FAVOURITE FINISH OF THE MONTH LINKUP

 

Linking up with Cheryl from Meadow Mist Designs for May, as I'd not finished anything & missed the last one at the end of April.

Macaron Mystery quilt which just happens to be Cheryl's last QAL and with another one on the way, I'm wondering what it's going to be.😊

A hero shot taken early in May when the weather was still nice.  This was taken in  the civil park where our Shire Offices are located and is always quite well maintained so occasionally I use the area for photography.

OK, not much else for today and it has been pouring with rain, windy and ever so cold, plus I'm still missing my Bernina sewing machine and have already something cut out along with a binding waiting to go on another quilt.  It should be back again by next week.

Take care all and hugs from a freezing down under.

Susan. xox

WACKY AND BITS.

 I'm still here, though finding it hard to write a decent post as I've been feeling rather discombobulated of late.  Not sure whether that is because of the Pandemic, worldwide havoc, strange weather or even maybe 4th Covid jab and the flu vaccination, but here I am with a few bits of what we've been up to this month.

I'm joining my friend Sandra in Canada (mmm.quilts) to link with her "Drop everything and make it" post.  

Wacky One, a design of my own using only scraps and fabric from my stash.

And.... the backing fabric.

This was made at the beginning of the year, but quilting took quite some time due to my stupidity and now needs binding.  Alas there is a hole....................and no sewing machine.  Betsy is being serviced and won't be back till probably next week.  

Apart from the sewing problems, all is sort of OK.

We've had a couple of outings, which I've not been sure about posting due to them being a little more DH oriented, but I'd like to share just a little here.

A couple of weekends ago we spent a few days away in the van at the Lake Goldsmith Steam Rally.

I was lucky to capture this photo as we'd stopped to take a photo of the advertisement for the Rally and the Morris convertible was just passing.

A few photos follow of some things that I captured with my camera.

A collection of sewing machines.  There were more and older ones too.

This one is for my friend Kate.

One of the quirky on-site vans.  Very rustic.

The tinier versions of steam traction engines.

On the way home we stopped off in Beaufort at a vintage shop and purchased an old sewing machine for $10 & then later found a treadle base with no machine in it.  We discovered the old machine will fit in this base, so another project hubby will tackle over winter.

The cabinet which definitely needs some attention.

DH working hard cleaning up the machine.

Just one more photo taken on a local walk last week.

Look at the size of the toadstool............that is my foot beside it.

OK, all from me for now, but I will be back next month with....hopefully...... a finish for the QAL Sandra has been running.  I may even post about another rally we went to with vintage machinery, which was an interesting  day out too, if anyone wouldn't mind seeing photos of vehicles.  Not much doing in the garden and now that the weather has turned bitterly cold, that maybe on hold for a bit.

Take care all and lots of hugs from down under.

A LINKY THING AND A QUICK UPDATE.

Oh dear, I have been wayward of late, but what with public holidays and just plain feeling a bit "blah", I've not had the inclination to blog or do too much else.  Hopefully things are starting to settle on our patch a little and I'm trying to catch up with blog reading and putting some photos and words into place.

We'll start with this...

Linking with Sandra at mmm.quilts for her current QAL, which I am participating in.                                   Fabrics chosen and I'm hoping to do 2, one for moi and another for a baby due in July.

Two colourways chosen and I don't think I need explain which one is which.

I'm busily sewing the floral one first and have a few bits done.

We have flying geese units.

Also, the half square tringles.

A day out yesterday with DD, S-I-L & our 2 grandchildren was great, although we didn't do what they were doing at The Enchanted Garden which is on The Mornington Peninsular.  It has a few mazes, some wonderful sculptures, a tube slide and many walking tracks, but it's main attraction is "Tree Surfing", more for younger people than us oldies.  I'll pop on  a few photos below of some of the features.

Looks scary, but most were having a good time with helmets and harnesses to make it safe.

There was also a tube slide which brought many shrieks & much laughter from those that went on it.

A few more snaps of what could be seen when walking about.

The beautifully carved relief on the hedge.

Elegant statue at the end of a path.

These reminded e of the Terracotta Army figures in China.

Can you see the laser cut rusty iron native animals?

                                                    Two of my favourites below.

Curly snails

Carved timber kangaroo.

