Um...

...sorry about the photos I have been busy 'spring cleaning' all day on this last day of Autumn.... But G over on Patra Place has dedicated a blog to her photos so if you can't wait a visit over there should satisfy you :)

Waverley Patchworkers

G and I went out today to the Waverley Patchworkers quilt exhibition today... So many beautiful quilts to see... G and I clicked away, snapping happily with our cameras... But you are going to have to wait until tomorrow to see mine...

You might see I have added another catergory to my side bar - Retail Destinations... These are places I like to go so I thought I would share them with you... I shall gradually add to these as I go (or remember them!!!)

Not a stitch in sight...

...but I do have a new pair of earrings... These are my 'maiden voyage' into the world of earring making... Not the best photo but you get the general idea...

Southern Cross Crazies

I have been a non -active member of the yahoo Southern Cross Crazies for many years... My main activity with them has been as a 'lurker' admiring the 'crazy' work which they do. Recently I received an email enquiring to whether I was still interested in the group as they were going through their members list and saw that I hadn't been 'active' for quite some time

There is an saying about 'when the student is ready the teacher appears'. As I re established contact I saw that some members were about to start a DYOB - translated that is - DOING YOUR OWN BLOCK. using the Carole Samples book... Now as luck has it I have had Carol's book for yep - you guessed it - for more years than I can remember and while it looks simple enough I have often wished that I had a 'buddy' to work a 'crazy' block with using the stitches from the book... So as you can see my wish was heard...

I am looking forward to participating for two reasons: 1. It will motivate me to actually start doing something again - I really like 'crazy' but lacked motivation to do something on my own so in this way I will have to stay true as there seems to be a week to week progression...
2. I will have some friends to compare with and show and tell albeit via the computor but lol I have made some amazing relationships via this small screen :) Also this DYOB stays at home - it doesn't go travelling... 3. I won't have to go anywhere to do it!!!! I am excited at the thought of getting involved in something again... Stay tuned to see what I come up with... :)
LOL at the moment I am ovewhelmed thinking about fabric choices :)

Sharon xxx

Three tumbling blocks....

... don't make a quilt. However today I decided to bite the bullet so to speak and have a go at making a 'tumbling block' - much playing around later and dah! dah!... Now I know all you seasoned quilters will be able to see all the mistakes but for my first solo effort I am quite happy with the results... They actually look like they are meant to - and that astounds me!!!!

I learnt a few things today which I will keep in mind for future block making... I rather liked the time and effort it took and I can now appreciate even more how those people who take it seriously how much time and concertration must go into each step of the way...

I will agree with Gina though - I cannot see myself ever making a proper bed size quilt - I don't think that I have it in me to do more than a couple of blocks at a time... I think - somewhat like Gina - I really am happy to 'see how things work ' but not really interested in making huge pieces...

And what am I going to do with my three lone blocks??? I have another three lots of fabric cut out which will give me six in total so once I get them to that stage I will have a rethink...

Sharon xxx

Opps...

... I forgot to tell show you my latest acquisition -because I was feeling miserable with my cold - (any excuse!) - I did a little retail therapy at Bustle and Bows in Surrey Hills. I spied with my little eye these lovelies - Cottage Garden Threads. I am a sucker for anything over dyed or variegated I might add, and because I was in a weakened state I succumbed to these... I love them all but I am especially taken with the one right at the bottom called Iris - when you see it close up you can see all the colours of a blue iris - from internal yellows to the external blues and all those shades in between... Just love it!!!! What am I going to use them for - lol - you know me - who knows... Of course I had to have a Brenda Ryan pattern to go along with them...

Delight...

... is finally finished... My french knots are terrible - I seemed to have lost my magic touch there... Overall I think the block looks reasonable and I keep reassuring myself that once it is a whole quilt those sorts of little details won't seem so BIG... I sense that I may need to do something completely different next - just to give me a break from this stitcheries...

We're back....

Well, G and I went - we saw - we spent and then looked and looked again... So many gorgeous, stunning, mind shattering, unbelievable quilts... After a while looking at them all became sensory overload... G and I wandered around and for a change I was quite conservative with my money... I did buy some material, a button and and six preprinted stitcheries... G abd I both commented on the abundance of Japanese material considering a few years ago you were lucky to see one stall selling it let alone the the amount of stalls we saw yesterday... G went off to do a workshop on tumbling blocks and I just wandered for the hour... One thing that did capture my interest was the 'Roses from the Heart' display - the link will give you the general idea of what is all about... You could look through lists of convict women and chose a name - I chose Mary Corbett who was 36 and sent to Australia for stealing a quilt... She was a widow with 2 children when she was sent out here... I am looking forward to creating the bonnet a connection between the present to the past... Stay tuned...
Here a just a few quilts which caught my camera lens...

Bye, bye....

G and I are off to the Quilt Convention for the day...