Road Trip

On Saturday some like-minded sewing friends and I went on a road trip to Newcastle.
We were headed for the Cathy Jack Coupland Exhibition  at Timeless Textiles in Newcastle...we did eventually get there. Lovely colourful display of work.

We did however feel it was our duty to check out a few of the local patchwork shops along the way.....someone has to do it....On-Point in Waratah, Zig-Zag Sewing at Georgetown, and Quilt-Essentials at their new shop in Adamstown. Lovely lunch in Darby St. We had such a good time we will do it again later in the year.

Road trip booty

This beauty went home this week....

In the January holidays I attended a braiding workshop and I am pleased to say that I have managed to organise a braiding workshop here at Red Shed Quilting with Barb Travis to be held on the 9th and 10th July. Call me for more details if you are interested 0243940904.

It was one of the best workshops I have attended in a while.

Barb's braided rug 

The 52 Week Photography Challenge continues....trying to keep up now that I am back at work...

Week 5 Landscape: Black and White. Look for a scene with great contrast that will make a great black and white.

Housework catch up and a clarinet lesson today.....

Jan

Back At Work

Holiday over....kids back at school....and back to work I go. I had a good break and my garden looks fabulous!
Travelled to Sydney twice last week. Yesterday I attended the "Volunteers" lunch for QuiltNSW at the Coronation Club at Burwood. Really lovely venue and great food. On Friday I helped to pack the 'Template" the quarterly newsletter for QuiltNSW an interesting experience seeing what is involved from that end of things.

Miss Beth and I attended the opening night of Cathy Jack Coupland's first solo exhibition "Colour" at Timeless Textiles in Newcastle. The exhibition runs until the 14th Feb. Really lovely collection of work and well worth the visit. A few of the Saturday sewing girls and I are travelling up to Newcastle this Saturday coming to view the exhibition and visit a few Newcastle patchwork shops.

My efforts with the "52 week photography Challenge" continue....the latest was to take a portrait of someone other than yourself.....I chose Miss Beth.

#dogwood52weekphotographychallengeweek4

Today I need to get the newsletter out for Red Shed Quilting....running a bit late.....looking forward to the coming year. Lots going on....and more quilting of course.

Jan

Braided Rug Workshop

I attended a braided rug work shop hosted by Belinda Betts  held at "Thelma's Cottage" this week. The tutor was Barb Travis. One of the best workshops I have done in a LONG time!.
We made trivets.....small versions of a rug....which taught us all the techniques needed to produce a larger rug at a later date.

Here's mine taking pride of place on the kitchen table...

Below is Barb's work in progress...

Using recycled materials also appeals to me....most are made from woollen blankets and suiting ...

Finished a custom..

Arranged my still-life for this weeks 52 week photography challenge. "Artistic: Red"  Shoot whatever inspires you. Red should be the focus of the image. Don't be afraid to be creative...

#dogwood52weekphotographychallenge

Toukley markets today with Miss Beth....

Jan

Holidays

I am enjoying a slower pace of life after the Christmas / New Year chaos.

I have been working on a small foundation pieced quilt. Progress has been slowly made.

Santa gave me a new camera for Christmas and I have been enjoying learning how to use it. I have joined an on-line photography challenge called the 52 Week photography Challenge. Each week you are given a theme and you submit a photo taken responding to that theme.

Week one was a Self-portrait using the timer. 

Week 2 .....Traditional landscape paying attention to foreground and sky....sooooo Miss Beth and I went on an excursion literally at the crack of dawn to our local beach, Norah Head. Great to be thinking creatively again. We both really enjoyed the morning, although we had a very SLOW afternoon.

I managed to get a few shots that I was happy with using manual mode but ended up submitting this photo below as this weeks entry.

I am chipping away at a few things that need doing and relaxing as well....trying to enjoy... before the craziness of the year begins again.

Jan

Merry Christmas

Have a wonderful Christmas. I am taking a few weeks holiday where I plan to re charge....sew, swim, garden etc...

See you in the New Year.
Jan

Last Saturday Sewing 2015

Yesterday was the last Saturday Sewing at Red Shed Quilting for 2015.....

Taking a break over January. Stay tuned for next year's classes. I will post in the Newsletter and on the website www.redshedquilting.com.au at the end of January.

It was lovely to see some show-n-tell from our 'quilt in a day' Saturday that we held a few weeks ago. Everyone except me had their quilt tops complete....and Anne's was quilted and bound....

Diane

  Anne

Dianne

Favourite finish for the week would have to be Joy's quilt with 'escargot' from Lorien Quilting.

Off to Christmas carols......

Jan

Quilt NSW General Meeting

I travelled down to Burwood RSL yesterday to attend the Quilt NSW general meeting.
Kay Hearland was guest speaker and I did a demonstration on basic foundation piecing.

Kay spoke beautifully. A funny lady, she had us in stitches laughing at times.....her work is amazing.

My demonstration for basic foundation piecing went OK, except that I felt I made it too basic and it went too quick. I was finished in half an hour....

I used this gorgeous little block that will be made into a baby quilt.

Biggest finish this week would have to be Pam M's custom.....

I am happy with how it has turned out.....

Count down to Christmas with the quilting now.......lots of E-2-E's to finish. Then taking a break over January.

Jan

Quilting class

A quilting class at Red Shed Quilting yesterday.....we were expanding our 'background fill' options....and looking at designs to fill spaces and shapes. 3 ladies on domestic machines and 1 on the  Sweet 16.

Above Anne stitched out a filler design called living feathers shared by Leah Day on the 'Free-motion quilting project'....love how that looks.

Therese's efforts on the Sweet 16 mastering a feather/scroll background fill.....loved that too!

A full on, fun day.

Some Christmas decorations have been dusted off......may just be getting my mojo back....been missing for a while.

Planning to ignore the housework today....

Jan

Quilt in a Day

Yesterday we had "Quilt in a Day" at Red Shed Quilting. We chose an easy pattern, pre-cut some squares, bought food to share and spent the day sewing like mad things. I loved it and will do it again early next year.....

Morning tea with a gorgeous slice made by Anne.

The design was based on half square triangles....loved the variety of finishes....

Annes.....love her colours

Diane's all fabrics sewing related...

Ingrid working on a quilt for a baby that arrived the night before.....added half square triangles on the border of a baby panel...

Janine......a diamond arrangement....

Therese....lovely soft colours...

Dianne with lovely grey background....

We had a great day and look forward to doing it again.

Jan

Inspired.....

This week was a good one. It does happen occasionally.

Quilting went well. A custom is off that took a LONG time. 90% free hand quilting on this one. I couldn't find a scallop pattern that fitted the space well enough so I went with freehand feathers....happy with the corner solution....

Some E-2-e's finished.....

 
"Interlocking feathers"  from Lorien Quilting.....

"Continuous Baptist Fan" from Lorien Quilting....

The week finished with 'Friday Showcase' at QUILT NSW in Pitt St Sydney. Cathy Jack Coupland was the guest artist....so inspiring....loved her work and her work ethic...

I then took the bus out to Material Obsession for a first ever visit....dont know why I waited so long.....lovely shop and workshop space. I think this country girl was nervous about getting herself lost. I bought fabric..... 

Clarinet lesson today.....best get the house work done so I can go.

Have a great week
Jan

New Backings.

Lovely new backings with more arriving...

Big new roll of cotton wadding.....love the smell even.....

Favourite finish for the week quilted with "Ric-rac"by Keryn Emmerson.

Working on this custom at the moment.....only 2 customs to go.....

Count down till Christmas now.....no new orders taken....working my way through the edge-to-edge pile.

Clarinet lesson today. Glad to say I am improving....no longer making the odd horrible squeak.

Jan

Avante Play

There were no ladies in class yesterday as they all had commitments elsewhere.....the first time in a while I have had Saturday morning to myself.
So I took the opportunity to load a new baby wholecloth I have designed onto the HQ Avante machine...... I will chip away at the quilting over the next week or so.....customer quilts first.

Favourite finish for the week....quilted with Anne Bright's 'Flutterbyes"....

I am planning on attending the Quilters Guild of NSW Inc. annual General Meeting in Burwood next Saturday so the shop will be closed. The awards for this years "Challenge Quilts" will be announced. The theme this year was "Colour Collision". I help judge the quilts this year.....a wonderful experience. Standard was really high.

Beautiful day...plan to enjoy it after a quick clean up...

Jan

Going well.

Clarinet lessons going well....really enjoying them.

Another custom quilt bites the dust.....only a few customs left, BUT a lot of E-2-E's before Christmas....

Going shopping with Miss Beth today.....Has outgrown all hers clothes.....me too but for different reasons!

Jan