February Photo a Day Challenge Day 4–A Stranger

While he was sleeping .

Venice. June 2010

February Photo a Day Challenge Day 3–Hands

St Mark’s Quilters (and friends) stitching and knitting quilts for others.

Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
compassion on this world
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
– St. Teresa of Avila

Di
Have you joined {fat mum slim}’s February Photo a Day Challenge yet?

February Photo a Day Challenge Day 2–Words

In case you haven’t caught up, my intrepid daughter Sarah is doing post-doctoral research into leptospirosis in rural Botswana and we’re getting used to her …ahem…slightly unusual Facebook status updates.

Like this one.

I have to admit that, while moved by Sarah’s and R’s plight, most of us here on the other side of the globe enjoyed a chuckle at their Third World predicament.

Our amusement might have had something to do with her subsequent message…

Resourceful gal, our Sare xxx

 

Di

Have you joined {fat mum slim}’s February Photo a Day Challenge yet?

February Photo a Day Challenge Day 1–Your View Today

Have you seen Chantelle’s {fat mum slim} latest photo challenge? The boat had sailed by the time I stumbled on her January challenge but I’m up for some February photo fun, starting with today’s theme “your view today”.

Admittedly it was only on my computer screen, but this photo my son sent me of the Princess showing off her new school uniform was just about the best view I had all day.

She’s all ready for her very first day at school – but is the school ready for her?

How about it, will you join in the February Photo a Day Challenge with me? Take a look at Chantelle’s daily themes here, share the link to your blog , and check out the amazing creativity of the almost 270 bloggers who’ve already joined in.

Di

Delivering cuddles

Last Friday Di B and I delivered three bags full of ‘cuddles’, around 40 child-sized quilts, to the KU Marcia Burgess Autism Specific Early Learning & Care Centre, now affectionately known as “The Marcia”, at Liverpool on Sydney’s fringe.

It’s been more than a year since we’ve made a visit, but as always we were greeted as part of the family and Margie (in reception) and Netti (the Director) were so warm and generous in their praise of our St Mark’s Quilters and the beautiful quilts they’ve made for the children attending the kindy.

Every little one gets to choose a quilt to keep for themself, and Netti told us how thrilled and moved the kindy parents were to receive our quilts.

(L to R) Netti, me and Di B

There was even a pretty “thank you” note for us all, and an Autism Awareness ribbon pin which we had never seen before.

Like us, you’ve probably seen other awareness ribbons, for example pink (breast cancer), red (AIDS) and sky blue (prostate cancer) to name a few. The Autism Awareness ribbon consists of multicoloured puzzle pieces, and has an interesting story.

The puzzle pattern of this ribbon reflects the mystery and complexity of autism.

The different colors and shapes represent the diversity of people and families living with this disorder.

The brightness of this logo represents hope – hope through research and increasing awareness in people like you.

Because having a couple of strangers in their midst could potentially upset the children in their secure environment we aren’t able to see the children when we visit, but we hear about their progress in general terms (no names) from Netti.

This time we shared her excitement when she told us several of the children had progressed into the mainstream school system. Small victories, but a huge cause for celebration.

It might not sound a big deal to most of us, but just imagine a 4 year old autistic child finally being able to say “I love you” to a parent for the very first time.

That’s the kind of miracle they’re striving for at The Marcia, and it’s a privilege to be part of this as we deliver quilty ‘cuddles’ from the St Mark’s Quilters.

Di

Toe to toe

It seems Gail and I share a similar taste in shoes. Hers are peep toes and mine are ballet flats, but as you can see we both love flowers on our toes.

We’ve both making progress with our Daisy a Day quilts too (though Gail’s calling hers Joseph’s Coat). These pictures were taken last time the English Quilt girls met (I neglected to share them at the time), but they’ll give you an idea of the size of our quilts.

Gail’s beautiful fabrics are Liberty prints, some from the V & A Collection produced last year, and some from Liberty’s modern-day collection. To give this quilt a mellowness befitting such timeless classics she has chosen a self-patterned background in a creamy beige.

My daisy petals are somewhat brighter, perhaps too bright some might say. I’ve cut into my collection of Kaffe Fassett fabrics and added other brights that looked as if they would play well with the Kaffes.

There are even a couple of fabrics that I received as gifts, during the year I’ve been hand piecing my quilt, and a piece of Sarah Fielke’s “From Little Things” range that she sent me for spotting her book “Quilting - From Little Things” in The Brown Bookshop in Bowral.

We’re now so close to finishing hand piecing our quilt tops! It’s not a race, I know, but I can’t help but speculate … who will be finished first?

Di

Please vote for my quilt in the Aurilil Thread Quilt Contest

(I wasn’t going to ask, but…) If you liked my Alhambra Romance Quilt you might be interested in knowing I’ve entered it in the Aurifil Thread Quilt Contest. Please click here if you’d like to see it again and would like to give it a vote.

The competition ends tomorrow.

Thank you very much,

Di