FEBRUARY FLIES BY!!!!!!!

Well, after a "hearty" February of ups & downs, both with the weather and life bits, it is now drawing to a close & I can't believe where it has gone.

The HEARTATHON was a great success with Kate's linkup and I wish to thank her very much & to two other lovely ladies who joined in.  I have one last offering as I'll be turning this calendar over tomorrow.

My Yarndale calendar sported a lovely punch needle heart & the 2 little ones above were given to each person as they entered the show.  I was lucky to be given a second one, when asking if I was able to meet Lucy, but she'd just stepped out for a break, & as I'd come all the way from Oz was presented with the orange one too.  They are certainly special.

Over the weekend we took our entries to the Jindivik Flower & Craft Show & on Sunday afternoon we picked them up again & I took these few photos whilst there.  Not the best photography as it is a very small, dark hall, but we did come home with some Prize Cards.  I donated our winnings to the CFA.  It wasn't much, but all helps.

All of these items have been posted about before, three of them very recently & my embroidered quilt some time in the latter half of last year.  I missed out on the blueberry jam & appliqued wall hanging, but am so pleased with placings.

Now, I have made a decision on the quilt drawing I showed and here it is. A small quilt which I will now quilt in an allover pattern.  It was made to finish off the jelly roll I used to make the larger one with white background.  Both shown below.  These 2 quilts have been named after 2 of my grand daughters, but I'm unable to use their names on my blog.  I've another quilt designed for my eldest GD & hope to make a start on that amongst clearing up some UFO's which I'm supposed to doing a list for & blogging about with my friend Joy.  She has a  page dedicated to Cutting our UFOs in half for 2017.  I'm joining in too, at some stage.

Reading this month has been very enjoyable.  Our local library requested the purchase of 2 books I'd been after and I've already read this one, which I can recommend.

A very touching story.

And this one which I am reading now.

Afraid I'm a big Monty Don fan and enjoy his way of telling a story.

Yesterday we took a journey to Wonthaggi to have some printer cartridges filled, which they couldn't do, so had to buy new ones, which of course  now don't fit our printer.  What a kerfuffle.
We did have a lovely day though with a walk along the beach at Inverloch after downing a cuppa from our thermos & stopping by the jetty to see if any stingrays were in.  We were rewarded with sighting two.  A small one and a whopper!
Whilst in Wonthaggi, I spotted these little cuties in an OP SHOP & I parted with a "mighty" $2 and came home with them.

2 small vases to take odd flowers, when not much is in flower.
The tiny pot because it was so cute & wee.

Other than the above waffling, I've made another start on a very old UFO.  I started it as part of a mystery quilt from an AP&Q, magazine which I no longer have.  I had made a fair amount of both 9 patch & 4 patch blocks and will now set them together, something like in the photo below.  I need to make a few more of the 9 patch.  Once done I will quilt it and give it to charity.

The small quilt on the design wall.

In the UFO tub.
  I wonder why I bought this piece of fabric?
I don't even remember buying it.
Was I planning something for it?
Who knows?
It is pretty though.

Enough from me this month.  Hope you've enjoyed my little adventures in hearts, crafts & whatever else I've blogged about.
It is the start of Autumn tomorrow (Spring in the northern hemisphere) and some trees, I've noticed are already starting to change colour.
It was warm here today (36 deg), with another few hot one to comes, so not quite autumn temperatures yet.
Take care all.
Susan.

OPINIONS PLEASE?

Just another quick post.  I have a "slight" problem, as being ME, I procrastinate too much, then can't make up my mind.
I've been working on the second quilt made from the jelly roll quilt I showed here quilted with the allover rose pattern.  The drawing is one of my own in a graph book and need input as to whether the large stripes should be on the straight or the small black blocks.  Help me please, make up my mind.

This version would end up square and not a diamond.

This is the other way I have envisioned it.

Wow, a UFO finish.  The cushion front below, was made in a class around 1996 and I found it as I was jotting down my UFO list.  I decided to get it done to go in the Flower and Craft Show on Saturday.

All hand done & my first ever attempt at Trapunto work.  I think it may need a bigger insert, but as we cannot buy one here, I'm not travelling to find one until we need a few other things.

Whilst searching for the UFO's to do this year, I chanced (OK, found) a few jelly rolls I'd forgotten about.  I have been using the graph book again & think I've come up with the design I'll use for this one.

I can quite often purchase these off the bargain table at Victorian Textiles, where I buy both thread & rolls of batting.
I keep forgetting that I have them, but really need to use what I have and only buy "needed" fabric.

I'm not sure anyone will guess what colour I'm going to use for the background with the one above, but I do hope to start on it soon.
Apart from the above, I've not done much, as I've just gone onto some new blood pressure tablets, and not sure they agree with me.  Luckily I see the Doctor tomorrow, so will see what she says.
Hope you are having a good week & will hopefully have some photos soon of our new stairs out the back, which hubby is working on.  The old ones were starting to warp and crack & could have become dangerous.
Take care all.
Susan.

JAM & A CRAFT SHOW.

I think I talked about making jam some time during the Heartathon, and yes I've done it.  Blueberry jam made in the breadmaker and  it looks OK and I did taste some on the spoon once I'd ladled it all into the jars.

Not the best photo, but this is what I ended up with.  2 full jars and one part filled. 

Maybe I should make scones to try some!!!!!

Tomorrow, I have to take some curtain material back to where I purchased it, as they have cut one side so crooked it looks silly.  They are just pre-made, ready to be hung that you buy off the roll.  My sewing room curtains are starting to look quite shabby and saw these and thought, why not brighten up the room.  Hopefully I'll be able to show what I've done by next week.

The coming weekend I am entering in this......

I posted about the same show last year and have decided to do it all over again.
I've 2 quilts, a crocheted shawl, a cushion, jar of the above jam and hubby is putting the Model T in as well.  Wonder how we will go?

Not much of a post today, as DD had a small medical procedure on Friday and we spent a few days there picking up the kids from school and taking them to sporting events on Saturday, so not much has happened here in West Gippsland, except catching up on some washing & the usual housework. Oh and making jam.  I wanted to get the next installment done for my quilt gallery, but that can happen through the week some time.
The weather has been crazy too, with much, much cooler conditions (yes), and it brought snow to the alpine area north of us although it is still officially summer. 😲  Even the cool today isn't going to last long, as Wednesday is predicted to be 32deg.

OK, I'll wrap this up now and hope everyone has a good week.
Take care and huggles,
Susan.

HEARTATHON! FINAL DAY (14).

Last link up with the lovely Kate.  Thank you for all the comments on my Day 13.
Sorry I've not replied to each one, but just been busy.

For my final offering, I waited with this one, as these have a special meaning.

Today may be the last heartathon for this year, but these two  will always be special in a couple of ways.  It is hubby's brother's birthday today, and these were given to us by him & my sister-in-law just before we left Yorkshire to head south on the final part of our holiday last year. They are also where part of our hearts lie, in the beautiful county of Yorkshire. Of course hubby was born there, but I too have ancestors from the north of England and I'm sure it is in my blood.  Someone once said, it was my spiritual home!

Not much to report today, other than I'm now looking forward to Kate's next "HUNT", probably for our March words to come.

Thank you to Kate and the other two heartathoners, you've all made it so much fun.

I'll see you soon with a completely different type of post to these.
Take care,  thanks again & huggles to all.

HEARTATHON! DAY 13.

Joining in with our hearty leader for the second last day of our marathon.

And what do we have today.  Oh, a quilt I'd forgotten had hearts on it.  Silly me, as it was for one of my 'special little ones'.

This quilt was made in 2007 for my grand-daughter, Missy Moo.  It's called Bunny Love and was made from a pattern in a Country Threads magazine published in 2002.

Not much else to report for today.  The weather has been lovely and cool again, although overcast and a little showery, but I can cope with that.  I went along for the first time to a small patchwork group for a couple of hours this morning and enjoyed, so that's worth thinking about.  This afternoon I've stewed a bag of plums from one of my neighbours and will freeze them for future use.  Other than that, it has just basically been the usual housework bits.  Oh, and I've also been grappling with the design of the second quilt to use up the jelly roll I used on that quilt that I've just taken off the machine.  Don't know why I design simple, then it doesn't go together in the usual way.  That can be for a post later this month.
Have a good week all, take care and see you tomorrow.
Susan.

HEARTATHON! DAYS 11 & 12.

Linking with Kate.

Yes, I am a day behind but I'm here, after  a very hectic Saturday.

I'll start with my two hearts.

Day 12.

