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.

FLOWERS AND QUILTS.

A BUSY WEEK.

Another week gone and not sure where it went.  Two quilts off the machine, one as a present and the other for a customer.  I've done lots but it's all gone in a blur.  Gardening, baking, eye appointment and visiting our daughter and family.  On Friday I did our weekly grocery shop and actually bought 2 bunches of flowers from the supermarket,  something I've never done before.  One was 4 large gerberas for 96c and the other a bunch of chrysanthemums for $1.80.  Now that is a bargain as they are usually about $7 and up.

Some photos below of a few of these things.

Quilting pattern on quilt below.  The pattern is Tickle from Willow Leaf Studios.

This quilt is going to my friend's sister in UK.  I'll show the full quilt when I finish the binding.

Couldn't resist this.  It wasn't expensive, but I loved the colours.

It's a little high, but I didn' have anywhere else.

See, I do love pink!!

Customer's baby quilt done.

Gerberas from Supermarket.

A gerbera from our garden.  I thought these had nearly died in the hot and dry summer, but this one was there to surprise me the other day.  I cut it and put it on my desk.  The plant is now nice and leafy and looks like it is going to be ok.

Now, I had better go to serve up our dinner, which is leftover bolognaise made into lasagne tonight.  Only being 2 these days, there is quite often enough to make two meals.

Have a lovely week in blogland.

Susan.

GIFTS ?

WHAT DO I THINK?

People who really know me well, will be surprised by this outburst, but to me "gifts" a very special things we give to our family and friends.

THE STORY SO FAR.

I send a lot of presents to my Hubby's rather large family in the UK.  We also have our best friends there too. .
Friend Beryl rang on Thursday night to say she'd posted a parcel to the UK (she's from Yks) and had come across a few problems with our Post Office and insurance etc., but was gobsmacked to be told that the UK party would have to be pay "DUTY" to actually receive the parcel.  She had put "gift" and the value and what was in it, on the 'custom's advice' slip.
  Now we were wondering if this was true or not.
I got another phone call last night and  "YES".  The parcel had arrived and before she could take it home she had to pay 23 pound (I can't find the pound symbol).  My heavens above, you don't want to know that I
used the "S" word.  I don't really swear, it just pops out.
Well, now I am in a quandary!!!!  I make a lot of gifts to send across, but I certainly don't want the recipients paying.  It would hardly be a "GIFT".

We think this must be something to do with internet shopping, but gifts are gifts.


PASSPORT PHOTOS.

I've just had my photo done for my passport renewal and it looks like a mug shot and my face really looks like I have some blotchy red disease.  Does anyone think the same if they have a passport?
I may put on some makeup (which I don't wear) and have it done again.  I'm not really vain, but it's an absolute shocker.  Hubby's isn't half as bad.

A LITTLE SOMETHING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.

This is the cover of the book I have spoken of  in my last post.  It has been reprinted many times, with different covers, but this one is one of the brighter ones.  I have a Special Edition, which includes all her stories and another book on her life.

I will post again later this weekend with a bubblier lot of new.  Have a lovely weekend ladies.

TISSUES, VIOLETS AND WHAT A WEEK SO FAR.

TISSUE

Why is it, if you accidently put a tissue in the washing machine, it looks more like you have dumped in the whole box.  Don't do it often, but oh, when you do, what a pain.

VIOLETS.

Even though the garden looks so forlorn, I found these violets and popped them into the old perfume bottle, that is waiting for them each autumn.  The azaleas that survived are flowering as well and my 3 maples are starting to turn to gold, copper and tan.

QUILTING.

This is the start of my moaning.  The quilt below has been waiting for a week now to be started.  I decided on the pattern and tried to order it, but because I have this new computer, I had lots of troubles.  Got that sorted, bought them and then couldn't unzip them.  Hurrah!!  At last yesterday it all fell into place, so that will be started this afternoon .

AN EASTER GIFT AND THE SCARF IN PROGRESS.

