Retreat

We went on Retreat to a YMCA camp on the weekend and had a lovely time stitching and chatting. We were entertained with a blue wren and his harem flitting outside the lage windows of the room we were in, and if you went outside you could hear them chatting to each other.

Below is a block I am working on for a small quilt. I printed the shapes via Inklingo rotary cut them and am hand piecing them. 

Susan's Texas Quilting Adevntures

 Blogoversary Giveaway!
Susan has 3 great prizes to give away
Follow the link to enter before march 22nd

Susan's Texas Giveaway!  The prizes are lovely and her blog is very interesting.

What do you get with 3 cats in a row???    A very tiny mouse caught by one who isn't watching here.

Rain and more Rain

This is what the suburb where I live looks like tonight after receiving rain all night last night and the run off 

from other local suburbs. The local creek has overflowed it's banks and has cut the main road for a while

The top picutre is the view in one direction the one below it  is the other view.

The picture below this is the view straight ahead and the entrance to another oval across the road. I don't think people will be getting in there for a little while. If we don't get rain tonight it should all go down  but rain is predicted we will just have to see how the creek system handles all the extra water. Fortunately all we have had to do is pump out the garage!

More sewing time tonight. 

Stray Stitches Give Away

Linda from Stray Stitches is doing a giveaway. Pattern and Fabric, it is open to international peoples as well.
The Pattern and Fabric look very colourful go to her Blog to view it.
 http://straystitches1.blogspot.com/2010/12/lets-celebrate-2011-with-giveaway.html and scroll down to view both.
Enjoy Happy sewing on this hot day (me with the Air conditioners on)

When it cools down this is what Spud does when he wants company. I think Bess is just a little put out with him as she usually takes up all the chair.

New Year and Christma Possums

Happy New Year all, I know Christmas has been and gone but I have finished my last table runner for christmas.
Very Australian and many thanks to Sally at Millimac for producing design for the Christmas Possums which
I embroidered rather than patchworked.

Well it is Christmas over for another year, pressies have been opened and enjoyed. Lunch eaten and new gadgets (MP3 players) charged and downloaded.
My family all have new chairs to use, they have an interesting look to them but are good for the posture and comfortable.
They are called the Fitball chair and easy to assemble. Behind the chair is my new hand quilting frame now I just have to make leaders for the rods so it's off to spotlight tomorrow to brave the sales for some strong calico or canvas type material.

Here is a miniature I made for a quilter friend of mine who has moved interstate just recently. The red and white fir the christmas theme.  Good night all hope you have had or will have a safe and pleasurable christmas.

It's almost Christmas and I have been busy away from Blogs. I have finished a couple of table runners and have given one away and just sewing the binding on the other. Both have embroidery on them which helped with the speed as hand piecing would have taken too long.
This one here is taken from a quilting stencil and is embroidered with a lovely hand dyed thread from Cottage Garden Threads by Pam Spurway http://cottagegardenthreads.blogspot.com/
Beautiful and a very easy thread to work with.


This next photo shows the lovely shading in the threads. I used 3 different ones, a red dark to light, a lovely olively green dark to light and a pale gold.

The coon's now have matching trees (what else can you call a play gym which is nearly taller than me?At 5'7" I am not exactly short. This is Bess's, she is on top warning Spud it is all hers!

Last but not least I have grown Sweet Peas this year for the first time and I love the fragrance.
Here is a photo of some of my favorites