Trialling Dresden Plate!

Just a little note to let anyone who is interested, I have been busy trialling this Dresden Plate technique using strip cut 2.5" or jelly roll size. Unfortunately the mathematics do not equate and I would like to ensure what I write is accurate and perfect before I Post a tutorial.

The discrepancy using jelly rolls is that a 8" Dresden Wedge is 1/2" too short. Please return as my intentions are all good - DH has very grumpily popped out to have an accurate wedge cut from perspex - all being well, I will make a Dresden Plate in the next couple of days and give you alternatives in a tutorial!
Happy Weekend!

Avalon - Part 2

Wow! This Post is picture-heavy, so maybe you will want to skip through quickly - hope so!
Here's what I busied myself with over the weekend - 5 out of 7 blocks appliqued for my vintage baby quilt. It was very relaxing and I am really enjoying making this quilt!

So many of you have been taken with Gloria's Dresden Block - we all were! I have decided to trial a block in Kaffe fabrics - have found my Dresden Wedge and shall have a little play. If I achieve success I hope to be able to share it with those who wish.

Here's a little trio done by Gloria, Raelene and Marilyn!

Not many of us get this far with our hexagons - Janine's gorgeous quilt, so pretty, so feminine!

Kris's bold applique - this block is one of four!

Diane bought this Elvis fabric from a store in the little country town of Toodyay - Avalon is just a few kilometres out of town.

Gorgeous Girl, Smart Girl - Raelene knows how to relax - time out at the retreat!

This is another gem by Raelene - lots of interest was shown in Grandma's Album done in Thirties fabrics!

Another beautiful appliqued quilt by Gloria!

Janet's colourwash/kaleidoscope - what a dazzler!

Here she is, all smiles, showing us a piece of the original fabric, before it was sliced up!

Hope you enjoyed - must move on with real life now - what a shame, lol! I hope you all have a happy week!

Avalon 2009 - Part 1

Another great weekend - Thursday lunchtime until after Sunday lunch and a 2 hour drive home! We were a group of 24 girls staying in gorgeous accommodation and looked after by our wonderful hosts, Delvene and Peter! Thank you so much, Barb for all your organization to bring about such a memorable retreat for us all!

Gorgeous Girl, Raelene with her courthouse steps - not finished yet and I know some of you have seen a small strip before!

Raelene's 9-patch. She has a wonderful way of bringing charm to her quilts!

This stunner is Sheila's quilt made for her daughter - the top was started and finished over the weekend!

Here's Louise quilting her Christmas quilt, joined by Carole with her delightful cross-stitch!

Gloria's great block - I was so thrilled to see it as it on my 'to-do' list and I have fabrics, patterns and ruler on hand - I could jump in today and make a start, but I have to put in too much time to put in as a domestic engineer!

Too cute! Fran's blocks for a baby quilt.

Indulgence! Teena enjoying her reflexology.

Coffee! This machine went day and night.

One of the biggest thrills of the weekend - twin goats were born!

Ten frogs on one leaf - how wonderful is nature!
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I hope you have enjoyed your little visit to Avalon - there's more to come - oh, I am feeling so refreshed!

The Night Before Avalon Retreat!

It is so like the night before Christmas - I feel like a kid again - so looking forward to a four day retreat at Avalon - near a quaint, charming country town north east of Perth in Western Australia!

I have been lucky enough to spend the day preparing some stitching to take with me. My chosen fabrics are working beautifully, now to make sure the tiny little stitches will complement the applique nicely.

Yesterday I spent quite some time in a nearby shopping centre while DH had cataract surgery - all went well and I posted four parcels, three to the US and one to Narromine. Other than that I had lunch and bought a nail file and buffer - certainly not exciting and neither was the coffee and lunch - if there ever is a next time like that it will be spent doing a quilt-shop-hop, lol!

'Til next Monday - stay safe - happy stitching!

A Great Weekend!

I would like to start expressing hopes and prayers for our fellow Australian on the east coast - here we are languishing in just the greatest weather, warm days and cool nights, while the east coast is suffering in heat and bushfires - I sincerely hope things improve for everyone!

I've been having a little play - the block on the left using Stitch'n'Wash fusible, and the block on the right, my old method with freezer paper. Oh, please note my beautiful new scissors, name engraved and all, lol!

You can't teach and old dog new tricks - I will be sticking with freezer paper. I did enjoy my little experiment, but found I am not really keen with the way a certain amount of the Stitch'n'Wash isn't totally removed from the shape after soaking in water.

I press my pieces toward the shiny side of the freezer paper and where possible remove the paper with long nose tweezers before I do the final few stitches.

Our family (well quite a few of them!) had a great day out to lunch again yesterday - we came home dressed Heidi in a dance costume Ayesha wore many years ago - I love, love, love them!

Byron with piggy-tails - the children rolled around the floor with laughter, music to my ears! He has posed in front of Heidi to get this shot, in case you hadn't clicked on!

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I have had little time to Browse, Comment and Reply - I am truly sorry about that - unfortunately life gets that way at times and I don't want to take sabbatical leave, I would miss you all too much!

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Happy week everyone, stay safe you folk on the east coast!

Down Under Quilts!

What an exciting magazine - that is Issue 938, 2009 - one of the best late night reads I have ever had! Congratulations to Deborah and all concerned!

Below, Big Blooms by Wendy Williams!

As you can see Kaffe Fanfare by Kathy Doughty!

Our very own Western Australian, Ruth de Vos!

Octagon Tiles, made by Lorraine Downey, who found inspiration for this quilt in The Patchworks of Lucy Boston by Diane Boston! I am quite smitten with this quilt and will certainly make sure the pattern is kept in a safe place for 'one day'!

Very sad and expensive, I haven't found my scissors and guess I won't now - to be on the safe side I have sent to the Scissorman who imports these little gems!

Here are the fabrics I have chosen for Sleep Baby Sleep, pattern by Christine - please pop over and visit her if you would like the pattern, she has it for sale! I have taken quite a different slant colourwise - hope it turns out nicely!

Happy weekend everyone - I hope to get lots of preparation done to take to a wonderful retreat, Avalon, next weekend!

The Bride Has Arrived!

Here she is - finally finished - for me it was quite and effort to get her made-over and looking beautiful - never mind!

This beautiful rose bush greets me as I walk our my front door - I feel like I am in heaven with my roses!

The sweetest gifts arrived a couple of days ago - thank you so very much 'Angelina' - no, no, really they are from Helena all the way from Sweden and I really love the time and thought she has put into my beautiful gift - thank you so much, Helena! I am using this new? fangled thingo to Post and have yet to familiarize myself with it and as I am off to the WAQA Christmas party now, I must dash. Helena can be visited on http://www.syverkstan-helena.blogspot.com/.

Thanks you for all you lovely Comments recently and I will get to say hello individually, hopefully tomorrow.
Happy Day!

A Day at Home!

The last two days have been long days, with lots of driving, so it is nice to have a quiet day at home!

I had a fun a day on Tuesday visiting WAGS group - hello, Pam! - a large group of quilters who welcomed us with open arms. It was a great day, thanks to all you girls and we were given a little insight by Kay into the wonderful missionary work being carried out in orphanages in Cambodia.

Yesterday was a very long bus trip with my local patchwork group. I left home at 8am returning at 6pm, having visited four quilt shops. I was a Good Girl (for a change, LOL!) and bought only two pieces of fabric - the newspaper print on the left (isn't it wonderful?) and a lovely, closely woven Quiltgate fabric, in khaki-green, that will have a multitude of uses (stems for my CWBQ, background for Blessings)!

I ordered the Blessings pattern (top pic) from The Quilted Crow girls in Tasmania - it arrived two days later Express Post, beautifully presented as above, too special to open! It is encouraging to deal with special people like Leonie and Deidre!

I'm off to prepare some sewing - happy weekend!

Can't Find My Scissors!

I am in the middle of a big tidy-up of sewing baskets - I suspect it may be in vain! I have lost/mislaid my favourite scissors - small/medium sized Kai, with lovely sharp points. I am a 'habitual loser', lol! Perhaps they have been thrown out with rubbish? I have bought 3 pairs of different brands since and nothing is like my Kai's!

Not a lot happening sewing-wise - but loads of pics anyhow! My Bride so far - she is slowly evolving! I must get some applique prepared to do this evening.

My new Kaffe FQ's from Hancocks - I've been waiting for ages and I do love them. They cost roughly $2.50 each, which is excellent value for Australia! Also, a piece of French repro by Anna Griffin - just gorgeous, but a pinky red and that is not really what I wanted - never mind! Oh, this came from Reproductions Fabrics - I have been having a little spending spree while the $ is so good! Here bottom right, we have Christine's new patterns - those and top right a gift from her! I really like Rasant thread for piecing and it is up to $13.50 a reel here - not good! So I am thrilled with the threads, thanks, Christine - of course the patterns, too! Left - the latest BOM from Green Tea and Sweet Beans applique, I'll really enjoy this!

Heidi Rose - oh, this is all a bit jumbled because I'm rushing again! We had a lot of fun on Sunday with this little sewing kit, stuffing included and yet to be finished! I would like to come up with something similar for her - any ideas?

Here's a close-up of her Dad's quilt - stolen from me when they came back from England nearly 6 years ago. It is dearly, loved, washed and worn - a real scrappy with quite a story and made in the quilt-as-you-go method.

I certainly try to make utility quilts that will be loved and used and I am so happy to show this dear old thing!

My grandchildren - 2 sets of twins 13 and 5 - how lucky am I? We went for a Sunday lunch at a nearby new hotel at Secret Harbour - it was a gorgeous venue and a gorgeous day!

My little Halloween Girl - looks a real little lady here, but I am not sure about that - love the nearly-black fingernails!

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Back to my scissor-hunt - happy day everyone!