Winding up the year

 Before Christmas we had a few days away visiting DS and helping him get some new blinds installed. It's so nice to visit now and not having to rush back in time for work. We can take 3-4 days, relax, unwind and just enjoy the time together. I'm looking forward to visiting more often in 2023 as we make plans to update the kitchen and bathroom in his unit.

In the evenings I worked on my embroidery and I have only the bees left to do. 

I've already picked out my next embroidery project, a lovely Val Laird wallhanging which also uses quilt blocks. I just love her patterns and have a few more lined up in my wishlist.

Since we got back we've been busy with the decluttering, with a few more trips to the tip and I have more to go to the op-shop soon. We are going to move my sewing room into DS's old room. I have just the wardrobe left in DS's room left to move and then (fingers crossed) I can get DH to paint it - (he hates painting) before I move in. Once thats done we're going to expand DD's room to include my old sewing room. It's exciting to start seeing new spaces appear now that a lot of 'stuff' is gone.

So with my sewing, I've mostly been cutting down scraps and sorting out all my old, unfinished projects. This drawer sits on my sewing table and as I sew I add any scraps to it. I've already emptied it once and then refilled it with bags of scraps from years ago. I just work on it each day for 10 - 15 mins at a time.

I cut my scraps into strips and keep them in clear shoe boxes in the different sizes. Anything smaller than 1.5" or an odd shape that I think I might use for applique or collages I toss in the basket.

I've also been making lists and deciding on which projects I want to do in 2023. I have found lots of great 3 yard quilt patterns which are just the right size for donation quilts. I really need to use up some of my fabric stash so I plan on using the 3 yard pattens to make lap quilts for Comfort Quilts against Cancer as they accept tops and are looking for volunteers.  I used to be an oncology nurse so its a cause I can really get behind. At the moment I'm making the blocks for a Jacobs Ladder lap quilt in between the decluttering.

I'm excited about 2023. I remember this time last year. I was just so exhausted and knew I only had three months until retirement. This year feels so different and I feel so much happier and healthier with time to just enjoy myself. My plan is to actually finish some sewing projects in 2023 lol!

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Comments - I am still having problems commenting on many of the blogs I read regularly which is disappointing but it seems many others have the same problem and there isn't a solution that works. So unfortunately I just can't comment on a lot of your blogs anymore, those that I can I will. 

- Sluggy, Kim I have read your blogs every day for many years and I can't comment on either- I was so shocked and saddened to read about Joel, my condolences to you both and big hugs & prayers Kim xx

Merry Christmas!

 We've just arrived home from a lovely day spent with family for Christmas. Feeling grateful! The last two years, due to covid, we haven't seen family for Christmas and so today we all just enjoyed being together again. 

Wishing you all the best for this holiday season and especially thinking of those in the U.S. with this crazy weather.

"What is Christmas? 

It is the tenderness the past, courage for the present, and hope for the future."

Agnes.M.Pahro.

Busy Busy Busy!

 We've had a very busy few weeks since I last posted. 

A family get together for a 65th wedding anniversary, our 40th wedding anniversary and DD & I's birthdays. It's been lovely to catch up with extended family, some we hadn't seen since before Covid. I also had the Share the Dignity collections and drop offs to do which are all completed now.

DH and I have also been very busy at home with lots of decluttering going on, and trips to the op shop and the tip each week.  We have also replaced all the blinds on the windows at the front of the house and down one side. I was able to get the double blinds at 40% off at Spotlight which was a good saving. They didn't have enough in stock to do the whole house so I will get more when they are on sale again. We also bought a new lounge which is SO comfortable to nap on!

When I last posted my plan had been to get ready to do Bonnies Mystery Quilt, but I  got sidetracked by deciding to cut down years of scraps while waiting for the first clue to come out. Well I was enjoying cutting them so much - its quite relaxing -and I have way more scraps than I ever realised, so I decided to skip the mystery this year and cut all scraps instead. I'm hoping to get them all done before the end of the year.  In between scraps and decluttering I have been making my 5" scraps into lap quilt tops

to donate. 

Today we are putting up our Christmas decorations and next week we will visit DS for a few days to help organise a bathroom and kitchen renovation for his unit. 

It feels good to have the time and energy to get so much done.

I'm still having difficulties commenting, but now have a few ideas so will try and sort that out this week.

Blue scrappy flimsy finished. Share the Dignity drive.

I'm determined to chip away at the scrap stash after my recent clean up in the sewing room.  I finished this quilt top this morning made of blue 5" squares. I also used up a light blue scrap to break up the rows as without that it was just too busy and a little small. I'm pleased with the way it turned out and I've added it to the 'waiting to be quilted pile. 

It will be a donation quilt when finished as there is going to be a real need for quilts following all these flooding events we've been having. I was able to buy $440 worth of quilt batting for only $80 with my $40 spotlight vouchers - I was sent four this time so I will use the others up in the next few days. I've got plenty of batting now in my stockpile!

On Wednesday night there was a request for linen & other items to be donated to flooded residents in Eugowra where houses where literally just washed away on Monday. So I cleaned out the linen cupboard of sheets, one quilt and some blankets. I also had my box of extras (pads, tampons, toiletries) for topping up Share the Dignity bags so I sent those off as well. 

Share the Dignity collections start today and run to the 27th November at every Bunnings store. You can drop off a handbag backpack filled with items (list is here) or you can donate toiletries, pads or bags as well and they will get made up for donation.  The bags are given to women & girls in need.

This year I made three Mum & Bub bags and three teen bags. I made a crotchet rug and a bunny rug for each of the Mum & Bub bags.

In the US & Canada there is are similar charities:  One Purse,  My Change Purses, Lend a Hand.

I kept on with the decluttering in the spare room ( junk room!) and this morning we made a trip to the op shop and then a trip to the dump. I have so much more space! Still lots to do but we're making progress. Today I want to get my fabrics chosen ready for the start of Bonnies Mystery Quilt tomorrow and cut down some scraps from my current scrap bin.

Blogger comments problem! Is anyone else having difficulty commenting on blogs including replying on your own blog? At the moment I can't comment on this blog and on most of the other blogs - any advice?  

Back from the beach. Sorting the sewing!

We've been home for a few days now after having a week at the beach and visiting DS in Wagga for a few days. This time I took some embroidery with me. I enjoyed sitting outside on the verandah in the afternoons listening to the ocean.

I haven't embroidered for years and I would like to get back to it and improve skills. This pattern was from a class with video instruction from Clever Poppy that she ran recently. 

We've had lots of rain here and flooding in town on Monday. We are fine as we live on top of a hill and it seems to be going down quickly here. Other places in the region have been badly affected and I'm so glad we cancelled our big holiday to avoid the flooding.

I've started going through all my sewing projects, WIPs, UFOs and scrap stashes and making a list of everything that needs finishing. There's a lot!  I found quilt tops, sewing projects and patterns I had forgotten about and finally found my misplaced Splendid Sampler blocks. I'm bagging everything up from each project into clear bags so I can easily see what I have and putting them on the open shelves instead of in drawers so they don't get forgotten. 

I'm feeling as though I'd like some more routines back in my week. I listened to a TED talk recently about stages of retirement and we've been enjoying the first 'holiday - freedom' stage a lot. I'm just feeling now like I'd like to have a bit more organisation in my week. I'm not tired from working anymore and I have more energy to do things. Not sure where I'm going with it but thats my thoughts lately. I also want to get back to more regular blogging. 

We have a big few weeks coming up with birthdays, my in-laws 65th wedding anniversary and our 40th anniversary. I love this time of year with the lead up to Christmas - lots to do and this year will be our first Christmas with family since Covid started so it will be great to get back to normal I hope. Covid changed so much - did it affect your end- of year get-togethers? Do you feel like life's returning back to 'normal'? I'm getting my covid booster vaccination this morning  as its on the rise again here, then time to catch up on blog reading.

Floods, snow, decluttering & new Tilda fabric.

 What an interesting week we are having here! It's been raining for days and we have lots of flooding in town and across the state. We had planned to travel to see DS today but the roads are closed so we have cancelled. There are some backroads but the last thing we need to do is get stuck somewhere and not be able to get home. 

Yesterday, as well the flooding we had snow! It was quite heavy falls just outside of town. I've never seen snow in November here before. It's usually hot and sunny but it's been quite cold.

But it's been a good week for sewing and decluttering! I have been working on my overflowing 5" square scrap bins - mostly children's prints. I've just been joining squares ready to be made into eye spy quilts later. I started with making strips for the disappearing nine-patches 

... but after a lot of sewing I just wanted to get them done faster so made the rest into 4 patch blocks...

It all fits neatly back in the drawers now and when I want to make an eye spy quilt it will be much quicker to join a few of these larger blocks. 

I also had some beautiful Tilda fabrics delivered this week. I just love Tilda fabrics and so I decided to treat myself and join the Tilda club so I get a project each two months. While I may not get them done straight away it will be nice to have them in my stash for when I want a change from sewing quilt tops. 

Here's my first month of the Tilda club - its just gorgeous!

I also bought a Chic Escape fat quarter bundle and some dots & plains for a paper piecing quilt top I want to make.

  and a Hometown fat-eights bundle for a wall hanging project

I hadn't planned on doing Bonnies mystery quilt this year as were to be travelling but now that I'm not and after seeing the beautiful colours she has chosen I'm in! I am going to use batiks and have ordered them this morning. I'm quite excited to be doing it again! Are you doing Bonnies mystery this year? What are your thoughts on the colour choices?

I've also been decluttering old work 'stuff' with five large garbage bags of old files & paperwork shredded this week. After a lot of thought I've decided to let my professional registration go and I've now given up on the idea of perhaps doing some occasional work in retirement. After seven months I'm feeling so much healthier but I'm also realising that I am still quite burned out and seeing how much of a toll work took on my health. It's time to just stop and smell the roses. 

"Smell the roses. Smell the coffee. 

Whatever it is that makes you happy."

Rita Moreno

Cancelled Holidays & back in the sewing room.

 We cancelled our holiday plans earlier this week due to all the flooding thats happening at the moment. Our first week away was to be spent at Echuca on the Murray River as we had not visited that area before. Right now its in record flood and clearly it's not the place for tourists. Theres also been flooding in Tasmania and with more rain predicted for the next 6-8 weeks we decided it was better to cancel and we'll wait until next year to do another trip.

My back is much better so I've been able to get back to my sewing the last few days. I completed another Summer in the Country block - Geese Pond 

I started working on another block and then just like that, I felt like I need a break from it, I still like it but I'm tired of working on it. So I changed the block to finish it up quickly...

... then I joined up a heap of triangle scraps to make another block quickly

... played around on the design wall for a while ...

         ... and then packed it all away for later.

My sewing room is quite a mess!  I really need to do some serious stash busting and get some projects quilted and finished.  I keep 5" blocks in these two drawers, mostly kids prints, & they are stuffed completely full so I decided to make some more children's blocks as they are fun and easy.

I use a disappearing nine patch pattern, put a picture block in the corners and bright colours around it and then cut.

... and these blocks will end up in eye-spy quilts. 

On the decluttering front I've done all but one cupboard in the kitchen and got rid of a lot of excess stuff. It's good to open the cupboard now and not feel its all going to fall out.  Next big job is cleaning out the pantry/storeroom.

Right now it's raining heavily again so  its back to sewing machine for the afternoon. Apparently it's going to rain most of the summer - our third El Nino summer downunder. How is the weather where you are is it different to the usual season? 

Linking up with:

 Quilting Patchwork Applique

Oh Scrap 

Small Quilts & Dolls Quilts

Summer in the Country Blocks.

 I've been out of action for a while after a bad flare up of an old back injury, so not much has been happening here at all as I can't sit for long or do much at all.  I also have my glasses away getting a new prescription put into the frames, so I can't really see to sew without them. But I'm getting more mobile each day and starting to feel much better.

Before I got laid up in bed I did complete two more of the blocks for Summer in the Country. 

The first block is Star Flower.

and the next is Summer Kites

I won't be able to sew until I get my glasses back so I don't think much more will get done before we leave for Tasmania. I have been looking at doing some hand sewing projects to take with me and have ordered some beautiful Tilda fabrics for a quilt I have in mind. 

Other than that not much is happening here, just lots of rain, lots of laying about. I am going to start decluttering some of the cupboards that I don't need to bend down for this week and try and get a load to the op shop but I need to still take it steady. DH has been busy working around the yard, there is much to do but its nice starting to see progress.

RSC - Flimsy is done!

 I've been busily sewing up my RSC blocks since I last posted (and we had a week away) and I'm pleased to post that I've joined them all up.  I spent some time trying different layouts and decided I liked the pattern better not on point.

Heres how it looks on the bed...

I'm so happy with it and I loved making it. I want to add a border, possibly dark blue or yellow - or perhaps both, so I will think on that for a while.

I've also taken a bit of break from being online as we had another trip away for a week. Old work friends of mine from catch up ever few years and so a last minute get-together was arranged. I have missed the last few so it was just great to see everyone again. 

DH and I stayed on for a bit of holiday and visited lots of lovely beaches down the South Coast, walked for hours most days and then laid about enjoying the ocean view from our cabin on the beach in the evenings. 

Heres a few pics of our time away..

View from inside our cabin as the sun comes up

... and we just walked down this little track to get onto the beach...

We also did some travelling to a few different places,  countryside is SO green and there is water everywhere. This is at Tilba - the place where River Cottage Australia was filmed.

Tilba is a National Trust Village with lots of lovely old shops and pretty gardens. 

We bought some cheese, jams and chutneys from the Tilba Dairy and I can recommend them - very tasty and plenty of  gluten free products.

The fragrance from The Bath Patisserie was lovely & it was filled with all sorts of luxurious bath products so I picked up some lovely soap for myself.

While we were away Queen Elizabeth passed away. I remember watching her Christmas address every year as a kid, it was just part of our Christmas Day growing up, and singing God Save the Queen each week at assemblies. Each classroom had a picture of here above the blackboard so she was very much part of our lives as kids even though we live in Australia. I think she was a remarkable woman given that she was never meant to be Queen.

So we're back home now until our next trip in November and I'm feeling ready to get more stuff decluttered. I want to get new carpet put down in the lounge room and give the bathroom a 'refresh' - so thats what I'll be mostly working on as well and finishing up Summer in the Country before I start another quilt.

I'm off to catch up on my blog reading & linking up to SoScrappy  Quilting Patch and OhScrap.

RSC - Joining up the blocks!

There is something special about scrappy quilts. Taking all the small pieces, leftovers from other projects or fabrics that have been in the stash for years and turning them into a beautiful quilt. I never tire of looking at all the different scrap quilts that quilters make.

I've been busy sewing more blocks for my RSC Carolina Chain quilt as I only had about half the number I need. This morning I started joining the small blocks together into larger four patches and I am so happy with how it's looking. 

I want to get all of the large four patch blocks done this month so I know I'll be spending a lot of time this week at the sewing machine making more smaller blocks. Then next month I should be able to complete the top. My sewing table is busy!

Linking up with SoScrappy, OhScrap. and QuiltingPatch. 

"When life gives you scraps, make a quilt"

September One Month Goal

 I have just seven blocks left to finish for the Summer in the Country quilt. They are all cut our ready to sew and my goal is to get these blocks completed by the end of September. So to help keep me accountable I'm joining One Month Goal at Elm St Quilts. 

Heres the blocks cut and ready to sew.

Here are the blocks I've completed so far on the design wall...

Individual blocks posts are here.

I'm so happy with how this quilt is looking so far! I may need to do a few extra and I want to set it on point with sashing in between the blocks, that might be next months goal.

Linking up to One Month Goal where there are all sorts of lovely  projects in the making.

RSC - Orange

 My orange Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks are done for August. I didn't have a lot of orange but I'm glad its included as it will brighten up the quilt.

I will need to make a few more blocks in some of the colours so I have enough and then I can get started on piecing the top. I'm not going to do brown/dark blocks as I think the blue and purple are enough dark.

We got our tax done for the year and submitted it yesterday so the refund should not be too long coming. It was good to get it out of the way. I also cleaned out two of the drawers in the office filing cabinet while I was looking for documents so I have now have a huge box of paper shredding to get done. 

Its pouring rain here so I'm having a day on the sewing machine and enjoying catching up on everyones blogs.

Linking up with SoScrappy where you can see lots of great RSC ideas to use up your fabric scraps. 

Back home again.

We arrived home a few days ago, just in time for a light dusting of snow overnight. Today it's a lovely sunny day so hopefully the winter weather is over for the year.

The trip away was great, so relaxing. We visited Moree again where we saw a beautiful quilt made by Moree Quilters group in 2001 for the Federation Centenary. It features various aspects of life in Moree.

There was a brightly coloured 'yarn bombed' tree near the sewing shop.

and on our morning walks we saw the colourful murals painted around town, this is just two of many...

We also went up to Warwick and Texas, just over the border in Queensland where the weather really was perfect and the roads were much better than in NSW. We visited a few National Parks for some bushwalking including the Queen Mary Falls which was a good workout for the legs climbing down and back up all those steps. It was nice to just stop where we felt like it and most days we had a picnic lunch somewhere along the way. It was great to see everywhere so green with all the dams and rivers full as we go into the warmer weather.

Now I'm back home I'm about to sort through my orange scraps for RSC, I have already cut some and then I'm meeting a friend for lunch. I'm hoping to start work on our bathroom next week, not a full renovation but a 'refresh' on a budget. I'm looking forward to creating some new retirement routines and housework habits as we go into spring.

At the beach

We're back on the road again, having another week away from the cold weather back home. I guess thats one of the lovely things about being retired, you can just decide to go away on the spur of the moment and off you go!

We've been in Coffs Harbour and the weather here is perfect.  Neither of us have been here before and we've been impressed with how quiet and laid back it is despite being a popular tourist destination. 

We're staying across the road from the beach so we've been out early to watch the sun come up each day.

You can hear the ocean all the time which is really lovely at night-time.  Theres lots of walkways and places to sit, we've been sitting outside for breakfast and lunch enjoying the views.

Yesterday we went up to the Forest Sky Pier which had the most incredible views of the coastline. The lookout bridge goes out over the rain forest & moves in the wind.

It's not possible to get the whole view in one picture, this is about a third of it.

We have another day here and then we're off to Tenterfield for a look about. Today we're going down to the jetty & to Mutton Island Nature Reserve. I'd certainly come back again and perhaps stay longer next time.

Well its almost time for another sunrise so I'm heading back to the beach for a while.  

“To escape and sit quietly on the beach – that’s my idea of paradise.” 
Emilia Wickstead

If you'd like to see some more Australian travel Janice is blogging her trip with some fabulous photos at Jannimary

Catching up & a few more blocks.

Last week we all ended up sick - fortunately not with covid, or the flu but the last few days I've just been resting/sleeping on the lounge all day. Today I'm feeling a lot better and have been up and about getting things done again.

I did get a few more blocks done for Summer in the Country:

I have the rest of the blocks cut out ready to sew. I'm looking forward to seeing this quilt top completed, its such a bright happy pattern.

DH and I are starting to work out new routines to our days together. Mostly its work about the house, having a leisurely morning tea together out on the front verandah when the weather is nice and planning our trips to the shops or to do errands together. I am enjoying this more relaxed pace so much :) 

This morning DH finished changing all our door handles over to lever handles instead of doorknobs. They look great and they are so much easier for me to use. I have arthritis in my hands and have found it difficult at times to turn the door handles.  

I've been plodding away at decluttering so we took 8 bags to the op shop today and stopped off at Bunnings on the way home to get some potting mix and some geraniums that were marked down. I'm planning on starting some seedlings this week but I cannot remember where I put the packets of seeds! As my family say - I put them in a safe place, I just don't know where that is! If I have also been saving some seeds from my veggies and some cuttings. Vegetables are getting so expensive it just makes sense to grow them to save a bit of money and growing the from scraps saves even more. Do you grow veggies from scraps or have a veggie garden?  If so what do you grow - open to suggestions - I am cold climate NSW.