What tickles your fancy

This is the quilt I designed for the Quilters' Guild of N.S.W. annual challenge.

The theme was "What Tickles Your Fancy"

Initially I really struggled with the theme, I really felt that the entries should be humourous and bring a smile to face of the viewers. I do have a vivid imagination and must say that plenty of things tickle my fancy but sometimes I think I'm probably the only one who is tickled and perhaps the images from my imagination would leave many viewers wondering what the quilt was trying to say.

When a friend returned from Singapore with tales of having visited a fish pedicure boutique, the thought of it really tickled my fancy. I instantly knew that I would depict the fish pedicure as my entry.

Apparently this kind of beauty treatment is becoming quite popular in many overseas countries. Sherry explained through so much laughter it just about reduced me to tears, that she had summoned the necessary courage to immerse her feet in a large pool of water containing dozens of tiny fish. The fish had nibbled away at her dead skin and apparently had a real feast. Sherry says she is sure she saw several fish floating belly up in the water, too full to move! In my mind I also imagined glamourous fish painting toe nails down in the depths of the pool.

I know I could never ever subject myself to this kind of pedicure but the thought of it really tickles my fancy.

View all of the entries in the challenge by visiting the guild's blog. See the link at the bottom of this page.

I love the the upturned ducks and friend Julie's, John West's Rejection Island Resort.

New photo

It really is time for me to have a new photo taken. The one on the blog is years old.
I really hate having my photo taken but I really can't explain why.

I'm always the one behind the camera, not in front of it. If I suddenly became a missing person, my family would be hard pressed to come up with a photo to show the police. They would probably find one of me in the back row of a group, slightly blurry and probably with my eyes closed.

John's workmates mentioned that I'm never in any of the holiday photos. We generally go camping and I spend the whole time having a bad hair day due to lack of hair washing and styling facilities. I wear hats and beanies and I even wear a miners light on my head at night so that I can sew and trust me this is a REALLY GOOD look. No wonder I duck for cover whenever there is a camera about.

On the inside I'm still around 39 years old, I'm at least 6 inches taller and a few kilos lighter. I like living in this fantasy world, so perhaps I just haven't found a photographer who can adequately portray my interal image of myself yet.

I don't think I'm particularly shy, perhaps I'm just a control freak. I'm an oldest child and ... (I think I'd better leave my thoughts on birth place in family for another day).

It's a strange thing, whenever photos are shared around with family or friends most people seem to be able to find fault with their own appearance or facial expressions in the photos being viewed, too many chins, a dorky look or tummy not held in properly... the list goes on, yet no one else can see what the problem is. Do we all have unrealistic expectations of the camera.

Must give in and let someone take a photo of me soon, though I might need a sedative first.

Time to buy a 2010 calendar

It's that time of the year.
November 1st and Christmas is just a few short sleeps away.

More importantly, the end of the year is approaching and you'll soon need a 2010 calendar.

The calendar in our house is really the family management centre. If it's not on the calendar it's just not going to happen.

I'd like to suggest a couple of very good Australian quilt calendars. See photos of the detail in the quilts I've contributed to these calendars above.

The Quilters' Guild of N.S.W. has again produced a very attractive calendar. My quilt titled "Flannel Flowers" is Miss September and there are many other fabulous quilts to inspire you throughout the year.

The Down Under Quilts calendar features my quilt titled "The Rhythm of Lifes Many Phases" on the front cover. How good is that? There are 12 other unique quilts to view as the months go by. It's not overly large, I find the compact size just right for hanging on the wall and transporting around the house.

I've already filled in many of next years engagements on our copy and I'll be giving copies of the calendar out like lollies to friends and relies for Christmas.

Click on the web site link (see the bottom of this blog page) to The Quilters' guild of N.S.W. for their calendar or Creative Living Media to order a copy of the Down Under Quilts calendar.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

I recently spent a couple of days teaching at a quilting retreat in Wisemans Ferry. It was a very relaxing couple of days with a with a really nice group of ladies completing my "Don't Worry, Be Happy quilt". It's a quilt as you go, no worries sort of quilt and this beautiful Water Dragon lives in the grounds of the retreat near the waterfall. He/she looks and behaves as if he also has no worries. Isn't he magnificent.

Start them young

I completely failed in my attempts to interst my own daughters (now in their 30's) in quilting but I decided that my grandaughter Tegan who is now 7 is just the right age and with a bit of dedicated help from me (Amar, short for Grandma) I'm sure she will become an accomplished and creative quilter.
We started with a couple of fairy panels, one for Tegan and one for her little sister Olivia and we are now moving on to a bag.
Tegan and I visited Country Pickins today, partly so that Tegan could choose her own fabric and partly so that she could see where Amar teaches. She was impressed by the sheer size of the place but completely overwhelmed by the amount of fabric to choose from. We eventually settled on pink (no great surprise there). Thanks to the school holidays we have a date to start the bag.

Missed the dust storm

We managed to get away for our first camping trip in two years. Spent a week communing with nature and roughing it a bit at Coolah Tops and Goulburn River National Parks. Fortunately we missed the dust storm by a few days.

Some of our family and friends worry that we rough it a bit too much, so I took a few photos of our 4 star camping accommodation.
The photos are of the bedroom, the kitchen and what I laughingly call the activities corner in our tent. we have camp stretchers with really thick air mattresses, doonas rather than sleeping bags and a hot water bottle. I even have a chair and some carpet for the bedroom floor.
We do have to use pit toilets (or worse still a shovel) and 3inches of water in the bottom a bucket instead of a shower, the only good news is that the water is hot, but its still a lot better than my first ever camping trip.
I met John just before I was 40 and as he had always been a keen camper he decided that it would be really good if I enjoyed it too. He was probably a bit optimistic to think I'd enjoy the Warrambungles in early July with just a small 2 man tent that I had to crawl into, a very thin air mattress and a sleeping bag that wasn't really up to the task. I didn't really enjoy that first experience but I could see that camping could probably be fun with better equipment, It took a few trips to the camping shop and a bit of experimentation and imagination and I've been a keen camper ever since.












I always manage to do a lot of hand sewing while we are camping, I took this photo with one hand while sewing in front of the fire with the other.






We always try to go to quiet campsites far away from people with just the wildlife for company. We weren't disappointed this time all except 2 of the nights we spent alone in the campsites.
There was heaps of wild life including kangaroos and wallabies, a wombat who seemed to be both deaf and blind and oblivious to the fact that we were there, a tiny little lizard and a cow who just stood in the river all day (it was quite hot). You'll have to look carefully to see the tiny lizard. It was about 2in from nose to tip of tail.

Jemby Rinjah

Last weekend John and I spent a very pleasant few days in the Blue Mountains. We asked about the meaning of the the name of the Eco Lodge we stayed at and apparently it means "Beautiful Big Colourful Bird". We didn't see any big colourful birds but plenty of smaller birds and this magnificent creature.

The Blue Mountains have a very special place in my heart. In my younger / fitter days I used to lead bushwalking groups. Twice weekly I would lead a dozen or so trusting souls into the bush. We climbed mountains, descended into beautiful valleys communed with nature and explored every corner of the the Bush in the Sydney area.

Visiting the mountains brought a lot of my treasured memories back with great clarity. A very dear lady who has recently passed away, wrote this poem for me when she left the group to move to her central coast retirement dream home and I know this was written from the heart.

Just a few words of thank you
for all the work you've done.

The places you have taken us
through wind and rain and sun.

You've had us climbing mountains
we never thought we could.

You've guided us down tracks
we didn't think we should.

You have taken us through forests
and across the mountain streams.

You have shown us such splendour
and where the Waratahs grow.

Wild flowers in abundance
with names we didn't know.

You have shown us the wild life,
nature at its best
.
The panoramic vistas,
north, south east and west.

You have given us strong bonding,
stay back and help your mate.

Care and understanding,
adventures to relate.

You have brought us home exhausted,
aching from head to toe.

We survived the snakes and leeches,
how? We'll never know!

And so our fearless leader,
I say thank you my dear friend.

You always keep us moving with
"It's just around the bend"

Pat Brookes.

My Place Exhibition

The My Place quilt exhibition curated by Dijanne Cevaal will soon be on display in Victoria, at Craftfest in Melbourne from 8th - 11th October and in a newly created gallery space at the Colac Entertainment Cenre, Cnr Gellibrand and Rae Sts, Colac from 30th October to 1st November. This is a brand new exhibition space and the My Place quilt exhibition will be the first to use the venue.
My quilt "Blue Gum Creek" is part of this wonderful exhibition, see a close up photo of a small section of my quilt above.
I recently travelled to the Textile Art Festival in Brisbane in order to see "Blue Gum Creek" hanging with the other 89 fabulous 50cm square quilts and I was very impressed, a very worthwhile trip.
The exhibition has so far travelled to South Africa and New Zealand and in 2010 will be exhibited in France.
All of the quilts can be viewed on line at www.myplacequilts.com There is a link at the bottom of this page.
I'm told that Down Under Quilts will feature some of the quilts in their next issue.

Discharge dyeing

I must say I'd rather fill up my washing line with newly discharged fabric than washing any day. I recently got together with some friends for some play time.

Julie changed some very very ordinary grey fabric into the masterpiece shown in the top photo. Great fun

Decluttering progress

After a lot of time and hardwork, and numerous trips to my favourite hardware shop and storage shop and my workroom is starting to take shape.


I've labelled everything, including the pens and pencils. I've even sorted out my pin dishes (though I'm sure Lorraine will think I could take the pin sorting a step further!)



The photos below show the wardrobe doors (door handles removed) and covered with flannel to provide a design wall and the storage space within the wardrobe.
The design wall isn't new and needs to be replaced with new flannel and a less unsightly method of holding it in place than the packing tape currently being used.
I have drawn a 2in grid on the flannel and will do this again when I replace it. The grid really helps with lining up the blocks etc.


The room is looking good. I've hung different quilts on the walls and added a few favourite photos.
My books are in a logical order and I've culled my old magazines. I now only keep DUQ and Quilting Arts.
All fabrics that are at least 1m in length are stored on bolts on the shelves and the smaller pieces are now stored in the new wire baskets under all of the benches.
All of my started projects are in separate plastic boxes under the sewing machine table and tucked into corners here and there. I really must cull these soon. If I count up all of the works in progress - everything from the quilt tops waiting to be quilted down to projects that are still in the very early stages, I have more than 30 of them. I'm an enthusiastic starter but not a particularly effective finisher of quilts.

My work room is quite small and it's still a work in progess but almost worthy of being called a studio.