A Good Book.........

I have a fairly extensive library when it comes to quilting books.

Another of my favourites is

Jinny Beyer's Quilter's Album of Blocks and Borders

 

 

I prefer to draft from scratch rather than using the design software. I feel that I understand how a block should look as well as how it goes together if I draft manually.

Jinny's book contains over 750 geometric designs and each block is sketched in black and white.

It also gives an insight into the possibilities of fussy cutting.



Hmmmm......

I don't have a huge amount of time for the computer but I persist and learn in the process.

You may have noticed that the format for the last post changed and as much as it's not a big deal I do like it to all look uniform; I'm a bit of a perfectionist that way.

I have just realized that all of the writing has gone in as caption and that's why the content is on a white background.

- I think -

Time will tell.

And another thing
If someone can tell me why the colour of the "preview" bar keeps changing I would very much appreciate it.

5500 Quilt Block Designs....

This beautiful books has over 400 pages of colour pictures and information on patchwork blocks. The chapters are broken up into circles and curves, geometric drafting and gridded draft patterns

Much loved and used - indispensable in my library

Oh those 3" squares.......

I've put in a solid effort on the memory quilt and half of the blocks are pretty much done.

The quilt pattern has 2 types of block, alternating; a 16 patch in medium and dark values and a "Lattice" or "Cross" block in light.

 

Chain piecing saves on thread and speeds up the process a fair bit.

The names have come from the book "5500 Quilt Block Designs" by Maggie Malone



The 16 patches are in halves until I see what they are going to look like when they sit next to their lighter mates

Idle hands............

Last year I didn't do a great deal of sewing.

With all of the study going on the last thing that I felt I needed was mess in the house. We don't have a great deal of room as it is.

I missed it sooo much.

I would buy a little and play a lot and then pack it all away again.

 I think I drove everyone in the household a bit crazy; I wasn't happy not being able to sew the way I have all my life.

In the end I picked up a counted cross stitch project that I purchased at the Sydney quilt show a couple of years ago.

It is a challenge to my eye sight but it fits the bill.

Easy to pick up, pack up and I can zone out when I stitch.

It's a beautiful piece based on Quaker heritage in red and faun hues.

I'm about half way through and am looking forward to having it on our wall.




Half way there

 As far as the counting of threads goes I must say that I am getting better

 (just typed batter! - ironic)
with practice.
However, I've decided that before I start the next one I will make a greater effort at the prep stage
 and include a few more grid guidelines with cotton instead of the usual
 one horizontal and one vertical


I love the monochromatic colour scheme of these - "less is more"

 

 

Cover page of the Cross stitch
 

Aren't I lucky.....

My dear friend Shirley dropped in for a quick coffee last week.

We've been like ships in the night, travel for both of us, study and a new job for me.

2 hours later I waved goodbye to Shirley having become the proud owner of a

Liberty Mouse, Tape Measure and a fine glass nail file.

 



Too cute to put pins in

A Special Quilt.........

I've been asked to make a memory quilt from shirtings.

 The past few days have seen the rotary cutter and board get a fair bit of use and I'm now ready to sew.

Organising and doing the prep for this type of project takes just as much time as the actual production.

The collection of shirts was sorted;

Light, Medium and Dark values, and other special pieces that should be included.
 

The pile is now reduced to

240 large light squares,

167 smaller floral squares,

480 small dark squares

and

960 small mix of light, medium and dark.

I hope to make a backing out of the leftover shirt backs.

 

All stacked up and ready to go

Vale Peter Gregory Cook........

Yesterday I learnt of the sudden and unexpected death of

our good mate and accountant Peter Cook.

Our condolences and sincerest wishes go out to Peter's family.

When Peter came to visit us we would always sit and chat about the places that we had travelled to over the past year, the reds that we had enjoyed and our dogs.

Rest in Peace, Peter.

Something in the air...............

Burning off and fuel reduction is in progress in Victoria at the moment.

The smell of smoke permeates my washing on the clothesline and it is very unsettling even though there's no danger to us in the metropolitan area.

I feel for those who have experienced bush fires.

 My whine over the matter may seem petty but hopefully the assault on the senses may remind those of us who don't live in the country that the threat of fire is always there 

Amelie.......

"Amelie"

 is the name of this year's Showcase Raffle Quilt .

It's a gorgeous quilt designed and made by three very talented ladies;

 Margaret Mew,

Irene Blanck and Jennifer Murray.

If you would like the chance to become the proud owner of this quilt

Victorian Quilters Inc. has raffle tickets for sale at $2.00 each.

This is a bargain investment considering the quilt has been valued at

the princely sum of

$11,000.

If you wish to be in the running tickets can be purchased at the

Australasian Quilt Convention or you can email an enquiry to

info@victorianquilters.org

 

 

The raffle is to drawn on Sunday, 29th of June at 4.30pm,

Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Southbank, Melbourne.



Australasian Quilt Convention

This year is the 10th year of the Australasian Quilt Convention

 to be held in Melbourne from April 10th to 13th.

The convention features local, national and international quilting experts as well as lots of

 retail and learning opportunities.

The  Best of Australia quilts will be on display along with memorable works from the last 10 years the show and a selection of pieces from the private collection of convention organisers

Gary Fitz-Roy and Judy Newman.
Very much worth the trip into the 

Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens

here in Melbourne. 

 

 

And then there were two..............

 

About half way through the year we had a visit from "Mr Fox".

He made a meal of Beth, took chunks out of Denise who stayed to protect and Lil

 - well -

 she bailed and left the others to deal with it.

(Lil is the only one who still naturally has her fighting spurs)

So, picture this -

3.45am on a very frosty morning, 3 people strolling around a back yard looking for

leftover chooks to re-house.

I did expect Big Denise to die from shock so had planned to offload Lil when this happened however Denise is such a trouper that she recovered exceptionally well and so Lil is still with us too.

Beth , a Buff Sussex - very gentle personality.

 



Doesn't time Fly..........

You'll all be forgiven to think that I've lost interest, disappeared into the ether or both.

This, however is not the case.

Last year I went back to school you see.

A very scary thing for someone who hasn't studied for nearly 30 years.

Having risen to the challenge I'm pleased to say that I now have a Diploma and have qualified as a

(DRUM ROLL) 

Remedial Massage Therapist.

 

 

I am at the Elgar Rd Chiropractic Centre with Dr Alex Baxter, Chiropractor, on Thursdays and Saturdays

and have a Mobile service as well.

Over the next few posts I promise to catch you up on the year of missing in action and look forward to being a regular Blogger once again

 

Thank you.....

Thank you to all the blog readers out there and especially those of you who take the time to place a comment or two.

You remind me that there are people out in

internet world and also prompt me to be a better, more regular blogger. 

Cheers.

Happy Birthday..........

It's my Dad's birthday today.

One of my fondest memories is of him singing "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen"

 to me as it played on the radio.

An amazing man!

 

Pa and the lad on holiday at Lorne

 

 



Slow and Steady.......

The back issue is on the mend with some expert attention from

 Dr. Alex Baxter and Mr. Voltaren.

As much as the Plan has been dumbed down to accommodate said back there is

no time like the present

 to begin.

SO each day there will be

* walking and stretching/strengthening,

* a squeeze of lemon juice with water

I can manage this; rain, hail or shine

*two shorter walks until the back is strong again and then I'll progress into the longer ones with inclines 

Part of the plan is to supplement the walking with pilates, swimming, bike riding and skipping.

Stretching and strengthening is a "must do" with the walking.

Sounds pretty good so far; stay tuned!  

 

The Plan.........

I've had a self imposed week off to re-evaluate, sort, catch up

and generally have a rest from books before it starts all over again at the end of July.

Yesterday I even went to the football and cheered on Essendon.

 Young Joe Daniher, who is a mere 202cm in height, played his 2nd AFL game and shows great promise in his football career.As part of the re-evaluation process I have decided to formulate

 "THE PLAN"    

a mix of stretching and strengthening exercises, smarter diet, and a timetable that leaves

time

for me as well as the books.

The plan has to wait for a little longer -

I woke up this morning and am unable to stand up straight.

My lower back is telling me that it needs more than a week.

It's a bit sad really.

I can't sit unless I'm bent over the back of the couch, any forward motion is painful and lying in

bed is boring and unproductive.

Oh well, back to the ice packs!

 

Study............

The last 5 months have been fairly intense around the home.

I went back to school this year;

 Certificate IV in Massage Therapy was the goal.

I'm very pleased to report that the log book, and all exams, both prac. and theory have been successfully completed with the only thing left to hand in being some reflective activities. 

It has been a challenge to go back to study after such a long time.

I still get desperately nervous with exams and funnily enough caught myself momentarily
 hoping that I'd be ill so that I could miss out on one!
Being a "mature age student" has had its own challenges but I would highly recommend it to any of you who are thinking about it.
Our approach to study is entirely different;
the focus being on subjects we want to learn rather than having to learn.
Years of practice at being employed, on time, responsible for one's own actions, and having better time management have made this an experience that is precious.
All this as well as the people that I've met and new friendships forged.
WOW!
So, get out there and do it; not because you have to but because you can.
You won't regret it.



Set up for Puffing Billy Run

 

 

Tillman and Adrein, waiting for the first runners to come in 

 

The runners were most appreciative of post sports massage 

Oooh, I bought some material!!!

I've been such a good girl for such a long time; honest, I have.

(somehow it sounds like the person I am trying to convince is me)

I want to sew but I need to study more.

My fingers are itching to create something tactile.

 The compromise is to

 BUY

 the fabric in preparation for the next project.

This is my reward for putting in some serious studying over the last few months.

 

the star of the show

 The floral is from the "Williamsburg, Virginia" range by Wyndham Fabrics

 

just a few more to compliment

 

 

If you are ever stuck for selecting fabrics to go with the main one you've chosen you can always

use the coloured dots that are printed on the selvedge as a reference.

At this stage I think that I'll go for an "old maid's ramble" type pattern with lots of scrap.

 

 

 

 

All Day Jane is here again

The next All Day Jane at Somerset Patchwork in Mt Waverley will be held on

 Saturday, 18th of May.

 Come one come all; stitch, chat, learn and be inspired by the story of Jane Stickle and her 

amazing,

 quilt masterpiece.

 

Jane in progress

Call the store on 03 9807 3399 for details 

A Mother's day present..............

Mother's Day can be extremely commercial but I'm pleased to say that my gift today is something that I really needed.

 

New slippers YAY - not for canine consumption

Bella......

Bella is now 18 months old is finally grown out of eating things that aren't food.

- (I wrote that bit 3 days too soon) -

 came home from school and she had chowed down on a scarf; and has developed a taste for

massage oil. I was not a happy girl.

promptly

 rang the Lord to tell him about his girl

 

Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth!

 

A Cool Bone

 

the cuboid is half way up on the left hand side

I have found the coolest bone in the body!

It looks exactly like it's name.

(baring in mind, I don't know a stitch of Latin so there could be others)

 CUBOID
It's one of the bones that make up our foot.

So many bones to learn ,and if you don't know Latin there are some very strange names;

Greater Trochanter and Xyphoid just to name two.

At least Cuboid gives me a hint of what to look for!
Muscles are pretty much the same.
 I was asked the other day if a guy named Terry discovered
Teres Minor and Major.
This sounds plausible to the lay person but again it is more likely to do with Latin  

 



Mother's Day....

Dear Mum;

                   Today's the day that we celebrate our mothers and the tireless work that they do.

You've taught me so much throughout the years and I'm grateful for every moment that we've had together. You are my best friend and a sounding board when I need one. You listen to what I have to say without judging; gentle words of encouragement offered when needed. Thank you.   

Now that I'm older and a mum myself I appreciate even more your patience for the challenges that kids set for us, the wisdom behind "choosing your battles" and the importance of a sense of humour.

So today, sit back, put your feet up and enjoy your day.

Love your work,

                            Linda



Happy Mother's Day, Mum

WOW!!!!!

As promised I've checked the blog stats and guess what - you've all excelled

This puts me in an odd position of not being able to fulfil my promise.

As of a few moments ago we've well and truly passed the 3000 mark and are zooming towards

3100

The problem is this;

No one has left a comment so that I can reward them with a  gift as promised

what's a girl to do?

 



And now for some quilty things................

I always look forward to Wednesdays.

I take a patchwork group at Somerset Patchwork and Quilting in Mount Waverley;

a great and diverse bunch of ladies with many and varied talents.

