January........ And Ta DA .........

We are Off and Running!!  Deana  picked out Number 6 on our Chookshed Stitchers Challenge ..... as
you know I have 3 lists running and I had firstly to locate the said stitchery ..... hence the declutting list  came into play (Number 6 having to do with the sewing room lol) ....... 3 days later I can move in the room, I've found the stitchery and organised all my yarns! 

 Yesterday ..... thanks to Cheryll who hosts Friday Night With Friends the first Friday of the month I worked on what I was going to do with this stitchery designed by Jennifer from Elephanz.  I decided not to do the rest of the blocks at this stage as I don't have room for a wall hanging ....... instead, it would make the perfect cushion cover for my reading chair :)  How wonderful to have a finish for the year already!!!  I'm super excited and love the way it has turned out!

Today I was able to show it off during our chookshed Stitchers Zoom meet up ....... but something else happened ...... during the cleaning up of the sewing/office room I came upon the lovely blogger mini quilt that I was gifted in a blog swap back in 2012!  Anorina happened to be on the zoom and it was Anorina who had organised the swap back then!  I was able to show it to her and we all had a bit of time going down memory lane as she found the blog posts from way back then!!  Shannon of Colorsquiltscrafts.blogspot.com had made this for me (thank goodness she had it written on the back) .... As you can see there were only a few of us online at that time of the morning lol - Thanks Janice for taking the screen shot for me!  Check out some of the others from this Name Game Swap

As we chatted I shared I had also located a quilting pattern for birds that I hoped to make.  I had decided last year I'd love to make this block up into a quilt using my stash lots of colours ...... Enter 

Now don't go rolling your eyes ....... just because I'm taking on 101 challenges for the year (currently having a few days off before back to work and reality hits me on Monday and I'm suddenly overwhelmed again ....... can't imagine why lol).   Anyhow ...... anyone who knows me really well, knows that triangles have never come into play unless I've really had to do them (Down the Rabbit Hole - kill me now houses!!!) ........ I had no idea about half square triangles so I mentioned this to the talented bunch of quilters online ....... and they very kindly pushed me out and over my comfort zone getting me to actually start making one of the blocks whilst on zoom so I could have help as needed ......luckily, cause my head was tested with another little bit as well ......however - definately a TA DA MOMENT!!!!!

The colour for this challenge for January is Green ..... so I've made a start on that today as well!!

For number 6 on my yarn list under the chookshed challenge I have "any item" which is super lucky as I have  a blanket to finish this month and I also need to begin working on something yellow .....

Hmmmm ...... well, you see, I'm a moderator in one of the Ravelry groups and we have a colour stash busting challenge going on there for which January is YELLOW ....... I've not got a whole lot of yellow so your going to have to wait to see more about that one!  For now, I'm just happy that 6 days in, I have a finish, I've learnt a new skill, caught up from something fun from the past, have a sewing room that is soooooo much better than a week ago when I could barely get into it and I've had a fun and productive 6 days ........ even blogging again!!!!!   Now if somebody will just get a pin to pop my head so I can exit the doorway ..........

xo

Sharm

Welcome 2024

I'm opening my arms to Welcome 2024!!!  While 2023 wasn't all bad, it certainly was full of many challenges - (Pete with a quadruple bypass, valve repair and ligation taking months to recover and still back to his previous self; me with health issues which came down to Burn out and stress )  It's nice to move onto a new year!   With that I decided I also needed to have a fresh picture for the blog ..... I'm not sure this will be what stays, but it's a nice change.

I have quite a bit planned for this year so buckle your seat belt lol  I'm looking forward to working on lots of sewing, knitting and crochet (lots of WIP's to get finished!)........ and getting the house decluttered !   I've had 4 days without going around to Dads and its been soooo refreshing (he's a bit of a negative Nelly and listening to everything that is wrong gets a little depressing so I've realised with this very short break of just 4 days that its important for my own mental health to get that break!)  I've been making good progress on my "Down the Rabbit Hole" panels and its very close to the last panel being finished!

As you know from the last post, at some stage today Deana will be randomly picking a number and according to my list on the side bar - that will be the project that I'll be working on for January - although I do have a priority to get the ripple baby crochet blanket completed by the 1st of Feb!  Meantime I've managed to get the self striping socks finished!! Hooray!!  That now gives me 3 pairs come winter ............  I've used the same pattern each time and I'm really happy with how they fit and also how easy it was to follow the pattern.  They are knit from the toe up which means it's quite easy to measure as you go which I found very helpful having never knitted socks before these 3 pairs - Here is the link to the pattern Amy's Favorite Toe-Up Socks  

I also have my decluttering list (on a separate page - see up the top on the headers) which I'll be working on ........ although I started yesterday in the sewing room when I decided I needed to see what fabrics I have!!!!  Oh boy .........  One thing leads to another lol  - what a mess in the meantime lol

I'll also be continuing my walking ......Lucy is well into that routine now and I'll fill you on that in another post ........ yes, blogging will become more of a priority again for me this year ...... blogland seems to help more with reducing stress than Facebook every does ....... I love Simple, Uncluttered, Home and Heart, the basics .......... I'm hoping to use 2024 to return to those days where life was a little simpler and less complicated than life seems to have become over the past years!  For now ... enjoy your day my friends

No Time Like Now

 No time like today to decide to get back to Blogging again!  A week ago I was feeling the need for a catch up with other stitching minded souls and I made contact with Chookyblue - good timing as she needed a distraction and with multiple texting throughout the day my mojo began to find its way back...

  Today - After spending most of the day on a Zoom meet up with other bloggers (aka - the Chookshed Stitchers) I've found my mojo.  I managed to complete a little pram quilt and actually pulled out the "Down the Rabbit Hole" Quilt once again!  This time I completed quite a bit on one of the edges!

During our time together today we decided to have a challenge for 2024 to work together to get some of WIP or other items worked on during the upcoming year.   Since I also have yarny projects I want to work on I decided to make a list for sewing and then a list for yarn projects .......... and then I figured I may as well make a decluttering list as well since that's a high priority for me for 2024!  The idea is to have 10 items listed  with a number against each of them - and each moth a random number will be picked and that's what you work on during the month!  I plan to put my lists on my sidebar with a possible separate page for the decluttering list.   If you have a blog and think you might want to take part then click on the challenge on the sidebar to head over to Deanna's blog (she will be our hostess for the year for this challenge)

I've recently finished these little projects ..........

Blink and its June!

I'm sure all you have to do these days is simply blink and your already in another month! Here we are midway through June and thankfully FNSI reminded me of such! It was on Friday just gone but before I share what I managed to get up to I best share the prize I received from joining in back in April! I received a $30 gift voucher from Kitty Rose cottage but I wanted to wait till the package turned up so I could share with you how I spent it! I ended up using it to get a pdf pattern, some Hanky Linen which I was keen to try, some stabilizer.  Our 7month old puppy Lucy is forever finding my tissues and spreading them with great glee into thousands of pieces throughout the house, and since I'm one of those who often needs a tissue, I've decided it might be time to head back to the old fashioned hanky! Hence I'm going to try out some of my cottons, but also the hanky linen to see what works best so stay tuned for that over the next couple of months (since my list of things to make and do is quite the long scroll at present!). Thankyou Wendy and Kitty Rose Cottage!

Friday night joining in with FNSI I had decided I was in major need of another apron. I use them

everyday when in the kitchen to protect my clothes and sometimes whilst I'm cleaning as well.  I'm down to just 3 and I prefer my tried and true apron pattern I made up back in the 90's which has served me well. Unfortunately I was unable to locate my pattern so I had to use one of my current aprons to trace up a new paper pattern on some Christmas Wrapping paper which was close at hand lol  I'd already picked out fabrics from my stash earlier in the week when I drew up the pattern, so Friday was just about sewing it up!  Over the next couple of months I'll get around to making another couple so I can have at least 5 on hand - although I'm aiming for 7 - 1 per day enabling me to wait a week before having to wash all the tea towels, kitchen hand towels, crocheted kitchen cloths and the aprons!

So, now lets catch up on a few other things lol ...... like the long weekend at the start of June.  Stacey made a trip up from Melbourne again to spend some time out crayfishing with Pete on the Saturday  - (great to see him finally out in his boat again, although its taken him a week to recover) ......and to head to the big annual Rutherglen Market.  It's the first year I've not had to wear a big coat, and still been cold!  Hard to believe this morning with our current temp outside of -1 degree C.  I picked up a couple of nice scarves/wraps which are super soft and nice and warm and a few other day to day items that took my fancy.

I'd made sure to have the crocheted rug finished for Buttercup so it would be ready when Stace came
up.  She sent me a short video and some photos when she got back home and it seems that even a few weeks on the crocheted rug is still Buttercup worthy !

Lucy has 2 crocheted blankets that have become "hers" lol  I don't think there is anything quite the same as a hand crocheted or knitted blanket made with love and prayers to snuggle up in!

The other excitement for June was my sister Kathy from New Zealand came over for about 10 days.  They had put there names down on a house sitting site and a house in Mulwala (about 30mins from here) got in contact with them to see about house sitting for 3 months initially - but that was a bit much so Kathy came for 10 days and the whole family plan to come back to the house again in September. It allows them free accommodation and use of the vehicles (needed when they are 30-40 mins drive from here).  So Kathy was able to spend time coming to see Dad which he enjoyed.  It was great to have some time together and for her to understand  how he is going these days. And with that I best get this posted as its taken yet another week to get the photos to download to the blog!

 

Birthday and Celebrations

 

We are well into May now!  Such a busy month its been with lots going on! May is my birthday month and it seems like I've been able to have extended celebrations! I'm catching up here on quite a bit so feel free to skip down to other bits that might interest you, including FNSI ......

 I was invited to a girls weekend down at Phillip Island, and my friend Karen surprised me with tickets to see the penguins parade up the beach!  I've never actually been to Phillip Island and have always wanted to see the penguins - unfortunately photos of the penguins coming up the beach at dusk are prohibited in order to stop them getting blinded by multiple flashes from cameras and such! We did a few walks and I had a great time!

The scenery around where the penguins come in is quite spectacular

This area is known as the Knobby and in the photo below you can see out to seal rock

Yep - Cold and Windy with a slight bit of rain so Karen and I were well rugged up

Heaps of Cape Barren Geese were walking across the roads and everywhere

Definitely worth the visit and a trip I won't soon forget

The following week I posted out for the Tea Towel Swap that Jennifer from Elefantz  was running.  I can show you what I made and bought (you had to hand stitch one and purchase another) as I know my parcel has been received (according to Aust Post) and the lady I had to swap with doesn't have a blog.  I chose to use some variegated thread and did a little embroidery that also included her name on the tea towel - I do hope she liked it. I'll show you what I receive when it arrives.

Yummy sodas

Stacey came up for Mothers Day last weekend which is only 2 days before my birthday this year.  Petewasn't feeling up to going out so we got to have a mother and daughter outing to Beechworth for the day!  So much fun visiting the Lolly shop, Beechworth Honey, Billsons Brewery (soooo many different cordial flavours to try) and lots of those little shops that are fun to spend time in!  

Inside Billson's in the cordial section with all those flavours! I came home with several: Portello; Creamy Soda; Lemon& Ginger; Spiced Apple and Cola which are now lined up on the cupboard

The Goodies I purchased: A new lunch bag; a baking kit from Beechworth Honey; Lollies; new scruber brush and a little penguin to make up to remember my trip to Phillip Island. 

Stacey and I totally enjoyed the ice cream sodas with the cordials from Billsons at their Soda Shop.

I was blessed with lots of different gifts from family and friends ..... Stacey included a jigsaw puzzle and we made a start on it before she had to head home. 

 It's been many years since I've sat to do a jigsaw (not since the kids were at home) - Quite interesting my different reactions to it over the week its taken to finish - including the frustration of wanting to get it finished so I can clear the table LOL - something that quite surprised me but no doubt due to the endless list I seem to have of things needing to be done and the time I was spending working on the puzzle as I kept getting distracted by it LOL  I finished it just before I started this blog post (something that's been put off all week as I worked on the puzzle ) But it is such a beautiful puzzle and I love the gumnut babies.  I need to find a specific table for future puzzles.

I joined in again with Wendy for FNSI  .......  I was pleasantly surprised to find  I had won a gift voucher from joining in the April fun, so I'm looking forward to that arriving and sharing what I end up purchasing.  This month I needed to work on a crocheted blanket for Buttercup (Stacey's pet rabbit) ..... I had some help from Miss Lucy which helped pass the time Friday night as I tried to untangle the mess to continue work on the blanket lol

Over the weekend I opened up the baking kit from the Honey shop to make the Honey, Banana & Walnut loaf.  The kit had a nice new loaf pan, a nice thick oven mit, a vegetable bag which was filled with whole walnuts to use, the recipe card and a large 950gr jar of honey! I just had to add bananas which I had on hand, butter and flour!  I also made an apple pie using some of the apples I purchased at the market on our way back from Phillip Island.  So far it's been quite a lovely month!  But now I best head off and get the roast into the oven for dinner tonight!

April FNSI ….. and unexpected fishing

 I was all prepared for joining in with FNSI when hubby suddenly decided that he was feeling up to wanting to go with the fishing club on a local camping/fishing weekend!  I’d made an early start with some stitching on Thurs morning ……which never got any further than this ….. and I managed a bit more knitting if my sock when we came back home Saturday night to sleep! I’ve yet to make it around the other blogs to see what everyone else worked on.

It’s the Anzac Day long weekend here ( although that’s unofficial given today isn’t a holiday but tomorrow is the public holiday).  It was quite the process pulling out the camper trailer which hasn’t been used for close to a year ( last time by hubby alone) and took quite a few hours to get it out and down to the camp ground then back the next day with the boat.  We only managed to sleep at the campsite for one night as it all caught up with Pete (5 weeks post his big op no surprise!).  But the fishing was relaxing and Lucy got to have her first time in the boat!!! We took her basket  ( her safe place when we travel) - but when we were tied up in the river in the early morning sun …..well, I think the photo says it all lol  and now for all the unpacking and cleaning up lol ……I’ve decided a good clean out and organised camping stuff is on the list!!

For those wondering we were on the Murray River between Corowa and Mulwala ....... enjoy the photos .....

Safety in her basket when other boats went passed and rocked us lol

It was just sooo beautiful on the river  and lovely temperature

This is a Murray Cod - but undersize so he had to go back into the river!

Wearing my "Ingonish" handknitted jumper (another Laura Aylor/Fogbound Knits pattern available on Ravelry) - extremely warm.  This was the 2nd morning out on the river

Photo from the campsite - our green boat in the photo looking up the river towards Mulwala

Miss Lucy - loving the boat and sunshine, while watching all the birds up in the trees

What Mum??

Our campsite

FNWF - a Quick Post

 It’s been such a long time since I’ve linked in with FNWF ……. I lost momentum for that when I was having soooo much trouble with Blogger and unable to leave comments on other blogs!   I discovered that Google had decided to use an old email account (from when I used to sell my soaps) as the main identity so until I actually deleted that email (ensuring I had my sharmshere@yahoo account listed as a backup) ...... well, it seems things are working again!

Anyhow, I started Friday by trying to get my knitted top finished which thankfully I did - still to sew in the ends and it definately needs a block so once that's done (raining here and no fire going yet), I'll show you the finished photo.

Catching up with a few other blogs, I was enthused to get back working on my Daisy a Day blocks ..... I sewed the edges around the Sundaisy block - so one completed (I'm a little behind)

After doing a few gardening chores, laundry and cleaning ...... I really wanted to get started on another block.  These will come together to make a lovely little quilt that I plan to have hang over my rocking chair in my letter and reading corner. .........  I was ready for a cuppa by then and so the Mondaisy Block seemed the obvious choice with its kettle ........ by the time I'd traced and cut out bits and been distracted by several things going on ....... it was late afternoon and the cuppa was replaced with wine lol ...... I'm not usually a Red girl, but I was introduced to Merlot before Christmas and I actually quite like it and find I drink less of it than when I have a glass  or two of the white

What became very obvious during my time in the craft room is that I need to continue on with cleaning and clearing out this space!  As you can see, my little table in the centre of the room barely enabled room for cutting ..... and the sewing machine area is the same! Anyhow this is a short post - mostly for the link up with FNWF - follow the link to see what everyone else got up to.