MY SOUL IS FED BY NEEDLE AND THREAD
....ohh and pencils and paper

Saturday, March 11, 2023

Letter to My Daughter

 Due to some hard work by my friend Fiona @bubzrugz I was able to gift my dear daughter her quilt on her birthday. Even though much complaining and some tweaking about the assembly of this quilt, it meant a lot to stitch it for her.

I enjoyed working in the brighter palette for a change and I think all the brighter Tildas worked well.


Fiona's quilting made it shine!

Dear Daughter with her quilt.....I nabbed her fresh from the shower lol!

Of course being a birthday there had to be cake.....Belgian chocolate cake.....her Dad's favourite.....to include him in the celebration x
BTW I think I was somewhat clever giving birth to a little woman on International Womens Day *wink!
As my main objective was to get the binding on that quilt done I have now only gotten back to Gossip in the Garden with Fiona. I completed this easy "Daisy in a Teacup" block.....very hard to get a good photo.....its so skinny and long! 
It is lovely in real life. I am also working on the second stitchery for Owl and Hare with Lorel but nothing really to show there. 
Another spool roll has been calling to me.....I wanted to stitch a Christmas one and as I had it already cut out and prepped I dove right in!
First page is "snowy" and before all the Aussie......we don't have snow at Christmas....begin to tutt.....I LOVE snowmen and so I am having snowmen lol!
Always feels good to free those little treasures from their tins and drawers and create something with them. The doiley half I retrieved was a collar from a dolly I had made way back when and who was damaged and couldn't be saved.....I like that!
Well friends the day is closing in and as I have actually cooked.....yes you heard that right....I made a pot of tasty bacon, potato and carrot soup and I have a fresh, crusty roll to go with it.....I am going to enjoy it.
Leaving you with my two awesome little women of the future. 
Take care and hug your tribe.
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx









Friday, March 3, 2023

Owls, Hares and Teacups

 Hello friends, I know time doesn't really go faster but...we are in March! Both my quilt projects are coming along and giving me enjoyment. I have now completed the centre panel for Gossip in the Garden that I am stitching with my friend Fiona @bubzrugz and we may have coerced...I mean encouraged a couple of other friends to join us. I have loved this pattern for so long and am loving stitching it. This centre panel was what originally attracted me to Gossip in the Garden. 

And being the strange little person I am, meaning and connection always attracts me first.  If you will permit me a little wander off the path. 

This block reminded me instantly of all the precious time our family spent with my Grandmother on the open front verandah of her workers cottage, shaded by a huge poinciana tree....

It was a glorious tree and cooled the whole home. It's soft end leaves gently brushing the verandah roof. We would sit, have tea, coffee, cool drinks and sweet treats she had baked and most important of all.....yarned.....its where I and my children learnt the value and love of a good story.....learnt your family history and tales. It's where we caught up with visiting country family and all their news, shared good news and sometimes sad. There were sometimes a few and sometimes a horde....all were fed and watered and embraced and you sat sometimes on a comfy cushioned cane chair, sometimes on the floor or front steps.....no one cared.....to be there was enough!
And this gentle woman was at the heart of it all.
And her favourite teacup was this set....Colclough English Fine bone china. It's Indian Tree pattern. This one has a different shaped cup than those I have researched. 
I use it often when my friends come for sewing....she would love that it bears witness to a cuppa and lots of chat!
So I managed to keep my February deadline for Gossip....just! But lovely memories definitely kept me company.
Well that was the "teacups" The "Owl and Hare" refer to Natalie Birds sweet new BOM that I am stitching along with friend Lorel.
I have completed one stitchery and glued and stitched the hexie circle but they aren't sewn in place yet! If you love hexies this is the quilt for you!
Also the same applies for the lovely elongated hexie wheel spokes that hooked me on this project! Just waiting to be stitched down. This really is a pretty quilt.

My last little project to share is a weekly, stitching type of meditation....basically just for the love of a needle and thread.  My Mum on one of her OpShop journeys picked up this length of heavyweight woven cotton fabric and gave it to me.
I never knew quite what to do with it....until now! So I drew up 52 odd segments marked them with running stitch and have begun to fill one a week with whatever stitch I fancy.
I have probably got enough to make cover ends for another accordion sketch book as well....so happy to make use of it.
I have been going through a cycle once again of waking at odd hours and rather than allow my mind to go to those places I pick up a book.....just finished this one.....
Artwise....my sweet Orang-utan is coming along slowly.....he's a chubby chappy with textured skin....a lot of it and it's slow going.
Also a bit of back to basics for me and my pencil too.....different pencils and shading.
Ok lovely folk.....the kettle is on the boil and calling me to make a brew. A little thought to ponder.....lol!
Have a lovely weekend and I hope you trip over a few ideas lying around.
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx






Thursday, February 23, 2023

Busier than a Bee

 Hello there. Well I have had a very busy time. Filled to overflowing with friends and fun.

