Guess what? Catching up yet again!!

 The last couple of weeks have been a bit up and down, I have been to Gisborne and had a great catch up with Margaret and Tracee, we had lunch and a lots of chat! Marg and I walked over to the cemetery to visit Donna late afternoon

Marg took some roses from her garden to add to the roses already there.

In the evening we had a walk around part of the golf course, we saw lots of kangaroos, ducks and rabbits!

It was a lovely time of the day.

Back at home I have been having phone conversations back and forth between here and NZ, my Mum is in hospital and is very unwell, so waiting to hear. The virus makes it hard to get over there in any hurry.

I finished a Christmas stocking which is now winging its way to NZ.

A little currawond came and shared in the bread I put out for the birds, it sat looking for a long while, maybe it was getting warm in the sun.

The mystery hexie quilt is slowly progressing, I ran out of coral coloured hexies so last night was spent filling the gap in the container.

Hank is staying with us for a few days while Adam and Beth are off camping, so far he has settled well.

I scored some lovely fabric from a lady destashing on IG.

and happy mail today as these applique sheets and tools arrived, something new to try.

The quilting is done on the Storm at Sea quilt, now to add the binding.

I bought some of this synthetic rope at the local hardware last week and made a table mat, which turned out pretty well, but sadly I can't show it to you because it is a safe place and I don't know where the safe place is! It is that kind of week.

I finished this book today and enjoyed the story.

The second avocado seed has sprouted well and is getting leaves.

The orchids inside are going really well and all are in flower

This one has not flowered before so is extra special

This one was white when I got it but since the first flowering has changed colour to this.

This one has had lots of flowers, these are the last two.

This is the first avocado I sprouted, it seems to very happy in its pot.

I had better be off and search for that table mat or sew the binding on the quilt or have some lunch!!

Happy stitching.

Catching up again

                                                                      Today blogger has decided to put the photos in reverse so we will see the week backwards!

A couple of weekend ago we had a visit from Shane, #2 son, his partner Rilla and her Mum Fiona, we had a great visit with them and they were very happy to be out of the city and enjoying the big outdoors after being in lock down for so long.

The Storm at Sea quilt top is finished, I didn't quite have enough for the border so a little extra had to be added in on two sides.

Here are the finished blocks

a block made in the week

I had some wonderful happy snail mail in the week and now need to get pen to paper and write some replies. Mmm blogger has decided to put this photo on its side!

Two Storm at Sea blocks made earlier in the week

This one had to be unpicked and a new piece added, I obviously got trimming happy!!

More hexies have been added together

I brought a heap of these books home from Eve's house and have read this one

Earlier this week I made a book of family photos from the last three years to send to Mum for Christmas, it turned up in three days, very efficient service!

I also received a lovely parcel from Ondrea this week, containing her beautiful stitched book mark, word search to keep the grey matter on the move and a notebook. Thank you Ondrea.

You know how sometimes you see things advertised on Instagram or facebook and you are not sure if they are for real or not?? Well these mugs below were advertised and I thought I would give it a try. The sale was in US dollars so I thought if it gets here it will take forever, but No! The cup turned up in 6 days, despite me misspelling the street address.....😕

here is the back

and the front,,  Jenny and I cavorting off into senility together!! (Hopefully not for a long time!!)

I contacted the makers to explain about the incorrect address, the mug was already in the mail - that was day 2 after ordering. So I contacted the delivery people, it was already in their system in that it had gone from Melbourne to Geelong so could not be changed once it was in the delivery system.

I have had three follow up emails from the seller, they even offered another mug and I just had to pay for the delivery. So happy it has arrived and I am very impressed with the service. Now to send it on to NZ.

I had a walk up around the subdivision behind us in the week and saw the street planted with pohutukawa trees otherwise known as the NZ Christmas bush, was so lovely to see.

The yesterday while out in the garden, I noticed this bush that I hope might have been a pohutukawa covered in flowers and heaving with bees. Very happy to see it in flower. We have planted three small pohutukawas around the garden but they are too small to flower yet I think. This might be a different variety to the ones I saw up the street as the flowers are smaller.

I was over in Drysdale on Thursday evening and noticed this W painted on the wall of the Woolies supermarket, How pretty is that?

Hopefully I have not put you to sleep! 😊

I am off to get some lunch and then it is sewing time.

We had a 31degC day yesterday, today there is a cool breeze blowing up the bay and it has just started to rain!! Yay! I hope it lasts.

Happy stitching.

This week

 has seen more block making, some quilting and some prep for another quilt. I was given 24 quilts for the oncology ward so I have been sewing labels on them in the evening.

This is the Sylvia block from two weeks ago but I don't think I recorded it finished

This weeks Anthology block is called Bars.

I made another Storm at Sea block, 5 made 11 to go!

I made two fpp heart blocks this week, this is how they finish 

They look so much better once trimmed.

Sylvia's Sampler block this week is Clay's Choice.

The cat quilt is finished and will be going to its new owner Monday.

I have been making EPP kite blocks into hearts, I saw on Instagram that a lady pinned hers all down to wadding and backing and then sewed a row of zig zag, I thought that was a good idea, so that is what I am trying. It took all afternoon to iron and starch the hearts and take the papers out. The rows are pinned and the zig zag has started, just one row so far. Hopefully it works! Got to try anyway!!

The hexies are coming along well, I have 5 more to join onto the outer edge and then some big flowers to make to become the next row. I have used a lot of the hexies I had left over so now it is onto making new ones.

Off to do another row of zig zag!

Happy stitching.

Where

 did the last week go, I seem to be asking myself this every week!! We have had fine days, overcast days and rainy days, typical weather for spring.

Monday another Storm at Sea block was made

I have started on some cat blocks for a quilt

More stars were finished

Wednesday saw another Anthology block completed

Thursday saw two Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks made

One called Friendship Quilt, the other The Friendship Quilt

I happily sewed away Friday evening and managed to get several things sewn on back to front, so some unsewing had to be done!

Love this view out the window

Some gardening happened in the week, the weeds got a bit of a fright!

The Aussie Hero quilt is nearly done, just the label to be written and a letter to go with the quilt.

Some stars got their edging stars.

Yesterday Chooky hosted another zoom party, several ladies came and went thru the day depending on what they had on. It was great to catch up with the ladies in the US, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and Australia.

Lots of stitching, chatting and listening happened, I signed off at 5pm having joined in at about 9am. The ladies were still going when I signed off.

I managed to get this Old Time Kaleidoscope block this far, just have the white/cream edging to add and it is done. This is the last big block.

Last night I was all EPP'd out so did a little stitching on my sadly neglected Sew a little happiness every day project. This was a COVID project started by a lady on instagram. I still have a way to go, but then we are not out of the woods yet so I have time I figure! You can see the beautiful embroidery and stitching Sarah creates over at her blog. 

I have a fruit cake cooking in the oven and it smells wonderful so had better go and check on the progress.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, I am hoping to go and find a new geocache this afternoon, weather permitting.

Happy stitching.