Actual Sewing....

Actual sewing has happened in the sewing room...the sewing machine was turned on and everything!...No, it didn't blow up with the shock...not big things but tidies up a couple of things off the cutting table...

First up was making up the kit I received as Guild Christmas present...a wee kit for a project pouch that just needed to have the vinyl for the front of the pocket added...not bother there as I have a nice big sheet of clear vinyl...

I like the fabrics in the kit a lot and it will be useful...

 

Next up was the everyone project from Scrub Stitchin'...we were all given a Sashiko inspired pincushion kit that included a wooden base, some fabric, thread, polyfill...I received the small base which has a 2 1/2" "hole" and decided it wasn't worth the bother of embroidering the small surface so I used the patterned fabric that was in my kit...

 

I added walnut shells and took Lea's advice and added a circle of cardboard to the pincushion base to give it structure before lacing up the fabric to seal. 

 

A good job done to get the two "kits" off the table...

Happy Stitching...

On the Road...the Last Legs...

Heading south again back to Victoria...Broken Hill to Mildura the last overnight stop...over the bridge at Wentworth and the feeling the holiday is almost over - sob sob...

Overnight in Mildura at the best restaurant/motel...Jo's!...good to catch up again after Scrub Stitchin'...decided to get back on the road Good Friday (well eventually, the morning just flew by) to give me a couple of days to regroup before going back to work on Tuesday...I had to go the less direct slightly longer route to take the opportunity to go through Nullawill as I have wanted to see this painted silo for ages and this was the far less kms/time option to get that ticked off...

I'm sure you can see why I wanted to see this one...the starring role of a kelpie! ha ha ha...

The detail the artists take always astounds me...down to the dog's tag meaning...

 

Back to reality now...the holiday is over...not a sunset but the Easter Moon rising over the backyard last night...through the neighbouring large wattle tree...

 

Happy Stitching...

On the Road...Cobar to Broken Hill...

From Cobar the next stop was Broken Hill...a nearly 500km drive with just a short stop to eat some lunch and keep going...even so it was interesting to watch the landscape and the changes in the ground and vegetation over the kilometres...no further wildlife except feral goats which are prevalent along the highway...fortunately I only encountered one spot with some on the road and they had the good sense to keep moving in the direction they were travelling and didn't double back...

In Broken Hill found while walking around town...the 2BH building...

 

How cool is it that the facade is a radio!

I drove out to Silverton and can certainly see why they filmed Mad Max out that way...I took the turnoff to an historical mine on the way back to arrive at the gate being shut for the day...at 2:30!...oh well, interesting drive on a red dirt road through the landscape...back in to town I went to the Pro Hart Gallery...enjoyed seeing his works...across the road is a garden of his sculptures and I found another emu! ha ha ha...

 

The Mullock Heap dominates the edge of town...the buildings on top are the Line of Lode precinct which includes the Miners Memorial to the left...

The Line of Lode Lookout is the perfect place to watch the sunset over the town...

The moon rises over the Miners Memorial...

Miner names recorded on the boards inside the Memorial start in 1883 with the last in 2019...this is from the lookout on the exit side after walking through...because it was dark I couldn't read all the boards...eerie though as the working mine can be heard just on the other side of the mullock heap...

 

 

Time to cross the river (Murray) back into Victoria...a short-ish drive just to Mildura...

Happy Stitching...

On the Road...Baradine to Cobar...

Taking the long way back after Scrub Stitchin'...the first stop was a good 2-3 minutes after leaving Camp Cypress...the Pillaga Forest Discovery Centre in Baradine...well, wouldn't want to overdo it straight out of the gate *LOL*...this fellow was found in the front garden...

...it was very interesting and well worth a visit...indigenous culture, fauna, flora, timber cutting, the forest holds a lot of stories...there was a small art display in another room so I had a look at that too...

Then it was time to actually get back on the road and head west...I came across some more locals in Coonamble...

 

and a painted tower...

The tower is circled by an indigenous design incorporating other local animals/birds as well as the emu...

Going via Warren and Nyngan I arrived at my destination of Cobar early enough, after checking in to the motel, to do some sightseeing...

the sign at the entrance to town coming in from the east...

The New Cobar Open Cut Gold Mine from Fort Bourke Lookout...

 

It was tricky to get a good photo because the sun was in setting and the Lookout of course faces west!...it is a very very long way down to that entrance into the mine...

 

After leaving the mine lookout I stopped at the Mining Heritage Park also at the east end coming in to town (opposite the Heritage Centre)...it is a lovely park with a memorial to miners who have lost their lives to accident or miners disease...

Miner Sculpture...

entrance to the Miners Memorial...each brick is inscribed with a name...

 

Inside the Memorial are information story boards which are very interesting and sad to read...also a large tag board with golden coloured tags - each one with the name and year of death of a miner who had lost his life working in the mine...the first one dated 1880 and the last 2017...yes, 2017, just five years ago, mining accidents still happen, it is a dangerous profession...

Across the road was this sculpture...

a stele monument to commemorate the discovery of copper...

 

Before leaving for the next leg I contributed to the Cobar economy with a visit to Cobar Quilt Shop...I really liked Cobar but it might be a good thing I don't live close by that shop!...

Then it was onwards for the next leg...Broken Hill...

Happy Stitching...

 

Scrub Stitchin' 2022...

Finally, I made it to the ultimate prize of the drive north...Scrub Stitchin'...

Set up ready to welcome us all for five days of stitching frivolity...

And pretty much that's all you get...yep, I managed to take no, yes that is no, photos during the retreat...so if you want to see stuff you'll need to visit Sue, Jo, Janice or any of the other bloggers who who were not useless like me and actually recorded the festivities...

For my efforts of the stitchy kind I did make some very slow progress on very slow projects...not in order for my own record - appliqued down one star on Anna, pieced two wagon wheels for Bum'ble Bee, appliqued some previously back basted petals on Wildflower blocks with further pieces back basted for another day and a good bit of of embroidery on one heart piece for wool felt pincushion.

I was lucky enough to score Chooky's present in the Make It, Bake It or Fake It Swap...a Red Tractor mug and a pack of wee pre-cuts, like 2" or some such.  I didn't make a start on the Sashiko pincushion project we were all given but you never know it might be done to take back next year for show and tell.

It was a great retreat and I am looking forward to next year - thanks to Chooky for all her organising and the other ladies for their friendship.

Here is a dodgy pic on the phone of the sunset looking back to Camp Cypress Sunday night...it was glowing so red/orange/pink in the rear view mirror...

Happy Stitching...

Hay...Sunset and Silos...

The sun sets and the moon rises over the Hay Plains...

I was a wee bit late to the party as I didn't get into town as early as I'd hoped so I missed the start of the show but still worth the short drive out along the Cobb Highway to the viewing point...not enough time to get the camera out, the phone will have to do or it will be all over so not the best photos...

The next morning before heading further north up the highway I went back to the painted silos to see them in the daylight...

The sun was in a bit of the wrong position for getting photos without any shadows...really like that they included a nurse and an indigenous soldier local to the area who contributed to the war efforts...

Then it was time to continue north to the next overnight stop before the ultimate prize...Scrub Stitchin'...

Happy Stitching...

Roadside Art...Deni to Hay...

ARTBack Art Sculptures Roadside Art at Black Swamp on the Cobb Highway about 1/2 way between Deniliquin and Hay...part of the Long Paddock Touring Route...

I hadn't realised the significance of the signs for the Long Paddock Touring Route until I came across these sculptures and stopped for a look...oh well, a trip for another day to take in all the sculptures and various interpretative panels along the way...

Happy Stitching...