Quiltathon

Had a quilty day today with the Singleton Quilters, sewing our Aussie Hero Quilts.  Most of the girls were very camera shy but I managed to get a couple of shots.  With some quilts already taken home to be finished/worked on by various members, we estimate about 25 tops now in various stages, pinned, quilted, bound or finished! Nearly halfway.

The pinners - Betty, Joy, Ros and Cheryl

Some diehard sewers late in the day

Shy Sharon's quilt

Quilts ready for labels and/or sewing the binding down.

Goodbye summer

I love to quilt when it rains!  but some sunny days would be nice too.... 
Being in the Hunter Valley we have not had the rain that has hit the southern areas of the State but by the sound of things that could change.  The rain woke us up during the night and I have just tipped 38mm out of the rain gauge ('bout 1.5").  Let's cross our fingers that we don't get too much in the northwest where many are still cut off by floodwaters from January and hope that those in the southern areas are safe and back to normal soon. 

Me, well I've been working on some Aussie Hero Quilts, cutting for my Orca Bay and doing lots of customer quilts.....

I still need to unpack.

Jane

Now that's a haircut

Have had the last couple of days away from the machine at my son's swimming carnival.  It's not a carnival - it's a festival!  From war cry competitions to swimming and fund raising and catching up with friends.  It is one of the great annual events at school.  This year, Year 12 are rallying to one of their own who is undergoing treatment for his second cancer diagnosis.  Now this is a private school and there are strict hair regulations - prefects even stricter - but for a very good cause!  The boys raised over $2200.00 by shaving heads and even WAXING MY SON'S CHEST!  I had to do 2 chemist runs for numbing cream, pain relief and rash cream.

Max assures me the redness has now gone and he is fine!  Buddy, I'm so proud of you!  (eat more, we can count your ribs)



Catching up

I could have titled this post many things:- Country Music Week, moving house, tears, Orca Bay, finished quilts, but really, trying to catch up is what strikes me most about right now.

Yep, I've finally moved out of the Tamworth House, lots of packing, squishing into boxes, bags and cars, needless to say, I haven't done much unpacking yet.  I thought about showing a photo of the accumulated detritus of 3 houses (daughter moved home as well) but it's just embarrasing.  Before leaving we managed a quick visit down the street to check out Country Music Week, some of the buskers are fantastic, some others are well.... it could be a while before a record contract comes there way.  We spent the evening of Australia Day wandering along the main street checking it all out and our favourites were definitely the Perch Creek Family Jug Band and Surkuy from South America, and followed up on Friday morning with Max, Cheryl and I doing the walk of life!

Nothing like needing a hair cut! Lucky they gave us caps.

I got this photo under sufferance!

Gotta love the camels in hats!

On Monday I had to take my boy back to school for his final year.  It's hard to believe that he is now in Year 12.  He got his haircut at the last minute before dropping him off.  As I drove away I couldn't help have a few tears, I was remembering so many of his firsts.  Being my third child, it is hard to admit he is growing up when his first day at school was only just the other day.  Taking him to boarding school for the first time 6 years ago was horrendous but he, like the others, has flourished and has made lifelong friends, seen the world and done brilliantly academically.  I am so proud of him.

But of course, it's now back to the real world where I've done 3 customer quilts and have toiled away on Orca Bay. I'll unpack a box or 2 tomorrow.

Parts 1, 2 and 5(?) 6 completed.

And it's raining again, which is great sewing weather!  The dam is letting out more water as flood mitigation, more like flood instigation, so we are going to be trapped for the next 3 days!   Which means bonus days, nothing we can do about it, we have plenty of food, wine, good neighbours and lots of sewing!!!

See ya!

Jane

First finish for 2012

George's quilt! using Fox Trails by Doohickey designs.

 I made a snail trail quilt in coffee and cream for George's big sister Lara when she was born, this time I was able to wait until George was here to decide on what to make.  Congratulations mum and dad, and the doting grandparents as well!

