give these girls a go

into a new year

2012-01-11T16:29:00.000+11:00

i spent christmas in hobart, tasmania, with my family and friends, a week staying at a friend's home while they were in melbourne and some time with my cousin paula and a few days at orford at the shack with family members for the new year.
we made some short trips from our base at orford and just enjoyed a time of just rest and reflection.
we went to traibunna and fish and chips at the marina, so delicious, so fresh and with a raspberry ade

we visited sufies 3 days running, a small patchwork and christmas shop all year round and helped the tasmanian economy along quite nicely !

but the views of the boats were just lovely, though on the day i took the photos it was overcast, still warm, but a rest from the humid and hot weather we had been enjoying, i will let you look at the boats !

this one had just left the jetty and then the captain and his mate came out on deck

this old lab had very good sea legs and new every move about setting out for a sail

lots of lovely views of all the boats tied up at this marina and the caravan selling the fish and chips is just at the back of the old pub pictured in these photos and in a good picnic area and very popular

what a good place this would be for a stitchy type weekend or longer, not sure what if anything is happening at the pub, but it would be a grand place to get your hands on a bring new life into
we also visited kates berry farm at swansea, a well know spot on the tourist route and well it is a must stop and visit if you are anywhere near

we shared this between 5 of us, but i also could not resist a most delicious low fat icecream of chocolate and raspberry sorbet, there are no photos and just as well because according to my family i had some on my glasses, on the end of my nose and all down a new white shirt and had to be looked after like a small child in the cleaning up process! it was well worth it though and the new white shirt has also been cleaned and is all bright white again. well it was very warm and it was melting and i was sharing it also, but it was melting faster than i could lick it off the cone! a good memory! and you have been saved a messy photo.
we traveled onto the township of swansea with more sea views, such a great coastline and the colour of the water was spectacular all the way

then we traveled back to orford making some stops along the way which i will be back to show you some of the things we saw !
over on my other blog broderie you can see some other happenings while i was in hobart.

bright new stars and other new things

2011-10-31T16:21:00.000+11:00

a new quilt pattern by 'trish harper designs' is ready to launch

over on my other blog broderie you can see more about this pattern and others that are available for sale

i am playing with a new toy today that arrived in the mail, i have been too busy to take any photos yet, but my table is covered with papers, card stock, stamps, punches and all sorts ! i will take some photos and show you next month, that could be as early as tomorrow !!!

around the house

2011-10-07T17:31:00.000+11:00

this post is mostly just pictorial !
i have been confined to home basically now for 7 weeks, but not bored or disinterested !
some of the visions and things that have kept me busy and occupied !

there has been many hours spent sewing and reading magazines, gazing at things i like and dreaming, looking at the garden growing and the blooms appearing as spring has taken over the season !

it is friday and a thunder storm is brewing here in my home town, so i picked some of the spring blooms to bring inside to enjoy !

and you can see the roses growing, all the new shoots from the old wood !

recent happenings

2011-09-13T17:20:00.000+10:00

time for a bit of an update, where are those tasmanian cousins of mine ?

they are there, but not doing any posting of their happenings and doings !

love the flowers of spring

and a lovely fresh bowl of fruit

a visit to quilts in the barn with friends was another lovely day out with linda and her group of helpers at the annual exhibition she holds in aid of breast cancer research. lots of people come from all over, from interstate also and it was good to have the crow girls from hobart as the shop this year.

this time last year i was in hobart on a six week house sitting stint for my friends which was lovely, this year i have been house bound, well almost, here at home because i have a broken leg !
but the roses have been pruned and the garden cleared by some 'gardening angels', thankyou so much !

we are now waiting for the roses to bloom much later in the spring !

i will be back with some stitching to show you soon, lots of things !
did i say that last time ?

lovely to look at

2011-08-06T14:07:00.000+10:00

there are always things we love to look at
these are some of mine recently

this water view in hobart

this is the causeway at midway point, tasmania and i never tire of driving this area and there is always something lovely to look at here

signs of spring

the joy of other friends finished projects

playing with fabric and starting new things

big blooms and spots

out with the scissors and i'm working in my inside garden

well it is raining outside

where have i been ???

2011-07-22T18:26:00.000+10:00

where have i been? not paying attention to this little bit of my life and when i was in hobart my computer was not doing what i wanted it to do and i was very lazy basically and on holidays !
i was shopping and cooking the dinner and meeting the school bus and loving it all.
we all did a bit of sewing, but life at the 'ranch' was in slow motion really !
and i did not really take many photos ! but here are a few . . . . . . . .

no we didn't play tennis, but this is where you queue up to enter the new gallery in hobart, on the derwent river . . . . mona

the mirrored wall a changing art piece in itself

of course we had some coffee and cake, though the sun was out and the sky was blue, waiting in the queue was a bit chilly !

and this very vocal young macaw was a local at a paper supply shop that we visited, he was very well looked after and also had a very large cage and was happy to chat !

and lucy was pleased to see me, i think some other family members were also pleased !

the top of paula's lovely half square triangle quilt is almost finished, looks gorgeous, but she has also finished her spool quilt and plans are underway for the next one.
i will take some more photos to share !

may has become june

2011-06-08T13:37:00.001+10:00

and winter is here with its icy blasts !
good time to be at home, cosy and stitching !

these little ceramic tags from my friend in hobart, on the keyboard, remind me of all the home made goodness that comes past my eyes these days

here is thelma, an old friend (also turned 80 recently) and now a grandmother for the first time !

so exciting !

thelma stitched all the cross stitch alphabet some years ago, before she got parkinsons disease and with some help from barb machining the quilt top together, it is now all finished for lola !

it was machine quilted with a large meander just to keep it simple

hopefully lola will love this quilt made by grandma and a couple of friends for many years

lola will be two next month

this is a new little red corner in the room i live in

and

some of the things that friends have been sewing

dianne, who has just visited tasmania for a week or so, is making a lovely soft rosy hexagon quilt

sharyn is making the last stitches in a quilt top for a grand daughter

marlene is doing some cross stitch, just one of the things she is doing, always has a bag full !

this was finished off recently, though i had hand pieced the squares whilst house sitting last year in hobart, i sent it off to have it machine quilted with just a large meander again and though i like it, i don't really love it ! here is a bit more detail

oh well , it will keep someone warmer

and simone has finished this quilt top, a block of the month programme that she has been doing

and lavina and her sister have just finished this quilt for a grandson, this 12 yo's brother, is studying in america and he wanted an 'american' quilt, so stars and stripes and red, blue and white look good

and i will be in hobart soon with camera, taking photos of what we get up to down there and also as promised some of the sewing my cousins have been doing

quilting, the queen and hot dogs

2011-05-29T14:41:00.000+10:00

in hobart there has been quite a bit of sewing going on i believe !
i am heading down there in a few weeks for a visit, i will have camera with me, so will post about what i find. at the moment i can only rely on what i am sent, so will share with you.

paula has been busy and finished her spools quilt, all hand pieced and then quilted by hand with perle 8 cotton. i know it now has a different binding, so i will zoom the camera in on it when i am down there.

caught on camera on a previous visit some time ago playing with a bird feeder as a crown atop my head ! the bird feeder is now in this garden, in hobart, belonging to my friend !

lots of birds come to visit here ! look at the lovely autumn colours !
winter will be with us officially in a couple of days, but the days have turned very brisk already! my cousin has a new pup, a jack russell / ????? (i know, but i could not spell) cross and could not find her recently in the house !

where the big logs for the fire usually sit, there was chloe, prime position, keeping very warm !

and during this month here at my home, my friends and visitors have been raising funds for the cancer council 'biggest morning tea' promotion. we have had a little 'things for sale' basket at all our gatherings. it is not too late, i am off now to make some of my scrappy dilly bags, everyone wanted them !

the circles of life

2011-05-07T21:33:00.000+10:00

i have a problem with my heating here at my place in melbourne ! it has got quite chilly and it reminds me of the days before central heating !
so i am using some of my quilts to keep me warm !
here are a couple of views of 'camelot' on my bed, it is fun because the look changes depending on the way i fling it on the bed when making it.

and also interesting when sitting up in bed having 'a nice cup of tea'

it's mothers day tomorrow, so i hope many mums get a cup of tea in the morning and have a warm quilt to cheer them also

and some new bits purchased yesterday while out with the girls

and these fabrics were sent to hobart for paula and barb

a layer cake
and
a charm pack

and these bright cheery socks will keep some feet warm soon

such fun to knit
with this wool

a post for april

2011-04-15T22:45:00.000+10:00

it is the middle of april already and there has not been an update here for sometime, but that does not mean that nothing has been happening! lots of sewing has been going on in both states !
barb has been sewing up a 'cafe' almost with layer cakes, and some sewing for me, and working on her hexagons, and some sewing for me, also her spools and some sewing for me.

here are two in the process
and this was some work to help me out with some of my things in the cupboard that needed to be dealt with

this alphabet has been cross stitched from the fairytales mango publication, available in our etsy store and made into a quilt for little lola

and this is barb's spool top being hand pieced, i will have to tell her to take the photos square on, so i can play with them, and yes she did do some more for me, made me some night dresses, but i will spare you a glimpse of me in either of those, the nighties are lovely, but i am not jennifer hawkins ! ok !

paula too has been sewing for me and also catching up on some of her own

a giant pincushion, they are so good when machine stitching and hand piecing

and her spools !

and i also have been quite busy

and me, lizzie, these are my spools, but i need to cut up some more white, i have lots of blue bits ready to go.
plus i have been cutting blue and green tumbler shapes for my next scrappy quilt, i have heaps, and heaps of these !

and i will show you in the next post some other bits that have been filling my days

and there is a celebration tomorrow night of the engagement of helen and nicholas, good wishes to you both and enjoy !

see you soon !

at this table

2011-03-14T17:28:00.001+11:00

at this table in my home in melbourne, over many years, as well as hosting many wonderful meals shared by family and friends, it has also been the spot where creativity has taken place.

recently, when the girls were over from hobart, we spent many hours round the table

making some paper boxes, using magazine pages, as well as hand piecing and some machine sewing

most recently we were plaiting fabric strips and making bags of all shapes and sizes
then there is this, each piece has been drawn from a template, then cut out with the scissors, then handpieced, hand quilted and now the binding is done

there are spots and dots, fruit and florals, stripes and little chirpy birds and, and, and

and every colour of the rainbow, but it has worked and i am pleased with this finish !

and i have just had a phone call from the hobart girls, they have been making me some things to wear !
SPOILT !!!! I AM !!!!

happy birthday to barb tomorrow, march 15th !

announcing the engagement of........

2011-02-28T23:59:00.000+11:00

at last, my son nicholas, has asked his long time love of 6 years, helen blake to be his wife.
it all happened on valentines day and with much planning involved.
nicholas was to take helen for a drive, on the pretence of viewing a vehicle. on the way nicholas informed helen that they no longer had to look at this vehicle, so he suggested they go for a walk along seven mile beach.
nicholas had arranged with his friends, to be there with nickle and helens 'puppies, loki and teeka and make it look like a coincidence. well it was planned loki would have the engagement ring, tied to his neck with a big bow and would run along the beach towards the unsuspecting helen.
all would have gone to plan except......it was a public holiday and everyone had their doggies on the beach that day, so loki and teeka were somewhat distracted by all these other puppies, but managed to get to helen.
she was saying what have they done to him? what is around his neck? nicholas acted vague and said, i wonder!
anyway, helen was thrilled and of course said YES. i think a celebration party is in the planning stages and i am looking forward to seeing helens parents, lynne and mark, and congratulating them on a wonderful, soon to be son in law. i am very proud!

getting together

2011-02-06T14:12:00.000+11:00

i spent christmas in hobart and there were lots of days where we got together with friends and family and just for the family members i will publish some of those photos!

paula, marcus, lizzie and barb on christmas day 2010

nicholas and anthony shaw with marcus

that pantry door is always open!

the world would be a much better place if there were more
wendy's in this world, she isn't family, but we would adopt
her! she is famous for her random acts of kindness! and the
ironing basket is nearly always empty!!!

and one of the duo of 'grumpy old men' who did a great job on christmas day! is that a crumb on his face!

the home grown raspberries going on the pav!

our kangaroo paw christmas tree

and our little bit of england!
we had another christmas tree

stitched by our dear sharon years ago as a sample for my shop
but now is apart of the living area all year round along with the fond memories of her

and the navity scene on the old organ
along with photos of those we loved

hobart cottage was also ready for
christmas, my friend deb had added
some christmas cheer

barb and paula are coming to melbourne this week for some more 'getting together'!
we will be doing lots of sewing and making things and i will be back to show you and share our time together.

january reporting !

