Packing in anticipation

 I have spent the last few days cutting and preparing for a sewing retreat at Baradine with the Scrub Stitchin' girls. Sadly Raewyn can't get over here this year, I was going with hubby but he has returned from a weekend wargaming in Adelaide with what we think is a chest infection, so I am venturing of on my own. 

I decided to join some of the Sylvia's blocks together, as I have 64 made and think that is enough for a quilt top now, first row done.

Two more Anthology blocks are done

Hank came to stay Friday and Saturday, we enjoyed walks on the beach and playing ball in the back yard.

Lots of cutting happened for Betty's Medallion, the next row are Log Cabin blocks made with foundation paper piecing.

Bag packed, four projects in there, wonder if I have enough to do???

Might pack some hand sewing too, you can never have enough, just in case.

Happy stitching.

Another week

 has flown by. I have been quilting and making blocks this week, going to sewing group and going swimming, no wonder the days go by fast. 

Anthology blocks for this week

We woke up Thursday morning to the noise of trucks and machinery

The beautiful big trees at the front gate of next door were going to be cut down. I know gum trees are bad for dropping branches and the far one dropped one a couple of months ago and took out part of the fence, but lots of birds live in there, I wonder where they will go.

One gone and onto the second one

This is what was left at the end of the first day of work, some galahs turned up not long before sunset and watched from the power lined over the road, some rainbow lorikeets came and sat on the ends of cut branches looking at what was left.

Meanwhile some Bridal sampler blocks were being made

Jack didn't visit this week thank goodness!

A little fruity number!

Friday morning the big remaining tree came down, then they went down the back of the house and cut down the last remaining big gum on the block. 

This week I have quilted and bound two of Fiona's quilt tops

this was a big one, the photo does not do the colours justice

and here are the last blocks for the Schoolgirl Sampler, waiting to be sewn together.

Today I went into Geelong to see and exhibition by Rone a local man who is a well know street artist. We went to see his paintings on the old Geelong cement works a few years back, sadly they have been pulled down and are no longer there.

His art was on display at the Geelong Art Gallery, one area was set up as an old disused mansion with very haunting music being played by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra,

This was a recreation of a work Rone did in an old inner Melbourne city house before it was demolished

Part of the display, lovely old teddy. Well worth a look at this exhibition.

I think it might be G & T time, might even read a bit, I am reading a book about Doc Halliday back in the Wild West, it is really good so far.

Happy stitching.

City visit

 Saturday a week ago we went up to Melbourne to visit Shane (#2 son) and his partner Rilla. During the second Melbourne lockdown they moved into an apartment in Docklands and we had not been to see where they were, so Saturday we were up bright and early

I have not been up with the sun for ages!!

This is the ferry that travels from Portarlington to Melbourne

Leaving Portarlington

Me looking for dolphins out the back of the boat, no joy sadly!

Melbourne off in the distance

approaching the Westgate Bridge

getting closer to the city

several Dragon boat crews were out training

This building really annoys David as it is not straight 😀 every time he sees it he feels like it is going to fall over!

Shane and Rilla met us at the boat and we walked back to their apartment

Henri the cat was in residence

Going out to lunch we passed an amazing shop with the most stunning Indian themed wedding wear, the colours were beautiful.

This is the garden at the base of the high rise Shane lives in, outdoor BBQ, exercise equipment and space to exercise dogs.

There is an art installation you can play with

So Shane did!

While we were out for lunch the heavens opened and the rain came down, this view is out of the west looking window, love the contrast between the modern high rise buildings and the old train shed building down below. Shane and Rilla are on the 17th floor. We were sitting chatting and Shane said look out the window......we could see tiny snow flakes falling 😲  Shane says it happens quite often when it is raining there. I wasn't quick enough to get a photo.

David and I wandered back to the ferry in the rain late afternoon

The Geelong ferry was in first, the Port one arrived not long after and thankfully they allowed us onto the boat once the people coming to Melbourne were off and they had done a quick clean, we were happy to get out of the rain

A little refreshment was had on the way home

As we arrived back into Portarlington the sun peeped out from the clouds.

A very nice finish to our day out. Hopefully as we get back to normal life and people use the ferry, the service will be a little more often allowing us to come home earlier in the afternoon.

I am off to Bellarine quilters today so I had better go and get ready.

Happy stitching.

Business seems to have returned

This last week has flown by, the sewing groups I go to have all started up again, combine that with swimming twice a week , life seems very busy and always somewhere to go, which is a wonderful thing, but sometimes I just like to be at home. I wonder if that is a hangover from COVID I have slowed down and kept busy at home and am happy to keep doing so! Sounds very anti social doesn't it!!

This week

One more Schoolgirl Sampler block

The top three rows joined on to the middle section

More SGS blocks

One more for Anthology, not quite right but I am happy with it. 

I started another block but that ended up in the bin it just just wouldn't cooperate 😀

One block for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler, this one with the dreaded y seams.

The blocks and below are this months blocks for the Guild Mystery quilt, I have no idea how these are going to go together so it is a bit hard to choose colours. I guess it will work out as the months go by.

Two more blocks for the Schoolgirl Sampler 

Last Sunday the sun came out after a really wet Saturday so I went out on the front deck and pinned one of Fiona's quilt tops.

And here it is finished. This quilt will go to the Oncology ward once I can deliver there again. Thank you Fiona, it is a beautiful quilt.

I am off now to pin another quilt I think, but first I have to cut the backing and wadding so some crawling around the floor will happen first.

Happy stitching.