Where We Love Is Home

 Hello out there! Coming to you from "Cabin Fever Central".....

My efforts on Where You Love Is Home has been looking at me everytime I walk in my sewing room....you see I had piecing bits to do...sigh! The main thing bugging me was I had lots of small bow tie blocks to make and I have never really liked the "chop off the corners" style. I remember reading somewhere that you could sew a four patch and applique a square for the knot....so I gave it a go.....

Which led to this.....

And after this......

This.....

As I was on a bit of a roll I added the side strips to the centre house block....

And the flower row to my washing line...

This meant that I was able to sew this whole row together and attach it to the top row....

So feeling quite pleased with myself and I feel now it may actually become a quilt!

I also sewed two extra rows of hearts on so its growing too!

We are so blessed to have caring children who have been dropping off supplies at our door and treats too.....books and chocolate cake!

I also had some lovely mail. Designer Kim Diehl had a fund-raiser for the victims of the terrible tornado that struck Western Kentucky in early December. Proceeds from the sale of lovely scissors went to assistance. I chose the sweet butterfly version.....

I love them and they are quite a good size too.

Well folks 2 posts in the one month......winning!

Take care and stay safe........some visitors for breakfast this morning.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

January 2022

 The arrival of the new year  passed by behind closed eyelids for me. Enthusiasm on my part was severly lacking I'm afraid. The air con here has been getting a work out thanks to Cyclone Seth lingering off the Queensland coast and delivering showers and heavy cloud cover.....resulting in very high humidity amongst the ahowers. He decided to hover over a rural  area 4 hours north of us and delivered 650mms of rain in 24 hours, causing bad flash flooding and loss of life....before he cleared out.....good riddance Seth!

The grass and weeds seem as if they grow up behind you as you mow lol!

With the plague exploding now in our State with borders opened to all without having to quarantine and taking self responsibility meaning for some....... party like there is no tomorrow.......gather together in groups as large as you can.....masks are just a suggestion......we are staying in except for essentials and hospital treatments.....anxiety inducing folks! I  never thought that I would become a grumbly old lady but there you go!

Family visits have been at a distance.......from the driveway! Family down there....us up here!

Over the Christmas break I completed several more blocks for Letter to My Daughter. 

I decided  to also substitute 2 upcoming star blocks with 2 EPP stars.....so they are made and waiting.

The last of the little stitcheries are also traced and waiting to be completed.....soon!

Santa's Elves had all sorts of trouble with the post this year.....I had several items that definitely took the scenic tour to their destinations. So it seems did others. I was delighted to open this lovely card and decoration from friend FIONA @bubzrugs...it did get a turn on the tree for a while so I could enjoy it......so darn cute!

The drizzly afternoons have seen me reaching for the chocolates, coffee and a favourite reread.

I loved this book so much and admit it's not my first reread!

Pencils are cooler than stitching, so a bit of that has been happening too.

A  friend sent me a photo from his trip to Canada....when you could trip to Canada....asking me if I would like to draw it.....ummm? Yes please! It's a Coyote snapped in one of the national parks.

I loved the rich tawny colours.....

I also have a work in progress....."Beautiful Athena The Wonder Cat"  She belongs to my Daughter and is a rescue cat.....some despicable person threw boiling water on her and she was takeni to care, nursed back to health and adopted by my Daughter......she is now throughly spoilt and she deserves to be. 

I had forgotten all the different colours in the under layers of drawing black fur......blues, purples.

Starting to lay down the darker shades on her head and face......she has the most beautiful eyes!

Lots more shading and a bit more darkening on her black collar and body. So my pencils will be busy for a little while yet.

So dear friends my first post for 2022......stay home if you can and stay safe and well....to several of my friends who've caught this rotten thing, feel better soon thinking of you......

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Christmas 2021

 Hello friends. I do hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas celebration with loved ones. After an emergency hospital visit for my 93 year old father-in-law days before Christmas, we were able to be all be together at our Sons home and had a really lovely day......all our favourite dishes, happy smiling kids, loads of laughter and love....oh and a Santa gift or three.

This motley crew are the dearest in my heart......

Since then Hubby and I have been very quiet....he watching the Cricket and I finishing off the 52tagshannemade challenge and with my pencils.

Our last tag of the year was a Macrame Christmas tree.....I really enjoyed trying this technique. 

So finally its a wrap.....challenge complete! It is not a great photo but here they all are!

Oops forgot to show the preceding tags lol!

