Wednesday 5th April 2017

A great time was had back at our April meeting. We had the pleasure of a shop visit from Judith Coburn 
www.quilterscloset.com.au

 Judith brought along a lovely range of products and very kindly donated a lovely set of charm squares to our cuppa for cancer in May.

I will get straight to show and tell - as I need to do our May blog too! It is not that I couldn't be bloggered, it is just that it has been such a busy time. Our Mildura retreat, giving classes at Phillip Island - where a Cape Barron Goose tried to mate with my Janome and I broke my big toe in the process of saving its honour - the Janome's, not the Cape Baron Goose's! And best of all, a beautiful, healthy, new great niece Maggie Jean. So I will get down to blog business.

Jo made this "interesting" place mat for her her daughter in law, who is into skulls, and what better skulls to use on a place mat than these gorgeous "Day of the dead" ones from Mexico. It really is beautiful.

Jo also brought along her beautiful "reflections" quilt. Made using the Chinese Lanterns block and 10" squares. I tink we all want to make this now!

These beauties are the results of Marilyn's Shibori dying workshop - looking fabulous in cotton and silk.

Kathy has been working hard on the Japanese technique "Boro work". Very striking and
 interesting. In our May blog, you will see what she has made it into???

Dianne G has been working hard on this lovely stitchery  from a Gail Pan workshop (I also attended and it was fabulous fun). Once more, you will see the finished product in the May blog.

Also from Dianne - some exquisite work from a project from Palm Beach Quilting - the little fox is so beautiful you almost don't want to shoot him (sorry, once a farmer always a farmer).

And yet again from Dianne - her updated monthly cross stitch - looking splendid - available free on- line = just check a previous month of this blog for details.

Yes, this does belong to me (Helen). It is my favourite Mug Rug. I did not make it, but have had ti so long that I can't remember where is came from. If any of you made it, I am udderly mooved. Good to take on a freisan day for my hot chocolate!

 Lynne has finished off a beautiful quilt she made through "Quilt Swappers"  - a US based on line group. The white patches, which make the quilt so striking, are signed by the block makers. Very nuce.

Jeanette also attended the shibori dying class with Marilyn and this is some of the brilliant work she produced.

Bev turned a panel for a book into a quilt, once more for Ballarat Family services. Lovely generous work.

This beautiful blue wren is the  finished version of the one Kathy was working on a few months back - I think this lovely work  was done by Jeanette, but my writing is illegible, so if I am wrong, I am very sorry. Whoever put it together, isn't it magnificent - my favourite bird.

Jennifer brought along this beautiful , superbly quilted, broiderie perse quilt - take a good look at the marvelous quilting! Also a lovely oriental panel, which she uses in classes to show how borders can be added to pretty panels. A great idea.

Bar, who has been a longstanding member of our group, is starting a new life on the central coast of NSW, and has now out herself in the hands of a new group of Scquilters. We will miss Bar and her hexies greatly. She has always been an active, generous and happy member of our group and we wish her well. A birthday cake was also in order to celebrate her birthday. She is the youngest 80 year old we know. Good luck Bar xxx

I will now attempt to complete our May blog - our Cuppa for Cancer - which was a fabulous day.

Helen Evans

Wednesday 5th April 2017

Now, I know that April was a long time ago, and it is not because I couldn't be bloggered, I have just been incredibly busy, amongst other things, becoming a great aunt again to the beautiful Maggie Jean, preparing courses and, of course, attending (and recovering from) the fabulous Scquilters retreat in Mildura. Next year NZ!!!! I can't wait. It will be my third visit there, but my first outside the airport. I hope we get a good number coming from Carrum Downs.
Anyhoo, back to our great day in April - we had the pleasure of a visit from

Wednesday 5th April 2017

It was a fabulous get together for our April meeting. Lots of fun and planning for our Cuppa for Cancer in May, and buying up from ou guest shop

Wednesday 1st of March 2017

We had another great meeting in March. Lots of lovely morning tea an a special birthday/ bon voyage cake for someone very special in our group. And Bugger! I have lost the photos of Ramona cutting her birthday/ happy round the world trip with her hubby cake. If anyone has photos of this historic moment, can you please e-mail them to me. Ramona looked fabulous (as always) and it was a very pretty rainbow cake!

Dianne G has sure caught the hexie bug!  These beauties have been produced in a very short time, with some pretty fussy cutting as well. Very nice.

Also from Dianne G is this free row of the month cross stitch. Don't you just love hte pattern and the lovely colours she has used? This mystery sampler can be found on-line and is from "Linen and Threads" in N.S.W.

Here is some beautiful shashiko work from Wyn. It is looking really marvelous and we look forward to more in April. NOW I know which project I will bring to the retreat and perhaps I might even do a stitch or two - we shall see.

Marilyn W's work in progress is this cute doggy coat for her even cuter little dog. Such beautiful knitting.

Marilyn has done this ab fab stitchery - from a Dijanne Cheval embroidery - pre stamped and hand dyed. Love the different stitching - it is so lovely.

I (Helen) am working on another pattern for Craftsy. To accompany my "Christmas Cats" mug rugs for the northern hemisphere, I have designed a happy and a grumpy "Christmas Cats Down Under" - hope to put in on Craftsy by mid April.

Lynne has finished a top - a lovely Gail Pan stitchery pattern combined with some sweet '20s fabrics. Love it!

Lynne was lucky enough to win this magnificent quilt at the Western port Quilters Show at Tyabb, Vic. They did have a great show too.

Cynthia (aka Madam Cyn) has been working on this cute "Teddy's Playhouse" quilt since her grandson (now 3) was born. She plans to present it to him at his 21st. Where have I heard that before?

However Madam Cyn has completed this fabulous quilt for the same Grandson. Just what every three year old needs.

This fabulous book is being made by Deidre and her mother for her nephew in Texas.The animals are attached with velcro, and as you can see - the barn doors open up. What a beautiful gift for a little boy. So much work (and love) has gone into this book, with still more to do. I am sure he will treasure it forever.

Deidre has also been working on Lucy Boston's "Places of the Cross". Just beautiful English paper piecing, with delightful fabrics and marvelous fussy cutting.

Kathy brought along her very first pieced quilt. A baby quilt. Beautifully put together with such lovely fabrics. Well done!

Jeanette brought along this beauty. The Melbourne CBD Scquilters group - many of whom come to Carrum Downs, have put this together for Soo, the manager of the cafe at Dymocks - where they stop for lunch each month (fourth Wednesday of each month). She has been so kind to them over the years that they decided to make this fun filled quilt for her new baby - it is absolutely perfect for a baby. There is just so much to look at. It was given to her this week - with a beautiful reaction from Soo.

This superb quilt was made by Bar, in classes at the Sewing Connection
in Pakenham. Taught by the owner Sue - a very talented woman, it gave owners of the new Bernina 7 million (or something like that!) a chance to try all their stitches. Each block is appliqued using a different stitch, and the result is just stunning. Bar, of course, has done her usual spectacular job - putting her own stamp on it.

Bev, always generous, has made these sweet panels into children's quilts for Ballarat community services. It is a great idea for any of us who have unused panels in our stashes, to make a quilt or two for our favourite charity. Well done Bev!

Jennifer has made these superb Mariners compass blocks  - appliqued onto hand dyed fabric. We looked forward to seeing more of what we know will eventually become an extraordinary quilt.

Also from Jennifer, this fabulous "Celtic dawning" quilt. Her design is superb as is her quilting. What a tremendous effort.

Simone has made this ab fab baby quilt from a Jennifer Kingwell pattern - a Wild Ride. A new baby is certainly a wild ride! You have done well grasshopper! Such a lovely combination of fabrics. A great idea for a scrap quilt - or two.

We wish Ramona well on her travels - we will miss you my dear Marona xxx

Our next get together will be on Wednesday 5th of April - from 10 - 2. BYO lunch and mug. Mrning tea provided.
And just a reminder that our May meeting will be our "Cuppa for Cancer" fundraiser - so start collecting items (wrapped) worth approx. $10 for our lucky dip, as well as anything you have for te trading table - all funds will go to Cancer research. Also for May, we will bring a small plate of something tasty to share for lunch.
See you on the 5th of April,
your roving reported,
Helen Evans
Devon Meadows, Vic

Wednesday February 1st 2017

Our first get together for 2017 was such fun. It always seems like such a long time since we last met, so there was so much catching up to do with members new and old. We spent a lot of time chatting, laughing and generally having fun, but not too much stitching was done!

I must apologise for the extreme lateness of the blog this month - even for my. I actually managed to lose the photos! I was almost ready to ask everyone to bring back their show and tell again for March, when I finally found them in a very oddly named folder. Please do not ask me how I managed that. I have no idea, but will be extra careful with next month's photos.

Jo was appliqueing this heart in the most beautiful NZ fabric. The flowers in the background are pokutukawa  blossom, and the colourful native bird is a Tui. I do hope to finally get to see something other then Auckland airport next time I get there (hopefully 2018).

This was me (Helen) doing some foundation piecing by hand - more tulips. Below is one of the finished tulip items.

Not quite stuffed enough, but you get the idea - I hope!

Welcome to the lovely Kathy - a new member. Kathy was working on an English paper pieced Blue wren. Looking great so far. Such a gorgeous little bird too.

Sandra used up a multitude of scraps, hand piecing these beautiful baskets. This quilt is an absolute joy to look at Sandra - so pretty.

Another positively joyful quilt. Bev has made this quilt for her grand daughter using 5" scrap fabrics. Absolutely perfect for a young girl. Well done.

Madam Cyn (one day I will  let slip why we call her that! ) has been making these clever Candied hexagons - remember the pattern that was in AP&Q years ago? Cynthia, you have used such lovely colours - they are looking great - more next month please???

And again from Cynthia, this fabulous stitchery, part 2 of 3, called "'Til death do us part". Just beautiful.

This ab fab bag that Shirley brought along, was much admired. It was a gift to her - such a wonderful gift!

Also from Shirley - these lovely hexies. I strongly suspect that she is a hexaholic, but that is just between you, me and her HA group.

Sally has enhanced a pretty panel by cleverly appliqueing these seagulls on adding lovely borders. I think we can tell what Sally sees out her windows each day at the nearby beach. That does remind me of taking our life/lunch in our hands when we tried to eat it in the grounds of Bonbeach High School all those years ago.

And these striking fussy cut hexies are from Bar - another member of HA, who obviously doesn't take the 12 step program seriously - and for that we are thankful. Love them!

Marilyn, using lots of beautiful scraps to make a clam shell quilt, using Irene Blanck's method. Very pretty!

Previously a UFO, Marilyn completed this UFO, using her stash of pansy fabrics - what a masterpiece she has created.

Again from Marilyn, these striking bright stars - made even better with the black background fabric. This is for her Grand daughter - wouldn't we all like to be related?

Dianne G has been working on this superb cross stitch BOM - love the colours! Also, she has finished some exquisite dragon blocks for her lucky grandson. Lovely work.

Wyn has been working on this sweet shashiko pattern. It really is beautiful. Go Wyn!!!

This wonderful quilt was made by Jeanette - it is Bonnie Hunter's en Provence mystery quilt, but Jeanette has changed the pattern just a little. What can I say? It is magnificent.

Carol also brought show and tell in the form of her grandchild - but, sadly we didn't get a photo. It was so nice to have a visit from you Carol - hope you will be back properly next week - as well as a few who couldn't make it, and one who forgot - no names Melody.

It really was a wonderful day. I came home with that lovely Scquilty feeling that only comes with getting together with other Southern Cross Quilters, so if you are visiting, or in the area, please join us next week - on Wednesday 1st March

Details are at the top of the blog - although we now meet at 10am (I haven't worked out how to change that yet!).

Your roving reporter,
Helen Evans
Devon Meadows (very close to Carrum Downs)

Wednesday 1st February 2017

It was indeed a great first day back for 2017. Lots and lots of catching up, meeting lovely new members an very little stitching.