It's Monday.....but it feels like Sunday....

I took myself off to a class on the weekend....it was yesterday...here ....I was going to drive over on Friday but was busy at work so left at sparrow's fart on Saturday morning ...arrived late afternoon and settled in to the motel with some stitching and a nice dinner.....not much stitching was done....and the footy game I was all set to watch hadn't even started when I fell asleep!  Sunday I headed down to the shop for the class with Margaret McDonald......I LOVE this shop...can you see why?  There is some serious applique happening on these quilts.......

 Just look at this magnificent quilt by the very talented Megan......I stood and looked at it for ages...the fussy cutting and fabric placement is just brilliant.....the pattern and starter packs are available and I was sorely tempted.....

Just contact the shop for the pattern....LOL....you know you want to :) 

**(btw no affils....just love this shop and all it has to offer!)

It took a while to settle us all down to work on our class project.....this is my work in progress....yes...that IS blue that I am working with......was going to go with my usual red/white or red/cream but thought I would have a change up......and thanks to Corliss for her help in picking the light blue....I had the dark blue and had thought white might be the go but it was too stark...so the light blue paisley it was.....

there were four of us in the class and we did have the choice of using several different fabrics but so I wouldn't get confused (it's way too easy to do that these days!) I went with the two colour option.....here are our completed blocks near the end of the day pinned over the "teaching quilt"  ........

I was pretty happy with the way it was looking so when I got back to the motel I set up the machine and kept sewing.....well for a while anyway......I had the drive home today so didn't want to stay up too late........

I tend not to buy a lot of fabric when I go to shops unless I am working on a project that I "need" some for......usually I look at the notions/patterns and books because I don't like buying books I haven't looked at...Corliss stocks these Max and Louise attern Co  patterns and I bought this one and another which has four more small quilts....love them!

I also found a Bonnie Sullivan book......which was a "must buy"

And....this.........I have doing some hand piecing at night and have been using a fine sandpaper board when I draw around the templates...it has been "eating" the leads in the pencil and they are just disappearing......this Matilda's Own soft non-slip design mat will be just the bee's knees!  I tried it out last night and love it.....(it also comes in A4 size and you can roll it up with your hand piecing inside if you want......)  I do like to find new (to me) things.......! 

so that was about the extent of my purchases....I thought these were worth sharing...the mat  in particular will be well used! 

I left to come home this morning in very dull conditions.....there was  nice steady rain during the night and everything looked better for it today.....it has been very dry and quite warm for this time of year so the rain was very welcome.......This is driving in to the town of Maldon........

My GPS and I have fun on these trips away.....she likes to take me off the main highways when possible ......I could see for miles in front and behind and checked to make sure the coast was clear before I stopped to take this quick snap.......(in fact I only saw one other car on this 56km stretch of road).

So it was a very quick trip away this time but as always it was great to visit Threadbear and Castlemaine!  Back to work tomorrow!  :)

'Til next time...............................Lorraine

Some finishes and some progress ......

There are times I love the internet.....and then there are the times I don't! I just finished writing a post and the internet connection had dropped out and it didn't save....grrrrrrrr
......so take two:

This weekend I was going to sew all weekend.....Bahahahahahaha...oh the best laid plans etc etc......my stitching day with the girls was cancelled due to some absences and the ill health of the hostess for the day so I thought I would tackle the housework and THEN get into some sewing.....hmmmm.......the recent garden makeover has resulted in a fabulous garden.....and Rose on her return home decided that she loved the new mulch out the back so much that some (lots) of it should come inside too......so she set about bringing it in on her shaggy (overdue for grooming) paws.....then when it rained....we had mud! Oh yay!! After vacuuming the loose stuff up I tackled the stained grout in the tiles on the laundry floor...out came the scrubbing brush and some good old fashioned elbow grease....while the perpetrator snored on the lounge! Then I decided the bathroom floors could do with the same treatment....well...you know how it goes......so by dinner time last night I was the one who needed to snore on the lounge!

Here are a couple of pics of the garden out the front:

Before:

After:

I love the screen I had made to "hide" the bins....or at least make them not so visible.....

I am very happy with the result! 

The back still needs some work....I need to do a general tidy up, clean the pavers and take some rubbish to the tip.....the trees that have been planted look like sticks at this stage so don't lend much to the garden as yet....I plan to plant some flowers in pots and in the main garden bed for colour but for now this is it:

You can see the lovely mulch on the garden bed that Rose loves so much.......a work in progress but way better than it was!

Speaking of works in progress........I did do some stitching last night.....slowly but surely getting near the end of the Bonnie Sullivan table runner started at the Quilted Crow in Hobart a few weeks ago.......I must say now that I didn't read the pattern properly and went ahead with the embroidered border before stitching the zig-zag border on ...hence no straight edge to follow which has left me with a bit of a wavy border....oops!! I stitched three sides of the zig-zag border last night and got the fourth side pinned ....hopefully a finish for tonight!

During the week I finished this Gail Pan pattern she designed for Cottage Garden threads...and I seem to be collecting a few of those so thought I should make something to put them in.......

 

....and just to make a change from the table runner project I started making a few of these little six pointed stars for another project.....busy hands and all that....

Oh and Rose has had a birthday..she was three on May 1st....she was born the day I moved into this house.  Seems like just yesterday! 

'Til next time.................................Lorraine

Okay....time to 'fess up..

When you get to my age sometimes it's the small things in life that are exciting.......in this case it's having something done that I have wanted to do for ages...and no...it's not a tattoo!  

A while ago now I got some quotes for having the front and back gardens re-done....and after I picked myself up off the ground at the quote I thought about it and decided to go ahead with it.....and the landscaper is a guy which is where the "male of the species" comes into it......so no....no more puppies, no falling in love or getting married....just a new garden! 

Well I think it's exciting anyway. 

Rose not so much.....she has had to stay with friends for a few days while this.......

 

was turned into this........

 

 

and out the front....this....

ended up after the first day like this.....

all of that destruction involved the use of boy toys like the Dingo pictured here....

Given that it also involved open gates and garage doors it was also much safer for Rose to be out of the picture (so to speak) until this work was done so she is having a holiday with Lexi.   Hopefully there will be some planting done today so it will look a little less like a moonscape!  The plants in the front garden died off in summer even with watering and TLC and after looking at digging them all out and replanting I thought I would seek the help of a professional. The plants in the back garden were way too big for the small space and just made it look even smaller - the grass/lawn was also very invasive and it was hard to keep it out of areas it didn't belong.....shame it didn't grow so well and so vigorously where it was supposed to!  So the new grass that is going in should be better behaved I hope and the plantings will be more in keeping with the space provided. 

So that is it ...my exciting news that involved a male of the species!   I know....bit of a let down for you....but still exciting for me :)

Yesterday was ANZAC day and I started the day at our local dawn service - record numbers attended and as usual it was a moving tribute to all those who have served and are serving today.  Mark and Terri travelled from London to Turkey to spend ANZAC day at Gallipoli and I am sure they found it a very emotional experience.

Time to get stuck into some stitching now....I am working on the border of the Bonnie Sullivan table runner and loving the way it is coming along.  I also hoping to get into the sewing room this weekend and play. 

'Til next time...........................Lorraine

Not sure what happened....

I did a post on AQC the other day......while I was writing and importing pics Blogsy kept crashing - which was mildly annoying at first, but got really annoying when I put links in and fonts changed and I couldn't "unchange" them......it all seemed to work out in the end but the next day I couldn't access my blog - fonts had changed  and links had gone from my sidebar so I deleted the post which seemed to return everything to "normal" (or my version of "normal" anyway)......I am not saying it was all Blogsy's fault ...in fact I probably managed to mess it up all on my own.....anyhoooo here goes with a re-cap of AQC and my visit with Kris and her family in Melbourne........

Here is the queue....putting the "Q" in AQC?  it made me smile to see the queue form a perfect 90 degree angle......why does that happen ....it was very orderly! I believe there were some rebel quilters who cut the corner...tch tch!

Once inside we meandered for a while before honing in on some booths we had listed as a "must see"......first....

 

Linda and Lenora had booths side by side.....Lenora - Elm Grove Patchwork.....

 

.

and Linda with her new book...hot off the press....Dear Prudence - More Than Just a Pattern.....

 

 



 New books seemed to be the order of the day.........

Gail with Simply Christmas.....

...and Marg Low with Things I Love to Make......and I am sure there are a few projects in the book that I will love to make......

 



The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne is the venue for the AQC and it really is a magnificent building.......inside and out........

