Oops

here is another photo heavy catching up kind of post!!

I was sitting sewing on Thursday afternoon and glanced out the window...such a peaceful view!!

Yesterday I went up to Bullengarook  to the house of Mrs Perry, she offered to help me with the Dignity Quilt for the Guild.

so after watching a YouTube video we loaded the quilt and quilted two rows, then the tension went and we spent hours trying to nut out what the problem was...in between Tracee was feeding me and her family!! We finally changed the quilting cotton and then adjusted the tension and off we went again,  I am very proficient in unpicking quilting now!! 

Harmony found a wonderful place to rest!!

Finally at 10pm we did the final row!!! Yay!!! Happy dance!!

The fur babies had gone to bed, so it was time for me to head for home. Luckily I didn't have any encounters with any kangaroos!!

This morning the Supervisor and I went for a walk...he did his bit for the community and watered every thing vertical!! When we got back I did some pruning until the green bin was full, 

then I put the binding on the boys mosaic, just the hand sewing to go!! I did forget to put on a hanging sleeve, will have to do that later.

I trimmed the dignity quilt, I am very happy with the quilting...thank you so much Tracee for persevering and putting up with me all day!! 

We have a new family member....meet Herman the German hermit Crab!! Hubby found him on the ferry back from Sorrento last  Thursday!!

This afternoon I also managed to get the binding sewn onto the Dignity quilt...hand sewing on the agenda for me this week!! You might be able to see the bag of clips on the quilt?? Tracee gave them to me yesterday along with

this beautiful tin, which I am going to keep and use for sewing

and this chocolate which was in the tin...which I am sure the rest of the family will consume over time!!

Hope you are all having a Happy Easter and lovely weekend.

Happy sewing.

Wednesday

Finds me at home after sit and sew down at St Leonards, I was running late this morning after walking the Supervisor and fiddling around so no long walk for me today!!  The Dignity quilt is back home with me, not quilted, sadly as a spare part is needed for the quilting machine. It will not be working for a few days. But the lovely Mrs Perry has offered to help me so I am heading up to Bullengarook on Friday to see what we can do. Great excuse to catch up with a good friend!!
I have done a little more quilting on the mosaic

one face done, one to go

you can sort of see where I have been stitching! Sometimes it is hard to see the thread, the invisible thread really is invisible!!

Today at sewing I was given some figs..we didn't get any from our trees, the birds got them all, but I have tried to make fig and ginger jam

at the moment it looks too runny and the fruit and liquid have separated, but it tastes good!!!We will see what happens when it cools down, hubby very helpfully suggested we can have it as fruit salad if it does not set!!

Time to go and do a little more quilting I think.

Happy sewing.

Saturday

Today was a bits and pieces day...this morning I finished the top of the dinosaur quilt

I am happy with how it turned out.

This afternoon I went into Geelong...the storm was coming through at the same time, I could see the lightening as I was driving.

Luckily I got to the parking building just as the rain started, but not so luckily I needed to walk a bit to get to the Gordon Gallery, but I had an umbrella I was given years ago as a joke, it is small (meant for a child) green and has frog eyes on the top and a big smile!! Well it was all I had so I had to use it.  Must say it made several people smile and a small child asked their father for one!! Lol!! I got very wet in spite of the umbrella!!

I went to the Artisans of Geelong to see the tram lady hanging, there were signs everywhere saying no photos, so after asking if I could take one of my own work I was told to be sneaky...so sneaky I was!! The display was good, this is the first year it has been done, hopefully it will grow in the coming years.

The rain had stopped when I came out but there were lots of puddles...this is the Geelong library building, and the Art Gallery, love how the mirrored library windows make the building less invasive.

I thought I might catch up to the storm on the way home..it was slowly moving towards Melbourne

Impressive clouds. 

When I got home I worked on the quilting  on the fabric mosaic of the boys, is just straight lines with a kind of zig zag stitch.

Still have quite a bit to go, I have to go back and iron now and them as some of the little bits keep on dropping off!! Cheeky bits!!

Had better go and rescue my dinner from the oven!!

Is raining outside again, sounds good on the roof.

Happy weekend.

Sewing day

Today was the 1st of the month sewing day at the Bellarine Quilters, not many of us turned up but we had a productive day.

I finished a laundry bag to go with the Aussie Hero quilt

And finished putting on all the blue around the boys on the fabric mosaic, all ready to sandwich and start on the quilting. Was great to sit and sew and chat.

Happy sewing.

