My new sewing project

Here it is at last, home again.

My queen sized, round robin friendship quilt top has found it's way back to me, having been worked on by other patchwork friends.  This one is music themed for my youngest son.  It needs it's batting and backing then quilting to finish, but I couldn't resist spreading it out on the bed to see how it looks.  The friendship quilts have been an ongoing project for the Tuesday Crafternooners for the past three months or so, and we have completed six beautiful quilts during that time!  Some are now already at the quilting stage, so exciting!

I am so happy with the way this turned out!

Also....

our family has been joined by this cute and cuddly little one...Whimsey is the name!

She was found on the shelf at my local pharmacy.

It has been so long since I have seen a golliwog anywhere.  

They have been a bit politically incorrect for a while, what a shame!

I love them!

Have a good day!

A double page

This page was created for the Orange Paperie July Challenge, set by John Weston.  Here you are guys, I hope you like it!

The photos are from our visit to Vatican City, St Peter's Basilica was awe inspiring!

A little scrap booking

My old scrapbooking friends at Home and Scrapped have shifted from the ning website to a Facebook page.  Luckily, all the oldies have joined there and we have found new cyber friends to share the fun. 

Take a look to find the monthly challenges, swaps, games and other time-wasters, whoops, fun and productive things to do!

Here are a couple of the latest challenge pages:

 July 'Build A  Page'

 July Sketch Challenge

 June Step By Step Challenge

 June Recipe Challenge

June Journalling Challenge

Bad Me!

It's awful!  I feel bad.  It has been so long since I have posted on my blog.........well, I guess life got in the way somewhat.

Meantime, I helped my youngest son buy a house, and we are currently renovating it.  Dennis and I took a South Pacific cruise on Royal Carribean 'Radiance of the Seas', and enjoyed every relaxing moment of it.

Lots and lots of sewing projects have been done, in a desperate attempt to reduce the fabric stash!

This cute European pillow cover for my bed

was made with my craft group.

 Holiday time on the Isle of Lifou

Magical!

 Two, yes two!  king-single size patchwork quilts with 6" squares from the vintage fabric swap 

organised by Mardi Winen, for my guest bedroom.

 Youngest grandchild, Jake, started big school in February.

Travelling into town on the bus with big sister.

 Patchwork quilt made for Jake's birthday in Feb............it had to have dinosaurs!!

 Four frilly dilly bags made for the four granddaughter's Christmas gifts.  

Pattern from the Janelle Wind Collection.

Two Christmas table runners made for Penny and Larns for Christmas.

I expect that was why this blog had been so neglected.  I will try to catch up......must try harder!

ARTastic blog challenge for October

Mia Taninaka's 'Salvation' is this month's inspiration for the October Challenge at ARTastic.  

The criteria is wood and/or feathers - real or fake!

Here is my take on the challenge. The background cardstock is inked around the edges and sprayed with glimmer mist to echo the owl's feathers. I used some wood grain paper from stash and a couple of feathers, chipboard letters, inked, and a hand cut branch and leaves, just because!

This barn owl was caught up on a barbed wire fence, and luckily, found by Dennis who carefully rescued him and brought him up to the house.  The only suitable container I could find was the washing basket, where 'Owly' patiently waited while I phoned the wildlife rescue service.

We duly delivered him to his carer, where he was carefully looked after and fed on a yummy diet of frozen mice, but sadly, he did not recover and died a week later.  He was a lovely bird, and his memory is worth preserving.

Thanks for looking!

How long?

Goodness, how long has it been since I visited my blog?  Too long!

While the weather has been good we have worked hard in the garden, tidying, weeding, and mulching ready for the hot summer. It is looking really nice now, and our one neglected bit out the back has also had a makeover.......no photos yet, though. 

 I have been busy finishing another quilt from the vintage fabric swap of last year, that is both king single quilts done for the guest room, just in time for a lovely visit from my daughter and three grand-daughters.  

 While they were here, we celebrated Penny's birthday with most of the family present for the birthday cake and afternoon tea.

 This stunning old fig tree had to be pruned by the electricity commission as it was too close to the power lines.  I was very vocal in my protests, to no avail, but I had to turn my back while the chain saws were in action!  Thank goodness the tree loppers were not too unkind to it.

 A friend who has just moved house was chucking out these pieces of timber, so Dennis used them for a pathway under the arbour, and filled the gaps with river stones.  Stoked!  I had been waiting for this to be done for ages!  Looks great now it is finished.  Another job ticked off the list.

Me and the girls!

Fathers' Day

My son and his family on an afternoon walk up to the cemetery to say 'hi' to his Dad, and a scrapping layout of my own Dad that I did today in his memory.

This photo was taken in the late 1930's, while Dad was courting Mum.........he looks like a movie star!