Clean up one Mess before you start another.....

Good advice, particularly for Quilters - but what fun would that be?
Next week will most probably see the start of posts about not one but TWO Mystery Quilts I have signed up for and in the meantime I decided not to clean up ... but to start something else! ...

Monday I had the entire day to myself with no interruptions (Ahhh Bliss!) so in true style I decided to get out my "Splurge Kit"  .. You know the one you really can't afford but wanted anyway?


As my DH dropped me at the tram stop last April his  parting words were --- "Enjoy yourself".  A dangerous and potentially expensive comment to make seeing  I was headed for the AQC in Melbourne at the Royal Exhibition Buildings.

Jinny Beyer's Quilts have always held a fascination for me and it was all too tempting, after sitting there listening to her talk of colour theory and what makes one quilt work when others just don't!

I just had to have one and what better quilt to start with than the beautiful Colour Pallet Wall-hanging "Crystal Star".

I got up to the bit where it says... "Cut 150 x 1 1/8" x 3 1/8" pieces from Fabric 48" and then they all came home......  It is not the sort of project I am going to attempt when there is anyone else around, so off it goes, back in it's bag with everything duly labelled to await another perfect day.....

I've been busy....

I know Wednesday comes around every week at exactly the same time - but - some weeks just seem a lot shorter than others!

I have finished my version of Mahal Magic.  It is slightly different to Leesa's in that I have rotated the feature blocks so that there is not 2 prints in any one column,  added another 2 feature strips - top and bottom - as well as making the border frame the quilt with mitred corner posts made from the feature stripe.

Once that was carefully folded and placed in the "How am I going to quilt this?" basket, it was back to Heart's Desire.

I have been trying to remember where I left off with the remaining 3 'Flowers for Me' blocks - especially the saw-tooth borders and also finding out that I have left off some of the thorns from 2 of the stems.... more unpicking!  I hope to be able to get these finished today so I can get on with assembling these 3 blocks and finishing off the centre of the quilt.

Also, you may notice I have a new button on my sidebar.  We finally have a name for the long awaited new Mystery BOM. "Forget Me Not" is about to be launched - just when is up to the designer.  Personally I am happy to wait as it gives me more time to work on Hearts Desire.

Mahal Magic and Chocolates

This week I have been working on my KIT Challenge Quilt.
The idea was to get some of those Kits we all like to acquire at Shows and Conventions and from the ever tempting on-line offers off our shelves and onto the machine.

My choice was the Mahal Magic Quilt - using the Passage to India range of fabrics.  Fortunately for me the design of this quilt is simple and intended to showcase feature fabrics or small panels. I just have the borders to do and the top is finished and I will just wait until it is cooler to quilt it. (Knowing Melbourne - that may be tomorrow!)

For some of the world today is Valentines Day -
So I hope it has been a pleasant day for you all.
For me it was a box of Chocolate coated Macadamia Nuts and a Pink Rose bud from the garden.
....... at least he remembered!

Christmas comes but once a year.....

...not if you are part of a Christmas Stocking Swap!
Then Christmas comes once a Month - only catch is ....
.....I can't open my presents until Christmas Day.
Oh well, I will just have to be patient.

I can now show you what I have been working on for the last week.
This is the Christmas Bag I have made for my swap partner this year.  It is a pattern that was featured in  the Quilters Companion Magazine (Vol 52) and designed by Leesa Chandler.
I have made it in the colours I associate with Christmas - *Purple and Cream with Green accents and a bright red Poinsettia style flower to set it off.

And....

Here is the Bag I received from My partner.
It is very much a Patchwork Bag and the seams are joined with tiny machine embroidered snowflakes.
It is certainly very roomy (I had to use my pillow to stuff it out for the photo).
So there will be plenty of room for the Gifts over the year.




* Australian Christmas is in Summer when the Agapanthus and Jacaranda are in flower, which is why Purple and Green are my choice for Christmas Colours.

January Family Day ......

The Australian Botanic Gardens - Cranbourne was the destination for this month's Family Day.  On a 35C day I would have preferred to be somewhere cooler, but DS#1 had an ulterior motive for choosing the destination.

Arid Outback Garden

He is doing a project for his University degree which requires researching Australian Native Trees and Grasses - so he asked if we could combine Family Day with some research.

We walked past the Arid Garden,

Australian Grass Trees

through the Formal Australian Flora Gardens

Past the Bandicoot.... 

the What? 

yes the Bandicoot - cute isn't he?

Native Garden  

Across their WIP - That's the New Section they are building..

Australian Bush Reserve

And into the Native Bush Reserve

 And what do you do when you have walked through such a dry and hot terrain and come across a tranquil watercourse?........

Go Paddling!.. 

Oh yes, they are VERY grown up!

This was our first trip into the Gardens and I was pleasantly surprised.  The staff were lovely, the Formal Gardens were easy to get around and the food at the Cafe was delicious. - What more could we want?