Monday 31 October 2011

Roses 2 RR - Elizabeths Block

OK, second block in this round robin for me to work on.  Pretty in Pink again, love working with roses.

Here is the block after my work, and close ups of my elements.

 I had cropped this photo to get rid of the background, but my computer has eaten my saved copy?????








So here's the closeups


First my hand painted lace Rose motif.

















Seam treatments: Chevron stitch with white fimo roses, with silk ribbon fargo roses and three bead and stitch arrangements, and greenish silk ribbon braid, finally with more fimo roses and a lovely butterfly charm.
 And lucky last three little white rose motifs to finish off the opposite corner.
Elizabeth, will be in the post Wednesday to Cathy.

Arlene


Sunday 30 October 2011

Donna's centerpiece - All Done

Remember my go at sane quilting, well I've finished it, ready to wrap up and give to my sister-in-law Donna for Xmas.  She is so into Christmas and every year i try to make or give her something Christmas themed.

Arlene

Friday 21 October 2011

Happy Birthday to Me

Yes I'm 50 today.....

This is another one of my favorite photographs.  This is my mum and I when I'm about 6 months.

Arlene

Sunday 16 October 2011

Cardwell Show and Tell

Cardwell earlier this year was one of a several townships along the north Queensland coast to be devastated by cyclone Yasi.  Last weekend was a special event for the local community to get together and share some of their work that was not taken by the savage storm.

Several ladies from Fibers, the Burdekin, Carlyle Gardens and Bluewater groups attended this event.  We had a wonderful Day, enjoying the gracious hospitality of the Cardwell Quilters.  After such a horrible year, these ladies have certainly deserved this wonderful event.  Many prizes were handed out, and Fiber, Burdekin and Bluewater ladies won a couple, with the major prize making it's way onto the Carlyle Bus. That wonderful multi coloured trolley being one of them.

I won the guessing competition (how many 6 inch squares were in the pickle container – I got within one, wow was I happy.)


I also took home one of the Dammit dolls; they were pre-made dolls that were on our tables when we arrived, and a bag of sewing notions to dress our dolls.  There was also a verse, which you were allowed to add, change or re invent. I wish I had of kept their verse, but our table re invented ours…..  The Dolls were then Auctioned off, (funds going to Juvenile diabetes) raising $198.70 (the 70 cents was all I had left after spending my money at the market place).. They also received $100 from Carlyle gardens ladies and they raised over $800 from the sale of tickets into the Quilt raffle.

Our dammit doll poem:
You've gone to your craft room
Iching to be stitching

You hear hubby in the kitchen
A screaming a bitching

Dammit you yell, Screaming and a shout.
Here Dear, Take my Dammit Doll, and slam it all about….








They had this wonderful cake made and their oldest member  Maxine Millwood cut the cake.








Here is Maggie wither her quilt she named Inspirations after her time with Yasi.














And what we all enjoy - retail therapy......

Thank you all for an absolutely wonderful day.....

To view more photo's click here

Also if you want to send any donations for stash to the group, let me know and I will send you a contact address.  All donations will be gratefully received.

Arlene

Friday 14 October 2011

Pin cushions....... ouch......

Fibers and Fabrics as most of you know is a Textile group that I am a member of.  In December we have our annual Xmas Craft Fair, and I put up my hand to help make items for our members table to raise much needed funds for our new premises.  Pin cushions will be on the table, but not just any ole' pin cushion, but fancy and way out type ones, ones that will catch that ladies eye, and say, oh ah, that would look great on my sewing table.  So here are a few pictures of what I've been making.  Our Embroidery group will be making some more along with some brooches and Jacob ladder needle cases.
Here is an example of the Brooch and the needle case.


This is one of many manikin pin cushions that will be up for sale. This is mine to keep, as she was my first try and a bit lopsided.






























My friend Kathy Shaw who has an Etsy shop where I've been buying some lovely stuff, had these rose beads, and they were just perfect for a pin cushion.
 My stumpwork beetles will also make a show on the odd cushion or two, too. 

My stumpwork beetle class with Joggles.com starts tomorrow, if you want to learn how to make these little buggers..... just click here.
And more stumpwork, Aussie gumunts may also be there for some lucky person. This is a lovely Victorian pin cushion, complete with bow.

So if your in Townsville, Queensland, Australia on the first weekend of December, pop in and say G'day and maybe pick up a gift or two.

Or if you see something you'd like, just send me an email and we can organize to get you one, plus postage.
(Pins no included).
All proceeds to aid Fibers and Fabrics.

Arlene

Friday 7 October 2011

I'm no sane quilter, BUT....

At Fibers and Fabrics Patchwork group last Thursday they were making a lovely swirl type table runner, that I just wanted to make.

Now i don't do normal quilting, I'm a crazy patch girl, through and through, so when it came to working all this out I was way out of my comfort zone.  I was amazed how quickly I picked up what had to be done. I even got my piece further than some of the 'sane quilters'.

First we had to choose 8 colours and then cut our fat quarters into strips, of various sizes. We then had to sew them all together running in sequence 1 to 8. Then we had to cut them again, using a 9 degree wedge. (All jargon if you ask me). I managed to do all this (except I miss one piece) thankfully I was the teachers pet I think, and she cut it out for me.

We then laid it out on the big table and starting from one of the smaller ends, numbered 1 to 25.
We had to sew each piece together and when we got to the middle start the second piece from the other end and then join the two pieces together. You think it looks OK, wait to ya see it sewn together.
I still have to put in the lining and the backing, but for my second time ever doing sane quilting, i think I did OK.

Will post in about a week, when I get some help putting it all together.

Here are the other ladies, Missing is our teacher (Gai is taking the photo), and Suzanne who had to leave early. This is taken with our pieces on the table, yes mine was done first, yippeeee.......  All the work, and the colours were amazing, can't wait to see them all finished.  Thanks so much Gai, I really enjoyed this workshop, an achievable piece of Patchwork my sister in law is gonna love.  I'm gonna make myself a blue Xmas one.

L-R
Me, Joan, Kathy, Judy, Sue and Margaret

Sunday 2 October 2011

Roses 2 RR - Paula's Block

G'day all,  A busy weekend stitching and catching up on other sewing jobs.  First of all I completed my stitching on Paula's stunning Roses 2 block.  I couldn't bring myself to stitch over the beautiful rose lace, so have left that for someone else to do. 

I added a hand painted basket motif and covered it with Kathy Shaw's stunning rose beads and some green still ribbon for foliage. The basket was just screaming for flowers to be added. I added a pink ribbon and a butterfly charm. I also added some buttonhole butterfly's. Here is a close up of the Rose Basket.
And a closeup of one of the butterfly's.
Here is a close up of some of the flowers and the ribbon bow.
Next was the seam treatment of Fargo ribbon roses on top of a 2mm white ribbon chevron seam.

You can just see the white ribbon, but it is there.  Next was the seam below this, double herringbone with red sequin flower cup with beads.
I had this braiding thread that was just perfect for this block, and so I added that at the base of the basket running to the edge of the block.
And so that's the work on this stunning block.

Just a last point, Kathy's shop has now been closed to where I got my beads from, but she is selling stunning buttons and her wonderful book over on her 'Etsy' site.

Arlene