Patchwork Dinos for Merlin and Noah, originally uploaded by Cathi O’Neill.
I caught up with my housework and had a chance yesterday work up in my office/craft room! I got to work making up some crazy pieced patchwork dinosaurs as gifts for my little nephews, one of which has a birthday next week and loves dinosaurs. His little brother is 2 and will need a dinosaur as well, lol, but the 5 year old birthday boy gets a Dinosaur encyclopedia as well! I just printed out a coloring page I found on the internet and made a general dinosaur shape based on it, and then sewed on the line I traced for the pattern, pretty quick to do it all, plus I used some old fabric for the foundation and got rid of a little more stash!
I also put together a quick little needlebook for Ruth, as I was sending her some size 10 and 12 betweens to start hand quilting. It went together so fast and I used some of the gorgeous South African indigos she sent.
I am up to 80 blocks quilted on the Dear Jane now, moving ahead!
I have a few secret project I am working on, more will be revealed in a week or so…
But wait…I have some important news to share…
We’re going to AUSTRALIA!!!!
Dave’s youngest brother is getting married to an Aussie girl and we are going to Melbourne next June for the wedding!! We have plans so far to rent a campervan and go touring for 3 or so weeks before the wedding. So far it is a daunting amount of miles, but we hope to see Melbourne, Adelaide, Uluru, Great Barrier Reef, and Sydney and more points in between that big circular route. Any Aussies out there be willing to meet up with a small Irish/American family driving around in a campervan? Where would you recommend we see, what are some not to be missed destinations? I’d love to hear!!!! I am also going to check out the difference in airfare for a round the world ticket, so that I might still make it to Oregon in July. If it is only a few hundred more, I might just keep heading east and go visit my family!!
Plans for the rest of the week? Finishing up a wallhanging to give to my mom for her birthday and some more gift making, some knitted projects…
Celtic Knots 
September 7, 2007 at 2:04 am
Ohhhhhh my goodness!!! How very exciting, you must come and visit! We’re in Adelaide, and would love to have you over. We’ll have the very best time! This is the most exciting news ever!
*hugs*
Tazzie
🙂
September 7, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Your dinosaurs are so cute….very clever.
Cute needle holder too.
Sounds like a fabulous vacation and you get to meet Tazzie….awesome!
September 7, 2007 at 12:40 pm
I’m so happy for you guys. You will love planning the trip to Oz…love the Dinosaurs!! very clever!
September 7, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Love the dinosaurs! and the needle case is very cute, I love the fact that it’s made of shwe-shwe.
I’m very envious of your trip to Australia – you will LOVE it. Try to stop in Brisbane if you can – it’s a really nice place and you’ll have to pass through it if you are driving from Sydney to the GBR. You do realise how many kilometres you are driving right?
Visit kata juta (the olgas) while you are at uluru too.
September 7, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Wee-hoo! Your Aussie adventure sounds wonderful–so happy for you all! Love all your projects here…those dinosaurs are fun. Happy weekend to you & yours ((HUGS))
September 7, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Australia! How exciting! And now you have all this time to plan and do it up right. 🙂
September 7, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Hey, you might be going to Australia, but you aren’t going to Boston… 🙂
September 8, 2007 at 11:18 am
Those dinos are just toooo cute – the funny things we sew for Little Boys! My Nana used to sew me all kinds of goofy little things and I sure did love them. Great idea. And – how fun to plan such a BIG trip, wow! Bet you get lots of help from on-line friends. Nice of you to make that needle case too!!!
Cheers!
Evelyn
September 8, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Wow! How exciting! Sounds like so much fun, I envy you. If you decide to go to Oregon in July (I assume you mean for the Sisters Quilt Show), keep me in mind. I’m thinking of flying up for that weekend to do that with my sister-in-law and visit my family in Bend. And of course quilt store shop.
September 9, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Love the dinos, my sons will be jealous! But the trip to Australia!!!!! – now I’m jealous!! Sounds like such a wonderful trip!
September 10, 2007 at 7:08 am
I’m really envious of your trip. Wow. Luckily you have lots of time for preparations. I’ll be sending you a detailed list of all the places you must visit. I do have to say, 3 weeks might be too short to do all that you have planned!!
September 12, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Oh my word, those dinosaurs are waaayyyy cute.
My husband and I went to Australia and New Zealand this spring–you will love it so much (I have some pics on my blog in the May archives). We did not have ONE bad experience; the people are so friendly and generous!
And some day I need to make it to your corner of the world! I’ve visited England and Scotland, and want to see Wales and Ireland next.
Have a GREAT time!
September 13, 2007 at 12:15 am
Oh, what a trip that will be! I hope you have a chance to visit every place on your list. The dinosaurs are really cute.
September 13, 2007 at 12:16 am
Oh, what a trip that will be! I hope you have a chance to visit every place on your list. The dinosaurs are really cute.
September 13, 2007 at 11:34 pm
well I don’t live in any major tourist attractions but if you want a trip way out into the country you would be welcome to call in………where is the wedding???
September 27, 2007 at 3:16 pm
My gosh that’s alot of places to visit in just 3 weeks. When you’re in Sydney any good tourist would have to visit the Opera House and of course the Sydney zoo, but make sure you have good walking shoes on, the zoo is huge. There are so many good attractions in downtown Sydney, Imax, great for the kids, but it’s been such a long time since I was there, it changes constantly.
In Queensland my choice would be Fraser Island, which is a short ferry ride from Hervey Bay (my old hometown), which is approx 3 1/2 hours north of Brisbane. It’s one of the most amazing places to visit, the biggest water catchment in the world, with all it’s spring fed lakes, dingos, birds lizards and of course sharks. You can hire a 4wheel drive or take a bus tour of the island. Hervey Bay has whale watching, but not that time of the year as it’s getting into the colder months. I’m sure I’ll think of other things after I’ve hit the send button, but oh well, that gives you a few ideas.
October 13, 2007 at 2:40 pm
What exciting news – I’m a bit behind with my blogs. I would seriously think about looking at some maps and calculating distances, as the trip you are planning is a loooong way in less than 3 wks. It might be best to fly out to Uluru or at least some part of your trip. Would love to see you when you come to Brisbane.