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 

More Field Notes

 Hello friends from sunshiney Queensland on this beautiful morning. I am sitting typing this with warm sunshine streaming in through the window and a hot cup of coffee beside me. I think you will need a cuppa as there seems to be lots to share.

I have celebrated another birthday this past week and am very thankful for all the love shown to me by my family and friends. Beautiful cards, messages, phone calls and gifts. New books to read, fluffy slippers, art supplies donation and concert tickets for later in the year and of course CAKE!

Can you see my new furry grandchild....he is soooo adorable!

My friend Shez sent me a lovely parcel just perfect for this big bird nerd.....love it!

My naughty sister aided and abetted my chocolate addiction in a big way....she sent me TWO chokkie gift boxes.....there is going to have to be some rationing put in place lol! Although the Grandies are smiling broadly with hope!

I also had my birthday at Sunday Stitchers. We had a theme of Bed, Bath and Table...I was spoilt by De xx

I also had to present my kit gift from last year completed. 

Linda was my kit gifter from 2023. I also had show and tell. I think perhaps I showed you last post....sorry if it's a repeat.

My latest Sashiko block, Nature's Journey and 1797 Revisited ( sorry about all the pics of yours truly lol)

Now on to "Field Notes" Our latest prompt in our Spring layout was NEST. I embroidered over a beautiful nest from a piece of fabric I had and invented a fantasy bird which I appliqued and embroidered with a piece of tatting as a pretty wing. We don't have any such brilliant blue eggs or birds that lay them here in Australia. I created a branch and leaves in embroidery and applique.

My little bird booklet slipped behind a little lace band.

I also really wanted to include our beautiful Brisbane Wattle that blooms late Winter early Spring here. I stitched what seemed like a trillion French knots for it and added it's Botanical name also in stitchery.

A little quote from Edith's diary finished off this prompt. The completed layout for this prompt. I adored this prompt as you can imagine.

This is what our beautiful Brisbane Wattle looks like in bloom...spectacular when you see them. It's actually much brighter and more golden than my photo shows.

I think I have caught you up on what's been happening in my little corner of the world.

I shall leave you with this gorgeous art card my friend Bev gave me for my birthday, from her holiday in our tropical North Queensland. 

It's called "Sunbirds" by artist Jennifer Foster- Hamilton.

Until next time,

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx