Thursday thrills

After packing the car...you would be surprised how many boxes you can pack into a Festiva!!.....I wandered down to Geelong....actually I was a bit behind DH who had left first....I passed him having a snooze on the side of the road...one previous time I saw some  friends stopped on the side of the road to Geelong having a stretch....you never know what you might see while driving along!! Lol!! I stopped in Geelong and had a wander through the Botanical gardens...very nice it is too...

Down the main path

I think this is an agapanthus...it was about my shoulder height...

beautiful flowers....

love these walk ways that vanish around a corner...

beautiful roses

really liked this tree out the front too, great shape....

after arriving at St Leonard's and unpacking and having some lunch...I retired to the deck and read a book in the sun shine....hard life but someone has to do it right!!!Lol!!

Later in the afternoon I moved in to the lounge room and worked on filling my hexie box again

Done!! Off to sit in the sun again, it is another beautiful day here.

Have a good one!

Playing

Yesterday when I was helping DH sort stuff in the shed (I was supposed to be chucking out I must confess) but I found a box he hadn't taken off to St Leonard's and inside I found some wool....of the unspun kind...just what we were talking about at Wednesday group last week.....so I got myself organised ( to create not pack!!) and had fun after dinner last night.

this wasn't supposed to be here, but anyway...we have a large family of the yellow tailed black cockatoos here at present eating the seed pods on the hakea trees...they were right by the gate and all flew up in a great screeching cloud when I drove out...they are beautiful birds..

ok.......two sides of wet wool and bubble plastic inside to keep it from felting together....trying to avoid the lumps forming on the edges...

I added some other wool for a bit of decoration but as I was felting it fell off.....obviously the wrong wool!! lol!!

and after much rolling...boy it gives your wrists a work out!!....I filled the bowl with garbage bags and worked and worked at it to get it back to a circle...it looked like a boat shape when I had finished felting...hee hee!! It is a bit wonky and out of shape and I have the lumps on the edges but I am happy with my first attempt. Have to have a chat to Pauline at Wednesday group and see what tips she can offer me.

Happy sewing!

Sewing...unsewing...sewing...unsewing....

Yes, this has been my afternoon and now the block is done and I am not unsewing again!!!

This is block number two of the Charm Square Sampler Quilt...you can see the pattern at Modern Tradition Quilts.

Happy sewing.

Friday Night Sew In results

I started early last night...one advantage of being home alone! I have wanted to make this tea pot pin cushion for a while, so last night was the night! The pattern is at Red Brolly, they give heaps of pictures to help you along

I didn't have any strong interfacing so used left over wadding, which made it harder to sew, especially the handle and spout, but after some sewing and unsewing it is done...have to find a little flower to put on it I think....I have some but they are packed somewhere!!

I also made another pin cushion...the pattern is in the current issue of the Down Under Quilts magazine, along with some great Aussie Hero photos.

You can see I mucked up when I trimmed one of the half square triangles so it is NQR but I am ok with it.

I also finished off the stitcheries in the little frames

they are now ready for the present box. I also did some secret sewing but as that is secret........shhhhhh...can't say anything!

You can zip over to visit Wendy and see what the other FNSIers got up to. Thank you Wendy for hosting last night.

Happy sewing.

Hot and sticky afternoon

Boy it is hot today!!! I was hoping we might have a cooler day, but no....ah well what can you do??
I have been sitting in a cool room wrestling with some little stitcheries, trying to get them into little frames....getting round ones in to round frames is not do bad, but trying to get the oval ones to fit was just plain difficult!! So a little unsewing around the edges, a little pushing and pulling and saying a few choice words, I have ended up with these...

I just love the frames, I got them from Creative Muster...my problem was that I put little pieces of wadding behind the stitcheries...trying to use up what I had...then had to trim as much as possible away to get these guys to fit.  I nearly forgot to say the stitchery designs are by Barb Smith.....some of her lovely sketches. So tonight my plan is to tidy up the backs....maybe put on some thread to hang them...don't for get it is FNSI, you can join in over at http://sugarlanequilts.blogspot.com.au/...the more the merrier!

Happy sewing.

Happy Days

I have been happily pottering around at home today....hasn't it been hot and sticky......I did have a quick trip to the quilt shop........shhh........I had to help DH dismantle a shelf unit today...was full of spiders and webs...not my idea of fun I must say!! I did manage to get some sewing done and nearly finished two Blankets of Love, just need to finish off the hand stitching on the bottom before sending them off to the lovely Cheryll.

Would you believe  I sent DH off to Kyneton...well he was going there anyway so I didn't really send him......with the army gear that was hanging in the hall cupboard that the boys had left behind.......there is a great fancy dress shop in Kyneton and they love that stuff........DH did find the shop and did drop off the jackets, coats etc but came home with HATS!!!!!

