Merry Christmas to All

My little piece of Germany.  The angel I bought in Dresden, the big Nutcracker in an Op Shop in New Farm and the other pieces are also authentic German Christmas decorations.

My Father Christmas collection - the Christmas tree didn't get put up this year but my Santa Claus's got an airing.  Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and I look forward to writing more next year.  We are off on a road trip after Christmas - heading towards Sydney & further south into Victoria.  Will post photos when we get back to 'sunny' Queensland.  Will it ever dry out???

Postcards for a new baby

Another baby was born into our family last Saturday.  Couldn't believe it - Mother & baby were home SIX hours after delivery.  Is this normal these days? or is is just this particular hospital?   HofM's cousin is now a Great-grandmother  in her early 60's!  She is sooooooo much older than me - I'm not even a grandmother yet! Made a postcard for each of them, Mother & baby, Grandmother & Great-Grandmother - it was fun. As usual the hardest thing is deciding the fabric & what to do.  Hope they like them! 

Play Day

Yesterday, two friends came over & we had a "Play Day" in between cups of tea & lunch when another friend joined us for a catch up.  We tried out Paper Clay - we rolled it, kneaded it, rolled it out, used stamps on it and cut out shapes with cutters & scissors.  It has to dry overnight, then it can be painted to seal the items.  As you can see I stil have to paint my bits.

Then we used a bleach medium.  Our picture was placed under a sheet of see through plastic, we traced the image with the glue medium, allowed it to dry & then ironed it with a steam iron & the image appeared. Below is the image I used to trace but I think you will be surprised when I finish this.  It is going to be totally different to the original.

You now see the lines I traced - more or less.  watch this space to see what the image becomes!

Around Brisbane and the south-east

Last week we drove to the Gold Coast to collect my brother-in-law, who has macular degeneration & can't get out on his own anymore, so he could stay with us for a couple of days.  On the way down, we followed this boat - it was huge - had a wide load vehicle with it & they both managed to take up both lanes most of the time.  It's under the white over.

We had dinner at Portside (Fresh & Wild Seafood) on Sunday night before our son left for England and the cold.  It poured all day Sunday & it was rather chilly down on the river.  That did not stop us having our Moeven Pick ice-cream before wandering up on the viewing deck to look at the cruise ship that was visiting 'sunny' Brisbane.

This stick insect visited us today.  Haven't seen such a huge one in a long time.

Backyard Update

Give the worms some pumpkin seeds, put the castings on the garden & watch out - you have a pumpkin patch.  HofM delicately tickled a female flower with a male flower & now we have one pumpkin growing.  Hope it does get to maturity & we can actually eat it.

Japanese presents for Christmas

Bought these brooches for the sons's girlfriends from a little shop that sells AUTHENTIC Japanese accessories in Paddington. These were made from advertising pages of the newspaper by a lady in Osaka - they have not been dyed.  Japanese papers must be so much more colourful than ours.

Christmas Presents.

This seemed to be the year for serviette (napkin) holders.  Went mad making them - Christmas ones for family & all purpose ones for the son's girlfriends.  Also made a journal cover for my niece.  All quick & easy.

Inspiration Everywhere

For those of you who live in Brisbane, you may recognize the old Mac & East building. It always brings back memories of boarding school - Saturday mornings, stockings, gloves, hats, uniform & into Mac & East to buy more stockiings (ladders were the bain of my life!)

The pressed metal ceiling is still over the footpath - glad they left that.

Along Tank Street & turn left before the Kurilpa Bridge & there is a really great coffee shop in the entrance to a building that houses loads of lawyers.  The walkway into the building is greally great!

Sherwood Stitchers Bus Trip

Last Wednesday, 37 ladies from Sherwood Stitchers made the annual bus trip to Gatton via Bargain Box in Ipswich.  Both shops have a great array of patchwork fabric and we had a lovely lunch at Gatton - the staff of Sew Creative http://www.sewcreativegatton.com.au/ put on a lovely spread of local produce - fruit, ham & chicken.  Everyone had one or two parcels of goodies at the end of the day.

Rotary Cutter Holder

Thought you might like to have this idea.  I can't take credit for it, I saw this hint in an American Better Homes & Gardens magazine.  The hardest part of the exercise is to find the pot holders.  After searching Op Shops here in Brisbane, I cast my net further afield & hit the four shops in Gatton, Lockyer Valley & scored.
You then fold the holder in half & sew down one long side & the bottom.  I go around twice just to make sure it all holds.  The roatry cutter fits in perfectly.

Puuuuurgola Opening!!

The flags greeted the important guests!

The puuurgola (pergola) awaiting its auspicious opening!  We were advised that a ribbon needed to be cut & streamers should festoon the building!

 As HofM had been the builder (he did have an offsider to argue with), he had the pleasure of declaring the building open.  He did it with flourish - honoured guests watched in awe.  We had already had a drink or two & following the opening, guests were allowed to sit in it.  It was a fun afternoon to share with freinds.

