My first post

Well, finally, I've got my own blog - it's only taken about 2 years to get around to it.

In June I joined the Embroidery/Quilting class at my favourite sewing machine suppliers (HA Newson's), and started learning how to make "proper" quilt blocks. I've sewn the first 5 blocks - Streak of Lightning; Woven Ribbons; Pinwheels; Dutchman's Puzzle; Ohio Star.

I rather enjoyed the precision and concentration required in cutting out squares and triangles and joining them together. Basically spent every night for a week joining the dots. Can't say I'm terribly keen on the colour scheme, but who can complain at only $3 for fabric and instruction sheet?

Carol & Liz at Newson's have a cunning plan for joining the blocks, so we'll wait and see.

I've also played with my girlfriend Wendy's embroidery machine to make my name badge (great toy, but can't justify around $1000 for something I'd rarely use.) I've used one of my mini-landscapes for the front of my folder cover, and am going to make up a piece of crazy-quilt to go on the inside as a pocket to hold pen, notepad, name tag etc.

In the last couple of days I've joined 2 Yahoo quilting groups - Quilters Coven (mainly US based), and Alternative Quilters (mainly UK based). Both of course have a scattering of Kiwis, from Rotorua, to Dubai, to France - don't we get around!

I've just finished reading Connie Willis' Passage - stayed up till midnight to try to finish it, but still had 30 pages left - found it un-put-downable. Then watched the Doctor Who Christmas Episode - which had the Tardis running into.... wait for it.... the Titanic. So now I'm having a reading binge on Titanic; Women & Children First - boring; A Night to Remember - excellent. The library has a copy of the movie - mmmm Leonardo di Caprio nom nom.

It's about 6 degrees outside, with a beautiful crescent moon lying on her back, clear sky and the milky way is a glowing river across the sky.

Ok - now I have to figure out how to add photos to this. Ain't technology fun!