FNWF

FNWF arrived and now that the top for my Nature's Journey quilt is finished the pressure was off and I could contemplate what else I could do, so a little Xmas stitchery was the answer.....

...by the end of the night ... which wasn't very late as for some reason I was so tired an early night was in store.... I had got this far.....

The front was nearly finished and the back side was just pinned so I wouldn't  loose the pieces..... lucky I had done that as next day while vacuuming I knocked some of the stitchery off the corner of the lounge and all that NEARLY went up the vacuum cleaner was this......my embroidery thread!

Not an overly productive Friday night.... and mind you the decoration is still not finished... weekend was spent going to our annual Handmade Markets ( a bit of Xmas shopping done) and a start was made on organising my sewing room - a "work in progress"!! , and a bit of reading in the sun which re-appeared after a few days of either rain or heavy clouds!

Hope others had a productive FNWF

Happy Stitching

Asta

Quilt Top Finished

Yesterday was a sewing day! ..... and with a little supervision......

my Nature's Journey quilt top was finally finished.......

 

now to make a decision about the quilting.... to machine quilt or to hand quilt.... maybe a bit of both? 

Sunday, and a very neglected corner of the garden needed some urgent attention! .....

.... yes it was in rather a bad state! Even Dora (the explorer) had trouble navigating the jungle!

A couple of (hot) hours later .....

......am deciding now what to do with this little corner - maybe scrape up all the little crushed stones, lay a weed mat down and replace with some new stones?

The afternoon was enjoyed catching up with a friend over coffee and cake at a local cafe (no photo though) 

And while all this was happening Megan (daughter no 2), after travelling through parts of Europe and Eastern block countries since April, was settling down in a little village in the French Alps......

getting ready to start work for the Winter months as a sous-chef at a ski chalet. What a life!

Well, time to find another project to start.... or maybe one to finish! 

Happy Stitching
Asta

A Sewing Weekend!

Spending time on my Nature's Journey quilt was on the agenda for this weekend.... and that was just what I did!...... The 2" blocks (cut up last weekend and partially sewn together) were finished off on Saturday.....

 .... while fighting off the beginnings of a cold :( .... also taking time to sit on the back deck with a book must have  helped as Sunday came around and was feeling a lot better :) ......now to move onto the next border - all the applique blocks done earlier in the year .... and here is the progress so far - blowing in the wind late this afternoon! 

Two more borders to do and the top will be complete!

Happy Stitching
Asta

Catch Up

A visit to my sister's place at Bundanoon a couple of weekends ago - catching up with mum and dad as well who were also visiting from Sydney..... Vivien, mum and I hit the Bowral shops for a bit of retail therapy.... and they don't even have a patchwork shop! Followed by a leisurely afternoon back "home" - enjoying a cup of tea and starting a new book - the film starts shortly and I prefer to read the book before seeing the movie!

 A stroll around my sister's garden.... she has one of those wonderful rambling sort of gardens.....

Saturday night and it was time to head down to the local Bundanoon hall and listen to a wonderful piano recital by Gerard Willems it was amazing! The "Arts Bundanoon" group bring in musicians to play at their local hall...... the poster on one of the shop windows....

And a photo of mum with Gerard.... she is a retired piano teacher (retired t 80!) and was "over the moon" after having a chat with Gerard!

 I had taken stitching to do but returned Sunday with not a stitch been done!

And must mention that my dad pictured here with mum celebrated his 93rd birthday during this past week! A real milestone and still going strong!

A week later and this book is finished...  a thoroughly enjoyable book with a surprise ending! ... now to wait for the movie. 

Also have been to see the movie"Oddball" what a great "feel-good" Australian movie based on true events! 
 ...and I am back to the Nature's Journey quilt which I haven't touched for couple of weeks - just seemed to have lost interest in it for a while - just needed a break? - anyway, I am back enjoying the "journey" again and there should be more regular updates on the progress! 

That's about it for now....
Happy Stitching
Asta

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