Some time ago, our quilting group had a 20 x 20 inch challenge. All our faces have been on display in a local cafe. I got it back just recently. Here's how she finished up.
All finished and blinged up.
I think one of the funniest moments of doing this piece occurred when I went to one of the local fabric shops looking for a couple of other bits and pieces. I was showing one of the staff members who I chat to. A lady wandered up to the counter and looked at my piece and looked at me and casually said something along the lines of - "isn't it funny how people make themselves better looking in their art than they do in real life". Well, that can really deflate a girl's ego....and I had my face on and everything. There's a word for people like that.........
Okay, now my fingernails never ever look that good. If you do stuff with your hands, nails are never going to work, but in my imagining I have pretty pink nails. I do however, in spite of less than glamorous nails, wear rings on most fingers, (although one is missing presently. In one of those moments you see in cartoons, I went to pick it up, dropped it, where it then ricocheted off the side of a the bedside table and I heard it clink as it went down the ducted heating vent, from the top floor to the bottom, so when I can get somebody into the narrow under floor area, cuts will be made to the duct work and the "duct tape" will actually be put to the use it was designed for)......anyway, I wear big earrings and rings on my fingers although I stop at bells on my toes, and I have a head of large fluffy hair and some days I look pretty damn good for over 50! And, I do wear glasses when I sew even though I am already wearing contact lenses...
Back to the piece, here are some up close bits:
The hair has lots of my favourite things embroidered in. I made a few fabric beads to add to the over embellishment theme. The crown is from Embroidery Library and consists of scissors and spools of thread.
I have made a start on using the Nearly Tribal masks in a quilt. I did a bit of reading via Mr Google and it was suggested that African Quilts had lots of changes in design to confuse evil spirits. I am running with that theory - those pesky little evil spirits will be so confused on my quilt, they won't know in which direction to travel!
Here is a sneak peak.
I am now working on some leaves and 3D bits oh and beads, lots of beads. That would go without saying. I love the leopard print fabric, it is cotton but looks almost like suede. Norm is very happy with the quilt so far....and he will help with the keeping off of evil spirits.
We had another lovely week in Merimbula, so I have to add some photo's. The weather was just beautiful and I got to drive the boat a lot - I do like driving boats - don't park em so well, but I am getting better. My husband and I are almost on talking terms now when I have to bring that sucker in to the trailer - usually there is a bit of screaming and a lot of swearing. Here are some of the lucky fish that got caught - the first one is a Rockling - it is in the freezer and will be making it on to the dinner table this week:
I think this one is a Shovel Nosed Ray, he went back:
This one we argued about, once the fish get too big I start feeling sorry for them. This is a Gummy Shark - I think. He had the most amazing coloured eyes and his skin feels like soft leather. This was the forth one that got caught, but the only one that made it in to the boat. Some screaming was involved in landing this one - I was trying to take pictures, whilst my husband wanted me to get the net under it. I nearly took a header in the process (this is a common occurrence - good job I wear a life jacket). Anyway, we got it in the boat, I took a photo or two and one with his IPhone so he could send it to everybody on the phone list, and then it went back in the water, it just lay there (Al was holding the tail) and we thought it had suffered an early demise. We brought it back into the boat and put it in the tub - it was just playing possum (or is that shark). After further discussion he went back in - the husband needs to study YouTube on how to fillet Gummy Shark, then all bets are off - these are, apparently, sensational eating. Have a look at that face!
In the foods highly recommended for breakfast department, check this out:
Pancakes with Nutella, bananas, cream and a delicate dusting of praline. No wonder I am fluffy. Dessert, not just for after dinner any more.
My husband and sister in law shared this seafood platter - this was for dinner whilst I wrestled with this lime, prawn dish.
Pelicans doing lazy circle work in the sky - this was a flock of about 30, thank heavens there was no pooping. Remember earlier I mentioned nearly taking a header out the boat, this was another moment where Sue nearly went out the back - I was standing taking photos, he was driving the boat, there was a less than gentle take off - the only thing that stopped me an the camera going overboard was the bait table.
They love a snack, here they are at the cleaning station in the lake.
One of the joys of being out in a boat, is that you get to see stuff up close that you don't normally know is there. We were very fortunate on this trip, we came across dolphins in the Pambula River, then one day out fishing we saw some seals from a distance and this dolphin coming right in to the Merimbula Wharf.
The week of our holiday was the lead up to the Melbourne Grand Final, we left on the Friday because the husband and elf had tickets. We got about an hour and a half into the journey to a little town called Genoa when we were stopped by the police - the road had been closed once again and could be shut for 24 hours or 3 days according to them. We had to make some quick decisions, so in the middle of nowhere I booked the boys on to a flight later that afternoon. I should mention that it was blowing an absolute gale, so both were a little tentative when we got to the airport and the trees where still leaning sideways....not to mention me, who was putting the family on a plane. So O'Reilly and I had a couple of extra days by ourselves. Whilst Melbourne was in the grips of wind and rain, O'Reilly and I enjoyed this:
Two o'clock on Saturday afternoon, you could have fired a canon and not hit a soul. We did come across a couple walking their dog - a large poodle, not a giant one, but a fair size. I should say that O'Reilly did, he went off to greet the dog, it climbed up its owner, and wouldn't play. Ooops!
A couple of evening shots:
And finally having a rest after a big week at the beach. He loves the beach and we made it through the entire week without a trip to the vet, because he ate something he shouldn't - brilliant.
Hope everyone has a great week. School is back tomorrow - doing the dance that mothers of teenage boys do!
Sue xxx
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