A Sewcation

I decided last weekend that I should give myself a few days "sewcation" seeing that all the domestics were caught up with and after having been out everyday last week with Miss M while she stayed with us.  When checking the calendar there was nowhere that I needed to be on any particular day and as I needed to catch up on my Chookshed challenge #9 as well as try and get a few of those small quilts that were in various stages of progress finished this week was the time to do it.  

First up my Chookshed challenge #9  which was to make some small snap top bags is now completed. (One of them has already been gifted)  You can see more  No 9 finishes over at Dreamworthy Quilts.   Now to see which  challenge numbers comes up for May.  

Two tops that had been pinned ready for quilting are now both finished.

More cutting, pinning, quilting and binding ended up as two "I spy" quilts

While cutting some of the fabrics I kept cutting and now have a pile of 6" cut squares to be used in future.   

Both of these audio books kept me company while in the sewing room.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at home "sewcation" and will definitely be making this a more regular activity.   I did make sure that we had a couple of lunches out and when cooking meals of a night my one pan dinners were on the menu to minimise time spent in the kitchen and gain more time in the sewing room. This  pasta, chicken, carrot, onion and bok choy along with cashews is a favourite both to eat and cook.  

It was 3 years ago this week that hubs and I moved from our home of 45 years to where we are living now.  Of course we had to celebrate  this "anniversary" - where have those 3 years gone.  

Just happened to look out of the bedroom window around 6 am and saw this colourful sunrise

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

FNSI

Miss M had been staying with us over the past week and now that she has returned home and all the domestics that were neglected while she was with us have now been attended to it was lovely to be able to join in with FNSI.    I was beginning to have withdrawal symptoms from not spending time in the sewing room. 

Last time I was in there blocks had been cut out for a couple more children's quilts, blocks which had been cut out for a few weeks waiting to be sewn up were piled up in various areas along with fabrics that are waiting to be cut up making the room look like a bomb site.

It was a good feeling to get stuck in there late yesterday afternoon and make a start somewhere which resulted in this

Unfortunately one side of the room still looks like a bomb site.   My aim is to get it tidied up by the end of the month.   Those piles do mean something to me!!! 

You can see what the others achieved last night here.   

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Catching up in the sewing room

Time has been spent in the sewing room this week making a start on some more childrens quilts.   Some quilting happened.    As it is only a top and backing with no wadding in between I can just use a normal sewing foot instead of the walking foot.    

Then came the binding

Then a finish

Pinning of another top that has been sitting around

More cutting

And a bit more cutting

That will be it for me in the sewing room until the end of next week as Miss M is coming to stay with us for the first week of the school holidays.  We are hoping that the rain has long gone as she has big plans to go to the beach, the zoo, a ferry ride and maybe a picnic.  

This months book club read is.  

One member of the group has already read the book and found it heavy going.   I am curious to find out why she thought so and look forward to making a start.   

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

Out and About and FNwF

On Wednesday it was decided to head into the City and then onto White Bay Power Station to see the 2024 Biennale of Sydney.   For me it was all about the venue rather than the artwork.   The station was built between 1912 and 1917 to power the tram and rail network in Sydney.    It was the longest serving power station in Sydney.   It was decommissioned in 1984 and has been left vacant ever since.    You can read more about its history over here.

Arriving at the power station after a short bus trip across the Anzac Bridge 

From the outside I had no idea just how big it was on the inside.   Standing near the main entrance looking up and up and up.  

You can see the relativity of the height of the roof from the floor by the people standing around.

Some of the equipment used to power the network. 

 

                                        

Original hand basins for the staff

One can imagine that it would have been very hot and noisy when in full production with employees having to have a good knowledge just what all the dials meant.      This is just one of many around the station.    There were many more just like this and many bigger but it was hard to get a photo as they were behind glass with reflections on them.  

And now for some of the art and as you can image the pieces had to be very large to fit in with the venue.

On Thursday the rains came which was a good opportunity to head to the sewing room to do some fabric gathering for my Chookshed Stitchers challenge #9 so when joining in with Cheryll and the other crafters for FNwF the fabrics were cut, pressed and now ready to sew up into small snap top bags.  

Some beanie knitting has been happening in front of tv of a night.

It is now 5 am Saturday morning and hubs and I have been awake most of the night due to the "rain bomb" which has hit Sydney.    As mentioned earlier in this post the rain started on Thursday and has intensified since early Friday morning.     As I type this the rain is coming down in sheets, the nearby waterfall is pounding and gale force winds are lashing the trees around us.

I am rostered on to do set up duty and the first shift at the hospital auxiliary stall this morning but the roads leading to the shopping centre from my area are flooded so I will need to make a phone call to one of the other members letting them know that I cannot get through which is such a pity as my car is full with pickles/chutneys, a bag full of lovely handknitted baby matinee jackets and dresses for little girls. With a bit of luck the rain will ease and the flooding will subside which will allow me to get there later on during the day.  

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all

March Marched on to where??????? and # 9 challenge

Not sure where the last 4 weeks have gone !!!!!!!!   We did have Easter in there with the most glorious autumnal weather - lovely sunny warm days with cooler nights and mornings.     It was ideal to sit outside and enjoy our Easter lunch

Pity that hubs does not like prawns - I just had to eat them all by myself !!!!!!

Not much has been happening in the sewing room over the past month however the  #9 chookshed stitchers challenge has just been announced which after consulting my list it is time to gather my fabrics and other bits and pieces to make some small snap top make up bags.   

Back soon and in the meantime

Happy sewing all