This little box of chocolates with the crocheted cosies is from one of my best friends who lives in West Yorkshire.  It was a lovely surprise and her crocheting is superb.
The scarf is coming along slowly.

Not been very productive over the last week or so due to some family upsets, but I decided I'd been going to change the wallhanging in the hall about every 6-8 weeks, so here is the current one.  I made this many years ago, from a pattern by Anje Townrow  from British Patchwork and Quilting.

Following is a picture of one of my azaleas and another of a banksia photographed near the beach on the Mornington Peninsular on Port Philip Bay.  These banksias feature prominently in a book by May Gibbs called "Snugglepot and Cuddlepie".  It is a lovely and very Australian children's book.

AZALEAS.












                                                         

                                                                                   BANKSIA.

All for now and may have something to show
early next week.  Have a lovely weekend.

HOME AGAIN AFTER EASTER

A few photos taken on our trip to see our youngest son, his partner and our two grandchildren.  We had a lovely time as we had not seen them since this time last year.  Long distances here in Oz make times together infrequent. Both of them work, he in ACT government and she for the Federal government, so their time is limited and as hubby still works too, it is hard to get together very often.  We had a lovely day out on Sunday at the relatively new National Arboretum.  The views were stunning.

View of Canberra from Arboretum.

Black Mountain Tower from the National Arboretum.

Looking towards mountains around Canberra.

The Hume Highway between Melbourne and Sydney.

The day after we got back, 2nd April, we celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary.  Didn't do anything as we were both so tired, but it still felt good.

I've not done a lot since my last Post as we were busy getting ready to go away.  The quilt is still  only just ready to go on the machine.  I have had trouble trying to get the patterns I wanted, but will hopefully get that underway over the weekend.  I have a customer coming with a baby quilt tomorrow, so a little more to do.  Those granny squares I was crocheting aren't going to plan.  Although all the wool is 8ply, it is all different brands and seems to be different thickness's, so they are all odd sizes.  May need some suggestions and I did use a few that I made in the car, for my granddaughter .  She was fascinated that I was knitting with only one needle.  I put ten together as a little doll blanket.

I have also made a frilly scarf and  bought wool for another that I just couldn't resist.

Hopefully, during next week, I will sew the third and last block for my Country Charmer table runner and start cutting the pieces for the baby quilt.  Also must get back to the quilts for a book I'm supposed to be doing.

Today I made enquiries for a trip we hope to make around July/August.

Below are pictures  of the scarves.

Frilly scarf.

One to do.

Another achievement is getting to grips with Skype.  I have not yet spoken to anybody, but hope this will allow me to talk to my family in the UK.

Not a lot else to tell this week, so I must be more productive next week and have some photos to upload.

Thanks go to those people who commented on my last post.

Susan.

QUILTING, CROCHET, BASKETS, FABRICS

 This last week has brought a bit more rain and cooler weather, which isn't going to last.  Next Tuesday and Wednesday we are expecting temps in the mid thirties again.  Certainly an Indian Summer.  Lucky it is supposed to cool down again for Easter, as we are travelling to Canberra to see our youngest son, his partner and our two grandchildren.  We don't see them often enough.  Australia is such a big country.

Something I forgot to mention on my last post, is that darling hubby turned 65 on 15th March.  Oh dear, time is definitely marching on and I'm not too far behind.

Raffle quilt off machine.

Closeup of pattern.

This is the raffle quilt for the Warragul Lioness Quilt Show to be held in September this year.  It was made by several members from donated fabric.  We chose to quilt it with "Pretty Paisley" from Willow Leaf Studio.

Crochet, books, DVD's.

I've been trying my hand at crochet again after many years and this is what I've achieved so far.  I think it will be a baby rug for doantion to Vision Australia for their trading table.  I am reading "The Christmas Angel" by Marcia Willett, an auther I love.  The large book and 2 DVD's were purchased through the BBC shop UK  and only cost me $72.00 compared to having to order the book only for $79.00 from our local bookshop, and waiting maybe 6 months for it.  The DVDs I couldn't even find here in Oz.  They all arrived in 10 days.  Hubby and I have a good laugh when watching Guy Martin and laughing is supposed to be good for you.  I highly recommend it if you need a boost.

