Freedom

 seems to be being enjoyed this weekend down here at the beach, the traffic has increased a lot and the number of people out walking has increased, holiday homes are opened up and have people staying. I guess regional Victorians are on the move again!

We have been at home enjoying the spring garden, going for walks and being at home.

We had a visit from our eldest son and his partner and Hank yesterday, it was wonderful to see them again, they were happy to have a break from their home too.

We had a wander to the shops and back

Hank enjoyed the outing

I received some happy mail in the week from the Threadbare quilt shop in Castlemaine

Wednesday two Anthology blocks were made, this one is Lollipops, I have to go and find a photo of the other one.

There it is one happy star.

Thursday saw the making of another Sylvia's Bridal Sampler Blocks, this one was  foundation paper pieced, it took quite a while to cut all the pieces and then get them in the right place.

Mmmmmmm the poor machine got a clean out. It must have been feeling very uncomfortable!

I have been chipping away at another Old Time Kaleidoscope block after neglecting them for a while.

I have had a pile of off cuts of quilt backing fabric sitting in a pile for a long time so in the week I have been cutting them into 5 inch squares and two and a half by five inch squares. I thought Adam and Beth were staying the night Saturday so that made me cut them all up and clear away the table. They are now all waiting to be sewn into a quilt top.

Saturday I was invited to join in a zoom stitch and chat with these lovely ladies, I have to improve my photo taking skills when it comes to getting a photo of the lap top screen. I haven't seen these ladies for quite a while so it was lovely to have a catch up.

Over the weekend I crocheted two kitchen wash cloths from cotton sent to me by Ingrid. I like the graduating colours.

The Kevin quilt is finished

I am currently quilting this beauty made by Marina who lives In Gisborne, she made two stunning kaleidoscope quilts to go to the oncology ward at SJOG.

I really like the patterns that form in the centre of the blocks

this one too.

I had other happy mail in the week, a box of beautiful reproduction scraps from Marina, we were email talking about making the flying geese and Marina kindly offered to send some of her scraps. Thank you Marina.

A little herbal posie from the garden his morning.

I am off for a soak in the bath before the fish and chips arrive for dinner.

Happy stitching.

Today

 has been another beautiful spring day, I have had a walk, sat out on the back deck and read a book, listened and smelt the grass being cut - that is the smell of summer to me, fresh cut grass. Probably more spring here and summer in NZ as it gets much hotter here.

Monday I had to go to the chemist so asked hubby to take me there, he was going that way anyway, and then I walked home, it was a windy day, luckily the wind was behind me heading home.

I found St Leonard's Spoonville, I hadn't heard of this before so had to come home and look it up, it is a great idea, but I am not rushing back with a spoon!!

the last two weeks Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks, I realised when I went to put the orange on on the left away that I had already made that block, but had forgotten to tick it off in the book! Mmmmm...it has now gone in a folder of orphans, but might come back out to make up numbers later on!

Tuesday I went into Geelong to the SJOG hospital for an iron infusion, so took the opportunity to deliver 15 quilts, this was the view out of the window

I thought I was going outside into dull and maybe wet weather but it was sunny and quite pleasant. I met two ladies who had been given quilts, they were both so happy.

On my way outof Geelong I stopped at Eastern Beach for a short walk, thru the park, 

past the fountain, along the waterfront, up the hill and back to the car! It was lovely to get some (masked) fresh air.

Late yesterday afternoon a few more flying geese joined the family

the Kevins and Kathleen are all together in a quilt top.  The blocks are all quilted before you add the Kevin Koala so now I need to add strips of wadding along the sashings and border. That was supposed to happen today but I sat outside and read a book in the sun, 

then came in and made this block for Sylvia's Bridal sampler for this week. This one nearly did my head in, joining the rows together should have been simple, I had them all marked, but I got the top and bottom rows the wrong way and it took me a while to work out what I had done. Thank goodness I hadn't sewn them on!! Next week I might attempt Wedding Ring 2. Maybe!!

I had an email in the week saying Big W had a book sale on, so guess who got sucked in and ordered books, they arrived today. I have some reading to do!!

I had better go and get the washing in before the sun goes completely and the mossies attack me at the clothes line.

Happy stitching.

We have had

 a few beautiful days, to be enjoyed outside, so today I took myself off to Curlewis to get some exercise , disguised as doing a bit of geocaching!

I started at the Curlewis Woolworths car park and found where the cache was but could not reach it, will have to go back another time with my magnetic pin picker upper and see if that helps. Then I went to the Percy Cherry Park, the hint was the cache was under the ANZAC sign, but no joy, I felt around everywhere I could feel. It was interesting to read about Percy Cherry, but sad to see he didn't come home.

Then I walked along the pathway, past the Beware Birds signs, yes it is magpie breeding season here and the magpies are very active!

Theis is at the entrance to a housing subdivision, no joy finding the cache here either, I did enjoy the music coming form the house over the road though, as did the owner, he was singing along happily!! Not sure what the neighbours would have been thinking!

From there I went to the old Drysdale tennis courts and finally found the cache there!! Thank goodness!

I was getting a bit disheartened by then.

I had a little wander through the trees

had a look at the lake and then headed home.

I sat on the back deck for a while and sewed in all the threads on the top of a quilt I have quilted

I did free motion quilting around the flowers and then crossed the yellow squares so there are hundreds of ends of thread to sew in, I still have to do the other side but will do that later today.

The weekend this quilt has been finished

And late last week this quilt was quilted and finished. These quilts are all going to the oncology dept.

A little girl koala has joined the boys

And after I finished the thread sewing in I sat in the sun for a while and finished off this book. It was a good read and I had not come across one before.

Here are last weeks and this week blocks for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler, I finished this weeks and went to put it away and realised I had already made this one (the one on the left) and hadn't ticked it off in the book!  Ah well might have to make two this week to make up the bungle.

I am off to make a couple more Kevin's.

Happy stitching.

Spring

has appeared in the garden, the blossom is coming out

the Weeping Flowering gum is flowering

The plum tree has blossom

the lavender has bees and blossom despite hubby's pruning attempts!!

I made a few Flying Geese last week

then as football was on went and made a few more after dinner

I passed this fairy establishment on my walk recently

We have had fine days

and not so fine days, typical spring weather. We had beautiful weather Friday, and Saturday so I spent time in the garden pruning and weeding, tiring but gives you a good feeling when you can see what you have done.

Yesterday I made some Kevin Koala's, might have to come up with some other names, Keith, Kobber, Kel, I need to think on that! Can't be calling them Kevin's all the time. This is a Wendy Gratz pattern from Happy Shiney People, I love Wendy's patterns,  they are so happy.

The quilts are finished and ready for delivery.

A few more hearts were sewn together last night

I nearly forgot last weeks Anthology block, I ended up making two. Double Spot above

and facets. I don't seem to have a photo f the Sylvia block so will fix that later. I am off to sew some details on to the Kevin blocks.

Happy stitching.