HAPPY BIRTHDAY & A CRAFTY CATCHUP.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.

And we have another birthday!!!!!  Today it's our youngest.   Son J,  celebrates his 41st.  Happy birthday.  That's our 4 done with birthdays till December this year.  I omitted  two, as I just wasn't blogging, so we now have our older son who is 42 & my stepdaughter who is now also 46 too, 13 days older than my daughter.  All have done us proud.  Thanks a squillion kids.

CRAFTY FINISHES.
A few very old, small UFO's have been finished.

An apron I designed from curtain fabric samples I was given & a 10 degree wedge ruler.

Leftovers from a baby quilt, which I may donate as a premi baby quilt.

A table mat I designed, along with a laundry hanger.  I blew up letters from the computer, popped them onto fabric & appliqued them.  These two were lots of fun just playing around.

That is my problem at times, as I love designing & then suddenly, I think of something else & it gets put aside.  I also have another problem of getting tops quilted, if they are not being given away immediately.  I still have my "tub of shame", though it is a little lighter after quilting this lot, below.

Dilly Dally Deco.

I know I've shown this before it was quilted, whilst I was piecing it.  I designed it to use the leftovers from a jelly roll I used to make Dotty Custard. (this post).

Detail of quilting above, the pattern being Japanese Tiles by Kerryn Emmerson.

Fair Isle,

Another of my designs, now quilted & bound, which I took with me and started at a Quilt Retreat in Bordertown, which I blogged about here.

Mormors Quilt No.2

This was the second time I'd made this particular quilt from a very old book called More Lap Quilting by Georgia Bonesteel (1985).  Made around 1996/7 from a border fabric print and made with both templates and a rotary cutter.  Very different from the first one I started in 1986, before rotary cutter days and using templates, tape measure & scissors.  No. 1 was finally finished  with a meandering quilt pattern, using my first short-arm quilting machine purchased  in 1999 after I was made redundant from the bank.  No 2 has a lovely all-over pattern called Little Leaves, also by Kerryn Emmerson, even though it was suggested I do a custom job on it.  I think it works beautifully as is and the fabric is too busy to see much anyway.

Mormors Quilt No.1

I've two others I've done, but bindings aren't finished yet, so will show them soon.

I talked about our hectic 2018, but forgot all about a few odd hiccups throughout the year.
April saw our 13 year old microwave die and also on the Thursday before Christmas our 18 year old washing machine took its last wash.  I am now the owner of a (my first ever), front loading washer.  I also needed new glasses, which added to our expense list, but we did make a few purchases, that we've both been hankering after for a while.

Bandsaw for K.

And he started this.

     

A lovely neat & comfortable chair for my sewing area.
I used one of these over at Judy's, & it is much better than my larger office type chair I used.

One more photo for today, then I'll retire from the study, to a cooler part of the house.

Low loader now finished.

BTW, did I mention that it is HOT today.  Our weather station is showing  42.6deg & the wind is blowing from the north, straight from the middle of Australia, where the mercury has been in the 40s this week around Alice Springs.  A cool change is forecast for later this evening & hopefully in the low 20s tomorrow.  Can't wait for that................😌
A few last words........ Thanks to all my blogpals for taking the time to read this little blog, commenting & being my friends, although I've not met all of you.  I didn't think I'd ever be able to do this, but come the end of January, I have  blogiversary   "No. 6".   Can you believe it?
Oh, one of the highlights from last year, was that I was published in an on-line magazine.  Maybe again this year!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, I'm off for a cool drink & to veg in front of the cricket for a while.
Take care and huggles from Susan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY & THE YEAR THAT WAS!!!!!!!!

Today, 46 years ago I had my first baby & here she is when she was about 2 years old.  She is a wonderful daughter, wife, mother of two and works as a library technician.  You couldn't ask for  more.  Happy Birthday daughter.

OUR WACKY, HECTIC & EXPENSIVE YEAR.

A quick wrap up of the year in words. If you think it may be boring, skip this post.
This time last year we were entertaining our nephew & partner, who were visiting from the UK.  Once they had departed, it was a trip to Canberra for some child minding in late January.  Come February I did a workshop in Torquay with Angie from Gnome Angel at Amitie Textiles.  On to March & our step granddaughter arrived from UK & stayed with us & we also celebrated hubby's 70th.  May saw us making an emergency trip to Sydney for my little brother who spent a week in hospital. This was the start of many car repairs, having to have a new alternator fitted whilst away.  June saw our DD have a foot operation and  at the end of June we took a trip to Bordertown for a Mystery Case Retreat with Judy,  (News from Jude blog), and to meet with my friend Joy, (Days filled with Joy blog), who was visiting from Dubai, when she isn't at home in Oz.  At the beginning of August we headed north to Queensland for a family get together, as my stepdaughter & family from the UK, were visiting friends up there.  Whilst on our way to where we were staying, we broke down (with caravan in tow) & had to be towed to Ipswich, where we had a new radiator & 2 thermostats fitted.  Expensive!!  We arrived home just before my birthday & were (may I use this word?), knackered.  A quick few days in Geelong was lovely, as we had  day in Ballarat too & saw Joy again, & as she is living back here in Oz, we'll be able to spend a bit more time seeing each other & talking quilting.  We decided at the very beginning of December, we would take time out for a week to visit our two boys in N.S.W. & the A.C.T.  By just after lunch on the first day, we were on our way home again, once more on the back of a tow truck.  Luckily for us this fix wasn't too expensive, but we are yet to see if it is going to be the last in a series of mishaps.  Christmas saw us over at DD's for the day, with no incidents.  Yay! 
I now think I know, from putting this on paper, why I may have been a bit overwhelmed by 2018.

TODAY.
We are in second day of some very extreme weather.  I made the effort to pick some blueberries this morning, but just one small section from one of my two bushes.

600 grams worth in this lot.  I'm keeping a tally on the fridge.  Some of this lot will be in my freezer                                                                             for next year.

Our weather station reading just before lunch.  It has only gone up to 36.3 so far &is still around that temperature.  Yesterday, it reached 39.6 here, though there were places in north western Victoria and South Australia which were in the 40's.  Marble Bar in central Australia, reached......48 degrees. Ouch, that's way to hot.

OK, enough from me today and I'll post a roundup of some crafty moments in the last few months, that, I think,  I'm proud of.  I've been in "finish that up" mode, even though I've been very flat metally.  I'd not realised that I'd actually done quite as much.  Hubby has also been busy with his woodwork, so I'll sort some photos & give you a bit of an overload possibly.  I've also got a few posts I'd like to do next year with some odd days out & holiday snaps, taken in Queensland.
Until then,  take care & huggles from Susan.
PS>  Thanks if you do take the time to read this.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Down Under.

                                          A very Merry Christmas to all my lovely blogpals.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my last post at the end of November & sorry I didn't reply individually as I usually do.  I'm slowly getting my mojo back, I hope.
I've made many friends through having a blog & feel I've let everyone down just recently due to an ongoing anxiety problem, but am dealing with it now & will hopefully post before the end of the year with a wrap-up of a wacky 12 months. 
Enjoy the "silly season", take care and big huggles from Susan.
PS:  I borrowed the above picture from  "somewhere", on the world wide web, but can't remember where.  These are the wonderful 6 White Boomers, pulling Santa across our large continent.  There is a Christmas song about them, but I've no idea how to put it on so you can hear it.  😞

NOVEMBER SCAVENGER PHOTO HUNT 2018.

Linking with Kate for the last hunt of this year.  And what a year it has been for most of the Hunters with such beautiful photos from all that participate.  This month's word list was a bit tricky, but it is amazing what you see & have in the archives.  Here goes.

1.  POST/MAILBOX.

The row of mailboxes at the corner of Bumbalong Road on the Monaro Highway between Canberra                                                                               & Cooma.

2.  DECAY.

An abandoned shop in the small settlement of Beeac on the road between Colac & Cressy  west of                                                                                Melbourne.
3.  SECONDHAND.

Our dressing table, with bed reflected in the mirror.  This is Edwardian & both it & the bed were purchased in about 1987/88 when we moved to Tasmania.  Sitting at a set of traffic lights outside a shop called Boomerang Furniture, I excitedly announced, "I want that dressing table in the window".
Some weeks later I walked from the Bank (where I was working), up to the shop & was able to 'lay-bye' it & pick up when it was all payed for.  When I arrived to pick it up, the owner told me, he'd had a bed come in that was also in blackwood & would look good with it, so, lo & behold, we went home with 2 items.  We still have them to this day, although the bed has been converted to a queen size, as hubby is 6'3".

