Sunday is Quilting Day

I've been ordering Quilt Aid blocks and on Friday the first one arrived. Won't be starting this quilt for quite a while.

On Saturday we went to visit Elizabeth and Matt to wish them happy holidays - this coming Friday evening they fly out to Japan for a couple of weeks. Michael joined us for lunch - we had a lovely time.

I've been stitching this Leanne Beasley doiley ("Butterflies & Blossoms") over the last little while and was able to finish the stitching on Saturday. This is one of the designs from the Day of Inspired Stitches last April. Have to say, I love iron-on transfers.


Sunday afternoon was spent quilting "Happy Days" - this quilt is a little larger than the pattern because I wanted to use up all the jelly roll strips.

Next step is attaching the ruffle then binding.

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This is another Leanne Beasley doiley ("Spring Garden") from the "Butterflies & Blossoms" pattern. I really should be stitching the Sweet Pea's blocks but I'm loving these doileys at the moment.
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Giveaway

Helen Stubbings of Hugs 'n' Kisses is having a great giveaway: a set of patterns for her new Christmas BOM "Twas the night before Christmas".

Saturday Sewing

Cranked up the embroidery machine to applique a tea-towel to wrap up a birthday present.

Spent this afternoon and evening piecing the "Sweet Pea's Quilt" blocks ready for vliesofixing appliques and tracing some stitcheries tomorrow.


Pouring rain this weekend - excellent sewing weather.

Back Home

I have had such a fantastic week, starting with our day at the Quilt Show and then the trip to Queensland.

Mum drove me to the airport on Thursday morning and Diann was waiting for me when my flight arrived.

We visited a patchwork shop not too far from the airport and then had lunch in Currumbin followed by afternoon tea with Diann's daughter, Angela, and The Sweet One - 20 month old Hannes - absolutely delightful little guy - he loves an audience. We spent the evening sorting/packing our gear for The Retreat.

Friday morning we took our time driving to The Quilters' Rest, Kingaroy - arrived about 1.00 pm and the other girls arrived not too long afterwards (Jenny and her friends from Bundaberg). Once we were all settled in 5 sewing machines were buzzing away and 3 girls were hand-piecing hexagons.

Diann showed us how she quilts feathers on the doover.

This is Janice with her first completed hexagon flower.

I made a Disappearing 9 Patch quilt top on Friday afternoon/evening plus the binding and backing. Saturday I started piecing the Simplicity components (140 half-square triangles, 68 flying geese, plus various other borders)

and Sunday was spent hand-stitching on the sunny verandah until it was time to start our drive back to Diann's. Diann pieced a quilt for a friend's new baby due later this year and started piecing a Natalie Bird quilt for her daughter-in-law.

The Quilters' Rest is such a great place - excellent workroom, bedrooms etc, lovely hosts and fantastic food (my first camp oven roast dinner) and a wonderful shop (bought some of the In the Pink fabrics for when I'm ready to start Homespun's "Breast of Friends").

It was freezing cold during the nights (into the minus degrees) but we were warm and cosy and the days were lovely and sunny.

Monday morning we tidied up Diann's fabric cupboard, did a bit of shopping then I spent the afternoon quilting the Disappearing 9 Patch.

putting feathers in the outer borders

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and sewing on the binding while Diann pieced some more of her Natalie Bird quilt. Stitched down the binding while watching "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" on Monday night.

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Tuesday we visited Diann's mother, did a bit of hand-stitching back at Diann's then it was time to head out to the airport, flew back to Sydney, John picked me up and we drove home.

Yesterday I added a border or two to Simplicity then went to lunch and the pictures with Mum. We saw "State of Play" - excellent movie. I'd seen the BBC TV drama twice and loved it and I thought the movie was adapted extremely well.

Back at work today. Life is great - how could I not be happy with such wonderful friends and family?

Secret Sewing

The two stitcheries shown a little while ago were for pockets on these two aprons made to take to Queensland for dear Diann (who shall remain blogless) and her gorgeous daughter Angela. I had enough of the cute Mary Engelbreight mixing bowl fabric leftover to make two oven mits. The aprons are a Christine Book design called "Tea Party Apron".

Quilt Show Shopping

Today John and I plus 4 friends travelled to Sydney to the Quilt Show. Some breathtaking quilts in the exhibition with plenty of handquilting, which was lovely to see. Lots of favourite shops were there. We saw 5 of the completed Quilt Aid quilts - certainly makes choosing a finishing kit more difficult. The quilts are really lovely.

Bought buttons for the new Bronwyn Hayes quilt (Gingham Girls - My Favourite Things) and buttons for the My Little Teahouse pattern I also picked up, plus some bag handles and purse frames. Have had my eye on a rotating mat for quite some time - Scissorman had one for a good price. The honeybuns are for a friend.

Check out the cash registers, eftpos machine, calculator and mobile phone at this shop at the quilt show - what a hoot! Makes my sparkly mouse, calculator and stapler at work look pretty lame.


Queensland tomorrow!

Long Weekend

I have left some space in my suitcase to pack some clothes.

When I come back I'll start a new "Sweet Pea's Quilt" - Jenni's boyfriend, Ian, is going to become an uncle - the baby girl is due in October. Ian said his sister would prefer bright colours rather than pretty pinks so quite a few of these fabrics will be in the quilt.

. Pretty quiet weekend here. Friends came over for dinner on Saturday night, our nephew and great nephew visited yesterday (such a happy, lovely little guy) and today I seem to have spent most of the day faffing around not achieving very much - lovely way to spend a day.

Quilt Show = 2 sleeps
Queensland = 3 sleeps.

Some Finishes

Melly & Me's Mrs PerkinsAnother Mrs PerkinsLast month's Christmas project finished yesterday: "All Hearts Come Home for Christmas" Hugs 'n' Kisses


Long weekend here in NSW - always welcome.

A Day at Work

This was not a typical day for me - I am an office-dweller. Yesterday Tammy and I had an opportunity to go up No 5 Blast Furnace - up to almost the top of the blast furnace in a rickety wire-cage lift then many stairs to climb. We were able to see inside the blast furnace. The photo was taken around where the stairclimbing started. The reline is such a huge undertaking - massive amount of work being done in such a short timespan.

Felt a bit like the Michelin Man with my coat under the safety vest - very windy and cold up there.

Sydney Quilt Show = 6 sleeps
Queensland = 7 sleeps