Melbourne Cup...or It Turned Into A (Private) Quilt Show...

A pic of my new shoes...and how I just love them!!!

I went to a Melbourne Cup Fund Raiser luncheon on Tuesday with 2 of the girls I met at a workshop...

the shoes were perfect...

Me with one of the workshop gals, Karan...

Deb who happens to live not far from me...

and my good friend Fiona...

We all wore a piece of headgear which is standard for Melbourne Cup day...

I put a string of roses and fluffy stuff onto a headband...

Karan did the same...

and Deb did a flower and fascinator fabric...

A great day...lots of sweeps and raffles...and a fantastic fund raiser for Motor Neurone Disease by Quota Club...  Thank you Jan (our workshop teacher) for inviting us!!!

That wasn't the end of the day...

I had respite care that afternoon for JoJo...Deb had invited us to go back to her place to have more champagne...and blow me down...she showed us her quilts...

Deb has only been quilting for 2 years and look at all this...and this isn't all she has made!!!

We were all gobsmacked!!!

There are 2 of the above quilts...one for her and one for him...

the front of another quilt...

the back of it...

front...

back...

back...

front...

I think this is Deb's first quilt...

Deb showed us this and said it was her first go at free motion quilting...

she didn't quite know what to do with it and I suggested it would make a lovely table runner...

Well, Quilters generally being very kind and generous...

she folded it up and gave it to me!!!

How beautiful is that...I love it Deb and thank you so very very much!!!

It looks great on my table!!!

A fantastic day with new friendships being made...

and we are talking of sewing days...getting together...catching up next year at more workshops!!!

And I still love my shoes...I just had to put another pic in!!!

The Nation Stops ... Melbourne Cup

Just back from a Melbourne Cup Chicken & Champagne Lunch (hic ...), a tradition here in this country...most of the country literally stops for The Race of the Nation...and we just couldn't miss out ... the lunch venue ... ... a local bowling club with a backdrop of good old Aussie gums ...

... the board with all the horses names, bets on everywhere ...

... like I said, we all stop for it ...

... champagne for the table ...

... put on the fascinator, beads and shawl ... don't forget the bag ...

... and our Jo-Jo even decorated her very own hat for her celebration ...

I would say a great day by all who participated in Australia ... I hope you all enjoyed your Melbourne Cup Celebration, whether a quiet one at home with the television on or one of the many Chicken & Champagne lunches that abound ... Here's to the Melbourne Cup ...