A night to remember...

Here in Australia almost every female I know is preparing for a night in front of the television to 'attend' the wedding of Prince William and his Kate...

Blossom and I have been chatting about it all day, wondering about the dress, the cake, *the* kiss! It's so very exciting and takes me back 30 years to Diana's wedding to Prince Charles - I was glued to my chair, totally besotted with the pomp and ceremony of a royal wedding. Nothing has changed, I am as excited now as I was then. 

May God bless their marriage and bring them much joy, many children, and hearts to help all those they can.

The weather has cooled considerably now - a lovely 27C most days, which is perfect stitching weather - so I have spent some time cutting up 148, 2 1/2 inch squares to assemble, finally, my new quilt design. 

 

All the stitched and appliqued blocks have been completed for over 4 months, but I just wasn't sure about the final quilt layout until yesterday. Simple, but the blocks are the star of the quilt so this design will give them centre stage. 

In between Home-Ec classes next week I'll be able to bring all the blocks and the piecing together to hopefully make something truly pretty you'll love as much as I do. After all this time I am thrilled to see the end in sight. :-)

~~~~~

I'm doing well with block 2 of that 18 month old BOM I told you about HERE. This block is the 50's kitchen scene...

One last thing that has taken my sewing time is a new design for winter; something with a bit of class...

What are you working on? Something old or something new? 

I hope you enjoy watching the Royal Wedding tonight! I'll keep my hand stitching close by...

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

STITCH Giveaway winner, we're back from our trip, and another giveaway to celebrate 1400+ followers!!!

Wow - wasn't that a loooong blog post heading??!! LOL!!

Thanks for all those wonderful hugs and support you sent me over my first US published design! I felt every one. Now to reveal the STITCH magazine giveaway winner, and it's Tracee from Quilt Kitty!!

Tracee said, "Life doesn't stand still with Mr E around Jenny - it roars by. Sounds like you make a great team. Congratulations on being published in Stitch, great project, love it. Tracee xx" 

How true, Tracee! Mr E should have wheels instead of feet 'cause he's rarely walking these days! :-)

Just email me your home address and I'll have the magazine off to you this week.

~~~~~

Next big news is that we're back from Cooktown, safe and sound, but our b'hinds sure were numb after the 900 klm ride up there on Friday, and then the 900 klm ride home on Sunday. 

The joyous thing about travelling all day on Good Friday and Easter Sunday was that I had around 20 good hours of prayer time and the Lord showed me so much about my life, my loves, and what is most important to Him. What a gift on top of everything else He has given us! He got me all to Himself and wasted not a precious moment. :-)

Leaving home at 5.30am on Friday, we rode the back way after passing through Ingham, Cardwell, Tully and Innisfail. I wish I could show you photos of the pretty town of Millaa Millaa, but when you are pillion and you're riding along tightly curved country roads there is nowhere to stop. I did manage to catch a pic of Mr E outside the Big Crab at Cardwell where we'd stopped for breakfast...

After we got to Innisfail we veered north-west up through the Atherton Tableland - glorious country! - and decided we'd be back for a weekend to have a better look around and enjoy those country corners once more.

Further north we rode, and as we got higher up the mountain range there were numerous Lookouts for stops, and also to meet up with fellow Ulyssians also on the way to Cooktown. Matt and Jenny are from Mission Beach (ground zero of Cyclone Yasi) and were staying just outside Cooktown, but more about that later...

I love taking pics of Mr E and 'Camel' (yep, that's what he's named our red bike!...

We arrived in Cooktown at 5pm, weary and hungry. It is a very pretty town, but tiny, and if you don't like to fish (we don't) then you will quickly run out of things to do. There was only one place open for dinner on Friday night - the local fish'n'chip shop. We feasted on freshly caught Barramundi, grilled with lemon over rice. Superb!

Friday night we met the other members of the Ulysses Club who were staying at the Caravan Park. Travelling stories and introductions all round, then a few quiet drinks and nibblies before everyone headed off to bed around 9.30. 

Early the next morning Mr E and I were off riding before the others were awake. We left Cooktown and headed south for about 20 klms along the highway, then off on a dirt road for 6 klms to a pretty river hideaway, The Lions Den. This was where Matt & Jenny were camping with the Ulyssians from Cairns. Mr E thought he'd tame the lion...

...but they're a pretty unfriendly bunch before 9am....

 ...so we did the right thing and waited till everyone was awake and smiling. It was well worth it because this is such a pretty hideaway!

 

 

You can camp by the river for $10 a night, but if you like sturdier accomodation there are treetop lodges covered in mosquito netting. 

Back on the road around 10, we headed back to Cooktown for the Saturday morning markets. It's fiercely hot in the sun, but under the trees or shade the temperature drops by a good 8C and the breeze is fresh and cool. There were only 8 market stalls and they were all gathered under the trees...

We enjoyed Silverside, chips and salad at the RSL for lunch, then back to the Caravan Park for a good look at everyone else's bikes, followed by a long afternoon siesta. Saturday night we again sat around the camping area with the Ulyssians, but with the wind building up and bringing down some not-so-well-positioned tarps and tents, we called it a night around 9 and headed for bed once more.

The forecast for Monday was rain all the way down the coast and 30 knot winds, so we decided to lose a night in Cooktown and make our way home in the dry - but we still had 30 knot winds all the way. In one 30 klm stretch of road we had 90 tight corners, and Mr E lost some serious leather off his boots because we were way over on our sides as one turn instantly became another before we could catch our breath, and the wind was relentless the entire time. Talk about living life on the edge! I think that was the most exhilirating 30 minutes of my entire life! Mr E is a wonderful rider and I wasn't scared about those cliffs at all, even if I had to look the other way to avoid being faced with the sheer drops into rainforest every second turn. LOL!!

We had left Cooktown at 9am, and arrived home in Charters Towers at 9.30pm...what a ride. Can't wait to to do it all again next school term break!

~~~~~

I didn't get a single stitch sewn during the time in Cooktown, but when we got home I decided it was time to work on a UFO BOM from 2009! I am still on the first block after 18 months! Shame on me. 

I finally finished block 1 on Tuesday afternoon, and now have only 18 blocks to go - thankfully they are all much smaller than the first block! This BOM is by Robyn Allen-Waters and is called "The Sewing Circle". It has 50's inspired stitcheries in each block, and gorgeous ceramic buttons to accent certain features in each scene. I'll be using the last of my 'Aunt Grace Circle of Friends' fabric for the sashing once the blocks are all done...hopefully by the end of 2011!

 

 

~~~~~

Now to the celebratory giveaway!!!

1404 followers as of today!! \o/ How absolutely blessed I am to have such a loyal following, and to do something special in return I have decided that this giveaway will be for my original Retro Apron and (1) Tea Towel set from STITCH magazine!  If you don't mind, I'll keep one of the tea towels as a my own memento. :-)

 

To be in the draw for this giveaway you will need to leave a comment on this blog post only. That is for 1 entry.

For a second entry become a follower and leave one more comment to let me know you've done so (or of you are already a follower you can leave a 2nd comment and tell me). 

If you blog about the giveaway you can leave a 3rd entry comment!! 

I will draw the winner on Saturday 30th April. Please make sure you leave your email address if you haven't got a blog link for me to find you, or your entry will be invalid.

~~~~~

Now...must get the house back in order before I'm due back in Home Ec next week...and before Mr E carries me away again on the bike. ;-)

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

Can you believe we're off AGAIN!?

My husband has been bitten by the touring bug. It's a big bite and might be years (many years he tells me!) before it eases it's hold on him!

The day began slow with some recipe planning in bed, a relaxed coffee with a new cook book to peruse, and THEN, Mr E announces that we are leaving at 5am tomorrow morning for Cooktown! This will be an 800 klm ride tomorrow - four days and three nights at the very top of the state, even more tropic than we are already. That's my life with Mr E - unpredictable, exciting, taking life by the seat of your pants!

I have done the supermarket run to feed the kids while we're gone, ("Again! You two are going away AGAIN??!" - can you hear my Blossom in her incredulous tone??), caught up on every skeric of washing I can find, organised the menu for the teens, and am now about to start packing. 

This time we're travelling (hopefully) with the Townsville Ulysses Club. Mr E joined up on line this morning, but until he has a membership number I, as his pillion-riding spouse, cannot join. Prayers being sent urgently for them to make contact before long with that very important number. If not, then we'll still ride 'by' them but have to amuse ourseles whilst in Cooktown till Monday. 

While we wait for news Mr E has been polishing our two Honda cousins....and photographing them for the family tree. ;-)

Now, it is 30C here today but Mr E is SO acclimatised to the tropics that he's decided jeans and a long sleeve shirt are needed in these 'cooler' days. Oh pleeeeease???!!!

~~~~~

In the meantime, here I am sitting under 2 fans on full, and wanting to show you all the goodies the mailman brought me!

My very sweet and beautiful friend Synnoeve sent me these gorgeous heart mug rugs and a Tilda stitchery pack as a belated birthday gift (perfect timing because I'll take the Tilda stitchery away with me tomorrow)...

It should look something like this when it's finished...how cute!

Another special friend also sent me a parcel, and this one is very dear to me because I was the highest bidder in Allie's auction to raise funds for Japan. I have loved this wallhanging of Allie's from the moment I laid eyes on it, but never made it myself because I thought it was 'perfect as is'. Now it hangs here in my dining room, signed by my dear Allie-friend...

 

Allie also popped in some extra cuteness. These super retro buttons, and a little elephant charm!

I know what you're thinking...I am spoiled indeed to have friends like Allie and Synnoeve. :-)

~~~~~

Now the last parcel from the mailman was something of my own being returned - from STITCH Magazine in the USA! 

 

 

 

I love STITCH, so was tickled pink that they wanted to publish one of my designs for their Summer Issue! 

The pattern set makes an apron and matching set of tea towels - very bright and summery indeed! 

STITCH is not easy to come across in Australia, so I am going to have a little giveaway for my Aussie friends only.  Just leave a comment on this blog post and when I get back from Cooktown I'll have Mr Random Generator draw a winner for a copy of this magazine! 

( My talented Aussie friend Lisa also graces the pages of this issue with a number of wonderful projects, so it's definitely exciting for Australian design! She is a regular contributor who always manages to make such clever projects!)

I'm sorry to those who are international, but just this once I'd like to keep it in Australia.

However, if you look over at my followers widget at the moment you will see it sitting on 1,394. Once it hits 1400 I will have another giveaway, and this one will be open to everyone! Keep watching that total....

Have a Blessed and Holy Easter! See you next week!

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

From me to you - two freebies!

Thank you for all your love and hugs over the closing down of the Gum Tree Designers. Time heals all things, even dreams that don't come completely to fruition, and from today it is time for me to look forward and embrace the doors that open in the future. I will have time to play once more, and I intend for that play to be exciting for myself and for you!

Many Gum Tree followers were concerned that our BOM, "Things We Love" would not be finished, so most of us girls have decided to give you our remaining blocks to download and stitch up. You already received my first block in February and today I am sharing with you my 2nd block for "Things We Love"...

~ a bowl of blooms~

 

 

Fee and I are the only Gum Tree girls who were stitching all the blocks for the quilt so keep checking on us over time to see how our quilts finish up. I'm so pleased that I will have this reminder of the group. :-)

You can download ~a bowl of blooms~ HERE, and if you missed my first block, ~a happy home~, you can download it HERE.

Dawn is sharing her blocks right now, so hop over and download her cuties. Vicki will have hers up later in the week too, and keep checking on Fee because I know she intends sharing her second block as well. 

~~~~~

Remember that I had my Morning Glory Tea Cosy published in Australian Homespun magazine last month? Well, this month's issue is at the newstand and it features my matching Morning Glory Tea Cupboard!

 

 

(By the way, that gorgeous quilt on the cover is Lisa's design so this is definitely a wonderful issue!)

I promised you that once this second part of my set was published I'd have a freebie for you to complete the set, so today I have the pattern for my matching set of coasters that you can download!

