November finishes

Not really a lot of finishes for the month - a LOT of WIP - or if it's finished I can't show it yet . . .

Firstly my SS UFO #8 - My Postcards quilt - based on Leanne Beasley's pattern Road Trip.
It's not a good picture and I will update it later on.

I customised a lot of it - I did postcards for places we have visited as a family and added images that reflected something significant from the trip.

For example Noosa - our youngest called the pelicans "ducks"  so I did a pelican.

For the Mornington Penisula - again my youngest - was allergic to all dairy products - so when we found a cafe with a non dairy milk shake we were delighted! - hence a milkshake container for that postcard.

And - whilst on retreat recently - I was able to use my second volunteer leave day from work - to make 10 drawstring bags

and 11 stockings

These will all go to Knitting for Brisbane's Needy - K4BN - the same place that gets the crochet blocks that I make.

My November collection - only 5 blocks.

Since I am not in the car every day for 2 trips in and home from work - my crocheting productivity has dropped significantly...but a few blocks help.

There is a lot of other stuff "in the pipeline" but as normal for this time of the year it's all hush-hush.

Hopefully, December's roundup will have "heaps".

Road Trip Quilt

Thanks for the feedback on the question of Border/No Border???

I'm still pondering . . .
but I've added some close ups and the story behind each one (as needed).
(Partly as a record.)
I made the quilt to represent the family holidays over the years - not a lot but it is what it is.....

 All the holidays were in Australia.... and obviously we needed suitcases.

 We traveled by car and plane for all the trips.

We stayed at the Gold Coast several times- at the Nara Resort and saw the Dolphin show a number of times over the years.
and also once up at Port Douglas (just Libbie then)

 We now travel to Townsville occasionally to visit Libbie, Serge & Luka

and occasionally take a photo or two.

On a trip to Victoria - mainly catching up with John's relatives - all overt the state....we included Ballarat/Sovreign Hill.

and we visited a cousin in Tongala who had a Dairy farm - each year he named each cow, he went through the alphabet, and the year we visited he was up to "P" so the following year was to be "R" names - so of course he named one of them Rebecca.

 We also had a few holidays at Noosa and Burleigh.
On one of the Noosa trips we stayed in a place just along the river...and each morning we had pelicans visiting - Libbie insisted they were ducks...she was very young.
At Burleigh - we got up very early a few times to enjoy the sunrise over the water.

On the Victorian trip we visited Mornington Peninsula and I got a "thing" for the beach huts.   I came home and decorated the "little room" with all things beach houses....
have a look here.

Of course we went to Phillip Island - yes we saw the penguins, but the highlight of the trip was that we were able to get a totally dairy free milkshake for Bec.  At that age she was highly allergic to dairy and to find a milkshake with soy milk and Vitari (a gelato type of thing) back in the mid 90s was a delight.

 The Three Sisters speak for themselves.
And of course the zoo at Dubbo.

Sydney
aaaah ...need I say more?????
Melbourne - so much to see but it had to be a tram.

So, that is the story of the quilt.   I had a piece of the hot air balloons and thought that went well with the travel theme....I - of course - bought more and added a few more pieces from the same range - I got the extras from Natalie Bird and added to them from my stash.

FNWF (2) - April

What a bonus!!! Thanks Cheryll for prompting us to join in another night (???Maybe longer???) of sewing.

I did take advantage of a Public Holiday and sewed most of the day . . .in between chats with a friend or two and some emails...and I've been watching a lot of Janome YouTubes lately - they give a short tutorial on using a feature of the machines.... I have learnt a thing or two....

Today I finished the top of my Road Trip quilt......The original pattern is a lot larger...but I just wanted a smaller version (patterns are just a guide . . .)
I am pondering a border...does it need it??? - maybe a tiny peeper and 3" squares around it...maybe a 1.5" border then squares around it - maybe a one fabric border (easier...but need fabric)
For now it's in the ??? pile.

Then I made some bindings to send to the Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild for the quilts they are making for the bush fire victims.......They expect to make 750 quilts in total - that is 15,000 blocks from here and all places overseas...an amazing effort. 
I had bought some wideback green for another project ...and didn't like it - after I had cut it into strips...LOL...so I re cut and made as much binding as I could...and I grabbed a metre of green from Spotlight the other day when I had to go in for a necessary purchase . . .
I really thought I would end up with more (especially from the wideback . . .but I guess 5 bindings is better than none.

And at night I did some more on the stitcheries from last Friday Night - I'm onto the last one now.

Looks like I need another hand sewing project????
(well I don't really . . .but the lure is there.)

Now, what will tomorrow bring???
Will I clean out the bathroom cupboard????? or will I just sew some more . . . no prizes for guessing what I'd prefer to do.

Thanks again Cheryll,  It was lovely to have cyber company .  I will popping over here to see what else was happening in the cyber world.

Take Care
Stay Safe

Romancing the Road Trip

I was motivated to get back to this project the other day - so I have put 3 more blocks together.

 (Sorry I was pushed for time so haven't cropped my photos.)

I have two more blocks stitched, two more drawn up ...that will be 14...only 4 more to go!

Road Trip

A few of us decided it was time for a road trip - two shops that we hadn't visited before plus an old one that was worth another visit.
Three of us set out from my place - we collected #4 on the way and off we went.

First stop - Patchwork on Smugglers.  This is a "at home" shop - open Monday-Friday 10-4 and Saturday 10-1pm.  Enter on the left via "the gate".  You will probably need a navigator - personal or electronic - to get there as it is in a canal estate.  BUT absolutely worth a visit.  Not huge into Reproduction, Shabby stuff, but the prices are fantastic. $4.00 fat quarters, $16.00 per metre for fabrics.  Paper piecing supplies $4.30 per pack...Best Press - so cheap compared to other places.

Leanne, the owner, was off on retreat, leaving her husband to cope with the influx of shoppers.  We were quite kind to him and even helped some other shoppers find what they were looking for. We all left with a couple of things..I found  a pack of very pale balis for $25.00 (Bali pops were $38 I think), some of Leanne Beasleys' Hearts & Happy Flowers fabrics...I don't think I bought enough of them..might need to go back!

Then it was coffee time and we found a lovely little coffee shop - thanks to the local knowledge of #4 - just coffee and cake - but all home made cakes.  We all had a vanilla slice made with lattice biscuits...the coffee was nice too.

Then off to Fifi's Fabricology.  I have known about Fifi's for a few years now and thought it was probably just a regular shop - not too big...mmmm.
Well, you need your navigator for this one too - and you need to just keep driving down the track - (hope you didn't wash the car just for this trip) through a gate...There are a couple of signs but you need the navigator to be looking for that because you will be watching the track so you don't end up in the deep gully beside the track.  It would make a good track for a horse back rider...more on that later...but the car parking is great - all concrete and quite a lot.
There are a number of buildings.... we entered the "main" one  - we were greeted by a happy face "Oh! is this your first time here? - let me show you the sales room and the "backings" room".....(we are already noticing how big this shop is)...so off to the adjoining rooms.  They are little "cabins" - all self contained with bathrooms.  Apart from looking through all the sales fabrics (incl Anni Downs range that I have forgotten the name of - from her quilt "Favourite things), we are all thinking - perfect retreat place...needs a workroom....Then back to the main shop - and Maria is there - on a little trip for her anniversary - what a nice DH she has...and we may have quietly mentioned our previous stop...
This shop has everything - all the types of fabrics you could ask for - her website say more than 10,000 items.  Her prices are in the "normal" range, but the specials were pretty good.  We were told that next time we come we could take advantage of the workroom tea & coffee - bring our lunch if we like - stay a while - as long as well call before to check about classes etc.  So even more suitable as a retreat venue...
We all left with little parcels of goodies.

Definitely time for lunch - after 2.30 by now - so we went to Currumbin Surf Club.  Out of the car - assailed by the salt smell.  I grew up in Coogee - a beach side suburb in Sydney - OMGosh I hadn't realised how much I miss the smell of the salt and the sound of the ocean...

Lunch was good - sorry no pictures - seems I had left my phone at Fifi's - so we had to back track and decided stop #3 for the day was a no-go  - We had planned on visiting Fantazia Fabricland - it will keep for another day.

Had another coffee at #4's place and then headed home...

My purchases:

What a day - so much fun and new opportunities for us to dwell on.