My header - with thanks to my daughter

There are so many wonderful headers in blog land.  I particularly love the photographs that include a smattering of items that tell you a little about the author.  But sadly photography is a skill I am still working on for now.

However both my daughters are great artists.  My elder daughter first sketched me a patchwork hare for Mothers Day some three years ago.  Yes, it's a hare - not a rabbit.  What is the difference I hear you ask?  While both are introduced species within New Zealand, the hare is larger, with longer ears. Hares mate for life and raise only 2-3 offspring per year, nesting on the ground (not in burrows).  They are relatively solitary, very beautiful animals that appear often  in myth and legend.

So when I thought about how to create an effective header that might say something about me it seemed obvious to ask my daughter to assist.

If you like my hare you can check out more of my daughters artwork at http://roshiana.deviantart.com/

What I'm reading...'Paris Letters'

'Paris Letters' by Janice MacLeod

I started this yesterday and have to admit I'm really enjoying it. I'm a sucker for books about escaping the humdrum of the rat race and reinventing the good life someplace new - and this fits within this genre.

In a nutshell, Janice spends a year planning (and analysing why) her escape from her corporate role in LA, then takes off to travel in Europe. It includes the almost obligatory romance, but I enjoy her conversational style, and reflections. Yes, its almost chick lit, but there's nothing wrong with a little chick lit providing its not your entire literary diet!

So much to learn...

So here I am!  I've finally taken the plunge after years of being a committed reader of other people's blogs, and created a blog of my own.  And boy do I feel inept.   Just like learning any new skill, working out how to set up, edit and post takes some consideration and a deep sense of gratitude towards my teenage daughters for patiently coaching me through!  So expect some mistakes, and changes as I slowly establish what I want to say and how to say it.

To date 2014 has been rather spectacularly unproductive, a busy start to the working year, followed by some challenging family matters, has made for a number of starts and depressingly few finishes on the quilting front.

But there has been one finish.

Many years ago, when we lived in Sydney, pre children, we purchased two Ikea feather cushions.  They have accompanied us through many many homes, and had new covers made for them several times.  But they are aging (rather like the Lovely Man and I).  I noticed last year they were starting to shed feathers in a rather alarming fashion.  Perhaps I could construct a cover that kept stray feathers in?  And include both cushions within the one cover to make it rather more generous?

For awhile I was stuck on which, of many options, I would most enjoy making.  I have long been an admirer of Rita at Red Pepper Quilts, so this seemed the perfect opportuity to go for simple 'Red Pepper' like squares, and use up some of the small scraps of favourite fabrics I'd been hoarding.

And here it is:

Side One - two inch squares finished

Side Two - 4.5 inch squares finished .... mostly!

What I failed to consider was that the two sides were not exactly equal in terms of final measurements, and since, by the time I realised this, I had quilted them both AND installed the zip, I simply made Side Two fit.

Quilting is simple stich in the ditch, as I didn't want to lose any of those beautiful images.

However, I am delighted to say, that while making the cover was rather more complicated than I had anticipated, and quilting both sides was something of a performance, not a single feather has escaped.  So heres hoping the cushion lasts another 5 years!