2011-01-21T23:34:00.001+11:00

after being away for christmas i have returned to my place and all of a sudden the end of january is in sight !
we had a very enjoyable time in hobart, tasmania !

the sydney to hobart yacht race was a part of the hobart scene!

lots of sailors in town

the local birds were all happy

and we went and enjoyed high tea at the revolving restaurant at wrest point, i had been before at night, but never during the day and the views of the familiar surroundings were good to see

we did eat some of the goodies, but were busy looking at the views

mt wellington stands over hobart with varying moods

looking down on sandy bay

the yatch club and city view

a happy time was had by us all !

my comfy bed, over the top is a cross stitch i did 24 years ago when the twins were born, there is another one in another bedroom

i certainly had plenty of sleep and a good rest, lovely fresh air and one of my favourite spots to lay my head

someone had a birthday and we enjoyed more of the local grown delicious raspberries on the homemade sponge, happy birthday paula and thanks for making the cake deb

some sewing was done

and now at home i have finished this quilt that i started in hobart in 2009

i hand pieced the squares, then it sat in the cupboard waiting to be quilted, so off to be machine quilted and now the binding is done and i have slept under this quilt

off to the beach again for a week at phillip island, you can see some other adventures in hobart over at my other blog here.

heading to hobart

2010-12-15T11:58:00.000+11:00

i am packing my bag with a few things and heading to hobart, tasmania, our island state of australia ! spending this christmas with family and friends down there.
i am refered to by one of the family 'as the old girl from accross the pond' ! he is referring to bass straight, which separates the mainland from tasmania. the 'pond' will be very busy soon, with boats in the sydney to hobart yacht race, which starts in sydney on boxing day. fair sailing to all those who are taking part.

i am flying down !

some visions of christmas at home here !

i love the fresh new blooms of these hydrangeas in the garden at this time of the year

i love the haze of blue in the garden at this time

cards with messages come from friends

this one reminds me of family and traditions of the past shared by my mother and her sisters and brothers

gifts received and given

my birdie lights that glow in the dark

and the message on my front door and to all of those who see this post !
i will have my camera to record christmas in hobart , good wishes for your christmas and the coming year 2011
thankyou from lizzie in melbourne !

hobart folks, here i come !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

looking forward to some lazy days

the holly and the ivy

2010-12-09T23:51:00.000+11:00

out into the garden i went between downpours of rain to collect the holly and the ivy

and getting ready for friends to arrive

and this christmas angel was seen in the crowd

more happenings this weekend !

just a little bit of christmas

2010-12-05T20:26:00.000+11:00

when i lived in devonport when i was a young child, our next door neighbour always used to say with the lead up to christmas 'the parties are starting'! and that quote became one of our families 'sayings'! well the parties are starting!!!!!!!!!

a simple twiggy tree and a few baubles are getting me in the spirit
i will report back in a day or so with some more photos of all the decorations
after i have picked the holly and the ivy from the garden
and set up for tomorrow nights party of the sewing girls

ok lizzie...you win

2010-11-27T22:37:00.003+11:00

I have been forced, very kindly of course, by my cousin Lizzie to tell about the recent happenings within our family, down here in Hobart, Tassie.

Now this is going to be a long read but Lizzie said, to tell it like it is so here goes.

*********

It is that time of the year when we all start preparing for our Christmas traditions, and ours just happens to be getting together with Barbie and Noel to make the puddings.
We have been using the same recipe for about 15 years. It came from a very dear lady friend.Veronica, or as her husband used to call her 'Girlie' Her husband, Darkie worked for Kevin, my hubby, driving cabs for many years. We tasted one of Girlies puddings and we were won over. The first time I made them, Girlie loaned me her mothers huge porcelain dish, as I didn't have one large enough in which to soak the fruit overnight. So the tradition started there. Sadly, Girlie passed away this year but she has left us a wonderful legacy.
Usually we start the first few days in December by gathering together our many ingredients.

*********

This year was a little different, as Kevin had to go to NSW for a rally of some kind so all the pudding mix was gathered by Barbara and Noel, then delivered to our house at Acton to be prepared for the dousing in alcohol. (This is usually left up to Kevin. The original recipe says 1 cup of brandy, but as we now have increased the mixture by FOUR times, it should have 4 cups...........So Kev goes to the drinks cupboard and gets out all the bottles with a bit left in them, as well as the brandy required and in it all goes. Over the next few hours he walks by, stirs and checks and then I hear bottles tinkling and in goes some more!)
Now back to the story.
As Kevin was not in the state this year, Barb, Noel and I prepared the fruit mix and put it in a now 30 litre container with a lid, for soaking overnight. I found a full bottle of brandy and mixed this in with the fruit and put the lid on. The next day I stirred the mix and thought of Kev and looked in the drinks cupboard again to see if there was anything else I could use, and found another full bottle of brandy so in that went too!
Making the puddings has to be postponed for a day or two, so when Monday came, Noel and Barbie came over and started the fire (we need a large copper to hold all the puddings) and put the water on to boil over a gas ring. The fruit smelled delicious and was nice and plump due to the brandy so time to go ahead with the mixing of the other ingredients. Poor Noel. What a workout for him. It took him about an hour.
Anyway we wrapped the puddings up and then proceeded to scrape out the leftover mix and tasted it. OH YUM. We thought of dear Sharon at this time as she loved licking out the container. She hated cooked pud but loved it raw.
I put mine on to cook and Barb and Noel took theirs home to cook as there wasn't enough room in my copper. We made 13 this year. Two large and the rest normal size. There are 6 in this photo and my Christmas angel is watching over them.

