Spectacular quilts, treats from Material Obsession – and yummy scones!

No brown paper bags, no affiliations … just a satisfied visitor to this stunning exhibition of quilts yesterday.  10.00am – 4.00pm Saturday and Sunday

Hunters Hill Town Hall

Alexandra Street

HUNTERS HILL

Admission $6.00 including catalogue

You can buy a ticket in the raffle – the centre top quilt in the photo below is one of the two gorgeous prize quilts – but my friend Helen has already told me she’s going to win <grin>

[The reason I went yesterday was that today the Other Di and I, along with a small band of excited Stitchin’ Mission quiltmakers, are off to  a VERY special event!  More soon….]

Making an exhibition of myself

Do you remember this quilt?  It’s been quite some time since I’ve given my Roebuck Quilt an airing, but last week I brought it out for a small sewing exhibition at my club. 

While I was there as a hostess I was able to make some progress with the hand-quilting and it caused lots of interest with visitors who were curious to see how it was done. The rest of the time it was displayed as a work-in-progress, with a small photo of the original quilt made by Lizzie and Margaret Roebuck in 1861, from Dr Annette Gero’s book. I call this one a slow-burner – don’t expect to see it finished soon :-))

City to Surf

Church was a little different this morning, with helicopters circling overhead, the noise of their rotors at times almost drowning out the sound of the preacher. 

On our Point we were totally isolated by road closures, so only those living in the immediate neighbourhood could make it, and our street – if not the airspace – was blissfully free of traffic.

At the end of the street it was a different story as 80,000 people ran past in the City to Surf, Sydney’s annual fun-run from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach.

It takes a long time for 80,000 runners to pass by.  This was the scene a whole hour after the 8.30am start  - runners of all shapes and sizes as far as the eye could see!

They have a spectacular day weather-wise.  Strangely enough I’ve never been tempted to join them :-) 

The Kindness of Strangers … again!

If you’ve been following my blog for a while you may recall that last year I told you about Lindi’s extraordinary act of kindness to me.  While Lindi and I are great internet pals, we’ve never actually met face to face, so I think I could call what she did an example of The Kindness of Strangers.

Well, it’s happened again, this time with a different kind-hearted stranger. 

My story begins fifteen years ago, when I was more of a knitter than a quilter, and I began a labour of love, knitting an Aran cardigan for my husband.  I enthusiastically knitted the back.  Then a sleeve.  Then a half sleeve.  

And then I stopped.  Life just got in the way, as it sometimes does, and the Aran cardigan took a back seat.

(This is not us – but I’m more than happy for you to pretend it is!)

As you can see from the picture, this pattern was a wonderful combination of cables and twists – a 39 row pattern repeat in fact.  As time went on my labour of love sat firmly in the ‘too hard basket’ and I completely lost track of where I’d left off in that 39 row pattern. 

Finally, having decided I would never finish it, I put the whole thing up for auction on eBay earlier this year.  It sold – garment pieces, unused balls of wool, tote bag and all – to a lovely young knitter who I’ll call Daisy (not her real name).  

This should have been the end of the story.  However when she came to collect her bundle Daisy, an experienced knitter, gently handled the pieces I’d already completed, said that working out the pattern would be no trouble for her, and generously offered to finish the cardigan for me.  For nothing!  

Even when she brought it back to me last week all finished she was still insisting she wanted no payment.

She’s done a magnificent job, and I was able to surprise my husband with the cardigan he thought he’d never see.  Everywhere he goes people compliment him on his new cardigan, and it’s keeping him cosy and warm on our chilly winter days.

Of course I returned the money Daisy had paid me - and gave her more for her work, in spite of her protestations.  She is such a special person and a delight to meet.

… one more quilt label

This one’s from The Princess’s Flower Fairy quilt.

Who made this quilt?

When I’m long gone I’d like to think anyone asking this question about a quilt of mine won’t be left wondering.  I hope they’ll easily find the answer  on the label. In her recent talk Dr Annette Gero  reinforced the importance of labelling, from the point of view of a quilt historian, and I’ve vowed to be more conscientious in doing this in the future, even with my more humble quilts.

I had to smile when I borrowed two of my quilts from my parents this week to display in a small exhibition of work at my club. I made these quilts in the last 7 years for my parents’ 80th birthdays, and the labels brought back memories of two very happy celebrations. This was my mother’s, and I forced myself to cut up some of my very favourite Robyn Pandolph fabrics for a special lady.Here’s the quilt label.

I made this bow-tie quilt for my father’s 80th after collecting plaids, paisleys and such for several months. Here are its two labels, created using photos and text printed on fabric.  It was a somewhat labour-intensive process involving soaking in Bubble Jet Set in the days before fabric printing sheets, but definitely worth it. Those are his wife (my mother), all his children, their spouses, and all his grandchildren. Helpers setting up our exhibition felt the labelling was such an important feature that we’ve pinned the quilts back so visitors can read the ‘stories’.

A Sensational Sampler

My friend, Anna, has finally finished piecing this beautiful quilt, a sampler for her eldest daughter.  As with everything she does, her work is meticulous and it’s hard to believe this is her very first quilt. 

Last week we spent a lovely morning discussing how she’d get started on her hand quilting journey and drinking the most delicious hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted!.

Anna has used predominantly gold, burgundy and red fabrics, giving her quilt a warm, mellow feel.   Don’t you just love it!