Sixteen Years!

Sixteen years ago today I did my first blog post, 

albeit just a few words. 

I never dreamt I would still be blogging 16 years later, 

although not as often as I used to. 

This is the very first photo I put up once 

I figured out how to do it.   

Mitchell, Austin and Nelson 

have now grown into fine young men.

Austin has become a father to Kade.

Mitchell and Nelson are his fun uncles. 

This is the first quilt I shared back in February 2010. 

"Starry Sensations", the 2009 BOM with the 

International Friendships Quilters (IFQ).

The last quilt I've made was for Austin and Paris' 

baby shower in November 2024. 

Kade and his quilt.

There's been many projects over the years and 

lots of swaps participated in. Over the last couple of 

days I've spent a bit of time looking at some of the very 

early posts which I haven't looked at in a long time. 

They were lovely memories.

I have made so many wonderful friends over the years. 

I've even been lucky enough to meet a lot in person, 

many of whom I consider my close friends.

Haha! I've just realised I've never

 updated my profile! Really must do something 

about it but that can be for another day.

A Dinosaur!

When Austin was a little boy, 

he just loved dinosaurs. 

So I thought I would make one 

for Kade for Christmas.

 

The pattern is Steg & Saurus by Melly and Me.

 

It was a bit fiddly doing the gusset but after a bit of 

perseverance I managed to get it together. 

It may be the only dinosaur I make! LOL!

 Kade cooling off! 

Lest We Forget

 

Christmas Hoops

Three presents ready for gifting.

These Christmas hoops are by 

Leanne Knell of Petals and Patches. 

The little mouse is my favourite!

How cute are the gingerbread house boxes the kits came in!

I actually finished them back in August 

but hadn't had a chance to post about them. 

A couple of weeks ago, I attended  

Chrissie's Timeless Treasures Mega Grand Gathering 

at Myrniong with Silvia and Sharmayne of  

Country Fragrance. Sharmayne came down for the 

weekend and we had a fabulous time.

There are always a couple of pop-up 

stores at Chrissie's stitching days. 

Dawn from Kitty Rose Cottage and 

Linda from Gum Valley Patchwork 

were this month's visitors. I thought I'd taken a 

photo of Linda and her goodies but turns out I hadn't! 

 

Dawn and I had met back in 2014

 at Let's Get Stitched. 

It was lovely catching up with her.

 

On Monday, Sharmayne and I spent the day 

with a little retail therapy. Sharmayne can't come 

to Melbourne without a trip to Patchwork with Gail B! 

We also visited Winterwood in Warranwood 

where they specialise in felt, 

Bella Fabrics in Canterbury and a yarn store just nearby. 

There is no photo evidence of any purchases 

that may or may not have been made! 

 

All too soon it was time to say goodbye.

Kade says hello!

It's hard to believe he is 7 months old already.
 

 

Silver Threads & Golden Needles!

Last weekend I was lucky enough to spend 

three days in Ballarat attending the 

Silver Threads and Golden Needles Sovereign Hill Retreat 

hosted by Chrissie of Chrissie's Timeless Treasures 

with my sister-in-law Silvia.

 

We received two kits to work on.

  

The first project was a Christmas bag. 

My bag is the one on the right.

 

 The second was a pins and needles case. 

I managed to get the stitching part done.

  

My finished pins and needles case.

 

 In between stitching, we would explore 

different parts of Sovereign Hill.

 My favourite place is the Criterion Store. 

 

There were so many lovely goodies here.

 

 Silvia and I thought it would be fun to 

have an old fashioned photo taken. 

We just had to pose stitching!

Don't think I'd really like to wear 

these dresses everyday!

We also made some little lavendar bags like 

they would have made back in the day.

I celebrated my birthday on Saturday 

and Noel surprised me with a special 

delivery of these beautiful flowers.

 

I was also lucky enough to win this sewing case 

(on my birthday too!), together with a toffee 

apple that are a specialty at Sovereign Hill. 

Mitchell has claimed that! LOL!

Before dinner on Saturday night, we walked 

the whole way around Lake Wendouree.

For my birthday dinner, we decided it 

would be nice to go to 

Craig's Royal Hotel which was built in 1853.

How beautiful is this staircase!

They were booked out for Saturday 

night so we went on Sunday.

Ballarat has beautiful gardens along the 

main road. I really liked these butterflies.

We had a fabulous time.  

There was lots of laughter, chatting, eating, 

exploring and shopping and we even managed 

to get some stitching done too! 

I'm actually surprised with how much we actually 

got done as we kept wondering off.

A Special Gift

When we were in Glen Innes we visited the 

Knick-Knackery antique store. There were some ladies 

sitting out the front in the sun stitching, 

one of them being the owner. She was working 

on a doily quilt. We got chatting, as you do, 

and I mentioned that I love vintage linen and have

 been collecting doilies as I want to make a

 doily quilt myself one day. The owner got up and said

 she had something to show me. 

 

She went inside and came out with these 

three beautiful Irish linen tea towels.

They are quite large - 75cm x 54cm. 

(Sorry. I really should have given them a press!)

 

   The colour doesn't show up but 

they are a very pretty mint green. 

 

The owner (unfortunately I didn't get her name) 

was given these many years ago from a lady 

who had purchased them in 1945. At some point 

she had to go to hospital and unfortunately, got 

an infection and lost her sight. 

Hence she never got to do the embroidery.

I asked how much they were to buy. 

The lady told me that they were now mine. 

They weren't something she wanted to do but had 

hung on to them. She said one day the 

right person would come along 

who was meant to have them 

and that person was me!

It was so lovely of her to give them to me. 

She had never met me before but she knew 

I would love them. I plan to do the embroidery. 

Hopefully, the lady who originally purchased them 

will be looking down when I'm stitching 

and she will have a big smile.

I also wanted to share this gorgeous vase I bought

 at the antique store in Hartley Historic Village, NSW. 

"Miss Daffodil" is a Lefton ladies head vase 

from the 1950s and is about 5 inches tall. 

I just fell in love with her and 

had to bring her home.

Road Trip Rug #4

As you know I like to crochet in the car on 

our road trips as it's too bumpy to stitch.

Road trip rug #4 finished.

Onto road trip rug #5!

 When we were in Cairns, I bought some more wool

 as I knew I would finish the stripey rug along the way.

I did extra crocheting when we were 

relaxing as I had finished the

stitcheries I had taken to work on.

2025 Outback Queensland and NSW Road Trip (Part 2)

We separated. Different states that is! 

Australian Standing Stones at Glen Innes, NSW.

 

I couldn't find Jamie aka 

James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser 

from Outlander when we were in Scotland so 

thought I'd try again. No luck here either!

Big Golden Guitar, Country Music Wax Museum 

and National Guitar Museum, Tamworth.

 Australian Country Music Hall of Fame, Tamworth.

Crocheted yarn bombed guitar, Tamworth. 

 

 Pool of Reflection, 

Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

We spent the whole day here, finishing up with 

the Last Post Ceremony at the end of the day. 

 

 Roll of Honour, 

Australian War Memorial, Canberra. 

 

This is my Great Uncle Bert, Herbert James Meikle. 

I was able to find lots of information about him. 

The family always thought he died as a 

POW in Changi. He actually died as a POW 

working on the Burma Railway. 

Records showed he was missing for over a year and 

that must have been when he was sent to Burma.

 

One of two Changi Quilts,

 Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

 

The other Changi Quilt, 

Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

There was a Mr Squiggle and Friends exhibition 

at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra.

It was fabulous and brought back 

lots of childhood memories.

The Senate Chamber,

Parliament House, Canberra. 

Cape Conran Coastal Park 

near Marlo, Victoria.

Seven weeks and just under 10,000km later, 

we arrived back home.

We had a fabulous time and explored many lovely 

country towns (too many to mention). In the 7 weeks

 away we had blue sunny skies almost every day, 

albeit cold at times, with only 4 days of rain. 

One in Sydney, two days of light showers in Cairns 

and one day in Tamworth. I think we were very lucky.

 

I hope you've enjoyed a snapshot of our trip. 

On our travels, I was gifted something very special

which I will share that in another post.

Thought I'd share this photo.

Kade is now 5 months old! 

We certainly missed this little munchkin!