What if...?

Ever since my friend Kath, drafted up some templates using long hexagons with the central squares on point, and gave me a copy in 2011, I've been stitching away every now and then on projects using them.
The first project I made using Kath's pattern was in the 2011 Red and White Kris Kringle Swap organised by Jodie over at the Haby Goddess. Sadly, my swap buddy never sent an acknowledgement of whether she even got my parcel...but I do hope that she did.

Table centre made with long hexies with squares

Then this year, I got that 'hexie bug' again and used long hexagons to make a cushion for a swap. This time I didn't put the squares on point as I used some fabric that had squares of the 'Keep Calm...' series.

And then a little while later I got those 'sewing notions' fabrics out again and made a pin cushion for another swap...

In September this year I started another long hexie project...a Christmas runner. I haven't finished this yet but it was sitting on my table 'taunting' me as it sat there languishing,unfinished and unloved even...

Then I started my 'what if..?' conversation with my self...
What if, I arranged the hexagons so they formed a type of border? What shape would I have left inside that border? What if I stitched a Christmas design on cream/off-white fabric for that 'middle bit'? What if I chose just the one main colour for those border hexies?

When I sorted out the answers to those questions and a few more logistical issues, I got started on this new project with a renewed enthusiasm...I handstitched over a few days and the project came together quite quickly...and yet my runner project had completely stalled... :-/
The stitchery design I chose is one from  Michelle of Rag Tag Stitchin'. I knew that I would never be able to make her latest design in time for Christmas this year (maybe next year?), but I could stitch just a couple of the designs and incorporate them into gifts this year instead.

And this is the completed project; a mini quilt that I gave to Tatyana on Sunday as I was her Secret Santa.

Plus some fabric bunting that I also love to make...especially when I cut out lots of triangles when I first came out of hospital and had to take it easy. lol

And some fabric iron on labels that Blogger insists must be uploaded with the photo on its side...

Next year I plan to start using my long hexagons in some different layouts. There are quite a few different layouts I can try and maybe some more 'What if?' projects to come as well! :-)

Bloggers' Meet...

Last Sunday our bloggers' group here in SE Queensland, Stitchers' Inc, met for a Christmas celebration in the meeting room of the Garden City library.

There was a yummy lot of food...

And all these intriguing secret Santa parcels waiting there also...

We sat around the tables, chatting/eating/stitching/knitting...

And of course when this group gets together, there is lots of laughter!!!

If you look closely you will see some lovely bonbons which had our paper hats inside plus a fat eighth and some glass markers (earrings!! lol) We were spoiled by a number of ladies who had gifts like this for all of us. 

Then the time came for those gifts to be handed out. I noted that 'Santa' had lovely neat writing...
My parcel was 'squishy'...what could it be?

And this is what I found when I unwrapped the parcel; I was absolutely thrilled with my table topper and gorgeous needlecase. Inside the card I found that my Secret Santa was Marilyn and you can just see her in the photo below...she is wearing the blue top. Love love love my gifts!

In this photo Maree is holding 2 items that featured Michelle Ridgway embroidery designs; the needlecase that Marilyn made for me and the lovely fabric box that Debbie made for Maree.

Many of us have written a post about this wonderful get together. I have loved reading these other posts with their different photos etc, giving a great all round view of the afternoon.
Debbie, De, Cheryl, Noela, Lynda, Maree, Marilyn and Susan are just the few whose posts about Sunday I've read so far.
Next year this wonderful group will continue with a new name, 'Sunday Stitchers' and a new venue at Ormeau; very exciting 'stuff'! 

Back to Brunswick Part 2...

Each day I would go for a walk along the river bank and also around the park itself. The area is quite flat so it was perfect for me getting back into exercising.
Looking upstream...

A closer look at that peak in the distance...

Looking straight across the river from near our cabin...

Looking across the river and towards downstream...

Looking towards the mangroves...the birds love this area

 There was a crested pigeon walking around the river bank but the photo is a little blurry as he wouldn't stand still for me! lol

I took the next photo looking straight down at the river's edge. I was so amazed by how clear the water was. You can see the tiny fish...

Another shot from the river bank...this time looking towards the bridge

Now some scenes inside the park...

The sites in the middle of the photo belong to 'permanents' and I loved their little gardens; so many bromeliads!

A view of the grassed area behind one of the amenities blocks; a group of people had marked out a yellow rectangle earlier in the day and had played some sort of game

On Thursday afternoon, the manager of the park came around advising campers to secure any loose items because there was a storm on the way. I took this photo of the sky...

As it turned out, the storm did not arrive but we had some rain...

On Thursday night, DH and I went out to dinner with another friend of DH's who was also playing in the comp. This friend had been told by workmates of a good place to eat in Brunswick Heads...The Fat Belly Kaf, so that's where we went! This restaurant serves Mediterranean style dishes and the idea is to order a number of dishes to share...and we did. The food was delicious! DH's friend ordered Greek custard for dessert; the waiter warned him that it was a big serve...and it was! A dish 15cm square filled with the lightest custard...I don't normally eat desserts but I had 2 spoonfuls, as did DH, just to help Allan out! It wasn't very sweet which was a nice surprise... it was delicious. 

On Friday I had some visitors who came to lunch. Nanette, a fellow blogger and also a member of K4BN, along with her friend Christine, joined Mary and I for lunch. I had made a quiche ( with DH's help) at home which we had frozen and brought with us specifically for this lunch date and Mary cooked one of her special eggplant dishes.

Mary cooking on the little camp stove in their annexe

And Charleigh the dog also came over for lunch. Charleigh couldn't come up on to the veranda where we were lunching (park regulations) but she stayed happily on her lead snoozing under the hedge at the front of our cabin.

After lunch Nanette and I had some Show and Tell, but as we are both working on 'top secret' projects at the moment there wasn't  a lot I can show! lol

It was lovely to finally meet Nanette in person but as she said, because of her reading my blog posts she already knows lots about me and that is the nature of blogging...some great long distance friendships!

Back in Brunswick Heads...

Last week, DH and I spent 4 nights in Brunswick Heads while DH played in a golf competition. The farther south we drove from Brisbane, the more menacing were the clouds...

Our 'home away from home' was one of the very comfortable Starfish cabins in the Ferry Reserve Park...

I packed a number of craft projects to work on while we were away, but spent much of each day visiting my friend Mary, who was also staying in the park with her DH. Both of the men were playing in the golf comp. I would take my craft projects to their campsite but we would talk more than stitch or knit! lol  Mary would make lunch each day and I would make a platter of cheeses and fruit for our afternoon tea. Pretty nice way to continue my recuperation :-)

DH and I went for a little drive on the first afternoon to purchase some groceries at the shopping village at Ocean Shores.
I saw this collection point for the four legged creatures in the community...

Just near the entry to the supermarket was this container for donations of cat food for a shelter at Mullumbimby. 

 On the way back from the shopping expedition, we explored a few areas...

Just near Ocean Shores we saw a sign for a Lookout. We followed the road and ended up at Devine's Lookout. The Devine family used to run the ferry service across the Brunswick River in the days before the bridge. It was raining at the lookout so no photos but I found some photos at this site. As we were coming down the road from the lookout, I saw this interesting Art Deco house... and I just had to take a photo!

As we were heading back to Ferry Reserve Park we saw a well used track leading off to the left just before the bridge...it was a wildlife reserve...

You can see that there had been rain in this area as evidenced by those puddles.

The weather had been so threatening on the drive down but the 'boys' were able to have 3 full days of golf without rain...it just rained each night. It was so lovely to lie in bed and listen to the rain pattering on the roof...more about our stay in another post :-)

FNSI...

Last night I spent knitting while watching a couple of my favourite TV programs on Channel 2. That adds up to a great way to spend a Friday evening in my estimation! lol
In a post recently I talked about a lovely yarn that I had seen being crocheted by one of the 'regulars' at the Sit and Stitch nights at my local yarn shop. I tried to buy some about 6 months ago but there was none on the shelves but about 6 weeks ago I was able to buy 2 balls. It has the sweetest little sequins in the fine mohair yarn..

So last night I knitted a few more inches...

Thank you again to Wendy from Sugarlane Quilts for organising FNSI. Why not head over to her blog to use the links to visit other FNSI ers and admire all the lovely projects being worked on, all around the world?

Getting back into the swing of things...

It's 3 weeks tomorrow since my stay in hospital and in the last week my mojo has really come back and I've been sewing and knitting away...in between those naps of course!
Most of it is secret 'stuff' so just little glimpses for now...

 Some English paper piecing...

Some stitching...

Plastic bags with a few different sized hexagons plus papers to match...

Some triangular shaped pieces of fabric...

 Even more configurations made from sewing elongated hexies together...

Started a secret knitting project using this lovely yarn...it has sequins threaded on the mohair yarn...

Last week I laboriously cast on the 213 stitches for a chevron blanket, and then over 2 days set the pattern without too much pulling out...brain fog was starting to lift by then...

I bought this lovely pattern from Michelle but have realised that this project won't be finished for this Christmas. So I'm incorporating a couple of the stitchery designs into projects I'm making for swaps. And that has been fun.

By the time this scheduled post is published I will be staying in Brunswick Heads while DH plays a 3 day golf competition at 3 different golf courses in that part of NSW. I will be working on all these projects and enjoying the peace and serenity of the Ferry Reserve  Resort Park on the banks of the Brunswick River. Absolute bliss!

Red Food; Green Food...

In my job as a classroom teacher we would discuss with our classes, foods which were healthy versus foods that were not so healthy. Foods designated 'red' were usually not able to be sold in the school tuckshop but could be a 'once a term' treat such as a pizza day, ice cream or sausage sizzle. 'Green' foods were 'allowed' all the time. (Some foods were Amber too)
Well last week those terms came to mind as DH had a bit of both!
Last Wednesday night we went out to celebrate DsD2's husband's birthday. Karl loves carbs so we went to a Pizza and Pasta restaurant. DsD2 provided the birthday cake...

Now that is definitely a healthy cake!

 So that was Wednesday night...then on Saturday it was McHappy Day at McDonalds restaurants. One dollar from every Big Mac sold is set aside, raising money for all the Ronald McDonald houses in Australia. These houses provide accommodation close to the hospital for families of very ill children who have to come to the city for treatment.

 I have some friends (2 sisters) whose great niece/granddaughter is seriously ill and waiting for a heart transplant. The family had to go to Melbourne and while little Miss A is in hospital, her mum and dad and big sister are able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House there.
So naturally DH and I visited a local Maccas for lunch and ordered 2 Big Macs!

It was the least we could do!

Now more about that cake. As soon as I saw it, I said 'I saw that on Pinterest!' I've got quite a collection of ideas for healthy 'green' foods that I've pinned. Here is the link to my board.