The new Year has arrived

 

 

 Christmas has been and gone. Time to start a hole new year. My cousin Jan said how you start your year is now its going to be for the rest of the year. I hope this is true because I have been stitching since news years eve. The Rogers house hold has been a hive of activity. We have made 6 quilts between us, plus a few samples for classes. It has been a lots of fun.

 

                                                           
                                                               Megan and Belinda
 Doug and I had Christmas at "Bexley" Rowena with all the family. The weather was a rotter.  Like the rest of Australia it was hot, dry, windy and dusty. Even with the heat we still enjoyed our Christmas.
It's been that dry that my uncles have been feeding there sheep for months. Every one had a hand in helping out.

I run in to my friend Kathy at the Narrabri markets and she had just picked up her quilt from the quilters. This is the quilt Kathy made in the "Circle Play" class I had at Carinda. I had better say she also had a little help from Lou and Belinda. Ha Ha.... Look great Kathy.

Once I got back from "Bexley" it was straight in to the sewing.
 Pauline and I have been busy little girls sewing like mad. Doug has gone up to Kathreen working and Rob went out to the farm so we had the place to our self. We have been sewing from day light to dark plus a few very late nights. It has been wonderful.

Sorry more photos on there side, I really have to work out how to fix this problem.
 Pauline had quilts to make for her new classes plus patterns that I has to tried out and tested.
 A lot of Pauline's quilts are quilt-as- you-go. I have learnt so much and picked up lots of tips. 

                                                     Pauline busy at work.

 
A sneak peek of the quilts we have made. Two quilts for the jelly-roll workshop.

Pauline is also working on a book, It will be on some of her quilt-as-you-go technique.
She hopes to have it out by the middle of this year.

I love all the colour in this photo. (Sorry one more on its side)  Beside the Cabarhal pub is this wonderful coffee shop full of colour and stunning things. Who said all colours don't work together.

Well    I have the binding to put on one more quilt so I had better get busy. Pauline only has 3 more days here then they hit the road again. She has a busy year ahead full of classes all over Australia.
Doug will be home on Thursday and we will be going down to NSW for a few days. Bye for now and happy sew.

Catching up

 

 Boy oh Boy time has got away. What a busy time of the year...
.Before the Christmas rush started I had a quilt to make for my friend Patty. She asked if I would make a denim quilt for her son. Patty had been saving all her old jeans and jackets, so off I went cutting, slicing, lots and lots of unpicking seams and then the designing. After many broken needles I got it all together. I think my arm muscles doubled in size after this quilt.
It was a lot of fun to make.
  The quilt is so heavy. I put a ticking on the back, no wadding and I tied the two layers together with red cotton.
It reminds me of the old wagers we had as kids, once you got in to bed you couldn't move because of the weight of the quilt.

  Patty loves her quilt and she said her son may not get it, looks to good on her bed.
 (this is photo was taken on mums bed not Patty's)

 This little quilt was made for Pauline. A table cover for her sales table..... Yet to be quilted.




November I went back to Emerald with mum for the craft fair. It was great to catch up with all my  family and friends.
 I had the every special day with my wonderful friend Sylvia and got to see more of her stunning quilts. ( sorry the photos are a mess and on there side but I can't seem to move it, need a few more pointers on blogging. Yes I did move them around and edit them on the computer and all was fine but once they go on the blog they seem to go back to how they were,  why I don't know.)

 Sylvia needs to have a Exhibition of her work so every one can enjoy her Beautiful quilts.
Thank you Sylvia, I love your quilts.

  This photo belongs with the bottom hexagon quilt. All the little bits waiting to be stitched in place.

  The quilt Sylvia is working on now. Helen is also working on a quilt the same, can't wait to see them finished..

Better go for now, Happy sewing one and all.

Sorry if I have lots of spelling and grammar mistakes but I don't have any editor's to help me out now days.

