Beginning of May

We have been away down Southwards visiting a son and his two boys.  So no blog post last week - I have been reading them but little commenting.....

Whilst in Victoria I was lucky that Marina picked up Liz for an adventure and came to the little town we were staying at for a wonderful chat and lunch...

It was just lovely - thanks Marina for braving the long trip....

I took crochet to do on the plane and whilst we were there.... nice and easy to pick up in the evening.  These are KOGO charity blocks....

Quilt group was on Tuesday and I did some more joining of hexagons....

I am almost half way through these... so still a way to go....

Earlier in the month I was sorting out my fabrics and found a bunch of heavier weight cottons (unsuitable for quilts) and also quite a bit of calico so I decided to make some shopping bags

These are lined and boxed with a fairly long handle so they can fit over the shoulder.  Good size, would comfortably carry 6 wine bottles!

I now have 7 of them and one cleared box in the stash.....  Personally I find the home made bags great - and they are a bit prettier than some found in the grocery store...

Righto, Gotto Go.  I'm trying a couple of new recipes and that Minestrone soup needs attention...

Have a lovely weekend....

WOOFA and other things......

Cheryll hosts WOOFA to motivate working on projects....

my list of UFO's is certainly getting less, (not to say I haven't started things so that I can have a decent list next year!!!)

This month the main WOOFA project was my pineapple quilt.... this is all finished now

.. the other one I worked on was putting the blocks together for this quilt.... but it won't be quilted for a while I think....

Did you know Facebook now has a 'Rooms' function?  I learnt of it when a room was sorted to celebrate MIL's 90th birthday.... so a few of us had a go this week.... and it works very well....

Sue in Victoria, (hope you don't mind me stealing your picture) Maria from WA and Michelle and I in Queensland....

took a bit of getting used to as we all want to talk at the same time (wierd hey?)

I did a few more borders on my crochet blocks while we chatted.....

 My most favourite LQS closed it's bricks and mortar store this week.  Thank goodness it will still operate but in different ways and we can still keep in contact.  Of course with changes there is sales.... I did limit what I got but I popped in yesterday for my last visit at that spot and got hold of this piece of fabric....

I have absolutely no idea what to do with it... but look... glow in the dark!!!  If nothing else it will make me smile!

This week I worked on my needleturn centre for a quilt.....

I need to add on some borders and then there is some more needleturn to go in the corners...

So pretty.... Pattern book is "Blue" by Natalie Bird and I am using Tilda fabrics.....

Righto, weekend is here, the floors have been mopped and I can go and play with my quilting machine... after my cuppa that is!

Have a lovely weekend.....

Where did the time go?

This last week has disappeared..... weather has cooled and it is really great to want to have a quilt on at night again....

The binding for postcards is finished … and it is labelled (I am not a good labeller but this is a gift one)

I sewed this with the No Fuss Stitch-a-long and I just love it.... I used flannels (front and back) for mine and it's lovely and warm....

A loose meander for quilting...…  YAY for a UFO finish

On Monday Hubz had business in Brisbane and dropped me off to have a playdate with Michelle, it's been a long time in betwixt playdates.

Michelle spoilt me with gifts.... a lovely covered coathanger and beautiful liberty fabric as well as some pretty silicone cream holders and of course one of her very special hand made cards (which will go in a frame) 

I also got a ginormous bag of I spy fabrics... no escuse for not getting on and making it now!

There was also a rail for hanging quilts.... I need to get that up and find a good size quilt to go in it...

Being a road trip passenger I got another blue penguin jumper finished and the next one started.  

with the cooler weather I pulled out a bag of wool that I had been gifted …. to find this label on it.... I guess it has been languishing a while.  I am going to use up these masculine colours and crochet squares to make Hubz a rug.. they are nice for on laps in winter....

Another pretty Field Journal picture has been stitched....

… but now I have put them away (very hard to do that) to work on this UFO stitchery.  All that there had been done a few years ago... preprinted stitchery designed by the late Rosalie Dekker.  It was a set for a quilt but I have been making individual items

I took it to sew at a friends house... but her cat was having none of it! I am allergic to cats (not badly just get itchy sneezy) so lucky I had some antihistamines in my bag... she was too sweet to ignore!

Big win this week!

In this fast paced world we live in... how is it that TP is a win??? hahaha...

A belated birthday present of these very pretty flowers have brightened up my home.

Righto, Gotto Go.... the morning light has risen and there is coffee to be drunk.....

Magpies.....

Magpies chatter and chatter...... and so did we.....

... we met up at Spring Bluff cafe for the most delicious Devonshire Tea - I do love it when the scones are crunchy on top ...... 

Shez and Chez were up for a Brisbane stitching weekend and Michelle brought them up the hill for a visit on their free day....

Up the hill we visited my favourite LQS "The Quilters Angel", where a little shopping might have happened ...... 

... and went over to my house for chatter and a light lunch .....  Hubz is still talking about the noise!!! haha

We have been special friends for a long time so this was a wonderful treat 

.... of course there has to be a silly pic.....

Michelle brought a birthday gift for me..... bee themed and just so pretty...  That cross stitch on the front of the sewing case is teeny weeny and must have taken days to do..... so precious...  One of her beautiful hand made cards, some lip balm, CG thread and just gorgeous fabrics - I will need to think carefully what I will make with those....  Thank you Michelle - I love it all

Even though we have a no pressie rule Shez arrived with some of her beautiful home made Beetroot which I can't wait to try... and a roll of happy spotty dotty fabrics.... I do love spots.... Thank you so much Shez ..... love it.  I need to think of something spotty to make too

 Easter Bunny must have dropped these Easter themed goodies in Michelle's car - we all got a sweet plate and roll of easter ribbon...... how sweet is that plate?

Of course the biggest gift was seeing all three of these special friends - we live too far away to get together very often so there was lots to catch up in a short time..... thanks so much for making the trip up the hill... 

Righto, Gotto Go... Monday morning and there is a couple of quilting jobs waiting to be done!

Two blocks... two friends... two gifts.....

Another couple of blocks for my North Pole quiltalong....

Even in the North Pole ice-cream is loved....

... and somewhere to play.... I called mine the Rumpus Room....

Val is hosting the North Pole quiltalong... such quirky fun blocks

 ... and I made something for a couple of visiting bloggy friends...
(the cushions are a design by Nicki Tervo of Brandy Gully)

...... and found the perfect mugs ....

Today Teresa and Michelle drove up the mountain - what a fun day we had - here they are having a browse around Quilters Angel

..... they came with wonderful gifts ....

love them all - thanks ladies

things to play, to smell, to eat, to use

perfect

we did go to lots of different places.... but I kept forgetting to take pictures - too busy chattering....

this is a subdued picture of us

(Marina my purse was much admired.... we all love your handiwork)

Righto, Gotto Go.....I want to go and stroke my new toys and hide those chocs before Hubz gets home....

It's ANZAC day tomorrow and although none of my family were with the ANZACs  many of my rellies have served in various wars .....

..... Lest We Forget the price that was paid .....