31 December 2017

2017 - The Year in Review


January

With a liberal dose of Fear and Excitement - DD set off on a Grand Adventure.
A 12 month Research position at the University of Strasbourg in France.


February
A new BOM - or rather Technique of the Month Quilt
This time - Jinny Beyer's Moroccan Mystery


March
March began by being frayed at the edges with Allietaire, 
Got Stung several times in the one day by DD's Bees. 
Had my car damaged by an inattentive taxi driver 
and then finished the month off 
watching a doosy of a Cyclone bear down on Friends and Family in QLD. 

April
Ah - What can I say about April?
April was Paris and Strasbourg.
Cramming our memories with so much Beauty
and then return to celebrate my Father's 94th Birthday.

May
What happened to May?
I spent my time finishing up Allietaire and my Mystery Quilt sections
only to find I was totally up to date and looking for something to do!

June
Milestone Birthday for me
celebrated by a trip 'down the Peninsula'
and a ride on the new Eagle Chairlift.


July
was a month of Highs and Lows

My Istanbul won the Convenors Award
 at the Victorian Quilt Showcase


and
I said Goodbye to my Dad.


August

We welcomed GN#3
to the family

September

Saw us return to Strasbourg
The Excuse? - to see our DD for her Birthday.
and have some well deserved Fun along the way.

October

Sightseeing by ourselves in Europe in October
or should I say - OKTOBER
and Oh what Sights we saw!

November
Another Graduation
This Time DS#1
with a Masters of Teaching.

December
Year ended the way it began - Back at the Airport
This time to bring Our Girl back home.

* * *

I wonder what 2018 will bring?
Happy New Year
to Everyone.

*

28 December 2017

On Ringo Lake - Still on Part 3

Yep, STILL on Part 3.

They are certainly not Pretty
(They need to be Pressed
and Trimmed)

And there is far from the required quantity but...

80 Pair of Part Three are Done.


With a new Clue due any day
Part 4 Still sitting in the 'To Do' box
and a whole Gaggle of Brown Geese not started -
I think I am Officially behind!

* * *

To find out more about this MYSTERY 
or what the next Clue is Go to Bonny Hunter's Blog.

To see what other Mystery Hunters are doing with their Clues


26 December 2017

Christmas comes but once a Year . . .

Thank Goodness!


Trying to fit in seeing everyone - 
Christmas for us starts the Week before.

Full 'Formal' Christmas Dinner at my DB's place.

And introducing the concept of an Aussie Christmas with Bonbons and Christmas Jokes to DS#2s USA-GF

Oh what Fun!

Christmas Eve meant last minute shopping, wrapping, Planning and Preparing for the next Day.
Lots of Side-tracks. 
  
Watching the Computer - 
Not for Santa's Journey 
from the North Pole.
But another Special Flight -



Christmas Day - 

Always time for Family and Friends.

This Year - Family not here ...

And an empty Chair that will never again 
be filled.

But life goes on and NEW Traditions need to be forged - 

So on a Day when the outside temperatures were over 30℃

It was bring out the Good China for a Christmas HIGH TEA.




Beautiful Christmas Flavours
in Sandwiches and Individual Pots of Trifle
and Pavlova.

Mince Pies and Special Brewed Tea.

All made for a wonderful alternative to the usual Big Lunch.

And afterwards there was very little washing up.

The Special Flight was watched intently...
Even Artemis was interested to keep an eye on it's progress!

AT LAST it was time to head off to the Airport.
We arrived just as they Landed.

Can you Guess -
I am just a "Little Bit" excited?

It has been a VERY long Year
and one that has not all been Good.

(Dream Jobs sometimes turn out to be Nightmares.)

But finally our Beautiful DD is now back Home!


Boxing Day:
The Day AFTER Christmas.
Traditionally for Us - time to catch up with my DH's side of the Family.


Not This Year.

I may have been over tired and They were very Jet-lagged.

But in a flurry of Gift Paper and Stories -
I had MY family all together in the One Place at the One Time.

Happy Christmas Indeed!






* * * * *
The Lighthouse on my Sidebar

When ever any of my Family are travelling 
I place a 'Light in the Window' on my Blog.
A reminder there are Loved ones waiting at Home.


This image of the Lighthouse at Corny Point SA has been on my sidebar for the year that our DD has been overseas.



She is now safely home.
Time to Take the "Candle from the Window".


24 December 2017

Christmas Greetings to All.




Hoping that wherever you are
Whatever you Believe
You will be Blessed
on this Holy Day.




20 December 2017

On Ringo Lake - Part 3 & 4

Following on from my last "On Ringo Lake" update.

Things are still hectic at our place - and it is not JUST because it is nearly Christmas.

Sewing is now a 'guilty pleasure' -  nevertheless I have been able to squeeze a little bit in.

