My quilting thoughts and inspirations sprinkled with a glimpse of life down on the farm

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Away and home again

It's hard to believe that this time last week I was in Ipswich, Australia, visiting my son and dil. While New Zealand was having a polar blast with snow and frost in all sorts of places I was in tropical Queensland. By the time I got back to New Zealand temperatures had warmed up here and it was Australia's turn for ice and snow.

My suitcase was jam-packed (and very close to being overweight) with bedding for our new babies which are getting closer and closer and should have a blanket, quilt, sheet or wrap for any occasion.
'A collection of bedding' including .....
...these blankets hand-knitted by the MOML's grandmother for my babies.
These babies would have been her great-great grandchildren!
One day I offered to head up to Toowoomba to pick up the nappies for the babies 
I had a fun outing one day when Michelle of Rag-Tag stitchin' picked me up and took me up to Toowoomba to see the local sights and meet Fiona of BugzRugz. Delicious coffee and great chatting happened, then we met up with Kris of Tag Along Teddies for more coffee, food and chats.
A little bit of shopping made the day complete. Isn't it great meeting friends who you've known forever through blogging? When you meet them in person it can feel so natural and as though you've been friends forever. Thank you ladies for a lovely day.
A few little impulse buys. Not sure why my buying now includes things for
kiddies :-)
The thimble was an extra special find as we saw a Fairy Wren while chatting,
they really are the most sweet looking tiny little birds.
Oh yes, the nappies, isn't it handy that I was able to collect the nappies while I was up there?

On Saturday we drove to Southbank which is in Brisbane, something about my visit being a good excuse to have an outing before the babies come. It was a lovely spot, with a manmade beach and plenty of eateries and things to do. (I just googled and discovered it has 17 hectares of parks - dil wasn't up to walking that much, we were just happy to settle on somewhere nice to eat!)
The view from our lunch table
I imagine this arch will be really beautiful in the years to come as the
Bourganvilia grows even more.
Back yard photo of a Honey Eater, I was particularly pleased with how this
photo turned out!
Me and My Boy.
Some things never change, trying to get a serious photo can be such hard work!!
Some of the blankets I took over were ones that Mum had given me to pass on, mostly things she had used for her grandchildren, which she thought would get more use here or at our son's. One of the treasures I didn't let go was this quilt that Mum made while she was expecting me over half a century ago....
I recognise so many of these fabrics from my childhood - some of Mum's
dresses, shorts for me, clothes for our dolls.
(Cant get a good pic just now as the sun is very glare-y today).
It was made very much in the traditional way of using dressmaking scraps and was stuffed with woollens... I'd love to have a little unpick to see what the woollies were that she used but won't....
I'm thrilled to have this, Mum hasn't made many quilts, her love is embroidery.

By the time I've got to finish writing this, it is no longer 'this time last week' I was in Australia. Since I've got home we've started calving - the reason why I went over before the babies were born rather than waiting - and so our routines have changed yet again.
The day I got home we went out the back and brought the cows home to
the main farm.
And the next day, the calves started arriving. Ahh cute.... :-)
I always love this time of the year, even though I groan as the time approaches
because we get so busy with them!
I'm happy to report that (since my last post) The Palace has stayed nice and tidy,,, hopefully I'll get a chance to settle down for some serious sewing a bit later in the day.
See you next time,
Happy creating,
 

32 comments:

  1. What a fabulous trip!!! The quilt is such a treasure!!! Wow!!!! I know you are excited about the babies!!! Can't wait to hear that they have arrived!!

    Love the calves!!! Though I know that your work has begun - my the seasons do fly by!!!

    Enjoy your sewing time!!

    Blessings and hugs!

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  2. It looks like you had a lovely little holiday! When are your babies due? What precious blankets you delivered to them.

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  3. love the quilt that you mom made - so great to pass on a family heirloom - hand made is best isn't it. Sounds like you had a good trip, it was on the news here when Australia had snow last week, guess it doesn't happen often!

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  4. How fun to meet up with blogger friends! Always a delightful thing, in my experience.
    Looks like you were visiting a beautiful place--and you had really good timing, as far as the weather was concerned. : )
    What a treasure to have the quilt your Mum made for before your arrival.
    I love watching the calves when they get old enough to be frisking about.

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  5. sounds like you had a great time, meeting p with bloggers in Toowoomba must have been fun, I blog with 2 ladies and have an aunt there who is 96.
    Lots of blankets there for the twins and can understand why you have kept the quilt, so many memories wrapped up there for you to recall. Friends from Aus missed there plane back last week from a visit here in the UK and had to wait another 4 days and pay again, just as well you were home on time with the cows calving the day after your return

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  6. What an adventure...there and here! Lots of old and new memories :)

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  7. What a great time you had in Australia with your son and his wife. So nice to made new friends, too. And what a precious gift to receive the quilt your mother made expecting you!
    Have a happy week, Cisca

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  8. Lovely post sharing your family and why your suitcase was stuffed full! Lovely to meet Michelle, Fiona and Khris. Some nice goodies to bring back too.

