JANUARY PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT...2020.

Time again for our photo hunt linking up with the lovely Kate.  No the easiest this month for me, but here's what I came up with.

1.  LOST/FOUND.
This one (I think), I found the most difficult.  Not getting out much this month because of heat, fires etc., I'd not even really thought about the hunt.  Luckily I scoured both my archives and other bits'n'bobs & noticed this sitting in my library of DVDs.

A word for  "lost" and the "found" part is that I actually found something.

2.  PRINT/S.

A set of black & white prints my late mother-in-law gave me many years ago.  These are of Leeds & I framed them in certificate frames, which I felt suited them well & they have hung in our spare bedroom in each house we've lived in.

3.  LUNCH.

Lunch for a pair of King Parrots at our poor now defunct feeder, as the post rotted and fell down whilst we were away in UK last year.  We must resurrect it soon.  Their water bowl is still there & plenty of birds use it to drink.

4.  STARTS WITH M.....
OK, I couldn't make up my mind with this one, so all 3 have a place.

MOSS

The most sumptuous mossy wall.  This photo was taken on a walk in the Lakes District with my friend Jayne.

MALHAM COVE.

The gorgeous Malham Cove, somewhere I love.  I think I took this in 2014, when we said that we'd do the steps up the side next time we visited.  Sad to say, we've been back to UK twice and still not done them.

MORRIS MINOR.

Our beloved car with a rose arbour framing it.
Sorry about that lot, but this is what happens to a mad woman on a seering hot day of 40 degrees.
Ooh, it's yuk..............fires close to our son again in Canberra.... worrying times.

5.  ENDS WITH T.....

CRAFT.

And then---------------these all end with T too.  We have crochet, knit, quilt and woodcraft, which are my wool bowl & cute cat.  My 3 items are all in progress at the moment, though slowly as it's been hot & not comfortable to knit or crochet much.  The quilt has progressed from the photo last post to this and will be on the big machine before too long.

6.  MY OWN CHOICE.
OK, this was something I saw on the internet & thought about how some people have chosen a word for this year & this sort of fell into place for me.  I need a kick up the butt occasionally & I struggle feeling like I'm worthwhile, so I'm plucking up the "courage" to do something about it.  Maybe watch this space!

Enough of my waffling and I'm off to find a cooler spot  in the house, (no cooler outlet here in the study) and also prepare our evening meal of cold meat & salad.
Hope everyone has a great weekend, stay cool or warm wherever you live.
Take care & huggles from Susan.

TAH-DAH..................IT'S OFF!!!

Sorry to all of my loyal followers and I hope you are all well and enjoyed the Christmas/New Year break.  I think I'm getting my mojo back & although we still have the rest of this summer to endure, the support, kindness, donations and especially the time given from all the volunteer fire people has been overwhelming.  Not just here in Oz, but from all walks of life worldwide.  A huge thank you from me & I'm sure everyone else.
Now onto what the top of this post is about.
A quilt I made way back in 1999 & blogged about here  Well, it is finally quilted & waiting for binding.  This one worked up well whilst piecing, but has had me racking my brains for how to quilt and once I'd made up my mind, I procrastinated with my inability to do it justice.  At the beginning of December it hit the big machine, but all didn't go to plan. I won't go into the problems I had, but let's say, I persevered & it's DONE.......

Kaleidocrosses.

Talking about quilts, brings me to one of the other reasons I'd not blogged much lately and that is being ridiculed by, I expect, well meaning people who seem to think that there are plenty of books, magazines & the internet to make my quilts from, so why would I design my own & it makes one doubt themselves, but I've decided, I am me & that's how I come.  Oh & it's not been through blogland I've been hurt, but locally.    Enough.............here's some more of what we've been up to.

 Picking blueberries and watching my two tomatoes & a couple of rows of silver beet growing.  With our weird weather at the moment, I' surprised anything has grown well, but 16kgs of berries so far & we've had a few meals with the silver beet.  Tomatoes are definitely not ready & quite slow forming.

Both the Wonga vine & Wisteria have been having a mad growth spurt on the pergola at the top of the stairs.  We'll do a wander around the garden in another post.

My fabric cupboard has had a tidy up whilst I was working on the quilt on the design board below.

