Few projects done

I guess most of you are still rushing closer to that time of the year, in this house, things are plodding along, we will be having an extra quiet day and then children and grandchildren arrive on the Monday, so there will be no time for posts then! First off, my warmest wishes to everyone, may you all have a lovely time with family friends or even foes!! 2012 is just around the corner, so it might be time to start thinking of those resolutions that we all love to make... I am thinking of making one resolution, and that will be that I don't buy a new magazine until I have made something out of the current one!!!! I guess I will be extra rich then!!! rofl rofl.
I have completed some things lately,

The sashiko center is going to be a tablecloth for one of my sisters, it was going to be a xmassy one, but time has ran out. The two aprons are for Kim who lives in NZ, I wonder where she got the idea of wearing aprons from?? I don't think I have ever worn one....
Till next time,
Cheers

Home again

A cruise around New Zealand is most delightful holiday that I recommend wholeheartedly, got home Saturday after a fantastic time. Read 4 books, nearly completed a Sashiko kit (thanks to Indigo Junction for getting it to me in time, met up with my daughter in Wellington and some more of NZ (I love that country, if I wasn't an Aussie, I would be a Kiwi!)
I handed the three quilts over to Kim after some of the ship's crew and customs officers wanted the bags until they found out that there were quilts in them, that's when a female officer stepped in and she wanted them!! All done in a joking manner with lots of laughter of course. Everyone loved their quilts including the 16yr old when he realised that some of the stars glowed in the dark!
Got my machines out of their holiday camp where they were pampered and oiled and adjusted (thank you Corbett & Sons for a lovely job, and have already completed block 2 of the Sentimental Journey quilt and only have 2 more blocks to catch up with the forum friends! I also want to finish the Chocolate quilt, which has 2 blocks missing and also there is one grandchild who missed out on the first round of quilts (not sure how that happened) and then of course two more baby quilts due, one of which will be my son's first child, yahoo! OK, time for some photos and then start the day going,, Cheers till next time,
Cheryl

New Zealand cruise

Well, I think I need to pack my port (luggage or suitcase to people who live outside Queensland!) soon, have a busy few days ahead of me with last minute things but feel confident that things will fall into place now. We board the ship in Brisbane on Sat morning and return a fortnight later with a few days of pure relaxing at the start and the end and lots of ports of call in between.
Anyway, have got the quilts done and am quite pleased with them, the pink and purple one is my first go at foundation piecing so am pleased with that one. The starry one is the result from a swap on the forum that I chat on..http://www.thepickledishpatch.com/OurCraftForum/ which is a lot of fun. I added a few extra borders to the starry one and think my 16yr old grandson will love it.
My machines are going in for a service while I am gone, also the laptop which needs a good clean up. OK, be happy everyone and I will post some more photos when I return. Cheers

Time, time, time!!

Time to pack for my cruise around NZ is coming very quick, I have been going hell bent for leather to finish some quilts for my daughter and two grandsons and think I might actually make it!! Will post photos when they are done, some are old tops and some are new, well, one is new!!!
I am already thinking about what will be started when I come home, and what to take with me for a bit of hand sewing. I am behind in a couple of things so hopefully I will get on to them quickly, meanwhile I have been having a whale of a time on my New Generation quilting frame and Janome 1600P machine and am itching to play with them and to see if I can really do some quilting and not the usual meandering!! Hopefully I will post before I go,
Cheers everyone
Cheryl

Brisbane Quilt Show

I went off to the Brisbane Quilt Show on Thursday, it was a long day for me, up at 4am to catch the train at 5 and home at 9.30pm. Spent some money on a kit from Fifi's Fabricology for my daughter Kim who will love it as it is all killer high heels! Had a look at some absolutely gorgeous creations, watched the lovely Michelle Hill creating magic and caught up with some friends. A good time was had, and was I tired at the end of the day? You bet!!!!
I am trying madly to get some quilts done to take to NZ in a month's time but have the awful feeling, I won't get them done in time, life just keeps getting the way, grrrrrrrrr!!
So maybe I will get out of here and get something done, every 5 minutes count!
Cheers

Lazy Saturday afternoon

Spent a lovely couple of hours yesterday at the botanical gardens with some of Greg's grandkids, thought you might like to see a photo!

Mr. Chiu's quilt

Last year when some friends and I went on a cruise to Vanuatu, we, of course, found a drapery/quilt shop, and I of course bought quite a bit. This quilt is using some of that material and started out as a few blocks to show Sue and Di how to do the 10min. block by Suzanne O'Neill, but what to do with the few blocks that were made on the day? I still have a bit of handwork to do on the white squares, maybe some frangipanies in black thread, not sure yet. Now back to the green tuelle curtains for a party.

Not yet recognised

I just realised that I didn't include the designer in my last post! Will rectify it in the next one,, strange, I really thought I had done so!

Challenge Quilt

As my friend Marg of House of Margarita blog said, we have started another quilt challenge which is SUPPOSED to take some months, I say this because we started one earlier this year which I believe was SUPPOSED to take about 9 months, but someone got carried away and did it in a week or so!!!! That's the Amish one in one of my posts. Anyway, Marg and I, and Vicki from our forum (will post the full title later), and then some other friends from the forum all joined in on the action and are now sewing or planning their little hearts away!!!!!! I gave up trying to decide about colours (I do not have the tiniest little bit of artiste in my body!!!)and charged ahead with the first block.

Time for a holiday!!!!

