Wednesday 25 October 2017

There were increased numbers this morning with some holidays now officially over. But seems it is difficult to keep members coming for two weeks in a row. There are so many things to keep us all busy these days.

It was BomB (Block Of the Month Bonanza) Day today and because of people going away, we have three weeks to hand the blocks back. By then, it will be time for the next BomB! Today's block is called Ups and Downs and uses Heather's red and black fabrics, although there is still some meterage left. We forgot to get photos taken, so you will have to wait 3 weeks to see the blocks when they come back.

Liz drew her own ticket out for the Badge Draw today after winning last week. She will have a lovely little shopping spree at Needleworx.

 The ladies from the Mini Retreat with their Bali Bags (or Bali Basket in Marilyn's case) It was all the same pattern and Cheryl's is different again! When Di comes back she will probably show her sample and you can see what they were supposed to look like!

 We thought Anne was making little quilts for twin grandchildren, but these are chair covers for her husband and herself. They are both fond of trains.

 Vera is making a set of 8 of these placemats. They are crazy-patched on the special iron-on placemat material. (We could have shown you both mats but someone was bending over on the stage and ....we won't go there Cathy.)

Elaine makes these reading cushions with a pocket for the book and sells them at Yakapari Country Crafts. She brought an order in for Julie today and Delma fell in love with this one for her little grandson who is apparently a bit of a monkey.

Mini Quilting Retreat 19, 20, 21 October, 2017

10 ladies managed to escape normal household activities to join in three days of full-time sewing. It was very productive. But it could possibly have been even more productive if someone hadn't decided we should all work on a little project for one day. Di suggested she could show us how to make a Bali Bag and we all thought that would be a wonderful idea, not realising what is involved in making a Bali Bag and that it might take just a little longer than one day to complete. Still, all who attempted the bag were happy with what they achieved and other discussions and hints, especially about putting in zips, were also mastered. What a fun three days!

The Blogsperson was far too busy sewing to organise a photographical diary of events, but here are a few photos taken on the last day. (Sorry that photos of Anne and Lesley and Di sewing frantically were omitted.)

 The first time Brenda hung this quilt up, small errors in placement were noticed and Brenda made good use of her quickunpick. But the next time it was hung, it was perfect. Brenda then worked on her 1700 one inch squares project.

 Cheryl was taking instruction from Di on a new method of making bag handles. Yes, Cheryl was one of the first to finish her bag despite having to miss an afternoon because she had to work.

 Cathy was determined not to unpick her bag - but did a few times anyway. (And we won't mention her method of sewing on the handles!) Hers was the most colourful Bali Bag.

 Helen was a bit behind after making enough cording for a ginormous bag and then playing a morning of bridge as well.

 Marilyn knocked up a little scrap strip quilt first and had her grandson call in to visit and take it home with him. She then learnt from all the mistakes the rest of us had made, and sewed a little basket from the rope coils (At the end of the table.) But she is still sewing strips together to cut triangles out for her hexagon quilt.

 Vera was working so fast, her photo isn't even in focus. (Sorry Vera.) Vera made the most unusual sewing project ever - a cushion to fill a hole in the car so the dog can sit up in the front seat. Then she sewed her strips from a very pretty purple jelly roll.

 When Cathy met a lady who found out she belonged to a quilting group, she offered to donate a quilt she's had sitting in the cupboard for 12 years that she had never finished quilting. Liz was kindly volunteered to finish hand quilting it. It has very thick wadding and a very heavy backing and Liz has already managed to bend three needles. (But secretly she is enjoying the quilting!)

Cheryl brought out her Monica Poole blocks for advice. (We think she wanted advice. She got some anyway.) Cheryl has hand blanket stitch appliqued the elephant, but it took so long, she is thinking of doing the smaller blocks by machine.

And a most appropriate post script to the mini retreat. Yes, we all did it - repeatedly.

Wednesday 18 October 2017

If last week was a small and select group of quilters then this week was an exclusive group. And how easy it is to see what everyone is doing and catch up on their projects with less than 20 in attendance. There was a delivery of items from a lady at Calen who has emptied her sewing room and so there were goodies for everyone! Donations were taken on a "what you think" basis. There was a Teddy Bear BOM with patterns and fabric included and Cathy has an idea to farm the packets out and make a charity quilt from them. If you don't mind a bit of hand blanket stitch applique, make sure you contact Cathy.
Liz won the Badge Draw today.

Someone asked Cathy where her Sampler Quilt from last year was, and so she quickly finished it and showed it today. She's called it Joan's Blocks thanks to Joan who demonstrated the techniques over some weeks. It was quilted by Di. Cathy is not too sure it doesn't have too much green in it for her liking, but it is finished.

 Helen has finished the binding on her Retreat Quilt after it was quilted by Di. She decided on this pattern when she saw a table runner Delma had made and is very pleased with how the quilt turned out with its tiny interlocking lines and its happy border fabric.

 Di found this free pattern from Helen Godden on the internet. It is to be used to raise money for the McGrath Foundation.

So Di free machine stitched it into a wallhanging. She used a piece of Heather's fabric for the background which she thought was most appropriate.

