Our Weekend

Lots of activity in our back yard this weekend.  The parts for the new back fence arrived, a few posts have been cemented into place and a gate has been ordered.  Might take some photos when the fence is fully installed.

Dinner on Saturday night with our friends, Sharon and Gary, was delicious.  Gary is a great cook.  He made Rack of Lamb with Dukka Crust - yummo!

Diann and I haven't made any Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks for a few weeks - too much other stuff going on in our lives at this time of year.  Diann has chosen 5 SBS blocks for us to make in September.  While Jenni was sewing her dress, I spent the time choosing and cutting fabrics for 4 of the blocks plus the next block for our on-line group's BOM.  This always takes me the longest time.  Later in the afternoon I sewed up three of these blocks:

54-40 or Fight

Courthouse Steps

Friendship Quilt

Next weekend, Diann will be having an extra-long weekend at Kingaroy - I'm just a little green.

Knitting

I have some stitching at work that I do occasionally at lunchtime (seem to be working through more lunchtimes these days) but find I am really enjoying kinitting at night-time.  When we drove up to Queensland in June I started knitting a pale blue baby's jumper using some wool I'd found in the sewing room.  I was sure I'd have enough but, of course, I ran out very close to the end of the second sleeve.  Would have been fine if I'd knitted 6 months size instead of 12 months.  Couldn't find the same colour in the local shops and I've sine found out it's a discontinued colour.  A search on Google last weekend and I found some wool (different dye lot) and I knitted this in alternate rows with the original wool to finish off the sleeve.  There was enough of the original wool to finish off the neckbands.

Spent last night sewing up the pale blue jumper

and also this variegated orange/hot pink jumper.

This wool was bought in Queensland when Diann and I had a day shopping.  Wasn't too sure about the colours while knitting but as it is also 12 months size, it will look fine with a little pair of jeans or denim skirt/pinafore.

I love the crochet picot edge around the collar.

This is what I started a couple of nights ago - aran cardigan to fit a 2 yo.  Also bought this wool when shopping with Diann.  This cardigan will take a good deal longer to knit than the little jumpers.

Beautiful weather on the south coast this morning.  We're going out to friends' place for dinner tonight and tomorrow night Jenni is coming over to continue making herself a dress - she was here 2 nights during the week cutting and sewing.  Time to get back to the Saturday jobs.

Have a look at yesterday's post on Sarah's blog - very funny (and clever).

More Pink

A Finish or Two

Didn't have to go to the eisteddfod today, so after doing the usual Saturday housework, washing etc I made a bag for Jenni (Amy Butler's "Frenchy Bag") using a lovely heavier weight Kokka Babushka fabric.  Jenni asked for the lace trim on the top panel - I love it.  The gorgeous leather handles are from Cindy's Button Company.

Also finished is this sweet cross-over cardigan for a 12 month old.  I'm really enjoying knitting at the moment.

Cooking and Knitting

August/September each year is always a busy time for me and a bunch of friends.  We spend each Thursday and Friday cooking for the canteen at Wollongong Song and Dance Festival and our weekends are spent at the eisteddfod.  Lots of parents tell us they enter their children only because of the great food available.  Everything is home-cooked.  The eisteddfod is in its 19th year and we hope to be able to continue for a few more years.

Consequently, only a little bit of stitching happening at my place.  I have been knitting.  I bought some wool when visiting Diann in June and have knitted a cardigan for a 12 month old - ready to be sewn up.

I went along to Tuesday Girls S&S this week and a couple of the girls had some great show and tell:

Karen's fabulous horse quilt made with lovely, bright Laurel Birch fabrics.  Karen finished sewing down the binding on Tuesday night.

And for a complete contrast Karen has made a quilt top featuring Flower Fairy and Fairy Frost fabrics. 

Paula has been busy sewing/designing a quilt for her friend's 5 yo son, and has enough panel pieces leftover to make a second quilt.   Paula has bought the most wonderful backing fabric for these quilts.

Block 4

Block 4 "Butterfly Garden", which is hanging crookedly on the design sheet.

I'm stitching Block 9 next and working backwards towards the centre block - hopefully my needleturn will have improved a bit by the time I reach Block 5.

Big Weekend

After work on Friday evening, Karen and I headed off to Sydney for our weekend workshop with Kellie Wulfsohn.  For two days we were all head down, trying to master the various techniques Kellie has perfected.  We were so busy none of us had much time to take photographs.

(photo from retromummy)

On the Saturday morning Kellie explained how she came to making her style of quilts.  Such a pleasure to be able to see Kellie's quilt up close.  Her imagination is endless.  Kellie showed us how she does raw-edge applique, then it was our turn to start our raw-edge applique preparation and the afternoon was spent appliqueing our cushion tops and trying to stitch our branches - sewing over the top of our original free-motion sewing is not easy.

Saturday night a group of us had dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant - lovely food and company.

Sunday morning Kellie demonstrated her quilting.

(photo from retromummy)

Then it was our turn to have a go.  Lots of frustration trying to make smooth swirls but Kellie was always on hand inspiring and encouraging us to keep going.

After the lunch break we had to start quilting our cushion tops.  I put it off for as long as possible but Kellie found me out, so I had to bite the bullet.

Finishing time came all too soon.

(photo from retromummy)

Final photo of Corrie and Kellie in front of  "Alphabet Soup" (one of Kellie's newer designs, which we had to buy along with a couple of other goodies).

I looked forward to this workshop for so long and it was terrific.  I was lucky that Karen was able to come along at short notice - we had a fantastic time, met some lovely ladies and came away with some new skills (well, they may be skills after hours and hours of practice).  Kellie is a fabulous quilter, innovator and teacher - her ideas are brilliant.  She has a knack for making our quilting life simpler.