The benefits of having an unplanned holiday, is that you can change your days around to suit yourself. I spent most of Wednesday puddling around the house - so do not have any interesting photos to share.However,Today, Thursday I spent travelling around my local Hills area - The Dandenong Ranges are a unique beauty all of their own. 
Unfortunately it is not really safe to pull over on the sides of the roads, as there isn't really any space to stop, leap out and take a clear photo. I was back at Warburton at 10am, this is another photo of the Yarra River - out the back of the Patchwork Teahouse.... 
I spent a lovely hour or so in Warburton, browsing a couple of shops - and I picked up a lovely blue/green floral fat-q that will link the greens and the blues of my trees. I also found a couple of cross stitch magazines - hmmm useful methinks.Somewhere down the road - just out of Warburton was a little shop where I browsed and found only an old green & white damask tablecloth that called to me. It's probably been cut down from a longer tablecloth, but I'm thinking I'll hem it and put some stitchery on it to freshen it up for my jadeite accessoried dining room.9km down the road at 11:30, I called in again to Heart & Home Patchwork to pick up another fat-q - but for another project. A few doors down, I found a thrift shop, and no matter how hard I looked, there was nothing that leapt out at me - except a handfull of small plastic fruit.A few more km down the road, I found a couple of thrift shops in Wandin - but once again I couldn't find anything that would justify me picking it up - after all, I had to save my cash for the 3 or four patchwork shops I had yet to call at....What?? 2pm already??? no... where had the time gone? Duck into a hot bread shop at Seville - oo lookie! there's another thrift shop!. I found a Bucilla kit - missing the threads and needle for 50c - couldn't leave her behind..
Just out of WandinNorth, is lovely Warratina Lavender farm - with heavy black clouds hovering over the horizon, I called in to see a new online friend I've made in the past few weeks - I had a lovely hot chocolate and a chat with Dianne before heading off about 3pm...hmmm school mum traffic...AND the GPS was sending me somewhere completely off road.... I think here I found another cake shop at MtEvelyn, near another thrift shop, (boy I was having no luck here at all) but the lemon tart was lovely!
I lost the next Patchwork shop - will get the address next time rather than head off in the vague direction... So I turned around and thought I'd head towards another shop I went past on the previous Monday. I found Mrs Martin's Patchwork shop in Monbulk, just before she closed, after browsing yet another couple of thrift shops to no avail. However, I did pick up a dusty blue fat-q at Mrs Martin's - I'll head back there again - I like the country and stitchery look....
I beat the rain home, and was just in time to pick up Son #1 from his work.Phew!!! A long day of driving, but a lot of fun and giggles with a lot of shopkeepers.....Tomorrow - Dandenong Market!So here is where I am now at with my pile of tree fabrics.The bottom three were found at Pumpkin Patchwork in Frankston (on tuesday), Patchwork TeaHouse in Warburton and Mrs Martin's Patchwork shop in Monbulk - only another 5 to find before I can start cutting and piecing...
hmmmm I'll also have to source the background material too...I sense a trip to Spotlight tomorrow on the way home from the market...hehehehe
I had planned to crawl from op-shop to op-shop yesterday, on the way to meeting my girlfriend for lunch, but due to lack of available funds, shelved that idea. However, once we met up, we trolled the 6 or 7 (I forget - but there were enough to make my feet ache!). We had a lovely shiska something at a cafe - I remembered my camera only for the second half...there was a choice of beef or lamb..... but as there was no beef, it had to be lamb.. baaaa! 
It had some lovely salad and lots of jucy dressing...and I managed not to dribble all down the front of me. I also was a tad decadent with a serve of pecan pie and cream... I asked the cafe owner if I could take a picture of his pie after I'd eaten my serve....it was choc-full of all sorts of nuts...and dipping it into the cream....mmmmmmm
Let's see....what did I pick up to show you? I found these amber bowls and one small creamer to match. One bowl was in the 99c bargain bin, and the rest were on the shelf for $8 for 7 pieces...unfortunately, somebody had bought 2 pieces and left the rest behind...
