Quilting and a little AQC

I am seven eighths of the way through quilting the second quilt. It is so close to being finished, but I am done for today. The headache I had earlier in the week has knocked me today and I am giving up on the day.

This is some of the quilting in progress. Oh. And I popped in to the AQC for an hour or so today. I managed to visit with Jane and Vicki from the Patchwork Apple and to catch up with Marg from Marg Low designs. Really that's all I wanted to do there. (There were so many people there! Not my favourite thing, crowds.) I also managed to pick up a brochure for Mill Rose Quilting at Ballan which is definitely the next shop on my "to visit" list.

Going for a drive

Everytime we go for a drive through Melbourne we see hot air balloons. This time we were ready for them and managed to capture them just before they were out of sight.

And this is what was waiting for us at the end of our drive. Picklesticks with granddaughter(s).

And Grandson with Jane's birdbath in the front garden of the "new" Patchwork Apple at Lenswood. It was such a pretty day today and we had so much fun!

Red Club No. 2

Marg Low's Red Club today at the Patchwork Apple! It was such a beautiful day. It rained. And you know how much we South Australian's love rain! It was a truly lovely day. I went early and had lunch at the bakery. I sat in the bakery and watched autumn. Lots of red, brown and gold leaves falling and everything was grey. Then we stitched. The hexagon flower above is Prue's. She got hers appliqued onto the block! She was speedy gonzales! My hexagon flower is below. Not appliqued to the block!

Tomorrow is meant to be another rainy day here, just the kind of day to spend inside sewing I think.

Helen Stubbings and Colourque Technique

I don't know if I've told you this before, but I went to a Helen Stubbings workshop!!! I had a great time (did you know that?) This is the block I was working on. No wonder I had a great time, this technique combines drawing (one of my favourite things) with fabric (oh! another of my favourite things!). I can see me using this for all sorts of things. Helen has a block of the month baltimore style quilt (Nienee's Garden) using this technique and I am so tempted to do it! I looooooooooove baltimore quilts, but I really don't get on well with applique so her quilt would be perfect for me! Hmmm....... perhaps I'll have to make a trip to the patchwork apple! (Watch out Jane!)

Helen Stubbings at the Gathering in the Hills!

Well, I went to my first quilting workshop! I had a truly wonderful time. It was a fun day in a lovely space. (It was held at the Lobethal Woollen Mills. They used to be part of Onkaparinga's manufacturing operation, but that closed down some years ago. The buildings are now used as a Market, Art Gallery, National Costume Museum, and for various small businesses.) We used an artist's space at the back of the Gallery and it was so pretty with all of the Patchwork Apple's fabrics and bits and pieces in it.

The workshop was hosted by the Patchwork Apple's Jane Green (left) and taught by Helen Stubbings (right). It was great to meet Helen. She is a really lovely lady. I also met two bloggers that I hadn't met before, (Lorraine and Marcia) and they were so nice too! I always say that bloggers are some of the nicest people on earth, so I'm not sure why I was so surprised at just how friendly and happy and kind these bloggers are!

There was morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea. The day had a cupcake theme so, of course, there were cupcakes to eat! We were given goodie bags with lovely bits and pieces from Jane. Miss 11 loved the bag. She went through it when I got home and declared that it was just like a showbag, but better! (She also declared that Jane should be in charge of all the showbags at the Royal Show! Now there's a job you'd love Jane!!!)

A Patchwork Apple gathering would not be complete without some apples in the middle of the table for both decoration and sustenance! The Patchwork Apple was first opened in Lenswood at Jane's house some 14 years ago. Jane and her husband grow apples and cherries on their property at Lenswood and a visit to the Patchwork Apple was also a visit to their orchards! Now the Patchwork Apple is in Woodside, which is why Woodside is one of my favourite Adelaide Hills' towns!

Another new blog!

Jane Green is the owner of my favourite Patchwork shop. Ever since I started my blog I have been encouraging her to start her own blog. It's not because I'm naturally bossy (of course not!), but because blogging is so much fun! The Patchwork Apple is in the main street of Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. I first met Jane about 14 years ago in her newly opened shop in her home at Lenswood. I went there with my tiny little baby (Mr 14) who is now 6 foot 2! It was a long time ago. Jane and her sister in law Annette were so welcoming that I came back to their shop often! Sadly, Annette passed away in 2000. (I think of her every time I visit The Patchwork Apple)

Jane's shop is very pretty and it has a lovely atmosphere. I think that is due to the fact that Jane is a lovely person. So rush over to her new blog and welcome her to the blogosphere! (I keep telling her that you are all some of the nicest people I have ever met!)

Quilt top finished!

The lovely Miss 15 took this photo for me. She is such a help. And "Yes!" I do realise that the light is dreadful, but it's night time and I really wanted to show you the finished article. Yesterday I made 28 blocks and today I made the rest and put it all together. The centers of the blocks are from the American Jane Look and Learn collection (from Australian Jane's shop the patchwork apple ) and the black and whites are from spotlight. Mrs 23 (picklesticks) loves this collection so this quilt is going to be for her offspring.

Miss 15 got all creative with the photography! I kind of made this top up as I went along. Next I will piece the back. I love pieced backs! They are my favourite way to back a quilt. Piecing is my favourite part of the quilt process, so why not have twice as much fun for the same quilt? I have some ideas for the back, but will probably let them stew for a while before deciding which idea to develop. Yep! Look at the top and stew those ideas!

Something else I made.

It's a bag. I think I like making bags. I'm not sure if this is because I love bags so much or if I just appreciate the utillitarian aspects of bags. I have stuff, and I need something to carry it around in. There's also the decorative aspect of bags to be taken into consideration. If you have some really groovey fabric what better way to show it off than draping it over your shoulder?

This bag was made from some of a "jellyroll" I bought from the patchwork apple. (I love that shop!) I quite like jellyrolls because they have the entire range of fabric contained within them. I don't know what quilting shops are like where you live, but here in Adelaide you don't often get access to an entire range of fabric. Even if Jane (the patchapple lady) ordered an entire range she might not get it. Especially if it is popular in other states. We in Adelaide have to be happy with dregs or shop on-line. I have never done that, but it's something I'm now considering seriously! What's your best place to shop on-line for fabric?