because it’s only one more sleep until Kellie’s workshop at Sewjourn!!  Along with 6 other girls I’ll be spending the weekend sewing, learning and eating!  I’ve gathered together all my threads and fabrics and I’ll be heading off in the morning.  Can’t wait.  So come back next week and hopefully there will be lots to tell……..and who knows even some photos of finished projects!!!

Meanwhile last weekend we had our Giveaway Day at Sewjourn.  A few friends and I spent the day chatting and sewing along with 6 other creative ladies.  Here’s a few photos…………

And Saturday we spent the day doing this!  We’d always planned on having a design wall here so finally it’s ready to go…….just in time for this weekend’s workshop!

This afternoon 5 of us had lots of fun making a quilt top………it’s to be donated to a lady with Breast Cancer.  As always there was lots of chatter as the sewing machines whirred away.  It’s so great that we get just as much out of making quilts for charity as the people that receive them!

Bron concentrating hard!

Suzie

The completed top – a good afternoon’s work

Our next get-together is set for February and we are planning on making quilts for a Women’s Shelter so watch out for details if you are keen to join in………

Uploaded from Don’t Look Now blog

I’m sure you’ve seen Kellie’s gorgeous work……..even though she’s only been quilting for a couple of years she produces the most amazing quilts and has had quite a few published in Homespun. 

Uploaded from Don’t Look Now blog

And the exciting news is that Kellie is coming to Sewjourn in February for a Weekend Workshop.  Further details will be available very soon but I can tell you it will be on the weekend of 5-7 Feburary 2010 and places will be limited.  So if you think you might be interested in coming along to spend the weekend at Sewjourn AND do workshops with Kellie then leave me a comment or email me.   Me……..I can’t wait!!!

As we had some fabric and blocks left over from the Bushfires Quilting Bee and because we all had so much fun on our Quilting Bee days we decided to get together a few times a year to make quilts for different charities.  Additionally Victorian Textiles kindly donated another roll of batting for us to use.  So I’d promised to organise another get-together for October but time has gotten away and October is here! 

So……it’s short notice but there are a few of us getting together on Saturday 10th October (yep that’s right THIS Saturday!) from 12 noon to 5pm at Ashburton Uniting Church, 7 Ashburn Grove, Ashburton 3147.  Our aim is to complete a quilt top (or two if there are lots of people able to come along) in the afternoon and being October we are making it for a local Mum recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

Anyone who would like to join us is most welcome – just drop me an email so I know to expect you.  And there will even be yummy afternoon tea…………

…..time for relaxing and reading Harry Potter

……for doing some sewing

…..and for Blogtoberfest…….let the fun begin.  (PS There’s a list of players here)

Some time ago I joined up for Around the Block swap  and have finally gotten around to doing the first of my September blocks.  Like Lara I decided that I would make each block for myself first (as a practise!!) and then I’d have another quilt at the end of it as well.  These are my choice of fabrics – all from my stash.

I started with Midwest Modern sent from Janelle and just added bits and pieces.   I’m making a big effort to  work with what I have – hopefully it will look OK.  (And I hope my DH is reading this – I’m NOT buying any more fabric……but yes there is enough in the stash to pull together a quilt….or two!)

Anyway, Kate asked for Wonky Log Cabins and sent out some gorgeous fabrics in blue and oranges.  Here’s my first block for her…..

And here’s my ‘practise’ one for me…..

And then another block to use up all of Kate’s scraps……

For many years Somerset Patchwork, formerly known as Craft Cottage, has been in the one location.  But yesterday current owner Karen Styles opened the doors to her new store. 

And it’s great.  Nearby to the original location and easily accessible with loads of parking the new store is light and airy and sure to inspire.

Somerset Patchwork specialises in reproduction fabrics and the staff are amazingly knowledgable – it’s well worth a visit!

Somerset Patchwork and Quilting, Hamilton Place, Mount Waverley, 3149 Ph: 9807 3399

Last Saturday morning a friend and I went to Quilts in the Barn, an annual event run by a group of Melbourne ladies to raise money for Breast Cancer.  As always the setting was just beautiful. 

Quilts exhibited this year were made by Margaret McDonald and a stall was run by Threadbear of Castlemaine.  These were a few of my favorites:

This quilt amazed me because it was all made from the one fabric – the border fabric was ‘fussy cut’ to make each of the stars.  Very clever!

1. Finished my stint of full time work
2. School finished for Term 3
3. Daughter No. 2′s quilt finished

How many other projects will get finished over the holidays….?

The last two weeks seem to have been dominated by the Bushfire Quilts – that’s fine, it was great fun and SO rewarding.  (You can read other accounts of Saturday here and here also).  But a few other things have been happening around here too – OK so not much cleaning but catching up on tax (and vowing not to get so behind again…..),  netball (the Angels won by 1 goal after being behind by 6 at half time – all the parents are telling me it was the best game of the season – maybe they don’t need the coach there after all??) and gymnastics comps (both D2 and D3′s teams came first on the weekend – well done girls).

And thinking about Sewjourn.  Bookings are fantastic – better than we could ever have hoped for in our first year and we LOVE that you love it.  But it means that it’s getting more difficult for me to do all the cleaning myself.  For quite a while my husband and a few friends have been hassling me to get someone to help out but it’s hard……….it’s got to be the right person, I’m pretty fussy and it’s got to be done properly!  It’s not just the cleaning but I need someone who will do all the ‘special touches’ as well……..the beds need to be straightened properly, flowers, choccies…….we want it to have that ‘WOW’ factor when you arrive.  So if you think YOU could be the person I’m looking for or know someone who might be interested please contact me here.  (And even though I’m saying I’m fussy etc I really would be OK to work for!!!)  We would be looking for someone fairly local to Lancefield.

Also thinking about planning a few workshops for next year. Kellie has already mentioned one on her blog which will hopefully be running early 2010.  (For anyone who hasn’t seen Kellie’s work – it is exquisite -see below!)

If you have any other thoughts or ideas about what you would like to see offered please email me.  On that note, I had a weekend of ‘Christmas in July’ workshops planned for this year (last year’s were lots of fun!) but since I’ve been so busy and the added fact that we now have a wedding on the Friday night they won’t be going ahead this year…….sorry to anyone who was hoping to come, this has been a hard decision but for once I just need to accept that I can’t do everything!…….I am certainly planning on doing it again next year.  BUT the upside is that July 17-19 is NOW AVAILABLE FOR RENT!!  Please email me soon if you are interested in booking this weekend as it is the only one available before December.

And today I had lunch with a friend from school – it was so lovely to catch up.  Even though we don’t see each other that often we still seem to know each other well!  She gave me these lovely coasters as a belated birthday present…….aren’t I lucky?