Ok, I've waffled on enough so I'll finish up here and hope that everyone had a good Easter break and for those in Oz, this, another long weekend, it being Anzac Day today was both relaxing and thoughtful, especially with all that is happening at the moment.

Take care all and big hugs from the land down under.

Oh, and one last photo of the small lake with fountain.

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.

A QUICK LINK UP POST.

 This will be short and sweet, to link my QAL flimsy that I have participated in with Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs.

It isn't quilted yet, though I have done one row of quilting, but having my back so sore & trouble with my left ear has left me very, very deflated.  We also had a trying and tiring trip to Sydney to sort out the NDIS review for my younger brother which happens in May.  There is to be a lot of thinking about what we need to do as he ages &  we get older.   With the chaotic world we live in at the moment, it is all getting too much for me.  It is why I've been so quiet on my blog, but I do need a good talking too and a kick up the proverbial..................😌

This one she titled Macaron Mystery and when finished I will be handing it over to a special person as a wedding gift.  No name to be mentioned yet.

Well that is about all from me today.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend, please take care and hugs from down under.

Susan.

A DRIVE TO CORINELLA.

 A quick post with photos of yesterday afternoon's drive to pick up a coffee and have a waterside fix.  We chose to head down to Corinella on Westernport Bay, about and hour from us.  

We made our way through Lang Lang down to the bay at Corinella, then home again from Grantville taking back roads to make it a round trip.  The bay on the extreme left of map is Port Phillip Bay where Melbourne is situated at the northern end.  

I took these few photos below, to show that it attracts a lot of fishermen and pleasure boats for a day out.

The piers with launching ramps either side.

All the seabirds waiting for a feed from the trimmings of fish being gutted and cleaned in an area provided for this purpose.

Looking across the mud flats as the tide was out.

I just love the pelicans.  There were also plenty of seagulls, terns, one lone ibis and a few other birds. I'm not sure of their names.

A slightly different view looking towards the town in the distance.

Looking toward the other pier where people fish from.

As you can see from this photo it is quite popular with the boating/fishing fraternity.

After watching people bringing their boats in, moving them onto trailers, hooking them up and driving off, we decided to call it a day and wend our way home.  As we headed up into the hills, the sky changed dramatically and started to look like this..................

It rained a little on the way home, but around about 5.30pm when we reached home, thunder started to roll around and lasted for about an hour with short sharp periods of rain.  In all we got about 7.5mm overnight.  I think my garden really enjoyed.

OK, that is my funny lot for now and tomorrow is DH's birthday (beware the Ides of March) and if the weather is fine, we may do something.😊

Just to let all know why I've been so quiet.  I have an infected ear which is driving me insane as I can hear a slight humming sound in my left ear and every now and then it throbs.  I've drops to put in & hopefully all will be well soon.  It is quite eerie at times.  Mojo doesn't seem to want to return either with so much havoc going on in the world.

I' missing blogging, but it will return so I'm trying hard to use my word for this year and have the 

"Courage" to get through these difficult times.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post and I'll try and do replies again.

Take care all, stay safe and big huggles from Susan.

COUNCILS..........................Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

 

Will you just look at this................................it was our street tree on the verge and they cut it down.  Oh.... and I cried a little.  I was so cranky, as was DH and this all happened at 8am on Wednesday morning and we had words with the culprits, then later in the afternoon visited the council too.  We now want the stump removed and a replacement tree.  Ours was the best looking tree in the court, but they said it was unstable where the trunk forked with a black line inside it.  We had a look at the other silver birches along our court & all have similar lines where larger branches have grown from the main trunk.  Why ours?                                                                                                                                                    I tried to find a good photo of our tree, but seems like I've taken most from our tree, but I found one when it was pouring down & the other photo is looking up the court past our stump, which I took yesterday afternoon.

This must have been winter as all the trees are bare & I have jonquils out in the circular bed.

Looking to the end & notice all the silver birches, but ours is missing.

Suppose you could say, I'm still mad.   The tree nearly always had birds coming and going & we will miss their antics & singing.😢

So much sadness in the world at the moment, this post is stupidly trivial, but I'll post it anyway.             I feel quite helpless to reach out and help in anyway to those caught up in all the mayhem, but know I still need to blog while I can.  Hopefully I'll post a bit more this month and even try and catch up with a few interesting bits from last year.

Have a great weekend everyone, take care, stay safe & hugs.                                                                               Susan.