Weekend Roundup and Mary Wigham

This weekend I have:

• been out to dinner at a local RSL (Returned Servicemen's League) and seen some great old Ausssie rockers perform - Jimmy Keays, Russell Morris and Daryl Cotton
• been lap swimming and for a long walk with a DF around Princes Park
• had my legs and eye brows waxed
• visited my Dad for Father's Day
• done lots of stitching whilst I 
• caught up with my TV watching:
• Stargate Universe
• The Wire
• The Borgias
• out to our local Thai restaurant with DH, DS#1, DS#2 and DD and her BF to celebrate Father's Day

So, a good weekend.

With my stitching I did do a bit of a rotation but I ended up working mainly on my latest new design (Oh why? Oh why? do I keep starting new projects?) which is the Mary Wigham (Ackworth School) Sampler.  You can read all about Mary Wigham here on the Needleprint website.  If you scroll down the right hand sidebar you will find various links about Mary Wigham.

Anyway, despite two false starts and lots of frogging, I have finally made some progress on her today.  I have chosen to do something quite different and quite out of my comfort zone.  I am using variegated threads - the wonderful Cottage Garden hand-dyed threads, these are the ones which I used in my 20 Follower Giveaway.  I am really pleased with how it is shaping up.  Here are my progress photos:

This is as far as I have got

The variegated red part is the stitching I have now done three times

Two different sections using different colours - here it looks a little all over the place but in reality it is looking really good (even if I say so myself!)

Well, that is all for me today, I am going to do some more blogging than it is out for yummy Thai food with the family.

Bye for now, love Kaye xoxox

P.S.  I also want to say welcome to all of my new followers.  Lovely to meet you.  K

My Spring Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...

I am thinking...

I am thankful... for a late start to work today as I worked very late last night.

From the learning rooms... I have learnt a lot on the latest project I have been working upon.

In the kitchen... crusty bread and blueberry jam

I am wearing... leggings and a spring top

I am creating... a wonderful History book and an antique sampler

I am going...to see Darryl Cotton sing tonight

I am wondering... where the year has gone?

I am reading... several books at once: Shadowplay, Elizabeth's Women, Mr Rosenblum's list and New York.

I am hoping... to get lots of stitching done this weekend

I am looking forward to... my swim tomorrow

I am hearing... cats miaowing for attention

Around the house... all is peaceful as I am the only one home at the moment

I am pondering... if I will live to 92 like my Dad who just had his birthday last week

One of my favorite things... blogging! (new found love)

A few plans for the rest of the week: stitching, catching up with friends, watching old episodes of Stargate Universe whilst I stitch and read - bliss!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing..

A magpie outside my bedroom window

Please everyone, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook here

Thank you Peggy, 

Bye for now, everyone, it is off to work I go.

love Kaye xoxox

My Dad's 92nd Birthday Party

Hello Lovely Bloggers,

Firstly,  I would like to say hello and welcome to all my recent followers. It is lovely to meet you and I hope that you enjoy my blog, my craft and the little snippets of  my life in Eaglemont, Melbourne, Australia.  I am fairly new to blogging but I am loving it.  The sense of community amongst crafty bloggers is just amazing and the opportunity to find out about the lives of others all around the world is so fascinating to me.  Everyone's works are so clever and gorgeous and everyone is so friendly.

Anyway, today, I wanted to share with you my Dad's 92nd birthday party.  Last Sunday, my dad turned 92!  Amazing, isn't it?  What is even more amazing is that my Dad was actually a POW for 3 and 1/2 years in Changi, Singapore during WWII.  He survived that and has lived a happy, long life since then.  He and my Mum (who will be 90 next February) still live independently in their own home.  Whilst life is pretty low-key for them now, they still love watching their "Inspector" DVDs and catch a taxi nearly every day to go to the shops to do their errands.

The party was held at my home and we all had a lovely time.  So, here are some pics of the happy event:

Firstly, here is the funny card which I gave him - he thought it was a hoot!

Mum, Dad and DD

Back Row: Me, Dear Younger Sister, Dear Older Sister
Front Row: Mum and Dad

The Cakes
Front: Black Magic with Cherries
Back: Spice Cake with Lemon icing

Singing Happy Birthday

Dad with the cake

Well, that is my Dad's birthday.  I just want to say that I love my Dad very much, he has been a wonderful father and I am so proud to be his daughter.

That's all from me tonight, 

Bye for now,

love Kaye xoxox

20 Follower Celebration Giveaway Prize posted

Hello lovely bloggers and especially Xehuia,

I have successfully posted Xehuia's prize to her.  As you all might remember she won my 20 Follower Celebration Giveaway.
Here is a picture of the goodies which I sent her:

Fingers crossed that they arrive safely.  They should take about a week to get Ireland from Melbourne, Australia.

Can't wait to do my next Giveaway.  Not sure when I will do it - I might just do one at random some time in the near future.

Bye for now,
love Kaye xoxox

AUGUST TUSAL

Hello lovely bloggers,

Here is my August TUSAL jar.  I am not actually a part of a TUSAL blog but I just love the idea so I thought that I would do it anyway.  I hope that nobody minds.

It is a mixture of threads from Baboushka (pinks, greens and creams) and Holbein's Henry (dark blues) and the big lump of red is from frogging the start of my Mary Wigham sampler (more of her on another post)

Bye for now,

love Kaye xoxox

Some more older finished projects

Hi lovely bloggers, 

I thought that I would show you a few more of the projects I have stitched over the years.  As I look around my home, I see lots of items I have made.  As I am trying to chronicle them on my blog I am amazed at what I have made over the years.

Scissor fob

Sewing  Pouch - outside

Sewing Pouch - inside

Sewing Pouch - inside - close up

Sewing Pouch - inside - close up

The next five photos are of the birth sampler which I stitched for the births of my three children.  It is The Wind in the Willows and took me 12 years to complete (I was busy with babies, work and other craft projects in that time).  Sorry about the reflection in the photos, I know that they are not as clear as they could be.  It is one of the projects which I am most proud of completing.

Wind in the Willows birth sampler

Wind in the Willows birth sampler 

Wind in the Willows birth sampler - centre close up

Wind in the Willows birth sampler - bottom close up

Wind in the Willows birth sampler - top close up

 This last one for this post is the wedding sampler which I did for our 10th wedding anniversary.  Hard to believe that next year it will be our 30th Wedding anniversary!

10th Wedding Anniversary Sampler

Well, that's all for me tonight. I have a kitten to cuddle (Furio), some stitching to do (Baboushka - nearly finished) and "The Wire"to watch with DH and DS#1.

Bye for now, 

love Kaye xoxox

A tale of Lollies

Hello lovely bloggers,

I wanted to tell you my Lolly story.  I hope that you enjoy it.

It starts with the Lolly Jar at work.  It sits on a bench near all of our desks and when we get that mid-afternoon slump we all, individually, sidle over to grab the odd jube or snake or caramel.  Yummy!  Usually once one person has been, the others of us all find some excuse or other to have at least one.

Anyway, we all take it in turns, rather randomly, to fill up the lolly jar.  I usually do it once a fortnight when I buy petrol on my way to work (if you buy a few things you get an extra 2c off petrol if you are using a supermarket voucher - long story!).  So, last Friday, when I went to buy my lollies, the cashier pointed out that if I bought two packets of Allen's lollies for $6 I would also get their 120 years collectors tin.  I was so thrilled with this and proudly took the lollies and the tin to work.  As you can imagine, they were a great hit and so now with have a lolly tin.

As the day wore on, I thought - I want one for myself.  So, on the way home I stopped at the petrol station again and bought myself some lollies (which I gave to the kids) and gained myself a gorgeous tin!

120 years of Smiles 

The Smile tin filled with Lollies

Off to do some stitching now,

Bye for now,
love Kaye xoxox