Back home again

 Well we have been home nearly a week, the days have zipped by, we have had hot humid days and days with storms, thunder, lightening and rain. Today has been a little cooler thank goodness.

Before we went away last weekend  I briefly joined in with Chooky's zoom gathering. It was lovely to catch up with ladies from near and afar. It is always good to see what people are sewing on the day.

A few days ago I received a lovely tea towel in the mail from Maria, yours is in the mail Maria, thank you.

Last weeks Anthology blocks, prepped before we went away and handstitched by the lake in 28 deg C heat, I had my feet in the water to try and cool down!

and this weeks block, I think they are all the applique blocks, next come the ones with the teeny tiny squares I have been avoiding!!

I did do some hexie sewing while we were away but the quilt is getting bigger now and it was too hot sitting on my knees, so I did more sewing on the cropped diamonds, filled some gaps above, the wavy non ironed sections,

and started another block, I worked out ten cropped diamonds sewn end to end takes me 15 minutes to sew onto another row, so it grows quite quickly, so long as I do not get distracted, which happens easily some days!! The piece above has not been ironed and if not held down curls up.

We have an aviary in the back yard that has been used for storage since we have been here, it is now partially cleaned out and I have put in a watering system ( it needs tweaking especially as hubby helped and changed the design) and am adding plants. I went to the Mill Markets collectables/antiques centre today and found some pots ready to go, some had bromeliads so I got a few and hope to go back another day and get a few more!

Love this potted combination

and this hanging pot

This is a pot of many plants, I love how the bromeliads are all different colours too.

We had some dog sitting duties in the week

Miss Tira not wanting her photo taken, she was in trouble just before this for biting me, she forgets I have old lady skin that breaks and bleeds easily. Once we got her home I wet and rolled face washers and put them in the freezer. Once they were frozen I gave one to Tira and she loved chewing on it.....much better than my hands!

Hank and I went down the beach, he had a run and a paddle and was happy to then come home and snooze in the shade.

The Bellarine Quilters have been busy over the last few months. They committed to make quilts for the Kinship carers as Christmas gifts. Kinship Carers are the grandparents, aunts, uncles, other relations who take on the care of young children as there parents are not able to due to drug or alcohol problems. We have made for the children, but this year decided to make a gift for the adults.

The result is 55 quilts ready to be presented next Monday. Great effort I think. They looked wonderful all laid out on the table.

I think that is enough from me for now, I will go and get some stitching ready for this evening.

Happy stitching.

On the road again

From Lake Lascelles we drove to Patchewollock to see the Silo there

The subject is a local farmer Nick "Noodle" Hulland. The painter Fintan Magee thought Nick was typical of the local farmers. Nick farms sheep and grain.

From there we went to Lascelles   we had a minor engine panic, I think I flooded it as I started it and the engine light came on. We googled it and someone else had had the same problem and were told to continue driving. So off to Lascelles we went

The silos here are painted by Rone, his subjects were Geoff and Marilyn Horman, part of a family that has lived and farmed in the area for four generations.

When we turned the motor home engine on here no engine light!! Wahoo!! I felt so much happier!!

Our next stop was Sealake

loved the colours on this one. This is painted by Melbourne based artist Adenate,  he uses his art to tell the stories of the Aboriginal Australians.

This was at the back of one of the shops.

From here we went out to Lake Tyrell  a shallow salt lake known for its reflective surface, it was too windy for reflections when we were there but we saw lots of salt!

shame I didn't have a jar I could have brought some home! Only kidding!

We had hoped to stay at Sealake but the camping area was full in the powered section so we carried on to Green Lake a bit south. 

Today we are driving again, we stopped to look for a geocache on the way at the sight of the rabbit and dog fence that was constructed here many years ago. The fence is no longer used. This is the last piece remaining.

First Silo for the day was at Nuawil  painted by Smug. This shows the farmer and his kelpie.

Next we stopped for lunch at St Arnaud  these paintings are on buildings and big water tanks at the train station. I dont know who painted them.

We found another Silo partially completed in Avoca, this is Silo #47. The artist is from Warnambool and the ground, parts of the owl and the night sky will glow in the dark when it is completed 

Next photo is the artists impression of the finished Silo.

We are staying at Lake Burrumbeet near Bsllarat for the next two nights, at the moment there is a howling wind blowing and rain is threatening.  I guess some stitching will be done.

Happy stitching.

Silo visits

Yesterday we left Murtoa and drove via silos and small towns to Hopetoun and Lake Lascelles. The first Silo we came to was at Sheep Hills

This Silo was painted by Melbourne artist Adnate in 2016. The artist spent 4 weeks with the local Aboriginal community while painting these silos. He has painted Aboriginal elders and children and the night sky above them. 

From there we went to Brim

These silos were painted in early 2016 as was the first completed Silo in Victoria. It was painted by Guido van Helten, it inspired the start of the Silo Art trail. The silos design depict a multi generational quartet of male and female farmers.

From there we went to Rosebury

Most of the silos are in the middle of nowhere on the railway line.

This Silo was painted by Kaff-eine also a Melbourne artist. This was completed in 2017 and shows on the left thebregions young female farmers and on the right a quiet moment between friends. 

From here we went to Lake Lascelles for the next two nights.

in the afternoon we had rain and thunder and more rain, at least it cooled down over night. 

On our way yesterday we stopped for a while in Warraacknabeal and had a little look around, David found some metal soldiers  he is a happy camper now!!

Only two of the lovely old buildings we saw.

Today I have been for a walk around the lake, it is 28 deg C and humid  another storm is coming in this afternoon.

This toilet block is on the other side of the lake from us

The painting is great. 

I have to be off now and create an Anthology block as it is Anthology day.

Happy stitching.

The Stick Shed

Yesterday we wandered up to the Stick Shed, a huge grain storage shed built in 1942-42 to store the huge grain surplus, caused by there being  no exporting during the war and a bumper crop. The Shed stood empty and unused for 20 years until it was restored. 

some of the posts are set in concrete  we were told when the shed was unused the wind roared in through holes on the roof and lifted the poles. Not all poles went back to their original place and so were damaged, now they have the bases to keep them safe and in place . The roof holes are fixed too.

Some of the old buildings, most are empty here sadly.

the entry door to one of the buildings,  love the hexies.

cloud arrived with the afternoon,  it was 27 deg C and humid, this was was closest we got to a sunset.

Off to find silos today

Happy days.