October!

 Hello October! and hello daylight savings. I do like daylight savings but the first week is hard getting up earlier.

The garden is going nuts, not much thanks to me, Dave has been planting and turning dirt, (I helped repot the blueberries! ) and today I will be making a pot of Loquat jam and shelling and freezing some peas not enough for the year but never mind. I had a medical thing in Tamworth last week and Dave had a few hours to kill so he went to Bunnings and got some potted colour which we planted and they are brightening up the flower beds.

I went to the Sydney Quilt Show and had a look around and maybe bought a few things saw a few friends and their quilts then went to Brads to babysit young Francis. 

 

 

 

 

I had a basting day yesterday and my back is sore. I basted 5 quilts ready to quilt.

I got a message from the eldest son yesterday He has been living in his ex's garage to be close to the kids and yesterday a tornado tore through their back yard, shed roof gone, a lot of damage done and the toilet in the lounge room. luckily no one hurt and they were thinking of moving anyway but also no insurance. One of the basted quilts yesterday was for him so I had better get it done.

not much sewing done here lately, I did a class with Coolah Country Patchwork and we made some Lori Holt project bags, I love most things Lori Holt and these are very cute. 

I have a sewing weekend coming up with the Coolah girls and then a weekend in Sydney doing a Workshop with Michelle Marvig which I am looking forward to. 

Thats it for now

 

Spring is Here!

 I love Spring it is my favourite season, except for the hayfever. 

What did I achieve in August? 

Dave thought he was 21 again, had too much to drink and fell on the fireplace, the photo is gross so I won't share but needless to say I have used almost every dressing that I had and all of my patience, but his arm has healed nicely.

Shane came up for a visit it was lovely to see him. We went into Tamworth for a Vietnamese lunch  and a wander around it was a beautiful day.

 

 

I didn't do much of my Chookshed Challenge project as I have been trying to get my Bigs and Smalls quilt done, I have a lot of the flowers made and just starting to applique them onto the background.

 

Then at the end of the month I attended Chooky's August escape weekend at Barradine, I had 2 quilts hanging on the wall and I got My Favourite Colour is Moda top done. 

 

As usual the food was amazing and plentiful, the company great, the goody bag lovely, a great weekend and I went home so inspired I want to make all the quilts! Robyn and Troy from Picton patchwork came over with part of their shop on Saturday and I bought a quilt kit, because I need more....... 

That was August! 

 

July recap

 July is done and dusted! 

What did I achieve? My chookshed challenge quilt top is done, Swoon is a top!

 Swoon is a very big top. This was my blocks made in last years Bee group there are 2 more that I think will become a bag.

Dave dug up the potato crop they are Dutch Creams and very tasty, I made so much Basil Pesto but the Basil has died off now 

My niece Sarah came to visit with her daughter Celeste, Girls are very different.... or maybe it was just Celeste. We went into Tamworth for a drive and went to the golden Guitar and had the nicest scone in the cafe there, then we went to the Lifeline book shop, it was the first time I had been there and oh my there are so many books, most are $3 I got the patchwork and knitting book for $1 each and I didn't even look at the cookbooks.

 

 

 

I went to Brads to babysit little Francis, poor baby had his needle earlier in the week and had a touch of the runs so he was a bit grizzly but that meant a lot of cuddles.

 

 

 

This photo was taken when he went to the hospital to rule out a UTI.

My eldest son Grant and grandson Max were in Sydney on the same weekend to go to the football and we met up for breakfast at an Irish Cafe, where we tried Black pudding and White pudding! The black was spicy and dry but the white wasn't too bad. Max had the Big Irish breakfast but he couldn't finish it, he is 18 years old and 6foot 7 !!!!

 

I have been knitting, well I made Francis a beanie on four needles! very fiddly and I may never do it again 

 

 

 

My new to me recipe for the month was Hidden Veg Sausage Rolls , I thought they were delicious! So did Brad and Sophie. Dave was surprised that he didn't get indigestion from them, Ha!

 

 

I listened to the Testaments to and from Sydney this is the sequel to the Handmaids Tale it was riveting. 

I joined Chooky a couple of times for a zoom session and got some of my Bigs and smalls hexagons done.

