusty mobile phones played up. Logic, cunning, guess work and good timing then became the name of the game and when they finally got together there was much hilarity as Babe sneaked them into her room. Miss Germany x 2 hid (giggling) in the small wardrobe to avoid being sprung by a roving teacher. As much as we love our teachers the novelty of having them breathing down the girls backs had worn off by the time they hit 'ol London town.

Babes favourite spot? Orvieto in Italy. Orvieto is a city in southwestern Umbria, Italy situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The site of the city is among the most dramatic in Europe, rising above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are completed by defensive walls built of the same stone. The girls stayed at Fattoria La Cacciata, a farm where Nonna taught them how to make fresh pasta. Nonna also had a cat which Babe was able to stroke. I think she missed Cuddles as much as Cuddles missed her. Thank you Nonna for leaving such a lasting impression on our little darling.

BONFIRE NIGHT

'The Kid' had reason to celebrate when Steve flew in from England for a few weeks holiday. A Bonfire Party was organised and invitations sent out. The night was perfectly still with twinkling stars, a full moon, great food and good company. The bonfire went all night and some lasted until the wee small hours of the morning....others didn't. The next morning we enjoyed a big Aussie breakfast under the sun in the back-yard. It was a wonderful weekend.

An Evening with AMY BUTLER

Myrane has motivated and organised us into having a Girls Night Out where we will attend 'An Evening with AMY BUTLER'. This is being held at the Sofitel Melbourne on Thursday 13th November and should be an inspirational night.

STAR OF THE SEA - Fashion Parade
On the subject of inspirational nights we recently attended the Star of the Sea's Fashion Parade and Art Exhibition. The standard of work presented by the students across all levels was very high but the creativity displayed on the cat-walk by the senior girls was exceptional. The girls and parents put this down to the skill of their teacher Mrs F'. Are we surprised? Not to those who know her. Well done Mrs F'.

'Miss Italys' Shoulder Bag

Miss Italy was due to go home after 3 months with us and I wanted a little piece of Australia to go with her. As one of her great loves is ice-skating I was thrilled to discover some fabric on the bus trip, featuring ice-skates. This fabric was a 'must have' and Myrane and I spent a relaxing day making shoulder bags. Miss Italy loved hers and used it when she flew up to explore the delights of Sydney. The hope is that when using it back in Italy she will remember us and the great time she had here.

I took this photo with the bag sitting on the beautiful tablecloth she gave us when she arrived. The area she lives in are well known for producing these beautiful tablecloths and it is our little piece of Italy.

BUS TRIP:
Last Saturday (13th September) the more adventuresome Bay Quilters joined in for a day of fun on the "Mystery Bus Tour". This is the third year we have done this and it did not fail to impress. Our driver John, took us up to 'Craftpaks' in Heathmont, 'Patchwork with Gail B' in Bayswater, 'StitchnPatch' in Lilydale and 'Mrs Martin's Quilt Shop' in Monbulk. We also managed to fit in a few extras which added to a wonderful day of browsing and purchasing through aisles and aisles of fabric, novelties, books and all inspiring ideas. Too many ideas! Stop! Having purchased a magic book on strips 'n circles and also a new bag pattern I have already had the sewing machine out. Yep, I know....UFO's awaintin'. Hmmm perhaps some of them can wait a little longer.

BABE - Europe:
'Babe' has taken of for Europe with the school.


Travelling with Emirates to Rome and then exploring Italy, France and London. I have placed large maps on the wall and used ribbon, as any patchworker would use, to map out her route. The world is a big place when you see how few places they travel to and yet are able to see so much in only a few weeks. The exciting thing is that she has a lifetime to see the rest. So exciting!


Rome, Orvieto, Florence, Venice, Milan, 5 days in Paris including Eurodisney then onto London. Of course all the main features of these great cities will be visited. Judging by the phone call wer received it is going well but she could barely get the words out with excitement. Betty and Lorena will be meeting Chloe in London for a few days. What a trip!

