Monday, May 31, 2010

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 :)

Sunday, May 30, 2010

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!!!)

Sunday, May 23, 2010

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...

Saturday, May 22, 2010

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

Sunday, May 16, 2010

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

Friday, May 14, 2010

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...

Thursday, May 13, 2010

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...

Saturday, May 1, 2010

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...