IT'S A FROSTY MORNING IN BEEAC....

and the spiders have been out in the freezing cold spinning their beautiful webs on everything they can find.

Click on this photo and you will be able to see that they have spun webs on the fence posts and the wire.

The tall dry grass if full of spiderwebs too. It is just an amazing site the paddocks are full of spiderwebs. And I am not wanting to go out in the cold to let the chooks out and help with the calves, yet these silly spiders have been out spinning their magic overnight in freezing conditions.

THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT AUTUMN....

One of the things I love about Autumn is the beautiful shades of those Autumn turning leaves.
This tree is in our front yard, and I could not resist taking a photo of it the other day. With Tuesday being the last day of Autumn, the trees will be having a little rest ready to produce those fresh leaves for next Autumn.

The other thing I love about Autumn is that the weather is turning a bit cooler and it is great to be able to sit infront of the fire with a quilt on your lap, weather it be one that is being quilted or one that has been completed and is just there to help keep the "old" knees warm.

Yesterday I vertured on down to Camperdown to the Clock Tower Quilteres Sit and Sew Day. It was a great day, with lots of lovely ladies sitting and stitching. The day raised funds for Cancer, which is a great cause that we don't mind giving to, especially when we can sit and stitch.

I took along a little dress that I am smocking at the moment. I will post a photo when it is complete. There were ladies knitting, quilting, stitching, and just chatting. Some of my girls from classes came along, and it was their first experience of a Sit and Sew days, and they cannot wait for the next one. They had such a great time.

I was also lucky enough to win a lovely basket of goodies, but sadly we broke into it before I could get a photo of it to put on here, but it had a lovely scarf, hand cream, choc coated lollies (yum that is whey we broke into it) fabric, cards and a couple of other lovely goodies, and all packed in a beautiful basket.

SQUARE DANCE QUILT TOP COMPLETE....

and now it goes in the pile of quilts to be quilted. This one will be handquilted with pearle thread. I know how I am going to quilt it, and have the thread chosen already. Just have to finishe quilting another quilt first.

This is a sneak peak at the border of the quilt. Maybe some buttons could be happening too, will have to wait and see at the end.

And a little peak at the square dance in the border.

CREATING COUNTRY THREADS, VOL 11 No. 11

Creating Country Threads, Vo. 11 No. 11 on sale very soon as I received my copy in the mail on Friday. Note, the bag on the front cover, designed by me.

Here it is close up. I have called this bag Ada's Bag after my Nana.

And, yes, these are my placemats and table runner too. How special, two projects in the one magazine.

I'VE BEEN SQUARE DANCING AGAIN......

Well, I am betting closer to the end of the "Square Dance". All I have to do is put the border on now, and the top will be done. Then it goes in the queue to be quilted. I can see some quilting happening with Pearle Thread for this one, so will take a little longer than doing it on the machine. And by the way, sorry about the creases in the pic, but I am heading off to work and I didn't have time to give it a quick press. Just wanted to get it on her for you to see. Can't wait to get it finished now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day -- for the top that is. I gues if I hand quilt it, it will give me plenty of time to get the pattern written up whilst I am getting it finished off.

KNITTING WITH NORO

This is my latest knitting project. I am so loving knitting this scarf. It is knitted in "NORO" yarn, which is a Japanese yarn. It is 45% Silk, 45% Kid Mohair and 10% Lamb's Wool. The colours are just beautiful, and it is knitting up so beautifully.

I am knitting this scarf with wooden knitting needles. A couple of years ago, when on a Retreat in Warrnambool I called into Spotlight on the way home, and they had these wooden knitting needles for $1.00 a pair. One of the other girls that was on Retreat too, and who happens to do a lot of knitting, said how nice they were to knit with, so I bought home a couple of pairs, for a rainy day. I must say, I was a little bit of a "Doubting Thomas" as to how they would be to knit with, but they are absolutely amazing. Thanks Leanne for your tip!!!!!

PAST TIMES....................

Some years ago, a friend of mine purchased this kit for me. It is called "Past Times" and is designed by Lynne Wilson from Threads of Time in Bowral. Infact I rang Helen this morning and told her that I had finally made this quilt top up, and I stated that it has probably been in the cupboard for about 5 years. (The funny thing is, Helen cannot remember buying it for me, but she did.) She tells me this morning that it would be at least that long, as I remember she bought it for me when a member of her family was unwell and that is coming up 7 years ago. My how time flies.

Anyway, what prompted me to get this quilt top made, was one of my beginners, well she was a beginner in August last year when she came to my beginners class and made her first quilt, but has now made, well I don't know how many quilts, I have lost count, came along to my sit and sew classes one night with the same quilt in a kit, but different colour ways.

Here is Julie's quilt in totally different colours and my, how different they look. The challenge for me was to get my quilt top made so that I could take it and show the girls how different the same quilt can look made up in different fabrics. I am sure that Julie's will actually be finished before mine, as she will have hers professionally quilted, and I will be quilting my own. So, when I get that done I will post a photo of it quilted.

This is the second pattern that Julie has made up that I have had the pattern in the cupboard for some time. The other pattern has only been in the cupboard for about four years I think, and it is only a pattern, not a kit, so I will have to get that one out too and get into my stash and find some fabrics and get it made up.

HAIRSPRAY

Yesterday my friend Heather and I headed off to Melbourne to see the final show of Hairspray. It was the final show in Melbourne and we had a great day. If you haven't seen it, then get yourself to Sydney when it starts up there, because it is fantastic. The gorgeous dresses and skirts, and the great colour of the guys suits. I can see a patchwork quilt coming up from one scene.