FNWF Wrap

 Threaded the needle and stitch by stich, I'm getting some coverage on the Sashiko panel.

It's one of those panels that has this 1 larger section and 7 smaller sections so I'll be on the look out for how to piece them all when stitched. If you visit Cheryll HERE, you can follow what everyone has been up to.

School holidays have started here and I'm expecting grandies today for a weeks visit ... they love to be busy outdoors but I should still get some stitching done at night ... IF I'm not too tired :)

FNWF

Pleased to say I was able to join in on Friday night with a little bit of cutting, pinning and sewing. Thanks to Cheryll and Friends for company, I managed half of the required flying geese for the border. These show the temperatures from 1 deg to 20 deg (top to bottom).

I'm not sure yet if there is a plain border in between but it will be the grey border top and bottom of the quilt.

Off to Patchwork tomorrow with my "Fish Pond" in hand.

Friday was Master P's birthday ... we visited today and delivered his present. He loves growing plants so now he has his very own 'garden' with new strawberry and tomato plants ... Happy Growing.

A New Venture

 

I am excited to announce that I am now a Tupperware Consultant.

To kickstart my business I am having a Launch Party. My lovely Manager Kirsty will be going live on Saturday Night at 8pm with a live demo to showcase the wonderful range and I would love to invite you for a look see.

If you'd like to support me, check out the link to Narelle's Tupperware VIP page for some fun games and prizes to win.  Love to see you there.

Not on FaceBook?  No problem. You are also welcome to browse the catalogue through my personal link HERE.  Please send me an email if there is something I can help you with, or check that I am added as your consultant to shop at your leisure. 

How Did That Happen?

I had no idea it had been so long since I last posted. No excuse for it really, just motoring along in the everyday of life. Some sewing, crafting and time wasters and family.

The sewing:  I've been cutting up stash scrap pieces with the Kaniva templates from 'Little Desert Quilts' and have manage to sew 3 blocks.

My Churn Dash blocks for July were completed early in the month and photographed. Then when cleaning out my gallery on the phone, deleted the pics so had to take new ones. I've placed August blocks out ready to sew.

The crafting:  Once a month I have an afternoon out with a lovely group of ladies and we make a card. Of course with our location and recent rain events, I've had to miss a couple of Saturdays because of the road being flooded.

Time wasters:  Our girl Pippa had a litter of little Pips in June ... now almost 8 weeks old and loving the outdoors.

Family:  We have 2 grandsons for a few days once a fortnight while both Mum and Dad are on shift. So I'm back to school bus runs, lunch boxes and a lot more washing. Lots of hugs and fun too.  We also caught up with a cousin who was home from America. A visit to 'Snakes Down Under', Childers.  Gotta love the Meerkats.

On the weekend we travelled for my nephews wedding ... a beautiful occasion and my mum made and decorated their wedding cake.  The knife with crochet handle in the pic has a family history.  My parents cut their wedding cake 58 years ago in June.  Hubby and I cut our wedding cake as did our daughter and her husband.  My brother and his wife also used the knife and now his son and new wife.

 So now it's just about afternoon smoko time and Grandson M is getting a little impatient that Ma isn't paying attention ... there won't be much sewing this week. 

I'll try not to be so long between posts next time.

Weekend Fun Times

Squeezed a lot into this weekend and had a very enjoyable time with the added bonus of SUNSHINE! Yes ... after a couple of weeks of lovely rain but mostly cloudy, showery, forget about washing days, it was so lovely to have a beautiful sunshine weekend.

My morning started off by zooming up to the craftavan for a catchup with Chooky and friends. I began on my Churn Dash blocks the previous Monday at our patchwork group and continued with those for an hour or so.

Then once the grandsons arrived I had to head for the kitchen and prepare some smoko (chocolate brownies) for my hard working green team. The remainder of Saturday was busy busy.

After a sleepover, the boys and I headed in to the local show on Sunday for some family fun. Grandson J likes to put the pedal to the metal.

Grandson M and I settled for a more sedate ride, or so I thought. Those spinning teacups can catch you unawares. We also bumped our way around the dodgem car track later. Home time, the boys headed of with mum and dad and I made my weary way home for a rest.

