Melbourne & the AQC

 I have had a week in Melbourne at the AQC. The weather in Melbourne was lovely. This is the first time I have been in Melbourne that I haven't had to wear my big coat all the time. My lovely friend Daph & I stayed at the Nunnery. It is rigth across the road from the Royal Exhibition Building. So that was very handy.  In the stairway of the Nunnery was this beautiful window.

 From outside our class rooms you could look down on all the store holders & the quilt exhibition. There was so much to see and look at. All the quilts on display were stunning. It is fantastic to see  the best of the beat in the Australian quilt world. Sorry I can't show you any of my quilt photos (copyright) You will just have to go and have a look your self.

  I had a class with Rita Hutchens. Wonderfull inspiring lady. The class was Totally Tubular Triangles. Great class, we were all busy cutting and sewing, more cutting and sewing & then more cutting and sewing again.

  It was amazing what we made from a few strips.

  I had such a good a time in Rita's first class that I booked in for her 3rd class on Saturday. Mirror Image Magic. We did create magic with our strips.

  On my 2nd day I done TAP & Lutradur Techniques with Lesley Riley. Wouderfull creative lady. We had a fun day playing with TAP (tranfer artist paper) & Luutradur. There is so much you can do with those products. All the techniques can be used in your quilts.

  The TAP we used on lots of different fabrics, paper, wood, metal, & lutradur.

  Also lots of different ways to use the lutradur. We painted, stamped, burnt, heated & cut it. Lots of fun things to do.

  After 4 days at the AQC I still had a few days to see Melbourne, Went sigth seeing, done a little shopping  (yes I did have a little money left after hitting the shops at the quilt convention) Annie, Daph's daugther took us to Bendigo to see the Grace Kelly exhibition. The fashions from that time really were stunning.

  While out shopping I come across this shop. Totally weird & wonderful name for a shop.

 Well I had better go, It's getting late & I have to be up early to go to Springsure in the morring.

22 Brithday an still no 21st quilt

I made this floor cushion for my niece Terri.
It was her 22 birthday. I made the cushion from the same fabric that I have done her quilt in. Greys & blacks with a splash of gold.
 I have the quilt top almost finish but the quilting is going to take a while.
I'm sorry Terri, hopefully next year it will be all ready for you.




In a few weeks I will be teaching a new class at Peter's sewing centre.
"Convergence quilts".
This is the sample I made for the class

                                                Close up of the raw edge applique &quilting

                                                               Bali Pop Bags
We have just done a class making Bali pop bags.This class was also at Peters sewing centre.
 It was a lovely day. All the lady's worked so hard & accomplish so much.
Every one went home with there bags almost finished.

                                                    Starting the base

                                                      Working up the sides

                                                       Ready to put the handles in

                                                          Just a few more rows to go

 All the colours of the bags are wonderful. The Bali pops work so well in this bag.




Out side my sewing room window I have a lovely big pot of Hoya.  This stunning plant come from my gorgeous friend Sally. The Hoya has just started to flower, it's so pretty. Hoya is one of my favourites, it always reminds me of my grandma.

I had better sign off. Hopefully this time it will work. Two hours ago a lost every thing, how I dont know. Pushed the wrong key & puff its all gone.

Springsure Quilters

On Sunday I was up nice and early to go to Springsure. The Springsure Patchwork group had asked me over to teach a few class. We done Free Machine Quilting in the morning and after lunch we done Foundation Piecing. I received a great surprise when I arrived .The group though they would only get 7 or 8 Lady's to do the classes but we end up with a lot more then that. We had a very full day ahead of use.
Most of the Lady's had never tried Free machine quilting. They jumped strait in and had a go. And all done wonderfully well. 

Looks like they have all abandon there work to check out the next project.

 

 This is same of the work from the Foundation class.

                                            A few of the Springsure Patchwork Lady's.



When I got home Sunday afternoon I had a short nap on the lounge before Megan arrived. We had planed to finish her yellow & blue cushion. Lucky for me Doug (the lovely fella)  had tea all cook so I didn't have to worry about that. Megan & I got busy and made up the cushion. We both thought it turned out very nice.

                                   Megan all reading to run of home with her new cushion.

 

Well I had better sign off & get ready for my exercise class. (after all that lovely food at Springsure I have to do same thing to work it all off) 

Almost at the end...

