Thursday 30 January 2020

Another Finish for the Month

Yes, just managed to squeeze it in for my finishes for the month of January. I think I mentioned in my previous post that I did do some stitching whilst we were up at Esk for the Australia Day weekend, well what I was working on was the hand-stitching down of the binding on a set for my craft bag (come fishing tackle bag) out of a fat quarter I have had around for yonks and didn't know what to do with it, and it was one that I really liked - it seems so bright and lively, and finally I decided what it was to be used for.


I am really happy with the way it came up, and surprisingly the patchwork design was actually printed on the fabric - how easy is that? I made the mat with a little thread tidy buttoned on it and a new lap cushion to use when I am stitching.

Well now is the time to go through some more of the paperwork I need to throw out, so ......

'Til next time

June




Monday 27 January 2020

What a Weekend!

As mentioned in my last post we headed off to Esk approx. 2hrs from home for the Australia Day long weekend.

Oh my goodness, did it rain on the Friday night, thought the van was going to swim away, and on Saturday morning it looked it - there was lots of water under the van (bother, forgot to take a photo) and it was fine. Oh was it fine! It was hot and steamy with humidity up around the 80% mark.

After a lazy breakfast we decided to head up the Esk-Hampton road which is quite windy and head for Crows Nest for morning tea. It was a very sorry sight on the way up the range with all the burnt out areas and trees from the fires earlier in this latest fire season.


It felt so eerie driving up through here, and we saw warning signs for trees that could possibly fall.


Even crossed over the top of the Great Dividing Range on our way to Crows Nest.

However when we arrived in Crows Nest, had a wander around the lovely little township and wouldn't you know it - found a couple of arts & crafts shops. One appeared to be like a co-op for local people to sell their wares, and there were some absolutely beautiful items for sale. The other was a dinky little shop that had some haby supplies as well as other items - I just love these places, you never know what you may pick up, oh course it is always something you desperately need!!



Now all that was very thirsty and hungry work, so it was time to check out the local bakery. We arrived there around 10.45am and goodness me, almost sold out of all the yummy goodies, however we managed to get 2 lovely fresh cream buns - haven't had one of these in ..... don't know how long, and oh my goodness, weren't they just delicious.


Pete & I sat there on the high stools looking out the window having our coffee and giggling away with the jam and cream squishing out the sides of the buns. We were like two kids in a bakery - guess what ...... we were!!



After filling ourselves, we decided to jump in the car and head down to Highfields which is towards Toowoomba. We passed through Cabalah where there is a German Cuckoo Clock place, but as we had called in there on a previous trip, we did not stop. We also passed the Borneo Barracks Golf Club at Cabalah where I (attempted) to learn golf when we lived at Oakey (west of Toowoomba back in the mid 90's. Ah, now there are some memories.

I particularly wanted to check out Highfields as this is where I shall be heading for a Girls Stitch In hosted by The Quilters Angel in March - am quite looking forward to it - and I wanted to just check out where I had to go.


Had lunch at Highfields before we started to head back down the Esk-Hampton road before we got too much rain which was starting to fall again.

Made it back and began to prepare dinner with a karaoke guy doing his thing in the camp kitchen leading up to Australia Day the next day.

Yesterday, Australia Day was a quiet day for us with plenty of time to reflect on our time together - you see it was our 24th wedding anniversary (both been married before) and it was lovely to just sit out under the awning with my lovely bunting dripping wet - but who cares, and doing some stitching whilst it rained. No one, but no one was complaining of the rain, it was just great.

Now I don't want to have you laugh at us, however for dinner last night we had hamburgers, and there is a simple story behind us having hamburgers for dinner. You see, because it was a public holiday, nothing much was open on our wedding night except this little take away shop up at Maleny where we were to stay. So it was hamburgers, and every year since that is what we have for dinner - just a bit of fun I guess, but it's special to us, and of course they are all the more special when Pete makes them too.

After a reasonably leisurely breakfast this morning, it was time to join everyone else (or mostly everyone else it seemed) in the park packing up and heading off. It was almost a traffic jam to get out of the caravan park, but it was a lovely stay albeit short time wise, but certainly most enjoyable.

Time now to get in and begin to put things away and other stuff into the laundry ready for a big washing day tomorrow.

'Til next time, take care ....

June



Friday 24 January 2020

Bunting Is Hanging Up

Today we set off on our first trip for this year - just a four day break for the Australia Day weekend and we chose to head around 2 hours from home to a lovely little township called Esk in the Somerset region of the South East Queensland. It has been a stinking hot day with temperatures up around the mid 30's and the humidity reaching 82%. I think we all arrived here just shy of being grease-spots.