4.  STRAND.   
 On the right is the small set of drawers I keep my 'stranded' cottons in.  The bottom 2 drawers are the neat & tidy ones. 






Below we have an old rowing boat stranded on a sandbank on Westernport Bay near Hastings.  It  may even be covered at high tide.                                                                               

5.  FOLD.

This is sort of a "now you see it, now you don't" when folded up, then opened.
So sorry about the quality of these photos, but they are actually prints I've had to scan onto this post.
Our camper trailer (no longer with us), that we towed with the Morris & it saw many adventures.
This was the one I found tricky, as I really wanted it to be different, as I'd thought of all sorts, but they were just not right.

6.  MY OWN CHOICE.

As I love animals of all kinds so much, what better way to end this year's final hunt, but with a beautiful little lizard. I took this photo many years ago in Lane Cove National Park in Sydney.  We were staying at the caravan park there & saw possum & kookaburras, but just couldn't capture them on camera, then I spotted this little beauty sunning himself on the path.
Browsing the archives nets some great photos, that we sometimes forget about, so thanks to Kate, they appear here many years later.

THANK YOU KATE......and to all who take their time to be a part of this fabulous hunt hosted by Kate.  The photos and accompanying stories always amaze, amuse & make me feel a part of a wider community of friends from near & far.
Take care all and huggles.
Susan.

MID MONTH MUSINGS.

The year is flying along, and I'm so behind on crafty posts due to motivation issues, but here come some photos of projects done and to be done.  Hope it's not too boring.
A finish in crochet.

                                    My Sunshine & Shadows crochet along is finally done.

Next is a quilt I made in a class, way back in (I think), 1996 and quilted & bound this year.  I'm donating it to the Sheltered Workshop that my brother has attended for many years.  They'll be using it in their Xmas raffle this year.

I'm pretty dreadful with the amount of quilts I do still have to be quilted & my tub of shame really needs sorting & DOING.  I took some photos today & will definitely make an effort to start, as I've some that I really need for future gifts.  As it was a pleasant day, although a little windy, I took these outside after lunch today. (and the 2 above.)

Oh, that is eight that need quilting and there are a few small ones in the tub too, from way back when.
Most of these are my own designs and that is really my big problem, as I love the design process, along with colour/fabric  & piecing, but not the quilting bit.  I do enjoy the hand sewing of the binding, then seeing how it all came together.  Ah, this is just me, being me.

IN THE GARDEN.
Having more trouble gardening because of my back, is not helping with my stress levels, as I do enjoy pottering about, growing both flowers and food.  These are just a few pics from the last 2 months and as we've had strange weather, I'm glad a few things have done well.

Pink bluebells in a pot.

Dutch iris under the silver birch.

Photinia near the bird feeder.

Snowball bush.

Julia's Rose.  I love the unusual colour in this rose and have grown it in most gardens I've had.

I actually made some brownies last week, as I've not even been baking much.

My weak coffee that I have for morning tea.  Only 1 coffee per day.

UMMMMM.......................
This one is funny.  I try and buy vegetables in the Odd Bunch varieties that one of our big supermarkets sells, though I also buy a lot from our  greengrocer, who supports the local farming community. 

And it has been used.

OK, enough of my nonsense today.  Thought I'd just let you know I am still here & not veging out in a corner, so take care all and have a lovely weekend.
Susan.

SEARCHING A DIFFERENT ROUTE.

Ah, I am still here & neglecting this blog a little, although I've taken some photos recently of days out, it's finding motivation to sit and post.  It is our turn to find a circuitous route for the November coffee/cake run for the car club, so we've had a day or two looking & discovering.  This is from a day in mid October when all didn't go to plan, but we did see lots of fun things.  Away we go.
We'd noticed a small cafe in Kernot, which is just basically a farming locality with no amenities, bar this, so off we went to find it.  Tisn't open Wednesdays, so we searched a little further & as happens, I found lots to photograph.

DERELICTION.

Collapsed roof of some sort of shed.

More old shedding.

The abandoned farmhouse.

These buildings were in such a beautiful location, it was sad to see them abandoned.
All the while taking these, I was being watched by this fella............

