BIRTHDAY BOY, BUSYNESS AND BIG PILE.

BIRTHDAY BOY.
Tuesday saw Hubby have a birthday and we went out to for the day and have tea on our way home, something we don't do very often. We drove to Geelong, had a wander around an Industrial Vintage Market, ate our homemade lunch by the water and visited another couple of places we'd planned without much success and then came across Port Phillip Bay on the ferry to our side of Melbourne.
Ugh!, the ferry is way more expensive than it used to be, and,

Swans and ducks on the water, whilst we ate lunch.

The car ferry and not the best pic as the wind was even blowing my camera around.

we didn't see any dolphins, which was quite disappointing.  It was an extremely windy day, so that may have something to do with it.  We had a nice meal at a hotel and were home in time for bed.(giggle).  We enjoyed.

Views from ferry.

BIG PILE.

Quilted.

This is some of what I've been trying to get done lately.  As I've mentioned before, I've an idea for a book and have made a number of quilts for it and now have at least some of them quilted, 2 fully bound, hand sewing another and 3 waiting for their binding.  In between doing these I did the big star and a bed runner for a friend which also has to be bound before flying off into the wide blue yonder.

BUSYNESS!!!
Is that a word?  Well even if it isn't, that's what it's been like.
A few medical appointments, birthday outing, car club meetings, buying some downlights and new sheer curtains, as well as finishing the chest. Tomorrow we have the electrician coming to fix the lights over our kitchen benches, so that we aren't working in our own shadow.  Next week is nearly as bad.

Finished chest.

On the design wall.

Ruler and book.

I am going to try and use some of my specialty rulers this year and pulled this one out to start with. The pansy fabric was leftover from a quilt I made many years ago for my parents, so am now playing with that and have made the above blocks so far, but it probably won't be much larger as now have very little left.  You'll have to wait and see what I do in the end.

One more little bit.

Granny squares.

I've been doing these on our hot nights to keep me occupied, but hopefully the weather will start to cool soon and I can get stuck into those bindings.
It is still 32 deg here and nearly 5.30pm.  March is supposed to be autumn!!!!!!
OK, enough from me and the mixed bag from this last few  weeks.
Take care all.
Susan.

HAREWOOD HOUSE

Sunday saw us set off reasonably early for our day out to Harewood House open day.  This an old homestead, extended and lived in by the Lyall family, Scottish immigrants to the area in the mid 1800s.  It is not large, but is very interesting.  There were old handcrafts on display, Jaguar cars, Highland dancing, a Pipe band and host of other bits. The first photos are the house, which was very hard for me not to include people, so I've only a handful.

Front entrance.

Rear view.

Side view with a kilted man taking a snap.  Sorry, but there were a lot of men running around in kilts.

The gardens are not stunningly beautiful due to the fact the land was once the Koo Wee Rup Swamp and was drained for farming.  There are some lovely old trees, which meant plenty of shade on such a warm day.  The photo below was quite fascinating, even though I'm not particularly fond of cactus.

Flowers

It was huge.

I do know that cactus flower, but had never seen one like this actually flowering.

 DISPLAYS

The display of Jaguars.  Maybe not our favourite, but impressive.

One of the cute Shetland ponies.

.
A lovely day out.

Not a lot has been happening, as it's been so hot.  It is 5pm and 33deg as I write this and is extremely uncomfortable.(warm & sticky yuk).  I'm just wondering when it will cool down.

Hubby has made some bookends for DD and we both worked on some for me.

The A & Z made by hubby and the ones on the right are the black brackets I picked up at a Vintage market and we've repainted them and made the timber supports.

This second hand chest of drawers I purchased cheap is being given a facelift and will be used to store my cones of cotton, quilts and backing waiting to be finished and other bits and bobs that I use for my machine quilting.  The cones have been stored in a plastic tub for many years and just end up getting all muddled. so am going to enjoy having them neat and tidy.

Well that's it from me, so take care all and have a good week.
Susan.

BTW,  The house is called "Harewood" as it was William Lyall who introduced hares into Australia.

EXTREMELY SPOILED!!!!

A GIFT FROM AFAR.

2 bobbins from an old spinning wheel.

My blogpal, Hawthorn, from I Live, I Love, I Craft, I am Me, sent me these, after she'd found them in the back of a cupboard, as she thought I'd love them.  They belonged to an elderly lady and still have wool she spun on them.  Beautiful items and such a sweet story.  Thanks so much Hawthorn, I do love them.

Just for now they are sitting alongside my recent purchase of the large one and 2 small cotton reels.  The one on the left was made by hubby, when I first gave him his lathe and the other was bought at The Stott Park Bobbin Mill in the Lakes District many, many years ago.

AT THE SHOW.

My other spoiling was at the recent Flower & Craft Show, in which I placed a few entries.  I do feel that my wins, shouldn't have really happened.  I put 3 quilts into 2 categories and won first in each and a second.  BUT!  Mine were the only entries in this section, along with 3 other quilts in slightly different categories.  Pity there weren't more.  I also entered 2 arrangements in the flower section and also got a first and second.  There were some other entries in this, so I was competing with others.
It is such a shame that these shows don't get more exhibitors.  All in all it was a lovely display of different crafts, produce and flowers.

My friend Janette's quilt with it's First Place card, along with some other items,, which also won prizes.  Aren't the Santas cute.

My prize cards pinned in place when I arrived there.

I am wondering if this card below, was the start of my love of entering into shows, although I don't do it nearly as often nowadays.

There is a year written on the back which reads 1954, so I was all of  5 years old.

It's been hot again with temperatures around the 30's and higher, which is not helping me get things done.  I've now quilted 5 of my so called book quilts, one completely bound, another two awaiting hand sewing and 2 that need binding found for them.  I have another ready for the machine and this is the backing it will have.

Pretty spectacular!

Hubby and I have been working on something I hope to be able to show next week.  Once it cools a little, I hope to be able to get back into some knitting.  I found some hanks of wool, I'd bought a long time ago and hubby helped me wind three balls from one of them and I've found a pattern I really like, so can't wait to start.  Some granny squares are being worked on occasionally of a night, along with bindings.
Just a quick midweek catchup and hope everyone is having a good one.
Take care,  Susan.