Sunday 28 February 2016

Catching Up!

A fortnight since my last post..... the weeks seem to fly by.......
Last weekend saw a day of mixed emotions as I attended a "farewell" for a lovely fellow who was part of our local theatre .... I had had the privilege of stage managing a couple of shows which he was in and over the years had got to know his family as well..... 
The evening of the same day..... and I was heading off to a birthday celebration for a work colleague -  it was fancy dress! So.... here I am in disguise as a re-invented "hippie" .... wig and all!

Sewing has been happening as well.... with a start made on the binding of the Nature's Journey quilt...
... I enjoy doing the binding by hand but really with temps gradually climbing to 40 deg there wasn't a lot done as the week progressed!
A UFO has also been brought out of "hiding".... so far back I can't even remember when - possibly 15 years ago? - this quilt was put together.....
and is now finally being  quilted - simple quilting I'm doing by machine....though progress is very slow as Miss Dora seems to think it makes for a very cosy sleeping spot......settling in very quickly before I move the quilt around! 


Catching up with friends during the past week was on the agenda.... dinner at a Thai restaurant mid week with a few friends..... and yesterday catching a movie ("Carol" starring Cate Blanchett) with another friend followed by dinner at one of our local clubs with this as our view....
And.....during a busy week managed to finish another book.....
 ......so I can now tick off yet another reading challenge...... "a book with a blue cover"

Hopefully a cooler week lies ahead........ as I'm typing away here I hear rain has started falling..... time to head to bed with another book!

Happy Stitching!
Asta

Monday 15 February 2016

A Quilt Finished!

Trying to keep up to date so not too many weeks go past before my next post!

I have actually finished my batik quilt during the past week and with fabric left over spent Sunday making a couple of pillows to go with it.....
Also during the week my Nature's Journey quilt came back from being quilted by Jenny - a lovely lady who is a member of our embroidery group......
...umm - probably should have closed the blind first so you could see the whole quilt...
...... so a visit to Steph's Fabrics was needed to purchase some binding fabric.... and thanks to a very helpful shop assistant I came home with one I didn't expect to get.... I had in my mind a brown and came home with the one in this photo....
lined up along the edge here....
....it is one of Anni's fabrics from "Under the Mistletoe" range.....now to cut it up and start sewing.... nearly there!
And another book has been finished......
so another challenge can be ticked off the reading challenge I'm in...... " a book set somewhere you'd like to live"..... who wouldn't like to live in Provence? .... I read this a few years ago and enjoyed it just as much the 2nd time! 
That's been my past week / weekend..... off to do more reading, cut up some binding and start watching the last series of Downton Abbey.

Happy Stitching 
Asta

Monday 8 February 2016

During the Past Week......

It was really lovely having Hayley home from Queensland - even if it was only briefly.... a week between a friend's hens night and wedding... her partner Mark arrived (with these flowers)  a couple of days later....
 Told her I would sneak this photo in of her with her face mask the morning of the wedding...
and here they both are at the wedding....
Meanwhile, the senior member (17 yrs old)  of our feline family had not been very well but after a couple of days at the vets he started to recover.... here is Mezzie convalescing on my lap - on top of the batik quilt I'm now sewing the binding on.... getting there!  
And... Megan sent some more photos over from Les Gets - she is now half way through what she calls her "French Alps Adventure" .... her contract as chef finishing at end of April,  I think! Here are just a few of the photos....


Today the postman delivered this......
.... after 2 years of blogging I decided to have it made into a journal that can be enjoyed as a book....it was interesting to look back and see what I've been doing and stitching. 

I've been asked to stage manage the next production for our local theatre group.... it is voluntary but is something extra to add to my agenda - at least for the first few months of the year with rehearsals usually taking up time on weekends and after work..... valuable stitching time!..... never mind - they were unexpectedly left without a stage manager.... 

Not a lot of stitching over the past week but time has also been spent reading and I should add that my Nature's Journey quilt is ready to be picked up from the quilters so will be back soon to give you an update! Till next time.....
Happy Stitching
Asta