Happy Australia Day

I rode my bike down the street this morning  to get bread and milk, which was just as well as there was not a car park to be found!

These keen men were fishing near the boat ramp

There were lots of boats coming back in.

The boat trailer queue was getting longer and longer

Lots of people and boats at the jetty and waiting in the water

More on the other side

The pelicans were being well fed

This Aussie Hero quilt is waiting for it's binding to be sewn down

This one is finished and gone n the mail.

Last night I finished another Old Time Kaleidoscope Block. Now I need to cut out the next one.

I had better head off and get the binding sewn down, write the letter to go with it and then decide what I do next.

From the Kiwi who happily lives in Oz.

Happy stitching.

PS I forgot to say, Flat Stanley is winging his way to NZ and is going to stay with Raewyn on the farm.

Working away here

I spent an afternoon cutting, Sandi very kindly loaned me her Go Cutter, made the cutting super quick.

Photos from walks yesterday and today

Thru Edwards Point

Back along the beach. The rough weather has pushed up lots of seaweed.

and several sea urchins, hollow shells, I checked!!

The laid out strips so far (this morning) for an Aussie Hero quilt

I have spent the afternoon CAREFULLY sewing the strips together and realised the flag is upside down!! AGGGGHHHHHH!!

Guess what I am doing now???

Better get back to it.

Have a great evening.

Sewing disaster

You know how you sometimes have those kind of days where you really want to finish some sewing but everything seems to conspire against you?

First it was a knot in the thread

then I was low on cotton, while the binding, I needed the cotton to go the distance! Then a huge lump of fluff came up from underneath!! Oh no!, So I took off the bobbin cover thingie (technical sewing term :-) ) and cleaned out the fluff. There is no photo 'cos I was embarrassed about the amount of fluff ,which was nearly felt, in there.!! All fixed, all back together and the tension went to pot. I had put the bobbin casing back in the wrong way. By now I HAD to go and cook some dinner, and yes it was late! After dinner I got out the little faithful Janome and finished the binding, thank goodness I found another reel of matching cotton.  Problem solved!

And this quilt was quilted and bound and ready to be delivered to the hospital. All this was entirely self inflicted as I decided late morning it was a great idea to sort the backing, quilt and do the binding all in one afternoon! Never again!

Last night I finally finished one of the Old Time Kaleidoscope blocks, I have been neglecting this, but all good now.

and today I put together the centre of the next block, I have another one awaiting attention and the next is due to arrive in the mail any day.

After a great morning out stitching with friends, I cam e home to do the binding on this Aussie hero quilt. Not too much more to do, then I need to finish in all the endy bits.

Pizza coming for dinner tonight so I have a little more time to sew.

Further adventures of Flat Stanley

Sunday morning Flat Stanley and I walked along the beach, we saw the pelicans at the boat ramp

the fishermen were packing up their fish, no more food for these pelicans from them.

They moved further down the beach to the camping ground, where a man was cleaning his fish

the lady stood guard, the pelicans edged closer and closer!! They did end up getting a feed.

I thought I had made all the blocks I needed for the Traffic Jam quilt, got them ready to sew together and realised I was one short!!!! 

I had to rummage in the scrap bag to find enough gray to make the last block

Phew got it done. This is a January sew along with Pat Sloan.

Flat Stanley enjoyed Sunday dinner.

The quilt top is done as far as I can, I have run out of gray. Might go to Lizzie's quilt shop next time I am in Geelong and see if she has any more.

Ingrid sent me her two finished quilts, this one has Advent challenge blocks,

this one is the Traffic Jam pattern. Both will go to the SJOG oncology ward. They are both beautiful.

This photo is around the wrong way but here is my Advent Challenge quilt finished, this will also go to the hospital.

Flat Stanley and I went to the library bus this morning

I think I may have asked for a few to many books!! Lots of reading ahead of me.

We have had a day of smokey haze and are due for another one tomorrow, I hope all the people in the fire areas are safe. Lots of work ahead clearing and rebuilding.

I am off to sort dinner, it smells nearly ready,

Happy stitching.

This and that

Over the last few days I have made 27 quilt as you go blocks, it used up lots of fabric left from other projects. They have been sent to Jan Mac for her quilts for the people who have lost everything in the fires. You can see what she is doing at her Blog.

27 is an odd number for making a quilt I realise, but that was all the backing I had. I will get to make some more in a couple of weeks.

Flat Stanley spent the afternoon at the beach, had a bit of a float around

and then sat in the sun for a while.

The first Aussie Hero quilt is under production, I have done quilt as you go method to make the stripes, now I have things to applique in place.

As it was cooler yesterday afternoon I decided to get this top ready to quilt..I think I have too many things on the go at present, but variety is the spice of life!!

Off to do more pinning.

Happy stitching.

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley has come for the US for a short visit, he got to see the smoke haze sky on the weekend! And not much else!

Our first meeting back for the year at Bellarine Quilters, we were organised to make Cool Neckties for the firies. We had a good turnout and everyone was busy

By 3pm we had made 110. Since then the CFA has said they are not approved to be worn by CFA people so our group are trying to find somewhere else to send them. We originally had CFA approval from a local group and they asked for 10,000. so production, for the moment has ceased. 

Yesterday afternoon we took Flat Stanley to Jirrahlinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary over in Barwon Heads.

Two Tawny Frog Mouths hiding in plain sight! Love these birds.

Flat Stanley met a 10 month old wombat who had a nibble on Flat Stanely's hand!! (Both wombat and Flat Stanley were unharmed!)

We saw some beautiful sleepy koalas

These two corellas ,I think, must have been someones pets, they were very friendly and said hello many times.

Another sleepy koala, this one was 20 months old, we were not allowed to touch it as it could pick up illness from us easily.

This wombat was sound asleep in his home away from home.

This guy put on a show for us.

At home today I have done 3 load's of washing, one is still waiting to be hung out, had a walk, watched the emergency helicopter land on the park area over the road, apparently someone had a heart attack while walking down Edwards Point, hopefully they are ok.

Then I cut the remains of the owl sheet up into blocks and also some left over wadding ready for quilt as you go blocks.

Now I had better go and hang out the washing and get back to cutting.

Happy stitching.