Last morning and home

Our last morning in Coolum we went to the Surf Club for coffee

It was a beautiful day,  we could see big splashing way out in the water, David asked how long whales lived, so I googled to find the answer....80 years and stumbled on the Coolum Beach whales watching group.  They said hump back whales were visible from the Coolum Surf club and two look out points near by. So we were seeing the fin and tail slaps of hump back whales 🐋.  

The flight back was good, our luggage came through quickly, then we found there is a new free service at Tullamarine to help people with walkers etc to get to their bus/pick up. So David was in a wheelchair and another kind man took our cases while I managed David's walker.

We came home to a very cold house, turning the heater on was the first thing to do! 

Since then I have been cleaning, running errands, moving, gardening and a bit of sewing. 

David has started his programme at the Parkinson's support group on Geelong,  happy to have that under way. 

We have had some wonderful mornings, cool but sunny. Good for walking on the beach.

Saturday I went to a sit and sew with some of the lovely ladies from the Gisborne retreat. 

I brought home fabric and cut ten inch squares and Sunday I sewed them together

Simple quilt that I will call Eunice's flower garden the fabrics are from Carleen sister in law....we are working through her stash.

I recently finished this book, was really good. 

I am off to the library bus soon so had better go and get ready.

Happy stitching. 

This tried my patience

I am normally a very patient person but working on this centre star for Betty's Medallion the pieces very nearly ended up in the bin! I think there was a print error as the instructions say to cut the light coloured squares 2 1/2" but the instructions say to sew in a 2 5/8' square. We got over that one but then I didn't understand the illustrations for adding the triangles

and ended up with bits that did not join together. After a few blue words and lots of un picking I got it back together

not perfect, the centre is not aligned and there is a bit of a gap but I am calling it finished!! No doubt I will go back and try to fix it at some stage.

Some happy mail was dropped at the front door by the postie today, this one must have had a few days rest at biosecurity control!

This photo is out of order but it is what I ordered from  Shiny Happy World early in December.

These panels are so cute, they are for cushion covers but I think I will make them into a quilt.

This was what was in the mailing bag before I opened it.

Second happy mail was from a pen pal in the US, I got the best penpal award for 2020 😁 kindly made and sent by Laura. How cute are the little mice!

I haven't done much today as it is very hot today, a sewing friend came for a visit and a cuppa and a chat and the rest of the day I have been reading this book, which is now finished. Large print makes for a quick read!

I had better be off and see to dinner, hubby is watching footie highlights 😢 (again) so that needs to be changed quick smart!!

Happy stitching.

 

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.

Here it is

Sunday already! This week has flown past. I am not sure I have a lot to show for it, I finished book two of the Outlander series, read a book called Blind side by James Patterson, had some walks, today I am not as I am too tired so I am being a blob instead!!

The Aussie Hero quilt has been finished and is gone and I forgot to take a photo of the finished quilt, I am not happy with myself!!

Last night I finished the Old Time Kaleidoscope block, now on to the next one! 

I am trying to get photos from the phone but for some reason it wont work today. One more try and then I go do something else!! Ok a good talking to and me noticing I needed to allow the computer access to the phone ,seemed to work!!

I had a play with some stones down the beach one day

another was fine and warm enough to have lunch outside

this weeks Anthology block was made

And this weeks Sylvia's Bridal Sampler block was made too, paper foundation piecing works quite well, I think I reversed the fabrics on the borders but I am happy with it.

Adam Beth and Hank came for dinner last night and stayed over, so we all went for a walk in the afternoon (mainly to wear Hank out a little!!)

We have had days of beautiful sunshine

and days of cloud and cold. Today we are expecting rain, it is a good day to be inside sewing, so I had better be off and do some!!

Happy stitching.

FNWF

Well after a slow start, a soak in the bath with a book and pizza later can do that to you, I got my act together and finished sewing in the threads on the baby quilt

The little animals on this panel are great

I got a little further with the Old Time Kaleidoscope block

I finished this book last night and quite enjoyed it, a story of women in the Land Army in the UK, one girl in particular who falls for a German POW.

Earlier in the week I read this one, I enjoyed this more as I followed several women from different walks of life and their experiences in the Land Army.

I am off now to hang up the washing and then see what else needs to be done.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Today

I have more oomph than I had for the last couple of days,  I have had a wander around the back yard a few times, done some sewing and some cutting, quite a lot for me!

Ondrea very kindly sent me these books to read, I am enjoying the first one already.

The figs are ripening beautifully

I saw this butterfly in the back yard, but was not quick enough to get it with open wings.

Yesterdays bounty from the garden, another 2 big jars of fig and ginger jam

The rainbow lorikeets have moved into the fig tree

Caught this very pretty butterfly

Ingrid and I both have the Anthology book and have challenged each other to make a block a week. this is the first block cut and ready to sew

as I was cutting I thought I would do a second

# 1 finished, slightly wonky,

#2 finished, these blocks finish at 4 x 5 inches

Pat Sloan has an April challenge, The Stay at home Quilt Along,  happening at her facebook page and the challenge is to make a snowball block each day for the month of April. By the end of the month you have a quilt top. Not bad I thought, could be manageable. Pat has suggested using happy fabrics, fabric that makes you smile. I am using fabric I have been given to make an oncology quilt. I think I will use gray sashings, still thinking on that.

I am off now to draw a pencil line on the back of the yellow squares and get today's block sewn.

Happy sewing.