Update on quilts for Papua New Guinea babies.

I now have 68 quilts waiting to be shipped over to PNG in December.   Sixty-three from around Australia and five from the USA.  You can see them all on the PNG Quilt Collective blog here.  I've got more of my own on the proverbial drawing board, and two friends have made tops which need to be finished off into quilts.  If anyone wants to donate just tops, I am happy to finish making them into quilts with the backing and batting.

I had an email from Australian Quilters Companion a while ago.  They are going to write a small feature on the PNG Quilt Collective - what a buzz!!  I think it may be the November issue, but that hasn't been confirmed.   I'll post something here when it comes out.

Eastern Palliative Care Quilt Show.

I met up with my friend Connie at the quilt fair this morning, and as always, we thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the beautiful quilts, and catching up afterwards over scones jam and cream.   You can see my photos of some of the quilts at my Quilt shows blog here.

Terrible fires in New South Wales.

The reports on the NSW bushfires have been shocking, and it may get even worse on Sunday as the weather prediction is more heat and wind.    Whenever there are extreme fires around Australia I feel so helpless.  It's no use to anyone but I wish I could do something other than donate cash to the Salvation Army or the Red Cross, which I will be doing online shortly.  Thanks to Ken's late Mum we are in a position to be generous, although it will be a pittance compared to what will be needed there in days and months to come.

Wonder if anyone will be doing a quilt collective for the fire victims, now that Jan Mac is no longer organising the making and collection of quilts for disasters over at Oz Comfort Quilts?   She was actually on vacation up in the Blue Mountains a day ago, according to her blog.  I hope she and her family haven't been caught up in the fires.

I follow quite a few blogger in NSW and some of them read my blog in return.  If at all possible, please leave a message here to let us know you are okay (or not) and if there is anything people down here can do for you.

I-Pad shoulder bag and Xmas card inserts.

Once I get going on something, it's hard to drag me away!  Ken had his first pulmonary rehab session at the hospital today which mean the afternoon was a write-off for doing any sewing, but I was itching to do a couple of things on my list of to-dos, and once dinner was over, I headed for what Ken calls 'my end of the house', and got to work while he watched a new DVD.

A friend recently told me that she'd lost the shoulder bag that she carried her I-pad in, and asked if I could make her another.  I've never made a bag before, so I looked at magazines and online for instructions, and although I found plenty of tutorials, I couldn't get my head around them.  So I asked one of my new blogger buddies (one of the PNG Quilt donors) if she would show me and she said, yes of course, come on over!  Sue lives near my hairdresser, so after I'd been there on Monday, I went over to Sue's place.

She started to tell me how to make a simple bag, and even borrowed her son's I-pad to cut out a template for me to use.   I started to write directions on it, but she could see that I was confused (blonde and senior is a bad combo, lol), so she took some fabric from her stash and proceeded to make a bag right there so I could see how it was done.

She made it look so easy!!   But she is a very creative and busy lady, so if you haven't visited her blog yet, hop over and see all the things she makes for charity groups.  Thanks again for your help Sue - I truly appreciate you spending all that time with me :-)

I knew that if I didn't make a start on my I pad bag, I would forget everything Sue has shown me, so I was determined to do it last night, and I did.   My friend is an Elvis fan, but also loves cats, so I decided to put Elvis on one side and some cat words fabric on the other.  It only took me a couple of hours!  Think she will like it?

 I still had enough time to make a start on some little patchwork Christmas card inserts. I've committed myself to a card swap and have to make nine cards by mid November.  I like the patchwork cards I made a couple of years ago, so I did some more of those.  Not quite the same, but the same principle.

First Christmas project completed.

I can't remember where I obtained the kit for this - opshop, Paddy's Market, maybe somebody gave it to me.  Anyway, it's been in my stash for a while, and I rediscovered it when I was looking for something else Christmassy a month or so ago.  I decided to do this instead of my original plan because it was quick and easy.  The design was supposed to be a cushion cover or a framed picture, but I added a cute button which I bought at the NOTY show last week,  framed the NOEL with Christmas fabric from my stash, and backed it with more Christmas fabric.  I might use some jumbo ric rac to hang it up, or I may just put it on the table over the Christmas months.

