Exploring

We decided to go for a bit of a drive on Saturday and headed up to Bundaberg about an hour from here.  All around this area and north its a  Sugar Cane District - these smaller guage train tracks are seen all over the place as the smaller cane trains are used for bringing in the cane harvest to the mills.  No matter if its a crop of Canola, Wheat,(like we had around us down south) or Sugar Cane ....... There is just something about seeing acres of cropping that brings a joy to my heart (something I don't seem to get seeing acres of housing sprawled out).  .

But going through Bundaberg and heading out to the coast was the plan on Saturday.  We wanted to see what the coastal area of it was like ........ This is where the Bennet River flows out to the ocean ........

And further along the surf crashes onto a Rocky Shoreline.  There a couple of smaller areas of beach where we saw people swimming, but for the most part it was very rocky.....

Until we headed up to where the Mono Turtles come in to lay there eggs in the sand dunes along here .........  Of course we were there in the mid morning and it was very hot so naturally the turtles were nowhere to be seen - although the signs tell us they head up at night during breeding season.  I managed to entice Pete to walk the 500mtrs along the Board Walk .........

And I felt like it was worth it when we finally saw such a lovely little beach!They certainly know

where the sandy beach is!  Its a protected area and the sand dunes are not to be walked on.  It must be an amazing sight to see of an evening!
How lovely is this beach!

Meantime, I found my chair pads had just about worn through, so it was time to pull some material

out of my stash and run up a couple of new covers ...... 
I really love this fabric. It's a heavier cotton that I had originally purchased to make myself a skirt with ....... but that hasn't happened and I needed new chair pads since the old ones were literally falling apart!

I only have a limited bit of this material and hope to use a bit more of it on the veranda, so decided to use this other material for the other side.  I'm rather pleased with how they turned out!

And Pete has done a wonderful job replacing broken timbers and sanding back rust to get this poor

old seat looking oh so wonderful again!  I plan to make a couple of cushions for it and also for the wrought iron swing chair up the other end of the veranda .......... hopefully next weekend!  But look what arrived while I was at work yesterday!!!!!  Part of it will be used in a crocheted blanket I'm making for our bed for Winter (once its cool enough to start working with wool again lol).  Hope you all have a wonderful day ......

 I'm off to work shortly so I'll have to catch up with everyone a bit later


Hugs Sharm

Roundup

It seems like January 2019 has come to a close already!  The days fly by and before you know it a

week has passed ........ things you thought you might have gotten done, remain undone ....... like some penfriend letters I've been going to sit and write the past few weeks since getting back from Christmas in Townsville!  On the other side of things, the excitement of a new year usually sets things off in other directions and crafting projects get underway once again.  OPAM has commenced and I managed a total of 7 items this month (5 dishcloths and 2 kitchen towels)..... its a start!

This weekend we headed down to Brisbane to celebrate my Dad turning 90!!!  He actually has an older Brother who is 92 (who couldn't make it) and 2 of his sisters still living!  We had a great time catching up with cousins and my Sister Kathy and her hubbie Jim managed to fly over from New Zealand for the weekend.  As you might be able to tell, I think the highlight for Dad was the cake and being centre of attention for quite a big photo shoot as we had lots of different members having their photo taken with him!

Afterwards Kathy and I were able to catch up a bit more and went for a lovely walk along the Wynnum foreshore chatting away ...... then after farewelling them, Pete and I went for a bit of a walk around the town ....... it was rather nostalgic seeing my old Primary School lit up.  Part of the grounds have been sold off and the school no longer is open .... I was there for Grades 1-4 and part of 5 and it holds some wonderful memories.   Many of you will be aware of the flooding in Townsville at present, so much of my weekend has been spent on the phone with our son and friends who live up there.  Our Son and his family have been lucky so far that the house they just purchased prior to Christmas has not gone under water - they are cut off, but safe.  Other friends have had to evacuate while others are still watching and waiting.  Prayers are going out to all those currently affected by the flooding in North Queensland.  Take Care,  Hugs Sharm

Buttons on My Floor .....

So today I'm taking stock of all my WIPs .....I'd really like to see many of them become completed items this year!   Well, that was the plan ...... then I went searching for my container of embroidery cottons which  SHOULD have been with the project I was last working on (the Woodland Table Runner) .......  

After searching for an hour and knocking my tin of buttons all over the sewing room floor, Walking down to work in the garden (which seemed better than picking up the buttons at that time ) ........  I came back up and found them!! YAH!!!  So I sat and worked a bit of stitching on the Woodland Runner!  
I'm also hoping to work my way through some of my stash....es........ yep, that would be plural!  You see I have a material stash ........ and then I have a yarn stash ........ and then there is quite the stash of other various crafting bits and bobs.......   and it would seem a Stash of UFO's!!!

See the Bees on the Palm Flowers

I'm also Linking in with Jenny again this week on her study of domesticity and this week it's right up my alley!  All about observations and creativity.  I've always found those two link together in just about every aspect of my life!  I love to "see" things .. Sometimes I try to capture it with a photo (but I only have either my phone or ipad and the zoom is quite limited)...

and then often find my mind wandering to endless possibilities for crochet, sewing and gardening options in particular!  In fact on our 12 hr drive back from Townsville at Christmas time, I found myself unable to sit and crochet as normally happens on our long trips, ....instead this time I was busy taking photos of various landscapes and things I saw from the

Look Closely to the right behind the trees ..... see the Camels! I saw these as we were driving down the highway!!

car, think about how I could incorporate some of those into crochet plans for items I hope to make during the year ....and hopefully share here with you all.

So while I spent the morning doing a few chores, gardening and working on my embroidery project ..... Pete had gone to Lentil Dam again to do some fishing.  I knew he would be gone for a few hours which is why I decided to take advantage and have some time at home all alone to play lol  He caught his first Barramundi!!!  And even better ........ he brought it home!  I have a lovely lot of fish fillets all cut up which will do a few meals!!! Yum!  Nothing better than fresh caught fish - and it certainly helps lower the grocery bill this week!

Well it's almost time for me to go and cook dinner so I'll finish here as I want to do a bit more work on a Christmas UFO I found today ...... I'll be sharing that tomorrow I hope!

HaVE A WonDerFul EvenIng EveryONe  :)

Hugs Sharm  xo

Let the Projects Begin/ An OPAM History

I've been busy crocheting away with dishcloths ...... a couple were posted out as a little thankyou,  

another was given to my neighbor for her to try out (she reports loving it, so no doubt I will make a couple more or teach her how to crochet ....), a couple are actually being made for a little order ....... as noted on my last post, I need a couple more myself (well, perhaps not as many as I thought, as I came across 5 I had made when we were moving up here so I would have nice newbies for the kitchen once we were all unpacked and such ......... I'll be pulling them out later this week for replacements

The Originals - now done slightly differently

and the older ones will become part of the rag bag until thread bare when they will visit the compost heap (which they can being cotton)!   This weekend during our FNSI ....... or extension thereof lol, I also got to work on a couple of kitchen towels for the daughter.  I made a couple for her and her partner when they first moved into their little flat in Melbourne 4yrs ago ....... as they have worn out, I've been requested to make another, and now it seems all the originals have finally been worn out.  

So with projects getting finished, I naturally begin to think of OPAM (one project a month) run by Kris from Tagalong Teddies Blog.  It's an encouragement to try making at least one project every month or at least to work on something each month ....... as we know some projects take longer (my

"Down the Rabbit Hole" quilt for example!).  Signups for this will be happening over on her blog around the end of January, so keep an eye out for it!  I looked at my OPAM page tab (top of my blog) - Ive been keeping a page for my OPAM  since 2014 and find it nice to be able to actually remember and see all the projects I completed each year ... but my first year was 2012!  I missed the signups in 2013 and have tried not to miss them since! 

The top of my 2018 OPAM shows the projects I was working on when the year started that I had hoped to get completed ....... I only see a couple of those crossed out, so it looks like the others are still on my UFO list!  Naturally I did finish a number of other projects during the year, but I would really like to get more of these crossed off this year if I can ........ well, I c..a..n....... but ......hmmmm, I guess we shall see won't we!  Maybe I need to give them all numbers (as well as other unfinished projects ) and get them done that way????

The Opam badges got a new look after 2015 and looked so new in 2016 ........ The Badge was kept similar for 2017 and 2018 with the updates of the year

But I see Kris is talking about another new Badge for 2019!

Can't wait to see what it looks like!

Sew...... this was that 2018 UFO list I was talking about.......
You might remember a couple of these projects from me working on them last year......... I wonder which one will get finished first?
Do you think I should number them??  Which one do you think I should finish first????  I'll leave you with that thought .....I'm off to work......  See Ya!

2018 OPAM:
 WIP (looking to get these items finished this year): Down the rabbit hole quilt; hexie signature tablecloth; Wardrobe Hanging Mini quilt;   hexie woodland table runner; Summer Touchstone shawl; Baby Blanket ; Blanket for our bed - Ocean Splash; Mochila Bag; Penfriends Quilt; Knotty gloves; Sleepy Hollow 
Jumper

On Crochet and Roots ....

It's taken almost a week to try getting this post written, but I wanted to link up with Jenny who is

taking each Tuesday to spend time doing a bit of a study from the book Domesticity by Jane Brocket 

In this weeks section Jenny asked a couple of questions:

What crafts or creative domestic activities did you pursue when you were young?.....  And ......Have you continued with them?

My Grandmother had a huge impression on me not just growing up, but also once I'd had our own children. When I was around the age of 10 she taught me how to crochet.  It's something I still do today as many of you know.  

Crocheted shopping bags ready by the door

Hubby and I have spent much of our married life having to "make ends meet" and this I've found

leads to lots of creativity! Sewing curtains, bed covers and such became the "norm" (although I do need to get a new quilt cover finished for our bed which is a bit larger now than the old one we had) Even as a child growing up we had very little - I remember needing shelves as a teenager for my bedroom to put my books and School Study stuff in ..... I ended up with 2 cardboard boxes that I glued together and covered with pretty Contact Paper - they did a great job for almost 2 years!  

If I can make something for our home, then I usually do rather than spending money on buying the item!  In the Kitchen you will find my aprons, dishcloths, pot mits, Trivets  (ahem .....after taking a photo of my much used dishcloths, it would seem it's time to make a new batch!)  FNSI hosted by Wendy last night (although the weekend is always utilized), may see me doing some of these later today!

In the lounge room there are crocheted blankets - both in thick wool and in the cooler cotton when

you just need something light to throw over you.

I do make lots of things for gifts and these vary depending on the type of craft ....... and as many of you know, I learnt to knit a few years back and have been able to knit items of clothing which has been amazing!

My love of Gardening also came about through need.  God showed me how I could utilize so many things around me in order to make a garden ...... both for enjoyment and for use! 

 Currently I'm working on creating the garden in our new home. I worked on changing this area from lawn to garden last weekend ..... it will gradually be extended out to form more of a semi circle area bit by bit..........

  Some of the garden is already established, while other areas are waiting for me to turn them into garden areas........... even the veranda's get their fill of plant life to make it more lush and relaxing to sit in .......... and while we are on the veranda ........ 

I recently changed the room off of it from the study to having the Futon which I think works soooo much better!  There is still room for somebody to be able to use this room to sleep in if the other

guest room is busy, but with my bookshelves in here its now become much more relaxing to look at from the veranda area and is used far more (at least by me lol), as a wonderful nook to lay back and read a book or magazine!

........ and now I can show you those lovely pillowcases my friend Lyn made me for Christmas!  They are just perfect for in here and I love them ....... Thanks again Lyn!

Well here is where I will finish today ...... there is much happening and while I began this post around 6am this morning - it is now 2.30PM and we have been out to the Dam/Lake in between time where I spent 2.5hrs paddling around in my Kyack with a friend while the boys were out fishing in the boats!  But now I must get some crafting done ....... I seem to have quite the list of bits and pieces that need to be done to put those touches to my home ....... and to my daughters home!  (She and her partner just love the homemade dishcloths and kitchen towels and when the supply gets down I get a request for more ..... its a rather lovely thing to know your handiwork is sooooo appreciated!)  Take care all,

Hugs Sharm

Friends ......

We were lucky to be able to catch up with a few friends while we were in Townsville ..... our old neighbours Ros (short for Roslyn) and Wayne (but I forget to grab a photo of us all. We really enjoyed catching up with them and Ros showed Pete some of her orchids ...... which then led to us visiting an orchid nursery to get some for Pete as his Christmas Gift. These are the photos of what they will look like when they do flower .... for now we have little bitty ones to look after .


 I had originally thought I'd get him a camping chair ...... He couldn't resist trying out this camping chair in one of the shops lol    And naturally when it looks like this ........ I couldn't resist taking a photo lol

Then I was able to catch up with one of the girls from our 50+Fit and Healthy FB group which we

Kayleen and I

started back in 2013 when we did a 12WBT program.  Over the years many from our Aussie Wide group have been able to meet up in various places.  After the initial 12wbt program we made the decision to keep the group closed and it's worked really well in making some wonderful friendships!


I was also lucky to be able to meet up with Jenny who is know to a number of embroiders in the Blogging world from her blog Elefantz .  If you don't know about her wonderful designs you should definitely stop by her blog and new Etsy shop to take a look.  We had a fun time together exploring the garden as well as the sewing room while the husbands talked plumbing and "boy stuff" lol.  

Jenny and I having fun with Selfies 

Bushland Beach walks during our stay

We left Townsville on Boxing Day and did the 12hr drive in one hit.  Usually I'm busy crocheting during long drives ...... but this time I found myself busy taking photos of all sorts of things as we drove along ........lots of crochet designs swimming along in my head ......  hopefully I get some time this year to put them into reality.  Some of the scenery is just amazing! 

Back home I only had a couple of days before heading back to work ........ but long enough to be able to have a bit of a think about plans for 2019.  We really want to spend this year putting the house in order (ridding ourselves of clutter and getting things just how we want them to be to suit us) ....... working on the garden (way tooo many ideas and suggestions going on with both of us there lol) ....... regaining my fitness and health (which took a downhill turn the past 18months) ......... So my Word for this year is ...........

The weekend just gone we had to drive down to see Dad in Brisbane ....... it was nice to be back in my old stomping grounds of Wynnum.  After the big drive to Townsville in my little car, we realized we needed to upgrade Petes old ute to a newer model and with a dual cab so it could be used for longer trips giving us the advantage of being able to "walk" on arrival rather than both having sore lower backs like we did after the 12hr stint!  So after work on Thursday we picked up the new ute before heading down to Wynnum  were we stayed a couple of nights.

After an early morning run/walk along the foreshore, Pete and I found a little place to go and enjoy a relaxing breakfast before heading around to see Dad.

 Friday was spent with Dad sorting out bits and pieces and taking him to various places to do things ....... including Bunnings for potting mix and a few other goodies lol  I think we enjoyed that more than the doctor or Chemist lol, but Dad and I managed a bite to eat at MacDonalds which he tends to enjoy (smile)

 We got to catch up with a

5am along the Wynnum Foreshore

couple of friends for dinner Friday night and then my old friend Kaye came for a 6am walk along the foreshore with me before we left to make the 3-4hr drive back home again.




  Kaye and I became friends when our daughter became besties at kindergarden!  Over the years we have managed to catch up in lots of places both in Vic and Qld!

And speaking of wonderful friendships ......... I was really blessed when we arrived back from Townsville and had a parcel turn up from Lyn with a pair of beautiful handmade pillow cases!  I love them Lyn and look forward to showing them off in my next post!  I have just the spot for them.  Time for me to finish here this evening.
Have a wonderful evening everyone
Hugs Sharm xo