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

ANZAC DAY

Today is Anzac Day in Australia.  It commemorates the landing of the troops at Gallipoli and is a holiday here in Oz and N.Z.

It maybe a holiday for some, but hubby is working a long shift and won't be home till after 10pm.  Buses don't take days off.

I've manged to squeeze a lot in.  Housework, then plenty of sewing.

"English Garden"

The next quilt to go on the machine is one of my own designs.  It will have  an allover pattern , one that  I'd already picked, which will not start in the right place, so must find another.

Hems.

My next door neighbour rang on Monday to ask if I could put up  hems on a couple of pairs of trousers for her husband.    Her Gran isn't up to it any more, so I said yes and got these done on Wednesday morning.  I was given a lovely little box of chocolates for the favour.  How lovely was that?

Baby quilt in progress.

This is the baby quilt from the fabric I showed on an earlier blog.  It now needs a small border, but I'm not sure what colour to use.  I'm open to suggestions.  This is the sewing I got finished today.  I have many triangles over from the corners, and my friend PW and I are going to make 2 doll quilts for our granddaughters.
I have made this quilt before and used the leftovers for a doll quilt for another of my granddaughters.  It is a good  quilt for when you need one quickly.

THE GARDEN.

Muscari now well through.

Anemones coming through.

Many friesias well up now and 2 species gladioli.

Lastly, an arrangement of autumn maple foliage.

My friend PW, ( whom I mentioned earlier) and I  have just found that we are able to get Kirstie Allsopp's new  TV programme on DVD, although it still has not aired over here.  We are both big fans of her crafty shows.  Mature age groupies.  (giggle).

Well, that  was how I spent the last few days.  I'm still knitting that scarf, but have given up on the crochet for now.  Will think about what to do with the squares I've made and try something else soon.

Susan.