broderie

an island visit and some sewing

i have just returned from my annual visit to phillip island with my old school friend to her beach house, progress has meant new neighbours on either side with two new massive houses, but the charm of the original still remains and we love it !

just before i left we had a saturday sewing day here at home and marion brought me some of my favourite hydrangeas and this particular one just matched in so well with my red and green glass collection

and these are my favourite

now back to the island visit, i don't have any photos of the hot days we had and the swims, just as well, not a pretty sight these days, but who cares really, so much enjoyment and when the tide is high a short walk and a couple of steps into the bay and you are in deep water, the best time for swimming, and pleasant / good type deep water to be in ! on the cooler days we went venturing to ventnor and progress and so much building has gone on also on that part of phillip island, some views ............

looking towards bass straight and the nobbies

and across western port bay to the southern part of the mornington peninsula

these huge new holiday homes built for the view, but would have alot of onshore winds to cope with, but i loved this old cypress tree and the way the wind have played with it over many years

looking back towards the cowes township

and this showed you how far you were from many places including hobart

back at my home away from home we shared a long weekend with some family members, so good to just be with them, a lovely sojourn, barbecues and easy living and just being and enjoying !

once again how nature has turned these trees into such beautiful curves

i would love to be able to get into the hammocks, but happy that i can still wander down the track to the beach

we were pleased to see our visitor, an echidna, who a few years ago came on australia day, this year just one week later, but with all the building going on around it was good to see that the 'locals' are still around !

and i mentioned stitching, yes i did get some done, playing with my 'noughts' from the 'noughts & crosses' pattern by trish harper, i was not in a cross sought of mood !

and some together

it's good fun ! very happy scrappy, using script prints and spots and checks to surround my 'noughts' !

home now to start the year with one of my regular stitching groups here tomorrow night and waiting now for family members to arrive after a day sail on the boat from tasmania, the melbourne weather has changed to a cooler temperature during this afternoon and we are having some rain and a bit of thunder in the distance, hope we can still have the barbecue dinner tonight, but plan b will go into operation if we can't ! 

till next time !

p.s. i have been having trouble leaving comments on blogger blogs, though i am quite certain that the word verificaton i enter is correct, i get the red alert message telling me it is incorrect !!!!! anyone else having that problem and how do you fix it ?

 

 

he has been and gone

what a lovely time of the year this is, i went away for christmas to hobart and now just like father christmas i have been and now home to start the new year of 2012. thanks to all my good friends and family for making it all such a happy period of time and life.

lots of things to show you, mostly pictorial, with some comment !

our last saturday stitching day just a week before christmas was a good day, we celebrated the season, but also did some stitching

a great group of friends who meet monthly, share our interest in stitching and talk about life and all of its issues and have a good day, chatting, laughing and producing some beautiful works.

one of the group brought this along for some show and tell, it has a history, the details of which i cannot remember now, but it is very old ! and wonderful !

all so very cute, it is one panel with all these little characters done in appliqued felt and simple embroidery, what a treasure !

then i went to hobart on a secret mission, my family did not know, but my good friend deb and i had cooked up a way of getting there without them knowing. we met at melbourne airport, they were coming to melbourne for christmas and i flew to hobart, we had time between the flights to exchange house and car keys and it all worked so well. i drove to their new home, the old was familiar because i have housesat it before, so it was like a real adventure, but from the moment i put the key in the door and went inside i felt so at home !

and with this view of the magnificent derwent river in hobart there was plenty of changing views to greet me everytime i looked, which was most of the time as i just stared and enjoyed the serenity, calm and peace and emotion of being there.

just about an hour after arriving i looked out and this big liner was leaving hobart after a short stay, i sat with my large glass of cascade raspberry and could not believe i would be so lucky, so soon, to see a ship go sailing by

i waved to those leaving this beautiful city of our island state of tasmania, as they steamed past heading for open waters beyond the mouth of the river

inside it was christmas and gift left for me which i opened on christmas morning

some glass birds made me feel right at home and this one protecting the fruit on this wonderful peach tree just outside the river side of the house 

a couple more weeks after i was in residence, the peaches had ripened considerably, i can only just imagine a sit in the sun and further gazing eating one of these just straight from the tree and juice running everywhere !

this was the view late into the twilight one night

and this was sunrise on christmas eve

and this is where i sat up in bed and saw this magic moment ! i will write about it later sometime

a room with a view, and oh what a view !

and then the day came to leave ang go and stay at my home away from home, at my cousins, but not before i saw the boats come in, yes the two leaders in the sydney to hobart yacht race, i waited all day and was rewarded in the evening of jan 28th when loyal and wild oats made their entry into the river and i watched them sail by, oh how wonderful, something on the bucket list ticked ! i have seen the yachts leave from sydney harbour and seen them at constitution dock after they have arrived in hobart many years ago, but to be so fortunate to be staying right on the river and see them sail in was so special !

