BUSY TIMES

With no rain, many days over 30deg and bad winds, I seem to be spending most mornings trying to keep the garden alive, so then get behind on the rest of the housework and not much more time to do anything else.

The cushion is still on hold for the show and my customer's quilt has come to a standstill because I've had computer problems.  Enough of all of this!  What else have I been up to.

Today - Thursday was grocery shopping and trying to sort out my Statler Stitcher for my machine.  Will have to contact my mentor.  I'm sure it's just me being silly and it will be some simple mix up.

Wednesday -  Usual type of morning, then a friend came for a quilting lesson.  She's hard work as I seem to explain everything at least three times.  We are getting there though.

This is my baby.

Tuesday  -  Back at Vision Australia where I volunteer in the basket room and on radio.  We only have one client in the morning at the moment.  A young man who is blind and intellectually disabled as well.  We do OK and chat quite a bit.  In the afternoon I go to our little radio station where we read from the local papers for an hour.  I don't read as I'm the technical operator. (photo above)

Monday  -  Busy morning, then Doctor appointment, my monthly massage and an evening yoga class.

2 stingrays.

Sunday  -  Decided around 10.30am to try and escape the heat by going to the coast.  It was slightly cooler and we had lunch at a little bakery, then went for a walk down to the jetty where the resident stingrays were waiting to be either fed or patted.  As soon as people approach the water, they come to them.  They are a wonderful sight.  We then went for a walk  along the beach and I got very sun burnt on my shoulders.  Luckily I wear a hat out in the sun.  It was a lovely day.

"Autumn in the Dales"

Well that is about it except for a photo of one of the quilts I'm entering in the local show on 1st of March.  It has been quilted now.I am also entering Pumpkin Scones, 4 pieces of my "famous" Caramel Slice, according to my family, a flower arrangement (if we can find any flowers) and a card using stamps.  I think I may need a lot of luck, but it is so much fun.

Magnolia buds

The last photo is our magnolia with buds, which is strange at this time of the year.  It is late summer and should be about to lose it's leaves, and be dormant until late winter when the buds usually appear.  It has some leaves still, lower down.  Spoke to my son's partner tonight (it's her birthday today)  and she said theirs has flowered during summer as well.  They live in Canberra.  Also spoke to my 5 year old granddaughter who wanted to know how many buses Poppy had driven today.  Hubby is a bus driver and we explained, only one today.  Grandchildren are definitely precious with the things they come out with.

STILL NO RAIN

It's Sunday here in Oz and there was supposed to be some rain.  Luckily I watered the veg this morning, mopped the floors and decided to get started on that not very flat quilt for a customer.  Oh no!  Worse than I thought.  Rang my mentor and she said, just do the best you can.  I will get back to it tomorrow as I am now tired and stressed.  I also have to finish my cushion for our local show which is held the first weekend in March.

Morning break.

 After the housework on Saturday morning and hubby at work, I decided to have morning tea on the patio before it got too hot.   Coffee, bikky and 2 new books.  Which one to start on first.  Of course Alan Titchmarsh one out.  What a beautiful book and garden and his writing style is easy reading.  I have only read Spring so far, as I am really too busy to do much reading.  The other one will probably be looked at a lot later.

Street scene.

Friday night about 7pm we could hear sirens.  Getting closer we thought they were off to the hospital, which is very close to where we live.  No, they were getting even closer and then I popped outside to see that were at the bottom of our street.  Took this photo of 4 fire trucks and an ambulance, all for a kitchen fire.  I live next door to this corner.  A little bit of excitement in such a quiet part of town.

A DAY OUT

Tuesday, proved to be a lovely day.  Hubby decided we'd drive to Warburton for lunch.  He thought he'd take me to the Patchwork Teahouse, but low and behold they are closed on Tuesdays.  We ate at a lovely little cafe instead and then went for a walk along the banks of the Upper Yarra River.  Along the way we saw many ducks with ducklings and I'd actually remembered to take my camera for once.  So below are a couple of photos of the day.

Mother duck and her two ducklings.

Upper Yarra River at Warburton.

Iridescent blue dragon fly.

On tuesday morning before we left I picked a small amount of produce from the veg patch.  Having had only 19mls of rain since Xmas, we've had to water the vegetables most days to keep them going and we certainly aren't getting what we got last year.  The rest of the garden is in a pretty sorry state.  We've got at least 5 days of over 30deg to get through and it's not looking good.  Total fire bans tomorrow as it is supposed to reach 38deg.