Flo had to make another quilt for a great grandson who wanted a cool quilt like his brother's not the one with cute trucks and trains on it. So Flo used superhero fabric for this I-Spy and Diana even gave her some skull fabric so George can really grow into this quilt. Diana quilted it for her mum. (And that is why she wasn't cropped out of the photo. That, and the fact that she wasn't holding the quilt straight and so it was impossible to crop her out!)

 Diana made this bag and is keeping it for herself as she thinks the skull fabric is beautiful.

The inside of the bag is full of zips and pockets  - even one to hold lipstick. (And we even got Diana's skull ring into the photo to show how into skulls she is at the moment!)

Saturday Sewing 14 October 2017

Seeing the Blogsperson with the camera went to Saturday Sewing, it seemed appropriate to show you what goes on there. The room we use is wonderfully roomy, light and airy (Too light for photos to be taken well actually.) and air conditioned AND they have tables on wheels! It is all too lovely for seven hours uninterrupted sewing. And we weren't responsible for setting off the alarm so that was good too! Plus, there was  carrot cake, lunch, coffee and chatting. And we all learnt some things as well. It's always good when someone sees an easier way to do something than you were intending to do!

Helen stitched the binding to her quilt. A few nights hand stitching in front of TV ahead now.

Marilyn only carried in one small container as she was doing hand work. Some lovely sashiko with multicoloured thread.

Di was in One Block Wonder land - and shall be for some time.

Marilyn is making a very cute double sided Kombi playmat.

Vera is making a memory quilt for her mother who spent a long time in Kuranda - hence the butterflies and rainforest colours. 

Liz is quilting this one in pink thread. She marked the quilt, pinned it and got a fair bit of hand quilting done.

Brenda's blocks were coming out from under the machine at a great rate. Until she found that the diagram and the photo in the pattern did not match. Luckily she had some help to correct the mistakes.

Lesley got half the Tulip charity quilt together and got some useful advice about borders and binding.

And, unfortunately, Cathy's project photo was not on the camera card. She did work hard though and got a couple of blocks pieced and explained her special Quilt-As-You-Go method to everyone as well.

It was a Saturday well spent. Thanks to all.

Wednesday 11 October 2017

There were plenty of parks in the carpark today. (Which makes me wonder why I parked under the tree with all the birds sitting in it!) It was definitely a small but select group but quilting fun was had as usual.

It was also meeting day and there was a good roll up of committee members who sorted out much business for the coming 9 months. Thank you ladies.

The monthly raffle today was won by Kay and Marilyn won the Badge Draw.

This Saturday 14 October is the Monthly Sat Sew-in and there is a hastily called Sewing Bee (to get another one in before the end of the year) next week on Thursday, Friday, Saturday 19, 20, 21 October.

Only two ladies participated in Show and Tell today.

 Marion has finished her quilt featuring different quilting patterns done using the Westalee Rulers that Janome had a demonstration on some months ago. The quilted samples were sewn together Quilt-As-You-Go. Marion is pointing out the black sashing between the blocks which disappeared into the black samples so she had to change it to a spotted fabric.

 A close up of one of Marion's blocks.

 Marion also brought along her Glacier Star quilt that she completed in 2014. It was her first Judy Niemeyer foundation pieced pattern. It is quite large as can be seen by its inability to fit on the stage but  it is also a colourful and intricately pieced quilt. Thank you for bringing it along Marion.

 One of  'Joan's Ladies', whom she taught to quilt, presented her with a pack of fabrics at the Sarina Quilt Show. It was a pack of 16 fat quarters put together by Needleworx. Joan decided to use her 60 degree triangle ruler to make this dramatic looking Night Garden quilt.

This  Boomerang pattern had Joan using her 60 degree triangle ruler again to use up light and dark scraps. Joan is going to do a workshop on this quilt next year. You sew light and dark strips together, cut the triangles out and sew them together in diagonal lines. Looks like a great way to use up scraps, so stay tuned!

Wednesday 4 October 2017

Well the Blogperson was away for two weeks and people promised they would take photos, but appears they did not. But we were back at the hall today, with just a slight smell of new paint, but otherwise not much changed. Grey is still the in vogue colour it seems.

There are some lovely quilts in the pipeline at the moment. Marion still has quite a few hours of appliquing border flowers on her stunning Double Wedding Ring, Cheryl is handpiecing some pretty floral fabrics and Helen is finished the Disappearing Pinwheel Charity quilt top if she doesn't decide to change the borders around.

There were lots of books and magazines today after Kaye had a bit of a clean out and just two quilts for Show and Tell. Doreen won the Badge Draw.

Diana thought the July BomB block went together so well she decided to make a Simply Delightful quilt for herself and proceeded to cut squares out of any fabrics in her stash that had gold in them. She is very pleased with how the quilt has turned out (even though she didn't have enough fabric of either border for the binding.) It looks great and it is so good to know someone is using the techniques shown in the BomB demonstrations.

How difficult it is to try and photograph candlewicking! These are the blocks that Faye had been working on as handwork. Lynn has finished the other blocks and put the quilt together with a lovely hand quilted border for Faye's family.

This is a close-up of one of the blocks Faye had finished. She must have done them in double thread as her blocks are thicker than the ones Lynn did. It adds some nice texture to the embroidery and also means the family will always know which blocks were Faye's. A lovely memory.