Ooops

I forgot the wonderful scarf/neckwarmer.  It will be very useful at Cootamundra this winter

Thank you

Hi,   I received a parcel in the mail.  It was the Autumn swap.  I haven't participated before and am blown away by the generousity. 

Thanks so much Cheryll.  You have taken so much time and effort to send me a great parcel.  I am looking forward to getting knitting, and those tiny scissors, how cute.

It is strange thinking about Autumn, as summer hasn't started yet here in NSW.

Ian is away with the SES, helping out people in flooded areas, so I am off to play in the sewing room.

Cheers

Happy New Year

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year holiday.  I certainly did.  We got in lots of flying and caught up with lots of friends.

This is a picture of the quilt I started in July, 2010, and have loved putting the blocks together, hated putting the sash pieces together, then had a terrible feeling it would not fit together, and would look terrible, so tossed it into the corner and made other quilts.

However, I couldn't let it beat me, so I bit the bullet and put it together, ( of course it fitted almost perfectly), had it professionaly quilted and it now lives on our bed.  Love it.

You can see the indiviual blocks in the July 2010 blog posts.
I am glad I got it out, it was a major block to overcome, but now I am ready and rearing to go with lots of new projects for 2012.

Catch you all later.

Matt's Quilt

When in Cobar on the October long weekend, I saw a kit for this quilt and decided that I would make it for Matt for Christmas.  I think the heat was affecting my brain.

Still, when Ian and Matt went away for 2 weeks in November, I got stuck into it.

Then I had quilters block (is there such a thing?).  How do I quilt it.

I like to read Chris H's blog, and she posted a picture of her son's room, complete with a quilt that she made.  Chris quilted the quilt with wavy lines and it inspired me to action.

The finished quilt is ready for our family christmas party on Sunday

Thanks Chris.

Weekend fun

Look what I did this weekend.  Ian went on a boys weekend, so I was able to get in and peice this quilt, quilt it and get half of the binding done. 

I am taking it to a retreat this weekend.

I will post better pictures when the weather brightens up and I finish it.

Mariners Compass

I did a class in January, foundation piecing with Chris Jurd.  I had this almost finished in the class, and only had to add the background at home.  I made it into a compass, as it is hanging in the living area of the hangar, so seemed appropriate.

I am busy doing hexagons now, I hope to have a table runner finished over the weekend

Cheers
Elaine

Close up

Here is a close up as requested.

Quilt finish

I have been working on this for 15 months on a Wed night when Ian was not home, as a surprise for his 50th Birthday.  It has photos on it.

It is great to finally have a finished quilt on my bed.

hexagon madness

Hi all,

I went to a Sue Daley class on the weekend.  Learnt english paper piecing.  I chose This Goes With That, which is a series of 21/2 inch hexagons, made up of many different shapes.  We learnt to fussy cut, to make many different designs.  I won't look at fabric the same way again.

I have lost my camera, but have many good photos for you when I find it.

I have started to piece my red plates embroderies together and it looks really good.

I hope to fly to Melbourne for the weekend, if the vocanic ash clears, if not we will have to drive.

Cheers 
Elaine

Clean sewing room

Hi everyone,

Have had a great weekend.  I was able to spend sometime in the sewing room and have given it a good tidy up.  All my fabric is now in some sort of order, and I should be able to see what I have more easily now.


I was able to make a block for a swap, a cover for my new kindle, and make some progress on a secret quilt.   Also some applique too.

I am in for a busy week, as I am speaking to a Rotary club on Monday night about Can Assist and have Cooper for the day on Tuesday, watching Ellie's choir and then stitching class on Wednesday and Thursday a few business meetings.  It is a long weekend next weekend and we going to friend's place in Goulburn.

I will try to come back later this week with some photos.

