BORDERS ARE ON

I am really happy to say that the borders are on my BOM quilt. I have been working on this quilt for 14 months , there was a fair amount of embroidery on each block that kept me very busy but I have enjoyed every moment.

Yesterday I was determined to get the borders on and everything went very smoothly.

This is the finished quilt top. One of the inner embroidered borders.

A really cute little heart cornerstone on the final border

I am going to quilt this one myself it just needs minimal quilting and lots of little heart buttons which I have been collecting over this past year. Hope I have enough.

What have I been working on.........

Over the past year myself and 5 of my friends from my patchwork group have been working on a BOM called "Seasons of the Heart" by Leanne Knell from Petals & Patches. I have completed the 9 blocks and although I liked the original patterns of the embroidery I have changed about 90% and designed my own or used patterns from other embroideries I have done before. These are just a few of the blocks

Hopefully by the end of this week I will have all the blocks together and the borders on as I am quite keen to get this one finished. So more photos to follow on my next post.

PINCUSHION

As a part of Fiona's Crazy Felt Pincushion swap, today I have finished my part on Dianne's pincushion. This is my first experience at wool embroidery and I quite enjoyed it. Now it is ready to post on to Laura in North Dakota.

AN ENJOYABLE DAY

Last Sunday my DH and I set out early to travel to Oberon to attend a swap meet. I don't usually go to these but after all I have been doing lately for my parents etc I needed a day out.
Travelling up through the mountains the fog was quite dense until we got a bit higher and I was able to see and take a few photos.

The landscape looked beautiful with the fog in the valleys. So fresh and clean.

At the swap meet apart from the few car pieces my DH purchased I was lucky to meet up with a fellow blogger jannimary, and look at what I bought from her stand. An old icing set for my daughter Danielle, an old frame and a whisk and all for a good price. It was lovely to talk to someone who has the same interests and to think I have often followed her blog and her bike riding experiences.

Also purchased these few items. The little fan is for a friend who loves fans.

After leaving the swap meet we headed for Bathurst to visit the patchwork shop Home Patch but unfortunately it was closed. On our way out of town there was an auction at the showgrounds we just had to go in to have a look.

Well we came home with this occasional table.....

Another mirror for my mirror wall I just loved the shape of this particular one.

And a bargain for $5. a lot of old picture frames. Danielle is forever looking for old frames so once cleaned up they will go to her home.

All in all we had a lovely day.

HOME AGAIN

Yes came home last night after spending time helping my parents. My Dad came home from hospital on Tuesday night and is doing well. I will be returning there next Tuesday when Dad then goes in for an eye operation. Everything seems to be happening all at the same time. Whilst I was at their home it gave me a great opportunity to do a bit of spring cleaning. Now I know you can all imagine how much clutter has been collected after being in the same home for over 54 years?????? There was lots. Many bags of stuff went to the charity bins and lots went in the garbage bin.

I was able to get my wool pincushion base ready to be posted to Melody for embellishing. I guess this is like a round robin pincushion started on Bubzrugz.blogspot.com. Sure am looking forward to receiving Diannas' base from Canada.

During my cleaning up at my parents home I found a few things I thought I would like to keep.

I made this knitting bag for my Mum a few years ago when she was a prolific knitter. These days she only does a bit of embroidery and crocheting which is pretty good for an 86 year old.

How cute are these little embroidery transfers and look at the price.

Also came across this unfinished cross stitched apron. All the pieces are there to complete the apron so in a spare moment I will do just that. I can remember my Mum doing a lot of these types of aprons.

The pattern for the above apron was in one of these book along with lots of other hand drawn patterns

And these were two of a draw full of aprons that I found stuffed in a cupboard. These certainly do bring back lovely memories. My Mum always had an apron on as she went around the house doing her daily chores or cooking, both of which she does not do much of these days.

A few years back (about 2 years I think) my friend Chris and I bought some yellow chenille fabric with the idea of making some chooks. Well I wanted to do something reasonably easy during my days of rest from my parents AND get finished so I stitched up the 2 chooks.
How cute do they look. I guess you can say that this was another UFO just waiting to be made.

A Quick Post Today

I have not been able to post lately as I have been staying with my Mum whilst my Dad is in hospital. Am home today for a bit of a rest myself as my sister has taken over the Mum sitting duties for the weekend.
I am so happy with myself before I left to go to Mum's I wanted to get another UFO finished. This quilt became my worst nightmare. The top had been completed some ? years ago and I had started machine quilting it in June 2008. Nothing seemed to go right at the time so it was put away for a better day. Last weekend I started the quilting and once I got into it everything went smoothly. Took me three days and the quilt was complete.

Because the quilt is now well over 8 years old I have misplaced the fabric for the binding (probably used it in another project) so it still is not totally completed but I am pleased I only have the binding to do.

This is my finished quilt (well almost). Another UFO out of the box.

What UFO will be next????????

I have decided I really must get some of my unfinished projects out of the box. So I decided to start with the smaller items to get into the swing. I had made this bag some time ago for a workshop so decided to make the pincushion (pattern from Polkadotpineapple.blogspot.com) and send them to the Quilters Guild for the recent flood appeal for sewing items. I made some extra pincushions from the same pattern.

