My New Eye!

Yep, being silly, again! However, I feel I really do have a new eye as yesterday I had much needed laser surgery on a growth behind my right eye and everything is bigger and brighter to me - no blurriness at all - watch out when I get behind that wheel, now - I will give those boys in blue something to do!

Oh, this is all out of order - never mind! I have done it again - joined another swap - the Pincushion Summer Swap '09 - looks great - check out Quilt at Home with Sandra!

For all you repro fabric lovers - check out these beautiful fabrics I received from dear Kathie of Inspired by Vintage Quilts. Just beautiful, thanks so much Kathie - we like to do little swapsies
and I have my Tumbling Steps started and may even join Kathie and Janet of Quiltsalott are making the little basket quilt from When The Cold Wind Blows that I have on order.

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See on my sidebar, Janet and I have a little sew-along going with Mrs. Perkins - I know others are going to join in - please email Janet or I if you intend to and I will add your name. This is not a formal thing, just a bit of fun and I am thinking we will have our own little zoo of giraffes!

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Must dash - things to do - have a lovely day!

A Cute New House!

As you all know, I love dollies and little houses - how about this cutie? Designed by Girlfriend Robin and just 6" square! I could have made six Happy Houses, yesterday, but no, I decided to play with this little one. It is foundation pieced and quite tiny and fiddly - at this stage, fate unknown!

Does anyone know this fabric, please? It was sent to me for my birthday, I think! I really love it - looks sort-of Kaffe to me, but I don't think it is. I have been using little bits here and there of the fat-quarter - would love to buy some more, so hopefully someone will recognize it!

Not a lot of stitching was done yesterday - again, so many interruptions! My little man, Byron, spent the day with me and slept over - he is such a joy to have about, and I did get quite a lot of quilting done on my Angel Quilt last night, and big cheers, that is nearly finished! Byron is now eating Nutri-Grain (naughty Nanny! - sugar loaded) and watching Ben 10 while I sit beside him doing this Post.

Another little gem - I have a few pieces in my fairly newly established succulent garden, but couldn't resist buying this one to sit in my sewing room. We have been calling it Baby's Toes, but it's botanical name is Crassula Ovata Gollum, named after JRR Tolkein's character of the same name, so this particular one will be Gollum to me! Grows indoors in low light, so the blurb says - I will still give it a little gentle sunshine, though!

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I am going to spend some time now writing some Replies - apologies to all for my slackness - I really appreciate and enjoy your Comments - unfortunately I love Browsing and Commenting, too - no excuse, I know, but it is true!

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I'll close on this wise quote I read this morning. 'Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it's about learning how to dance in the rain!' Oh, if only we could!

Back to Quilting!

The festivities of Anzac Day have begun, so it is back to quilting chatter!

Who's the Lucky Girl, again? This is the delightful Dolly Quilt I have received from Marilyn in Kansas City, USA - thank you, Marilyn, I just love it - the workmanship is just perfect in every detail - the colours, perfect for my home and it will be hung for all to see and admire!

Look at this gorgeous Postcard, message in an envelope and little 'business' card - a true professional and a very generous girl!

A little sewing happened this morning - these blocks are the start of my antique repro quilt - I must find a name for it even though it is still only a twinkle in my eye! Maybe Tumbling Steps as it will consist of courthouse step blocks and tumber blocks! I love the bright, rich repros - the bottom pink and mauve are from the Regency Dandy range, c. 1810!

There was more in the mail yesterday - a quilt magazine, from Marilyn, also! And, my much awaited package from Quilt Fabric Delights with Rosalie Quinlan's Redwork Houses!I can't wait to get started, but must get my act into gear first!

Is anyone else this lucky? Dear Adrian, our next-door neighbour, keeps our lawn mowed beautifully with his reel mower! Adrian is a tee-totaller, so we can't even buy him a stubby, but he knows how much we appreciate this wonderful gesture and we do try to make up for it at Christmas!

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It's a long weekend here, so hopefully more sewing will get done! Early tomorrow morning, my little man will come with me to take Poppa to the airport, then maybe it will be a Happy Houses afternoon - hope so! I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

Anzac Day April 25, 2009 - Lest We Forget!

The most memorable day of the year for Australia and New Zealand, a day to honour and to remember our fallen heroes - if you don't know the significance and if you fancy please do a little research !

These pics are of Anzac Square in Brisbane, Queensland, a very beautiful and charming city!

As a little girl, I walked through this square many times with my parents (I was always amazed at the way the Eternal Flame kept burning!). As a teenager and young woman, I did that walk almost daily, as Central Station is located behind the Memorial and I worked in the National Bank in Queen Street. The history and memories were instilled in me from a very early age and for a country as young as Australia, that is a wonderful heritage!
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I won't be awake for the Dawn Service at 5 am tomorrow, but I know at least two of our boys will be!

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To all who have served Australia, God bless you - Lest We Forget!

Happy weekend - hugs - Lurline♥

Off On Another Genre!

I am taking Quilters' Licence and using the term 'genre' rather loosely - generally applied to music and art, but what is quilting? Anyhow, we are lucky to have the above book, by Annette Gero and Kim Mclean in our WAQA library, so it is nice to have a little browse for a month!

You have seen the lovely little Courthouse Steps blocks I have recently been doing on my Dolly Quilt Swap - isn't the above so similar and I have lots and lots of repro fabrics!

The blurb on this quilt hasn't come out clearly - never mind - it was made by Jeannette Dick, c. 1867, Victoria!

A gorgeous Log Cabin with Tumbler Borders, made by Nicholes Wallace, c. 1895, Victoria!

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I have really enjoyed doing the Courthouse Steps and a Tumbler Quilt has always been on my agenda, so I can feel another Lurline Quilt coming on - will be fun to puddle along and fondle those beautiful repros again!

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I'm still madly trying to put finishing touches to two QuiltWest quilts - I think, I hope, I will make the deadline, so can't get too sidetracked at the moment. Dear friend Robin has given me a little foundation pieced house to try - only 6" square, so must have a little play there! Also, lots of Happy House blocks have been coming in and I still have quite a few of mine to do!

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The weekend is nearly here again, so hopefully lots of time to play - DH flies out for a 10 day Bowls Carnival in Adelaide on Sunday for about 10 days - whoopee! Mum and I will live on Vegemite on toast, less washing to do and I can read until 3am if I so desire - oh, yes, and I will miss him terribly, too (lol)!

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It is Anzac Day here tomorrow - a day dedicated to honour our brave who have fought in wars in which Australia has participated - from the bottom of my heart thank you and yours - there is so much to say! I must offer my thoughts, hopes and prayers for the brave service men and women and their loved ones the world over, who are serving our countries right at this moment - how right John Lennon was when he wrote the words 'All we are saying, is give peace a chance' - will we ever?

What a Day!

At least the Dolly Quilt for the Swap is finished - binding stitched down while I wore a pair of a friend's prescription specs - you see, silly me, I left my bag at home! It was all pretty difficult, not a cent in money, no cards, but I got by with a little help from my friends!

It was our monthly meeting at our WAQA guild - just lovely to catch up with friends, especially those we don't see regularly!

Candy, a school-teacher friend, who can get along only during school holidays, was there with her great quilt-as-you-go project. Candy has a wonderful flair with colour - looks kind of Japanese to me!

I did manage (with borrowed money!) to be able to get some more of this cute fabric that I used on the potholder I made recently! I hoped I would be lucky as I want to send it to some special friends!

I have chatted at length about making my little ferny grove and planting baby's tears. See the lush green ground cover bottom right hand/middle of the pic - that's it! This is a little spot in Carole's garden and it is all so lovely!

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Carole gave me several pots of it yesterday and on the trip home, most fell over, so I have mess in the boot and then I had to plant most of it straight away. Guess what! We've a little rain here this morning so I can almost hear it laughing from here. Let's hope it takes off - maybe one day I will be cursing it, because it is highly invasive!

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Oh, I hope the rest of the week is productive for me, there's so much I want to do and so much I have to do! Anyone else feeling the same?

A Busy Weekend!

As usual - a busy weekend here and not a lot of sewing done! Never mind, the little ones stayed with us and had a lot of fun, son-in-law helped me in the garden (poor boy, he worked so hard!) and DS arrived home yesterday (just for the night!).

I did manage to put wings on the Messenger Birdie (pattern, Melly & me, tail modified) and finish her off.

And ... the Potholder (Pinwheel included!) quilted and bound! Also, the dolly quilt is quilted, just binding to be stitched down!

Another pattern for a softie - I have seen this cute lady in real life and can't wait to make her! I have had the pattern for ages and haven't done anything about it, now Janet from quiltsalott, has the pattern, too, and we have made a pact to make Mrs. Perkins between 11 - 28 May so ... if anyone who has the pattern would like to join in, just let us know - will be fun to have company! Janet's blog is absolutely delightful and she is one of the most accomplished appliquers (is that a word?) I have ever met!

This is the corner of my garden that had a make-over, or maybe was denuded is a better way to put it, at the weekend! I love ferns, but especially maiden hair fern - so the jade has gone to heaven and so has the huge holly fern. I am attempting to make this into a little ferny grove with baby tears and more delicate ferns - it is a protected corner, so let's hope it survives the harsh winds and summer sun!

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The start of another week - let's hope it is a good one for everyone!

My Wicked, Wicked Ways!

I just can't help myself! When there is temptation about, I just have to let loose!

Yesterday, I met Girlfriends! for lunch at Woolly Latte, a yarn supply shop combined with a lovely coffee shop - lots of chatter and good company and it was lovely to be surprised and joined by Raelene!

Two doors up there just happens to be a lovely little patchwork shop, Hot Possum, and while waiting for the girls I decided I should pop in! The gorgeous Kaffe Fassett fabric, above left, said 'Pick me, pick me!' How could I not? Two metres and another 9 fat-quarters to compliment - I'll make a beautiful blue quilt one day!

Before I go onto other trivia, I have had requests for help with the knitted lace edge I am doing and also, the dollies in my Header - I have a memory like a sieve at times and always dashing from one thing to another, so if you have made these requests, please contact me again as I am quite happy to share if it is permissible within copyright rules and a lot of what I show and talk about are my own designs! I need reminders from time to time, so please don't hesitate to contact me should the need arise and it probably will!
I have been sort of good at times this week - the weather was cooler so out into the garden! I have promised myself to give more TLC to my roses - even planted a new one! That is Satchmo above, an oldie and a floribunda!

My only bloom on climber, Don Juan! That is because I pruned it back after winter last year and found out since, one shouldn't prune climbers? However, it has wonderful large shoots now, so should come on beautifully.
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I'm a quilter, not a horticulturist! So hopefully lots of finishes this weekend. I hope yours is a happy weekend, too!

Perfect Pinwheels!

I was going to start some applique yesterday - guess what? - Pages 17 - 30 in a new book were missing and they were the pages I needed. Bad luck - so I decided I will do a little demo for those who wanted to know, on how to make perfect pinwheels (as I've said before, is anything perfect?)!

The above will become an 8" potholder - a first for me! This is not a copy, but I will say, I have been inspired by Nanette of Freda's Hive in my selection of cutesy fabrics! I have quite a nice stash of them these days . Thanks, Nanette!

One needs 4 squares of chosen fabrics with a diagonal line, corner to corner, drawn on the lighter fabric. My finished pinwheel is going to be 4" (that is 4-1/2" with seam allowances), so each half needs to be 2", plus 1/2" seam allowance, plus 3/4", making the squares 3-1/4". These allowances can be applied to all sizes of pinwheels.

Oopsy, tilt you head! - stitch 1/4" each side of diagonal line.

Cut on the drawn line. Press seam allowance towards darker fabric.

Place you square ruler on the 45 degree angle line as shown above and with rotary cutter, trim to 2-1/2", first trimming the right side and the top side, then turn the square around and trim the other two sides.

Then you can see the neat squares we have achieved. Lay out as illustrated above.

Stitch left and right pairs together, starting at edge where there are no seam allowances.

Finger press seams towards darker fabric, so the seams lay in opposite directions.

Stitch both pairs together, making sure you interlock the seams.

There we have the perfect pinwheel! Look at those lovely points in the middle!

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I know this is a very simple method and some may tut-tut! at all the fuss - however in my early days of quilting, Christine of Once Upon a Quilt ... showed this method to me - I have tried many since and I can still say this is the way I like to do my pinwheels - my favourite, block and in many cases my signature block - thanks, Christine!
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I hope this little demo is helpful to some of you, please let me know!

A Lovely Surprise!

The postman knocks and the puppies bark! Now this is a lovely surprise! One of my dearest Blogland friends, Chookyblue, has sent this gorgeous gift to me!
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We are in a Birthday Fat-quarter Swap organized by Maree - now this Swap is supposed to be 2 fat-quarters - hmmm, looks a bit more than that to me, and isn't it all just gorgeous? Chooky, I love this all so much! The basket is all too sweet and dainty to use, maybe a nice decoration, perhaps, I could spray it with Scotchguard - thinking out loud, I will do that and then use it!! The little needlecase is divine - I know the girls at GDITC at Nundle started this project - cute Redwork is next on my agenda when the dust settles. And the fabrics are 'very Lurline' at the moment - Chooky, thank you so much!
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I think she will, and I do hope she will - that is, Maree, I would love you to organize this swap again next year!

Happy day everyone!

Ready for Quilting!

Thank goodness! This 'little treasure' has caused me a bit of anxiety - I guess it is trying to make a dolly quilt to please somebody else - it still looks 'very Lurline', to me! It is a warm, dull day here today - a chance of rain, I hope! Consequently, the background to this pic is pavers out the front in the daylight - a bit of a change from our usual bright, summer sunshine!

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I'm a bit over this 'little treasure', so I think I will leave the quilting until later in the week. I have plenty to do to keep me busy, maybe too much and that is part of the problem! I will say, I love the Kaffe Fassett for Rowan fabric that I have used for the border - such beautiful quality!

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I'm looking forward to having my sewing machine serviced - poor little girl seems a bit sluggish! Maybe I will be able to organize to have it done in a week or two!

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If you would like to enter a Giveaway of 30 fat-quarters - pop over and visit Thearica of Pig Tales and Quilts - very, very generous and oh, to be so lucky - please tell her I sent you!

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Hope your Easter has been safe and happy!

Happy Easter Saturday!

I have had a lovely day - still very warm here, but should cool down this week - hope so, and some rain would be nice, too!

Heidi and I visited friend, Robin, then into the shopping centre we went! I thought it would be nice for her to choose her Easter gift and there is a new art and craft shop open, so we didn't get past that - a printed canvas and poster paints for a 5-year old - how good does it get! - of course, there were brushes, palettes, and water jars to buy and of course we couldn't go home without gift for twin brother, Byron, so it was double of everything! Then into Kmart so I could buy a few novels and it was more colouring-in books and sticker books! Then we had lunch? - what does a good Nanny do than let Heidi choose what she would like, so it was ice cream for Heidi and poor Nanny, too - yuk! Never mind we had a lovely time and more trivia to read late at night and maybe some baking, too - hope there is inspiration there!

The 12 blocks for second-try Dolly Quilt - not as pretty as first try, but it was going that way so I threw in a few browns - is that big brown spot in the middle jumping out at you? You know I appreciate constructive criticism! Will get them together and maybe they won't need a border - I have a great pre-made binding in mind!

PS - on reflection, please tell me what you think - have I gone overboard again (like with the Angels) and should have left it at 6 blocks only (see previous post) with a 1/2" red framing border, then perhaps a 2" outer border? - I think that will be big enough for a dolly quilt? If this is all too boring, please don't feel obliged to give an opinion (lol)!

More Happy Houses from Anne, who doesn't have a blog - the final mix-up will be just great, I'm sure - thank you, Anne!

