My little win!

Each year Queensland Quilters hosts a quilt challange, a fat quarter of fabric is purchased, the size is 50 cm x 70 cm. There is no theme usually. So it sometimes is a real challenge to make an interesing piece. I had been 'reading' - well looking at pictures of Egyptian vases and came up with a quilting idea, then all it needed was a vase. The fabric was all gold background and leaves of various sizes and coloours- a real challenge!
There are 2 categories this year- Professional- thats me and Amateur.
I was very pleased to have won the Professional category, a little tough competition with some fantastic pieces have been made. They have been on show at the Brisbane Stitches and Craft Show atthe Convention Centre this weekend, and will tour around Queensland for the next year.

 This is me, all bright and fresh. Below is  a close up of the quilt.

I started to quilt that background after fusing the vase on, then decided that the whole background needed to be quilted before any more fusing was done, so much easier.
Now onto the next quilts, so many to make before the October show.
I get such a thrill out of exhibiting- and of course winning along the way sometimes helps in my joy!

Time lost then found

Life has been busy and I have been slow to blog these past few weeks. I have been to Tasmania for 10 days. Absolutley fantastic all round, friends to see, food and wine to share, family to visit, some golf for my husband. The beach to walk on.

A school reunion that was just wonderful.

A little bit sad to come back to wet Brisbane, although today it did not rain-  4 night shifts in a row make it easy for me to get out much in daylight as I usually sleep really well, and do not get out of bed till about 6pm every day.

 

I have many quilts on my to do list for this year - about 9- some leftover from last year. My plan is to get 4 at least finished  for the October quilt show- the one below is amost ready to be quilted.

So I have lost the way a little, but now am back ready to quilt and get motivated to enjoy life as a parent without children at school- Uni doesn't count.

Funny how life changes when you least expect it to.

 

Must plan to get out more and enjoy autumn in Brisbane! There are many places to go and see and explore

 

 Fabrics waiting to be made into a wedding quilt.

 A quilt top finsihed,- at last - this is the Queenland Quilters Row by Row challenge, just needs to be quilted.

A sneak preview of the art quilt that was juried into the QQ State of The Art 2013 exhibition. Hooray.

Ticking off the list

I have a list of quilts that are half finished, or not started yet - I am in the proces of ticking one more off as being finished.
A small quilt for the QQ challenge, a real challenging fabric. I can't show it yet but as soom as it is judged for the Quendland Quilters challenge it will be on show at the upcoming craft fair , then it will be revealed.
A small un/happy bonus is that I sprained my ankle- the right again! on Sunday so as well as having yesterday as a rostered day off I have today to rest up, then 3 days at work then a weeks holiday- hooray! Time to rest, and I can sew, although last time I machined with my left foot I sewed over my finger!
Must remember to stay inside when it is raining and always wear shoes as my ankle sems a bit unstable barefoot on uneven wet grass.

 The planning for the holiday later in the year- a little light reading.

 The remnants of my fat quarter of fabric for the QQ challenge- yes I used almost every bit!

Finished these socks yesterday, so many things you can do while confined to a chair.

Works in progress

 

There are  many works in progress in my sewing room, this is the remnants one of them, it is a Row by Row challenge for Queensland Quilters night group. Slowly but surely yesterday I made 4 rows! hooray, all my holiday sewing done in a day- but wait I didn't have holidays (except for 4 weeks late November/early December). So I can't show it till later on in the year. It is a modern quilt.

Yummy thread I won at the quilt show. Waiting to be used...

 Mummy's little helper, in the background - a postcard using some of Lisa Wlaton's funky coloured stuff - Colour web I think, interesting stuff to use.....

A bag of fabric justbegging to be used, i do have some projects in my mind, just need to finish what is started.

A lovely day yesterday sewing and chatting with my friend M, just forgot to play scrabble - what a sin.

Sewing room in need of a tidy

 This is one view of my sewing room, the cutting table- yes, a few works in progress.

The work table, some more works in progress and some tools of the trade to keep me on track. Cookbooks - of course and a colour wheel.

We went to the Lifeline Bookfest, it has been open for a week and still there are many thousands of books for sale. I could have bought a shopping trolley full, but was very restrained, we did come home with 3 jigsaw puzzles more cookbooks and a travel book for the next holiday.
I have 4 more days off work this weekend if you count the rest of today, lots of sewing to be done, some relaxing too as I have had one of those very busy weeks at work and am in eed of rest and relaxation.

Pictures at last

We have lived in this house for nearly 7 years, and at last have the family pictures on the wall. They have new frames, and are mostly of small children and tired parents! We are having a studion portrait session next week to get one of older children and not so tired parents!
Don't those children look cute- a little deceptive maybe!

At last Blogger has allowed me to post a picture too, a little troublesome, but I think I have it sorted out too!

This wonderful wire praying mantis sculpture and its mate was found wanting to come home with me from the Bribie Island Gallery last weekend, it joins a small collecton of wire insects.

 

bah humbug

Well, when the young butcher asked yesterday''did you have a good Christmas?" The only answer was well not really, worked every day and it was busy and not straight forward (many problems), had a middle ear infection, plus really bad toothache- about to go to specialist this afternoon- at last they think they know what is wrong, the pain is almost unbearable.
Poor man, might stop having small talk with his customers. So much hype about Xmas, and it really is one day, over in a flash.

Christmas is any day you get to spend with a friend or loved one, family or not.
That's the bottom line.
I have had some lovely days with lovely friends this past few weeks, some on Xmas day, some not. It doesn't matter what day it is , its the catching up that matters.

That's that for another year.


my words of wisdom for today.can't seem to post a picture again, will work on it asap. When my brain is in working order.