Summertime

 Hello there....Summer is here and the word Summertime always makes me want to hum the old song of the same name.....here the Jacarandas have draped our city in a veil of purple.

October is now a very difficult, sad time for me. I try to involve myself in the good things in life but I am afraid this time of year brings me undone. So I gave into it and I just took the time to be quiet, reflect, spend time with my children, close friends and engage in quiet pursuits. There is no way through it...just around it the best you can.

I have read lots of my favourite easy read authors....nothing comforts like a book and a cuppa in your favourite chair.

I have continued on with my slow stitched Treasures quilt.....adding touches of embroidery. 

The painted rose at the top is the work of Linda Crew, my friend who owns the wonderful Dew Drop In quilt shop in Hervey Bay here in Queensland. Linda taught my Mother to China paint many years before she had her lovely shop and I found several pieces Linda had painted on fabric amongst my Mum's things...I will be adding the others later as well. Very talented lady!

I am up to date with my Roxy's Journal of Stitchery Vol 6. I used the designs from my Trish Burr gorgeous embroidery book for the Owl and mushrooms. I really enjoyed the embroidery for this prompt. 

Thank goodness there are only 3 prompts left as my accordion piece is getting quite chubby! I might need to rethink my ties.

I have just loved this project! 

Just sharing again my Where We Love is Home quilt all bound now. This photo was taken at Sunday Stitchers. 

Loved stitching this quilt. I have 2 quilts ready to bind but haven't gotten to them yet.

My DD and I decided to cheer ourselves up with a live show at The Powerhouse situated on the banks of our Brisbane River.

The show was a Drag Show parody of Aussie icons Kath and Kim....overseas friends probably won't of heard of them but Aussie friends will know them well.

It was hilarious and my tummy was literally aching from laughing. We then had the opportunity to have a photo with the cast...they were soooo tall lol! And just so lovely to chat to.

Such a fun afternoon!

I also had a looong cuppa with my yoga sister Helen earlier in the week...no photo...to much talking. We have been friends for 20+ years and shared so much. Both on and off the mat. Helen gifted me a lovely phone and wallet pouch she'd made for my Wanders.

Pretty batiks.....love it!

Art wise...I had lost my mojo a bit but a little Rufous Fantail on her nest seems to have revived it. So the beginnings....looking forward to working on the clever nest.

So I think that's me caught up.....

I saw this quote and loved it so....something to ponder. 

Take care, 

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

What happened to September?

 Hello blogging friends. I cannot believe that I missed posting in September! So best catch you up on my doings. School holidays happened and as my Daughter is a teacher I enjoy a little jaunt with her. We decided to hit the op shops and had a delicious lunch after at the Camp Hill Antique Centre. They have a Cafe called the Tart Cafe. It's a very quirky place. We got a little silly...

Lunch was delicious and couldn't resist an old fashioned milk shake each.

Some treasures followed me home.

I met DD's family for sushi and ate tooo much! But we always have fun. 

Couldn't put this book down.....love this author but this tale really got me in.

Finished the binding on Where We Love is Home. Do you ever be clever and precut your binding and put it away safely and then use it for another project....so yes not the binding I intended lol! You may know lovely blogger Julie from My Threadbare Life. Well Julie gifted me a sweet little doiley featuring a cute house and I knew straight away that it had to be the label for this quilt.

This quilt means a lot because many of the blocks I stitched by my husbands side as he underwent cancer treatment. I love the sentiment of Where We Love IS Home!

I have started a new project. You know the rule...one finished....another begun *wink!

I have been mulling over a lap quilt size of slow stitching for ages, hoping to showcase some of the vintage linens I can't bear to hack up. I really must be crazy because I have dived in.

This is the first of four large blocks. 

All the pieces have been stitched down. I am a bit of a neat freak and not really a fan of the super rough look, so they have been appliqued in place. But that's just me.

The fun bit is now happening with embroidery and embellishing. I suspect that I shall be at it for a while!

I seem to have acquired a little obsession with this type of stitching. I find it incredibly relaxing and engaging deciding what I want where.

I have also completed the latest #roxysjournalofstitcheryvol6 prompt which was Lazy Summer Day.

I immediately thought of shady leaves and my sketch book and watching birds.

I thread painted a little panel of a Paleheaded Rosella....a favourite feathered friend. The panel is part of a larger one gifted by friend Shez xx

I embroidered some orange Bougainvillea and some Frangapani flowers. Added a strawberry panel....my favourite summer breakfast fruit. I then went completely mad and made a little fabric art set to pop in a little pocket!

Crazy I know!

A little peek in my real paper sketchbook. I wasn't happy with my Fungi and Leaf Litter subject that was part of a challenge I did so I reworked it a little....more satisfied now.

The garden is still giving me some Spring joy.

The Clivia is in bloom. Lots more flowers have opened up so a glorious splash of orange.

And definitely bragging about my gorgeous Orchid this year....

Well that's me caught up. I do thank you for reading until the end.

I have been blessed to have a dear friend or two who have continually supported me through lots of ugly bits and I found this quote said quite elegantly what a friend is.

Take care folks.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

August Round Up

 Hello friends. Here we are almost at the end of August. Still supposedly the tail end of winter here in Queensland but temps in the high twenties and low thirties seem to suggest Spring has arrived early. Lots of our native bushes are full of blossom which is very cheery.

My King Orchid has delighted me this year with NINE flower spikes!

I love looking at the myriad of teeny tiny cream orchids that make up the spikes. Nature certainly can succeed in perfection.

With this unexpected rise in temperature I have been caught on the hop with getting my hand quilting on Where We Love is Home completed. So I have been beavering away on it to try and beat the real Summer heat. I suspect that air con will be needed to get to the finish line.

I am on the bottom half now so hopefully I may get there.

I have kept up my Sunday Stitchers WIP which is my Sashiko quilt panel and have only a few more blocks to go.

The latest prompt in ##roxysjournalofstitcheryvol6 "Field Notes " was WILDFLOWERS. This took some pondering as I live on the east coast of Australia. In Western Australia they have stunning wildflowers. So lots of research happened. I wanted to keep the Aussie theme going so my choices were the bright and cheerful "pigface" ground cover that most Aussie beach goers would have seen growing over the sand dunes. It's hot pink flowers are hard to miss. I embroidered the delicate mauve Sun Orchid on the doiley. These are hard to spot but do grow in bushland close by.

The yellow "Billy Buttons " and feathery pink "Mulla Mulla" were added as lovely reminders of our outback trips where we saw them flowering.

I added a little quote about wildflowers to complete it. I absolutely loved stitching this page.

I have had late nights reading....loved them all!

I enjoyed celebrating with Sunday Stitchers friends, Juanita's special birthday down by the Bay. Lovely food, conversation and laughter.

My Grandchildren have kept me busy this month....

Eldest Granddaughter is playing her netball Grand Final tomorrow. Wonderful effort for these great young girls. Some had never played netball before but they have given it their all.

Youngest Granddaughter gathered with other schools in her last Singfest event as she's off to high school......so beautiful to hear those lovely young sweet voices.

Eldest Grandson scrubbed up very handsomely for his school semi formal. Still find it hard to believe. He also had a great first season trying baseball.

Youngest Grandson's basketball team are playing their Grand Final also next week. They have gone through undefeated.

I love watching them in their chosen field of interests and sports. Finally my newest grandchild....of the fur variety just achieves creating puppy chaos and being cute!

So folks that's it from me for August.

Happy stitching and be kind to yourself. 

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx