A long catch up....

The renovations are all done, just one bench top to be replaced

this used to be an open space above the fridge, now we have a cupboard, we asked for doors

we now have doors and three shelves. I am thinking the rolls of batting I have downstairs could fit up there 👍

Bathroom all done and plants installed, it is a lovely relaxing place now.

we have had some beautiful days, with amazing clouds about.

I went to a Wendy Williams workshop two weekends ago and stayed the Saturday night before with Tracee and Phil,

here is Justice getting some loving from his Mum, he is a beautiful dog.

This is the Wendy Williams project I am making, it is going to keep me busy for a while!

The workshop was at Daylesford at 320 Create, the retreat owned by Mary, who has the quilt shop in Gisborne. I didn't see any kangaroo around this time, but did hear many kookaburra's.

One of Wendy's beautiful quilts

some instructing happening

Wendy was giving tips on how to make the quilt behind her.

Last week we had Adam and Beth, Hank and Tira staying as their new doors were being painted and made the house really smelly - oil based paint can do that!

we walked the dogs most mornings

the love being down at the beach, but are not happy the grand parents will not let them off the lead - maybe if we were sure they would come back things would be different.

Another beautiful morning at the beach.

My usual walking view, bringing up the rear with Tira trying really hard to get in front.

the wattle is coming into flower.

Last Tuesday I went with some of the Bellarine Quilters to the Portarlington Golf Club. They had advertised they were giving grants to a local community based group that gave back to the community. We were very luck to win a $2000 grant to go towards our Quilts of Comfort, so it will be used to purchase wadding and maybe backing fabric. Some of the donated quilts were taken along to show what we make.

One cheque presented

Beautiful view from the function room out onto the golf course.

Miss Tira visited again on Saturday evening, she is now 1 year old.

This is what happens when you give Shane, #2 son a camera to take a group shot!! Love that happy face and that of his brother in the background.

Here we all are. Shane and his partner Rilla are off to Canada next month, so they came down to visit and to bring some things to be stored. Hopefully we get to see them again before they head off.

One the way home we had to stop for a photo of the moon over the Bay, luckily Shane and I love taking photos, so we leapt out to have a look while the others stayed in the car.

The dogs enjoyed wrestling with Shane

I have been doing a little sewing, mainly hand sewing, it takes a long time sewing the cropped diamonds to have anything much to show!

My sewing room is still not completely unpacked and reorganised, but hopefully soon.

I had better away and hope to do another post a little sooner and not have so many photos!

Happy stitching.

 

Back home now

The retreat days went by so quickly, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 

I made more blocks with strips

Carleen put a pink border and piano key border on her quilt top

Maria has the borders on ,one more piano key border to go

Maxine machine sewed the binding on her finished top then continued with the blocks in the last post

On the way home we stopped at Maddingly Park in Bacchus Marsh to do an Adventure Lad and find a cache, luckily we finished just before the rain came belting down.

 back home I have had some good rides along the beach

Yesterday was calm, today is windy.

Last night David and I went to the opening of the Flora of the Bellarine exhibition at the Artisans of Australia gallery in Drysdale.

It was quite exciting to see my little piece on the wall

it was in a corner with other Glasswort pieces

a beautiful painting and  glasswork, the little pots had beach glass stuck on them and Glasswort plants growing in them.

Also there was Pat, who encouraged me to put in an entry, Pat does amazing paintings

Pats paintings.

there was quite a lot to look at paintings, glasswork, textile pieces and sculptures also mixed media pieces. We had a good time there.

Time for me to go outside and do some grass cutting!

Happy stitching.

Retreat and Churn Dash along

This week I am in Gisborne for a quilty retreat. One quilt top is finished, scrappy batiks, lots of left overs in this one

the ladies have been busy

Maria is making piano key borders for her scrappy quilt, using up fabric from a friends estate

Judy is also using up fabric from a friend's estate and making blocks from bits and pieces

Just has finished another quilt top,  I will try and get a photo later.

Carleen is making a table runner in Aussie fabrics

Maxine is making her fpp blocks

she has to concentrate to get the pieces in the right place and in the right order.

The squirrel came to visit and so these left overs were joined together to create more blocks

We have a huge bag of strips still to work through so are going to make green blocks, it has been started 😁.

Home tomorrow afternoon and back to unpacking and sorting things in the house.

Happy stitching.

PS I forgot the Churn Dash blocks 🙄

That's better.

Back upstairs

This ladt week has been lots of carrying upstairs and unpacking, washing and dusting,  things are slowly getting back towards normal. 

New rugs down and furniture back, most of the cabinets contents are unpacked, 

still a few more things to find for the wall units

kitchen is still waiting for a splashback and a few other things but is nearly fully usable,  doors coming for the cabinet above the fridge.

but my sewing room is not finished 😪 rhe furniture removal men were different to the ones who outlet the desk apart and the guys who came Wednesday had NO idea what to do with it. So we are waiting for the kitchen reno guys to come and see if they can do anything with it . Fingers crossed!! It is quite heavy so I can't lift up myself.

Not a lot of sewing has been happening for obvious reasons, but the textile piece is done,  just the label to sew on.

I am supposed to sew D rings on the back fir it to be hung but the local hardware didn't have any, I am hoping plain rings will be ok. Tomorrow I am off to Gisborne for a few days retreat , am looking forward to that.

Happy stitching.