TA - DA- FINALLY!

Yes ........ Finally the top is finished on the "Down the Rabbit Hole" quilt!  

Started in 2017 as a block of the month project with Sarah Fielk - what I thought looked like a more

simplified pattern turned out to have ALOT more little bits and pieces than I had ever imagined!  It took me on a journey of learning to piece things differently, cut differently, learn to applique using a turn down method and many hundreds of small stitches, learn how to make bias binding - and that was just the first couple of months!!!  Trying to piece the houses nearly sent me round the twist lol and got me a couple of months behind while I struggled with them ....... 

Then it was time to pack up the house as we made the interstate move from Bundalong in Vic to Maryborough in Queensland.  Here a bit more work took place during that first year, but then it was packed up yet again to make the move to Hervey Bay where I don't remember if it even got unpacked since the house was smaller and Covid hit so I worked a bit from home in the "sewing room" (working full time and extra and ended up back in the hospital working through it all anyway), and we had Dad up a few times to recover from hospital  visits before we packed up yet again to sell in Hervey Bay and moved back to Maryborough ............ as you might know, a year later we packed up and sold Maryborough to move back down south across the river from Bundalong in Corowa!  Thank goodness we have been here 2 years already and so finally the sewing projects are finding their way out of boxes!!

Anyhow, since its such a huge quilt, and thankfully I had already purchased the batting and backing way back so I put it all together and have it pinned ready to begin the hand quilting part of this!!!  I've never hand quilted anything bigger than a cot size before so this should be very interesting!!!! Wish me luck as I work it out as I go ...................

I think the whole country knows that Taylor Swift had a concert in Melbourne lol ...... Our daughter in Law Renee and Granddaughter Jacey  flew down from Townsville to Melbourne to see it!  Renee's cousin and friend also were with them and looks like they had a fabulous time with great seats going by the photos!! We haven't seen them since Stacey and John were married back a couple of years ago and it would have been lovely to have caught up with them had we known they were there.  Jacey is certainly growing up ...... 15 years old already!  I'm hoping to get up to Townsville for her 16th birthday in October, but that will depend if they will be there for it as I think they are planning a holiday - possibly overseas which would be amazing!

Then we have the big gap with our new Granddaughter Mila just a couple of weeks old to our eldest son and his partner! I feel very blessed to be able to be part of little Mila's life, especially having her so very close - less than an hour away.   Finally the other day she was awake and had her eyes open long enough for me to be able to capture a couple of photos!  Such a little  sweetie 

I finally got around to getting another blog book made up whilst a special was on ...... usually they

come through when I'm too busy to be able to sit and see to it!  I had to pull out my first 2 books to check what date the 2nd book went up to so I had a starting point for this 3rd book and decided to take it up to when we sold Bundalong and had the move to Maryborough.  My blogging became quite sporadic during the time up there and first moving down here due to full time work up there and all the moving which might mean I only need 1 more book to bring me up to date.

Oh! And before I forget ....... whilst out the other day in a little township about 20mins away called Howlong ..... I remembered years ago heading into a little estate and finding a material outlet at a lady's home.  At the time she had the whole front lounge room and the entrance as her "shop" - very squishy and difficult so my friend and I never tended to go back ....... I was very curious though if perhaps she was still operating given there is no sewing shop in Corowa ..... As it turns out, not only is she still operating, but she has grown quite large and now has a separate building on her property out the front which has a lovely selection of goods, plus an area for sewing with others and a separate "class room " area  ...... needless to say, I will be going back lol  And right now, I'm off to go do some letter writing so I'll catch you all later !