Friday Fun Day and Saturday Slack Day

Yesterday, for our fun activity, we decided to visit the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.  We are not big art gallery goers, but now that we have the time we are trying to occasionally pop in and see the exhibitions.

I heard on the radio how they are currently starting to catalogue and digitise their entire permanent collection of about 2,000 items worth $11.5 million.  It is a huge undertaking that they were going to work on next year, but brought forward due to the closure of the gallery for COVID-19.

They are currently showing some of the collection and you can see the staff at work.  The exhibitions rotate every two weeks.

The main artists at the moment are husband and wife Jean Bellette and Paul Haefliger.  The painting on the right above, by Jean,  won the Bathurst Carillon Art Prize in 1955 and was the first aquisition by the gallery for its permanent collection.  They have quite a few of their paintings in the collection.  This couple, along with several other Australian artists, frequented the gold mining village of Hill End.  Their ongoing legacy was to donate the cottage they owned out there to be used as an artists retreat.  The Bathurst Gallery has an artists in residence program at it and a couple of other cottages in Hill End.

It was strange seeing the gallery in disarray.

There was another section of the gallery with works on display, but no notes on the pieces.  This one did have a little swing tag on it with the title "Farmer's Quilt".

After we left the gallery we popped into the nearby op shops on the endless quest to find a replica of Mick's chipped orange spotty mug.  Funnily enough, we ran into an acquaintance, who has joined in our quest, to be greeted with "I've just checked all the op shops today and I still haven't found your mug".  Another friend, who was nearby asked what we were looking for, so is now also enlisted in the quest.  We will find one eventually.

Even though we knew we wouldn't find the mug we still had a browse.  Mick had a score.  We have owned the squat blue money box for a few years now.  It was bought at the pottery gallery at Carcoar, the village we visited last weekend.  Mick spied the tall red one and we knew straight away that it was from the same potter.  The look rather good together.

Once we returned home we made the Caramel Walnut slice recipe that Mum had given me years ago.  It was a success and rather tasty.  Another recipe to add to the repertoire.  That's a goal for the month achieved.

Last night was Friday Night With Friends, hosted by Cheryll.

I didn't achieve a great deal, but made a start on Trail Mix.  I have a whole three blocks completed.

I also made some of the tiddly little components for some blocks. I was mainly figuring out what I could use from my very small scraps before cutting into larger pieces of fabric.  That is my next task.

Now, if you pop over to Maria's blog you can see that she achieved a lot more on her version of the quilt.  I know that I will be the last to finish, as the others joining are heaps more productive than me.

Today was forecast to be cold, so we decided that a day hunkered down at home would be in order.  However, I did have to pop into town, so Mick came along too.

While we were there, we popped into another op shop, over the road from the supermarket. Mick browsed the books for an author he is searching for, so I had a browse too.  Imagine how happy I was to find the Michell Hill book.  I love her patterns and had a couple in magazines.  But when I got ruthless and threw them all away, they went too.  Those patterns just happen to be in this book.  Then I saw "Book of Lost Threads".  Who could resist a book with such a pretty cover and with recommendations on the cover..........

We decided to drive the long way round on our way home and noticed a sign to a garage sale.  What the heck, we had nothing other important to do, so made the short detour. We came away with a couple of CDs and the farewell comment "You should go around to The Church for a coffee now".

That was a great suggestion.  The little church building in Eglinton had sat empty for many years, when a local lady we know, with a vision, bought it.  It took a while to get everything done, but has been open for quite a few months now.  We haven't been because it is in a area we rarely visit.

What a great little spot!  The old church is now used for yoga and rented out for events. The coffee shop is only small but has great coffee and delicious home made treats. The grounds have lovely gardens and Lisa, the owner, has a long arm quilting studio around the back.   For a cold winter's morning they were doing a roaring trade. Everyone was very good with social distancing.  It is starting to be the new etiquette. We were glad the lady at the garage sale made the throw away comment as we left.

Once we returned home I picked up the novel I bought this morning.  Can you see where this is going?  Yes, my goal of reading a book in July has been met.  Very slack of me, but an enjoyable way to spend a cold day.

I did pop into the sewing room and stitched my Drunkard Path blocks for Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  Better than nothing

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So, we have had a very relaxed couple of days.  Tomorrow is forecast to be cold again, so another slow day is planned.  Just the way we like it.

My Goals For July

Wow!  We are into the second half of the year.  Where did that go?

Just when we thought Australia could return to some new sort of  "normal", we have to be extra vigilant again, with lots of new COVID-19 cases being found in Melbourne and several suburbs being locked down.  Fingers crossed that the spike can be contained before it gets too much worse and spreads to other states.  It would be a shame if things have to shut down again.

