I think I can, I think I can......

Actually I know I can, I definitely can!! I finally finished the train quilt!!!

Lochie, the lovely recipient of this quilt, is turning one tomorrow and I thought it was a fantastic deadline to work to. We had a yummy morning tea to celebrate today and I presented the quilt after finally finishing it last night.

I found this lovely Michael Miller 'I think I can' fabric not long before Lochie was born and thought it would be perfect for a vintagey style cot quilt for him.



After mucking around with ideas for ages I finally decided on a 'four patch square on point in a square' out of lots of fun prints and a nice not too cream quilter's muslin. Not sure what the technical terms are here and I'm sure there are proper quilting people out there going "what!!!" But I know what I mean.

I quilted it with two squares in the four patch and triangles in the triangles.



Then I fussy cut all the different versions of the train. I quilted this square in various ways and hated them all. Then my mum suggested I do a diamond and it was perfect. I really like that it follows the line of the square on point beside it.



Somewhere during the designing phase I decided I would quilt train tracks around the border to finish it. About five versions later I'm really glad I did.

Right down to the little engine - it's the Lopez Express of course!



Finished with a slightly wonky label that I like even more now the quilt is washed.





And folded up ready for wrapping.



I had even bought him a train card to match!



Happy 1st Birthday sweet little Lochie!

Post Holiday Chaos

Well what a busy start to Term 4 it has been. Not only did school and kinder go back but we had swimming, tennis, violin and Greek school and to top it off a whole school concert (500+ kids) last Friday night. I was so tired on Saturday I wanted to cry and the kids were also a bit worse for wear. I think part of the problem is that it's getting light really early now and they are awake at the crack of dawn.

Then on Tuesday Daphne came down with croup which is just horrible. She had a barking, painful cough and laboured breathing and was utterly miserable . All she has wanted to do all week is sit on me so I had to organise lots of help with school and kinder pickups - aren't Grandparents wonderful! She's getting back to her old self slowly but it seems to have really exhausted her.

So, sorry for the gap in communication. I know some of you have been waiting to see some holiday snaps so here goes.

A great view.



A bit of lounging about.



Some swimming.



A bit of sandman building.



Some shell collecting.



Cheeky kangaroo feeding.



Spiky echinda patting.



And Daphne made quite a few discoveries.

Playing with wet sand is lots of fun.



Eating icecream in a cone is very yummy and very messy.



And that the world looks really good from this angle.



Really good!



A great break for us all.



I started knitting a skirt for Chloe while we were away and must have been channeling the lovely Leslie because I finished it just after we arrived home. I finally found time today to sew in the waistband and add the elastic.



I had to increase the needle size to get the right size and I think it may still shrink a bit. I like it as it is but I think I will have another go at one for Lucinda and add some more stitches on the increase row to make it a bit swirlier. I'm sure she'd like that being a five year old girl.

And look what other little project I have been ploughing on with.



Now to quilting it. I have had some great chats to the girls at Amitie and come up with some really cool quilting ideas - you will have to wait and see though.



I have two or three (or four or five) other quilting projects waiting so I want to get this finished and to its new owner as soon as I can.

I have also whipped up a bag for a girlfriend's birthday.



I enjoyed a great night out with the girls from my mother's group last night and gave it to her then. Enjoy it Reggie, I hope you like it.



I'll leave you with a snap I took earlier this week while at a friend's. They were looking after Daphne and brought out all their dress up jewellery which is one her favourite games. She's had such a tough week since then poor little girl and this photo just makes me smile.