Catching up once again

 Seems to be the story of my life at present...catching up! But not to worry.

The upstairs is now packed up, the furniture gone so when the flooring people come next week they can get a clear run at everything and nothing will be in their way. 

So what has been happening...last week I was on retreat up at Gisborne with some of the current and past Bellarine Quilters members and Marg who lives in Gisborne came along to make up the numbers

Two Anthology blocks joined the collection.

Some of us spent the retreat time making things from fabric, strips, orphan blocks from a lady who was an avid quilter and dressmaker, who has recently passed.

A quilt top made by Maria and Carleen, orphan blocks and strips, they had been sorted into the same colour group

Maria made the backing, not a scrap of blue was left over.

Floral cut into squares and rectangles but no pattern with it, Judy made this quilt top, the darker strips also from the stash. Judy made another quilt top in yellow and blue from orphan blocks but I didn't get a photo of that one.

Sunset on our first night in Gisborne out the back

and from the front porch. Such beautiful colours.

Maria and Carleen started on a second quilt with orphan blocks, the patch block with the red in it was taken out and kept for another quilt.

Judy started on a strip quilt, inspired by Marg finding the floral centre fabric in the retreat scrap bin.

I made a scrap strip quilt, the green was from the stash we were using plus a few other fabrics, the rest from my stash. Sadly even though lots of strips seemed to be used the bag seems to be just as full! On the right you can see a tiny view of Maxine's quilt blocks. I didn't get a photo of them either!

Judy's scrap strip quilt finished and on the back of the chair you can see some fabric for backing.

Lots more was made but I didn't get photos, I was too busy sewing and chatting 😀

The second Super Hero's quilt is finished and ready for delivery to the quilt group and then on to the Southern Cross Kids Camp,

it has a bag to go in,

Furniture gone, I had to do a vacuum to get up the dust, stray pins, popcorn and nuts I found where the couch had been 😮 the place look strange without furniture.

Undercoat painting happened last week, top coat started this week

The final coat goes on tomorrow. Painting starts at 8.30 I am told, not sure I will be awake and functioning by then I replied 😄

Monday I went shopping with #1 son, we had a giggle over what his teenage self would have said about shopping with his mother now, or any time for that matter!! We did well though. I bought these winter vege grow bags and have them at the back of the house, hopefully they grow well. I like 

these lettuce you can take pieces off and they keep growing. Kale I am not so fond of in a salad but kale chips are excellent.

and last but not least the tree dahlia is in bloom and the flowers are beautiful. The plant is three years old and this is the best year yet. We have had a few cold days so I am hoping we do not get frosts, we don't usually but last year we had one right when this plant flowered and that was the end of the flowers. Hopefully they last a bit longer this year.

That is enough from me I think for now

I hope everyone is well out there in blog land

happy stitching.