Lara's quilt

Qwilt has been keeping me occupied on top of Christmas, New Year and birthdays for my husband and big son.  It's hard to believe that he is now 21.  He has graduated from uni, got himself a good job and still happily hugs his mum!  Gotta be proud.  My daughter has also got herself a new job in the Hunter and has moved back home.  Me, i've got a week of my day job left and the task of packing up our second home and trying to fit it all into one house.  I think we will be dodging boxes and excess furniture for a while yet.  I'm planning on putting some of the furniture from Tamworth on Gumtrees (Aussie trading post) so will see how that goes.  If anyone is chasing a 1930's Jarvie lounge suite, let me know!

Christmas was lovely with all the kids home in time for dinner with in-laws, in-laws of in-laws and others.  A relaxing day, not too hot, lots of food, pressies and good company.  Instead of celebrating New Years at night, as all the kids had gone in different directions, we spent the afternoon at the wineries, picking up a lovely sparkling Semillon from Bimbadgen wines to bring in 2012, as well as some still wines and stickies for later, yum..

Lots of customer quilts coming through as well

Australian Wildflowers are popular at the moment, beautiful quilts I quilted with Flannel Flowers and Waratahs.

Roses on roses (not a good photo)

Wildflowers on a sampler

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!





I've done it

Yep, I've done it.  I have resigned from my day job!  Big step here, as we still have one child in boarding school and one at Uni, Number 1 has  now graduated and is working in central Queensland.  I have really enjoyed my day job and will be sad to leave BUT, and there is always a but, now I get to qwilt for my living (or school fees anyway).  I have promised myself a trip to Adelaide for the AMQ festival in September so keep your fingers crossed this foray into being self employed doing what I love best is successful.

I did get a little bit of patchwork done recently, this is a quilt for Hayley who is expecting a baby brother or sister in around 6 weeks!  Gotta love me and my sister, and yes, there is something for the new baby in the pipeline.....

Just needs some binding!

A date with Ricky Tims!

Head on over to the AMQ Festival blog to check out a day with Ricky Tims!  I'll be there with bells on!  This festival is being held in beautiful Adelaide in late September 2012, lots to learn, do, see and meet.  As a new longarmer, I can't wait and have started putting a little bit away from every quilt to get me there.

Frustration

After driving down to Singleton late on Thursday night after work, my husband advised that our causeway might be up 'a little bit' as the dam upstream from us is almost full and they are letting some water out to avoid overflow.  Mind you it was raining at the time and the forecast was for a lot of rain.  Why Water Resources didn't think of this over the last few weeks and let the same 5000 megalitres out over several weeks whilst it was not raining is being asked a lot around our neighbourhood at the moment.  Needless to say I couldn't get home.....

This is our causeway that is normally about 10cm (4inches) deep and about 5 metres wide! We have been told it could be like this for up to two weeks!!!!!

My lovely in-laws put me up for the weekend, and if you are going to be stranded, the best place to get stranded at another quilters house!  In between preparing for my sister-in-laws birthday party I got to do a little bit of sewing.  I had taken the quilt below to show Cheryl - it's the commission i have been working on and is now ready for delivery.  the pattern is Swoon by Camille Roskelly available here.  I adjusted the pattern to make the blocks 16" finished, and the only instructions I was given were for a queen size quilt.  I had asked what the recipient (it's a gift for a mum) likes in the way of colours etc and was told umm...Royal Doulton...

I love it, although I almost always use brights, and everyone who has seen it loves it too.  Hopefully Rogers mum will be happy with her gift!

Lots of work!

I'm loving the gammill, and getting lots of work.  I've been busy checking out all the different edge to edge patterns available and am getting quite a collection that matches to the quilts I have been quilting..

I have also been asked to sell my 'Santa Sack' pattern again. Just need to find the original file, I think it's on my old computer - I hope it's on my old computer...

I've got orders for 3 finished stockings as well!

Please note this pattern is subject to copyright.

Qwilter in training

After lots of little quilts, watching training DVD's and youtube, I've learned all the tips and tricks and am now really happy with my edge to edge quilting.  Just a couple of small things make such a difference.  I'm now taking paying jobs and so far everyone is happy - especially me!  I'm also busily stitching away on a commission quilt and trying to keep up production on the baby quilts.  And I thought I was busy before...

Bev wanted Roses

Now for sale on etsy

I have 8 customer quilts waiting for me to quilt, 4 quilts in the middle of piecing (2 of which are long term project so maybe shouldn't be counted) and this turned up in the mail in the last couple of weeks...

From left is a fabric bundle from Get Stitched in Armidale, Oops a Daisy by Keiki, Fox Trails by Doohicki Designs and Heirloom by Joel Dewberry in Citrine.  And Kona Ash from Hancocks turned up yesterday as well.  The roll is actually 9" high and the Oops a Daisy stack is 6" high, so I've got some stitchin' to do. 

Stitching away

I've been having sooooo much fun with my Statler Stitcher.  Last weekend I did a quilt for KN as my first BIG practice quilt..She is a prolific quilter with beautiful workmanship and I was very nervous quilting on someone else's work.  But she loved it.  Phew!  Even when I had issues (read lack of experience) on the last row. 

This weekend I went back home with only 1 baby quilt to quilt on.  I thought I might try some new styles and this is what I ended up with... 

Point to point was the first style, both line, doing stitch in the ditch, and pattern.  Gotta admit, I'm very happy with both.  I then tried out borders and did the corners and along the top and each side very easily.  Not so crash hot when i tried the bottom half...  I think I must have changed the angle of the corner pieces as the bottom and sides would just not line up.  Not to worry, I little bit of reverse sewing and I'll try again.  Lucky it's just a small quilt.

On Saturday morning I had to go into town as I needed a couple of things, thread, fabric, iphone, printer, and when I got into my LQS BM said that she had her quilt with her, was that all right?  Was that all right? of course it was, BM works at my LQS and is my best advertiser. So once I got home I took the triangle quilt off the racks and loaded BM's. 107" x 83".  Another BIG quilt. And BM's only request was maybe something with roses.  I could do that!  We talked about thread and decided on a variegated red, green, yellow on the top and a beige to match the back.  We talked about using the same colour top and bottom to stop threads 'poking' through but, top and bottom, although they work together are very different.  I said I'll do one run and check for 'pokies' and if there was an issue I'd give her a call.  My wonderful sister in law Cheryl came over for a visit and we got the quilt loaded and up and running.  Quilted up like a dream and today on my way back to Tamworth I got to drop it off to BM.  Needless to say she was rapt.  She absolutely loved it!  I'm so happy.

Now back to unpicking!

Bindings

A couple of finishes for this week!  The pink quilt has been sold, thank you Brony, and will shortly be on its way to Queensland to it's brand new owner, her brand new niece!  I hope she loves it!  I just love the quilting on this one.

The second one will be listed on my etsy shop, it is the first one I quilted on Optimus Prime (my new gammill longarm).  The sanctuary fabrics are soooo soft, just love them.

Jane

I found it!

Well, I didn't actually find my camera cord, but I did find another camera with the same size fittings.

On Saturday a big truck came and delivered this...

and then it rained, and rained and hailed and lighting and thunder and rained 67 mm. I was standing under the back pergola at 1am while the lighting lit up the horizontal trees being battered by hail, shining a torch on the billowing tarps that kept everything totally dry.

But on Monday we started to unpack...

and built this...

so I could do this...

and this...

Soooooo much fun!!  Just need to do some binding then on to my etsy shop.  The pink one has already sold and I picked up a commission over the weekend.  I have one quilt ready to quilt waiting for me to get back to the farm next weekend.  And 2 shops ready and waiting for my flyers and price lists.  This could be the start of my third career.  Roll on next weekend!!!  

Watch this space

....because when I find the cord to connect my camera to my computer, I'll have lots to show you!!!

I've been having lots of fun, except i can't find the d^#n cord.

J

Shorty show 2011

Every year I make a denim quilt to be auctioned for the Shorthorn Youth Club Heifer Expo.  This is this years version.  Thanks Roger for all the jeans!

Nearly all gone!

Whilst being VERY busy at work, it has been equally quiet at home this week.  With the leftover fabric from my Sanctuary fat quarter story I made this, stitching away a little at a time at night.

and now all I have left is...

And that's on a 6 1/2 inch square ruler.  I think the green is the biggest scrap left.  I finished the quilt top at 6.30 this morning when I woke up at 5 and couldn't go back to sleep, so I snuck out to sew quietly so I didn't wake the bird.  10 fat quarters = 2 baby quilts.

Jane