Busy end of year

 Christmas has arrived way to soon, where has the year gone ?  Only seems like it was the new year yesterday.

The last month has been very busy for mum and I with markets. We had a trip to Emerald for the craft fair, then back for the Toowoomba Bush Christmas and then on to Narrabri for the markets.  We had lots of fun but I am so glad it is all over and I can sit down and sew for a while.

                                           Almost packed up and ready to head for Emerald.

                                                             Emerald craft fair.

Early in the year I made a Diamond quilt from brown, yellow and orange fabric. I was asked if I would do it as a class or pattern. You will be happy to know that I have done it. This time with blue fabrics. Hense the name "Blue Diamonds"

                                                                                   I love it when I have a big stash of fabric for a quilt and by the end I only have a small scrap pile left. Great feeling to use up a few of  my beautiful fabrics. 

 Sorry about the photo. But you can get the idea of what it looks like, hopefully a better photo soon. I have made the quilt from 2 1/2"  to  6 1/2" diamonds.

 

Started an "I Spy" quilt for my great nephew. Have a few more to make after this one to catch up with the little people that have arrive. 

 I now have a full house. Jane arrived from Canada and then Pauline and Rob arrived home. So it is a bit of a mad house. The sewing has taken over the whole house. We are all very busy.

We have had a few storms in the last week. One night we lost power for 5 hours. But that didn't stop Pauline from sewing. Rob had the generator out and set up before we could complain too much. Sewing by spot light and tea by candle light.

 

Time to get back to the sewing. Lots to do before Christmas. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and new year.

 

 

My Quilt

I'm back at the house and I hope things will slow down a bit..I did have a great time while I was away. Went off to the Brisbane Quilt show plus the Stitches and Craft. Had a lot of fun helping Pauline and Rob on there stand "Quiltersworld"  I court up with lots of friends I haven't seen in awhile and a few I missed because we where so busy. Sorry if I didn't get to chat with you.

AND GUESS WHAT !!!!
I got a second with my quilt in the Professional Appliqued category and a Judges Choice from Michelle Marvig.
 I was so tickled. Also very pleased I had my friend Helen there to hold my hand.

 I made the quilt for my nephew Jeremey. For his 21th. Jerry drew the picture of the owl. He  is a tattoo artist. I asked for one of his drawing to put on his quilt and the owl is the one he picked.

                                              My winnings. Thank you Patches Indoorpilly

Exhibitions and Displays

Last week was packed with lots to look at. The Toowoomba quilters had there Exhibition  plus the Highfields quilt exhibition was also on. It was great to see so many quilts on display.

                              I had a few of my quilts hanging in the Highfielf exhibition.

"Diamonds for ever" is a quilt I have just finished. I send it up to Evol to quilt for me. Thank you Evol.     Love the colours in this quilt.

                                  2 of my older quilts on display. They all look so good when there hanging up.

 Cabarhab has a wonderful coffee / gift shop. The shop had a 2 days of Art in the Yard. Lots of lovely craft on display and for sale. I really love going to this little shop because it is overflowing with colour and inspiration. The trees are even full of colour and design.

                                                             Group of scarfs. Beautiful colours

I put the sewing away for a few days and got busy recovering a old chair and 2 stools. More colour. I'm having a wonderful time with all the colour around me. Cant wait to get out a new lot of fabric and start a new quilt. Wonder what the imagination is going to come up with.

 

 

Bye until next time, Happy stitching.

 

Colour and Free Form

I had a wonderful day out at my friend Jan's. First up the view from Jan's sewing room is to die for. To wake up to this each day and then to create and stitch with this scenery would be magic.

We had a creative time designing small free form quilts. There is a lovely story to go with the fabric used in the small quilts.. A group of us from Emerald lost our friend Robyn to cancer. Robyn gave a very large bag of homespun to Laurene  and she never new what to do with it all. After a workshop last year with Gwen Marston she come up with the lovely idea to give the fabric out to every one and they could make there own quilt in memory of Robyn. Jan and I have taken it one step more. We have made 7 small quilt for all the girls involved.

                                               2 quilts made by Jan on the day.

                                           3 little quilts I made on the day.

 
For the next few days I was busy making small quilts. I had a lovely time stitching and playing with all the colour and free form sewing. I do love the design fun and freedom you have with this type of stitching.

Time Flys

Were to start...
It has been so long since I up dated my blog..BUT   I have been very busy.
First I went down to Narrabri  NSW for a family birthday party. My aunt was 80 and my uncle 70.  We had a big family get together. The next day while all the family was still there we had Paul and Katherine's wedding. Plus a 21st was thrown in at the last minute.

                                                      Mary and Geoffrey's birthday party

                                                      Katherine and Paul's wedding



A few of us stayed together and went on a road trip to visit the ancestors. (the first Phelps to arrive in Australia)

 
 


Made our way to Mudgee first up. Next we spent the day driving around Ilford, Kandos, Rylstone checking out were the
family come from. Had the best time.

Lots of sight seeing and shopping.

 

It was time to head back to Toowoomba and do a bit of work. Lots of sewing waiting for me. I had a few weeks playing in the sewing room before I had to set off again. This time I was off to Casino to stay with Megan and Mykel. Getting ready for the big day. Their wedding on the 5th September.

 

 

It was the best day (even with the rain and hail) Once it was time for the wedding to start the sun was out and it was stunning. Megan was beautiful and Mykel looked pretty smart as well.

Doug and I were so proud. I had a tear in my eye all day. (all week really)

 

 

After such a wonderful wedding with all our family and friends it was very sad to say good bye.

 

But there is no rest for the wicked .Doug went back to work and I had a quilt to finish. One that I had started before I went away

 .

 

 

August I had a class at Crows Nest teaching "Palace Jewels" the first part of the class was making blocks. Lots of different size blocks. The lady's then had a month to make more blocks before we got together again to piece them together in to a quilt.

 

                                                       This is my quilt, still not finished

                                    The second part of the class was on the 11th September.

The Crows Nest quilters busy piecing there blocks together. Ever ones quilts were so different.

 This is the quilt I had been working on before I started all my running around. Finely got it finished and send off to the Qld quilt show.   
                                                   The start of the pieced background.

 The quilt was made for my nephew Jeremy's 21st. Yes I'm a bit behind (only a year)  Jeremy drew the owl and said he would like it on his quilt.

                                           A little sneak look at the finished quilt.

All done , up to date. Hope I stay this way. Well I had better go, my bed is calling. Big day tomorrow I have a new quilt to cut out.
Bye

Finishing off

 
 Its a great feeling when you finish a quilt.. I'm over the moon because I have finished two. WOW
A few years ago I started this quilt in Sue Ross class at Precious Times. The class was "Circle of Fun" I got to use a lot of my really old fabrics. When I picked the fabric Bev said to me "yuck what ugly fabrics" But !!! it all worked and it looks very nice now.    
 Ugly work in the right place.

  
The back of the quilt. Again I used up some old fabrics. You know the best thing about using up your old fabric is that you can go out and buy new ones to replace them.

 

 The second quilt I finished was  "Circle play" I made this quilt as a sample for my circle play class. All quilted thanks to Evol.

 


"Stepping Stones" the quilt pattern is by Judy Niemeyer.
 Just had the boarded to add and I run out of fabric, now I will have to make a trip to town to get more.
 I started this quilt as a sample for the Judy Niemeyer classes I was teaching at Peter Taylors last year. Great pattern. Think this would make a wonderful boys / mans quilt.

Well, I had better go. More quilts to start and lots more to finish. Slowly making my way to the bottom of the pile. Joke !! don't think quilters ever get to the bottom of there UFO's. When you think about it, it would be a every sad day when or if you ever did.