Sunday

Apologies for the low light photo - but in my defense, I took it at 11pm. I can't believe I stayed up past 9:30pm without feeling unwell! And I even sewed in the evening. I don't know what this pregnancy is doing to me!

I woke up yesterday morning knowing I had a pile of things I wanted to get done and a little nervous about completing any of it. However I think I managed one of my most productive days in a long time - one session of yoga completed, the weekly grocery shopping done, I wrote almost half of one of my big uni essays, a trial cake was made for my dear husbands upcoming birthday party (this one), dinners for the 2 nights we have birthing classes this week are in the fridge and two quilts and their backings were finished and ready to go off to the quilters.

So much for the vacuuming...!

I am still trying to make a decision on the quilting design for the above quilt - I am leaning towards this one which is what my windmill quilt was quilted with.

But then there is this one too - any opinions?

more yarn

Our weekend away was lovely - lots of relaxing, lots of crocheting and some good food (and yes, a little football too!).

My blanket is now actually looking a bit like a blanket and I am really happy with the way it is progressing. Unfortunately I have 3 big uni assignments plus 2 trips to Melbourne before the end of the month, so I am not sure I will be doing too much crafting until November. I do have 3 quilt tops that need backs so they can be sent to the quilters ASAP, so hopefully that will happen this weekend at least!I bought some more yarn recently - a lovely organic cotton to knit up this cute little cardi (pattern info here). Thankfully (as my knitting skills are very limited!) my Aunt keeps asking for patterns that I like which she can knit for our little one. She has so far knitted a version of autumn leaves and I am about to send off this pattern and yarn for the baby kina. I can't wait to dress our little one in them!

progress

I spent Saturday afternoon on the couch in front of the TV and the AFL grandfinal. Meat pies and beer (of the ginger variety for me) were consumed as the traditional meal of the day. While the game was incredibly frustrating, I managed to get a lot done on my crochet blanket. I am hoping it will be a good size for the cot or the pram.


Next weekend we are heading to the Hunter Valley for 3 days, however the impending grand final replay left us a bit nervous that my husband (an AFL reporter and diehard) would have to work again on the Saturday. But thankfully it seems he has been granted the weekend off as hoped. Now I just have to see if he can hold up his end of our 'no tv, no phones and no computers' on holiday rule! I think I will be taking my crocheting with me just in case I end up in front of the game again

more than halfway

I have sewn more than half of my blocks together tonight for my mod sampler baby quilt. I am a little worried about one of my fabric pairs, but I am perservering...for now. I seem to have a lot of yellow in there... Otherwise, the blocks are looking really sweet. I am still waiting on a delivery of white fabric from my favourite store, so I won't be able to get the sashings on these blocks until then. I hope to have it finshed ASAP though so I can send it with my other quilt tops for some long arm quilting love after the school holidays.

This morning, Michael and I headed to Lakemba for some grocery shopping as well as some lunch. I'm not sure what it is, but ever since I fell pregnant I have been craving Lebanese food - and in particular, the dishes that I would eat as a child. Lunch today consisted of kafta, felafel, salad, bread and baba ghanouj at Jasmin's. Last week I made a lamb and okra stew called Yak'nit Bahmeh and after my exciting find on this mornings shopping trip, tomorrow I am making Jew's mallow or Molokhia with chicken. I wonder what it is that it causing me to crave these dishes of my childhood? It has been a great push though to finally learn how to cook these dishes which my Mother, Aunts and Grandmother have previously prepared for us. I only hope I can do these recipes justice.

The haul from our shopping trip today

25 weeks tomorrow

I love my new iphone! I can even take a picture of myself easily. 25 weeks tomorrow - I can barely believe it.

PS - this is my most flattering top, I am bigger than I appear here - trust me!!

relaxed

I have had a lovely, relaxing time at home this weekend. I cut out all the fabric for the blocks of my mod sampler baby quilt; I picked up some backing material for my pinwheel sampler quilt as well as for 2 of my baby quilts; I have 'booked' in 3 quilt tops for some professional quilting (surely I shouldn't crawl around on the floor to baste quilts while I am pregnant? That's my excuse anyway and I am sticking to it!); I baked some lovely brioche cinnamon pecan scrolls (even though they look rather anaemic in the photo below); and I have been playing with my new toy - an iphone 4! Hence my new look photos - courtesy of the iphone!

It has been so nice to have a relaxing weekend. We've had so many visitors recently, which is wonderful but I felt like I was constantly entertaining. I'm still prac teaching for one more week and then I only have 10 weeks left at work before I start maternity leave. I can't quite believe it is all coming along so quickly. We even start our childbirth and parenting classes in 2 weeks - eek!

There's still 15 weeks until the baby is due and my list of things to do is growing every day - my crafty list that is! I still have to cut and hem the material I bought to make sheets, I have to hem some muslin for some swaddling wraps, I need to make some bibs and burp cloths, finish my granny square blanket and I also hope to make a Sarah doll for the wall of the babies room - not to mention put the quilt together! Although I am feeling very crafty at the moment so I need to take advantage of it - maybe this is start of the 'nesting'?

bits and pieces

I'm off to the Craft room tonight with my granny squares and some strawberry and coconut loaves. I'm currently in the middle of another round of prac teaching which keeps me pretty busy, but it will be nice to have an evening of crafting, chatter and nibbles.
We've had visitors staying with us for 3 of the past 4 weekends, so my sewing is progressing incredibly slowly, but I am looking forward to starting on my own version of Oh Fransson's mod sampler very soon. I want to make a quilt for my little one that will last longer than just the baby years, so I think this particular pattern will be perfect. I am going to use some fabric I have had squirreled away for quite a while now.


And from that I think you might be able to guess the sex of my little one!