Open .....

Todays word for Alsha's photo challenge is 'open'

This flower grows on a succulent vine which I have always known as a moonflower....

  as it only likes to open when the moon is nice and bright....

only lasts the one night... this is the bedraggled look the next day

they are really quite pretty.....

Thanks for this fun challenge Alsha.... I'm enjoying doing something a little bit different and finding pictures to match words is definitely a challenge for me.... if you feel like joining in the fun just keep an eye on Alsha's blog HERE

I have been doing some sewing... not much to show you but I have quilted around the first section of this doily.... tiny stitches... takes time....

the back looks quite different.....

Righto, Gotto Go.... I am going to play with aeroplanes today ..... fabric ones of course!

Slow down......

This week is going by too quick for me....

On Sunday Hubz started a new brew.....  I have high hopes for this drop - should be well settled by winter!

The background blocks are sewn and the applique prepared for this new girlie quilt  ....

...there is quite a lot of applique... colours upon colours....

I hope the stitching will help show up the design.. it looks rather busy....

Mr Postie dropped by ...

Cheryll is hosting a mini quilt swap and sent us some labels and coasters to send along with our mini's to make it all a bit more fun.... you can't see the other coasters because it's a secret who I'm making for.... I can give you a clue.....

I am making three mini's....

Last year I did the Aiming for Accuracy quilt along and there were prizes on the way along.... these cutest little metal quilt block oranaments arrived from Mark....

I love them..... 

Mr postie also brought some bills... but I haven't done pictures of those... I expect you know what they look like... totally unpleasant.....

Next some quilting ... this is from my Doodle Quilting book and I joined up blocks Maria gave me a couple of years ago in a swap (do you remember Maria?) and some variegated thread.....

I like the look.....

... easier to see from the back....

I also quilted my Dresden plate... you can see the circle in the middle is quite pronounced in this picture...

.... we have also been planning a road trip....

busy busy busy

Righto, Gotto Go ... coffee time .....

Instantaneous.....

this last weeks word on Alsha's 52 week photo challenge was "Instantaneous"

Widget learnt to ride his bike without trainer wheels..... isn't that always an instantaneous moment?  and I played around with a bit of editing to get some effects...

Thanks to Alsha for hosting this weekly challenge ... I am keeping up with my one photo a day...only just... sometimes I have to do a bunch and catch up when I find some pictures...

These are the goodies I sent to Maree in the Christmas swap (the one I forgot so she had to wait till February!!!)

Something to Read..... (Lynette Andersons' Christmas book)

Something that smells nice (Pomegranate candle in a bon bon)

Something for the sewing room (Anni Downs sewing bag done in linen and Paris Flea Market)

Something Sweet (a mug full of jelly beans on a Christmas mugrug)

Something for the tree... a pretty bought decoration...

Something that should have been under the Christmas Tree.... another of Anni Downs patterns... a nice big bag... Maree favours contemporary modern...  I hope I got close to that with this bag...

.. and that is the bundle .....

Righto, Gotto Go.....  I have got ahead of myself with the laundry again.... hello Mr Ironingboard....

FNWF.....

Thanks Cheryll for hosting FNWF .....  although I usually do some sewing in the evenings anyway it is a lovely thought that I am sewing with lots of other lovely ladies!!! (64 of us this week)

I have been stitching up my March bluebirds... getting ready for Easter....  loving these pretty little stitcheries.....

... then some cutting up of applique pieces.....

... I have started to get the blocks together for this 'pink' quilt.... and will hand applique the flowers and butterflies.....

... the completed Easter bluebird....

Lovely stitching with so many of you.... must pop over HERE and say Hi to some of the other stitches..... If you feel like joining us anyone is welcome, signups at Cherylls' place on the first Friday of the month...

Righto, Gotto Go..... still more pink blocks to prepare.... this part is a bit fiddly and seems to be taking me ages to do ....

Just gotta love babies....

I grew up on a farm and just loved the suckle of calves on my hands... as a child it was a sort of scary sort of sweet sensation.. 

Farming is an amazing lifestyle choice... but it can also be extremely harsh

This is one of Chookyblue's calves........

... this story is not all sweetness though..... Chookyblue and her family are handrearing a number of calves...

...... because their mothers aren't able to feed them....

.... because they don't have enough milk.....

..... because there is a terrible drought and our farmers are struggling big time...

sheep and cattle are being fed daily......

Chookyblue is posting regularly about the drought.... she and lots of other farmers need our support....

I have taken pictures from Chookyblue's blog.... with her encouragement..... thanks and lots of love to you ....

It does concern me that this week our media has gone crazy over a drug smuggling incident in another country.... whilst this devastation is going on at our doorstep......

Righto, Gotto Go..... EVERY FAMILY NEEDS A FARMER.......  I would just like to encourage all of us to support our farmers however we can and encourage our government to do the same

Birthday Girl.....

Happy Birthday to our precious princess grandiegirl Chloe who turns 4 today.... 

Big Hugz to you my darling.....

When Chloe was born I made her this quilt....

it's very sweet ... cot size so a new one is needed?????

I'm playing with these fabrics for her new one..... also applique and piecing...

.. and the February block for my blue birds is done.....

Righto, Gotto Go... blocks to prepare.....

Lucky for me......

.. that I got into a couple of swaps early....

... before anyone found out I missed sending a swap parcel!!!!

Silly me signed up twice for the same swap but only sent off one.....

Ooooops....

Lucky for me my partner was most gracious about it ..... this parcel is sent off now....

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Each year I try and do a Block of the Month and this year I am doing some sweet stitcheries I got as a gift from a real... and bloggy friend Christine at Bluebirds and Bumblebees ..... 

this is January's block (Australia Day) 

... now Christine is the designer of this lovely set so it makes it even more extra special to be sewing them.....  the little bluebirds feature on each block .....

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My scrap busting project last year was scrappy stars..... and this year I am finally putting the blocks together.....

.... well if you put the bliming flying geese shape blocks on the right way round they are scrappy stars....

I guess I am making scrappy boxes.... though I can see stars appearing.... sortof ...

I'm not unpicking... would you????

Righto, Gotto Go, February bluebirds to sew.....