Surprise

Helen has been quietly working on this octagon beauty by hand for not that long really. The blocks are @ 10" and go together quickly she assures us. A great pattern to highlight large scale prints

Look what arrived today - my spring swap gift from Erica in the US! How sweet is this - a pretty cushion from dresden petals (here they are again) and some fat quarters to go with it. PLUS Erica made the card as well - what a clever girl she is and a lovely swap partner too.

I have never done an internet swap before and this one was a lot of fun - keeping things secret til the end. Other gifts are on Flickr - check them out. Just beautiful.

Want the world to see your quilt? The V and A have a virtual quilt show going in conjunction with their quilt exhibition and you can put yours in it here. I did and there are lots of others - really interesting quilts from all over the world. Thanks to an Aussie Erica for the info.

Entries have closed for our quilt show - over two hundred items! Can you believe it and to think we were worried we wouldn't have enough. Lots of people have volunteered to help over the five days - thanks in advance to you all. Let the fun begin!!

Kiama

Not too many pics from classes this time but you'll have a laugh from this one. We had a night in Kiama after my Berrima class on Sunday and on Monday morning there was a quilt sale at the Community Arts Centre. They must have known I was in town! Minutes after this pic was taken Daisy was wheeled up the main street to the council depot to have a new paint job - what a funny sight.
Nowra Quilters had a display in the old fire station but I forgot to ask how often - maybe once a month? Some lovely things and all for sale at very reasonable prices.
The Noodle Box belongs to Jennifer from Berrima who's made it to give away to her sister - lucky girl. Lots of magazine publicity around at the moment for our Springwood High School quilt show with good friend Marilyn's smiling face in most of the write-ups.
Make sure it's on your calendar to visit over the Anzac weekend.
Finally received my copy of the latest Kaffe Fassett book - what a feast for the eyes.

Classes

I've just received today issue 130/September 2009 of Quilts Japan. Tho the whole mag is in Japanese the pics are fantastic and the projects could be accomplished with a bit of concentration. Anyway this issue has an English flavour with pics from several museums in the UK - Norwich in particular. Why wasn't it around before I was over there last year. This pic is of the Brereton Bed Hangings and more can be seen here. Real eye candy!

These two pics are from my workshop at Quiltsmith on the weekend. They include two projects from a past class and the start of the weekend's Oriental Mariners quilt. We had a great day playing with the same design in different fabrics and tho the quilt wasn't finished over the two days I'm sure the girls are well on their way. Can't wait to see them finished.

Now this one is a version of my Doily quilt below. Gabrielle from my Blackheath class has used up a lot of embroideries, hankies, lace and doilies in this beautiful, soft-toned example of how to get things out of the linen-press and into the daylight. She has @ 5 weeks to quilt it for our Springwood quilt show - no golf for a while girl!

This quilt apparently has caused lots of discussion in the shop - Ribbons and Rainbows - when people comment on their own stash of stitcheries and doilies languishing in the cupboard. Cut them up!! and get them out there I say.

Hubby's finally got the all-clear on his ribs nearly 10 weeks after the event so he's pretty much back to normal now. What a saga!

One thing leads to another

Have I been sewing lately? NO! because I've been doing this. Emptying my sewing room in preparation for the new carpet - wasn't that a job and a half. How can someone have so much fabric and stuff? Then we ripped up the old carpet and found a corner of the floor was rotten where water had come in. Behind the gyprok in that corner the studs had rotted as well! And while the room was empty why not paint it. I must admit it will be so much nicer when it's finished and imagine if we hadn't opened up the floor!

On a much happier note here is my Spring Swap for Erica in the US organised by Corry and her sister at Dutch Blue. It is a big cushion cover made using the Dresden ruler I've been talking about lately. I included a couple of fat quarters and a pattern of mine and I'm so glad Erica liked it. The swap was great fun and it was lovely talking to someone from so far away about all things quilty and more. My swap from Erica will be here soon - can't wait.

Hooray!

Hooray because the carpet was laid in my flooded classroom today. No classes at all this term so far but we begin again next Wednesday. Thanks girls for being so patient. It looks really good and my own sewing room is getting the same treatment. Thanks heavens for insurance.
On a more pleasant subject check out the two-page spread in the latest Down Under Quilts with good friend Marilyn's cheesy grin. It's a write-up about our quilt show in April with pics from last years show. How generous of the magazine for such wonderful exposure. Thanks Deborah.
Trawling thru blogland as you do I came across this blog from Wayne Kollinger who has lots of ideas for machine quilting. Really interesting ways to quilt the same blocks differently. He's now on my list of favourites.
I've finished my Spring swap for my friend Erica in the US and it will be posted off next week. I do hope she likes it. I can't put a picture up til she has received it in person. It has inspired another version which will be a magazine project in a future issue of Aust Country Craft. We have been emailing a bit about our lives and who knows maybe one day we'll meet. She sounds lovely.
Only 8 weeks til our quilt show and entries are trickling in. At the meeting last night it sounds like things are well in hand with lots that can only be done after entries have closed. So if you are thinking of displaying your work get the form/s in ASAP - closing date is 25th March.

Still waiting

Still no joy on the replacement carpet front but classes are starting here next week regardless!

These pics are from my latest Berrima class. Lots of Quilt-as-you-go noodle boxes and the start of three Reproduction Beauty quilts. Dianne's version (far right) has redwork sashiko-style in the centre and it looks fantastic. Another one of those "why didn't I think of that?" Students continually come up with wonderful variations on the original. But that's what it's all about isn't it? Pushing the boundaries and who knows where it will lead.

That's Dianne's Mariners madness top finished - she has been really busy over the break and the red and white Mariners is Hilda's - quilted and bound - well done. It is really beautiful and much better in the flesh but despite joining the guild we couldn't persuade her to show it at Darling Harbour. What a shame.

What a mess

We had 5" of rain here last Friday night resulting in a flood through our garage and into my sewing/classroom. The carpet has been removed and we're waiting on insurance to replace it. Meanwhile no weekly classes til that happens. Sorry girls! We are all missing our regular get-togethers to catch up on all the goss and look at who's been sewing what.





These two quilts belong to my good friend Pam. One is her version of my Hexagon Magic quilt with hand pieced and appliqued hexagons around a centre medallion. The colours are so lovely and she's doing a great job, as always.
The little cot quilt is for her new grandaughter and I had the pleasure of quilting it. The pic really highlights the quilting doesn't it.

The NYB quilt is Toni's from a Springwood class.

What a great use of colour! Hope she has it quilted for our Springwood show.

The entry form for the Darling Harbour quilt show arrived yesterday. Lots of new categories and much food for thought. I have finished my entry - this year my entry photo won't be just the unquilted top like previous years! - and I just need to add a label.

Put the dates 16-20 June on the calendar - it's the big quilt event for us here in NSW.