Brisbane Bloggers meet - 9th December 2012

Everyone has said it so well.
Another lovely morning (for me) at the Wishing Well Cafe.
It was a perfect opportunity to meet Peg & Dale.

and catch up with all these lovely ladies:

Unfortunately I had to leave before lunch for my KQ Christmas party.  We had a lot of lovely food and some fun games.
Later in the afternoon we presented "W" with a quilt we had made as a group effort.  He keeps an eye out for our "workshop" when we are not there.

I also collected my Birthday blocks.  Everyone had made me a 9 patch block with novelty/funky fabrics.  I intend to add some more and make a quilt...it has to be finished before next November.

These are the blocks I have collected:

A busy but fun day.

Log Cabins Anyone?

Over here, Béatrice is reviewing some work for Fons & Porters and mentioned a free book you can download.  I have only had a quick look at it, but it seems like a vary handy reference for log cabin blocks and some variations.
Pop on over and have a look.
Meanwhile I am trying to finish some "secret" Christmas sewing, so there has not been a lot of blogging happening. 

PS:  this great e-book has a marvellous method for joining the ends of the binding.  I'm sure everyone has their preferred method - but I'm still searching for mine - Maybe this is it.  So download the book and look for Liz’s Lumpless Binding (right at the end).  It worked well for me last night.

SKOW Completed

This is my finished SKOW quilt

My Favourite Things Quilt

I have posted here (to meet the November deadline) and here (where it all started) but not here..
So here is my completed "My Favourite Things" quilt.

 

and I did a label (as one should)

I have included a picture of each block (for record keeping purposes) on the "My Favourite Things" page - see the tab at the top..

Now onto those special projects that I cant talk about (yet).

"Me" in fabric

I have been an admirer of Carol Turznik's work for a long time. Over on my side bar I have her logo and "Carol Turznik - Awesomely Artistic" .  She is.  A while back she did a series of quilts featuring various ladies - and I have been hoping she would start doing these as commission pieces.  Finally she posted a message to say she was ready to do more "Ladies".  I hopped onto the bandwagon immediately.

Here I am in fabric:

I was so excited when my parcel finally arrived from the USA.   I just love my wall hanging.

For the full details - you can see the original photo and the drawing here.

I think Carol is still taking orders if you are interested - maybe a Christmas present to yourself (Aren't they the best ones?)

For some of the other ladies go here or just keep scrolling backwards.  Carol does wonderful modern bright stuff.  If you like that style you could be there for quite a while.

A huge thank you to Carol - a wonderful addition to my Sewing Space.

Hen, Chicks and Baby

Remember Mrs Hen and her chicks?? - the baby's mother has sent me this photo - (She sends it to all her clucky girlfriends!)

So cute - I have nothing else to add.

Erin's Quilt

I finally got back to working on this quilt today - it is due to be gifted as a wedding present - the wedding is 1st December.  I just need to add the border - I have the border fabric - well I thought I did - but when I had another look today and with some "group input" I have decoded that what I have will have to be part of something else - off to the LQS tomorrow (luckily the patchwork shop closest to me is open Sundays - a rare thing in Brisbane...)
You can't see any detail - I took this shot inside at night.

Its almost the same as this one - but this one is in teals (well turquoises, bluey greens and greeny blues - I know you understand) as per the bride's request.  It's actually a bit greener than how it looks here.

Brisbane Blog Meet at The Wishing Well Cafe

Maree organised a Blog Meet for today - it was very hot in Brisbane today - 30 celsius but we met in a little cafe at Victoria Point - near the water and it was absolutely the best place to be for the day.  We started at 10.30 for a coffee, stitched and did Show & Tell - then had lunch and dessert and more coffee and more stitching...a lot of talking and laughing.
I think this will become the regular blog meeting spot.  If you get the chance to go there for lunch - or they do a high tea with 24 hours notice - do it - its a bit "shabby chic" with a lot of very pretty teapots, tea cups and our teaspoons were the souvenir kind. All very elegant... and we felt very comfortable taking over the back corner, stitching away.  (Two quilts in the toilet and the original well is still there!)
I have used Maree's photo to show the group and there might be some show & tell photos later...

From left to right -
me, Noela, Kayly, Maree, Joy, De and Debbie

and now some pictures
this is Maree's new BOM - pop over to her blog to get more info - such a lovely quilt

and here is most of my "FINISHED" SKOW top - love the light shining through...

and you can see some more pictures here:


and also this picture - taken from Noela's blog - with her permission

A baby gift

One of the girls in the office was due to have a baby at the end of September, and she was having a farmyard theme in the nursery.  So, I made her a hen and baby chicks.  Well, (confession time)  I ran out of time to get the baby chickens made, so I gave her the hen and a note to explain that the chicks were staying in the special "baby nursery" until they were well enough to join their mother.  Here is Mrs Hen

and the babies.  They are meant to be ticked into the wings of the mother hen.

This is a Melly and Me pattern - an "interesting" construction method, suggesting a piece of cardboard in the bottom to make it a flat base....mmmm... I used that stuff you use to make shaped bowls - cant remember what its called, but I think it's a better solution for a toy that will need to be cleaned at some stage.  And I made the chicks out of felt - I think that was an easier option ...

SKOW - nearly there

Over at the SAL, Chookyblue and I challenged each other to be Sunday Strippers.  My goal was to get the top finished - that didn't happen but I only have the top and bottom rows to add and they are all sewn together, so not a lot to do.
Here it is for now...

Stay tuned...