Friday, March 12, 2010

We're all soggy......still.....

......started this post last week, but unfortunately there has been a hiccup or two, nothing major, just life slowing down the old fingers across the keyboard kind of hiccup, but with the help of a friend from the cottage we are able to suss out what those clever ladies at the cottage have been up to.....last week was a bit of a short showing of numbers at Patchwork group meeting....there was so much of the wonderful liquid stuff falling from the heavens and congregating in the lower areas that some folks were unable to motor up to the cottage.  However, those that could make it, took part in some in depth reasearch into Crazy Patch in preparation for our upcoming yearly challenge.
Sheila gave a tutorial on 'the fastest way ever' to create a crazy patchwork block, and she was so 'fastest', that all I got for a pic was a blurry streak, but how wonderful is this little Elna? those little sloping supports actually fold up to become the carry case, a perfect light weight machine for taking to workshops.

Fran got into the creative mode with a vengeance, Fran loves embroidery, so is really looking forward to assembling a canvas for some of her lovely stitching.  Patricia, who wasn't so convinced at first, decided to give crazy a go after Sheila's tutorial.......with the occasional comment or two of  'maybe.....perhaps....'
Judy was up to her elbows in books from the library.....lots of planning and ideas flowing there, but what's this?.....Patricia is back to her hand work, but not ruling out the possibility that crazy might take a hold on her life in the near future.

Here is a rather interesting little thing for you to try out, and if you have a colour blind family member or friend, this site gives you a real insight into just what colours they do see,..........in my world....this answers a whole bunch of questions about teenagers bedrooms and the decorating thereof.
It is a Colour Scheme Designer, you get to click on your main colour and then choose you colour wheel, be it, complementary, triad, etc etc., so pop on over to http://www.colorschemedesigner.com/ for a visit and click on the 'vision simulation' tab in the top right hand corner for the various colour vision simulations and the ratio of men/women and the rest of us ..........bit scarry really.  But a wonderful tool for planning your next quilt colour palete.

Remember this lovely quilt from Lorraine?
Lorraine vowed that this was the first and last pastel polka dot quilt she would ever make........I reckon that when the little lady below is able to sit up, look Great Auntie Lorraine in the eye and sigh..Lorraine will be stitchin' another pastel polka dot or whatever this little ladies heart desires.  What makes me so sure?  These are Lorraines words that came with the Pic....
"The totally un-me pastel polka dots have finally been put to use.  Ava arrived in January but I only got to see her last week.
She is obviously the most beautiful child in the world, being my great nice, but the quilt don't look half bad either".
Lainey

Sorry about the quality of the pic, its had a bit of a travel, from phone, to computer, to computer to you.

Denise bought in some delicious bags for show and tell, two ruched lovelies decorated with organza flowers that she got from Johno's, firstly sweet roses all in a row.....
 and a lovely multi layered daisy
and lastly, a strip pieced log cabin style with really great leather handles, the handles have punched holes to make it easy to affix them to the bag.
Denise will bring along others from her current collection next week to show us.

We rounded the afternoon off with this lovely spread, mini banana muffins, a lovely fruit cake and biccies and dip..........yummo, we really do do ourselves proud.
 and just as we were finishing up for the day, a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds and shone on this lovely Croton.......not proton as some bright spark first uttered..........well, I was kind of on the right track.
It's been so long since we have seen the sunshine, we all rushed to the window for a little visual relief and trot down the old memory lane of 'gee, sunshine.....is that what it looks like'........as opposed to a few weeks back when we couldn't remember what rain felt like.  -  no, no complaints..........after all the dams are now full, the grass is green,  the ceilings are black....you have to live in the tropics to get that one!

And now, in Lorraine's words and with her pics,  a chance to catch up with what the lovely ladies got up to last Wednesday.  Thank you so much for making this effort for our group Lorraine. -A

'Cos you were away I thought I should get out the Camera, aren't you glad I had it with me?, and do the rounds of the pw room.
Starting with Beryl.  She created a roll based on a Aust. Post roll to carry blocks.  The sealed ends of the roll let her casrry the necessaries.  Neat and compact.

Pic to follow.  -  am having a few probs with some of the e-mailed pics.
 
Wendy has been playing with Dick and Jane.  She made a gorgeous bag,
but the main item was a Disappearing Nine Patch.  Never heard of it?  Neither had I.  A cry went up of "Workshop" so there might be a few more of these in the future.  We might even give away the secret.

Denise has been playing bag lady again.  These are really lovely.  Loved the charcoal and gold fabric.  I want a pup out of that when she breeds it.  I am glad to see that Denise never wastes her left over knitting yarn.  What great embellishments.
Pics to follow

Lorraine presented a mystery object.  Everyone had a guess but no one came close. 
The new truck has a flimsy polystyrene cover over the 'Bed' behind the seats and the vinly cover started to tear very quickly.  The Darling, knowing his wife is agreeable to almost anything, asked her to make a patchwork cover for it.  They contract to Boral so Lorraine used the company colours of green, yellow and black.
Here it is, in situ, in the Cement truck.