DAY OF DYING:
Bay Quilters organised a Dying Workshop and as I have never done any dying at all, thought it may be something to try. I was not expecting to enjoy myself at all but was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the day and its results immensely. I am now looking forward to trying another workshop but with good quality white cotton fabric giving me fabrics more to my liking.

'MISS ITALY':
Two days after Miss Germany arrived we were back at the airport meeting Miss Italy who will be with us for three months while studying. Sarah fitted straight into our house and the three girls kept the house buzzing. 'Sandy' has been a different experience for Sarah but she took it in her stride and accepted everything that was strange, weird or unknown. We are so proud of the way she has accepted and learnt, made friends and explored Melbourne. She has made the most of her short time here by always seeking new experiences and challenges. We have enjoyed her company and will miss her very much when she leaves us in a few days but she will always be part of our family and welcomed back any time.



'MISS GERMANY':
Great excitement in the household as we prepared for the arrival of our 'Miss Germany'. Betty stayed with us for 10 days before travelling up to Sydney to meet her parents. Sydney was awash with sunshine and thousand upon thousand catholic devotees hoping for a glimpse of the Pope on his first visit to Australia. What a sensational time to be in Sydney. Then off to Perth which was understandably quieter and unfortunately very wet. Perth is a beautiful city but the rain dampened their spirits for a few days. On arrival into Melbourne the mood lifted again and a good time was had by all. We were lucky enough to share more time with Betty while her parents explored our wonderful state.

The time went far too quickly but a family dinner and breakfast in the city helped to make the most of our time together. It is so much quieter now that she has flown home and we will miss her again, perhaps a little more this time.



As Betty has become Daughter No. 3 I decided to make a quilt for her to take home. Hopefully she will wrap herself in it when she feels the need and know that her Australian family love her.

BAY QUILTERS IN JULY:
Well, we had yet another truly enjoyable day at Bay Quilters this month with the focus being on FUN. Myrane and I were on the setup team, throwing tables and chairs around at 8am in readiness for a 9 am start. The early start was arranged to take advantage of our guest trader selling his beautiful cotton fabrics and then travelling through to the Geelong Quilters Retreat.

Part of this months fun was our gift giving where we all made an apron and took it along in readiness for our pass the parcel. Fabulous fun passing our parcels to either the "Right" or the "Left" depending on which way the story went. My apron had been finally put together the night before with the help of Myrane and her Bernina. Great machine!

As this was our 'Christmas in July' meeting we all took a plate along for the feast and it surely was just that. Far too many calories consumed but so many delicious tastes to try, ending up with most gaining a few extra kilos.

Hello.....I am still here!!!

Hi there everyone,

Well, I know you have been thinking that I don't love you anymore and that I have given up on each and every one of you but I am back. Over the past few months I seem to have taken on a little too much and have been struggling. Yep, it happens to each and every one of us at some stage of our lives and this just happened to be mine. Tired? Exhausted? Shattered? a little, but .... inspired by others, brimming with ideas and ready to get into the next challenge. Just wait 'til I catch up on my sleep and I will be right along.

2008 BERNINA BLANKETS OF LOVE

The Postman delivered my Fat Quarter fabric from the 'Williams Inn' Flannels range by Nancy Halverson and it is lovely. The challenge now is to create a small quilt for the Australia-wide Blankets of Love program running to provide comfort for a grieving family. Along with putting in for a worthy cause, the challenge winner can also recieve a Bernina Avtiva 240 sewing machine which I am desperate for. Just being in it will be fun and as there are so many wonderful quilters in Australia the chances of winning are negligable but hey, whats to lose.

The Blankets of Love program
Started in 1992 by Shirley Zions and Jan Polverino, the Blankets of Love program distributes small quilts to the families of babies who die around the time of birth. Not only does the program assist the grieving families by providing a memento and celebration of their babies, but it also provides an opportunity for people to speak out about the loss of a baby.
Each year, at the completion of the Bernina Blankets of love Challenge, the quilts are sent to the Blankets of Love Challenge, the quilts are sent to the Blankets of Love program coordinator and then distributed through State quilt groups to Australian hospitals in the program.

