Long Weekend

Last weekend was a long weekend for Australia Day on Monday. 

Little Sweetheart T came to stay on Saturday night - we had a fun afternoon playing games and painting boxes to use for some Christmas decorations.  We had lunch with Mum on Sunday then the three of us went out to T's home for family dinner - lovely to spend time with them all.  Little Sweetheart H is gorgeous and so hard to believe he'll be one in a month.

T is 5 tomorrow!  And then starts school on Monday!  Can't believe she is old enough for these milestones.

Monday was pretty much spent in The Pink room sewing along with the tennis.  I quilted "Glad Tidings" and sewed on the binding to stitch down while watching more tennis at night.

The buttons have been stitched onto the quilt and the decorative buttons have been added to the ornaments at lunchtimes this week.

This week's "Scrappy Trip Around the World" blocks.

Next week's blocks are ready to sew together.

I also sewed together a couple of "Hide and Seek" rows.  It's taking me ages to place the sashing blocks in to rows because I'm trying to have no similar colours/patterns side by side.

Last week I received a request for a "Wish Upon A Star" quilt - I made one about 2-1/2 years ago, so I'm happy to make another.  I had some reds in my Bonnie and Camille stash but needed to order some more along with red spot background fabric.  They arrived earlier this week, so I made the first block.

Hoping there will be time for more cutting out on the weekend.  Busy social time coming up - dinner with friends tonight for a birthday,  T's birthday party tomorrow morning and then birthday dinner for another friend tomorrow night.  The Hawks' last home game is Sunday afternoon - kind of glad the season is nearly over - it's been pretty dismal for the team but I have a good time with my friends and this season has been more enjoyable because Michael, Peta and Gulli have been able to come along to a few games.

Sweet Escape

"Sweet Escape" is a Thimble Blossoms design - I cut out the fabrics last April and finished stitching down the binding last week.  Making this quilt was a big lesson in patience - the strips are 1" finished and it's very easy to lose accuracy when chain-piecing these narrower strips.

This quilting design is "Cables" - one of my favourite designs.

I love this large floral print.

Made a bit of progress on "Hide and Seek" - these blocks go between the star blocks.  Next step is to sew more four patches together to make the sashing strips to go between the rows of starts then the quilt top can be put together.  Running very late with this sew-along - many quilters have their tops together.

Last week's 6 Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks

and this week's 6 blocks.  Keeping up-to-date with the sew-along so far.

For years I've wanted to make "Glad Tidings" Advent Quilt for my friend and each time I've thought about it, it's been too close to Christmas for me to get in done in time.  When I was hanging up my quilt at Christmas-time, I made a promise to myself that I would have it done in time for her birthday this year so I ordered the special buttons for the ornaments from USA and started gathering fabrics from my stash.

Last week I was able to make a start and then with a quiet weekend at home and an extra days' leave on Monday, the quilt top is together and embroidered

and the ornaments are ready to be cut out.  I'll just need to buy the buttons to hang the ornaments from.

I've had a playsuit cut out for T for a few months and finally made the big effort to sew it together yesterday afternoon - took all of 1-1/2 hours (mainly on the overlocker).  She loves "Space People".

No movies on the weekend but I did watch the new series of "Grace and Frankie" - such a great show and only half hour episodes, so they go quickly.  Tennis season!  Hoping that Australia has a winner.

New Year, New Starts

New Year's Day I made bindings for the Rainbow Cot Quilt and Sweet Escape and sewed them onto the quilt.  Rainbow Cot Quilt is finished and Sweet Escape might be finished in the next day or so - it was put aside over Christmas and I've been sewing the binding down this week.

Finished stitching down the binding last night while watching the AO Rally for the Bushfires

Way too dull at home this morning to take photos of the finished quilt.

Lynell and I enjoyed "All You Need is Love" so much - we had a lovely afternoon at the Opera House - drinks at the Opera Bar, dinner at the Opera Kitchen a walk around the Opera House and in to the Botanic Gardens followed by a coffee inside the Opera House before the concert.  Again, we didn't want the concert to end - such brilliant singers, musicians and the fabulous Beatles songs.

