Charlotte's Cottage

Happy Birthday Corey

2012-02-02T06:16:00.000+08:00

Today is the day a Mum always remembers....the birthday of a baby.

It's soppy I know and he is quite grown up now.

He probably doesn't need me anymore.

The days of tending scraped knees, wiping noses, supervising homework,

driving to weekend sports, lending my car (and money)

are all over.

Corey, my #3, is now what you call "middle aged"!

How can this have happened when I'm sure I am only middle aged myself.

Have a wonderful birthday Corey and if you even need your scraped knees

looked after, let me know, I'm still your Mum after all.

Raggy Rug-A-Long

2012-01-29T18:44:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Jodie at Ric Rac I'm making a floor rug.

Jodie is full of inspiration and I hadn't made one of these since the '70s so I took up her challenge.

I've plaited a long length of torn fabric strips and now I'm stitching it into a circle.

Otto, the WonderCat, thinks it's for him....

and maybe he's right.

He won't mind the wonkiness and knots much.

It's certainly hot here in the West!

2012-01-27T11:15:00.000+08:00

So hot...............Days of 40+ degrees with more forcast for the rest of the week.

I'd have loved to stay home near the beach living my holiday lifestyle but my car was booked in for a service down south and I planned to stay with my DD for a few days.

It was too hot to make plans.

We all stayed indoors in the airconditioning.

Even Ruby and Daisy were allowed inside to enjoy the cool.

Then yesterday I drove home, it was 42 degrees and my newly serviced car airconditioning

just couldn't cope with the 450 km trip.

With my windows down I soldiered on!

Hours in the car with the sun streaming through the open windows...no tinting when they're open.

Until I got to less than 100 km from home and a very hot and grumpy policeman told me the highway was closed to trafiic due to a bush fire.

(I almost felt sorry for him standing out in the sun, neatly tailored uniform sticking to his very sweaty body).

Tho' this didn't make it any easier to hear that I now had to detour to the East an extra 100 kms and a further hour on dusty tracks. (Still with my windows down.)

Finally I was home, Cold, cold shower and collapsing in front of the air conditioning.......hooray.

The bloke had planned dinner, minced pork.

What was he thinking? Cooking on such a hot day! Couldn't he have ordered a pizza?

Luckily I'd brought some lovely Peanut Satay mix back from Bali , so between us we mixed up some chilli, garlic and lime with the pork, stuck it all onto lemongrass from the garden and grilled it.

Delicious!

It was almost good enough to make up for the dreadful day on the road.

For you Linda...a little travelogue as promised

2012-01-23T09:02:00.001+08:00

A mixed collection of photos from my phone, ipad and camera.

I'm sure Mr Google will have far better shots than I do.

Hugs from Sue

This is going to be a good year.

2012-01-18T09:40:00.000+08:00

I can just tell everything is going to be great this year...I feel it in my bones and there is nothing like receiving lovely parcels in the mail to make it even better.

This first one is from my blog friend Linda in Virginia, she made me these cute little mug rugs and the lovely fat black hen pot holder. She's such a sweet girl and so thoughtful too.

Then came a yummy magazine from Josie in Scotland. She was one of my SSCS partners

and sent me a magazine in my parcel...this is part two of the pattern, in case I wanted to make it. How caring and thoughtful Josie is too.

Then today's mail contained this amazing parcel I won from Millrose Quilting and Gallery in Ballan, Victoria.

So many wonderful treats here too, I love the colours and textures of the fabrics and I'm sure I'll find plenty to make in this delicious book.

Thanks to Linda, Josie and Lizzie for cheering me up so much.

It's nice to be home again............

2012-01-17T09:05:00.000+08:00

.........but not as nice as being away on holiday.

After spending a wonderful two weeks away on our family trip

I'm finding it very difficult to get back into daily life.

No cooking, cleaning or laundry,

but lots of massages, swimming and shopping.

I didn't even miss my sewing machine

although I did buy it some presents....

enough to keep it working all year I think.

Now if I could find some mojo to start making up a quilt or two all would be well.

My SSCS from Josie

2011-12-28T10:19:00.000+08:00

Wow, I'm thrilled with my wonderful SSCS gift from Josie in Scotland.

Look at this gorgeous wallhanging in a mix of wools and cottons,

yummy colours,

perfect stitching

and is just my cup of tea!

and it came with this sweet little tin of lollies..........Yummo

Thanks so much Josie.

And to Chookyblue for being such a great Swap Mum.

To all my blogging friends

2011-12-23T16:13:00.000+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and joy to all.

One week to finish Christmas gifties

2011-12-19T07:42:00.001+08:00

I'll be busy cooking this week, making all sort of deliciousness.

Coconut Ice, Fudge, Truffles, Rocky Road, Panforte, Biscotti, Gingerbread Women....

Phew I'm already a bit sugared out and everything in the kitchen is sticky now!

I've been trying different ways to pack these goodies for giving.

I could "CAN" them.

This was so much fun to do.
Instuctions here if you want to give it a go.

Secret Santa has landed

2011-12-14T11:33:00.000+08:00

Look what arrived from Josie in Scotland today.

A very exciting box filled with all sorts of goodies for the SSCS

Of course I'm only allowed to open the decorations just now and here they are.

3 beautiful hand painted stockings with little bells attached.

I'm amazed at Josie's skill at painting, the detail is gorgeous.

Thanks Josie
To tell the truth, Josie had labelled one more parcel
Like this

and the answer is NO I couldn't wait
Here's what was in that parcel

I'm going to make a cuppa and sit down with this right now.

I missed all the fun......

2011-12-11T18:01:00.000+08:00

My bloke has been to his "Christmas Work Do".

He works with our SiL and their partners were invited to the party too.

I said "No" when I thought about the long drive down to the city when I'd already been down there last week BUT they didn't tell me it was a costume party with a wild west theme.

I'd have loved that.

The bloke is cute as Woody and our DD made a lovely Jesse

but our very tall son in law really looks the part as Stinky Pete.

He didn't win the prize tho'

That went to a Horse!

My new toy...........

2011-12-09T16:57:00.000+08:00

I don't seem to have time to blog these days,

being retired is certainly keeping me busy.

So many places to go and things to do........

.............and I have to learn how to play with this.

The bloke thought I might like one for my birthday and he was right!

I'm in heaven...............

Not only do I have lots of new APPS to enjoy but

those Angry Birds are so much bigger on this.

Great for aging eyes.

So much could have happened............

2011-11-28T10:03:00.000+08:00

........but I cheated!

On Friday I prepared for our annual "Bookclub" dinner.

Last year after a dreadful meal, served V. badly at a local restaurant,

I suggested we all gather at my house next time!

This was a flippant comment I thought I could possibly regret later.

I didn't know back then I would have a stroke early this year and although I was lucky not to be totally wrecked it has taken all this time to feel really ok again.

