South Pacific Island

We'll be visiting Noumea and Fiji,so this quilt now joins the New Zealand Quilt as one of the project options onboard our upcoming Quilting Cruise. I'll quilt it over the next few days and this will give it extra appeal. 27 ladies some with their others halves are booked in - there's room for just a few more. I have an Aussie version of this quilt, look back in a few days for a photo of this.

Spring is nearly here

I can almost feel it in the air, it's probably behind the wind we had today. What better time than spring to travel and spend time with other like minded souls. There are still some vacancies for the Norfolk Island Quilting Getaway in October. I'll be teaching there and hubby will be carrying my bags (he figured someone has to do it). We love Norfolk, can't wait. The Quilters Getaway will see dedicated quilters and patchworkers from Australia and New Zealand master their craft in a series of classes with skilled tutors Meg Orr, Michelle Yeo, Meredith Budd and myself teaching participants a range of designing and fabric art skills. Quilting organisers say Norfolk Island provides the perfect setting for a craft event. Norfolk’s beautiful landscapes, vistas and rich history help get the creative juices flowing and inspire plenty of new themes and designs. More good news … there is now a new special deal just released for Quilter’s Getaway dates reducing prices by over $350 per person. Please share this info with your Quilting friends, as October is a popular time to visit Norfolk Island flights and rooms are limited please email to enquire or let us know ASAP if you’d like to join us. There is a link to Quiltnorfolks web site at the bottom of this page or contact me for more details. I hope you can make it. Norfolk is a great holiday destination.

Going back to Goat Island

Years ago, in the late 70's / early 80's my parents lived on Goat Island. It's right in the middle of Sydney Harbour on the Western side of the Harbour Bridge with views of the Harbour Bridge, Barangaroo and Luna Park to the front and Balmain and Balls Point to the rear. Dad worked for the Maritime Services board at the time and took the opportunity to live in one of the 5 houses on the island. Visiting was always enjoyable, Goat Island is steeped in convict history and a really beautiful place with stunning views. My kids were young and really enjoyed roaming the island. I always enjoyed the view from the house, straight under the harbour bridge. We owned a small yacht at the time and often sailed there from middle harbour...I could go on and on....memories....! Access was of course by boat, either the Maritime Services boat across to Balmain or a Water Taxi to Circular Quay. The Island is now a National Park and access is only by organised tour. My beautiful daughters organised for the three of us to join a tour to celebrate my 60th birthday. I had a great day and my girls showed obvious enjoyment as they re-discovered their old playground. The house mum and dad lived in is the one of the left hand side. I took the photo showing the house earlier this year from onboard the Sea Princess as we pulled away from Barangaroo on our way to New Zealand and the other was taken of the three of us by our tour guide from the front of the Island, just forward of mum and dads old house.

Take a trip one day, you won't be disappointed.

New Zealand themed quilt

You've heard it before! Dorothy Clee and I will be teaching on a quilting cruise to Noumea Fiji and New Zealand early next year. This has had me busily designing a New Zealand themed project to keep the quilters busy. The Pacific Island themed quilt is just a few late nights away. Check out Dorothy Clee's blog to see what she has been designing for the cruise at russelleebnb-russellee.blogspot.com There is a link to Dorothy's blog at the bottom of this page. The 14 day cruise leaves mid January next year...6 months worth of sleeps to go! I'd love for you to join us.

What else have I been doing?...well I've had a big birthday complete with lots of cake, champagne, lunches with friends, morning tea with my wonderful thoughtful students, a weekend away, a harbour cruise with my beautiful daughters and dinners with friends and relies. It's turning out to be more of a birthmonth rather than a birthday. I share my birthday with my oldest grandaughter Tegan who is exactly 50 years younger than me, so there is also a special celebration planned just for us birthday girls. Can't wait.

Postcards from the Cruise

We all send postcards home while we are on holiday right? Yes, that's what I thought, so I've designed some cards for the ladies to make while on the Quilting Cruise to Noumea Fiji and New Zealand. I'm hoping that some of these cards, which will be made while sailing between Fiji and New Zealand will be stamped and posted from Auckland back to friends and relies in Oz. Dorothy Clee and I have some intersting projects lined up for the cruise and looking forward to it immensly. Travelling on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship "Voyager of the Seas" we set sail for 14 days of cruising and quilting early next year. I'm sure hubby will find plenty of things to do while I'm teaching, cruising is our favourite holiday.

The New Quilt Exhibition - Manly Art Gallery

My textile piece "Banksia" is a part of the exhibition along with 22 other interesting textile works. The theme is Regeneration and I eagerly responded to the call for entries with a proposal for a piece that depicts the wonderfully natural regenerative powers of the Banksia. Bushfire is part of every Australian summer and the Banksia is one of the marvels of naurally occurring bushfire regeneration. It not only survives the bushfire, it reacts positively to it. My textile work is set on a background of low contrast machine quilting, the beauiful yellow/gold flowers are brought to life with cotton and sik fabrics, embellished with silk ribbon and a variety of threads. The seed pods are textured with the aid of wire form, while red silk ribbon and metallic threads depict the fire. Each of the entries is accompanied by a display box, with details of the initial concept and documentation of the process.

The entry process for this exhibition was very intersting. Rather than submitting an existing work for consideration. The requirements were for a proposal for a new work to fit in with the theme "Regeneration". This process really appealed to me as I'm a bit of a control freak and start most of my new works with fairly detailed sketches and collections of fabrics and other materials. Of course the final outcome more often than not will be significantly different to the original idea as the pieces takes hold of its own destiny, however I still find that the initial sketching and gathering together of materials is a useful one. I was delighted to be accepted and enjoyed the process of making the piece and documenting every stage in order to provide samples and photos for the display case. The exhibition will be on until 3rd June and there are opportunities to meet with some of the artists on Sunday 13th May and for Exhibition tours on 27th May and 3rd June at 3pm.

Quilt Cruise

How about joining Dorothy Clee and myself as tutors on a 14 night Quilting Cruise to Noumea, Fiji and New Zealand early next year?

I've recently returned from a cruise around New Zealand and had a really great time.

Addicted to quilting for years and now I'm also addicted to cruising.
I'd like to share my passion for these activities with you. 8 full days at sea means you'll have the option to participate in 8 days of workshops, plus trips to quilt shops on many of our days in port.
14 days of luxurious and relaxing travel, on the Royal Caribbean Line's - Voyager of the Seas. from $2430 American $'s.
Let me know if you'd like further details.

I'll post some of the photos I took on my recent cruise very soon.

Odd

I don't want to spend too much time with my head down sewing these days...I might miss something.

Firstly the goanna on the roof and yes he/she after taking a walk on the roof (frequently of late) does walk down the brick wall head first. These photos are of the smaller of the two goannas who have made themselves at home in and around our home. We have taken to keeping our doors firmly closed.

Then the hailstorm last Sunday, a very chilly day for December...

...and the photo of the wallaby (taken through my kitchen window) this lovely creature who has also lived in and around our bush garden for years, has taken a liking to our geraniums...yum!

We haven't any pets but are delighted to have so many visits from native animals.
At this rate I'll never finish my quilt.

Fibonacci Workshop

Are you a member of The Quilters' Guild of NSW ?

Why not join me for my 2 day designing quilts with Fibonacci workshop to be held on Monday and Tuesday 24th and 25th October at the Epping creative centre.

Learn about the easy number sequence I use in most of my designs. Start designing your own quilts, or if inspiration is in short supply you could tackle the quilt photographed, or one of my other quilts, or perhaps just use one of them as a jumping off point.

I'm led to believe there are only 3 spaces left

Katoomba in July

The Country Pickin's retreat at CMS in Katoomba was wonderful.
Magnificent views over the 3 sisters, Lyre birds, great food, interesting projects and of course the best of company.

It's taken me a couple of days to recover, perhaps I'm not as young as I used to be.

During our 2 hour lunch breaks everyone found something worthwhile to do, some chose to have a nap, a trip down in the scenic railway to the valley floor, a shopping trip to Katoomba, or just a stroll along the cliff top to admire the view.

Log fires kept us warm and the slight chill in the air outside felt good.

We've booked again for the same weekend next year...looking forward to it already.

I'm off to Tamworth to teach another workshop next weekend, must remember to pack my winter woolies again.