We just had a good lot of rain and I wasn't sure if the markets were going to be on. Bev & I had every thing packed up ready to go. Just have to see what tomorrow brings.

 We were trying to take a family photo for the Christmas cards but we look a bit scruffy, like we had just come in from a hard days work (which we had). Doug had been out in the rain.

 The markets went ahead, the sun was out but the ground was very wet. We had the last of our shop stuff for sale at the markets, fat 1/4's, kits and 10 inch rolls.

                                                     These are the 10 inch rolls.

 Bev and her mother setting up the site. We had a very good day, sold lots of our goodies. Not much left now. Every thing sold really well. Not long after we packed up &  arrived home it started raining again.


                                                           Thursday Sewing

 The Thursday sewing ladies, Bev, Mrs Bev and Evol were doing hand sewing and Mary had show and tell plus she was telling us about her holiday and the wonderful rock 'n' roll party they had for Phillip's birthday.

 Daphine with show and tell, some table runners she started in a class I was teaching in the shop.

 Bron is busy cutting out a quilt. This is the last time Bron will be with us for Thursday sewing, she and her husband Billy are off travelling around Australia (lucky them).

Better go now, I have a house full of visitors, I had better check what they are up to.

Leaving the Nest

 This is the Doilly runner sample I was working on at the Gemmie Quilters Doilly workshop. All finished.

We have had a busy week. Our daughter Megan has just left home. She is so excited about moving out in to the big wild world. Mum is excited for her too, but very sad at the same time.
It only seem like yesterday that we brought our little baby girl home from the hospital. The years disappeared so fast.

 With all the moving & re-arranging I got in & gave my sewing room a good spring clean. I moved out the two cupboards full of my hand made dolls & moved in a book case.

 Only have two quilts left in my quilting pile, No that's a lie I  just added two more but you can see more of the sewing table now.

 The jacaranda is out in flower. Its just as pretty under the tree as the tree is.Its a great colour.

              The garden is looking lovely. A week ago it was so dry & hot looking. The only places that looked any good were the garden beds, the rest of the yard was brown with a little tints of green. I was only just keeping it alive with the sprinklers. Now after a few days of rain, every thing is lovely & green. Amazing what a bit of rain can do.

Christmas Craft Fair

 The Crafty Lady's are back .
Mum & my sister Kay had they're Artwork,  for sale at the craft fair. Mum makes all kinds of things,  mosaics, wire & tin work, pottery for the garden, and a little wood work. Kay dose all the wielding, garden sculpts, wall art, out door coffee tables & chimes. Both very talented Lady's.
Mum arrived from NSW. She comes up every year for the Craft Fair. Jean my mother-in-law travels up with her.

 Spot Mum & Kay in the crowd.         (viewing part of the craft fair.)

 Some the art work Mum & Kay had for sale

 Between my house full of visitors, the craft fair (which I had the last of the shop stuff for sale at) & work I have finished a few quilts.The pink one for Jo, second pink one I made to use the fabrics in a different way.

 Quilt number 1

 Quilt number 2

 Close up of the quilting on the pink quilt.


 This quilt is the first step or part of my No Rules No Rulers class. My friend Evol quilted it for me. She has done a lovely job. I sent 4 quilts off to Evol & this is the first back. Can't wait to see how the others turn out.

 Table runner.This is the small quilt sample for the Absolute Beginners Patchwork class.Its been waiting a long time to be quilted. (one of those jobs that has finally been done)

More quilts to finish, visitors to feed & a good book waiting to be read so I had better sign off for now.

Thursday Sewing

 Sally, Laurene & Bev arrived for a wonderful inspiring day of sewing. It was great to get together to see what each person had been working on.
I have all most fnished my Headen Wells quilt. Two more  boarders to go, smaller blue one then the out side larger boarder, but!!!!! I have run out of  boarder fabric. Most of the fabric I purchased  from the Silver Thimble, so I will have to ring Sandy to see if she still has it in the shop. (fingers crossed)









Laurene busy at work. She took over my sewing machine so I had to find same thing else to work on.That wasn't to hard to do when I have heaps of projects on the go. Laurene was working on three very interesting  quilts. I can't wait to see them finished.

Sally was brushing up on her typing skills.

The 3 quilts hanging on the design wall belong to Bev & my self. Headen Well that I started at Sandys retreat. Center quilt is a pattern design am working on. Have used similar fabric to go with the quilt I made for Jo. The pink, green & brown quilt. The appliqued vines belong to Bev. She started this quilt at Toomoowba. If you go to BevBSews you will see more of Bevs wonderful work.

Bev & Laurene working.  (Still haven't got my sewing machine back)

 2nd  pink, brown  & green quilt.This is the pattern design am working on. Still have the boarders to add.  This is a easy pattern to make.

  Part of the pile of quilts I have ready to quilt. Lucky most of the quilts are small. I hope to have them all quilted by the new year.

 I went for a walk around the garden. A lot of the plants are still flowering. They are so pretty. The Desert Rose has been flowering for weeks, the colour is stunning. You only have to look at nature to find the best inspiration for your colour choices.

The Retreat At Barcaldine

I

Iv just had the best weekend out at Barcaldine, at a sewing retreat with Sandy from the Silver Thimble.

There was 29 ladies busy sewing for weekend, some of the girls had travelled some very long distances to join us. Sandy was a wonderful host and we all had a great time over the whole weekend.

The accomdoation we had was one great big dormitory, with bunk beds everywhere. All of these bed were covered in beautiful quilts, each different styles and patterns.
It was an inspiration to just walk into the bedroom.

 

Sandy was running four different classes over the course of the weekend. There was "Hidden Wells", "Distorted Nine Patch", "The Beginners'Class" and then the ladies that were working on their UFO's. I was working on the Distorted Nine Patch, for my niece. 

This is the quilt I was working on. It's going to be the background, a tattoo that my niece Terri has designed herself is going to be appliqued onto it. I guess the creative gene is hereditary.

 

There was that much food, all of us could have eated for a week and still had leftovers. Everything was sooo yummy! Very bad for the diet, I've probably just put all the weight I've lost back on now. 

This was the room that the Nine Patchers were working in. Organised chaos.

Saturday night was Show 'N'Tell Night. This is just a few of the ladies veiwing all the lovely things they bought with them, plus what everyone had been working on throughout the day.

 

 

 

 These are the pavers that cover the sidewalk on the main street of Barcaldine. I think that it would be a great deisgn for a quilt. Even just the colours are magic too.

Our last lunch together. Again such lovely food!

It was very sad to have to pack up and say goodbye and have to head off home back to the real world.

Though I must say,

Thank You Sandy, for such a great weekend and I look forward to the next one!