Seriously??: March 2014

This weekend was the first of several quilt retreats I attend every year. I have been going to Collingully Cottage at Meckering for as long as the shop has been up and running. It was established on the farm by my lovely friend Lynne Burges who sadly passed from this world in October 2010 and I miss her very much. The store and retreat has been taken over by her younger daughter Nahrae whom I have known since she was just a peanut in her mum's tummy and who is now a mum herself.

My sewing space for the weekend

It was a great weekend spent with my bestie and some of her ex- quilting students. I started tagging along to this retreat about 6 years ago and while I do only see most of these ladies once a year I am forming some firm friendships.

My productivity on these weekends is very erratic. Some years I manage to churn out quilt top after quilt top. Other years I may not even get a needle out! (or a stitch in) This year was between those extremes.

I started the weekend off mending. Yes. You read it correctly. Mending. Jeff had 'done' a zipper in one of his favourite cycling jerseys and set me the challenge of changing it. I spent Friday evening trying to put in a new one and semi succeeded. Not the best job in the world and I was not happy with it. Nor was my bestie Gill. Gill is a seasoned seamstress and can work wonders with anything so she took the jersey off my hands and spent the rest of Friday evening unpicking the zipper I had installed and a good part of Saturday morning resewing it. Even she was not happy with her results. The fabric was hideously stretchy and on top of that, very slippery. Jeff had to be happy with the results. It was as good as it was going to get. Happy to report, he was.

I also made a block which will become a cushion cover for the lounge room and did the finishing off on a dress I was making.

I rewarded myself by starting a new project. I was asked by a friend over on Instagram if I could source an Australian pattern for her by Aussie designer Jen Kingwell called Gypsywife. When I found the pattern, I loved it so much I ordered one for myself. I am proud to say I have only bought a small amount of fabric for this quilt with most of it coming from my stash. I completed 4 blocks over the weekend and cut out the fifth.

First 5 blocks of 'Gypsywife' by Jen Kingwell

As always the weather for this weekend was superb if a little warm on Friday evening after the day's maximum temperature hit 40'C. Saturday and Sunday were much more pleasant in the high 20's. Sue and I went out on Saturday evening armed with our phone cameras to take photos of a stunning sunset. Both of us are avid photographers and both of us failed to bring our 'real' cameras with us. Sue does amazing underwater photography while I stay firmly above water and preferably keep my feet dry.

Saturday night's sunset

To finish this post off, today is Jeff's and my 30th Wedding anniversary. Who would have thought we would have made it this far. After many years of moving house more times than I care to count (but have - its 11 times in the 30 years of marriage and I have moved a total of 34 times in my life) having two wonderful boys and working together for 15 of the 20 years we had our business here in Northam we are still going strong. I love Jeff more than ever and my heart still jumps when he walks into a room or looks my way.

We don't usually give gifts and Jeff never wants anything so I didn't get him a thing so I was wonderfully surprised when he presented me with this beautiful pearl pendant this morning.

My beautiful surprise!

Jeff, I love you.

and I am not going to do a catch up post!

That was my down fall December 2012. Trying to catch up and it was just too hard.

A quick run down on the last year is as follows:

Two years post work and I don't miss it!
I discovered Instagram and love the casual and friendly community and it gives me excuses to take pictures.
I didn't go over seas in 2013.
I did go to Darwin for 4 days in September with my bestie Gilly.
I had photos in the local photography group's exhibition in November.
I was invited to join the blog group Lets Stitch Together which has prompted this post!
I was spoiled by my hubby and was allowed to purchase a Husqvana Sweet Sixteen mid arm quilting machine.
Christmas was fun. The whole family was here and it was a lovely day.

This year I plan to do more with my quilting and my photography. I had a good start with photography with a "Highly Commended" for my photo of the skater below. Jeff is encouraging me to do more with my camera too as he gave me an Advanced Photography course for Christmas which I went to at the end of February and learned a lot. Now to get my head around the maths side of things and I will be fine!

That will do!