I really should be doing something else.....

and I will get back to it eventually but I need a chat and a sit down.
I have had a major spurt of activity in the sewing room and getting out and about, so lets share our days adventures shall we?

Firstly I snuck out of the house early on the weekend to catch up with this annual event.
This wonderful venue is host to a yearly hanging of quilts, with entrance fees, raffles and various other fundraisers going to the charity supporting those with breast cancer.
It is an intimate event but very well patronised, as I discovered when I arrived!! I thought that on the day of a major sporting event, the crowds would be down, I arrived just after a BUSLOAD of lovely ladies arrived.........all good, I waited patiently and soon was able to peruse the display.

Gasp, the theme this year was chintz, my favourite, love a full blown rose in my fabric. (Well that is what chintz means to me)

This caught my eye because just now I am enamoured with hexies, more on that later, delicious isnt it?

This was a lone block, I loved the faded glory, sorry the picture is rubbish but I did mention a busload of ladies didnt I?
There were several antique quilts on display, but pictures were not permitted, sadly, and I do follow the rules, sadly...:-)

These were permitted to be photographed, its broderie perse, or something like that, cut and paste , sew. How rich are these colours still? This is an antique quilt. I love how these ladies would be just as creative as us, using available fabric and creating pretty things for the home.

Heehee, this was the frantic activity around a stall selling fabric, no line up at the cake stall, so I went there until the frenzy subsided.

This is modern quilt with an antique medallion centre, again I was drawn to the faded tones, it all balanced well with the antique fabric and had the feel of something made long ago.

This was a large panel centre and simple borders, love the colours in this one. Again I apologise for the quality of the photo, the light was difficult and it was blowing a gale outside. In the barn all the quilts were swaying gently, hence no awesome shots possible.

This was the front and back of the raffle quilt, still waiting for someone to ring and tell me I have won it? Sigh!!!

More beautiful hexagons, seriously can you ever tire of these things?...Dont answer that!

Someone was very patient and clever....see this is why I hold onto scraps, one day I think I will do something like this.....I will.....one day........maybe........lets just have another piece of cake and think a bit more.
And it is this activity that sends me back to the sewing room to obsess over my scraps...aaaaarrrrgggghhhh.

Friends are like a patchwork quilt......

I was totally inspired by the recent writings of Miss Vintage Sheet Addict as to how we all interact here in blog world and out there in real world.

I see us all as one big patchwork quilt. All touching each other, all needing each other to make the whole thing work.

Some are worn and battered a little fractured and not in the bloom of youth.

Some are loud and flashy, bright and sparky, the life of the party.

Some are full of love, giving all to those around them.

Some are a bit dotty!

Some a little straight.

Some at first look dull and sober but their fibre is strong.

Some are plain.

Some are pretty.

But together it all looks right and there is strength.

I find inspiration a lot from those I meet along the way, I have been inspired to take up new sports when I was young, inspired to peek out and push my boundaries, inspired to keep going in tough times, inspired to garden more.
Inspired to dress just the way I damn well please, whatever my age, inspired to collect silly things just because they make me smile.

I am not original because I meet so many that belong to my tribe, but it makes me smile to know there are so many like minded people all over the world. That makes me hopeful for our future.

So I just thought I would say again Thank you for your blogs and inspiration, your words, your pictures , your encouragement.

I dont even know who reads this blog, but I know I read others and sometimes leave no trace.........because I am shy...:-) a little.
So again I am going on because yes I am INSPIRED . 

The quilt by the way was a find in my local op shop! Seriously these things NEVER happen to me, but that day, there it was sitting in the window. I was breathless hoping it would not be sold before I got to the counter. I LOVE IT. 
The work, the fabrics, the colour palette....you guessed it INSPIRING!!!!!!

This is one of those crazy things that make me smile. To some out there in the world its not much, to me I know the love and care and creativity that went into such a piece as I know ALL you guys understand too.
So to the lovely person who created this patchwork, I treasure your work and will value your creativity.

Hello World, its Susan speaking,

Boy oh boy, sometimes like a frog in hot water you dont realise the pressure you are under until you are steaming.

You know the theory, put a frog in water and slowly turn the heat up, he/she doesnt notice the heat until its nearly too late. 
Life can be like that A LOT.

I wont bore you with the details, as we are all in this hot water called life, feeling various degrees of heat, but some spots get hotter than others at different times.

I have come through the slump and like any change, its painful but enriching. I have sorted and dumped those things that no longer serve me well and kept and nutured those that uplift and enhance my life.

And as we crafters know, CREATIVITY is key!

I recently put all my energy into creating a quilt for my sons girlfriend. This beautiful soul has enriched my sons life and recently has proven again she has depths and substance in her love for my boy.
My son has many health issues, some life threatening, at his most vulnerable this girl/woman has been a support not only to him but me.

My family are not close and I have struggled in caring for my son with only my husband for help. Since this beautiful girl has entered our lives my burden has eased, she has become a member of our team and I appreciate so much the happiness she brings.