He actually let me get quite close and talk to him.

We carried on our way and ended up in Grantville, a small town on the eastern side of Westernport Bay and made a discovery in the park.  Although we've stopped here before, I'm not sure we've ever walked through this area.
They have a walk through history of the town/area in plaques that look like books.

                                                             These were two of several.
There were also many native plants in flower along the pathway, so I snapped a few.  This also the park where I took the gumnut photo in my Scavenger Hunt post.

Grevillea

Banksia.

                                     

Next we ventured down to the water's edge and checked out the jetty area.

It was a very grey overcast day, but worth it.  The fun bit was discovering another witch!!!!!
We'd seen the first at the cafe in Kernot, but not taken much notice or a PHOTO.

                   
The Corinella community were trying to promote the area and had placed witches in many of the towns to make people explore the area.  I'm afraid we've not found any more yet, but if we get some sunny days, we may search for a few more.
Today saw us out, planning the route (again), as the one above was too long, but no photos due to the weather once more.  As we started out, although overcast, we certainly weren't prepared for the rain that eventuated.  It was a deluge and our rain gauge said we'd had about 17mls.  Never mind, we still found a good route and coffee shop, so all is done.
Hopefully I'll not be so absent in the future and have planned on doing a coming post of some crafty bits.
Thanks for stopping by, take care & huggles.
Susan.

OCTOBER SCAVENGER PHOTO HUNT 2018.

Joining in once again with I live, I love, I craft, I am me, whose aim is to challenge our photographic skills, being alert to the world around us, making new friends far & wide & to have lots of fun as well.
I'm also putting out an apology for being so absent.  Many who know me well, understand I've an anxiety problem (now you all know) & with such a hectic year behind us, it all impacted with a few unexpected problems throughout the last few months.  They being my poor old back pain, car maintenance items, the Queensland holiday bringing home to me, how far spread our children are, doing a couple of customer quilts which I'm not used to, having no immediate friends close by, and our area growing at a great pace with no new infrastructure & having nearly tripled since we came in 2004.  Mad!!!  The other part which worries me, was a strange comment I've had on my last 2 posts.
THERE...............All said and done, so here comes the hunt.

1.  PRINT.
I've chosen two, as I just couldn't make up my mind.

The print at left was photographed at Post Office Farm Nursery at Woodend, which specialises in Hellebores.  I thought about some of my blogpals not having heard of our native  Brolga & this is a very cute depiction.





The words below are printed on the end of a Furphy Water Cart barrel, used in the colonial days of Australia and manufactured by a firm called Furphy Foundry in Shepparton, Victoria.  I took this photo on a day out earlier this year at the National Trust property of Gulf Station in the Yarra Valley.

2.  LEAVES.

The many varied colours of Coleus leaves in the vast glasshouses at Temple Newsam in Leeds, West Yorkshire.  They are stunning.

3.  SPOT.

I found this one quite hard & really wanted to think outside the box.  At the centre of these gumnuts, is a darker spot which is actually a little hole which holds the minute seeds.  Taken a few weekends ago on a very grey day (must do a blogpost of this outing), which netted some interesting snaps.

4.  BOUNDARY.

Another one I had to think long & hard about, but these beautiful stone walls are definitely defining the boundaries of the fields, (nearly said paddocks😄).  This was taken in 2014 as we followed some of the route that the Tour de France took on it's UK leg.  A grey day once again, as much as the photo above.

5.  FLAME.

Flame coloured Red Hot Pokers (Kniphofia).

I took liberty with this one & thought you put a poker into the fire or furnace to stir up the flames.  Taken last year on day out in the Dandenong Ranges.

6.  MY OWN CHOICE.

DH's handiwork.

I needed a photo of K's woodworking skills for someone and on a lovely sunny day took them outside to the steps and snapped this.  The latest is the one on the top step in the middle.  Clever hubby!!!

Well, that is my lot for this month.  I just realised that we've a mixture of Oz & UK!!!!!!!!!
Sorry about the top blurb, but maybe just saying it all helps me too.  I really must do some catchup posts with days out & some more of our holiday in Queensland. Oh and I need kick-starting to get some motivation for craft/quilting etc., so my blogging can be about that again too.
Thanks once again Kate for our words, take care all & huggles.
Susan.