ROAD TRIP TO THE AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN BRIGHT, VICTORIA

 Sheep country on the South West Slopes on our way to Cootamundra where Jeff and I lived in l972 and where Daryl went to infants and primary school.

 The Which Craft and Coffee Shop in Harden.  I did some legal work for them 41 years ago when I worked for a Solicitor in Cootamundra.   The craft co-op was purchasing the house and just setting up.  I couldn't believe it is still going after 41 years.

 We had lunch in their cafe.  The old dears had cooked homemade soup and were serving the tables, some  in their 70's and 80's.  The profits go back into the house for maintenance and preservation.  The house was built in l912 by John Bourke, a business man.  We met his grand-daughter at lunch and she told us the history.

 Coming into Cootamundra.  The paddocks were a bit dry and some were ploughed ready for sewing and were a rich chocolate colour.

 Cootamundra District Hospital where Daryl's father worked for 10 years.

 The flour mill which is still operating.  Daryl said they used to climb in the windows and play inside, much to his mother's disgust.

The house where Daryl lived in Thompson Street.

 Jeff standing outside the flat that we rented in l972 for just $20 a week rent. It was in Margaret Street. It had some landscaping done and fences that we never had back then. 

 Busts of all the Australian Cricket Captains.  The first Captain was an Aboriginal man.

 Julie outside one of the gorgeous old houses facing the park.   I don't remember such beautiful houses when I lived there.  Was I too young at 22 to appreciate them?

Magnificent Cootamundra Railway Station.  We put several people on the train here back in l972 for the 10 hour journey back to Sydney.

 The lovely kitchen of the Lawson Motel,  Wagga Wagga, where we stayed on our first night.  It was a shame that we were only there for one night.  A week would have been lovely.  Jeff and I stayed in Wagga for 2 weeks when Jeff was teaching Columbo Plan students from all over the world in l976. We had a very ordinary motel,  our room was on the first floor which was very inconvenient with a 3 year old and a crawling baby.  I would have loved the space and garden of THIS motel!

 The gorgeous Italian Garden with outdoor eating area. 

 Wagga Wagga is a beautiful inland country city with a population of 61,500 people.  The shopping is fantastic.  I love the way they lit their public buildings.

Pre dinner drinks in our room before a lovely smorgasbord dinner at the RSL Club Carvery.

FUN AT GRANNY AND GRANDPA'S HOUSE

 It's amazing how much fun you can have with a bucket of water.  I love to see the children all free and unencumbered by clothes.  Don't we all wish on hot days that we can do that too?

 Venice enjoyed the fresh air too.

 This is Tassy's pool seal which she has at our house, ready for the pool.  Xander insisted that it was an aeroplane.  When I told him it was a seal he rode it like a horse!

 Then we took it into the pool and Alicia showed him what you do with it.  He thought it was wonderful to have mum on it.

THE LAST DAYS OF SUMMER.....ALBEIT AUTUMN

Yvette, Dave and Tassy visited last weekend and brought with them their Chinese exchange student, Angel.  We took them to the little beach beside the breakwall of the Harbour in Wollongong where the waves are nice and gentle.  Tassy and Angel enjoyed their swim under Dave's supervision.

 When Tassy and Angel saw the Continental Pool they wanted to give it a go.  The pools are refreshed by the ocean but are all concrete.  They had a great time.

 This week Alicia, Xander and Venice visited with us and as the temps were around 30c we went to the little beach in the Harbour again.  Venice slept in the shade of the umbrella until the wind caught the umbrella and hoisted it off its pole.

 Xander loved chasing the seagulls when Grandpa and Alicia walked with him up to La Vendi to buy some gelato.

 Xander and I had fun in the water.

 It was fun to dig in the sand and build sandcastles and play with Granny and Grandpa's tip truck.

SOME RECENT CRAFT WORK

 These are a few things I have recently made for Venice.  The little 8ply cardi I knitted before she was born.  The pattern had grub roses (my specialty) embroidered within little holey circlels either side of the button fronts.  But Alicia chose to have little red bows in the circles instead.  The gorgeous toy bag and pink bib are made out of beautiful fairytale fabric.  Have you ever bought a small piece of fabric and then found a million uses for it and wished you had bought a metre at least?  Well this is the fabric.  And I can't remember where I bought it.  The strawberry bib was made from scraps and I love it.
The little Mary Jane bootees are made in knitting cotton.

 Alicia wanted some handtowel bibs for Xander.  I bought a collection of 5 black and white thick thirsty tea towels in Target and made him two bibs, and two kitchen handtowels for Alicia.  I just LOVE the black and white and have decided to sew some for my sale.  I had vintage glamorous buttons on them too, to finish the look.

For Jaimeson I made a knit fabric sleeping bag and three handtowel bibs now he is learning to feed himself.  One bib has a strip of fantastic construction print across the bottom.

 Because Charlotte loves owls I bought her this owl apron panel in Spotlight.  It was with their Christmas fabrics but apart from being red and green it really had no Christmassy thing about it.  So I didn't crack my neck to get it done by Christmas and so just made it up now.  Panel aren't a great idea as they are often printed slightly crooked and fail to line up their appropriate pieces.  I lined it all in lime green poly pop so it would be a bit thicker and more serviceable.

 I have had this Easter Egg print in my stash for about 20 years.  I think I bought it to make something for Charlotte.  This year I finally decided to sew an Easter skirt for Sienna out of it.  She can wear it to pre-school.  After the fabric has been in my cupboard for so long I decided the cost of the skirt was nil.!!!!
I also made Fliss a moose handtowel out of fabric I bought in Alaska to make my own souvenirs.  Fliss and Caro and I love moose.  I also made one which Fliss gave Caro for Christmas.  Caro, who is Canadian, said she loves using it and says to Tessa, her daughter, "Go wipe your hands on the Moose".

 Fliss also bought this gorgeous construction fabric and some co-ordinating yellow for me to make her some toy bags which she can give away as gifts.  Cooper will keep one toy bag for his Lego constructions.
I used some vintage rikrak which belonged to my Mum.  It still had it's price tag on the card....43c..FOR A WHOLE CARD OF RIK RAK IN WOOLWORTHS!!!!

And finally.  I had this green make up purse sitting on my sewing desk for 6 months and finally decided to sew it up and I have sold it already!!!!  The car and caravan print are car tissue packets for keeping in the door of your car or in the glove box.  I am also giving one to Jeff for his car door as I already have a batik moose print tissue holder in my car door.

MY CHRISTMAS PLACEMATS

I bought this gorgeous pack of Moda Christmas fabrics several years ago at a Stitches and Craft Show but didn't get around to sewing them into placemats until about 3 years ago, only to discover I didn't have enough fabric to back all four mats, only two.  I looked every year for something to go with the fabrics but couldn't find anything and then I would just forget about them again.  Last Christmas I was determined to finish them and use them.  I found two fabrics that went really well with the others and finally sewed them up.
I am thrilled with them.  I love the little bit of crochet lace I put onto them as well.

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CLIFF RICHARD AT THE OPERA HOUSE     ON THE 11TH FEBRUARY

 MY BURNT GARDEN
In January we one very hot day with temperatures up in the 40's Celsius with a hot wind.  My roses were just burnt on the bushes. 

 I had never seen these pots blown over by wind before.

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My bird's nest fern looked like it had been blow torched.

The candles on my outdoor candelabra melted.
And my Begonia was just fried.