Cheers

Elaine

Birthday Surprise

Hi All
  It was my birthday on the 28th May, and the kids organised a lunch at a local club.  My son offered to drive us ( he lives with us) and we set out.
When we arrived DS said his sister was in the back room.
Well, she was, with a bunch of other friends, all gathered for a surprise celebration of my husband & my 25th wedding anniversary, which was on the 24th May.
What a surprise, we had no idea.  We have never made a huge fuss of our anniversary with the kids, celebrating it quietly ourselves.  The kids all wished us happy anniversary on the day, and while I thought that they may have acknowledged that it was a milestone, I wasn't upset as we never made it a big deal.
I never thought that they would book a room., invite heaps of friends and actually recreate our wedding cake, a three tier pavolva.
Needless to say I am proud of all of them, and we had such a good time.

I had allowed for lunch in WW programme, but the array of drinks and chocolates and pavolva totally blew that.

Back on the programme today, all is not lost.

Cheers
Elaine

Hi Again

Hi All,

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, just blogland.

I have joined up with a 12" block swap and am loving it.  Not only do you get to create new patterns, but you get surprises in the mail.

I also joined a pass the parcel quilt group which is so much fun too.

We are back from a flying trip around the west of NSW, including a visit to Dubbo Zoo, which was great.

Hope to most more frequently than in the last months.

I have joined Weight Watchers and am determinded to lose 15kg by Christmas.  My flying suit is getting a  little snug.

All for now

Cheers
 Elaine

New computer

Hi Again,

I have a new computer and operating system, so I am even more computer illiterate.  I have been trying to work it out.
I found my photos of some gifts I made for the people we stayed with on Kangaroo Island.

I made a bag and some other things for my christmas swap, and will post those after christmans, so as no to spoil the surprise

When doing this a rekindled my love of stichery.

Catch ya later
Elaine

I have been busy with sticheries, and am now starting to finish the sampler quilt.  Only have the quilting in the outside border to do.  Had a creative block, but now it's full steam ahead.
I will try to post more photos soon.
Elaine

What have I been up to?

I have made this quilt for Kim's birthday.  I bought the fabric sometime ago, and it was perfect for this quilt.

This is the first quilt that I have designed the quilting pattern myself.  I think that I would not use muti coloured thread next time.

Who's getting the Quilt.

I AM.  Ian chose these colours.  I decided that I would do this quilt in different colours, and as I always tend to go for blues, I thought I would let Ian choose.  We are going to have it on our bed.  He chose to have a turquoise and orange quilt.  However, this is the closest we could get to on the day in the shop.  Easier to sleep under I think.   I will have to let someone else choose colours if I want to be totally different.  Ian and I have much the same taste.

Quilt show

More blocks, two more to make then I can put it together.  Just lacking in motivation.

We went to Cootamundra last weekend, and they had a quilt show at the town hall.  There were some fantastic quilts.  Ian came too, and he was impressed by the quilts on show.  He is all enthused about me making a quilt of an aerial view of Australia, showing the colours of the different areas.  We have one of these pictures at home, and he thought if I increased to size to about 2m x 1.7m, it could be pieced with 1" squares.
I am giving it some thought but really don't know where to start.  Any ideas?
 It is great that he has faith in my ability to pull something like this off.  Still, I will need lots of fabric, so I have a good excuse to visit fabric shops. lol
I have finished one of the Quilt aid 2010 blocks, and am well on the way with another one.
Cheers
 Elaine

Only two left to go

I have only two blocks to go on the "Hidden Stars" quilt. Thank goodness for that. I am rally not enjoying it. I love how it will look when finished , but am over the piecing.


Hi

I am into stitcheries at the moment, and have finished one block in the 2010 Quilt Aid Quilt.

I will add a picture of that next time.

Elaine

Back from Kangaroo Island

Well, after 40 hours in the trike covering over 2000NM I am back home. We had a wonderful time and met some lovely people.
Before I went I spent the weekend at a sewing retreat. Awesome. Met a lot of interesting people and got a lot of inspiration.
Here are a few more blocks of the Hidden Stars quilt

New Class

I have started a new class, Hidden Stars.

I had much more input into choosing the fabrics this time, am more confident.

Here are the fabrics





I have cut out the sashing and sashing squares, and made two blocks.

Ooops, can't figure out how to put everything in order. You can work it out I'm sure

Cheers