The Months have slipped away

 It has been a long time since I put any thing on my post. I have been a very busy little girl
.
 Well we have big news, Doug and I are selling up and leaving Emerald. So it has been a mad house around here, I have had the last month packing, what a big job. Between packing, sorting and garage sales I haven't had much time for sewing.
Before we decided to sell, I had a big clean out (must of known something was going to happen) I asked my niece Terri over to pick out what she would like. She had a ball, I didn't have to get rid of much  Terri took most of it.

 Few of the treasure's Terri found. It is amazing what you have stashed away in the cupboards

 I still had my classes a Peter's  between all the packing. Lorraine with a quilt she had finished. Looks great and it was very big. One of those quilts that keep growing.




I have also been working with a group of lady's on the Councils  Flood Art Quilt. There have been 5 different groups in the council area that have been working or involved on the project. Every one had to put their ideas in and then we worked out how they would go onto the quilt. This is the start of the background for the Emerald section.

 Had a few days in Springsure working on there area, also the Rolleston area. The backgrounds for each section were piece with the no ruler strip piecing, free machine piecing. We used a lot of fabric that had to do with each area. eg .grass, wheat, sunflowers, farming, trees, horses, water, coal and hills.

This is the Emerald area with most of the add on pieces. Any thing  to do with Emerald or the places around Emerald. What most people would see or relate to this area. Plus a lot of old or historical photos were placed at he top of the quilt. Each of the 5 areas will have a small quilt like this one and then there will be a big one with each of the areas all joined together and this one will be on display at the Emerald council.

 Bail Bed Runner on display at Peter's. The girls have started to make this quilt. I have one half made, it had to go on hold while all the packing was going on. I hope I can remember what I was doing once I get back to it. Bonnie and Loraine brushing up on there modeling skills

 Bonnie with her  quilt. She only has the flying geese to make then it will be time to put it all together. We had our last class on Thursday, I am going to miss our days together. The Thursday classes were a lot of fun. Thank you to all the girls for a wonderful time, when ever I look at my Judy quilts I will remember you all.

My Exhibition

 My Exhibition open on Friday the 3 May. A big thank you to all the people that come along for a look, I hope you enjoyed it. The quilts will be on display for 3 week at the Emerald gallery.
Just put a few up for you to look at, there will be more next time.

Easter Holidays

 Megan and I went down to mum and the extended family for Easter. We had a few days at Bexley, the property my uncle's own near Rowena in NSW. Mum and my cousin Dice had already been there a week, and they had been very busy creating all kind of weird and wonderful things.
Megan and I statred with wire work, Megan made a 3 stand candle holder.Her first go and she done really well. I made more wire baskets and a candle holder.

 Dice and I both made bee boxes. We had seen them on the TV and thought they would be a good thing to have in the garden. The other's all laughed and said the spiders and bugs would move in not the native bees we were hoping for, we will just have to wait and see.

 Dice (Dianne) had a few Hebel blocks for us to play with, I had always wanted to have a play with those blocks. I carved this funny thing that looks like a mile post with ears. It is very easy to work with, bit dusty is all.

Every one made bird houses. Mum made 5 and I said she has to put them all together in the garden like a little village.

We all made barbwire balls for the garden. As you can guess we like the rustic look in our gardens.

                                                  This is Megan's candle holder

My sister and I went a bit mad with the hanging rocks. I had seen this idea in a book but they had used macramé to hold the rocks together. Kay found a lot of rocks in a heart shapes so she made a string of hearts.

While we were all together for  Easter we went over to Coonabarabran to catch up with more family, every one said we had to go and look at the National Park (Pilliga Forest) Since the fires had been through there.It would be the only time we would see all the rock formations. So of we set, It was wet and eery with all the black trees and very sad to see the places that people had lost, our hearts went out to them.

 I grew up in this area and I had never seen the country side like this, first time most of us had seem the rocks, mountains, creeks and rivers. It was unreal.

                                             
                                          But all around it was coming to life again.

 
                                                Bark on the gum trees. I can see a quilt in this.

                                                          The colours are stunning.

