Wednesday 7th October 2009

 

Hello fellow Scquilters/Quilters/Crafters. This is my first blogging attempt with Windows Live Writer so please bear with me.

I must say that I cannot believe the year has gone so fast that this month’s frivolities were dedicated to making Christmas decorations for the Black Saturday bushfire victims. As time goes by, it is easy to forget that most victims are still living in temporary accommodation – and still making to without many of the comforts we take for granted. To this end, fellow Scquilter Kathryn Robertson  kathrynr@melbpc.org.au has organised a massive working bee amongst Oz quilters, their families and friends.

In another of life’s miracles, my notebook has found its way back to me via the lovely Wyn Roper – than you Wyn! This does mean that at some stage I will be able to go back to various posts where I was forced to  - if not make up completely – at the very least I had to embellish details of show and tell, morning tea and various nefarious activities.

Anyway – enough of all that – here, first are some samples of our Christmas decoration day.

Here Cynthia holds up a lovely example of what we did with donated tiny Christmas panels which we added home made touches – such  as buttons, beads etc

 

Ginny and I (Helen) worked on simple shapes – using pinking shears, buttons, ric rac and other personal touches

 

Virginia did marvellous things with yo yos, beads and ribbons

 

Sandra and Ramona excelled at machine appliquéing little decorations, sewing backs and hangers on them for other willing helpers to stuff with lavender and stuffing

 

 

Jan and Dianne had painstakingly used their embroidery  machines to create beautiful Christmas angels, bells, reindeer – you name it, and then added bells, beads and hangers etc

 

 

 

 

 

The above photos show our sweat shop in action!

 

Some finished goodies – note the fabric wreath made by clever Dianne R and also the cute, beautiful knitted Christmas stockings – these are just two of 16 (another 16 on the way!) made by my mother in law in Sydney

 

Here are more samples of our finished works – well except for the origami birds who, though stuffed, were not yet sealed up. I do hope you are all impressed – we are justifiably proud!

And now, for the show and tell which we somehow managed to fit in.

Pam was one of the Pizza Ladies from a Monday group which some of us belong to – the idea was to have a theme – prepare one block and then pass it on (in a pizza box!)for the rest of the pizza ladies to do a block each.  Very sadly, Pauline Sisson passed way before she could complete her block for Pam. Pam felt she couldn’t replace Pauline’s block with anyone else’s, so used her border fabric in the centre of the quilt as a permanent reminder of her dear friend Pauline.  It is certainly a beautiful quilt – my contribution is on the far left in the bottom row –just in case you are wondering!

 

Fran’s spectacular WIP – a Celtic jacket for her son’s coming wedding – made using her new embroidery machine – very well done Fran – what an effort!

Marilyn’s completed polyhedron star – from Fran’s workshop – gorgeous fabric and beading – a wonderful result.

Once a year, our quiet, refined Ginny attends the Monash Uni ball and all hell seems to break loose with her fashion sense.  This year she went as a “fire sprite” for the devils and angels theme – needless to say her DH was a devil – not sure what he wore though!

Hiding behind this cushion, made out of an orphan block, is the talented Virginia – a tad fruity – just like Virginia!

But wait, there are more orphan blocks from Virginia – this time made into a beautiful bed or table runner.

Virginia also brought along this “Billum” bag from PNG – made with string in the designs of the appropriate tribes, these bags hold everything from vegetables to babies.

And here she is again – with a beautiful shawl, knitted in lovely soft colours.

And here is a wonderful WIP from Susie, who is making this quilt for her nieces baby – gorgeous!

 

That is all for our October meeting –  until Wednesday  4th November ……oh … please remember to bring along any Christmas decorations you have been completing  at home.

Your roving reporter,

Helen Evans

Wednesday 2nd September 2009

Wonderful news!!!

