We are experiencing technical difficulties....

The internet and my computer are both playing up... I have decided to become Amish for a while, as long as I can still use Nina to sew with....

I'll be back soon I hope!!

Look what I found!

In my backyard... a little girl in overalls... and a checked shirt... Why is she crying? Because she didn't want to wear the overalls and checked shirt, she wanted her own clothes. Fair enough I suppose, since these clothes used to be her big cousin Daniel's who is nearly 16 :)


We tried to convince her that there was pink on the shirt, and that she looked cute..... but she was not impressed and like a broken record kept saying, "I want my clothes."

So we let her have her clothes back again and she was happy :)

Isn't she cute? Do you think I can keep her?

Fruit of the Spirit Block 4 - Joy

Yes, the next block is Joy :) Isn't it pretty?! I do like the scalloped hearts :) Go here to download the pattern.

A joy shared is a joy doubled.

Where have I been?

Di asked me this a few days ago, and I really am not sure where I have been. I mean, one minute it is nearly Easter, and the next it is well past and I think I lost a week somewhere.....

Don't ask me what I have been doing while I have been away either, because since I don't know where I've been, how can I know what I was doing while I was there....?

Thankfully I have a few photos on my camera that needed downloading and are a clue to what I was doing where ever I was...

First, I must have finished the third block of the jelly roll quilt along because here it is:


And then there was this photo:

If I am not mistaken, it is the first block of the Homespun Block of the Month "Life is a Celebration". Ah, it's all coming back to me now... I had trouble with it... you see the pretty white background? Well, when I went to trace the flowers and little bee, I couldn't see through the fabric because the pattern on the white is too dark. I knew it was going to bother me for the whole quilt, and there is a lot of stitching involved, so I am going to change the background.

Well, that is all I can remember. There is a hazy recollection of more unpacking, and starting the next term of school.... which reminds me, I'd better get going, the kids are waiting for me to start school for the day..... Till tomorrow, because the next block is coming out for the Fruit of the Spirit. I like the next one, it's got something to do with me..... :) Can you guess?!

An Easter Freebie for YOU!

Jacqui and I have been chatting... yes, she is in South Africa and I am in Australia, but we are making the most of Google Talk and have been plotting... :) Jacqui is the third member of JJ's, in case you didn't know, and is a wonderful, talented lady! A few years ago we made and sold an Easter Activity book, and one of the things in it was a lovely set of bunny paper dolls that Jacqui drew. We've talked a lot about turning them into stitcheries for quilts, or wall hangings or cushions.. or... or.... and over the past few days we have made a start on changing them from paper dolls to a stitchery pattern that we can play with.

Now the fun part is that we want you to play too!! So, I am introducing Billy and Betty Bunny.... Bunnies for all occasions, and in today's case, for Easter. Betty has been out in the garden finding eggs, and I think Billy might have been the one who hid them :) So, here they are:


Aren't they cute?! This is how you get to play along.... Click on the picture above and it will take you to a page on JJ's where you can download the pattern for these cuties. We have them in different sizes, depending on what you decide to do with them. Yes! We want YOU to get creative and use either Billy or Betty, or both of them in a project this month. I'm going to be starting mine tomorrow - some nice stitching for over the Easter weekend! Then, when you have finished your project (it doesn't have to be big!!), you need to email us a photo of it, and you will go into the draw to win the entire set of "A Bunny for All Occasions!" which is Billy and Betty with 12 different outfits, ready to use for quilts, or anything you can come up with!

The deadline is the 30th of April, so we all have lots of time to play :) You can make as many projects as you like with them, the more you make, the more entries you have. I don't know about you, but I think this is going to be fun :) I am going to post a button on my sidebar. Feel free to copy it and put it on yours to spread the news.... Oh, did I mention that if you post about it, you get an extra entry when your project is done?! If a lot of people join in I think we may have to give away more than one set :)

To summarize:

1. There is a free pattern for you to use now or later or next year or in ten years..! Just click on the picture above to get to the page where you can download it.

2. If you want to have a chance to win the whole set of bunnies, you have until the end of April to create something using the free pattern. The more projects you make, the more chances you have of winning.

3. If you post about this on your blog, you get an extra entry - but only if you have made at least one project! Make sure you let me know that you have posted about it by emailing me the link, or putting it in a comment.

Any questions? I am sure I have forgotten something... let me know, ok? Email me or leave a comment...

Let the fun begin!