Welcome to the North Pole QAL with Val

Val is hosting a QAL for "Welcome to the North Pole" quilt.
On the fourth Wednesday of each Month we do a post and show what we've done or where we are at...Val did propose a timetable but being such an independent rule breaker I am just doing it my way....less stress.

Let me say firstly I am NOT needle turning  (in my book this is a fun quilt - to be on show for maybe 6 weeks of the year...and I'd like to finish it.)  And I am theming my buildings so a lot may change from the original pattern.  (Patterns are a guide...in my book).

So here is what I have prepped so far - one of these has been on my blog before but its here again.

 Coffee Shop - cafe (not in the original pattern).  Ice Cream parlour and 3 trees....

 Take Away - (not Take Out)

Recreation Centre - music and movies

I haven't started the sewing and I am thinking I will do all the snowy ground at the same time towards the end....I haven't really decided what that "snow" will be yet . . .
There will also be a lot of embellishment - the roofs need to be added, door handles, decorations on the trees...gonna be a lot of fun....

Sunday Stitchers

Sunday was our first meet up for the year.  We have a fabulous new venue - new building , clean, comfortable, great parking and the air conditioning is super!  Just as well as it was a stinker outside!
Sixteen ladies- sewing, talking, laughing - did get a bit noisy at times.

Some of us are doing a paper bag swap - and we did a Show and Tell of the first row - we have each made our own flower row and now have passed the bag, our row and some fabrics onto the next person to complete a pinwheel row.  Needs to be ready by the end of March - (plenty of time she says to herself).  I didn't get a photo since I was in the "show & tell" but we are not allowed any more sneak peeks or sneak photos until we are ready to give the finished rows back ...thats quite a few months off yet!!!

I had a coffee toast for Fiona who lives too far away for us to be able to see her regularly - maybe we can twist her arm and she will join us some time - or maybe we need to bribe Hubz???  Maybe a new packet of home brew???
Maree has done an excellent job finding this venue -so much better than a shopping centre - especially while renovations are underway and parking is a nightmare.

The Next Time . . .

. . . you buy or eat some meat, stop and think about the farmers who work hard to produce it.

A farmers life is not easy - cows do not know it's the weekend or a holiday - or that the farmer needs a break - they still need tendering.
At the moment - a farmers life is even harder - there has been no rain for so long, dams are dry, food has to be bought and shipped in and delivered to the animals, so not only is it more work, there is the financial drain of paying for the feed and the emotional drain.

My blogging buddy Chookyblue is asking us all to stop, think and arouse awareness about the drought.  As she says, if there were fires or a flood...it would be in the news and there would be a lot of emergency help...a drought - just goes on and on and seems to be ignored.

Go over to Chookyblue - read her latest posts and give her some support.
This will give you an idea of what the farmers are facing:

a very empty dam

and the dust

FNWF - February

I joined in for FNWF hosted by Cheryll - loved the company of you all but didn't achieve much.....a "quick" meal out is never all that quick - then home to stitch whilst watching Better Homes & Gardens and maybe a little nanna nap...then the ice skating.  Somehow by Friday night I am worn out...but every stitch helps.

I worked on this:

Perhaps next time I will be a bit more productive!

Pop over here for a link to see what all the others got up to - 60++ this month.

Who can resist a fabric sale????

Not me often.

Faeries in My Garden have had an annual sale on Australia Day and the following week or so for a few years now.
This year some fabrics were $7 pm or $5 if you took whatever was on the bolt, plus a lot of other discounts.

I mainly went for a backing for a quilt where I needed 5.4 metres - what I found had a bit over 6 metres so it was cheaper to buy the whole lot....(that's the accountant in me talking...I think).
But, as the balis were also on special at the same price I picked up a few more - just one metre of those.  And I do have a specific project for all but one of them.....truly!!!

All those fabrics were out the front...so I ventured into the shop area and collected a few Cottage Garden Threads to add to the collection  (guilty - it IS a collection - I have only used a few of them...but they are so pretty...)

I also picked up a scrap bag - $2 - they are fabulous value - there are a lot of large pieces..some are almost fat quarter size...and the bag I chose even had 2 pre printed embroideries in it.  Most of them are shown in the photo below.  There are quite a few that will work with my Mrs Beasleys Sampler quilt and as I don't have a lot of that soft pretty stuff, it will be good to add to the variety for that quilt.  And there was a pack of small bits of various landscape fabrics... and a green bit that just might be big enough for a tree in my North Pole quilt.

And a "bundle" for $6 - 7 pieces - most of them are about 20 - 30 cm of fabric - that is the blue lot in the photo.  They will be great for some charity quilts that are planned this year.

I came home with 2 fairly full and quite heavy bags - fabric does weigh a bit! but all for a great price.
So, if you need some backings...or balis for something special and you live anywhere close enough...go and pay Faeries a visit.  The sale continues for a while yet...oh - the sale is for online shopping too . . . .check the link above.

OK I'm off to find somewhere to put it now . . . that could be tricky!!!!

FNSI - January 2014

FNSI - a great excuse to sew (well - really do we need an excuse???)

I had already cut these poppy blocks after seeing some on Marilyn's blog. So I assembled them - I left the black stitching on the circles for a daytime sewing session.  They are for Aussie Hero Quilts.  I couldn't commit to a whole quilt, but a few blocks will always help.

This is a really quick block and no fussy matchy bits - a great group pattern and I think it would look great using all sorts of floral fabrics and the same coloured centre.

Then I put my "Bob the Builder" hard hat on and constructed a building for my Welcome to the North Pole quilt.  I was really sorry I couldn't do this last year when there was a group going, but I am having fun with it now.
This is the Coffee Shop (originally the Marble House - but patterns are just a guide - aren't they??) - I figure Santa & Mrs Claus need a few good cuppas to get them through that busy season... I know I do....I am thinking they are going to need something more than a coffee...maybe a pub???

There will be a lot of embellishments added - especially a roof!

Thanks for everyone's company and thanks to Wendy or hosting and providing recipes.

OPAM 2014

Peg & Kris are running OPAM again for 2014.

I you want to join in go & visit Peg or Kris - read the rules and then join in.

Thanks Girls - we need all the encouragement we can get!!!