The one on the left was made by hubby just after he got his scrollsaw, as he knows my love of owls.  The little keyring on the right was given to me last Xmas in the Xmas swap Jo at Through the Keyhole organised.  My gifts actually came from another Jo.

These two objects were sitting in my sewing room ready to hang on the wall yesterday, when one of my visitors mentioned the one on the left had a heart in the centre, so I picked it up this morning to take a photo and suddenly realised that the little  spoon keyring also had a heart.  Yes I do keep noticing hearts, as has my friend Val, who says she thinks she is going to start seeing them everywhere too.

DAY 11.

This heart memo holder on the right hangs on my sewing room wall.  This photo was taken in Ballarat in 2015 and found in my archives as it is raining today and the light is appalling.  It looks a wee bit messy!

Now for why I am running late.
Yesterday turned into quite a different day from what we'd visualised.  After the car club meeting, R & M came for afternoon tea and we were then joined by another couple, R & V who were all participating in the Drouin Ficifolia Festival parade.  We'd not put our names down and were a little disappointed not to be going.  Both these couples have Model A Fords and R & V have a dickie seat in the rear & as it was a beautiful afternoon with the parade commencing at 5pm, they suggested we could go with them.
Val & I sat in the rear and we had so much fun.

I'd misplaced my small camera, but hubby & Val took a few photos on their phones, so I've a couple to show.

5 of our club's cars lined up with a congregation of us under the sign trying to stay out of the sun, whilst we waited for the parade to start.

The car we were travelling in.  

Now for a funny photo.

This is what two ladies look like in a dickie seat, when hubby realises what the wind is doing to us.

I've not had the wind in my hair like this since I was a teenager (long time ago), when I had a boyfriend with a sports car.  It was quite exhilerating and brought memories flooding back of  a bygone era.

Well that is my lot for the last 2 days.

I've had fun but also  a little unsettling news, that I'm not sure whether to tell about, but bear with me over the next few weeks if I'm not quite with it.  I will be continuing on with the heartathon, updating my quilt gallery page and still reading blogs, 

This is just letting you know, I could be quiet at times.

Take care all,

Huggles

Susan.

PS.  This blog has a mind of it's own sometimes, which is why the layout is weird today.

HEARTATHON! DAY 10

Following on once again with Kate. for a quick post.

Amazing where we find "hearts"!  Tidying my cookbook shelf and what to may amazement did appear?  Why, my little Heart Foundation cook book.  Tucked away with some others, I'd forgotten all about it.

Do I use it?  Confession here, and the answer is, no.  I've taken a quick peek inside and think I must.
We do need to look after our health and although we do eat healthy, I think we could do better.
And what have I done this morning, but make a chocolate fudge slice and a blueberry vanilla drizzle cake, and I do have an excuse.  We are having some car club visitors tomorrow afternoon following our monthly meeting.  Yes, really!

Well, that's all folks, as I'm flagging, though not quite as warm as yesterday, but I didn't get the best night's sleep due to the muggy night.
Take care all and have a great Friday.    Psst....the weekend is nearly here!💙💚💛💜
Susan.

HEARTATHON! DAY 9

Joining in with the hearty, arty I live, I love, I craft, I am me.

Sitting here with our cooler on, it being 37° outside and very sticky.
Today's offering has been shown before, but when I was looking for hearts in my photo archives, I chanced upon this.  Lots of hearts and daisies.

These were customer quilts from a friend, who'd not been able to get them done, due to an operation that kept her out of action for a while.

Now for a little of what we've been up to apart from going out yesterday and having a lovely time.
Hubby's latest project from "The Shed".

A beautifully turned timber bowl.

I may fill this up with buttons, that I hunted high and low for last week and thought I must have either given them away or just plain lost them.  Off we went to Spotlight for a few things, along with buying a small packet of assorted buttons and what happens a day later?  Yes, I"found" the buttons in the bottom of a tin with my Mum's old tapestry wool on top..  Who's getting old & silly?

Last night I actually finished the shawl and think I'm pleased with it.  Not sure anyone else will think that, but as I've never attempted a crochet one before, it looks OK. I do tend to have a slightly tight tension.   Now I'd like to do the other one on the pattern leaflet.  It's quite pretty.  I really want to knit some socks too.

 The shawl.

  It is a triangular with a shell type pattern  and a frilly border on two sides.

