Gum Valley Patchwork

TBT #52

Well here we are at TBT once again. After 52 weeks and 52 photos you have seen the good......the bad.....and the ugly.......but not the really ugly as I burnt all of those photos when we moved! I thought that I would struggle to get enough for a whole year of TBTs but I underestimated exactly how many photos I had lying around of me. So what photo shall I show for the very last one? I have already shown all of my favourites so I decided that since this is blog related I would pop up the first profile photo that I used when I set up my blog back in April 2008....... gee 7 1/2 years ago!

I am older, greyer and wiser......lol!

Well I hope that you have enjoyed all of the photos.........do you have a favourite? I have many but the one of Russell in his shorts has to be close to the top of the list!

Linda     :)

 

Warning warning..........grandie overload!

I am home after spending a couple of days in Melbourne with Emma and Georgia. I haven't seen Georgia since she was home for the Stitch in Spring so decided to take a few days off and spend some Granny time with her. Monday night was my first solo baby sitting job. Emma and Ryan went out to the movies and I was it. I had to get a crash course in changing a nappy.......well it has been about 24 years and these new reusable nappies are certainly different to the big cloth nappies and safety pins of my day.

Georgia is starting to roll everywhere and hasn't quite got the crawling thing happening but it won't be long! I was very pleased with myself....no tears.....from her or me!.....changed, fed and in bed asleep by 10.10pm.......and she didn't wake until after 8am the next morning. Tuesday morning Emma takes her 'swimming'.......I use the term loosely but it is great to see the young babies enjoying their time in the pool and getting used to water.

After lunch we walked to a nearby park.......Emma is lucky as they have quite a few good choices where they live.

We had a swing, a slide and a bounce before walking back home.......I am getting the hang of this pram too!

It was really lovely to spend some time together.....she is growing up fast!

Linda     :)

Gone in a flash

After thinking that Thursday would never arrive, it was over way too quickly. Jodie and I set off on Thursday afternoon.....car to Lara......train to Melbourne.....tram to the Motel......out for dinner......then off to Rod Laver Arena for our date with Robbie.....along with a few thousand other people.

 

We had a great time.....

 

Jodie took her first selfie......she obviously has never been away with Hannah anywhere.....lol!

And you can't go to a concert and not come home with a t-shirt.

Back to work and planning the next trip to Melbourne.......this time to see a little person who I haven't seen since the Stitch in Spring.

Linda    :)

 

TBT #51

Okay let's have an old school photo to really embarrass me on this penultimate TBT. Taken of our Year 12 Class.......35 years ago.......if you say it quick it doesn't sound quite so bad!

This silly thing is that I can remember getting this photo taken but probably not a lot of what I learnt that year! If you hadn't already spotted me I am the one standing beside our Year 12 Coordinator, Mr Mastin. Apologies to anyone else in the photo if I have embarrassed them!

Linda    :)

PS. Don't forget that I will be opening the shop at 1pm tomorrow afternoon instead of 11am.

Robbie here we come!

I was upset and grumpy when I was unable to go and see Robbie Williams when he was in Melbourne last year, so when I heard that he was coming back to Australia I asked Jodie if she would like to come along with me. Let me say one thing.......I didn't have to ask her twice! It seemed like ages ago that I booked our tickets and tomorrow night we will be sitting in the Rod Laver Arena ready and waiting for (what I have been told will be) a great show.

Now comes the hitch.....normally if I was going to be away from the shop I would get Jodie to run it for me......but she will be with me of course! And Russell will be driving a tractor around and around and around paddocks so that won't work either. So I have decided that the shop will be closing at 2pm on Thursday afternoon (22nd October) and will reopen at 1pm on Friday afternoon. Apologies for any inconvenience caused but believe me when I say when I get back I won't be upset or grumpy!

