Dancing Squares and busy days

Hello! Not long ago I told you about my new version of the Wonky Squares. I finally bound it! It took me a bit longer than usual. A quilt that small I’d normally bind in an hour sitting in the sofa in front of the TV but the reason for the extra time was that I have been on my own with Hana and Conor for the last 2 weeks. I had planned to finish a few things while I was on my own but as the days went by I could feel my energy levels dropping at a tremendous speed and by the second week I was going to bed straight after them… So I think it’s been a huge achievement to have this finished! In the end I went for a dark red -burgundy colour for the binding. I had a very dark blue and a black but it was a bit too dark.

Oh Conor… This little Button of mine is pretty busy, I was so used to Hana being so quiet and content (but of course I didn’t have any other child around beside her). I could have lots of things done with her around. But let’s say Conor needs to move about more, he’s into something all the time, although he is really good… He started to walk about 3 weeks ago and now is flying! I suppose he’s just doing what any boy of his age should be doing, and, in fairness, I can’t really ask him to stop acting like a one year old, can I?

He won’t stay still, his new obsession is throwing things down the toilet and climbing onto the sofa to walk from one end to the other… You have to constantly watch him, unlike Hana… so yes… my hands have been really full and we’ve been trying to be out as much as possible and do lots of things while the man of the house was away. And that didn’t involve much sewing, but still I manage to treat myself one day… So what did we do? Here’s my wee man, looking very tiny among these huge trees!

We have this park nearby, Coole Park, which is amazing and I absolutely love. I don’t know if you’ve heard about Lady Gregory, but maybe you’ve heard about George Bernard Shaw or W.B. Yeats… You can read more about it here. If you ever come to Ireland, to the west of Ireland, I recommend to visit this spot, it’s beautiful any time of the year, whether it rains or it’s foggy or the sun is out. There is this autobiographic book of short stories written by one of Lady Gregory’s grand-daughters, it’s a nice short and easy read that I like: Me & Nu.

Then, one morning I packed up the children and drove up to Tuam to meet Roisin at The Quilt Shop, in Shop St. I have been following her via Facebook and finally I could get a spot to go and visit the shop. She’s lovely and so helpful, she had been keeping some yardage of flannel for me to make some PJ’s for Hana, and I was low on wadding too, so I had a good excuse for the trip. And oh… when you go in and see all these colours around you… I could contain myself and focus on what I really needed, but it was HAAAAARD… You can see in the photo above a bit of Conor’s rainbow star quilt ( ahem, yes… still in progress,  I want to add a border and something else…but I have the backing now!) Can you spot the stripy fabrics on top and beside it? I was trying to choose which one looked better as a backing and Hana found the right one. I won’t reveal anymore of it and hopefully it won’t be long before it’s finished… Roisin has a great stock of fabric and notions, she also runs classes and I just wished there was a shop like this much closer to where I am. Although I generally get my fabric online, it’s nice to be able to walk into a shop like this… I’m sure I’ll find another excuse to drive up to Tuam. It’s funny though, many Irish people I know here were a bit perplexed when I told them I was going to Tuam…  “Tuam? going to Tuam? what for? there’s nothing there!” well… there is a Quilt Shop!!!

Then, “the quilter’s widow” came back and brought me a few goodies. He’s a musician and works abroad pretty often. He spent some days in the USA, in the East Coast, and then flew to Canada. He spent a whole week in Goderich, Canada, were there was a Celtic Festival he was taking part in, and guess what? He called me saying he had found a quilt shop in the Main Square and if there was anything I needed. Yeeha! anything I needed? mmm… the whole shop maybe? I couldn’t really think of anything there and then and told him I needed some of those stickers for my Omnigrid rulers. Then I sent him an email with a more detailed list of things but it was too late :-(… He got me three random magazines besides what I asked , which was really nice of him.

And well, no worries… as he’s going back to the States in September and I hope he’ll come across some other quilt shops. If there are any readers here from Tenessee, Virginia, N. Carolina… I might ask you for some tips on quilt shops soon…

Summer

I have been really busy and I haven’ had any time to blog, upload photos, take photos of my work, etc… Things are getting done but I just can’t keep up!

I’m off work for a couple of days and this morning, instead of starting the usual routine in the house, I took Conor in the buggy and walked down the road to the beach. We’re so lucky we can enjoy this spot just a couple of minutes from our door!

The weather is fantastic, it has been like this for 3 days now and I’m sure it won’t last so we did have to go out and suck in all this energy. It’s the first time in the year that I can get to wear a skirt, strap top and sandals! Conor fell asleep (and who wouldn’t in such a nice relaxing atmosphere!), and I deeped my feet into the water, sat on a rock and just stayed there for a good while, listening to the birds, smelling the sea and spotting a curious seal looking at me. Seals are always showing up their heads when the water is calm like this. It’s just magic!

I hope it stays like this all day so I can take Hana down after she comes back from play school.

He estat superocupada aquests dies i no tinc temps d’escriure, de descarregar fotos, ni de fer-ne! Vaig fent i les coses es van enllestint pero es que no hi ha temps per a res mes!

Tinc dos dies lliures a la feina i aquest mati, abans de comenc,ar amb la rutina de sempre, he decidit caminar cap a la platja amb el Conor. Tenim molta sort de poder gaudir d’aquest raconet que esta nomes a uns minuts caminat des de casa. El temps que esta fent es increible, des de fa tres dies, i com que se que no durara gaire, he aprofitat per deixar-ho tot i sortir. Es el primer cop de l’any que em poso una faldilla, una samarreta de tirants i sandalies… El Conor s’ha adormit profundament, (i no me’stranya amb la calma que hi havia), i jo m’he remullat els peus, m’he assegut en una roca una bona estona per escoltar els ocell, olorar el mar i descobrir una foca que m’estava mirant! Es molt normal veure foques que treuen el cap encuriosides quan l’aigua esta aixi de calmada. Es magic.

Espero que segueixi aixi de bo tot el dia i aixi podre tornar-hi amb la Hana quan arribi de l’escola. 

knock knock… toc toc…

que hi algu???
Despres de tant de temps em pregunto si encara deu haver algu que visita aquest blog! Han passat moltes setmanes des de l’ultim post i es que hi ha hagut bastant de moviment per aqui. La tornada a la universitat, la maquina de cosir que va decidir fer vaga i de sobte van venir uns marejos i una son tipus narcoleptica que no em deixava fer res. I aqui esta la rao:

Hello? Anybody there? I wonder if there are still any readers left after all this time of absence…! There has been a few weeks well passed since my last post and it is because many things happened here. Going back to college, my sewing machine going on strike and me starting to feel a bit sick and nauseous and with a deep deep feeling of wanting to sleep everywhere anytime. Yes, this is the reason why…:

Un nen que ve de cami! Fa 4 dies que vam saber que es un nen. No m’esperava pas que m’ensenyessin una ecografia en 3D a les 16 setmanes i va ser una bona sorpresa. Sembla mes un alien que no pas un nen encara! Per sort ja em trobo molt millor, ni vomits ni nausees ni cansanci (pero sense ganes d’estudiar…). Intentare reemprendre la feina que em va quedar per fer amb la maquina de cosir i espero poder actualitzar aquest blog una mica mes sovint.

A baby boy on its way! We found out it’s a boy 4 days ago. I didn’t even expected them to show it to me on 3D at 16 weeks and it was a nice surprise. It looks more like an alien than a human now… Fortunately I’m feeling much much better, no vomits, no nausea, no tiredness… I just don’t feel like studying and writing essays…! I will try finish some of the projects I had to leave and bit by bit I hope to be bale to update this blog more regularly.

De moment vull fardar de mare. Tinc una mare que fa els jerseys mes macos del planeta i sense seguir cap patro! Em sembla que jo vaig comenc,ar a fer dos sense patro i els dos me’ls va haver d’acabar ella… 

Aquest el va fer en un parell de dies estant aqui de visita per a aquesta nova adicio. 

Encara no he pogut trobar botons (va cordat pel darrere) i potser intentare fer una ullada durant la propera visita a Barcelona.

I am going to show off a bit today… My mum knits the cutest jumpers in the planet and she doesn’t follow any pattern. I think I tried to start 2 jumpers once without a pattern and she had to finish both of them for me… This one is for the new addition. I still haven’t found any buttons for it so I might keep an eye open for them during my next visit to Barcelona.