My next project to finish was my Christmas wreath again a pattern from Polkadotpineapple.

It took me a year to make all the leaves and lucky for me I received a glue gun for Christmas so was able to put all the leaves on, that took me some time not being used to this glue stuff, but I am just so pleased at how it turned out so many thanks to Arlette for this great tutorial.

The school holidays came and went and we had the grand kids stay over a few times oh except for the one who lives here she always stays over. They will sleep anywhere. Here is Kaitlyn curled up on her doona on the family room floor where she often camps out. This time she had Bobbin to keep her company.

Last Saturday we headed off to Terry Hills to watch our grandson Ryan compete in his pony club gymkhana with his horse Silver. Although this time he didn't win a ribbon he did so well considering he was the youngest there and had the smallest horse.

And this is Zoe now 8 months old and I think a budding star at the computer.

My other completions so far were 2 small table toppers I had started as samples for a workshop.

Whoops the photo went sideways. This was a satchel bag I had started at a quilting retreat last November. A little complicated but after reading and re-reading the pattern it finally sunk in and I was so glad I got it finished.

Lucky last. This cushion was 11 years in the making. I had made my friend Rhonda a Little Red School House quilt for her 50th. birthday and this block was left over so 11 years later I made the block into a cushion and gave it to her for her 61st. birthday.

I told you I was determined to get some projects finished.

Where oh where have I been

Well literally to the back of Bourke and back. And what an absolutely great time we had. We set out the day after Boxing Day our first stop Young. Our travels to Bourke included stopovers at Lake Cargelligo and Cobar.

Whilst at Bourke New Years day we went shutter shopping not a place was open all well secured with roller doors. The photo below is of the main street.

A beautiful building the original post office.

The flooded Darling river. We were very fortunate that we were not caught up in any of the floods but we did have to rethink our travels not to include going into Queensland.

We spent a few days in Bourke a very hot place in the middle of summer which did not both us too much it was the giant mosquitoes that were a bigger problem.

Because we had to change our travel plans we then headed South through to Nyngan, Warren,

Coonamble, Gilgandra, Gulargambone, Warrumbungles, Coonabarabran then as our original plans were to go to Lightning Ridge we set out and travelled North again. Then we headed for home stopping at lots more caravan parks. I certainly will not bore you with the 500 plus photos just to say we had a wonderful holiday travelling over 3,200 kilometers.

Variety Club Youth Choir Flash Mob 'I am Australian'

I am still around.

Or is that going around the bend?????
Sorry I have not been posting but I have been somewhat busy looking after DH after his operation. All went well he had 5 by-passes which was a rather large shock to us all but he is recovering well and if he doesn't want me to nag he goes for his daily walks and does all his exercises.
I have also taken on looking after my wee grand daughter Zoe for 2 days a week. She is 5 months old now and such a delight and so contented..
I have no computer at present seems it wanted to keep blacking out so it is in for repair I am sending this message on DH's computer. I hope to be back in action next week when I can post some photos.
(((HUGS))) Roz.

Another Tuesday Treasure and a Thank You

To all you wonderful bloggers who have wished us well with regards to my DH thank you. We now have a tentative date for the operation the 7th. October. The family are all very positive so now we just wait. Greg has gone away this week to Adelaide with his mate so I was happy that at least he did not have to cancel this trip but unfortunately the doctor won't let him go on the Camp Quality car rally he is really disappointed but his health has to come first.


Today (a day late) is my special Tuesday Treasure. This beautiful dolly has had a very exciting life. When my Mother was a young woman around 16 or 17 she worked in a butchers shop. Each week an elderly lady would come by and Mum would give her bones and bits and pieces to feed her beloved dog. Being the Depression and no money this lady was so grateful to Mum that she would bring in little gifts and this celluloid doll was one of those gifts. She had told Mum that she treasured this doll and that she had had her for a long time and she knew Mum would treasure her also. My Mum thought that the lady would have been in her 80's. We don't know how old the doll is we know that she is German made and from celluloid containing gun powder.

When I was about 3-4 years old Mum gave her to me to play with and I promptly bit the dolls nose of her face. Poor baby had to go to the Doll' Hospital for a nose job. I never saw her again when she came home Mum packed her away. Just after I was married Mum gave her back to me and for 40 years she has had a very happy life.

Today I have given my dolly to my eldest daughter Danielle. She has always loved dolls and I just know she will treasure this dolly as much as I did

I have dressed her in the Christening gown that Mum had made for my eldest brother and I. I believe the petticoat is made from parachute material.

A photo of my precious grand daughter Zoe Grace. She is such a good baby sleeps and eats how perfect is that and great for her parents.

Another UFO out of the box. About 8 years ago when my first grand daughter was 2 I started this little smocked dress but never got around to finishing. Now with a new little girl in the family I had to finish and would you believe that all I had to to was put 3 buttons down the back. How slack is that. At least one of my grand daughters will get to wear it.