'JET JET'

We welcome to the family our new car 'JetJet' and sadly say goodbye to the Camry which served us well. We were lucky enough to buy her off a golfing friend who has sadly returned to her homeland following a four year stay in Melbourne. Miss Nederlands has left a little bit of Orange here though and and her clogs keep on clacking. 'Babe' is enjoying her driving lessons and is handling her well. 'Jet Jet' is so easy to drive, can turn on a coin and has the same familiarity as my dear old Mondeo. I am a very happy little vegemite.

JUNE UPDATE

I could not resist taking the camera out of my bag this morning and taking these photos of our glorious city. Some mornings we see the golden sun-rise and the hot- air balloons gliding past and on other mornings a storm racing across the city and hitting the windows with pure vengeance. No matter what day of the week it is truly spectacular.

SYDNEY and AEROBICS COMPETITION

'Husband Dear' and I went to Sydney for the Company's 25th Anniversary Ball. A spectacularly organised affair which was enjoyed by International and National clients, suppliers and the all important staff. The theme was a formal 'Black and Silver' event with everyone frocking up for the occasion. We were entertained by Jugglers on our arrival, an energetic 16 troupe 'Swing' dance display and of course the wonderful Swing/Jazz 10 piece band selected to get even the oldest of hips rocking. It was a wonderful night.

The weather was clear and sunny showing off Sydney as it should be seen. We stayed in 'The Rocks' and had a wonderful time at the Market and Galleries in the area then meeting my brother and partner for a relaxed lunch at the waters edge. Not a bad photo, huh.

'Babe' stayed in Melbourne and competed in the State Aerobics Competition, unfortunatley missing out on getting through to the Nationals. The competition is steep and we are incredibly proud of all the teams that compete from school.

HANDBAG MAKING DAY

Today Myrane and I spent a wonderful day creating handbags with Nicole Mallalieu . This was a course offered through Kimono House, a fabulous fabric shop tucked away in Nicholas House on the Corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane, Melbourne. They specialise in Japanese fabrics and run a variety of classes promoting the many talents of external and inhouse tutors.

I managed to finish this gorgeous clutch purse by the end of the day having used Nicoles excellent teaching style to achieve what I thought would be the impossible. She has years of experience and numerous tips to share which resulted in a surprisingly professional finish. I feel that this photo does not do it justice.

QUILTS

Hi there,

This is the latest quilt or should I say quilts I have been working on. I am using the range of fabrics from 'Maywood Studio' Romance Flannel - 33 Sweet sixteen fabric. My friend Myrane and I each purchased the range at Caulfield Stitches and Craft Show. Myrane is making a 75th birthday lap quilt for her mother and I am making three lap quilts for Mothers Day. One for my mother Lorraine, one for my mother-in-law Rosa and the other for my special mother Annie Burns. The label on each will show three hearts alongside their names. I hope they will appreciate how much they are loved and that they are three very special ladies.


The quilt I have just finished was made for my brother-in-laws 60th birthday. He lives in Geneva, Switzerland and also has a chalet in the mountains where I can visualise this quilt living. I finished it one hour before cutoff for the quilt hanging our local group put on which is where this photo was taken with Husband Dear. I hope Reudi thinks of us when he uses it even though we are on the other side of the world.

I am a proud member of Bay Quilters, a local group with over 120 members. We meet once a month at the Library Complex in Reserve Road, Beaumaris and have a wonderful day enjoying the company of like-minded women. We all enjoy 'Show and Tell', guest speakers, a wonderful library, a Trading Table, morning teas and lunches.

I should be stitching now instead of setting up this blog. Oooops.

Well, I hear Husband Dear tromping around having just come in from the garden so I had better get off this and throw the stove into action.

Keep smiling