Sewing, sewing and more sewing.......

I am getting quite stressed out about all the sewing I have to do - 5 quilts to finish and duvet covers, sheets and pillow cases etc to make as well as loads of uniforms to mark. My eldest son is off to boarding school next year - it is amazing how much gear he needs for school. Marking uniforms is not fun but it has to be done so I suppose I need to take a deep breath, relax and start at one end and slowly work my way through the pile of stuff that needs doing. I think I am also getting quite anxious about him leaving home and going away to school - he is only 10 years old. Before you ask, why he is going to boarding school so young, he has gained acceptance into one of the best boys' choir schools in the world..... what an awesome opportunity for him. We cannot deny him it but.....the reality is that he is leaving home at 10 years old. I am starting to feel quite sad about it......... About the deep breath etc......

Venda Mats Print

I went shopping for fabric on last saturday morning and, guess what I found....... some ethnic African fabric. The print is called Venda Mats and the pattern is taken from the traditional mats that the Venda people make in the north of South Africa. Awesome colours...... It is difficult to find traditional African fabric made by the local African people in South Africa. Most fabrics are made in China these days. But, if you hunt for long enough, you will find it....... In Durban, South Africa and probably many other major cities in South Africa, there are 2 worlds. The first world city with it's western style shopping malls and then traditional Africa with the small shops and street markets etc. It is in the traditional African part of Durban that I must go to find the real African fabrics. I plan to go between Christmas and New Year - am on leave. I cannot wait..... The other way to find traditional African fabrics is to travel and visit countries like Ghana, Northern Mozambique, Kenya etc. I have itchy feet......but, alas, am constrained by the reality of being mom to triplets and needing to feed, clothe and educate them :D

Saluki Puppy

The wonderful news is that my badly injured saluki puppy, Elef (see post, "Ode to a Dead daisy" for details) is well on her way to a full recovery. The vet changed the bandages last friday and was very happy with the way the wounds are healing. There is now very little chance of her losing her leg. What wonderful news........ Maybe I should now design and put together a quilt that celebrates her "return to life"...... :D

Ode to a Dead Daisy

I am having a rough time at the moment. Last week was very difficult and this morning my gorgeous Saluki puppy was hurt on the beach. Some sharp object slashed her leg open cutting on of the branches of the main artery that runs down her leg. The blood pumped out of her leg. By using a tournique we managed to stop most of the bleeding. My husband carried her to the point where we could drive the car. He ran and collected the car and we rushed her off to the emergency vet. He stitched her up but was worried that the pressure of the stitches on the main artery would reduce blood flow to her leg and she could lose her leg. So we collected her late this afternoon, all looked well and 1 hour later took her back to the vet. The leg was bleeding heavily again. The vet re-operated to tie of the artery. So now there is a greater chance of her losing her leg. And I am devastated. I feel awful - a bit like this photo below. I will convert this photo into a piece of art and post it ....... watch this space.




The photo below is the beginning of the applique interpretation of the above picture. It is an pretty accurate representation. What I really want to do is move in a more abstract direction but I have no idea how to get there. Does anyone have any ideas? My puppy is so much better. She is bandaged and sedated to keep her quiet but she is alive and home. The rest I can cope with.




The three upright green leaves symbolise hope. As for the tea cup instead of a flower pot...... well, maybe poking a bit of fun at life and my emotional state, who knows. The tea cup just happened (LOL).


This is a photo of my puppy Elef Neshikot with all her bandaged legs. Her name means 1000 Kisses in Hebrew and she certainly lives up to her name. She is such an affectionate puppy. She comes from the Negev Desert in Israel and her mother was gifted to the breeder by the Bediouns in the Negev Desert. If you'd like to view more photos of her and her parents and family etc go to the website www.ruahmidbar.co.il. She is part of the "E" litter.

Jo's Purple Cats

Purple Cats you ask......well my 10 year old daughter, Jo seems to be as absorbed by quilting as I am. She also loves cats and the colours in the purple range so...... we have purple cats.

Animals in Log Cabins

The top of my quilt is finally done!! Now I have to add the backing and quilt all the layers together.

These 3 blocks belong to my latest wall hanging. I have to make 2 more blocks - one with a lion and one with a Gnu and then it is time to put the bits and pieces together. This quilt has the advantage of the finished product being any size - the more animal log cabin blocks, the bigger the quilt. I am making a wall hanging as a sample but, as they say, "the world's your oyster". It can be made as big or as small as the creator's imagination (and the number of different animals you can think of......). Watch this space........

David's quilt

This is my very first quilt I made (am still working on the photo so bear with me). It is the product of a quilting course which taught all the basic techniques eg Log Cabin, Flying Geese etc. Again I used Africa and African animals as inspiration but did not use the South African Fabrics. I had a lot of fun with this quilt - choosing colours and mixing them all up.

Sunshine Quilt

This is my Sunshine Quilt. I used the Trip Round the World pattern and arranged the colours according to the colours of the rainbow. The result is a happy, laughing, sunny quilt. The yellows stand out and create an awesome effect as well as blending in with the rest of the colours - yet another bright colourful quilt. This quilt was donated to my children's school to auction off as fundraising for the school.

Ben's Fish Quilt

My Son Ben has a Marine Fish Tank so I made him a Crazy Patch quilt using fish prints in the centre of each block. I love working with bright colours.I used yellow sashing to separate the crazy patch blocks to give the quilt more space and light. Needless to say he loves it and will be taking it with him to boarding school next year.

African Animals Wall Hanging

I am a child of Africa, LOVE Africa and am inspired by Africa. This is the first in the range of wall hangings/quilts created with an African theme. I am fortunate to be able to purchase fabrics made in South Africa that encapsulate the feel of Africa. This quilt was made as a gift for a friend in Romania.