Whirligigs and stars and pinwheels

How is everyone this fine day?

I have been sewing, as you can see! Lots of different bright colours to make whirligig star blocks for my challenge quilt. Here are some more ready to be joined.

And here is the first completed block. One block was assembled so I could work out the piecing order, because this is My Very Own Design and not from a book or magazine. Just me and EQ7.
Each 12in finished block will have a different coloured star in the centre, and the lavender corner triangles will make pinwheels when the blocks are joined together. Can't wait to see how it looks......seeing it on the computer screen, and seeing it in real life, can be two different things.

Still have one applique block to made for my group quilt, the next raffle quilt is to have both pieced (made mine already) and floral applique or embroidered blocks. Because I don't have an embroidery machine mine will be be machine appliqued because it's quicker than by hand. I will be glad to have it done. I have no idea which flower design I am going to do......

This week we had some rain, but as they say on the news more follow-up rain is needed. Still - I'm sure the gardens were thankful for what they received. We have a couple of things to be planted so hopefully they will go in the next day or so. This afternoon I noticed some pretty pink things in the front garden, I think they are Nerines. Nerine sounds like a woman's name from years gone by, doesn't it? Those old-fashioned flower names seem to be making a comeback, names like Rose, Lily, Daisy and Violet. My paternal grandmother was Florence, which is nearly a flowery name. She had a sister called Adelong (there is a town in New South Wales called Adelong), and one of her brothers was named Australia. Before Australia became one federated country in 1901 it was a collection of different states, although federation had been talked about for quite some time. As it drew closer some people became quite patriotic about many things including children's names, and Australia was not an uncommon name.

Several years ago I remember a friend telling me that when an elderly member of her family died his name was also found out to have been Australia. He was always called Ozzie, so it was generally thought by family and friends that his name was Oswald. But not so.

Makes you wonder what people will think about the current choice of names in a hundred years or so, doesn't it? To say nothing of the somewhat creative spellings that some children have to carry all their lives, just because their parents felt like being different.

"With some it is customary to name children after some renowned person, either living or dead. There are objections to this plan, however, for if the person be still living, he may commit some act which will bring opprobrium to his name, and so cause both the parent and child to be ashamed of bearing such a disgraced name. If the person after whom the child is named be dead, it may be that the child's character may be so entirely different from the person who formerly bore it, that the name shall be made a reproach or satire."

My parents chose my first name (so I was told) because they liked it, and my middle name - Grace - is after a cousin of my mother's who died young. But I am still here, and I hope I am graceful. Not disgraced.

Enjoy your days!