Christmas in our Home

Didn't put up the tree this year (again) but do put out my Santa collection (see post from December last year) and I have this lovely angel from Germany and the Quilt Shop bought in Sydney a few years ago. The spirit was there this year - the sons and partners came for lunch & we had a wonderful time. Christmas felt good this year from the Christmas Eve service at my church - lots of carols, beautiful choir & the Christmas readings, Christmas morning service - more carols, choir, friends & lunch with family followed by a nap to restore us - perfect!

Cacti Flower in Bloom

Quite a spectacular flower!  OK - how many of you are laughing???  Christmas Day - one son said "What's that smell?"  We were going to have lunch on the back deck but they assured me there was a disgusting smell (I have no sense of smell - another story).  Yep -  this flower sends off an odour - definitely not a perfume - of rotten meat to attract flies (its food).  Needless to say, the pot got moved to right down the back yard to a safe distance.

Not much Progress

Not much progress with the flower but...........

the Mock Orange is in full bloom - does that mean more rain??????

Dayboro

Needed to get out of town - took a drive through Samford to Dayboro - had lunch at the pub & felt a bit better by the time we got back. 

Watching this Plant.

This cactussy looking plant has given birth to this flower bud - we only noticed it this morning. Will log its progress daily.  Can anyone help me with the name of the plant?  A friend gave us a couple of pieces -HofM planted a piece into 2 pots, naturally one is doing better than the other & they are only a meter apart!

Playing with new Camera

Thank you, everyone, for your kind thoughts - starting to feel better - new camera, new purse, licence replaced (but I have to wait 2 weeks - new type of licence with microchip!)  Credit cards should be arriving today or tomorrow  - really hope so - HofM is not handling not having a credit card well - see, one has to spend one's cash then!

This camera has a sketch mode - will be really interesting to use for quilt designs. For overseas friends, these seed pods are from a flame tree.  It looses its leaves in summer & produces masses of red/orange flowers that, from a distance & in the bush, give the impressions of flames - hence the name.

No Photos!

Some 'nice' person/s must be in real need ......................they climbed in through our bedroom window & stole my handbag.  We were watching TV at the back of the house, the front door was open & I can see the front steps from where I sit! We didn't hear a thing!  Police called by - the buggers had broken in to a house around the corner, opened Christmas presents under their tree & stolen their BMW!  The owners were out - bet they wished they'd taken the BMW.  Needless to say, am going through the replacing of credit cards, debit card, driver's license, etc etc etc.  Now need a new camera & new purse/wallet.  Don't think we really needed this at the end of the year but at least it was only the handbag & nothing else. Hope we can get everything straight before Christmas. 

AND NOW.................................Merry Christmas to all!

My Real Wall

Thought you might like to see where & how I display my MailArt - we rescued various drawers & wooden boxes from our flood 'rubbish' and HofM screwed them to the wall (under instruction of course).  My MailArt is displayed for a time & then placed into this special photo album for keeps.

Outgoing

These two pieces have been machine stitched to embellish the design on the material - nice & easy but fun to do.

More Mail Art

Received these two from Mary in Kentucky http:/itsonlyabook.blogspot.com - she also participated in the Mailart 365 project & got there!!  I've only got just a little of 200 to go!

Practising my Free Motion Quilting

A few of you would have heard of this project hosted by Leah Day http://www.daystyledesigns.com/ I have started practising - won't get 1 done each day but one day I hope to get through most of them.

"Practise makes perfect!"  hope that is true - bit of a wobbly beginning - each square is about 4"  & very achieveable & I actually do improve by the fourth square.

This is my "Swirling Flames" & I reckon it doesn't look too bad - from a distance!  Will keep at it & post my efforts from time to time.

FloodArt - another Dimension

Came across more photos that had been 'damaged' in the flood - photos of quilts - this one had been under a card & the writing copied on to the photo.  Embellished with flowers.

The mirror images appeared on the under side of the the photos resting on top - it was one of those "wow' moments - now what to do with them all. Am creating mail art & trying to be creative enough to display them well.

Stitch Sampler

Have also been in HerShed - making these stitch samplers. Not an original idea but one I got from the book, Threads The basics & beyond written by Debbie Bates & Liz Kettle.  Borrowed from Qld Quilters library & am going to work my way through it over Christmas (or so the dream is!). 

This took quite a few hours but I do feel it was worth it - now I know what every stitch on my machine actually looks like. Ther exercise also made me a bit more aware of tension, needles, feet etc.  Glad I persevered. It'll be a great reference once the book is returned to the library.

Sherwood Stitchers Annual Outing

 Each year, Sherwood Stitchers goes on a bus trip - this year our destination was Sew Creative http://www.sewcreativegatton.com.au/, in Gatton,  with a stop at Rose Patchwork http://www.rosepatchwork.com/ in Ipswich.  We spent up big & Gail & Jenny at Gatton put on lunch.

Some spent more than others!

Even the bus driver was looking for dog fabric.

Yard work continuing

Bromeliads - we love them & they seem to do so well with only a little care.

This delightful fellow graces the front yard - he was a gift from Pam.

MailArt from Greece

This piece came from Katerina - she is also doing Mail Art 365 - http://mailart365.blogspot.com/ - she has nearly accomplished the goal of 365 Mail Art pieces in 365 days.  Her postcard told me she had only 8 to go.   A few others are almost there too - me - I have over 200 to go.  I started late & had 3 months off - not much of an excuse, I know & I'm probably not as dedicated as others.  Congratulations to them all!

Working in the backyard

Our backyard is under constant development.  HofM & eldest son, working. The bush orchid is attached to the old macadamia tree that was termite eaten & chopped down. The orchid survived but the stump fell over with its weight - it's now upright & tied to the fence - a new macadamia tree has grown out of the old stump, has nuts on it but the bush rats love them & we don't get to eat any.

Mail Art going out

There are still a lot of flood damaged photos to be embellished - slowly making my way through them.  This was a photo of one of my sister's paintings (the top one) - from about 15 years ago.

Fused Christmas scraps & then free-motioned stitching over to hold it all in place.

Mailart Arrived

It is amazing just how creative people are - this one is from Helen of the West - corrugated cardboard can be beautiful too.

I now have a Rebecca original water colour & on one of my favourite subjects!

Mim,visit her at http://mim4art.blogspot.com/  - she does wonderful stuff - loving her latest & check out her Tiny Town.

Also from Mim - can't believe how lucky I am to be in touch with all these great artists.

Sylvia Pippen's Workshop

Spent an absolutely delightful weekend with several other ladies learning shashiko and an applique technique using Mylar.  The above design is one of Sylvia Pippen's Australian flower designs. 

Sylvia is on the chair surrounded by very happy women - the 3 quilts on the left are Sylvia's and the 3 on the right are pieces done by the ladies holding them.

Something is really wrong!

 Something went wrong on the weekend, I started cleaning & throwing out - help! what does one do with all those trophies HofM has won over the years.  We (yes, WE) decided to keep the current decade's trophies & consign the others to rubbish.  I'll probably put them out on the kerb to see if anyone thinks they are treasure & takes them.  Don't laugh - it worked with the old port pottery jugs I put out - 5 of them disappeared.

This is for everyone who thought I wasn't a sportswoman!!!!  See, in 1980 I scored my highest tenpin bowling score of 203 - am keeping this one to brag about my sporting prowess. This was before my knee went. This memory will go along with my highest sporting achievement in High School - reserve on the D team for basketball (a game played by ladies in the 1960's - now adapted & called netball!).  This game was played on a grass court, outside - mind, I don't think I ever actually played a game.......................

Update - WIP

Think this is Block No: 9 on my Aussie Antique Quilt - only 11 more to go! Have had a thought this morning - blogging can become addictive!  It's almost a must to start my day but maye it's also that I now have work to share with you - am certainly enjoying the return to my craft and atually accomplishing something.

SuZanne, thanks for your hugs. 

MailArt going out

Felt a bit low these last couple of days, however, a session in HerShed & these 2 pieces were produced. The original was from the book Edith Holden's "The Nature Notes of An Edwardian Lady"  . Such beautiful water colours.  Mood was a little better after finishing these.

MailArt

From Jenny in Sydney - can you see the word "Imagination"? Not sure how she did that -it's a great piece.

There you go......

Here's the ribbon! This is the second prize I have won.  My first was second prize - oooops, maybe I've peaked now & am going downhill!  Nah - different sections - more mountains to climb.

Queensland Quilters Annual Show

What a surprise - I won Third Prize for this little quilt in the the Predominantly Pieced, Amateur, Section.  I loved doing this quilt - the pattern was frrom an Australian Patchwork & Quilting magazine - although I changed the background blocks to use up some gingham I have had in the cupboard forever and then raided the stash for the applique petals & took them overseas to have some easy handwork to do. It just never entered my head that "Petals on Ginham" could win a prize. Check out other prize winners at http://www.qldquilters.com/

Here is my "Daughter of the Forest" entrant - she was up against some really hot competition - she survived the January floods and I have no doubt she'll survive & have more stories to tell.

WIP

Bought the middle panel at a school fete - it's painted on to a canvas of sorts.  Am having fun - it will be a wall hanging when complete.  Think some applique will be added to it as well.

More of Mt Nebo

Funghi from the rain forest

Photos from the backyard of Mt Nebo - previous residents planted the garden & there seems to be something flowering all the time.