Life on hold

Life has been a bit different the last week or so, hubby has been in hospital for a deep brain stimulation operation, where electrodes are implanted in the brain and connected to a battery in the chest. The charge from the battery controls the Parkinsons symptoms. David got thru the op well, although it took them three attempts to get the electrodes in. The day after to  op he was wonderful, the next few days not so good, he had swelling on the left side of his brain plus epileptic seizures. So we have had a few worrying days but now he has turned the corner and is getting better. I am not allowed to take a photo of him as he is not happy having a shaved head with bumps!!
While sitting at his bed side I have been working on these

beautiful Teddies in a Teacup, pattern by Michelle Ridgway, I am doing them in three colours, favourites of Jenny's.

and in the evenings doing the hand sewing on this quilt, this is from the Geelong Guild and is a quilt that will go to the Children's hospital. I have been staying with friends 10 mins drive from the hospital so have been super lucky, they are looking after me well!!

Have been home overnight to collect a few things and the mail and just to see the sea again!! Heading back to the hospital in an hour or so.

Happy sewing.

Catch up and FNSI

I have had a busy week this week and nearly missed FNSI which was last night

but I did manage to get some sewing done

I had a play with some yellow hexies

and finished another hexie block for the New Hexagon Quilt.

Sandra, a friend from NZ, who now lives in Singapore came to stay for a night so we explored the bollards in Geelong and walked from one end to the other and back

we have perfected the art of the "selfie" after some very strange photos!! Sandra walks 15,000 steps a day to keep fitand we managed to meet that target by the days end.

Thursday we went to Queenscliffe and Port Lonsdale, did some caching, and then went to Jirralinga Wildlife Park in Barwon Heads

we got to pat a koala and wombat...

in fact it was fantastic for Sandra as she saw nearly all the Australian animals in one place, she was very excited!!

Then yesterday we had a visit from the lovely Ondrea and her hubby...the men folk disappeared into the man cave and we had a wonderful time talking and exchanging ideas..Ondrea brought me a beautiful present

a beautiful pincushion to add to my collection and a wash cloth and soap...thank you Ondrea, that was very nice of you and I love them!!

anda bag of fabric that Ondrea no longer wants...I have used some of the yellow for the hexies already! Perfect timing Ondrea.

Today I am off to Guild meeting so had better get my skates on!!

Happy sewing.

EPP link up

Today I am linking up with Anthea of Hibiscus stitches to share all things EPP. I have done some more stitching on my hexie quilt..still trying to get it into a rectangle...I have been working on the top row this week.

I have several corners to get working on!! But slowly getting there.

Sorry for the shaky photo!!

Iam sure there will be other EPP projects to look at over at Anthea's soon.

Happy sewing.

Word photo challenge

it is that time again for the photo challenge, the word for last week was BLACK...I tried to take a photo with the camera lens on, thought that would be good but the camera wouldn't cooperate! Lol!! So when we were out yesterday I decided on this photo for BLACK

well technically not black now that I look at the photo...but they were BLACK storm clouds coming overhead. I am linking up over at alshasspace for this photo challenge...wonder what the other BLACK photos will be??

Meet Jasper.

We went to visit friends yesterday and this is their dog...he is a Havanese from Cuba.

he is so cute and soft to touch and loves cheese!!!

Today I managed to finish all the snowball blocks..now on to the 9 patches!!

and maybe the iron as well!!

Happy sewing.

Guild workshop

Yesterday I went into Belmont to attend a sewing workshop with Annette Packett, we were learning the 9 patch and snowball combination.

here are the beginnings of my snowballs

Marg working away at her table..

Tracee's snowball blocks

Margs snowball blocks

mine,

mu first 9 patch...very exciting!!!

these belong to the lady in front of me, she is making a quilt for her grand daughter

these belong to Lisa, love her fabrics!!

Annette made up another version with NZ fabrics she bought while on holiday.

Marg had a colour review and has changed to white on the snowballs and 9 patch, sadly that meant some unsewing!

Tracee busily working out her 9 patch combinations. We had a great day, the time passed very quickly I learned lots and now have a quilt to finish, well blocks to get finished and put into a quilt!

happy sewing.

City tour

Yesterday I met Donna in the city and after having lunch...I have to say Donna was enjoying a chicken burger when a seagull swooped from nowhere and took the top half of her burger bun!! Lucky she had eaten half of it! I have seen kookaburras do that kind of thing but not the local seagulls!! Anyway after we had recovered we met up with five other people and went on a tour of the alleyways of the city. Chris, our tour guide, is a graffiti artist and does the tour out of Blender studios in Franklin Street. It was really interesting listening to him explain the different types of street art and who had done it. There is art out there in Melbourne done by local people, people from France and the US...we even got to see two Banksies. I took heaps of photos but will only put up a few or I will put everyone to sleep!!

Recently several alley ways were painted over and over a four day weekend they were graffitied again....some of the art I remembered has gone....new things have taken their place.

ACDC Alley

and again

just liked this one!

a Banksie we are told

a touch of winter

this was done by our guide.....he said his paintings reflect his interest in mental health..

nearly a ChowChow!!

this appealed to me, it was quite small.

this was outside Blender studios, a work by two artists with very different styles to me, the white part represents a skull...

also outside Blender studios....Gina the Hutt...

Mr and Mrs Flip Flop...sole mates!! Lol!!

Donna venturing in to the unknown!!!

these pieces were part of an exhibition put on by one of the resident artists...his creations are all made from things people throw away....the little camera person appealed to me!!

Donna headed home from the studios, I went to the Sherlock Holmes and said a quick hello to Shane and then headed home....two trains were cancelled so had to wait 40 mins for the next one, just as well I had a good book!!!

Today I have been attempting to tidy the sewing room...that has kind of happened but then I finished off these two Xmas decorations.

I am happy with how these turned out....love the Barb Smith buttons.

Happy sewing.

PS We went here too!!

Word photo challenge

It is that time of the week, actually I am a little late, to join up over at alshasspace with Shaz to post the word photo of the week. The word was UNCLUTTERED and I was challenged to find a place here that would fit the bill!! I had to settle on the bathroom after removing a few things I had left in there!!

Ok, now I really have to go and sort dinner!!! Lol!! Although I just realised I was an hour ahead of myself and it is 6pm now and not 7pm!! Still adjusting to daylight savings here!!

Pop over to alshasspace to see the other UNCLUTTERED photos.

Happy days.

Sit and sew # 3

Today I have been over to Barwon Heads for the Seachange meet up....talk about a lot happening this week!!! I didn't get much stitching done as I was the spotter person for Bronwyn who was quilting a quilt for a soon to arrive grand child.

Ena, Bronwyn and Lynn discussing the quilt...it was comprised of many 2 and a half inch squares..the colour range was amazing!

here we are part way through quilting, really liking how the flowers pop up 

and here is the finished quilt..pretty huh!!

On my way home I went for a walk along the Geelong to Queenscliff Rail trail near Drysdale and had a look for some geocaches...

this garden caught my eye!!! Wonder if they are modeled on family members?? They have a wonderful crop of pumpkins here too.

I am fascinated with the gum from the wattle trees, this looks a bit like a creature popping out of the tree!!

Today I also brought home a little quilt that had been made and quilted and needs its binding done, that was going to be done when I got home, but.....

ready for binding, front

back

I also brought home this fabric, I thought it would make a wonderful quilt for a child

and this would be the backing.

 I had better head off and get dinner organised or hubby will be complaining!!

Happy sewing.