Just quickly...

...this week has whizzed past with work and lots of miles on the highway and still more to do!

After returning from the quilt show in Sydney, I had plans for some quiet catch up & a bit of play with these delicious purchases...then I remembered that the next little quilt with Le Petite was due...eeek...grab fabrics...cut...sew...tada!

Then my Semester 2 subject started...download the notes...lots of berating of self for taking it on...

but best of all my sweet daughter graduated from her Honours year...a special day!

It was great to have Mum with us to share the excitement.

What on earth would girls who wear shoes like this work as????

 Cardygirl xx

More Quilt Show fun...

Besides seeing all the stunning quilts, catching up with friends, old and new, is always a great part of the Quilt Show at Darling Harbour in Sydney each year.

Some I see more often, some only at the show and some I meet for the first time. It is great recognising each other, catching up on news and planning next meetings. I suppose we are like modern day penpals.
Here are some quick pics...

Maree and the truly delightful Michelle Hill...

 With Chookyblue, Shiralee Sandy and Sandy N (who I spotted working on a stand...felt like a stalker!)...

 Anni from Hatched and Patched (always beautiful, not to mention her SNAG hubby Pete!) with Anita, Chooky and myself...

The very clever Sue Daley who is so generous with her paper piecing knowledge.

And lastly some of the bloggers who met for a chat... great to see you Sandy, Anita, Lynda, Alison, Maree, Sylvia, Trish and Chooky!
Final pics tomorrow!
Cardygirl xx

Now the countdown begins again!

Until the Quilt Show at Darling Harbour next year! Oh, I enjoy it so much and eagerly prepare for my time there. This year Lea & I stayed in Sydney for one night as we usually do the 7hr round trip in one very long day. We have talked for some time about having a "sleepover" and were fortunate enough to be able to do it this year. We left home at 0530hrs and headed for the big smoke, the only hiccup was a wrong turn near our destination...some frantic searching through the street directory...a little fraying of my good humour, but we finally arrived safely and hit the show!

Lots to see, but sadly some favourites were not there, like amitie and Patchwork on Central Park...might have to head to Melbourne to see them in their natural habitats...hmmm.

Always on my must see and spend list is Material Obsession. Love them, love them, love them! And Kathy, Kate and Liesl are such beautiful ladies...I feel so welcome and love catching up with what they are up to. It is like falling into a shimmering pool of colour, inspiration and warmth...good for the soul, and my head is left bursting with ideas. 

I attended a talk with Kathy and Reece Scannell ( his shot cottons are truly beautiful) about colour...amazing stuff...now I need to reorganise my stash into tones. The most amazing thing about this talk, besides all the colour info, was looking at myself, my colour choices, my likes and dislikes and realising what this says about me. So much cheaper than therapy is this fabric addiction of ours!

More tomorrow- purchases, bloggy friends, Quilt Show and who else we caught up with! Surprise meetings, recognition and inspirational friends.  A few camera issues to be sorted, so I can show you lots more!

A fun look at my corner of this crafty world we all share!

 Cardygirl xx

If you see this bag...

in the next few days...then you have probably seen me!

Off to Sydney very early in the morning to the Quilt Show...yay!

Bought this fabric from Material Obsession last year...

the vintage buckle a few years ago...

and they will be shopping with me tomorrow!

So excited!

Cardygirl xx

Are you going to the show?

Are you going to the Darling Harbour quilt show? Chookyblue has suggested a gathering...see here. I am so looking forward to catching up with my wonderful crafty friends!

Cardygirl xx

Almost seemed like snow.

Weather wise, this week has been pretty miserable! Lots and lots of rain...roads cut by flooding and terrible damage to our roads...potholes that damaged many cars...and all the coastal highway traffic diverted inland to us because of coastal flooding causing even more damage. Whilst it poured outside I finally sewed these old chenille squares together...I am loving them, BUT you should have seen the mess...it looked like there had been a blizzard in my sewing room. It has felt miserable enough for snow!

 On Tuesday I headed down to Maitland for my next instalment of Brigitte Giblin inspiration.

Always fun and now I am getting to know the other ladies in our class at Southern Cross Needlework...really nice! Brigitte is always inspiring as are the other ladies...great to see what they have been up to...and what they have been creating. Brigitte always seems to have "whipped up" something amazing.

I have been working on my 13 panel hexagons... I am hoping I am not too contemporary...I will need to be able to sleep under this!

Cardygirl xx

A quick Swoon!

