Crafty Hijinks

Off to Ballarat I went on Sunday - armed with my google maps directions...I made good time and so decided to drive up Mount Buninyong to have a look...I hadn't been there before and stupidly decided to climb the look out tower - I DO NOT like heights....didn't think that one through did I!! Anyway I got a wobbly photo...I was wobbly after climbing 96 steps!!! But the view from the top was amazing, I just had to hang on and I was ok!

Made it up and down!! Yay!! (Not liking these selfie photos at all!) And off to Ballarat....well google maps were wrong and I was heading back in the Geelong direction before I knew what was happening...so turn back and stop at the tourist info in Bunninyong....the directions were very wrong. So armed with a new map and set of directions off I went. I was alot further away from the hall than I realised, I should not have stopped and been a tourist...but anyway I finally arrived at 10.40 instead of 10 oclock! Bit stressed I might add!! 

No worries I was in time to see the lovely Gillian and Jodie welcome everyone and explain what was happening. On the stage in front of them was a  heap of fabric and patterns...all kinds of things that people didn't want any more... was good to have a look through and yes I did find some treasures! We eventually settled down to some crafting once a cuppa had been made, the stalls checked out, and friends greeted.

Marg and Tracee were busy  stitching

this was most of the view from the back corner of the hall...49 people attending..great for a first gathering!

Tania had her hexagons ready to go, but worked on mine instead, she is a wonderful friend!

Marg and her Christmas stitchery

Bit of glasses comparison going on here I think!!

Tracee working on her Welcome to the North Pole block

Busy, busy here Marg and Tracee are learning the fine art of hexagon making!

Yours truly creating hexagons

The Beautiful Gillian and Jodie with me, we were practising holding our chins up for the photo!! Lol! They are a scream these girls...they are so entertaining and funny, I could listen to them all day...they did such a wonderful job of organising the day.

On the way home I passed a chook farm and these were out the front..I just had to stop and tale a photo - I half expected to hear them singing when I got out of the car! They made me smile! great finish to a wonderful day!

St Leonard's Weekend

Saturday was a glorious day....the bay was calm, the sun was shining, what more could you want?...

maybe just a quiet place to sit and sew...those hexagons need to be done......and

I got to avoid the painting...actually DH was happy to be left to his own devices, didn't need a gopher today! lol!!

Chowdy was resting after his morning walk...and being very suspicious of that woman with her camera AGAIN!! But he is so cute!!

Then in the afternoon we went for another walk to look for beach glass, 'cos we know someone who collects it and it is nice to be able to add to the collection! The weather had changed a little, a few spits of rain but not too bad,

a pelican flew past, I was a little slow with the camera! :-)

and this is the quilt I am trying to repair , I am now making small hexies (half inch small mmmmmm... didn't think that one through!!) to go randomly into the large black spaces..I like a challenge in my life!!

I Spy Quilt

I am a bit late with this but last Tuesday I finished the I Spy Quilt, binding and even a label!! It is now ready to be sent off to NZ.

I Spy Quilt

Yay!! I am happy to have this finished and happy that I got my act together and actually did it instead of thinking about it!!

August challenge

Our Wednesday group challenge for this month was to make a quilt no bigger than 24 inches as they are going to be donated to Cheryll's Blankets of Love.
We all  had a go and it always amazes me that we all come up with something different!

Marg made a beautiful quilt from a fat quarter - beautiful colours!

Tracee made a beautiful geometric number!

Tania made a beautiful quit with fabric from her stash

I had a play with charm squares following a tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt company calling Falling/Tumbling Squares

they ended up larger than I thought they would so I made two quilts.

FNWF

Well we had a great night last night, Tracee had the fire going - just as well as we have returned to winter here in Gisborne after having a few beautiful spring days, we stitched, ate, laughed, played with the dogs, looked at Tracee's quilts (beautiful!!) and were shocked when we realised it was 11pm!!
We didn't take photos of the food, but Tracee had cooked a wonderful chicken curry with rice, Marg had made sausage rolls, Tania had a plate of chopped veges, carrot, cucumber, capsicum, dry biscuits and dip and a yummy brie, and I had made jelly with strawberries and blueberries set in it! A feast!

Marg working on her kangaroos, she is  on the last one!!

Tania making hexagons for her new quilt

my hexagons splattered about!! They are for the quilt I am repairing for a work mate

Marg's last to be stitched kangaroo

Tracee busy knitting, and unknitting and knitting, a little woops happened that slowed things down for her.

Isis keeping us company!!

Hexagons under construction.

We had a lovely evening, it is such a treat to get together and sew and chat....many thanks to Tracee for being the hostess with the mostest!

Pinched Marg's photo!!

FNWF

Yippee!! Off to Tracee's place tonight for FNWF, also going is Tania and Marg.  Hope to get some sewing done but just getting together is really good!!

One step closer

Today I finished the quilting on the I Spy Quilt I am making...yay!!!! Next step to trim and bind...I think I will fold the backing to the front and have a nice soft cuddly binding.

I have had a go at free motion quilting, or free range quilting as it is known here!

I am happy the quilt is soft and cuddly

some of the quilting is a bit "free range" I found it hard moving the quilt around as it was so heavy, some stitches are a little big but over all it isn't too bad.

I had a visitor in side the pantry this morning - I opened the door to get some cereal and this was what I was looking at!!!! It looked at me and I looked at it and eventually it moved over to the front of the door, so I slammed the door shut and it scuttled up the wall and now is sitting looking at me from the ceiling above the kettle! Not happy!!!

This evening I managed to get some I Spy Blocks finished for Sharon who is kindly making an I Spy Quilt for a little boy in hospital. He has a face book page Blake's Million Smiles - sadly he has been in hospital for 24+ weeks now.  Last I read his Dad was very sick with the flu as well.  I am sure Sharon will do a beautiful job and the quilt will be amazing!