This the leaflet and now I'm thinking I'd like to have a go at the one on the left.  The pattern looks complicated, but as I like trying new things, will make time in winter to give it a go.  Wonder what colour I should use?













I am going to try and update my QUILT GALLERY  page with the quilts that live in the UK with family members.  I know I'm missing photos of a couple, but there are still quite a few that I'll be putting on.  Wish me luck with that job as I need to scan & crop some of the old ones that I don't have on the computer.
Have a terrific Thursday all and see you tomorrow.
Take care,  Susan.

HEARTATHON! DAY 8

Following on with I live, I love, I craft, I am me.

Today's will definitely be the quickest one I've done so far.
After spending the afternoon out on our Cake & Coffee run, we didn't get home till nearly 6pm, so have rushed around making tea, folding washing & hoping to finish the shawl this evening, whilst watching some mindless TV,  Oh, and doing this post.  I've also just fed one of our magpies, as it was caroling outside the study window.

I snapped this stone, thinking it looked like a heart and remembered very recently that I had it in the archives.
It was found along the Cotter River in Canberra when we visited our youngest son & family over Christmas in 2015.

Best go as I'd like to see the weather forecast for the next few days, though hubby has already said it will be 38° tomorrow. Not quite that hot today.
Hopefully I'll be able to post earlier tomorrow & also show a finished shawl.
Take care all,  Susan.

HEARTATHON! DAY 7

Another day linking with Kate.

First I am wishing my grandson J a big happy birthday.  He turns 14 today.

Next we will take a look at my heart/s.  Yes, today I have more than one again, but as I was looking through all sorts to find 💖💖💖💖's,  I chanced upon "jewellery" and thought wow, then  realising I could use all of these in a group photo, so here we are once again.

We have on the left, a pair of earrings I bought years ago, but do wear quite a bit.
The centre one, I think, either one or all the kids gave me one birthday a long time ago.
The one on the right was given to me by my grandfather on my mother's side when I was a child.  In fact, I think it may have been  when I was a flower girl at his wedding to my step-grandmother.

OK, not much to report for today as it was grocery shopping this morning, offloading some of those blueberries too.
I've made 2 lots of binding this afternoon for the quilt I showed the other day and another one waiting to be bound in the UFO pile.  Must get that UFO list done too.
Coffee and cake run with Car Club tomorrow afternoon, but I will report in with my next 💜 snap at some stage.  I'm also working on the next lot of photos for my QUILT GALLERY page.
Have a good day all and take care.
Susan.

HEARTATHON! DAY 6

Catching hearts again with Kate at I live, I love, I craft, I am me.

Todays offering is actually 3 hearts and I'll see if you can guess where they are.  Again my photo isn't great, but just can't seem to get the right light in this house.  All the walls are sort of a murky apricot colour & although the windows large, they just don't seem to let in much light due to their positioning.
Ah well, we try.

Can you see "three"?

Not much to report today & as it has been so overcast (& rain last night, yippee) I'll wait for another day to take some crafty happenings.
BTW, the flowers above were picked this morning along with another 2 cake tins of blueberries & I've still one in the fridge from Saturday.  I've already given a tub to over the road & the boys next door this afternoon & will take some to our local greengrocer tomorrow.  Next, I'm thinking of making jam in my breadmaker.  Wish me luck, as the only jam I ever made, many moons ago, was a complete disaster.
I'll be back tomorrow.  Take care all.
Susan.

HEARTATHON! DAY 5

Linking up for the fifth day with Kate.
Now, although I have the colonial knot embroidery hanging on the wall here, I found this particular photo of it in my archives & liked it much better.

My heart was framed professionally, but embroidered by me.

Thank you so much for your thoughts on my not feeling so well yesterday & today I'm much better.

This morning I fed the birds & to my amazement I had 2 Rainbow Lorikeets come to visit.  We do have them come when the New Zealand Xmas Bush is in flower, but I can never get a good photo.  This is still not a good one, but here it is anyway.  Not long after I very quietly snapped this, they were off.

Just one in this snap.

Later this morning I started up Bubs to do the last row on the quilt that has been on for a few weeks, with not much headway.  I did a little yesterday with a lot of thread breaks,😭 which started to get me down, so wound up when I didn't feel good.
I realised when I wound the quilt forward that although I still had one whole 12" row to do, I only had the space of about 4" on the quilt.  Well, could I remember how to do the trim bit?  NO!  I put my somewhat silly thinking cap on, put some more fabric below the quilt & now have a couple of little quilted pieces of fabric to do something with.  Oh, the brain really was fuddled, and we'll blame it on the heat.😉

Just off the machine & you'll notice  the 2 bits of fabric at the bottom.

