SCAVENGER HUNT PHOTO CHALLENGE - APRIL

Linking up with Hawthorn at I Live, I Love, I Craft, I am Me,  for the challenge.

All the photos below, have been taken over the last few weeks, except for the Memories one.  I have had so much fun.  I was on the lookout for so much, that I surprised myself with other photos taken because I just love snapping odd things and lo and behold, there were a few that have made the cut and others taken with the challenge in mind that haven't been added,
And here we go.

ORANGE,
Berries on a pyracantha as it is Autumn here.

FEATHER.
This is one that was taken for the odd seaweed, but do you see the little feather.

FRESH.
Fresh flowers.  Two stems of orchid from the florist and camellia from my garden.  This is the one I had most trouble with as I just couldn't find what I'd thought of..  I took the photo this morning and the light is atrocious today as it has been raining a bit.

HORIZON.
A storm brewing out to sea at Warrnambool.

WET.
Water flowing over some mossy type foliage in the Umpherstone Sink Hole at Mt. Gambier.

CRAFT.
Two little wallhangings quilted  this week.  They were both made a long time ago and just need binding now.  Aah done at last.

GROWING   -  SLOWLY.
A stalagmite and stalactite trying in vain to connect in the Princess Margaret Rose Caves.  Maybe in a few thousand years.  

MEMORIES.
There were so many I considered for this, but here I am sitting on the Cow and Calf looking out over Ilkley.  Special memories indeed.

STICKS.
We found this on the beach at Inverloch and I thought, aha, another stick photo, but this one made it on.  It's from driftwood on the shoreline and I wonder who built it and why?

ANY SUBJECT!
One of the rays that swim regularly around Inverloch Jetty.  They are so beautiful and graceful, that I couldn't help picking it for my other subject.

Photos 1, 3 and 6 were taken on a local walk and at home.  2, 4, 5 and 7 taken on our trip to Bordertown in early April, 8 whilst on holiday in UK in 2009, and lastly 9 and 10,  Wednesday this week whilst on a day out to the coast.
I'll try and do a blog post in the next few days to catch up on the last leg of our trip away, but next week may be slow going as I have "two customer" quilts to do.  Luckily, both allover patterns which are quick and easy, so shouldn't take up too much time.
Well I think I'm finished and look forward to what may come next month and seeing everyone else's interpretation.  THANK YOU Hawthorn.
Have a great weekend all and take care.
Susan.

BLOGIVERSARY WINNER-------------------------

And the name pulled from the bowl---is   HAWTHORN.
I'll be in touch as soon as we get back from our holiday. I've something in mind now that I know who it is and I will show it at a later date.

Now to some catching up with what we've been doing and where we are heading to on Friday.
I've not been doing any of my big star challenge quilt, but once we are back home, that is definitely coming out as I want to enter it in a show in October.
I've been designing (and stressing) over the two baby quilts, but have finally made up my mind to what I'm doing with them both.  These two quilts are for my nieces (in UK) and they are sisters and both first babies, due within a couple of months of each other.  For some reason I found it tough, but I think I'm happy with what I've come up with.  I'll show both lots of fabric I've chosen.

I've also made a finish with something that has waited for many years.  I photograph quite a few things on the box that you see above.  Hubby made the "ottawoman" for me many years ago and I always wanted to line the lid and use it for patterns I use for crochet or knitting.  It's finally done with a lot of help from him.  I tried to put the upholstery tacks in and they just kept bending, but clever clogs got longer ones and used a hold-it thingy and they were in.  Finished result.

The ottawoman.

Inside the lid. (and the mess).

Something I omitted the other day, was the idea for my rather bright star quilt, which is now quilted and awaiting binding.   I hate not telling if it was my own design  or if I used someone else's pattern.  I used a pattern called Robert's Bright Idea, from this book, which I bought a long time ago, in a discount shop.  They had a load of quilt/craft books from a wholesaler who had gone into liquidation, so a few of us had a good rummage and came out with quite a lot of books.

TIME OUT.
On Friday we are off in our van for a week.  Summer school holidays have finished here in Oz and we're heading to the east coast of Victoria to soak up some sun, sand, lakes and walking.  We'll go to Mallacoota for a few days and come back via the Gippsland Lakes and Warragul, where I'm booked in for a lovely relaxing massage.  I'll take both my laptop (running Vista which I can't post on, but can comment on other blogs and keep up), and my little one and hopefully maybe do a post with some photos.  Still not confident with the Windows 8 on it though.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far and take care.
Huggles Susan.

ANOTHER YEAR GONE!

BLOGIVERSARY TWO.

I can't believe that it is now two years ago, that I got my first post to work, after 8 months of a very steep learning curve by this technophobe.  Is that spelt right?  I have made so many wonderful friends along the way, that I'm glad I persevered.  I plan to finish up one of my WIP's and turn it into a small gift open to  anyone that comments between now and early February. I will draw a name the same as I did last year, by hubby picking one from a basket.   As I'm working on that "big" challenge, I'm just a little pushed for time, but I will do it.

CHALLENGE CATCHUP.

I have finished another corner and now sewn two corners to one centre piece and depapered the longer centrepiece and darling hubby took a photo for me of them laying together, as I'm just not tall enough to get it all in.

I am not looking forward to sewing the longer piece to each of the sides, because if anyone looks closely, a lot of my points just aren't meeting very well, but some of them are nine points coming together and I've decided that they will have to stay, otherwise I'll put it away again and it will never get done.  It is currently sitting on the quilting room floor and will stay there till it turns into a flimsy.
This is the last corner waiting to be done,  It just needs the joining pieces between the stars and the outer sections.

Last corner section awaiting its turn.

I've just remembered to tell where this pattern came from and next challenge post I'll show a picture of the original.  Many years ago, there was a magazine called "Quilts with Style"  which I purchased for a couple of years and the last one published was Nov/Dec 2007.  My star quilt was in 6 issues from 2006 and called Diamond Jubilee.

ANOTHER SUBJECT ALTOGETHER.

I met my hubby in 1975, which makes it 40 years that we've been together this year. Married 40 in 2017.  We've never had many photos taken of the two of us, as it is usually one of us with the camera, but here are two that I've found many years apart.  How times and fashions change.

We worked out that this must have been taken in the summer of 1978/79.

Many years later.

This one has a date and taken at the Gildersome Arms on our UK trip in 2009.

I've nothing more recent than that, but we've not changed much since then anyway.  Thought it may make people smile.


THOUGHTFULLNESS.

Does anyone else out there stress to the extreme?  I'm afraid I do, but this little blog has helped me in so many ways.  My biggest problem at the moment is my wonderful "Bubs".  I've not touched her since the week before Xmas, when I did a quilt in a hurry for a customer which didn't go as planned and now I've lost all my oomf as to get her started up and finishing some of my own, plus another customers.  How do others sort themselves out when this type of thing happens?  I need to use her, otherwise it is like starting all over again and I just don't need that at the moment.  Enough of my silliness.

 A COUPLE OF PHOTOS THAT MAKE ME SMILE.

An old mine working at the bottom of my penfriend B's village.

B and I discussing "something" at Port Isaac.

Whitby Abbey, which I love.

Saltaire Mill where I bought my baby harp.  You can see the allotments in the foreground.

Bingley Fiverise.

As seen from the date these are some from 2009 trip.

Enough from me today and I've a few thoughts for posts next week and want to run a challenge by, to see if anyone would like to join in.  It won't be anything too taxing and not have an exact time limit, so now I'll leave you wondering.
Don't forget to comment and for those who follow and don't have blogs, you can email and you will go into the draw as well.
Have a great weekend wherever you may be and take care.
Huggles, Susan.

OUCH!!!!!! THAT HURT.

ENTRAPMENT.

This is the culprit!  That hole where the hinges are.

Yesterday I made ham, cheese and tomato toasted sandwiches for lunch.  After we'd eaten, I washed up and cleaned said toaster, dried it and then decided to move it to the other side of the bench.  Instead of closing the lid, I picked it up, two hands on the base and the cord swung down, so silly old me went to catch it with a couple of fingers and the lid snapped shut, catching my left index finger.  I swore, then cried as it was just so painful and of course I couldn't open it till I'd put it down again.   It was throbbing so much, instead of grocery shopping, I saw the doctor who sent me for an X-ray at the hospital, but no, it's not broken, just fat, red and luckily not nearly so sore today.

TAKING TIME OUT.
In my challenge post, I mentioned that I'd take some time out to do things I really love and one was to keep up with flowers in the house (flower arranging).  I went out before the rain came and cut 3 agapanthus and some pittosporum leaves and popped them into my cupid vase and put them on the table.  I don't have nearly as many agapanthus here, but still love seeing their pretty flowers in a vase.

FIRST CHALLENGE  -  PART 2

Another centre joining strip de-papered.

Second corner now together  and de-papered/

The central strip that goes between the two halves is done, but still has papers and I'm not sure how to take a photo of it, as it is very long.  The stars for the other two corners have been done for a long time, as well as those inner pieces, so now all I have to work on is the joining bits and the outer part of the corners, then it can all go together.  I hope to do one next week and the other the week after and by the end of January it may all be in place.

WOODWORKING?

Not me, but hubby.  He has some finishes as well.  Many, many years ago, I bought him a lathe and he did a little on it, but now retired, has been playing with it lately and is enjoying.  He made me this little bowl, which I'm keeping some paper clips, etc. in, as quite often I need to hold papers together in the sewing room.

Bowl.

Over a couple of weeks during the holiday period, he also worked on a single piece of wood, about 70cm long and 50mm x 50mm in thickness with a chisel, drill and dremel (not my new one), and made this.

The first photo was taken on the trellis, as I couldn't find anywhere else to hang it and the second is a close-up of the chain part.  Now isn't he clever and he'd only ever seen some pics somewhere and just went ahead and worked it out for himself.

Well, I think that is enough for today and hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.  I think as long as the weather holds, as it hasn't rained today, although it's been overcast and cool, we'll head out for a walk tomorrow.  I'll be back midweek with "something".
Take care and huggles,
Susan.

MY FIRST CHALLENGE UNDERWAY.

I decided to pull my first challenge from its bag and box and make a start yesterday.  I proceeded to take the paper foundations from at least 2 parts that are complete (mammoth task), then work out which section I would start putting together next.  Having worked that out sewed two of the outer sections, then called it a day.
First thing this morning after the daily chores, I set about getting another corner section together, but that has not happened as a couple of the sections I sewed back in 2010 at a very stressful period in our lives aren't right.  There are 3 joining pieces which are similar, but definitely not the same and I've put them in the wrong order, so will have to do them again.
As I have joined Lucie in the Lets Finish it Up challenge I will post about it here as it happens and show part of what has already been done now.  The two sections I've removed the paper from I've already photographed and here they are.

A corner section

 See the small pieces at the sides of the stars.  They look alike don't they?  NO, they are not and that is where I've gone wrong, with some to redo.

One middle section.

I have another small middle section like this done and the longer version which goes right through the middle in between the other two.

It is again today, very hot and I will show what my poor front lawn looks like and no, I do not water it, as we live in a very dry climate here in Oz, so when the rain does happen, it all greens up again anyway.  I do use my washing machine water on our small back lawn to keep it looking somewhat good.

Part of our front lawn , looking across the road to the reserve.

Next a quick photo of my tiny little veg patch, which I'm pampering during the heat.

This small bed has not long been planted, though the seeding parsley has been there since last year.  We have 3 tomatoes, 2  I bought as seedlings and one transplanted from the path.  I put in 6 bean seeds and have 5 up and doing OK, plus a row of carrots just showing through.

I know that's not much, but as we were away in UK at some of the best planting time, I decided easy was best for now.

Now a big THANK YOU to all who commented on my last post.  Sorry I've not replied, but my laptop I use after tea whilst I'm watching TV has been playing up and I lost both comments on other blogs and replies on mine.  I've done some tidying up on it and it seems to again be working well.

Have a great week and I'll be back over the weekend with a challenge update.
Take care and huggles from Susan.

HOT HOT HOT!!!!!!!!!!!

The above says it all.  The last 2 days have been 38 & 37 degrees and extremely windy.  South Australia is in the grips of it's worst bushfires since 1983 and we've had our fair share as well, though most are now under control.  I do hope things pick up for S.A.  and pray for cooler weather and rain for them.  We've had our best rain in months late this afternoon along with lengthy thunderstorms.  There is still some thunder about now.

OK, this was going to be my CHALLENGE post, but being so hot, didn't do a lot and think I'm tired now.  My challenges are going to be in 2 parts.  One will be to do with my quilting and the other just things in general.

We'll start with the general one.

NUMBER 1
As a child and up until I had my first baby, I read "a lot".  Over the ensuing years with 3 children, a full time job and other commitments, the reading went by the wayside except for a few short spells.  I've quite a few paperbacks that I've bought and not read and hope to catch up slowly, but first are a  couple I intend borrowing from the library as they sound so good.  They are going to put these 3 on hold and let me know when they come in.  (Hope not all at once.)

If I borrow them, I'll feel obliged to read them, whereas when they are here at home, I think I'll get around to it one day.  Another that I'm going to ask about is this one.

Jo recommended this one and I think it sounds very interesting.

NUMBER 2
 I have a box under the quilting machine that reads, "WIP's" also known as work in progress, so that is on my list.  Most of it is sewing related and really needs finishing.  Said box below.

NUMBER 3
I am going to try something new each quarter of this year.  Of course I talked of pyrography on my last post. I also have a needle felting kit, plus a punchneedle that I'd like to try.  Playing with some papercraft type bits is also in there too.  So that's four different things.

QUILTING

NUMBER1
I must finish my foundation paper pieced star quilt which was started in 2008 along with a friend who wanted to learn.  We started and then so many things got in the way and although I've done all my stars, it is not together yet.  I think I may have shown it once a long time ago. Everyone can give me a push on this one.

NUMBER 2
For some years now I've been working on some quilts intending to write a book and this is the year it is going to happen.  Maybe now that I've put it on my blog, I will really get it done.  Wish me luck.

I've other things I would love to get done, but know I need to be realistic.
 
One more thing that is not really a challenge, but something I think we should all try at times and that is to make time for yourself.  Having a hubby who is now retired I don't seem to take the time to just do those silly little things that always gave me pleasure, like tinkling on the piano or doing my Relaxercise exercises.  Even my blogging, flower arranging and photography seem to take a back seat at times, so I'll give myself the time to make these happen.
As I sit writing this, darkness has fallen, it has stopped thundering and raining (which we needed) and a frog has just started croaking, so all is well with the world.

That is my lot for tonight, so I hope I can keep my challenge goals and post about them as they happen.  Take care all and huggles from Susan.