Start of November

The local King Parrots have been visiting us.... this is Mr

... and this is Mrs.... there are a couple of Mrs's so not sure who is with who!!

They were coming in to the little veranda and leaving rather a few too many calling cards so we have set up a little feeding area we can watch.

They still come in and sit on the chair and shout if there is no seed there for them.

I missed a couple of my regular outings this week but caught up with my blackwork

... and Janice has shown me a rabbit hole to go down!!

I've had the pad of papers for some time with a plan to do it in Blue French Generals.  I know I can't keep up with the Stitchalong but I will start cutting as I find some time...

It's a lovely distraction

I am still knitting blocks for KOGO, but have started a little baby blanket in crochet as I do enjoy that in the evening....

Righto, Gotto Go...... time to get the evening meal cooked.... Spaghetti Bolognese with cheese on top...

Have a lovely weekend....xx

End of October.....

It really is the end of October.  eeeeeeekkkkk

We have spent a bit of time helping Grandson #2 settle in.... He has stayed in town most of this week with his cousin Widget.   He has an Ausi bank account and a job lined up for next week --- so that is a good start to his working time here.

Hubz had a itsy bitsy thing that could be a potential problem cut out his leg,  his car to be serviced, take the grandiboys out for pub supper, blah blah blah so plenty of trips to town.

I did go to sewing with Tuesday girls this week and hand stitched down the binding for this little cot quilt.  It's a panel so there was no piecing to be done,  a wide meander quilting and that's it.  I have another similar panel ready to be loaded up.  (using up what I have though no more babies are expected in my family for time being (till the next generation starts!))

I finished the first outline for my hardanger lessons.  I wasn't able to go this week but I know I need to do 2 more outlines - just waiting on some threads I ordered online to arrive....  (it will be a sampler of different stitches)

A few more squares knitted.  I will keep going with these but start a baby blanket as KOGO are calling out for baby things.  

That's my week really..... a wild storm early in the week and it feels like it is brewing another, hot and humid and summer hasn't started yet!

This next weeks goal is to get some of my 'odd blocks' and make up zippy bags, or at least have them prepared.  I will endeavour to make them correctly and not have my blocks ending up as the lining, which I have done previously. 

Righto, Gotto Go... Step one is to sort through those odd blocks....

Have a lovely weekend....xx

Third week of October

Hello there,

Well, it appears Spring has left early and summer is breaking October heat records!!!

My main sewing this week has been to continue with the embroidery on my linen dress using the Stick and Stitch.

I want to use the dress on Saturday for a Stitching Day ....

After a soak in water....

Detail on the back ....

It may have been easier to sew if I had thought of it before making up the dress but I'm pleased how it looks and the messy underneath won't be seen.

I couldn't start my hardanger lesson as I hadn't done the marking prep work required, so I did all that this week.  The Laguna fabric is too small for my eyes and I needed to get out the magnifying glass, while I had it out I did this last weeks blackwork flower....

Hardanger Lesson 1 will be today at club.

Too hot to think of a crochet blanket on my lap so I have started knitting 20cm blocks for KOGO.

I got this blocking frame recently and am using it to make sure my blocks are the right size so they can be easily sewn together......

Managed the 3 blocks so far.  The yarn is fun.   I have a few odd balls so I will make them up and add some plain ones to bring it all together....

A bit of charity quilting was done and general trying to sort out stuff in my sewing room.  I seem to have an awfully long list of things waiting for attention.

  Our grandson is finally in the air on the way here (last month his flight was cancelled due to a cyber attack at Heathrow)  Been a bit of delay getting his new flight organised.  He'll be with us tomorrow.

Righto, Gotto Go.... need to get the day going.... have a lovely weekend...xx

MId October

We had a good time with our son who turned 40 and his 2 boys down Southward in Victoria and then a few days in the Snowy Mountains, where there was still some good snow and we watch skiing etc.  WE stayed near a lake and Hubz tried out some fly fishing.

The boys loved their quilts ..... (the fishing one and Boys Story)  Mr 14's comment was "Nana, I just don't know how you do this"

Came back with lots of dirty laundry and well rested up...... I took knitting to do ....

A scarf in moss stitch.  I sew up the ends so it's an 'infinity' scarf.  I always find they don't fall or blow off better.

Whilst the washing machine was going and I was gently getting back into things I caught up on my Blackwork SAL

This was Saturdays effort......

Even though the evenings were hot I wanted to finish off the blanket which just had a few more rows to it....

A pretty shell like pattern

and now it is done and ready to be sent off to KOGO....  now the weather is so much warmer I will go back to knitting blocks.

Sunday I was back at the Blackwork.  

42 done... 10 more to go (yes 10 weeks of the year left!!!)  I'm still unsure what I will do with the finished piece.

... and now I am caught up.  I find this work I need to do when I am quiet at home and set up with the magnifying glass at the dining table.

I bought some of that Stick and Stitch I had read about to try.

It works pretty well and not at all tacky like I thought it might be.  Washed away easily enough.

So I spoilt myself and bought a set of patterns from Kasia, an Australian designer.  and I am adding some detail on to a dress I had made way back in May ...   but not worn yet.

I really like that Stick and Stitch stuff -. Kasia includes it in the pack but I know it is available at various places to do your own printing.

There were over 100 blogs to be read when I got back so I skipped through them, I love seeing what people have done but I didn't have time to comment on them.  Normal programming has returned!

Righto, Gotto Go..... Embroidery Guild is today.  I want to try Hardanger and one of the ladies is teaching it... not sure I have the right supplies but can find that out today.

Take care, have a lovely weekend....

4th week of September

Of course whenever I can I pick up a needle or dive into the sewing room

These Sashiko blocks have been done, I now need to draw up a bunch of grids for the next lot

I have tidied up a bit in the scraps and made more star blocks.... I now have 50 which will make up 2 reasonable size quilts.

For ages I have been meaning to make Trail Mix.  If I remember right Janice made this some years ago and I just loved it.  Free pattern found HERE

It does require some thinking of the blocks which I think is why I have been procrastinating.  Anyway I dug into my scrap boxes and smaller pieces of fabric.... I am not using just any scraps this time but have tried to put toning colours together.  Let's see how I do.....

Most evening I have been doing the crochet..... this is the Dune Blanket pattern by Lucy at Attic24 (but as you can see I am using one colour)  It gives a lovely texture.

Righto, Gotto Go.  I'm taking a few weeks break to spend time with family, and I don't expect any sewing will be done....

Sadly UK Grandie-boy isn't here yet - his flight was cancelled with the cyber attack at Heathrow..... hopefully he can rebook soon.

Have a lovely weekend.... catch you later.....

My place....

Michelle and I also visited Laurel Bank park which is full of beautiful annual flowers

Our garden is looking lovely too.  These plants have never flowered as heavily as this year so I think we had just the right amount of rains... plus my gardener works hard at it!

Clivia (I thought I had lost all the pale ones so happy to see this one in there)

Lime and pink.... great combo (not sure of plant names)

The May bush is looking gorgeous

The wisteria is just gorgeous..... so is the jasmine....

I was given an orchid a few years ago... it has done nothing since but look at what she is doing now.... I am so delighted with it.... 7 blooms and another 3 buds

The azaleas are doing their thing too

As I said never so full of flowers...

The week before I had managed to finish my Floral Fun top.  37" square and it is presently being quilted.  This is a SewAlong with Sunday Stitchers - great working to a timetable

Sewing with the girls on the previous Wednesday resulted in a couple more blocks of houses

and most of the top was put together.  I managed to sew the borders on yesterday so another quilt top done.  84.5 x 68" so a good size quilt.

Susan and I sewed along this one, she makes a great timetable to guide us... 

Righto, Gotto Go,  pleased to have a couple of tops made .....  I'm a bit occupied for a few weeks so not sure how much blogging I'll do..... but I'll be working on my crochet blanket

Have a lovely rest of the weekend...