Nearly Purr-fect

Well it has been a fruitful week - I managed to finish my three cat panels and they are hanging up in the kitchen/family/dining area.

I was very happy with how they turned out. There were a few things that I could have done either better or different but overall I am pleased. I learnt a lot during their making and hopefully, I can put it to use in future quilts.

I also got stuck into the two quilts for my sisters' and have one almost finished, only need to do one more side of handsewing on the binding. The other is almost finished with the quilting side of things.

Unfortunately I struck a problem when I was about 30 or 40cm from the end, the ratchet on the take up rod parted company with the rod and so I could not get any tension to finish quilting.

I ended up pin basting the remainder while it was still on the frame and then I will finish it under my machine instead of on the frame.

Still 80% of the quilting is done so it won't be too bad. A quilter I am not - I am a reasonable patchworking but the quilting side of it is not my forte. But I have to admit I am getting better. I even managed a whole two rounds of free motion fern like things - sort of a cross between feathers and ferns - and it doesn't look too bad.

Now I am starting to look around for my next project which is a quilt for my bed - have a few ideas in my mind but nothing definite yet - will keep you posted on that.

For Tanya who asked about my WW dog - its is my own Fozzie Bear, a labradoodle. He spends most of his days in my workroom with me - usually under my work table - and he has learnt to move quickly when I slide around on my chair (I have ran over his tail twice!!). He is a great companion and listens carefully to my ideas for new projects.

In the new year we are getting another dog as a friend for him but I imagine they will both take over my workroom. The new puppy will be a femaile (but we will get her desexed) and she is going to be an Aussie Bulldog. We have our name down on a waiting list for her so come late Jan or Feb I will post some pictures of them both.

Wordless Wednesday - Smile!

A Plague of Bogongs

Like all of Sydney's residents we have been plagued by Bogong moths.

Each evening they come out from wherever they have been hiding during the day and fly a bit further on their journey to cooler climes down south. They actually travel over 1000 km each spring to escape the hot weather. Usually in Sydney we only get one or two as they usually fly inland on the other side of the mountains but some years if the winds are right their flight path takes them over us. This year is one of those times.

Thousands of them fly over each night - feeding on native plants (and we have lots in bloom at the moment) and then resting each day before continuing on.

Each day they find some nook or cranny to hide in and for some reason they like my car! I drive a RAV and when I lift the back door open each morning there are literally hundreds of moths jammed tight along the weather strips.

It's hard to get a photo because if you touch the weather strip they get frightened and fly off to the nearest shade (usually under the car). I tried to get some photos but it was really hard. Believe it or not the photos on Wordless Wednesday show a groups of about 30 or 40 packed tighted together!

If you want to read about them more and read a recipe using them then have a look at this ABC's site. I certainly wont be using them in my cooking but I know that our aboriginal people find them tasty - they are supposed to have a nutty flavour - rolled in the ash of a campfire to cook - yuk!

(the group photo courtesy of Andy Readman)

The moths rest in thick clusters, each moth with its head under the wings of the one in front. Guess that is how they manage to fit so many into my car!

They get everywhere and we always have at least 1/2 a dozen in the house each night - beats me how they get inside. At least we are luckier than some caves in Alpine areas. "There is a carpet of dead moth bodies 1.5 metres thick on the floor of some Alpine caves, built up from thousands of generations." Bogongs Migrating South was written by Abbie Thomas.

Wordless Wednesday