Silly forgetful me!!!

I have just been looking in my cupboards for some fabric and found a Christmas present I hadn't opened....I stashed it away so I couldn't open it until Christmas and with one thing and another, I forgot it was there!!!!
Shez gave me this beautifully wrapped present which contained all these wonderful goodies

A pattern, a cute reindeer ornament, a stocking and many pieces of fabric. Also the beautiful mat with amazing stitching on it and pohutukawa (NZ Christmas tree) fabric. I am glad Jenny didn't see this or it would have been spirited away to NZ!!! Thank you very much Shez for a beautiful gift and I am sorry to be so forgetful and not blog about it sooner.

I am off for a rest and to ponder on whether I am getting early dementia!!!!

A Visitor

We had a visitor call in for a visit and chat yesterday , we had lots of chatting and laughter and looking at projects

Yes it was Shez....Shez met Jenny and Jenny met Shez and they got on like a house on fire!! Shez has even perfected the selfie!!

Jenny brought my hexie quilt over from NZ it has been quilted by Leeanne of Quiltmekiwi and she does  amazing quilting.....just love it.

one proud quilt owner and friend!!

We had a great afternoon with Shez ,she is always such good fun.

th weather changed in the evening, we had rain and more rain!!

Jenny's Christmas lights are working well

but some alteration was required with this lot.

I have been doing some clamshell sewing but have not made a lot of progress.

Gearing up for hubby's 60th tomorrow!

Happy sewing.

Today

has been another happy day for me, beautiful weather and a surprise quilt gifting disguised as a sewing day!! This morning (running late...I hate that!!) I went to Karens house for a sewing day , I was meeting Shez there and also getting to meet in person for the first time....Michelle. Woo hoo!!!
Many months ago Michelle and Fiona found out it was a special birthday for Shez this year. So they got their heads together and decided a quilt should be made. Secret womens business followed, which resulted in a beautiful quilt, put together and quilted by Fiona and the label and binding done by Michelle.  Michelle also go the job of delivery person while on her holidays down south!! So a sewing day was arranged for today and the presentation was made! It was priceless!! Michelle asked Shez to help her with some show and tell....

oh that is a bit blurry..Shez is a speedy mover!! Lol!!

out of the bag it comes

out of the pillowcase

Ooooo...spotty paper...is this for me???? What is this? 

Shez was speechless....and in tears...

she couldn't believe what she was seeing!! People from all over the world had made the Polaroid blocks and sent them to Fiona, I think Shez was in shock!! She sure was surprised and it was kept a really good secret, she had no idea!! I think Shez will need some time to take it all in!!

We had a look at some of Karens beautiful quilts

This amazing Dear Jane quilt is in fact one made by Karen's mother, hand pieced and quilted...isn't it a beauty??

beautiful blocks.

some beautiful creations of Karen's

Michelle "fainting" with surprise at Karens French General stash!! Lol!!

Love Karen's clam shell quilt, this had made me inspired to continue with mine!!

and this beauty...

Karen made us a  beautiful lunch, then, 

much discussion happened during the afternoon

we had a lot of fun setting the camera and waiting for it to take the photo, this was the best of our attempts! I had a wonderful day ladies, thank yo all very much!!

Michelle gave me a lovely birthday present, sewing tin, Christmas ribbon and fabrics and one of her beautiful koala drawings made into a card. Thank you very much Michelle.

The Aussie Hero quilt had gone in the mail

all finished!! Yay!!

Phew!! Ready for a rest now!!

Happy sewing.

Happy day

Hasn't it been a beautiful day today....the wind is a little cold but when you are sheltered it is amazing! Got lots of washing done today, even managed to get the dreaded tissue in the wash too!! Ah well these things happen. I had a visit from Mary who I sit and sew with at St Leonards and Bellarine, and we sat in the sun and had a cuppa and put the world to rights!! Mary had not long gone when  Shez arrived in the driveway! It was wonderful to see her, we haven't had a catch up for a while.
Shez gave me a beautiful present...

love the wrapping!

a beautiful suitcase Shez has made with goodies inside!  Thank you Shez, I love it!! I will have to get another photo of the outside of the case..

The Supervisor decided he had a new friend, one who ate biscuits, so if he just hung around and looked starving and neglected,

but watched Shez's every movement

and looked meaningfully at the biscuit tin.....

he would get a reward!! And yes it worked!!!

Someone is a soft touch!!! :-)

I worked out my problem with the Aussie Hero quilt, I had trimmed it crookedly and it was fatter in the middle than at the ends, so I trimmed it away this morning, sewed on the binding and while chatting to Shez started the hand sewing

Have some more to go but it is coming along nicely!! Hope to get it finished tonight. Then it can go in the mail tomorrow. Yay!!!

And here is my new case, think I will pack it with clamshells for a special sewing day tomorrow.

Happy sewing.

Fun and learning

Today the St Leonards girls and I loaded into the car and headed off to Geelong, where we met my buddy Shez and Pat ( Seachange girl) at the hall. We were all doing a Clamshell class with Irene Blanck...

Irene's pattern .

We had a great day, we had lots of fun and laughter and  even got some sewing done!!! I know that's a surprise!! Irene is a wonderful teacher and happy to answer any silly questions!! I have to say it was Irene's birthday today so we surprised her with a chocolate cake with Lindt choc on the top.....I forgot to take a photo sorry, but we did sing her happy birthday!!!

happy sewers with Irene

work in progress

Irene and Pat working away

some serious instruction time on the next step

The St Leonard's girls working away, love Jill's colours here in the front

Jill working away at her clamshells

look at these two!!! I tried to sneak a serious teaching type photo but was sprung!!

one group of happy stitchers, some with their clamshells on display

this is a section of Irene's quilt..isn't it beautiful?

a combination of some of the St Leonards girls work

this is what I brought home at the end of the day...I am quite enthused to keep going on this now, I really enjoyed the class and the wonderful company today, always good for the soul to spend a day with like minded stitchers. 

This weekend I also signed up to join in with

well I was not a hermit today but did get quilt a lot of stitching done, tomorrow I will be a hermit and hope to get lots done! I found this link over on Susan's page and thought what a wonderful idea! 

I have been stitching in the week but they are secret projects so I can't show them just yet. Also still working away at the hexies.

I am off now to have a G & T...

happy sewing.

Friends

yesterday I met up with Shez and Lyn in Geelong, we met at Jiddys Patch as we all know where to find it!! I wonder why!!!

I have pinched Shez's photo as I didn't get the camera into action!!

We had lunch at the Whole foods cafe, the food was wonderful and down the back they have a store with all kinds of organic goodies!

Again photo courtesy of Shez!! Thanks Shez!!!

We did a little shopping and I found this cushion for son #2, he loves Combi vans, sadly no chowchow in the van!! Lol!!

I did some more work on one of the applique blocks

and glued it to the back ground

The last couple of nights I  have been sewing knitted rectangles together to make a rug for KOGO, I get sent the kitted pieces and put them together, then do some crochet around the edges.

this one I had laid out on the bed last Monday, I went out and when I got home found that hubby had rearranged them...some pieces are bigger than others, so the mixing of smaller and larger pieces has worked well. Have some friends coming to have a go at Free Range Quilting this morning, so had better get myself organised.

Happy sewing.