Hi all, just a quick hello from me today. It’s been raining all through the night and this morning the garden is singing with joy. As I’m writing this a garden bird is hanging off a camellia and getting into the centre of all the flowers it can reach. I suspect he’s having a honey fix.

We moved into this home and garden eight months ago and I’m still delighting in the discovery of a new garden as it grows through twelve months of seasons.

The previous owner of this garden loved pink. Pink must have been her favourite colour because every plant is pink. We have pink azaleas, pink hibiscus, pink magnolia, pink flowering trees that we’ve not identified yet and the most wonderful pink camellias.

The camellias are out in force at present. We have discovered single and double petal camellias and the most wonderful white with a touch of pink tucked away in a corner of the garden. We’re thinking of getting a vegetable garden going, we have the space and the position is right. I love the thought of a vegie and herb garden, but my back doesn’t. So we’re investigating the raised beds that you can get. Nesting is fun isn’t it?

Last Sunday I posted a poem that is written by a very well known and highly respected quilter here in Queensland – Jenny Riley. Jenny has written many literary pieces and poetry and she has allowed me to reprint her poems here from time to time. This poem is all about purchasing a new sewing machine, and I laughed out loud the first time I read it – I can so identify with the words. Here’s the link for you to enjoy: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8972.asp

More of Jenny’s poetry can be found the Giggle Patch category, here’s the link: http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/10798.asp

We’ve had some interesting entries on the forum this week. In particular a quilter is looking for some tips on removing colour bleeding after washing. Pop over to the forum and add your advice. Here’s the link:
http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/680984/colour_run#Post680984

I have some fun stuff for you to browse through this week. I hope you enjoy them.

http://theprojectcorner.blogspot.com/2010/03/i-spy-quilt-complete.html this is a little different to the I Spy quilts I’m familiar with, but a great idea and makes for easy quilting and piecing.

http://craft-with-confidence.blogspot.com/2010/07/football-pig-tutorial.html a pig football? Someone needs one!

http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2010/08/tutorial-patchwork-wristlet.html A pretty wristlet for your teenager

http://www.prudentbaby.com/2011/01/sleepover-pillowcase-tutorial.html a sleepover pillowcase with a secret pocket.

http://andiejohnsonsews.blogspot.com/search/label/Bobbin%20Fix%20Tutorial another good idea for when that bobbin runs out in the middle of a sewing stretch.

http://www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk/Jelly_Roll_Quilt.html here’s a simple Quilt made from Jelly Rolls

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/17475/pulling-teeth-tips-to-shorten-zippers a great tutorial on how to shorten zippers – a great money saving idea

Well, that’s all folks, from me for this week anyway. I do hope this newsletter finds everyone well and taking care of yourselves. I know that for some, life is pretty tough at present, so I send a big hug to you all, straight from my heart.
Cheerio for now
Judie Bellingham, Quilting Editor
http://Quilting.bellaonline.com

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