yes ! ah ! all so lovely !

on christmas day we had a lovely day at my cousin's home and it was just that extra bit special because we had all homegrown goodies, along with the turkey and the lamb and the ham, we had grown in the back garden, peas, pink eye potatoes, carrots, cherries and these raspberries all picked fresh on christmas morning. it was delicious and a lovely day spent with those i love !

all the way from townsville, steve was working the barbecue well, lee had cut the turkey, in fact the men in the family had it well under control

and these went with this and it was all so delicious and aren't we so fortunate to be able to share in the happy time of the year

and thanks to the neighbours, julia and frederick for looking after things her at home while i was away

and those of you who know the story, i have a new door bell ! whoo hoo, thanks father christmas, the bells are ringing again !!!

there is more, but too much to keep going today, i will be back with the second half of my time in tasmania. happy and good wishes to you all for 2012, i am back and must away to work out some stitching dates and my life after a lovely holiday.

 

 

sunshine and blue skies

as reported in my last post i have just spent 3 weeks in hobart, tasmania and it was all sunshine and blue skies down there for most of my stay. yes, there was some rain and some snow on mount wellington, but we were warm and cosy, both indoors and out.

this is the view from the local supermarket carpark, 'hill street' at lauderdale, a great view taken for granted by the locals i guess, but i love popping down there to get the staples and some treats !

just another view of the snow on the mountain taken just outside 'the quilted crow', we had just had lunch here

paula's half square triangle quilt top is almost finished, all been hand pieced and made from bits in a colour way and some pattern introduced

there is a bird or two or three included

we also visited the new gallery in hobart, 'mona', which is a wonderful space and well worth a visit to just see the building, apart from the exhibits

you enter across this tennis court, through this mirrored wall

i can see me

our first stop was for a coffee

quite an art form in themselves these days

or a little tipple if you want it also and you can take a seat here to watch the passing parade

note the towering sand stone walls, mona is built into the side of a hill on the banks of the derwent river

pull these drawers out and there are different voices saying 'i love you' and each telling a different story, interesting !

there are some weird and wonderful artworks and exhibits here, but a wonderful space to hold such exhibitions and performances, well worth a look

i always like to reacquaint myself with 'mr pickwick', he was the lid of a teapot we once had in the family and lived with us for many, many years. his pot has gone now ( that's another story ) but his dear face is now residing in hobart with my cousin paula !

i always have a little conversation with him and some tea !

now i am home, have to get on with the stitching, i have been doing some !

 

 

 

life is a swing

when i turned my calendar over this morning from january to february already, i decided that the picture i was turning over reminded me of the swings of life. sounding serious! no, not really!

 
i have been going down to this beach for most of my life to enjoy this special spot with my very best old friend, but as most things, time changes all things! but it has been perfect for so long, still is very special, but change is happening.

 

 
we have spent many happy holidays in this beach house, a few weeks, a few days, however long, always peaceful and relaxing, i sleep well, but here sleep very well !

 
a wander through here from the garden takes you straight to the beach, it used to be our beach, now the day trippers are finding this spot, not our track, but they sit on our beach!

and there are new neighbours each side building huge double storey houses!

 
this one side and this the other

 
these little birds still come for their seed

 
but the possom family seemed very confused and were coming out while the sun was still shining, very bold !

 
but some things don't change, i enjoyed reading some favourite magazines

 

 
and $15.00 bought this new edition to the back porch to go with the table, we hope the new neighbours like it from their slick brick !

 
a good spot to sit with a nice cup of tea and stitch or just gaze!

 
from inside we can just sit and gaze and it is still beautiful

 
i have been doing quite a bit of gazing, but also cutting out and preparing! other friends have been busy, handpiecing and knitting!

 

 
and appliqueing!

 

 
but some things stay the same, the seagulls always come back! and so will we!

 

the 1st day of a new year

though it is coming to a close, the first day of the new year has been very lazy for me! a lovely calm day, blue skies and sunshine, cups of tea, chatting with family and the callers who came our way!

 
zac and prissy called in for afternoon tea, they spent most of the day eating all the new dandelion flowers that had popped up during the week on the back lawn!

the new chook house in the background has some new inhabitants, but so far they don't know what an egg looks like! thank goodness for the supermarket!

we have been away to the east coast for a few days and this beautiful beach was basically deserted, oh how i wish my legs would carry me on a long walk along the shoreline!

 

and this crazy man also called today, where is he from? what language does he speak? he wore the ear muffs to soften our chatter! but he can't help himself, he still has to make a comment and we all have to listen!

 
someone has to love him and we all do, but he is testing at times, there is two of his species and three of us, and they love to bait us! we are all going for a day trip tomorrow!

i have been doing some stitching and have the lamp set up beside my bed and am off now to do some, the rest of the household have gone to bed, but to early fo me to call it a day.

hopefully this new year will be kind to us all in many ways, but physical and emotional health are the best thing for us all, happy 2011 to you all of you who come my way!