I wonder - would it have been the sugarbowl and lid? I got the whole lot for $1 per piece as 2 of the 7 items were missing. That made a total of $6 for 5 bowls and a creamer. The bowls have 3 cute little feet and a solid handle. More yellow than amber, but still pretty enough. I might just keep the creamer though.I also picked up 3 tops, a purple camisole, a sparkly, glittery long sleeved t-shirt and a nice soft, rust coloured acrylic knit cardigan . all three of these will be great for office wear. I'll be able to team up the camisole with quite a few outfits. These cost a total of $10
Nearly forgot - found a great hand-made apron... It's in green and red - although it has a corncob fabric border, it does have a label saying it is made for Santa's Workshop. The best bit is the attached oven mits... perfect for me - I'm forever hunting for oven mits... and for $4 - a bargain!
I also picked up a new soup mug for hubby and a plaque about champagne for my dad (it's printed on shiny paper, so doesn't photograph as well.)Today I'm pottering about, planning my trip to the hills tomorrow..whoops...nearly forgot - I did pick up another fat 1/4 for my pine tree quilt. I'll show it with all the others that I'll pick up tomorrow. Apparently it's a new reproduction fabric, but it is pale sage blue with swirly brown 'twigs' through it. A nice contrast to all the dark green so far.I also may spend this afternoon preparing some stitched pieces for the visit to the framer at Dandenong Market at sparrow's fart on Friday!!!I promise to remember to take more photos tomorrow to share!!
A.N.Z.A.C. Day.A time to reflect an honour those who have served, currently serve, and those who will serve in our Armed Forces to protect our great Nation.It is not so much a time for rememberance - after all, November 11 is set aside each day to remember the fallen in all combat.No, today we honour our Diggers - particularly remembered are those who served at Gallipoli. It was our first conflict as a new Nation. Federation was barely 14years old. We, as a nation, had a new flag - which still serves us gallantly now. The Australian spirit and national character was forged upon that treacherous beach, where our boys fought and died - along with our Kiwi mates. Aussie soldiers fought at many other battlefields, but this one place has become the focus of commemoration by today's generation.
It is a time to show respect to those men and women who served in all conflicts and made this country the safe, open and free place that it is.
It is a time to show respect to those men and women who currently serve in our armed forces, putting themselves at risk to protect our country and others.
It is a time to show respect to the next generation of soldiers, for their desire to follow in their footsteps, no matter how hard the road.A.N.Z.A.C. Day - 25 April 2010LEST WE FORGET
I am on 2 weeks annual leave from work - and boy am I going to be busy - at least for the first week! I'm hoping to take lots and lots of photos when I am doing my daily trips out and about and hope to show you a bit of my world around me.Pyro is most unimpressed with having a camera stuck in his face when he's trying to have a comfortable snooze on my lap!
Once again I'm late with my TUSAL - for some reason or other I always seem to miss the date to post my TUSAL picture. Well here it is for April. 
The pale patch at the top is all from this weekend - I was determined to finish page 2 of Rosewood Manor's 'Inspiration'. Just before it got too late to see by natural light, I finished all the stitching on page 2. 
There's a little bit of overflow onto the surrounding pages, but whew!! I do like this chart, and it is extremely easy to follow, but what is getting to me, is the sheer volume of confetti stitching. I cannot carry the thread over the back, so each time I have to cut the floss short, stitch 1-5 stitches then discard the ort. This leads to a lot of thread sitting in the top of my TUSAL jar!!!I'm so glad that I took the previous photo...apart from knowing that I've finished the 2nd page, it still doesn't look like I've done much for all the hours put into it this weekend... There's been as much time spent selecting the floss and threading the needle as putting that same needle and floss through the fabric!The offer from my last post is still open - anybody willing to swap a dark green fat 1/4 for one of my shabby chic ones??? - Let me know!
Here is Dad and myself, in his front garden, he is so pleased with his present....he's going to enter it into the local show on my behalf....My Wip is Ginger & Spice - country house - 
Stitched on aida, using one colour - the depth is achieved by only 4 stitches: 2 strand x-stitch, 1 strand x-stitch, 1 strand 1/2-x, and backstitch. Some parts of the chart are a tad difficult to decipher, (back stitch along graph lines etc..), but it's all working out well.
Unfortunately it is not really safe to pull over on the sides of the roads, as there isn't really any space to stop, leap out and take a clear photo. I was back at Warburton at 10am, this is another photo of the Yarra River - out the back of the Patchwork Teahouse.... 
I spent a lovely hour or so in Warburton, browsing a couple of shops - and I picked up a lovely blue/green floral fat-q that will link the greens and the blues of my trees. I also found a couple of cross stitch magazines - hmmm useful methinks.
hmmmm I'll also have to source the background material too...I sense a trip to Spotlight tomorrow on the way home from the market...hehehehe
