Tuesday, 3 November 2026

The Rest of October

October was a busy month, with lots happening on several fronts.

Let’s see how I went with my wishes at the start of the month.

1. TRY A NEW RECIPE

I made “Marry Me Chicken”.  After we ate it, Mick said he didn’t need to marry me again, but he was happy to stay married and I can make it again.  That’s good enough for me.

We ate our first serve with pasta, and then for our second meal, I popped it in a pie dish and topped it with mashed potato.  That was a success too, and nice to have the little bit of variety.

Next, for the first time I made some Melting Moments.  They were nice with our afternoon tea.

2. READ A BOOK

I didn’t read one, but I listened to the next instalment of the Tea Ladies series.  I so enjoy these, especially as an audio book, as the narrator really brings the characters to life.  Now to wait for the next one.  I listen to them on Borrow Box through the local library.

3. FUN DAY OUT

We had to go to Orange for an appointment and while there visited the Regional Art Gallery.  There was a fun exhibition.

There were loads of coloured balls, like ping pong balls, all strung horizontally on fishing line. Some large fans were turned on at the side of the room and they all gradually started dancing.  It was kind of like an infinity room effect.

In another space, the same artist had loads of plastic strips hung from the ceiling and the fans made them move.  Both installations were so very cheerful.

We went to Sydney to collect Mick’s little trailer, as I have previously posted about.

4. USE OUR CARAVAN

As predicted, this didn’t happen.  No impromptu trips this time.  

5. KEEP MY BLOG UP TO DATE

I made definite inroads into this.

So, what else happened?

We helped on the church fete in the middle of the month.  Me on the White Elephant Stall and Mick on “Bargains for Blokes”.  There were so many donations this time.  I think everyone must have been having quite the spring clean and declutter.  As as result, we did quite well.

I made just a couple of purchases.

This little Devon Ware egg cup took my eye.  This would have been a souvenir from the other Kelso, in Scotland.

Then, on the linen stall I saw this hanging up.  There was no way it was not coming home with me.  I have it hanging on the front of my shelves in the sewing room at present, which isn’t idea, but haven’t figured out where to put it.  It is too nice not to have on display somewhere.

Our garden has been putting on a spring show.  We haven’t planted many veges this year, but do have a bed full of leeks.  It has been overrun with hearts ease and looks so pretty.  They have been growing in a wheelbarrow beside this bed for the last couple of years and we always get a few pop up in among the veges, but this year they have really taken over.  We will reduce their area next year.

After it finished flowering, Mick gave our wattle tree a severe haircut.  It filled our large trailer.  We will see how it goes next year, as there is a split developing in the trunk.  They aren’t long lived, so it may be replaced with something else before too long.

We had some family visit and they gave is this beautiful begonia, which is adding a pop of colour to our back verandah table.

Quite a few years ago, we planted a Zephirine Drouhin rose to climb over our rusty arch, as they are a thornless heritage rose.  This year it is putting on a spectacular show.  You see it looking out of our kitchen window and it is always such a pretty sight, especially with the garden bed behind it.

Earlier in the month the ajuga border was looking so vibrant with the red salvia behind it.

Now, our bottle brushes are coming into full bloom, with the oyster plant in front.

Mick has a huge anvil and it is mounted on a large square metal base.  We decided to grow a cut leaf ivy to hide the base.  It took a few years to get established, but boy, has it taken off now.  Too bad if he wants to use it.  Time to give it another haircut methinks. Sorry about the shadow.

The only other thing that was a bit of fun, was me updating my phone.  As you know, I take a squillion photos and the lack of zoom on the phone camera has always been a bit disappointing.  Well, check out what the new phone does.

This was taken while sitting in my car, zoomed right out.

Then zoomed right in.  This finial, is the centre one on the top of the right hand building over the road.  OMG!  What an improvement.

Righteo, that about sums everything up for now.

Monday, 2 November 2026

My Wishes for November

I know I say each month that I want to keep things achievable, but this month I really do have to keep things simple.  There will only be a couple of wishes.  Anything else will be a bonus

MAIN MONTHLY GOAL

This will definitely be achievable. 

I have one final Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt to complete.  The aim is for that to happen this week.

USE ELLY MAY

See above

BETTY BLOCK

There wasn’t a block last month, and I’m not sure if there will be this month.  We’ll just go with the flow.