Another day was spent in the back room with ladies going crazy - patchwork that is.  Another day of fun and help for those crazy challenged.  I wouldn't have thought that was a problem in our group.  Jan, our resident expert on all things crazy lent some expertise.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

More beautiful hand dyes..........

Meg bought along another big box of hand dyed silks for us to share yesterday, including occasional pieces of lace and braids, yummo, everyone had a ball but it was so hard to choose just one piece,
At times the competition got a little fast and furious, with every toss of the fabrics unearthing another treasure.
Thank you again Meg for sharing your beautiful bounty with us.

Wendy showed us this beautifully stitched little treasure with the vibrant sashings complimenting the coloured stitcheries.
I have to tell you, those little stitchery raindrops have nothing in common with the raindrops that are falling as I sit here in front of the computer, its pouring, and the drops are huge.

Wendy went on to confess that the backing was a fabric from her stash..........from when her kiddies were little tots.  She wasn't sure what she bought it for originally, but thought perhaps PJ's??
Would have made cute Jim Jams for littlies, but better as a backing, what do you think?


So a day with not much Chantelle (Show and Tell) was rounded off by a delicious Arvo Tea, and I heard a rumor that next week, recipes will appear........will post them for you.  That chocolate and nut mud cake was divine, can't tell you about the strawberry and plum tea cake, it got scoffed real fast but if the ummmm's were any indication it was yummo too.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Binding with a Difference - It's Fluffy Binding

We all love something new and different, and Linda, from Flourishing Palms Blog, has posted a tutorial on how she constructs Fluffy Binding.
Isn't that just the cutest binding you ever saw? just perfect for a kiddies quilt, would even be super on a Shabby Chic quilt.
Linda's tutorial is clearly written with step by step instructions and clear pics.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The easiest way ever to bury those pesky quilting threads

Brenda from Serendipity Patchwork  posted a link to RedBarn Studios where quilt artist  K Grace Howes has posted this amazing tutorial on how to easily bury the tails of your quilting threads.



I have to confess that I really couldn't imagine an easy way of doing this yucky job........but there it is, one of those tips that I know I will use on every quilt from this day onwards.

Pop over to RedBarn's tutorial and see for yourself.  Oh and while your are there, look up 'FUN FACTS'...........Gotta go, there is a whole new web site and blog to explore.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

500 Art Quilts.........Stunning new Book

This eagerly awaited book finally arrived yesterday, had to pre-order it, but finally it is here
It is chock full of the most inspiring quilts, but the quilt I was particularly waiting with baited breath to view was Grass, (on page 151 if you have a copy to hand) a quilt by talented quilter Brenda Gael Smith.

Growing up in N.Z. Brenda now lives and works in Copacabana N.S.W. (how romantic does that sound - Copacabana- just had to say it again...).  Brenda is a quilter, quilt tutor, and quilt designer with lots of patterns available on her site.

Brenda will be coming to Brisbane with the Textile Art Festival  being held at the Exhibition Center on the  25th to 27th June. with a very exciting part of the Festival being the world premiere of the Twelve by Twelve exhibition, including demonstrations and floor talks by her, just think of it, 144 quilts all 12" x 12", from the Artists first theme series.  Now I know this will come as a total surprise to you all, but my fave challenge by these girls is "Pink" from their first colourplay series, followed by "Chocolate"  Being familiar with some of the styles of these 12 talented quilters, its rather fun to look at a theme and pick who did what.

The book is available now from both Amazon Books for AUD 30.84 including shipping or from Book Depository AUD 27.49 with free shipping.  From my experience there isn't a lot of difference in the shipping times.


To see a pic of 'Grass' pop over to Brenda's contemporary quilts site and scroll down to the third row,  hover your mouse over the pic and left click, a larger pic will come up on your screen.  There are other quilts along the same vein on the page too, so lots to see and drool over.

Friday, February 19, 2010

A Joypatch Pattern Giveaway....hurry to join in

Joy from Joypatch has a giveaway on her blog, it is the cutest bag pattern with pretty little pleats around the sides, held in place with beads, the imagination can run riot with the beading combinations.  I haven't had time to ask Joy for a picie, so you will just have to take my word for just how pretty and gorgeous this bag is.  One version has the sweet braided handles while the other version you make your own handles.

This bag pattern is hot of the presses, Joy hasn't shipped it to any stores or even put it in her own internet stores as yet, and we have 3 chances to win one for free!!  Just click the round Joypatch Button in the sidebar - (I have moved the button up to the top to make it easy for you) and leave a comment at the bottom of Joy's  post........Joy will be picking the winners on Sunday 21st February, so get in quick!, and good luck.
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