August Update

 Well... before August gets any further along I better do a quick update as it has been some time since I was last here.... 

Early August I had a birthday worth celebrating... the big 70!! A few days before my actual birthday I celebrated over a lovely lunch in the Southern Highlands with family and a few close friends....

I finished off the day with my sisters, together with Hayley and Megan, enjoying cocktails at a local resort, Osbourne House - very conveniently just across the road from my sister's place ..... all we had to do after was find our way back down their driveway - in the dark! 

I then spent the rest of the week in Bundanoon and celebrated my actual birthday with a lunch outing with Mum and my sister... both my girls and other sister having returned home. 

Mum also had a birthday in late July....which she enjoyed with my sisters......

What else have I been doing? Well.....going back to June I once again went to Storyfest in Ulladulla...another great weekend of talks by some wonderful authors and always more books came home.....when they set up a great onsite bookshop it's a little hard to resist!! 

I have read many books over the last few months but will have photos of those for next time. 

And.....drumroll please..... I have actually finished something creative! Very much enjoyed making the felt flowers which all became part of this cushion. Now I have a number of projects lined up for further felt flowers - love that they can be hand made - very portable! And there is no limit to how you can embellish them!

Will be starting a couple of weeks leave very shortly and hoping to get some stitching done and books read..... so....back soon! 

Happy Stitching!

Farewell Dear Dad

 On an Autumn day in early May we farewelled my Dad at a celebration of his life ....he was a much loved husband, Dad and Pop.

Dad passed away very peacefully on the eve of Sunday 16th April at 100 years and 6 months - a long life very well lived which included some significant milestones in the past year.... celebrating a 70th wedding anniversary with Mum and of course Dad's 100th birthday which he thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with family and friends! Dad will be greatly missed by our family. 

The month of May brought Mothers' Day as I headed back to Bundanoon to enjoy the day with Mum and Vivien

  Those of us who couldn't be there joined in for afternoon tea via a virtual zoom call......

And so our lives go on without Dad but his love and the memories we made will always stay with us all.....

Asta

What have I been doing.....

 Here we are already nearly half way through April AND Autumn!! Time to really do a bit of a catch up....

The Easter weekend has come and gone but here is a little bit of my Easter decorating..... one little felt bunny made it to Easter as "finished" ... the weekend was spent doing some reading, baking, stitching, gardening, catching up with friends & with the family via Zoom!

A visit to see Mum and Dad the weekend before coincided with "Brigadoon" - an annual "Highland Gathering" of the clans - with a street parade, over 20 pipe bands, traditional and not so traditional highland games and so much more..... well worth a visit! 

Since beginning of March I have now been working a 3 day week - why didn't I do this sooner - creative productivity has increased - the following are all works in progress .....

Embroidering felt flowers for a cushion....

More stars being made for a quilt.....

And ....look familiar? Yes here we are again back to Anni Downs's quilt "Gossip in the Garden" - at the beginning of every year I take it out to finish and get no further than one more panel - this one completed last month...  let's see how far I progress this time around! 

A couple of small projects have been finished lately - due to them being gifts so couldn't really be a work in progress for too long...... a little bag for whatever and a lavender bag....

A quilt has also been put together so I can practice "free motion" quilting - why do little samples I thought.....just jump right in.....hasn't been started yet and no photo - at time of photo shoot  a little Miss decided it was a good spot to sit! 

My other love of reading has not been overlooked...... these being the books read over the last couple of months - all enjoyed and all very different..... I even found an Agatha Christie I had not read in a 2nd hand shop.... have quite a collection of these as they were also the first books bought to read on our annual family holidays as a teenager

And keeping creativity in the family my girls (now living close to each other) had a go at pottery recently.... I did once (many, many years ago) try it but just wasn't my thing - too gooey and wet! They certainly enjoyed it! 

I think that's about it for now..... anything forgotten will be added to my next post... together with any further progress on my projects. 

Happy Stitching

Asta 

Christmas 22 and January

 Nearly the end of February and here I am catching up once again! So without further a-do let's start...

It was great to have Megan, James (his first Summer Christmas) and Hayley travel south and join in our family Christmas in Bundanoon.....the first time we were having Christmas all together in - I think - 7 years!

James on hand with the champagne!

Hayley and Mum enjoying the moment!! 

While Linda and I spent nearly 3 weeks in Bundanoon Megan & James had to return to work after a few days while Hayley stayed on a little longer..... and we certainly were able to fill in our days...... days which bought cold foggy days spent inside with a book or op shopping for more books and then other days that were so hot and saw us heading off to buy "noodles" and spend days at the local pool!! 

Of course there were plenty of occasions to eat out and great to take mum & dad out at these times.....

Following on from the sale of Mum & Dad's house in Sydney removalists moved what was left to still sort to a storage unit in the Southern Highlands ..... were there really this many boxes!! I'm sure they have been multiplying in the dark!! I think we will be sorting for years!! 

....but we did find time to head off to Canberra and enjoy the Cressida Campbell exhibition at the National Gallery.... and  one special sister was gifted an early birthday present... a beautiful book of Cressida's work....

And after 3 weeks ....yes, we were all rather tired - with afternoon naps a normality! 

But....the most exciting news while we were still in Bundanoon..... Dad finally received his 100th Birthday greeting from King Charles and the Queen Consort... 

The 3 weeks then came to an end and time to travel home with a very packed car..... included in which was Mum's sewing table luckily fitting lengthwise in my car - one less thing in storage and with Megan completely cleaning out her room to move north I now had a dedicated sewing room! 

February has seen some stitching happening and books read but more of that next time.... getting rather late here but just had to catch up before Christmas / January became a long distant memory.....

Happy Stitching

Asta 

Quick Update

 With Christmas just around the corner time for a quick update...... 

After spending a couple of months with me, Megan and James, with their van fully packed have now moved on finding jobs and accommodation way up north in the Byron Bay area..... and not to leave anything behind my original sewing box (about 50 years old) and now Megan's also was squashed into a spare space! 

Megan and I managed to fit in a lovely long lunch at our Botanical Gardens before they left........ 

A little "happy" mail arrived - all intentions for making it for this Christmas went out the window.... think I will need to start early 2023 to get Christmas projects finished!!

And only 1 book read over the last couple of months..... 2nd of this series and a great read!!

Did say this was a quick update..... car is packed and an early start heading up to Bundanoon for Christmas with the whole family - Hayley, Megan and James all heading south for a few days ..... first time in over 7 years we have all been together for the festive season! So.....will finish off with a few photos of my usual Santa display and wishing readers a Happy Christmas and may 2023 bring joy and good health your way..... with many hours of stitching!! 

(Not sure why photos have black edge??- will sort out when I have a bit more time!

Happy Stitching and Happy Holidays

Asta