treasures..............

These are some of the treasures I found while at the museum.............
this was all hand made and I am sorry but I don't remember anything else about it but it was stunning..........

Imagine doing all your house work in this dress..............
it is gorgeous...........

This collection was a ladies trousseau..............the work is gorgeous...........lots of crochet which looks like was done in a cotton but not 100% sure..........

just beautiful...............this is the machine she used..............
very sadly her fiancée died at war and she never married so this collection was never used..........
She worked with her brother for the rest of her life and remained single until she died............

At Cockington Green they had a shop with minatures for sale and display
This was my favourite room in the dolls house...........the sewing machine is about 5cm /2inchs high
I was thinking of Val at Ausrose as she makes miniatures.............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

our national capital........

What a great week.............an excellent chance for some of our parents to attend a school excursion with the kids (and help supervise) to our national capital Canberra. 

I fondly remember my school excursion to Canberra so was very excited to go again.............

the last time I was in Canberra was about 20 years ago going thru to the snow...........

Canberra is so un "city" like...............it is spread out..........lots of big lawns and  open space..............suburbs spaced out............great road network from what I saw............this is what happens when a city is planned..............don't get me wrong there are high buildings...........it is beautiful.......the cooler climate helps too with the trees...............

Cockington Green a display of miniature buildings - either English or a famous building from another country.............it's been going for 33 years............this is a replica to scale of the main building.............

the gardens were at their peak....

the weather was perfect............

.....it was wonderful to see tulips as it is to warm where I live to grow them............

Black Mountain Tower.................gorgeous views of Canberra from here................

Sculptures somewhere in Canberra................

and everywhere in this park it looks like snow see all the white fluffy stuff............it was coming off some trees and it was horrible..............floaty and wafting around................up your nose and in your mouth if you weren't careful............

New Parliment House............opened in 1988............

Australian War Memorial...........up in the arch windows down both sides are walls with all the soldiers names who have died fighting in wars/conflicts for Australia..............I found my great great uncles name and placed a poppy in the wall.............

Looking from the front of the War memorial back over lake Burley Griffin (narrow light strip) then Old Parliament House (white building) up to New Parliament House (see flag just at the top of the hill)................this is a very impressive view from both New Parliament House and the War Memorial...............well planned............

We stayed for the closing ceremony..........the lone piper played and then turned and walked as he played into the tomb of the unknown soldier and then the gates on the tomb closed............ 

We did lots more............but these are my highlights............still catching up on sleep...........and so pleased we have no stairs in town............I am so not used to them.........my knees were killing and everywhere we went there was lots of stairs..........
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last time I posted it was cold.........yesterday was a stinker.............today got warm then the clouds came over and we had a few spots of rain but nothing to measure.........the weather is so changy.........
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hope you have been busy with your Secret Santa Christmas Swap or SAL quilts.............
sorting the binding for my quilt tomorrow.............
Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

swap and some blocks...........

I joined this swap this year hosted by Katrien.....I just missed out last year.......it is mainly European girls Netherlands, Belgium.........thanks goodness for google translate.

Looking forward to checking out some new to me blogs of the girls in the swap............

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Here are some more of my blocks from my SAL quilt...........

this is another adaptation by me............

I LOVE cheese and nibbles..........

Patty cakes

My chair turned into this..........

And something I never see enough of but love...........

I changed the hot chocolate block to a camera as you all know I love to take photos...........

I love hot chocolate to but I already had a cuppa tea..........

It is FREEZING cold here today........it's like one of our worst winter days..........

.....the poor kids in their summer uniforms..........

Stalking the mail man to see if my quilt comes back from the quilters.............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

OMG a visitor and a quilt top.........

yep this it my SAL quilt is all rolled up ready to pop into the mail bag and send to my quilting fairy to work her magic...........

Just to recap..........late last week I rang my quilt fairy and she said she could quilt it for me if I got it in today's mail..............Friday and Saturday were horrible hot days 34 and 35deg'sC..(no air con in the Chook shed - need to win lotto)..........Sat night I was over run with bugs coming into the lights............I gave up at 9pm........but I thought possibly I could see myself making the deadline.........Sunday was heaven............ maximum 23 deg C I had to clean all the bugs up before I could start sewing at 6AM.............in between getting lunch and starting dinner, washing some clothes........organising kids..........I sewed and sewed and sewed and sewed some more........started to feel like a sweat shop (except I wasn't sweating like the previous days......) at 9.30pm Mr Chooky came to check on me on his way to bed.........I said I won't be long.....woops.............finally I had all the borders on..........at 12.02AM we headed to bed........had a few issues with the length of strips..........not sure where it went wrong but in the end I just cut straight across..........I think I could have fiddles for hours.........and I didn't have hours so chop it was and on went the bottom border and I was done..............

I had a little stitching to do today and some applique ends to pull through and tie off.........

but I got it all done today at work in my lunch time............

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Last week I had a great visitor..........actually one of the SAL girls..........

You can see my progress in the background on my SAL.........I had a long way to go............

So glad you stopped in Jenny..........it was great to meet Mr Bird too..........the nibbles and champagne was perfect.........here she is earlier in the day having a cuppa and doing a little binding for me.........I was supposed to have it finished by today too but I didn't make that deadline so that will be top job for the next night or 2..........

Thanks for all your comments............I haven't read them all yet but thanks.........not sure I will get to reply to them all but I will try.............off to bed............I don't function to well on 5hrs sleep.............just ask my family............more pics to download and share on my other camera.........
Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

23/24..........

OMG.......so hot.......no air con in the chook shed........need to win lotto........35 deg today.........one million bugs coming into the lights tonight..........cut lots of 1.5" squares.......now to piece them all.........
Chookyblue

aaarrrhhh.............

It's going to be 33deg plus today and 34 tomorrow..............the heat is here.................

I have a deadline of Sunday night to get my SAL quilt done................not sure if I can meet it but I am going to try..............see you all next week.......

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

another block............

Sorry about the terrible pic but I took it on my phone to get it here fast..............another block done..........

I love family and friends........love having people to visit...........

can't wait for my visitors tonight.............wished I didn't have to go to work.............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

promises.........

On Saturday morning I set a challenge with Susan..............

We were going to get our strips done by Sunday night..............

I worked pretty hard yesterday I was all stripped out........ and I am not finished but the end is in sight..........3 strips pieced............3 strips pinned together all worked out.........top and bottom have piles of fabric and that is about it......

Yesterday morning Peg was attaching some binding to a quilt...........I told her I was going to attach the binding to a quilt.............ready to fold in 1/2 below and yes I got it all sewn on..............now to hand stitch down.............it's a big single quilt..............102" x 60" so only 360" to stitch..........

And also yesterday morning Shez showed us her daisy block and I said I would get mine done.............well it was my last job in the Chook shed for the day but I did get it done before dark......just.....

Thanks girls..............I achieved lots with your motivation........blogging is great..........

And a friend dropped in for a few hours too.....lovely to sew together

Catch you later..........

Chookyblue...........