Confusion and more squares

The older girls have a cheerleading exhibition that we are going to watch. 

It’s being held in the city. So hubby and I decided to leave home early to get there in plenty of time. 

I looked at the tickets and realised that we were a week early. Thankfully we hadn’t left home yet. 

Being a Saturday I told my art teacher that I wouldn’t be able to come to class. No problem. Unfortunately it then meant that I was going to miss two weeks. 

I didn’t want that. Do I had a lesson this afternoon to work on the new painting we started 

This is what I’ve now completed 

Much better than Trixies portrait. 

I’m back in my comfort zone 

I’ve also made more squares. I’m going to make a smaller quilt 

Going through the fabric the nice lady gave me. I found a piece with these pictures amongst lots of garden. 

I fussy cut out the buildings and then used the same process as the stitcheries to turn them into a block 

Further digging produced another panel with different flowers 



They’re ready to be sown with the first triangles boarder. 

There’s 12 of those. 

All up 20 blocks. That will make a decent 

Sized quilt 

I’m a bit worried that the stitches blocks won’t mix well with the others. 

I’ll lay them out and see once they’re all finished 

If the don’t, well I’ll just put them to one side and figure out what to add to them 

Now I’m sitting and waiting on hubby to arrive home. 

Dinner is cooked and I’ll dish it up when he gets here. I got a text saying he wasn’t far away 

Squares

For the last week it’s been all about squares 

I have four shabby looking cushions. I gave them a nice new outfit 

Two down. Two to go 

These stitcheries are very very old 

I made them in class, when baby girl was still in high school  

They were made into cushions, but when they started to look well loved  I removed them. 

I didn’t want to throw out all that work so I cut them out 

I’m not sure if I’ll turn them into a wall hanging 

Or add different squares and make a quilt 

I think they look nice in they’re new squares 

Suggestions welcome 



Remember when we were young, we were told to not get too close to the television or we will get square eyes 

Ana is well away, relaxing. 





And I’m adding to my knitted squares 



Current one is a monkey 

Everyone loves  monkeys 

Winter colours

As we approach the winter solstice, gardening isn’t really in the list of things to do. 

It’s cold,wet and gloomy. 

But here in the land down under, we are fortunate. 

We can still grow food and our garden still has colour 

The camellia are flowering 

There is even the promise of what’s to come 



The citrus we “rescued “ has started to fruit. 

I’m still not sure what it is. I’m thinking it might be an orange. The blossoms were very fragrant. I don’t think lemon blossoms are quite as fragrant 

We shall see 



Bright red to make us feel happy 



The Christmas cactus are going strong. 

A variety of colours blooming, with more about to burst 



The first Hippeastrum of the year. 

My aunt gave me a pot with one in it. 

Now I’ve got about two dozen. 



Daisies are always resilient and come back year after year 



One of the many succulents I have been gifted. 

All grown from cuttings, and now they’re flowering 

A Very happy plant



I cannot for the life of me remember this plants name. 

It will come to me eventually 

It’s giant flower stalk has started to open 



I’ll definitely keep you posted on it’s progress 

There is nothing growing in the vegetable garden. 

It was too warm for too long. In other years I did try to plant but they bolted. 

The cold kinda arrived all of a sudden. Catching me by surprise. Pretty much overnight. 

It really doesn’t matter. The beds can do with a rest 

I hope you enjoyed seeing all the colour that is in my winter garden 

Domestic bliss

Today I’ve been busy baking scones and 

Sewing owls. These are ready to be stuffed and the bottoms hand stitched closed 



I’ve still got four more to sew together. I’ll do those tomorrow 




Its afternoon now and I’m sitting and knitting. 



It’s days like today that I really enjoy 

Just doing what I not only need, but also want to do 

Dinner will be leftovers. 

An easy evening ahead for me 

In the craft room

After my big day in the city yesterday. 

I’m still humming the songs. 

I wasn’t going to over do today 

It was raining hard. You can’t see it here 

But you can see it on the blinds 



As it’s the kings birthday long weekend. Hubby was home. 

I decided he could help me pull the work table away from the wall so I could pin my quilt together ready to sew 




The backing was made by sewing two large pieces of fabric together. They’re different colours but close enough as to not look awkward. 

The batting was from a big roll I was gifted when someone was moving and didn’t want to take it with them

So far this huge quilt hasn’t cost me. Single cent. 

Gotta love that 

Meanwhile this chair, which was bought to use in the meantime while I purchased myself new sewing chair

I think that was closed to 15 years ago   

Can’t rush these things 

It’s not great for my back any more. 

Hubby asked me the other day if I needed anything from office works. I said yes. A new chair please 

I received this snazzy looking chair 

I didn’t want to start quilting. Just pinning it together took an hour and a half. 

But I really wanted to try this chair 



I found a small owl pattern I had. I’d made a few for the children who were affected by horrific fires. 

I’ve found a charity that accepts those Izzy dolls and the trauma teddys to be sent to the ukrain. 

As I’m currently working on two big knitting projects I thought these owls would be just as good. I can definitely make quite a few quickly 

I went through my scraps. But it wasn’t a big pile as I’ve used it all up. 

But I remembered the fabric I received from a lovely old lady that gets her hair done by my daughter’s mother in law. 

MIL thought of me when the lovely lady asked if she knew anyone who would like it. 





I’ve now ironed,and  sown pieces together to make them big enough to cut the pattern pieces from

I’ve already traced and cut out some owls  

And I’ve got lots more ready, in the correct size, to cut out more. 

The charity that collects them isn’t that far from me. So instead of sending them I’ll actually drop them off 

The Izzy dolls I had made are now in little plastic packets with a note telling the person who finds them, that they’re not lost.  Just left for someone to find so we can spread love and kindness. 

I have left a few around the city and on a couple of trains. 

I really hope the ones that find them, really need to feel like they’re not alone   

Theatre day

Today my art teacher, judie, and I headed into Melbourne to see Jesus Christ superstar. 

All I can say is WOW 

A powerful and emotional show 

The leads were all great vocalists

Some of the notes they held for FOREVER 

Mary Magdalene was played by Mahalia Barnes 

Let me tell you that girl can sing her dad under the table. 

And I love jimmy 

We took the train in. Had lunch at a pub before the show. After we got back on the train to come home 

It’s an hour train ride each way. But oh so worthwhile 

If you get a chance to see it. GO

One of the best interpretations I’ve seen

Reduce, reuse, and repair

They’re the three mottos I try to live by. 

After finishing the quilt top

I had a pile of scraps that were a good size for a practice scrappy quilt as you go

I didn’t have the backing on as I thought it might look way too messy   I quilted using a fancy stitch on the machine. 

It definitely hides a multitude of errors 

For the backing I looked through my fat quarters and found this cute pooh bear. 




I just placed the quilted square on it right side up and then folded over the edges,twice, as the binding 

I thought it would be easier than bagging out

It wasn’t 

But I do like the binding look better 

A placement for Ana to take home 

Meanwhile 
Ana is watching Gabbys Dollhouse. 

I told her if she needed me I’ll be in the sewing room 

I finished the binding on the machine 

She didn’t bat an eyelid. 

She’s growing up. 

In the past I had to be with her the whole day. 

But now she doesn’t care. 

I always tell her where I’ll be and what I’m doing and she’s fine. 

I did think she might of come in to see what I was doing while using the sewing machine, but no. 

I don’t know if I like this independent toddler. 

Even though it’s great she’s growing more confident. 

But for grandma it that first  step you take on the journey of separation. 

If I’m really lucky they will always want to spend time with grandma.