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.

Bradley Street Cot Quilt

This could be the third cot quilt I've made using this design - I love it because it really shows off the fabrics and 'Safari Life' is such a fun, cute range using non-traditional baby colours.

Backing

Karen used my favourite Clouds design for the quilting and Mum stitched down the binding.  The quilt is going to a baby due in a couple of months.

Christmas decorating is pretty much finished - I'll take some photos in the next few days.  A lovely friend sent me a new hand-stitched decoration for the tree - thank you Shez.  It was such a surprise.

Friday and Saturday nights were spent wrapping presents - I'm pretty slow and miss my resident present-wrapper (Jenni).

John hung the shelves in The Parlour on the weekend, so the room is coming together.

There has been a little bit of hand-stitching.  A new stocking for the swag

and some hardanger decorations.  Such a long time since I've done any hardanger - was a bit stressful cutting the threads.

Not much machine sewing happens at this time of year but I found some time to sew the last 16 star blocks for the "Hide and Seek" SAL - I'm a couple of weeks behind now.

Work finishes up for the year on Friday and I'm definitely looking forward to that and having lots of time to spend with my family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Way Behind Schedule

The Little Sweethearts had a good time at the Uni Christmas Party and came back to my place to decorate the tree - well, they lasted about 10 minutes then ran off to play and left the rest of the tree-decorating to Mum and me.

That same day my daugher-in-law's new shop opened in Thirroul.  It's a wonderland of colour and curios.

Wednesday last week was Mum's 92nd birthday - she is truly astonishing and we are so fortunate to have her here with us.

Decorating has continued at a slower pace than usual and was finished on the weekend.  The Christmas quilt is on my bed.

On Saturday morning, Gulliver and I prepared the fruit for the Christmas cakes, and then we cooked the cakes on Sunday when the our other Sweetheart was there to help.

The only sewing that has happened over the last week or so is a binding has been sewn onto a baby quilt for Mum to stitch down and I'm trying to hand-stitch some Christmas decorations for the Little Sweethearts for Christmas - not sure if they will be finished in time.

I picked up Sweet Escape from Karen last week and have yet to make the binding for that.

There has been a little "enhancement" to The Parlour.  A couple of Christmases ago, Jenni bought me a very sweet coat rack.  It was hung on the weekend and I have two shelves to be hung next weekend.

A couple of weeks ago Michael and Peta moved the grandfather clock in to The Parlour - it looks so good in there.

I have some special photos to go on the walls and shelves and then I think the room will be finished.