We have had some wonderful news and I felt that it needed a separate posting. Let me explain.....in our group, one of the services we have been able to offer our gorgeous membership, is a quilting library. This library is of great use to all of us - even though it only contained 25 books - as a reference for new ideas, charity quilts and just welcome quilty reading. We wanted to extend our library to include the sort of books/DVDs that cover basic as well as new techniques, and also for those special books that most of us cannot afford. To this end we applied to the local Bendigo Bank for a grant and to our delight, we received a grant for $1000 to purchase books for our library! We wish to thank the Carrum Downs branch of the bank, in particular the manager Mike Spruhan for their generosity - corporate details as follows:

Carrum Downs Financial Services Ltd

Franchisee of Bendigo & Adelaide Bank Limited

Whilst we have set up a committee to choose our new books, we would appreciate the input of all Carrum Downs Scquilters - so please have a think about what you would like and bring a list along to our next meeting on the first Wednesday in September.
Thanks Bendigo Bank!

Wednesday 5th August 2009

Hello folks - we had yet another wonderful get together at Carrum Downs last Wednesday. A lovely, relaxing time was had by us all and the following pics tell the story!

Our "three wise monkeys" Wyn, Kate and Di being cheeky for the camera.

Our Maggy and our Pam enjoying a moment of frivolity.

Lovely Louise and rollicking Robyn, sharing a joke and setting up another table for the masses.

Our Ginny, temporarily distracted from her stitchery.

Fran and Sue catching up.


And now, dare I say it, "Chantelle"

Sally had a couple of Oz marsupials to use up, so made this quilt in her usual inimitable style. So beautiful, and her quilting is just gorgeous too!

Lovely Louise is preparing her new home (see planning department, Bayside Council, section 223, sub section 357 for progresss on planning approval!) The council may be moving slowly, but Louise is getting on with the job, with her lovely new stitchery wall hanging for her eventual sewing room.

Here is Louise with yet another beautiful stitchery wall hanging for the "new home".

Here is Robyn with her prize from the Breast Cancer Cushion raffle - a gorgeous home made overnight bag, with matching scarfe of course! This was 4th prize - someone somewhere is now the owner a the wonderful quilt that was 1st prize.

Here is Ramona's arm, holding, surprisingly, a bag made by Ramona - who purchased the pattern for this stable bag on the Adelaide retreat shop hop. See picture below for a close up.

Not for Pam, the usual Dahlia quilt pattern. She didn't like the end result, so finagled the pattern somewhat for this magnificent result. Plus, Pam hand quilted it in her "spare time" - ha ha - between 3am and 3.15 am eanch morning??

Here am I - Helen E. - with another bushfire quilt completed in tandem by the Devon Meadows girls.. and there are many more to come....says she hopefully!

Wyn has produced yet another great grandchild so yet another beautiful quilt has been produced - in lovely colours - 9 patches and beautiful fairy fabric for a great result.

Marilyn - you have outdone yourself - again - her is a close up of your shashiko quilt with beautiful shashiko embroidery coupled with pre-printed Japanese ladies. And, below is the big picture!

Here Jo explains the beginnings of this exemplary table runner - with blocks made by her friendship group - of flowers starting with everyine's initials - Jo's by the way is H for Helen and not J for Jo - there's something you didn't know! Jo cleverly transformed the fourpatch blocks the flowers were appliqued onto, into hexagons, so she could end up with this beautiful table runner. Just realised - they are not hexagons - they did look like them late last night, but they are their own unique shape!

Kate won these black and white Drunkards path blocks at the annual Ballarat retreat and put them together into this gorgeous quilt. A triumph! But Kate what was the criteria for the prize - dare I ask if it was a drinking contest - I have heard rumours

And here is Kate again with her lovely "Spinning Magnolias" quilt. It was magnificently quilted (as was her D/P quilt above) by Pam Hammond. And it is going to her newest relative.

Here is sumptous Sue with her jelly roll table cloth - completed in a one day workshop - love the fabrics as well as the effect.

Here is the shattered nine patch made by Fran C (as taught by Fran W in Launceston) for her charge Timmi - for her birthday. Timmi loves horses and just adores this quilt. Close up below.

And this is the back of the quilt Fran made for Timmi. The main fabric was a swap with an American lady who sent it over in exchange for Oz fabrics - a good swap!

And that, my friends is all for now.
Please let me know what you think - your feedback is always so welcome!
Until our meeting on the first Wednesday in September,
your roving reporter,
Helen Evans