Yep, just what we need as we are packing to move house......I am told an English Civil War game is being played this weekend and these will be perfect!!! Mmmmmmmm.....to be fair I guess I did bring a little more fabric in to the house today.....but still!!! Lol!!

Happy days!!

Very enjoyable day

Well today has been a day of sewing, and I have to confess some unsewing.....the half square triangles were a challenge for me but the block is finished...only a few points were damaged in the making of...hee hee!!

I am quite happy with this, even with a few points being out of whack......I had a lovely afternoon, a group of us went to Donna's place for an afternoon of stitching, conversation, tea/coffee and snacks...

there was an unusual vapour trail over Donna's house today....

one of Donna's friends, Jean, is making this stunning quilt...isn't it beautiful??

Marg was working on another needle turn appliqué..how cute is that?? She does a beautiful job...

here are the late stayers...hee hee,  no not really we just didn't get a photo earlier when the other two ladies were there!

a very generous lovely friend (Donna) gave me these goodies (late Xmas pressie)...things she found in Malaysia and that could not be left behind!! Love them, thank you Donna!

I managed to get 4 hexie flowers started today....need to sew the sides together now....very  happy with the batik colours...

and this morning I finished another stitchery...needs an iron, then it will get some trimming and sashing.....so it has been a very enjoyable day, some finishes, beginnings and wonderful company.

Happy sewing.

FNSI

This Friday is the first Friday Night Sew In for 2015....zip over to Wendy's and sign up.....lots of time to prepare the food and drink, and to decide on what you would like to sew....Wendy would like this to be the biggest sign up ever so how about joining in??

I have started on my Charm Square Sampler Quilt...you can link up with Shannon at Modern Traditional Quilts if you would like to be tempted to make this quilt....

Half square triangles under way.....more to do, might be my Friday night job.

Happy sewing.

Friday night sewing

We had a sewing night at Marg's house last night, our first Friday night catch up for 2015. I was working on a christmas stitchery and preparing fabric for the charm square quilt I am about to embark on

Tracee has started a new stitchery that came with her cottage garden threads

Marg was doing some really fine appliqué for a quilt she is working on

Busy ladies

Misty had a new toy to play with

Tasha was watching everything that was happening

Jasmine swapped between sitting on the couch and my knee

at the end of the night I had finished the stitchery..this is the last of the stitcheries I traced off to work on over the Christmas holidays...time to  move on to other things now. We had a lovely evening,  was great to catch up.....and thank you Marg for hosting us once again.

Tracee had ordered us something for Christmas but it didn't turn up in time......she gave it to us last night.......isn't this a beautiful bag....illustration by Jane Davenport.....I just love it. Thank you so much Tracee...I feel very spoilt!!

Happy sewing.

Getting things done

Today I was up and busy packing boxes at 8am...oh the joys of having an early rising DH!! But having said that it is amazing how much you can fit in to the day when you get up at a reasonable time!! After packing a few  boxes I ventured outside and did a little gardening and pruning of the roses....much easier to keep looking good if I go and do a little weeding every few days.  I spent many hours at the kitchen table cutting fabric for the Secret Shirt Challenge...shhhhh...can't say too much but...

you can find out about the Secret Shirt Challenge here at Tracee's blog.....can't say any more...secret shirt stuff!!

I have also received fabric in the mail for the CSSQ

love the batiks....now I have to draw a diagonal line of each one ready to make the half square triangles....

I was packing up some tins...I have several my mother used to send us with a fruit cake in at Christmas time...and found these

I think the boys are probably too old for these now ....lol!!  So they have gone......

hasn't it been a beautiful day today?? A bit windy here but beautiful sky and sunshine...the garden is looking good, unusual for this time of the year...by now it is usually dry and suffering. I have a treat in store tonight...I am off to have a sit and sew with Marg and Tracee, this evening Tania was supposed to be joining us too, but she isn't feeling too good today so is staying home. We will catch up with her next week.

Happy sewing.

Oh I nearly forgot...I have finished two Christmas decorations!! Yay!!

A finish

Last night, despite the little bugs squeezing in under the screen door, (they wanted to check out my stitching I think! Ha Ha!!) I managed to finish a little Christmas hanging, put on the backing fabric and folded the sides forward, then attached the wonderful Barb Smith buttons.

 I also did some more on the pudding stitchery

I think I will put green felt on the back and do blanket stitch around the side..

and I started on the reindeer...

and yesterday I finished a block for an Aussie Heros Commemorative Quilt that at the moment is a  mystery...we will be told more later on....

and this afternoon Tania and I are off to see this movie...looking forward to it, these films are always best seen on the big screen I think.

Have a wonderful day.