Yesterday and today I managed a little more time in the craftavan and am happy to share my first 8 blocks for Chooky's Churn Dash SAL. Funny thing ... I went through my stash choosing fabrics I wasn't really liking ... and now I find them quite pretty.

Now onto those fabrics I had been gathering and cutting in my previous post.

Into The Sunset

Yesterday my family said farewell to an amazing man ... 

The first man I loved ... My first hero ... My Dad ... 

who has now "Gone Riding off into the Sunset" 

A loving husband for 57.5 years, father of 3; grandfather to 8 and great grandfather to 8 energetic boys.

An extract from "Family Tree"

A limb has fallen from the family tree

I hear a voice that whispers,

"Grieve not for me"

Remember the best times, 

the laughter, the songs

The good I lived while I was strong.

sympathymessageideas.com

When someone you love becomes a memory ... your memories become treasures xx

Crazy Busy Times

By end of June I did manage to finish block 4

and made a start on prepping and stitching block 5.

In the school holidays I managed a sewing day with friends and completed June blocks for a Murder Mystery Quilt.

My treasures 💙

Especially in these uncertain times ... make time to care for yourself so that you can continue to care for others.

Baby News!

So excited to to announce the arrival of our newest grandson ... 2nd child for DS and DIL.

Mitchell Len

6lb 11oz  (3045g)

January  08, 2020

@  11.32am

If this post is sounding familiar, grandsons no. 3 and 4 are only 2 months apart.  Proud grandparents to 4 beautiful little boys.

I really need to get a riggle on with those baby quilts.  It's also back to work tomorrow ready for the start of the school year while hubby continues to feed cattle and check waters. My horse riding came to an abrupt holt a week ago when I was rudely dumped on the ground on my rear end. No fault of the horse as she got a fright and I just was ready for her sideways jump ... left me mid air with nowhere to go but down ... with a thud!  Nothing broken luckily but lets just say I can't sit down for very long.

Time to walk it off ... maybe make a cuppa and cross everything that the storm clouds on the horizon are kind and dump some much needed rain this afternoon.

Baby News!

So excited to announce the arrival of our newest grandson ... 2nd child for DD and SIL.

Flynn Robert

7lb 8oz  (3140g)

November  07, 2019

7.49pm

All are well and big brother P is loving his little brother ... at least 99% of the time.

All sewing has been put on hold while I visited with them for a couple of weeks. Now I'm home it's on with the drought.  Back in the saddle and feeding livestock daily. Lucky to receive 35mm of rain a fortnight ago which put some water back in the fast drying dams, before that we were also carting water daily.

I did actually manage a quick sew when Flynn arrived ... a new pair of boots for a little cowboy.

A Quick Catch-Up

Thought I should pop in before another month has passed and give a quick update to my absences. Nothing more than just busy busy with everyday stuff ... working on the land and working off-farm doesn't leave a lot of time for crafting but I squeeze in what I can.

I have 3 main objectives for each month.  The first is a mystery quilt I have been working on with a new block each month.  The second is my 1 Xmas Item A Month ... 3 Santa's finished with 3 to go ... that will take me to the end of this year and next year I plan to work on my Cottage Christmas Garden.

The third is stitching 4 postcards each month for "Romancing the Roadtrip".  After this month I'll have 8 cards or 2 months left ... I'm very happy with how this one is turning out.

Back in early May I had the very unfortunate luck of losing control of my car in loose gravel ... the same road I drive at least 3 times a week and have done so for the last 13 years. Thankful I was being watched over as the car left the road, rolled and narrowly missed a large tree. Shaken and bruised, I was able to exit the car to then walk 3km (40 minutes) before I could get phone reception to call for help. Then began the running around trying to replace the vehicle as it was written off.

Visiting with family is always uplifting, even if it's farm work related.

Good news to share ... we're expecting 2 more grandchildren.  DD is due November and DIL is due January. So of course I have begun gathering fabrics for another "Little ???'s Farm" quilt and also a "Mother Goose Nursery" quilt.  We had a lovely visit with DD and family in late June and spent last Saturday with DS and family at a campdraft where both our son and grandson won prizes in their events.

