My big exciting news.....

Wow this is so exciting..... I went to pick up my quilt from the Mt. Gravatt Show today so there I was having a look at the quilts and on my quilt was a blue ribbon and a great rosette, the ladies were waiting for me to show up to see the results, getting first prize for this section was great but to get "small quilt champion" and "best of show" was certainly more than I had hoped for.

I received a $50 voucher at Webster & Wood hairdressers for the first prize and Best of Show was a $100 voucher for a service on a sewing machine, $20 off a facial and a $20 voucher at sewing world.

Took a piccie at the show of the quilt and the other at home.

Our New Group

The Jimboomba Quilters and Stitchers Group began on the 4th June after the closure of our local craft shop and is now going very well with appox 35 members already and each week we about 20 girls attend which is great. We celebrated our first Christmas in July last monday and it was terrific, we had started a secret santa swap at the beginning of the year (whilst still at the craft shop) with 12 girls so we opened our gifts at our party, it was so much fun. I started a new swap for the next part of the year and we now have 20 girls involved so hope it goes well. Everyone brought a plate of food for the day so we eating took up most of the day as well as much laughing and chatting.... of course. As the piccies show a great was day had by all, I had to play santa which was a bit embarassing but whats a christmas party without santa.
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My Little Secret.......

Gosh its been a while since I have had anything newsworthy to tell but I do now.

I have entered my quilt (piccie below this post) "Throught the Garden Gate" in the Mt. Gravatt Show this weekend, I won't be going to the show until sunday afternoon to pick the quilt up so I"ll get to see all the quilts then and maybe have more news to tell.

Through the Garden Gate BOM

Yahoooooo finished ...... another project from the " to do list", now to push on with other things.

Christmas Belles progress report.

Block 8.





Block 12.




I have joined blocks 1 through to 8 together and it seems to be coming along quite well. The piccie isn't very good but I was in a hurry and couldn't be bothered hanging it up so this will have to do for the moment.

A weekend with June (g/daughter)

June and I had a busy long weekend together, on Saturday morning we went to our local craft shop to buy fabric for a project we were going to make, then we baked a chocolate cake for my friend .... Jenny .... who was visiting on Sunday. Monday we visited Liz and her boys... Jake, Clayton ( my daughter, Junes Aunt) we had a lovely day.

Cleaning up after cooking.

Busy tracing and cutting out the doll.

Having a break......watching "Happy Feet"

This is a pattern from " Patchwork and Stitching" magazine ..."Rosemarie Jane" by Maria Lewty.



Here she is finished.

We made this doll together, June embroidered the cushion and pants, also machine sewing of the pants , stuffing the body and traced all pattern pieces with templates onto fabric ...... all for the very first time and she is only 9 years old. I'm very proud of her and I know " Rosie " will be happy living in June's bedroom.

We had heaps of fun over the weekend.

Dotty Dancer

At last she is finished, a " Country Keepsakes " pattern by Annie Smith called Dotty Dancer.


I love her dolls they are great fun to make and with all the laughter we have at dolly club adds to the pleasure of doll making.

Close up piccie of Gav's Quilt

This a better piccie of Gav's quilt for you to see, I 'm so pleased with it and so is he which is even better.

Family get together for birthdays

We had a great day today, all the family together for Corinne's ( g/daughter ) 15th birthday yesterday and Gavan's ( hubbie) 65th birthday tomorrow. Here are a few piccies of Gavan's bedroom, before and after, his pressie was a group thing this year, a new venetian blind.... curtains... bedspread... light fitting, a quilt with piccies of his model planes on it, he was off flying his planes and was ready for him when he arrived home but of course he came home early and was promptly told to stay outside, naturally everything wasn't ready but did look great in the end , he was surprised and happy which was terrific. Corinne received a new camera.... money which she loved.... clothes so she also was surprised and happy.

Christmas Belles

These are blocks 5 & 9 of the Christmas Belles quilt, this is the only project that I'm up to date with at the moment, mind you only just. Still plodding away on the "Vintage Valentines" blocks not sure how long it will take me to catch up with the other girls but I'm trying ( yes I know, very trying lol). Oh well back to the drawing board or should I say stitching couch to do a little more of the VV quilt.

FLORENCE

This is " Florence" she is a "Country Keepsakes" pattern by Annie Smith, really enjoyed making her at dolly club, now I have to find a place to hang her, fast running out of space for my dolls.

Christmas Belles

Blocks 3 & 4 finished at last, I've joined 1 & 2 with 3 to make the first section, 4 goes in the next section.

Vintage charms wallhanging

This is a "Candlelight Creations" pattern by Leanne May , its a wallhanging which is in the same pattern as the previous Vintage Charm picture I made, this was also great to make and another project finished from my "wish list". The little girl in the picture is "me".

"Vintage Charm"

This is a "Candlelight Creations" pattern by Leanne May and is on my "wish list" for this year.

The little girl is my sister "June" ( 1937-84 ) she was in a bridal party as a flower girl and I guess she must have been about 7yrs at the time, its a lovely photo and I wanted to use it in this as a memento to have and then pass down to her nieces in the years to come.

Christmas Belles

This is a piccie of block 1 & 2 of the Christmas Belles quilt that I'm doing with 3 mad (as in fun mad) crafty friends, as you can see I stuffed up when I cut out the centre stitchery of block 1 so I will have to think of something clever to add so its centred properly, I'm a dopey Dora, never mind all will be well in the end. I have decided not to buy any fabric for this project as I want to use my stash fabric only so hope it works out okay.

Stitchers Cushion

Here ia another of my "wish list" projects finished, I'm sure the bigger items will slow me down but I'm off to a good start.

" Old Country Wares" 3D stitchery

This is a Rustic Country Wares pattern by Julie Wilson in a rusty frame, it was different to make with the cushion, plates and sign being a bit fiddly but I love the finished picture.

Angels Story Quilt

Well I have made a great start on my " To do list" for this year but I must admit that I started this quilt a long time ago and did have it layered and pinned ready for quilting but at least it is finished so the first job is done, here is a piccie.

This is my wish list of "to do's" for 2007.

1. Through the Garden Gate Bom by Two Country Friends COMPLETED
2. Gav's (hubbie) memories quilt COMPLETED
3. Christmas Belles by Mum's Moment, BOM with stitchy friends COMPLETED
4. Vintage Valentines quilt by The Vintage Spool also with the stitchy friends
5. Outback Star by Kookaburra Cottage
6. Tea with Friends table quilt by Bronwyn Hayes COMPLETED
7. Angel Story by Anni Downs COMPLETED
8. Old Country Wares stitchery by Rustic Country Wares COMPLETED
9. 2005/2006 Friendship quilts
10. Gracie by Rosalie Quinlan for my daughter... Heather. COMPLETED
11. Vintage Charm w/hanging by Candlelight Creations COMPLETED
12. Vintage Charm picture by Candlelight Creations COMPLETED
13. I have 8 projects from a "Stitchers Dream Day Out" I attended in September 2006, there were 4 designers at this day Bronwyn Hayes, Debbie Magee, Lynette Anderson & Leanne May, they each designed 2 projects for us to stitch and of course I havent finished any yet so they are definately on this list. 1 ... COMPLETED .... 7 to go.

Not all these things are for me but they are certainly on the list of " to do's " for this year.

Phew I'm exhausted just writing it down so I'd better a move on and stitch like there is no tomorrow.

Helen

Scrappy Happy Christmas Quilt

This is my new christmas quilt finished at last but only just in time. Made most of it at dolly club pattern was a bit of a problem as usual but ended up alright in the end.

The other piccie is a doll "Jesse May" pattern by Debbie Macgee, christmas present for Mum, not sure how many 61yr old daughters would be making a doll for their 94yr old mothers but at least it gave me a giggle.