Have been home for a bit now, but still not right and pain remains with me. I dont sit at the computer for long.

We have a great holiday, saw a total of 26 whales...and my DH Mal actually came with us for a few days. Here are some photos of our trip

Andrea, Mal and me! 

as you may guess it was cold.    

 I am having problem s with my posts...they wont work as I would like them to...so I will just get these up anyway.

Some of the whales at Cheynes Beach.  I think they were Southern Right whales

This is how far the whale in the top photo is from us.

Andrea at Circular Pool near The Valley of the Giants Walpole.

It was pouring, and hailing, but we managed our visit with lots of laughter.

Some of the coastal bush in Waichinicup National Park

Mal on the Tree Walk in the Valley of the Giants.  They are all giant Tingle Trees
Very unique I believe

Me amongst the giants

Conspicuous Cliff Walpole.

It was too cold and windy to go further, so Andrea climbed up to this lookout.

Farmland and cattle at Walpole

Walking down part of the Bibbulmen Track.

This is a 1000km walk. 

we didnt walk that far :)  This part of the track is in

Walpole

More later - I need to go rest!

Just a quick note to let you know all your comments are coming through to me on my email. For some strange reason nothing is showing up in the 'comments' bit.
Thankyou to all for your lovely remarks. I am trying to answer them as they come in for the moment.

I am also having huge problems with my 'New Posts'...so Blogger must have some sort of problem or other.

I will get back to you all when Andrea and I return after 17th July.

Completed Row 3 of Patchwork of the Crosses

Showing one half -

'Other half'  Plus - not yet joined, the first three of the 4th Row.

Good that I can do something while lying down :)

Five and a half rows to go!!

After a visit to the Physio again yesterday(NO acupunctue thankfully) I am improving enough to go on our trip - and resting lots when we get there.  Storms are forecast for the days we are there...which fortunatley Andrea and I dont mind, as it means we can rest and sew.listen to books/read/knit and enjoy DVD's.  Lovely choice!

We will be away untill the 17th July, so I dont think I will be able to use the lap top while away..but will try.

I have been watching everyones posts and enjoying them..again no comments from me are being made as it takes too long to sit here. BUT  I miss you all.

Hope to have some photos of our adventures so you can share some of Australia with us.

Hope it stips storms enough for us to try to see some Whales in the middle of our holidays.

Creative Prompt #74: word this week is  Celebration

Mine is a happy Birthday .

No more of these as I will be away.

Look forward to arriving back here soon.

Amazingly I am feeling a lot better today after another huge sleep.  I am having the day resting mostly in bed and see how I go tomorrow.

Thank you for all your wonderful mail

You have no idea how good that's makes me feel.

I am hoping to be right at least by Thursday of next week as Andrea and I have a planned holiday way down in the South West of the State to watch the whales in their migration across the Great Australian Bight at a place called Cheynes Beach It's a long drive from here and we are also staying halfway on the way there and on the way back too.

I made a mistake with the Creative Prompt word...it's Glyph...I have corrected it...silly me!

That's it from me...Back to resting

Andrea Took this photo of me last night...as you can see I have managed to do some POTC blocks.

I have now completed the 3rd row, and instead of sewing this to the first two rows...I will try to do the fourth row first.

I was much happier when this was taken.

Not at present!.

Today after sitting for 4 hours at work - and a visit to the physiotherapist late this afternoon,  I had my very first acupuncture to my back and leg...Oh my golly - I did wonder what I was doing. 

 Really did not enjoy that!!!

 I have come home and slept for 5 hours or more.. Think I must have been in shock!

I am was assured it will be fine in a couple of days...I certainly hope so.

I am thoroughly sick of this!

This is a rough sketch I did yesterday  for this weeks Creative Prompt #73. 

 The word was Glyph.

Back to bed and sleep again

I have been able to do a few small things and still rest in my recliner chair

The Creative Prompt #72 word last week week was ICE

My Ice picture is an Iceland Poppy

I am slowly sewing my POTC blocks while almost lying flat.

not very easy but very slowly, as I listen to The Fiery Cross in the Outlander series.

I up to block 8 in row 3..so I hope to get another row completed soon

Thank you all for your comments...They are very much appreciated.

I know I should be resting... and mostly I have been...but there is SO much I want to do!! Unfortunately the mind does not stop and rest too.

So here is what I have been sneaking to quietly do.

AND this is what happened!!

 YES - one big BOO-boo!

I slowly sat - not good...and unpicked the fabric! - not the stitches.

As you can imagine - it took a while.

One very good lesson to learn...This is the small quilt which I had hand basted..it worked well BUT

I forgot to pin the sides.

With lots of rest between times.

details of center...I really should have been good ...but ... then I discovered some of the micro stippling had not been done at this stage...

All the quilting is done...

 I was hoping to finish this - may make a cushion...and put yellow cording round the edge...but for the moment it will remain a UFO

I took these photos a few days ago...and have been working on the post when I could.

I learnt lots of lessons for this...make your border a lot larger than you intend...I ran out of room with the feathers...and will lose some of them when I put the cushion together.

That's it from me for now...and thats its for me at the machine...

Its back to rest...I was bad!

I am looking at everyones posts at times when I can ... but not for long, so please forgive me if I dont reply to you all...

I will if I can.

Of course I was trying to do some other small things too...but NO...not now.

Andrea and I are planning an adventure for the school holidays in a couple of weeks - and it involves some driving...and after sitting for 4 hours or more at work today...

things are most uncomfortable again and I am back to try harder to keep where I should be.

I really do miss being here.

AND I am missing my One Flower Wednesdays too!!

While sitting, half lying down.. and half resting...it is possible to do a few things other than sew.

I have made two doodles - Just to make sure :)

Bulls Eye

This is a first for me. The word prompt for Creative Prompt #71 is Eye 

Eye See(s) a Flower

Oh and I nearly forgot. Deanna, of weddingdressblue is running a giveaway..
a Curve Master Presser foot
You can go and visit her here to see it...and be in it too.

Some photos of our trip to Perth and back last week.

Andrea helping her younger brother Patrick at her fathers house last Friday

Patrick

Andrea on the suspension Bridge crossing the Murry River at Pinjarrah

A 'stretch legs and back stop' , halfway home

The murray River at Pinjarrah taken from the suspension Bridge.

I have been bad and done some quilting, but I need to go and listen to my book for a bit

and put my feet up.

Not good ... this sitting.

Just a quick note to let you know I am unable to sit for long at the computer or the sewing machine. 

Please forgive me for not answering the comments at present...

I will post again when I am more comfortable.

 One Flower Wednesday 9th June

My contribution for the Garden.

My golly it was cold outside when I took this photo

Happy Gardening everyone. :)

POTC No 6 in the third row completed today...2 more to go for this row, then I will join the rows I have completed so far....which take some time...

There are 8 POTC blocks to each row and there are 9 rows...so lots to go.

The main part of the blocks are all done, and all the small joining squares...I just need to sew all the cream on and the small 1" joiners.

Just - :)

It was cold and foggy here last night.  This was taken just before the sun went down at 5.45pm.

This is Andrea with the beautiful Carrot cake she made for our guests over the weekend.

Now I need to sew what I unpicked of the small quilt...hope to get this done tonight.

Four sides of large feathers completed

It is almost completed..I now have to decide whether to try some micro stippling anound the large feathers to make them stand out.

It will keep till tomorrow. 

Some details of the design...a bit off course in places!

I am going to unpick this corner heart feather, as I have not got the tension right on the back, and am not happy with it.

THEN I may get the binding done...

I did have some problems with the large feather design and had to rea-adjust as I sewed...the sides were not even, so one of the corners is a bit out, and the feathers at times overlapped in the centre - so thats where I changed it a bit as I went along...I guess it IS FMQ ...of a sort :)

Now I am going back to my POTC blocks where I can sit comfortably. 

My back in not a happy chappy!

Slow working today on my POTC's

(Patchwork Of The Crosses)

I now need to sew the surrounding cream borders of the other 3 blocks for this 3rd Row.

The first two completed rows are still up on my design board as are all the other blocks...in order - all waiting for the  surrounding cream pieces  and filler blocks.

LONG way to go Yet!

We have friends staying for the weekend..and its a holiday on Monday  ( Foundation Day)- so I don't think much will get done for those days....maybe some of my hand-sewing ...POTC blocks ??

Oh yes - and our chooks laid their second egg Woohoo!!

Have a great weekend!

As we only have windows of time due to health problems here...we have been have been having fun when we can. 

This is Mal, Andrea and the Girls late today.

Great Excitement!!!

The first egg was laid today...Whooo hoooo

. 

Quilting Progress

The first feather is sewn and the next section marked ready to go again

It was actually quite comfortable to sew as long as I went slowly.

One Flower Wednesday

As its also One Flower Wednesday, and time is not good for me today, I have posted a GFG I started some years ago...and have never got any further with.

Funny how tastes in colour change - these are not colours I would choose now.

This is done by English Paper Piecing method - I bought the prepared papers from my good friend Liz from Lizard of Oz, and it is from one of her designs. Liz is Andrea's God Mother.

I think I will try to get this done slowly, maybe Wednesday is a good day for this!

Have lots of Inlingo started and need to get some of that done too

Some small thing achieved and how I have done it.

Marking the template - no thread and no bobbin.

Pouncing the design onto the fabric

Final result.

I don't think I will go over it with the white wash-away pen ...I will quilt it direct, and only put the design on as I complete each quilted section.

Maybe later.

One Flower Wednesday tomorrow ... comes around fast.

Just looking at the date today - June 1st.  My DH and I got engaged 51 years ago today - Near the end of the Month - we celebrate our Golden Anniversary...

50 years - my goodness!!

Last design for the small quilt.

While hoping very much for a school day tomorrow -  in my spare time  that dratted pencil flew into my hand again :)

Now I need to sew over the design with only  the sewing needle ...no thread..and then use the white pounce pad to put it on the quilt..tomorrow! 

Thought as it was a practice quilt - I would try for something that hopefully looks a bit ..Victorian ? ...the spaces filled with the feathers.

Finished this peice for now.

I included the measure and the pen to show how small a piece it really is.

The top is sewn with silk. 

It jut fits into a plastic sleeve and is in a folder now... though I really like it now, and am wonderfig what to do with it...Maybe I should bind it..or something.

Here is the back - .. I am even happy with that! 

First time I think I got the tension right.

The bobbin had Aurofil 50 wt cotton.

I came accross - while trying to tidy up my VERY messy studio - the information about the Fabrico pens :) 

Told me it didnt require heat setting :)

Could have missed that test bit after all!

First half of design sewn.

I did test it out first - the blue marking pen did wash out after I ironed the fabric...so I went ahead and sewed one half.  I have actually painted water on the blue to see what it looks like - so I shall wash it all when I have completed it tomorrow...maybe.

I am off now to hand sew for a change.

The next experiment

I 'painted' this with Fabrico pencils after drawing with the blue wash-away pen first. 

Today I am going to first wash the fabric..hoping the blue will disappear and the paint will stay - then I will iron to fix - and hope the paint is left after washing...and then hopefully will do the quilting...

Maybe I will first try a piece with blue and paint on first before I destroy things.

We shall see ...

You can see two little ladybugs in the top right corner that I was also playing with - drawing direct with the pens.

I should have worked on this size fabric for all my FMQ,  as this size will fit into clear folders and I could save them for future reference...better late than never :)

Playing a little with my FMQ  samples.

I found some of my Fabrico fabric pens, which I got some time ago and was wondering what would happen if I 'painted' on the fabric design with it...not quite sure how to fix it - or even if it will.

I will check it out on the net as I have forgotten what to do.  The colour was a bit dark - and I need to find out how to get it lighter.

I feel I am meant to heat set it, and may hang it by the fire for a while.. if that doesn't work and I am not occupied with Andrea's Migraines (which are bad at present- hence me playing only).. I may iron it and wash it - and just see what happens.

Not much planned now - except sleep tonight.

Here is my One Flower Wednesday for  May 26th

Two are made from the beautiful pieces I recieved from Sandy , including the lovely fussy cut piece,  and one from mine.  I have decided to surrond them with the plain cream fabric, so may do some of the surronds next week 

My count today is now 23 Thanks to Sandy's gift also.

I think I may need to scatter some more dark ones in there?

Now - sewing my POTC's again.

Look what arrived in the mail yesterday

This wonderful parcel of goodies from Sandy in Sandy Springs MC USA

How very special!

Flowers for my One Flower Wednesday collection and some ready cut, already printed with Inkingo, hexagons to easily get some more flowers together.

A wonderful chicken pin-cushion .

Andrea was so delighted too...as there is some fabric for her and a fantastic book she can write in as a journal for her poems and such...she already has her first poem in it called Echoes.

Thank you, thank you Sandy - it is really fantastic!

FMQ Challenge 22nd May  - Last piece for now

This is the last piece for the FMQ Challenge - the sun was out for a while and it is easier to see the pattern developing.  Today when I went to take a photo - no sun...so I shall post the back of the completed sample and when the sun finally comes out and the light is good - I will post another photo of the completed front - bound and all! 

This as you can see is the detail on the back -

NOW - I need to move onto some hand sewing again!

The top was sewn with a soft red silk thread and the back in a light Aurofil thread... I used a #70 sewing needle. The wadding was cotton and the completed piece has been washed.

I did use the BSR for a while - but I changed to an  open-toe darning foot,  as I felt more comfortable using that.

I will post the front again when we have sunshine - May be a while :)

.

FMQ Friday 21st May...I must be nearly at my 2 weeks - today?  tomorrow??

The blue plastic is a freehand drawing I have done for a template - but I cant work out how to use it other than using the light box.

Ladybug is there too, nestled in the feathers.

The orange Batik I have drawn freehand and more or less followed it as I went.. 

 I washed out the pen - and the back is now a bit blue since I took this photo :(

This shows the back - I have now actually done all the circles in the stems...but having trouble with the tension, so I am off to watch some TV. 

I have yet to plan the border...but have some ideas at least now.