April Showers Quilt and April 2018

Back in April I finished this Quilt named April Showers for my DD

the back, all umbrellas

I had some blocks leftover so I made a little bag to put it in

This Quilt was such a joy to make!!!

I obtained permission from birdsnest which is a clothing store in the Alpine Village of Cooma in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales to photograph the Quilt on the red bike out the front

I had a Birthday and JoJo make a beaded Eiffel Tower for me on a white tile

Good Job JoJo

I even get to make my own cake on my Birthday lol

This little chook was part of a Quilt for Chookyblue

My Chooky is on the second row number 6

Whilst I was working on the Quilt on a Saturday evening My Armchair brought in a glass of red wine for me

And check this out

I saw this on the net

a perfect drink holder on the sewing table lol!!!

Whilst driving around in the Mountains I saw this Pie Shop at Nimmitabel

Mountain scenery on the way  home

and back at the beach

Its going to be a challenge to leave here if we do but hey maybe we are ready for a new adventure!!!

Finished projects FEBRUARY 2018 and Goings On

Here we are 29 December and I feel quite the stranger here on my Blog

I've had a few things happening with allergies here namely coughing when I eat plus feelings of heaviness and other issues

This all appears to be due to the environment,  and living at sea level

These all but disappear when I go up to higher ground/altitude

Consequently we are looking at moving up to higher ground but its all such a big deal as we have to take JoJo into account and look into new disability services 

In this case we can see where Health becomes No 1 as it would be hard being how I feel as we are getting older

Thank goodness I have spoken with other people and quite a few have similar issues and have moved for similar reasons

And I thought I was a Beach Chick but looks like I could be a Mountain Girl as per my maiden name!!!

First one is a block for Chookyblue for a Quilt that was being organized for her

Seeing she is into chooks and her favourite colour is blue this was my contribution

Next a little pouch using Japanese fabrics and 3 headbands using fat quarters

I also got around to pinning 2 Quilts

The top one is Past Times using from my fat 1/4 stash

and this one is one of Thimbleblossoms patterns

Next up is a block from York Plains by Hat Creek Quilts which I think will go into being a Table Runner

JoJo brought home a little Valentine's gift that she made for us 

A lovely set of Coasters

And of course she requested a special dinner for Valentine's Day

Chicken, Bacon, Tomato, Sweet Potato, Snow Peas all together

And a Dessert to top it off......Apple Snow

And I made Manu Fieldel's Pear and Almond Tart......mmmm, so delicious

I thought I would work on this Stitcher's Roll which is from a Girls Day in the Country Day

Pattern by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched

February also took me up to the High Country for an experiment to see how I fared up there

These comings and goings went on for the whole year and the results are very encouraging!!!

I set myself up with my sewing machine and relished the time alone during the day at a relative's place

I talked with a real estate agent in the area and he said he had moved about 15 people who had moved to the coast back to this small Alpine town due to asthma, allergies, humidity etc

So far so good for me

We will see what Fate has in store for us!!!

So my Friends I'll see if I can catch up with Goings On for this year.......see how I go lol

~OPAM...One Project A Month

OPAM here once again

This time I have a little Pin Cushion

Stitchery designed by Bonnie Sullivan for Girls Day In The Country 

We were each given a pattern and could make anything we like out of it for a Swap and this was my contribution

My poor old Heat Bag had developed a hole so a new Parisian inspired cover was made for it

3 little handy bags

One of which came in handy for the Pin Cushion

And finally a little Needlebook which was part of a Kit for GDITC

I decided to put a cross on the thread part of the bobbin

page in 'Needlebook'

and a little signature and date on the back of the Needlebook

Thank to Sweet Peg and Kris for hosting OPAM again this month!!!

~Nundle.......Girls Just Want To Have Fun~

Back in March we made our Annual Trek to Nundle for Girls Day in the Country hosted by Kerry Swain from Cottage on the Hill

Here's JoJo Guitar and all when we pulled up at the Motel at Hunter Valley

Cattle Grazing on the way

After lunching and shopping we all gather and have a Swap

This time it was agreed that we make an Anni Downs pattern seeing she was the Designer this weekend

JoJo received the red book at the back left made by Dale

I received the shoe bag to the right of the book made by Sweet Peg

I made the bright pin cushion on the bottom right with a little bag to the left of it which was received by Alison

~A   F U N   S W A P~

Fabulous Project Roll designed by Anni Downs

A Roll for storing Blocks in Progress

The side of the Roll

Needle book opened out to show the outside covers

Inside the Needlebook

and a sweet little Pin Cushion

Oh behold I looked down and saw Dawnie's shoes at one stage

Couldn't rush out and buy a pair seeing they were from Japan
but aren't they just fabulous!!!

The Swap I received during the afternoon was from Christine at Cowra
A little fabric covered notebook and a piece of Anni's fabric from the collection
'Button Tree Lane'



This was my contribution to the Swap
We had to include a little stitchery on it
'Friends are Never Far Away'

Catching up with Chez

Anni showcasing one of her quilts 'Nature's Journey'



This one is 'In My Garden'

With Anni showing off my 'Gardener's Journal' Quilt

Spotted.......this fabulous bag on a chair

Our Annual Group Photo

Show and Tell in the evening

This one is my 20 year project

'From Blackheath to Bathurst to Bungendore'

Started off as Blocks......turned into a Wall Hanging and then eventually it was suggested I make a Quilt
Blocks were cut before the advent of Rotary Cutters where you pulled a piece of thread through the fabric, hoped it wouldn't break and then cut very carefully along that line......phew!!!
And sandpaper was used to hold fabric in place!!!

Above and below 2 more fabulous Show and Tells!!!

Above and below Girls Just Having Fun together with Shez and Deb after Breakfast

And here's a little preview of next year's Tutor's work.......Bonnie Sullivan

A fabulous time as always with The Girlfriends as JoJo has christened this wonderful group!!!