Bits I don't really need,.

For a baby play mat.

Pretty combination I like.

On Friday we took a trip to one of my favourite quilt shops,to purchase some fabric for a baby playmate to be made for my hubby's best friend's daughter , who we have just found is pregnant.  This little quilt will wing it's way to the UK, hopefully in the near future.
The pinky fabrics will go into a quilt I designed as a mockup for the Country Charmer quilt while I was waiting for the pattern to arrive.  I then decided to do just a table runner, but loved the little quilt so much, that I decided to purchase these and make the little quilt in the future, (along with so many others that I'd like to do.)
The fabrics at top were really impulse buys, a fat quarter of the birds was all that was left and the stripey one was on special.  (Shouldn't be buying fabric!!!!)

Baskets.
These are two baskets that one of our clients wove at Vision Australia.  I have mentioned  young Jim before  and that he is both blind and intellectually disabled, but such a nice person.  He is able to do the weaving with a little help.  I have a system to guide him that seems to work well.  We have to put the stakes in and then when he has finished his bit, I take the baskets home and do the tops.  He was really pleased with these two and even felt that the tops were different.  He has a very lucky Mum, whom he makes the baskets for.  When we have a little time to spare, he will ask to play the piano.  Last week he played "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Ballade pour Adeline", both of which I love.  He is utterly amazing, as he has never learnt to play, just listens to something, then plays it.  He blows my mind.

David Austen rose, "The Pilgrim".

On my desk at the moment  is this lovely rose.  I usually grow this rose in each garden  we've had as my Mum's maiden name was Pilgrim.

 Well, that was the week that was.  Next quilt onto the machine is an old mystery quilt I made in the 90's and will be for one of my best friend's sister and daughter, who are going through a tough time.  These unquilted quilts definitely were eventually made to be used.  I don't feel as guilty now with so many tops to be quilted.
I still enjoy the first stages best - colour and fabric choices, maybe me designing and then sewing and seeing what it eventually looks like.
Thanks to all my comments and have a lovely coming week.

RAIN, GLORIOUS, RAIN

                                                               RAIN, RAIN

Lower driveway with water running down.

This last week has been lovely.  Temperatures in the late teen/early twenties and rain.  The rain gauge registered 22.5mm.  Wonderful! The picture above also shows the state of the rather dead violets, which are already looking a bit better.

Exhibition Building

Melbourne Museum

On Saturday before the rain, we had gone into Melbourne for the Garden Show.  Oh dear, it is actually next weekend.  I goofed with the dates.  It is held in Carlton Gardens where the indoor exhibits will be in the Exhibition Building.  Opposite is the very contemporary Museum.  This is where we spent some time as we were already there and we get in free because we are seniors.  Pleasant day after all.

CC block

Country Charmer block No1 is sewn together and second one is cut out and waiting.

Raffle quilt.

This is the quilt on the machine at the moment.  It has bee made by many ladies in the Lioness Club and will be raffled in September  at their biennial Qhilt Show.  I am enjoying doing this one as it is flat and straight, unlike the last one.

Crochet and knitting.

To a couple of young ladies who follow my blog, I have got down some wool and found a pattern, so will do some crocheting, which I've not done for some time.  I still do quite a bit of knitting while watching TV of a night.  The photo above is a little bolero I crocheted during the early 1970's, and I do still wear it occasionally.  The shawl, I made a few years ago from 5 assorted yarns and it was fun to make.  Growing up in 60's I also crocheted a white dress.  Not got that and I often wonder what we must have looked like in some of our wayout clothes, especially our "hot pants suits".

Banana & blueberry cake.

I made this yesterday to use some bananas a friend where I volunteer gave me nearly 2 weeks ago.  They were extremely green and thought they would ripen very quickly in our hot weather, but not so.  I am going to take it with me today as an extra to the wonderful scones Shirley makes on our Tuesday  Day Centre program.