The girls in my Beginners group are almost to the end of their quilts. Today they were very busy quilting, all did a wonderful job.  Next week we'll attach the binding, rod pocket & labels.
Top photo is Deb with her lovely soft & cuddly flanel quilt.

                                     Fiona's beautiful bright owl quilt.

Kathie made a very pretty floral quilt. The photo was taken a few weeks ago, she now has the borders on and almost finished the quilting.

Hopefully I'll soon have photos of the quilts the other ladies in the group made to show you.
When this beginners class is finished the ladies have asked me to show them Bali Pop Bags. The class is open to anybody that would like to join us - if you'd like to attend you can contact me by email or give Liz or Peter at Peter Taylor's Sewing Centre a call.
After this we're planning a class similar to a Ricki Tims Conversion Quilts. An amazing little quilt great for using larger panels.

                                      The ladies busy quilting their beginners quilts.

Over the past couple of weeks Bev, Evol and I have gotten together to make red and white quilts to send off to Sandy at the Silver Thimble. The Mount Isa Group Ladies are convening a Red and White Quilt Display.  Any of the funds raised will be going to their Local Aged Persons Facilities. This is a wonderful event and I hope that any who can will try and help out.  I believe the quilts will be on display at lots of places over the next few months, and in Barcaldine some time in September - I'll have to go for another visit.
  
The pictures below are the two quilts that we put together.  I have the job of adding the rod pocket and sewing the binding on this one.  Bev can do the next and Evol of course is quilting both!

                                       

                                                       Bev busy working out the creases.

Over the last few days I've also been busy too - quilting a Block Roll for my lovely friend Sylvia.  Great chance to add a feather or two! 

                                   Next was a new Book Cover, made from Home-Made felt and Confetti work.

                                        A close up of the work on the Book Cover.

Lastly, my second Bali Pop Bag.  This one's a gift for the fantastic and bendy Yoga teacher I have - Meagan.

Well I must be off,  my super amazing typist daughter is pestering me for her cushion. I'll update with a few photos soon.

Few days at home

I have had a few days at home. No work, its been wonderful. I got busy working on a few UFOs

First I had to have a brush up on my curves. Pulled out a lot of my greens & grey fabrics to work with. This is the start of the quilt Iam working on. I will be teaching this class in Dalby later this year. I am looking forward to teaching in Dalby.

For my 50th birthday family & friends made me all these little 5" friendship blocks for me.
Just have to build on to the outside now. I have lots of ideas but this is as far as I got this week. It was nice to sit down and read all the comets again. Maybe that why I didn't get much sewing done.

Made two floor pillows. Megan was very taken with them. She has put in a order for one or two

Decided she had better rade my stash to pick out the fabric for me to make the next floor cushion

While on the job she also picked out the fabric for me to make up the Harem cushion.

                                                  These are the fabrics she picked. Yellow and blue.
The Harem cushion this a class I teach

 

When Bev & I had the shop, this class run a few times. It was always a lot of fun.


Sorry about the photos. Iam having lots of trouble with my photos. There fine on the camera and the computer but as soon as I put them on the blog they go all fuzzy, Why I do not know. Is it me ? Or something Iam doing, or maybe its time for a new computer.
 May be all of the above.
Hopefully next time the photos will be better, fingers crossed

Beginners Class

Two weeks ago I started a Beginners Patchwork Class at Peter Taylor's Sewing Centre.
This is the sample quilt the Lady's will be making.
 The first lesson was learning to use a rotary cutter & sew a 1/4"seam. The Lady's were a bit scared to start but in no time they were having lots of fun.
The Lady's in the class have also learnt to speak a hole new language ( patchwork terminology).Its exciting & a great pleasures to welcome new people in to the world of  Patchwork & Quilting.
Our second lesson was sewing bias seams or triangles. With a little care and concentrating this block went together well.
Next was the Chun Dash block. The Lady's are becoming a lot more confident now.
The next lesson will be an introduction to drawing up there own block on 1/4"graph paper & how to make templates from there drawing.

 If any one would like to join the class now is a good time. The class is on every Thursday,
Starts at 9.30 & goes until 3.oo

I also have two lady's that are working on there own projects. Its always lovely to sew with a group. You seem to  get lots of impressions and ideas from one another.

Two of the Lady's busy in class.  Working very hard on their blocks.