Out and About.....

The big garden competition is on during carnival time and Hubz and I went to walk around the Grand Champion...

The roadside was stunning ….

Inside was an explosion of colour….. 

Lots of lovely plants ….. 

These roses were huge.... like the size of a hand huge!

I loved this idea for a border using concrete bricks and filling them with succulents.... 

I am hoping Hubz might take up this idea....

.. and I just looooved this art piece outside the front door..... 

I was also hoping Hubz might take up this idea... (I got a weird look from him at the suggestion!)

WE also went to a winning Rural Garden.... again lots of colour (outside the garden area is just brown dirt - they have bore water and have struggled more this year of course)

A lot of building up to get height and walkways....

We spotted this King parrot just watching the goings on... there was lots of lovely bird sounds in this garden...

We spent ages in this shadehouse/fernery.... we want lots of green in ours one day!! 

Lots of ideas for Hubz to take up!!  Haha... the to do list is growing!! 

During the week I was lucky enough to catch up with Marilyn (Mardi Meanderings blog) who has moved to Toowoomba now.  We did the quilt shows and embroidery show and maybe had a couple of cups of tea and slices also.... so fun 

The embroidery show was just amazing and we spent a few hours there... no photo's allowed but a huge range of embroidery types and incredible 3D work and pulled thread and cross stitch.... really a highlight of the week.  They only put it on every 2 years.

There were 2 main quilt shows, to be honest I was a bit underwhelmed, but it is always great to see them and I very much appreciate the work that goes into getting them together.

I have carried on with hand sewing in the evenings and happy to say I have now done all the hand stitching for my postcards quilt..... just need to cut more fabric and make up more blocks

Another project is already prepared for stitching ….. but first I will work on Wings

A pretty little recent purchase is this needle-minder…. it's a good size and has a pin on the back.

Great for those times when sewing and putting down the needle.... I so often 'forget' where I put mine!

Righto, Gotto Go....  off to prepare a block from Wings to do some needleturn this evening....

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the gardens

School's out....

Carnival is in....

Spring holiday around here is busy busy busy....  last weekends lovely stitching and this weekend is gardens...

 Although there is still a horrible drought the flower festival brings in a lot of income for the city so water is pumped in ...

 

These poppies were outside the Information Centre... of course our local bees are very happy at this time of year

They also had these lovely beds of pansies....

Meantime my lovely stitching cushion has had to be retired.....

you can see why …. it's very tired and most of the stitching is no longer there!

This cushion was made in a round robin stitch-a-long that I did many years ago.... and made lifelong friends as a result

Note to the lovers of EPP - the hexagons have held up very well!

In my own garden the Dendrodiums (spelling) are looking wonderful... such a lovely show - well done to Hubz the gardener

Hubz had some business in Brisbane so I was able to hitch a ride and go and spend a few hours with Michelle...  here we are in front of some of her wonderful art

Car journeys have meant some knitting has been done and a second penguin jumper is completed

… and whilst I was with Michelle, and of course many other evenings I have been working on getting more postcards stitched

I only have 4 more to stitch.... but of course lots of blocks to put together

My son and his youngest daughter are coming to visit in November.... little Miss 4 nearly 5 Grandiegirl has not been before and she (with help from her Mum) made up this lovely date caterpillar.  She can tear off a circle every day to see how many more sleeps to go.

I'm a bit excited!  It's almost 3 years since a cuddle.

Righto, Gotto Go... cuppa time.  Hubz and I visited more places today so I need to sort some pictures.

SDDO 2019

The Quilters Angel (which happens to be my favourite LQS) hosts a wonderful weekend "Stitchers Dream Day Out" 

Last weekend was this years and both days were fully booked....

A school hall is hired for the weekend and transformed, bows are tied and tables set....

Bags filled with treasures, flowers and pretty tables....

The stage is all set up to look lovely too...

This year's theme was Vintage Market....

A little corner shop is open...

I loved all the little extra's..... 

…. to fit the theme...

Beautiful old trunks...

.. and spools of thread....

These are the fabrics used for the day...

All day tea and slices.....

.. and the designers had displays of their work....

Leslie and Kate from Faeries in my Garden.....

 amazing needlework....

I loved this Alice in Wonderland stitched cloth...

Katie and Pam from Cottage Garden Threads was the other designers for the day

Very cute... (they distribute patterns for Hare's Nest)

Silly silly me didn't take pictures of the projects that were provided .... there was a bag, a needlecase, a cushion.... hmmmm  

Was treated to this lovely sunset on the way home.  We still have a lot of dust and smoke around.... which does increase the redness of the sky …. beautiful...

It was a beautiful weekend... so many happy friendly women coming to enjoy themselves.    Days like these are good for the soul.....

Righto, Gotto Go....  time for that second cup of coffee... then quilting time!