Tag 49 - Captured Memories.  All the beautiful wild places I have been fortunate to have visited with my husband was what I wanted to capture. I  chose a feather collected on a bush walk as the centre piece.

Tag 50 - Circles....a combination of suffolk puffs, button and applied circles!

Tag 51 - Wreath.  I only did a half a wreath as I wanted to feature Aussie designer Barb Smiths cute Santa button. We also could cut a frame for our wreath which I did with red cardboard....

In my art group, Sandra our teacher and mentor set us a challenge. We all received a plain laser cut shape in our Christmas card with instructions.....

I was still in Christmas decoration mode so that  is what I made.....for my Christmas tree. I sprayed the shape with glitter, added a button and stitched it to a felt set of ovals. 

And I have also spent a little time both before Christmas and after with my pencils. The first, as a collector of Royal Doultons Old Country Roses, when teamed with a sweet Robin was irresistible to me.....

Lastly, a Pale-headed Rosella. These shy birds visit my bird feeder several times a day.....sometimes they just perch on my verandah railing and rest. I really love them.  I have never been able to snap a suitable reference photo but thankfully a lovely friend gifted me one. I have set the bird in low dead branches with seeded grasses close by.....their favourites. 

Well I have still managed to waffle on even though I had planned on a quick post....lol!

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, prayers and comments this year. I have appreciated every single one. I have had some lovely comments from a lady called PAM...sadly I couldn't respond to your comments as they came up as a no reply blogger.....I have had several like this. Please know I appreciated your comments also.

I have no plans or  expectations for the upcoming year. More time with my beloved will be my dearest wish.

So friends......I wish you good health and happy stitching.

May the long time sun shine upon you,

All love surround you and

The pure light within,

Guide your way on. 

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

December Roundup

 

I thought I would share a post before Christmas is upon us. Another long epistle folks! Sorry but this seems to be the way of things these days. 

Santa's helper has delivered some very cute and  festive mail from friends across the land.

All gorgeous. Thank you Karen (Sunburnt Quilts) Sue (Kiwikids Page) Liz and Maria (Life on the Block)

My friend Sue in the UK added to my Beatrix Potter collection again this year with this sweet card.....adorable!

I missed a lot of my usual festive gatherings but did manage to go to lunch with my sewing friends earlier in the month and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it.

Love, laughter and spoiling took place.

Luckily I had gotten an early start on my Secret Santa before our life turned to *#%#

I loved the fabric and decided it needed to be the star.....so I  made a Hexie table centre.

Once again I enjoyed stitching ornaments for friends and family. 

And had my first attempt at making some Christmas cards.....simple but effective was the limit of my abilities. 

We are fortunate enough to have a beautiful Kiwi expatriate that pays a weekly nursing visit to hubby.....last week she gave us some very cute Christmas ginger cookies....which were soooo delicious! 

I couldn't make it to the Sunday Stitchers Christmas breakup this year. But these wonderful ladies sent a lovely Elf called Alison to my door with beautiful treats and gifts from them all. So special and so kind!

At Sunday Stitchers we were taking part in a SAL of Heartstrings by Natalie Bird. Our tops were to be completed by the Christmas party.  I made the deadline but not the gathering.

So here is my version.....mid hand quilting.

I did my own thing on the final border as anyone who knows me knows that I am not a big fan of machine piecing.

I placed a EPP heart in each corner....

2 little birds, a heart, Heartstrings and Hexies and Hexie flowers for the top border.

Repeated the same for the bottom border but excluded the heart for the cute pincushion. 

Side borders were similar but with a single hearts and little birds.

The target now is to have it quilted and bound my next Christmas! 

Some milestones in our family too....our youngest grandson finished Primary school and is off to High school next year.....my oh my! Where did that little boy go? He cut quite the dashing figure at his graduation.....red shirt and red shoes.....

His little sister had her first dance concert and did an excellent job....

Yesterday my dear friend and hairdresser extraordinaire, Katie came and gave Hubby,  Dear Daughter, Youngest Granddaughter and yours truly some Christmas hair styles....I was boring and had the same do. What can I say.....why change what you love.....but the other girls decided on big change and  had all their long tresses cut off and they look fab!

Ok I have waffled long enough. If you stayed until the end, thank you....I do have tags to share with you but as there is only one more to go I shall save them all for next time. 

I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and the hope you get to spend it with those who are the most important to you.

Stay safe and well.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx