Karen's latest achievement

 Karen has finished her National Quilt Museum BOM quilt. It was based on a stripy fabric given to her by Stephanie and seen in the Bungle Bungles block and the border.

It is certainly very striking Karen!

Progress and thoughts

 Elaine came last Saturday and while she progressed with joining tessellated stars, I put a hanging sleeve on my tiny sashiko hanging.

After Elaine left I finished off the few bits left on the stars and it is now ready to sandwich.

Stephanie came on Monday and we played around with our latest set of blocks for the group and came up with this.

While we were away we stayed at Jenny's in Mudgee and she donated lots and lots of fabric to the group.

assorted

plaids, checks and stripes

plains - always useful

A friend of Stephanie's also donated heaps of small pieces.

Now it is time to use these donations so rather than asking all our members to donate another metre each, Stephanie and I made an executive decision to save you all postage and wrap up a few of the metres that we've been donated and also to start using up some of the smaller pieces in some scrappy ideas - maybe even a scrappy sampler?? So rather than just 1.5" leaders and enders perhaps we can start with any shape leaders and enders as in this video. We'll need to decide on a few rules about what should go with what and what to avoid so that will be a discussion for our next gathering on 11 May (note the change of date). So far the thoughts are 

• random mix
• no white or black
• colour co-ordinated
• do scraps have a size limit?
• does the final slab have a size limit?

Scrub Stitchin' 3

 Up early again and I even beat Chooky to the sewing room.

Camp Cypress certainly lives up to its name with dozens of cypress pines dotting the area.

I continued with blocks for the Jacobs' quilt after Chooky helped me to swap tables before many people arrived for breakfast. A much more stable table. By about morning tea time I had finished all of one set of blocks.

Stephanie and I drove to the National Parks Discovery Centre in Baradine then also drove around for a "tour of the 'burbs" after a coffee at the Embassy Cafe. Baradine is a small town of about 600 residents but does have a hospital.

I then went ahead to finish binding the Jewel Quilt before dinner was served.

After dinner I started the project that Chooky introduced us to and by bedtime I had figured out how to change a one ended section into one that travelled in two directions to create a table runner.

Another day of sewing and chatting and a show and tell of all our projects and things we'd also brought with us.

At sunset we were all ushered out of the sewing room for drinks and nibbles in the cool of the evening while the room was prepared for our final night dinner. The theme was stars.

Fun was had by all and an exchange of gifts was enjoyed. Mine was a lovely sewing kit made by Janice.

Other gifts that were in our starry bag on our desk when we arrived included...

I spent a bit of time on our last morning experimenting with creating slabs of fabric from everyone's scraps before packing to leave after lunch.

Everyone set out their zig zag projects to see what they could look like.

We stayed another night with Jen and Alex on our way home and enjoyed dinner at their favourite haunt.

Of course I had to stop on the way home at the Capertee Valley lookout. Such a magnificent view and very significant to Surrey and I.

Scrub Stitchin' 2

 I was up early for my birthday and spent most of the day sewing. My first job was binding the Jewel Quilt I had finished at home, 

then to break it up I started the Woven Jacobs' Ladder quilt I am making. I had cut all the pieces for it from Surrey's shirts and brought them with me.

Even though the Jacobs' quilt was to be my main project for the week I had to stop as I got to a stage where the machine was too unmanageable on its wobbly table with some of the thickest seams. I got all the centre blocks finished but not the ones with the large square in the middle of them.

We had lunch and dinner prepared for us today and both meals were most welcome being all the more delicious because we did not have to do anything.

All day I had to wear the birthday sash and also received lots of birthday emails and messages from friends and family.

When any of us needed a break we wandered around the room to see what others were doing and learning from each other as we swapped ideas and tricks. We also had a show and tell when anyone finished their project.

Scrub Stitchin' 1

 Stephanie and I have returned from a trip to Baradine (near the Warrumbungles) for a 5-day quilting retreat called Scrub Stitchin' organised by Chookyblue.

I left home on Monday and picked up Stephanie then headed out of Sydney with a very loaded car full of sewing gear ready for a week of quilting.

Our first stop was at Leura after following a large truck most of the way through the mountains.  We had a lovely lunch at the Leura Gourmet Cafe with views over the beginnings of autumn colouring in the trees and a background of blue-green eucalypts. 

On then to Mudgee for afternoon tea and a wander before heading to Jenny and Alex's where we were to stay for 2 nights much to the disgust of their two scardy cats.

Alex left early for his golf day then Jen, Stephanie and I drove up to Flirtation Hill then west to the Mudgee Tip Shop for a browse. Op shops are a favourite haunt for Stephanie and Jenny.

Then a stop at Honey Haven on the way back into Mudgee where we had morning tea at the Art Gallery cafe before browsing through the current underwhelming show on at the moment.

Then there was the walk along the river through the park where Stephanie found an interesting Salvia in one of the gardens opposite and conned the gardener Robert into giving here some cuttings.

Home then for a nanna nap and a show and tell of our various quilts and Jenny's beautiful scrap books and cards. A beautiful lamb stew for dinner with Alex when he arrived home.

We left Mudgee at about 8:30 am so we would have time on our way to look at Gulgong and have coffee and fill with fuel.

Our main aim was Stacks under the IGA. Stacks is full of stuff like a Two Dollar shop but is HUGE. I bought some seeds I was wanting and a duster and a phone charging cable for the car.

We drove up to Gulgong Flirtation Hill and the view was amazing!

On then north west with a brief stop at the Dunedoo Op Shop for Stephanie where she found a skirt for our party later in the week.

We turned off at Mendooran to head to Coonabarrabran for a quick toilet stop thence to Baradine. I called Chooky who was just arriving in to pick up her lunch. So then we were able to meet in person for the first time but also get instructions on how to get to our campsite for the Scrub Stitchin' Quilting Retreat.

After our hamburger from the middle pub we arrived to set up at our allocated table space, have a cuppa and meet others as they arrived. Annette and I both had birthdays to celebrate and did so with chocolate cake. Yum!

I was able to hem the binding on a little wall hanging before we all left for dinner at the corner pub.