Morning Glory Coaster Set is a free download HERE.

~~~~~

Once I started on the Morning Glory set a year ago (there is a looooong time between the design being finished and having it appear in print) I got carried away because I loved the design so much. Another three items were made but this time for use as a coffee set - a tablecloth, French Press cover, and a small table mat. I used different fabrics and added some beading....

 

 

 

They have all been hidden away for most of this last year, but now they are in the light of day again and able to be used. I am quite excited about that!! :-)

Well, I have a family to feed and some plants to repot so I'll see if my other skills allow us a good meal and some lush blooms. Fingers crossed! :-)

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

The April Road Trip...

I am back from 5 days away with my beloved. 

We never had a proper honeymoon in 1991, so this was to be 'the honeymoon we never got to have'. 

Wednesday morning and the bike is fully loaded, so a quick photo with Sophie and we were off...

First stop was two hours later at Belyando Crossing, and a lesson learned - make sure you take every toilet stop you can get on a long trip!

 This was the only town in almost 4 hours of riding, and it didn't have fuel for the bike. Lucky we have a big tank as this was the view for a very long time between stops (actually this was the view for most of our 5 days on the road)...

 First night we stopped at Emerald in this little cabin...

...and the next day we headed off to Gayndah...

 ...via Mt Zamia...

 ...and Mundubbera..

Each morning we were on the road by 7.30 -8am and found we couldn't eat anything that early so our regular breakfast was Scotch Finger biscuits and cool drinks about 10am.

Leaving our tropical home behind we had to adjust to cool nights and foggy mornings. This was especially noticeable on the morning of Day 3 as we prepared to leave Gayndah.

 On the way out of town we stopped to see the Big Orange...

...before heading to Childers a couple of hours later for our coffee break. The scenery around there was gorgeous but as we were riding at the time I couldn't get a photo. If we could find work teaching there for Mr E we would seriously consider the move!

Later in the day we arrived at Bundaberg and stopped to buy soft drinks at the Bundy Rum Distillery. They make the best ginger beer and sarsparilla. A passerby kindly took a photo of us together by the Watermark. This is a limited rum edition (7000 bottles) released to raise funds for the Queensland Flood Appeal, hence the name 'Watermark'.

After Bundaberg we stayed on the National Highway, so were able to regularly stop at Driver Reviver for coffee and bikies. They are an amazing organisation, setting up free coffee/tea stalls in remote areas of the highway for drivers to rest a while, keeping everyone safer on the roads by reducing fatigue. You also meet a lot of interesting people there from all over the country!

 

The night of Day 3 we stayed at The Caves, outside Rockhampton. We loved it so much that we are planning a return trip. but next time we'll stay a few days and really enjoy all it has to offer. 

We had a secluded cabin in the bush...

...with lots of guests dropping by to say hello!

 

After another day of riding the highway we arrived in Airlie Beach on Night 4 and collapsed in our little cabin with Iced Teas and more Scotch Finger biscuits....

...before heading off for pizza in the very-youth-oriented beach town.

Our last day on the road and the first stop was Bowen for a coffee and a photo of the Big Mango!

An hour later we were just passed Ayr and made a surprise visit to Wendy and Joe's for a quick catch-up cuppa before the last leg of our journey home. They are a gorgeous couple and Mr Joe is a 'superb' cook! As soon as we checked out Wendy's knee surgery Joe had the pan on and was frying up bacon and eggs to feed us - this was the best meal over the whole 5 days of riding! Thanks Joe and Wendy!! (Silly me forgot to take a photo!)

Two hours later and we drove through our front gate with two side panniers filled with dirty washing, and the biggest smiles. This was the best belated homeymoon ever!

The only downside of the whole trip was that I started out with a throat infection the night before we left, and by the time we arrived home last night I had a chest infection and head cold as well! But I didn't let it spoil our trip. I was wrapped up warm and had a scarf around my neck all the time we rode. 

The kids survived at home alone, and though my heart was torn over the demise of the Gum Tree Designers the day before we left, I had to keep my heart focused on my sweet husband and deal with everything else once we got home.

So, bear with me, and I'll share where to from here in my next post.

For now, I need good home cooking and some serious sleep. :-)

Lotsa love and hugs,

Jenny

xxx

PS: For the girls who warned me about 'helmet hair'...you were right. It's ghastly. LOL!!