Just how cute is this teddy, given to me by someone who really knows me...it has a little quilt in its hand.

 

There are the boys, pouring the extension of our footings, ready for the floor to be poured on Thursday!!! A neighbour's dog ran through the cement and went home with "cement socks" so the first time that he appears on the day of the floor pour he will have to watch from a chain.

 

"Now how long do I have to wait before you will let me eat this?" Isn't he such a good dog...is it that he is a good dog or is it that I am very patient with my teaching.

I have just finished my second block for the Journey of a Quilter by Leane Beasley. With each block that I do, my stitching technique improves. This photo is taken with my Iphone and the colour make have been truer if it wasn't against a black background, which makes two extremes when the automatic focus is trying to work. As with everything in life, there is always a lot more to learn. My next block is a unit as far as the piecing goes, but I am only just starting on the stitching. And it would look better if I pressed it, but there are still a couple of small patches of blue marker to be removed, before I can do the pressing.

I am stitching Leanne Beasley's 'Journey of a Quilter.' This is Block 10 which I started first as the centre part of this block had lots of hand stitching and at that stage I didn't have a sewing machine. Since then I have been lucky enough to get my Bernina 440. That enabled me to piece - I am not a hand piecer - Block 10 and also Blocks 1 and 2. The hand stitching on Block 1 is NEARLY completed. The layout of the blocks and the mixture of colours reminds me of an English country garden. I will name my quilt 'Journey of a Quilter through an English Country Garden!'

Today was a beautiful - though VERY crispy - day with not a cloud in the sky and very little wind. It was just too good to not have a paddle in the dragon boat. Despite the chilly weather, it was great to be on the water, only my second time in 12 months.