Another completed top joined the pile too.  The Country Cousin blocks have been around a long time, I was using them as leader-enders for ages, until I got sick of the working with the same prints and colours for so long.

All along I meant to set the blocks together like this;

I even drew it up as an EQ8 project.

I have no idea why I then proceeded to sew it up in an entirely different orientation.  Maybe it was during one of those 2am sessions where I wasn't really paying attention.

Anyway, I only realised what I'd done when half the blocks had been sewn together.  I could have unpulled it, or made more blocks, but I didn't have the heart to do that much extra work, when I liked this way as well.

Sometimes I just wonder what is going through my head as I sew?  Not much, apparently.

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I've been sewing away on my projects every time I come home, and there has been progress on several fronts.  I've formed a bad habit of staying up late when the sewing is going well, so a lot of times I stay up till 2am.  This is fine when I can sleep in, but not so good when I wake up at 6.30.  But my sewing time is precious, so I'll just have to learn to deal with the random sleep.

I finished the second quilt made out of tiny Puss In The Corner blocks.

I used a lot of different colour scraps in this, and used up all the leftover blocks from the Farmhouse quilt that started all this.

I'm pleased with both of them, and they were great leader-ender blocks, but I think I need a rest from tiny 3.5" blocks.  I'm going through my list of UFOs to choose another project  to work on.  It will be something with bigger pieces than 1.25" squares.....

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Earlier this year I had a quilt published in one of my favourite Australian magazines, Quilters Companion.  It seems that I need a deadline to work to if I actually want to get something completely finished, and having to meet a specific date certainly helped me finish my Economy quilt.  I managed to get it quilted on one trip home, and bound on another, in an especially busy time.

 I wasn't expecting it to be on the cover, so it was a nice surprise to see it on the Newsagent shelves.

I love seeing my quilts professionally staged and photographed, I've always been really pleased with the way the magazines present my work.

Over the years I've had quite a few quilts in magazines, and I've started to frame them ready to hang.  True to my nature of procrastination, I've not actually got them up on the walls yet. (What am I like?)
That quilt on the left below isn't mine, but I watched my friend Kaye quilt it with my feather designs, so I have a connection with it and it reminds me of a fun visit.  There are more to frame, but I have to dig them out of the magazine pile.

2 weeks of holidays are coming up soon, so maybe I'll make these frames a priority; it will take half an hour, and I'll enjoy seeing those photos up on the wall every time I'm home. I'm not usually a list maker, but I think I'll try; the two weeks at home will just fly by, and I need a plan to tackle everything I want to do.

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Remember that quilt I patched up for my DS Rhys?  Recently he sent me a photo of it on the couch.

Who is that wrapped up in it?

It's Daisy, my grand-puppy.

She's a Beaglier, a cross between a Beagle and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Rhys has wanted a dog since forever, and finally the time was right.  He says she's very sweet, already house-trained at 11 weeks, and is fitting in very well.  I'm so happy for him, and I can't wait to make Daisy's acquaintance on my next visit.

I did warn him not to leave that quilt where she can get it when he's not home.  I'm not sure I could fix it if she decides to chew on it with those puppy teeth. I'm going to make her a quilt of her own from old T-shirts of Rhys's, so she'll be able to snuggle to her hearts content.

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August was like a runaway train, the days just flew by so quickly until suddenly it was over, and here we are in September.  Winter is over for another year, and I'm not ready for spring, and I'm positively dreading summer. I should just live in the moment and enjoy the mild weather while we still have it.

So much has been happening, my head is still in a whirl.  The main events last month were Isla having surgery to remove tonsils, adenoids, lip and tongue ties, and ear drainage. She's always had trouble breathing through her nose, and was a terrible sleeper.  She never wanted to go to sleep, I think because she would often wake up struggling to breathe and that frightened her. I check on her every night before I go to bed, and I could stand in the doorway of her room and hear her laboured breathing.

 The recovery from surgery wasn't without it's own drama, she was a very sore and fragile little girl, but she seems to be over the worst of it now.  When I check on her at night I have to go in and put my hand on her to make sure she's breathing, and for the first time in her life she's sleeping with her mouth closed.  She's happier, more rested, her lips don't dry out from all the mouth breathing and she's much more relaxed about going to bed now.  So it's definitely been a success.

A week after that Hayden had knee surgery, and is laid up for at least 2 weeks while he recovers. Shonny is working extra hours while he's off work, so I'm staying more or less full time to help out.  I'm so glad I"m available to help, it's so much work looking after the house and 4 kids and the invalid.  Shonny attends college two days a week as well, so I've been getting lots of time alone with the kids, which I love, but it's tiring. I'm home for a flying visit, mainly to tidy up the garden a bit before the spring weeds take over, and then I'll be back to Adelaide to wrangle those kids.  We have 50% shared care of the two older girls now, so it can get a bit hectic at times.

I thought life might slow down a bit after Shonny finishes her studies next year, but something unexpected happened.

These two are going to be joined by a new brother or sister in February next year. The new baby might be unplanned, but it's definitely wanted.  We won't know for a while if it's a boy or a girl, but I'll be happy either way.   I would like another girl, but a brother for Thomas would be lovely too.

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