A Time To Relax

Wow, have you ever been away for a few days with girlfriends and had a ball. Well that's exactly what I did, not that I don't love my family to pieces, but it was so good to just be ME for once and not be wife, mum, friend and everything else that I am. Time to relax and just attend my needs with cups of tea and yummy treats and sit and stitch and laugh and enjoy the tranquility of the ocean and the company of friends who where there to do the same, just be.......

I had achieved a huge amount of stitching while I was away, finishing a verse that I have on a new design I have done

and square No 1 on my new BOM design, this is so nice using the 'At Waters Edge' from Moda by Blackbird Designs.

I found it was so relaxing by the beach with a wonderful view from the balcony of the holiday house we stayed in. The weather was so nice, cool nights to snuggle up in bed with a glass of wine and a huge quilt and a good book, best of all I had the bed all to myself, no snoring from hubby..... lol... The days were spent just relaxing, we did go to a couple of Op shops in the next town............ the name said it all - we were there rummaging and finding all sorts of treasures and I picked up a lovely pair of tea light lamps, they match the colors I want in my dining area.
Hope that you all have some time to yourselves to RELAX and just be ........
till next time
God bless
Dawn

It's Tuesday again

Here we are and its Tuesday, one of my favorite days. Tuesday is when some of my friends and I get together and sew,chat and share coffee,tea and life.We had some fresh made scones and hot cross buns today with our cuppa's. Judy bought a lovely quilt to show us that she had nearly finished, she only has to back it now and quilt it and wallah, all finished. Can't wait to see it quilted Judy. I also received another parcel today, I have been waiting for this one, its Swell by 'Urban Chicks' for Moda fabrics and is so nice and bright, its a bit out there for me but I have a few ideas swelling around (lol)in my head to make out of it I bought it from Kimberly at Fat Quarter Shop online. Also in the parcel was a cool Christmas charm pack Holly Jolly for Moda, I need to think of Christmas now or I might not have anything finished on time. The weather here has cooled today to 29oC and so sewing is pleasurable, the last couple of weeks it has been so hot my hands perspire to much to quilt or stitch. My no3 darling wanted to sew yesterday, so while I was drawing a design onto a panel that I am making, she played with my safety pins (done up) and cotton reels. They ended up on the floor and in a tangled mess, but she had so much fun 'sewing' with mum, I suppose with little ones, this is how they start getting interested in all things sewing. I remember now, sitting by my Auntie's chair, when I was maybe 6 years old, while she sowed away, and being so fascinated by it all, (my mum did not sew very much - maybe a button or two, she cooked great dishes though - now mum does both).What about you, how did you start sewing? Now to talk about sewing I visited oh Sew Cozy today to read Kris' blog and I was the second to leave a comment for the 'Pay it Forward' exchange so I am now doing the same exchange on here, so be one of the first 3 to leave a comment, go on be in it.
It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange. It’s based of the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on. So here’s how it works. I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on the blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Enjoy your Tuesday, and please leave a comment,
Until next time, Dawn x x x

Want to enter a Giveaway!

Today while blogging and having a good read, I stumbled onto this site Oldredbarnco and Dana is giving away a quilt among other things please have look and mention I sent you. Now as most of us are quite aware of think pink for breast cancer, have a visit to Stitch Pink where stitches are made for a cause, great site and a worthwhile visit (they have a giveaway to view but most of all read there blog posts - wonderful, but have some tissues handy)
Hugs to all, Dawn x x x

A Trip to Country Bumpkin

Today I went to visit a wonderful store 'Country Bumpkin' and was so delighted with all that I saw, amazing that its in my city only 25 mins away. Beautiful dress' for little girls and gorgeous projects to make. I was once again inspired to make something else, a new technique to learn, maybe even make a dress or two for my two beautiful girls. I did buy an A-Z of quilting book and a couple of variegated threads to use on a stitching project and some for a friend. Maybe I can take a stitching project to do on the weekend away that some friends from church and I are going on in a couple of weeks to a beach house at Aldinga - can't wait! Has anyone said to themselves that they will finish one of those projects that they had started and maybe they do, but then you see another one that delights you and you must do it, or am I alone in all this. I see lots of things I would love to do and just find that sometimes 24 hours are not enough, I suppose its trying to be organized so I fit in all the important things first. Reading my bible, spending quality time with my husband, more quality time with my 4 children, me time doing all those things I love to do - stitching, reading, catching up with friends then the things we have to do like washing cooking, cleaning, gardening,ect.
Till next time
Dawn x x x

Surprise in the mail

Today was a perfect day to open my parcel that arrived on Friday. I have been so busy I have not had chance before now to have a look, and as you can see its Moda's 'At Waters Edge' by Blackbird designs.And now to dream of what to make........ and like usual I want to start straight away...........
BUT I must finish a project before I go on to another one - well maybe I can plan and stitch a little first - so that I do not lose the idea. As it is a Public holiday and 39oC here today, the only place to be is inside with the airconditioner on and at the sewing table doing stuff, as you can guess I don't like the heat or lack of rain and cooler weather (funny as I live in the driest State of the driest Continent in the world). We have had real busy week as a family, with visits to the hospital, it is great to have the day off from the normal school runs and work to Relax and enjoy just doing stuff. Enjoy some time together as a family today if you can, whatever constitutes a family to you, even if its with your pet cat.
Until next time
Quilty hugs to all, Dawn x x x

Fresh Ideas

As today is Tuesday and the day that my friends come over to chat and sew and chat and sew, I so look forward to it. It breaks up the week and pushes me along some weeks to try to at least finish a row or half of stitches on an unfinished project. I have nearly finished my wall hanging from Gail Pan, (Country Kitchen) just have the binding to do.We had a few show and tells, and this is so much fun to see how others interpret what they see. This so inspires me to get onto some of those ideas in my head and actually put them on paper and fabric ( maybe tomorrow).With lots of cups of tea and coffee and loads of chatting and laughter we go away for another week, until we meet again next Tuesday. Once everyone has gone I sit back with a smile on my face, delighting in the fact that we have met ,without quilting and stitching would we have ever met, we are all so different but have one common interest and this is what has bought us together, and for this I am truly privileged and thankful. I do hope you all have some common place to go and meet others and enjoy your craft.
Until next time Dawn