Easter holiday.

Hi everyone, hope you all had a happy Easter I had a hectic Easter. First my day in Melbourne was fantastic my friend Anne and I started to smile as soon as the plane took off and basically laughed all day.

We did all our shopping in about two hours so had plenty of time to see the quilts and look around. The shops were lovely. I had a nice chat to Karen from Somerset it amazed me how enthusiastic she still was it must be an exhausting expedition. I joined her block of the month! I hope my free time at four am is productive...ha ha. Hope to work out a time I can come back to Melbourne and work for Karen.

Meanwhile my bedrooms at home were being painted so that when I arrived home new carpet could be laid, well I have never seen so much stuff come out of bedrooms my house looked like a junk yard, but now I have two rooms to work in and lovely fresh bedrooms.

My children all arrived my cooking this year has improved my fish looked like fish this year and not like mashed potato and my pork was cooked through and no one fell ill....Outstanding.

So in my free time I have been planning my new quilts getting ready to be the featured artist at the Springwood show this weekend and sorting fabrics for the scrap bags I will be selling at the show, so much fabric!

Thought you would like to see my work space where I do my planning, I love nice things around me.

Lots of nice fabric, no that's not all of it.

Everyone needs great books for inspiration, oh and that's chocolate mousse I bought in Canada.

I have to make a quilt and use this red border from The French General, the bird fabric is a bag.

My chair, I love to sit and think and sew in this chair.

I bought this suitcase when I was looking for a lamp??

It is packed with the scrap bags for the show.

That is all for today hope to have some pictures from the quilt show and of course more quilts today has been all about me.

Take care

Karen.

Snap Decision

Hi Everyone, I have decided to go to the Melbourne show! on Sunday for the day. I am working Saturday at Mittagong and Monday at Killara so I can only spare one day. My friend Anne is coming with me she is one of my friends who just goes with the flow thank god a lot of people think I am mad but the plane only takes one hour and thirty five minutes to get from Sydney to Melbourne. I have plenty of time for shopping arrive 8.30 am and leaving 9.00 pm in my opinion perfectly normal behaviour.

News just in more Dutch chintz has arrived so get to it and get yours before it sells out again.

Well lets look at the show and tell from Blueberries.
Jackie is the owner and spent all three days getting ready for the Melbourne show. I know she is smiling but slightly stressed five classes going over three days and the show coming up, what a legend.

 Here is Rachael our class Hexpert she just loves the English piecing.

Three girls have started English Autumn this year and here are the centre's completed.

Above Gloria's below Val and Cathee, just lovely.



Here are my friends Helen, Neryl and Annette hard at work, when I first met the Maitland girls 12 years ago I knew instantly they were kindred spirits love fabric make lovely quilts and always happy!

I was asked to take along a couple of older designs this month so here are The Little Garden and Summer Storm, which the girls renamed The silly tree quilt.

I stay in a very nice resort called The Mantra when I teach in Wyong and here is the view from my window this month.

Hard to take.

The Hobbysew girls, Sue, Sally, Bronwyn and Madeline

Bev and Bronwyns daughter Nicole so nice to have a mother and daughter come together.

O.k that is all this time hope to have more photos and news from my expedition this weekend.

Hope everyone is happily stitching on this cold Thursday until next time,

Karen.

  

Home at last

I have been away for a week so it is so nice to be home. I totally forgot to register my car so I have been running around today to get pink slips etc so I have a road worthy car for the weekend.

You all must know by now when I go away I have loads of show and tell so if you need a cup of coffee or tea get it before the photo's start, I might just get one too. so we all have our drinks here we go.

First shop is Cottage Quilt Works I thought it would be nice this month to introduce the shop owners these girls are my friends as I stay over with most of them. I admire how hard they work and how enthusiastic they are with projects, fabrics and classes without these ladies we would have no where to go to show and share our quilts learn from each other and when life gets a little tricky our quilting groups give us a soft place to fall, so remember to support our shops.

Jann and Chris are such a great partnership and the shop reflects both personalities, reproduction and modern.

Sue Brooke has completed her first Antique Applique block.

Jan has a little RSI from stitching her cream tea, totally worth it.

Bev started simply red in a July workshop a couple of years ago, the quilt is finished and hand quilted.

Elizabeth got her Irish Circles back from the quilters it is beautiful.

Then I drove across Sydney to spend a couple of days at Patchwork Plus Miranda.
Lorraine is the owner, I think I have worked for Lorraine about 10 years, my daughter Anna lived with Lorraine for a year whilst going to university so I think we are almost family now.
Here is Lorraine with her Cream Tea Mainly pink and brown such a lovely version.

Elaine with her Lucy Boston. I have some lovely photo's of more Lucy quilts will post later.

Jan with New England Fall

Robyn with another cream tea, never get tired of seeing these. We had a very long discussion as to how she should finish it off-- not sure what the outcome was!



The cute centre of Jan's cream tea. Lovely french generals.

Just to show all aspects of class here are the excuses for no homework, make of it what you will.

Brenda: I did sew a bit but really don't want to over do it, it's the journey that's important.

Michelle went away for the weekend with lots of quilters and was too tired.

Suzette cut out her background square so really she did do something.

Gosh my son is home for tea and I have cooked nothing, just two more pictures from Glenbrook you just can not finish and not see these.

Eye Candy by Terry a very old pattern.

And oh my a wonderful Jester quilt by Barb from Bathurst.

That's it wish you could all talk to me and suggest a quick tea!

Happy stitching to you all

Karen



Folk Art Photo's

As promised some photo's of work in progress, so much fun and so many ways to use fabrics.

My centre.

Hilda is hiding behind her gorgeous quilt. 

Karen and Helen in class pondering the next step.

The following photo's are from the Wednesday class at Quiltsmith.

Lyn's  first border.

Lenore has her centre together and started on her basket border.

Kate is enjoying stitching hexagons and stars. Plastic containers are perfect for all the bits and bobs.

Karen has her border prepared.

Closer look.

Lindy's star looks like a star fish.

Lindy's first border.





I am really loving this year so much show and tell  in every class!

I saw the new range by Moda Pom Pom Paris, just love it not sure what to do with it yet but had to get some anyway. I know I said at the begging of the year I had enough fabric ready to make about seven quilts including the backs, BUT what if I miss out and you all have pom pom and not me--Disaster that's what.

Hopefully husbands Don't read quilters blogs!

Hope you are all having a peaceful happy Sunday,

Karen

Today's News

Hi everyone, I have so much news today I talk too much and probably blog too much but you can just look at the pictures if you want.
Today my husband and I went out for lunch to the beautiful Paragon in Katoomba. It is so unusual for us both to have the same day off it was lovely. I wanted to check out the dinning room as I am organising a dinner for Summer School, I already have a wonderful guest speaker (no it's not me) she will dazzle you with her quilts.
I think you will agree after seeing the photo's we will have to have our dinner here, the Queen came in 1954!
So here is the heritage listed Paragon established in 1916.

Ballroom



Dining room.

Old cash register.

Coffee shop in the front of the building.

Not that I was looking but chocolate counter.

Lunch was yummy.

I have also booked the Community hall for Summer School which is opposite the railway station has plenty of parking is adjacent to a park for lunch outside and a stroll to the shops plus has loads of room.

For those of you doing Hidcote garden block of the month the Dutch chintz fabric I used is being reprinted.

Lisbeth will let us know when it is back in stock. I used antique ecru Marken fabric border stripe which is the same colour as the Tree of Life panel.

Next topic The Folk Art quilt. The quilt is 220x250.
Here are my side baskets.

Phew I have been busy! When you cut your borders for the baskets cut down the length of the fabric and add sides first then top and bottom, I had it the other way around on the pattern which is a very tight squeeze.

I will post some of the girls Folk Art homework Sunday as I think I have said enough!

Loving Autumn

Karen