The Chookshed number for August is 6 which is my Message in a bottle quilt, which was a BOM from Material Obsession Way back I might take it to Spring Stitchin weekend later inthe month and my quilting goal is to quilt my Fuzzy quilt which was a Bee quilt from maybe 2020? I'm not sure. 

Shane is visiting this week so vegan food will be cooked by him not me, Tofu and me do not enjoy each others company. 

June Recap

It's July

What did I do in June?  

I met up with Janice and Mick for coffee when they were on the way home from their Queensland trip, I made a bag , I sewed up a Bee quilt from 2 years ago I sewed half upside down but that's easy fixed. 

I didn't get anything done for the Chookshed Challenge I was to do a blue and mauve triangle quilt  that someone gave me but when I went to get it out off the shelf I have passed it on to someone else.

I saw this quilt at a clients house and I love it, I would love to know the designer and pattern if anyone knows it.

I went to Sydney in May to meet Francis, he is so tiny, Brad is smitten.

 

I made a lovely big bag

I sewed up a quilt top 

I tried 3 new recipes, one was Korma Chicken drumsticks with tumeric rice, then using the leftover rice and adding to it was Salmon Biryani, from the June Coles magazine, both delicious. On Monday I made a lemon drizzle cake and it is almost gone.

 I have read a few books I started a series called the seven sisters and they are very hard to put down.

April !!!

 Ok April is done, almost.

Brad and Sophie's baby shower -done

Scrub Stitchin -done

Gunnedah show-done 

My Birthday - done.

I read 2 books My friends by Fredrik Backman, I loved it I finished it on the train to Sydney and there were tears, it is about 4 friends, it is never mentioned where they are, most of the story is being told to a fifth person, I highly recommend it and now I want to find more of his books. 

The second book was The Confidence Woman, I did enjoy the book but I didn't like the main character, she conned people and felt justified when she did then felt sorry for herself when it turned bad.

I listened to a couple of books while I was sewing or driving, this one was interesting, it was a group of 3 couples away on their annual new years trip and they find a bag of money and what goes down afterwards. 

 Chookshed Challenge was number 10 which for me was Bag Month, well with everything happening this month I didn't like my chances of making a bag, even though I wanted to make a nappy bag for Sophie, but the scrub stitchin project was a Liberty and linen pouch! made not used yet I haven't decided what it will house.

 

I took a few pics at Scrub Stitchin but I mainly sewed and chatted and ate, as usual there was yummy slices and homemade biscuits, fresh scones yumm.

 

 I took 4 projects I got 1 1/2 done. and the pouch.

 

 

I got zip it sewn up and I got a lot of Lighthearted by Camille Roskelly made no pics yet, I am thinking of quilt as you go in 3 strips but I still haven't decided what I will quilt on it, probably echo quilting.

 

The week before scrub stitchin I caught the train to Sydney, I really enjoyed just sitting back and reading or sewing my hexies for 6 hours each way, I decided not to drive as the parking around Brads is limited and there would be a few guests of the baby shower looking for parking as well and my air con isn't working so its not good for a long trip. I have been told if you go by train from Gunnedah on weekends you can't check your bags in as the station is unmanned so I scored a small wheeled suitcase for $10 for my next trip.

 

I sewed just about every day through April except for baby shower day and my birthday, I have almost finished the 6 blocks for rainbow scraps and I have tried a few new to me recipes the thing I haven't done is take photos. oh well lets see what May brings, hopefully some rain. 

 

 

April!!!!!!

 April is a busy month here, we have Easter this weekend, than next weekend Brad and Sophies baby shower in Sydney, then Scrub Stitchin and on the same weekend Gunnedah show , then my birthday.

Deanna has drawn number 10 for Aprils Chookshed Challenge which for me is bag month and to quilt Grant's quilt. I'm not sure if any of that will get done.

I didn't get many of my March challenges done never mind, I had a busy time.

Lunch with the kids and my niece when I went to Wollongong, it was the worst service I have ever experienced at a restaurant but the company was good.

 A selection of the quilts that I saw at the Modern Quilt Guild Show and also Illawarra Quilters Show

I have done a power of hand binding getting ready for the local show.