EN PROVENCE MYSTERY with BONNIE HUNTER

I have looked on these the last few years. Well, this year I'm joining in.... It all began on October 27 with the fabrics and quantities.
Look at these beautiful colours. I have enough of these in my stash.

Then on November 25th for the PART 1.
Here is my progress.

Scraps of neutrals cut into strips ready for sewing together.

I had to add some florals and of course sewing words.

can you see the kitchen fabric, cute spots and text fabrics.

All my scraps and strips are sewn and ironed ready for cutting again

My strips are all cross cut ready to be made into 4 patches. 

All the 4 patches are sewn ready to iron.  

All my 4 patches are sewn and ironed with the seams turned.
I'm ready for the next step 

the page with all the info
Now on Monday there is the first linky party. When I was preparing this post there were over 100 link ups. Go for a look and some fun reads it, fabrics and ideas...
http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/en-provence-mystery-monday-link-up-part.html

An overdue post

this post is a month over due...
My daughter came for a visit last month. We had a great time and I finally got to meet the boyfriend.
We went out for lunch, did the tourist things, had a laugh, enjoyed the grandsons and all had fun together....
Kristy went to the speedway with her boyfriend, Damien and Nicholas. Xavier stayed home and we made chocolate mousse. We enjoyed it together.

XAVIER AND NAN ENJOYING OUR CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

We also all went on a river cruise together. Yep, on an old Paddle steamer. On board the MELBOURNE... It was fun...

It's hard getting a good photo with the boys.

Nicholas enjoying the ride

The granny kiss

Kristy and Damien

A nice lunch at the cafe

Good bye to my dear friend

Today is such a sad day.
It is th 4th anniversary of my son passing away. It has been extremely hard getting by and learning to cope with him not being here.

I woke to the sad news that my dear friends mum has passed away this morning. Del was such a beautiful, fun, caring lady. So sweet. I am so sorry for this loss and I know my friend is going to struggle with moving on.

Jo & Del

GOODBYE TO A BEAUTIFUL LADY. 

WE MISS YOU MY SWEET BOY.

Our shed is on its way...

When we moved we knew we wanted a shed to be built. The cars, tools and gardening stuff, Xmas decorations and everything else that is stored for a rainy day needs a home. It wouldn't fit into our garage so we needed a shed. We took a month to decide and get it organised....  Then we had to wait....
But wait no more... Or so we thought....
We got the call to start digging..

Good bye grass

The digger is at work

The box work started for the concrete slab.

Working hard in mid 30deg

The framing is ready for the slab

The dirt is level

Then it was too hot, then too wet... Then one day it was just right.
We got the slab laid.....


Then we will have a shed going up.....
We will have a shed.
Now we have to move all our stuff. Get gravel for the rest of the yard. Finish the garden edge. Tidy up the rockery. Bed and mortar in the edging and we will be done.......  when that happens I'll show a photo.

What have I been doing...

After cleaning out my storeroom and knowing what's in there I have been sewing. Only a little bit but it is still catching up. Yes, that's right. I'm trying to catch up with the Splendid Sampler blocks. I have completed 3 and prepared quite a few more..
Here are the ones I have completed. I have started with the current ones. They just happened to be fairly easy too...
This reminds me of so many cups of coffee/tea in a garden. So relaxing...

Splendid Sampler... block no... 77

Splendid Sampler...... block no....73

Splendid Sampler block no... 74

I also have made another sew along bag. I think 1 will be for a gift and one will be for me to use.. it is completed now... I used thicker wadding and double stiffener in the pockets...

Sew along bag

My SSS16 has arrived & Sunraysia gathering

I am joining in with a few other ladies in the SSS16. My partner is Cassie and my parcel arrived today.
Even though the delivery man left it at the wrong address 2 houses away. I am lucky enough to live in a court and the neighbour delivered it to my house when I got home... I think she deserves a Xmas thankyou for her kindness.
Cassie should be relieved that it got here safely..

THANKYOU CASSIE. Now the wait is on....

My SSS16 has arrived

My gift for under the tree from Cassie.

Now all I have to do is wait...
I have hidden it in the office so it's not looking me in the face for a month.. I don't want to be tempted....


My monthly meeting at the Sunraysia patchwork group was Tuesday night. We hand over BIRTHDAY fat 1/4s for anyone celebration a birthday. This is how I packaged mine. Just adds a little bit of fun...

Birthday fat 1/4s wrapped ready to give

This was this months project. Folded stars. There is going to be a Xmas tree display at the information centre. We are putting the stars and pine cones we have made on it.

Folded stars ready for the information Xmas tree

It's good to see my quilt has arrived at its destination. With an Aussie Hero...
We don't always hear if the were delivered safely. We don't know if our  work is the correct interpretation but we still try.... My last quilt was a beach theme with a Ducati emblem. I hope it is liked. Here is a photo of the group with all their quilts.

  The Aussie troops with their beautiful quilts.

Cassie has received her parcel... NOW SHE HAS TO WAIT........

My SSS16 parcel has arrived...

I have sat down and written my Xmas cards. Written the moving house letters, the catch up yearly letters and have posted them early.

I also got to post Cassie her parcel. I am so happy the postman has delivered to you Cassie

I hope you will be happy with it....

SSS16 all wrapped and ready to be opened

ORGAN DONOR THANKYOU DAY

I have been reading over at Liz's blog that it is ORGAN donors THANKYOU DAY.
This is some thing that is so close to my heart. Liz and I are on opposite sides to the story...
my sons organs were donated and he saved 6 lives as well as some organs going for research and future transplants.
Yes, this is an extremely hard decision to make at such a traumatic time. It still makes me tear up when I talk or write about it. Liz and I have had many conversations about it. This is how we became friends and as it turned out we actually were in the same quilt group. We lived an hour away from each other. There are many other reasons we talk. It is so good to hear Lizs good news all the time and it makes our decision all the more worthwhile.
As much as it is very hard for us all the time to think of it is still good to hear the good stories and why we did it. If ever you have the heart to do so please consider being a donor. Yes, you lose someone you love. BUT they will be gone and to help someone that desperately needs it is well worth it.

We also had a family member the same year receive a kidney. Luckily his mother was compatabile and healthy enough to donate a kidney. This made us think that if she wasn't there who would be. That could have been someone else we would have lost. Just to see the change in him and his life is amazing.

Please consider registering for organ donation. It might not help you but it might save someone you love.

This is how my daughter dealt with it. This is her story.

Please have a read to see what we go through..

KRISTYS STORY ABOUT LOSING A BROTHER

4 years this week and is still as hard as the day it happened.

The pixelation quilt I made of my Son for our wall.

We love and miss you John but you saved so many. We are very proud of you....

JOHN our beautiful boy

October DEAR JANE blocks are done

I have spent the day doing my Dear Jane blocks for the month.
They were handed out in October and the next ones are on their way.
Anyway, I am up to date.....
I had a bad day with my blocks,. My head wasn't thinking. I got there in the end. They are made and, yes, they have added borders. I can live with that......

This block went together really well or so I thought. When it was finished and I went to trim up it was too small. I am not redoing it. The next best thing is to add another border.

Dear Jane. K 9

 I had trouble with this block. It looks easy and I thought I would have no trouble. But, I was wrong.

It is different to the book but it's staying that way.... WONKY, odd and extra border.

Oh well. It is my quilt.....

Dear Jane. E 7

This block is very WONKY. Came out too small so I just added a border. I am happy.

Dear Jane. A 11

 This block actually worked ok. It is the same as the original not the pattern in the book.

Dear Jane G7

I actually did some Slow Stitching on Sunday. Post a bit late

After the mess and all the storms on the weekend I managed to just sit for some time to think..

We were lucky to have no real damage. Only one of our back fence supports was leaning over. The neighbour on the other side got it straightened and organised for it to be concreted. It just gave way in the soft ground and the wind was so strong it pushed it over.
The neighbour on the side of us that we share a fence with lost the fence extensions. No damage to our side but the extensions are wrecked. Their trampoline flew away and landed in the house behind us. Landed on and broke their clothes line. No damage to houses. The street didn't flood and we have no real large trees to fall down. Very lucky.

So now on to the sewing.... my Slow Stitching Sunday
Back in 2010 a friend and I flew to Toowoomba, Queensland for "a girls day out " sewing weekend. We met another friend who had recently moved there. There were the designers Lynette Anderson, Annie Downs from Hatched and Patched and Natalie Bird. We were given the usual goody bags filled with kits, patterns, fabrics and threads.

Lots of lovely patterns.
Lovely kits 

Of course we all start projects on these days and I am no different. Guess what. I got it out and am now working on it. Hip hip hooray...
I am working on TREE OF CHRISTMAS CHEER by Anni Downs. This is what I have done

I have done all the stitching

This is what it will be..

Design by Annie Downs
Hatched and Patched

The reason for actually working on it. I need a door stop for the front door. As we are coming up to Christmas I thought it was fitting...


And I have also been working on a Splendid Sampler block.

Splendid Sampler block no. 75 

Sundays damage

There were so many photos around I went for a drive to look myself. Every street had some damage. All the emergency services, people with chainsaws, trailers and anything else to help were out and about. It's still a very windy day but so much cooler. Only 17c.  That's cold for here I've been told...

The local school on San Mateo Ave.  So lucky it was after hours and there were no kids around.

Every corner of the school had trees down. A big working bee is needed there.

A house on Twelth st 

A block of units around the corner.

There are cars still parked out the back. Just waiting for the tree to be cut down.