Finished is a great feeling!

Finally......autumn is here, and my autumn quilt is finished!

 Flapping happily in the back yard.

 A close-up of the oak leaf quilting.

Leftover fabrics were pieced to make a strip for the back; it has to hang sideways, because it's too long for the space between wash line and ground.

Finally - the artistically posed pic in the remains of the we-think-it-was-an-apricot tree. 

This was started in a class taught by Lyn Hewitt, from the book "Start with Squares" by Martha Thompson and taught with the author's permission .  It was published way back in 1996 but a good design never dates, does it?  It was very easy to make, and does start with just squares.

Another dry week.  You can see in the background of these pics that the hill is very dry, not a verdant skerrick, not one blade of green grass anywhere.  So far this year we have had less than one third of our average rainfall to date; there apparently "may" be a drop or two in the coming week, but we aren't holding our breath for it.  Farmers are having to go farther and farther afield to buy hay, because so much of the state is in the same position.  People are saying it's worse than the drought of the mid 1960s, which I can just remember......that drought eventually broke, and this one will too.  Eventually.  We just don't know when.

Our quilt group's annual challenge usually has its Big Reveal in late November but this year it's at the start of July, and the theme is to make a 50cm by 70cm hanging of "a local icon".  I would like to have a go but my brain doesn't do fancy-nancy applique designs.  It would have to be self-designed and thereby lies a problem......I just cannot draw.  Give me fabric to cut up and sew together, or an instrument to plink away at, and I'm happy - but am absolutely no good when it comes to artistically designed free hand stuff.  There is also the fact that so much sewing time was lost last year thanks to two floods; I would rather try to catch up with some of what didn't get done, than finagling around designing and making something I would then be stuck with because no one else would want it.  Madame President keeps saying "you don't have to do it, you know" but still, the pressure is there.

Perhaps I will get enthused during the coming week......thought I just saw a little piggy flying by, too......

More tumblers have been cut out lately, I would like to have them all done soon - only another 300 or so to go.  I find that more enjoyable than trying to draw a commemorative obelisk from 1938, believe me.

The cooler weather means spending more time in the kitchen.  Today's attempts will include an apple and pecan cake, and roast chook with all the trimmings for dinner.  The cake recipe is new to us, I found it online; should the fancy take any of you to give it a go you will need to scroll down on the link for the recipe.

"The love letter.
Of this it may only be said, that while it may be expressive of sincere esteem and affection, it should be of a dignified tone, and written in such a style, that if it should ever come under the eyes of others than the party to whom it was written, there may be found in it nothing of which the writer may be ashamed, either of silliness or of extravagant expression."

Just remember those words, next time you write a love letter.

Enjoy your days!