Over sizing my small squares and drawing 45° lines on my rectangles sped up the process.




Now I have 30 pairs of Block 3

and a quick way to knock off the rest when I have the time.

Which brings me to PART 4.

More Triangles - not my favourite thing to sew.

Thanks to an Internet Friend - I have been able to at least make ONE sample of the next block - without any diagonal lines!



Once made this block can be cut to produce TWO Units of our Clue 4 Patch.

I think I won't cut these apart until I see where they will be used in the Quilt.

Perhaps another Triangle -
Or a Mystery patch....

Who Knows?



* * * * *

To find out more about this MYSTERY 
or what the next Clue is Go to Bonny Hunter's Blog.

To see what other Mystery Hunters are doing with their Clues


14 December 2017

Flying Geese

"A Group of Geese on the Ground is a Gaggle
In Flight it is a Skein, Team or Wedge"


So, until they can Fly in their Quilt, I would presume that I have a Gaggle of Flying Geese Blocks on my table.

Any way you look at them - there is a lot!


And all these Geese need to be trimmed to size -

So I have been eagerly awaiting a Special delivery.



As my Father was fond of saying -
If there is
"A Tool for a Job"

USE IT!





From Frayed to Fabulous

It certainly made the 
task of trimming the blocks

a lot easier!







13 December 2017

On Ringo Lake - Part 3

Just Checking in -
There has been so much going on in my part of the World this week that I have only had time to cut about Half of my required Coral Pieces for this Clue.

And I haven't even started on the little Squares that will complete this block!

Hoping to have SOME completed before Friday.


* * * * *
It is never to late to join in the Mystery - 
The Clues can be found at Bonny Hunter's Blog

And to see what Other Folks are doing? 



12 December 2017

It is Really Good to have your Own Bee Suit

I have been helping DD with her 'Girls' for a while now and I have had to wear DSIL's Suit, which is WAY too big for me, and far from comfortable.
So, I finally decided If I am going to do this I have got to get one of my own.


And just as well I did!

With DD in France and DSIL Visiting her, we went over to check on the house and discovered the Girls had not been tended since Late May/June when I helped pack them down for the Winter.

Other Bee Keepers have been reporting bumper Honey Harvests during Spring and we are already 2 weeks into Summer!



I do not know enough about Bee Keeping to manage a Hive on my own -

but I do know that THIS is not what you want to see.






Time to get the Flow Hive Super on top and Give the Girls some More Room!


And it did not take them long to find their new Space.

5 minutes later and they were already moving in.





I think they will 'Bee' a Lot more Comfortable now

And we can look forward to a Harvest -

If we are lucky ... by the New Year.







11 December 2017

Congratulations are in Order.

Today, it was a Glorious Day and I returned to our Stunning Royal Exhibition Buildings in Melbourne.

This time - not for a Craft or Quilt Show
nor a Garden or Any other Exhibition for that matter.

Today we came to Celebrate.


Along with many other Parents, Family and Friends.

Each and every one of these Grandaunts have already completed at least one degree.



But we were only interested in 
THIS One!

DS#1 - 

now has a Masters Degree in Teaching.


He has been encouraged and supported all the way by his Beautiful Wife.

- Who also has her own Masters in Music and Education.





Twin Brother (DS#2) Came along to 'Do His Thing' and get some Family Photos.




In about 18 months time,
the Roles and Robes will be reversed.

A different Son, 
A different University 
A different Subject

And so it starts again.




I am so very Proud of all of them!
and
A Perfect way to Celebrate my 400th Post





5 December 2017

On Ringo Lake - Clue Two.

This week we were asked to Pull out our Coral/Sunrise Fabric.

So, I asked the resident Colour Expert (DS#2) for some help with choosing these.

Many wonderful discussions ensued about what Colours actually make up an Australian Sunrise. We got SO sidetracked, but eventually my Pallet was chosen.


And the instructions said to make Flying Geese.
Lots and Lots of Flying Geese. Many more blocks than we made last week.

I have not made all that are required for the project, but there are enough for this week's photo.


There are many ways to construct this well known block, But how to do them efficiently and accurately AND with no waste OR drawing lines across the fabric?

 Foundation Piecing! and I was able to String sew them as well!!

I would much rather sit watching the Cricket and pull paper out than draw lines on fabric any day! Or I may just leave them in until I know how they are going to be used in the quilt.

And This Week's distraction was - RAIN, and lots of it!

I live in the Northern Parts of Melbourne and are fortunate to have TWO Lakes Close by - and This week they were Far from Tranquil!
And with the rain came cooler weather
- To sew or To Bake?
Ah, decisions decisions.....


* * * * *
It is never to late to join in the Mystery - 
The Clues can be found at Bonny Hunter's Blog
And to see what Other Folks are doing? Head over to the Link-up Party!