Nearly Done

Good morning to you all. It is a beautiful morning here.....sunshine and blue skies. The showers we have had have been very welcome however. It's been lovely to see the dry crunchy brown lawn almost magically turn green. I think the birds loved it too as I had a family of blue faced honeyeaters in my Jacaranda yesterday.  I spent some quiet time just watching their antics....too quick for my camera. But they were in there. For my overseas friends they look like this....

Meanwhile I am stitching the last little block on Gardener's Journal.

The last few blocks were polished off during the week.

I have truly enjoyed stitching these blocks....trimming and assembly not to far away.
It is the time of year when secret stitching is underway and I am participating also.

This week was time to catch up with the girls for stitching and even though our ranks weren't full we had a lovely time. Friend Ann gave me a book to read.

It was a strange tale and I am still deciding whether I liked it or not....interesting certainly. And I have to say it flowed so beautifully, it was over before I knew it! Does that ever happen to you? Not loving a book but you can't say you didn't like it either ......hmmmm! This author also wrote "The Girl With The Pearl Earring" and I seem to remember feeling the same way about that book too....has anyone else read it?
Books certainly can evoke responses in us can't they.
Must go I have laundry to get out in that beautiful sunshine.
I wish you all a relaxing weekend.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Fruit and Vegies

The combination of wet weather and the motorcyclist in the family's favourite weekend on the calendar.....Motor GP round at Philip Island meant Hubby was not budging from a front row seat in front of the telly Lol!
We were there in person last year.....the memories of freezing are still fresh.

So it was a perfect opportunity to stitch and draw to my hearts content. Gardener's Journal is really coming along and just as well I  love my "fruit and vegies" as these vegies were a bit tedious by the end....

The Orchard block.....

I decided to lay all the blocks out not in order but to see them all together. They are so pretty. Even if I say so myself.

I spent quite some time on Secret Santa projects too......which have to remain a secret of course! 
I also cannot keep my hands off this......but ssssh don't tell my friend Fiona *wink.

Ok that's it from me.....must fly.....art day and a new project in my brain....hopefully I can successfully get it from brain to hand to paper lol!
Have a lovely day friends.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

A Spot of Applique

I have been doing a little applique in between the stitchery I have been working on.
October Rainbow Scrap Challenge block is now completed. PINK was the colour.

Christmas stitching has also begun....loving working with these French General Christmas fabrics.

The first row of scallops for my Blessings quilt borders are all set to go. It took a little working out and they won't go right to the very end but I can live with it....I hope!

The best part of this week is our little girl got to go home from hospital.

Very happy little cherub to be heading home to her crazy puppy and her own bed.

We have been very touched by a couple of extremely loving acts of kindness towards Charlotte and her family. You know who you are.....you are wonderful human beings.

Thank you!
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

It's a Bit Damp

Old Brisbane town is a bit cool and damp at the moment. The garden is very happy and everything looks washed clean and green. Another little gem flowered for the first time since it was relocated.....made me smile.

Sunday was October's Sunday Stitchers meeting. It was extremely wet but we enjoyed our day......some lovely show and tell from Marilyn....

And two lovely quilts from Allison.

I worked on my clamshells and got a whole row sewn on, so I was very happy that I managed to stitch and chat at the same time lol!

After all the stitching on Gardener's Journal cottage block I chose a couple of smaller ones to work on....

Also in my pretty pouch is some Christmas stitching......

Another Angel Story block has been selected so fabric choices to make. Lots of different projects getting attention these days.
I hope you are enjoying your day. I am off to baste some scallops for the Blessings borders. A nice way to spend a rainy day afternoon. After much sharing of ideas, creativity and knowledge today in my art class, given so freely, I think this little pearl is worth some thought.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Blessings

With hubby playing with motorbikes I decided to assemble my Blessings quilt top so I could applique the scallops on the last border.

It has taken me a while to decide that I really didn't like the sashing between the blocks. Truth be told I am not a big fan of sashing....I prefer the floating effects of the blocks in the centre. So I stopped umming and ahhing and joined them all up.

I added the first border with a cornerstone. It is slightly darker than the photo and looks fine.

So scrappy scallops are next!
I'm really pleased with my first Angel block now the stitchery is done.

Blessings of another kind happened recently when kind friends gifted me lovely treasures of different varieties.
My friend Fionna went to the UK to meet her first ever grandie....very exciting! But she surprised me with this gorgeous Wedgewood vase and the sweetest face washer in the cutest box on her return for my birthday.  How incredibly spoilt!

 Friend Liz from Village Quilters has added to my Gingie collection with this sweet little fellow and bought with her a selection of fabrics to add to my clamshells from dear Rosalie from Briar Rose.....

Thankyou  lovely friends xxx
My poor old ailing Jacaranda tree has also blessed me with blanket of purple....some folks find them a messy nuisance but not me....I love October when Brisbane has clouds of pretty purple everywhere.

I didn't think I would get any blooms this year.....such a nice surprise!

Enjoy your weekend.
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Special Days

It is such a blessing to be able to be with friends for their special celebrations. Yesterday I travelled to one of my old haunts in fact where I lived in two different abodes and married at the church across the road.

The old Planet picture theatre (attended here often too) now houses a wonderful Antique Centre and Cafe. We chose this venue to celebrate my dear friend Lorel's special birthday.

It was just lovely all being together. It had been a while as several of us had been away on vacation.

Of course you must have cake.....even if it is teeeny!

Lunch was delicious and I am sure the tea tasted better in the Queen Victoria teapot.

Yours truly and the birthday girl. Lorel is my partner in crime in many stitching adventures.

Don't you love those little compartments behind us.....think of the treasures you could stash in there.
Before we settled down to lunch we went for a wander around the centre. We all loved the reference to the centres previous life. The cafe reception is the old ticket office and candy bar.

A star or two is always in vogue!

All the wonderful stands full of  all manner of treasure......

Very cool Barber.....

And old theatre chairs in the waiting area. Elvis couldn"t keep his seat lol!

Of course the china caught my eye straight away.

Funky old spectacle frames....

Is it strange that I wanted to play with all these pretty drawer knobs???

Beautiful pressed tin on the stairwell....

Do you love collections of old bottles? I do!

I also loved the pretty (real) orchids on the tables.....beautiful!

A really happy day with very good friends xxxx
On the stitching front I have another Gardener's Journal block done.....very apt I thought.
"Smell the Roses"

It is not a great photo but in real life the first "Angel Story" block is looking really pretty. I was worried it maybe a bit toooo pretty for me but no, I love using these fabrics.....up to the stitchery on it......

That's me all caught up except to say a huge thank you to you all for your kind wishes for our little Charlie girl. She is doing better, thankfully and we are waiting anxiously for some more tests. So she will be in hospital a little longer. She is such a brave girl and took Nana and all her tubes down to the Starlight Room (Fabulous, wonderful people by the way)for some awesome body and face painting!
Got the whole Princess package lol! Nana had a cool owl but it washed off.

Bye for now!
Namaste and Blessings,
Michelle xxx