Friday, May 30, 2014

Party, party

I'm not much of a party girl - but I'm very happy to be one of the  guests at  Chookyblue's celebrations  this weekend to mark the second year of her sewing space, the Chookshed. There will be lots of us joining in from all over Australia and from many other countries too, so it might get a bit crowded (and a bit noisy!) If you'd like to take part , whether on your own or with friends, just go and visit Chooky's blog and sign up. You'll be in great company!

My project for tomorrow will be  a smallish linen sampler quilt using nine different FMQ patterns in marked areas. It's a class, and I'm not confident with the stitching so I'm going to practise more this afternoon in an effort to not embarrass myself too much. It's something I'd like to be at least competent at - fingers crossed. And on Sunday I'll be going to a handmade market then choosing something from my UFO collection to work on.

So - will I see you stitching in cyberspace?

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Friday night stitching

I signed up for Friday Night Stitch-In  for the first time for the first time and as I buttonhole stitched, watched some telly, enjoyed a cuppa and chatted to my husband it was lovely to think of others doing much the same. Many of us will never meet but all of us are linked by our love of creating.

This is the project I'm working on - it's a cushion design by Anorina of Samelia's Mum. (Oops, knew I should have ironed it before taking the pic!)  I always mean to start crafting for Christmas around this time of year but this is the first year it has actually happened!

What did you all get up to? Thanks to Wendy for running the show and making things happen.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Happy holiday

The Mister and I are  back from a very happy holiday in Queensland, still pretty relaxed from our time away but missing blue sea, blue skies and warmth (although today's temperatures in Ballarat aren't too bad, unlike the 10 degree days here while we were away enjoying balmy 28s and feeling warm and rather smug).

My niece Nicola's wedding in Townsville was lovely - informal and friendly and celebrated outdoors against  the most beautiful backdrop of sea and sky.  It was great to see her and her brother Andrew again and so special to spend time with her dad (my brother Alistair) and his twin Gary, who lives in Wellington, NZ.  Gary brought his daughter Olivia, who is nearly 7 and lots of fun. I had books for her and her young brother Tom and for my three little great-nephews (golly, those last two words make me feel so old!) I'd made her a skirt, too - the first bit of clothing I'd sewn since I can't remember when. It fitted her (phew!) and she likes it (double phew!).

We hadn't been to Townsville before and it will always be memorable for the wedding plus the fact that it was our 38th wedding anniversary the night we arrived and we were able to celebrate sitting outdoors overlooking the sea (unthinkable in Ballarat at this time of year, let me tell you).

Just because we could, we continued driving up to Port Douglas, where we stayed in a small complex a short walk away from everything. We were really impressed by the friendly, laid-back attitude of everyone we met (but not by the fruit bats across the road which woke us early each morning with their loud screeching!)

We enjoyed mooching around town on foot and spending some time in the bush at Mossman Gorge and in the Daintree, where we were very glad not to meet a cassowary (according to all the warning signs on the pathways at the Daintree Discovery  Centre, they're very fearsome birds indeed!)

Seeing another fearsome beastie, the crocodile, turned out not to be that much of a goer either. We enjoyed a  river cruise, all of us on board the dear little paddleboat hoping for a promised sighting, only to see two quick appearances in the middle of the river turn into two quick disappearances, thanks to an idiot speedboat driver. Apparently crocs are scared of speedboats. Can't say I was disappointed as I probably would have had crocodile nightmares. Our trip was in the late afternoon and the sunset over Mossman Gorge was spectacular.

We splurged on a trip to the Great Barrier Reef - I don't have a bucket list, but if I did, seeing the reef would have been pretty high up. The photos we took from the semi-submersible boat we went on are pretty crappy but being so close to those wonderful underwater coral forests and their fishy inhabitants is unforgettable. The Mister had a fabulous view from a helicopter while I sat on the deck of the big pontoon our boat was moored to, gazing at all that blue water interrupted by the white caps of the waves breaking over the various reefs. It is such a fabulous, precious place and so deserving of protection at all costs.

We drove back to Townsville for our last night via the Atherton Tableland, which would be worth a trip in its own right. The countryside is beautiful and there are lots of waterfalls which unfortunately we had to miss for lack of time, along with tea plantations and other attractions.

The warm weather, the crops (sugarcane, macadamias and all sorts of others which to us were quite exotic) the mountain ranges and the signs at beaches warning of crocodiles and stingers made it all seem like another world. We were away for just over a week but it seemed longer - in a very good way.

Can't wait for the next little adventure - whenever and wherever it is.









Saturday, May 3, 2014

Away

I have no idea how to post pics to blogger from my tablet but I would love to be able to share my view of palm trees and ocean with you - and send some warmth to my friends in Ballarat and Melbourne too. The Mr and I are in Townsville for my niece's wedding this afternoon,  the ceremony is in the beachside park over the road from our hotel.
Lucky us!