Another porcelain doll - this little Scallywag is a big favourite with both my girls - I guess with a silk shirt and pressed jeans, he has scrubbed up very well!

Our real life scallywag, Saskia - I hope everyone realises she is just my grand-kitty and not mine at all - up on the dining room chairs after she has been on top of the patio table - wow, she is advancing rapidly and has a delightful personality - great times ahead for us all!

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Enough prattle - I wanted to do a lot of handwork tonight, but the tele is sadly lacking, so it is off to bed to read. Looking forward to lunch in the city with the family tomorrow - will be a special Easter Sunday lunch for us!

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I hope to get together my promised Pinwheel Tutorial for my next post - best wishes everyone!

Happy Easter - Good Friday!

Happy Easter everyone and to all you Believers, a blessed Good Friday!

This is all very weird and exciting - this parcel arrived during the week and I thought 'oh, these are Narelle's Happy Houses for the Swap' - then I thought 'why would she wrap them like this - oh, just maybe she is my Easter Swap Partner' so I left the parcel until this morning to open!

Yes, yes - thank you so much Narelle, and you already know how much I love your gift, thank you again! Pop over to see Narelle at Country Roses and take notice of her header - if you check past comments, you will see I have already told her I love this little basket and you will be able to have a really good look at it! Oh, beautiful fabric wrapped around Easter chocolates, I guess, a wrist pincushion and cute tape measure! This has given me a really bright start to Easter!

Yep, this is it - Dolly Quilt 2 - I'm happy with the 5" courthouse step blocks, foundation pieced, cute and easy - I will try to get another 6 done today! Dolly Quilt 1 is on the back burner - I will finish it as proposed - one day (lol)!

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I have had a magazine with the above in it for quite a few years now and think this quilt is just great, so I have been doubling and tripling as I cut each block, so there will be more about!

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Stay safe everyone and enjoy your Easter!

PS - this should perhaps have been my priority in this Post - Australia has been so grateful for overseas help in our recent disasters, and I would like you to join me in thoughts and prayers for the victims and families who have been affected by the earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy. God bless!

What Will Today Bring?

This Post will be higgledy-piggledy! My mind is on other things - that is, putting pea soup with bacon in the Slow Cooker and making another Dolly Quilt - I'm the official Queen of Change and I'm allowed to do that!

Above - I did get my parcels away on Monday - the overseas ones went Airmail and Australian ones Surface - I find postal charges here pretty horrific! So, all you Girls - hope you get them soon!

Above - Girlfriends met yesterday at Carole's - what a glorious day, gorgeous hostess and absolutely charming surroundings - I'm just so sorry I didn't take lots of pics of the garden with ite roses, azaleas, gardenias, you name it - my favourite was the ground covered in baby-tears, I just love it and Carole is going to give me some - I think I have the perfect spot for it! Of course the company was the best! This is one of Carole's glorious quilts - a self designed First Prize Winner - click to enlarge and you will probably see the beautiful hand quilting!

After I posted the parcels on Monday, I went to visit Danielle, Heidi and Byron - oh, oh, more importantly (these days!) Saskia. Just look at this divine little creature - oh, I love her so much!
She's coming along in leaps and bounds, literally!

How cheeky can you get? She tends to be very happy with her own company - darts away and hides from the kids and who could blame her!

This is Louise's bag made at the Avalon Retreat - she calls it her 'Hemorrhoids Bag' - pain in the butt! Never mind, Louise - all done now and very stylish! See Julia's Apple Core Quilt over the rail behind it!

Carole's Teddies sat behind me and watched over us all and made sure we all kept busy - not!

Well, off to do whatever takes my fancy - must get Hexagons and Rainbow Swap Blocks packed up today and post tomorrow!

'Bye!

Dolly Quilt Swap 6!

Well, I could do it again - change my mind! I'm not sure my Recipient is quite this girlie? Never mind - I'll puddle along with this idea for the time being - it will definitely be a little wall hanging for someone!

As you can see, I have just let the fabric do the talking - I'll big-stitch hand quilt it with Perle thread and maybe then a winter white lacy knitted edge!

