OPAM...(One Project A Month)...A Workshop and Halloween!!!

This month I have finished 4 articles for the SSCS (Secret Santa Christmas Swap) hosted by Chookyblue but I can't show them as it's all a big secret!!!

All will be revealed after my partner has opened her gift on Christmas Day...

OPAM is hosted by Peg and Kris...

so a BIG thank you Gals as I'm sure I wouldn't be completing one item a month without it!!!

Meanwhile...I couldn't have a post without pics so thought I would show a project that I have started at a class at Step's...the workshop for this was held last year and I had everything ready cut up and ready to go but I didn't attend as there was a sudden death in the family...

so it sat around all this time!!!

A gorgeous tablerunner 'Going in Circles' in the French General fabric Rounnieres...

I even had the circles all cut out and pinned onto the backing fabric...

Here I am using molofilament thread and doing a blanket stitch with foot 20...

I am loving everytime I attend a workshop and learn how to use more of my machine...

Apparently this is also needleturn applique...

One of the quilts on display at the shop...

and this is a Postage Stamp Quilt done by one of the girls at a workshop here...

Anni Downs' new fabric 'Some Kind Of Wonderful'...

and a fabric panel of labels from Sarah at Patchworks Plus...

It's Halloween weekend here in Australia...wonder if we'll get any Trick or Treaters?!

I won this banner over at Annabelle's, I tried to put it up but it just seemed to shrink?!

Look at these lovely Halloween pumpkins I saw at the supermarket...never seen these before!!!

I suppose they are for carving...they look great!!!

the carving of jack-o'-lanterns springs from the souling custom of carving turnips into lanterns as a way of remembering the souls held inpurgatory.^[6] The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween,^[7][8] 

I liken this to a ceremony we used to go to when we were children...Kapu Svetkus (Latvian, the link is a translated one) in October...we used to go to the graveyard (sounds spooky I know)...light candles and sing and honour those who had passed away...Halloween is also known as All Saints Eve and originated with the Celts...

I'll sign off now with Happy Halloween to those that celebrate...

and Happy Stitching to all the stitchers...now to get on to my next OPAM project...Dzintra

A Gardener's Journal...Block D and Passionfruit Slice...

Moving along here with my Gardener's Journal quilt that I am doing on the Stitch-a-long hosted by Chookyblue...

Finally, Block D...this one seemed to take forever...especially with the corn!!!

I'm using what I have...particularly any fabrics that I purchased from Anni...

however last week I purchased a fat 1/4 that I thought I could use...

I have used it to the right of the corn... (the blue one) 

Mr Armchair picked up that it was different to the others...

 but I think it's going to stay...

I'll see how it looks later on down the track...

And all stitched up to the other block...

Now it's onto Block E...

Meanwhile, over at Innerpickle I saw a really easy recipe for Passionfruit Slice...

lemon zest all ready to go in...

into the oven...

cooling off...

Simply delicious!!! 

For the recipe go to My Dolce Vita over here,

delicious for passionfruit fans, guaranteed...and best of all...nice'neasy!!!

Bon Appetit, Dzintra

Floriade 2011...

A couple of weeks ago JoJo and I went up to Canberra...Australia's Capital City to see the magnificent Floriade...Australia's largest flower festival...

Beautiful tulips in the sunshine...

Amongst it all a Ferris Wheel...and yes, we had to go on it!!!

Surprising the ages of people lining up for a turn...

older people...youger...couples but I loved seeing the older ones...

made me think perhaps they were revisiting days gone by...

The view from up high...

Lake Burley Griffin in the background...named after Walter Burley Griffin the American Architect who designed Canberra...

Telstra Tower also known as Black Mountain Tower...

The hit of the day!!!

The Concert Street Organ 'Australia Fair'...

whose roots lie in Europe where they were developed in the 19th century...

They are known as Dutch Street Organs because The Netherlands is where these instruments were most successful and they are still in use today.

The historic street organ works Verbeeck Orgelfabriek survives today and Australia Fair,

built by them in 1992 is a direct link with history.

