Fried Dough, Funnel Cakes, Elephant Ears.......oh my!

You guessed it, it's county fair time! I was roped into demo-ing in the home living pavillion and as I do most of my sewing by machine I decided that hand binding a quilt was probably an easy option for demonstration. Truth be known, I had no idea what parking was available and I didn't fancy lugging my machine and totes for miles on a mid summer afternoon. My friend Bonnie was demonstrating fusable applique and we travelled down the hill together. So we arrived early and went out to see the sites. It was a heck of a lot noisier than fairs (exhibitions or shows) in Australia. Ahhh the tractor pulling events......note to self, take ear plugs next time! They were very popular though - oddly, crowds of onlookers jockeying for the best viewing postions! What could that smell be? Fried dough stands on every corner, this must be good stuff. What harm in trying one just this once? We hummed and hahed then decided to split one. As if being fried wasn't enough, the server then brushed this plate sized monstrocity with melted butter!!!! We then had a choice of sprinklings of cinnamon sugar, brown sugar or powdered sugar and we opted for the powdered sugar. ughhhh I was less than impressed! This left a thin layer of grease in every nook and cranny of my mouth..lemonade made it worse! Coffee or hot tea was needed but neither could be found. Bonnie seemed to enjoy hers. Maybe it's similar to how vegemite is to us?

We walked through side show alley and I did get a kick out of the smiling faces of excited children and the travel weary faces of the carnival workers. Are they the modern day gypsy? I think they may be.

My absolute favourite thing was the draught horses without a doubt. These big beauties make my horses look like ponies. How gentle they were. And the big red horses with the blonde manes were Belgian's and they are used in the woods for logging. These boys had the names of Bob, John, Jack and Charlie and as you can see from the photo, they JUST fit into a stall! I petted each and every one of them too and I did sneak a couple of schnoz kisses too! :)

We were tired by now and it was time to start our demo's so we headed to the pavillion to set up. Bonnie was pleasantly surprised to find that she had won a best of show with one of her quilts and 3 first places and a second. Well done Bonnie.

We settle in at our table for the next three hours and worked on our projects as people came by and chatted and visited. I quite enjoyed that and I think I will sign up again next year! Minus the fried dough, maybe I will try an elephant ear instead! haaaa...

A Quilt for Romania

Finally finished the dino quilt that was my part in the Hands2Help challenge. I came across this challenge on Sarah Craigs blog, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, you can click on the Hands2Help button that will take you there! I tearfully watched a video from 2010 of quilts and other essentials being delivered to these kids and I knew that I had to help in my own small way!
This quilt will be mailed to Judi over at Green Fairy Quilts and in September it along with lots of other quilts and food, school supplies and more will be hand delivered by her and her hubby to less fortunate children in Romania. For this challenge I had a swap partner, Mary, who sent me 2 yards of dino fabrics and that is where my quilt and the fun began. And it was fun! Finishing it off really came down to the wire though as it had to be done and mailed by the end of July. Whew! I have just made the deadline! Here it is...

How Matilda and Banjo got their names

"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad, a country folk song, and has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia".[1]

The title is Australian slang for travelling by foot with one's goods in a "Matilda" (bag) slung over one's back.[2] The song narrates the story of an itinerant worker, or swagman, making a drink of tea at a bush camp and capturing a sheep to eat. When the sheep's owner arrives with three police officers to arrest the worker for the theft, the worker commits suicide by drowning himself in the nearby watering hole, and then goes on to haunt the site.

The original lyrics were written in 1895 by poet and nationalist Banjo Paterson. It was first published as sheet music in 1903. Extensive folklore surrounds the song and the process of its creation, to the extent that the song has its own museum, the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Queensland.

The song was first recorded in 1926 as performed by John Collinson and Russell Callow.

summer is my least favourite season.......officially!

I am not a very good Queenslander am I? I can officially say that I hate summer! Even here on the mountain we get some days of heat and humidity and it's more than I can bear. For several hours this afternoon I lay on the couch in front of the only window a/c unit in the whole house and listened to an audio book. I actually dozed! It was just too hot in any of the other rooms to do anything constructive. It is almost 9 oclock in the evening and we have just eaten a light supper, the air is still thick and still. Back in Queensland the summers are so much hotter and humid, how on earth did I survive? I must be well and truly acclimated now!

We have another horse and he is a 4 yrold gelding who we have named Banjo. He is also a thoroughbred and comes from the same stable as Matilda. We could tell that they remembered each other and are now happy companians. It is hard to say what the pecking order is as it seems to change daily. Maybe they are equals? Can that be? Banjo actually trained to race but broke down with a bowed tendon so now he will live a pampered life in our pasture with Matilda to keep him company. We have almost finished building them a shelter for the winter. This project has been a lot of fun for John and I but our bodies have certainly felt the effects!!

I have almost finished the dino quilt that is going to Romania. If you want to know more about this wonderful cause, check out the Hands2Help link over there >>> on my page. I will post a photo of the quilt at the weekend.

Shower time for me....good night :)

Will Google ever get it right?

I get so frustrated with blogging. I love to visit other blogs and catch up with what friends are up to but google is making it near impossible to leave a comment. Not nice GOOGLE! It is so time consuming! This has been going on for so long now.....sigh.

Meet Matilda!

This is Matilda our beautiful horse. She came home to us at the beginning of May and we love her to bits! She is the sweetest girl and loves to be petted and loved on. Next project on the agenda is a stable/shelter for her. This Sunday we are going to meet another horse who may become her pasture companion. Stay tuned on that one!
It has been a busy time for me with gardening, quilting and sewing. Not a lot of time for blogging.

Easter, Anzac Day and Birthdays..

It was a very quiet Easter for us this year. We did not go to church but opted to stay at home and quietly reflect and then celebrate the meaning of the crucifiction and resurrection. Later in the morning we did drive down the hill to fetch John's brother David who now lives in a group home. We three enjoyed a late lunch and had a fun couple of hours being with this gentle man who had shared our home for a good seven years before gaining his independence last year.

Later in the afternoon I finished some blocks for an spring album swap I am in with a group of online chat friends. I chose to do a Hunter Star block. Those will be mailed out today. Nothing better than to be sewing on a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon.

Today is Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand. It is also my oldest son, Joe's birthday. Happy Birthday Joe! He is still living and working in Liberia, Africa.

Joe and Ruth

Forgot to mention that I received my fabric for the Hands2Help project that I am taking part in. Check out the link on my page. My swap partner, Mary, sent me the most awesome fabrics for the making of a very fun quilt! Dinodaurs, dinosaur eggs, dinosaur foot prints! This is going to be so much fun!

John has left for New Jersey and won't be back till Wednesday evening. So it is just me and the crazy dogs left to our own devices! The weather is going to be nice tomorrow and Wednesday so I hope to be able to take them on a few long walks. Fingers crossed! Do you know we had snow on our deck on Saturday morning? hmmmmm.
Firstly though, I have 2 customer quilts to trim and bind and package up and then down to UPS. That will take up my morning.
So many projects to start, which one will be next?

uncle Jimmy and my dad Tom, twin brothers in wartime









Thanks to all of the soldiers who have laid their lives on the line for us and for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. And here I would like to share an Anzac Day lament.

The Ode

They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning
We will remember them.
Lest we forget..