Monthly Report

Well, I'm back again for a short visit. I have been methodically basting and preparing my workshop quilts for quilting. I have managed to finish the quilting on 2 of them. Wow!.

Things are certainly getting stressful on the home front. Looks like we might be moving house to the other farm 200 kms away, but it depends on how negoitations proceed with the the other party involved. It would be good if the youngest child could finish her school education without the trauma of suddenly shifting house though. Plans are in hand for her to finish at her current school though.

I have also started planning the next Yeppoon Workshop for January 2010. I'm envious that the convenor has bought herself a machine quilting frame. I hope to visit her place for a few fun filled days when we get sorted out here.

The photo above is from a wokshop on twisted log cabin from a while ago. I had unsuitable fabrics according to the tutor so ended up reversing every second block. I must try to take better photoes. The lighting seems to be washing out the quilt.

Wow!! Is she really back?

Yes I'm here. I have been to Brisbane twice in the last 6 weeks. The QCWA dyeing workshop was very enjoyable. Hope you all like your fabrics . The Textile Fair was very inspiring and also a bit deflating. I managed to use the plastic for some purchases but not too much.

I went back to Brisbane for a parent's medical appointment and went clothes shopping.

I have also been working as usual. Spent a night at Cania Gorge and went rock hopping.

I have actually basted one quilt of my contemporary table runners workshop series ready to be quilted. I have also finished dyeing the backings for quite a few more so hope to drag out the quilt sewing machine to quilt them. My dreams of a long arm still persist but other financial decisions regarding our future lives must come first.

I also managed to re photograph some of my quilts last week.

Here is a new photo of a favourite small quilt from my connector series.

Back Again Stranger

Looks like it's time to check in again. Lots has been happening in my world. Some sewing , some work and lots of family things. Some days are spent sewing and walking the dogs etc. Other days are frantic getting from place to place and meeting deadlines. The new car is now not so new( 7 months) and has clocked up 15000 kms averaging 4.7 litres diesel per 100 km so I am pretty pleased about that. Mind you I have not taken a photo of it yet. My camera is back from its trip to Sydney and Monto. I had resurrected another camera in the family and purchased a card reader. It certainly makes dealing with digital photos easier. Editing them is now on the learning curve agenda soon with photoshop when time permits.

I have sewn 2 kaleidoscope quilts and have been dyeing backings for my workshop quilts. I am off to Brisbane soon to teach another dyeing workshop. Then onto the Textile Festival at Southbank.

The photo above is a section of where I would like to explore next in my quilting world. A step on from strip insertion. First though I have to finish my kaleidoscopes. Now that my camera is back I plan to rephotograph all of my quilts as I thought I had saved a copy of that file to disc before my computer was reformatted in November but never did. I was talking to another quilter and she is wondering why do we lurch from one deadline to the next???? Are we the type of people that always have to be busy.

Report of the Month

Well it looks like blogging is getting to be a monthly occurrence. I have been doing extra shifts for work so spare time has been limited. I have sewed 3 items from fabric purchased from our Toowoomba shopping trip. One is the quilt from bright large prints which I think I might try meander quilting then feathers on. I purchased a book from Suzanne Earley which looks very interesting. Oh for the uninterrupted time to start the project. I also finished an Amy Butler apron and oven mitts from the scraps. Am about to finish a Moonshine bag when I finally find a large button in my sewing containers somewhere.

I am looking forward to a day tomorrow when I can get past the housework, accounting work (BAS time again in Australia) and clear the cutting table and start slicing a second kaleidoscope quilt. I purchased the fabric in Kingaroy on our way home from Toowoomba. Then I may have set a record and actually used all of my purchases from a shopping trip.

I went to Brisbane for my father's medical appointment on Thursday and have never driven on a major highway in such torrential rain and I have to wonder about the driving sense of some people. I was glad to be driving away from the rain and not towards it. Noosa had something like 2o + inches in 5 hours. We arrived home to find once again we had missed out.

The photo of the quilt is of my Moonflowers quilt made a few years ago now. It is foundation pieced and machine quilted.

Sewing At Last

I went along to our Mt Perry patchwork day on February 18th before leaving early for another trip to Bundaberg and did the real patching. I mended work clothes so I could indulge in some creative sewing without feeling guilty. Why do semi professionals and non professionals feel that creative sewing is laden with guilt feelings?
I purchased a quilt kit of modern large prints on our shopping trip to Toowoomba in January and I 'm pleased to say I have it cut and sewed except for the final rows and borders. I wanted to try using these prints but I can honestly say that I still prefer my hand dyed fabrics for their colours. I will show a photo when it is completed. I'm also dreaming about a special wall hanging for someone who is approaching 50 yrs of age in August.
After just completing 3 nights of stressful laboratory work I'm in great need of a good rest and some sewing time.

February Notes

Aagh!!! February is nearly as bad as January and the rest of last year for achieving much sewing wise. I seem to have all of these things I'd like to do and something else impinges on my "spare time" preventing me from sewing.

The workshop went well and I hope I have inspired some ladies to break out of their traditional comfort zone and try some new techniques. I have literally done no creative sewing since. I went to my patchwork day last week and did the clothes patching for the 2 men in my life. Now that my son is the same size as his father , they wear each others work clothes and fight over the newer items. The mending pile had been growing so to ease my conscience I decided to do that job, so next week I hope for some creative sewing.

The quilt pictured is one I made 12 years ago using a bias strip applique method.

I have also been asked to pick up one extra shift for work each week during March. That might help with the car payments but cuts my recreation time. Oh for a good balance of things in life.

January Notes

This photo is Hot Green Mosiac, a quilt using all hand dyed fabric in geens. I had lots of greens left over from another class kits so I have used them up here. It is not quilted yet.
This class is for traditional quilters starting to work in a contemporary manner.
The QCWA class is nearly here. I have finally prepared all my sewing pieces and patterns that I have time for. I have also dyed 15m homespun for participants to purchase to augment their own supplies.


As always I have a few people who cannot understand their requirements. Mind you I left out two small letters OR in the list and that meant a huge difference to some people.





Never mind. All I have to do now is print patterns after PDF conversion and I will load them all onto a CD for purchase as they will only use 1 per session that is included in their class fee.
I wish the days would slow a bit.