Cow Paddocks Patchwork

Hannaford Workshop

Yes another fantastic weekend with creative ladies! This time is was doing a design workshop with some strip piecing techniques with just 3 colours!

Here are some pics of the "Trials"

Gwen's

Gwen's take 2

 

Fiona's

Sonia's

Sonia's take 2

Arlie's

Unfortunately a few of the photos that I took weren't overly clear but you will see from these the ladies did a wonderful job and all went home with completely different looks to their quilts.

We also were able to see a finished article from Karen who participated in a Beginners Landscape workshop with me last year at Hannaford. I'm sure you will agree how wonderful textile work looks framed as well as hung!

Thanks ladies for a great weekend in the Hannaford Township. We were also very fortunate to catch up with the lovely Kay!!!

Bollon Workshop

Unfortunately some of the photos were a little blurry and so didn't quite make it here.

 

 

 

 

March I was off to Bollon for the very first time - not only to teach but I had never actually visited Bollon town itself. I was taken care of very well by Jane and thankyou so much to her for looking after me. We even had to do as "the Roman's do" and have a beer at the local pub.

We had quite a few ladies from Bollon and district plus a few "ring ins" which was great to see the faces of some ladies I had taught before at St George. We also did a few hours doing craft at the school with the Accucutter shapes which they thoroughly enjoyed!

So this workshop was based upon strips and different angle cuts and designing from there! A great one to "play" with different designs and everyone ends up with something completely different!

 

 

The Zig Zag in Theodore

I LOVE going to Theodore - they always make me feel so welcome and we have a variety of lovely ladies who attend. They span different ages and careers but are a very caring bunch. It was quite different heading there this time as the thought in the back of my mind on how the town had coped since the major flooding last year. While the town I must admit hardly looked any different which I found surprising and amazing, I am in no doubt that time is the only thing that will help somewhat in what is no doubt an ongoing struggle for those who were directly affected by the destructive force of mother nature. I honestly cannot imagine the heartache and our thoughts are still with those from last years and of course this years floods.

Now onto the workshop! I was very lucky to have my friend Vikki travel with me to Theodore and it always makes the trip so much shorter where every you go if you have someone else with you. While I do enjoy driving it is always nice to have a travelling companion - and the downside to Vikki's trip no doubt would be with helping with unloading & loading the car up again!

Again we had a good role up of ladies with absolutely delicious homemade goodies and lunch to keep us going! With a little sceptism as to how it was all going to work they dived in and we saw such lovely and varying work between them all.

Here are just some of the pics!

I look forward to seeing the lovely ladies in 2013.

On that note - if there are any clubs looking at booking a workshop for 2013 please contact me with your preferred months as I am already booked for 4 months! Thankyou again for your ongoing support!

 

 

More Workshops

I was very fortunate to attend the Tara Patchwork group for the first time recently. Now I did have a couple of ladies that I had taught before in the class so it is always great to see some familiar faces and just as exciting to meet so many new people! Now the bargello is somewhat "different" and so while not "super super challenging" can pose a few little speed bumps along the way when you least expect it, The country version of mine was put together  a little while ago starting on one of my visits to Cathy Gormans (previously Cowbelles Patchwork) with her design insight you could see the quilt coming together but of course not an overnight quilt! What we both loved is there is so much variation in these quilts if you wish! Now the Tara participants were great - I gave them a few options to give them some input into their quilts and they went away with the start of their "whoops" so that they could then play with their design!

I think now they may also be as addicted as I to the Clover Fork Pins - which are the best pins in the world - when piecing in MY opinion - I just LOVE them!!!

So here a few pics and as always I am sooo excited to see how the different colour ways work in these quilts. Just magic really!

 

Now I think I am one or 2 pics short = my apologies but I will try and source them and get them on here. But don't they look fantastic - all different and all very striking! Thankyou ladies for having me and I look forward to catching up with you again.

By the way - the Tara Hotel does FANTASTIC Meals! I should also mention I was very fortunate to have a travelling - well we didn't exactly travel together but lets just say had a few liquid refreshments together - it was quite warm after all!!! Thankyou Jane for providing much laughter and frivolity during my stay. Jane drove literally I think nearly 4 hours to attend the workshop and she was also very grateful to the Tara ladies for making her feel so welcome!!! It was a great weekend and I hope to see some pics very soon of completed quilt tops - they will be stunning!

I'm Back!

Yes what didn't seem that long...... well maybe to me - I checked my posts and it has been quite some time since I have posted - so sorry! Life has been very hectic - for everyone!

So we have lots to catch up on!

November was a workshop in Quilpie - and what a fantastic class. We had the ladies doing the converging and they did a fantastic job with a great variety in colours!

 

The ladies were very industrious with those not doing the raw edge applique - even after much "Encouragment" they were able to start quilting their wallhanging. AND those that were making a quilt were able to get quite a great deal achieved with their centres coming together!

Well done ladies!

New Class for 2012!

It is always very exciting to announce a new class and I am EXTRA excited about this one! This is the Patchaway class (more details available to those groups who choose to book this class of course!)  and it involves utilising those fabrics with large motifs - and no don't worry it isn't a difficult stack n wack or kaleidoscope! This is easy and fun but it does have some of those elements in that it is very randomn &  VERY EXCITING!

Now the Wednesday Clover Club girls have been tearing through these quilts and were more than happy for me to use them to show you all how fantastic the variations are! We have lots of new fabrics in store that these quilts would suit. So if your group is wondering which class to choose for 2012 - why not consider this one!

Karen's Central Park

Virginia's Kaffe Fassett

Neitta's stash buster on point!

Neitta's other stashbuster! I bet many of you have these type of fabrics in your stash but don't quite know what to do with them!

A touch of oriental & batik and it worked out so well!

Moonie French Braids - everywhere

A new take on an old favourite - French Braid - the Moonie girls dived in to my new "Spring French Braid" class. I looove teaching and my favourite part is seeing how each individual's quilt turns out completely different to the class sample. Just by using different fabrics or  a little change here or there it is endless the variety that we get to see by the end of the weekend.

Thankyou sooo much to Arlie, Rebel & Sonia for organising things and looking after me sooooo well. Also thankyou for my "roomy" Jan for another enjoyable weekend - this time without a little barking dog...... - yes we know it was our fault! The ladies always make me feel so welcome and it is a pleasure to teach such a lovely enthusiastic group!

So here are some pics - I have 1 group one and then a couple of individuals but I am finding that some people have a knack of disappearing at photo time....... I would never do that myself - would I!!!!

So here they are - from table runners to the partial quilts to cushions and near completed quilts the girls did soo well!!

 

 

Arlie's

 

Clare's

 

Kay's

 

Rebel's

 

Cathy's

Haven't they done a fantastic job?

Oh and here is my class sampler - sorry DH isn't quite tall enough to hold out the entire quilt - it has 5 braids - so is now around 100" x 90" but the class quilt isn't quite this large - I seem to be making a bit of a habit of expanding my own quilts into very large ones!

 

 

 

Injune Converging Workshop

Finally I am getting back onto the blog and hope to be a little more "on here" with what's happening.

The girls yet again made me feel very welcome and yet again I bought the rain to them with up to around 120 points in places! We had a great weekend with lots of creativity and changing the base design to make it more personal for participants. There were also a few completed to show off too!

So here are the lovely ladies and their creations.

 

Fay's Fish

 

Sandy's Horses

 

Sue's horses - and now being extended with a flying geese border! I think it may head to the gooseneck!

 

Vikki's sprials

Unfortunately I seem to have missed quite a few so please girls if you have some pics please send them to me so I can include them.

I just love this class as it never ceases to amaze me the variety you can achieve within the participants - no one goes home with anything like anyone else!

Til next time keep stitchin!

A trip to to Tambo Teddy Country

Yes my most recent workshop was to the lovely town of Tambo! The ladies made myself and my lovely travelling companion Vikki very welcome to this friendly little town!

They knew they were up for a challenge when they chose the beginners landscape class but with a little apprehension at first they soon dived in boots and all and did an absolutely fantastic job with their creations!

Everyone in the town made us sooo welcome from the publicans and patrons at both pubs - well when in Rome! and the motel had the    BEST BEDS EVER!!!!! I even wrote down the name of them - seriously it was the best bed I have EVER slept in. Vikki said the same about her bed too!

The meals we had during our stay at both the pubs and those provided by the ladies were simply delicious and we must say the meals at the pub across from the motel were HUGE!

So thankyou again ladies for making us so welcome and being so enthusiastic in learning lots of new techniques - some quite different to what many of us are used to !

Here are the gorgeous pics!

Now I do apologise as I seem to have been unable to use a couple of pics as they were a little blurry so I will check with Vikki to see if she has any of the ones I have missed and put them up in another blog.

 

Here is Jan, Jenny D & Sonia - everyone did such fantastic work and all very different!

 

These are Gail's 2 postcard landscapes
 

These were 2 new recruits Marion and Tabby and they were absolute beginners who made sewing machine mats just like the rest of the group!

 

A close up of Jenny D's

Many of the landscapes have a bit more to go on them but some are nearly finished and I'm sure you will all agree they are looking just Fantastic! Well done ladies!

 

 

This is Jenny D's and she is going with an "arty" approach by having her eucalypt leaves cascading over the entire pic.

 

We are still missing 2 but I will try and get those pics

 

This is the lovely Vikki and myself and for once I don't have a silly - well sillier than usual - look on my face! We had a great time!
 

Just thought I would share Gail's landscape as she actually took hers from an exact photo while the rest of the class "winged it" or had a photo as a bit of a guide but weren't looking to reproduce it exactly. I think Gail's has worked out really well. Go King Tut variegated thread - yes you all know I loooove it!

So there you have it - now hopefully a few of the local Tambo Landscape! courtesy of Vikki's photography skills!

 

Now where is this landmark in Tambo - now there is a fat quarter for the person who answers this correctly by either commenting on this blog or emailing me BUT it can't be anyone from Tambo - sorry ladies - lets make the others think!
 

Tambo has some lovely old buildings

 

And here is me after quickly pulling up at Fanny Mae's Cafe (see sign in the background) for some bottled water before we left town ( we had drank our trusty water bottle supply dry!)

 

The road home - you just can' t beat the long stretches of road in the country! All be it pot holed - thankyou Anna!


So the next workshop is at Injune in a fortnights time! I am sure we will have another fun and creative weekend in yet another top country location!

Keep stitchin.

 

PS I have just added LOTS of fabrics to the specials row - in excess of 40 fabrics now range from $8 to $18/m.  (lots around $10-$12) So be quick. I hope to have some of these on the blog in the next couple of weeks but no doubt if you are passing through it would pay to drop in to get "first dibs" plus of course we have lots of new bits arriving all the time including the Nifty Nets, Bobbin Savers, new variegated King Tut machine thread colours, Dustaway Aerosol degreaser for your machines, and LOTS of new Accucutter Dies!!!

So thankyou again for your ongoing support of our business - we do greatly appreciate it.

 

Keep STitchin!

Quilpie Visit

OK back to craft!!! What  a FANTASTIC trip to Quilpie - this time I had the lovely Fiona as my travelling companion and another lovely Lady Jane - who travelled from Bollon to spend the weekend with the terrific Quilpie Ladies!!!

The weather was beautiful and we even did a few touristy things while we were there - see pics. We went and looked in the opal shops, the amazing mural, the Lyn Barnes Gallery, - oh how I wish I could buy a rather large painting of hers with a young man on a horse with brahman cattle in the background - just gorgeous!!! May need a small bank loan though! - the opening of the latest exhibition at the Shire Gallery, admired the cattle cut outs up the street, looked in the museum and attended the pub! - for sustenance and medicinal purposes only of course!!

AND had a mini family reunion with Ma & Pa who sought of travelled out after us to help Pete with the muster and then we caught up with Pete as he was in town for   Wild Dog meeting! Just a shame we didn't get to see Wendy and the kids who were at a mini school camp for Distance Ed!

So thankyou again to the lovely Quilpie ladies and we will see you again next year!

Thankyou also to you all for making the 3 of us "ring ins" so welcome!

Also thankyou to Jane for the pics! I couldn't find my camera!

 
See Dad I did go to church!!! Here is proof! - well ok it is OUTSIDE - but wait there is more!

 

Here is Fiona & I IN CHURCH - thanks to Jane for the pics - see she was there too! Plus thankyou to Janelle for the tour!

My brother Pete and his wife Wendy were married at St Finbar's by the iconic Father Scully!

So I have already ooohed and ahhed over the opals - but Jane & Fiona had not seen them!!!! Very impressive!

 
 

Jane K's stunning Zig Zag quilt

 

Jane T's gorgeous zig zag - definatley a black white and red thing happening

 

Fiona worked on her own thing on the weekend and was very proud that she was able to complete th top of an outstanding UFO - well done!

Now I can't share much more as we had a bit of a "mystery" thing happening so if I show the mystery it will ruin it.

I do also have a little surprise that has a connection to Quilpie - so all being well I will have some more info for you soon!