It’s Raining

The thunder is rolling, lightening lighting up the sky, and IT”S RAINING. For some of you you have had enough of the water falling out of the sky but here in Brisbane it has not really rained for 3-4 months. Our lawns are brown and the gardens truly suffering, so this may see the colour green reappear.

The Week That’s Past

Still can’t show photos of what I’m sewing as the surprise is still preventing that but those projects are nearly finished then it’s full steam ahead on one of the many projects in my head. So I will show you pictures of my week and things I don’t really need but had to have!!

I won a giveaway this week (along with 24 others but that doesn’t matter). I was so excited as it is the first I have won.I now have a pattern of Esther Aliu’s Tulip Delight tablerunner. I have always admired her work and now I am going to attempt stencilling. I have my supplies ready and waiting..

 

                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then on my doorstep when I got home one night after work I found a parcel waiting for me of material I had ordered from USA. I visited Material Gal so if you want to waste a little time browsing go check out her site it is well worth it and she provides great service. These are brighter than in the picture so how could I resist?

Then for those of us in Brisbane it was the Quilt and Craft fair that ended yesterday. It was the first time I had been on the last day, but yesterday was my first day off and chance to go. there were pluses and minuses of going on the final day- the best thing was there were not as many people (stall holders said the other days were crazy). It meant that looking at the amazing quilts was easy with fewer people around. The downside was that some stalls had run out of patterns and notions but I think the less people made up for that part.

I think there were more quilts hanging this year and boy was there some amazing work. Stephanie Newman won Best of Show for Magellanic Magic. I can’t believe I didn’t take a photo but I had followed it’s progress on her blog so was familiar with it. the quilt also won Best Domestic machine quilting and Stephanie also won Best Hand Quilting with It’s a Spring Time. pop over to her blog to check out her work.

The quilt below won the category Junior-Primary School. There was a write up in the paper this week about Niamh Cadoo-Dagley with a photo of her winning quilt. She is only 6 years old!! Those trees have soo… many buttons sewn on them. This girl has got talent!

I cannot go to a quilt show without spending money. Anyone else the same or are you more disciplined. Below are two books that I bought. I was so excited to see the book called Glimpses of New Zealand by Gail Lawther. It is a new book with photos and stories of NZ as well as the most amazing art quilts depicting our culture. Can’t wait to make something from the book.

Of course there was more material and notions to add to the stash but I won’t bore you with those. All in all a great week of purchases but not much sewing.

We are supposed to be finally getting rain today and for the rest of the week but it is not looking too promising out there. But just in case they are right with the forecast I think I will go for a hit on the golf course then this afternoon can be in the sewing room.

Til next time happy sewing everyone.

Check out these Giveaways.

Check out this amazing giveaway over at Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe.. It is a very generous giveaway.

Then these most adorable Kati Cupcake patterns over at V@Co

BLOCK 3 DONE

Have finished Block 3 of the BOM and do I like the fabrics anymore now that it is finished, than I did when I opened the package-definitely not. It just does not do it for me.

I did substitute the check fabric in the centre which I am happy with but I put in a brighter pink which now it is finished was maybe not the  right choice. But at least it is done. This is the first BOM that I have joined that I have actually done so I am pleased with myself-the rest of them are piled in the cupboard or I’ve used the fabric for something else!!

What else have I been doing-can only show you a little sneak as it will spoil the surprise otherwise. How is everyone going with their Advent Swap items? I have been enjoying this.

Then in the mail I finally got Kaffe Fassett’s new book. I saw a comment on another blog that asked were we just seeing the same old patterns but with new fabrics in this book? Someone like Kaffe reproducing the same old thing?? I would be very surprised. So it was off to the bookshelf to look at the others I have and I am happy to say they are all different as we would expect.   This one will be coming with me to Night Duty tonight for perusing should we have some quiet moments.

Went to see the movie ‘Julie and Julia’ this week and thoroughly enjoyed it. Blogging and food-what could be better! Have just been out in the yard weeding-as everything is so dry here with the lack of rain it makes weeding easy although it was rather hot out there. The rubbish bin is full now so time to sew instead.

Hope you are all having a good weekend.

Block 3.

It rained yesterday for the first time in months-however in our part of Brisbane it didn’t come to much at all so still had to water the garden. The promised thunder and rain didn’t eventuate last night and now it is back to 30 degrees today.

How many have received Block 3 of Sue Ross’s BOM? I got very excited when I saw the parcel at my doorstep but have to say when I opened it the fabrics did not grab me and still don’t.

I have done my practice block and it is not a hard block to so. The photo of it has not come out well as the background is black with white dots on it and the camera didn’t like it.

I used my machine and a blind hem stitch to do the applique parts but don’t really like how it turned out. Would love some tips on the stitch to use and the settings any one else uses when they use their machine to applique. I’m not a hand worker but have did do Block 1 by hand and like the end result better.

Have finished my Stitchers Angels gifts so it is off to the post office to send them on their merry way to the USA. I hope the receiver enjoys them and takes a better photo than I did before I wrapped them!

A Bit Behind

Today I received an email to say that Block 3 of the Sue Ross BOM is on it’s way this week. Having been on holiday I’m a bit behind but am starting to get back into sewing and just finished my practice Block 2-I know if I didn’t do a practice block it would be finished now ready to start number 3 when it arrives!! However I feel more comfortable doing this rather than destroying the real block.

I really enjoyed doing this block-the tips given by those who had gone before helped a lot. I didn’t mind the bias seams at all and hope the true block turns out ok as well. Here’s a look at the one I have finished.

 

I have also been doing some projects for my swap partners but don’t want to show them in case I spoil the surprise.

More of Vietnam –Long Post Warning!

I thought I would show you some photos of my holiday in Vietnam.

I started off in Hanoi where my sister and brother in law had been living. Impressions- filthy, noisy, overcrowded and aggression++. There is the worst ‘rush hour’ that lasts ALL day! No one obeys road rules and pedestrian crossings are a waste of white paint. On the road the pecking order is 1)car (you have to be rich to own one). 2) Motorbike-there are thousands of them 3) bicycle 4) pedestrian. When you cross the road you just step out and slowly go hoping they will all swerve around you-it doesn’t take long to master the art!!    The sad thing about Hanoi is that they have failed to preserve the amazing French architecture so all the gorgeous buildings are just crumbling. The only buildings really preserved are the embassies.  

This is the ‘Preserved Old Quarter’ which is all shops on the bottom level and then they live above them. We were so lucky to go there on the National Holiday so it was lovely and quiet-usually these streets would be clogged with traffic.

We did however find the most decadent Chocolate Brownie-little jug of thick chocolate to pour over. Shared by the sisters I have to add!!

After Hanoi it was the overnight train north to Sapa which is close to the Chinese border. It is called the Switzerland of Vietnam and it does feel a bit that way. This is a view from the hotel window.

It is in Sapa where you see the minority tribes-these tribes fled China during the revolution but neither country really accepts them. They still live in villages, dress in traditional clothing and live the most meagre existence. I did a trek through the countryside that went through some of the villages. It is nothing for the women to walk 12 kms from their village into town to try and sell some of their work to tourists and at the end of the day walk back. On their feet is nothing more than a pair of slip on sandals 

 

We spent alot of time chatting with this woman,and her friends, learning a lot about their life and their handwork.

This woman sat outside stitching all day and even as it got dark –still going. It’s no wonder they need glasses. The stitches are different depending what tribe they come from and it is like their history in stitches rather than the written word. I was fascinated watching the intricate work with no markings on the fabric whatsoever.

All the work on her clothing she has also done.

This is me with my lovely 68yr old ‘friend’. She was such a character and was always laughing and so happy but the minute the camera appeared she never smiled. We took quite a few photos of her and not one has her smiling. I used to go and chat to them most afternoons and of course bought some little pieces off them.

I even tried my hand at threshing the rice for the locals but I don’t think I was any help at all but it certainly entertained them.

How would you like this for your sewing room? We were standing on the path that ran past her house so no privacy at all.

We could’ve stayed up there for alot longer but it was off to Hoi An, which sadly has just been hit by the typhoon. Luckily the rice was being harvested while we were there so hopefully they had it all in and safely stored.

Hoi An is on the coast and on old town. Time was spent either at the beach, riding bikes around the rice paddies or at the tailors! We really needed to go with an empty suitcase and have a total wardrobe made as it was so cheap.

The buildings again have not been that well preserved except in the main part of town where most of the tourists go.

Then it was off to Saigon for a couple of days-much more Westernised city than Hanoi and some amazing architecture. A nice place to finish our time in Vietnam.

                                               Inside the Post Office.

                                                  The Opera House

                    Hope you have enjoyed the little tour of Vietnam.