Something I found--Something to ponder

In my huge clean up several months ago I came across this
book I had it on my desk somewhere (now you know what
state my desk used to be in) I brought this years ago it's a
Helen Steiner Rice book "Remembering with Love", Helen
passed away in 1981 the book chronicles notes, poems, letters


and such put together by her friend Virginia J. Ruehlmann.
I don't think there would be many of my generation and
previous ones that doesn't know who Helen Steiner Rice is,
to me she is the Grace,Understanding & Wisdom that I wish
to possess. I have always been a huge fan of hers.

The first time I saw one of her cards was when my Nana died in 1970 I was 11
& a sympathy card was sent to my dad & our family, I sat down and read it, it
helped me grieve for my Nan it was like she was giving me a hug and comforting
me, I like to send Helen's cards they hold so much understanding and care in them.

Now this is not why (nostalgia) I am doing this post I found a poem/letter in it &
I thought it was correct for these times especially what the world has been going
through the past 18 - 24 months.

This is so relevant to our times I thought Yes... this is why we are in such crises
how true is this letter she wrote.. click on them to make larger These are thoughts
to ponder, she was indeed a very wise woman.









it is dated 23 August 1973
ummmm......very interesting thoughts don't you think.

LIFE: It's all about Changes & Committments

So the first thing to change is my blog page! do you like it, I just love these colours
I love vintage quilts, accessories and other cute or quirky things.

I also have a confession
My name is Lesley and I'm a quiltaholic, I have been controlling my urge to buy
fabric, books & gadgets for the past 3 months it has been hard but I have said no
on numerous occasions, why am I making these sacrifices, I'm planning on going
to Houston in 2010 I have made the commitment to my friend Leanne and have
started to save for the journey "I am Excited". I am finding saving addicting, any
change I find laying around I take for my piggy bank the washing machine money
is all mine and who needs to eat anyway, I've also committed myself (once again)
to weight watchers I could loose a kilo or 40.

I have been busy quilting 7 or so quilts over the past couple of weeks and today I
had Henrietta here helping her with her quilt for her grand daughter, she is nearly
half way by the time we finished today another good day like today and it will be to
the point where she won't need me. I haven't done any real teaching for 5yrs and
apart from helping people out now and then today was my first paid teaching day
and I really enjoyed it I love it when the light bulb comes on for students, their faces
say it all.

So I have made a few changes in my point of view toward teaching quilting
(I had lost motovation for doing it), saving money and committing myself to long
term savings and weight loss not all in one day but today I feel proud of myself for
making the changes and commitment, you go Lellyanne you can do this.

Crikey! Look what happened to moiiee

What a fantastic Friday, Saturday & Sunday, this
past weekend was the best. My sewing sisters had a lunch party for me on Friday,
6 courses over 5hours it was truly a tantalizing gastronomical journey, each course
had a bottle or 2 of wine which was also delightfully tantalizing.

And these ladies are just the best sewing sisters from left to right is, Jeanette,

Pamela, Trish, Anthea, Jen & Leanne, there were 2 of our group missing Barb

& Tess but they were there in spirit.

sweets for the sweet blowing out the candles

for the birthday cake And

this is the quilt they made me,, isn't it beautiful, I supplied the vintage prints and

they did and supplied all the rest there was so much print left over Leanne made

a complete quilt for the back (card trick)

this is the front & this is the back

I just have to say I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this quilt.

Then I was dragged kicking and screaming from that party (my daughter picked me

up and said we had to do something for dad~~well HELLO it's my party and I wanna

keep partying but after secret discussions held by Leanne & Lucy ) Hell No you must

go!!!! was the consensus.. so I left reluctantly...only to be taken to some apartments

where.....All my Family were laying in wait to surprise me with an impromptu BBQ

they said they came up to help me celebrate my milestone and I was thrilled to see

them all, I couldn't believe they had come all that way just for my birthday I was

speechless(not something that happens to me often)

my husband Andrew & me.

On Saturday we were going to Dreamworld but the weather here was dread full,

so we spent the day at Timezone at Surfers, after 2 full days of excitement I was

tired and left around 2 to have a Nana nap. We'll catch you later they said be ready

around 6 and we'll go to a cheap, sleaze restaurant for tea..Yeah right I said..
Aunty Libby giving the

littlies saftey instructions.

My brothers Andrew & Kevin, sisters Libby & Kate picked me up in a limo and we

drove around

for nearly and hour, no one telling me anything much, then they decided the

Sharkes was the place to be for tea and please take us there driver.

