A LATE CRAFTY CATCHUP.

 Just a quick catchup on some things we've been doing with a bit of spare time, which doesn't seem to be much of late.  And............I've my tub of shame full of flimsies to be quilted, which is making me feel so guilty, but still scared of starting up Bubs after the few incidents last year after the storms.  Anyway, here is what we've both done this first part of 2025.

KNITTING.

I started knitting 2 of these jumpers with some wool I purchased at Spotlight which was on special, at the end of last winter.  Both are now finished and will be worn this winter.  A his and hers pair. (giggle).

WOODWORK.

Some of DH's lovely toys, bowls and curvy container of one of my old Singers.

The triangle was an experiment for him in a type of parquet format.  The photo doesn't do it justice.

NOW TO A BIT OF WHAT IS IN THE TUB OF SHAME.

A Daisy a Day.
One of my attic series quilts which I've played with for many years.

Apple Pie.
I took one block called Apple Pie, enlarged it and used some old apple fabric to make it.
Love playing with one block sometimes to make a small quilt.

Haha, Heehee.
Silly name for a quilt, but another playing around thing with my Quilt Wizard program.

Noorinbee.
The name comes from a very, very small town we pass through on a back road to Canberra.
I had some lovely roses and musical fabric I just knew I wanted to use.  Another playing with Quilt Wizard.

Catabulous.
Just made this one to use some lovely cat fabric I had.  It was made in a couple of days last week.

Glowing Hearts.
This is a QAL I've been participating in with my lovely blogpal Sandra from
mmmquilts.  Can anyone guess what the flower in the middle is?

No name as yet.
I started this many moooooons ago and got myself quite frazzled.
I mixed up the placement of patches so many times.  Anyway, it came out of its box earlier this year 
and I decided to sew it together the way I'd sewn even the out of place bits and quite like it.
It came from a book I own.

OK, all for now and I do have another few posts in mind from our recent trip earlier this year.  

We are also participating in a I've Been Everywhere Challenge for our Car Clubs 40th Anniversary so that is also taking up some of our time along with more challenges for young brother.  

Hope all is well with everyone.  Sending big hugs from Susan.

CATCHING UP WITH A BIT OF THIS'N'THAT

 I'm really struggling with so much uncertainty and dear old Oz in the grips of another wave of Covid.    We are staying home a lot with little snips of time spent with a local trip in the car, pick up a takeaway coffee and finding somewhere scenic to drink it.  I've picked up a free ticket for the quilt show in Melbourne, but so unsure whether to go or not.  Other people are not quite as anxious as I am and we have had our 4 jabs, plus the flu vaccination.  Will I on won't I?  

Anyway, let's see what we've been up to anyway with a few photos of local countryside & crafty bits.

Looking out over Bass Strait from Kilcunda on very windy day.
I nearly got blown over trying to take this photo.

Another day saw us go slightly further afield for me to try and pick up some fabric I needed to finish a quilt and as we were coming home, we decided to take a detour to somewhere we'd not been before.  We had noticed the signpost to Yaringa Boat Harbour often, which turned out to be a small marina on Westernport Bay.  We may go again in summer to take a better look, as it was a cold overcast day threatening to rain, but we did enjoy the extra jaunt.

Another day when we realised that we'd have a little sunny break so we headed out to take a small walk on the Two Towns Trail which connects our town to the nearest to the west of us.

And what did we discover in the park in front of Council Chambers but a new to us sculpture.

A beautiful gum blossom planted in the middle of pond, where I have taken quilt photos just recently near the small waterfall behind this.  It certainly makes a statement.

Now for some crafty bits we've been up to.

This the start of what I have on the go at the moment, after buying very pretty acrylic yarn that was on sale at Lincraft for an absolute bargain,.  I don't really need another, but I loved the colour.

I finally finished the blue and white jumper which has been on the go for a few years due to not being able to get the stripes to match up on the sleeves as I don't need them as long as the pattern, but it took some working out and I've worn it recently.

Hubby remembered a broken toy that we had squirreled away and decided to play at Repair Shop tactics and mend it.

My mother had given us this when she worked in the office of a large company that imported these big dumpers, I think, and our boys played with it when young.  Somewhere along the line it had broken, but with a lot of effort all these years later, we have......................

                                                                         Now mended.

Can you see the Butcher Bird sitting on my hanging basket?

Well, one morning I looked through the kitchen window to be taken aback by him sitting on the edge of the combie planter that I'd put on the new plant stand out of the weather right in front of the window.  By the time I'd got the camera out he'd flown down the length of the verandah, hence the above photo.

QUILTING.

This very old pieced top went onto the machine last week and is now awaiting binding.  Turns out I made it in 2001.  Oh dear, shameful.  I'll possibly donate it to the foundation my brother attends for their Christmas raffle.

 Two works in progress.  The top one is from a book and the lower one, a design of my own.  More to come about these two soon.

                                            

                                                                         WEATHER.

Yesterday saw more rain and even a thunderstorm and this what the sky looked like as it came across Middle Farm.  We've certainly had our fair share of inclement weather so far this winter.

The gutters in our street were awash.

OK, that is my lot for today and this post has been a real hassle with blogger not playing along nicely.

Hope all my lovely blogpals are either staying cool or warm depending on where you live.

I'll try hard not to be so wayward with posting.

Take care all and big hugs from down under.

Susan.  xox

WISHY-WASHY WEDNESDAY.

 Just a little catch-up with nothing much.  Been quiet here of late with a few appointments and just generally doing the usual mundane housework, cooking, gardening and a little crafting.  Even the poor camera has been under utilised.  Hoping all will settle soon and some normality come back.

A few snaps I've taken of my knitting & sewing and DH's woodwork.

Cassie's dog coat.

Tilly's dog coat.

The top photo stayed local and the pink one went to Wales.

Our podiatrist is now on maternity leave and I presented her with this little quilt for the new arrival.

I'm looking forward to finding out if she has a boy or girl.  She already has one of each.

My quick and easy colourful baby pattern with a teddy bear quilting pattern.

DH has made DD a side table to go beside her lounge and we haven't delivered it yet due to all sorts of things, but hopefully during the school holidays so we can see her 2 children.  This table was made using mostly pallet timber.  Doesn't it come up nice with a lot of hard work.

The table.

A little bit of nonsense now.  Looking out the front door  one afternoon as I walked past, I noticed "something" out of the corner of my eye move on the footpath & when I realised what it was, ran to get the camera and luckily it was just wandering past next door.

One ibis, though you usually see them in flocks, but we do have a lot around about here anyway.

All for now, but at least I've made the effort and should hopefully keep up with a few posts each month to get back into the swing of things.

Enjoy the rest of the week all, take care and huge hugs from down under.

Susan.

MISERABLE......WEATHER & MOI!

The sky today from our front garden.

Yes, our weather has been dull, dreary, cold & damp, not necessarily pouring with rain, but just so bleak & wet underfoot.  Not much happening in the garden & trying to stay focused & motivated on anything is somewhat hard to do at the moment.  I'm way behind on both my own blog & reading others, so finally sitting here doing this one. 

Finding & finishing a few bits'n'bobs.

A child' jumper.

A summer cardi & I no longer have the dress I was going to wear it with.

PARTICIPATING IN A MYSTERY QUILTALONG.

            The quilt is now waiting till I can get some backing to put it on the big machine & quilt it.

I fussy cut some of the 2 1/2" squares.  This QAL was hosted by my friend Joy in Ballarat who blogs at Days Filled With Joy.
Another crafty thing is slowly coming together too.  I bought & showed an old picture frame I purchased at a vintage market earlier this year & it has now become the frame for these, but still needs a fixing for hanging it.

DH made these musical cutouts after finding them photocopied (by me) and thought I'd done them for him.  Anyway, I loved them & I just fancied them in a frame.  I've quite a bit of blank wall space, so once done & hung I'll show them on a blogpost.
IN THE GARDEN.

                                                                Pottering about.

Some waiting for repotting & others for the garden.

A bit of colour on the plant stand & retaining wall.

The first fully open flower on my camellia - Volunteer.

One of my dark hellebores with the darker one on the right, which always flowers last.

One of my white/green ones.

My Garrya, after not flowering for the first four years has "ONE" flower & going by it's length, it's the male variety..
Yeah!!!!!

Lastly, a bit of nonsense.

Can we call this "snail mail".  How I got it from our letterbox and only about an hour after the postie had left it.

Well, that's about it from me and with Melbourne now being in lockdown once more, we have limited access, so can't venture far.
Oh for some sun and to feel somewhat normal, rather than being on edge all the time.  Hopefully I'll post a little more often and show what we've been busy with during this next half of "weird" 2020.
Everybody please take care and stay safe.
Huggles from Susan.

WHERE TO START?

What with internet issues, (emails bouncing, blog comments on other blogs disappearing into thin air,
stuffing my own blog looking for a way of fixing being a "no-reply blogger" ), feeling low still, weather being absolutely crazy in as far as 2° one morning & only 10° during the day and now a couple of days later it is sunny, hot & 33°  (3.30pm Thursday).  I'm just a little perplexed or maybe just old & silly!!!!  I've so much to catch up on, I don't where to start.
A few quick photos, then over the next few weeks will try to sort all out and do several posts of trip to UK & a week spent away here in Oz during the grandies school holidays.

Craft.

This little quilt & baby jacket will be winging their way to UK next week for friends of my nephew who are expecting their first little bundle.  I showed the quilt a while back & the wool/pattern I bought at Morley Markets whilst away.

Garden.
A few snaps from the garden here in our variable Spring weather 😖.

Our many freesias which come up all over.

The Wonga Vine which has suddenly taken off & flowered.
Amazing.

Our time away in both UK and here has made me realise that I need to appreciate where I live & where I can visit.
As a child of the 50s & 60s we quite often recited this poem & on the odd occasion it comes to mind.
You'll see why at the end.  This particular verse (No.2 of 6) is the one we always used.
                                                                 MY COUNTRY
                                                                               by Dorothea Mackellar.
                                  I love a sunburnt country,
                                     A land of sweeping plains,
                                  Of ragged mountain ranges,
                                     Of droughts and flooding rains.
                                  I love her far horizons,
                                      I lover her jewel sea,
                                  Her beauty and her terror ----
                                      The

                                                                                                   for me.
The above photo was taken at the Arboretum in Canberra.
Although I do love UK, I've got to make sure I love my own country too, so that is my lot for today,
but, I'll be back now that I've sorted some of these technical & personal issues & hope to post lots of holiday snaps, crafty bits from both of us & join in the photo hunt next Friday.
Thanks to anyone who does pop in for a look, take care all and huggles.
Susan.