This quilt is destined for our lovely granddaughter Miss A. who has just moved into her first flat with her boyfriend, whom we've met & found so nice.  Very much a gentleman.

The star patterns are paper pieced & were from Alyce Blythe of Blossom Heart Quilts here in Melbourne.  The setting is my own as are the colours.  It is a bit further along now, and I'll show more progress in the weeks ahead.  

Hubby has been busy too.  He has had a few commissions with one before Christmas & another I'll show once it is finished.  First up will be a photo of "my" pen.  He has also been asked to make a few of these and they can be quite tricky.  I wonder who will guess what they are made of and how?

My pen.

A log truck made for a friend's son's cousin.  This little boy already had one and wouldn't let his cousin anywhere near it, so his Mum commissioned one for the other lad for Christmas.

 The same Mum thought her daughter would love a quilt, so I took two to show her.  Her Mum happened to arrive whilst I was there & took the other for her own Mum (Bec's grandmother), so I sold both.  Wow!  I've plenty of quilts to gift or sell for a little pocket money, which I made & never used.   Luckily I took some photos before I took them for viewing with a couple of others.  Many of the ones I made before blogging have not been on the blog or even photographed so I am slowly remedying this.

A simple "Hunter's Star" made from a magazine.

Evening in Ireland by Trudie Hughes from her book
Even More.

The back of the above quilt.

Two more quilts were photographed that day whilst we were out and about.

A stack & whack quilt made in a group workshop.  The fabric I had in mind didn't work, so a quick trip home saw me bring back some shell fabric, which was much better.

I've two shots of my quilt called Rainbow Stars, which I made after practicing the no waste way of making flying geese blocks.  Only two fabrics were used in this quilt, which were the black & the multi coloured fabric.  Once the geese were made I played with setting them & this is what I ended up with.  

Rainbow Stars.

A lovely dog photo bombing.  He was way more interested in my quilt rather than the dog treat DH had been given to make him turn around for me.

OK, so that has been a small catchup of a few moments from recent months.  One last photo to finish and more than likely I'll be here on Friday for the Photo Hunt.

Picked from the garden yesterday & placed on our side table between the two armchairs.  Bit messy, but I am crocheting of a night with my Christmas present from DD, which was the wool for Attic 24's dahlia rug.  Not far with that yet, so it will be shown in progress soon.

Best go as I'm starting to feel weary.  Take care all & huggles from down under.

BLOG ON HOLD!!

Due to the unbelievable fires here in Oz, which are breaking my heart with the devastation, loss of life & homes, businesses and the manpower needed to tackle the situation, I feel not in the least interested in doing any blog posts.  SORRY, SORRY. 
My friend Joy and I hope to get a few things together in the only way we know how to help with our quilting, which doesn't sound much, but better people keeping out of the fire zones if they don't know what they are doing and lending a hand in some other way.  Hopefully I'll keep you posted in the coming weeks, to at least keep my hand in on the blogfront.  I'll also be around for our Photo Hunts.  I'm finding it hard to comment on your posts, but do a little occasional catch up. Again an apology to all of you that I follow.
Just one photo of where we ate our picnic lunch on Christmas Day with the smoke from New South Wales and East Gippsland here in Victoria spoiling the beautiful view.

The "view" from Jindivik Cricket Ground.

Yesterday was appalling with the smoke hanging around, but doesn't seem quite as bad today with a strong breeze blowing, which doesn't bode well with the spread of embers which start more fires in the tinder dry conditions.  Please, please, we need rain................
Happy New Year to all my (hoepfully still), blog followers and today is also our youngest son's 42nd birthday.  Happy birthday J.
Take care all and the biggest huggles from Susan.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A QUICK EXPLANATION.

Here are Season's Greetings from Down Under and a small apology for being so absent from my blog.
Some know that we went for a lovely holiday to UK and it takes me some time to get myself together again after seeing my family who are so far away.  Just starting to settle, when the fires started in NSW & Queensland.  I grew up in Sydney and so many places familiar to me are blackened by the fires.  I know people in these areas and my heart is breaking for them.  Now we have fires in East Gippsland,  some near to Ballarat and through South Australia, as well as Western Australia.  I find it hard comprehending all the devastation and to blog about what must be mundane happenings by us, but hopefully I'll find the inclination to put words together for some posts in the New Year.
I have some ideas for raising much need money to help our rural and country fire services, which are mainly run by volunteers.  They are all exhausted and we do have help now from New Zealand and Canada.
THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. 
Enjoy your time all, spent with family.  Ours will be extremely quiet this year with just the two of us, due to distance & the ongoing circumstances going on in this large country of ours.
Take care and big huggles from Susan.   xxxxx

FIVE ON FRIDAY - GRATITUDE

Linking with Kate at I live, I love, I craft, I am me, for her 5 on Friday - gratitude - linkup.

