I am Back!

I have had a very busy time of late...family visitors and Grandie minding. So I was very happy to take time out on our Sunshine Coast...

It doesn't look very sparkly in these photos but a storm was building...very relaxing to dip my toes and have an ocean stroll.
We had another agenda...

To surprise a dear friend on his special birthday. Here he is with his beloved girls...

These 3 have been mates since we were all young and beautiful  (Mr. R. on the left)
Mrs Birthday Boy arranged for 11 of us to spend the weekend together in this huge house! We ate out...delicious seafood, barbecued...ate cake and other treats!

We had a wonderful time together! Laughed ourselves silly....so nice to have such history and memories with old and dear friends.
We took the long way home and popped in to visit my bestie Ann. I come home with a lovely gift of Ann's beautiful cards. I thought I would share them with you.

Aren't they pretty...Ann makes gorgeous  cards... I cannot pick a favourite! I will find these very difficult to give away!

Stitching wise I have my teeny hexies appliqued on their background blocks...

and I cut out another hexie crown for my Brinton Hall quilt ready to baste.

Last but not least, I finished drawing my Major Mitchell Cockatoo. They are such pretty birds...really happy with how he turned out.

Oh dear! Chores await as they do....and then definitely an early night.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

A Quilty Post

As we head through January after our end of year breaks, we have a series of little fresh starts....meeting up with friends again is just one.
Yesterday I had a lovely morning with friends to stitch......made a new friend, Sarah too.

Our dear friend Jan was our hostess and provided us with a beautiful cool space to work and delicious morning tea. Jan escaped my camera but I did get permission to share 2 of her works in progress.

Jan like a lot of you has been working on the 365 day challenge.....

This quilt is so rich looking with it's chocolates and tans and creams (no pun intended ) I find this quilt mind boggling....such intricately pieced little blocks! Amazing Jan!

The other is a half hexagon quilt and the effect is wonderful. Thanks for sharing x

Robyn was finishing off a late Christmas project...or she is early for this year lol!

So very cute and those  little stars are perfectly pieced.

Theresa is trying to pretend she is not in the photo lol!

I worked on my clamshells and managed to get a few more basted.

Robyn spoiled us all with gifties from her Tassie trip. I have no idea why she thought that I would like this tin?

Ohhh isn't it the dearest thing...love it...and the fudge is still intact!

So lovely to catch up....big birthday hugs too Monica xxx

It was a nice start to the year to have a project in the January issue of

I loved creating Cherries and Chocolate! It contains some of my favourite things...fabric from friends, birdies, hexagons, a bit of red work, applique and was beautifully quilted by my lovely friend FIONA FROM BUBZRUGZ

It is a happy,  joyful quilt for me. I hope you really enjoy it if you choose to stitch it too.

Time for coffee for me.
I wish you a lovely day....stay cool or warm depending on your Hemipshere.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Number 9 is finished folks.....yes!

Sashing and border fabric chosen.......and then on to the 4 x 17 appliqued tabs on the borders.
It was a stinker here today, so after gathering some supplies from the grocery store and a refreshing and reviving swim, I parked myself under the aircon and disappeared between the pages of the 3rd book in the Trilogy I have been reading.

Bliss! There is definitely magic in curling up with a great book!

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Waiting in the Wings

While others are toting up their unfinished projects, I am preparing for a new one. I have admired this quilt from afar for quite a while. However my fate was sealed when lovely HELEN from Helen's Patchwork Passion came to Queensland for a visit and bought her gorgeous version with her. Watching her hand quilting it and seeing it up close and personal blew my last remnant of resolve out the window!
The quilt? Yoko Saito's Vase of Flowers quilt  from her Floral Beauty book.

I gathered fabrics on my trip down south....I want it a tad brighter....photo doesn't show that in my fabric choices but they are.

And also some pretty threads.

Ordered the book before Christmas when I got home.

The book was held up so I was happy to just work away on my other projects....but now its here! It contains lots of beautiful projects as well. I know you all know this feeling.....I am itching to begin! Yikes!
I have read the pattern. The instructions for the quilt, even though I bought the English language version are meagre and sparse to put it lightly! So bit of a challenge ahead here. I  did decide the attraction for me was the applique and if I had to have simpler sashings to achieve a finished quilt I will do so. I do love this quilt!
It has in no way taken the shine off my Blessings quilt and the last block is coming along quite nicely....

Art has started back and one of my scribblings over the break I have decided to expand and take further....so new work in progress!

Another Major Mitchell Cockatoo down on paper. Love these beautiful birds. Someone asked me if I intended drawing anything other than critters and my response was....probably not lol! I  love critters, oh and the odd rose or flower.

So that's yours truly caught up for now.

I do so love these inspirational art works and thought I would share as for me it speaks to choices we make that give us joy and happiness.  Which need please nobody but ourselves.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

FNWF

Last evening was our first on line stitch in over at Gone Stitchin with Cheryll I started out finishing off the last little hexie I need for a mini quilt. I then cut out the background blocks for them...all prepped ready to applique.

The rest of the evening I happily worked on block 9 of Blessings.....

I managed to get the tab circle appliqued on, the centre star and started on the centre circle before my bed called me.

It is nice to know that women are taking time to stitch, sew, knit etc all over blogland with you. Looking forward to visiting to see what friends got up to.
Enjoy your weekend,
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Almost There!

Good morning lovely people. I am certainly enjoying the cooler weather this week.
I am also excited to be on the last block in Blessings.

I couldn't resist laying them all out to take a peek...

I have loved this Robyn Falloon pattern for so long....

The teeniest progress has been made with Splendid Sampler as I  completed this stitchery block over Christmas. It is supposed to have a small border but I love it how it is....

I played with my pencils over the break. Drawing a sweet little Yellow Breasted Robin we photographed badly at Minyon Falls NSW last year. They are so darn quick....too quick for this amateur!  I have used all kinds of artistic license popping Robin on a post I photographed outside Goondiwindi whilst having a cuppa. I find old fence posts and rusty wire so appealing for some reason.

I decided to also play around with Pan Pastels in the background and direct shafts of light through foliage....not sure how successful I have been but there is always something to learn and experiment with. A very nice memory of a lovely day with my Hubby and Brother.

 This being said I have invested in a new Art Journal to play and experiment in. Unfortunately my last one was damaged due to poor advice on preservation and couldn't be saved! Live and learn!

Blank white paper or pages can be soooo scary lol! Just need to get that pencil on to the paper. I love Art Journalling and anyone can have one and create in them......using all kinds of mixed medias. Loads of information on Pinterst and the like if you fancy it.
After a busy couple of days putting the house to rights I am treating myself to a lazy day today and my stitching.

Wishing you a happy day,
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

RSC and Just Because!

Last year my friend Lorel and I did our version of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, hosted by Angela at So Scrappy We decided on a very achievable goal....1 Dresden Plate block per month. I just scraped in by the skin of my teeth to finish all 12. As I am not a fan of brights, using just my stash to fulfill the colour selection was indeed a challenge for me. But I did it....may not have been the exact brief but it all came out of my fabric drawers...which of course means that I can treat myself in the future.
September was Roses....burgundy, pinks and golds.

October was Sunrise, yellows and golds...

The last two months were to put your quilt together. Lots of ladies do many blocks for each colourway. Or you could choose your own for the last 2. As we have many blooming Jacaranda trees in Brisbane in November, we chose that...

December of course was a Touch of Christmas.

We don't have the rainbow colourwave multiple blocks achieve but I am really happy with the little scrappy plates.

Lorel and I are joining in again this year in our own way....we plan a scrappy 4 patch block in the designated colour with an alternating butterfly and bird applique on top. We will add these blocks to our Dresdens to make our quilt.
January is PURPLE....I have my blocks cut out ready to assemble.....as you can see I am not quite a purple girl!

It is such fun...if you want to join in pop over to So Scrappy HERE and dive in!

"Just because " are two of my favourite words.....no obligation to do so.....I was thinking of you.....because my heart told me to....knew you'd love it!
Before Christmas I was so blessed to have experienced this several times!
My dear friend Shez sent me the most beautiful Willow tree Angel..... it is so special!
She is even holding a rosy apple.....I love rosy apples.

I was so touched and it meant so much....

Lovely friend Sue remembered how much we enjoyed the Chili Jam from her area and so a jar arrived in the post! Out of the blue.   Oh so delicious I might add....so thoughtful! 

Another dear friend Gaye gifted me a beautiful book of hers that she had found and I had always loved reading.....just because she wanted me to have it to enjoy.

Beautiful thoughts and gifts and beautiful friends. To know that someone thought of you with kindness is a gift in itself.
Acting on "just because" can brighten days and hearts....a card, a message, a gentle enquiry "how are you doing?" a phone call, that piece of fabric you know they will just love.....a cute button. If you do ordinary things with great love how can we not be changed for the better.....both reciever and gifter.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx