I am back and sewing again!

Well, we are back from the beach. It was WONDERFUL. I wish we were still there. I worked on my new website while I was there, so hopefully Marnie will be able to get it up and going soon. If you are interested, I hate Go Daddy. That is my current Internet host. It is basically impossible to understand so I can't update my site like I need to. Most of the information is out dated...I will have a new look and I will be able to list the bags I am working on so ladies can know where they are on my list of bags.

As it is, I am still working away on bags and two quilts. I thought I was going to knock out a bunch right before we went on our vacation, but we all caught the Flu and were sick as dogs for about 10 days. That is certainly a downside to moving. If you have little kids you get to catch all the viruses going around. Especially here in Alice Springs. The Australian government is bringing in the Aborigines from distant camps and they are bringing all their creepy third world viruses to the grocery store. Where my kids and I pick them up. A couple months ago I thought I was having heart attacks, and after spending time at the local hospital having stress tests and EKGs I found out it was a pericardial virus, that was causing swelling in the lining of my heart. Oh great. But at least I am not dead.;o)

But life is good right now and I am having some really wonderful inspiration....and I have some great new bags to introduce on my new website! Cheers you all!

A bit of Fun

I made these little coasters for a lady I have made several things for. They are super simple, but will save many a table top from the dreaded moisture ring. I have them scattered all over my house.

You barely need any fabric at all. Scraps from favorite projects work nicely. I had two good sized pieces from recent quilts. I cut them both into 5x25 inch rectangles, batted them with my standby 100% cotton batting (I think this was the new Tuscany batting from Hobbs. Very nice drape and a nice, consistent thickness throughout. It is comparable to quilters Dream, very nice) Anyway, I doubled up a matching size of batting and layered the "sandwich" then quilted it all down. After It was quilted I trimmed it all up with the rotary cutter and cut 4 5" squares. I zig zagged around the outside of the squares and bam! 4 coasters, bring on the lemony iced tea!

Rock hunting

So we are finally recovered from our bout with Flu. I think I lost about 5 pounds, so maybe it was a good thing. Well, by Saturday we were feeling cabin fever something fierce, so we went out rock hunting (what else would 2 fairly intelligent, yet still dehydrated adults do with their weekend?). We got up early, which was easy since Sam woke us up about 0500 throwing up all over his bed. I tossed his linen in the washing machine while my dear husband made coffee. We loaded up the other two monkeys with H2O and chocolate milk as well as about 7 tangelos from our tree and headed out into the bush. More or less this is our new back yard. If Mars had vegetation this is what it would look like, I think. Unexpected gaps in the mountain ranges, enormous ghost gums in the river beds, amethysts and garnets glittering all around in the fine red dirt that covers everything in the outback. Glorious and otherworldly. God really did take his time on Australia, it is such a beautiful country, so different from the mountains of North Carolina where my husband and I are from. If you ever get the chance do come down. In about 2 months it will be all but impossible to go outside (in the bush) due to the flies and heat, but right now it is perfect.

New Bag

This is a new bag...my first of "Alice Bags". It has a rough garnet for a weighted closure...very posh bag. I will go on more about it later, gotta get the kids to school!