In My Garden - Spring 2011

I haven't shown you any of my garden lately.
This Spring has seen the gardens in our part of the world just flourishing. We have had the best flowering for many years.
I have a Chinese jasmine climbing over part of my front fence. I'd show you it in flower if I could find the photo on my camera, but it seems to have disappeared. The scent was heavenly.
Another photo that has gone walkabout is of my Cascade lillypilly. It had its first flowering this year with big pom-poms of delicate pink. The bees loved it and, so, I'm now waiting to see if we get any lillypilly fruit. They'll be small berry-sized fruit, maybe red in colour.
My tough old crucifix orchids did well again. They really are the most forgiving plants.


As is this Dancing Lady orchid. I have said before things have to be tough to survive in my garden. I don't do delicate and fussy plants.


I have a number of bromeliads for this very reason. I had told myself no more I have enough, but we visited my husband's cousin a couple of weeks ago. She had some truly unusual ones that I admired. So when I saw the Queensland Bromeliad Society Spring Show advertised I had to go. These four new ones came home with me as well some specialized fertilizer and a great book on Broms. The two on the right are more sun tolerant. I'll be able to put them out on show, away from under my trees, an area that is getting a bit crowded with the broms.


My daring hubbie is putting in another garden bed for me. Along our western side, we have 2 neighbouring houses that face the next street, so their backyards abut our side. Both are rental properties and over the years none of the tennants have been gardeners. It's a bit unsightly. So we are going to extend our hedge of Aussie Compact lillypillies to hide them. The bonus will be that we create for ourselves a private courtyard like area - just have to encourage the new plants to grow quickly before I'm too old to enjoy it!
Anyway that's my garden for this Spring. I will pop those photos in if I find them.
Take care and make sure you make time to smell the flowers of life,
Kayly

Organised Chaos...

Or at least I think it is organised.
I've started preparing my first block for the 'My Favourite Things' quilt in Anni Down's book 'Some Kind of Wonderful'.
I think I'll prep one block at a time as I'm not sure the non-permanent pen I've used will stay around for very long.
These blocks don't seem as easy to prepare as the ones for the 'Gardener's Journal' quilt.
I am going to do needle turn applique....so that should be interesting. The little I've done using this method was okay, but there is lot of applique on this quilt. We'll just have to see how it goes.
Take care,
Kayly

Storey Bridge Climb

Dad turned 80 back in August and although we had a family gathering, I didn't give him a present. I wanted it to be something special and maybe different.
So we climbed the Storey Bridge last Wednesday. There are only 3 bridge climbs in the world - ours, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Auckland Harbour Bridge (NZ). My DH and I did it about 2 years ago, so I knew Dad would be able to do it. He was a bit unsure but said yes anyway. We had an understanding that he would pull out if he felt uncomfortable. He was not sure as he has had a hip replacement.
We got there and filled out our forms - medical problems, indemnities etc. The rest of the climbing group arrived and Dad leaned towards me and said, 'I don't think I'm the oldest." He certainly wasn't.
We got changed and run over with a metal detector. The first 5 made it go off with all their replacements, including the lady with 2 knees and a hip done!
Of course, Dad had no problems. The climb is very well organised with plenty of chances for a rest and a good look around, and of course opportunities for a wind blown photo.
Till next time,
Kayly

Weekend's Effort

Just finished the inside part of Nellie's Needle Book by Anni Downs. It's from GDITC 2010 not 2009 like I said a couple of posts ago. So I'm not as far behind as I thought! ;)
Only have to sew it together, do the scissor keep, and add the closures.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Kayly

New Skirt

Here is the photo of me in the skirt I just made, as promised.
One day I'll get braver and try to make a top.

Take care,
Kayly

Crafty Weekend.

Finally some show and tell.


I'm going to stitch along with the others in the 2012 SAL on the quilt in Anni Down's new book - Some Kind of Wonderful. I allowed myself to buy some creams and beiges and a couple of pieces of blue as I didn't have much of these in the stash. BUT I promised myself that every thing else has to come from stash! It was fun searching for just the right bits. I have pulled out more than I need just in case some don't end up fitting in colourwise.


Here is the project, all packed, ready and waiting for a few other things to be finished first.

One of which is this GDITC project from 2009. Only the centre to do then it just needs to be sewn together.


I finished this skirt on the weekend. I must remember to take a photo when I wear it out tomorrow night. It's a simple pattern that even I can do!

Time to start making dinner.
Take care everyone,
Kayly

Brisbane Craft Show

Heavens to Bettsy and I went to the Brisbane Craft Show on Wednesday. As usually we were there from near opening to the close. In fact H2B was still buying stuff as the stall holders were putting up their curtains and leaving!!!
I, on the other hand, have to apologise to the stall holders for my poor buying effort. I kept thinking of all the things I had at home still untouched from other shows. I did manage to come away with these.....

For the first time, H2B and I saw the prize giving for Queensland Quilters Annual Quilt Show that is held in conjunction with the Craft Show. It was fabulous...so many talented people....a wide range of styles and colours. The Qld Quilters web site has a gallery of winners and place-getters. You can click on each one for a bigger picture. Their site will give you a better look at them than the photos I took.
Except this one.... My old pointer finger might help to give you an idea of just how small the machine quilting is on this Pam Hill winner.

Also check out the pictorial winner (I think it also won best wall hanging). I don't think photos do it justice. It is amazing. Really it is a great painting using fabric not paint.

Must go. I'm trying to get something finished for OPAM. Can't have another empty month!

Take care,
Kayly