 Just a quick peep...I managed to get some of the Denyse Schmidt fabrics released here in spotlight recently...many thanks to Cathy and Andi! And I have been keen to play with them. Everyone else in Cardy world was busy and I had big plans to mow, spray weeds, wash the car & clean out the pantry (my long weekend was going to be SUPER exciting!!)...but the rain stopped most of those plans ( BTW I did vacuum the car & the pantry is impressive!) so I headed to my sewing room...yay!

Here are my first two blocks of Swoon, a pattern from here...and I love them!

My only trouble was one point was ABSOLUTELY uncooperative...and I mean, this point was mean!

 I reverse sewed umpteen times, talked to it both nicely & nastily, and in the end I resorted to complaining to my mother about nice fabric turning nasty...grrrr! And finally it toed the line! Thanks Mum!

And here is my dear boy, home for lunch with some equally scruffy mates...makes my heart smile!

Cardygirl xx

Flying Cabbages?

Or perhaps Cabbage Geese? However you say it, this little quilt is delightful!

 A surprise from my dear friend Cathy of Cabbage Quilts, this little piece of deliciousness landed at my place this week. Little did I know when I saw it on her blog that it was already on it's way to me! What a wonderful surprise and I just adore it. It will probably live on my mini quilt wall, but at present seems to be following me around the house so I can gaze at it. Thanks Cathy...it is treasured!

Here are some pics of the projects I made last weekend...

a pattern I saw on Molly Flanders and managed to track down (thanks M!)...

more flying geese in a lap quilt for Mum...

beautiful Bliss in a quickie quilt!

It is cool and rainy here...time to clean the pantry & feed my son and some mates from uni.

Hope you are having a good long weekend!

Cardygirl xx

More Mt Tenandra 2011

Some more pics to share of a great weekend.

For those who don't know, I live in a rural area but I was born & raised in the city...not too citified...but definitely no farm girl...but I do try to fit in! At the weekend I was fortunate enough to visit the home of Chookyblue...certainly a slice of heaven!

I saw Curly Pops who was very friendly (and vocal!) and recovered from her recent trauma...

the famous chook that laid the blue egg...and soaked in the tranquility of the farm.

I even had to put out signs on the road! 

 Saw the emus that live near her place & found a calf tangled in wire. I had fun...and was VERY excited about my mid life transformation to farmer Cardy! UNTIL I was told I had the wrong shoes!!!! Since when don't cute soft little black ankle boots with bows look like farm shoes???? Oh well...maybe next time!

Lots of stitching...

Chookster and her JR challenge quilt...

 Dale with Prints Charming fabrics...so fresh and pretty...

Kerry...

me...

Lots of fun...a little more still to come!

Cardygirl xx

Mt Tenandra 2011

Funny how fast a year really goes!

It really doesn't feel like it has been a whole year since I hit the road and met with Chookyblue, Peg, Dale, Kerry, Nicole and the super grown up Fairy Girl at beautiful Mt Tenandra in rural NSW.

BUT IT WAS!

But that meant it was time to see them again...yay!

So bright & early on Friday I hit the road and headed north west to see some of my favourite women.

It is a four hour drive for me, so I met Kerry and Nicole part way and then had some company for the remainder of the trip. We chatted our way out west via Quirindi ( for groceries, bargain shopping and even a compliment!... gotta love those country gents...), and then through Coonabarabran, the Warrumbungles and finally to Mt Tenandra in time for lunch...mmm quiche from Chookyblue's eggs!

Lovely days and nights filled with friendship, laughter, amazing food and lots of sewing...bliss!

And no, Sandy, the geese did not take flight when the corks were popped! cheeky!

REALLY sewing from dawn to long past dusk...

Here is a quick peek...more to come! Such fun...thanks ladies ,you are the BEST!

 Cardygirl xx

Some fabric play and a nice surprise!

 Having a break from uni work at present, so I have had a little time to play with some ideas from my Brigitte Giblin class. This may be the beginning of a 13panel hexagon quilt...fun playing with vibrant fabrics and ever gorgeous spots...this will be yet another slow play!

Some lovely mail from LeAnn of Sewing Straight Stitches ...we have both been making the Le Petite quilts and enjoying each others interpretations...and I won this fabulous pattern & thread keeper on her giveaway. It flew a long way to meet me & I love it...looking forward to stitching it together.

 Madly packing to leave tomorrow for a weekend with Chookyblue, Kerry, Peg, Dale, Miss Jules and sweet Nicole... here we are last year...now I am running around the house like a confused Masterchef contestant...probably grabbing all the wrong stuff...oh well, it will be fun to get away...see you all soon!

Cardygirl xx