Merry Christmas

Like many other sewing groups, our year always finishes with a special day out to celebrate Christmas.  So, instead of the usual  gathering at one of our homes, on the 3rd Saturday in December we headed north to Castlemaine. 

No trip up the highway is complete without a stop at the Malmsbury Bakery for coffee and a little something to go with it.

How glamorous is Di's footwear?  A moon boot courtesy of fracture in her fibula, now healing well.

Then on to Threadbear where dear Corliss spoiled us, not only by allowing us the use of her classroom to gather in but by providing a beautiful lunch.  Thank you Corliss so much for making our day a special one.

If you think the group looks a little bigger than usual, then you would be correct.  Joining us were Anne, Barbara and Bridget.  Honorary sisters for the day.  We missed you Clare (but know you had a wonderful weekend away with the family).

The day however, was not all fun and frivolity - there was some serious sewing done....

Sue's hexagon quilt is growing.

Deb finished another block from the Caswell Quilt.

...and quite a bit of retail therapy as well.

Although I am not sure if Barb agrees with Kerry's choice of fabric!

To finish off, I would like to wish you all a wonderful and safe Christmas.  May your celebrations be full of joy and may 2013 be one of dreams fulfilled and many beautiful quilts.

Thank you for dropping by and reading our blog and for the support you give us throughout the year with your warm and welcome comments.

Until next time,

Meghan

Time flies when you are having fun!!

When I turned the calendar over yesterday and saw December 1st staring at me I was rather taken aback.  Where has the year gone?  Mine has been super busy - lots of fun times with my wonderful sewing sisters; a great holiday in France and North America with a dear friend of over 35 years (who proudly boasts about not being able to thread a needle!) and in between there has been work (to pay for the stash retirement fund), plus theatre visits and concerts, time with family (very important) and every thing else that fills our days.  So please forgive me my tardiness and the slightly late writing of this post.

It is just over 2 weeks since the sisters gathered at my home for our regular Saturday of sewing.  Di was an absentee as she was teaching a class in Kilmore. While a very tired Deb was a late arrival after getting up early to catch a flight back to Melbourne from Adelaide - how is that for dedication, you can't miss sewing.

Here is a little sample of what was being worked on.

From Deb, a block from Corliss's latest pattern, The Caswell Quilts.  You can find the pattern at Threadbear.

Merri has dug into her PHDs and recommenced work on an earlier Corliss pattern - Civil War Bride.

While Barb was very industrious, finishing 2 blocks for her Dear Jane.

And me, I was able to show a finished top, well almost finished, just the outer border to attach.  It is my version of Di's Antique Wedding Sampler.  Not the best photo but you get the idea.

Until next time...

Meghan

Small Gathering

It was a very small gathering of Sisters that met at Barb's place. Due to work commitments and illness there where a couple of empty chairs. However, that did not mean that interesting "quilty" things did not occur!
On the left is Barb holding up her rendition of "The Burnt"Quilt....only a border or two to complete. Well done Barb!



Ann was very busy "randomly" placing Clamshells together.
"Random" is a newish word to The Sisters vocab....and we are trying very hard to incorporate it into our work. lol!!

Merri has started and "oldy" but a "goody". The Di Hall version of the Jane Austen quilt. This is the beginning........the centre applique block.Wow!!!

Clare is in
"invention" mode........looking very interesting. Stay tuned for future updates
.Me??......I am STILL at work on The Antique Wedding quilt (original) and have about 2 blocks to complete and then the Broderie Perse on the borders.
Short but sweet.
Happy Stitching from the SSS!

Good to be home.....

... after 7 weeks of wonderful travels.  And even nicer to spend yesterday with the 'Sisters', albeit minus Barb and Clare.  I /we missed you both.  

While I have been gone, Ann has been very productive.  She has finished the top of Di's beautiful pattern, Antique Wedding Sampler Revisited. It is just gorgeous - and looks even better 'in the flesh'.

In addition, Ann is very busy working on a quilt, Hooterville from Material Obsession, for a special little girl.  The applique is almost done, and now the fun part, the embellishment, begins.

Kerry is in a finishing phase, and today was working on 'The Grove Documentation" - a quilt that Di offered as a border of the month when Primarily Patchwork was open.  I am not sure how many borders in total, but here is what has been completed so far.

And finally, a couple of photos of two pieces of beautiful antique chintz that Di bought from Mary Koval when she was here for Quilts in the Barn earlier this month.

This pillar print is just stunning - Di already has an image in her head of the quilt she is going to design and make using it. And don't you just love the greyhounds on this print - so English county!

Di bought all of the pillar print fabric that Mary had but there are some of the greyhounds still available.

I know that I am in the throes of fabric envy - what about you?

Until next time,

Meghan

The Travelling Secret Sewing Sisterhood.

Di, Merri, Meghan and the honorary members of the sisterhood; Bridget, Meghan's friend, Brian, Di's husband and Patrick, Merri's husband have sent word through that they are all having a wonderful time in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines in France.

 Di says "We have just spent one day in one village mainly.... the show is over 4 villages with over 20 different venues where quilts are hanging.... the organisation is mind blowing. Even the guys did the quilt displays with us yesterday....and they were very impressed !"

They've even caught up with our very dear Dutch friend, Petra.

I'm just a little bit jealous, but so glad they are having a great time.

Till next time

Clare 

Just another 1st Thursday of the Month!

Hi! everyone!
Time for another little therapy session to spread the joy of what quilting and patchwork are all about!
It's the first Thursday in September, the weather is still a little brisk! and the SSS are spending the day together.There are a few empty seats with Merri and Meagan O'Seas,and Sue and Deb busy at work.

The venue was at Barbara's place.
Barbara belongs to a patchwork group associated with the U3A of Nunawading and Di has been cleaning up and clearing out her sewing room (well, that's the story!). She donated a quilt top to the group who are making quilts for the flood affected people in Nathalya

Here are Di and Barbara with the finished quilt.

And what was everyone else working on ?????

 

 Ann is putting the finishing touches to the Broderie Perse on her "New" Antique Wedding quilt. I was working on my "original" older version of the same quilt, and pouring over some new books newly arrived  from the International Quilt Study Centre in the USA.

  Di is working on a new quilt from THAT book coming out in 2013

AND also working on a piece she will be teaching in  France in the next couple of weeks.

 It's shaping up well. Very Di Hall colourations and fussy -cutting. Just love it!

Barbara is working on her version of the famous "Dear Jane" quilt.....nearly finished the inside and getting prepared for those outer blocks. Clare is stitching away on another of her older projects. The last couple of years her clearance rate has been very high!

Hope your stitching is progressing well and you are enjoying the process.
Keep on stitching!

Raffle quilt

Good afternoon, it's been a long time since I posted anything, so thought I would update you on the most recent activity of the Secret Sewing Sisters.
The Sisters are all plodding away on various projects of their own at the moment, if they are not tripping off overseas, so I thought I'd show you the photos of the gorgeous quilt that the SSS (Secret Sewing Sisterhood) worked on collaboratively as a donation, for the raffle being conducted by Quilts in the Barn this year.
Our dear Sister Meghan, who is by now in Europe on a very well deserved holiday with a very lucky friend, designed the quilt, donated most of the fabric, inspired all of us to put needle and thread into action, then our gorgeous and very generous friend, Helen Hayes, did the most beautiful quilting, and voila..... here it is.

This quilt will be raffled at "Quilts in the Barn 2012" which is to be held on 5th, 6th and 7th October 2012. The theme this year is an exhibition of Red and White Quilts, featuring some antique quilts from Mary Koval from the US. Proceeds from the raffle will go to support Breast Cancer Research.

We tried really hard to do a "Red and White"quilt, but "white" is just not something that we do very easily, so we have given you our version of a red and "white" quilt, an "antique white" you might say....

There are no patterns for this quilt available, so you'll just have to buy more raffle tickets. Head over to the Quilts in the Barn blog, Quilts in the Barn and watch for further updates about the raffle and weekend in October.

Time to leave the computer and head to the sewing machine,

Till next time

Clare

Home- style Stitching

On a very nice August morning, eight sisters met at my place for the "1st Thursday of the month sewing session". Deb was absent because of work committments...we missed you!

 There was the usual chatting re families, world problem solving, the latest Show-case news etc.......

But the hot topic was Europe,.........why??.....because three of the sisters will be tripping around o'seas, in the next few weeks, mainly in this continent sight-seeing, fabric shopping, tasting all the local foods/wines, visiting museums (including quilt museums), quilt shops, galleries, quilt shows.......you get the picture!!!!

At some time, I think there may be plans to meet up in France.........Oh!! do I wish I was going!!!

O.K!...now, I am going to change the subject to one we all enjoy.............stitching!!

Now, what was everyone up to???.............................

Meghan, Ann, Merri, and myself are working on either the original or newer versions of the "Antique Wedding Sampler"
 
As you can see by the photos...........everyone's quilt is going to be very different, even though the same patterns are being used. I think that is the really great thing about patchwork and applique and piecing. One person's pattern (Di Hall's) can reproduce an infinite number of versions that are all beautiful pieces of work. Barb has finished her version which is hanging in pride of place in her lounge-room.

Clare is working on the "Grove Documentation Quilt"...I believe this is star no.1 of 36!!!........just a little way to go.

 Barb is working on her "Dear Jane"
Just love those little blocks....and ,may I say that mine is nearly completed!!!!
Sue has a couple of projects on the go. Lots of interest in the growth of her Hexagon quilt seen here.

 As for Di?????????????????? she has been busy teaching, packing for the o'seas jaunt and ,of course working on "that book"......which is going to include some really nice new pieces.
 O.K!!!.....just another little look:

Yumm!! Yumm!! Aren't those colours just gorgeous???
That's it for now.
Happy Stitching,
Kerry

A Day In The Country

On a crisp (very crisp!) Winter's Saturday in June the SSS mob motored down the road to Sue's place in the country. This is just a taste (slight "pun" here!) of the day.
The out-looks from the nice warm insides are just great!
Winter skys, ducks on the pond (actually the dam!)
Fruit trees, bare at the moment, but just wait for Spring etc, etc, etc!!!!
Nearly makes us all want to move to the country!!!


However.....onto the real reasons for our journey!!!

Yes!! We were at it again, sewing up a storm!

Ann is working on a very special project for a very special "little person" which includes working in wool felt.
I had rediscovered my Antique Wedding Quilt and Morrell blocks, dusted them off and am busy trying to complete the same!
Merri and Barb where also busy stitching away.
It's a shame, Deb, Clare and Meghan had other engagements on the day.
But, we had one "extra"...............................

.................... enthusiastic to join in................problem was he got just a bit too excited around the stitching and had to join the ducks on the outer for a while! Never mind.....we relented and 1 more was added to our group!




 

Not only was Sue working on her Hexagon quilt........which is growing beautifully,and a project we all want to start!! She was also busy in the kitchen making very nice things for us to eat and drink. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that Sue is a great cook...............and we get the benefit of that talent!  Yumm!


After the "traditional" lunch feast...........and the "traditional" after lunch coffees/teas.(we are a group that is very big on "tradition"!).........the sewing reappeared and just take a look at what Di is working on!!!
Fussy cutting, colours to die for, matching seams.....all the hallmarks of another beautiful quilt!

 Hint! Hint!.................THAT book was mentioned .......again!........2013 please come around quicker!!!
That's all I have ...........after another wonderful day of good friends, great food, world problem-solving conversation (maybe some goss!) and making time to stitch we all said our good-byes and motored back up the road to our homes.
Thanks Sue and SSS for another grand day!