I'm blessed...

to mave made such a special friend as Karen. She was my Sticher's Angel a couple of years ago and has become a very important part of my life... I feel lost if I haven't traded comments or shared stitching progress with her via email.

Our birthdays are within a few days of each other in December, and we both enjoy teasing each other along the lines of "I know something you don't know!" Karen has fired the first shot this year, but I will make up for it very quickly :-)

Look what arrived in the post today...

The photos don't do my little sewing book justice - Karen has embroidered the cherries with french knots and stitched some other parts, and she knows we ALL love Lindt chocolate! There is a little saying on the front of the needle book "Make life creative" -

Karen always manages to do that in so many wonderful ways :-)

I hope you all have a special person like Karen in your life.

Friday Flaunt

This is a fabulous little pattern I bought from Kate at  http://www.sewarmadillo.com.au/ 

It is a Cozy Quilts pattern and so quick but effective!

The reason for me needing to make it was sad... one of our ex students is dying from cancer, and our school community have rallied to help the family out due to massive bills they have been trying to deal with. This quilt was my contribution, and I am pleased to say it fetched a great amount in the silent auction amongst staff.

It has also gone to a great home.

The backing is shown below.... I wanted to make it reversible, or at least not totally boring on the back. Chris at Edge to Edge quilting donated the backing and quilted it for me very quickly and for a very reasonable price... she and Sandra always do a lovely job.

I should have posted these photos ages ago... this is the completed 'Hanging Garden' quilt I showed you a while ago, another Cozy Quilts pattern from Kate. It looked so great in our newly painted bedroom (originally two tone pink!) that I have now made a bigger size out of oriental fabrics for us which I'll show you when it is finished..

I'm hoping to bind it over the weekend (as well as finally complete Steven's "Murrumbigee dreaming" quilt which I finished hand quilting at 1am :-) )

Did you notice the Old English Sheepdog in the photo? His name is Gruff, and Steven gave him to me on my birthday way back in 1981.... he is a very special friend. Do you have a special friend like him that you treasure?

It's been a while....

since I blogged - sorry, life became much too hectic, and I downed tools for a while. I'll post some projects shortly, but I wanted to show you some images from the night away Steven and I just had...

We arrived at our B&B on Saturday afternoon, went for a couple of walks and had tea at the local RSL.

We then snuggled up in our lovely room with the above essentials....bliss!

The next morning, after a fabulous breakfast, we strolled down and looked around......

before I tell you where we stayed, I'm going to offer a surprise to the first person who guesses the location.. good luck!

Congratulation to Penny!

I just found out that Penny (who sent Liam one of her beautiful quilts!) was a winner in Quilting Gallery's weekly quilt contest. head over to her blog and have a look at some of her creations, and also look at her family's website at Harmony Hopes - they are working hard to make the world a better place....

A fantastic sewing retreat....

After a break of a few months, I am finally getting around to publically raving about the last place

we stayed on our fabulous Tassie holiday .......

 The Old Cable Station in Stanley.

I decided this place was so beautiful for so many reasons that it deserved an entry all by itself.

This little gem is tucked away just outside of Stanley proper, a short distance from the Highfield homestead and is the site of the cable station that enabled a telecommunications link

between Tasmania and the mainland.

We were lucky enough to be placed in the self contained cottage containing the old telephone exchange....

Out the window of the photo below, there is a covered courtyard the holds a beautiful timber table,

large enough to seat 10-12 people. A gas heater and barbeques are also provided, so even on a cool day,

it would be possible to sit and sew or relax in comfort.

Upon arrival, we were provided with tantalising foods of the highest quality for breakfast the next morning.

Several smaller but really lovely rooms are located on the other side of the courtyard. I could imagine staying here with a few friends for a weekend (or even longer!) relaxing in the fresh air

and sewing to our hearts' content.

The cottage has several bedrooms, and at least 2 have their own ensuite, as well as

a self contained kitchen and lounge with a TV and DVD player.

We were given the main bedroom which had its own massive bathroom

complete with a luxurious spa.... it was heavenly...

The icing on the cake was dinner in the restaurant in the evening. Mic is a top class chef who created a memorable meal for the two of us. I had been hanging out for the

wood oven roasted Stanley 1/2 crayfish with baby potatoes and a fresh side salad......

while Steven enjoyed fresh salmon served with locally grown vegetables.

We finished off with a platter of Tasmainain cheeses and loccal produce.....MMMMMMMM!

You couldn't ask for better hosts than Mic and Charlotte - they are genuine people who are passionate about providing their guests with the best of everything. Would anyone be interested in going down there with me for a sewing retreat? 

Flaunting on a Friday!

I hope you are sitting down.... I am actually flaunting on a Friday! Both Steven and I have some things to show off....

Steven recently made me this lovely birds eye Huon Pine pen. It was a replacement for one he made me about 6 years ago that went missing at some stage. It is a beautifully designed pen, being a little wider than some of the other pen styles available and a joy to use.

We brought back some Huon pine from Tassie (as you do!) and he has now made us these salt and pepper grinders....

Neither of us like the usual design, so he designed these for us.

The photo doesn't do justice to them as it is difficult for you to see the wood grain.

He has inserted them with glass tubing so the salt and pepper don't take on the huon pine aroma.

He is trying to work out whether he should make any more - what do you think?

Your feedback on the design choice would be very helpful.

I was very late in completing the winter mini quilt swap coordinated by Michelle Foster at Quilting Gallery

Here is the completed quilt - a bit larger thatn set, but I thought she could use it as a table topper.

The friendship stars are actually made of a glittery fabric - the intention was to illustrate the icy night skies we both have, rather than snow, as well as friendships formed through swaps like this one. I used some of my handpainted fabric for the sky and the quilting is supposed to represent the wind - a common part of winter, I think!

Lisa, my recipient, has been very patient, so I have made a little extra gift for her.....

yes, I know, yet another bag.... but they are so lovely.

By the way, I STILL haven't made one for myself!

Maybe next holidays?!

Heaven on Earth Part 2

Sorry for the delay in posting the second part of our fabulous Tassie trip - work insists in taking over my life and preventing me from doing what I'd love to do! Now... for the rest of the trip;

Strahan harbour is very pretty and tranquil - it looks almost exactly as we remember from our last trip 26 years ago. We had booked a seaplane flight to get a closer look at the wilderness surrounding Strahan, as this is one of the most stunning places you can visit, in our opinion.

Four of us settled in to the small seaplane for an hour long flight..... the weather was perfect, bright, sunny and very calm. We couldn't have asked for a more ideal day!

The landing on the Gordon river was exhilerating.... swooping down to land on the water while being surrounded by dense bush kept us on the edge of our seats! After a very safe landing, we walked along the jetty to enjoy the secluded beauty of St John Falls....

The brown tinge to the water is the tannins that leach from the  trees. It was very therapeutic to stand quietly and enjoy the tumbling water and crisp, clean air.

On returning to the plane, we headed back to Strahan via the Kelly Basin and the King River.

We are so lucky to live in this beautiful country - there is such a massive range of environments and terrain.... and to think, all this area could have been lost forever if the dams proposed in the early '80's had been built!

After another lovely evening in our stunning accomodation, we headed for Stanley on the north west tip of Tasmania. It is an interesting town to wander around because it contains many beautiful and historical buildings.

The photo above of the Van Diemans Land Company Store, built in 1843. Below are photos of the convict barracks, used from about 1836. Approximately 23 convicts were housed in this tiny structure....the massive rocks it was made out of now litter the area around what is left of the building.

Before I leave this installment, I have to show you one of the crops grown in several parts of Tasmania.....

Does this help explain why Tasmanians are such relaxed and friendly people??

The other surprising element to the first poppy photo is the sprinklers being used - we were so used to drought conditions that it took us by surprise to see the amount of crop watering taking place.

My last Tassie post will be highlighting a stunning place to stay that would also be perfect as a retreat venue for a small group of friends....

Completed projects and Sydney recommendations

I want to show you a couple of things I've been up to....

My only sister, Cyn and I spent some time together Friday working on the "Hanging Garden" quilt top. We had planned on working out the pattern and possibly getting a little of the top together, but we became so enthralled with the pattern that we just HAD to continue and see what it looked like. This is the end result...

Sorry about the dodginess of the picture... every time Liam and I ventured out to take a picture, it suddenly became windy! I decided after trying for two days to just give it a go, and this is what we ended up with.

 I will put up a better picture when I am able to achieve it (it's the perfectionist in me... sorry!)

This is a fabulous pattern - the more we did, the more we liked it. It also goes together quite quickly and could be used successfully for either jelly rolls or scrappy strips, which is what we used. I really enjoyed spending some quality time with Cyn - it is something we have not been able to do

 for a couple of years at least.

I also managed to create some ATC's for our bi monthly swap.... can you pick the theme?

I really enjoyed making these... if you want to know anything more about them, you need to have a guess at the theme, okay? Give me some feedback so I know what you enjoy about my posts. :)

ALSO: Steven and I bought some very cheap flights for a weekend in Sydney, but we need somewhere reasonably priced and clean to stay... can you recommend anywhere to us please?

What should we make sure we see while we are there for out day and a half? I can't wait to read your suggestions!

Chocolate fantasy

During 2009, as one of the professional goals I was required to set at work, I elected to learn more about coverture chocolate, as I had no experience in this field of specialty.
I was fortunate enough to stumble into one of Sylvia's workshops, and was hooked from there!

I have attended three workshops so far. Each one built on the knowledge and stills obtained in each earlier one, and I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. Sylvia explains all apsects clearly and is a very positive and patient teacher.

The rose decoration is made using chocolate 'putty' and is fully edible. It's good to see the cake decorating skills I learnt in 2008 can be used in other areas!

I have to confess that it was a requirement to complete sensory evaluations on each type of chocolate.... some needed several 'checks' to make sure they were of a reasonable quality to offer to my colleagues and family. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.
Which type of chocolate is your favourite?

First Frenzied flaunt for 2010

Here is the first official Frenzied Flaunt for 2010.... I don't have a massive amount to show as yet, as I have spent a large proportion of the holidays preparing projects to just pick up and 'do' during the year.

Firstly, I'll show you a couple of the Peace Quilt blocks I have completed. I plan to always have one or two blocks with me so I can complete the hand piecing anywhere, anytime.... maybe I should log the various places I end up sewing them??!!

Next, I can show you my progress with my "Friends for Christmas" quilt.... I prepared it all for blanket stitching last January, and it has languished ever since. That was until a very clever QDU'er named Rosemary posed a challenge to complete one Christmas decoration or block a month... I'm ahead of time so far, as I have completed TWO! (Don't worry... it probably won't continue!) Here they are:

I'm hanging off with the beaks at the moment because I haven't decided on the best colours to use (and also because I can't find the *&#@$* book to trace them off... SHHH!)

The bits hanging off such as the rest of the tree branches and the RH penquin in the other picture can't be completed until the blocks are sewn together, so hopefully by July you'll see the whole top together. The RH peguin will then be holding its little star, rather than looking a little empty handed!

The next project is a quilt 4 of us are making for a friend of my lovely mate Judy.... Maree is going to let us use her holiday house down by the sea for a sewing weekend in early winter, so we decided to make her a quilt to say thanks. It is a pattern called "Hanging Gardens" that I bought a couple of months ago.

On Saturday, in between lunching and sipping bubbly, we selected and cut out fabrics for the 13 blocks required for the throw size.

Cyn, Judy and I will sew them up and then get together to work out the rest of the top layout. Stay tuned for progress pictures.