So its all done for another year. Next week, the decorations will be placed around the home and before we know it, another Christmas will come and go.

The lovely bloom is off my hippeastrum.

It had 4 flowers in all but sadly, when I was removing deceased blooms, I broke the whole stem off. Flowers and all. I was so sad but I have these lovely reminders.

now christmas is coming !

2010-11-27T14:46:00.000+11:00

have you got all your preparations well on the way, i am thinking about it today, doing something !
i know the members of this blog who live in hobart have made all the christmas puddings, i have been waiting for them to do a post, but i think i will be waiting, and waiting and waiting !!!!!!!!!!

it is a family affair, barb and paula put all the ingredients together and usually kevin and noel do the mixing. but this year kevin was missing on assignment and noel did the mixing, and with a name like that, 'noel' very appropiate for the season, i am sure the puddings will be very merry this year. oh i wish i had a photo of the operation!!! paula could you take a photo of the puddings please and post it so we can all see.

many years ago, when living in devonport, tasmania, our neighbour used to always say about this time of the year 'the parties are starting' and it has been one of those utterances that has always been apart of the vocabulary of my family. well the parties are starting and i have a few, not a diary full like some people.
i will be going to hobart for christmas an am looking forward to it, to be with some of those that i love.

here are a few pictures of things happening here in and around my place

handpiecing some pineapples and building some houses

if you would like to see more about these, then go over to broderie and see the post

these two old boys were stitched in hobart years ago by our dear sharon

as models, when i had my shop and now live with me all year round

have you been good?

he is coming soon!

and my garden is full of these buds all beginning to burst into flower and i love the blue and white display they give at this time of the year here in australia.
i am off to do some christmas wrapping, i am watching the cricket, the first ashes match from brisbane and the aussies are doing well at the moment, it is election day here in victoria and it is another overcast, rainy and stormy sort of a saturday, though not as bad as they were predicting.
the sewing girls and i are off tomorrow to macedon to spend the day with one of the group, looking forward to that.

race time in melbourne

2010-11-01T19:39:00.000+11:00

the first tuesday in november is a famous date the world over here in my home city, melbourne, australia! it is melbourne cup day! it is the 150th melbourne cup tomorrow!
i will be watching on television, i have been quite a few times years ago and it is a fun day! my old school friend, margaret is going for the first time tomorrow with her son, tim, who loves the spring horse racing carnival in this city. hopefully it will be a great day.
'so you think' you can pick the winner!

these two will not be in the race!

paula tells me that 'prissy' the one in the foreground, has laminitis, horses get it from eating too much lush grass and so they have been put on a diet because it gives them sore feet!!! my feet are sore, terrible feet i have, wonder if it is all the grass i eat? wish that was the reason!

lots of recent rain in melbourne has meant that our gardens are all looking much lusher and greener and better!

this state and country has been in drought conditions for many years and it is so good to see the difference that water falling from the sky makes, of course we have too much in some parts causing flooding, not so good!

this lovely spring posy brought to me by one of the saturday sewing girls, thanks jan!
pop over to broderie to see some of the things we have been stitching.

homecomings

2010-10-12T22:16:00.001+11:00

well i am home in melbourne at my place and my friends are on their way, back home in hobart tomorrow!
i have been doing some posts over on my other blog broderie about my time down there, so if you are interested or have not visited before then go and take a look.

my half square triangle quilt, that started up as using up some scraps of much loved fabrics, became a bit of an obsession, started in 01/10 and the top finished in 10/10 in hobart. i will hand quilt it, i guess !

on the sunday that daylight saving started just over a week ago, i took myself out for a drive in the beautiful sunshine of hobart and was able to get a car park down at salamanca just outside the wool shop and could not resist these few bits. it was the colour that got me, mmmmmmmmh what will i do with it?

it reminded me of the pink blossom against the blue sky in the garden

these are a type of forget me not, i think channing island! i love them, big fleshy dark green leaves and those flower buds are just gorgeous!

i will miss this view, it was so peaceful and ever changing and hearing the water lapping at night was very comforting.

on friday i am heading to quilts in the barn to support their effort to raise funds for breast cancer research. i am going with some friends, are you going too?

i don't know why this post went like this, but i am not deleting, just makes life a bit more interesting!

hobart happenings through the camera eye

2010-10-01T21:31:00.000+10:00

after just over a month in hobart, in residence for a friend, and seeing family members, here are a few pictures of the weeks spent with the kingston girls and others. happy times!

off to do some more stitching, all the kingston girls will be together tomorrow watching the afl grand final and stitching !

living in hobart, at the moment !

