This is a quilt I have been working on for years. The four-patch and half-square blocks were part of a block-swap from 2011, and I have been sewing them together in infrequent batches ever since. I am SO glad to be nearing the end of this project. I need another 28 4-patch blocks to complete the outer border, and by posting this I am hoping to motivate myself to get them made and sewn together.
I have another quilting project I want to get onto. DS’s 21st birthday quilt is calling to me (it is currently only an idea and a pile of fabric); it’s just as well he’s not really expecting to get it before he’s 25!
As well as being Star Wars Day, last Saturday (4 May) was (Inter)national Scrapbooking Day. All over the internet there were challenges, tutorials, videos, layouts and giveaways. It was fun! I made a couple of layouts over the weekend, and the one I am sharing today is the first NSD challenge from Shimelle’s blog: scrap in pink.
As the mother of a son I haven’t had too many opportunities to use pink in our family scrapbooks, but there are a few pink pages in our ‘People we Love’ albums about my great niece, and this layout will be joining those. The papers and embellishments come from a kit supplied by Nic Howard – lots of lovely Teresa Collins papers and associated stickers – with some Stampin’ Up papers thrown in.
I think this meets the requirement to ‘scrap in pink’, don’t you?!
I’m still doing it – taking a photograph every day.
On the left – January’s collage; on the right, the first page of photos
For 2013 I’ve abandoned the Project Life albums and weekly spreads, and gone back to the system I used in 2010, making a monthly series of pages. To begin, a collage made from the month’s collection of bits and pieces (did you know the word for that is “ephemera”? Isn’t that a lovely word?).
The next two pages with photos from January
Then most of the photos for the month, with the date and a brief annotation if required, simply slotted into divided page protectors. For 2013 I want to display every photo, so I am using two sheets (that’s 24 photos, with 6 to a side).
On the left the final page of photos; on the right the first of two layouts made celebrating a January theme.
Finally, a layout (or two) using the remaining photos.
My second layout for January, and on the right the collage to begin February’s pages.
The first of the layouts I made for January celebrates my rediscovery of cycling:
I used a technique from Shimelle Lane, and took an artsy photo of that detail:
The second layout was inspired by the captions I wrote on three of the photos – they all ended with the words “at the library”:
The background was inspired by this post from Big Picture Classes; I had a lot of fun making it and it was just right for the library layout.
Reading: short stories from the multi-author collection Scottish Girls About Town, which my friend Pam gave me a couple of years ago. I’ve only read the first two stories; both were enjoyable for different reasons, which is one of the bonuses of short stories.
Listening to: the hum of the computer, bird song, the occasional vehicle zooming past on the road
Laughing at: Simon’s Cat – DS was home over the weekend and he’s learned to draw this character; I’ve found one lurking on my shopping list (I wonder if there are more?).
Swooning over: bellbird song – we have a flowering banksia and both bellbirds and tuis are visiting to drink the nectar.
Planning: training sessions in our new library management system for my colleagues; this is the product of my trip to Christchurch back in February, where I was trained as a trainer in Kotui (the NZ version of SirsiDynex’s Symphony LMS). The first session is on Wednesday, when the three library managers will be my students. Trying not to freak out.
Eating lots of: dukkah – most of our current hazelnut production goes to a local producer of this middle-eastern condiment, and recently we started stocking their product to on-sell to our own customers. Minor flaw in the plan though – it’s so delicious that I’m eating a good proportion of the stock!
Feeling: good about keeping up with yoga; nervous about the training; satisfied when I look at my April productivity
Discovering: different yoga philosophies and approaches, and the resources of Yoga Journal – awesome!
Looking at: the house and garden; the grape rows are flush with autumnal colour and look so pretty since we took down the bird-netting yesterday
Wearing: 3/4 pants, yoga pants, leggings – the cooler days have brought these back into my wardrobe after a summer of skirt-wearing.
Cooking: in a bit of a rut at the moment; need to try new recipes with vegetables currently in season
Wondering: what do the cats get up to during the day (and night) and where do they go? Ninja was missing Friday/Saturday – no sign of her all night, not there for breakfast – but she trotted up to me in the garden late on Saturday afternoon, absolutely her usual self. Mysterious!
Trying out: scrapbooking regularly on Monday nights; so far it’s working well and I’m carrying on finishing pages started then – and creating more – during the rest of the week.
DRESSING TABLE | Two jewellery boxes for ear-rings, books from the library, cheque and deposit books, hair ties, a dish for my rings when I remove them at night
PERENNIAL TO DO LIST | File papers, data input for the accounts, take surplus clothes/kitchen tools/books/craft supplies to the Sallies
REFRIGERATOR SHELVES | Cheeses, fruit yoghurt, coffee, mushrooms, bread, filo pastry, wholegrain mustard, pesto, chocolate spread, hazelnuts
ITINERARY | Trip to Melbourne with my sister (not til August though)
FANTASY ITINERARY | India, Nepal, Uganda, Marche in Italy (where cousin Kirsty has a villa), anywhere in Spain, the South of France, Utah and Florida in the USA.