(Info from pamphlet)

JoJo with Rick and one of the 'books' that is played...

she is just mesmerized...

Some of the 'books'

Rick asked JoJo what she would like to hear and she responded with

'Phantom of the Opera'...good choice JoJo!!!

The 'book' is playing from left to right...

And of course we had to get a CD...

'Australia Fair' music from YouTube playing Que Sera at Floriade 2010...

this video also shows the workings at the back...

After all this fun we had to have morning coffee...milkshake for JoJo  and cheesecake...

and a Macaron or 2 for me!!!

I think Floriade will be an annual event for us now...

for the Ferris Wheel...catch up with Rick and Australia Fair...

and of course the flowers!!!

Thank you so much Rick for taking the time to show us 'Australia Fair'!!!

Queen of the Armchair...What's In A Name!!!

I've been reading around on blogs about how we came to our Blog name....

Dawn started this off so pay her a visit if you would like to  join in...

I wasn't going to write about this but the more I read the more I wanted to join in...

so here is how Queen of the Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries came by her name...

This lovely machine embroidered piece was sent to me by Bev...
Thank you so much Bev!!!

I have been known as Ingrid but Dzintra (pronounced without the D...a Latvian name meaning Amber) was my first name which I started to use when we made our Sea Change 4 years ago...
it just seemed right!!!

My Hubby bought me a computer while I was recovering from emergency surgery in 2005 as I couldn't do anything but rest....

I started to read blogs (lurking)...

started an email and for want of a better name I called it dzintrastitcheries as I started to do stitching...

In 2007 I was reading a blog and followed it through to the button 'Create Blog')...

I pressed this and had no idea what I was going to say so I left it there...

Roll forward to 2008...

more surgery and not allowed to do anything again...

AND still lurking!!!

Got chatting to Barb of Theodora Cleave...

told her I was sitting around on the computer and she said something to the effect of...

So you're Queen of the Armchair then...

and Bingo...

I went to my untouched Blog...

wrote My First Post and the rest is history!!!

I thought I would write about our Sea Change...My Stitching...Family...Baking...Reading  and most importantly about Caring for dear sweet JoJo...

our Daughter who has a disability and who opened our eyes to a whole New World...

I also started another Blog...'My Dolce Vita' as I started a TAFE Course in Commercial Cookery to improve my cooking skills and get confident in trying out recipes and to meet people in the area...

 I chose Dolce Vita (Italian)...meaning the sweet life...or the good life in Italian...
and that's what I thought this course was all about!!!

I haven't looked back since pressing that little button that said 'Create Blog'...

I have made new Friendships...entered Swaps...Giveaways...learnt so much and most importantly Blogging keeps me in touch with the Outside World as Caring can be isolating at times...

And for this I am so grateful to each and every person who comes by...

I never dreamed I would still be here 3 years later!!!

Thanks Dawn for inviting us to tell about How We Got Our Blog Name!!!

New Fabric...Patterns and Book!!!

I'm loving the repro fabrics at the moment...

I ordered a small bundle of fat 1/4s from Fee...they came tied up with a little ribbon...

along with this gorgeous teal colour fabric...

and this Layer Cake which I had ordered another time...

I just love the darker colours at the moment...

maybe it's something to do with the weather not warming up quick enough!!!

I'm just hanging in here for a 'salty blue day'...

Fee also sent me this pattern as a surprise...'Home is Where my Heart Is'

Such a lovely package all together...

Thank you so much dear Fee...I love it!!!

Fee has some great stuff for sale at the moment and all at reasonable prices so hop on over here and have a look!!!

I've also had a little Anni Downs shopping spree as well!!!

The new book 'Some Kind of Wonderful'...from Sarah...

Some new patterns...

And this wonderful Doorstop Kit from Jukejema Quilting Barn that as soon as I saw I had to have...

 

and it's all lighter colours but oh so lovely and homey and comforting...

just like this apron I saw...

as I sit here with a swollen knee..perhaps a good excuse to just keep creating!!!

Thank goodness Mr Armchair is here to help out with JoJo as I hobble around...

Happy Creating...Dzintra