Quilting Finally!

 Good morning everyone. Finally my quilting thread arrived.....very happy quilter! 

So I have been able to make some headway with quilting Basket Case.

I have cross hatched the centre block.....

With simpler quilting on the little basket blocks.

It's been a lovely pastime in the evenings with the weather finally cooler.

I have kept up with the #52tagchallenge and No.18 -Paper Piecing is finished. I felt this one was a little boring on my part but I enjoyed it.

Whilst in the "hexie" mood I made a start on the ones I want for my Heartstrings border.....several done and with a bit more hospital sittings they will grow!

My Slow Stitching Book is coming along too. I am having a very nice time working on this page.....

A thing I love is when the resident pair of Pale-headed Rosellas in my garden come to my front balcony for a little bit of seed that I leave out....if you don't know what they look like this is a drawing I did of one a while ago. They are beautiful shy birds and a treat to watch when they visit.

I usually bring the little bit of seed in each night but sometimes if dusk falls before I get there I find there is not a bit left.....Well I found the thief.... a very naughty possum, taking advantage of my tardiness!

CAUGHT IN THE ACT!

Not a clear photo as I had blasted him with the balcony light....but there can be NO doubt who is responsible lol! So cheeky!

Well I must away. Another hospital visit today. So a few more hexies I guess.

I shall leave you with my two beautiful Granddaughters.....another great pic from the art installation they went to.

Namaste and Blessings Blessings Michelle xxx 

PS I have received some lovely comments from some of you that I have not been able to respond to.....so if I haven't answered your comment its because you are coming up as a no reply blogger. But thank you for your lovely comments xx

Slow Stitching

 Hello friends.  I didn't mean to be so long between posts but time just seems to go by in a blur these days of hospital visits, medical visitors etc.

Before I  begin my post,  I like other bloggers have recieved a notification to say that Feedburner after July would not be supporting the "Follow by Email" feature on our blogs. So that does make me sad as I know that I have lot of folks who access my blog that way. At the moment I do not have the time to work out a way around  that other than to suggest that you can follow through a Google account or check in regularly for new posts....sigh * I  know thats a pain. 

I would be interested to hear what other bloggers think or how they plan to get around it. As I would hate to lose my lovely followers.

I have recently been the recipient of such kindness from the blogging world and fellow stitching friends. My dear friend Fiona sent the word out that I needed cheering and beautiful hand stitched hearts started appearing in my mailbox and were delivered by hand....they have come from near and far! Thank you so much to you all. I am humbled by your kindness....it meant more than you will know. Big hugs to you all especially my dear friend Fiona @bubzrugz Thank you also for the beautiful cards and get well wishes for my husband xx

Ok on to some stitching! I have been waiting for more quilting thread to arrive so I can get back to my hand quilting. In the meantime I have got just a wee bit hooked on Slow Stitching a book as well as enjoying the #52tagchallenge. 

These are the pages achieved so far. 

Being a person who has the bad habit of not reading instructions and diving into things...I am attempting to sew the pages together in my own way....sheesh! 

And this is the next page in progress....I didn't mean to end up with themes but I have....bees, nature, teatime and now sewing lol!

The thing that I am enjoying is using up those little orphan blocks and bits of stitching abandoned in tins etc. The same with the tag challenge....using rather than discarding!

We are now on week 17 of our tags and this week's challenge was to use a colour you hadn't used in the previous tags and the technique was COUCHING. I chose gorgeous RED and found some little bits of bobbly yarn and I am quite pleased with it.

I have a good little collection now....I have had to buy a bigger binder ring to cater for the tags to come.....once again waiting patiently for the postman.

Hubby and I on his week off treatment managed to get out and enjoy a picnic at our favourite local forest....it was a gorgeous day and just what we needed.....blue skies, sunshine, fresh air, nature and cheeky birdlife!

We commemorated Anzac Day here on Sunday and we  were treated to some delicious homemade Anzac bikkies for afternoon tea from our Daughter.

We also had a birthday for our dear eldest Granddaughter.....love this photo of her and her fairy wings!

So that is me all caught up. See you next time.

Take care,

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

Autumn Stitching....Hmmmm?

 Well it's supposed to be Autumn here in Australia but after a 33 degree day yesterday I am doubtful! However with Autumn in mind I stitched my latest tag...Tag 15 - Miniscape.

I look forward to each weeks theme or prompt. Thinking and planning each tag is so enjoyable. Who would have thought a 3 inch x 4 inch piece of cardboard could give me such a gentle respite each week.

