Queenscliff to Shelley Beach

Was the walk that my walking companions and I did when we caught up recently.    It was one of those lovely sunny autumn days which we took advantage of and caught the bus to Queenscliff and then walked around the Manly beachfront to Shelley Beach.

Passing statues of swimmers

Penguins

And weedy seadragons

Time to stop off and have a bite to eat

Over lunch it was decided to catch the Manly ferry to the city

Then a walk around the Rocks for a coffee before catching the ferry back again.    While in the Rocks I introduced my friends to the button shop.   I will have to make a return trip there very soon to buy a special button that I am looking for to finish off my next Sunbonnet Sue that I am working on.   More about her later and in the meantime

Happy sewing all  

Folded star workshop

My quilting group had a workshop on making a folded star hot pad however I decided that all that work should be on display and not covered up with a hot pan on top so I decided to make a design change on mine.    After purchasing the pattern and drafting it out onto a foundation piece on which to build the design we were off.

Step one was cutting the  chosen fabrics, ironing the pieces into triangles, pinning and gluing  them into place following the lines.   Some found it easier to leave the sewing of the triangles to the end but I decided to sew each one down as I went by flipping open each triangle and after sewing it down giving it a good press to make it sit flat before adding the next round.

Next lot of triangles folded, ironed, pinned and ready to put in place.

 
Starting to take shape

After adding the fourth and final round this is where I made a change by adding in a white triangle in each of the corners and then adding two rows to end up with a cushion.  

                                     

I was very pleased with the end result and would certainly make another cushion or three using this design.

Yesterday I found my way into the local quilt shop and restrained myself to only buying what I had on my "must buy today list" which was the white pen to mark out the border design of the WIP, thread to match the backing of the same quilt and a fat quarter of a very elusive piece of fabric that is needed as a background for one of the S/Sues that I am doing.

I decided only to use up scraps for my S/Sue project but I needed a specific piece and had nothing like it nor have I been able to find what I had envisaged at any of the shops that I have been looking at over the last few weeks so it was time to compromise and go with an alternative idea.  The piece that I bought I think will fit in very well with the theme for which it is needed.

Today I am going to mark out the quilting design with my new pen and hope to make a start on the quilting part as well and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Bondi Icebergs

Is where hubs and I ventured to for lunch for this weeks outing on our $2.50 transport ticket.    We caught the bus to Manly, then the ferry to Circular Quay,  the bus to Bondi Beach for a short walk to the famous Bondi Iceberg  club.

 
This was a first visit for hubs and he was not disappointed.  

It was a lovely mild day so  we decided  to sit outside on the balcony

      
Where we could overlook the pool

And watch the surf roll in

Time to order lunch and we were both very happy with our choices.  Hubs opted for the fish and chips

And I went for the roasted pumpkin, beetroot, green beans, cherry tomatoes and pinenut salad with a light hommus dressing.   Delicious I have to say.

After a coffee and a bit more sea gazing it was time to make our way back home.  

I am pleased to say that I have made good progress on the bedtopper which has been a WIP for longer than I would have liked.    It has been sandwiched and partially quilted.    I need to make a trip somewhere to buy a white marker so that I can mark out the design on the borders.   The fabric is quite dark and the pink pen that I have is not showing up very well.

I hope to be very in the next few days with some piccies of its progress and in the meantime

  Happy sewing all

FNSI....

I was lucky enough to be able to make an early start on my FNSI today and decided to post my efforts early.    I did finish off my June Sunbonnet Sue a few days ago and with the fabric that was used on her dress I thought I would make a matching tabletopper today.    Each month I am picking a theme for Sunbonnet Sue and for June I went with Winter Solstice so all the fabric  has a lunar theme.  
So here is Winter Solstice Sue

And the photo below shows the tabletopper with the same theme

While I was rummaging around in the ever increasing pile of scraps I have picked out the fabric for the next couple of  Sues.

If you would like to see what everyone else who signed up for FNSI got up to last night then just follow me over to Wendy's blog for a "look see".   Thank you Wendy for hosting another fun night or in my case a fun day of sewing.

Tomorrow hubs and I are putting on our "grandpa and grandma hats"as we are having bub for the day while her mummy and daddy have a few things to do.  Hopefully the weather will be fine so that we can go to the lake and see the ducks as well as give her a push on her trike.    The trikes that you buy today are such an improvement on the ones that my kids had over 30 years ago.   Now they come with those  lovely long handles attached to the back which make it so much easier to push seeing that those little feet are unable to reach and  operate the pedals.

Happy sewing all

    

Mother Nature

I have a friend who has been supplying me with some  small yummy tomatoes over the last couple of years and I have been trying very unsuccessfully to grow them.    The seeds germinate, grow fairly tall and they bear small yellow flowers but no fruit ever eventuates.   I have tried growing them in a few different parts of the garden but still no fruit.

A couple of  weeks ago when pulling out some weeds in between a hibiscus and azalea bush  I had my hand on what I thought was a huge weed which I was just about to give a good yank to and I spotted something small and green growing on the plant.   I quickly let go to have a closer look and to my surprise was a tomato bush which had self-seeded on the other side of the garden.

So obviously Mother Nature knew where the best spot in the garden was for the tomato plant to flourish.  

I am very proud of my first harvest and now that the sun has returned after all that rain I look forward to being able to pick many more tomatoes.

I have been busy making a cushion cover and will be back soon with some piccies which I am about to do after lunch.  Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Taronga Zoo

Is where hubs and I headed to meet up with bub and her mummy and daddy for her first encounter with the wild animals.   From first hand experience I have found it is best to arrive at the Zoo early in the morning before the crowds arrive

Walking down through the Zoo you can catch a glimpse of the city

I think that the giraffes have the best view in the Zoo. 

Checking out the chimps

The lioness and her  "snoozing partner" were also high on the "favourites" list for the day.

But the sea lion won the day as it was at eye level and bub could run along the tank as it swam past calling out "here he come, here he come".

After all that walking and running bub and everyone else slept well that night.

I am currently working on next month's Sunbonnet Sue and hope to be back soon with some photos of her and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Sunbonnet Sue

In keeping with my idea of making a Sunbonnet Sue for each month of the year for bub's door I decided that May should represent Mother's Day so Sunbonnet Sue has been out in the garden to pick a bunch of flowers and is on her way to hand them to her mother.

I have been having a rummage through my scraps to find suitable fabrics for June's Sue.   Decisions, decisions which I will need to make soon and in the meantime time
 

Happy sewing all