Cute fleece fabric

Went into Brisbane for a lovely lunch with my mum and my two daughters. I took the opportunity to visit Lincraft for their half price sale. I decided I wanted some polar fleece to back my Debbie Mumm sampler and I found a cute owl pattern. While looking I found a beautiful coral fleece (much softer than polar fleece) with a Christmas pattern. They were both $6.99 a metre and I bought 3m of each. I think I will use the Christmas one to back my Welcome to the North Pole quilt.

I also couldn't resist a nice tea box from The Tea Centre.

On Saturday I am going to Aldi bright and early to buy a down jacket for $49.99. It has duck down in it. I saw a duck down jacket reduced to $200 at Kathmandu and the goose down jacket was $500. I guess the Aldi jacket is quite a bargain. I have wanted a down jacket for a while because they are warm, light and squash into a small space. It will be perfect for holidays involving plain trips. Mum and I have started saving up for the Australian Sewing Guild trip to Sydney next July. It will be great for that.
I finished a knitted dog for DD1. Sadly I forgot to take a picture of the finished article. I have now started a cat for DD2. She tried to knit her own but got thoroughly confused so I have borrowed her book Best in Show - knit your own cat, to help her out.

I completed my first crochet square from my new book. I made it first with a 5.50 hook but it was just too loose and open. I pulled it undone and did it again with a size 4.00 hook and it looks just right.

Happy Quilting,
Val

1 Xmas item a month - Lunch - and Daffodils

Today is 1 Xmas item a month day  hosted by Nell's Notions.

Straight after last month I ran upstairs and made two little sewing kit things. Someone said the pattern was in a Homespun magazine I think but I didn't have it. So I tried to make it up sticking bits of paper together to get the folds right. 

I love them but I haven't really worked out how to do the string closure. I might try to make a tassel.

The weather was so nice here yesterday we decided to go for a drive. We crossed the state line and a time zone to have lunch at Tumbulgum Tavern. It takes a bit over an hours drive to get there and the setting is so pleasant by the river.
The area is famous for Mt Warning a huge volcanic plug in the centre of a ring of mountains that form the caldera or eroded cone of the volcano. You can see the mountains behind Mt Warning in the photo I took from the car and imagine how big the volcano must have been!

The fields in the foreground are sugar cane farms.

I collect boutique coffee too. This one is at www.zentvelds.com.au

And lastly, I was reminded of how much I loved the daffodils in England by the beautiful daffodil at Suz Place. I remember being amazed at the wilderness garden at Hampton Court Palace.

Happy Quilting,
Val

Lunch Out and My Sewing Room Spider

I had a lovely time yesterday looking at everyone's treasures. I spent quite a lot of time on the computer. However, I still found time to go out for lunch at the Lighthouse restaurant at Cleveland Point. The weather was perfect for sitting outside. It was low tide so the mudflats are in the foreground but the distant view of Stradbroke Island was very pleasant. I had herb crumbed orange roughy and my husband had the ginger and lime bugs. It was all very tasty.

The lighthouse is only a smaller replica

On the way there we stopped in at Bayside Stitchtcraft and I just had to buy some teacup fabric and pink check to make a table cloth. I have nearly got it sewn together!

There are four rows of teacups and they are all different.

I mentioned in one of my replies about my Dreamworld spider that I had a live one in my sewing room. I check each morning just to make sure where he has decided to hang out for the day. He has surprised me a couple of times. Yesterday he was behind my cupboard.

I am going to take a blog break for two days Thursday and Friday and come back on Saturday with my Friday Night Sew In post. I need a bit of time looking at the hills instead of the computer :)
Housework today is to clean two windows this afternoon. This morning we do the grocery shopping and now I better get upstairs and do my exercises.

Happy Quilting,
Val