The Big Wet

 Hello friends. Well in my corner of the world we have been at the mercy of huge slow moving rain band for the last few days....it has caused major flooding and inundation for many poor folks! 

This is the road to my son's home as the river flooding affects all the local creeks....a major road in our area!

We live quite close to that large Swedish store and this flooding has impacted all around it! My family are all safe but even the magpies at my sons were fed up  with the continual drenching and took shelter under his carport on his ute lol!

Whenever we had heavy downpours in the past, hubby and I would go up to our favourite local  bushland walks to check out the little creeks begin to flow. It is quite safe to do this. As he couldn't do it this time,  I  did a bakery run on Sunday and as it's on the way past the park I called in so I could show him.....

The creeks were really full and flowing.....

I did say it was safe but at some stage one of the tall trees had fallen across the footbridge...

Needless to say thats as far as I ventured.....on to the bakery and yummy lunchtime treats!

It was the ideal sewing and reading weather in between many, many trips to drain water from our swimming pool.....night and day I might add! Sooo....I finished the "My Neighbourhood " block.

And finished off these cute elephants for Letter to My Daughter quilt. 

Before the weekend nice mail came...... some French General fabric always makes one feel decidedly cheerier...

And I finally got to spend my book voucher from my family during an online sale.....

A very happy bookworm! 

Today we got sunshine breaking through the clouds every now and then......

Whilst the worst of the weather has now moved away from our area sadly it is now affecting our southern neighbours in New South Wales coastal areas with devastating results. Here in South-east Queensland we are still awaiting the consequences of rivers reaching there flood peaks. A nervous wait for many!

As I type I can once again here rain on my roof....hopefully it stays only showery but that makes people's clean ups so much more difficult. 

My heart goes out to them all and also to all those poor souls suffering because of the cruelty of a wicked despot invading their homeland in Ukraine!

I shall say goodbye with a little monochromatic study I did of a little Grey Butcherbird. I love their beautiful song....for non Aussies google their song...its lovely!

Stay safe everyone. 

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

Blocks and Birds

 Hello out there. Hope you are all well. We have had a strange kind of milestone this past week....12 months ago we got the worst kind of news.....a terminal illness for my husband. He was so ill we were told to say our goodbyes. Devastating for us all.....to say we feel blessed that he is still with us is an understatement! It's not the old age we envisaged together but we are determined to take as much time together as we can get despite his frailty. My social life looks very different these days....mainly family and encouragement from dear friends.....not complaining, it's just my reality and I don't have the energy for pretense. Blogging has been a lovely way to stay in touch....so thank you.

Ok now to "The Blocks ".....I am enjoying stitching Anni's Where We Love Is Home so much!

I have been able to get some more assembly happening...

These two sections will come together when I get a street block done.

This block is called "My Neighbourhood " I really was in two minds about this block....I have lived in the same home for 40+ years. For many, many years we lived in a wonderful, friendly street. Our children all played together and there was always an extra or two in your garden or home. We looked out for each other and each other's children. And my neighbour across the road and myself ended up in the same hospital room having given birth to our first babies the same day......a girl for me a boy for her lol! Today apart from my lovely, kind next door neighbours (not from the original lot) our street has become a street of strangers....a couple of which treated us very unkindly! So! I didn't really feel the emotion behind this block. Probably sounds silly to some but I love meaning in all I do. But then it occurred to me.....this block could just as easily be a tribute to the wonderful Neighbourhood we enjoyed for so many years!

So auditioning fabric for happy homes now.....

The next section of my Tag Roulette has been stitched......40 - Something Yummy....I went with a vintage piece of insert lace. 16 - Seed Stitch......love this stitch so of course got carried away! 44 - Cross Stitch.

Now to the "Birds" bit.....

I have never been a random sketcher! Something really has to grab me before I want to draw it. I have permission to draw some lovely reference photos by a clever lady called Kerrie Marshall....a talented artist herself.....anyway...there will probably be a few more of Kerries references under my pencils.

Another Rosella...this time the Eastern Rosella.....love, love, loved drawing this beauty!

The other one is an Aussie favourite of mine....the Galah.....our Aussie clown! My favourite Australian bird artist William T. COOPER said that you must get the "Jizz" of your subjects. It means the characteristics of a bird....that are easily identifiable! 

Well I think the Galahs Jizz is apparent!  I couldn't wait to draw it!

It was always a joy to see flocks of them together on powerlines in outback towns!

Well folks, I  really do seem to have had a case of the waffles today and if you have waded through it...I thank you!

Take care,

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

.

February

 Good morning friends. Can it really be February? Today is our eldest Grandsons birthday.....so my day started with an early morning birthday cake drop off on his way to school....CAKE and celebrating your trips around the sun are big in our family and not even COVID can stop it! Lol! So masks on,  gift giving and many happy returns through the car window were a lovely start to the day!

He is a mad Star Wars fan and loves Baby Yoda.....so I drew and painted a birthday card especially just for him...

The things we Nanas do! But wouldn't have missed this for quids as the saying goes!

On the stitching front.....

I have been making more progress on Where We Love Is Home......some more little applique blocks. I custom made the bees as I wasn't as fond of the mushroom block that was in the pattern.

A little more assembly......

And after the Chooks block...

More Assembly! 

The border has  ninepatch crosses and my time at the machine is a bit limited these days  so I thought perhaps I could slowly work on some EPP crosses instead......so had a little trial and I like how they look so I am going with them.

They are actually quite quick to make....just as well as there are 60 to make!

I was starting to congratulate myself on staying focused until Anne Brookes from HannemadeAnne came up with the idea to have a "Tag Roulette " e.g. each month she chooses 3 random tag numbers from our 2021 Tag challenge and we recreate those techniques on to the one project.

Well I caved.....naturally!  My thought was to make my project another "Snippet Roll" for another of my vintage spools.....so!

This month's numbers were.....

1. White

23. Floral

52. Macrame

I have used a little white doiley and buttons with a little macrame centre. I think rather than floral I have gone a bit more botanical....I so enjoyed stitching the leaves and vines that I got a tad carried away! Anyway suffice to say I am definitely crazy but loving the new challenge. 

Looking forward to this months numbers. 

I don't know about you but I have always loved a green/pink or green/lavender combo so couldn't resist these pretties......love mail that contains fabric!

My blue ginger is flowering.....to prove my point! Nature never ceases to amaze me....they are so tiny and perfectly formed little flowers when they open.

Have a lovely day everyone.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx