A little blog catchup....

 My shortened version of  the Birdhouse pattern  "Willow brook" by Natalie Bird

I only needed a small wall hanging for this space at the end of the hall....

Of course the doll needed  refreshing as well so a new dress was in order.....

My new TV for the sewing room plus a new iron....

I do expect to spend more time in there so no excuses for being behind in my projects....

A very enjoyable lunch with Gav and Heather plus our Lizard friend just sitting between us on the logs.....

I'm also getting a wriggle on with the "Heartstrings" quilt.....

 also caught up with the "Sweet Treats" black work project I'm doing with a group of friends.....

A treat I made for the "Needle girls" myself, Sandi and Norreen....

A yummy Vanilla slice....

Well that's it for now......

Happy stitching....

Oh dear.....

 A quick apology to all for not replying to your comments.....

I haven't received any emails from my blog and the comment section on my blog didn't show any comments either... 

I have looked at the settings and hopefully I have solved the problem.....

I will wait and see.....

I hadn't changed anything since blogging ages ago so didn't bother to check ....

Very sorry ladies.....

Life can throw curve balls sometimes.....

 September 2020 our lovely Grandson Jake rang to say he had been diagnosed with 

Ewing Sarcoma which is a bone cancer, it was in his hip and very aggressive so life changed for him in a big way.....

He was only 24years old just starting out in life with his girlfriend Hollie....

Jake is on the right.....

The long journey of chemo treatments were started immediately ......

Many months of ups and downs for him with heaps of treatments loss of hair he kept his amazing up beat attitude and positivity that he would "smash" this thing as he put it.....

but of course the journey was very difficult, Hollie who just happens to be a surgical nurse in a children's hospital was a fantastic help for him.....

Christmas week he had a hip replacement so a very quiet time for him to recover....

he was always a very sporty person and his work was also physical so lots of changes for him in the future....

Christmas 2020 after his op....

We didn't get to see him very much over the months due to his low immunity and the worry of  the covid virus..... they took every precaution and Hollie was very strict which was very important for him.....He had many more chemo treatments after the op just to be sure......

The week before his diagnosis they had just signed a contract to build their first home together which gave them both something positive to look forward to....

So all after all that 2021 is looking sooooo wonderful for them.....

Jake has now no sign of the cancer but of course he will be monitored for quite a long time to come.....

Their home was finished and then we got these photos....

Jake has kept up his positivity during this time and we are so proud of him.....

One very strong young man.....

He has been soooo lucky to have a wonderful partner in Hollie she has been a rock and we all love her to bits....

We are just so excited for them.....

they have been through so much together and their future is looking bright.....

Lots of love from all the family ......

A truly good news ending I think.....

I went a bit quiet in blogging for a long time, it seemed to knock the wind out of me.....

Back to it now though......

Happy Stitching.....

Black work Project.....

Seems like a silly name for this when almost everyone uses colour but who am I to comment really being new to this type of stitching.....

I did get off to a good start.....

Took quite a while to get to this point.....

 I really need to get a move on as I don't want it to drag as there are so many sections to do.....

My progress so far....

This is the Garden layout from a free SAL by "The Steady Thread"

We  (Fiona, De, Inca and myself) a nice little group .....

 we are enjoying this project together.....

Well I'm off now as I had planned on do housework today but swapped it for blogging .....

good plan I think.....

Happy stitching....

Toowoomba retreat

 Retreat weekend with the Sunday Stitchers....

Lots of fun had by all especially me.....

So watch out this will be a photo overload.....

We met at the Quilt Craft shop for a little retail therapy

then on to lunch at "Emerge" for a fabulous lunch...

this restaurant is a charity place to help troubled youth find employment and to give them work experience and skills to find employment.....

I was very hungry and forgot to take a photo of my lunch.....

It was super delicious and I will be going there again sometime in the future....

Here is the group ready for lunch....

The girls getting stuck into their sewing....

Heaps of show and tell over the weekend....

Marilyn organised a secret project for us to make and it was lots of fun....

A very useful little bag....

Thanks Marilyn.... it was great.....

There is always one silly person....

Charity quilts from Fiona....

Our project board....

The Birthday girls....

Anita and Cheryl....

My shopping for the weekend....

Very restrained I think....

The last morning tea together just before the journey home...

Thanks for a fabulous weekend girls....

Lots of sewing, chatter and giggles.....

Happy Sewing.....

Lost my blogging mojo.....

 I had lost my mojo for blogging but without reading wonderful blogs my sewing mojo seemed to be struggling as well.....

So after a chat with a friend and a weekend retreat with lovely ladies doing great things I'm getting back in the swing.... I hope.....

Today I was able to get some sewing done.....

I'm working on a wall hanging for my hallway using the Willowbrook stitchery panel.....

A little sweet treat to help me along.....

That's it for now....