Exhaustion still hits me occasionally and my ability to read and comprehend books

is not quite as good as it once was.

The Book Clubbers knew this and gave me the chance to renege but

I chose to change the rools instead.

So here it is....

A table set for delicious take-away Thai from our local restaurant,

(Not the one we mistakenly chose last year, tho'.)

Ten of us ate, drank and were merry.

The latest book was discussed amongst plenty of totally unrelated chatter.

Best wishes were shared for a wonderful Christmas,

enjoyment was had by all.

and nobody was disappointed I hadn't cooked.

A Tumbler......or two

2011-11-16T08:59:00.000+08:00

I'm having so much fun playing with an AccuQuilt Go

I've made my first Dresden Plate

Cut lots of perfectly round circles

and now I'm

filling my ~~world~~ table with Tumblers.

I've tried for ages to win one of these things

but it hasn't happened....YET.

Lucky I have a generous, sharing friend.

Thanks Bev.

A Retiree

2011-11-15T18:42:00.001+08:00

That's what I am now, a retiree.

After a few months of trying to decide whether I wanted more time to enjoy life

OR that nice little pay packet every week,

I had a chat to the bloke.

I mean, if I'm not working he'll have to support my stash habit!

He's never been one to tell me what to do and in his usual style said
"Whatever you think is best".

Grrrrr! I had to make up my own mind.

What to do? What to do?

Well I've done it..............Yesterday was my first free day.

I sewed and played all day.

Today I was ~~just a little~~ restless!

So I've started "Spring Cleaning"

A little late I know

and I'm not going to rush in

this HOUSEWORK habit

but I've cleaned up this shelf in my kitchen

I'm so proud of myself

I might just do another shelf one day!

A finished quilt. Hooray!

2011-11-07T18:50:00.000+08:00

I spent time over the weekend sewing and am V. pleased to have knocked this one off the list.

Our guild make quilts for kids visiting town with Camp Quality in November and I decided this year I would make a quilt that looks a bit beachy. The wonky seagulls made me smile.

I like taking photos too and I'm always impressed by the lovely pixs so many bloggers take.

When Lizzie from A House in the Country blog asked me to join her photo group on flickr I jumped at the chance. My little Canon Power Shot is pretty basic but I sometimes snap a good shot and I am learning to push some of those clever buttons it has.

This week we have the challenge to photograph "Texture" and I wandered outside as the sun was setting tonight to catch the slanting rays of light and was surprised at the effects on this ceramic mosaic.

Next I found a hive of bees settling into bed for the night. Thank goodness for zoom so I didn't have to get too close. They have created their own texture in the flash from the camera.

My first swim for the Summer

2011-11-05T11:45:00.000+08:00

Today I joined the "Wallow and Bob Society" as they lined up at the beach.

I was finally ready for my first swim this season.

It was a little cool but we all enjoyed ourselves.

I think I see few of the swimmers shivering just a little as they lower themselves gingerly into the water.

Then we all went off for a cafe breakfast to celebrate Maria's birthday,

Here she is being showered with gifts.

And I finally remembered to pick up this painting I'd bought from a recent exhibition.

A watercolour by local artist Raelene Spencer.

I love Raelene's work especially this one of wild ducks on the edge of the Swan river.

The background shows the area where I grew up.

No sewing to show but I plan to spend this weekend getting a bit done....

maybe some pics of it next post.

So much so little

2011-11-03T12:05:00.005+08:00

It's been a while since I posted on my blog

because not much is happening here

.............why then am I so busy?

I've been doing very little sewing but I was lucky enough to win October's Block Lotto.

I entered a few blocks and have won 56 sampler blocks in blues, creams and tans.

These are the blocks I made, I've decided to keep one of each pattern

and 53 other blocks will be mailed to me this month.

Another UFO when they all arrive in the mail but who cares,

what fun it will be to decide what sort of quilt I'll make.

My "Hippy" has flowered. She had twins but one red beauty disappeared whilst I was down South on the weekend . Maybe my gorgeous cat feeding neighbour has it in a vase on her table. Heehee.

Satuday was so much fun. The Queen was visiting Perth so my DD and I took Milly and Lachie into the city to stand by the side of the road and wave to her. We both remembered my Mum, Tiff's Gran, taking us to do the same thing. I hope they will remember this with the same fondness when they are grown.

Then in the afternoon we all went boating in Mandurah. My 3 DS's came too because they just all happened to be on leave from their jobs all over this big state. My bloke and I had a wonderful time with all four of our kids, a couple of boats and Lachie's first catch to celebrate. The pictures below show him fishing, the catch is on the line and it's so heavy he needed big hands to help him pull it in. Then the final photo shows him proudly holding up the prize. It's not a fish but still worth catching!

DS Adrian caught a couple of beauties too.

Sunday was a quiet day relaxing in the sunshine with the chickens,

stealing mulberries in DD's orchard and watching the grass grow!

Monday I had the long drive home again but Maria and her new baby were in the car to keep me company.

You can read about her weekend here.

Trying to catch my breath

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000+08:00

I've been so busy lately, time with my DD and grandies, an unexpected sleepover by my DS and 6 of his friends. Lots of sheets needed changing first and now they need to be changed again AND I missed their visit 'cos I was off at a quilt retreat for the weekend.

I also whipped up a crocodile costume for Milly's Pony Club Gymkhana. It was fun to sew the outfit but I wished I had the pony to try it on. Guesswork is tricky but when they got home a dress rehearsal was held to make sure the costume fitted and to make sure the pony didn't panic with the long croc tail bumping his legs.

All went well, it fitted, the pony was calm and they took out a first place ribbon.

Look at Milly's smile.

Another day....too cold for swimming!

2011-10-13T07:10:00.000+08:00

I'm a little bit busy right now............

2011-10-12T07:18:00.000+08:00

Today is a wonderful day

2011-10-10T12:22:00.001+08:00

I'm excited because my first born and her 3 babies are coming to visit for a few days.

My bloke is staying at our girl's place for a few months.

He has work near there.

So she has decided to come and see me during these school hols

and let the gang of 3 have some beach time.

I ducked out to buy some extra groceries to feed them and then

I called into the post office to check for mail and there

IT WAS....

THIS BIG BOX.

My FRIENDS parcel from Robbie in NY state.

I followed the instructions

OPEN THE PARCELS FIRST

All wrapped in quilt batting

I found so much

deliciousness

Some clever gadgets I've never seen before

Nell,

the cutest felt doll made just for me

Oodles of pretty fabric, threads and beads

Decorations, magazine, calender and all sorts of goodies

Oh it's really a wonderful day........

Thanks Robbie for being such a great Swap Partner

and Khris for organising this swap

By any other name....

2011-10-04T19:01:00.000+08:00

Over at As Sweet As Cinnamon, Dawn is asking us about our blog name.