Some sewing for DD and I have material for another that I need to get finished quick smart.

Time to go do some ironing of the mundane type ... uniforms for work.

I hope that however crazy hectic your days seem, you can find a moment to squeeze in some craft.

2019 Up and Running

Already one awesome family filled week has passed.  New Years Day lunch was spent with our daughter and Grandson P, our son and daughter-in-law and Grandson J.  Our son-in-law had to stay back for work.  Then my parents arrived and the following day we hit the road for a 9 hour road trip north and west back to our daughter's place for a longer visit.

So lovely to be able to celebrate with Grandson P on his 2nd Birthday.  Happy Birthday gorgeous little man xx

One day we went for a sightseeing drive towards Middlemount and passed a coal mine up close.

On the last day we went for another sightseeing drive, past the Bedford Weir and ended up in Blackwater for lunch.

Then we were up bright and early for the return 9 hour drive.  Needless to say it was early to bed last night and a slow day today putting the house back in order, packing away "stuff" including Christmas as there just wasn't time beforehand.

Now it's back to 'normal';  housework, washing's on, bills to pay and by the end of the month it will be back to work. Some sewing plans have been made and started so I'm hoping my posts will include many more crafty projects this year.  Already I have 3 projects ready to commence so bring it on!  We won't mention all the UFO's.

Happy New Year 2019

Days Go By

I've lost track of how many times I have thought to post on my blog, only to be sidetracked by one thing or another, none of it craft stuff.

If it hasn't been BAS or Tax time, it's meeting "requirements" and "red tape" to run a property, then there's the off-farm work to make ends meet.  On the bright side, a full muster means quality time with DS and Grandson J.

It's a big job for a little man and tucker time is a very important part of the day. He is such an awesome little helper.

These babies will soon be reunited with mums.

Muster over and quick trip north (4.5 hour drive) and an overnight catch-up with DD and Grandson P. My parents came along for the trip and were thrilled to visit with this cheeky, happy little man.

I'm afraid there really isn't any sewing/stitching to show. My August Calendar Bear still needs tracing and my August block for A Holly Cottage Christmas is assembled and awaiting some appropriate fabric for the candy canes before I can applique.  I did pick up a crochet rug while mum was here in case I needed a refresher course.

Almost 2 weeks now since we had to say goodbye to one of my fur babies Fleur.  Age and illness dictated that it was the kind although extremely hard thing to do.

R.I.P. sweet girl .... 

Fleur  1998 ~ 2017

And days go by ... I can feel 'em flyin'  ~  Keith Urban

Hold The Sewing!

We are over the moon announcing the arrival of DD's and SIL's first born and our 2nd grandchild ...

Parker Ian

9lb 2.5oz  (4.15kg)

January 05, 2017

9.32pm

Yes, a big boy, but doesn't look it at 55cm.  

I might find some time for stitching tonight once we pry ourselves away from cuddles 💞

Cheryll http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com is kindly hosting FNWF once more this year and I look forward to joining in the fun. 

Merry Christmas

New traditions and special memories at this time of year. Grandson J gets to hang his personalised bauble on our Christmas tree.

Pa and Grandson J stop to check out Mr (or Mrs) Emu at the Rockhampton Zoo. We spent a lovely weekend with extended family and SIL's family to celebrate Christmas together.

Then it was time for more baking. Of course I thought I could tackle a Gingerbread House from scratch. It's a little bit wonky or I could call it a Gingerbread Bush Hut. My Santa gather around the wood burner chimney each year ... lucky it's Summertime.

 Out to the mailbox and want do I see ... a parcel of goodies especially for me :o) I was super lucky to win a prize for the last Friday Night with Friends hosted by the lovely Cheryll. It's always nice to sit and stitch with friends and these sweet treats were an added bonus. I look forward to many more Friday nights, starting with my new pattern ready for next year. Thank you so much Cheryll xx

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, safe travels and special times with friends and family. May your New Year bring health and happiness with plenty of time for creativity.