This is a picture of me walking in and finding the rest of my family and lots of

friends waiting to give me a huge surprise birthday bash. How lucky am I, I feel

totally blessed and very grateful, my gorgeous daughter Lucy organised all this

for me .

The festivities finally came to an end Wednesday night, with a lovely tea at Trish

& Vern's place we played charades and I haven't laughed so hard in years, we also

spent Mon, Tues together sewing & Guild on Wed, not often do you get to

celebrate your birthday over 6 days lucky me.. Now I have to get back to the

grindstone oh well it was good while it lasted.

Happy Birthday Christopher John

On the 14th May 1977 I had a beautiful baby boy 8lbs 30z 18"long, he was

the most beautiful baby boy, I adored him and still do more than he will ever

know..He is now 32yrs old where did those years go!!!! I want them back!!

it happened to quickly!!. He is all growed up and in the army now.

I miss you son..

A picture of the little angel it was a bit chilly here the other morning when we

got up so we donned the parka and boots to have our morning drinks outside,

isn't he cute all dressed up for day care.


Last night I went to a Sharon Schamber trunk show/lecture it was great she

is one gifted artist the precision and control of her quilting is just awesome, just

totally awe inspiring work.
ran into lots of friends I haven't seen for a while a good

night all round.

Happy Mothers Day

Well it's mothers day here and I know blogger dates and times are different to
mine, It's 4.45pm here on Sunday.

My daughter brought me a digital pen, I've been eyeing one of these little beauties

off for a little while now, I was very happy to be given this gift.

Last week over Saturday, Sunday & Monday I quilted 8 quilts by the end of it

I was feeling numb, here is a picture of just two that I managed to quilt together,

the others were too big to do that trick again.
I quilted little sail boats all over this one.

I received an email from Jen asking for donations of quilt/s so I whipped this

quilt up,it is all made from my stash, my goal is to not buy un-necessarily it's

60"x70" the blocks look better in a smaller scale but I was pushed for time so

made them large, I put a dragon pantograph on it from Designs by Deb and called

it Midnight in the Dragons garden, I hope the recepient likes it.

I quilted one row and had to pull it all out...was I ticked off or what...anyhow I

got it done (by skinning it) and re quilted it and it turned out great the colours are

not quite true but close, I took it to a drop off point this morning.

Dear Jane was last friday and the girls did enjoy having nice comfie chairs, there

is more gear down there but it looks bigger, yes I know your all in shock it is now

neat and tidy & organised who'd have thought that would happen!!!!!. A note to

Linda - Ramona Quilter I will call it the quilt cave not the dungeon. :) "To the Quilt Cave, Linda!"

Happy Mothers day to all you mums...

Pizza!!!!! anyone.....

This came to live at our place last weekend, OK so it's not
wood fired and I won't have that authentic smokey smell and taste that I love,
but it's a Pizza Oven and what type of one would a guy working at a gas
company get!!!......a gas fired one of course, it cooks realy wonderful Pizzas'
without the smoke mmmm thin & crispy vegie,,yummm.

We finally have all the excess gear from Lucy stored away and my studio is
back to relatively normal apart from her dining table here, the chairs are
comfy the girls will appreciate that.

I have finished the crochet blanket I have done for Sally's baby it turned out
well I though I haven't done crochet for 25-30yrs so I am happy with the
outcome I hope she will be.


a little toy with the
blanket I just couldn't resist it matches well.

My little angel is riding his quad bike and is a real dare devil, he stands up
and drives now especially to go from the concrete to the grass area, this is not
something he has ever seen either we don't ride bikes or show it on the TV this
is all instinct for him he's 21 and a half months.

OOOOOOPPPPs She Did It Again!!!!!!!!!

For the life of me why do I allow myself to get sucked into quilting quilts that
are a challenge! Why! because I believe every quilt should be quilted even the
most creatively pieced ones...and a dead line to boot...sheeesh you'd think I'd
learn by now but no apparently I haven't. And YES they are beads all the way
around the quilt they were also another problem I had to contend with.

This is the quilt from HELL but I just love how it came out, it looks fabulous
I love how the borders came out, that's the fabric that caused me all the aggro
the centre quilted no problem. The client was very happy with it, I had to double
stitch the borders (did it twice) as the stitches kept skipping the first time. I had
sent a SOS to other longarm quilters for help and I tried all their advise.
Thank you girls, a job that at the most should have taken half a day turned into 4 days.

look at that! neat or what!

l the quilting pattern is

from Lorien Quilting, feather fanfare.