Ens estem preparant per Nadal ara, sera molt tranquil aquest any… el passarem aqui a Irlanda i nomes serem nosaltres tres quatre… Quins plans teniu per Nadal?

We are getting ready for Christmas now, it’s going to be quiet this year… we’re staying in Ireland and it’s going to be only the three four of us… What are your plans for Christmas?

HAPPY PADDY’S DAY!!!

This is what my little leprechaun made at the kindergarden yesterday, isn’t it cute? She’s started going there 3 weeks ago twice a week and she loves it. It’s her very first arty crafty work (outside home) and she was so happy to bring it home. She’s turning 2 in 9 days. It’s going way too fast!
So I’ll use her card to wish you all a very Happy St. Patricks Day. I will draw 2 names shortly, then we’ll go to the parade and then I’m off to work (yep, working today!). I’ll announce winners tomorrow after I come from work.
Good luck to you all!

La meva petita leprechaun (follet) va fer aquesta tarjeta ahir a la llar d’infants, a que es maca? Fa nomes tres setmanes que ha comenc,at a anar dos dies a la setmana i li encanta. Aquesta es la seva primera manualitat (fora de casa) i estava molt contenta de portar-la a casa. Dintre de 9 dies fara dos anys, el temps va massa de pressa!

Aixi que faig servir la seva tarjeta per desitjar-vos un bon dia de Sant Patrici. Mes tard fare el sorteig, despres anirem a la cavalcada i despres me’m vaig  treballar. Dema quan torni publicare els noms dels afortunats. 

Bona sort!

L’ARBRE DE NADAL – THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Ahir vaig anar a comprar l’arbre de Nadal. Es el primer cop que compro un de veritat. La carretera estava glac,ada i quan vam arribar a Athenry, el viver estava completament nevat. Un paisatge molt romantic, amb  els raigs del sol i la neu que brillava. Vaig anar amb l’Annie i la Nell, vam escollir el nostre arbre, ens el van tallar, embolicar i corrents cap al cotxe que comenc,ava a nevar!

Yesterday I went to get my Christmas tree. It is the first time I buy a real one. The roads were frozen and when we got to Athenry, to the farm, it was all covered in snow. A very Romantic landscape, the sun shining and the glittering snow. I went with Annie and Nell, we all picked our tree , they cut it for us, wrapped it up and quickly into the car we jumped to get back home as it started snowing again!

 Nell and Annie in front of their tree

L’annie i la Nell davant del seu arbre

my tree

el meu

When you come to Ireland you should… – Quan vingueu a Irlanda haureu de…

…visit this shop!!! 
…visitar aquesta botiga!!!

Es una de les meves botigues preferides de Galway. Aqui he trobat les teles per fer la bossa, les faldilles,  patrons i altres cosetes que he comprat per decorar l’habitacio de la Hana. 

Venen llanes, teles, agulles, cintes ric-rac, betes, botons, llibres, patrons, joguines de fusta per als menuts, enganxines per decorar les parets i mil cosetes mes, d’aquelles que no pots parar de mirar i remirar. Recolzen els artesans locals i tot allo fet a ma. Si algun dia visiteu Irlanda, no oblideu fer parada a Galway i visitar aquesta petita botiga. Es unica i no trobareu res semblant en tota la ciutat (i m’atreviria a dir en tota la costa oest!)

Podeu visitar (i seguir?) el seu blog per saber les ultimes novetats. De tant en tant organitzen tallers, potser podeu afegir una experiencia mes a la vostra estada?

I ja que estic tan posada, potser que demani feina a l’oficina de turisme…juas!

It is one of my favourite shops in Galway. Here I found the fabric to make my bags, my skirts, patterns and other things to decorate Hana’s room.

They sell wool, fabric, needles, ric-rac, ribbons, books, patterns, buttons, wooden toys, stickers to decorate walls…  a thousand little things more that you can’t stop looking at. They support local artist and sell a lot of handmade crafts.

If you ever come to Ireland, don’t forget to come to Galway city and visit this beautiful little shop. It’s unique and you won’t find anything else like it in town (not even in the west coast I’d say!)

You can also visit their blog (and follow maybe?) to know more about what they do. They also organize workshops… maybe you could add another experience in your staying?

And since I’m at it, I might ask for a job at the tourist board… LOL