Darwin holiday

No sewing or patchwork, way to busy on holidays. We have just had the best time with family and friends.

 Went up to Darwin for our niece wedding. Lorrae and Davids with all the Phelps family.

After a week with family and friends doing over the sites of Darwin. Doug and I set of to Armhemand to catch up with my brother Greg. He works for Davidson's Safari. OMG what a stunning place

Crossing the river in to Armhemland. Spotted two crocs while we were crossing.

The Rock Art is the best I have seen. Unreal.... It is every were..... Just stunning.

 
                                                      Large Rainbow Serpent.

The lovely orange and blue Grass hopper is only found up here. Their colours are so bright.

                                            Cruise on the billabong. The Bird life is wonderful

Greg and Doug fishing, and yes they did catch a few. We had Barra for tea.

 
Sunset cruise on the billabong. it was beautiful. Ever photo was a different colour, The colours were so pretty.

 Sorry the photo is on its side, but I can't seem to move it. Looking out over the flood plains.

Back at the camp, Relax and watch the sun set with a few drinks and nibbles. It sure is a wonderful place. It is one of the places you have to add to your bucket list.

  sorry... One more on its side. I really don't know how to move it around. Well any way... While in Darwin I court up with a friend I haven't seen in 25 years. We went to primary school at Pilliga together. It was wonderful to catch up with Joyce again.

Back at P & R's now, so its back in to the sewing.

Wonderful Week of Gardens

 I have had a wonderful week visting the gardens around Toowoomba with my Mum, Aunty Mary and my cousin Dice. Each day we would go and look at 3 or 4 gardens. They are all stunning. So much work and love in each garden. It's great that they open their garden for every one to look at.

  Dice ,Mary and Mum found a nice area to sit and enjoy the sites.

There were all so pretty.

One day we even got Uncle Allan joined us. We all had lots of ideas for new garden projects for him to make for Aunty Mary. Don't know if he was keen on that or not.

  While out and about we also went to the Toowoomba quilt Exhibition. They had lots and lots of stunning quilts on display. Just sorry I can't show you.
The photo is of the ladies demon.... different techniques and projects.

I love the lines the grubs have left on the leaves. It looks like lace.

 We also made it to a Tea Pot display. They had teapots, cups and saucers, tea towels, aprons and table cloths. There was so much to look at. Old, new, funny, ugly and pretty. They also put on a lovely Devonshire tea, that we all enjoyed.

Do you remember the stitching samplers we had to make at school? They had a few on show, wonder how old they are. I still have my sampler but it was no were as good as this.

Mum, Megan and Me. Megan arrived later in the week to join up with us. She really enjoyed the gardens and catching up with Mum and everyone.

 The last day we all went of to High Tea at Platform 9  at the railway stations. It was very nice. We had a few more join our little party. Mary's daughters Jan and Sandra plus Grand daughter Elle.
While there the old steam train arrived so we went out to watch it. Great old train. Megan and I were waiting for Harry potter and the kid from Hogs Warts to get off.

Well it's time to go, I have to pack my bags. We are off to Darwin for a family wedding.  Our niece Lorrrea will be wed in a few days time. Going to be great to catch up with every one. We have another busy week ahead

Jig Saw Puzzle

 I was back in the quilting swing so I thought it was time go finish the Bali Bed runner, (Wedding ring quilt) that I started for a class at Peter's. It was the last project I was working on before I had to pack up the house. All the pieces were carefully put in bags, pined and ready to get out and start with no hassles.
 Or thats what I thought. Didn't work ! It was one big mess.

  Took me a few days to work it all out. It was one big jig-saw puzzle. I had bits stitched together, some half done and loose pieces. For a few days I had a fun job, but I got there in the end and I am very pleased with the finished quilt top.

 I had paper from one end of the house to the other. This quilt is a Judy Niemeyer foundation paper piecing pattern. Great way to make a wedding ring quilt. Simple.

  The finished quilt top, ready to quilt now.