No names or pack drill but some lovely photos so that you can see what we get up to!

 a galaxy of three inch lemoyne stars in the making- the background hasn't been chosen as yet

These little flowers will become 3 inch lemoyne stars once the background has been chosen.

Karen Styles of Somerset Patchwork has produced a set of templates for the star

and if you complete a star a day

(excluding Christmas and birthday)

you end up with a beautiful and very special piece of work and hopefully a few less scraps in the stash

tiny hexagons - very nice

This is a paper pieced project - a little quilt for a rocking chair.

sigh!

 

 

 

Kimplified

Nearly Insane in  Red

A Dear Jane is a work of art in anyone's language

Cabin Carnevale in shades of Mauve

very close to finished

The last photo is of a project started a few years ago at Primarily Patchwork
We've swapped a striped border for a pieced one, using all the elements within the quilt.

I'm very proud of my group. As you can see they are a mixed and creative bunch!
(except that they laugh at me when I suggest that we could learn applique at some stage)

And Beth makes three.........

Beth is the baby of the group. 

She's Bella's best friend. Dog and chook play "chicken"

(hilarious concept)

 and Bella will take her balls and chew toys up to the fence for Beth to play with. 

Maybe it's because of their English "ginger" bond that they get on so well together

Lil .....

Lil has been the surprise of all the birds and not my favourite!

She can be quite mean spirited when she wants to be.

Last year we lost Henny, a Wyandotte Bantum with a beautiful nature.

When Lil realised that they were a chook down she called and called all afternoon. 

I was quite sure that if I didn't find a replacement Lil would continue to fret and die too.

We went for a drive up to Abundant Layers in the hills and came home with Beth, a young Buff Sussex.

The poor thing had every right to be terrified. Apart from being re-homed one of the locals (Lil)

would go into the chicken house and squarely box her ears. 

We all know that's where the term "pecking order" comes from but what really surprised me was that after five minutes or so Lil would think " You know, I didn't do that well enough!" 

and would march back in and do it all over again.

Henny, (in front)Lil (grey one) and Denise; free ranging

She went through her malt about a month ago and she knows very well that she's sporting a 

designer outfit at the moment.

Lil is very insecure but given half a chance she will stick the talons in when she thinks no one is looking.

She will also screech her head off the whole time when we have to catch her where as the others settle quickly.

As I said -not my favourite chook.

On the Cleverness of Chooks

I'm not really sure if you could call chooks clever. 

They do some pretty clever things though and have individual personalities just as humans do.

My three ladies cover the whole spectrum and all have traits that I know that I and my friends have. 

They are very self conscious for a start. Each time one of them malts the pecking order changes and the alpha chook becomes insecure and moody.

Meet Big Denise - she's not so big at the moment and is not looking her best at all.

not a happy girl

It's as if she pressed the self eject button and half of her feathers have gone, overnight. She's holding out on the eggs too.

Usually self assured and the best layer to boot; she's easy going and not troubled by bullies but they also know to keep out of her way.

having a good hair day

Denise's preferred food is freshly picked leaves of this weed that grows in the back yard. 

The leaves are about an inch or bigger at the tip with a jagged edge

. Denise turns the leaf around in her beak so that the stem/ narrow end will go down her throat first.

Very clever, I'd say.

2900-ish and counting

I am very surprised and excited to say that I am quickly approaching

3000

 views on my blog.

I hope that my readers enjoy the little bits and pieces that I impart.

I've never been a "tech" head and so the learning process is often slow, however I am learning.

I would like to award my 3000th reader with a little gift of some sort.

I just need to work out the best way to do it.

So.......

I suppose there should be some rules and info.

1. if you are interested in being a part of this please leave a comment.

This way I can contact the lucky winner.

As per the normal courtesies with forums the comments are mediated before publishing so that

nothing unsavoury goes to print.  

2. I will check the stats daily so that I can keep track and publish their progress.

 "Closest to the mark" reader with comment will be the deciding factor.

3. I intend the "prize" to be a little textile related something

(haven't decided what it will be yet)

4. If you are an international reader this is OK. Aus. Post delivers to just about anywhere.

the stats say that I'm at 2964 so I guess this little comp. will conclude by the end of the week.

This afternoon I will post the "Prize"

Stay tuned