So here are 7 things about me...
1. Mum has always tried her hand at different crafts. She tried to teach me to knit when I was little, but she is a left handed knitter, and didn't want me to be the same, so I would sit in front of her and watch. I started quilting when I was about 17 or 18 years old. I picked up a book and cut worked from that....it was years later before I did a course, and learnt lots of great tips. now I have picked up my knitting again, and learning how to knit socks, and do cool patterns, next I need to learn how to do cables properly. I love to do cross stitch, and it's what I enjoy doing when the kids go to bed (they say the sewing machine is too noisy). I have taught myself to "listen" to the TV, and stick my head up when something interesting happens...hubby has learnt to fill in the gaps when I miss the important story line when I am stitching. One day, I hope to learn how to crochet. I am willing to try almost any type of craft, and one day I would like to get back into drawing, when more than 24 hours in a day has been invented!
2. The best thing to happen to me: My family, the kids help keep my sense of humour, and "keeping it real"
3.I love living: in Australia. As much as I have enjoyed my experience here....the "day to day" stuff can be lonely as an "expat wife". I am trying to fill my days, but I am an Aussie girl through and through! But I love the amount of travelling we can do here, and I have met some amazing friends.
4. I miss: Australia, and anything to do with Oz! I listen to Nova radio via the computer, and get my Aussie music, and traffic reports! LOL. I miss my family in Melbourne, girlfriends in Melbourne and Sydney. I also miss my 2 Nanna's and Great Nana, Brenda and others who has sadly left this world.
5. Pre children I was: a trained teacher, but after having children of my own, I am less tolerant of "naughty" children. One of the teachers at the school says there are no naughty children, just children with challenges. Well, I am not keen on challenging children either! Office work is what I did as we moved around the country, easier, leave work at the office, and anything that needs to be done after hours was on overtime pay! I am not sure what I want to do when I get back to Oz.
6. My favourite pastime besides quilting is: reading, listening to music, knitting, Xstitch, beading, hopefully scrapbooking soon, and lately I am loving Facebook! I love making lists, and I make lists for almost everything I do, shopping lists, a list of book I have read from Jan - Dec, lists for UFO's, and the latest monthly lists on what I want to complete for each month. Some people would say I am a bit obsessive compulsive, or a bit anal. I have to agree. I hate sitting doing nothing. I doodle with pen and paper while I am on the phone. I keep my knitting in my handbag for when I am on the train, or waiting for the kids, in a playground anywhere. When I bought my new handbag, it had to be big enough to fit in a ball of wool and my needles!
7. My favourite colour is purple and yellow together.
I never know what to do with blue and green in a quilt, and have a huge pile of both colours, and just no idea how to use it! I love bright colours, stripes and black and white fabrics. My stomach churns at the sight of pastels in my stash! I love playing with colour waves in my quilting. As a kid I loved my 72 set of Derwent pencils, and they always had to be in the right colour order...not just stuck back anywhere!
2 baby boy quilts, using that fabulous Disappearing Nine Patch method....all from stash (I love playing with this pattern too!)
I cut up all my "ugly" fabrics, and am playing with these tumbler blocks....I am sewing these in between projects, when I am not sure what to do next. I have a huge basket full of them cut out. Instead of cutting the thread after I have sewn a block, I sew 2 tumbler blocks together, and snip the thread in between the blocks. This saves on thread, and I am sewing extra blocks for the next tumbler quilt! Lots of ideas for these Tumblers, that I have been playing with colour patterns on EQ5...stay tuned for more!
