the highs and lows of life :)

I was quite sad and despondent after the death of my friend Dianne.  As Secretary of the camera club, I took on the task of producing a memorial book, so that all the members of the club who could not attend the funeral were able to at least pass on their condolences to the family.

I knew I had the PERFECT fabric for this project - butterflies and green :) but it took a little while to find it - the sewing room looked like a bomb had hit it when I was finished LOL

I also found the perfect fabric for the inside cover :)










(the beautiful bicycle image is created by Eva Katerina, puchased from Design Cuts)

The Service was most beautiful and it was most certainly the largest funeral I have been to in recent times - there was easily 300 people there!

I took this photo just as we were leaving the service - can you see the baby?




My next sewing task is to finish a quilt for my niece who went into labour early and gave birth to a lovely baby boy - Archie, a brother for Lucas.   I made a quilt for Lucas HERE and HERE this time, I thought I would try something a little different for the new baby.

Back in 2015, I was most taken with Elephant Parade by Lorna from Sew Fresh Quilts, and downloaded the instructions with the intention of following along, but life got in the way and I didn't seem to have time.  The new baby was all the impetus I needed to pull out my fabrics and start cutting.

This is what I have done so far :)



Isn't making something new just the best thing for lifting your spirits?

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day - any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Happy Birthday Mum!

today would have been your 82nd Birthday!

Photo credit:  Leonard Pass
Font:  Happy Birthday Text:  Artful Beauty from Creative Market

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day - any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

One Year Ago .............

 my father passed away most unexpectedly

RIP Dad - June 1933 - July 2014

I can't believe it has been a year already, it seems to have gone so quickly, but so slowly at the same time.

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day - any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

250 days ..........

since we buried you, Dad

It takes me by surprise the intensity of my grief .... some days, it is as if it was yesterday.

1974 - my 14th Birthday Party

RIP Dad - June 1933 - July 2014

RIP Mum - July 1934 - July 1998
Memorial Service celebrated on 5th August 1998 & 5th August 2014

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day - any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

A Bittersweet Day ............

............ as yesterday, we celebrated the life of my Dad with a very small but moving memorial service.  It was so lovely to see some long time family friends and to be able to spend some quality time with them, even if the reason for it was such a sad one.

The previous two weeks have been a bit of a blur with funeral arrangements and such, but I was able to spend some 'creative' time when making up Dad's memorial cards.

It was a kind of theraputic release :)

The beautiful flowers from Mr Fixit's side of the family :)  ........ they lasted more than a week!

I have received some lovely cards from friends :)

from two of my 'crafty' friends Kaye & Mandy

from my friend Paula, and family friend Maureen

I leave you with this message (part of a comment left on Facebook for me, by a very dear long-time family friend)

Hold your loved ones tight, and tell them you love them, it's so important; you never know what could be around the corner. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day - any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

the highs & lows of life | Christmas in July - received :)

My Christmas in July Swap - organised by Swap Queen, Cheryll, from Gone Stitchin - arrived on what turned out to be a very sad day for me ...... my father passed away most unexpectedly on Monday night.

RIP Dad - June 1933 - July 2014

The last few days have been quite busy organising the funeral and being with family, but I did promise myself some quiet time to sit and open my parcel.

We had to make 3 handmade items with something off the following list:

C...  Candy Cane OR Candle OR Christ
H...  Holly OR Heart
R...  Reindeer
I...    Inspirational word/s 
S...  Santa OR Stocking OR Snow Flake/s
T...  Tree OR Three wise men
M... Mouse OR Mistletoe
A...  Angel
S...  Snowman OR Star 

I was absolutely flabbergasted on what I found when I opened the packages from Marina,  :)

Inspirational words - such exquisite stitching :)

christmas tree - (close up) love the little presents

reindeer & Santa - love this placemat

Thank you so much to Marina, your workmanship is just beautiful and you have chosen the most perfect fabrics :)   I now have a new bloggy friend to follow and be inspired by :)

I realised when I was unwrapping these packages, that I had forgotten to indicate on my packages exactly what categories my items relate to :)  I guess, when my partner opens them, I will be able to let her know .......... oops :)

Huge thanks to Swap Mum Cheryll for organising yet another wonderful swap :)

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day - any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

My Tribute to Jeanne Cooper

I was reading a tribute page for Jeanne Cooper and I read something that made me smile :)

Katherine Chancellor 1928-2013

She titled her 2008 memoirs Live Until I Die, and there's no question that widely admired corporate executive and philanthropist Katherine Chancellor, who passed away on August 1st following a short illness, lived life to the fullest. She was 84.

Born Katherine Shepherd, she grew up in Genoa City and attended Genoa City University before marrying high school and college classmate Gary Reynolds. Following his sudden death, Katherine took the helm of the Reynolds family's business empire, ultimately turning its management over to her second husband, Phillip Chancellor II, and renaming it Chancellor Industries. She assumed sole leadership when Phillip died in 1975. 

the rest of the article is HERE

I knew I had a connection  .......... I was born Catherine Shepherd  ;-)

Unfortunately, the videos are geo blocked, so I can't see them - looks like I will have to wait until they screen the episodes here in Australia


So to Jeanne Cooper, I say thank you!  I have watched Y&R for as long as I can remember and have always loved the storylines involving Katherine Chancellor ;-)











Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

RIP my friend

I am a little sad today ................ an old friend has passed away.  Sue had battled cancer for many years and had such a great positive attitude, but 52 is far too young to go.

Sue & Cathy

Sue, Alan & Cathy

Our old 'gang'

We were quite the gang in our younger years.  I first met Sue in about '74 and we shared a flat in '78 - then as adults, we went our separate ways.   We caught up again in 2006 for another friend's birthday and kept in touch for a little while, but then life got in the way again.

I have so many fond memories of our teenage years together and I am so sad that I didn't keep in touch more often and give her a quick call when I thought about her - which was often - just to say hello  :(

It was really strange, as I was thinking about her on Wednesday ...... I was tidying up my sewing room and came across the "Bean Bag Pal' she gave me for my 18th birthday

Note to self :  make that phone call when you think about it, don't put it off!

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

RIP Jeanne Cooper

so sad :(


http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/05/vale-jeanne-cooper.html


My thoughts go out to Corben Bernsen and the rest of the family.


Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

35 years ago ......

I was a sewing machinist in a Jeans Factory here in Adelaide.  K.J. Jarvis & Co Pty Ltd - my boss was the most wonderful first boss anyone could ask for, Kevin Jarvis.

On this day, 35 years ago, the factory went quiet with the news on the radio that Elvis Presley was dead.

Do you remember where you were when you heard the news?

My sister gave me this book for my 14th birthday in 1974

I even did the cross-word

Whilst I don't consider myself a serious fan anymore, I still love most of his songs, and I just can't bear to throw it away ;-)

I also realised while I was sitting at my sewing machine just recently, making up the cardholders for an ETSY customer, I seem to have come full circle ;-)

Here I was sitting at a sewing machine, earning some money sewing .... not a lot of money, but it doesn't matter, I was enjoying myself, and I was making something very pretty.

I am sure if I did a comparison of the wages at the time, it just might work out the same hourly rate ;-)  here goes..........

My pay back then was a whopping $56.60 for a 36 1/2 hour week - we worked an 8 hour day Monday to Thursday, then a 4 1/2 hour day on Fridays (payday)  that makes it a whole $1.55 per hour!

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day. 

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-) 

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.