Anchors Aweigh.

We are slowly returning to normal here after our fantastic holiday.

We arrived home on Wednesday evening and from our kitchen window we could tell that the chilli peppers in the greenhouse had ripened.  So Thursday morning after a positive Covid test I ventured in to the greenhouse with a large bowl to collect my harvest.

There was over a kilogram of ripe chilli and a return visit on Saturday yielded another 300 grams.

As you can guess, I've been busy making evil chilli chutney and cowboy candied chillis.

A positive note on Covid, the steam given off by the cooking chilli didn't affect me as much as usual. LOL

Although I seem to have a mild dose the virus is still wiping me out, I'm needing nana naps every day and they are quite long, 2-3 hours! So not much time for crafting, but I have been doing a little. My cross stitched blob has grown a bit.  Today I'm feeling a lot brighter and spent the morning in my happy room, getting the final two rows on to my retreat project.

Tula Pink's Anchors Aweigh sewn in beautiful blue and grey batiks.

It was a lovely project to work on, both at retreat and here at home. I took advice from experienced retreaters and took the kit all pre cut and labelled in little bags, that made things very easy once I got settled in and sewing. 

I feel almost sad that it is finished, what will I do now? LOL

I'm sure I'll think of something, but right now I need a nap.

Scrub Stitchin'. Part five, My progress and a look around the camp.

Travelling all the way from New Zealand, I didn't take along my own sewing machine. The lovely Janice stepped in there again and loaned me this wee beauty. I'm sure Janice said she belonged to her mother.

She sewed along very nicely and it did not take long to get familiar with her.

This cute little Elna and I sewed up a storm, completing six of the eight rows needed for Tula Pinks Anchors Aweigh quilt top.

Thanks to Pat for helping me hold it up and thanks also to whoever had my phone and took pictures.

I hope to have a completed top very soon.

*

On the flight to Australia the luggage tag on my suitcase was smashed to bits, so a replacement was needed. A pattern/tutorial was found on Pinterest and once again Janice to the rescue, she knew exactly which box to dive into in order to find the perfect fabric and she even had a spare piece of vinyl for the window.

Gail, who sat beside me all weekend suggested that I don't expose my address to the whole world and told me about a clever comment on her luggage lable....

Hmmmmm..... This seemed appropriate.

LOL

*

Sadly Covid reared it's ugly head and my friend and benefactor Janice was one of those who succumbed. So I spent a lovely afternoon sitting outside and socially distant with her while we both got on with a little hand sewing.

I created a blob!

It will become a pair of rosellas.

Just look at where we were sat!

Camp Cypress is beautiful.

With space for vans and tents between the trees.

And just four cabins. Each cabin has a kitchenette and four bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.

There were plenty of birds flying about, we could hear them all day long. Though none sat still long enough for a photo.

This fellow did though.

Sticky the stick insect hung out on the wheel arch of the caravan for a few days.

He was huge, 6-7 inches long. 

He took himself off the night before we left.

*

Not sure if there is more to say and show.

I might be finished, or I might be back. 

Scrub Stitchin'. Part four, The gifts.

 Oh my goodness, I can hardly believe how spoiled I was was. We all received gifts and as an international visitor it seems I was one of the extra spoiled attendees.

The first gifts I received were from Janice. She knows I collect tea towels while travelling and this handsome chap was waiting for me.

Janice had been busy sewing away secretly, she knows my own kitty cat Belle likes to sit in boxes and peep out at us.

So this little quilt was perfect.

There were also one or two other items along the way.

Books, especially Anni Downs books are always welcome.

Thank you so very much Janice, you spoiled me.

What did I gift to Janice?

I made two cute wee blue biscornu.

Oh dear, that really does not seem like much...

When compared to my friends generosity.

There were more gifts to come. 

His n hers place mats from Jo.

Thank you Jo.

Gifts from Chooky.

Look at these teeny Tiny scissors.

Thank you Chooky.

I was incredibly lucky to score a beautiful Bionic bag made by the amazing Sylvia.

Sylvia had made eight tiny churndash blocks to create the bag. 

I was amazed at how much I could get in there.

Four zippered pockets and elastic loops in the spaces between to hold things in place.

Sylvia, thank you so very much, what an amazing gift.

There is always a Baradine gift bag. This year it was a beautiful spotty bag, filled with all sorts of goodies. Firstly there was chocolate. No pic, sorry, I ate it!

Chooky made sure we were spoiled, there was a scrub stitchin' bag, on the back was printed all of our names and out home towns. 

Of course there was a project, a cute scrub stitchin' bag to make, a mug with a native flower. Mine is the desert pea. Jo had made cute pin cushions.

And Sylvia had made fridge magnets.

Thank you to everyone who had a hand to putting the gift bags together. 

Friday night was dress up and swap night. Everyone dressed for dinner.

I wore my newly made Aussie scrubs as the theme was Australia.

Australian theme scrubs seemed appropriate for Scrub Stitchin'.

We were also to exchange gifts. It was a blind/random swap.

I scored a cute and very handy little ruler from Jules.

There was also a smelly wardrobe hanger tucked in to the package. 

Thank you Jules.

What did I give?

Chris from Canada was the recipient of my wee package. I had made a 15 sided biscornu.

As soon as I saw a model of Just Nans Floral 15 I knew I wanted to stitch it.

It was fun to make and I really want to make another.

Chris I hope you like your gift.

There were other gifts along the way too.

Pat was handing out these beautiful beaded scissor fobs. I chose this one as it seemed to match my titanium scissors. 

A spot prize on the last day was a cutter blade and 6.5 inch ruler.

I think it was Jenny who gifted this bright Aussie ruler to me.

Blogger insists that this embroidered towel be upside down!

Thank you to Jeanette in the kitchen!

Sadly I cannot recall who these last two gifts were from.

Thank you who ever you are.

As I said, we were truly spoiled.

*

Thank you to everyone who made and purchased all of the lovely thoughtful gifts, it made the whole experience incredibly special and memorable.

And thank you to Chooky for arranging everything, none of this would have been possible without you.

It was wonderful to meet so many people and to be a part of such a generous community.

Thank you to Janice and Mick, our hosts and chauffeurs for the duration of our trip.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I shall treasure some amazing memories of a wonderful time and hope to be back for Scrub Stitchin' 2025. 

Scrub Stitchin'. Part Three, the shopping....

 Of course there was shopping!

It started before we even left NZ. With time to spare at the airport I perused the book store and found a couple of good reads.

I did not have the thread I would need for my project, so Janice took me to spotlight to get those and also for some retail recovery therapy after our flight.

Some fabrics and a cross stitch kit also fell in to my basket. LOL

I had arranged with the lovely Jude to have some of her fabrics delivered.

A cute bundle of Poppy fabrics and one of her ready set sew cases.

Sew Cute. Thank you Jude.

And Raylene, I'm sure you had a hand in packaging everything in to that cute case.

And finally The Crafters Cottage store from Coonabarabran had a wee portion of the store set up in the corner with lots of lovelies for sale. As soon as I saw these turtles I knew a kit had to come home with me.

It is difficult to get a good photo of all the beautiful colours in the package.

The kit even included all of the different thread colours that will be used.

Janice and I visited the store. 

Oh My Goodness, it is beautiful and well worth a visit.

*

That's it, all of my shopping acquisitions.

Very restrained I think....