Check out my Sidebar and if the fancy takes you and visit Kelani Fabrics - I'm really quite chuffed to have stumbled across this shop - lots of cute fabrics!

Hope you are getting lots of sewing done this weekend - oh, Easter next weekend - that will keep us off the streets (that's an expression that means 'at home and not out shopping') - though we have the internet now, don't we!

Yes, It's Me! - DUQ Issue 131!

Oh, where do I start? It is with great humility and happiness to think Creative Living Media, Lorraine, Deborah and Lauren have chosen to do a Profile on me to be included in the above Issue! Thirteen years of quilting - almost to the day - I am so happy to think I have inspired other quilters in Australia!

At the moment, I am having the time of my life being with quilty friends in real life and lots of friends in Blogland, too! It doesn't get any better than this and I hope I can inspire others to begin a quilting and blogging journey!

Many of the finest, caring people have come into my life because of patchwork and quilting - you know who you are and many thanks and love to you all!♥ Thank you, Maree for the mention on your blog!

I have raided the shelves of newsagencies in my area - there are several people I would like to send copies to - wish I could do it for anyone who would like a copy!

There's another two pages, but enough of that - these are my blocks for the Rainbow Quilt Swap! Oh, what a lovely quiet, uninterrupted day I have had - all nine done now, so too late to change my mind again (lol)! I'm in there with some of 'the guns of the USA' - hope I come up to the standard! This has been a lot of fun! Blocks will be in the post on Monday, Jane!

Happy weekend - hugs♥

Avalon Homestead Retreat!

Back home again! Oh, what a wonderful few few days we have had - just 12 of us this time and it was so lovely the interaction between us all - what a great way to really get to know each other!

We met for lunch at the Toodyay Victoria Hotel - a lovely old country pub! Then off to the Homestead where we were once again welcomed by Delveen and Peter - here they are last year coming up Christmas, but they still spoil us with the greatest hospitality!

This will be a familiar sight to all who have been on a retreat - a beautiful Convention Room with gorgeous drapes, a lovely modern day chandelier, wonderful lighting and gorgeous polished jarrah wood floors - and then, look at the mess only quilters can make!

Below, this Little Black Duck wasn't over-productive I'm afraid - some hand-quilting done on my Angel Quilt and then a little trial run on a lace border I may put on the finished quilt!

Now, lots of pics with lot of variety! Raelene was a great achiever, in progress a Thirties Dresden Plate!

Raelene again - a log cabin achieving a wonderful antique look - I just love this!

A pretty little Thirties Dresden Plate - in an Ikea frame - great idea!

Now - Janet with her colour-wash, mind boggling, I thought - but what a wonderful outcome!

Marilyn, with another mind boggler - it was funny, the Girls sat there with ' move this one here, move that one there' - I failed to be drawn into it - too much for me!

Dear friend, Teena's Trip around the World - Teena was my travelling buddy, I was designated driver this time!

My other travelling buddy, Kris - we also roomed together - great girlfriends, we are, having travelled the USA together in 2007! Here is her wonderful Hexagon and Stars being beautifully hand-quilted with the tiniest of stitches - Kris uses the spoon method!

Irene is in the throes of Perle thread hand-quilting using larger stitches, this gorgeous Apple Core Quilt!

Look at the gorgeous enhancement that is happening!

Barb once again organized the retreat for us - so well done, thanks Barb! This gorgeous project below uses Thirties fabrics and American Hand-piecing!

Diane worked for part of the time on preparing Hexagons of Hope (see my sidebar) - so very generous of her to donate so much of her time - she has made literally hundreds!

Dear friend Louise almost finished a lovely bag - I will show you one day - she remained relatively controlled with the stress the pattern caused! Her dear friend, Nancy worked on her hardanger that I have shown you recently! Wow, Canadians on each side of me - they have both been in Australia for years and I am still trying to teach them to speak Australian - not an easy task, I tell you!

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Well, it's back to reality now - a little sad it's over - but thanks to all the great folk who contributed to a wonderful Retreat!

Best wishes to all - hope you are all happy - Hugs♥