091 Groundhog Day

No, it's not really.  But it's challenging, isn't it?

Drip by drip we are shutting down things in Australia, though some of us wish they'd just hurry up and do it already.  I think it's giving mixed messages, being able to shop for clothes (???!!!) and yet being told to only do essential travel. 

Anyway.  Drip by drip it's getting done. 

Our State quilting guild has decided to run a mystery quilt so because I have no UFO's in the cupboard anymore (hahahahahahahahahahaha) I've started it.

I haven't a clue where it's going but I shall keep you posted!

090 -30th March

How can it almost the end of March already?  

And how is it that so much has happened in such a short time, that although it is the end of March, it's feeling like a year has passed since the New Year?

How is everyone going?  We are now officially homeschooling our kids, which is lovely and weird and challenging all in one.  Thank God my two are old enough to do their own thing, with a bit of input by me.  I'd be really ready for alcohol by mid morning if my kids were little and I had to do it.

I've tried to establish kind of a schedule which mainly involves school work in the morning/early afternoon, and me staying quiet throughout, and then a family walk every day (this one is the most important, I can already see) and dinner together every night.

And keeping the teenager out of her room at least some of the day, otherwise she will emerge from this ordeal a fully fledged adult (she does love her own space).

My family all said 'well, at least YOUR routine won't change, Mum'....and I nodded and smiled and thought 'Oh My God, it's ALLLLL changed' but I'm the mum, and the mum has to keep the rest of the family going, right?

But we are lucky, we look for our silver linings and the best silver lining of all is that it's absolutely glorious weather and we have no reason to be inside right now, and we have a huge space we can walk in for miles and not see a person.  So I hang onto that.  And so far our sparsely populated state has remained mainly low in numbers of those having the virus.

I'm learning about myself.  I must avoid social media wherever possible.  There's some loony tunes out there, and I'm not good at dealing with loony tunes.  

So not much sewing has been happening, but I am plodding along on a few things in my sewing room.

Not much in the scheme of things.  But I'll keep plodding!

Keep your sense of humour, won't you?

Love Me xx

089 - Lucy Boston update

Another few Lucy's are done.  It's really coming along now.  In true Suzie fashion, I've kitted more than I need.  I sure as heck will not be doing another one, so I might throw the extra ones on the back.  Maybe.  What do you think?

I still have the awesomely overwhelming task of doing all the connectors, plus sew them into a quilt.  So whilst I think I've nearly finished, in reality I've got so very much more to get through.

I plod on!  This WILL be the year of finishing everything!

088 Ongoing Scrap Challenges

Way back a month ago, when life was more normal than it is now, our quilting group decided to do one block a month.  You all stitched one of those blocks, brought it to group, and the person who suggested it would make the blocks into a quilt.

Seems like forever ago, doesn't it?  My block was the heart one.  We have over seventy now, sitting at the group hall.  

Strictly speaking, there's nothing stopping me from going out to get it.  I still drive into town twice a day to pick up my daughter from the bus, and I still get groceries.  I'm not completely self isolated.  But it feels wrong, somehow to be out driving while I should be at home.

Perhaps in a week or so I'll drive out there to collect some stuff. 

I also (a month ago - how was it only a month ago) went across the border to our nearest Big Town to buy fabric to sash it.  Now the borders are closed, so I can't go there even if I wanted to.  

I should be completing everything in my UFO pile.  I know I should.  But I'm being a bit lazy really.

How are you spending your enforced quiet time?

087 show and tell spools

Another one of those little projects that are completely useless and seemed appropriate to make at the time and now it's just taking up space in the cupboard.

But I've photographed it and labelled it and now it's done.  And dusted.

086 - ongoing scrap challenges

Our online group is making one block each month (we all make one block from a given pattern)

This is a disappearing nine patch block.  Easy peasy.

Life rolls along.  I brought toilet paper yesterday (score!!) and whilst the kids are still at school for a few days more, they've brought the start of the holidays a week earlier.  I suspect none of us in our house will know what's hit us when home learning starts.  Both girls think they are just getting holidays for a whole term.  

Yeah nah.  Not going to happen. 

I've cleaned out my freezer and have decided I could not go shopping for two months and still never use everything, so that's a plus.

And the weather is amazing still and I have a big back yard and that's a plus.

And my geriatric chickens give me one egg a day, so that's a plus.

How are you all coping?  I'll see you tomorrow!

085 - Happy Wednesday!

It's a glorious day outside, let me share with you some photos:

It's such a glorious day outside, perfect weather.  We are so lucky that in this period of what will be shut down (it's coming, drip by drip here in Australia) we have a big back yard and lots of space to be in.  I don't know how you guys in apartments with no gardens are surviving it - I'm thinking lots of good thoughts for you.

It's hard to find colour at the moment - but there is some!

DH has been saying he'll get to this plant 'when he gets time'.

Hah.  All the time in the world now!

In my garden, I have the most wonderful lemon scented gum.  You have to rub the leaves between your hands to smell it but it's so lovely, and this tree is the 'climbing tree' in our family.  I just need to remember not to watch the children while they are climbing it, it totally freaks me out.

Out behind that tree is the neighbour's fruit block.  Australia uses a lot of backpacking labour to pick the fruit, with the borders shut now to outside travellers it's all very curious how the fruit will be picked.  At least we won't run out of food, we'll have all the oranges in the world to eat.  We won't get scurvy!

And as this is fundamentally a quilting blog, two blocks for our scrap block challenge we are doing at our now online facebook quilting group !

Hope you're all coping, thank god we can sew!

084 Another Day

Hey guys, it's raining!

Rain is very good!

Our tanks are empty, this is good news.

In our house we do a 'best thing', a 'challenge', and a 'grateful for'.

The best thing for today so far is the rain.

The challenge so far for today is - well I choose not to pick a challenge. 

I am grateful for - the rain.  my family.  a small country town where people are decidedly more good than bad.  magpies calling outside my window.  my enormous stash (whose clever now people??? hmmm???) and all the time in the world to sew.

Love to you all.

Suzie

083 -show and tell beatrix potter nine patch

Another day in this uncertain and scary world.

The kids are still at school.  Do I send them or not?  The government (federal) tells us to.  The state may think otherwise.  I want them home with me, but as with many families, we are having these complex discussions around the table with every one involved, and not everyone agrees with me.  And I do have to respect the others around the table.

I am not going to dwell on the negatives in this space though.  I've made that decision.  Onwards and upwards.  If this shutdown does one thing, it'll ensure that I've shown you EVERYTHING in my cupboard and that's a job I've been wanting to do for a long time.

So here is a completely not inspiring quilt at all to completely not inspire you.

It was made years ago, to show off a range of fabric we had land in our shop.

Anyway.  Dull as dishwater.  But another one photographed, labelled and documented.  So there.

Keep smiling!

082 Lucy Boston Update

Hi friends,

Another day.  How are we doing?

I hope you are enjoying my posts, inane as they may be.  I'm trying to keep busy.  I've recognised a pattern in me, I need to keep as busy as I can to keep the crazies away, and boy am I being productive.  My tapestry is going great guns, I've watched Westworld One and Two, and started watching Three, but it's very complicated.

But the tapestry is boring to show you again so soon, so please enjoy the lovely Lucy.

I hope you are all keeping the crazies away.  If you're a reader and you have a blog, please let me know the name of it so I can check in on you too.

Much love to you all.

Suzie