OMG....the year is ending!

It is hard to believe it is New Years Eve...this year has flown, and quite frankly I am glad that it is over. So much change in our lives, lots of stresses, but, whilst it has been a year of challenges, I hope that the changes we have made in our lives will be worthwhile.


We are in the new home, it is lovely, but will be better when the kitchen goes in in three weeks (mutter something about kitchen designers going into liquidation with your deposit), and we have the main bathroom and laundry tiled in February ( mutter something about builders forgetting to book tilers in the busy per Christmas season). But overall we are glad we have made the move and plan to be here for a very loooong time!


So, if I will leave you with some snaps of an antique pickle dish quilt I purchased whilst in Houston,


And this divine thirties quilt. One inch squares, all hand sewn....just love the happiness of this one. I treasure them both!


May you all have a happy and prosperous 2013.
Cardygirl xxx


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Waiting for a BIG delivery...

Missing in action for far too long...little time to blog or even lurk! Busy with the house and work, the time has flown by!


Just some quick pics while I was waiting for our belongings to arrive from storage...


Now there are boxes everywhere...unpacking is top of my list!


Cardygirl xx
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Homeward bound

We are sitting at the airport, waiting for our flight to Sydney. A meal of fish tacos and a cosmopolitan and I think we will snooze...I hope! We have had an amazing two days...


Las Vegas for a night...


then off to the Grand Canyon ranch for a night and the MOST amazing helicopter flight under the canyon rim and back to Vegas...woohoo!


I would highly recommend it if you ever get the opportunity.


We took off to the strains of "Raiders of the lost ark" ...


then dropped over the rim to "2001: a space odyssey"....


Then buzzed Vegas to "viva Las Vegas"....


so cool!
Looking forward to heading here...


And seeing my family....


Will miss the girls though!
Cardygirl xxx
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Lea, Loz and I are on the final stage of our trip....the Houston Quilt Festival has been visited and now we are heading to the Grand Canyon via a quick stopover in Las Vegas.


The festival was interesting...sort of like our craft shows but supersized!
My favourite part was looking at the antique quilts....so very inspirational and fabulous talking to a dealer, John Sauls, about the quilts...learning how we found them and what to look for when buying.


The weather in Houston was much warmer, we walked to and from the convention centre.


Now we are in Vegas...sensory overload...noise, lights, people and smells...not my kind of town at all, but an experience of excess indeed.


Just waiting for our trip to the Grand Canyon....a bit of a mix up and now we are flying both ways....bit of a shame as we were keen for the road trip...but the main thing is that we get there and speak clearly!
Cardygirl xx


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Location:Snapshots of the Festival

Don't you just love old quilts?

Not too much to say...enjoy the pics of what we have been coveting!


So many lovely quilts...


What are there stories...


How did they end up here?


Who made them...


And why...


How many can I take home...


which do I love the most?



We have a new appreciation for their time and skill....


Need to slow and enjoy the process...


More handpiecing coming up!!


We have learnt so much.
Cardygirl xx
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When the storm was over!

Yesterday was spent confined to our hotel, setting up a temporary sewing circle in a corner of the lobby. The staff of the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC were fabulous...a credit to their hotel. This a reenactment of trying to get outside...


Some of these were consumed...


Knitting and sewing done...and lots of chatter too.


Lots of wind and rain, but we were warm and snug. Other areas have not fared so well, and our thoughts were with those trying to find sanctuary. The Potomac was full of debris...


But the much photographed squirrels were out and about.


Today it was still COLD and wet...but we ventured out on a Trolley Bus tour (fabulous staff...Sooner Steve and Mike) and saw the memorials...all of the museums and Arlington were closed. The town was so very quiet...giving us a great view and easy access to memorials to Lincoln,


Jefferson


and Martin Luther King.


My Dad served during the Korean War, so I was in awe of the memorial to those who served there.


Almost frozen, Loz and I made a glamorous pair in our matching LILAC spray jackets... OMG I am wearing a pastel???? Note to self...never try to buy a spray jacket when a Hurricane is bearing down on you and expect both colour choice and a size that fits...we looked like a pair of lilac puff balls...but we were dry!


Off to Houston tomorrow!
Cardygirl xxx



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Hurricane Sandy that is! We are safely bunkered down in our Washington DC hotel. We have fudge and chocolate covered pretzels....we are hoping that will meet our food needs! Who knows what the next day will bring, but we are fine and have stitching ready to go! At present all is pretty quiet with light rain...hoping it does not get too bad, but the city seems well prepared.


We arrived at lunchtime and then spent the afternoon racing around the major sites in case we do not have another chance.


It is a beautiful city...so much history...something beautiful everywhere I look. It would be lovely to see it when there is not a hurricane heading our way.


Wish us luck!
Cardygirl xx



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Location:Waiting for Sandy!

Yesterday Loz and I decided to investigate Amish country with a driver, as the public transport in the area is very poor and many shops are situated away from main tourist drag. We found a great shop, Hannah's Quilts, after a recommendation from some Dutch quilters. Well, I think Hannah was rubbing her hands together with glee as, after the arrival of two more friends, some Amish quilts were purchased. Beautifully hand quilted with the makers initials, date and place...lovely!


We also investigated Lancaster itself and an old graveyard....amazing to wander around.


Still amazed by squirrels...we saw this little chap!


Cardygirl xx


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A proud city

New York has been amazing! A fascinating city with so much to see and do...we have barely scratched the surface, but our feet remind us of how much we have walked...and walked.



Finally we have the street system worked out and are navigating quite well. Every now and then we need some directions, but everyone is pleased to help...lovely people who think we talk strangely...oui!


Today we strolled 5th Avenue...went to the stunning library and Bryants park, saw a mass in St Patricks Cathedral and lit a candle for my mum. We were dazzled by the diamonds in Tiffany's, admired the fashionable shops, went to the top and bottom of the Rockefeller Centre and gazed over an overcast New York...beautiful.


I love walking the streets, hearing people talk and seeing how they live...so much fun!


We have been so impressed by the pride New Yorkers have in their city and the brave people that serve them...the police and fire departments. We had the good fortune to meet a delightful officer...here I am with one of NY's finest!


Cardygirl xxx
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