I had a layer cake of MoMO fabric and when I found a pattern for a hexagon quilt that could be machined and used a layer cake. Well it was a done thing.

I found some fabric also by MoMO for the border, it was from a different design story but the colours still worked. I wanted something bold.

Somehow this did not look right, it was lacking something.

I tried an inner border, to frame the hexagons and I think it looked better.

Thats the top done, the rest should be a breeze she said to herself.

 I had all these offcuts from the cutting of the hexagons, in the original pattern they were used in the border. I didnt go that path, but still wanted to use some scraps up.

Pretty bunting? 

 A pieced back....for my sins. :-)

 A closeup of the quilting.

Now be kind (as I know you all are), this is my FIRST attempt at  machine quilting, there were many wibbles and wobbles. But I had a blast, in fact I was seriously happy with my efforts.

In fact I liked the back as much as the front.

I off centered the starting point, as I felt this would take it to an arty edge. (not taking myself seriously here at all folks).

It is a trick I learned in photography, to make the picture just a little more pleasing to the eye, you position things of interest not in the middle but in the third...if you get my meaning.

And this was how many ends I had to sew in. Each circle had the start and end thread to hide.

I even enjoyed that task.....because I was making this for love.

Mind you, then I saw a quilt on Crazy Mom quilts and that sensible Amanda had done SPIRAL quilting.  Same effect, less end work.

Oh well, I did say it was my first attempt, we live and we learn.

I just want to say again how reading and seeing other quilts on this blog network has been so enlightening for me. I have looked and studied the techniques so generously shown and it has pushed me to create more.
This is a good thing in my life.

WENT AND HAD ME a good time.......

Yes, I actually managed a weekend away with the man of my dreams...after 14 years of family ups and downs, we finally reached the stage where we could leave the children and ESCAPE.

I desperately wanted to see the V & A exhibition of quilts, I mean who wouldnt? Sadly it was only travelling to Brisbane which is a couple of hours away by plane.

Well, serendipity worked in my favour for once, and my wonderful man agreed to run away with me for the weekend and I could pop off and see the quilts.

Of course you are not allowed to take photos in the exhibition so I bought the book and I am sure I will be OK if I show you a few of the memorable quilts that I liked in particular.

Actually this is one that my husband was fascinated with. 

Made by a man.......a soldier in fact, couldnt get more manly!

I/2 inch hexagons, in military wool......serious commitment there.

Soldiers were encouraged to sew in their rehab time so they didnt indulge in drinking and gambling. Works for me!

Serious wanties..... sigh. Look at that needlecase, why she asks dont they make such things anymore?...........and realises that she couldnt afford them if they did.

This one did actually make me weep. A simple quilt with such a powerful story. This was made in Changi Prison by 8 to 12 year old girls, in secret as being caught by the guards would be dire, with snippets of clothing, for their girl guide leader for her birthday.

They had embroidered their names in the centre of each rosette.

Seriously I have never had such a reaction before but the love that shone in such a dark place .....

More love, this was donated to a family in London who had lost their home in the blitz. It was made by a group of Canadian quilters and sent over in parcels.

I thought the red wool ties almost made this look modern, I may try this myself one day.

This was made by a UK woman from her black out curtains and scraps of whatever fabric she could find. The caption read...

"This was the only quilt the maker ever made..."

Fair enough, Its a good one.

These were examples of the hand quilting that was done as a cottage industry in the 30's and 40's by woman in the UK.
World class hotels commissioned their work and they were placed in their rooms.........THE WORK!.....I wonder where they are now?

Again, a wonderful example of hand quilting....sigh.....

As I said just a snap shot of the quilts I thought were interesting, there were many older and historical ones there but I thought I would keep this post short....er.

Then my man of my dreams and I played tourist in Brisbane, (and if my sister is reading this I am sorry we didnt catch up with you, it was a flying visit)

Are these not intriguing?

They are telephone or electrical exchange boxes that are on most street corners, obviously the city has commissioned artists to decorate what would normally be boring and voila...I loved it.

This was the road outside our hotel.....this is ART...no you say!

This is definitely art......I was inspired...by artist Jeffrey Smart.  Australian.

Natures Art.

International Art. 

A Pagoda donated to Brisbane for An Expo in 1988 ish?

The carving is ornate , the skill amazing.

I love taking pictures of old dilapidated buildings, often in large cities these buildings are demolished ASAP. So I see these not as eyesores but like a very old person, something that is showing wear and tear but has a story to tell.

One day someone may come along and paint and mend this and a new story will be begin.

Australians are too quick to bulldoze and build new these days, its often cheaper but we loose our history in the process.

Some history remains tucked away between the new

I have a daughter named Victoria.....good strong name!

Love a lion, they are all so regal , the crossed paws are a nice touch.

Time to stop for a refreshing cuppa.

Thanks for reading about my little trip away

The man of my dreams, posing with art.

Bye for now. :-)