Many years ago, all my free time was taken up doing cross stitch.  I loved it.  Hadn't cross-stitched for so many years until I picked up Elizabeth's "Angel of Mercy" to finish off late last year.  While rummaging around the sewing room after Christmas I came across "Merry Season" , a Shepherds Bush design I've had for about 18 or so years - I also had the fabric and buttons.  Made a start and

five days later it was finished.  I need to find a frame and then I can put it up next Christmas.  The fabric is large gauge (around 18 threads/inch) and I used 4 strands of DMC, so it was very quick to stitch up.  Really enjoyed making this and it may prompt me to drag out another long-time UFO.

I've made two Scrappy Trip Around the World quilts and when I saw a post on Instagram for a sew-along to make another, I started cutting strips to make a second low-volume version with aqua feature strips this time.

Really happy with how the first four blocks look together.  I'll need to make six blocks per week to keep up with the SAL because I'm making mine queen bed size.

I'm running very late with the "Hide and Seek" SAL - most people have their quilt tops together and I've just finished step 3.  Might have time to start step 4 on the weekend.  I need a new cutting mat - turned this one over and it's perfect.

Haven't done any of "Summer Moon" or "Long Time Gone" for months nor have I started "Gypsy Wife" SAL, which I also signed up to make.  Packing away Christmas is going very slowly this year as weekends are being spent with the family and friends and I'd rather sew and watch sport during the week.

I saw two movies recently:  "Shaun the Sheep - Farmageddon" and "The Gentlemen".  "Shaun the Sheep" was a fun movie for the little ones and plenty of laughs for the adults in the audience.  "The Gentlemen" is definitely not for everyone but I loved it - haven't laughed so much for ages.  For me, Colin Farrell stole the show - his character was hilarious.  The language is extremely coarse - hearing Lady Mary from "Downton Abbey" swear in a Cockney accent is a shock to the system.

Rainbow Cot Quilt

This cot quilt was started in November and during the days between Christmas and New Year I had time to sew the blocks into the quilt top and quilt it.

I stitched down the binding last night.

Christmas 2019

Christmas was lots of fun.  The older two sweethearts are almost 5 and 4-1/2 so they love presents (giving AND receiving) and so much fun to be around at this time of year.  The present frenzy this year was very civilised and they really enjoyed handing out all the gifts.  I've been fortunate to spend a lot of time with all three sweethearts over the Christmas break (and the rest of my family).

Their favourite decorations:

Loungeroom:

Kitchen/Family Room:

Once again there was very little Christmas stitching/sewing - decorations for the little sweethearts

names added to The Wish Quilt

and a machine-embroidered Gingerbread Lady added to a purchased apron.

Jenni and Kurt stayed over on Christmas Eve and Jenni made cocktails for us to enjoy while watching The Carols from Melbourne.

The family had Christmas lunch at my place and friends came over for dinner on Boxing Day, so lots of lovely food and company.

Saw a couple of movies during the break - Mum and I went to see "Cats" and I also saw the last "Star Wars" movie.  We enjoyed "Cats" - loved Skimbleshanks.  Steven McRae is a brilliant Aussie ballet dancer with The Royal Ballet who also happens to be just as brilliant a tap dancer - he was a standout for me, along with Francesca Hayward, who plays Victoria.  Loved "Star Wars".  I have a few other movies on my list for this month that I hope to catch at the pictures.

On a friend's recommendation, I started watching a series called "Mary Kills People" on SBS On Demand - fantastic show.  Watched the final eposide last night and was kind of sad it finished.

New Year's Eve was spent at the Basketball with The Hawks defeating The Kings!  Such a great game followed by lovely dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant.  Michael, Peta and Gulli were also at the game.

Back at work today and tomorrow then "All You Need is Love" at the Opera House tomorrow night - so looking forward to this concert.  This will be the third one Lynell and I have been to.

In amongst all the family fun, hearts are breaking all over Australia for the lives lost in these catastrophic bushfires and, on the other hand, so full of gratitude for the firefighters, true heroes.