The house is all quiet over the next couple of weeks as DD2 and a couple of friends - a Danish and a Dutch girl she met on her US travels last year have headed off on a road trip to Victoria ...here they are working out how everything is going to fit into their car! The 2 OS girls came down in their rental car with all their worldly belongings!

So what have I been up to?..... well finishing off this......

..... our January "homework" for Stitch-a-long 2015... 

February is just around the corner and then the real work starts as we have sections of Anni's wonderful pattern Nature's Journey to complete by the end of each month! .... My fabrics have been sorted....

I'm also working (very slowly) on Gossip in the Garden quilt so have filled this basket with both projects - the one on the right is Gossip in the Garden the one on the left is Natures Journey......hopefully this basket will empty out during the year!

Have also once again joined up with OPAM 2015 - it certainly encouraged me to complete projects each month - no matter how small they were! 

And.... so another year begins "stitching with friends" 

Happy Stitching

Asta

Lunch Out & Some Stitching

Another week has slipped away - but it started off with lunch out last Sunday with DD1 and her  partner and DD2 at Cupitt's Winery Restaurant in Milton on the South Coast.....

Then it was off to work on Monday after 3 weeks off! But during the week this arrived :).....

Pattern - Anni Downs

Our "project" for SAL 2105.... which I joined a couple of weeks ago - hope I can keep up with this one - I think some of my other planned projects may have to "take a back seat" for a while including "Gossip in the Garden" which I am working on VERY slowly!! Of course we have "homework" for January so have started stitching "Christmas Wishes" another Anni Downs pattern......

.... and have put together some fabrics to make a small bag with a stitchery from Gail Pan's lovely book - which I finished at the last FNWF.....

Have spent today at another working bee at our local theatre...hopefully will get some more creativity happening tomorrow - they do forecast some showers which might mean the gardening won't get done.... what a shame!!

Happy stitching....till next time

Asta

FNWF

Nearly forgot about FNWF (!) so started a bit late but did finish off this stitchery......

...Now all I have to do is sew it up into a little bag -  for myself, I think....

For those of you who follow my "yarns" you will know that I am also a member of our local theatre company and quite often stage manage or help out with shows through the year or with the occasional working bee.... well today it was the working bee and as much as I would have loved to spend "hours" going through my stash looking for fabrics for this stitchery and for the Stitch-a-long project it just didn't happen :-(  ..... perhaps tomorrow ? .....though I do have a lunch out planned....but not till 12.30!

Happy Stitching

Asta

Catching Up!

Well, where has the time gone - especially when you are on holidays!
I had a lovely Christmas day with both my girls - meals being well taken care of by daughter No 2 who is a chef.... all I had to do was help out with the shopping! 
A couple of days later I left for Sydney where I enjoyed a 2nd Christmas celebration and saw the New Year in with the rest of my family. A few restful days were spent in Sydney including a couple of trips to Spotlight for their sales and a leisurely afternoon tea at Burnt Orange in Mosman.....

My Mum and I at the entrance.....

and a view of the Manly ferry going past....... 

(This building was the Mosman Golf Club in 1924 till the onset of World War 2 when the army resumed the land and in 2001 the building and military land transferred to the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust....where now we can all enjoy a lunch or afternoon tea!)

On the sewing side I have been "creating" and didn't realise till the other day that I had missed OPAM for December and also - heaven forbid! - FNWF!! - although I was in Sydney at the time!....and days can roll into one when one is on holidays!! 
So... here are a few finishes that I couldn't show earlier as they were gifts....

... Another fabric basket....

Pattern - Anni Downs

....Christmas hanging - stitched in red with a grey cat as the friend to whom it was going to has a grey cat....couldn't resist when I saw the pattern - may have to make one for myself with my 2 x ginger cats - though I think it will be a bit squishy!

Pattern - Gail Pan

... and a pin cushion from Gail Pan's book "Patchwork Loves Embroidery"

Since being home .... a little bit of stitching....

and some reading - finished this great book... thoroughly enjoyed it - thought provoking - can understand why it has won a couple of literary awards....

... am now reading (I should say re-reading - first read about 40 yrs ago!) something different -  The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien - a completely different story line and, yes, I have seen the movies.

Today I joined up with Stitch-a-Long for 2015... thought about it for quite some time but the temptation was too great!! I'm also working on "Gossip in the Garden" and was a bit concerned the colours of both may be the same as I am using fabrics from my stash for both... will just have to be resourceful and try and make one different from the other! 

Back to work next week - will try and do some sewing during my few remaining days of holidays.... and will be back sooner rather than later!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2015 - may it be a productive year as well!
Happy Stitching
Asta