We had a fantastic time wandering amongst the goodies on display, catching up with the Crow Girls and Helen Stubbings during the day.......I did indulge in a copy of the girls' books....and perhaps a couple of patterns....and maybe some wool......but I had to be mindful of the fact that I was flying home and my suitcase was almost at it's weight limit .....

Kris and I enjoyed some time stitching and gabbing while I was staying with her.....and it was a wonderfully relaxing break from work......I flew home (no...not on my broomstick!!) on Friday evening and spent some time with Rhiannon before heading home on Saturday morning.......and back to work on Monday! 

It's lovely to go away but it's also great to come home......oh.....I have some exciting news for another post.....and I will give you a hint....it involves a male of the species......watch this space..... :)

'Til next time.................Lorraine

Sunday ....Monday......

Ok before I get to Sunday I need to rewind to Saturday afternoon.....Bonnie was at the shop when I went to collect my stitching and I grabbed the opportunity for a pic with her.....

the girls were flat out packing for AQC so we didn't stay long and left them to it to drive out to Richmond......which brings me to Sunday...

We were up bright and early and set off to travel a couple of hours north to Launceston ...Cathy had invited us to her house where Sarah and Leanne joined us for a day of stitching...and eating....and laughing..you know the usual stuff that stitchers do when they catch up...

Cathy has a lovely home with a great view over the city.....

It was cold....so a pic on the lounge under a quilt was called for.....even little Millie got in on the act.....

We had a fantastic day.....thanks girls! On the way home we called in to see friends I haven't seen for quite a few years..and it was like I had just seen them yesterday .....which is how it is with true friends....

We spent Sunday evening stitching and chatting about what we might do on Monday before we left to fly back to Melbourne.....we decided we might drive up to the summit of Mt Wellington if the weather was fine ....so Monday morning dawned bright and clear also we packed up, checked out of our accommodation and set off......asking ourselves why it is that two people who are afraid of heights would want to go to the highest place we could find!!

We decided half way was good enough for us!! And the view was great ....and it left more time for us to go exploring on lower ground......

So we found a lovely bay.......

Above the bay was a large cemetery which we spent ages exploring......

The bushranger Martin Cash is buried there......I would have included a photo of his grave referring to him as an unfortunate Irishmman..but Blogsy didn't want me to! Next time!!

We flew back to Melbourne late on Monday afternoon .......lots of stitching has been done and today we went to AQC.....pics to follow......

'Til next time.........Lorraine

 

 

 

 

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Tasmania...day two.....

Take two for this post....just deleted The first effort accidentally...well you wouldn't do it on purpose after working on it for ages .....grrrrrrrr...Anyhoo.....after a great day spent stitching with Bonnie at the Quilted Crow we went to a restaurant for dinner....after a 4am start I was starting to wilt by the end of the meal and was pleased when Michelle, one of the local ladies who attended the stitching day offered to drive us to our accommodation....which turned out to be perfect with great beds and electric blankets...what more could my tired bones want?! Kris did some stitching but I couldn't...I had left mine at the shop...!

After a great sleep we were up bright and early to walk into the city for the Salamanca Market.....and who should we run into as soon as we arrived??? Michelle ...poor thing....she couldn't shake us! First stop was for breakfast .....

Seagulls were happy to join us as well......

Seagulls also can't read....this one is standing on the "danger do not enter water" warning....although a second or so later he took a dive into the water...and survived! Phew......

While we were eating breakfast the crowds had arrived.....we spent a couple of hours wandering around....dodging people mostly....

I have to say I found the blue man a bit creepy.....but to each their own........

next stop was the park on the way to pick up our hire car.....

Once we had wheels we were off and running.......first stop the shop to pick up my stitching ..the girls were busy packing for AQC but were happy to let me get a pic of them together...since I hadn't managed it the day before..

Then off to Richmond to check out the old jail and bridge......

A solitary confinement cell in the women's section of the prison.....very small and very dark....not even enough light to stitch by...not somewhere you would want to spend any time.....

The flogging yard ...also a place to be avoided.....

The walk along the river to the bridge, the oldest in Australia, was beautiful....

After a lovely afternoon wandering around this very beautiful town we headed back to Hobart to the docks for fish and chips at Fish Frenzy......

So that was day two of the Tasmanian adventure.......day three saw us venturing up to Launceston for a stitching day with friends.....I will leave that for the next post.

'Til next time........Lorraine

 

 

 

 

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