First up.................
1. Still being asked by your children if you are able to make something for them.
DDs idea was for a small table beside her couch for her device, glass of water & maybe a book.

DH took this photo on his phone after he finished it, before it goes.  DD has a birthday 3 days after Xmas & this will be her present this year.
DstepD was saying she'd like some bright cushions for her conservatory whilst we were in the UK.  She showed me some on Pinterest & when we got home, I'd booked into a techniques class & thought a cushion would be a good use for the block I was to make.  Ah, then I remembered a block I'd made many years ago & turned that into a cushion too & now they have been posted for her birthday, which is on Sunday.

2.. Still having good hearing.
On Sunday whilst eating my breakfast, I heard a strange noise, and as I got up to investigate, I remembered what it might be.  Out to take a quick look, back in again to grab camera & voila..............

A hot air balloon floating across our suburb.  I tried to take a photo with the flame rising, but missed it each time.

3.  Some warmth, though not a lot hear in southern Victoria.
Unlike the northern parts of Australia, which are suffering from severe drought, heat & fires.  The little warmth has been enough to ripen....
wait for it.............

Three blueberries.  There are lots more ready to ripen, but lack of sunshine & warm weather has delayed them somewhat.

4.  Having a strong sense of smell.
My Port Wine Magnolia (Michelia figo) has insignificant flowers, but the most intoxicating heady perfume, which on a sunny day in the late afternoon can be quite overpowering.  I love it.

Such small flowers for a very strong perfume.

5.  Wildlife, however small.
Some moths are tiny & not too noteworthy, but when 3 children are gathered around "something" on a verandah floor, I took notice and went to find out what they had found.

And this what they were mesmerised by.  Such a beautiful moth.  This happened on the day of the Hill Climb at our Car Club Rally in November (yes, not quite this week), and as everyone was filing from door of the reception centre after lunch, the children were worried it might be crushed under some feet.  Not game enough to touch it, I offered to see what I could do.  I put my finger close to it's feet & luckily, it stepped onto said finger & I lifted it off the floor & put it on top of the back wall of the verandah, out of harm's way.  Hopefully it lived  to see another day.

OK, this might pop up a tad early, but we have a busy day tomorrow and as I missed last weeks, I'm getting in now.  Thanks Kate for reminding me to be grateful for all around us and taking the time to appreciate it.
Take care all & hopefully I can do some catching up on my own blog and others.
Huggles, Susan.

FAVOURITE FINISH FOR NOVEMBER 2019.

Another linkup party.....this time with Meadow Mist Designs for our favourite finish of the month.

OK, I'm being a bit naughty this month & have 3 to show, though it is the first photo which relates to the finish.
As most of my blogpals know, I'm a bit on the wacky side or as someone once called me "a quirky quilter".  So here goes.................

JELLY JIVE.

This one seems to be well liked by all who have seen it, so it will be No. 1 for now.
I have actually been playing with jelly rolls & making two quilts with one roll & background.  As I love designing it has all been lots of fun.  This time though, 2 became 3.

The said jelly roll, which was really a Rainbows pack from Victorian Textiles.

My doodling in a graph book, which is something I use on a regular basis, along with my Quilt Wizard program.  The one on the left, was first designed back on plain paper in 2014, on an aeroplane coming home from a holiday to the UK, after visiting family.
The next few pics are some in-progress shots, which I may have shown before.

JELLY JAZZ

JELLY JIVE

JELLY JUMBLE

 I was trying to line these up across the page, but this will have to do.  Jelly Jumble was the first, then Jelly Jazz & finally Jelly Jive.  Below are the other 2 finished.

I took them away with me last weekend for some photo bombing, but it was so windy all the time, this was the best we could do.  They were all taken at Porcupine Flat near Maldon  where this little fellow below was watching what we were up to.