The produce for Tuesday.

The last photo is just for fun, showing the little chest I bought many years ago in a small antique shop.  Now I am wondering if it has come all the way from the UK by any chance.  Atop are some of my rulers along with more in the basket.  The tins hold some fancy threads and tapestry wool.

Small chest on the floor in my studio.

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AM I STRESSED?

Trying to do that Feathered Star today would have been fine if I had read the instructions correctly.  I stupidly cut the strip bias squares 1 15/16ths instead of 1 9/16ths.  No wonder nothing fitted.  Glad that I did them larger, as I can at least cut them to size.  More unpicking.  Will give it a few days before I attempt it again.  Also have a large customer quilt to do that is not very flat.  Hope it will be ok.
Why am I stressed?  I have to go for a gastroscopy tomorrow.  Don't like hospital procedures.

Today my friend Val and I both purchased the pattern for the "Country Charmer" quilt.  We will try and do it together.  I have decided to do only 9 blocks.  I have a pretty good idea of my version, which will be a little different, I think.  We'll wait and see.

ALL CHANGE!

"Soft and Pretty"

This quilt has been hanging on the hall wall for the last  two months, so I am trying to change them about every 6 to 8 weeks so I have an ongoing display.   I quite often buy these picture blocks, then have fun thinking of an original setting.  The star blocks are from Stars by Magic by Nancy Johnson-Srebo.

"A Hug and a Kiss"

Now this quilt has just been quilted , although it a has been a top for quite some time.  The pattern is from 101 Nine Patch Quilts by Marti Michell.   It is 33" sqare.

IT'S AUSTRALIA DAY

Koala photo taken on Raymond Island.

Today has been reasonably cool, so was able to get outside this morning and start some more deadheading of the many agapanthus, especially the miniature ones.  I can fill the green waste bin several times over the next few months.  Too many really.
The photo below is my granddaughter's library bag made yesterday afternoon.  she especially wanted fairies and this Tinkerbelle fabric was all I could get.  Hope she likes it when we deliver it on Monday.

Below is the WIP I started some years ago after I took a class with Kaye England in 2006 at a quilt shop in Loch.  I made the 5 blocks, then decided to add some motor bike fabric.  I didn't buy enough of the first one and had to find something else.  I'm actually really pleased with it now and will label and send it off to my grandson.

These photos don't seem to be as good as usual, so will have to see if I've changed the settings on my camera, by accident.
Also put  binding on another old quilt today, plus made a slice and some daisy biscuits.
Feeling rather tired now, so will put this to bed and get on with some handsewing.

Framed Cross Stitch and WIP

 So far I have cut all the pieces for this Feathered Star and completed the centre star and the nine patch blocks for the corners; but have now been asked to make a library bag for my granddaughter who starts school this year.  I made one for brother and she wants Nana to make hers too.
This pattern and fabric have been on the waiting list since 1994 (or so the cover date on the magazine says).

 The photo below shows my framed cross stitch which has been a finished article since the early 90's.  I've had it framed to enter in our local show.  I think I have been watching too much Kirstie Allsopp.  I'm entering a couple of categories this year as well as the patchwork section.  Wish me luck and I'll update the photos as I choose what to enter.

The library bag will be on the list of things to do after this, as all the housework is finished, a binding to be machine stitched , then await the hand sewing and a customer's quilt to be fixed ready for the machine.  I'll also take a photo of a finished quilt for my 12 year old grandson, which I hope to label and post next week.

TWO QUILTS ON THE WAY TO UK

I tried to post these photos on my first go.  Didn't happen, so here we are again.
One quilt was made for my step-granddaughter as she never had a baby quilt and as she is now 17, it was about time she had one. My other 10 grandchildren have all had baby quilts and some have had at least one more, with another few to be done this year, I hope.

Family Links  (sister-in-law's quilt)
My sister-in-law went through a tough time before Xmas and as I was making a mystery quilt, I thought she may be delighted when it arrives as we are so far away. This quilt was made from a book by Rita Fishel.

Hexagon Hip Hop  (granddaughter's quilt)
 This quilt is a slight variation of a quilt by Pam and Nicky Lintott from The Quilt Room in Dorking, UK.