Well! I named my blog after my house.

No one called Charlotte lives here but someone once did.

We have a ghost in this old place and her name is Charlotte.
I've heard people say that ghosts like to hang around chimneys,
I don't know about that but I do know Charlotte the ghost haunts the room
with the chimney you can see in the photo.
There is a full story here.

Scruffy li'l alley cats

2011-10-03T08:57:00.002+08:00

I'd made big plans.

A colourful row of delightful Pussycats.

Something bright and challenging for a Row x Row I am taking part in.

I had the pattern, lots of scraps and encouraging words from my friend Jenny.

Jenny warned me the pattern was tricky.

Tiny foundation pieces, curves and precision cutting was all required.

She knew because she'd already made a whole quilt of these Moggies.

"Go slowly and carefully, Sue" she said.

Now I've done my rainbow of whisker wearers
and they are truly awful.

I shed blood, sweat and tears over them, used an entire tub of scraps remaking them,

stitched and restitched their pathetic scrawny bodies and still they are way too wobbly.

A true caterwauling catastrophe.

Now, please tell me, dear friends.

Do I sew a whole new row of something I can cope with...4 patch for example

or do I celebrate my attempts and send these out?

p.s. It is the start of my new quilt.......
I wouldn't send these moth eaten moggies off to someone elses quilt!

My FRIENDS parcel has arrived in NY.

2011-09-30T09:12:00.000+08:00

I gathered an assortment of things to send to my new friend Robbie.

She's a professional long arm quilter so I avoided doing any quilting for her

but I studied her blog and found out that she is crafty in all sorts of ways

So we always need scissors for crafts.

"S"

and a little kitty chatelaine called "Socksie" to keep them safe

Robbie loves making dolls too so she might like a Wild Woman doll

to wear as a pin or hang in her studio.

This is Deena the Dancing Diva

"D"

and she collects hearts too so this little wool stitchery

features her two much loved horses.

It's a Felt Farm

"F"

Some of the stuff I bought, "R" is red fat quarters, "I" for inches of ruler and cutting mat, "E" always means embroidery threads to me and needles in their own needle case has to be "N"

Thanks Khris for running this swap I had so much fun and now I've met Robbie too.

I love Kaffe Fassett fabrics

2011-09-27T09:15:00.000+08:00

Now I'm inspired to cut into my collection of KFs.

I've decided to join in with the Bloggers BoM

and make up an 8" block every month.

I think I can manage this!

Three weeks have gone by.........

2011-09-25T17:58:00.000+08:00

....since Hayley came to stay. We've done a lot of fun things together including making this quilt for her bff 's baby brother this weekend.

Hayley had fun in my stash finding blocks from a cobblestone swap I'd been in and a Noah's Ark panel.

She decided where she wanted the colours to go and joined the blocks into rows and then I sewed the rows together.

Then she pinned the sandwich and did a fair bit of nice straight quilting. Finally she hand stitched some of the binding down so neatly and now Max's quilt is ready to give to him tomorrow after school.
I'm so proud of her work. Well done Hayley

Yesterday, today and tomorrow...........

2011-09-23T07:59:00.000+08:00

That's the name of this plant.

Each bud opens in a glorious purple and as the days go by

the flowers fade to pale mauve and then white.

I'm not a very good gardener and my plants are always struggling

so I'm always thrilled when something manages to flower each year.

SCQuilters are great

2011-09-19T11:29:00.000+08:00

I'm in a Yahoo group called SCQuilters (Southern Cross Quilters)

where people who like to quilt and have a connection to Australia and NZ

get together to chat, sew, meet up and swap.

This year I've been working on a Round Robin with a few of these SCQuilters.

It's amazing how Round Robin's work out. You know, you make a centre block and think you know what will come home to you at the end but it doesn't work that way.

I sent out a wonky little house in gingery colours and expected back more houses,

a lot of country colours and some whacky novelty fabrics.

Instead I received this gorgeous flimsy, filled with delicate flowers, subtle colours with a zinger of firey orange, traditional piecing and more than a few tree fabrics to symbolise the Australian bush.

I love my new quilt nearly as much as I love my SCQuilty friends.

A Wild Woman

2011-09-11T13:24:00.000+08:00

In the bottom of my collection of impulse buys I found some Wild Women parts........

little hands, feet and faces to create Sarah Lawrence's Wild Women.

Along with another impulse buy.......

a skein of torn silk sari fabrics in magnificent colours and a few scraps of felt and wire,

I've filled in quite a few hours making a Wild but not very useful Woman.

Wear her as a brooch if you are brave enough.

I'm sending Kaffe back to the Yukon

2011-09-07T10:33:00.000+08:00

The Bee Balm group is getting close to finishing it's season.

These girls are scattered all across the world and

Viv lives in Yukon, Canada.......so far from a little coastal town in Western Australia.

She sent out strips of Kaffe Fassett fabric and

I've made some fun blocks from it and now it's heading home.

I can't wait to see the finished quilt.

We are so enjoying each other's company we are going to sign up for another round.

Do you belong to a "Bee"?

It's so much fun

Day One........

2011-09-03T15:24:00.003+08:00

Hayley is spending a month with us.

Today she made "Sally".

The cute little dog in Jodie's pattern."Sally & Smith"

Hayley's sister Kasey loves her Sally.

Hayley wanted to make her own.

From selecting fabric, cutting , stitching, stuffing and embellishing.

All her own work

Please don't look too closely, some bits are just a bit wonky but when you're only 8,

never sewn a softie before

and you already know everything!!!

What do we do for the next 4 weeks?

400 posts. Wow!

2011-09-02T16:00:00.003+08:00

Melody has been blogging for just over a year....that makes her a new girl.
She has posted 400 times already...that makes her an expert.

I'm entering her give-away to celebrate and sealing it with a kiss.

A mornings work..........

2011-08-31T12:27:00.000+08:00

A lovely parcel of fabrics arrived for me yesterday.

Perfect timing to give my sore thimbleless finger a rest from hand sewing

and whip this li'l pretty up.

Today is a wonderful day..........

2011-08-29T09:40:00.000+08:00

What could cheer a person up more

than an unexpected gift from a wonderful friend.

Thank you so much Lizzie, he'll be nice and warm soon.

What happened at The Patch last night

2011-08-26T08:15:00.000+08:00

Every month there is a door prize at our meeting and I've been a little bit lucky lately.

This was my prize last night.

A Laurel Birch panel,

two sweet fat quarters,

some embroidery threads

a little note book

and a tiny cutting mat.

All wrapped up in a hand dyed fat quarter and tied with ribbon.

The other members are starting to groan when I win,

This is about the 4th prize this year!

Where the wild things are....

2011-08-21T12:47:00.001+08:00

The bloke and I went for a drive this morning...
We saw a lot of wild things...