This wallaby was finding it very interesting seeing me trying to stop the quilts flapping in the breeze.
He didn't go till we actually took off in the car.

The old dredge & other interesting bits are scattered here from the gold rush days.

As I've been trying to do this post, the weather has brightened a "LITTLE", though there are still a lot of black clouds banking up again. The wind is still quite boisterous & cold, & the weather station says it has climbed to 11 degrees outside.  Wow!!!!   Been running in & out to the kitchen as, I'm also baking a couple of slices to tide us over the next week or so and listening to some CD's on a louder than usual volume as DH is at his woodworking club.
Well best get myself up as there are cushions to finish for a birthday present, 2 aprons a friend has asked me to make & quilts to keep working on.............Ah, to be retired!!!!
All from this funny old lady for now.  Have a good week, take care & huggles.
Susan.

NOVEMBER PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT & APOLOGIES..............!!!

Linking once again for the last hunt of 2019 with Kate from I live, I love, I craft, I am me, who hosts this wonderful monthly get together.
Firstly, I would like to apologise  for being so absent & hope that I do keep at least a few followers.
This "i'net" age is doing my head in...................my old laptop (which I use all the time), has decided it no longer wants to connect to the internet & my tablet has many issues too (it's not old), the worst being deleting my emails before I even get to read them.  Hence, I need to do everything basically on the PC in the study & that cuts into my daytime chores etc.  Anyway, enough from me, except a great big SORRY!!!!!!!!!

This month's hunt..................
1.  SEASONAL VIEW.

Hay being baled & then wrapped for silage.  These photos were taken on Thursday on the way home from errands we had to do near Melbourne, so definitely "seasonal" for now.  The ranges in the background are very hazy due to smoke from NSW fires (we think).  It's been raining here overnight & is still cooler than it should be for so close to summer.  Southern Victoria is experiencing some weird weather with snow forecast "again" for our high country areas.

2.  OOPS!!!
This one has a bit of a funny story to it, so bear with me.

DH was asked by our car club to make a board to display our life members names.  Seeing a chunk at his woodworking group, he bought it.  It was about 12" wide, 36" long and 2" thick.  It then became shorter after cutting & was cut through the centre thickness to open out like the pages of a book.
He glued it through down the middles, turned it over & OOPs..... showed it to me & I just started laughing.

Can you see what we saw..........................😊.  It has now been stained & doesn't look half as funny.
We'll take it down to the club on Wednesday for the committee meeting & see what they think.

3.  SEASHORE.

                      Betka Beach on the east coast of Victoria, taken whilst on holiday in 2015.
                                   I had so many to choose from, I couldn't make up my mind.
4.  CARD.

Paint colour "cards" being made into quaint bookmarks & maybe popped into Christmas cards as a tiny gift.  These are fun to make if you have any bits'n'bobs leftover from scrapbooking or cardmaking.
You can even decorate bought tags for pressies.
 
5.  STRIPE/D.

I have a very large stash!!!!!!  Sorted into colours, novelties, animals, large florals etc., there is even one for all sorts of "stripes".  It's not surprising that I love fabric & am a FABRIHOLIC, as a small child I loved collecting all my Mum's sewing scraps & hoarding them away until she found them again and were tossed into the bin.

6.  MY OWN CHOICE.

I took this photo whilst away in September on a trip to Canberra to see our son & grandchildren, then on to Orange to see my oldest friend.  On a day tripping around the Orange area, I spotted this gate & as I got out of the car to take the photo, this horse came trotting over to the fence for a pat.  I obliged by rubbing his nose & I'm sure he wanted me to stay longer. 
OK, I've done it and hope to be back in blogland a bit more, as I miss the comraderie & seeing what everyone has been up to.  I'll make time to hop on the PC & maybe try & sort the laptop & tablet to working order somehow.(ha,ha). 
As well as all the hoo-ha above, we've also been busy with other things.  I spent a lovely day at AQM (Australian Quilt Market), then a scrollsaw demonstration with DH on the Sunday and last weekend saw us take the caravan away & spend 4 days in Geelong with a quilt techniques class in Torquay with Emma Jean Jansen for me.  Fun times.
Take care all, have a great weekend & huggles from Susan.