Two Happy Stitchers

Yesterday my stitching friends met up at our friend Kays place. It was almost a full house. My friend Lorel has been my partner in crime during the Splendid Sampler Challenge.

I got to see Lorels beautiful version yesterday for the first time. Lorel did a mammoth effort completing all 100 blocks plus all the bonus blocks...hence the size discrepancy lol! The dilemma was how to photograph them together as they are quite big.....clever Kay had us hang over the verandah while she photographed us from below.

We are two very happy stitchers indeed. It was so very nice to stitch this together.
It was a lovely day. Chatting, some stitching and delicious food...bonus was lots of licks and cuddles from a brand new fur baby in residence. Thanks Paparazzi Kay xx
Well folks today it is bucketing down....Tropical Cyclone Debbie has decided to drop by with some torrential rain!

We have large wet moving puddles everywhere and it is apparently not letting up anytime soon.

All our schools in SE Queensland have been closed due to the very hazardous conditions. Lots of flooding everywhere. So no venturing out here today. Staying put! Cooking a big pot of chicken and vegie soup and stitching.
Yoga done this morning and walking will have to be in house today.
Please stay safe family and friends.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Is it a UFO!

Recently I was tempted by a very nice friend (FIONA BUBZRUGZ )to join her in a little  SAL. I promised myself....no more! But......yes there is that word.....BUT! I have loved this project for years and even bought the book....shame to waste says dear friend!

So I thought a bit of a browse couldn't hurt...right? Wrong! Inside I found these.....

Seems I had begun before! Well....says I there won't be any of that fabric left! I dove into my drawer for allocated project fabric and....yes....found this! Is this a SIGN?

So technically this is a UFO....agree? I feel duty bound now to finish it....wouldn't you? Guess we are having a little SAL after all my friend lol!

However I am remaining on track diligently to finish my Baltimore borders.

2 swags to go....4 corners and 3 borders worth of hearts.....slowly but surely I am getting there! I'm challenging myself not to do anything else until this top is done!
Last post I mentioned our birthday High Tea. I made Robyn a mini hexie quilt.

Robyn seemed to like it...

I do love those teeny hexies!

Loving my current art project too....an old ute I photographed at the historic Hebel Hotel. I have been hanging out to get it down on paper.....its a few days work already and still a lot to go....rust! Oh how I love rusty old things!

Our friend CHOOKY has inspired lots of us to get fitter and take better care of ourselves. My Yoga mat and I are very good friends but of late my visits though regular have been a bit fleeting. You can see she is well loved.

I decided that I needed to be a lot kinder to myself and stay on my mat longer with a better quality practice. So I have. We are spending lovely time together almost every day and I feel so much better for it.....why do we avoid what we need the most? Thanks Chooky for jump starting my flagging motivation!

Be a little kind to yourself too. I'm off for a wander up in the bush!

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

Pencils and Pretties

Do you feel like I do....that some good friends are just like.....

Well two of my "friends family" are celebrating birthdays very soon....Jan and

ROBYN FROM PIDGEON PATCH who is having a "big girl" birthday, so what better reason do you need to go for high tea and to be together. We chose Devon Pixies our local Tea House.

Pretty teacups.....

Pretty table and lovely setting....

and of course lovely friends....the food was delicious but it went down the rabbit hole before I got a photo lol!

Monica

Diane and birthday girl Jan

Theresa listening intently. 

Of course you always get those that can't behave lol!

Sarah, Robyn and Monica

On our way out the door we espied this beautiful, old and very unusual sewing machine. Apparently it is a Janome....says so right on the machine. It's called Jasmine and is so pretty! I have never seen one like it have you?

Great fun. Enjoyed it all.......thanks girls!

And Happy Birthday!
Ok! That was the pretty and now the pencils.
Yesterday I went to an art workshop held by my art teacher Sandra Temple. I am amazed at just what I didn't know about making art until I began classes 3 years ago.
So the opportunity to focus on one aspect in depth is so very helpful.

It was a really interesting day and I hope some of the "learning" went in....anyway I was able to successfully compose another project which I am really pleased with.

It is now in the preliminary drawing stage and hopefully will become a fully fledged piece. I came home with a very full, tired but happy brain.
Well folks that's been my busy two days..... I have been stitching. Working away at my Baltimore Quilt borders but nothing exciting to show you.
Enjoy your weekend and my thoughts are with my North Queensland friends.....stay safe folks.
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

Next!

After the push to finish Splendid Sampler I have had a little break from stitching....well a couple of days lol! I have caught up with my favourite mags...

Worked on my art journal prompts challenge  (52 weeks) a different prompt each week.....I found that cute picture on Pinterest.

Very interesting exercise......hmmm! It always puzzles me.....I can draw but my handwriting is appalling....how come? Learning never ends....
Last week I collected my drawing "Lady Mitchell of Lightning Ridge " from the framers and hung it on the wall....just a little chuffed!

My little Kingfisher friends found a frame as well.

Like most of the East Coast of Australia at the moment its a bit damp and very humid!

My poor Cooktown Orchids don't know what is going on and have decided to send out some flower spikes...crazy! They usually flower in my garden around June. So they are a wee bit early. I will enjoy them just the same.

Due to the damp, I am going with the flow today, enjoying the showers and getting back to my UFO, and working on my Baltimore Quilt borders some more.

I wish you a lovely day.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

Ta Da!

I am one happy little Vegemite....my version of Splendid Sampler is finished!!!

I managed 97 blocks which included quite a few bonus blocks....I am happy I hung in for most of the blocks......especially considering my aversion to machine sewing!

Even happier that I have a completed quilt. I do love the blocks around the centre block and of course my favourite French General fabrics. You would thing my scraps would have decreased but the  bin seems just as full!

I  can at least say that I did Block 1...

and Block 100...

There were just a couple missing in the middle lol!

Huge thanks to Pat Sloan, Jane Davidson and all the other designers  for all their hard work and sharing their creativity with us  throughout the year.

So now back to my other projects.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Good Fun

Yesterday we celebrated my Dear Daughters birthday....a little belated but worth the wait.....I make no apologies for loads of photos.
The Birthday girl.

The venue was Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre at The Gap and the theme was "Boho" ....so lots of pretty dresses and flowers etc. The company was exceptional and the table was so pretty and the food delicious.

The cake was scrumptious and the flowers on top just set it off beautifully.

We all indulged in Henna tatooing....

Lots of props for crazy pics....

DD and her bestie Danielle who took a lot of the photos, getting their groove on...

DD and DIL....such wonderful young women.

I piked out but love this photo with my girl.

We giggled over memories....

Laughed over the above photo as DD is rarely without her camera lol! We should have known.
Love this photo Danielle took of DD. Her dress was just gorgeous!

Our lovely photographer Danielle.

My lovely DIL

Such a beautiful day with beautiful women.....almost forgot I was old enough to have a Daughter of such an age lol!

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx