Yesterday afternoon they wanted to quilt

(Peter took a photo)

Babe will have a quilt too

This evening/night (I know it's late for me!), half a sleeve to go:

Off the needles! I'll finish tomorrow with buttons and blocking.

And our babe will have a (small) quilt after all. I wasn't sure for a while...I just didn't feel quite up to making a quilt. With the arrival of lovely, lovely, crisp Autumn weather it doesn't seem so unthinkable. Perhaps quilting just isn't so much of a hot weather activity for me, especially while heavily pregnant. Babe is due in five weeks so the idea is to keep it very simple and no dramas if I'm not finished with the stitching in time. At least our little one will have a snug cardigan to wear home.

Thanks to all who visit me here - it is so lovely to hear from you. I know I've been quite focused on our baby lately. Offline I am also super focused on home, spending special time with my family as it is now and getting ready for babe. We haven't set up a cot or nursery yet, but I have made meal plans and rearranged furniture (told Peter to rearrange furniture). I've culled clothing from wardrobes and lamented that my belly is too cumbersome to clean out that wretched cupboard under the stove...not very interesting blog material...so thanks for keeping in touch. I think of you often and look forward to putting my artist hat back on someday. Good night, friends!

knitting

In the evening

at the beach

and this little girl recently had a birthday. Five. So glad we didn't start her at school this year. She loves kinder (preschool) and the time I have just with her is priceless.


I'm knitting the Sunnyside Baby Sweater from Tanis Fiber Arts. My grandma Madge who recently passed away bought the wool for me in 2008 (or did she tell me to buy it...I can't remember) from Bendigo Woollen Mills. It's very soft - I don't remember what blend of fibres it is precisely; it isn't labelled, but it is lovely and therapeutic. I was supposed to make something for Leilani with it, I think.

This is my first top down knitted garment with cables. My grandma's favourite - no seams to stitch afterwards. Despite my numerous mistakes, she would be proud! The wool is a thinner ply than the pattern recommends so I've decreased needle size and I am following instructions for the 6-12 month size. So far it is measuring sized 3-6 months as I'd hoped. Now to finish before babe arrives.

Leilani has taken to calling our baby "Baby Bruce." She is very pleased with herself about naming the baby. I ask her what if it's a girl? We are not naming our child "Bruce" even if we do have a boy.

(no offence if your name is Bruce...)

belly. my mom says it looks like a stripey earthquake.

Kick. (there should be a video following...hope it works!)



And my midwife assures me there is plenty of room left in there. Lately it feels like babe disagrees :)

33 weeks

Grandma Madge

Madge Marie Dunlap
3 May 1932 - 24 March 2012

My maternal grandma.

1946


2010 with her cat and great-grandaughters.

I really thought I would see her again. She wasn't a quilter, but I made my first quilt with her when I was 11. It was a "puffy" quilt. Something she had seen and was fascinated by in one of her needlework magazines. We made each square, pleated on all four sides with a puff of polyfil in the middle on her over locker. She then had me arrange all the squares into a picture - it has the sky, a grassy area, a pond, the sun - and she stitched them all together for me - by machine. My mom backed the quilt. I shipped it sea mail in a large box all by itself when I migrated to Australia. Peter and I used it when we were first married, Eowyn used it when she moved into a bed and so did Leilani. I've only just managed to pry it away from Leilani's bed for mending. She is very attached to that quilt.

My Grandma Madge also taught me how to knit. I wouldn't describe myself as a knitter, I only really know the basics, but I've been knitting a lot lately.

In 2008 Grandma Madge came to visit us in Australia. I'm still searching for the photo files from her trip. I hope, hope, hope I find them, and why didn't I ever get them printed???

Gestating

My belly at 28 weeks and Baby Blackert's face at 29.5 weeks. There are many moments in a day I can hardly believe we have made it this far. I am so in love with our baby...every day, every kick, is a gift.

That being said baby does measure rather large for his/her age and sometimes in my very weak moments at 4am I ask him/her kindly not to play rugby with my pelvis,ribs,bladder,spleen. Then I try not to feel guilty for being unwelcome to all that morning activity; kicks I hope to soon feel on the outside of my tummy when baby wakes me early for milk and I God willing hold him/her in my arms. I must remember to be thankful, but also that not everyone can be poetic, warm and fluffy so early in the day...

tortilla ghosts

Or the tortilla as a canvas?
I don't know.
Sometimes family picnics just get weird.

I know it's been over a month. This is my "big return" post.
There is a quilt (functional no less) in there if you look hard enough, past the eccentricities of my children...

something to get stitching again

A chain stitch sampler (phone photos). Because I like chain stitch and I need something with which to warm up my fingers after a long holiday.

The girls are back at school and kinder, routines and timetables sorted, and today I have FOUR hours to myself. Pregnancy is going well; 25 weeks now, feeling as huge as a house, perhaps starting to waddle at times. Lots of kicking. Precious kicking.

J