Quilts Are Love

A surprising announcement perhaps for a writer like me, but there you go, I really believe and I need to do something in between conjuring up stories about…okay let’s skip my weird writing ways and talk quilts.

A hand made quilt starts with the pleasure of picking fabrics. Either you raid your stash or, after a five second struggle with your conscience, a trip to your local fabric shop. I love this bit, the feel of cloth under my fingers and the colours and the designs.

Then there is laying out what you have chosen on the work table and deciding just what you are going to make. Sensible quilters obviously start with a pattern in mind and fit fabric to that, I on the other hand, have no resolution and no moral fibre, can be seduced by fabric and then need to find a pattern to fit what my fancy has found. Then, of course, I have to go and buy more fabric to match what I have just bought in order to have enough to do what I have now come up with.

Now comes the beginning and the pleasure of the rotary cutter slicing through cloth and a buzz of the sewing machine as you piece.

And once the top is finished, there is quilting to be done.

Then the binding.

I love all of it (except perhaps the basting, but I don’t know a quilter who loves basting), but once the quilt is made, it is time to spread the love.

We all start making quilts for those who are nearest to us, our family and friends, but very soon that isn’t enough and quilters start looking further afield and they begin to make quilts for people beyond their immediate circle. They make them for strangers who need a little love.

I know people who make quilts for wounded soldiers and for victims of disaster and violence, people they will never know, but for whom they send their skill and their love.

They make them for teenagers who have been shown the door and who now have nothing.

They make them with lots of textures and accessories and trimmings  for those suffering with dementia as touch therapy.

In my group we make quilts for Project Linus

Project Linus UK

And we make little quilts, 16 inches by 20 inches for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at our local hospital. Tiny quilts for tiny babies made with love and given with our love.

Here is one I made for my godmother who lived and worked in Africa. Made with love for someone I loved.

 

 

 

Skukuza Nightlife

This gallery contains 5 photos.

The frog looks like some exotic gem stone.

Spotted Deer

These are really beautiful animals. And some stunning pictures.

MaverickOnTheMove

Spotted Deer (Scientific Name: Axis axis) is a species of deer found in the Indian subcontinent, which is locally known as Cheetal. Males are larger than females and antlers are present only on males. Male deer reach about 90 cm and female up to 70 cm at the shoulder. Males may weigh 30-75 kg and females weigh up to 25-45 kg. The upper parts are golden completely covered in white spots. The abdomen, rump, throat, insides of legs, ears and tail are all white. The three-pronged antlers are about 1m long.

The natural habitat of the Cheetal deer comprises of open wood land in grassy areas. They prefer to live near rivers and other sources of water. They are found living in small herds of 20 to 30 animals

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Why I’m Not Writing

At the moment I can’t concentrate.

Why I hear you cry.

Because, in a moment of total madness I said I would organise our next quilt show. I think I’ve done it, more or less, but as a famous general once said, no plan survives its first encounter with the enemy.

Done it or not, its keeping me awake at night. And I don’t mean tossing and turning, I mean laying in the dark staring at the ceiling. I usually get up when the birds begin to warble.

However, judging from what contributions I have seen so far, the ladies of Market Square Quilters have done me proud and there will be some glorious quilts on show.

This year’s charity ( we raffle a full sized double bed quilt made by us, its the one in the back ground of the picture. Made from American Civil War reproduction fabrics) is Living Paintings.

http://www.livingpaintings.org/who-we-are/history

Not a famous charity, but check out what they do, I think you’ll be impressed.

If you are anywhere near, come along and see us…okay, I know its a bit far for you lovely followers in America and India ( love you guys), but should you feel the need to jump on a plane and come, there will be cake and I’ll buy the tea.

Keep watching quilt lovers, because once the show is over I will posting pictures.

Kicking Gaea

Last week someone broke into a French zoo, killed one of their rhinos, used a chain saw to remove its horn and ran away. No doubt they will make a shed load of money and some morons will believe they will get some benefit from drinking powdered rhino horn in their tea.

Its a pity the world has so many morons and so few rhinos.

But the almost certain extinction of the rhinoceros along with the remaining megafauna, it just part and parcel of us kicking Gaea. Environmentalists scream and beg and plead, but the politicians and their best buddies, big business turn a deaf ear or offer up endless promises of jam and a better world tomorrow.

Gerry Durrell saw all this coming back in the 1950s and 60s and in his wonderful books he entertained and warned us about what was coming. He also did something – he set up the Jersey Zoo, (now called Durrell after him) and all its conservation projects and programmes.

So what do you do if, like me, you’re a dedicated fan of GD, an armchair eco-warrior and a writer of weird stories who also loves to write science fiction, fantasy and adventure stories…you write a science fiction/fantasy adventure book of course!

“The Tattooed Tribes” is about eco-warriors who get out of their armchairs and go and stop the rape of their world, who fight to maintain sustainability and to protect the rights of the ingenious people.

Hang on, dear reader, before you slam the door on the pious pain in the arse who has just knocked on your front door…this is also a romp, an adventure story and a coming of age story. I offer you kidnapped tribal maidens, rebellious teenagers, strong minded ethical heroes and a bunch of villainous villains.

Give it a try and tell me what you think.

AMAZON

AMAZON UK