My little town

2011-08-20T09:36:00.001+08:00

This pattern is Sue Garman's "All About the Town" quilt and I'm having so much fun making it up.

The 12 blocks fit together around a village square.

The first block with the whale weathervane scared me silly, I'm not good at hand work and this quilt needed to be done with freezer paper and needleturn applique. I read and re-read the instructions on the pattern. Measured and cut the fabric and then did it again to make sure and finally produced the block with lots of wonkiness and more than a few cover ups.

I followed the tutorials on Fabric Therapy blog and Teresa emailed me encouragement too.

I kept going and eventually did the sailing boat block and the house with dormer windows.

A quarter finished!

By now my confidence had increased and I started working more quickly. Oops!

These blocks are even wonkier than the first. I have fewer real mistakes though and by the time I'd done the flying angel I was getting the hang of the stitching a bit too.

Still lots more work to do on all these blocks tho'.

They need embroidered embellishments and lots of fun things added like critters, window frames, fountains, dogs, ducks, horses, signs, flowers, whatever I want to add.

This is my latest block (it's the photo thats tipped). I'm so much better at this now, even the windows are almost square. It's not a prize winner by any means but it looks much better than those first blocks and as I prepare to start block 8 I'm so much more relaxed and having heaps of fun.

I think I might make this pattern up again with a Christmas theme.

Couldn't you just see these houses with lights, wreaths, candles, trees and gifts all around them.

Santa might even be flying across the sky in his sleigh.

A good day for a birthday

2011-08-15T02:16:00.001+08:00

What fun we had with the girls, celebrating Kasey's 3rd birthday at an Animal Park not too far from home.

When the keepers heard it was her birthday she was given a very important job to do.

Three year olds can climb trees.....much higher than Nanny wants them to.

Sally enjoyed the day too. She got lots of hugs and cuddles.

Lying down on the job

2011-08-12T17:19:00.000+08:00

The bloke has nearly finished his big job painting our house.

Today it was the tricky little bit above the verandah.

His arms are aching he says.

Sally

2011-08-10T09:33:00.000+08:00

I won a prize in a draw from Jodie at Ric Rac this week.

Her pattern to make the cutest little dogs, Sally and Smith.

I feel like a bit of a fool you see.

It's a beginner pattern and I've been sewing for a very long time

BUT

I've never taken the time to actually learn the right way to do anything....

something to do with my stars being in a triple fire sign the day I was born.

This pattern is great, reminding me to do all the right things.

So now we have Sally, who is looking a bit funky in her orange, yellow and pink.

She's sniffing in the garden

and catching some winter sunshine

She has a date with someone turning THREE on Sunday.

Thanks so much Jodie

I can't wait to whip up a Smith now.

"I love a sunburnt country"

2011-08-06T12:00:00.002+08:00

I'm feeling so patriotic today....the words of Dorothea Mackellar's poem are running through my head.
Having been inspired by Nanette who made this quilt of flags, I decided to do something Aussie.

This pillowcase might just go to my next quilting retreat.

Footnote:

The bloke wasn't born and bred here so I thought I'd make him feel welcome.

Looking new again

2011-08-05T10:15:00.001+08:00

Old...our front door, looking a bit faded and dusty,

even the rusty, torn fly wire had been fitted to the wrong side of the screen.

Newly painted trim, polished brass and the screen is off being re-wired...

on the correct side.

We have nine sets of French doors,

all of them were painted orange and orange.

Now we have fresh cream and deep blue-grey,

(soon the wobbly bits of paint will be scraped off the glass)

The walls are painted the same colour they were before.

The bloke gets up every day and cheerfully paints a bit more of our house,

he sings, hums and whistles with pleasure.

I don't have the patience.......

I'll have to keep him....

at least until he's finished.

Around the world TWICE!

2011-08-02T09:39:00.001+08:00

I love woolly things

and this little woolly pin cushion skin

has arrived home.

Fiona over at Bubz Rugz

arranged a swap and this base went from my place in Western Australia to Janet in the Yukon,

back to Marina in Victoria then off to Florida for Jacqueline to finish it up and send it back to me.

I'm so lucky.

Thanks girls for making this so cute.

Mr Elephant brought a friend

2011-07-26T09:50:00.001+08:00

A couple of weeks ago Anita and I planned a little swap.

I think she may have got the instructions wrong tho'.

I was going to make her a string of bunting with any word she wanted

and she was going to knit me the cutest little elephant.

Today Mr Elephant arrived toting this collection of goodies,

a friend with gorgeous beady legs, a choccie

and the best jazzy mug to drink my new COFFEE from.

Way too generous.

Aren't fellow bloggers wonderful.

Thanks Anita

I love a nice cup of tea...

2011-07-25T18:37:00.001+08:00

.....but now we have one of these and I'm V. impressed.

Lovely smooth creamy coffee and it comes in RED

which means it gets here really fast.

Vale Miss Duck

2011-07-22T06:37:00.000+08:00

After showing you the pictures of my funny duck sitting on the fence I should have taken note of the fact that her clipped wing needed reclipping!
She flew out of the yard again yesterday and now she is Fox Food!

Nothing left of her but a pile of black and white feathers down on the riverbank. I'm very sad and feeling guilty....if only I'd bothered to clip her wing that day.

Dragons, dots and ducks

2011-07-20T10:49:00.000+08:00

While I was out in the sunshine taking pics of a string of Dragon Bunting

these guys decided to get into the act,

Miss Duck decided she could perch like a dove

and Mr Dot strutted in front of the camera.

Wintery pastimes

2011-07-15T10:48:00.000+08:00

It's been cold and wintery lately,

I know people who live in snowy climes laugh when I say that.

It's been cold enough to snuggle by the fire and finish small quilts made with ugly fabric.

I'm really pleased with how this little tree turned out. Not so ugly after all.

I chose to make it into a quilt because I really liked the backing

and a cushion would have put this bit inside.

Winter is Pony Club season too and this brought back memories of cold winter mornings when I was the one loading the pony into the float for the "horse mad" daughter

Now it's that daughter's turn to do it for her daughter.

Don't you love the way payback comes.

Only the little ones are riding today and this big fella is wondering why he can't go too.

Round Robin Round Up

2011-07-11T09:39:00.000+08:00

The bloke and I have just returned from a very quick trip to the city. Mostly so I could have lunch yesterday with some SCQuilters. It was the big hand over of our Round Robin quilts and what fun we all had. Delicious food at a lovely Golf Club, lots of beautiful flimsies to admire and great company.

Here are the quilts from my team, This is Faye's and I did the little purple squares in the second last border.

This is mine...not quite finished and of course I did the centre square.

It's gone back to Julie's place to have it's final stitching done.

On Fiona's bright quilt I worked on the white border with one row of little coloured squares and a flower in each corner. Maria helped me because I'd been sick and couldn't sew straight at all.