Now, onto more fun things.......

It's time for me to look at my little list and see what goals I want to set myself for July.

Firstly, my One Monthly Goal.

I've decided that my official goal will be to finish the Tea and Cake Table Runner that is my current WOOFA project.

I intend to finish the stitchery and turn it into a table runner featuring the little collection of fabrics we received in the workshop all those years ago. (You can read more about it here.) I have to design it first, though.  It should be quite achievable, if I put my mind to it.

As I said, my OMG is also my WOOFA project.

I hope that it will be my One Project a Month finish as well.......Three birds with one stone.  I like that idea.

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour this month is Dark Blue.  I will make my drunkard path and pineapple blocks.

The end of this month will see this project pass the half way mark.  There will be five blocks to complete this month.

I will continue with my little challenge with Lou to make something Christmassy this month.  There is a new Facebook stitchalong "Love and Hugs for Christmas", which started on 1 July.  There is a free 4 inch stitchery released each week for twelve weeks.  I'm not sure if I will join in or not, but I am downloading the patterns.  I may make something completely different.  I'll know at the end of the month.

My crochet didn't progress very far last month, so I want to get a wriggle on with it.  There isn't a great deal to do before it is finished.  This photo is from a month ago.  There has been some progress since then.

Now that Splendid Sampler 2 has reached the flimsy stage I've allowed myself a new long term project.  Trail Mix.  You can read more about how this came about here. Scroll right to the bottom.  At the time I said it would be good to make twelve blocks each month and I would use my Civil Wars stash.  Well, a girl is allowed to change her mind, isn't she.  I will use all sorts of scraps, but keeping the colours fairly rich, in keeping with the original.  I want this to be a quilt that lives on our bed in winter and looks warm and snuggly.

This is my progress so far.  I've pulled whatever fabrics that are big enough out of my little scrap bags and will then raid the stash.  Believe me, there are plenty to choose from.  I"m not sure if I will get twelve blocks completed this month, seeing as I have to sort fabric and cut etc, but I will make a start and see how I go.  As usual, I don't want to set myself up to fail.  If I make twelve I will be extremely happy.

Tomorrow night is Friday Night With Friends, so I will work on something along with everyone else.

Now that I am tired just reading about all I want to stitch I'll make my non stitching goals for the month.

1. READ A BOOK

I'll probably read another of the Maigret books, but who knows.  As long as I read a book.

2. TRY A NEW RECIPE

I plan to do this tomorrow.  I have a slice recipe that Mum gave me years ago, as she liked making it, but I've never actually got around to having a go myself.  The recipe is out ready to go.

3. GO FOR WALKS

We hope to continue walking.  I'd like to get out more than we have.  I have no one to blame but myself and the fact it is winter.  I need to get off my butt more.

4. GO FOR A MOTORCYCLE RIDE

Hopefully we will be able to join the Panorama Club on one of their outings again.

5. HAVE A WEEKEND AWAY IN THE CARAVAN

School holidays start this weekend, so we hope to take the van somewhere on the very last weekend of the month.  No idea where we will head, but there is no shortage of options.

6. HAVE A FRIDAY FUNDAY

This is a new goal that I've added.  We have been trying to make the most of the fact that we aren't at work on a Friday.  Thursdays seem to be the day we do whatever running around is needed and make appointments, which leaves Friday to enjoy, before the busyness of the weekend.  We have started to jot down ideas of things we can do and places to go, now that we actually have the time. 

I sometimes think that by setting these goals I'm making them a chore, but it hasn't worked out that way at all.  If I didn't have the goals I'm quite sure that a lot of these activities would not take place and we are really enjoying them all.

I'm looking forward to reporting in on how they are progressing.

How Did My Other June Goals Go?

Having met all my stitching goals for the month of June, which you can see here, here and here, how did my other goals go?

Happily, not too shabby.

1. READ A BOOK

Yes, I actually read two.  Here and here.

2. TRY A NEW RECIPE

Yes. Once again we tried two.  Here is one.

The second one was also out of the Bathurst on a Plate recipe book.

Ginger Snaps.  They are so decadent and sweet.  Mick has already requested we make them again.

We also made a couple of other slices that I forgot to photograph.  We are both enjoying this baking caper, making old favourites as well as trying new recipes.

3. GO FOR WALKS

Yes.  Not lots of walk, but long walks.

We seem to keep returning to the river.  It is approximately 10kms by the time we get home.  The old Denison bridge crossing the Macquarie River is a feature.