KNITTING

Nope

CROCHET

There are just four more squares required to have enough for a Wrap With Love blanket.  I really want to get these done, which will happen, as they are my stitching days project.  Then, I will endeavour to get them stitched together and an edging added in the early part of next year.

15 MINUTES A DAY

We will just go with the flow on this as well.  I’ll try to keep up.

BONUS WISHES

I still haven’t finished those bowl cosies.  It would be nice to tick them off the list, but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t matter.

NON STITCHING WISHES

1. Try a new recipe - Tick.  That has already happened, with another in the pipeline.  Go me!

2. Read a book - we’ll see.

3. Fun Day Out - that has already happened as well.

4. Use our caravan - not happening

5. Keep my blog up to date.  It’s not going too badly, so let’s see if I can keep it up.

Let’s see how I go with all that.  Wish me luck.

Sunday, 1 November 2026

Stitching Wrap Up for October

For a month with rather low expectations, I am pleased with what I achieved.

The main aim was to get the three Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts well on the way, with at least one over the the finish line.

I ended up with two finishes.

The third is ready to quilt.

Other than that, I finished my beanie.

I made a little needle book for travelling.

And, I traced the stitcheries for two projects.  I have had these two kits for well over ten years, waiting patiently for their time to shine.  This will be their time.

I also completed a further seven corner to corner crochet squares.  It really makes a difference when you get to attend your stitching days. There are only four more squares required to make a blanket for Wrap With Love.

I didn’t get around to completing the bowl cosies, but there is no rush for them and there wasn’t a block issued by Betty.

15 MINUTES A DAY

October = 26/31

YTD = 249/304. = 81.91%

All in all, a good month.

Saturday, 31 October 2026

A Bonus Finish for the Month

My wish for the month was to have one of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts completed.  However, I have ended up with two.  It would have been nice to have the three done, but that wasn’t to be.

Anyway, here is the second one.

You can see where  I started at earlier in the month here.

I thought that a simple Baptist Fan pantograph would suit it well.

This was a fun quilt to make and using solid fabrics was quite a change for me.

I didn’t end up using a solid for the backing, but this one had a nice clear colour.  It has been in my stash for about 20 years, when I bought a heap of end of bolts at Spotlight for next to nothing.  I think it works well for this.

It will be a donation quilt, but I don’t know where it will end up.

I will be linking up with So Scrappy.  It is nice to see the other projects coming together, now that we are heading towards the end of the year.

QUILT INFORMATION

Measurements - 64" high x 52" wide

Pattern - Inspiration from a photo seen on Pinterest.

Fabrics - Stash.  

Quilting Design - Baptist Fan by Karla Gerome for QCT6

Batting - Cotton/Poly

Backing and Binding - Fabric from stash

Thread - Glide - 10000 White

Monday, 26 October 2026

A Quick Little Make

When we go travelling I like to take a simple, no fuss project to work on.  What I have found to work best for me is to take a stitchery that just uses one colour.  

I usually take my project and a separate little pouch with my needle, scissors etc, but the one thing that annoys me is that I end up with little snippets of thread that just get put in the pouch and end up making a mess.  I thought it was time to come up with a solution.  

Plan A was to make a little sewing hussaf style kit, but I thought I could come up with something even more compact. What I have made is very simple and extremely compact.  It should work just fine.

Enter my latest little needle book, finishing at just 3” high and 2 1/2” wide.  The hardest part was choosing the fabric.

There are two pages sewn in.  When you open the first there are my needles.  

Flip to the third and there are a few pins.

Turn to the inside of the back cover and I have popped in a tiny zip lock bag with three thimble dots.  I really like using these of late.  Once you have started using one, you can just stick it onto something and then use over and over again.  Hence, the plastic bag. The “in use” dots can get stuck onto the front to use again.

The best bit is the middle spread.  This is where I can lay my snippets of thread while stitching away.  When the needle book is closed they are contained…. I hope.  Too simple……it should work.  I know, simple things amuse simple minds.

I haven’t worried about a closure.  It will stay closed once it is in my project bag.

This is my new travel set up.  My stitching projects each have their own zip lock bag holding the stitchery and thread.  All I need to go with them is my little needle book, my tiny scissors and my embroidery hoop.  The hoop is another thing that I have only just started using and am finding works surprisingly well.  Who’s have thought. LOL

So there is everything is nice and compact, packed into my funky Queenie pouch ready to take on future trips.