Sherwood Stitchers Bus Trip

Last Wednesday, 37 ladies from Sherwood Stitchers made the annual bus trip to Gatton via Bargain Box in Ipswich.  Both shops have a great array of patchwork fabric and we had a lovely lunch at Gatton - the staff of Sew Creative http://www.sewcreativegatton.com.au/ put on a lovely spread of local produce - fruit, ham & chicken.  Everyone had one or two parcels of goodies at the end of the day.

Rotary Cutter Holder

Thought you might like to have this idea.  I can't take credit for it, I saw this hint in an American Better Homes & Gardens magazine.  The hardest part of the exercise is to find the pot holders.  After searching Op Shops here in Brisbane, I cast my net further afield & hit the four shops in Gatton, Lockyer Valley & scored.
You then fold the holder in half & sew down one long side & the bottom.  I go around twice just to make sure it all holds.  The roatry cutter fits in perfectly.

Puuuuurgola Opening!!

The flags greeted the important guests!

The puuurgola (pergola) awaiting its auspicious opening!  We were advised that a ribbon needed to be cut & streamers should festoon the building!

 As HofM had been the builder (he did have an offsider to argue with), he had the pleasure of declaring the building open.  He did it with flourish - honoured guests watched in awe.  We had already had a drink or two & following the opening, guests were allowed to sit in it.  It was a fun afternoon to share with freinds.

Workshop Treat & Welcome Home!

A week or so ago, I had the absolute pleasure of doing a workshop with Gloria Loughmann http://www.glorialoughman.com/ - "Light up your Landscape".  I chose a sunset with the Dresden, Germany, skyline & am really pleased with my interpretation.  Under Gloria's guiding hand, I tackled painting fabric to dull of the water & then a stencil to make a reflection.  I even thread stitched the forms of buildings into the shadows. But, above all, I finished it in the 2 day workshop!!!! Just wonderful.

Last Thursday, had lunch with HofM & middle son before he went back to work the following day.  We ate at a Thai Restaurant on Park Road.  Don't know if they had sussed out my companions, but they asked if we wanted to sit in the garden (it was drizzling a little).  We were the only ones outside. This used to be the furniture store, Samsara, in an earlier life & the back garden is left over from that.  Do love the Asian/Bali infuences for gardens.

The boys are all home & another brigade is now over in Afghanistan.  Being selfish, I am just happ my son is home.  HofM, son's girlfriend & I attended the march through Brisbane on Saturday morning.  It was a good turn out for the boys & he said it was really noisy around King George Square.  We did see him amongst all the khaki & desert camos, smiling - I think a bit embarassed by a mother who was wildly waving when I saw him.  At least I didn't run into the line to hug him!  I do have SOME self-control.
Well done, boys & girls & welcome home.

Nobby - Southern Darling Downs

Sunday saw us heading through the Lockyer Valley to Nobby via Ma Ma Creek - lovely drive - all looks so green at the moment.  We had lunch at Rudds Pub - the meals are HUGE & great.

After lunch we went next door to the Vintage Museum.  This wedding dress was designed by Ida Dennis of Toowoomba - stunning.  Morley Grainger www.morleygrainger.com/exhibitions  of Toowoomba curated an exhibition of Ida Dennis's work a couple of years ago.

This guy greets you at the entrance to the Nobby Forge & Vintage Museum http://www.nobbyvillage.com.au/- the clothes, the hats, the furs, the toys, all brought back memories. The owner showed us the exhibits and willingly shared her knowledge with us.  It was a great trip down memory lane.  A visit is a must when you are in the area.

The men visited the forge and spoke of manly things and were educated in this craft.

After a few hours in Nobby, we headed for coffee & cake at the Village Green, Highfields, just north of Toowoomba.  This building used to be the one teacher school in Highfields in the 1960's and it is where I went to school for a year.  Suitable homage is paid to this site whenever I take visitors there - it's an important historically!!!!!  It 's a lovely cafe & on the green are a number of shops dedicated to giftware, scrapbooking & surprise, surprise, a quilt shop - The Quilter's Angel.  

Quilts! Quilts! Quilts!

The Queensland Quilt Show has come & gone - these are the three quilts I had in the show.  This one is part of the Serwood Stitchers display of our Round Robins.   Sherwood Stitchers is just one of the groups I belong to. 

This piece was the result of a workshop with an American tutor, Jane Sassaman janesassman.com- she showed me I can draw & design.  We used a photo or a real flower & expanded on what we saw.  Then we had fun using our machines & all those fancy stitches that are rarely, if ever, used.

This was my entry into Queensland Quilters Challenge for 2010.  We received a fat quarter of fabric - it had lots of leaves in greens & pinks & I decided to play with some techniques.  I had fun with it.  The entire Challenge was displayed at this year's show.