Cassilis Quilters meet

A little group of 4 gathered for a lovely day of stitching, laughter and friendship at the Plough Inn Cassilis on Friday. Of course, a yummy lunch and plenty of cake too!!

Julie (no blog... yet!)

Susan

Raelee

 

Lots of Show and Tell......
Susan's beautiful Floral Beauty...

More of Susan's beautiful work

Julie's baby quilt

An attempt at some creative photography along the way...is this a selfee??

 A fabulous canola crop... and a lovely old fixer-uppera in the middle

Kitchen progress....getting excited!!!

Thread catchers are multiplying again... this time for the church spring fair today.

Till next time
happy stitching
Floss

Catch up!

I think I've been MIA... and I'll be in trouble with Chooky and Googygirl if I don't do a post!!
I signed up for SSCS again this year....my poor secret santa will think I don't exist.
So a quick catch up.... what have I been up to?

Recently I did a workshop with the lovely Carolyn Pearce at our local Embroiderer's group.
This is what we were making...Exquisite thimble holder, tape measure case, and thread cutter cover.
Little violets stitched in a thread painting technique.

 This is how much I got done!!!!....I'm working on it!

 I've been away at a conference ...worked away at Inverell for a week... Then..

Last weekend I was treated out to a 'Sparkling Afternoon Tea' at Gunner's Barracks  at Mosman (Sydney) by my three gorgeous girls for a belated birthday. It was fabulous! ...Magnificent harbour views yummy food and great company...(I think my little finger got tired having to hold it out!!)

 A little playing with hexi's today. Liberty fabrics from the stash and 3/4" hexagons.
Its a baby quilt for a beautiful little Miss Audrey. (not sure about the dark pink border though)

 And dreaming of my next project .. in repro fabric....so have been gathering..

 Its a lovely wet day here today so decided to do some dressmaking too... its only been waiting a year ....or two.....

 I'm rather excited about this space..... tomorrow ...My new kitchen goes in!!
YAY!!!

Anyone near Cassillis  this Friday is welcome to join a few bloggers for a stitching lunch at 'Plough Inn to Cassillis' Cafe..... It would be great to see you there!

till next time
keep stitching
Floss

extreme needle turn appliqué !

Back in April this year, I attended a lecture at ADFAS Scone (Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society)

The speaker, Jennifer Bowker was amazing... (herself an international quilter)

The title was "The Tentmakers of Old Cairo"

Jenny lived in Cairo for 4 years and worked closely with the Egyptian Tentmakers - men who do superb fine appliqué' panels which were originally used for lining tents.

The art is dying and the Tentmaker's Street which had 247 skilled masters in 1979 is now down to 45. Collections are not held anywhere in Egypt yet the work is stunning and beautiful.

Jenny has taken exhibitions to Australia, France and Spain to highlight this historic hand-made art of the tentmakers.

 An exhibition of older and historical work is being held in Wagga Wagga at present ...
26th August to 12th September 2013 at the Charles Sturt University Campus .. (HR Gallop Gallery)

There will also be an exhibition at the Embassy of Egypt in Canberra ...
28th and 29th September 2013... Two Egyptian Tentmakers will be demonstrating their work as well as an exhibit of part of Jenny Bowker's collection.
Both exhibitions are free.

Unfortunately, I am unable to get to either of these exhibitions, but maybe some one in blogland will be able to.
I saw some of Jenny's collection when she was in Scone and the patterns and colours of these panels are just wonderful! (The patterns are created by folding paper and cutting pieces away!)

Truely  amazing work!

 
till next time
keep stitching
Floss

Awesome weekend

Last weekend I was fortunate to have a little mini holiday.

It all started with a day at the Newcastle Stitches and craft show.. where I did a little damage to the credit card and spent a lot of time at Somerset Patchwork, adding to my reproduction stash.

Notice there is some cord to make more bags!

Then Thursday night I joined in stitching with Trish and Cheryll at Cardy's house. Lots of laughs and great company....yummy patty cakes too!

Friday morning found DH and I flying to Brisbane.
The main aim was to visit QAGOMA, where they have the most Amazing quilt display from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Quilts from 1700 - 1945

What a fabulous display it was too!! I was absolutely awestruck! (No photos allowed so sorry there is nothing to put here.) Seeing these quilts in real life ....I just could have studied them all day...well I just about did!
What made my visit even better was having Cheryl and Linda come to gaze at these quilts with me...and have lunch of course!

  Lunch was a patchwork platter...Cute!..with bubbles!!
Such a beautiful gallery

 Even Mr Floss was impressed with the history of the quilts.
The highlight of the exhibition for me was the Rajah quilt..made by the women on board the convict ship HMS Rajah, during their journey to Van Dieman's Land in 1841.. this quilt is in the National gallery of Australia...but is rarely on display.

Another coverlet was made of hexagons  by children in Changi Prison, a present for their girl guide leader.. the fabrics were cut from their clothes and thread was very scarce. They had to hide their needles from the guards.....I felt quite emotional looking at these quilts and thinking of the conditions in which they were living.

The exhibition closes on the 22nd September....so If you can get up there.. I thoroughly recommend it!
Just to see these old quilts in real life is so inspiring.
I'm sure Cheryl would meet you too... I don't think she gets tired of seeing these quilts...and she loves to show off her city, Brisbane.....and with good reason...It really is a lovely city!

till next time
Floss

scraps come together

Remember those little scrap strips from the last post?

 They were wrapped around some clothesline cord...( about 33metres of it )







Then stitched together ...using a zig zag stitch on my machine..

It grew... and grew ...

and grew some more!....

Until it was big enough....got some handles and became a bag!



All ready for an outing to the stitches and craft show in Newcastle tomorrow!

I followed instructions in a book called "It's a Wrap" by Susan Breier.

It certainly was a fun project and one I have been going to do for a few years now....
I love it so much...I think there will be a few more.
I just love using scraps...
I have always wanted to do a scrappy rug too.....stay tuned..it might be next!

Till next time
keep stitching
Floss