Catching up again

                                                                      Today blogger has decided to put the photos in reverse so we will see the week backwards!

A couple of weekend ago we had a visit from Shane, #2 son, his partner Rilla and her Mum Fiona, we had a great visit with them and they were very happy to be out of the city and enjoying the big outdoors after being in lock down for so long.

The Storm at Sea quilt top is finished, I didn't quite have enough for the border so a little extra had to be added in on two sides.

Here are the finished blocks

a block made in the week

I had some wonderful happy snail mail in the week and now need to get pen to paper and write some replies. Mmm blogger has decided to put this photo on its side!

Two Storm at Sea blocks made earlier in the week

This one had to be unpicked and a new piece added, I obviously got trimming happy!!

More hexies have been added together

I brought a heap of these books home from Eve's house and have read this one

Earlier this week I made a book of family photos from the last three years to send to Mum for Christmas, it turned up in three days, very efficient service!

I also received a lovely parcel from Ondrea this week, containing her beautiful stitched book mark, word search to keep the grey matter on the move and a notebook. Thank you Ondrea.

You know how sometimes you see things advertised on Instagram or facebook and you are not sure if they are for real or not?? Well these mugs below were advertised and I thought I would give it a try. The sale was in US dollars so I thought if it gets here it will take forever, but No! The cup turned up in 6 days, despite me misspelling the street address.....😕

here is the back

and the front,,  Jenny and I cavorting off into senility together!! (Hopefully not for a long time!!)

I contacted the makers to explain about the incorrect address, the mug was already in the mail - that was day 2 after ordering. So I contacted the delivery people, it was already in their system in that it had gone from Melbourne to Geelong so could not be changed once it was in the delivery system.

I have had three follow up emails from the seller, they even offered another mug and I just had to pay for the delivery. So happy it has arrived and I am very impressed with the service. Now to send it on to NZ.

I had a walk up around the subdivision behind us in the week and saw the street planted with pohutukawa trees otherwise known as the NZ Christmas bush, was so lovely to see.

The yesterday while out in the garden, I noticed this bush that I hope might have been a pohutukawa covered in flowers and heaving with bees. Very happy to see it in flower. We have planted three small pohutukawas around the garden but they are too small to flower yet I think. This might be a different variety to the ones I saw up the street as the flowers are smaller.

I was over in Drysdale on Thursday evening and noticed this W painted on the wall of the Woolies supermarket, How pretty is that?

Hopefully I have not put you to sleep! 😊

I am off to get some lunch and then it is sewing time.

We had a 31degC day yesterday, today there is a cool breeze blowing up the bay and it has just started to rain!! Yay! I hope it lasts.

Happy stitching.

Today

 we are over at Boronia at Eves place helping her son clear out the house, he has done a lot,  but there is a huge lot still, to be done. There is a skip coming  tomorrow so we have stopped for today as we are really just moving things from one spot to another. Tomorrow things will go out the door. Eve had huge collections of things but also alot of just in case stuff.

This is the room I have been working in, all the cabinets in the centre of the room and book shelves and boxes need to be gone.

Eves craft room, quite a lot has gone but there is a heap  more to go. Chris is hoping to have the house on the market in two weeks! Big job for him. There is a man here now who is looking  at taking some of Eves books  there are over 2000 of them in various bookshelves. Eve loved her books, you can find books on any subject here.

I have spent the last few evenings filling the hexie box. The plan was to sew tonight but I am a bit tired now,  I am not sure if the needle will see the light of day!

The hearts are going ok,  I had to change the zig zag stitch size to a slightly larger one as I kept missing  bits, I will have to go back and do some patch up hand sewing later.

Artfully arranged on my sewing machine, not!! 😁😁😁 I have another seven rows to attach, the bottom border needs to go on and it will be nearly done.

I am off to enjoy a G& T outside in the cool now.

Happy stitching.

This week

 has seen more block making, some quilting and some prep for another quilt. I was given 24 quilts for the oncology ward so I have been sewing labels on them in the evening.

This is the Sylvia block from two weeks ago but I don't think I recorded it finished

This weeks Anthology block is called Bars.

I made another Storm at Sea block, 5 made 11 to go!

I made two fpp heart blocks this week, this is how they finish 

They look so much better once trimmed.

Sylvia's Sampler block this week is Clay's Choice.

The cat quilt is finished and will be going to its new owner Monday.

I have been making EPP kite blocks into hearts, I saw on Instagram that a lady pinned hers all down to wadding and backing and then sewed a row of zig zag, I thought that was a good idea, so that is what I am trying. It took all afternoon to iron and starch the hearts and take the papers out. The rows are pinned and the zig zag has started, just one row so far. Hopefully it works! Got to try anyway!!

The hexies are coming along well, I have 5 more to join onto the outer edge and then some big flowers to make to become the next row. I have used a lot of the hexies I had left over so now it is onto making new ones.

Off to do another row of zig zag!

Happy stitching.

FNWF

 Another first Friday night of the month has come and gone, sped by like the weeks and months are this year! I joined in with other people in sewing along with Cheryl last night.

I managed to get the brown row sewn onto these hexies

Next step is to get these sewn onto the main part of the Mystery quilt.

Then more brown hexies have to be made for the next step. I am still two weeks behind with this but I have the instructions so all will be good.

I had a walk along the beach this morning, the longer I was out the better the weather got

This lavender bush in the back yard had loads of white butterflies resting in it this morning when I first went out, usually they are flitting about.

One day earlier in the week I walked down to the boat launching ramp, many people had been out fishing and as usual the seagulls and pelicans knew where to come for a free feed. The fishermen clean their fish and the bench and the scraps get thrown to the birds. It got a bit rowdy now and then.

I had better off and do some more on the Guild newsletter.

Happy stitching.

Guess what?

 I have been making more blocks!! 😁

Anthology block for this week, slightly wonky but done! It is called Good Luck!

I had to go into Geelong on Wednesday and called into Lizzies quilt shop, I had vouchers to spend! Lizzie also had 20%off which helped. I topped up on some batiks and chose some reproduction fabrics for a project that will be started with friends next year. I need to get some ufo's finished really but it is exciting planning something new.

This was my first attempt at the block called Anvil in Sylvia's Bridal Sampler, I have gone really wrong somewhere!! It is so wonky!

This is my second attempt, blogger has decided to turn the photo around, this one is called Milky Way.

I finished this book this week, set in Australia, I got very involved in the story, it was quite gripping.

This afternoon I put the blocks and rows together for the cat quilt, tomorrow it will be sandwiched and hopefully the quilting will start.

Tonight is FNWF

A virtual sew along organised by Cheryll, there is still time to join in over at her blog.

I am off to decide what to do tonight.

Happy stitching.

Block making

 has continued here,

my first Anthology block just didn't work out, so it went into the bin,

My second attempt worked a little better, this block is called Reflections.

After much block making, raw edge sewing that became quilting and free range quilting the Aussie hero quilt is finished and has gone in the mail. The request was for red and black, poppies, remembrance, ANZAC, silhouette of the Black Hawke helicopter and a submarine and the surname of the recipient. He got a bonus kangaroo and Kiwi!! I am really happy with this one. 

Yesterday I thought I had to motor on with the cat quilt but that now doesn't have to be finished until Nov 22nd, so instead I found a dresden template that had come with a magazine, so had a play to see how it would work.  I appliqued the centre on last night while watching the All Blacks play the Wallabies!

I always enjoy the haka.

A couple of weeks ago when I had many things to do sewing wise, I saw a hexie project, free mystery quilt on Jemima's Creative quilting and as I had hexies left from the hexie quilt I decided to join in!! As you do!! I am nearly 5 weeks behind but this is the first two weeks done, the next round is under construction. Of course I have found I need a lot more hexies than I had left, but that is ok more can be created.

here is this weeks Sylvia's Bridal Sampler block, as yet not finished, hopefully today!

I was sorting through some books last week and found my 2008 Gratitude Journal, I was a bit hit and miss with this, some months are filled in others are not, but it was interesting to have a read through and come across these photos with my boys taken 12 years ago. Brings back lots of happy memories and there is the Chowdy dog squeezing in between Adam and I, you can just see him! I am starting another one this month, never hurts to remind yourself what you are grateful for in life.

I am off now to finish up the Sylvia block

Happy stitching.