FNWF & Weekend Retreat!

A relaxing stitching weekend coming up.... off to "Stitching in the Hills" weekend retreat tomorrow - organised by Fiona and Sylvia ... this is the 3rd year of the retreat and it really is a wonderful escape from the "everyday" of life.... stitching away the hours on wonderful projects, catching up with old friends and new, maybe venturing out on a bush walk - we do need to excercise after all  - don't we?
As we arrive tomorrow afternoon I thought I'd join FNWF as I'm sure I will have started some stitching by then.....
So....no photos yet - we get a goodie bag of lovely projects to start over the weekend and I should be back on Sunday night with hopefully something finished!! 

Happy Stitching
Asta

OPAM for July....

Well, here we are at the end of another month and as I had joined the Christmas swap I actually managed to finish some projects for July....these are the gifts that I made for my "swap" partner.... the first one is a folder to keep your Christmas stationery in - the outside

Pattern - Gail Pan

and the inside......

A Christmas bag....

Pattern - Natalie Bird

 And a x-stitch Christmas decoration - seen here between the other 2 (forgot to take a close-up of it....oops!)

August is just around the corner so will have to get a few more projects started (did I actually say that?...I mean get finished!)

Till next time....Happy Stitching

Asta

25th July...

Well, here we are 25th July and it was time to open our secret Christmas in July swap... I was very good and mine wasn't opened till this afternoon!
Thank you very much to my secret swap partner, Kaye.... all such lovely goodies.... here is a photo..

....Beautiful X-stitched and embroidered gifts.....

It makes one feel that Christmas is not very far away!!!

I should be back soon with more stitching and crafting happening.... till then,

Happy Stitching

Asta

The Past Two Weeks.....

It seems like such a long time since I last posted.... where to start....

Just over 2 weeks ago my two daughters lost their father in a tragic plane crash here on the south coast where we live.... though we had been divorced for a number of years we had remained on good terms and lived not too far from each other so I had lost someone whom I had known for 40 years and who should still have been a part of our lives for many years to come.

I never dreamed that I would be ringing our daughters - both overseas and one having only left a few weeks earlier on her trip of a lifetime - and breaking such news to them. They both flew back to Australia and even managed to arrive within 15 mins of each other - not bad considering one flew in from Canada the other from Germany. 

Two weeks on and the "celebration" of their dad's life is organised for this weekend, the girls have spent time sorting some things at his house.... there are murmurings from the elder daughter of returning to Canada in the next couple of weeks - the younger one will resume her travels early next year.... and so life starts to move along its merry way again... 

Needless to say I lost all interest in any sewing and had half finished Christmas in July Swap projects tucked away....... when I saw my daughter reading a book she had just bought at the local bookshop I thought to myself.....it is ok to pick myself up and do what I enjoyed doing -  so they have seen the light of day again and have been finished off over the last few days..... and after a very late night last night are all tucked up here....

..... and posted by express post this morning having been guaranteed by the lady at Australia Post that they will reach my secret swap partner by Friday 25th! 

I should be back on my blog more often again.... but, how life can change in that one moment.....

Asta

FNWF

Yes, I'm still here......

I had a very productive night last night...unfortunately due to a technological hitch I can't seem to save the photos leading up to this one - and only - photo to prove that I was actually stitching!

My earlier photos were of my decision making in deciding which fabrics to use and the actual sewing on the machine...... very frustrating!! This was when I was about to sit and do some hand stitching with a cup of tea and a couple of chocolate biscuits....in the background are some more (!) chocs in a glass dish - no shortage of chocolate in this house!

Today was a day of grocery shopping and house keeping - but hopefully tomorrow will see this particular project finished... won't be able to show you all just yet though....it's a "secret" one..... 

Happy Stitching

Asta

  

Catching Up...

Well, it's been 2 weeks since I visited my blog ...... but I'm back!
Last time saw me ready to farewell by younger daughter on her overseas adventure.... these were our bags as we headed off to Sydney - would you believe mine is the bigger (!) one for one week and hers the other for an indefinite holiday!

Here we are with my mum at the airport - no tears....yet!

It was sad to see her go especially as I don't know when I will see her again but she is on an adventure of a lifetime and I am really excited for her - I did the same thing when I was her age and that was when the only way to communicate was "slow" mail and booking a phone call home!! My.... how times have changed as we keep in contact every couple of days or so.....

Spent the rest of that week in Sydney with my mum and dad - not a lot of time for crafting while there but I was knitting sox (again) - this time for my dad....

......displayed on my (sexy?) legs here. I use Patonyle 4 Ply sock wool - originally they were in 50gr balls and the socks were always symmetrical in design now the balls are 100gr and they never seem to knit up with exactly the same pattern on each sock - a bit frustrating but they are warm!!

Have been back at work this past week and nights have been spent doing some secret sewing - which I can't show you.....but, this book arrived in the post on Friday..

 .....full of lovely projects - would like to start them all! 

Heading off now to find those elusive balls of wool I was going to start knitting a cardigan with..... think about what other projects need finishing (or starting) and put a pot of soup on.... Catch up soon...maybe as soon as tomorrow depending on what my Sunday at home brings!

Happy Stitching

Asta

Leaving on a Jet Plan....

No...not me (not yet anyway)....My youngest daughter (Nearly 26) leaves on Monday for Europe for her trip of a lifetime - jetting off to Europe....and no return ticket so not sure when she'll be home again :-(  The plan is to travel and work (she is a chef) and will return home when either money runs out or she feels home is beckoning! 

Here she is packing Saturday night  - I would probably have needed about 5 of those back packs! 

My other daughter (nearly 29) has been living and working in Canada since January 2012  - apart from about 6 months when she returned home to be a bridesmaid and decided to stay for a while before returning......

....I'll be empty nesting again but will have the company of my two beautiful gingers....vying for a spot in front of the heater here......The younger one Dora (with the long tail) will be 4 later this year and the other one Mezzie is about 15.

Once again I will be heading off to Sydney to farewell Megan and will stay on for the rest of the week - dad is in the middle of radiotherapy at the moment so I will give them an extra hand while there, driving him to medical appointments for the week, doing the cooking, etc.....my parents are 84 & 91 and not doing too bad considering they still live in their own home......Will gather together a bit of knitting, embroidery and a book to take with me but won't be here to blog till next week when I get back.

Apparently I'm a "no reply blogger" didn't even know what that was till I "Googled" it but will fix that when I get back ....no time now - too many other things to think about!..... and pack my BIG bag for only 1 week!

Happy Stitching

Asta

PS Didn't even get to do FNWF on Friday :-(..... but will be back for next month!