I also had the help of some nifty tools from the kitchen to help with the centre

fullness (250g of Red Salmon)

daughter moving in tomorrow I decided that up under the house needed a severe

clean out, we have been here 11yrs and only added to the S**T under there so for

the past 3 weeks we have been doing what I call a brutal cull of what is under

there, Andrew didn't whimper too much I just kept saying "be brutal hon it's gonna f

eel great!". If nothing else I'm a great motivator.

Then I felt soooo good he was throwing all his S**T out I ventured to my domain

and started to go through my treasures(pass me the smelling salts quick before

I loose control, oooppps too late), fabric for making clothes and patchwork, I went

into a frenzie, clothes patterns, wool, embroidery thread it all went, it felt good,

euphoric even (have I lost the plot or what?).

I gave my fabric treasures to a friend who will make sure that the sewers in

the bushfires in Victoria will get them. the other treasures the girls from our

Dear Jane group went through it today and took allot of it.

these are the during photo's

the bench is gone finally an extra meter twenty woooo hoooo.

And these are the today photo's after Dear Jane

All in all the clean out has made both of us feel good it served a double purpose

to make some space for daughters storage and to get rid of gear that I/we haven't

used in years, I feel good.

My challenge to you is....have you anything you haven't used for the past 2yrs

or more? ask yourself do I really need and want it or could someone else benefit

from it...pay it forward, you will get far more in return.

Ps.. this post is for Karen S. see I did listen to you. :)

A trip down memory lane

I'm taking a trip down memory lane this week, with a vintage Safari Suit, I have
always thought my boys looked particularly cute in this Safari Suit (at the time,
circa 1979) all my family think it's hideous but I like it, I have kept it all these years
and it is still in excellent condition good old gabardine (sp).

I had always wanted a picture of all my nephews in it, but alas 'No' was the answer

I got when I asked 'it's hideous'.

My daughter has always known I wanted to get this picture, my little angel thought

he looked spiffy in it and wouldn't take it off until his mom came home and showed

her, he loved playing dress ups.

This is a little quilt I quilted yesterday. I will load another tonight and start all over

again tomorrow.

I plan to have a busy weekend and hopefully get to the craft show on Sunday,

have a great weekend. Lesley

Another 2 bite the dust.....and their my give-aways

The cot quilt finished for little miss Emily Jane, I quilted Anne Bright panto Baby girl,
white king tutt thread it is beautiful.

I finished Rebecca's quilt bottom line white thread and an Anne Bright block design,

the binding is cut for both quilts ready to stitch on tomorrow, lables are done and

in position Phew!. I had a great day in the studio today.....Tomorrow I have to do

housework :~* and tidy and clean the studio for next weeks quilt-a-thon, 4 custom

jobs to be done over the next few weeks.

The first pic of my little angel is in the studio, he is drawing like gran and will be

a real assett when he gets bigger. the subsequent photos have a story to them

on Friday evening last week Poppy picked up the doggy doo, swept up the leaves,

whipper snipped and mowed. So the very next day my little angel did exactly the

same and in the same sequence- How Clever is He...

As promised a Liberty Jane (aka Dear Jane), this is Trish B's quilt done in

Liberties and hand quilted it is georgous

A Productive week

I haven't had time to scratch myself this last week and it's been good.

Here are some client quilts that I've done, You will notice that the eye's on Humpty

are funny, I cut the buttons of all the appliques to do the pantograph. The bargello

was creativly pieced and had huge borders it is long and thin, both of these have

different Lorien Quilting panto's on them. the fan quilt is all faries on the fabrics I

used an Anne Bright pattern for this one.

I also whipped up a small cot size quilt 41"x 49" this morning our old neighbours

had their second little girl last week.

I had to unpick 2 blocks on Rebecca's quilt it took 4hrs for each block, I had started

them with silver thread ( Rebecca likes turquoise, purple & silver) but they looked

dreadful, I ended up choosing white and it looks much better I have 11 blocks to go

then I can put the cot quilt on. I am doing more of my own work this year and I'm

feeling great about that, it inturn has made me more eager to do client quilts, the

last 5 yrs I have only quilted 6 of my own quilts.

I am also putting up a pic of my japanese quilt it's made from 2 charm packs and

background fabric, it's what I call my healing quilt I made this after Cory died

helped me start sewing again I didn't have to think much just enjoy the act of

sewing it, I quilted it with a verigated denim thread with Kerryn Emmersons

oriental clouds, everyone wants this quilt.

Well it's late here (midnight) I'm off to bed these eyes want to close. next post I'll

put up a dear Jane quilt

I