A Weekend in the Hunter Valley

The long weekend we went with some good friends to the Hunter Valley for some wining dining and fun.

A view from Peterson's Winery

Hanging Tree Cellar Door

I just love rustic 

and Bubbles - bought this pack home

A Bubbles show bag ... just for you Chooky ....check out the eye glasses

Hubby thought this retro tea towel was just right for me ....

Love to Finish

I dont know why it's so hard to get back into things after being on holidays.

I have spent 3 weekends in a row away and 2 of those  sewing and one wining and dining in the Hunter Valley. How lucky am I . Never a dull day in this house.

Let me start with a beautiful weekend at a fantastic retreat location "Stacey's at the Gap". All weekend sewing with friends and catching up on UFO's.  You will find it on line if you want a nice place to go. Its not far from Warwick or Brisbane.

SEWING AT STACEY's AT THE GAP

Some books for our grand daughter- got these at a little patchwork shop at Coolah

Finish number one - fabric given to me by a Margie C a few Christmas's ago

Proof I am sewing

A baby quilt finished with just the bind to go

Safari quilt finished- designed , sewn and quilted by me .....Ta Da...

Made this for my Dad, he had a tear in his eye when he got it. .  I think he liked it. He loves African Animals. I started this quilt at Stacey's Stacey's at the Gap last year, quilted it there this year and the binding and label was finished at the Chookshed.

A baby quilt  all done except for the bind.  Isabell gave me this lovely baby fabric for Christmas.

A stitchery designed by Rosalie Quinlan .  Now a lovely cushion.
Lots of finishes...Yeah!

SEWING AT THE CHOOKSHED

I had this lovely tea cup and plate that belongs in my sewing basket....lovely Chooky gave me the Cofee mug and a couple of spares to match...thank you 

This is a beautiful and quirky sewing music box..My lovely sister found this for me a few weeks ago. I got it when I got home from the Chookshed.
Its so cute..open the drawer and all parts move and it plays music as well.

I worked on completing this dresden plate quilt . I started it at Kerry's " Cottage on the Hill" last year.  Nearly finished it at the Chookshed.

Good friends and food at the sewing weekend at the Chookshed

My lovely hubby  made ice cream while I was sewing ...YUM.. easy as condensed milk ,cream and fruit from Nigella Lawson

The Last Hurrah of Holiday Pics

This is my last of the 2014 holiday pics.  Then I had better get sewing.  

We met some wonderful people on our holiday. One young couple in Scottsdale made a few drinks at the "Rusty Spur Saloon" in historic Scottsdale ( just outside of Phoenix) a pretty good time.  Hi Ashley and Chris if you ever read this blog.  Who knows one day they might travel to Aus.  I love travel ... you meet so many nice people and learn so much.

St Augustine once said "the world is like a book and if you don't travel you will have only read a page"

Thanks to everyone we met on our travels of the west coast of the USA and  at Dreams Los Cabos in Mexico because they were kind, couteous and friendly and made our holiday a memorable one.

Would you like to live here? An owl house boat ..so cool

Obviously this is where they keep the spare street lights?  Installation at LA museum of Modern Art

Don't know what this car had that the others didn't at Santa Monica beach car park...?

Vegas .... by night it is a feast for the eyes. From our room.

No not in Rome ....Shopping at Caesar Palace in Vegas ...inside 

Vegas by night 

Sardines in Monterray ....they once had the sardine cannery there.They looked like glass fish.

I love it when I find a Christmas shop...of course I bought something

The Rusty Spur Saloon ... we later met Chris 

Ashley and Chris at the bar....before we met (right)

Just loved this old Saloon bar a mix of old and new 

And the reason we were prompted to travel....Scott and Iris's wedding
Congratulations to the happy couple ...Scott is the son of a very good friend of ours. Iris is from Mexico.

A beautiful wedding

The end of a fantastic holiday  and the photos ..the way we spent most days at "Dreams" Los Cabos..Cheers friends

Some Gifts

Had a little birthday the day we left for the US so last night at our sewing night I received a belated present from my friend Margie........She knows my favourite colour I think... A beautiful casserole carrier made in Batik fabric. I just love the fabric. Thank you Margie C.

Someone was waiting at home for us ...into mischief   

And here are her presents 

A mexican doll

A present for myself  .....I just fell in love with these shoes... found in this little shop across the SanFrancisco Bay. The shop was tucked in an alcove of daffodils. ... . Mr bird didn't mind at all Chooky.

I bought this quilt kit home ( and a couple of others)

from this beautiful shop in Senoma 

Textiles

Since I couldn't blog a lot while I was away I am going to share a few more photos from my trip before I get back into sewing ...so I hope your not too bored. One of my aims was to investigate the indian weaving and textile history....
Most of these were taken between Williams on route 66, the Grand Canyon and Scottsdale in Arizona.

Found in Scottsdale

Hopi House - Grand Canyon

Hopi House which housed the beautiful work below 

The following beauties were in a museum in Williams 

Mexico also had many different textile products to show mostly weaving and embroidery using very large satin stitches 

 A book cover from our hotel room - just loved it 

Done in large satin stitch with some chain 

Amazing beautiful , bright colours.