I had a lovely houseguest for a week.....our very own blogging friend Shez.

Another lovely friend Wendy of FNSI fame came to my town to visit family. So before we knew it a bloggers meet up was organised and the fun began.
First on the agenda was to introduce Shez to my dear friends in my stitching group. Such special women in my life......
Lorel, our hostess was kind enough to share some of her gorgeous work with us. Don't you just love admiring friends quilts....I never tire of it! Lorel and I are stitching the new Homespun BOM together. It was a lovely day .
We had our arms twisted to enjoy a little (a lot) of retail therapy by Susan and Wendy! 
Such great fun......treats were also consumed from time to time! I squashed mine when Wendy came to visit so definitely wasn't photo worthy lol!
Finally our big meeting day arrived and we took over a corner of a local club. A very obliging venue I have to say.
......lots of lovely friends, giggles,and smiles....
And perhaps a bit of nonsense lol!
Sadly after this fun day I came down with a nasty lurgy so no more partying for me. I was disappointedto miss this months Sunday Stitchers but thankfully Shez and Wendystill got to visit thanks to lovely Susan xx......but coughing,  wheezing and sneezing aside....... I had a wonderful time.
Shez also gifted me one of her gorgeous Clutch bag sets.....
Complete with a sweet bee zipper charm. How spoilt am I! 
When my dear hubby and I visited Shez on one of our trips she got us hooked on her delicious homemade pickled beetroot. She popped a jar in of this for me too.....yum! NOT SHARING!
Now whilst I will admit to a lot of chatting, there was also a lot of stitching done. 
Lots of progress on Gossip in the Garden bits!
Before my friend arrived I got my Friends Hearts top together to give to the lovely Fiona to work her magic on.

It looks so lovely in real life.....very special to me.
Happy birthday to my dear friend Fiona today xx

Missing my lovely houseguest this week too. Thanks to all the wonderful women who made the week so much fun.
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 












Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Down the Rabbit Hole

 Hello friends. I had hoped to be back here before now but there is still a lot going on in the background. Life is just messy sometimes!

Do you ever find yourself travelling along nicely with your projects and then...wham! You spy something delightful and down the rabbit hole you go! I follow an incredibly talented lady called Louise May Watson on IG. She is artist, nature lover and stitcher (no wonder I love her posts) anyway she makes these gorgeous little accordion books. Stitched covers and a little drawing on each page. Well I have been itching to have a go! Soooo down the rabbit hole I went.....

My stitched covers, front and back! I chose my own little Wren design to stitch for the front cover. I stitched on a piece of Osneberg fabric I found. 


The inside....accordion surprise! These were made from leftover strips of watercolour paper from other projects. Great to use them up.....being a bowerbird comes in handy sometimes! Lol!
Drawing close ups....



I also made the drawings Australian nature. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed combining stitching and drawing. I am very keen to do another and tweak the construction of the book and think about my drawings a bit more. I wasn't happy with my tie for the book but I will work on that!
I also did this little drawing after waking at "sparrow fart" as us Aussies say again the other morning....
More art sorry folks! My Daughter's school has a gorgeous resident therapy dog called Norman and his Mum is so dedicated to bringing assistance and joy to the students at the school. Norman is much beloved by all who know him. So my daughter and I colluded and I did a pastel drawing of Norman as a surprise......
Here's Norman with his portrait....
He's a beautiful boy.....
Here he is waiting at the tuckshop for his pupsicle....
With my Granddaughter on his birthday......we LOVE you Norman xxx
Ok! There HAS been sewing. I am happily making progress on my Gossip in the Garden quilt that I am stitching with friend Fiona...bubzrugz
First block done....
And some EPP bits and bobs.....

I am currently working on the centre block and hexagoning in between.
Well that's me done! I'm off to my newsagent to collect my Homespun magazine and decide whether another friend is going to lead me astray with their 2023 BOM....I suspect she just might.
Take care lovely people.....hug your tribe!

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx