ANZAC Day and sewing

ANZAC Day (April 25) saw hubby and I getting up at 3.30am and in to the Caloundra RSL by about 4.30am. DH went on to the Dawn Service and then back to the RSL where I was on breakfast duty with the Women's Auxiliary. Then it was back down to Kings Beach ampitheatre for the main service then again back to the RSL.

(Thanks to the Caloundra Journal for the pictures. I was handing out free flags (from Bunnings Hardware who donated the flags to the RSL) to people in the crowd so had no time to take photos.

(ANZAC Day commemorates all those who served in all wars and conflicts but especially the ANZACs - the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp who fough in World War 1. Google ANZAC Day for more information.)

Once DH and I had finished our official duties I went home with my good friend Dolly and we did some sewing and other related things.

I had to fix my sewing machine as it was going all skewiff (spelling ... ?) and not stitching satin stitch for me properly. However, with a change of needle (I had been using a Universal needle and changed to a blue tip needle) and the problem was solved. Then I was able to re-do the label panel for my Birdsville quilt (see earlier messages about my Birdsville quilt). I just felt so much better knowing that there was not a serious problem with my sewing machine (it's a Janome 6500P which I just love).

Dolly was very productive and so I took photos of the bags that she made below. The small bags are insulated lunch bags that she made up from a pattern from http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2010/08/tutorial-lunch-bag.html and the tote bag is one that another website (AllPeopleQuilt) but I cannot locate the pattern, sorry to say. Aren't Dolly's bags so cute? She is making more of the lunch bags for her sister to raffle to aid breast cancer patients (one of Dolly's sisters has breast cancer and my Mum had breast cancer in her 70s - she is now in her 80s so the cause is close to both of our hearts).

The photo below shows a tablecloth that Dolly has made using souvenir teatowels that she bought on a trip to Tasmania (our most southerly state in Australia).

By the way, Dolly's DH Graeme is a very talented country singer. His website is http://www.graemejensen.com/ . If you go to the Discography page on Graeme's website and click on some of the albums listed there,  then you can hear some MP3 files of his music. He is not just a talented singer but also a fantastic songwriter. Graeme wrote a wonderful song for my DH Barry a few years ago called This Land My Home and it is such a patriotic heart-felt song. Another favourite song of ours is This Old Photograph.

Four-legged humans

Since I haven't done a lot of sewing of late I thought that I would post a message showing some  of the dogs that I mind (I work part-time as a dog minder for a wonderful company called Don't Fret Pet!). So below you will see photos of some of the four-legged humans I have been minding. Hubby and I just love our canine guests but I must admit I am still not ready to have another new "baby" since the passing of dear little Minnie (who is the spoilt dog in Spoilt Dog Quilts) three years ago. So ... meet Nelson, the miniature schnauzer who belongs to good friends of ours in our neighbourhood, Phoenix a Belgian shepherd and Roxy who is a Shetland sheepdog and who comes on holidays to our place a couple of times each year (and bonus ... her Mum Carol is a quilter as well ... ). Enjoy ... !