Embroidery Cartoons

I don't know what happened over a week ago, but I hadn't posted this train picture then.  While on mini holiday last weekend I managed to start the super boy picture too.  The train one took ages with all the little bits.  I am quite enjoying them.  Almost half way through I think.  

13/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year.  

Boy I am struggling with this project!   But here we are...

BJ - a selfie!  

DJ - just wants to be with Dad working in the garden any time he is out there.  & looking more & more grown up!  awwww....

Linking with the project...

Weekend - Sunday

Our mini holiday continues...

Sunday morning started with finding a rock that looked like Australia.  BJ wanted a picture.  

Another walk.  Very rugged up this time.  It was freezing.  The boys needed the mittens on that's for sure!

Some history of the area with the home of Gustav Weindorfer.  It's now a museum type of thing with some rooms set up that you can press a button & get a commentary on.  It's amazing to think of the life they would have had there 100 years ago.  In the middle of the bush with a few days walk or horse travel to get any where remotely populated.   

Sunday's view of the mountain.  Like I said, we were lucky on Saturday to get the view we had.  It doesn't take much for the conditions to change out here so you need to go with so many things to battle all weathers.  (it's actually behind the green hills that you can see, but cloud cover was very low) 

I was so excited that we saw one wombat.  These are my favourites.  We saw lots of evidence of them in the form of square poo.  Yep, it's known as square!  lol   I love wombats.  So cute.  

Another walk & we found three tunnels along the way all child height but full of murals of all the wildlife, flora, birds, everything that is special in the area.  They are really cool.  The boys loved finding them.  

These were the only Tassie Devils we saw, in the picture.  That's fine by me.  They aren't friendly or pretty things!  

Checking out a waterfall from the bridge!

A lesson of discovery in another tunnel of birds, trees & river life.  They are all labeled with names of things too which is cool.  

BJ made a book at school recently about the platypus so I thought we needed this one.  

After those freezing walks out in the rainforests we stopped at the visitors information centre for a warming coffee.  Much needed that's for sure.  Then a drive home.  Why is it that the drive home seems shorter than the one to where you are headed?  That was fortunate though as the little one was car sick.   Lots of winding roads & a daddy who was just flying about them really.  Much more of that & there would have been 3 sick passengers but luckily he took it a little more calmly for the rest.  Home again & unpacking & resting.  Holidays aren't necessarily restful are they!  But it was fun & the boys loved it (expect for the sleeping in a strange place bit!)  

Weekend - Saturday

ROAD TRIP

Prepared for anything.

More driving.

Following the map...

Gorgeous wildlife begins...

We were lucky to have a clear view.  

Playground at the cabin accommodation was a hit.  A surprise to find it on our way animal hunting.

So many pademelons about the cabins.

Going on a night walk to hunt for more animals.  Well protected from the cold.

Lots of wallabies too!

Stay tuned for tomorrow & some pictures from Sunday if you can bear it.  

12/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year. 

BJ - Loving life on a mini holiday. 

DJ - You better be quick cos I'm outta here!

linking up with the 52 project.

Me Time

Just had a bit of time to play with some crochet on Monday.  It felt good.  After the past days of hand stitching binding I was really waiting for the chance to just sit & do a little bit of something I wanted too rather than because I had to.  

This is the current square in the CAL that I run on Ravelry.  It's Yarn Clouds.  One of my favourite squares to make.  

Quilt Finish

This is the Stack & Slash quilt that I did the top of in January!  

I finally finished it.  I figured it was a good one to give away as a gift so I had to get a move on.  I had to finish the school fair craft things & get on to this during the week.  It didn't take long really, I just needed to make time.  So one day was getting the quilt back together & basting.  Next day was quilting.  Just ditch quilting in the squares which is quite enough for this one.  The design is in the mixed up fabric squares I think. The last few days I was finishing off the binding.  I got that done only 3 hours before going out for tea & giving it away!  Yay!  It came up really well though.  I am quite pleased with it.  Not bad for some stuff that I had in the cupboard that I wasn't sure what I would use for.  Quite a nice gift too I think.  I am really just excited it's finished & found a nice home.  Plus I still get to see it!  

11/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year.  

BJ - so tired after a late night.  Swimming early this morning.  Went home & got dressed - into his Mario costume.  Wore it all day until we went out.  

DJ - out for tea & enjoying his little treat of lemonade.  

Linking up with Meghan.  

Quiet Day

Yesterday I did manage to get a relaxing afternoon in.  Although it was cloudy & was meant to rain (which would have been much loved!) we did get time to sit & play, hang out on the deck & even barbeque tea & eat outside.  It was a beautiful afternoon.  

So I managed to get this next picture stitched.  It's only 2 frames so it didn't take long & there isn't much in each so that was a nice change after the previous very detailed pictures.  

I have also been experimenting with different things behind my stitching.  You know, I have a dislike of stitching that you can see the thread running around the back.  Dislike it very much.  So I have always used something.  I have had the chance to try a couple of different things in the back though that I sell at work.   

Quilt lite which is a clothy type of thing.  Not really sure what to call it.  It is probably the best one to hide threads in back from appearing in the front.  

Iron on interfacing is one I have used mostly.  It's fine.  Keeps my fabric nice & taut which I don't like especially.  

Iron on Weave-line or something.  Can't remember right now.  lol   I quite like it.  It's more like a fabric that irons on as opposed to the iron on interfacing that is more papery.  

I have experimented with each now & quite like the quilt-lite.  As long as it is as big as the fabric & clamps in your hoop tightly it stitches in nicely without it pulling the finished picture tight as it did with my first one.  I think each has it's place though & depending on what you are finishing your stitching in will determine what I use from now on!  

Had to post this out-take from yesterdays photos.  Trying to get a good shot of BJ yesterday was tricky when I had photo-bomber popping up regularly!  lol  

10/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year.  

BJ - concentrating so hard on everything he does.  

DJ - cheeky face always.  

Last but not least, my girl.  

Juneau is 8 today!  Happy Birthday my sweet, devoted furry one!  

Linking up with the 52 project.  

Things I'm Loving

Well a day late again & I haven't blogged all week!  Haven't had much to say again!  But I've been flat out.  Sewing things for the school fair still.  Days are consumed with all sorts of things.  But fair is nearly here.  I am almost done with stuff, as long as the craft stall person in charge stops giving me stuff!  lol  OK, she is a friend & she is doing such a lot herself so I don't feel like I can say too much.  But I do have lots of other stuff going on as well that needs my attention.  

So I have had a little bit of time of an evening to work on my latest stitchery.  I am enjoying these.  This one is not a favourite but I guess I can't love them all.  It feels like it has taken forever this one.  But I was determined to get it done today so I had an enjoyable time sitting out on the deck watching DJ play with his water boats etc, getting soaked.  All good.  Is just a lovely day we sure can't complain.  

I had to get it finished in day light so I could trace out the next couple.  I do that with the pieces all stuck to the sliding doors.  Nothing like a giant lightbox!  But boy it was hot standing directly in the sun like that.  I had drips going down my back.  So I am pleased I can get on with the next one of those!  

Also loving new yarn!  Have you used Cascade anything??? 

We just got 3 varieties of Cascade in at work this week!  Rather exciting for me.  The yarn department is kind of my baby!  lol  These 2 skeins were gifts in the huge order & very exciting as I was allowed to take them home.  These aren't the ones we sell, but samples I guess for us to see.  

One thing I must say for it is that I love that although it has come all the way from the states, it is a really well priced yarn.  Can't wait to try some of the others.  

The 2 boys & I have had a really nice day at home which has been good.  Stuart worked all day which rarely happens these day on a weekend.  So we chilled out, ate pancakes, played Lego & rested.  It was nice.  Such a great balanced day to recharge.  I love days like that.  

It's a long weekend!  Gotta love that!  Wonder if the good days continue!  

Linking up with Meghan.  

9/52

A portrait of my boys every week for a year.  

BJ.  I can see Baby You in this picture.  Yay!  

DJ.  Trying to get you un-terrified of swimming again.  Was going well, & suddenly nope, not happening.  We are lucky to have some private pool use to get him back in the water having fun.  This is a brief moment when he did.  Phew...  Little steps again from the start. 

Linking up with Jodi.  

Things I'm Loving

Cruising along into March already!  Oh dear.  Missed this one last week.  But I'm a back this week though a bit late.  Crazy week.  Not sure what I've done but it's busy always.  

One thing I was happy to be able to do was go & see BJ at his sports day.  I was working that day but it was fairly quiet so I got to escape for a little while.  I saw 2 races at least.  BJ did have his grandparents there watching all morning so that was good in case I didn't make it.  But it was nice that I could.  Oh & of course as things turn out, the boss was flat out in that short time I was out & then everyone must have seen I was back & kept away for the rest of the afternoon!  

I got to the park one morning with DJ which was good.  We took his bike so had a walk & then he got to swing for a while too.  Was a nice surprise to run into my sister in law too, so that was a good quick catch up.  A 2 yr old sitting on a bike saying "let's go" isn't helpful when you are having a chat but it took a few requests before we did go!  lol  

We had a beautiful first day of Autumn today.  It was actually warmer than yesterday, the last day of summer!  So nice!  This afternoon we snuck outside for a game of Jnr Skip Bo again.  BJ did manage to multi-task & was doing some drawing in his notebook at the same time.  He draws such a lot at the moment!   

We're all completely tired after the week that was.  That's not necessarily a bad thing but it will be nice to recharge tomorrow with a quiet day.   

Linking up with Meghan.