Workshop Treat & Welcome Home!

A week or so ago, I had the absolute pleasure of doing a workshop with Gloria Loughmann http://www.glorialoughman.com/ - "Light up your Landscape".  I chose a sunset with the Dresden, Germany, skyline & am really pleased with my interpretation.  Under Gloria's guiding hand, I tackled painting fabric to dull of the water & then a stencil to make a reflection.  I even thread stitched the forms of buildings into the shadows. But, above all, I finished it in the 2 day workshop!!!! Just wonderful.

Last Thursday, had lunch with HofM & middle son before he went back to work the following day.  We ate at a Thai Restaurant on Park Road.  Don't know if they had sussed out my companions, but they asked if we wanted to sit in the garden (it was drizzling a little).  We were the only ones outside. This used to be the furniture store, Samsara, in an earlier life & the back garden is left over from that.  Do love the Asian/Bali infuences for gardens.

The boys are all home & another brigade is now over in Afghanistan.  Being selfish, I am just happ my son is home.  HofM, son's girlfriend & I attended the march through Brisbane on Saturday morning.  It was a good turn out for the boys & he said it was really noisy around King George Square.  We did see him amongst all the khaki & desert camos, smiling - I think a bit embarassed by a mother who was wildly waving when I saw him.  At least I didn't run into the line to hug him!  I do have SOME self-control.
Well done, boys & girls & welcome home.

Nobby - Southern Darling Downs

Sunday saw us heading through the Lockyer Valley to Nobby via Ma Ma Creek - lovely drive - all looks so green at the moment.  We had lunch at Rudds Pub - the meals are HUGE & great.

After lunch we went next door to the Vintage Museum.  This wedding dress was designed by Ida Dennis of Toowoomba - stunning.  Morley Grainger www.morleygrainger.com/exhibitions  of Toowoomba curated an exhibition of Ida Dennis's work a couple of years ago.

This guy greets you at the entrance to the Nobby Forge & Vintage Museum http://www.nobbyvillage.com.au/- the clothes, the hats, the furs, the toys, all brought back memories. The owner showed us the exhibits and willingly shared her knowledge with us.  It was a great trip down memory lane.  A visit is a must when you are in the area.

The men visited the forge and spoke of manly things and were educated in this craft.

After a few hours in Nobby, we headed for coffee & cake at the Village Green, Highfields, just north of Toowoomba.  This building used to be the one teacher school in Highfields in the 1960's and it is where I went to school for a year.  Suitable homage is paid to this site whenever I take visitors there - it's an important historically!!!!!  It 's a lovely cafe & on the green are a number of shops dedicated to giftware, scrapbooking & surprise, surprise, a quilt shop - The Quilter's Angel.  

Quilts! Quilts! Quilts!

The Queensland Quilt Show has come & gone - these are the three quilts I had in the show.  This one is part of the Serwood Stitchers display of our Round Robins.   Sherwood Stitchers is just one of the groups I belong to. 

This piece was the result of a workshop with an American tutor, Jane Sassaman janesassman.com- she showed me I can draw & design.  We used a photo or a real flower & expanded on what we saw.  Then we had fun using our machines & all those fancy stitches that are rarely, if ever, used.

This was my entry into Queensland Quilters Challenge for 2010.  We received a fat quarter of fabric - it had lots of leaves in greens & pinks & I decided to play with some techniques.  I had fun with it.  The entire Challenge was displayed at this year's show.

A BIG WEEK FOR ME!

Sunday was a big day for this family.  We had to postpone another momentous event - the official opening of our purrrrgola - because our middle son was arriving home after serving in Afghanistan.  This photo shows some of the families waiting patiently for our loved ones to appear.  Each soldier was greeted with a cheer & applause.  It was great to be a part of it all. 



The Brisbane Stitches & Craft Show is on until Sunday at the Brisbane Convention Centre.  This is the ATASDA (Australian Textile and Surface Design Association) stand at the show.  Such talented people.  There are over 600 quilts on display by Queensland Quilters & I've yet to have a really good look.  That will be Saturday and some of Sunday.

Views around the yard

This is our neighbour's cat - adding a hint of class to our pergola.  Not sure what she's checking out.The wagon wheel is 'antique' - not!  Bought it at "Wayne's World in Boonah so now you know the quality of it. Thought it would add another dimension to the back yard - HofM (husband of mine) still has to install it properly - hope it's done before the official opening.

View from our front our bedroom window - such beautiful blooms - the birds love them.  Red with gold tips - just brilliant.

 OK - not the best shot - I am an amateur when it comes to photography - but these are our first lemons, still growing, we are very proud of them.  Will let you know when harvesting begins!!!!  We also have an orange tree too - both are in pots - & it has a couple of oranges just starting to grow.  Excitement everywhere in Auchenflower.

First Posting

Breathing deeply - not sure what to write about. I would like to show you our back yard.  It was all grass until last year & now there is absolutely NO mowing needed.  Vic (husband of mine) did all of this - we are very happy with it.