She pieced the little squares for me and got it all lined up straight, isn't she a good friend?

This Orange and Green quilt is Cathie's and I did the last round for her.

This Blue and Yellow quilt is Lynn's and it was my job to set the centre on the point. I was so scared of this project that I kept is simple and concentrated on matching the joins.

The little red Flying Geese are my work in Julie's quilt.

Although working on other peoples quilts is stressful I really did have fun

and going to The Handover made it all worthwhile.

I'm in love............

2011-07-07T08:00:00.000+08:00

My life is filled with things to love........

cosy fires in winter, clear seas to swim in, happy grandies to cuddle,

the bloke who's been mine since I was a child bride......and now this yummy bag.

I treated myself to this delicious creation.

It's large, plush and the perfect shade of Chartreuse.

Just what every girl needs to carry her stuff.

Who didn't get much sewing accomplished?

2011-07-04T08:45:00.000+08:00

I'm back from a wonderful Quilt Retreat where we all talked a lot, relaxed with a massage, ate wonderful food, dressed up in crazy costumes, shopped in the quaint little town, enjoyed the rural scenery and SOME of us sewed amazing quilts.
Like Helen here with her project......

Glen snoozing through her reflexology.

My healthy and delicious breakfast

The misty morning views

Jan working hard too.

An artist and an angel

Lots of machines lined up to work

and my little pile of "not much" happening.

I had so much fun it didn't even matter that I hardly sewed a stitch.

"An ugly fabric" What do I do next?

2011-06-30T08:01:00.001+08:00

I've finished my little "Ugly" quilt but now I need to decide,

should it be a cushion cover or a table mat?

There is a back being made incase I want to make it into a cushion but maybe

a little quilt is what it really wants to be.

I hope this "ugly" lets me know soon.

What do you think?

I spy with my little eye!

2011-06-26T08:27:00.000+08:00

Next week we are off to a quilt retreat at Avalon Homestead.

I'm getting so excited and am wondering what projects to take along to sew.

On Saturday night we have been asked to "dress for dinner".

Something beginning with A

No prize for guessing what I'll be.

Fun to make but now the house is filled with feathers........

"An ugly fabric"

2011-06-23T20:20:00.001+08:00

This floral fabric isn't so pretty but I think "ugly" is a little harsh.

It's part of this years quilt challenge from the Geraldton Club

Make a small quilt using most of this "Ugly fat quarter"

So far I have a little tree and I'm thinking hard.

It looks alright mixed in with the green and gold

but there's still quite a bit left.

I'll keep going.......

Wordless Sunday

2011-06-19T17:25:00.001+08:00

Catching a bit of sunshine

It's Lachie's Birthday on Saturday

2011-06-17T22:15:00.000+08:00

He'll be four and no-one is allowed to forget it.

He loves his Mum

Had chocolate cake on his first birthday

Loves to eat

Is capable and independant

Loves his pets

and always has

Loves Nonna's pasta

Can fly high with help from his uncle

Enjoys making new friends

Likes the big tub at Nanny's house

and having cuddles with Nanny and his sister

and is a wonderful big brother as well

Happy Birthday Lachie with lots of love on your long awaited 4th birthday

Blocks, blocks and blocks

2011-06-17T08:13:00.000+08:00

The bloke is back on his feet, I hope he takes it easy. He is a bit of a rakoholic. Maybe I could hire him out to rake for other people.

I've been making blocks for Bee Balm member, Kate this week. She asked for HS triangles which put me under just a little pressure but I did enjoy the challenge. The first one was a mismatched disaster but I think the second effort is worth mailing. I hope she likes my attempt and the fabrics I chose. Kate loves Civil War fabrics and although I don't have any in my stash I do have some that will blend.

In my spare time I'm puddling along with my

"All About the Town" blocks. I'm having lots of fun with this.

It's a great pattern by Sue Garman and I've been admiring the quilt made by Teresa at Fabric Therapy. Finally I got myself organised to give it a go.

Everything has a good story and a bad story.....Well most things do.

2011-06-10T09:47:00.000+08:00

The bloke has been improving our home by replacing some of our old verandah posts.

The trouble is, now all that lifting has injured his back and he is spending a lot of time lying flat out to ease the pain.

It's hard to see him hurting so much and the physio and meds aren't really helping a lot.

It's my job to help him with his socks each morning....it's the least I could do.

Meanwhile we've had some lovely rain which has helped everything grow including the tree that overhangs our chimney. This means we couldn't light the fire until someone climbed onto the roof to remove that branch.

Now with the injured bloke who doesn't like being high and

me who likes climbing but is way too short.... we finally got the job done.

Our neighbour did offer to take photos for us as we struggled with ladders, ropes and hack saws.

Further down the backyard the ducks are enjoying the freedom of the chook run and their duck run

because yesterday our last chook was eaten by a fox.

I hope Mr Foxy shared the dinner with his family, Mrs Henny was a lovely fat girl who laid us lots of eggs.

Her pretty feathers are now blowing around the paddock. They showed up well on the greeness of it.

We also have a dead rat in the ceiling this week....it smells really bad and I've tried but I can't think of one good thing to say about that.

Maybe things will be better next week.

A Family Reunion

2011-06-05T15:42:00.001+08:00

Last week the bloke and I took ourselves off to the city to attend a reunion.
The descendants of my greatgrandparents, John and Mary McCann.

Aren't they a fine looking couple, they don't look very pleased with themselves.
As born and bred Irish you'd think they would be enjoying the Craic.

John found his way to Australia as a transported convict and married his Mary here, he died quite young of pneumonia and left Mary with 7 young children to raise.

There was a lovely service in the Chapel at the East Perth Pioneer Cemetary followed by the chance to cast white roses over the grave, I'd never seen the grave before and it was quite moving to meet so many distant relatives as we all stood around our ancestor's remains.

The best bit tho' was catching up with my cousins, here I am with Mas, having a laugh about how much we both look like Mary. It's enough to make us diet!

Here's more of the gang of cousins including my brother and sister, what fun we all had as children.

High days and holidays saw us all together.

Our mothers were four sisters who were all close.

I'm making sure my grandies know their cousins now.

A Visit to School

2011-06-03T08:44:00.000+08:00

We had few days down South this week and managed a lovely visit to The Grandie's School.

They've been studying farm animals in Year One and the travelling petting zoo was coming to school. The kids had to dress as farmers, including any little brothers who sneaked in too.

Great fun was had by all......well the animals weren't too sure it was fun!

Ducklings don't like to be held upside down.

Rabbits don't like to be squeezed.

The kids all loved it

Footnote: No animals were injured during the taking of these photos.

Happy Birthday Angus

2011-05-20T08:22:00.001+08:00

Today is our grandbaby's birthday.

He's two today and I guess that makes him no longer a baby.

