Not enough stitching...

...but that it is changing! Spent time cutting out the remainder of Mum's quilt...her house has sold & she has 6 wks to find somewhere new! So I need to get her quilt ready...nose to the sewing machine!

Spring is coming...a nice spot to sit when it is not windy...

with little chatty friends...

and my favourite mini daffodils!

Cardygirl xx

Festive stitching!

Recently I purchased some Fruitcake fabric, supplemented it with a bit of Figgy Pudding & today added the borders to my new Christmas decoration for 2010. Each year I add something new & I really loved this pattern from Kate Conklin. I had never tried the "stack & whack" method before, but it was great fun & there were really quick results...just need to quilt it & I am done! Even better was that I could buy the pattern as a PDF...not happy with mail order at present...things seem to go missing...glad to do it as a file instead!

It was really scary when Chookyblue blogged on Wednesday that it is only four months 'til Christmas...eek! This year is whizzing by too fast! Oh well, at least there will be a nice new quilt hanging in my entry! Just need to quilt it!!!!

Cardygirl xx

Nice mail!

I was fortunate recently to win a giveaway on the blog from the Portland Modern Quilters Guild. Oh I look at their posts and I wish I lived a bit closer than I do...too long a trip for an evening sadly! 

But great that they share their creativity with us. I received this great pattern in the mail from Robin who generously donated the pattern. Thanks Robin and the ladies of the PMQG! 

I am keen to play with it...I am going to a raw edge machine applique class in a few weeks so thought I might have a go at it then. Looking forward to showing you how I go!

Cardygirl xx

What was I thinking?

Sitting on the lounge talking to my DD the other night I spotted something odd... I looked....then looked more closely...a sudden realisation...this fully complete quilt that has lived in my family room for close to four years has a flaw! So VERY obvious now! Has this ever happened to you?
Hey Chookyblue...are you having the last laugh????

You just have to laugh...now I can't stop looking at it!

Cardygirl xx

This week...

...has flown by...home from Nundle...back to work...off to Sydney with DH & DD so DH could have a meeting...time for a bit of a shop in the Big Smoke...

...love the Queen Victoria building...

...it is always fun heading over the Bridge...aaah!

More work...then off to Armidale...beautiful churches...

...to visit DS at University for a Parents Dinner...fun! Amazing how grown up he is becoming...great company...we stayed for two nights & took him out for real food...LOL! One student referred to parents as "walking ATM's"...oh how true!

Very little sewing happening here...this week may allow more time...fingers crossed!

Cardygirl xx

The last of Nundle...

...for this year anyway! Now I'm dreaming of next year!

This is my project...a pattern from Geoffs Mom...it is going together beautifully...all in 1930's prints...the plan is to make it for Mum & her new home( hopefully she will sell hers soon)...

...I hope to surprise her with it when she moves...a tahdah moment I hope!

Here is the view from Kerry's cottage...

lunchtime...

Lea's quilt...

Leigh's stunning block...

Bronwyn's gorgeous fun...

the group display...

thanks for sharing our fun!

Cardygirl xx

Nundle is where I long to be...

...for at least a couple of weekends each year!

Kerry at The Cottage on the Hill really knows how to throw a great weekend...happy stitching, lots of laughter, great food and a sense of rejuvenation at the end of it all.

Great mysteries of life were explained by Anita...and it was decided that men really should stitch...LOL!

We arrived from several directions on Friday afternoon all with a desire to SEW!

After picking out fabrics & leaving the super organised Kerry to make up our kits, we headed for the famous Nundle pub for dinner...always fun, especially when some of the girls won a meat tray & half a carton of beer in the raffles. Heading back to our cabins by the river we slept in our cosy beds waking to a heavy frost & frozen water pipes...fun!

Bright & early we began stitching...so many different quilts...so much inspiration.

Stitching like mad women we achieved so much in our first day...then off to dinner at the Mount Misery Gold Mine...superb food...super company! 

Smiles and laughter...

new friends sewing together to get projects finished...

stitching into the night...

and remember children ...don't drink & quilt!

More pics of the finished articles tomorrow!

Cardygirl xx

Back again...

...after a great weekend....I will post tomorrow...need to sleep!

Cardygirl xx

Expectations, acceptance & moving forward!

About a week ago I had one of those fragile sewing days...you know...I am sure you have had a project that wasn't going right...for whatever reason...and it reduced you to a quivering mess!Sadly that was me last week...normally calm...usually controlled...a mess!

It was my Sue Ross BOM- a mammoth project that I have been chipping away at...but I almost let it defeat me...ALMOST! And this is where EXPECTATIONS come in.

As with lots of BOM's we are not sure of what they will look like when completed...great excitement as we all love the innovation & technique of Sue Ross...we have all oohed & aahed over her designs for years...as she does do the most beautiful & technical work. I had my idea of what it would look like...but I was not totally correct...but I foolishly failed to see that even though it was a little different it was still amazing. The BOM was a challenge- but in a really GOOD way...techniques refreshed...new skills learnt...boundaries well & truly stretched!I am not going to say it was easy...what in life that is worthwhile is easy?

But I expected fairly close to perfection from myself...and that has not been easy or reasonable and it probably has been a lot to expect from a pile of pretty fabrics.
Now let me get to ACCEPTANCE! I now know that sometimes things are not exactly going to turn out how I expected...and that is okay! Some very wise women said to me to not be so hard on myself & perhaps points can float without a cataclysmic event happening! They said to have faith in myself & my judgments.
My goodness blogland is full of kind wise women!

On breathing slowly & getting out my blocks tonight I smiled at these fabric friends and saw them for all their beauty, the fabrics are fresh & fun, the blocks great!
Just need to get them together now!
So MOVING FORWARD, thankyou to all who patted my hand, shared their wisdom, sympathised & made me see the beauty anew...I can't wait to finish this this quilt!
Cardygirl xx

Weekend snapshot

A pretty quiet weekend here...

a quilt bound & placed on a bed...

time to enjoy the sunshine...

time to teach DD how to make binding & then bind her first quilt.

A good weekend.

Cardygirl xx

Well...could you resist?

Which of us can ignore that little four letter word....SALE!

Our local fabric shop had a three day one last week...it doesn't happen too often...and there was 50% off fabric!

I was planning to do a Christmas project and so I hot footed it up there as I knew they had some Fruitcake fabric by Basic Grey that would be perfect for it. The pattern is by Kate Conklin..."Pine for You"...and it is super cute...you can buy it directly off Kate's blog as a PDF...so convenient & no waiting!

As happens with sales, you grab a bit of something else that has been catching your eye as well.

This yellow sock monkey fabric has been calling my name for some time...I have had the pink (from another sale) for a while...and at the recent Sydney Quilt Show I bought this Sock Monkey kit...really cute but I am a bit nervous to chop into my socks!Also picked up these remnants very cheaply. And to make it even better I was able to use a voucher towards it & it was all VERY cheap indeed! YAY!

A glorious sunny day here today after a few days of rain...hope to get some stitching done later!

Cardygirl xx