Donated orphans become lovely quilts

Val has had some great donations lately, like this group of stitched blocks, there are so many Val will use them to create two quilts for Laurel House, a charity she and her group of stitchers from her retirement village have supported for many years.

Another donation to Val's group was this block of month pattern donated by Patchwork Angel, a lovely pictorial flimsey all set to be quilted.

Val hasn't been to meetings for a couple of weeks but she certainly has been busy creating these two lovelies, again for the charities she supports.
Firstly this oh so girly creation

and for the boys,vibrant stars.

Di was spotted with this delightful wall hanging, all ready to have the binding stitched down.

There were a few howls of protest when Di shared that she was considering hanging this witty creation in the 'littlest room in the house'

Sheila was also into binding, she spotted the sample Marie made when auditioning applique and quilting for our recent Quilt Exhibition raffle quilt, Sheila envisioned that with a couple of added corners to shape up an oblong she could create a memory mug rug for Marie.

Jan is motoring along with quilt number 2 for her Grandie, great to see the pattern and colour flow coming together.

Wendy spotted the pattern for her latest quilt in a Quilters Companion magazine and was rather chuffed to find she could pull all of the fabrics needed from her stash, not a single new purchase, a true 'stash buster'.

Wendy chose to machine stipple her quilt.

Inge was busily knitting away at great speed. Having finished knitting jumpers for baby lambs she is now onto jumpers for penguins. All sounded a bit strange until Inge pointed out the baby lambs had been born early, a side effect of the drought so many parts of Australia is suffering from, and were affected by the cold of winter and the penguins are those who have come into contact with oil, apparently it doesn't need a big oil spill to affect the penguins, just a little oil is enough to do serious damage.
The Penguin Jumpers are required by the Penguin Foundation of Phillip Island, read about the penguin plight and what you can do to help here
These two links with info about the lamb jumpers will take you to a facebook page and a news report from Better Homes and Gardens

While we are on doing little things that turn into great things to help others, our group have been invited to help with the task of creating fabric to be used to make bags used by the local 'Days for Girls' group. There are some directions and rules, particularly about seams and seam placement. Sue will have samples made for us next Wed but in the meantime if you would like to help, scrounge out fabric strips of 14" length (any width) ready to stitch together, or even if you have pieces of 'what was I thinking' fabric measuring 14" x 33", bring them along next week for Sue.
We will put pics of Sue's samples and the directions on the blog next week for reference.

Gotta love the mojo...we have it in abundance

Before we get on to the mojo of this group of talented gals, a bit of a giggle from Pat, she snapped a pic in the tea room at the quilt exhibition, turned around and had to snap another pic.
As Pat shared, Twins

Then Triplets

Thanks for the giggle Pat. Gotta love input from members.

We are having a wee tad of a drive to stockpile some Charity - or Community - quilts.
Wendy had a couple to share

4 quilts! truly! 4 from Wendy, if someone is keeping tally, well guess who would probably win.

Sheila showed her version of a Chinese Coin scrappy quilt. Where she had some donated pieces that were not quite wide enough, she sashed 'em. Cool idea.

Second row, midway down.

Sheila also showed a W.I.P. from Marcia, scrappy squares with a difference.

Our group has purchased wadding for the charity quilts and Lorraine I, (who lashed out and snaffled herself a long arm quilting machine, yeah, a Gammill, and.....and she has the room in her quilting shed to set up and use it) has offered to quilt all of the charity quilts! WIN! WIN!, we can churn those suckers out and Lorraine will practice to her hearts content.

Karen made the most of the recent Craft Cottage Winter School with a class by renowned Sunshine Coast 'artist with a needle' Jenny Clouston, the master class was to create a "whimsical embroidered textile collage using snippets of lace,linnens and doilies" - Karen nailed it with her piece.

While at the winter school, Karen shared her current love with Margaret, another class member. Margaret was entranced and joined us at the Cottage for an impromptu lesson from Karen in what I'm convinced Karen described as 'Chicka Chicka'
Just read those lips...chicka chicka...yeah!?

well whatever its name is Margaret is having a ball creating what promises to be a lovely piece.

So back to this Chika Chicka thing, a net search to check the spelling coughed up lots of links to Chika Chika boom boom - wasn't going there I'm telling you, as well as lots of Chika Chika bum bum - links to baby nappies apparently.
Did unearth this great youtube video on a Japanes boro loop bag, looks like what Karen was creating.
Reckon a workshop needs to be on the horizon - if only for the spelling.

Yvonne tore in for a fast visit, just had to share this fantastic work book, each circle was fussy cut, Yvonne also has two folded semi-circular 'booklets' inside the front flap of her work book, one for pins, the other needles, fab little something to take along on a trip just to create tiny little things while relaxing, watching the scenery pass by and perhaps even enjoying a little glass of wine.

Last eye candy for the day, Marie shared her fabric collage bunny with butterflies. a total delight to look over, discover the little secrets hiding in the collage.

Marie shared that her original creation was on a cream background, which she decided she wasn't in love with, she snipped bunny from the quilted background and appliqued him along with some extra butterflies onto the much more acceptable striped background, the result is a bunny in relief.

Those quiet achievers have been at it again...

...Meeting day today with an update on how far along the show organisation has travelled. Wow...just wow, so many members working hard and coming up with great ideas, all managed and guided by Sheila. Really folks, pencil in the dates, don't overbook - you won't regret a visit.

Gaye, our very talented patchworker and artist, along with help from Cottage Newsletter editor, Graham has designed a terrific handout brochure, using a pic of one of the raffle quilts as the vibrant and colourful background.

Talking of raffle quilts, Gaye gave us a heads up, she was visiting with Fiona, the Quilt Fairy and the 2nd raffle quilt has been quilted, so a big reveal is in the near future.

Wendy is working on another hand project of large cream hexies, there are lacy hexies,

and candlewicked Hexies

a great project to work on while watching Tellie. Wendy thought she might like a tad more variety in the laces and she certainly will have all the variety she needs with the large bag of cream cotton laces Marcia bought along to share with her.

Marcia also had her latest to share with us, a lovely flimsey created with a little fabric selection help from her darling. Using a free pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop. The pattern is 'Layer Cake Custard' and can be found here. There is even a youtube video with Kimberley for you to follow.

Yvonne purchased 3 pieces of lovely hand printed fabric and very cleverly turned it into a selection of 6 fabrics for this stunning quilt.

With the printing showing as a mirror image on the reverse, flipping both the orange and purple fabrics created a great colour play.

add to that, running the black and white print horizontally as well as vertically, presto! 6 from 3.

Yvonne used a lovely deep purple shot cotton for the backing and a simple straight line quilting design.

Sometimes, bigger is better!

Don't you just love an ipad? we do, Sheila snaps great pics at meetings and then presto, here they are for your enjoyment. Thanks Sheila.

3 rather large lovelies to share with you this week.

We saw Pats stack of improv log cabin mini blocks last week, all created from her scrap stash with the only rule being the red square center. This week, we have the finished quilt, and its a biggie, not to mention really rather lovely. I've heard tell that some folks used to chuck the leftovers...silly lassies, nothing like a 'free' top.

Stella created this lovely with the clever colour play in a class taught by Fiona and had it quilted by Fiona in her guise as 'Quilt Fairy'. Its all ready for our upcoming quilt exhibition.

Wendy chucked a couple of hexis together last week
no she didn't, but honestly, can you blame a body for thinking that she may have?, these gals are fast, prolific and talented.
No, these hexies are all hand stitched and there must be thousands of them, why just the outer design flowers would have about 240 hexies.
This quilt is magnificient, and Wendy machine quilted it herself on her 1 year old special 770 Bernina.

Am I right? everyone is starting to get exibition fever?!!!! Yay, this one is going to be terrific!

Special Birthday, Amazing quilts and a very good idea

Everyone was in party mood this week, Lyn celebrated a very special birthday, one of those milestone '0' birthdays.

Of course there was cake, rather a yummy one, orange poppyseed, with candles for blowing out and wishing on.

Karen got the job of lighting the candles, she seemed to be dressed for the job.

Debby is busily working on a pretty new longstitch 'Friends of the Ocean',

Way back at the beginning of the year, Wendy started the Esther Aliu 2018 free BOM 'Queens Garden', its been a lot of fun following the ladies from all around the world stitching this years BOM on Esthers Quilt Blog Group on Facebook

Esther posts a free BOM each year, of course if you decide you want to do the BOM from a few years back you can purchase the pattern from Esther or sign up for next years BOM on her site.

Getting ready for Christmas, Sheila shared her Christmas pillowcases created for her Grandies, she even uses them as christmas stockings, stuffing them with goodies.

Lorraine has been a busy little beaver, she got hooked on the Bonnie Hunter block 'Diamond Tile' and just couldn't stop making them. Result is this quilt, sashed in black with cornerstones.

She also created a lovely set of place mats and runner for the Alfresco dining.

Lorrain had all the info ready to share on her ipad, the block was featured in the May/June 2018 issue of Quiltmaker, there is a digital version of Quiltmaker available here. The block is from Bonnies 'Addicted to Scraps' series, there is even a youtube video by Bonnie, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2UnZQxrGxI. It runs for about an hour but Bonnie takes you through all the steps to create your own madness collection.
Lorraine also had this wall hanging to share, a mystery project created on retreat with her other quilting group.

Simple overlay construction and lots of sparkly bling from the paint and beading.

Heather was working on the binding on a christmas stocking for Olivia, mind you, she wasn't getting a good run at it, being part of the arvo tea team, she was a little sidetracked.

Lots of lovely charms stitched to the stocking.

Lastly, the good idea, from Wendy.
Wendy says she is one of those who's sewing table gets a little messy, the more she stitches, the messier. Stuff gets on top of things that hide, the more she looks the more she might.
Frustrated with searching, again, for something or other on her sewing table, a bright idea popped up. Why not have a little box to put everything in? she even took it one step further, a clear little box, see through in fact. The trick is to be disciplined to put everything in the box as you use it, but how easy to glance at your little clear box to find the very thing you need. Sometimes it's the simple things that make the biggest impact.

A Winter's Day in the Summertime...

We have been having some blisteringly hot and humid weather the past few weeks, today was just the opposite, dull, dreary and drizzling, had an impact on our meeting numbers but those who braved the rain had a great time, not to mention a super arvo tea.

Wendy had her own little sweat shop on the go, she and Karen were busily stitching down the binding on a quilt, looked a little like that old cartoon of Lady and the Tramp and the spaghetti string (yeah, I know, really showing my age here)

while across the table Marie was busily stitching away on one of Wendy's millefiori blocks.

Marion was also working on binding, on a place mat, a gift for a lucky Sydneysider, yes, Marion and her Darling are off to Sydney to catch up with family and friends.

Karen Da. has discovered applique, and is having a ball with a wonderful free B.O.M. from the talented Esther Aliu. Karen recently bought herself a new sewing machine and needed a project to take to machine lessons with Kim of Kimz Sewing and Patchwork. While sharing her blocks with us Karren laughingly told of how she was so caught up in the stitching that when she finally surfaced it was two hours after her lesson was supposed to finish, she was amazed that Kym didn't pull her up and say 'over'. Those who know how generous Kim is, just smiled.

Kim also put Karen onto using a stabiliser under her stitching, makes a world of difference, so much so, that Karen is considering redoing her first block as the stitching sits so much nicer on the stabilised block. Either that or Karen is just having too much fun with these blocks.

Marlene had a quilt to share, via phone pics, made for a lucky family member.

Our Librarian, Jackie challenged the group to all take home a book or two and to read them over the christmas break, mind you, some cheeky sausages said they would take but not read or even open, tch tch.

Marlene chose 'Jelly Roll Inspirations' by Pam Lintott and found a great pattern for a 'boy' quilt, perfect design to lay either across or lengthwise on a bed.

Jackie is working on another had pieced quilt that she drafted the pattern for, saw the design and just up and drafted it out.

We have a new addition to our Library, WALK, the Jacquie Gering book on Machine quilting with your walking foot.
Jackie is considering using one of the designs to quilt her new lovely.

As we all know, East Coast Fabrics are closing down on the Sunshine Coast. Perhaps this is the reason why.
Spotlight to open in Dalton Drive.
https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/first-look-spotlight-reveals-flagship-coast-store/3341711/?utm_campaign=alert&utm_source=Sunshine+Coast+Daily&utm_medium=email#/0