2010-09-23T11:21:00.000+10:00

i come down often to spend time in this city, at the moment it has been quite a much longer stay and i have enjoyed each day.
here are some pictures to show bits of some of the days !

we all have our own nests, our homes, where we feel safe and happy ! i feel happy here in this city with members of my family who live here all the time. I am looking after a friend's home at the moment and this little decoration in her home reminds me each day that all is well.

been making some buttons and hair ties

playing with fabric and new quilts and sewing

making new desk organisers, this one is almost finished, more photos to come of the finished ones

happy day out in hobart

2010-09-10T12:05:00.001+10:00

in warm air and sunshine we decided to take a trip to new norfolk yesterday mainly because i wanted to visit the drill hall emporium. it did not disappoint, lots of lovely items for sale and all in such beautiful surroundings. the moment you walk through the door the smell of beeswax meets you as everything is so well presented and the care of so many old things is ongoing.

the entrance, love those steps

now for some views inside just to show how lovely this emporium is

you can see how everything just glows in this shop even though it is all so old

polishing the silver and waxing these wood block letters, they had a great number to choose from, i could not go home without my initials and i got the numbers for my date of birth, they are numbers that keep popping up in my life, so i thought i would buy them!
and i loved these dressmaking models and look at the scissors!

and look at the cash register, very much in working order in this modern age!

we had a lovely day out in hobart, more to come. when at home here i have been stitching, my take on the 'persian garden quilt' by kaffe fassett from his newest book. hand piecing the squares, easy stitching and a bit of fun.

off now exploring some more

yummy new furnishing fabrics

2010-08-21T18:43:00.004+10:00

we have just been notified, the fabrics below have been made available to us.

whether you are thinking of sewing cushions, drapes or roman blinds, this new range of CHINA SEAS fabric is beautiful to sew and gives the french shabby chic look to any decor. it is made of 80% cotton, 20% polyester and more stripes arriving in october. the price of the fabric is $29.00 per metre and is uncoated.

if you are interested, email us for details

happy and busy days

2010-08-09T14:23:00.000+10:00

to continue the journey of the kingston girls ......... we are all now in hobart, the sun is shining and the skies are blue, a good friend is also here for few days and we have been having some fun and doing lots of just relaxing and also things that need to be done.

we visited the new shop of

the quilted crow

so anyone coming to hobart must make a stop here

check out the posts on broderie to see our visit on saturday.

there are so many of these lovely windows that are truly inspirational for colour and patchwork!

out at the farm there are also some friends who always enjoy a visit

tango, scarlet and sparky are miniature horses, the two in front are always happy for a pat, mum in the back is more reserved and stands back just looking on!

and we love this old girl, she is fifty years old and is starting a new life with a part time farmer

and i also had a flashback from years ago, how many of you remember these, before the days of electric blankets and the modern comforts that we all take for granted

last night i thought i had put my electric blanket on and was looking forward to the comfort on my aching body and it was not on!!! one click too far!!!

more adventures in hobart soon !

we will all be in hobart

2010-07-31T20:58:00.000+10:00

i am off to the airport tomorrow night to pick up some of the kingston girls who have been holidaying in townsville, then on tuesday we are all going back to the airport via 'my valet service' and all hobart bound. there are some people who will be LOOKING forward to us coming!

and this old boy too

and when our eyes meet

we will all love being together with family and friends

(this is a potato)

one of the creative pursuits we all enjoy is patchwork

and next saturday

the quilted crow

in hobart

is having the grand opening of the new venue for their shop

and we will

WHOO HOO!!!

it looks as though it will be a heavenly new spot to shop in hobart

we will also have lots of tea and cake

someone is having a birthday!

the kingston girls in town

2010-07-25T00:01:00.000+10:00

off to the airport i went on monday to pick up paula and barb from hobart, they were to stay with me for a few days before heading to townsville. it was the first time we three had been together since starting this blog. there have been lots of laughs, lots of stitching and quite a bit of technical work done on the computer, lucky me! but then i do give directions on the sewing and choices. here is a pictorial view of our few days.

barb has just finished, well almost, a hexagon quilt and planning and lots of stitching for a new one was taking place here.