However after some lunch and a big slug of iced water, it was time to attempt to put up the bunting. I had not had a 'trial run' at home as it is impossible to get the awning out where we have the van parked. Anyway, with help from my supervisor (hubby) and my co-worker (look for him in the second photo) I managed to use some highly technical ingenuity to attach the bunting to the awning with ...... bull-dog clips - yes you read that correctly. It has worked quite well and with a couple of minor adjustments, I will have a winner.

My Supervisor .....

My Co-worker ......

The guys that run around and do the placement of vans in the park thought the bunting looked so good, he brought his wife (they are the managers) over to see it and she took a video of them and I think (?) she might add it to the caravan park website or facebook page.

Anyway, it is just our first day, so will leave it there for now, go have a shower to cool down and put my feet up and watch the cricket.

'Til next time ....

Monday 20 January 2020

Some Help Please Ladies

I am in the middle of making some bunting to go around the awning of our caravan and need to have it finished for the Australia Day weekend this coming weekend - I am at a quandary as to how to 'attach' it around the awning, any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.




Sunday 19 January 2020

A Little Challenge

You might remember back in November I posted here about wanting to find some really great needles to stitch with. Well, Fiona from BubzRugz very kindly a couple of Sue Daley milliner needles for me to try. To say these were lovely needles to stitch with is an understatement and I am actively searching for places where I can purchase some. I might just have to contain myself and wait 'til I visit the Australasian Embroidery Convention in Brisbane in February.

However I was delighted with the card that Fiona had put the little tube with the needles in, and I was wondering what I could do to keep the little quilted piece on the front. I decided I may need a new needle-case to 'house' my new tubes of special needles. So ..... I carefully unpicked the quilted piece from the card and set to to create my needle-case. I had no idea how I was going to tackle this and have to admit to having almost completed it and felt that I still was not happy with it. Out came the unpicker - don't you just love unpicking things, and made another start. This time I was very pleased with my effort and hopefully Fiona will like what I have done with her card. All I need to do now is get a couple of the little tubes of needles to put in it.


With sending me the tube of needles, Fiona wrapped it in a small piece of wool felt, which I also used so I can keep my 'working' needle separate from new ones in the tube.


Now to get back to my craft room, set up my cutting table and continue with putting together some bunting ready for Australia Day.

Catch up with you soon, and thank you for visiting my blog.

'Til next time

Sunday 12 January 2020

Hubby's New Toy

Since getting home from our Christmas trip meeting up with family at the Gold Coast, I have had a bad cold and even ended up in bed for the day somewhere along the way. All good now though - but have to say was quite down there for several days.


Our New Year has begun with hubby getting a new toy last week. He has been making noises for quite a while about using our Colorado for just iddy biddy trips around our home area - going to bowls (less than a km away) and when he goes off to do some community volunteering, so decided to enquire as to the merits of getting this little toy. The crunch for this is me heading off to Highfields near Toowoomba for the weekend in March, taking said Colorado (for a craft stitch-in at The Quilter's Angel), and he would be left with no vehicle!


So last Monday, with me still not feeling 100%, off we set to go look at these toys. Saw a couple of new ones at the dealership that only had 3-4 kms on the clock, and then there was a pre-loved one also available. It was first sold in July last year, so a 2019 model, with only 131 kms on the clock. Seems the lady that purchased it, wasn't happy with it, and traded up to a bigger model.


Here is hubby with his new toy .......










He has had a few little runs with his new Kymco 49cc moped. It has a 5 Lt fuel tank and .... here's the best bit, according to the book that came with it, it gets 100 km per litre of fuel! How's that for economy?


Have been trying to do a little sewing, but have felt really tired - hopefully this coming week I can get a bit more done.


For now though, time to put the feet up and relax after a busy day beginning to sort out old paperwork from years gone by.


Cheers, and have a good week.

Sunday 5 January 2020

Mystery Advent Stitch-Along is Completed

After being with family over the Christmas break, I have finally caught up with my very cute stitcheries and completed my completed project. I chose to do something a little different to the design Helen Stubbing of Hugs 'n Kisses in Hobart suggested, and I tell you, I think what I chose took just as long to create, as all the stitcheries took to stitch!!


Here is my completed project ....




I have also made a couple more of my mesh fruit/vege bags for my Secret Santa recipient when she realised it was me who gave her the gift, and asked if I could make her some more - was happy to help her out.




For now though, I am off to do my 'little bit' to help out the bushfire people and firies  not only down south but all around the country - it is such a horrible, horrible situation.


'Til next time,


             Everyone take care.