She had me at the border

Just couldn't resist this one.

After all it's the New Year and my brain has been screaming "New Year = New Project!"

Karen at Faeries and Fibres started the Value Proposition QAL earlier in the year, I was intrigued but didn't start the QAL. I recently saw Karen's beautiful finished top and this amazing border fabric that she was auditioning.

I was gone. I hit the net to source that Winterthur Museum border fabric and bingo I found it!

Not quite but you know what it's like when you're buying fabric from o/s you might as well fill that post pack ☺️

After some recent Christmas sewing...

Fabric basket for my brother & partner

block folder for Judy

I made the block folder from a pattern by Linda at Gum Valley Patchwork
It's rather yum, I think I'll have to make one for myself.

Anyway, as the year was drawing to a close I was planning on putting everything else to one side to just focus on AWS to try and get this finished for my SIL.

Experimenting with broderie perse for the border triangles

What's that saying about mice and men and plans..? Anyway I had an unused starter pack that's been lying around that I thought would be perfect for this quilt. I had also recently seen on Pinterest  the original inspiration for Karen's quilt.

I think this is going to be very educational to help me learn about use of dark medium and light tones. Karen posts monochrome photos of each block so I thought this would be fun and it is! It's amazing how much time can be spent playing with fabrics.

Playing with possible fabrics for Block #1

I haven't done much with hexagons before, just this block in my Morrell which I machine pieced...

...and a couple of blocks for Gossip in the Garden where I used EPP.

So I have been reading up Karen's tutorials and blog posts and also having a look at Inklingo wondering how to piece this, by hand, machine, EPP..? 

Just off now to Warrnambool to spend some time with the G'nT Sisters.

Happy New Year everyone!!!!

How cool is this!

Well it's Boxing Day, a day where we just like to totally relax. Checking out the internet and wow! What has Google sent me? A snapshot video of my year in pictures - how cool is that??!!

If you can't see the embedded video click here.

I love the whole concept of continuing to progress an art/ craft from the 1700's through today's technology - just amazing.

I thought it would make a good post for New Year's but I just couldn't wait :) 

Take it easy

Carole

It's that time of the year

It's that time of year when the cockatoos come down to eat the plum stones from our trees. Such a handsome bird with beautiful snow white feathers.

Of course it's the time of year when sewing groups have their Christmas get togethers before the end of the year. 

Friday threaders at Kaye's...

We had a fabric lucky dip thanks Kaye! 

Then last Sunday was the Warrandyte Chapter of the Applique Guild where we were spoiled again with another lucky dip and Sonia made us a cute golf-tee pin cushion (thanks Sopnia!)

We were asked to bring Christmas show and tell.

Olga's 'Á Very Merry Aussie Christmas' design by Millamac

Olga's own design

Sue's oldie but a goodie (check the year!)

Sue's stockings

Veronique's sparkly Christmas scene

 New member Helen, didn't realise that we were having a Christmas theme, but we weren't complaining about these beautiful examples of applique!

Helen's stunning 'Aunt Green's Quilt' designed by Carolyn Konig

 Centre for 'Anne Daggs' designed by Di Ford/Hall

and the border

 I took along my 12 Days of Christmas, still unfinished :( despite which I have decided to hang up in lieu of having a tree this year. Things are pretty low key around here this year as we are not having Christmas lunch here

It's also been time to make some Christmas gifts. These are cute little mini felt Temari (Japanese) wool felt balls, I bought the kit from Kimono House.

There's also been some secret sewing happening - ssshhh!

In between I've been working on AWS, pop over to G'nT Sisters for an update.

I also had a bit of a mad month in November where I made heaps of Dear Jane blocks. These are just a couple that look a bit Christmassy.

B-7 World Series

H-3 Farm Fields

Thank you for all of your encouragement and lovely comments throughout the year.

Wishing everyone a wonderful, safe and peaceful Christmas.

Carole

G'nT Sisters - New Blog!

Announcing my new blog that I have created for the G'nT (Gin & Thread) Sisters - aka my sister and two friends, Sofie and Lynne who you have met here before.

We are all sewing our own version of Di Ford's Antique Wedding Sampler (re-visited) quilt and try to get together every month or so. I have just finished this block after starting it at our AWS Fryerstown retreat

AWS Block #20

To see more of our AWS blocks please go and visit the Gin and Thread Sisters at our new blog.

Many thanks

Carole

Crossing the Nullabor

I'm finally getting around to posting about the rest of our trip. This was a remote lookout in the Port Lincoln area. Then finally we reached the long awaited Nullabor.

The Nullabor - Latin for no trees

Head of the Bight

Painted dragon

The Great Australian Bight

It may look boring but there was always something to see, if you stopped the car to look closely at the plant life...

This one plant had three different types of flowers!

or the wildlife (hubby nearly stepped on this goanna!)...

or took little side tracks to the coastal edge.

You don't want to get too close to the edge!

New Holland honeyeater

A Nullabor snowman made of rocks

Emu with three chicks

Cute stripes!

The road houses sometimes had some very surprising elements, like this museum at Balladonia where pieces of Skylab space station fell to earth in 1979.

Old Aussie kitchen

An old Jones sewing machine

I wasn't too sure about using the toilets here but I'm afraid there wasn't much choice...

 At the edge of the Nullabor we stayed at Fraser Range, a huge sheep station (500,000 acres!!!) that is surrounded by the largest hardwood forest in the world.

Even though it had rained the night before, the surface quickly dries out.

This was our cottage on the station, where I managed to make some more Gossip in the Garden hexies.

 

We then travelled to Noresman and did a short mountain-top walk amongst beautiful flowering gums.

 

Now for a bit of a sewing update, I recently finished CCCQ block #24 to swap with Chris. I used the back basting technique for this block and, unlike the pattern, I did the green section as all one piece.

And some more sewing for Gossip in the Garden.

I've also been sewing lots of DJ blocks and working on AWS with the G'nT Sisters but more on those next time.

Cheers

Carole