some r & r taking place also, some stitching in bed in the morning, with some inspiration on her bed !

i call it my 'bed of roses quilt', all handpieced years ago, but then i had it machine quilted!

paula, meanwhile was getting on with her hst quilt, sewing lots more triangles together in preparation for the flight to townsville and adding in a few more fabrics in her colour range.

it is looking good, really good, i love it !

then we laughed about this, all on the table together with our sewing etc., we had soup for lunch with a salada biscuit! these items all gathered in one area of the table!

they will be back in a week for a couple more days, that will be good!

there are lots of things to pack to send back home, they went shopping at ikea!

a lovely slow sunday

2010-07-18T16:06:00.001+10:00

i don't often do it, but so far this sunday i have done lots, but am still in my nightie and dressing gown! last week looked like a quiet week, but gathered speed and the last few days have been full and active and long days! i have been watching the 'tour de france' which means in southern australia you have to stay up late. i watch because of all the lovely scenery along the way, know nothing about the tactics of the race etc. it is a cold and wet sunday and so that is my excuse, if i need one!

i love these little cards sent to me by a friend who lives in hobart and they sum up my day really!

i should be out walking, if only i could, but 'him' is missing!

paula and barb, my cousins who i do this blog with, are coming over to stay for a few days before going to townsville for a family wedding.

i am preparing for their stay and have been making our favourite soup, windsor brown by jamie oliver!

you can google the recipe, it is delicious, a hearty winter soup for meat eaters.

in the area where i live in melbourne we are very lucky to have a flower boy who comes from door to door on the weekends and yesterday i chose these tulips to brighten the house over the next few days and to welcome my family and any other visitors.

i am sure we will report on some of the things we get up to over the next few days.

just arrived

2010-07-14T20:44:00.002+10:00

our long awaited order of double sided tape arrived today.
there are 3 different widths. 3mm, 6mm and 12mm.

the prices are: 3mm $0.80c for 25 metres

6mm: $1.90 for 50 metres

and 12mm $2.90 for 50 metres.

this tape is fantastic for all paper crafts and especially card making.

instructions for storage drawers as requested

2010-07-13T11:36:00.000+10:00

for those ladies who have purchased the kaisercraft storage drawers kit, these instructions were provided by kaisercraft, in their Q3 magazine.

paint both sides of the shelves and all the edges of the remaining pieces and set aside to dry (they will need a couple of coats)
cover the top with paper of choice. you will need 2 pieces of paper for this as the shelf is wider than the paper.
using second sheet of paper, cut 2 rectangles 10.75cm x 22.5cm and cover the outside edges of the shelving unit.
now for the drawers. the hardest thing about covering the drawers is deciding which paper to use. each drawer requires 2 pieces of paper to cover it. the first piece is a rectangle 7cm high x 12 cm wide. centre this over the back side of the drawer and wrap 1cm around each side edge. the second piece is a whole strip from the paper and should be 7cm wide.
begin wrapping the strip around the remaining 3 sides of the box, beginning at the back edge of one side. press paper down firmly at each edge to create neat corners. trim off the excess. press the small amount overhanging into the bottom lip underneath each of the boxes.use die cuts, stickers or embellishments of your choice to create your own unique masterpiece.

when i finished my drawer set, i used mod podge to seal the whole piece. this gives it a nice low sheen and also protects them from bumps and scratches.

when in melbourne last, margie completed her drawer set and the photo is in broderie.

for those who like all things birds, kaisercraft have released a new paper collection which will be available soon, along with a desk storage organiser. ( i cant wait for this one. its gorgeous)

a bag lady

2010-07-05T14:41:00.000+10:00

i have those over the door hanger thingys and i hang my various bags on them, have to make use of the space! there are more, but cannot show them all, you would know how many bags of stuff i have! and that would not be fair! so sometimes it is very exciting to go through the bags and find all those projects or purchases you just had to have 'at the time'.

The Stitching Bug Has Struck Again. This time in Tassie

2010-07-02T20:44:00.003+10:00

barb has been busy stitching, to get her quilt top finished. she started this project some time ago but in the last few months has been patching furiously to get all the hexagons in place. next she will move on to the batting, then backing. when i saw her work i just had to take a pic, especially to show lizzie who was responsible for getting us going.....

barbara, sister of paula and cousin of lizzie proudly displays her project

and now my attempt at a triangles quilt, inspired by lizzies, using all the little bits of left over fabric, or so i thought, but i keep looking for more colours and patterns. lizzie has kindly sent me lots of bits and pieces and i have purchased some...just a few. it started with about a dozen triangles, just to see if i was going to like doing it. once it had grown to 12 inches square, i had to keep going. i was going to do random piecing but after doing the centre piece, decided to do a bit of a pattern around the main square. this is the result.

and the winner is ! ! !