Happy Birthday Angus

with lots of love from Nanny and Poppy xxx

One more little task ready to post on

2011-05-08T21:45:00.000+08:00

I'm in a pin cushion swap organized by Fiona at Bubz Rugz. It's such fun to do and I'm really enjoying the work the others in the swap are doing too..

Tonight I've finished my additions to Janet's base and now I'm going to post it off to Marina to have her turn.
Sorry my pic is dodgy. It's late and dark and who could possibly wait until daylight tomorrow. Not me!

Ursula's Quilt Story

2011-05-06T09:04:00.000+08:00

I wish I was a better quilter.

My lines can often go wonky, sometimes the thread gets out of tension and often I just feel like giving up.

I've done quilting workshops and taken notes, I try to go slowly and use more care.

I'm still a long way from being anywhere near good.

Then my friend, Ursula, knitted me some lovely stripey socks.

I offered to pay her or buy her a gift but she said

"No thanks, just quilt my grandson's quilt, I don't want much stitching on it".

Does she know what she's asking? Doesn't she realise I only do wobbly stuff!

It's taken me months....the first weeks were spent mostly in stressful tears but I eventually got started on it.

A few curly swirls.... some simple "it the ditch"...not much.

Well, now it's finished. It is wobbly just like I expected.

I took it to The Patch last night but Ursula wasn't there.

She doesn't know how badly I've done yet

Peas in a pod

2011-05-02T10:50:00.000+08:00

We went to a family gathering on the weekend and

I just had to take this photo of the bloke with his 3 brothers.

School Holidays

2011-04-29T10:54:00.000+08:00

A few days with all the grandies is wonderful.

We had a lovely time with all 5 of them playing and laughing together

Well most of them laughed at sometime....

But sometimes they just want to rip each other to shreds!

My sock monkey has friends

2011-04-26T10:45:00.000+08:00

My little Liquorice Allsort monkey has a couple of mates now.

My friends Bev and Robyn have been here for a visit

and they wanted to see how the monkeys were made.

So before we knew it there were two more monkeys in the family.

They sure were getting into mischief.

That's the monkeys....Not Bev and Robyn.

It all started with a jazzy pair of socks

2011-04-20T08:29:00.000+08:00

These socks were just too gorgeous to cover with shoes.

When life is treating you quietly

2011-04-12T11:10:00.000+08:00

It's been a bit quiet at my place lately so I went bloghopping and came across this fun idea.
About Me ABC's
So here's my answers...
Age: 58
Bed Size: Queen size
Chore You Hate: Putting the laundry away and 1000 other things.
Pets: Otto the wonder cat
Essential Start of Your Day: The best cup of EG tea brought to me by the bloke.
Favorite Color: Anything and everything except "Burgundy"
Gold or Silver: I like both
Height: 5'2" and shrinking fast
Instruments You Play: Janome (Thanks Joy)
Job Title: Lots over the years but I'm looking forward to the title "Retiree"
Kids: 1 girl and 3 boys and now there are five grandies too.
Live: Dongara, West Australia
Mum's Name: Nina
Nicknames: Susie, Parky - oh that was a long time ago
Overnight Hospital Stays: Babies arriving and once I had a scary headache.
Pet Peeve: People who say "youse"
Favourite Quote: "Friends come for a reason, a season or a lifetime"
Right- or Left-Handed: Left mostly
Siblings: 1 sister and 1 brother both older than me.
Time You Wake Up: Usually 5.30am
Underwear: Yes, sadly they are large ones!
Veggie You Dislike: I like all vegies except maybe chokoes :-(
What Makes You Run Late: I'm usually early to most things.
X-Rays You Have Had: Dental and lots on my head and my heart.
Yummy Food You Make: It depends on my mood. I like to cook "Party Food"
Zoo Animal You Like Best: I love lots of animals in the zoo or elsewhere. Maybe otters are the best fun.

Now you know a little more about me.
If you want to join in go here to sign up at Tiff's blog

We've had rain............

2011-04-11T07:50:00.001+08:00

12-6mm of it

Enough to soak the ground

Run out of drainpipes

Water the plants

Hooray!

That D@#*ed Elusive Pimpernel

2011-03-19T21:40:00.002+08:00

I tried, I really tried to dye a good clear red today.
Scarlet

Fire Engine Red, Pillar Box Red

Lots of mixture, very small pieces of fabric, extra time in the sun.

Plenty of vinegar in the rinse.

I'm sorry Maria

We have some lovely bright colours

BUT

NO RED

Every cloud has a silver lining

2011-03-17T19:55:00.000+08:00

some things

are just too pretty

to ignore

Pin cushion pony

2011-03-13T20:40:00.000+08:00

Fiona over at BubzRugz has organised some of us into a pin cushion swap.

It's so much fun.

I think this is my very favourite kind of sewing,

small, portable, easy on the hands,

colourful and stress free.

This one belongs to Marina

and I've put the pony into his strawberry field

Now he's heading off to Jacqueline in Florida.

I can't wait to see the next one.

Sculpture on the Beach

2011-03-10T17:28:00.000+08:00

We took a trip to the city this week.

Along the way, some wag had taken it upon himself to add to the roadside warnings.

We did get a giggle out of this little kiwi.

While the bloke was laid up in hospital I took myself off to the scene of my misspent youth, Cottesloe Beach, to view some fabulous sculptures and installations

With the bloke now overhauled and feeling chirpy, it's back home today for us.

There is a sense of satisfaction.

2011-03-05T23:40:00.001+08:00

I love the feeling of satisfaction I get when small tasks are completed. In fact it feels so good I don't know why I don't finish stuff sooner.

Although it's been much too hot to sit and sew lately I have managed to catch up with all sorts of little bits and pieces like Penelope here. She is a travelling goat who belongs to Jan in Alabama. I'm ashamed to say Penelope has been here at Charlotte's Cottage for months...Yes, months, while I got around to finishing her off.

At last she's packed and ready to travel once more.

Georgia is my travelling goat, if you think she looks more like a rabbit,

that's because I much prefer rabbits to goats.

She has been home now for weeks and I've admired her every day whilst pondering what the dickens I was going to do with Penelope.

Despite the agonies and stress of being way over due with the completion of a goat, I have undertaken yet another swap...this time it's travelling pin cushions.

I hope I can keep up.

And the winner is...........

2011-02-28T18:23:00.000+08:00

........me!

I'm amazed, thrilled, delighted and a little bit embarrassed that I won this gorgeous quilt in a raffle.

Doesn't it look just fine on my bed?

and the heat goes on.............

2011-02-27T11:32:00.000+08:00

....and the heat goes on....with apologies to Sonny and Cher.

Meltdown

2011-02-24T16:21:00.000+08:00

It's been nasty weather here lately.

Temps in the mid 30s during the day

...not so bad...

but the nights have been mid 20s and that doesn't give the house a chance to cool down.

It's steamy and humid, sticky and muggy.

Lots of swimming is going on, along with plenty of cool showers, minimum clothing and the humming of airconditioners.

In my search for coolness and simplicity I've decided to declutter my life.

Now that's not easy, I've been a collector of stuff for a long time and have hoards of belongings.

Most of which I don't need or even really like anymore.

Don't get me wrong, the bloke is not about to be cast adrift in a sea of flotsam and jetsam but I'm seriously thinking of culling the unnecessary in my life.

First I'll start with my blog. Do you like my new look?

Milly is Six

2011-02-21T10:38:00.001+08:00

It's true, when another grandchild is born your just heart expands.

Today Milly is having her birthday and we wish her a happy day filled with joy, just like the joy she brings to us.

Happy Birthday Hayley

2011-02-19T06:43:00.000+08:00

Today our oldest grandie turns 8.
Hayley has brought so much joy to our lives over the past eight years.

She shares her birthday with her mum, Michelle.

Happy birthday and lots of love to both of you.

I'm not complaining

2011-02-17T10:42:00.001+08:00

Rainfall further inland caused our river to break through it's sandbar and a huge muddy stain has spoiled our favourite beach.

So the "Wallow and Bob Society" was forced to swim here today.

No complaints from us though!

A Quilty Weekend Away

2011-02-14T20:42:00.000+08:00

I feel truly spoiled, after a lovely weekend away with "The Girls" where I played with happy colours, I arrived back in town just in time to get to work. It's hot and the air-con had broken down in my office but when I dragged my tail home this evening the bloke greeted me with a cold drink. He had also planned an evening meal, shopped for ingredients, helped prepare and cook it and then he washed the dishes. I might have to go off quilting more often.

Thump....the sound of me coming back to Earth.

2011-02-02T21:04:00.000+08:00

It's nice to be home...Well that's what I keep telling myself. After two weeks in Paradise it's very hard to face reality and all that comes with it.
We had such a lovely holiday.

New friends to meet

Lots of lounging in the pool.

Gorgeous gardens to stroll through.

Long cool drinks, delicious food and plenty of pampering massages.

It's hard to get into work mode again.

I'll be back

2011-01-16T19:54:00.001+08:00

There hasn't been a lot of blogging happening here this month and there will be even less for the next few weeks.
Whereever you live, stay warm, dry, cool and safe.
See you when I get back.

Connections across the world

2011-01-10T11:17:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I just "sits and thinks" about how blogging has touched my life.

My favoutire saying is the one about Friends being for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime.

Over my life I've made a few friendships, some have lasted for decades and some only a few minutes as we move on our separate ways. A quick chat in the queue at the post office, a seat alongside a stranger on a plane, a neighbour who offers a hand.

Blogging friendships can be the same. Somedays are a frenzy of emails and chats, then weeks might go by when I'm busy with life.
No matter what type of friendship it is, it's lovely to know that there will always be a new post to read online written by a like minded person, maybe someone who lives far away with seasons all topsy turvy to those here. Someone who is happy to be my friend.

Like Linda, my blogpal who lives in Virginia USA. She teaches me about her world of critters and family, she makes me laugh and cry, she shares pictures of her embroidery and sometimes even ones of her mistakes. We could never have met ten or twenty years ago.
Linda sent me a parcel at Christmas time, inside were three gifts for me!
Two beautiful bookmarks, did I tell her I am always reading more than one book at a time? (A sign of ADHD, I believe) and a little wallet made of gorgeous chook fabric.
The wallet is storing my "clip on" sunglasses in the car. They used to sit on the dashboard getting scratched but now they are nice and snug in their new home.
Thank you Linda, my friend.

How amazing it is to be instantly chatting and sharing photos with people across the world, those we would never have met without the inter-web.
What would our grandparents have thought of all this?
They could never have imagined it and I'm not sure I can imagine a world that stores all its books and music in its pocket.

A Letter to Milly

2011-01-09T18:52:00.001+08:00

To my darling Milly

It's exciting that you will be starting in Year 1 soon.

You've been a very busy girl helping Mummy label all your books and new pencils.

She told me you needed a new library book bag too so today I made you one .

Not just any book bag but a special one made with love just for you.

So Milly here's your bag.

It has cats on it 'cos I know you love animals and it's lined with aqua lady bug fabric.

Is that your favourite colour?

It has a big pocket on one side in case you need to keep a smaller book safe and by the time you get the parcel in your letterbox it will have a strong draw cord threaded through the top as well.

I hope you like it as much as I liked making it for you.
Lots of love from Nanny xxx

My really big list

2011-01-04T18:49:00.002+08:00

I found this chance to write my list at Tinniegirl's.
Lists and I get along really well. They help my learning deficient brain absorb info. I write lots of them.
These are a few of the things I'd like to change or to have happen in my life. This year or next, there's no hurry.

1. Declutter and sort out my space. I have way too much stuff.
2. Take time to maintain a level of fitness...just enough to be comfortable. I don't want to run no marathons.
3. Try to be kinder to people. I have a sharp Sagittarian tongue which runs off by itself ~~sometimes~~ often..
4. Make fewer promises and then do better at those I do make.
5. Produce and sell enough quilts to finance myself into a mid arm quilting machine.
6. Be the catalyst to hold my busy family together. This involves planning group holidays and special gatherings when we can all enjoy each other's company across the generations. I really want my grandies to know all their cousins, aunts and uncles.
7. Attend funerals if possible. This might sound macabre but I was deeply touched by the number of friends who attended my dear Mum's funeral 10 years ago. It does help the grieving family to know you care enough to bother.
8. Always send Christmas cards, emails, notes and letters. I love to get them and I've noticed when I don't send any out they stop coming in.
9. Set goals. I need something to look forward to. Travel, concerts, parties, major purchases, whatever.
10. Trust the universe. This is a big one. Everything happens for a reason and just 'cos I don't see the big picture all the time doesn't mean it's wrong.

Well, not such a big list after all. I wonder what I'll think this time next year .
Pop over to Tinniegirl's blog to read more lists

The Wallow and Bob Society

2011-01-02T19:21:00.000+08:00

As a staunch member of the Wallow and Bob Society, I feel it is my duty to tell of what has happened to our secluded little beach.

Most mornings between the months of October and April several or more of our members can be found trekking past this tranquil estuary where majestic birds gather.

We are making our way along a boardwalk to this beautiful lagoon sheltered by reef. The waters here are known to soothe aching joints and tired old bodies. They cool and refresh, they wake us up.

Even on grey cloudy days some of us will make the journey.

Occasionally a much loved grandchild or daughter is invited to our inner sanctum, but usually it is just us, a handful of grannies, grey hair, saggy, both scrawny and plump bodies swathed in Lycra, we greet each other with a hug and chat about our days, grumpy hubbies, gorgeous families, golf games, quilting, ailments and what was good on TV last night.

