Sunday 25 October 2015

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

Monday 19 October 2015

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

Monday 5 October 2015

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