Back in to the swing

Well Christmas has been and gone, the turducken eaten, the boys visited, presents exchanged, catching up done and now we are heading to New Years Eve!
I have been getting in a little sewing,

This quilt top is finished, it is 60 ins x 60 ins, so perfect for an oncology quilt. I read the pattern, noted there were five and a half inch squares used in the centre, grabbed a charm pack and sewed them together. Made the star parts and them wondered why the star parts didn't fit to the centre!! Duh, five and a half inch squares required. not 5 inches! So after a bit of math I added a small border, added the star parts and the top is finished! Next time I will read and digest the instructions!! 

Hank has been visiting for 3 days, it is next to impossible to get a photo of him as he is always on the move, if he is not moving, he is wagging his tail and the front end still moves! We had a good time with him and he enjoyed his many walks along the beach.

Some time has been spent here, reading, watching the world go by and the occasional dip.

Two days ago I had the urge to do a mosaic, I had broken crockery and an urn in the garden, I am not sure working on a curved object is the best but the pieces have dried into place, so all good so far.

Some reading has been happening over the past few days too.

Yesterday and today I started sewing this quilt top and once again did not read the instructions properly. The instructions said to sew the black squares on diagonal corners, which I did, but it also said as per the picture. I just picked up the blocks as they came along and so can not get the whole quilt with the fabric running horizontal and then diagonal. So I decided on just getting the black squares and triangles to meet up......mmmm.......didn't learn much from above did I!!

this is how it should look.

Ah well, I will know for next time. This quilt top takes 20 strips of a jelly roll, and I have a few I have been given that are that size, so another might be tried soon.

The southerly breeze has picked up here so it is pleasant to have the doors and windows open once again. Another super hot day (for us) is forecast for tomorrow and then a cool change in the late afternoon. We might even get some rain!! Fingers crossed.

I am off now to get those blocks sewn together.

Happy stitching.

12 Days of Christmas...promise!!

Last of the gifts I sent to Jo

a chook to go in the kitchen pantry, it smells wonderful when you give it a squeeze.

stitchery pattern and thread

stitching kit

Christmas energy food

a little stitchery and thread

angel hanging

and all packed ready to go.

I have really enjoyed this swap, both the gathering and receiving.

Happy sewing.

12 Days of Christmas continued some more

For this swap I sent to Jo, who also does not have a blog.

this Christmas tin filled with

peppermint tea bags

a Christmas stitchery with Santa button

fat quarter, Christmas cat tin and Christmas buttons

a stitched wall hanging and heart decoration.

A flying geese hanger with chocolates

and the 12 Days of Christmas stitchery.

I am in NZ at present do have scheduled these posts while we are away....I will still love to have your comments though and will reply when we are back.

Happy sewing.

Catching up...super photo heavy

Saturday Eve and I headed off to find garage sales and on out way found the local market was on, so diverted there first. We ended up finding 6 garage sales and then a school fete in Geelong, I was a bit tired by the time we got back home around 4pm!!

Sunday afternoon we went for a look at the local lagoon, to see what kinds of birds Eve could spot

we found geese and seagulls

and this unusual large duck that was not at all bothered we were getting up close and personal.

we stopped out at Swan Bay to look at the birds but there was a freezing wind blowing in from the water so we headed off to Van Loons nursery for coffee and a cake! 

Monday I got the Aussie hero quilt boxed up ready to post

I tried some writing in the quilting!

After going to sewing group at Port we headed off to Queenscliff and had a look at the op shops and antique shops, this church had a book sale on, so Eve was looking at the books while I looked at the beautiful windows.

There was choral music playing and the room felt so peaceful.

Wednesday morning I took the Supervisor for a walk, it was a bit of a dull morning.

Today was better

no tree went unchecked....or watered!!

lots of people were out fishing

the beach was very peaceful and I found some wonderful beach glass.

Back home I cut most of the finished flower heads off the echium

and came inside looking like a beetroot!!