2010-07-02T17:18:00.000+10:00

thanks to those of you who left a comment. we have a winner, it is BARB from funwithbarbandmary . a blog that i have found recently on one of my journeys! having done the candied hexagon quilt myself some years ago, i was interested to see the version that barb and mary have as a banner for their blog, i think i may do another, always been tempted. i will call mine 'some of my favourite things', i have some fabrics saved or put aside while the thought roams around in my head. congratulations barb, i will send you some of our treasures soon.

for all of the 'losers', sorry, i will share the recipe for the cheese pie.

LIZZIE'S LUSCIOUS CHEESE PIE
___________________________

ingredients: you will need 2 eggs, 600mls of light cream, 3 different cheeses (approx 750grms, depends on the size of your dish & i play with the combinations) and encourage you to do so, however i usually combine grated cheddar, mozzarella and fetta, pepper and salt and shortcrust pastry. i usually just buy the pastry sheets. unlike making a quiche, you should have more cheese than custard !

line your favourite pie dish with the pastry and trim, and fill with your cheese ( amounts of cheese are not scientific). whisk the two eggs and the cream together with the pepper and salt and pour over the cheese in the dish. very simple !

place in a hot oven for about 10mins (200c), then turn down to 150c and cook for approx 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your oven. it will come up a bit like a souffle and split. it is better cooked , then allowed to settle and served warm or cold with a lovely fresh green salad.

enjoy, it is not printed in a book or anywhere as far as i know, another one of my cousins made one years ago and i have just done my own version since then, you also can experiment !
the picture of the pie is of course on the previous post.

oh go on ! leave us a comment !

2010-06-29T22:20:00.000+10:00

if you are just visiting for the first time, please don't go before leaving us a comment !

we are having our first giveaway to someone lucky if you leave a comment before midnight on june 30th.
go and also check out some of the items in our pages. i have been playing with someone else's fabrics today and planning a quilt, a cold day but a happy one!

lots of goodies for you, go on leave a comment !

this cheese pie is a family and friend favourite, the winner will get the recipe in with other items ! it's delicious !

you can make this

2010-06-25T21:22:00.001+10:00

just like we did you can make this little set of draws. you will find a kit on our papercrafts page.
we used an old calendar and some papers to cover the little cabinet and draws.

a good project for a cold and wintry weekend like we are having here in the southern states

of australia.

like to meet us?

2010-06-14T16:09:00.000+10:00

i guess you may like to meet us, the 'girls' from broderie and the kingston girls, we are the faces behind this blog 'give these girls ago'.

i can hear screams coming from tasmania, as my cousins shout why did you use that photo, but i have been searching and this is what we look like really, there has been no cosmetic fixing! we are practical girls after all, doing things and happy with our life.

this is me, lizzie, and i am interested in all needlecrafts, papercrafts, love colour and fabric and love friends and family, and also love my own company, am content with my life.

this is barbara, loves her home and enjoys papercrafts, patchwork, machine sewing and cooking, a new dog called 'millie' keeps her very fit! and is sister to paula and cousin of lizzie, and also loves her family and friends.

this is paula, sister to barbara and cousin of lizzie. enjoys her home and all things in it and can do just about anything, loves power tools as well as papercrafts, patchwork and sewing almost anything on a machine, her dog lucy and horses zac and prissy. of course she also loves her family and friends.

you see it, you like it and maybe you want it

2010-06-11T17:46:00.001+10:00

we are adding things to our pages at a slow pace at the moment, construction is proceeding!

if you see some of these images and like them, then maybe they will be on the appropiate page in the next little while.

papercrafts/ needlework pages

hard hats still being worn

2010-06-03T13:49:00.005+10:00

progress is being made and the site is starting to look more as though something new is happening! paula is out today with the ute, helping to move concrete and rubble from a real building site! i have been busy doing alot of behind the scenes admin work and barbara is probably lying around ! not likely! there is a joke in the family that i am 'rewind', paula is 'play' and barbara is 'fast forward', sums up our personalities but we all get on really well.

creating a new look

2010-06-01T18:24:00.001+10:00

we are creating a new look for our blog, over the next few days things will keep changing and new things added!
come back and check our changes and items we have to offer.
we are a construction site at the moment, hard hats on and at work!