Tuesday's Treasure with Melody

I think I am still in time for Tuesday's Treasures with MELODY. My treasure today is nearly as old as myself. Those of you who have been with me from the beginning will remember this photo I posted of myself as a child. I was about 2 years old.

Well my treasure today is the little dress I am wearing. I still have it and apart from a few age marks it is in perfect condition. It was made for me by a family friend who was a tailor.

It is a beautiful soft swisse cotton voile and has two rows of beautiful cotton lace on the yoke and over the shoulder.

The fabric has a little green embroidered hail spot all over it with a self weave as well.

My daughter wore this little dress when she was a little girl too. It is so soft and pretty and I love that it is still with me after all this time. What's something, somewhere or someone you treasure today.
Blessings Michelle xx

A Day in the Forest.

My Daughter loves photography and has recently saved really hard to buy herself  a new fandangled camera (scary stuff to me). Yesterday she went up to our lovely Daisy Hill Forest with her Husband and our Grandson and she and my SIL took some gorgeous photos. It was hard to choose favourites but I picked four to share with you.

I love the sunlight across them in this one.

A Penny for your thoughts!

I am 100% biased but I think they did a lovely  job and I would have loved to show you them all but there were too many.

It is a long weekend here in Brisbane so many of us have had an extra day off which has been great and the weather here has been beautiful...typical Queensland Autumn at last!!!!

Blessings Michelle xx

Are you bored yet??

Block 8 "Circle of Tulips & Rosebuds" is finished. Yipee!

And my circle actually looks like a circle...not showing off just excited. I love the cute little folded rosebuds on this block. I think that is a favourite with these quilts. All the 3 dimensional work.

I am now on to Block 9 and have decide to bite the bullet as they say and face my fears. I think the reason I may have put these blocks to one side was that I was terrified of trying the "Bias Baltimore Basket" with the little Album booklet. Well I decide to just dive on in and have a go. I have to say it has taken me HOURS!. But I do have most of the strips appliqued on and if you could see me now I am grinning the silly "aren't I so clever" grin. Had to show you girls as this massive achievement in my house was greeted with the usual "that's nice dear". I tell you at the moment I am a legend in my own mind. LOL!

I hope you are not all too bored with all these blocks as showing you is keeping me on track. I want to get them finished so that I can get back to my Mum's Japanese blocks.
Have a great evening or day depending where you are.
Blessings Michelle x

Favourite Things Friday with Shay

Well I am going to be showing my age again for FTF this week when I link up with the gorgeous SHAY  from Quilting in my Pyjamas. I have since I was a young hip & happening thing loved the music of Van Morrison. There is a 'Van' song for every mood. Some wonderful memories are tied up with his music too. My friend and I went to his concert at the now demolished Festival Hall here in Brisvegas and rocked the night away. His music has accompanied many a fantastic party and one of  his more recent favourite songs "Have I told you  lately that I love you" featured beautifully in my Son's wedding which as you can imagine saw me come quite undone but felt so special to be part of that moment.
So here's to the music of Van Morrison - a most beautiful soul. An 'all the time' favourite!

You will notice there is a lit candle behind my cd's. My dear friends Helen and Janeen who also teach me Yoga went to a Yoga Teacher's conference in Sydney last weekend and took part in a 'world peace flame' ceremony and my beautiful Nimbin candle (yes the one that caused all the distress to no1 Husband) has been lit from this ceremony. If you want to read more about the history of this beautiful ceremony you can go Here


Because of all the rainfall we have had here in 'sunny' Queensland in recent times my tropical garden has gone .....in a word nuts! Now I know I whinge about the weather which I dislike about myself so much but truly my plants are not only smiling but laughing out loud. So I thought I would share some photos I have taken of some of them. I don't want you to get the idea now that I am some guru gardener or anything because I'm not and these are selected shots and  these treasures pretty much take care of themselves....warning there are a few pics.

Miss Frangipani in all her glory!

The garden has just about overtaken my statue.

There are 2 of these on this tree and they completely encircle it now and hang right down to the ground. My husbands Grandad gave me a small foot from his plant and this is the result many years later. I love it!

Now this little sweetheart Maidenhair  fern just loves this little spot and although has died back a little just thrives all by herself. I have never been able to get it to grow until now. So Bless her!

Last but not in any way least are a succulent and sweet native "Robin Gordon" grevillea so different yet co-existing so happily there together....there is a lesson there I think.
So there you have it some of nature's beauties who reside with me and make me smile.
Remember to treat yourself as you would your very best friend...with love, kindness and understanding.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend.
Blessings,
Namaste,
Michelle xx

it's time for May Giveaway.

Good Morning all. Being the 3rd of May already it is time once again for my little giveaway.
Seeing as it was getting close to Mother's day I thought I would go with the theme of Cupcakes and Pretty & Pink which I love to have on Mother's Day.

The giveaway consists of 'cupcake' fabric, very cute matching cupcake tea towels, a sweet little lace doiley, cute tea party buttons hand crafted by my friend Tracey Bormann(White), raspberry & strawberry tea, a pretty card made by my friend Ann (sorry not Mother's day but still pretty & pink) and one of my earliest patterns "Sweet  Friends" which is very cute when stitched. This is a better view of the pattern and no the cute felt cupcakes are not in the pattern (sorry they belong to someone else).

If you would like to be in this draw please just leave me a comment and I will draw the winner next Thursday (Aussie Time) May 10th 2012. Good luck!
Lastly but not least "Circle of Tulips and Rosebuds" block is coming along nicely even though it is very time consuming. I am very pleased at least I have a round circle of bias which was some mean feat and not for the faint hearted (slight exaggeration there) but still I am quite pleased it went well. All my little rosebuds are all pressed and folded and after the leaves will be next in line.

This is the book of beautiful designs I have been using it is called "Applique from the Heart" by Pat Weir-Smith. I have loved each and every one of them and the book is a wonderful format and so easy to use.

Well that's it from me. The grocery shopping awaits....oh so exciting! I know. I am very grateful to be able to buy groceries but I will be a danger to other shoppers as I whizz around the shops today so that I can get home to my applique. Does this sound remotely normal to anyone or have I finally gone over the edge and not the raw edge or the selvage edge either. Ok I will desist immediately and leave you in peace.
"Patchwork is painting with fabric, needle and thread. Another wonderful way to make Art"
Blessings, Michelle xx

Lunch with a French Twist

Today I had a lovely lunch out with my stitching friends at a nice little cafe/bistro at Bulimba which is a riverside suburb on the southside of Brisbane. It is full of lovely cafes and interesting shops.

Called the "French Twist" this little cafe also had a lovely selection of breads and pastries. I had a delicious open sandwich and a yummy vanilla slice for dessert ( I am very partial to those). You will have to take my word for it because horror of horrors I forgot my camera. I must be a 'real' blogger becasue I felt so strange without it. The girls and I spent so many years catering to the needs of school children, family life and work comittments we decided now that a lot of that is behind us we would sample the lovely cafes and shops around our lovely city from time to time together. It has been so much fun discovering these places (no thanks to me I can tell you) These young lasses have taught me so much.

I now have to break the news to my other half that I couldn't eat another thing for at least 12 hours and what are his plans for dinner??? I know what the answer will be..."whatever you want to cook"
I just want to share a little cartoon my daughter sent to me. You see in my family I get a lot of teasing about my 'hippie' ways and never more so than when I did my Reiki training. Such things as "that woo woo stuff you do" or " what is it supposed to do" but they do line up for the hands on treatment when they have a headache or a cold or sore back. Lol! Especially my other half.
I take it all in my stride with a smile and I have to admit this little cartoon did make me laugh.....

My husband just advised me he had 3 different kinds of rakes downstairs...very funny!
Blessings Michelle xx

Tuesday's Treasure with Melody

Well friendly campers I have finally managed to get here to post after deciphering the new Google Chrome and I am showing you great restraint in not expressing what I am really feeling about the wasted hours this lovely morning so we shall move right along to the reason for this post...Tuesday's Treasures with MELODY
My treasure today is my small but sweet collection of minature quilts made for me as gifts by a lady who used to belong to our quilting group. Sadly she moved overseas and we lost touch. Her work was extraordinary and exquisite to say the least and I am constantly amazed when I look at them.

You will see I have placed a 20 cent coin there for size reference.

The logs in the log cabin quilt have to be seen to be believed. My very favourites though are the 2 that match and hang on the wall outside my bedroom and are the first thing I see every morning. The first is a sampler quilt and the second is a lovely applique.

I still adore the fabrics in these little quilts. The tiny dresden plate is the cutest thing ever.

Both these little quilts measure only about 14 inches x 18 inches. They are a lovely memory of a very clever lady.
On the subject of blocks I have finished Baltimore block 7 and on to Block 8.
Block 7 looked quite simple but I had so much trouble with the hearts in the centre. Trying to get them to match up was like herding cats....I'd get 2 right and then the next one wrong. In the end I have decided to live with it and I am not unpicking and redoing anymore hearts. So there is a lesson there I guess never judge a book by it's cover or a block by it's design until you have stitched it.

So on to Block 8 which has a bias circle...tee hee. Lots of fun there I can tell you.
I am off to visit Melody and see who is treasuring what. What do you treasure? Do you stop and think about  all the little momentoes and memories that make up your life? It is a lovely thing to do to take stock regularly and remember what makes us smile.
Have a lovely rest of your Tuesday. I feel a cuppa calling.
Blessings Michelle xx