I am doing this sort of backwards. Tag 14 was Location....somewhere that you found inspiring or loved. Plus a pocket with a piece of treasure to go inside it. I chose the Northern Territory especially Kakadu National Park. A place I shall never forget! 

My supplies were Indigenous fabrics purchased in the NT. A special gumnut button gifted to me from lovely friend Julie @ My Threadbear Life. My piece of treasure was a little caravan cross stitch to pop in the pocket. Our caravan has been very special to us and so many marvellous places have been visited in ours.

Here are all my tags...minus this weeks so far....

Other sewing has been the completion of the hexie borders for Heartstrings. Some assembly is required now....and some contemplation for the last border as I am not keen on all the teeny pieced blocks.....thinking!  Thinking!

Foolishly with cooler weather earlier in the week I began hand quilting my Basket Case quilt.....only to be thwarted by the return of hot weather...sheesh! But at least it's begun!

These two pretties made me smile this week too....

Thank you for all your kind comments on my last post.  Each and every one has been taken to heart. I have received some lovely mail which I shall tell you about next post.

Until then stay safe and have a lovely week.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

A Very Long Month

 Hello friends. To say this past month has been the most difficult in my life would be an understatement! Its been like being tied to a crazy roller-coaster with no way off!

My husband has a rare form of cancer which is difficult to treat. He decided he wanted to at least try. So we started down that path. A very bad infection then almost took his life 3 weeks ago. We were told to expect the worst. Horrible horrible news to contemplate let alone except.

To all our amazement he pulled through and has been able to come home in a palliative care arrangement. So as you can imagine a huge adjustment for us. But despite the challenges I am so grateful to have him home.

So it's just a day at a time now. Thank you to all who have sent such loving supportive messages. I could not have navigated my way through this without my beautiful family and close friends......as they say...."when the jar is shaken the cream rises to the top"

I have also never been so glad to be a needlewoman. My needle and thread have bought me comfort and kept me company through many a long hospital vigil.

Each week I looked forward to thinking about the #52tagchallenge instead of hospital rooms. So far I have managed to keep up.....tags 10, 11 and 12.

Having already prepped some blocks for Where You Love Is Home quilt, I worked on those as well.

When these were done the hexie borders from Heartstrings accompanied me!

So I am hoping to use my sewing as some down time for me and post my progress on my blog when time permits. Keeping it as cheerful a place as I can.

I hope you are all well and that my Aussie friends are not too waterlogged!

Until next time , 

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

 Hello friends. I debated whether to share my current situation but I have been lucky enough to be apart of the blogging community for so many years, I decided that I wanted you to know why I shan't be posting much in the near future.

My husband has become unwell and has a lot of treatments ahead of him. That also means lots of hospital visits and Drs appointments as well. 

We are still trying to get our heads around it all as you can imagine.

Stitching quietly when I can is keeping me calm and I think perhaps quite a bit will be done waiting about. 

Take care everyone,  I shall pop in when I feel able to share what I have been sewing along the way.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

The Old and The New

 Hello out there. Life has been keeping me from getting to my blog of late but finally here I am. 

In the "old" department I have been chipping away at my Postcards and have 2 more completed and as you can see the pile is slowly  growing! I have been trying to get at least a few stitches in every day. I have a friend who needs to keep on task with a project also so we have made a pact for our sewing days.

Making me feel really OLD is this chap....

Who now looks like this!

I now have a teenage Grandson!

That seemed to have happened very quickly lol!

The "new".....

I am having a little SAL with my friend Fiona and my DIL who is learning to stitch.

When we all have our patterns we will be sewing this.....

Lots of needleturn, stitchery and some piecing.......love it! Fabrics next!

The other "new" is a challenge on Instagram called #52tagchallenge by a lady called Anne Brooks.  The idea is you make a little piece of textile from a prompt Anne gives you each week.....interpretate your way and attach it to a tag!

I thought it was perfect to use up lots of bits of lace and little treasures and another use for my die cutter. I had ordered a tag die before I came across this! And I love the freedom of stitching what I feel like.

Here are my first 6 tags....

1. WHITE

2. HEART

3. SCRAPPY

4. FLY STITCH

5. KISSES (mine are butterfly kisses)

6. A BEVY OF BUTTONS

Anne suggests that you put a little saying or some thoughts on the back if you like.....so I have enjoyed that part of the process as well!

It's nice to have a reason to play with all this!

I may even do a stitch book that Anne mentions. My own version.....use up some of those small bits of wadding I can't seem to throw away! I love embroidery but it seems to have faded into the background. Hopefully these projects will keep my skills up.

I  hope you are all well and having a good week.

Take care.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx