Well, the long weekend is now at an end.... time to catch up with what I have been up to....

During the past week I actually had a project finished for OPAM (One Project a Month)! I've been so busy with the Nature's Journey quilt that I don't seem to have the time to actually finish any other project - Nature's Journey can't be included till it's finished :( ..... but here is my finish for September.....a start for Xmas

Pattern: Gail Pan

Then it was the first Friday of the month and time for FNWF ...... no stitching but time for cutting out another 200 x 2" squares for the Nature's Journey Quilt so.... with Miss Dora keeping an eye on things.....

...this teetering pile of fabrics......

became stacks of little squares a couple of hours later......

 Saturday dawned  - we were already into the second month of Spring and it was time to spring clean the house! ...An accumulation of magazines, a trail of fabrics from Nature's Journey quilt that seemed to have taken over the house (!) , various other on-going projects were all sorted and put away, furniture moved, the duster was out, even as the day was warming up I kept "hoovering" away! The house was well and truly "breathing" again!! 

Sunday - and a very hot day forecast! So.... together with a good friend we headed off to the Regional Orchid Show being held at one of the local clubs.... and air-conditioned! 
Who would have thought that there are so many varieties of orchids! ......from your traditional....

...to the exotics

....some with "attitude"....

...others you wouldn't even think were orchids.....

...... ones that looked more like a daffodil!

...other delicate ones.....

....and ones that were provided with a magnifying glass!! 

And this little orchid came home with me!....

Will it be the first of many? Ummm we'll see..... 

Then it was Monday - the last day of our long weekend :( .... gardening had been on the agenda for the weekend but it was too hot (don't enjoy being in the heat) so the day was spent pottering around in my sewing room - it is in quite a state and there will only be photos when there is an "after" as well as a "before"! ...... I finished reading my latest book....

 ....and enjoyed late afternoon with a glass of wine, nibbles and a few "old" magazines to browse through.

No stitching was done over this weekend but it's the start of a new week now so must get back into my Nature's Journey quilt - only machine sewing left now.

Hope all my readers had an enjoyable weekend too.
Happy Stitching
Asta

A Sunny Sunday!

Well, after a week of very cold - return to Winter - sort of weather the sun showed itself today so whatever housework hadn't been done was shelved and it was time to sit on the back deck with some stitching....

.... a bit of Xmas stitching - getting organised this year!
Took a wander around my garden as well ..... a white lavender that seems to like it's shady spot....

and one of the clivias showing off it's beautiful orange colour....

....and while Dora had a  nap after all the activities of a sunny day.....

 I made a start on cutting out all those 400 x 2" squares for the Nature's Journey quilt!

Hope everyone also had a productive weekend with some relaxation thrown in!

Happy Stitching

Asta

Catching up!

Has it really been 3 weeks since I was last here!.... well, time to do a bit of a catch up....

A week's holiday was on the agenda early September which started off with a visit to the theatre with mum and my sisters to see Les Miserables...

... which we all thoroughly enjoyed... mum for, I think, the 4th time! (Dad stayed home to garden on this occasion). 
The following day one of my sisters and I headed out of Sydney and 2 hours later arrived at Katoomba....... where we had this delightful cottage booked for a mini-holiday in the Blue Mountains.....

Of course there were shopping trips to the inevitable 2nd hand shops - of which there are many in the area.....

 ...discovered that Morris & Sons (Wool shop) have an outlet in Katoomba called The Granny Square.... a lovely shop that we spent time in... couldn't resist a little purchase ....

Then, how could you go to the Blue Mountains and not have high tea at The Hydro Majestic!

... a couple of hours spent gazing out over the amazing views as we enjoyed a delicious high tea!..... and the tastefully decorated foyer!

Another day - morning tea at The Paragon in Katoomba - an "institution" that can't be missed........

Then with a very willing sister in tow we made the (short!) trip to Bathurst.... and 1  1/2 hours later arrived at The Home Patch !!  A couple of hours on (!) with a few purchases tucked under my arm we made the return trip back to Katoomba! ...and, yes, my sister did enjoy Anni's shop leaving with a little shopping bag of her own! 

My purchases - now to find time!

 Not all our time was spent shopping and eating! - we spent nights being creative in our cosy warm cottage..... note my Natures Journey quilt and crochet and my sister's knitting on the lounge...

An afternoon spent in Leura.....

.... before heading back down the mountain leaving behind a very relaxing 3 day break and plans being made of a longer stay next time - with perhaps a bush-walk thrown in (did I actually say that!).

A day back in Sydney and it was time to head home, un-pack, re-pack and head off to my annual embroidery weekend retreat just outside of Canberra! "Stitching in the Hills" organised by Fiona and Sylvia ... Friday night - greeted by our "project" bags.....with a lovely gift tucked inside!

Our projects & Materials

Sunny, warm weather tempted us outside for lunch.....

.... and some for a bush walk

..... Saturday night's theme was "rainbows"!

A great week's holiday filled with all the things I enjoy!

Then last week Hayley flew down from Burleigh Heads and with Megan travelling in Europe I took a few days off work to give her a hand packing up their dad's house which both girls now, a year after his passing, have decided to rent out ....

Once she had flown home it was back to my stitching and I have finally finished the August "homework" on the Nature's Journey quilt!! 

 Well, that about covers all I have been up to lately.... it's time now to start some serious gardening, Spring cleaning and finishing off my Nature's Journey quilt!

Back soon.... till then....

Happy Stitching

Asta

My Weekend.

Weekend spent catching up with friends - Saturday a movie "Last Cab to Darwin" - I really enjoyed this Australian movie - followed by dinner (no photos though).....
Sunday lunch to one of my favourite restaurants at Cupitts Winery  with a couple of other friends - the view from our table....

 .....and our desserts!

........and some outdoor entertainment.......

Some stitching also did get done, though not as much as I'd hoped - the outcome of which is that my August block for Nature's Journey quilt is not yet finished.... but -  there has been progress and  I hope to have it finished by the end of the week.....(just a note that the diamonds on the side are not sewn down yet - just been put into place so still a bit to do!)

.... And one small project finished for OPAM this month..... a fabric basket...

 Another working week underway, though, I will be on holidays the following week :) !!

Happy Stitching
Asta 

Warm sunny weather was very welcome on Saturday and I made the most of it spending time in the garden reading with a "cuppa".....

....a close-up of these lovely flowers.....

...,,, Sunday was a rather bleak day :( so it was time spent indoors ..... deciding on the next colours for my on-going crochet project...

.......and working on my Nature's Journey quilt......

....... no photo - but some indoor time was taken up de-cluttering / sorting an area of my very full garage!.... and at the front door are a number of boxes heading to the local op-shop - could have been more but you don't seem to get a lot done when you browse and reminisce on the finds you make! (The garage is one of my works in progress!) 

Happy Stitching
Asta

Catching Up!

Since I was last here I have completed the centre applique block on the Nature's Journey quilt......

... and made another "fabric" basket for a friend's birthday.....

Later in the week there was a funeral to attend for an elderly family friend - he'd had a good life reaching 101 yrs and 4 days! I detoured to Sydney via Bundanoon (Southern Highlands) from where my sister and I travelled together.
An extra day away was spent at her place..... enjoying a rather brisk Winter's day....

....but with signs of Spring in her garden.....

and alongside the road out of Bundanoon .......

On the way home a detour to Spotlight.... some of their Christmas fabrics are already in and a few balls of wool for another  crocheted project I have in mind! 

Sunday morning... and yes! It does look like a lovely day outside.....

.... will just have to sit out on the deck and finish reading this book .....

I really enjoy Kate Morton's books - have also read "The Shifting Fog" and "The Forgotten Garden" ...  I have another of her books in my "books to be read" bookcase but I think I will choose something else next.......
Later in the afternoon fabrics came out ready to cut up for the next part of the Nature's Journey quilt.....

.... I did end up changing one of the fabrics and they all did get cut.... but I didn't think to take any more photos before stacking them up ready to start sewing together during the week!









Will be back with more progress on NJ and any other creation I may be working on .....

Happy Stitching
Asta 

FNWF

Well, this month I did remember to join up with fellow sewers for our "virtual" Friday night get together...... don't know what happened last month - the days seem to fly by and it must have just "fallen in a hole"!
So what did I do? Would I dare do anything else except my Nature's Journey block for July? Of course not! So here is some further progress.......

....and it WILL  be finished over this weekend...am staying positive! Then starts the August "homework".......

Hope everyone else who joined in had an enjoyable & productive night!

happy Stitching
Asta