PLAYLIST | Neil Young and Deep Purple – having heard them live recently I’ve been enjoying their music here at home too
NIGHTSTAND | Nicky Pelegrino, Josephine Tey
WORKOUT PLAN | Yoga at home twice a week; yoga class on Fridays; bike around the block once (or, if it’s too windy or wet, on the stationary bike which is HARD work because it’s permanently jammed on the highest setting)
SMARTPHONE | Solitaire, Jewels, Crossword Solver
TOP 5 RIGHT NOW| Getting lots of scrapbook layouts made (15 so far this month), nice new recipe for dinner (Mushroom & Potato Enchiladas), DS home for the weekend, great photo printing deal at Harvey Norman, time with my dad tomorrow
BUCKET LIST | Travel, recording my memories, enjoying being with people I love and who love me
MIND | Getting ready for training my colleagues in our new library management system, organising my time so I don’t get too tired, olive harvesting and when it will be, trying to find balance in my life, supporting DH through a stressful time
At the beginning of the year I began yoga again. In years past I had worked along to various DVDs but never in a very focused way. In February I made it a goal to seek out a local class, and I found one. Since starting to attend each Friday I have become much more dedicated to my home practice as well. The class has given me many more poses that I can say I have at least tried, and different ways of placing my body into poses I already knew. Every class has revealed new muscles, tendons and ligaments that need stretching, and I am learning so much about my body – for example, I am tighter on one side above the waist, and on the opposite side below.
The group varies in size from five to ten students, and we are gently guided by our tutor who is more flexible than I am and candid about her own difficulties with some poses (it’s good to know that even an experienced yogi finds them hard).
One class had to be cancelled unexpectedly, and I felt my week wasn’t complete. What about you – is there a physical activity that rounds off your own day or week?
Listmania‘s prompt for this week is favourite book(s) and what’s on my current reading list.
There are many books I’d describe as ‘favourites’ and, now that I work in a library and can borrow books so easily, I don’t buy nearly as many as I used to. I have also purged lots of books from my collection and have kept only the best of the best. Here is my list for today – it might be different tomorrow!
The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien’s classic fantasy is a trilogy, but as the first edition I ever owned was the ‘one volume’ paperback, I’m counting it as one title. This is a book I can re-read again and again, and it’s the absolute pinnacle of fantasy fiction as far as I’m concerned.
However, coming a close second are Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, and it’s extremely difficult to pick just one. However the concepts in Thief of Time are amazing and funny and provide lots to think about. The basic premise of the tale is that the Monks of History ‘harvest’ time from creatures that don’t need it – eg undersea fish (how much time does a cod need, really?), and allot it to those who do – eg city dwellers (who never seem to have enough time). Great idea, isn’t it?
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley is simply a lovely story which makes me smile and feel good (there are places where the tension is high, but I am happy to reread these bits because I know there is a happy-enough ending coming up). I think I also enjoy this novel because it reminds me of some of the great times I had with my horses when I was considerably younger than I am now.
Anne Donovan is probably not well-known outside her native Scotland. I have Buddha Da because my aunt sent it to my mother as something light for her to read during Mum’s final illness. It is amazingly funny and true and heart-rending and lovely. What would you do if your Glaswegian plasterer father became a Buddhist?
Life of Pi is a book I loved so much I wouldn’t see the movie (I like to keep my own visuals intact, and not have them influenced by someone else’s). It was a close contest for the #5 slot between this title and The Time Traveller’s Wife which falls into the same category for me. Do you enjoy seeing movies of books you have really enjoyed?
As for what I am currently reading, I am getting close to the end of The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie. It’s a sort of Da Vinci Code idea, and it started off very well, but got a bit bogged down in the middle with all the explanations and historical information. I’m finishing it because I’m almost done, and I want to see how the writer solves the puzzle (as I’m sure she will). However unless you’re very keen on conspiracy lit, don’t bother to read it yourself.
It is high time that I reported on on how I did with my goals for February, and told you what I hope to achieve through March.
It’s a bit of mixed report for February:
I did manage to continue with being active, riding my bike, walking, and doing yoga but I managed only 14 of the 28 days, not my goal of 20 (but I’m happy that I haven’t slid back into slothfulness)
I found a yoga class! I went to my first one on 1 March, and have been every Friday since
I sent only three cards (all birthday cards); I hand made all three, so I count that as a good effort
I made four scrapbook layouts and here they are:
I didn’t get to the movies – but I did travel to Auckland and went to the Deep Purple concert, and caught up with some very old friends, so I’m not calling this a failure at all!
I managed the one week without sugar thing – but cheated a couple of times with dried fruit on my cereal.
For March I set the following goals
keep up with being active, especially working on incorporating regular yoga into my routine
send some ‘just because’ or ‘thank you’ cards – it’s nice to surprise people
increase productivity in the scrap room – I’m aiming for 8 layouts this month
try for another week without sugar
try for another lunch with my bestie before the end of the month (I did see her briefly at the Martinborough Fair, but that doesn’t count).
I’ll let you know how I get on (hopefully before the middle of April!)
