2.20am

Do you like a challenge? Do you work better under pressure?

I know I do, I think I purposely leave it until the last possible minute to start a quilt for a challenge, thriving on the pressure... It doesn't really make sense does it?

I finished my challenge quilt for the Quilters'Guild of NSW challenge at 2.20am this morning. It was all finished with the binding, hanging sleeve and label all in place by midnight, but it really needed a little something else to finish it off. Two hours and twenty minutes later I was finally satisfied. I'll post a photo of it after the guild's AGM and the unveiling of all of the challenge quilts.

After just five hours sleep I delivered it personally to the guild office in the city. I met a friend (a first time challenge participant) and we made a day of it, travelling on the River Cat and enjoying a walk through the city and around the Opera House before travelling home.

Pity I left the car lights on all day. Waiting for the NRMA to arrive to start my car was a bit of a downer at the end of the day.

Looking forward to a good nights sleep tonight and a few days break before I head into the next last minute challenge.

Hidden delight

When I'm on holiday in Qld I always make a point of visiting this quaint little shop. It just keeps getting better and better.
On my last visit I discovered that they have now expanded into the old bakery across the road. You'll need to ask Trevor to arrange to open this new shop for you.
Howard's Drapery is one of the few shops in Howard (a few kms north of Hervey Bay).

The patchwork fabric at the back of the store (and now also across the road in the old bakery) is your reward for picking your way through the very crowded shop, its full of just about everything imaginable. The first time I visited I left without ever reaching the fabric, so don't give up, push your way to the very back of the shop and find the little room off to the right.

The service is friendly but make sure you have plenty of time to spare.
It just goes to prove you can't judge a book by its cover

Backyard beach

Recently we visited relatives in Qld. Their backyard is the beach at Zilzie, just south of Yippoon.

I Took these photos on one of my many walks.

I've always loved looking at the designs crabs make on the beach.

The Sun bird hovering above the flower was taken in their garden.

We had a very relaxing holiday.

Stitches and Craft Show

Visited the stitches and craft show and caught up with some friends I hadn't seen for a while.

The Down Under Quilts calendar challenge was on display. My quilt "Colours of Australia - Simply Magic" is the September quilt.

I think I know what I'll be giving to family and friends for Christmas this year.

My Place

I've been checking out the new web site set up by Brenda Smith to showcase the MY PLACE quilt touring exhibition and I just love it. I keep going back for just another quick look. Check it out for yourself. www.myplacequilts.com

I was really excited to hear that my quilt "Blue Gum Creek" had been selected for inclusion in the exhibition. 30 quilts have been selected from each of the following countries Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The exhibition will tour for 2 years to the host countries and Europe.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of the quilts at the Australiasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne next February.

Retreat at Lower Portland

It was a great setting for a quilting retreat. A very rustic B & B in Lower Portland. Last weekend I taught one of my favourite workshops to a wonderful group of ladies. The view from my room and the workshop room is shown in the photo. The food was really good and so was the company. Must keep this venue in mind for future workshops.

Very tranquil.

I took the photo of the spiders web early in the morning.
Just beautiful.

Hard at work, these ladies put in a 14-16 hour day.




Some of the works in progress are on the walls

We'll be back

We boarded the plane home from New Zealand saying yes... we'll be back.
12 days simply wasn't enough to see the whole of the South Island, but we did manage a quick look around Christchurch and down to Akaroa ...absolutely beautiful. Across to the West Coast on the Tranz Alpine railway ... a great experience. Fox Glacier was amazingly good, take a look at the close up photo below. Mount Cook was breath taking viewed over Lake Matheson with brilliant reflections. I knew I'd love Queenstown and I wasn't disappointed and finally Te Anau and a cruise on Milford Sound, a place I've wanted to visit all my life. Milford Sound was awesome the only dissappointment was that even though I had spare memory cards and spare batteries for my camera ... just in case. These items failed to make it into my bag and of course the batteries ran out after just 5 photos of this very special place!
Snow on the mountain tops in the middle of summer ...COOL.
We are already planning our next visit.





I must have had a good time as I didn't even miss patchwork, though I did manage to visit a patchwork shop in Queenstown.

More about what makes me happy

Spending time with my daughters. Last evening we celebrated daughter Bec's 31st birthday and now looking forward to going along with the newly weds to see the house they have chosen to build.
Spending time with my grandkids - Later this afternoon I'll be going to their Pre-school Christmas concert. I don't know how involved the 18month old will be but I'm pretty sure the 5 year old will get right into it.
Spending time at home - Even if the roof is leaking in 3 places, the bedroom is in the midst of being painted and we have turned to lounge room into a make shift bedroom until the new bed arrives in a couple of weeks.
Holidays - Looking forward to spending a couple of weeks in New Zealand with my husband very soon.
Rain, Red wine and Dark Chocolate - what more can I say.

Liquorice Allsorts

I made this miniature (12inch square) quilt early last year for the NSW Quilters' Guild mini marvels challenge. It came first in the innovative category. I really enjoy making miniatures, this one has tiny cathedral windows and other 3D bits.

The end of an era

Last Sunday our 15 year old water bed sprung it's last leak. It's had plenty of chances, we've been through 2 heaters and 3 bladders.

I've always been very attached to the water bed. I really like a bed that welcomes me in to it rather than reluctantly allowing me to lie on top of it.

John and I decided it was time to look at other options, so we spent the day lying around on various beds in various bed shops, asking all of the appropriate questions and taking the whole thing very seriously. We finally decided on a bed filled with air chambers rather than the usual springs. We spent an hour or so in a large well known store finding out what our sleep number is. It turns out that my number is 30 and John's is 35. We watched with great interest as the sales person showed us on the computer screen that our pressure spots (shown as big red and orange lumpy bits ... all a bit confronting really) dissappeared as the bed yielded to our resting bodies. It's also quite interesting that after a while it seems quite natural to be lying on a bed in the middle of a busy shop with interested onlookers passing by the end of the bed.

This bed that I'm so taken with will allow us to dial up our individual number and the air pump will do the rest. The only problem is that it won't arrive for another 6 weeks, so meanwhile we are alternating between a thin foam mattress and an air bed. We're not really sure which of the two is the most uncomfortable. If we survive the 6 weeks the bed will sooth our tense muscles as we lower the air pressure down to our individual numbers. Sounds gimmicky but the price tag tells me it's probably a serious bed.

Our water bed era is over, it made me think of other phases of my life that seemed so terribly important at the time but eventually everything seems to run its course. There was the 10 years or so that I led groups on bushwalks 3 times a week, I never really saw the end to this really enjoyable part of my life coming, but eventually my body let me down a little and I let go of this passion. There was the pottery era, I even had my own wheel and kiln but when the kiln died so did my interest. Then there was the macrame era and the folk art era, both lasted for 5 or 6 years. The fitness instructor era that lasted for 18 years. My mandolin playing which lasted for around 10 years before giving way to playing the piano for the bush band that I still enjoy being a part of. I think the only exception to this will be quilting. I can't see me ever getting over the quilting obsession.