Linda   :)

EPP Quilt-a-long

Back in September, Helen Stubbings from Hugs'n'Kisses fame released a brand new mystery quilt program. I had watched with interest as Helen revealed little peeks of the blocks that she had been working on and when I got the email though about the program I signed up for it. As you know I have in stock Helen's new Fancywork Box range of fabrics along with a good selection from her Basically Hugs range. It didn't take me long to decide which fabric I was going to use......probably about 2 seconds!

Two and a half weeks ago we all received our first block......hexagons.....woohoo!.....I can do these!

Done in a flash.......then 3 days later the second block was emailed......more hexagons......double woohoo! It arrived just in time for me to take them to a meeting in Melbourne (I have finished these blocks but the photo is just of the flowers.)

On track and doing okay.......the patterns are emailed out twice a week so it would not take much to get behind. Next one to arrive was applique. I use Helen's fusible applique paper for all of my applique so this was another woohoo moment.

Cruising.........and then came the Apple Cores.........I managed to get them done but I did use a little descriptive language when stitching the rows together.......bring back the hexagons!!!

Yesterday, being Monday, meant a block would be sitting in my inbox after class. So when I found it at 4.30pm I decided to get my prep work done in readiness for some evening stitching in front of the television. Pentagons.........well they are sort of like hexagons just one less side......and I love them! These cute flower blocks went together nice and easy and by bed time I was finished.

I must admit I am really hooked on this quilt. There are 21 more parts to the quilt with the finished size being 48" x 48". Helen will be releasing the pattern as a Block of the Month in the early 2016, so I am making my version up as a sample so that I can run it through the Shop. I will pop back in a few weeks and show you some more of my blocks.

Linda    :)

Divine!

My Mum has a patch .....a large patch.....of Lily of the Valley in her garden.

Every year I mean to dig up some of the pips that are growing out into the pathway and plant them in my garden.....but every year I forget. I am going to write it on my calendar for next year, but in the meantime I will just have to be content with smelling them from the vase.

The smell is divine!

Linda   :)

PS. I would like to thank everyone who has responded to my blog post on Saturday with words of support and advice. I will learn from my mistakes and continue to do what I can to improve my business. Thanks everyone!

The customer is always right

I have been stewing over whether to write this blog post since yesterday afternoon. I take my business very seriously and take pride in the service that I offer to visitors and customers, and while I do admit that I sometimes fail in some areas it is not intentional.

Yesterday I had a lovely group of local women in the classroom for lunch and a crafting day. They were that eager that they arrived early and caught me still in my work clothes and unshowered.....eeek! But they were very understanding and while I popped off for my shower they browsed and had a cuppa. Everything was going great, extra customers calling in, and assisting the ladies with a few pre-lunch purchases. Lunch was served and while I was waiting for the second the chocolate pudding to bake (mistakingly used plain flour instead of self raising flour in the first one......dooh!), some of the ladies decided to do some retail therapy. There was a knock at the door.....not unusual as the shop does look like a house.......well it is I suppose! Margaret kindly opened the door and a lady and her husband entered, I smiled and continued to serve Margaret and Pauline. It was busy and the lady browsed around the shop and after a few minutes her husband retreated to the car.....as the men often do.....lol! She asked about the Tearooms and I apologised and said that I no longer have them. I went on to try to explain where she could go locally to get a cuppa and she brushed me off.......yes I know we should really change the sign out the front (it's on Russell's list of things to do.....along with a proper mailbox!). The lady then asked to use the toilet.....yes no problems there it is......me pointing. The toilet has a trick to it and sometimes the water continues to run. She pointed it out and I said there's a knack to it....I flicked the button and it stopped.......I went on the say how we are on tank water and I have to keep an eye on it, and she again just walked off. No problems I thought. I went on serving Pat who had been waiting and then the woman arrived back with some bolts of fabric. She poked her head in the kitchen.........omg please don't look in there........there were dishes everywhere! I finished serving Pat and asked if I could take the bolts for her. I asked politely how much she would like and after I finished serving her, she produced the Quilters Companion magazine and said that she was following the shop tour in it. I was excited as when you advertise you never know if anyone reads it or actually uses it. I said how great it was. She then gathered up her things and then it happened. It's the first time I have had someone tell me off in my shop. She said how disappointed she was that I did not greet her when she arrived......Yes I should've done that.....I'm very sorry.....I was serving Margaret and Pauline at the time. Also that I did not offer or ask her if she needed help.........I'm sorry about that too but I was busy serving other customers, I did answer your questions, and I always try and serve customers in the order that they are waiting. She also said  that she had driven 24 km to visit me and spend her money in my shop and that she needn't have bothered! I apologised and tried to explain why this had happened and that it isn't always the case. She opened the door and left. I went week at the knees, my heart was pounding and I could feel my face and neck go red. I could not believe what had happened. I had no idea what I could do to make it better, so I opened the door and apologised again and mentioned that I did let her use my toilet (what was I thinking!....I couldn't think of anything else and at this stage shock had turned into anger). She gave me another blast about how that was just common courtesy and she shrugged her shoulders and headed for her husband waiting in the car. I know that if she had been the only customer in the shop at the time, I would have deserved every bit of her criticism plus more......I accept that.......but she wasn't.

I haven't written this post so that everyone can tell me how great I am......because I'm not always that great and I do make mistakes. But please when you are in a shop think about everyone around you.......because there might be a good reason why things happen. And if this lady is reading this post.....I would like to apologise again to you, but respect is a 2 way street and we all share the road.

At least the ladies enjoyed their day with me........the card is gorgeous Marion!.....signed by the 7 ladies :) ......very special!

Linda    :)

 

TBT #50

Well I have hit the big five O with my Throw Back Thursday photos. After today's photo there will be only 2 more until I say goodbye to it.....I am quickly running out of 'decent' photos to show you all, and believe me you do NOT want to see the bottom of the pile!

Today's photo was taken quite a few years ago (20 plus) when I used to propagate and sell plants as a hobby / small business. I would travel to markets and also open up a couple of days a week at the farm during the growing season. I would grow mainly cottage plants and herbs. I also grew a lot of native trees for planting on the farm.....selling some of the excess.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours planting vegetable and flower seeds in pots and punnets for the coming season. I really enjoyed it.......maybe I should start growing plants again!

Linda    :)

Stitching by the Sea Retreat

Registrations opened this morning for the 2016 Stitching by the Sea Retreat in Port Campbell next March. The phone calls came through thick and fast with the eager ladies making sure that they are booked in for this two day stitching weekend.

I still have a few places available so if you would like to come along please let me know asap. Here are the details:

Gum Valley Patchwork

presents

‘STITCHING BY THE SEA’

2016 Retreat

Saturday 19^th March, 10am – 6pm &

Sunday 20^th March, 9am – 4pm

at the

Surf Lifesaving Club. Cairns Street, Port Campbell

Cost : $130 per person

Spend two days stitching with friends in the seaside township of Port Campbell. Enjoy the view from the upstairs function room at the Surf Life Saving Club, while working on your stitching project/s. A two course lunch, with homemade morning & afternoon teas will be provided on both days.

You will receive a special ‘Retreat Goody Bag’ valued at over $20. And of course I will have the shop there! 

Places are limited to 45.....so book early to avoid missing out.

Not included: Accommodation is not included but there are over 20 options available in many price ranges. The Saturday evening meal and Sunday breakfast are not included, but again there are many    options available for those staying in Port Campbell.                  

There will be no tutors at this weekend.  

A deposit of $50 is required by 1^st November 2015 to secure your place. The balance of $80 is due by 1st February 2016. Cancellation Policy: If you cancel before 31st December, your deposit will be refunded in full. Cancellation after this date, refund will only be given if your place can be filled by someone else. Full refund if the day is cancelled by the organiser (Gum Valley Patchwork ).

If you have already booked in, you can download the registration form here:

Download Registration Form 2016

Linda   :)