The Needle Girls Retreat

A wonderful retreat - at Glenrose Patchwork Cottages in Warwick (QLD).
November 15 - 19, 2021.

• Great weather - warm but not stiflingly hot & cool at night
• Excellent company - a lot of laughs - a few deep & meaningfuls.
• Eating Out & Shopping

I collected Maureen on Monday morning - late due to an accident on the motorway - on the other side of the road it seems - then we got held up in roadworks - but the other girls kindly waited for us to have morning tea - we have a ritual of scones on arrival.

What did I do??

I made a little pillow for my grandson to use in the cot he has for his anatomically correct doll - he has been using a quilt that Maureen made for him - and I had some leftovers.

I finished off a pencil roll-up case for Luka (same as the ones I made back here)

I had another Volunteer Leave Day from work - Sandi was making heaps of drawstring bags to donate so I helped her with these

(I had planned some sock guards .  ..another time)

And I worked on another "secret project".

Sandi had brought along a project for each of us - a Serviette Holder.  This is mine...

This is the collection.

Last year we decided to set ourselves a challenge:

• Firstly,  we each had to make a stocking to gift and include a treat and a fat quarter.
• Secondly, we had to make a Christmas Table Runner.
  
  (Both projects are from a Nancy Halvorsen book)

The stocking I made: - It went to Sandi

The stocking I received - it came from Sandi!!

My table runner - a bit different from the pattern as I want it to fit on the hall stand in the entrance.

And to my surprise - the gang organised a Birthday celebration for me.   I had planned on grouping any Birthday bits in one post later in the month - but will add these pictures. . . . 

and there were gifts!

It is one of those 0 numbers (as you can see from the cake) - and try as I might - it doesn't seem that I can keep it quiet . . .

"Someone" put this sign on my utensil holder 

We always have one lunch out at Warwick Garden Centre - and visit the shops in town - I forgot photos of the food that time . . .but after leaving Friday morning we went back to the Garden Centre for breakfast.  The food is wonderful - the presentation is always top-notch!

A wonderful week away - I came home pretty exhausted from late nights - kind of early mornings - and a lot of laughing, talking & a bit of concentrating.

FNSI - November

I wasn't very productive tonight - I have been on a sewing retreat at Glenrose Patchwork  - from Monday morning til Friday morning - arrived home about 4PM - unloaded the car - put some stuff away and had a Nana Nap....its a hard slog on retreat - sewing til 12.30AM day after day.
I'm not complaining - I'm very grateful that I am able to go away to a retreat!

More on the retreat later.

Apart from more sorting, putting away and taking pictures - I did some crochet - nothing exciting - but any progress is good progress.

I saw a lot of you were far more productive - well done you!

Thanks Wendy for managing to set aside some time for us - in between celebrating being a grandmother!

ABC Book - Peyton

This ABC book is a bit more special...it does look quite similar to the one in the previous post...no surprise there...

Again - for my records - even more pictures this time  . . .

DD2 and partner live on 5 acres - in Brisbane suburbia - 

but they own 2 Lowline cows - (around 5 foot tall)

The dog is theirs

I had to make an "adjustment" to the "I" page.  There are not a lot of nouns starting with "I"...Someone suggested Indians (Cowboys & Indians...right???) _ so I found a picture of a boy & girl Indian...DD2 daughter asked what that was  . .  .I explained . . ."MUM - THEY ARE NATIVE AMERICANS"...so I found a new picture of an Iguana and used no-sew fusible webbing to cover the original picture . . . ooops

All done & delivered.

I think I can pack up the ABC Book gear for a little while now.
Eventually, there could be more for another of my eldest daughter's friends 

and then for extra grandchildren . . . 

but nothing in the immediate future that I know of.

FNWF - November

Time is flying by . . .

Thanks to Cheryll who helps keep us on track with sewing & crafty projects . . . .so many things to finish off at this time of the year - and so much "secret" stuff.

The night started - as usual with a bit of crochet while watching BH&G - 

The larger yellow piece will end up with Red Orange & Yellow in one block .

Then I escaped to the sewing room and cut & sewed these - It is a possible vague idea for a border for something . . .

I'm lucky enough to have a sewing day tomorrow - 

I need some hand sewing . . .

I have a lot of projects to work on - 

but none of them are hand sewing that I can take . . .

back to the standby project I think.

Happy weekend all,
I hope you get time to sew, craft, relax - 

whatever takes your fancy.

Some BIG Santa Sacks

Echidna Sewing's October Charity Project was to make BIG Santa Sacks for Magic Moments Foundation.  The organisation delivers baskets of food and other goods to underprivileged families,  Previously they have used garbage bags - so these bags will be a much nicer alternative!

They are 32" x 39" - quite roomy!  

I made 4 and got to play with overclocking on my normal machine - quicker than French Seams as an alternative - though slower than a real overlocker.

Looking at these - I almost want to make a Christmas skirt!

ABC Book - Elizabeth

I have finished and gifted another ABC book.
Previously I had made ABC books for each of DD1's Bridesmaids as they had a baby - and it was time for the third girl to receive one.  (her baby is almost 12 months old - so it's a little overdue!!)

I have also been working on one for DD2 - for her baby Peyton - much easier to do two at a time! and I will photo hers and post it soon - 

A few pictures of this one - mainly for my records. This one has a picture of her pet bird - I treated it as a B for Bird - rather than C for Canary.

Peyton's Quilt

When I first heard DD2 was expecting a girl, I thought about some of the lovely pretty fabrics sitting in my stash and thought they would make a lovely "pretty" quilt . . . Alas, DD2 is not a girly girl and she wanted a Toy Story quilt for her little one....

We found quite a few Toy Story fabrics - cut 6.5" squares - she selected the borders for each (from the stash) and the panel made a great backing - with added cloud fabric.

So, those pretty fabrics will have to wait a bit longer.

Crochet Blocks - October

I was able to hand over 10 Crochet blocks to Maria this month.  I've been concentrating on "male" colours as I know there are always plenty of "pretty" colours.

No need to comment - 

I'm just recording for my records and it's getting near the end of the month.

FNSI - October

Gosh, a month goes so quickly!

And I do NOT need to be reminded that Christmas is hovering around the corner!

I got an early start to sewing on Friday - I traced the shapes and cut the applique pieces for Letters to My Daughter as the October patterns are released . . no magazine yet . . so I took an educated guess and cut the backgrounds 2" bigger in case ... and traced the lettering - ready for a sewing day on Sunday.

I dropped in for a short Zoom Chat with Chookyblue - and did a bot of work on the pages for the latest ABC book - they are now sewn together and ironed - just 28 buttonholes to go and it's done.    (Aren't I grateful for a machine that does them easily and nicely???)

I hope everyone else had a fun & productive night - or if you took it easy - a fun night.

Thanks Wendy.

FNWF - October

Friday Night is always a good night - say goodbye to work for a bit and - this weekend - an extra day to enjoy!

Friday Night saw a group of us gathered with Cheryll sewing and having a good old time!

I finished off the quilting and made the binding for this Christmas project - I don't want to show it yet, but here is the back & the binding ready to sew on.

I imagine there will be more posts where we are not showing too much over the next 3 months!

Thanks Cheryll - it's always fun to visit!