Well, it isn't really, I have really only started to get back into my routines after my holiday! I have even managed to finish off some UFOs!! Here's couple of them, the bright quilt was just a fun one to make, mainly because I wanted to try the 10min blocks (by Suzanne O'Neil) again and then it just grew and grew. There's a few mistakes but I am trying to be less obsessive over exact points etc, especially when I will be keeping it for the house. The second in an applique center with needle point, which I am not very good at but can see a slow improvement! I have also been practicing on my new/secondhand Janome 1600P which is on my New Generation Quilt Frame, I am finding the quilting a lot easier than on my old Happy Jack, as I can stand closer to the machine head to see what I am doing. No, its not my eyesight getting older!!! I am sure it's not, lol!
Cheers till next time

 

 

Home again part 2

I have the Picasa photo program now but am not too crash hot with it yet! See if I can add some more photos to this post,

PS. Thats Tonia on the side of the quilt!

Home again

I just got home yesterday after 3 weeks away, I went back north to Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands (NOT the Cairns Highlands as I saw in places!!) for a nurses reunion in Mareeba and to catch up with most of my family and some lovely friends. I had a super time and even enjoyed the trip up and back on the Sunlander train which I hadn't been on for maybe 45yrs!!
I took the asian quilt top which I have been making for my daughter Kellie, for her 40th birthday which was Jan. 2010! Luckily I had finished the top but ran out of time to have it quilted and just hoped that I would find someone to do it for me and in a short time. After chatting to Peter Leate at the Cairns Craft Centre, he gave me a name for the most delightful, friendliest and super talented Tonia Brooks at Malanda Quilting Supplies, who took on my top and turned it into a creation in a few short days. Have a look at her website, when you have a chance. Which is www.malandaquilting.com.au

 

Procrastinating!!!

I am sitting here with another cup of tea, thinking how cold the weather is, it was 4degrees here this morning, and before all you who live in other parts of the world fall off your chair from laughing, 4 degrees is quite cold here in Sunny Queensland and a bit unusual, so we don't have central heating or fires to keep us warm, just lovely hand made socks from a friend and warm snuggly dressing gowns and lots of sunshine. What I am supposed to be doing is finishing my moving, sigh, I am in the process of swapping rooms, moving my sewing room into the spare bedroom. This probably should have been thought about a little bit more prior to commencing, the house is absolutely jammed pack with drawers, cupboards etc etc etc and I have run out of steam!!! I think another cup of tea is called for while I think some more!
Cheers

Bat Plant

I have a few of these unusual plants, common name is Bat plant, this one is the best so far and is starting to flower, I will take photos of it as it actually opens, weird!!!

July

I thought I would post a few photos of my plants, lol
I picked up the old washing trolley at our local auction house with the original idea of putting materials in it, but I have absolutely no space for it!!! So, down stairs for it and my pot plants.

One more done

Just finished the top of Tyler's quilt, he is the eldest grandson of Greg, and is the last to get one, will back it with dark blue polar fleece tomorrow and hopefully have it in the mail on Monday

Not sure why the photo is greenish blue, its not in my puter, pity

Lost post

Well, see what happens when I try to update more often?? I have posted two posts and they have both disappeared. I have heard that there is a lot of problems at the moment with blogger so guess I wont't be exempt!
I have moved my quilting frame out from the wall and have been quilting some of the tops that I have shown on here, 2 down, half one done on the frame and a few more to go. I am slowly getting better at it, although is strange that some times it just flows and other times it is a huge struggle. I am not artistic at all, so even my leaves don't often look like leaves, never mind, it is all part of the fun!
Cheers till next time

quilting frame is up and running

At long last, I have moved the frame out from the wall and got it going, I am now on my third top with a few more to go! Will have a few bindings to do when I am done, so will post photos then. I do wish I had more artistic ability in my body though, would love a leaf to look like a leaf for example! Never mind I will going till next post,
Cheers

forgot to say

Lol,, forgot to say, yes the date on Tah's quilt is right, she was 1yr old last week,, dear me,, I also played with some of the fancy stitches on my Janome for the binding, took nearly as long as the quilt to do, and cotton, used lots of that. Love the King Tut cottons, I used to have problems when quilting but not any more,
Cheers

one more ufo

Well, this one has been in the making for quite some time now, and it is all done, it ended up smaller than I remember but guess that might have something to do with memory, rofl!

Lol, I am rusty with this,
the top quilt is the result from a challenge that my friend Marg (House of Margarita) do each year. It is supposed to take all year but we both got hooked into doing it quickly, I am going to turn it on point and add corners and borders yet.
The red and white one is our sampler blocks on the forum I am always in (ourcraftforum.freeforums.org) and the bottom one is one I did for a co-worker who retired at the end of last year. I got the kit from Fons&Porter and did it just like in the magazine. I knew she would love the colours and I loved the pattern, so why change it!!

I knew it had been ages since I had posted but didn't realise it was thhaaaaatt long! Since my last post, what has happened? I have finished a couple of quilts, went on my first cruise to Vanuatu & rolled along with life. I will post a few photos, and guess what I am just about finished the asian quilt top for my daughter! It was to be for her 40th birthday which was Jan 2010 but I will give it to her when we go back north in July. I am heading off tomorrow to go to Brisbane to catch the fantastic Neil Diamond on Wed. night then flying out to Fiji for 6 days with family, I know the show will be fantastic and hope Fiji will be great too.
OK, enough for now rofl,
Till next time