Slow day

I had big plans to get heaps done today, but after doing the washing, and walking to the clothes line and back, it is 92 steps away up the back of the yard, I really haven't achieved a lot. I have finished a book and an audio book while doing some hand stitching, I have started an Aussie hero Quilt, the request was for Buddhism (Tibetan) so this is what I have done so far

things are pinned in place

things are sewn in place!!! I am hoping the prayer flags flatten down once they get used to being out of their packaging. The central piece came from a T-shirt,I am going to use the rest to make the laundry bag. The supervisor has been keeping an eye on proceedings and following me from room to room

He isn't happy with the appearance of the camera though!!

While listening to the audio book this afternoon I made some circles to go on the Aussie Hero quilt , I am going to try and make the fabric version of some prayer beads

and put some more blue on the mosaic

not too much more to do now. Now I need to do some starching and ironing.

Happy sewing.

Out and about

Yesterday I went up to Gisborne, driving in the rain and then the fog as I went from Bacchus Marsh to Bullengarook, was quite spooky and always in my mind is that fact that kangaroos are often on the roads there! But I arrived safely ( and late!) for a hair appt and had a great catch up with Marg and Karen. We went to Donna's place for lunch and it was lovely, then we sat in her Studio The Owlery for a cuppa and some sewing

I pinched this from Donnas blog (hope that is ok Donna) as I forgot to take a photo!! I was too busy taking photos of the kangaroos outside who have made Donna's place their home

I enjoyed watching the kangaroos in the next paddock!

We went back to Margs for dinner and then returned to Donna's for a sit and sew evening which was very enjoyable...always great to catch up with sewing friends I don't often see now we have moved.

Donna has finished her kitty quilt, the quilting is flowers and cats!! Very cute!!

I managed to sew up 3 and three quarters stars!!

Was so good to catch up with the Gisborne girls, Marg and her hubby kindly let me stay with them

Posing in the kitchen with Margaret.

I visited Tracee on the way home and got a beautiful photo of her and her gorgeous dogs Justice and Artemis, these puppies keep her busy!! 

I nearly forgot, Marg has finished her fabric mosaic of her Mum, taken from a photo when her Mum was 16 I think. It looks amazing! Well done Marg!!

I picked up Chinese on my way back thru Geelong today and I can now hear the microwave, so it must be dinner time!!

Happy sewing.

Gisborne Retreat - super photo heavy

Last week I was up in Gisborne on retreat with some ladies from the Bellarine Quilters, there were only 6 of us as some ladies pulled out. We had a great time, lots of sewing, chatting and eating of good food happened, also some singing and even dancing!! I was too slow to catch that on film!!

I forgot to take a photo early on but this was my progress on the Dignity Quilt for the Guild.

Sue J had her Japanese quilt all set out ready to sew.

Margaret finished her first block on a maze quilt..this took a lot of working out

decorations near the cutting table

Good advice

More decorations on the wall

Lesley made her first butterfly block, it needs a body but that will come later

Lesley was also adding borders to her Kissing Fish quilt

progress, I had to remake two blocks, they had slipped thru Robyn's and my quality control the week before!!

Margaret's progress

Angela was making New York Beauty blocks..

Tuesday morning the Dignity Quilt top is finished!!

Sue is making great progress

a few more butterflies have arrived

the first of the next four blocks is done by Margaret.

Carleen and I went out to do a spot of geocaching...is a good way to clear the head and return fresh to sew some more! I did have to scramble up a bank and got stuck coming back down, but eventually found my way!! Sometimes I forget my age!!

this beautiful Swoon quilt decorates one wall

we could choose a pillow from the Buffet!!

Angela was working on this quilt as well as the New York Beauty blocks...another border was being created

Tuesday I started work on Shane

the girls were working away

Sue J finished her quilt top.

Margaret finished her blocks,

and then put on the final borders..isn't it an amazing quilt!!

We had a late night visitor!!

I was really happy with the progress I made with the mosaic pictures 

Carleen was doing some work on her Japanese lady 

Thursday morning found Carleen and I in the Gisborne Botanic gardens looking for another cache, and yes we found it!!

We also paid a visit to Mary at  Patch n Quilt 

she has a beautiful shop and there is so much to look at!

The girls at the other end of the table, creating!!

Sue J moved on to some interesting paper pieced blocks

Our final lunch together

On Thursday morning Margaret put together this quilt top with blocks Angela had cut ready to go.

On the way home Carleen and I stopped to find two geocaches in Bacchus Marsh, it made a good break to the journey.

Are you still with me???? Hope I haven't put you to sleep!!

We had a great few days.

Today was Geelong Guild Day and our speaker was Michelle de Groot. She spoke about her quilting journey and showed us some beautiful quilts, sadly I left the camera at home!!

Tomorrow I am back to Barwon heads and the Seachange Quilters exhibition..I have duties to do!!

Happy sewing.