End of Year Break Up 7 December 2016

Club numbers have been knocked around this year with our loss of some wonderful long term members and relocation of others. So with quite a few members away, we had an unusually small group of 28 gather at the South Suburban Bowls Club for this year's break up function.
The room was beautifully airconditioned and spacious and the staff served the meals to us at the tables. President Marilyn kept the day flowing with the usual banter, games, raffle, lucky spots, guess the buttons and fat quarter swap. Well done to the ladies who provided the decorations and prizes. It was all beautiful.

Members enjoying lunch at our end of year breakup

The chocolate flower centrepieces we all got to take home and the cute place setting reindeer.

Some lucky prizewinners included:

Diana with the lucky spot glitter nose reindeer. (There was one at each table)

Phillipa with her finished wordsearch

Doreen is a great button counter. Who would have thought there were over 500 buttons in that little bottle? Doreen did obviously.

Anne was winner of the lucky door prize. Some lovely strips of very modern fabric all made into roses and placed in one of Delma's little fabric bags.

A very happy Vera clutches her basket of goodies from the raffle- fabrics, marking pens, rulers, patterns, bobbin boxes - all manner of exciting things. Congratulations Vera.

Results of the Fat Quarter Swap. It's always a happy little moment of excitement. Some members may not look pleased, but I'm sure that is the photographer sneaking up on them, not that they aren't happy with their gift. Most are no doubt already choosing little projects to put their special fabric in. And not two identical fabrics! What a beautiful variety.

There was even some Show and Tell.

Lynn was so excited to win the Christmas Present BomB blocks last week she put the top together straight away. Wasn't it a good idea to include an extra strip of fabric with the block? That scrappy border looks terrific. There was one block with a black background and Lynn is putting that on the back with the label. A great Christmas quilt and it will be very handy if we get snow in Mackay this year!

President Marilyn closing the quilting year and describing what a tough time we've had, but how belonging to this club and having friends and quilting therapy has made difficult things a little easier. Thank you for your work this year Marilyn. You have guided us to be a productive, helpful and encouraging club.

Merry Christmas to all and looking forward to a bright and sewful New Year. (Did I just make that word up?) (Probably. It's the end of the year. Things get tiring. Let's just push the publish button and get 2016 finished.)

Wednesday 30 November 2016

It was the last meeting for the year at the hall today. And possibly just as well as it is starting to get quite steamy! Quite a few ladies brought in something Christmassy for morning tea including the obligatory shortbread, cherries and strawberries with chocolate sauce and chocolate fudge. No almond bread this year - we miss you Margaret (but not just for your almond bread) and not a fruit cake in sight. Are we all a bit late getting them made or is fruit cake just not so popular any more?

We had Margie from the Mackay Women's Centre visit today to come and explain about the women's group she runs there on a Wednesday and how they started making knitted and crocheted rugs to give to local families in need. They have also sent a couple of bundles of rugs out to Winton and Barcaldine in winter. She had been expecting us to present her with 2 or 3 quilts when she arrived so was astounded to be shown the 15 little quilts we have collected.

Deane announced the changes in the Show Schedule she has been working on so that our quilting section correlates with Qld Quilters and caters for all types of quilts. The Mackay Show Schedule will be online at the end of January.

And Deane won the Badge Draw today too. (It's nice to get rewarded for putting some time into something, isn't it?) 

Some of the little quilts presented to Margie from the Mackay Women's Centre today. Quite a few of them come from our very prolific Liz. Margie's group have talked about adding a special quilt to some hampers for families in need. These will fit the bill.

Kay has been working on this gorgeous Sunbonnet Sue which is for a grandniece born yesterday. A little more quilting and it will be in the post.

Cathy has made the Half Hexie Christmas Tree table runner for a gift for a neighbour. Always looking for variations, she added a little pot at each end. 

And this table runner with the hand appliqued circles, which took slightly longer to make, is for Cathy's daughter. This curved weaving pattern is a very interesting one. A workshop next year maybe?

 Doreen made this very fancy table runner which is difficult to hold up, with the help of a special wedge ruler and pattern from a friend.  It is very clever. (Needleworx has this pattern in stock if you are interested.)

One of the members of Delma's little craft group at Ball Bay is turing 80, so Delma got all the ladies to make a little colourful block of squares, as demonstrated in the last BomB, and added some hand embroidered patches. There is a little more embroidery to do on the top panel and the bottom panel is for signatures at the birthday party. What a beautiful memory wallhanging this will be. Happy Birthday Mary.

26 blocks came in today for the last BomB (Block Of the Month Bonanza) for the year. It goes to show that the simplest blocks are always the most popular. They did make up quickly and  these cute presents are going to make a bright Christmas quilt for the winner, Lynn. We all added extra strips of the present and ribbon fabric so there can be a coordinating scrap border. 

A little gift

Past member Gay has moved back to Mackay and today Marilyn, Lynn and Del took over the quilt we made her. Robyn organised some fabric strips and we all took one and went home and made a simple coordinating strip block. Usually we give the blocks to the member who is leaving the club, but as Gay finds it too difficult to sew now and has got rid of her sewing machine, Robyn finished the little quilt for her.

Even though it was a little too warm for quilts today in Mackay, Gay couldn't help sitting under it for a few photos. And yes, there were a few tears. Gay absolutely loves her quilt and says thanks to all the beautiful ladies at BBQ.

Our pleasure Gay.

Wednesday 23 November 2016

How can it be so close to the end of the patchwork year already?

Next week is the last meeting for the year in the hall. Come along with some Christmas baking and we'll test it to see "If it's poison". (That's what I used to say to my children when I wanted to taste something but wanted them to wait.)

It was the last BomB (Block Of the Month Bonanza) for the year today and of course it was a Christmas one, even though the BomB Lady does not do Christmas in November, does not like Christmas quilts and has never made one. This block is cute and easy though.
Lesley won the Badge Draw again today which must surely last her now for the next three years. Another excuse to pop down to Needleworx though.

This little tablecentre is what Elaine has been working on at the Saturday sew-ins for nearly the whole year. She had a pack of fat eighths and really didn't know what to do with them when she found this pattern, but had to draw up all the paper piecing triangles herself.  It certainly is fantastically intricate but Elaine reckons it loses the effect when it is placed flat on  a table. Anyway, it is finished!

Elizabeth is sending this cute and bright quilt off to Brisbane this week. It is made from Jan Mullen's Country Housez pattern. So cute.

A quilt from Elaine that has not one piece of machine embroidery on it! The stunning flowered fabric is a piece she bought at Molly Dooks. Elaine said she was disappointed that the orange segments don't link up because she used too dark a fabric for the squares, but it looks pretty good here. That binding looks like it is a bit of a challenge though!

Deane had some 1 1/2" strips of fabric and wasn't sure what to do with them. When she saw a hombre strip pieced design using the 60 degree ruler which she had just bought, she had to have a go at it. (And the photographer is going to have to start waiting until the story of the piece is finished before she clicks the photo. Sorry Deane.)

Lesley showing the clever way to sew a diagonal seam without marking it in the BomB demonstration today. The block is called Christmas Presents even though it looks like a shirt with a bow tie from this angle.

Outback Christmas Tablerunner Project

Marilyn, Lesley, Cathy and Brenda attended a lovely morning tea today at 'Craft Central', the home of Julie Rowen. Julie and her craft group were inspired by what Ron Poulsen from Pioneer Valley Rotary Club was doing to assist and encourage the drought ravaged farmers. They decided to make a tablerunner to include when a Christmas ham gift was delivered to those farmers in the Longreach - Ilfracombe - Muttaburra area who are doing it tough. A call was put out to Chris Cross from Needleworx for assistance from other groups when the size of the project was fully realized. And so Needleworx became a drop off point for anyone who wanted to be involved. 

And today, 241 runners were presented to Ron to ship to outback Queensland. What a great effort! We were told that this small gift will do a lot to encourage a family living in tough times and to show them that people on the coast do care.

Bucasia Beach Quilters donated 49 of those runners and our members should be congratulated! Thank you ladies.
And a special thankyou to Julie for her insight, motivation and hospitality.

Julie, Marilyn, Ron, Chris and Lesley doing a media shoot. Five runners made by our group were chosen for the photo.

Each runner was wrapped in cellophane and ribbon. 8 cartons full!

Ron outlining how helpful the programme of giving hay and other assistance has been. A most interesting insight.

Wednesday 16 November 2016

It must have been National Chocolate Day today as almost everything brought for morning tea was chocolate - and delicious we might add. Is there such a thing as National Chocolate Day? (Maybe there should be.) 

There were two full tables at the front of the hall today. One was full of magazines to give away and the other was the last pile of tablerunners for the Outback Tablerunner Drive. A lot of people have been very busy!

Robyn's number was pulled out of the Badge Draw once again this week. But seeing it is her birthday we didn't protest. Her visit to Needleworx is getting more exciting!

Diana has finished her Drunkards Path workshop quilt. She thinks she may have made it a little more coordinated if she had not be told  to stop overthinking it in the layout process. But it is a pretty 'wow' quilt. Diana quilted it herself with some swirls and curves.

Jo brought in another quilt that had been stored at her mother's for the past 20 years. She was amazed at the bright colours when she unpacked it as a larger quilt she made with the 'leftover scraps' from this one has faded terribly in the Mackay sunshine. Jo is pointing out the quilting in the border that was apparently Lesley's suggestion when Jo wasn't sure how to go ahead with it. It looks great whoever's idea it was! And not one brown age spot in sight!

Another quilt for the Women's Shelter from Liz. This one she machined together as it is made from some pieced units and scraps from Faye's stash. Liz did handquilt the sashing though.

And yet another made from scraps in Faye's stash.

Trying to display the 23 tablerunners that were brought in today on the last day of the drive. What a great effort we have put in. I'm sure the organisers of the drive and the outback recipients will both be touched and pleased. Well done ladies!

All of our tablerunners. The Half Hexie Christmas Tree was the most popular pattern it seems.

Wednesday 9 November 2016

We had a very good turnout this morning and the atmosphere was most exciting with over 30 ladies in attendance. Those who had not been for some time included Linda W who has been busy with work and study (Congratulations on finishing the degree!) and Ellen who had a carer bring her today after a long stint of sickness. And we still had quite a few regulars away with everything from convalescense to conferences, and from holidays to little family visits and even jury service. We would have a great crowd if everyone came on the same day.

It was meeting day today with a small subcommittee formed to organise the Christmas breakup function. This will be our last meeting for the year on 7th December.
The Monthly Raffle of a $25 Needleworx voucher was won by Doreen. And Lesley won the Badge Draw voucher at Needleworx which was most opportune as she lost her last self threading needle last night and was on her way to Needleworx after quilting to replace them.

We drew October's Paintbox BomB blocks today (after Lesley forgot to take them last week.) They were won by Brenda who actually took her blocks last week, but forgot today! So the two spaces are where her two blocks can go. It was a great response to learning this method of sewing on gridded pellon. And Needleworx have stocked two bolts of gridded pellon in the 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 inch grids following enquiries after this demonstration.

Cheryl has finished her sampler quilt that she made in our basic patchwork classes run by Joan throughout this year. Well done Cheryl!

Barbro has made this gorgeous little quilt with cuddly fleece on the back for the Women's Shelter

Another clever tablerunner by Robyn from the BomB blocks she won in 2008. (She did such a good job she even gets a halo of light around her!)

The Man Charity Quilt (Colorado Beauty) looks great after Di has quilted it in a swirl pattern that really complements the pinwheel shapes. The feature Aboriginal print fabric and the sashing were a legacy from Heather C who left us a deal of fabric. This quilt will be donated to the Kidney Foundation for their fundraising purposes.

Jo made this quilt for her mother some years ago. Her mother had said she didn't want Jo to make her a quilt but Jo went ahead and made this beautiful rose lap quilt for her anyway. Her mum always kept it on her bed and complained that she didn't know why Jo hadn't made her a bigger one! 

One of Di's first stops on her recent trip was with a friend who taught her how to make organza flowers by using a candle flame along the edges of the fabric. Then there was a stop at a fantastic shop/house at Mildura where Di found a pattern for a door stop. Result - a pretty doorstop with organza flower decoration. (Any many many more organza flowers in a drawer in the caravan I believe!)

We have been having a swap/give away table recently for magazines and books. The front of this Homespun magazine caught Jo's eye and the result is this very cute Blinky Belle.

Wednesday 2 November, 2016. Yakapari Country Crafts Excursion.

What a lovely morning we had today on our visit to The Leap. 26 ladies ventured out to enjoy High Tea, a little stitching and some craft shopping.
Note: We desperately need a photographer who can take more complementary photographs. Or maybe not quite so candid ones!

Cathy, Cheryl, Liz, Helen, Lynn, Vera

Delma, Deborah, Brenda, Del, Barbara, Marilyn, Elaine, Di, Robyn, Beth, Joan (We have Delma's permission to post this photo and no, she didn't scoff the whole scone at once!)

Joan, Doreen, Kaye, Anne, Rita, Noela, Robyn, Elizabeth

And it didn't take long for the pretty food table to look a little sparse! (Pity the photographer didn't stop eating and start photo taking a little earlier.)

There was a good little Show and Tell.

Robyn was delighted to show this finished table runner which she made from  BomB blocks won in 2008. Just goes to show if you keep things long enough you will find the perfect project!

Brenda has made this candle table centre in more muted Christmas colourings. She has even found the perfect sized candle for the centre and some lovely red berries to twist around it.  (And it's only November. Well done Brenda!)

Joan made this gladstone type tote bag from a pattern found at Needleworx. There are 18 pockets in it so the perfect sewing bag really. The Mt Isa ladies liked it so much that Joan has to take another 5 patterns back with her. (It was either the hand out of focus or the bag. Sorry Joan.)

 And inside the pretty rose bag was one of 35 Liberty hexagon diamonds. It shall be a queen sized quilt and a most beautiful one. Pity we won't see that one finished, Joan. 

The Colorado Beauty August Bomb which we did as a charity quilt. And finished just in time as Di is home from holidays and has nothing to put on her quilting frame. Well she does now! Lesley was glad to finally get it off her  lounge room floor.

Kaye has her Hunter Star workshop top completed. She just needs to find  some suitable orange fabric for the outer border now. 

Cathy has made this little hanging for a neighbour. How cute the little spotted ladybirds are. Just the perfect red spot fabric.

A very coordinated zigzag tablerunner from Cathy.

The last activity for the morning was the presentation to Joan  of blocks we all made on her permanent move to Mt Isa. It has been lovely having Joan as a member of our club even though she has spent a lot of time away over the past couple of years. Elaine embroidered a label for the finished quilt and Joan will no doubt make its completion a priority.

Robyn picked up her voucher from last week's badge draw and commented that it would be nice to have two of them before she goes shopping. And guess whose number she pulled out in today's badge draw? Yes, her own. Seems wishful thinking sometimes works. Congratulations Robyn.