bloggers of the world

open their doors to strangers.  Quilters are more friendly than anyone else I know.  Yesterday I met up with Frances from Quilting Owl in the far north of Queensland. Frances has been a visitor to my blog from time to time and now I know her for real and her lovely DH Peter.

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 Frances is working on the Barbara Brackman Civil War quilt.  The blocks are lovely.  She told me that she has trouble selling reproduction fabrics in her shop Cairns Craft Shop.  We could probably help her out there!  I visited the shop, and it is a treasure chest.  I got a couple of pink fabrics that I had been looking for.

 Frances is a very lucky girl!  She has the best studio build behind her house, in the hills surrounding Cairns.  the studio is large, bright and on two levels.  Wow!  She also has a husband who cooks!

The sun is shining

 and our travels in tropical north Queensland has become much more like we expected.  The rain finally stopped after a few very gloomy days.  We arrived in Cairns on Saturday, after spending a night in Daintree River Lodge.  We had a balcony there that overlooked the river - and we actually saw crocodiles swimming in convoy!

This is the view from our verandah.  I know there are crocs there!

 For the first 3 days of our travels this is what the sky looked like.  This a view of the Atherton Tablelands on a very dreary day.

This is my sewing bag that goes with me everywhere.  My friend Marilyn made it for me a few years ago for my birthday.  the fabrics were borrowed from another friend Erica, as Marilyn knew she would have fabrics that I would like best.  I love it!  I cram it full of goodies and take it with me.

I have in it this time around 2 blocks I am working on of the Beyond the Cherry Tree quilt, my threads, scissors, needle case, marking pens, and assorted fabrics needed for the blocks.

This is block 23, which appears completed, but really it has some missing - the centres of the flowers are missing.  I did not bring any pink with me, and so far have not found any suitable in my travels.  I have some at home so i will just leave it.

This is block 24.  I know it looks very messy, but I do back basting, and all the leaves are in place now.  Some are appliqued, and the stems tacked over the base of leaves.  it is working out very well.  Not far to go with this project now - only one more block, and 3 borders.

Travels

We have started our annual holiday by flying from Adelaide today to Cairns in tropical north Queensland.  We knew that rain was predicted, but I never thought I would see rain like this!  It is bucketing down!  We collected our hire care and drove through torrential rain and overflowing creeks until we reached Innisfail, about 80 km south of Cairns.  We had not booked any accommodation in this part of the trip, and decided to "wing it" - bad idea.  The first motel we stopped at was a flea pit.  We took the room as it was raining so hard, and I could not drive any further in it.  I got the laptop out and started searching for some place else, and found the Barrier Reef Motel, on the other side of town.  This is where we are now.  Lovely friendly staff, nice room, and great food.  Next problem is that we are not actually sure if we can go anywhere tomorrow, as many of the roads are closed.  We just have to wait and see. According to the News report this has been the wettest October day on records!  212mm - that is about 8.5 inches in the one day.  Trust me to pick this time to go away.

Spring Garden

I am having a last look about my garden this morning, before I get ready to head off to Cairns in Tropical North Queensland tomorrow.   The roses are just starting and looking wonderful.

this is the Albertine rose on the fence.  It only flowers in October, and just starting now.  I might miss it at it's best while we are away for the week.

climbing roses on the Gazebo

I planted the Flanders Poppies for the first time this year.  They look great while flowering, but the plants start to look really messy after a while.  My hope is they will self-seed and spread a bit.  I guess they will be done too when I get home.

family visit

Last week I went to Sydney and Newcastle to visit with my family.  It was my sister Diane's 70th birthday.  Di belongs to a "seniors" tap dancing troup and they were having their annual concert in the day before her birthday.  All the family attended.

Di is in the centre.  She got the good legs!   I really loved the concert, and I really loved that these girls were there doing stuff that they enjoyed,   They go to Senior Citizen's homes and and nursing homes, and do concerts for them.  Some of these girls were only "shufflers" but they were doing it, and not sitting about complaining about life.

This is Di and me at the birthday lunch.   All the gang were there as well.  We had a great visit, then back home again.  Short but sweet!

Christmas is Coming - believe it or not!

Today I got into trouble from Jan because I had not posted on my blog since August.  I knew it had been a while, and I have been busy.  One of the things I have been working on is a Christmas quilt as Penny and I had decided to do a Christmas workshop in November.  I have just uploaded a copy of the Flyer for the workshop.  There are still places in the two days, so please let one of us know if you want to attend.  My quilt is a scrappy medallion style wreath, and Penny's is a quilt as you go table runner.  All the details are on the flyer.

Tomorrow I am off to Sydney for a few days to visit with family - cousins, aunts, uncles, sister etc.  As yet I have not packed my bag or finished the washing, but I have worked out what sewing I am taking.  Got to get those priorities right!

Tip Toe Through the tulips

Some people commented on the featured quilt in the AP&Q article.  This quilt was printed by them quite a few years ago, however, I still have the pattern for sale if anyone is interested.  It is on my website   Lots of my quilts patterns are for sale.  I also have quite a few of my actual quilts for sale.  They are listed as well.

Australian Patchwork and Quilting

I guess AP&Q have run out of interesting quilting people to write about, as they have done a "profile" on me in the upcoming issue Vol 20 No 9.

 

 They used old photos they already had of some of my quilts and my friend Marilyn took the photo for me with my own camera.  I told her not to bother about the "Doris Day" lens (you know, the smudgy one), so you see me, wrinkles and all.  Which reminds me....I am 60 now.

Where have I been?

Some of my regular followers have been asking what I am up to.  No I have not been away traveling the world and enjoying myself.  I have been working!  Silly me, I took on a job with the Bureau of Statistics as a Census collector and it really took over my life from late July, until yesterday------I have finished!

I managed a little bit of applique with this new top Lemon Tree. It is for a one day applique workshop next year, and I had to get started on it so that the organisers can show it about.  Needs quilting now.

I got another of my scrap quilts finished in this time.  The blocks were all done, and put together, I just had to get it quilted and the binding done.

This one is called Crackerjack.  It has been beautifully machine quilted by Elaine Pellatt at Quilting in the Vines at McLaren Vale, South Australia.  She has done an all-over Baptist fan, which I thinks is perfect for the these straight lines on the blocks.

The block is in the book "Around the Block Again" by Judy Hopkins.  If you have the book, you will see there are some templates instead of rotary cutting.  I just converted the templates to rotary cutting, and whizzed all the blocks up in no time.  It is called Cracker, on page 50.

old time knitting

Yes, I have been knitting again.  Don;t you just love this neck warmer?  I saw a girl knitting one just recently and remembered seeing them when I was a kid.  It looks like a bow tie, and has a little slot where you put one side through the other.  I found the pattern on Ravelry.  I adjusted the pattern a little, made it wider and longer, but it is so easy.  This one is for my friend Marilyn.  It is made from an Argentinian wool 75% Merino and 25% nylon.  Very soft.  I made one for myself as well in Aubergine colours.

Now that I have completed my current knitting phase, it is back to applique, and the latest Beyond the Cherry Tree block.  Took a while, but I got there.

Tree of Life

Part of the aging process is that, if you are lucky, as time goes by you accumulate a few lovely friends.  Last week I turned 60 .  No, I can't believe I am that old either! but I am.  I remember having a conversation with a girl in her 30's when I was about to turn 50.  I was sulking about it and she said that she just wanted to be 50, as no woman in her family had achieved that age.  Well, that was a wake up call!  Better to age than to die young don;t you think?  So far I have been blessed with good health and not too much to worry about.

Last night I was given this beautiful collection of Tree of Life blocks by my sewing group.  I have often admired this block, but never attempted it - mainly because of all those tiny half square triangles.  Thanks so much to Erica who organised it all, and the girls who made the blocks- Erica, Raeleen, Irene, Liz, Kim, Janette, Rosemary, Sandy, Vicky, Sharon , Penny,  Julia and Virginia.

While making this block, Sharon managed to sew right through her finger, and landed in hospital to have the needle surgically removed!  Ouch!  how painful.  I have come close, but never actually sewed my finger.

I am now thinking about how to finish off these blocks.  The suggestion was made that they needed green, and I am going to experiment with some green setting fabrics.

Weekend Retreat and Red and White Blocks

 This is the lovely old building where we held our retreat.  this was taken when we were all packed to go home, and waiting for the bus.

 

How about this lovely old house on the hill?   This is so typical of Riverland houses.  This whole area is flood planes - and the river does rise.

My plan for the weekend was to work on my Botch Handle Red and white blocks.  The ones I had made previously were from Block Base.  I liked them, but they were a little complex - lots of different measurements throughout the block.  The blocks from this book - Home on the Planes - were so much easier!  I abandoned the 5 I have made of the old style, and made the new ones.

 There is actually strip piecing instructions, so I could get a few done at a time.

I cut and sewed 5 of them at a time.

 These are the two different blocks side by side.  The one on the left is the one from Block Base and on the Right from the book.  All the strips are cut either 2" or 1 1/2".  So much easier! 

10 Blocks finished for the weekend!  Pretty good I think.  I should be able to finish the rest in a week or so, once my present commitments are behind me.

I have this vision of a black/red/white sashing and/or border.  Have to work on that idea some more.

Off to Retreat

On Friday I am off to a quilters retreat with the Southern Belles quilter's group.  There are around 25 people heading off to Mannum in the South Australian Riverland.  We get back later on Sunday, staying at the Mannum Motel/Country Club.  I am so looking forward to a bit or R & R, and some serious stitching time.  Today I started to organise what I am taking, sewing that is

I got the next 8 blocks of the Antique Sampler to work on.  These are all ready to sew together, then applique in place.

I would very much like to get the next block done from Sentimental Stitches, Beyond the Cherry Tree.  All the fabrics are chosen, just have to put them in place.  Does not look terribly interesting like this, but it will when all the bits are added.

Mustn't forget the red and white quilt!  I really thought this was all I would do on the weekend, but there are times when you don;t want to sit at the sewing machine anymore, and just need some quiet hand sewing or ......knitting!   Yes, I am a quilter, but I am knitter too, and love beautiful wools.

 I made these socks last week for a special friend.  No names, as they are a surprise, and she might read this.  Don;t you just love the colours!

I bought some more wool from Morris and Sons.  My granddaughter, Skylar, saw me knitting socks, and wanted to know if I was making some for her as well.  Yes, I guess I am, and the purple/orange/teal is for me.  Sock knitting is a bit addictive - a bit like quilting - and I will be taking some with me this weekend for the bus ride.  You can knit where you can not sew!  Another great site for wools is Yarnbow.  They are currently having a "Summer Sale" which is just fine for us in the Southern hemisphere, 'cause we are having winter and want to knit.  Great service from both these shops.