New quilting classes with Linda Steele

I have just booked into a three day workshop/class with one of Australia's top quilters, and I am looking forward to it very much.  As much as I am loving my new Janome, I really don't use it to its full potential as the  variety of possibilities with various pressure foots and things is way beyond my limited comprehension.  Linda assures me I'll be able to do a lot more with it after her classes.  They are being held in Balwyn - you can find more details on Linda's blog here.

Another good quilt show next week.

NOTYQ Exhibition.

I took a heap of photos at the NOTY show last weekend, and have posted them on my Quilts Shows blog here if you want to have a look.
And here is what I bought:
Two lengths of fabric - owls and aboriginal art - $10 each metre.

 

 

And lots of cute buttons! I was looking for this seller at the Quilt convention, but she told me she doesn't go to the big craft shows. So I made up for lost time to the tune of $60 - eeeeek!

NOTY Quilt show this weekend.

NOTY shows are one of the best quilt shows in Melbourne.  They are only held once every two years, so if you miss out this time you'll have to wait two years for the next one!   I know Eltham is a long way to travel for some of my blog readers, but I can guarantee you it is well worth the drive.  As well as the fabulous show of quilts by these talented ladies, there are traders selling lots of goodies....as if I need more stash...sigh.

Works in progress.

I've been working on/playing with a variety of projects lately. I'm half way through another quilt for the PNG Quilt Collective, but have also been doing some cross stitching on the Peacock Sampler and simple backstitch on the Possum. It depends where I am at the time of stitching - I do the possum in waiting rooms because I don't have to refer to the pattern while stitching over drawn lines on calico.
I cross stitch the Peacock when I'm on duty at the Guild because I'm sitting in one spot for a long time, and can have the pattern spread out in front of me without it being disturbed. The quilt top is sitting on top of the sewing machine patiently waiting...

But all of a sudden I had an urge to make something cute in felt. This generally happens when I see a pattern in a magazine, or if I pick up one of my felt cuteness books to look at. So this is what I made yesterday. I love felt because it is so easy to work with - cut into shapes and sew together!

It is supposed to be a mobile phone case, but as I don't have a smart phone, I'll use it for something else, or I'll give it to my grand-niece for her birthday next week.

My two entries at the EGV Annual exhibition.

Today was the final day of another very successful exhibition of members' work at the Embroiderers Guild of Victoria.  I was on duty again this morning, and took the opportunity to photograph my two items on display.  The Guild doesn't usually allow anyone to take photos, but as I was only photographing my own work, the ladies on duty turned a blind eye...thanks girls!

The next time these appear in public will be at the Lilydale Show in November, along with another two projects being worked on at the moment.

Embroiderers Guild Annual Exhibition.

The Victorian Guild's exhibition is on now, and finishes on Sunday 22nd September, so if you haven't been yet, do try to go, as it is well worth a visit. (I've got two items in the Exhibition too - just mentioning, lol).
I was on duty at the Gift boutique on Sunday, and bought a cute little cross stitch pot holder for $10.  There are hundreds of items to choose from, and all the proceeds go towards running the Guild.

I will be on duty again next Sunday morning, so if you happen to visit, pop into the Gift boutique and say hi! 

Some stitching done today.

It's been a while since I've spent hours stitching in a hospital waiting room, as Ken has been keeping away from hospitals as much as he can!  But today he had cataract surgery, and had to be at the Eye & Ear Hospital at 7 am.  His procedure didn't start until about 11 am, so that meant about 3 hours stitching time for me, allowing for a coffee break and a walk around the block.
I decided to take a simple one colour stitchery project with me, as it is easier to sit and sew without having to change threads and consult a pattern.

I'd seen this in a recent Country Threads magazine and put it aside to do, because possums are regular visitors to our front porch at night!

This is what I achieved today.

Pile of donated fabrics.

Sue, who made 20 quilts and bunny rugs for the PNG Quilt collective, also gave me a huge bag of fabrics to make more quilts. I took two photos because the first one doesn't give the impression of just how much fabric there is, so I piled it all up for the second photo.
In the top right hand corner of both photos is a purple floral piece.  This is actually a pair of flannelette sheets that Sue bought at Savers, to cut up and use as backing for the PNG baby quilts.  What a super idea!!  Opshops often get winter sheets donated, and when they are washed and pressed, they can be cut up to the size required and made perfect backing for quilts, being soft.  So much cheaper than buying flannelette by the metre from one of the fabric shops.
If you are reading this and would like to make up some quilts but don't have the fabric on hand, just email me, as I will never use all this myself (I've got enough of my own stash) and will be very happy to share this around to those who would like to help out with the PNG Quilts.

Patchwork mat for internet forum swap.

I have just posted this little mat to a lady who is swapping hand made goodies with me in a forum I recently joined.  I posted this to her today, so by the time she sees this, hopefully she will have the mat and this won't spoil the surprise!   We had to provide a list of interests, and she listed gardening as one of her hobbies, so I decided to make a mug rug/place mat with vegetables on one side, and flowers on the other, and she can use whichever she prefers as the top side.

More quilts and rugs for the PNG Quilt Collective.

Sue over at "I Purr Furr to Craft" met up with me at Savers in Mill Park yesterday, to spend time and money at one of our favourite opshops.  She also presented me with 20 (yes, TWENTY!) quilts and bunny rugs that she has made for the PNG babies.  You can see them over at the new blog I have set up for the donated quilts.

PNG quilt and peacock shawl.

Another quilt arrived yesterday from NSW - see the Patea PNG Quilt Collective blog for details.
At the Embroiderers' Guild, the committee ladies are busy setting up our annual exhibition.  One of the members approached me and said "I have something for you", and handed me a beautiful beaded peacock shawl.  You can see it on my Peacocks blog.

New blog for the PNG babies quilts.

As I am receiving more information from Yaso about her long term project in PNG, and as the donations keep coming in, I have decided to open up a separate blog for these quilts.  I've copies all the relevant posts from this blog to the new one, but I have left them here as well, as there were a lot of comments that I thought should be left.  But from now on, I won't be posting details of the quilts and donors here, although I will mention them briefly here, and redirect readers to the new blog which is called Patea PNG Quilt Collective.

PNG Quilts.

On Sunday, Jane from Leongatha in rural Victoria, delivered ten bunny rugs to me for the PNG babies.  She'd made them all from flannelette - lovely and cosy for wrapping babies up on cool nights!

Embroiderers Guild Annual Exhibition.

Yesterday I delivered two of my finished projects to the Embroiderers Guild, to be displayed in the annual exhibition of EGV members' work.  I entered Ken's Retirement Quilt (the motorcycle quilted throw) and "Time For Tea", the table runner I made for Ken's cousin.  Poor Rosemary hasn't seen this yet; in fact she doesn't even know of its existence!  I want to put it in the Lilydale Show in November too, so she might get it by Christmas, lol!

Ken's cousin D. and his wife Yaso came over here for afternoon tea yesterday.  Yaso was keen to see the baby quilts that have been donated to me for her, and she had a close look at each one, delighted by all the work put into them, and very touched to think that so many people would do this for the babies of the PNG tribes she helps.  She told me more about the background of her work (she is a lecturer on International Development at RMIT) and travels to third world countries with her students to teach them how to help disadvantaged people there.  She is going to Africa for three weeks later this year, and back to PNG in January.  She promised to provide more background information for me to post on my blog, so all the people who are making baby quilts for the PNG babies will understand more about her work. 
Yaso asked me if it would be possible to obtain a photograph of each person who has made one or more quilts for her, as she plans to put on an exhibition next year at RMIT (University) about her work in PNG, and she wants to include photos of the native people accepting our quilts, as well as photos of the people who made the quilts.  I will be emailing all the donors direct in the future about this, but if you are one of them, and reading this now, please feel free to email me a photo of yourself any time!   (It would be nice if you are photographed holding any quilt that you have made).