Christmas is done and dusted

 I arrived quickly this year and disappeared as quickly!

We had Christmas dinner at Adam and Beth's place down the road, no long drive this year!

Young Tira has found a great observation post to see what is going on!

I got some special Christmas dog bikkies for Hank and Tira, Tira decided to get into the box

Making good progress

Then she moved on to some wrapping paper!

Boxing Day was here, luckily it was a cooler day as we had a roast plus ham. We all enjoyed ourselves and had a great time catching up. Of course there was the compulsory family photo, which took several attempts

Oops

Much better, only the dogs were not paying attention!

I received a new sewing chair, which the boys very kindly assembled for me.

I am hoping this will inspire me!!

David's statue aka lump of concrete is happily installed under the gum tree, it took 3 blokes to lift it and carry it down the yard! David is very happy with it.

Chooky organised a zoom day yesterday, I didn't realise until later in the morning as I hadn't checked my emails

Lots of ladies popped in and out through the day, it was lovely to catch up with everyone.

I sewed several cropped diamonds together, then sewed into rows and then sewed the two blocks together, then a few more rows were done. By then it was after 6pm and dinner had to be sorted.

Yesterdays progress

It is a lovely day today, I have been for a bike ride, I started along the walking track but it is super busy so decided to go along the back streets instead, very few people there. When I came back I watered the plants in the old aviary

checked on the runner beans, we had these in Tauranga when I was growing up, so I hope they grow well.

I think it is time for another jigsaw, Ingrid gave me this one for Christmas.

I had better head off and get some lunch, the sewing room needs a good tidy (again) but then the jigsaw is calling!!

Happy stitching.

Christmas Eve

 It still hasn't sunk in it is Christmas I don't think, feels like a normal Friday night, pizza has been consumed and hubby is watching a movie about a robot Western. Kind of strange.

The hearts are all done and a quilt top is together

I still need to take the papers out of the back of the blocks, I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

I haven't been doing a lot of sewing this last week

a few cropped diamonds were sewn together over the last couple of nights, I have been doing a lot of reading. I came across a Rotary book sale and got a bag full of Michael Connelly, so have been working my way through them.  

This afternoon I decided to make a table runner for Christmas, yep last minute!! I have had this fabric for years, I got it at a department store in Dusseldorf, Germany, several years ago. It is very simple, just folded in half wadding on the outside, sewn around the edges and turned in, then a row of stitching around the edge and quilted. It is a lovely linen fabric so a really good weight.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, we are going to #1 sons place tomorrow and then having 8 come here Boxing Day. Will be great to catch up with everyone.

Wishing you a very happy Christmas and a safe, peaceful and creative New Year.

Happy stitching.

Heading Home

The time has come to head back home, the air temp is a little different today, a cool change went through over night, we had some thunder ⛈ hopefully no lightening as the bush around here is so dry.

a different road view today

we stopped in Avoca

some great old buildings here

How cute is this one and so nicely painted and cared for.

Back home, all unpacked and away, decided it was time to get back to the hearts, we will need the dining table at some stage 😁

so some sashings to sew on today

we just had a shower of heavy rain and gusty wind, I am happy we are home! 

Off to sew

Happy stitching.

Out west

Friday we drove via Meredith to St Arnaud.

the history centre in Meredith

street library

gum lined roads

St Arnaud has beautiful old buildings

Silo and building paintings, this was a local man who ran a bus and taxi service, his son has now taken over.

fire-fighter

images of famous Australian boxers on the walls of the gym

I found two caches, it was too hot 🔥 to keep looking for them today (Saturday) as it is 34 deg c here today.

We drove to Murtoa to collect David's garden sculpture, as he said, it was a long way to drive for a lump of concrete!!

We stopped briefly in Rapunuyp for a photo stop

I'd like to say I made a friend but he didn't chat much 🤣.

We stopped here as hubby fancied this building as a painting subject.

This one too. I had a browse at the local Art Gallery and found a hand made bird cage for the aviary,  it will have a hanging plant in it eventually.

Back to the cabin now for a cuppa right underneath the air con.

Home tomorrow.

Happy stitching.

A visit and a helper

 Last week Ingrid came to stay for a few  days, we set up our sewing machines on the dining table and sewed and chatted in the day and did hand sewing in the evening (and chatted 😉)

I finished the foundation pieced heart blocks and am now joining them into rows

Last blocks made

Laying them out to check for colour placement, I don't think it really matters with these blocks!

Quality inspector came to check things out

and from a different angle, we did some ball throwing and everyone was happy!

First three rows joined together.

I joined my two pieces of the cropped diamond shapes, Ingrid was not happy with my ironing skills, so she sorted them for me.

We found a tool to save burning fingers

the back had interesting texture

you can see the difference the ironing made. Thank you Ingrid!!

The postie was very kind to me today, delivering three treats

a lovely stitched decoration from Michelle, 

a book mark from Maria

and a post card from Raewyn. This one took 5 DAYS Raewyn, unlike the 5 weeks mine took to get to you! I hope to go and visit that beach one day.

Thank you lovely ladies your thoughtfulness made my day.

I think that is all from me for now, tomorrow is hubbies birthday so we are off to Queenscliff to catch the ferry to Sorrento, then we are being met by hubbies sister and bro- in- law and we are off of the pub for lunch. It should be a good day.

Happy stitching.