Been Away Again ....and Again

Home again now - this time for a while (that's my plan anyway).  It's always lovely to go away but it's just wonderful to be home again.

This past week brought a quick trip to Rockhampton with benefits - I managed a visit to Margaret's aptly named Patchwork Paradise.  Lovely shop with a wonderful selection of fabrics.

Thursday came and went with my friend Peggy & I off to Brisbane to attend the Queensland Quilt show and Stitches & Craft.  Sadly, I left my camera behind so you'll have to check Peggy's blog  or Queensland Quilters for photos, but as always the quilts were inspiring.  Whenever I attend a show such as this, I'm challenged to do better myself.  To take more care when cutting, stitching and quilting, to try new patterns, colours and designs, but mostly I come away inspired and itching to start!  Here's what I brought home - not quite sure what I'll start first, but I'm pretty keen to try the skirt patterns from Sew Outside the Lines.

(I'd better add that I've just spent the past three hours tidying my sewing room so it's unlikely I'll start a new project today!  In fact I'd best not start anything new for the next few years - I have a lot of works in progress (HA - as if that would stop me.)

To complete my wonderful weekend, I visited Eagle Farm Markets on my way to the airport on Sunday morning.  I do recommend this market, it is just delightful and this is what I brought home for my Dad.

those lamingtons measure 10cms across and down, and are just delicious - as are the slices, chutney, salami, pizza and yoghurt and everything else I sampled while there.  YUM.



Away...Again

Just a quick post to let you know I'm still here.  I've been travelling for the past couple of weeks, staying in our caravan (I now know that Louie and I fit very happily in the van, it's just a shame that sometimes Kevin (DH) thinks he should be able to join us.)   Thank you to my lovely sister who let us stay in her back yard.  I had a wonderful time, got quite a bit of sewing done on one of the applique panels for Growing Up, even got the second started - sort of.  Still haven't managed to get a photo. 

Best of all, however was catching up with Maryan & Geoff on Bribie Island.  Many of you met Maryan in the shop last year when they came to stay in Emerald for a couple of months.  Maryan had passed through Emerald a year or so earlier while travelling around Australia, loved our shop and convinced Geoff that he should get some work in Emerald (all so she could come and learn to do patchwork with Peggy & myself in the shop).  She sounds quite devious, doesn't she?  Anyway they're home in Bribie now and it was just wonderful to go and stay with her for a couple of days.  I even helped cut out a quilt while there and knowing Maryan, she's probably got it all together by now.

I couldn't take any photos to share (Kevin had the camera with him), but this photo is from a real estate site, and this is what it looks like from Maryan's back patio.

Lovely weather, beautiful friends - certainly life is wonderful!