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  9. Two new babies just can't have enough blankets, aren't they lucky to be so loved. Looks like you had a great trip, and very convenient about the nappies! Yes it is lovely to finally meet blog friends in person. I love your thimble, and the zipper charms are so cute. Enjoy your four legged babies.

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  10. looks like you were carrying a lot of love in your suitcases.
    We were gobsmacked with brisbane too when we visited last year, such a beautiful city and such lovely girls to have a catch up with too!
    your baby quilt is so precious too.
    such cute four legged babies.

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  11. Such a delightful post! A lovely trip, good friends, a happy reunion, and weather wise, perfect timing! Your moms quilt is a real treasure! I love cows. They have such pretty faces and are such curious critters. They make cute babies, too!

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  12. That old quilt is so lovely, I like the history of the fabric used. I made something similar when I was young but it got thrown away somewhere along the way. You say babies, as in more than one, are twins coming? You will make such a lovely granny.

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  13. What a pleasure it was to spend time with you Raewyn. Glad you enjoyed Southbank and I see your 4 legged girls were true to your word and had their carves as soon as you got home. Such a treasure to have that quilt from your Mum...you will be a gorgeous Nana...very lucky little bubba's. Hope those little carves don't work you too hard xx

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  14. How lovely that the babies have sew many special blankies. Sew special to have the quilt your Mum make sew long ago.
    It is great you got to spend time with the wonderful blogger ladies. We go over to Qld soon and I hope to meet a few too.
    How cute are you four legged babies. Hope they don't wear you out.

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  15. It looks like it was a perfect nappy collecting day!!! Those blankets will all be treasures for the new little ones, but I am glad you saved that one.

    Calving is a busy time of the year. I hope all goes well with it.

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  16. I love your Mum's quilt; what a wonderful heirloom for you to cherish hugs, Julierose

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  17. You sound to have had wonderful break in Queensland and your son and dil would have been thrilled which the gifts.
    I was brought up right next to a farm and an Aunt and Uncle also had a farm in Derbyshire, I have lost found of how many holidays I spent there! So haymaking, horses, cows, calving and sheep and lambing were a huge part of my growing up - all this rambling is to say how lovely to see your post of the cows coming home to have their little ones! Thank you.

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  18. I love the stories of the special blankets and quilts... was great to have you around here and pleased you found some treats to take home too!! happy calving... how fun
    Hugz

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  19. Love the blanket pile Raewyn, am sure your bag was chokka. That childhood quilt is just so special. You & your son look alike too ... bit like me & mine. Yes we are right in the thick of calving here too - thank goodness for the odd sunny day.

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  20. Lovely post Raewyn, glad you had a great time catching up with friends as well as family. Those babies have a wealth of treasure made with love.xx

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  21. What a wonderful time you had with family and friends, bet your time went so fast. Those little fairy wrens are so cute aren't they, my favourite Aussie bird. Hope the calving us going well. Bet you are counting down the days now!

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  22. Great trip Raewyn - you got to meet some of my favourite bloggy friends! Lovely treasures to bring home too. Can't understand how you managed to miss the icy blast though! xx

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  23. You had a wonderful time, i see.
    And i discovered your very interesting Blog.

    I will come back
    Iris from Germany

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  24. What a great trip you have had and now home to calving-the first couple are always special I think every season and then you get to the stage of hurry up and finish!! A quilt that was made for you, love it, very special. Hope all is going well.
    Michelle

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  25. Sounds like you've been having a fabulous time ~ new babies now and later ~

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  26. Looks like you had a great time in Qld Raewyn....lovely for the babies to have so many blankets. Lovely to meet up with blogging friends...lovely purchases! Good luck with the four legged babies!

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  27. Great pictures - so glad you had so much fun. I love the little trinkets you got - and the timble. As for your Honey Eater picture - did you know that Birds and Blooms Magazine is having a photo contest or something. Maybe you would like to submit your photo. I love the ones of the cows too.

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  28. What treasures your wee grandchildren will be receiving bet they have many special memories. And what a special quilt that you got or(rather kept from going to Aussie) from Mum. Awesome to have I bet.
    Nice weather so far for those four legged babies hope it continues....hugs xxxx

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  29. What treasures your wee grandchildren will be receiving bet they have many special memories. And what a special quilt that you got or(rather kept from going to Aussie) from Mum. Awesome to have I bet.
    Nice weather so far for those four legged babies hope it continues....hugs xxxx

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  30. It does look like you had a wonderful time with all that you did. And discovered and transported a lot of treasures in the process!!

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  31. What a wonderful time. Love the photo of you and your boy. I just got to see mine a couple of weeks ago. It had been 6 months and boy did I need a hug.

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  32. Love the photo of you and your boy. They start to look older - which makes us FEEL older. I know that from my son in Brisbane. I love going to Southbank. Isn't it lovely to have blogging friends to catch up with when you go over.

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