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In my last post I was about to leave for Australia to attend our annual Scrub Stitching retreat.

I thought the above (unusual) heart shaped gum leaf I found while out walking one morning was a perfect way to describe my trip.....I had a fabulous time...I loved every minute ♥

I have to start with a photo of kiwikid Sue and I - we travel together each year and have lots of fun. Without Sue, my adventures to Scrub Stitching wouldn't be (as) possible.

This year WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO SIT TOGETHER; however we both survived :-)

For those who don't know, Scrub Stitching is held each April at Camp Cypress, the showgrounds at Baradine, a small town in North Western New South Wales. A group of bloggers (primarily) descend on it and take over the cabins, main room and kitchen with sewing, chatting, eating and sleeping on repeat for the duration.

Sadly, it was looking a little bit dry this year —

Here is the main room on the first afternoon, all set up ready for the invasion —

This is the view (taken another time) from the kitchen on the other side of the room —

Meals, Morning tea, and Fivesies often morph into sewcial sessions —

A fabulous goodie bag is par for the course —

— filled with all sorts of surprises. An Australian coffee mug, sweet treats. Di made the name tags which are actually bookmarks. Brenda made us some delicious coconut ice (again!).

The rulers were pretty cool (and useful), with our special logo on them. Janice made us each a magnetic butterfly, and Jo contributed a wee pouch —

The fabrics and zip in the goodie bag photo were this year's kit for a project - and thanks to Chooky's expert tutelage (hehe) most of us completed a pouch by the end of SS. 

Mine's here with one my pile of pouches from Scrub Stitching.

Jo's wee one; the kit make (top right); one I made; and a special gift from some special ladies —

 - I had asked Jo to show me her special way of making her project bags. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It's a step up in 'quality' from the vinyl fronted pouches I've made before.

See that torn serviette Jo is holding - those are her instructions!!

Chooky kindly lent me one of her machines. I took over my Sewing Space Station which proved to be very handy. I worked very hard to try to remember to place everything back in its pocket after I used it, which in the limited space and with my scrappy (messy) sewing, was necessary!

Always plenty to eat. The Coeliac in the group appreciated the GF scones (hehe) —

Fivesies before our party dinner were held outside —

The theme for this year's party dinner was 'A favourite book character'. It was so much fun to see what everyone came up with —

Sue and I went with favourite children's book characters; Noddy and The Gruffalo —

I styled my outfit off ones I'd made for the kids years ago. 

I didn't think to get a photo of the back which showed my tail and purple 'spikes' all over my back.

(I used the Twig n Tale women's Pathfinder vest pattern. Definitely one I would make again- sans ears and horns, of course!)

We gather each year for a Tribe photo. I had just come back from a massage so was feeling very relaxed for the photgrapher!

You can probably tell I've just been grabbing photos and talking about them for this post. I'll sign off now but will organise myself for a follow-up blogpost soon......

'til next time,

happy stitches,

Raewyn