Holiday week 1 day 4 - Patchwork & Thrift shops in the hills

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