There's no place like home

Hello from the sunny shores of Australia! Well, it would be sunny if it would stop raining, but that's what you get when you live in a sub-tropical climate.

I hope you've all been keeping well over the past few months (and sewing and eating and travelling). Thank goodness for blogs - I feel like I've been able to stay up to date with the world even though I haven't been participating.

We've come home to the lovely city of Brisbane, Australia. The climate took some adjusting to after a European winter, but we are loving the outdoor lifestyle again.

Brisbane River

Our house is in need of a little TLC after many years of tenants. If we think about what needs doing we get a little overwhelmed, so we're taking it one job at a time.

Weeds are the easy part.

I managed to break a bone in my foot, which has slowed me up a bit. (No funny story there  unfortunately, I just accidentally kicked the doorjamb.)

I caught up with Marg, in real life, and it was wonderful. It even stopped raining while we were together. Behold the power of blogging!

We have been delighted to have two members of our family returned to us, looking as young as the day we left them at Chez Grandparents before our voyage to France.

I read somewhere that a cat's memory only spans 18 months. I don't believe it though, as these two have picked up right where we left off (lots of snuggles and purrs). Not that you'd believe it from the photos.

Nothing says I love you like disdain.

Not impressed. This was what I got after calling his name at least 5 times.

Our household is currently running on the quarter of our belongings we were able to bring by air - the rest arrives by sea sometime this month.

Of course, I could fit the sewing machine in!

I've even managed a bit of sewing - I tried to make a cushion cover to enter in the 2013 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Emerald, over at Ali's blog.

Problem is, I don't really like how it turned out. Will have to try this pattern again on a different scale with different colours.

We haven't had much chance to travel since we've arrived, between working on the house, back to school (kids), back to work 2 days a week (for me) and the record-breaking amount of rain we've had this summer. Hopefully the sun will pop out again soon and we will get to take a day trip.

Until then, you'll just have to put up with sewing posts and a bit of Hong Kong.

Bless my husband, he spotted this one for me.

Yum Cha: no dumpling left unturned.

What?? They ate all the dumplings?

I can't wait to tell you all about it - Hong Kong was fantastic!

Until next time, keep safe and dry.
A bientôt!  

Potty Training Sucks

We're in the throes of it now and it's not going so well. I've had some traumatic experiences today.

We're doing this a little earlier than I'd like to because he has to be trained if he wants to go to school in September (and he really wants to go to school). He's got just under 4 weeks to get himself sorted.

Some boxers for the mister. Nothing to do with potty training an almost 3 yr old. 

If you want to see what Aidan, Sara Louise and I got up to the other weekend, you can read Sara's post here. All I'll say is there was a naked man in my kitchen.

I found this critter up in our mulberry tree:

He has a long tail. Is it a rat? Please tell me it's not a rat.

I won a little giveaway over at Krista's blog Poppyprint and some Liberty scraps are winging their way over the ocean to me. Once I receive them I will whip up a tutorial to contribute to the Liberty Scrap Challenge. Thanks Krista!

I've made a few new pages for the blog, attempting to make it more useful - you'll see them up along the top there. There are single pages that collate all my travel, craft and quilting posts so you (and I!) don't have to sift through the archives to find them. There is also a Resources page that has links to anything I have found really helpful in my travel and sewing adventures.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We're set for another warm one down here in Provence.

Off to tackle the potty training again - more vodka required. (For me, not him. Although...)

Happy Easter!

Have you been good? Will the Easter Bunny be visiting you?

Here in France les cloches de Pâcques (the church bells) deliver the Easter eggs. On Easter Thursday all the bells fly away to the Vatican carrying with them the pain of those who mourn for Jesus' death. They return on Easter Sunday bringing eggs in celebration of the Resurrection. Accordingly, across France all church bells are silent from Thursday until Sunday morning.

It feels a little strange as Good Friday isn't a public holiday here in France, as it is in Australia. The big kids are at school but the mister has the day off, so we are going to have a little drive somewhere. The plan is Lacoste, but that may change.

Wishing you all a peaceful and love-filled Easter! With a side of chocolate.

(I really miss hot cross buns.) 

Kids' Carnaval

Springtime means Carnaval time! The maternelle and primaire schools in our village celebrated on Friday.

The kids get to put on costumes and enjoy a sugary, carbonated goûter (afternoon tea).

The younger maternelle students (aged 3-5) don't leave the school grounds; parents crowd into the schoolyard to watch their small parade and songs.

French mummy shoes seen at my daughter's school.

The primaire kids parade through the streets before arriving at the village square.

There was music and bags of confetti

and bright ladies on stilts.

The confetti war is still my favourite - 300 kids attacking each other and their teachers - amazing.

A little confusing if you're only 2 years old, though.

Other goings-on around the craft room:

Long strips to finish off the backing for the Flocking Chevrons quilt.

And playing around with the filigree beads and some floss.

Hope the week is being kind to you. A bientot!

Come on Spring - you can do it!

Today it's windy and only 11℃ (52℉) but the weekend was glorious. Such a tease, this Provence weather.

We went for a bit of a family wander in the pine forest behind our home:

Fun to be had on the bikes:

No flowers out yet but there is still beauty in winter's leftovers:

And collections to be made:

This weekend I found myself without a quilt to work on. Flocking Chevrons is awaiting it's backing fabric and my Tangerine Tango needs basting spray (too many pivots in the quilting design to use pins and stay sane).

I ducked into Mondial Tissus to buy tangerine thread and these bias tapes and a ribbon made their way into my shopping bag. I foresee more spring skirts on the horizon for my little girl.

Seeing as I wasn't getting my craft fix I became an enabler:

Miss 6 received one of these French Knitters for her birthday the other week so I showed her the ropes. I had one of these (mine was called a Knitting Nancy) when I was 8 and I loved it. I've also made them out of a toilet roll with four matches taped to the top.



Did you get your craft on over the weekend? Or were you too busy out enjoying some sunshine? Either way, hope you had a great time.

Breaking News: Hard to get things done with a newborn in the house.

Just stating the obvious in case anyone is wondering why I've been such a terrible blogger so far this month.

But one of the (many) benefits of a newborn is:

PRESENTS!

Divine hand crocheted blanket (thank you Maaike) 

Finest Italian fashion (bisous Blandina)

Moda the dog; the newest addition to the family (merci Sarah)

Wise words (relatives) and a little something just for me, me, me (the Texan connection: Aidan and Sara Louise)

A little bit of sewing to machine quilt the baby's blanket. 

It's not going to bind itself, kid, hop to it.

Plenty of Patty Young's Sanctuary line, with a bit of Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow and a navy Essex Linen/Cotton blend. Sashed with Kona White.

Hope you've all had a great weekend. Will continue to post when I can, but only if I have something interesting to say!

Oh Sleep, Sleep, Wherefore Art Thou Sleep?

Firstly, thank you so much for all your well wishes on the arrival of the baby - you guys are the greatest!

We are slowly getting ourselves into a bit of a routine; a very low key one that involves a lot of catnaps (and I'm talking about me here, not the baby).

Here he is chilling out on the pixelated quilt because I still haven't finished his yet, poor fourth child. It should be finished soon enough as I found a little time to work on it this weekend (visiting relatives took the bigger kids off our hands).

Otherwise, we have been enjoying some luverly flowers (courtesy of my parents):

And the whole clan took the baby on his first tour of the vineyard down the road from our house:

The vines were well into producing this year's harvest:

And there were plenty of other things for the kids to explore.

I love this view over our village from the end of our road:

Hope you've all had a great weekend with lots of lovely long sleeps. Bonne semaine!