Merry Christmas

Last Saturday Neil and I had an unexpected outing.Our good friends Winn and Bill invited us out for dinner. First we went to a  Vietnamese restaurant in Victoria St . The best place in Melbourne  to go for all types of Asian food. We then went into the city centre to see the light display at the town hall and of cause the Myer Christmas windows.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year

Sue

Holiday Projects

Hopefully this group of fabrics I have being playing with will become more than just an idea over the Christmas break. One more working day day then two weeks to sew.

As Christmas is so close Karen and I are using our Emma Bridgewater Christmas mugs. A special gift from London.

Lynne from the Tuesday night sewing girls made all of these beautiful coat hangers as Christmas gifts.The one in the front now lives at my house.Thank you Lynne we all love them.

The friday sewing group is having their break up tomorrow, the last meeting before Christmas so party party party. There should be plenty of show and tell so more photos tomorrow.

Sue

Naughty Puss

I don't think Simba could believe his luck a inside tree.Yippee. This is his second Christmas with us and he must have forgotten that cats are NOT ALLOWED in Christmas trees. So now I have to remember to keep the lounge room door closed.Its just like having small children in the house again and trying to keep them out of  certain rooms. Its a beautiful morning here in Melbourne thought you might like to see the glorious blue sky.

Also the Gardiners and Hydrangea are in full bloom.

So now off  to finish my Christmas shopping. I hope it does not  take to long to find a car park.Fingers crossed.

Sue

Gifts

Last week Karen and I where very lucky to receive these.  Glenda one of our customers made these pin cushions using felt and golf tees,so that they sit in these specially covered thread reels.

So Cute

Glenda has also made one for Meredithe at Pomegranate and Chintz. Thank you Glenda these will be put to good use, no more pins  down the back of the couch.

Happy Sewing

Sue

Ring of Roses

A new quilt for summer school almost finished.Hexagon flowers and stars in soft reds ,pink and a little brown. This is one of four circlets of hexagons now appliqued onto the corners.

The borders are also on. I cut strips of the panel from the fabric range Chintz Medallion.

Now backing and quilting.

This is Karen's clam shell quilt also for summer school. Notice the way we are both enjoying the same colour palette. Here is a link to Karen's blog so you can check out some of the other samples for summer school being run at Somerset Patchwork in January

Happy Sewing
Sue

Still Sewing

Still making stars and hexagons.

I have also started to play with this group of fabrics with a special centre panel.

Simba and I have been catching up with the English magazine Country Living.

Until next time keep sewing.

Sue

A New Project

Surprise Surprise I have started another new quilt. For those of you that know me well, this will not be a surprise.  Lots of the Friday sewing girls at Somerset Patchwork are sewing a star a day these are mine, with just a little twist.The colour combination of  red and brown has caught my eye.

The hexagon template has made the cutting much easier.

I have managed to get lots of little hexagon stars made in the last few days.

Thought you might also like a look at my sewing room. Everything is now in place,wardrobe full of fabric, new bookshelves almost full and sewing table up and put to good use.

Happy Sewing
Sue

Briar Hill Take Two

Finally some photos of my Brair Hill. Now I have to decide hand quilting or machine. Any suggestion's gratefully accepted.

Happy Sewing

Sue

Short Break

 Neil and I are just back from a short break. A lovely couple of days relaxing doing lots of sewing, reading and just doing nothing much at all.

 We spent the first night at The Royal Mail Hotel at Dunkeld in country Victoria. The accommodation was wonderful and the food was fantastic.

 This was the view from our room.

 We then drove on to Port Fairy.

 And this is the view of the Southern Ocean from Hearns beach villas where we stayed. I did manage to get a lot of sewing done on Brair Hill, I will show some photos next time. I am very pleased with the amount I got done, it's almost finished.

We drove home along the Great Ocean road . Always lovely no matter what the weather is like and as you can see we had the lot of overcast days, but by the afternoon it was generally sunny.

Sue

Briar Hill

I am  finally happy with the centre of my new quilt and I thought you might like to see it. This is my newest quilt even though I started it many, many months ago. I just need to add a little more applique on the side panels and then it will be ready for the big reveal. I think the name Briar Hill will suit it. Choosing names for quilts is a difficult thing to do but this one came easily.

 

As you can see the sewing room is still a bit empty but not to worry I am working on filling it. This adjustable sewing table  and chair will make spending lots of time here very enjoyable.

Happy Sewing

Sue

Mrs Billings at the Fair

From Thursday 26th July until Sunday 29th July there will be 16 Mrs Billings quilts on display at the Craft and Quilt Fair here in Melbourne. They will all be hanging together in their own section in the Victorian Quilters Showcase exhibition. These are just a few of them finished and ready to be hung. I will be at the fair Saturday and Sunday so come and say hello.

Hope to see you there

Sue

Post Billings Blues

  What to do after Mrs Billings, sort through the unfinished projects and try to be good and not start something new. Last year I went to a couple of the Victorian Quilt Study meetings where Janet had some of her wonderful antique quilts. One in particular caught my eye. Janet has very kindly allowed me to make my own version with a few changes. I am still playing around with the centre block, auditioning different shapes and colours.

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I already have lots of stars hexagons and circles made.

 

Still trying to turn this into some kind of order. I can only imagine tidy, ordered, coloured coded stacks of fabric.

Happy Sewing

Sue



Mini Stash Sale

Last weekend our eldest daughter and son moved into their new house. This means (after a little bit of paint) I will have my own sewing room. So I now need to tame my fabric stash, in doing so I have come across some fabrics that will need to find new homes. These orphanes are on sale at Somerset Patchwork.

Happy Shopping
Sue

Look what followed me home

These fabrics are part of a range called 1810 Chintz Medallion from the Virginia Quilt Museum.These arrived  at Somerset Patchwork Thursday morning and caused quite a stir, as each box was opened the excitement level rose.And even now they are keeping me awake.

Sue

Birthday Quilt

This quilt I have made for my sisters birthday. Large squares of shot cottons with some pattern as well.The idea was for it to look like a persian rug background with butterflies.

 I even managed some hand quilting with pearl thread.

This is the fabric the butterflies have come from a linen print.It also has bugs and caterpillars. Thanks to Effie I found it at Patchwork on Central Park. Also thanks to Dorothy and her suggestion I managed to bag the quilt with out to much drama. Can you see the differance with the photos.

Happy Sewing
Sue