Later I packed yp the 12 Days of Christmas swap presents, they are all ready to go, 

sewed up the gap in the dolls coverlet and tried out some tying quilting...not sure if that is the correct thing to call it! Just the label to do now

I headed off down the garden to bring in the washing, the Supervisor had to decide did he come along or did he stay on the back deck!! He has arthritis in his legs so while moving around is good for him, he does find the stairs challenging some days!

the nearly pruned echium, the green waste bin is stuffed full so the last few heads can go next time, I did get in the way of some bees having a look at the last few blue flowers, hopefully there is food there for them.

It was beautiful sitting down the back yard until the mosquito found me and moved me along!

The Supervisor supervised!

and watched me get the washing off the line...someone has to make sure it is done properly I guess.

Later on I am hoping to cut some more star shapes out of this fabric.

We are off to Canberra tomorrow, hubby has a war gaming thingie on and I am helping with the driving. Have taken lots of sewing and knitting...no shortage of things I can do.

Happy sewing.

This afternoon

I have been happily sitting at the dining room table playing with paints. There is a challenge 8 of us at the Bellarine Quilters have taken up, and that is to make 12 Christmas blocks by December. We will put them all on a table together and choose one form each pile...that way we end up with a Christmas quilt. .that is the theory anyway. So I decided to do mine with paint

For some reason the tablet decided this ginge should be sideways, I am sorry for that!!

The patterns are from a book called 12 Days of Christmas by Nancy Halvorsen.

Once the painting is finished I will put stabiliser on the back and do some free range quilting, then maybe do a little more painting. 

It has been relaxing sitting here painting, looking out the window sometimes, watching the changes of weather go by. There have been some lovely rainbows this afternoon today.

I had better go and check dinner.

Happy sewing.

The last few days have flown by, where do the days go I wonder??
Yesterday was sewing at Portarlington, as it was Easter Monday the group was smaller but we had a good time chatting and sewing. Mary had finished a quilt the week before, it had been quilted and she had sewn the binding on, so Mary, Jill and I had a binding bee and managed to get most of the binding done, sadly I didn't get a photo. Mary usually super sews her binding down something like 20 stitches to the inch...we are trying to slowly retrain her!!
In the afternoon I went to visit a woman who had emailed the Geelong Guild regarding getting rid of her fabric stash,some quilts and quilt tops and wadding. I had collected the quilts and quilt tops last week and they will go to Geelong Mums or Bethany and the unfinished tops with go to a lady at the guild who will make them up (her and her army of helpers) and they will go to the Children's Hospital. This lady said she wanted $200 for her fabric stash and after some conversation with hubby I decided to buy it!! Well there was much more than I realised.

this is what I came home with, three tubs full, one box, 3 boot boxes,two wire baskets,four lots of fabric on the bolt......

and two bags of patterns! If anyone wants Golly patterns please let me know. I can send you a photo of what is here. So I had to rearrange the sewing room, I started off very enthusiastically, then the novelty wore off 

then I just plain was tried and didn't want to...but I did get the floor cleared (boy what a mess!!)

the rest of the room is a bomb site, but the shelves look wonderful!! Doubt they will stay like that for long! I still have a lot of sorting to do on the desk and the other bookshelf.

Today was sewing day at Seachange and we were asked to wear old clothes to help clean put the shed. I arrived to find everyone in their usual finery, I didn't look at FB yesterday so missed the message that the clean up was done already...I was happy to see one other lady turn up in her gardening clothes!! Lol!! 

After sewing I went for a walk along the beach towards Ocean Grove, it was beautiful today, sunny, not too  hot, gentle breeze and the place was all but deserted!! Was wonderful just to wander along.

this jelly made lovely colours in the sun but it didn't show in the photo, looks like a fairy seat doesn't it!!

playing in the sun!!

I did do some stitching today

the headless soldiers are well on the way, then I felt like a change

so did the skirts of the Ladies dancing!!

Well the G & T fairy has been so I had better finish up and go and do a bit more tidying before dinner.

Happy sewing.

PS

me and tidying the sewing room...had better go and achieve!! lol!!