I do love the look of this pattern on the white.  It is Maggie's Roses by Deb Geisler.

I used a jelly roll & white background fabric and a lovely rose print for this one, which I designed.  I have plenty of the jelly roll leftover & have drawn another quilt on graph paper to use up some more of the jelly roll and it will have a black background.  I'll try and start it soon!!!
Photos to come of both when bound & finished.

As I'm running late with this today, I'll say nighty-night & hope you all have a good start to the week tomorrow.  Two of my grandies return to school tomorrow after the long summer break, along with their Mum (DD) who is returning to full time employment.  Hope all goes well.
Take care all out there in blogland & another catch up on the 6th.
Susan.

HEARTATHON! DAY 4

Linking up with Kate for the 4th of Feb.  Again just a quick one, as I've not been feeling a 100% today.  Maybe just hot & tired after a hectic week.

Looking around the house at the end of January, I think I've already mentioned I found so many hearts.  These were staring me in the face.

My lovely fridge magnets which I use all the time.  One is always holding the pad I write my weekly menu plan on and the others are used for various bits & pieces when needed.
I'm not going to say I'm the tidiest person with a lovely clean fridge door, as over the years, I think, it's been wonderful to have appointments, the occasional flyer & my menu close by, so I don't forget things.  Definitely good as you age.  Ugh!
Today I've finished a loose-fitting summer dress,(hand sewing still to do on it), that I've had the fabric for, forever and a day & popped the first borders on the stash busting quilt I spoke about in January.  Last night I also made good headway on the frilly border for the shawl.  Not done anything like that before, but I think it is OK.  At the end of the month, I'll have a show & tell of my finishes, or maybe the odd one with one of the heart posts.  I also need to do that UFO list!!!  You may all remind me if I've not done it by Valentine's Day.
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.  Take care.
Susan.

HEARTATHON DAY 3

Linking up with Kate for my next day.
I've been a bit slack with replies on my comments & catching up with everyone due to a hectic schedule this week & some of the following week, so this is a big THANK YOU to those who have been reading these & commenting.

Today are 2 gifts I've been given & display at odd times when I'm feeling in a frivolous mood or in the month of February, being the "heart" month.😊

The pink, green, white heart bunting was given to me by DD with some white cotton, so I could make a a chain to string them up.  Oh dear they did wait a while, but now done,  look lovely.
The darker pink ones below were sent to me by a lovely blogger called Amy, from Love Made My Home.
Thanks to both who contributed to my Heartathon.

So today, that is about as much as I've to offer.
Yesterday I picked lots more blueberries, tidied the garden a bit, had an afternoon appointment, then we did something we rarely do, and went out with a group from the car club for tea at a local pub.  Lovely night, though we do get noisy, as we are all getting on & so many of the gentlemen have hearing aids & talk VERY loud.
Today we pick up the newsletters for folding, putting into alphabetical order, taking to the clubrooms tomorrow, then any that aren't picked up we post.  Not a big job, but sort of time consuming.
Take care all, have a good Friday & I'll see you tomorrow.
Susan.

HEARTATHON DAY 2

Linking up with I live, I love, I craft, I am me.

Quick one today, as it is Committee Meeting tonight.

My dressing table.

Notice the heart shaped mirror?  I bought this whilst we were living in Tasmania.
We'd only been there a matter of weeks & I spotted it in a secondhand furniture shop called "Boomerang Furniture".  We were sat at a set of traffic lights & I couldn't take my eyes off it.  I walked to the shop in my lunch hour one day & was told I could actually lay-bye it and pay over a few months.  I was delighted as I'd seen one similar, but in different timber for double the price.  I've had it since 1987 & still love it.  This photo was taken in another house & the flowers are a lovely perfumed bunch of mock orange I'd picked.

And this is what I've been up to over the last couple of days.

These 2 little aprons will be off to DD's soon.  They were promised either last year or the year before (oh dear late as ever), & hope they will be used as their other ones I made are now way too small.

Best go & look forward to seeing what the others are posting for the heartathon.
Take care all & have a good day.
Susan.