'isn't it enough,

to have sat in the sun,

to have lived,

to have loved,

to have done.'

i will be back soon to show you more of where i am and what i've been doing!

 

hobart cottage update

apart from house sitting for my friends, i have been looking after their holiday letting cottage here in hobart. if any of you are thinking of coming for a stay down in this oh so pretty city, minimum two days to how ever long you may like to stay hobart cottage is a great choice. i can assure you that you will have a very welcoming and comforting stay. the colonial cottage is gorgeous and the garden is just delightful, fresh seasonal vegies and herbs to pick during your stay or places to sit and enjoy the scene, read a book and just take in the fresh air. let me show you through !

self catering in the bright and well stocked kitchen if you want to cook some of the time

a sunny spot to sit

or a cosy, comfy spot

and so to bed, either here or here

with a cot or trundle if you require it

those of you who read this blog will remember these cushions, this is where they now live

the scarecrow looks over the vegie garden

do you like broad beans ?

these crabapples will be in full bloom very soon, as will the columbines 

and also the clematis

so go to the website to see more of the cottage and area. i can highly reccommend it as a lovely spot to stay.

yesterday one of my new neighbours came to have a nice cup of tea and brought these lovely yellow tulips for me, thanks beth !

and another friend came today and brought this magic potion

'drink of the angels', it was a very nice new taste !

  

   

game on again!!! and hobart

well the grand final of the afl finished last week in a draw, only the third time in all the years they have been playing this game here in melbourne, and of course it has now spread to other states of australia. i barrack for the saints !

this is the ground, the mcg, packed last week and it will be full again tomorrow. i was not flying above it, i snapped it off the television ! the captain of st kilda has a house down here in tasmania.

if third time lucky is a good omen, they lost the grand final last year, the drew last week and have a third chance tomorrow. go saints!!!!! and i am house sitting for a collingwood person

hobart this week has brought some snow on the mountain on tuesday

new blossom trees now in full bloom and falling, notice the bright pink one at the back of the tiers and i picked the last of these double daffodils

and snapped the first of the sweet peas

and i just loved the pattern of all these various green plants, all so different, nature's patchwork really

and me, well playing with a bit of sue spargo in fabric and wool, very basic at this stage ! and continuing with all the other bits. update soon !

a happy week, sun, snow, lovely views, meetings with family, not so good news for one, contemplation, friends home safely from a trip overseas, house for sale, a swap of cars, a sleep over party for the birthday girl and drawing the blinds on another calm evening here in hobart. all in all a good week, maybe it will end tomorrow with the saints winning and i finally get my hands on the chicken money !   
   

gardening on a hillside

hobart and environs is a city built between mt wellington and the river derwent and this garden is right down on the river, so gardening on the hillside has been made easier by a series of terraces, wood decks and steps all making for an interesting and lovely scape. there are lots of 'those things we have in common', in this case birds, real ones and others who live happily in this garden. come with me and take a look!

trees are bursting from their bud to small delightful blossoms

rental homes for birds !

and this bent wire heart, love the tones of the garden, lots of greens and blue and white predominate, it is an infant garden, keeps on developing !

there is a house in front, down the hill and then the beach and the waves roll in and listening to them at night is lovely, it must be in the genes, my mother was born here and lived across the road from the beach and always loved being near the sea !   

   

out the window

well out the window today it is raining and it is hard to see the horizon at times, there is a chill in the air and yes, there is snow on the mountain, mt.wellington, that overlooks the beauty of hobart city and the river. i saw the snow yesterday, a scattering, as i drove 'home' from one side of the river to the other. it was hairdo day yesterday, very lucky to have paula in the family for all sorts of reasons of course, but she also looks after all the 'hairdos'.

but i thought i would show you some of the other views from windows this week.

the miniature horses at paula and kevin's home were looking for a treat

view out one of the front windows at hobart cottage where the garden is gorgeous and there are lots of birds

and inside i have been doing

covering some buttons for hair ties

some tools of the 'trade', the half square triangle is nearly finished, i brought it down with me, a woman on a mission!

happy with the hairdo and this was an evening earlier in the week, the sun setting with the promise of another good day to follow, the sun is out now, 'out the window' !

what will tomorrow bring, there is a rainbow on the horizon as i finish this post

   

patchwork dog and lovely views

here in hobart this dear little member of the family is much loved and very spoilt, in the dim light receiving a much appreciated 'doggy massage'

and here in a favourite spot, obviously my cousins new quilt is approved by lucy, the quilt is still in the making. we girls were having a sewing moment on saturday afternoon and lucy was joining in

these daffodils were here to welcome me to my home away from home for the next six weeks

the house looks out over the river derwent and the changing moods are just lovely and so entertaining, today it is calm and blue and the sun is shining, far from the madding crowd ! i went out this morning and took some snaps of the garden.

we are having a sewing day tomorrow, so will be back with show and tell