Three Amigos...... All home together

The last few months have seen a lot of changes to routine in the fat quarter household. Newly retired we have been to Adelaide and back, Melbourne and back then Canberra and back. Princess has spent three months in Dubbo for the final placement for her OT course and Mr Placid had six weeks in Prague for a uni course on Global Leadership
One of the chicks has been away a long time......nearly two years and last Saturday night I was given the best surprise a mother could be given.
I heard a kinda familiar voice say hello to the family dog and then a face I hadn't seen in the flesh for nearly two years poked his head into the room. It was tears, hugs and laughter all round and it was WONDERFUL!!!!!!!
Seems his Dad and I were the only two people not in on it, his sister had been to the airport to pick him up and his brother had kept the secret.



My three amigos back together under my roof..... at least for the time being.....until the next adventure begins......and this time the parents are running away. One week to go till we head off to England and France......need to pack!!
Happy Stitching
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Quilts Shows......spoilt for choice or just plain spoiled!

Last weekend my quilting buddy, Chris, and I took a four day weekend to visit the Canberra Quilt show. On Thursday we attended our regular monthly class with Karen Cunningham on the Central Coast, then instead of coming home we headed for our first stop at Mittagong. We slept there, through the wild weather, and then spent a leisurely morning perusing the quilt shops and having a coffee. This shop, as usual, provided inspiration, especially for Chris.



We managed to while away some time auditioning fabric, and generally making a mess, but the bones ( or should I say fabric ) for a lovely new but olde worlde quilt was in the bag......her bag!
Next stop was Canberra for two nights. You know you're there when you see this!



We arrived in Canberra with plenty of time to visit the patchwork shop at Gold Creek. So much fabric and all discounted!!!! Who could resist this!



Or this......



Chris did really well choosing the accommodation. We had a great 2 bedroom apartment in a really quiet location just a short drive from the quilt show.
She was a great roomy..... I love the air con turned up really warm, especially when it's cold out but she didn't complain once, even though she prefers it cooler!!!!!!



We had a lovely day at the quilt show, first perusing the quilts and then having a little shop....Yikes, did I say a LITTLE shop....check this out and this is just Chris's spoils.....



We headed back home on Sunday and made good time back to Sydney so we called in at the Hunters Hill Quilt show. Boy, do these girls know how to sew. Lots of interesting quilts in great colour combinations. I always enjoy quilts that use traditional blocks in unusual ways and in "wow" colour combinations. My favourite was this one called "Bush Bananas",



but there were heaps of great quilts on show.



All in all we had a great weekend, quilt shops, fabric shopping, quilt shows and eating out. We were certainly spoiled......for choice or otherwise.
Happy stitching!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Melbourne and back......on a mission!

No sooner had I unpacked my bags from Adelaide when Top Gear announced he wanted to do a quick trip to Melbourne. He was on a mission to pick up some goods he had bought at auction and to visit the medical museum at Melbourne University. This set me thinking......I could have a mission too! It just so happened that he needed to pick up his stuff from Malvern, just a stones throw from two patchwork shops I had always had in my wish list. Patchwork on Central Park and Amitie Textiles here I come!
Both shops lived up to their reputation for offering vibrant, quirky, retro and interesting fabrics. For quite a while now I have been collecting a variety of soft grey fabrics to use as backgrounds in a quilt but was I was never sure just where I was going with it, until now. Retro and quirky in vintage colours are just the right fit so a new collection was started.
From Patchwork on Central Park I got these.......



From Amitie I got these....


The mission continued at Ballarat, with these at Ballarat Patchwork......




And these at Eureka Patchwork, also in Ballarat.........




We were so close I just had to go to Threadbear at Castlemaine but with so many reproductions in my stash already I was very sensible and only succumbed to a gorgeous large scale Chintz style fabric........



Mission complete!
Oh, by the way Top Gear completed his mission too!
Antiques and old books found in places like this........



Museums visited......




Old apothecaries studied........



Mission successfully completed in five days!!!!!
Now I am going to stay put for a week or so. Mr Placid ( youngest son) arrives home from Prague soon and am looking forward to hearing about all his adventures, those suitable for a mother's ears, that is.
Next quick trip is to Canberra with my quilting buddy, Chris, for the Canberra Quilt Show. Looking forward to that.
Happy stitching!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad