Retreat Saturday lunch & RED night dinner

On Saturday we sat down for our lunch and we’re given a little gift. This gift is to be made for/by the retreat next year.

The table was set.

And a gift was given.

The finished project we are to make.

It was a lovely pin cushion on a wooden base. There were 3 sizes. Small, medium and large. I received a medium size. There was fabric of a printed Japanese fabric or a plain which you could work a design of sashiko on it. I have chosen a design to work on the plain fabric using a variegated sashiko thread. Hopefully I can get to the retreat next year to share my gift

Now, for dinner we were to wear red. Well that was a bit hard as I didn’t own anything red and I couldn’t find anything in the shops at home. It is not an easy colour to find. So off to the clearance shelf in Spotlight to buy some fabric. I made a pair of pj’s as this is what I wear on zoom when I talk to all the ladies. I thought it was fitting and even more so, I was very comfortable and felt like I was at home.

​​​​I did pinch the table decoration to put on my head.

Everyone at the table

Of course, me having some fun

Some ladies are ready.

Chooky and I 

Another table view

All ready for show n tell

Chooky, Sue and myself

 

Scrub Stitchin’

 I’m sitting here with Annette at dinner last night  enjoying our fresh prawns but no risotto, Sorry Chooky.

Feeling guilty as I have not done a post yet about my recent trip.

This year I was lucky enough to have a week away and go to Scrub Stitchin’. I have finally met a few ladies that I have been zooming with, thanks to Chooky, during covid. Zooming has brought us all a step closer together but actually meeting them was amazing.

It was about a 1000 kms trip to get there and very worth it. I have taken a few pics from some other blogs as I didn’t take many.

When we arrived the tables were set. We just had to pick a seat.

Some progress photos.

I worked on the twister quilt as the designated project if you wanted to join in. My blocks were sewn together.

Then cut up again

Resewn  together.

Then I was challenged to make a mini with the scraps. Challenge accepted.

Another placemat made.

I also made another 2 pink placemats to join in with RSC & table scrap challenge.

Hopefully I can attend again next year.

Here are just a few places to go see some more about Scrub Stitchin’ .

Chooky,  Jindi ,  Janice,  Sue  I know there are more out there which I will enjoy reading.

Thanks ladies for a great time.

Happy birthday to my son ———- Some sewing, mending and retreat packing…..

Happy birthday to my son, JOHN. It was 10 years ago today we celebrated your last birthday together.  You would have been 28 today and a wonderful man. We are not allowed to let balloons go into the air any more. Please know we are sending these ones to you now.

 

I am slowly doing a little bit of sewing.

First up is some mending. Attaching a button, 

stitching the opening to close the gaping hole.

March over at Angela’s was YELLOW…. Soscrappy RSC challenge. April is PINK

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2022/04/scraphappy-saturday-digging-into-pink.html

Also TABLE SCRAP CHALLENGE at the Joyful Quilter. March was FLOWERS. April is WORDS

https://thejoyfulquilter.blogspot.com/2022/03/march-2022-table-scraps-challenge-link.html

I am on a mission to make more of these useful placemats. Out came all my yellow little scraps. Some strips & blocks leftover from a previous baby quilt and other bits.

And in goes the zip.

Now it is finished. Funny how this photo shows it as orange but it really is yellow.

Then on to my little doggy sew along.

This month we are to work a border with appliqué. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I bought this cheap fabric on clearance at Spotlight. I didn’t realise at the time it would fit this project perfectly. So, start with the borders. Careful of the directional design.

Isn’t he bordered so sweet.

Here are the appliqué designs I chose.

I spent a couple of days doing the hand stitching. Look at where it is now. 

I have a little bit of hand stitching packed for retreat

I’ll be on my way to Scrub Stitchin’ soon to meet up with some blogging friends.

It’s about time we met in person.

My new Thermo & some prep for retreat

 Don’t get too excited that I have posted twice this month.  I have been having fun with my Thermo. There is so much to learn. I have found some tasty snacks hubby and I like to have each night. So, the weekends I make a batch that will hopefully last the week. 

So tonight I made some for this week.

Parmesan crisps, beer & chilli peanut clusters, coffee martini’s and later in the evening garlic prawn risottos. ( sorry, no photo with that one.)

These are the best snack with a glass of wine. So yummy and tasty. Parmesan crisps.so easy to make.

These are great with a coffee. Chilli & beer peanut clusters.

Oh yummy

All while I have been trying to get ready for retreat. I was told there would be a SAL if we wanted. Of course I would, that’s all the reason for sewing with others.

42 blocks cut at 10” square was needed. Then a 6.5” border will be added. Sew it altogether then cut it up and sew it together again. Oh it sounds like fun…. doesn’t it?

Well here are my cut outs and planning. Who knows what it will end up looking like. I apologise if there are double ups. I do not know where I am going with this. I took loads more photos of layouts. It will end up what ever way it does.

All different layouts. I am so confused.

Where have I got to.

This what I am hoping for.

I can’t remember which one I have decided on but they are cut, stacked, marked and ready for sewing. 

I still have to choose a border.

It has been a while and I have a few things to share

Thank you to all of you who have messaged concerned with my absence.

I have been flat out at work and come home mentally exhausted. So have not been in the mood for sewing or any crafting. I sit here of an evening watching rubbish on tv. At least I don’t have to concentrate. I think there has been a build up of many things which are being worked through. So this morning I felt up to doing a post. A long one too. 

Thank you all quilting friends for caring.

Are you ready. Maybe grab a cuppa first.

Work has begun on the repair of my ceiling. It only took about a month to get it started.

Anyway it has. We now have a nicely cut square in the ceiling ready to be patched.

No more hole and Watching plaster/paint dry

It has now all dried and is back to the way it should be..

Beautiful 

The local Arts Theatre was putting on a stage show ‘MAMA MIA’. We both have been to Melbourne and seen this live too. We thought how nice it would be to go out here to support the locals. It was a fun night and of course we enjoyed a bubbly together.

A few weeks ago my friends came over for a little bit of fun for my birthday. We had a cook up play around day with my new Thermomix. It was brilliant. While this was happening there was also a Chooky Zoom day. So I kept popping in for a laugh. We had a great day.

I have spent a week away on holidays catching up with friends but more importantly we finally got to see my MIL who we haven’t seen in over 2 years. She lives in a home in Paynesville so we thought we would surprise her and that we did.

We had not booked any accommodation because we did not exactly know when we would be there. When we arrived in Bairnsdale our usual motel was booked out, so was the next one. After driving for 4 hours we just wanted a room. We pulled up at this motel and there were 3 rooms let. 2 of which were at the front on the busy highway with trucks passing all night so we splurged and got this room at the back of the motel After-all it was my birthday.

When we got back home I have a few days to rest and I finally got up the enthusiasm to clean my sewing room and actually sew something. The first time in weeks. 

We have a round robin SAL happening at our group. As I have not been in the sewing mood I did not want to commit to something large so I have decided on a small kids quilt. This cute dog stitched block had been donated to me soi thought this was a great way to use it up. We are going to have about 6 rounds total and each month one will be drawn out. All I knew is that I needed to use red, black and white. 

The first month drawn out was STARS. Our round had to have something to do with stars. They could be embroidered, stitched, pieced or appliqué. 

I had in my head what I wanted to do but had to work out how. Start sewing small star points. 

Those red squares are cut at 1”. 

My border finishes at 2” wide. Scattered stars. I am happy with the way it frames the centre blog.

Our quilt group celebrated INTERNATIONAL QUILTERS DAY with all meeting in the park and having a wonderful sit’n’sew day.

 I hope you have enjoyed my catch up and I think I might actually sew another placemat today.