We even carry a little bucket each, with which to rinse sand from our feet, saving our cars from mess.

Mercy me........In January it all changes..............the tourists arrive........they bring their paraphenalia, dogs, squealing splashing children, fishing rods - with hooks attached & surfboards. They park in the few parking bays, they spread themselves out and revel in the beauty of the beach. OUR BEACH.

Are we complaining whining old bags? You betcha!

SSCS from Floss

2010-12-29T21:52:00.001+08:00

It's not going to snow at Charlotte's Cottage, not now or ever, even in winter. Floss sent me some snowmen so I could enjoy a White Christmas too.

The little ornaments have been decorating my house over Christmas and the beautiful table runner was in the parcel I opened on Saturday along with some other special treats as well. Thanks Floss, I love them all.

Here's a look at the "snowfields" near us. Sand dunes as white as pure snow and the wind whipping flurries into the air. If you squint and turn the air con to really cold you could almost imagine it.

Building memories

2010-12-29T12:03:00.000+08:00

There was a great deal of excess at our house over the past few days.

Gifts, food, good times and laughter. Plenty of day time naps, fishing, diving & swimming in a crystal clear ocean, new toys and much loved family. Time for cousins to build friendships, Daddy to supervise breakfast .....or maybe not..... and peeks over the garden hedge.
It's quiet here now......the last carload left this morning.

Just the memories remain..... and the sticky fingerprints. It was worth it.

A home with water views

2010-12-23T15:51:00.000+08:00

Living happily in our toilet bowl is a frog, not this one but a much prettier green fellow. Sometimes he sits on the seat or jumps into the basket with all the spare rolls of paper but mostly he just wallows neck deep in the water.
I hope I don't sit on him one dark night.....................................

A few Christmassy corners

2010-12-16T12:43:00.000+08:00

A clattering of tin Santas

This Nativity scene is a work in progress. New figures given to me by my DD each year.

We've lived in this house for 8 years and I can't believe I've never hung a wreath on the wall sconce before.

Trust me it was the camera that was on a slant

Breaking News

2010-12-13T11:22:00.000+08:00

This morning at 10.30 am a Canadian moose was found in a West Australian town.

The moose was accompanied by two adorable snowmen and an unidentified PARCEL The contents of which will be revealed at a later date.

It was soon discovered that the moose and his companions were sent by Floss of Calgary, Canada.
Please note that Floss is a talented craftswoman of great renown.
The current caretaker of the new residents, Sue of Charlotte's Cottage, would like to thank Floss for taking part in Chookyblue's SECRET SANTA SWAP and sending such generous gifts. Sue wishes FLOSS and ALL reading this news alert a very Merry Christmas with great JOY.

I just needed another thing to do this week.

2010-12-08T11:06:00.001+08:00

Beth over at Love, Laugh and Quilt is having a lottery. You could win a house. Yes, it's true, in fact you could win a whole streetful.
Send her a 12" house block and you could win back a whole bunch of houses.

I love wonky houses so I'm tearing my self up sending this one off .
If I win it'll be worth it. If I don't win it's ok too 'cos I made myself one to keep.

Be quick if you want to join in. Houses have to arrive at Beth's by New Year's Day.

Hmmm, how long does it take to move a house half way across the world?

Many hands...........

2010-12-06T17:53:00.001+08:00

A few weeks ago Shirley approached me and asked if I would help her out.
Her church guild was going to make a quilt block and it had to represent not just the church in this coastal fishing town but also that of a neighbouring farming region. The guild ladies had lots of ideas and plenty of enthusiasm . Each church has a lovely stained glass window and everyone wanted these to be featured. The problem was "How to include two magnificent windows, a fishing industry, a farming community, wheat, wild flowers and lobster into a 10" x 8" piece of fabric."
My job was to consolidate all the components into a feasible layout.

After lots of discussion, sketching and brainstorming this design was produced. Then the ladies got to work.
Glenys designed and cross stitched the window, which is a blending of the two, Esther embroidered the Everlastings, Shirley stitched the golden stalks of wheat and appliqued the little dinghy near the shore.
As a whole it represents the convergence of the land and the sea. An apt description of the two areas.
Work done, brief satisfied and now off to be joined to other blocks from the Diosese of North West Australia to make a large wall hanging.
I can't wait to see the finished result.

So much to do

2010-12-06T07:20:00.001+08:00

December is a busy month, gifts to make and buy, house to decorate, menu to plan, cards to write AND Advent Goodies to open.
I entered Fee's Advent Swap this year and she has set up a special blog where we can all show off our gifts, so click the link to see what I've been getting from Bec, lucky me.

This week I whipped up a gift for "guess who", a brand new baby in the family. I'm a Great-Aunt again as my nephew Shane and his lovely wife Jackie welcome Imogen Grace into their lives.

One less thing to worry about

2010-12-04T07:17:00.000+08:00

Not that I'm a worrier usually but with swap parcels and Christmas gifts travelling around the world it's nice to know when they arrive safely. This one has landed in Alabama for Wendy and she has very kindly posted a blog about it and sent me an email saying "thanks".
It's part of Chookyblue's Secret Santa Christmas Swap, just a small part mind you!
Wendy has to wait until Christmas day to open the main gift.

I nearly missed out on this swap.......after seeing all the fun last year I decided to enter the SSCS this year.......but alas, it was announced quietly whilst I was away on holiday, I had missed the deadline and not qualified for the rules.

Oh no!

So I begged, bribed, bought and bullied my way in.

No, that's not true of course.........except for the begging bit.

The gorgeous Chooky, with the pure goodness of her heart,

put a stop to my wailing and agreed to give me a chance, I'm so glad she did.

Angus rides.

2010-11-28T22:43:00.000+08:00

The other two NW grandies can chat to me on the phone but Angus is a bit too little and not into intelligible speech just yet.
It looks like he's going to be a horse lover just like the rest of the family tho'.
I'm so looking forward to seeing him at Christmas.

Goats, bookmarks and other important occasions

2010-11-27T13:26:00.000+08:00

The days are filling up with small things to interest me.

Such as one travelling goat named Gertie, who I must post on 'cos every evening when I sit in front of the idiot box.....I add a few more flowers. The idea WAS to leave some for the next goatherder to add.........

Then a dozen bright and cheery bookmarks to give out as

party favours tonight when The Bookclub Girls

meet for our end of year dinner.

Breakfast this morning with the Swimming Grannies who, along with girlfriends from afar, showered me with gifts to commemorate the aging process. I feel truly blessed, thank you one and all.

Healing Hearts needed

2010-11-25T16:45:00.000+08:00

The terrible tragedy in NZ that took away the lives of 29 miners has shocked the world. Shirley would like our help to make healing heart blocks. These will be turned into quilts with love for the families of those men. Please visit Shirley's blog for more details.