Quilting Owl

I have had a great finish to 2011 today stitching blocks in the Studio.  I have decided that "Finish" is going to be my word for 2012 and this was inspired after reading what  Shirley  had to say last night and looking around at all the UFOs and WIPs I currently have.  That doesn't mean I won't be starting new projects but  just focussing more on finishing some of them. Here are the latest Farmers Wife project blocks which brings my block count now to 16. I am also completely up todate with the Civil War quilt blocks and only have one more to do which I won't be able to download until late tonight. A new owl has appeared on the inside of the Studio door, courtesy of Peter, to watch over me while I work.  It is a wooden cutout from Cairns Craft Centre which Peter has just finished painting.  I will sign off for the year and wish everyone who follows and reads this blog a very happy and peaceful 2012 full of lots of joy, hope and lov...

Santa was very kind to me and brought some wonderful new books for the library:  "Indigo & Sarasa" The Quilts of Shizuko Kuroha; "A History of Dutch Quilts" by An Moonen; and "The Quilters Hall of Fame" 42 Masters Who Have Shaped Our Art.  These are wonderful books and filled with lots of inspiration. Peter is always on the prowl for new owls to add to my collection and now I have this wonderful selection to add to the owl shelf in the Studio.  I also received a lovely hexagon mug rug from Suz over at PatchworkNPlay  which has an owl in the centre. Outside the Studio there are some pineapples just ready to be picked.  All Peter has to do to grow these is plant the top part of a pineapple and wait a few months - mind you at certain times of the year I think that if we planted a stick it would grow in the warm tropical earth. What with Christmas and preparing for classes in 2012, I had fallen behind with some of my ongoing projects but have managed to...

At last, the house is clean, the presents are all wrapped and some last minute decorations have been hung so its time to sit down and wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my loyal followers and everyone who takes the time to read this blog and hope you all have a very happy festive season. This morning while having breakfast we got the rare opportunity to watch a Blue Ullysses butterfly hover in this red bush outside the window for a quite a long time.  Usually these vivid blue butterflies just do a very quick flit through the garden and disappear before I can get out the camera, but today we had lots of time to fully appreciate its beauty. It has truly been a lovely day and we decided to have lunch in town on the Marina Boardwalk at a favourite spot.  It was quite novel the way they served the fish and chips in what looked like newspaper. As it was a balmy tropical night  we enjoyed a ...

There are a lot of distractions in the studio at the moment which means I haven't had enough time to truly focus on all the Christmas quilt projects and decorations I had envisaged creating.  I added a few decorations around me so that I don't lose sight of what is only just over a week away and I really must get out and do some shopping and write my Christmas cards. What I have been doing is playing with these fabrics and making some exciting new quilt projects for classes happening at Cairns Craft Centre in Term 1, 2012. While checking around a few blogs I did find a link to Jenneke and her wonderful blog Building Houses from Scraps  where you get to make a quilt in 2012 with 365 3" house blocks plus one larger one.  That is a block for every day of the year - how cute is that.  I just had to register and only hope I can keep up with everything else that is going on but I am always tempted by blocks with houses. Till next time Frances

While the Sunday Stitchers enjoyed their morning tea and Christmas cake at their last get together for the year, Peter was kept busy at the fabric counter of Cairns Craft Centre which has now celebrated its 15th birthday. Jenny, who has just got back from her annual visit to New Zealand, provided the show and tell with this very cute child's quilt which she blanket stitched on her travels. Jenny has also been madly catching up with her blocks for the Civil War quilt and is now up to date once again . I also spied this lovely sewing case which Kay received as a gift from a good friend. Till next time Frances

There is only a few more blocks to come for the Civil War Quilt project so I have decided to do the Farmers Wife quilt next.  For the last few weeks I have been trying to restrain myself from starting this new project but to no avail and here are the first nine blocks I have pieced.  I agonised for a while on what colour pallette to use but finally decided to make the blocks very scrappy with earthy country tones.  These 6" blocks are very addictive and I don't think it will take me too long to finish the 111 blocks in the book unless of course another projects distracts me first.  There is no doubt about it I am a blocks and borders girl and I know I am going to love piecing these blocks as much as the Civil War ones. Our next round of visitors arrived in Cairns this week and what better way to welcome them than with a birthday cake with lots of strawberries, cream and candles.  Peter's daughter, Liz, with Amiel and Kaen  Till next time Frances