A little unfinished business…

More chocolate-fuelled creativity from the English Quilt girls’ get-together last week.

This sumptuous wool-embroidered blanket isn’t something Gail just whipped up this month, but as a treasured creation of hers from a few years back it’s an elegant “show and tell”.

 

 

 

 

Rae is one of those quilters I really admire – a finisher! Here she is patiently hand-quilting her absolutely enormous Japanese quilt.

 

 

Anne and Jill enjoyed their stitching.

And so did Gail, our hostess. Wendi escaped before I could take her photo – next time, Wendi.

In other news, I’m making slow progress on latest hand-pieced quilt. Maybe it’s because of the sunglasses I need to wear when I work on it

Bright, isn’t it?

If I sound as if I’m in a hurry, I am. Di B and I are leaving Sydney and jetsetting off to the Melbourne Quilt and Craft Fair at 7am tomorrow, hoping to meet up with some friends I’ve only met on the internet! We’ve known each other for years, but this will be the first time we’ve met in person – such excitement!

I’m feeling so fancy-free I’ve made this little piece of frivolity to wear on my overcoat. Lovely Wonderland scissors fabric by MoMo, and one of my very favourite selvages.

Will I look like a quilter, do you think?

Perhaps I’ll team it with my selvage bag.

Watch out, Melbourne – “Team Di” is on the way (down and back in a day).

 

Di

Chocolate cake boosts creativity

It’s true! The English Quilters have proved it.

Just look at some of the projects we “showed and told” when we met for our monthly sewing day last week.

Anne’s making progress with her Lynne Alchin-designed medallion quilt, Laurel’s Stars. Lots and lots of leaves to applique

Jill’s Deauville quilt top, a Chris Jurd design in mellow antique hues, is finished and looking fabulous.

Jill saw her quilt backing as a perfect opportunity to use up her leftover fabrics.

Stitch by stitch Gail has been patiently hand quilting this vast tumbling blocks quilt for a very long time now – and finally it’s finished!

We all agreed that it would not look out of place on a four-poster bed in a historic house (even in my house )

More chocolate cake-fuelled creativity to come…

Di

Voila!

The moment she saw this colourful Michael Miller “Messy Hands” fabric on Linda’s blog earlier this year Di B decided it was just perfect for the children’s quilts St Mark’s Quilters make for the “Marcia” kindy and RPA Blankets of Love.

Expert fabric sleuth that she is, she soon tracked it down, and lucky Liz has been the first to use it.

Doesn’t this remind you of messy finger-painting and giggles?

The starry aqua backing complements it perfectly too. Liz, you’ve done a great job!

Di

Five (of many) things that have made me smile in the last few weeks

Enjoying cuddles with my littlest darlings -  Xanna and Jack.

 

Catching up with my dear friend Linda, while she was on holidays in the Ozarks in the USA, through the magic of Skype. Linda’s blog is www.flourishingpalms.blogspot.com and I thought her very clever to rent a condo with a picture of a flourishing palm tree over her bed  

 

Congratulating myself on being able to keep a phalaenopsis orchid alive for a whole year, and getting it to produce flowers.

My secret? Benign neglect.

Imagining the beautiful quilt I’m going to make with these lovely fabrics (and more) over the next 6 months. More about that later

 

 

Fulfilling a special order for a friend who wanted these goodies made to give to new twin bubs in her family.

 

 

What’s been making you smile?

St Mark's Quilters July Workshop

After last month's little whinge about our bleak weather* I had little nothing to complain about yesterday.

The sun shone brightly on our July workshop and after a refresher lesson in binding a quilt we immersed ourselves in what we love best - a whole day spent fabric fondling, rotary cutting and stitching together more fabulous little quilts (Blankets of Love) for RPA Newborn Care.

With Susie and Christine joining us for the first time there was even more to smile about. 

[There might have also been cake made by Margaret, biscuits brought by Moo and chocolates from Di B. :-)]

This photo album created with Smilebox

Time to stop clowning around

Remember this post and this post about a top-secret project Di B and I were working on? It wouldn’t surprise me if you didn’t. After all it was back in the Dark Ages May.

We’ve left you in suspense far too long, (oh we do love to tease!). However we were waiting for a special event – the arrival of this little man.

Hamish belongs to our Assistant Minister, Dan,  and his wife Emily, and here he is lying on our secret project – a new quilt, a gift from all the St Mark’s Quilters.

So many hands stitched their love for Hamish, Dan, Emily, and their little girls Ashlyn and Rhianna into this quilt which is bordered by twelve applique teddy bears, each made by a different St Mark’s Quilter.

Di B and I merely put the blocks together and finished it off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

May God bless you, little Hamish

Di – and all the St Mark’s Quilters

OK, that’s enough rest…

Time to get back to work blogging!

The stall at our St Luke’s fundraiser this week was a huge success, and my feet have almost recovered.

We simply couldn’t have done it without the help of Moo and Di B who stepped in to help on the day. Moo also made four baby playmats (hanging on the wall in the photos below) and Di B made six patchwork baby balls. Needless to say, these were all snapped up by eager buyers.

After 2 hours of helping me set up Di B was still smiling

An army of committee members cooked biscuits…

Sewed pretty gift items…

And made delicious jams and chutneys, not a single one of which was left!

The stall was only a small part of our annual Card Day which was such a tremendous team effort by the St Luke’s Rose Bay Committee. Huge thanks must also go to all the ladies who came along and supported us. The entire day was enormous fun while helping a wonderful hospital.

As a result of our fundraising this year we’ve been able to purchase two state-of-the-art water chairs for use in the St Lukes’ aged care facility, Lulworth.

Do you use your creative skills to raise money for a special cause? What do you make and sell? I’d love to know

Di