It was my birthday while we were away. Meagan and Terri decided to make me a cake but they couldn't find the sugar, I said look in the sugar bin. "The What" they had never heard of a sugar bin, so when they found it they were fascinated.    There had always been a sugar bin in the pantry at Grandmas.

 

At the end of our stay, uncle Geoffrey got his old car out to go in to town. We all went off to Rowena to the pub for lunch. Same of us got to ride in to town in the old car and same got to ride home in it.

 
                                                Its a lovely car to ride in, Very comfy..

We had a great holiday and hope to do it again next year. The garden is looking fantastic with all the new creations.
Now it is back to quilting, my exhibition is next week and I still have a few things to finish.

Sewing friends

 I can't believe that a month has gone by, it only seem like last week we were together for our sewing day.
We had a finishing off day. Bev found the book "Quilts on the Double" by Judy Hooworth & Margaret Ralfe. It is full good idea & wonderful patterns. The pattern we picked to make was "Beach Brollies"
The top photo is the second quilt "Beach Brollies Tails" that you make from this pattern. The idea is two quilts from the one lot of fabric & cutting. No waist. This quilt still needs to be pieced together.
Sorry my photos are mixed up (it's way too hard to fix, I am having lots of trouble with my computer lately.)

 This quilt come from the book "Kaleidoscope the Smart Way" by Sharon Sebrow. The pattern name is "English Garden". Evol now has the fun of quilting it.

 This is the first quilt "Beach Brollies" . Still needs to have the border put on.


Do you know what this is? Toadstools.   I was out walking & beside the road there were all these big white balls.  They looked really good, I just had to take a few photos. But I don't think you would want to touch them. Once they dry out they turn to dust.

                                      This one would make a great quilt pattern.

Sewing at Peter Taylor's.

Shelly arrived with her "Cactus Flower" quilt. This pattern had the papers to make 3 table runners but Shelly was after a quilt so she put them all together. You can also purchase this pattern as a quilt but we didn't have it in stock at the time, that's why Shelly joined the runners. Looks great though.

The Block class is moving along. We are only up to month 2 and they have made 6 blocks already. I think I will have to throw in a few more difficult blocks.
 This is just a few of the blocks from class.

 

We have started our 2nd Judy Niemeyer pattern. This time it is "Stepping Stones"
 The photo below is of Bonnies blocks for the quilt.
 Next month we will start the "Bali Bed Runner" This quilt or runner has the Wedding ring block with points / stars were the rings join. It is a stunning quilt. 

Megan and I are off to Mum's for Easter. Going to be a bit of a family get together with Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and more. Mum sure will have a house full.
I better say bye for now so I can go and pack.

 We had our once a month get together again. The quilts are getting out of hand, 2 on the go and we are still finding more we want to do, or I should say the one that picks the quilts No Names, is getting ahead and we are following along quite happily. Evol also has a few to quilt.

 Ruth called in for a chat and cupper. She had her Dear Jane quilt all finish and ready to show us. It's just beautiful. Ruth started this quilt when Bev & I had the shop. I also started a Dear Jane quilt but my is still in little bits in a box waiting for me to get back to it. I think it will be a while before I get to that box. But Ruth's quilt has inspired me again
.

 This happy little quilt belongs to Laurene. She made it for her new grandson Bede (pronounced bead).


I have been teaching the Cactus Flower table runner at Peter Taylor's. This is one of Judy Niemeyer patterns. A foundation paper piecing method. The girls are all keen to stat the next class on one of  Judy's patterns. Our next class will be the Stepping Stone quilt.

 Lorraine and Bonnie with there quilt tops. Next week we will be quilting the tops

 Daph with her quilt top. The soft pinks and blues are very pretty.


The last few days I have been really busy quilting. In May I will be having my own quilt exhibition at the local art gallery. So I have been working like a mad woman finishing what I had in the pile at the end of my sewing table.

I made these little quilts for samples to have in my quilting classes. I got the idea from a workshop a done with Jenny Bowker. Incorporating the fabric design out into the quilting pattern

 

 

 See!!!! A wonderful empty table. Pity it won't stay that way for long, I have lots of UFO's in the cupboard dying to come out and see the light of day. You open the door and there all lining up screaming pick me, no pick me, please pick me.

 Well I suppose it's time I face the music and find one to start on.