Taueret

Look at me being festive.

I got a full-width warp onto the floor loom, with the idea that I'd have fun doing some Saori-inspired freeform stuff.  But I didn't, and I don't much care for what I did instead:

So I guess I cut it off and call it a sample.  Somehow the freeform mixed weft etc only looks right to me in plain weave.  This is threaded 1234321 so I don't know what to do next! (Someone said they wanted to hear about my failures? well... ).

Anyway.  I also had a delusion that I'd make each of the girls and my nephew a quick quilt for Xmas.  None of the little ones have quilts, I kind of stopped making them when middle girl was born.  I cut out the 95 million squares (they're going to be more or less i-spy quilts) and now I have to sit down and piece them.  Maybe tomorrow.

 Lately I have been thinking that I want to make THE HOLIDAY SEASON fun for my kids- rather than just have a stressful countdown to one morning of greed followed by anticlimax.  Lo and behold, this blog is all about that very idea.  We're going to do Sister Diane's salt dough ornaments one day soon.  Today we baked Pfefferneusen and made the dough for ...I forget --ukrainain honey cookies (see photo below for reactions to the baking experience)? 

Christmas in Australia is weird (seems weird to me, having spent my childhood in the snowy northern hemisphere).  It's hot.  All the foods I associate with holidays are inappropriate here, in December.  We still eat them, as do many birthright Aussies, but it always seems crazy to be roasting beef (in our case) when it's 40 degrees C out.  Here in exile, especially with my mum gone, and my dad and his wife mostly having chosen to spend Xmas as far away from the kids and grandkids as they could get, it's become a time of year that just isn't that joyous for me. 

But since I have these kids, I am TRYING to make my own way now, make some traditions that they may one day find they have fond memories of, although they are in no way derived from any holiday traditions in my family, which were mostly based around extended family.  It's hard work but I'm hoping that some of these practices may gain momentum and start to take on a life of their own.  Already my 5 year old is saying that she wants things to be "the same as last Christmas" which I guess is nice.  So, we are having the same things, but adding a few new ones too to see if any stick.

quilt's done

I finished sewing the binding on to T's teacher's quilt just now.

I ended up finishing it alone, there just isn't time to organise a quilting bee... and I don't really know if that would have worked at all anyway!

I'm really happy with the way this came out.   When I was into quilting, I made a lot of quilts "by the book" following patterns.  The ones I was happiest with though were the couple that I 'designed' myself (One was very much designed, the other more freeform).  Here's the unfinished top of the last quilt I made (before the handprint one):

I dyed all the fabric in it myself!  It started life as a bolt of unbleached muslin.

Having had fun with the handprint quilt, maybe I'll get around to finishing the wonky log cabin, which I actually love.

Anyway!  The handprint quilt is almost ready to go- I want to write something on a patch and sew it onto the back.  I am looking for a really appropriate quote for an awesome teacher of kindergarten- any suggestions?

I am all "????whelmed" today as I have been considering for over a year doing a course that would qualify me as a nurse's aide (Cert III AIN if you are in AU).  The specialty is aged care which doesn't rock my world but I really need a job where I can work when I want to, say a day or two a week, regularly.  Right now my work is mostly weekends and it just isn't working any more.  My 15 year old has a part time job too now and my husband always works Saturdays... so I need to get out of the weekend work business, I can't afford to pay for childcare!  I have actually bitten the bullet and arranged childcare for the 10 weeks of the course, so it looks like I'll do it.  After the Cert III I can do a Cert IV (duh) which can then be upgraded to an Enrolled Nurse and then an RN if I so choose, which I kind of think is probably the career I should have chosen all along.  The Cert III will get me to work anyway, and then I can do the other study as I go.  I'd ideally like to be in palliative care but this is a start in the nursing direction.

Meanwhile, after muttering this morning that I needed money to PAY for the Cert III, I've had TWO offers of research work come in (research is an AWESOME job, but I don't get enough of it to pay the bills).  This is the time of year when people's grants run out and I always end up screaming "never again" as I rush to complete research assignments before Christmas, which is when the deadline usually is.  So, having all but signed on to do this nursing course, to get OUT of the loop of having to pick up scraps of work here and there- I now need to pay for it by picking up the scraps of work that stress me out and I want to avoid!  Clear as mud? 

If anyone kept reading after the pretty pictures, I commend you!

many hands make a lot of work

A quick update- here is a snap of the quilt top as it is now. 

you can't really tell but the kids' names are embroidered across the palms of each hand in oranges (love variegated embroidery floss!).  As you can see I enjoy playing it straight in quilting as much as I enjoy it in any other craft- I like the slightly chaotic look of the randomly pieced sashings.  It's quite small - which is a good thing as I am wary of burdening people, especially teachers with gifts that are really just clutter.  However I also think it would be nice if this quilt was a size that the recipient will get some use from, as a couch throw or whatever (or to sit on at picnics even!)- so I may add a bit of size by adding a wider final sashing.  I need to see if I have enough of the backing fabric to do that, I think I probably have more than enough.  Thanks for the suggestion to 'tie' it using buttons- I'm going to do that as all the parents who want to help will know how to sew on a button!

Also thanks ladies for the suggestion of Peggy Osterkamp's dvd!  I knew about her books, and while I don't have them (yet) I feel like I am learning better from watching videos these days, I can't seem to focus on written instructions properly.  Anyway my partner has ordered it for me, I have a birthday in December as well as the general gifty festiveness  so I can't wait!  Thanks again for the suggestion!