We returned by a different walkway last time and the Raglan Creek was looking a picture.  I grew up just down the road from this creek.  Back then, us kids didn't even know it had a name and just called it "The Drain".  We used to see tiny fish swimming in it.  I didn't see any the other day, but the water was nice and clear.  The recent rains have made such a difference to the landscape.

4. GO FOR A MOTORCYCLE RIDE.

Yes.  Yesterday.

The Panorama Club had their Sunday ride yesterday and our destination was the pub at Mandurama.  The weather wasn't too bad for this time of year, but we were very well rugged up.  That worked well, as we didn't freeze our bits off.  We took Sophia the Moto Guzzi this time.  She keeps up better than the sidecars.

I've never been in this pub, so was looking forward to seeing what it was like.  You can imagine out disappointment when we arrived to find it had been booked out by another group.

They suggested we could probably get a meal at the Carcoar pub, so off we went.  Carcoar is located just west of Blayney and describes itself as "The Village that time forgot".  It is has been classified as a historic village, with beautiful buildings. 

Our main concern was whether or not the pub would be doing meals.  When we arrived in the village we were surprised to see so many cars.  You were battling to find a parking spot.  We wondered what was on, but it seemed to be just people getting out and about.

The pub was doing meals, but was absolutely packed out.  Fortunately there was a new little coffee shop that was doing coffee and pies.  That suited us just fine.  The pies were really tasty.

Many of our group of bikes didn't worry about getting anything to eat and just headed home.

We had a quick little walk around and have decided we need to return mid week when things are a little quieter and have a better wander around.   

It is one of those places that sometimes has lots to see, and at other times lots seem to have shut down.  At the moment it is going well.  

We normally visit on Australia Day when they have a big street fair.  It will be nice to have a wander when it is quieter.

5. HAVE A WEEKEND AWAY IN THE CARAVAN

Yes.  We are so happy that we finally go to use our van.

You can read about our weekend to Lake Cargelligo here.  It was the perfect destination for our return to travelling.

So, all in all, a very successful month.

A Bit More Stitching

I've managed to get a little bit more stitching done in the last few days.

Firstly, I made the latest Blockheads 3 block on the day it was released.  That is the first time I've done that for a little while.

The end of the month is fast approaching and I still had quite a few of my self imposed goals to finish off.

I had made the pineapple block for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, but those pesky drunkard path blocks weren't going to make themselves, so I bit the bullet to make a start.  However, it was cold in the sewing room.......

Why not take them outside into the back yard to pin them?  

The weather was absolutely glorious on Friday.  Quite a welcome change after the previous few days, which had been bleak, cold and damp, with unbroken thick cloud.  

That didn't take long at all, so why not take my WOOFA stitching out as well.  The seat in our vege patch is a real little sun trap.

A bit more progress.

Yesterday I put my big girl pants on and stitched the drunkard path blocks together.  Six months down, four to go.  I'm sure when I stitch them together into a project they will be fine.  

Another of my little goals is to make something Christmassy each month.  I didn't really have anything in mind, and knew I wouldn't have the chance to make anything substantial, so looked for an idea to make a simple ornament.

I found one using scraps to make a Christmas tree.

You simply fuse scraps onto backing fabric and stitch down with decorative stitches on your machine.  Too easy.  I dug into the scrap bags and found some little scraps that any sane person would have chucked in the bin. Next, to find some felt for a backing.  I found some felt with an adhesive side.  Now, that made things really easy - just lay the fabric on without any need for fusible webbing.  It worked like a treat.  At this rate I thought I may make a few.

You know when things are coming together so well, that it seems to be too good to be true. Well, everything was going swimmingly until I started to do my decorative stitching.  I'd only stitched a bit over an inch and stitches were being missed.  The machine was threaded correctly.  Everything looked right. But.....the adhesive was gumming up the needle.  Blast!  Fortunately, I was able to get the short runs done without it playing up.  At the end of each run I'd wipe down the needle.  For the longer runs I'd stitch till it started to miss, cut the thread, unpick the few stitches, wipe down the needle and go again.  What a pain!

Finally, I got it finished and it is rather cute.  If I make any more I will use normal felt and a fusible.  This also counts for my one tiny finish for OPAM hosted by Kris.

I've made a bit more progress on my UFO for the WOOFA Challenge hosted by Cheryll.  I didn't set myself any goal for how far I would progress my table runner this month.  In the end I'd hoped to have the stitchery completed this month and hopefully work out a design and actually make the runner next month.  I'm still stitching away on my cupcakes, but the month isn't at an end just yet.  There is a chance I will get that final cupcake stitched.

I haven't made any progress on my crochet shawlette since the Chookshed Party,  but, once again, the month isn't over yet.  I may make a little more progress.

Now I'm off to link up with all my challenges.  Click on the links and see what others are up to.